Smoke and Magic: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (Touched By Magic: Dragon Book 2)

by Ashley Meira

  “Are they more powerful above water?” Fiona asked.

  “No,” he said quickly, insult flashing in his black eyes. “Simply more versatile. We do not go on land unless required. As such, we are not as adept with our land forms. Walking on two legs is… more difficult for us than it is for them.”

  “Then please help us,” I said. “We can fight on land, and we have just as much at stake. The shockwaves from Seraphine’s release will destroy our home.”

  He sneered. “I do not care for your home.”

  Empathy didn’t work. Noted.

  “But you care for your people,” Adam said. “How many have you lost? How many more will you lose if you can’t stop what’s happening? How many other tribes will be wiped out once Seraphine awakens? I’m told even a fragment of her can cause chaos.”

  The chieftain’s face twisted into a grimace, and he looked at Adam like he wanted to strike. But he didn’t, and it took me a moment to realize why.

  He was scared.

  Not of Adam, but of the truth in his words. His people were going to be wiped out, and all his attempts to prevent that had been met with failure. He was running out of options — if he hadn’t already — and Adam had shoved that fact in his face.

  I swallowed thickly, thinking back to the conversation we’d had in my kitchen last month. Adam was very good at picking people’s fears apart.

  “Careful, young man,” said a wizened female voice. “You’re liable to give Syranus an embolism with such words. The poor dear has been under quite a bit of stress as of late.”

  The speaker appeared at the colosseum entrance, her black and white form a stark contrast to the tall golden archway. She was one of the mollusk-headed nereids, her two horns pulled back over a reddened shell. She had no nose, only a slight incline in the middle of her face. I’d compare it to Voldemort, but that felt rude. Each of her ribs were visible underneath her thin, almost translucent, ivory skin.

  Unlike Cheza, Theo, or the chieftain, her lower body was like an octopus. Long black tentacles undulated gently above the sea floor, giving her an almost malevolent appearance. Despite that, her eyes were coy and wise, like she’d lived through many lifetimes. She might have, if the potent magic she wore like a shawl was any indication. My Fire hungered for it, unafraid of the ocean chill it would bring.

  “You’re late,” the chieftain said.

  “Am I?” She gave him a sly smile. Even with her unorthodox appearance, it still looked charming, proving all nereids really did have pretty smiles. “Or was I purposefully misdirected in a pitiful attempt to rid yourself of these outsiders before I could meet them? You always were an impudent child, but I don’t remember your attitude being so hard to correct. Growing more stubborn as you age, I suppose.”

  “Look who is speaking,” the chieftain said through gritted teeth. Whoever this woman was, she held quite a great deal of power. His wife? Mother? “Your head is the hardest of all, Cordelia.”

  “Perhaps,” she said coyly. “But I’ve earned it.”

  Fiona reeled back, her lips pursed tight to hold back a gasp. She loved courtroom dramas. When we were digging through the wreckage of our home, she’d been inconsolable upon discovering the charred remains of her Judge Judy DVDs. At least now I knew what to get her for Christmas.

  “Running out of air, young lady?” Cordelia asked her, floating toward us. Somehow, she managed to make a giant mass of tentacles move more elegantly than a pretty fish tail. “How is it, pray tell, that you can breathe at all?”

  She knew, though I wasn’t sure if she recognized our necklaces as the Teeth of Poseidon. Perhaps she wanted to see if we’d lie?

  “Our necklaces.” I bowed my head. It felt like I had to. “They allow us to breathe underwater and speak your tongue.”

  “Oh?” She turned that coy smile on me. “Does it? How kind of you to assimilate.”

  “We meant what we said about wanting to help,” Adam said. “We have a common enemy. The more time we spend here—”

  Cordelia held up a skeletal hand. “Yes, yes. You don’t need to plead your case to me. But first, formalities.” She gave us a dramatic bow, every bone in her spinal cord bulging against the fragile barrier of her back. “I am Cordelia, the tribe’s sea witch. Shaman, if you prefer. Hag, if you wish to never leave — or live,” she finished, smile still on her face.

  “I’m Sophia,” I said, bowing. “This is my sister, Fiona, and my… Adam.”

  Cordelia had no eyebrows, but she arched her brow bone regardless. “A story for another time, perhaps. For now, we must focus on the task at hand. I have not seen the ritual site myself since it was commandeered, but—”

  The chieftain rose from his throne. “Cordelia—”

  “Calm yourself, child. These three saved young Cheza, did they not? Risking life and limb fleeing from a hoard of charybdis and a gang of sharks to bring the little one back.” Her eyes were completely black, and they twinkled with mirth. “She does love to tell her stories. Poor Theo nearly pulled his hair out after she reminded him you rescued her for the tenth time.”

  I searched the room, catching a glimpse of silver hair peeking out from the entryway. Cheza poked her head out and waved at me, a big grin on her face, before ducking away again.

  “She’s very sweet,” I said.

  “She is.” Cordelia nodded. “And most fond of you.”

  “Very well,” Syranus said, looking like a teenager who’d been put down by his mother. I’d feel more for him if Cordelia wasn’t on our side. “Land-dwellers, we will grant you access to our ritual site. The barriers will grant you entrance, and our people will provide you with supporting fire. The charybdis may have advantage over us on land, but they are simple-minded and can be lured back into the depths.”

  “Indeed,” Cordelia said. “I imagine they would be much less of a nuisance without that woman’s touch.”

  “Woman?” Fiona asked.

  “Your murderer’s partner, I assume. Or his leader. The charybdis respond to the Tears of the Ocean Queen’s magic. Seraphine used them as foot soldiers when she walked the earth, and it calls them back to that time. However, they are brutes and respond to power. They aren’t under that man’s control, so she must be more powerful than him.”

  “Do you know what this woman looks like?” I asked. Like I couldn’t guess.

  “She wore a mask,” Syranus said. “White with matching leather armor. Her sword hilt had a phoenix wrapped around it, though she left all the fighting to the charybdis.”

  “The ritual is best performed under a full moon,” Cordelia said before shrugging. “Then again, it’s also best performed in Japan, with all four relics together. A modern man your murderer, unburdened by tradition. Or perhaps simply desperate,” she added when I raised a brow. Thomas was all about tradition. His, at least.

  “They haven’t sacrificed anyone yet?” Fiona asked.

  “They have already sacrificed the necessary amount of sea kin,” Cordelia said, her inhuman features drooping. “I imagine the rest are being kept as a meal for when Seraphine awakens.”

  “Meal?” Fiona shuddered. “That’s awful.”

  “Truly. Seraphine’s appetites are quite depraved, though I hear she’d grown particularly fond of a rare specimen during her last days. Made her nigh impossible to defeat.”

  “I’m assuming a rare species and not a particular person?” I said.

  Cordelia nodded. “Whatever they were, eating them gave her even more power than she already had. But I digress. The ritual is quite complex. However, those two seem to have done their homework. They’re nearly finished.”

  “How long?”

  “An hour, if we’re lucky.” Cordelia drifted toward the entrance and gestured for us to follow. “We will prepare our people immediately. Take a few moments to recuperate while we do so. I imagine the temperature inside our barrier is more to your liking? I’ve had it adjusted for your visit.”

  We followed her out of the colosseum
as dozens of eyes bore holes into our backs. Cordelia was content with our silence and led us to a small cavern before leaving to make preparations. The cavern was empty, so we sat on the ground, letting the information we’d received sink in.

  “One hour,” I said.

  “Will that be enough time?” Fiona asked.

  Adam shrugged. “All we have to do is fight through the charybdis, and defeat Snow and Thomas. What could go wrong?”

  Everything. I bit my lip. Knowing hundreds of thousands of lives rested on your shoulders really sucked. Being a villain sure seemed easier. Fear driving me, I tried Adrienne’s communication ring again. I wanted to hear her voice one last time in case—

  My head fell against Adam’s shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around my waist. When Addi didn’t reply, I called Symeon.

  “Darling! Am I to assume you’re calling to say everything is fixed? Perhaps I should have saved you a slice of cake.”

  I frowned. “There’s cake? Where did Ollie hide it, in his pants?”

  “No, the kitchen is stocked. Though I suppose I could check his pants—”

  “Stay out of his pants,” I warned. “And how dare you eat without us?”

  “You shouldn’t swim on a full stomach, darling.”

  Maybe I wouldn’t miss them after all. Since communication rings only allowed speech between two people, I hung up on Symeon and called Ollie.

  “You hung up on him, and now he’s ranting,” Ollie said. “Thanks.”

  “Symeon’s too posh to act enraged.”

  “Melodramatics make me tired. I get enough of it from you and your sister.”

  I looked at Fiona, who was rolling her eyes. She must have called Symeon. “I’ll tell her you said that.”

  “I’d rather be killed by her than a tidal wave. Actually, no, I take that back,” he said. “Is everything okay now?”

  “You’ll know in an hour.” I paused. “Hey, tell Symeon to get out of here, okay? As far from this place as possible. You have time to—”

  “I’m not leaving you, you stupid noodle!”

  “… Noodle?”

  “Yeah. Like a worm but without the brain. And worms have tiny brains, so you’re doubly stupid.”

  If I survived this, I was looking up how smart worms were. But for now, I swallowed back tears that shouldn’t be allowed to fall more than once a year and said, “I love you, too.”

  “Obviously.” He scoffed. “Dummy. Don’t make me kill you before the wave does,” he said, his voice softening. “Bring Addi home safe, okay?”

  “Yeah. I’ll see you soon.” I ended the call, praying I’d be able to make good on that promise.

  I heard Adam say goodbye to his brother before he leaned over to kiss my cheek. “We can do this.”

  I turned, capturing his lips with mine. Our mouths moved together, slow and content, like nothing was wrong. It was hard to remember how bad things were when I was with him. Even with all we’d been through, he managed to make me feel at peace.

  “You’re a very optimistic man,” I said when we parted.

  He threaded his fingers through my hair and pressed his forehead against mine. “I meant what I said about wanting something serious. For that to happen, we need to live.”

  I pinched his cheek. “Don’t make me cry. It pisses me off how often it’s been happening.”

  His voice was soft. “Have you been crying a lot because of me?”

  “In general,” I said, not wanting to hurt him. “And because you’re a pain in my ass. Both, really.”

  He kissed me again, long and hard. “We’re going to get through this. Together.”

  My heart throbbed. “Only my sister is allowed to say that to me.”

  He smiled and stood up. “I’ll go outside and get some fresh air — fresh water, I guess — so you two can talk.”

  “Adam’s butt looks huge in those pants,” Fiona said loudly.

  “No, it doesn’t,” he said on his way out the door.

  “He’s right,” she said, sitting next to me. “He has no bad angles.”

  Wordlessly, I clung to her, and she clung back. We didn’t need words to express what a total shitfest this was, and what our odds of success were. I didn’t even want to think about it. Hopefully, running around in a blind panic and killing everything in my path would prove to be a good strategy.

  “I love you,” she said.

  I squeezed her. “I love you, too.”

  “I wish we brought some gasoline,” she said after a pause.

  “Underwater?”

  “The ritual area is on land, remember? I’m just saying: it’d be handy to have that around if we fail. Just douse Seraphine and light a match.”

  I scoffed. “That’s not a bad idea. How are you feeling, by the way?”

  “Better. A little dizzy from all the portals, but it’ll pass soon. The temperature is better now that Cordelia fixed it. Sometimes I envy your gift.”

  “Want to trade?” I asked. “I wouldn’t mind being the pretty fairy for a day.”

  She fluttered her lashes dramatically. “You think I’m pretty?”

  “On the outside.”

  “Hey!”

  Adam interrupted our sisterly banter. “They’re ready.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The ritual site was a bit of a swim, but after narrowly escaping from great whites, it was a cakewalk. There was a large opening above, letting streams of pale light filter through from above. We broke water, the change in our lungs more noticeable than when we first dived in.

  The smell of wet rocks assaulted my senses. We were in a small cave connecting to a tunnel. Sunlight was at the end of it, carrying in the fresh scent of ocean air from outside. I pulled myself out, my wet clothes dragging me down. My first thought was to wait for Adam, but then I realized he wasn’t my personal mage-butler. I had magic of my own, magic I needed to practice.

  A flame flickered to life in my palm, so far removed from the wild infernos I used to conjure. The heat couldn’t burn me, so I held my hand as close to my clothing as possible. I was fireproof, but my clothes weren’t, and the last thing I wanted was to charge into battle naked.

  A pair of angry green eyes appeared above the water. Theo pulled himself up, ignoring my offered hand. I watched his shimmering tail go from turquoise to the pale blue of his body to a white that passed as human, splitting into legs as it did so. Apparently, I was the only one who minded being naked. He wiggled his toes with a frown before standing.

  Then, he immediately fell down.

  Fiona raised a brow as she and Adam popped up. He eyed the flame in my hand before taking my wrist and lifting toward my shirt. I’d been so focused on Theo’s actions I didn’t realize my pants were dry. I kicked my shoes off, wrinkling my nose at the feel of soggy socks. Those were being dried next.

  Adam copied me, drying himself off as Fiona stood between us, making the best of both worlds. Girlish laughter came from the hole. Cheza’s head peeked out a moment later, a grin on her face as she watched Theo fail to stand. Syranus came out a moment later and took her away, sighing at the little girl’s whining.

  My Fire danced at the feel of magic. I looked down and saw Adam kneeling beside me, drying my socks. Returning the favor, I brought my flame near his hair.

  “Careful,” he said. “I frizz easily. The starfish socks are a cute touch, by the way.”

  Theo gave up standing and dragged himself back toward the water. He dipped his legs inside, and I watched as his tail reformed up to his knees. He pointed toward the exit.

  “That leads to a small island. Our ritual site. It’s a clear piece of flat land, pure rock. You’ll see them immediately. Coming through here means walking, so the others are swimming to the edges of the island from the outside. They’ll see us the moment we rise above water, so we’ll wait until you start attacking.”

  “Coming from here will give us an element of surprise,” Adam said. “Assuming Snow hasn’t sensed us.”

&
nbsp; “She probably has,” Fiona said. She was dry — and completely frizz-free. Stupid fairies.

  “That’s not my problem,” Theo said, submerging himself completely. “You can find the way down there alone, yes? Good.”

  His head disappeared underwater before we could say anything.

  “Professional,” Fiona said. “I like it.”

  I nodded. “Imagine how much easier my life would be if Adam had been that professional.”

  Adam scoffed and pecked my cheek. “You’d be sleeping in a hotel right now.”

  “Peacefully,” I said, turning to hide my blush. “We all dry? Let’s go.”

  We kept our steps light as we approached the tunnel opening. Before stepping out, we surveyed the field. It was a huge area, large enough to hold ten times the people that had been in the colosseum. The terrain was flat and completely made of rock, just like Theo said. At least one hundred charybdis were littered around, their exterior slime-like under the sunlight. Their spears looked more menacing than they had in the water, able to rend flesh as easily as their eldritch maws.

  Behind the charybdis, on the left side, was a group of people. The kidnapped nereids. A barrier surrounded them like a steel cage. My heart leapt when I caught sight of Adrienne. She looked more disheveled than I’d ever seen, but she was alive. I felt a thousand pounds lighter.

  Which was good, because that extra weight would’ve made fighting Snow a lot harder. She was in the middle of the island, standing before what appeared to be an altar. I couldn’t see the necklace, but I smelled the lilacs. Maybe it was because I’d only encountered remnants, but the scent was a lot stronger than it had been before.

  Like Syranus said, Snow was wearing her white leather armor. Part of me was relieved, but another part of me wanted to see her face again — to make sure she really looked like me.

  Thomas was also dressed in his usual outfit. The exact same suit he’d been wearing two nights ago, actually. His jacket was missing, which let me see the growing sweat stains on his back and under his arms. He looked even clammier than before as he paced around behind Snow, waving his arms around and ranting like a madman.