Curses and Ash

by Tiffany Daune

  “Freaking fantastic.” He stepped beside her.

  Halen’s heart fluttered like the wings. Maddie giggled when the butterflies clung to her nightgown, and her joy gave Halen hope.

  Dax grasped her hand, their bracelets chimed together. Halen’s spine stiffened. Dark magick, the dragon’s raspy voice spun through her thoughts. Maddie clapped her hands and Halen jumped.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good.” She glanced up, thinking of Asair’s memory. Dax would never hurt her. She was stronger because of him. And together they would find Jae. “Where’s Quinn? I’m shocked he’s not with Maddie.”

  “He left. We’re going to have to watch Maddie for him.”

  “What?” They couldn’t take a child along to find Jae.

  “He’s gone to find Natalie. He figures they went to the Hunters’ fortress nearest to San Fran—Nevada. They wouldn’t travel far. I agree with him. I didn’t even do a locator spell.”

  “He’s flying to Nevada?”

  “He’d do anything for his sister.”

  Maddie clapped and Dax’s smile dropped at once.

  When Halen turned, her skin flecked with sparks. A shimmery residue coated Maddie’s palms along with a smashed butterfly. Maddie’s eyes brimmed with tears.

  “It’s okay.” Dax’s voice was cautious.

  Tension rolled into the room, like a poison without a cure. Maddie’s lips pinched and she snatched another butterfly from the air. She squished it, grinding the butterfly between her palms.

  “No, Maddie.” Dax yanked her back.

  She stomped and a butterfly fluttered to its death beneath her foot. She snatched more and more butterflies from the air, clapping and stomping with hysterical laughter, as she killed each one.

  Dax scooped her by the waist. She dangled in his arms, kicking, screaming and clawing the air. “I’ll take her to her room.”

  “Let me help.” Halen reached out to him.

  “No. You’ve done enough.” His tone cut deep.

  She stepped back. What happened to “freaking fantastic”?

  Darkness has spread once more, Asair whispered through her thoughts.

  “You might need this.” He tossed a vial of coral and bone to her, with Maddie swinging in his arms. “No more magick.” He shook his head, turning away from her and the butterfly carnage.

  He left before she could explain why she had summoned the butterflies in the first place. Instead of retaliating against Maddie, Halen thought if the girl could see the good in a siren, understand she wasn’t there to harm her, Maddie would be okay. Halen’s toes met with a dead butterfly with one wing. Great plan.

  Her energy waned from the butterflies, her hands clammy, the back of her neck wet with sweat. Unscrewing the silver cap, she swallowed a few drops of elixir. The syrupy sweet liquid warmed her throat, tingling through her veins. Without the coral and bone, without Dax to be more exact, she would crumble. How did Asair survive without his Guardian?

  Why did the dragon send for Elizabeth’s soul? she asked Asair. Why would you go to the dragon in the first place? Staring at the mashed butterflies, a part of her felt squished as well. She ran to the window, unfastened the lock, and with a wave of her finger and a rush of her breath, swept the corpses out.

  Your powers are strong. You would be stronger without him.

  “You mean Dax?” She clutched the windowsill. Dax was her anchor keeping her from drifting deep into the abyss of her soul.

  I warned you. Your love—

  “I don’t love him.”

  You will. And it will destroy you.

  “I’m not like you. Why would you show me that memory? You told the dragon Elizabeth was sick. Is that what happened? Is that why you were sent away?” She leaned out the window, wishing she had wings and could break free from Asair.

  It’s not the Guardians’ fault they are born from the seed of evil.

  “Dax is the one who brings me into the light.”

  He’s keeping you blind.

  “You’re wrong. He cares about me. He protects me, and I will protect him.” She came back inside and shut the window.

  Dax cannot live without you, but you can live without him.

  Halen bit her lip. He was tricking her again. “Dax is keeping you from my powers, isn’t he? Even if I surrendered my powers to you, you wouldn’t have control because of Dax.”

  He said nothing.

  “He is! And you’re trying to destroy the one thing that could protect me. You’re the monster. I thought I saw a different side of you in your memory. I can’t believe I felt sorry for you.”

  Believe me; I only want what’s best.

  “The Earth is burning, and it’s because I didn’t stop you.” She paused as the weight of her thoughts caught up to her. “You burned Etlis because of the dragon, didn’t you? You went to her for help and instead she killed your Guardian.”

  You don’t understand anything.

  “I think I do. You were bitter and you wanted revenge. What I feel for Dax is real. Once you’re out of me, once you're dead, Etlis will open.”

  Halen, stop!

  “No! I’m not listening to you. You know where Jae is, and if I have to pluck through every one of your painful memories, make you relive every last agonizing moment, then so be it. I’ll find Jae with or without your help.”

  A white stucco building flashed through her thoughts. She stumbled, steadying her hand on the wall. A street name appeared in her mind.

  “Was that so hard?” From the top dresser drawer, she snatched a few pound notes and folded them into her back pocket, along with the elixir. She scrawled the street name on the back of her hand, just in case Asair blocked it from her mind.

  I implore you to stay and deal with your Guardian.

  “And I’m asking you to shut up.” She peered down the hall—empty.

  Halen.

  “Shush.”

  Taking slow steps, she trod down the hall on the balls of her feet. The door to Maddie’s room was cracked; Dax sat on the edge of Maddie’s bed, a book in his hands. He read as Maddie stared wide-eyed at the ceiling. Her jaw was slack, her body still. Dax turned the page with one hand while tucking the covers around her with his other. Some monster. Halen rolled her eyes. She would fix this mess before anyone else got hurt.

  She continued past the doorway and descended the stairs. When she opened the front door, misty air filled her lungs. She pulled her collar up to break the chill. Scanning the sidewalk, she waited for Asair’s memories to guide her. Her stomach flipped when she glanced to the left. She smiled. “Thank you very much. You want to be a part of me? Well, it’s time to show me what you have to offer.”

  “I THOUGHT THIRTEEN would be lucky.” Tage slumped on the cot next to Ezra. She rubbed her cheek where the door handle had smacked her when the guard shoved it back. “I’ve tried everything; picking the lock, magick, but one minute isn’t enough time. I bet it’s bound with a spell.”

  “You need to stop now.” Ezra pulled her hand down so he could examine the damage to her face. “This will bruise. You’re lucky the door didn’t clip your nose. It would be broken for sure.”

  “I don’t care. I just want out of here.”

  “And I want you in one piece when we leave.”

  “If we leave.” Tage glanced toward the camera. “Are they just going to leave us here to rot? Natalie hasn’t checked on us. I know it’s a good thing the Hunters haven’t come by—but what the heck? Other than the two goons who guard us when we have to go to the can, it seems like they’ve abandoned us.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe they're saving us in case they can’t find any other sirens to kill. Maybe we’re their pantry.”

  “Not funny.”

  “I was serious.” His gaze fell to the floor. “I was wrong to provoke them. I put you in danger.”

  Tage snorted. “There’s nothing you could have done. Besides, I thought you standing up to Aurelia was kind of hot.”

/>   “You did?” He tilted his head to the side and raked his hand through his hair.

  “You’ll never be her Botox.” Tage’s lips lifted with a grin. “Just promise me you won’t go saying anything like that again.”

  “If you thought it was hot…” His eyebrows lifted.

  “Not if you end up a corpse.” At this thought, her mind drifted. “Do you think they’re alive—Corinne and Daspar?”

  He let out a heavy breath, leaning with his back against the wall. “I dunno. No one is saying anything around here.”

  “I can’t take this silent treatment anymore.” She stood. The camera followed her movement. “I hate them watching us. I hate that we can only leave for two minutes. And the food is disgusting!” She aimed her frustration toward the camera. “Do you hear me? The food tastes like crap!” She stuck her finger down her throat and imitated an exaggerated gag as the camera followed her back to the cot.

  “Hunters don’t eat. What did you expect?” Ezra grabbed her hand, so she sat.

  “Natalie eats! Those goons eat!” Her voice rose so shrill now, she didn’t even recognize it as her own. She wasn’t one to panic. She was the one with solutions—the one who could get out of anything. She buried her head in her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m going stir-crazy. I thought I could do it. I really thought I could get us out of here.”

  “What if one of us gets out?” He had that look—that I’m going to do something so stupid because I have feelings for you look—sacrificial.

  “No way!” She shook her head. “We’re in this together.”

  “Listen to me.” His eyes were ablaze with this new idea. “If one of us can get out and contact the Tari, then we might have a chance.”

  “Then you go.” Tage nodded toward the door. “I’ll stay behind. I’ll create a diversion.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I don’t have a connection to the Tari like you. I didn’t grow up in that world. When my mom stopped coming to Earth, my dad took off. My grandmother did everything to help me forget her and Elosia.”

  “And now you know why.” Sirens’ lives always hung in the balance. His grandmother was wise to keep him away.

  “But that’s the thing.” His dark gaze met hers. “You can’t forget what you are. I wouldn’t want to, because it’s what brought me to you.”

  He smiled that stupid grin and his emotions flooded her head, leaving her insides swimming. A sinking feeling rolled in her gut—a rock-hard warning that usually preceded bad decisions and someone getting hurt. “You go, or we stick together. You’re no match for them on your own.”

  “Who’s to say Natalie and the Hunters are even in the compound? They’re probably searching for Halen and Dax; they have the Hunter’s soul. I can create a diversion, give you enough time to get out.”

  She wouldn’t let him be the one to stay. To have his soul trapped in one of their gold arrows… She shuddered. No way. She chewed her fingernail, running the options through her mind.

  “Tage?” He leaned into her. “You’re scary when you’re quiet. Say something.”

  She stood, eyeing the breakfast tray: tomato whole, greasy eggs and burnt toast. She couldn’t make a spell with any of those things. The egg, maybe, but she would need water and that was the only thing she had found palatable on the tray. She picked up the water goblet. Heavy, she noted, probably crystal and most likely ancient. If she hit it on the table, it would shatter, but the stem might stay strong. Nice weapon. She smiled. But cutting the guard was risky; he would fight back. She had noticed a knife at his side, secured next to a gun. Ezra would be sure to get involved and then who knew what would happen. Too many scenarios led to Ezra getting hurt. She rolled the stem between her fingers. There was another way, but Ezra wouldn’t like it. He’d be furious with her, but at least her idea would ensure he was the one to leave. “This might work.” She toasted the air.

  “Then you’ll go?” Ezra stood.

  She set the glass down, walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around him. Even though he hadn’t showered in days, she inhaled every bit of him. Her lips brushed his neck. She spoke softly next to his ear. “You have to stay alive.”

  He tensed in her arms. “I’m here to stay. You go kick some ass. I’ll be waiting right here in this miserable cell for you.”

  His feelings for her rushed under her skin, twisting into her veins. Electrified by his emotions, she knew she was making the right decision. She only prayed he would forgive her. Sliding from his grip, she returned to the table and picked up the water glass. “We can’t waste any more time. Are you ready?”

  He nodded. “Sure, but don’t you think we should talk about what I’m going to do?”

  “I’ll create a diversion with magick, but when the guard comes you’re going to have to act fast.”

  “Then you’ll run—right?”

  She nodded. Her heart beat so hard, she was sure he would see it slamming against her chest. She inhaled slowly and then exhaled to steady her nerves. “Cover the camera with your shirt.” She waved to Ezra.

  “Yeah, but—”

  “Just do it! I don’t want the guard to see me doing the spell.”

  Ezra stepped up on the cot, like he had done so many times before. When he removed his shirt, and his head was under the fabric, she inhaled a deep breath. This was the only way. She smashed the glass on the table, reciting some fake incantation so he wouldn’t turn. This will work; she repeated as she mustered the courage. She glanced once more at Ezra covering the camera lens before it turned back his way. No going back now.

  With the broken stem, she ran the jagged shard along her arm, being careful to miss the vein, yet making sure to slice deep enough to draw enough attention. Blood oozed from the cut, dripping down to her wrist. Tage rubbed her arm, applying a bit of pressure, but the flow increased. What the heck? She grabbed a napkin, pressing the cloth to her wound. Her head grew light, the room shifted in her sight and her knees buckled. She released a muffled cry.

  Ezra turned at once. “What did you do?!” He leaped off the cot and ran to her side as she crumpled to the floor.

  One minute and the guards would be in the room to check on them. She just had to hang on, but her head grew dizzy with the loss of blood—heavy with Ezra’s frantic emotions. He grabbed another cloth napkin, bound it around her arm, but the blood soaked straight through. Tage kept count of the seconds, but the crimson stream tugged her thoughts away.

  “Guard!” Ezra shouted. “Where the hell is he?”

  Of all the times to be late. The lights shifted overhead and a buzz filled her ears. Why was there so much blood? She was careful with the cut. A flash of a mermaid’s parted black lips twisted through her mind. Panic ripped through her.

  Once kissed by mermaid venom, thy blood shall flow like the sea.

  Black smoke drifted through her thoughts. What had she done? She inhaled a mermaid’s dark poisonous breath when she protected Halen. Her eyelids grew heavy and she forced them back open. She should have known better; in her haste to set Ezra free, she forgot the basics.

  Ezra scooped her up in his arms. He held her to his chest, rocking back and forth. “What were you thinking?” He kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, and her forehead. “Hang in there. Guards!” His voice warbled like the cry of a wounded animal.

  The door swung opened. “Help her!” Ezra yelled. “She needs medical attention.”

  The guard rushed toward them, his eyes wide; his hand wavered over his gun.

  “Do something!” Ezra held on so tightly, but he had to let her go. As much as she needed him in this moment, she needed him to leave more. She tugged him down, so his cheek pressed to hers, and with what little breath her lungs would push forth, she whispered, “Run!”

  His ragged breath was at her ear. “Not without you.”

  Tage wanted to punch him for being so stupid, and at the same time, she wanted to hold onto him for eternity, for not leaving her alone.

  Ever so gently, he set her on th
e floor. He stood facing the stunned guard, grabbing his vest in his fists, shaking him. “Get help—now!”

  Natalie was at the door, her wild gaze skimming the chaos.

  Tage blinked, fighting the weight of her eyelids.

  Natalie shoved past Ezra, flinging him to the side with a wave of magick.

  “Don’t touch him.” Tage’s words were but a whisper in her throat.

  Natalie loomed over her; a willowy silhouette dressed in reaper black. “What did you two idiots do?”

  Ezra pounced, pulling Natalie against his chest. He pressed the glass stem to her neck, and yanked her away from Tage. His eyes were ablaze, darting between the guard and Tage.

  No, no, no, no… Tage reached for his foot, but her fingers only twitched. The tips were white as new-fallen snow; they couldn’t be her own. She blinked, focusing on the bizarre dance of Natalie struggling in Ezra’s arms. The guard drew his gun, but Natalie and Ezra moved too fast for him to get an accurate shot.

  “Shoot!” Natalie shouted. She elbowed Ezra in the gut. The shard grazed her neck. Her cry cut the air and in her next breath words of magick, helionomos!

  Ezra flew up to the ceiling, with his back pressed to the concrete.

  The guard aimed his gun upward, when Emil rushed into the cell. “Holster your weapon.”

  The guard stepped back.

  Emil’s dark stare landed on Natalie. “You’re hurt.” He brushed her neck.

  She pushed his hand aside, keeping her attention on Ezra. “That moron cut me and this one…” She shifted her attention to Tage. “They screwed everything up.” She shook her head.

  “We didn’t need them anyway. We found Halen and her Guardian. They’re in London.” Emil wrapped his arm around her, and she tucked her head to his shoulder. “Clean this up.” He waved to the guard without glancing back, and they walked from the cell.

  “Help her, damn it—help her!” Ezra shouted.

  Tage gasped for air. She rolled, facing Ezra pinned to the ceiling above.

  “Tage!” He reached for her, his touch galaxies away. He banged the back of his head on the ceiling as he tried to break free from Natalie’s spell.