Dance of Ashes and Smoke (Age of Monsters Book 1)

by Harley Gordon

  I woke to the scents of sugar and maple, almost like Crème Brûlée, certain I’d passed out in the club. A vampire must have gotten hold of me and drank from me until I’d passed out. Jackson’s grin as he shoved a plate of pancakes at me cleared the fog.

  “What—what’s that? I mean where’d that come from?” I sat up and rubbed the night from my eyes, hissing and wincing when I pulled at the still-broken skin on my face.

  Jax grimaced in commiseration. “After breakfast I’ll check out your wounds. We found a packet of the mix you only need water for. Adele and I made them. The rest of us already ate, but I figured you’d want them while they were still hot so I ignored Liv’s advice to let you sleep.”

  I took the plate from him and ate a few bites to rid my mouth of foul breath. My eyes slipped closed, and I moaned as the taste of syrup coated my tongue.

  Jax squirmed on the side of my bed and cleared his throat.

  “How did I get here last night? The last thing I remember was sneaking more cookies.”

  He grinned. “I helped you. You were a bit out of it.”

  “Oh no. I said something embarrassing, didn’t I?”

  “No. You mainly mumbled a little. Something about me being prince charming?”

  I swatted his arm. “I did not.”

  “You did. It was the nicest you’ve ever been to me.”

  “Too bad it takes me being almost unconscious.”

  He sighed mournfully. “I know. But it gives me hope.”

  Uncomfortable with the conversation, I finished off the pancakes and slid from the bed. “I guess we better head back to the library.”

  He jerked his head away from me, the back of his neck darkening. I glanced down and turned the same color as his neck. Sometime during the night I’d taken off my leggings, leaving me in a tank and my Hulk underwear and no bra. I grabbed my jeans and jerked them on and threw a tee from my bag over my head. The Clash one I’d stolen from him. Not wanting to make a big deal about it and choose another, I shrugged.

  “You can turn around now.”

  A slow smile spreads across his face. “I knew you stole it.”

  “You had plenty of others.”

  “You look better in it anyway.”

  “I know.”

  It was my turn to saunter away, leaving him to stare after me. After a full belly and a night in a real bed, I was almost bubbly.

  In the kitchen, Adele was covered in syrup, sticky and an utter mess. It was adorable. I grabbed a couple wet wipes and scrubbed her clean while Jax came in and rinsed off the dishes.

  It was weirdly domestic, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to remember the future the Piper had shown me. The one I could never have. And brushing up against Jax in a kitchen made me think forbidden things.

  “We forgot to check your injury last night. Let’s do it now before we have to go back.”

  I brushed away the tendrils of discomfort and nodded.

  He led me to the bathroom where I sat on the closed toilet with closed eyes while he peeled away the gauze and wiped away the blood and remainder of the poultice. “It still isn’t closing enough for me. I’m going to stitch it up. In a few days I’ll remove them.”

  I shrugged. “It’s fine.”

  It took everything in me to keep a brave face as he stabbed me over and over with the needle. It also took everything in me not to rip the needle from his hand and stab him with it. He was mercifully quick and slathered me up with more of his potion that unfortunately seemed to have lost its numbing magic.

  “You’re all set.” He shoved his meds and herbs back in his bag.

  “Thanks. I think.”

  He grimaced. “Sorry. I know it’s unpleasant.”

  “It’s fine. I’m not big on needles.” I stood, slipping past him out the door.

  “Neither am I.” He followed me out into the hall. “We need to talk.”

  I turned to face him. “About what?”

  “About whatever is going on between us that’s making you so randomly skittish around me.”

  “Skittish?” I scoffed.

  His eyes narrowed. “Yes.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “Maybe I should be clearer about what I wish to discuss.”

  With a growl, he pressed me tight against the wall and then his lips were on mine, swallowing my arguments, fire scorching up from my belly into my throat. I put my hands in his hair and pulled him closer, our bodies melded together, my mouth open under his, granting him entry. He groaned against my mouth and kissed me deeper, harder, our breaths mingling as one. He pulled away, and before I could object to his lips leaving mine, he trailed kisses of flames down my jaw, my neck, back to my mouth.

  He was gentler now as he explored, tasted. His scent enveloped me. I had been kissed before, but never like this. Never this assault on my senses, making me forget the bad things, making me forget which way was up. I never wanted it to end. I needed it to end. I floated, burned. A fiery orb about to explode into a million stars. With seemingly great reluctance, he pulled away from me and backed up, our breaths ragged and loud. He had an almost pained look on his face, his eyes deep pools of green bleeding into dilated pupils.

  He grinned. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”

  I cleared my throat and tried to respond, but merely croaked.

  His smile grew three sizes at my discombobulation. “It’s nice getting the last word with you for once.” He left me alone in the hallway, still gasping for breath.

  Liv raised her brows at my warm cheeks when I joined her and Adele in the kitchen a moment later. I scowled and shook my head to stop her questions, then hopped up to perch on the counter, my heels banging into the cabinets. She handed me a cookie which I shoved into my mouth, spitting crumbs in her face as I thanked her.

  Her mouth twisted in disgust as she wiped wet lumps of dough from her skin. I was unable to hold back the roar of laughter, ignoring the shards of pain in my face. The more offended her expression became, the harder I laughed. Tears streamed down my face and I wrapped my arms around my stomach.

  At last I calmed, still snorting a little.

  And the tiniest most beautiful giggle came out of Adele’s mouth.

  Liv and I stared at her with wide open mouths. She smiled and snuggled her stuffed bear, holding her hand out to Liv for a cookie. Liv handed her the entire bag.

  Jax rushed in. “Did I just hear...?”

  We nodded, stunned speechless.

  It was the first real noise she’d made since we met her, other than whimpers or grunts while she slept.

  He grabbed her up and swung her around the kitchen in a circle.

  And she giggled again.

  Lighter hearts buoyed us back across the street to the library. We had an idea how to get to the sorceress through her familiar and Adele had laughed. Twice. The sound fueled me with a new sliver of hope, one I’d thought had been ground into ashes. Maybe everything I touched didn’t wither and die.

  Inside the library, we stumbled to a halt. The pleasant little hideout we’d set up was ruined, our sleeping bags torn to pieces, the stuffing scattered around the floor. It reeked of gasoline, the books thrown into piles of tottering ripped pages and leather and cardboard.

  Every hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. “We need to get out of here. Now.”

  Jackson already had Adele up in his arms and headed for the door. Olivia and I hurried after them, the popping sounds of a lighting fire chasing us.

  Liv shoved me through the door and I turned to drag her out behind me, but she dove back inside. “Olivia!”

  I tried to go in after her, but Jax grabbed me around the waist and lifted me off my feet. I kicked and screamed, my training wiped from me as I flailed.

  Smoke poured from the windows in great, gray billows and flames licked at the roof, but the white stone of the building made the fire slow to take hold on the outside. The year of training for hours every day kicked b
ack in, and I broke free from Jackson and raced back inside.

  I could almost feel the blisters form on my skin as the waves of heat crashed over me. I sucked in a searing breath to scream Liv’s name, most of it coming out in broken coughs. Sinking to my knees, I crawled to the spot where we’d spent our time researching, eyes leaking, lungs and skin burning. My cheek throbbed, the heat exacerbating the pain, the smoke making my head woozy. I couldn’t wait to punch Olivia in the face when I found her.

  Embraced by slightly clearer air, I yelled her name, but the crash of collapsing bookshelves and the scream of the hungry flames still muffled the sound. My name whispered through the madness and I was unsure if it was my imagination or Liv, but I headed towards the noise, cursing when my head slammed into a chair or desk or fallen bookcase. I couldn’t tell through the clouds of smoke.

  I almost crawled right over her, my hands grabbing a fistful of her boobs. “Sorry. Are you okay?”

  “I’m trapped. I’ll yell at you for assaulting me later if you can help me free my legs.”

  I crawled around her, feeling the way with my hands. A bookcase had fallen on her. Grabbing armfuls of books, I tossed them behind me before lifting the case. Weakened from the smoke and already pouring with sweat, I could only lift it a little, but it was enough for her to slide free.

  I released it with a crash and we fell into each other, staying low and stumbling towards the exit. Jax grabbed us and hauled us away to the street where we collapsed under a drippy tree, hacking up disgusting stuff. Adele hid her face in her bear and Jackson kept poking and prodding us to make sure we weren’t burned. I slapped his hands away, just wanting a moment to breathe, a moment of space.

  Turning to Olivia, I tried to keep my voice quiet so I didn’t strain it any further. “What in the hell was so important?”

  She held up a book covered in ash and scorched, but still whole. “This. It’s the one with the information on familiars. We’re idiots and didn’t bring it with us last night.”

  “We read the entire thing and have a plan. It wasn’t worth your life.”

  “We’re leaving nothing to chance.”

  Jax stalked a little away from us, muttering under his breath about crazy people.

  “We need to get out of here. Whoever decided to light the fire is probably sticking around to watch the show. The whole city is unsafe.” I forced the words out past my seared throat, desperate for air clear of smoke.

  “Uh...guys? Too late.”

  We looked up to where Jax pointed, dread weighing heavy at the sight. Dragon shifters. I almost burst into laughter, unable to believe it was really happening. Though I shouldn’t have been surprised. Dragons were the ones most strongly against humans having access to books, believing they’d give us the information to rise up against the monsters and win.

  It’s why so many of us had made such an effort to salvage and hide them. Finding this library still standing had been a shock, an apparent oversight.

  Which led them right to us.

  They shrieked at the sight of us before they dove in a spiral like a trio of huge buzzards. We ran for cover, unfortunately in opposite directions. Liv and I went left, Jax went right with Adele still in his arms. No time to join back together, we took refuge in the Anglican church next door. Jax and Adele disappeared into the brick house with the rotting corpse smell.

  There wasn’t much we could do against a dragon shifter in their monster form without military grade weapons. If we could lure them into smaller spaces, they’d be forced to shed their scales and return to humanoid form, giving us a shot at taking them out.

  We raced through the aisle between rows and rows of pews and up to the steeple. I knocked out one of the windows to draw the monsters away from Adele and Jackson.

  “They’re just going to focus their fire on the steeple; it won’t get them inside.”

  “I know, but I don’t want them going after Adele.” I wasted a few bullets, shooting at the bastards.

  They roared in fury, screeching and searching for the threat. But they swooped towards us, and left the brick house alone. We scurried back down into the main part of the church as the steeple crumbled and fell. They hadn’t bothered with fire, instead they’d crashed into it. We took cover under the pews, low crawling towards the door like two kids racing while they waited for their parents to finish chatting after church and take them to lunch.

  One of the dragons fell into the church, landing gracefully, and changed into her half-human, half-dragon shape. Emerald scales covered her, rose-colored wings spanned from her back, gray smoke puffed from her mouth.

  Staying under the pew, I turned onto my back, and aimed at her wings. Her scales were impenetrable and would only piss her off if I tried shooting her center mass. If I could take out her wings, she’d be vulnerable, and the pain might make her slip completely into human form.

  I fired. And missed, the bullet smashing into the back of a pew four rows behind her. She lifted herself into the air, floating above the rows, sniffing us out.

  Click-boom.

  Liv and I shot almost simultaneously, our bullets passing through the thin film and bones of her wings, sending her screaming and crashing to the ground, the scales disappearing as she fell.

  We scurried out from under cover and to save ammo, I switched to my sword, separating it into two. Her human skin was pale, but her hair was the same rose color as her wings. She was stunning, even as she hunched over, face contorted in pain. Most monsters were too beautiful in their human form—another form of luring humans in.

  She struggled to revert back to dragon, but I was on her before she had the chance. She reeked of the inside of a volcano, like she had lava for blood, burning and melting everything she touched.

  She shrieked as we attacked her from two sides, me with my swords and Liv with her bow from where she perched on the back of a pew. Another dragon roared from outside in response, but didn’t come to her aid.

  I grinned at her terrified expression, no mercy or doubt or guilt anywhere inside me as I slashed at her. She put up a good fight with her claws and supernatural strength as her only defenses. Scratches soon lined my arms as she darted away from my whirling blades, my shirt in shreds.

  She spun and backhanded me right on my wounded cheek. I fell onto my back, one of the swords clattering from my hand as black swam at the edges of my vision, pain washed over me so hard I gagged, barely holding back the pancakes.

  It gave Liv the opening she needed, her arrow sinking in the dragon girl’s breast.

  The call of death screeched from her throat, the dragons outside adding their song to hers. She crumpled to the ground beside me, vacant eyes staring into mine.

  Liv leapt from her perch and ran to help me to my feet. The world was still off-center, and I leaned on her as we left the church, trying to get my bearings.

  Outside the other two dragons still flew overhead fighting their own battle.

  The Pegasus was back.

  It was spotless, but the dragons were both struggling, their flight erratic and labored. One of them dove for the Pegasus, who did some sort of gymnastics and smashed his hooves into the dragon’s face. It spiraled to the ground, the whole world trembling with the force of its crash.

  Liv fired her arrows as I ran towards it. It tried to raise its head and blow fire at me, but was too weak. My swords found the Achilles heel at the back of its neck, sinking into it with ease.

  It shuddered and died.

  The Pegasus and last dragon still fought in the air, the dragon foundering at the sight of its dead friend. With a final screech of fury, it flew off, disappearing into the horizon. The Pegasus flew after it.

  Liv and I collected her arrows and our scattered bags, shaking as we came down from the adrenaline rush. The pain I’d pushed to the side flooded back, making it difficult for me to focus.

  My throat closed. Jax and Adele still hadn’t emerged from the brick house, and the roof was scorched with a hole in it that had
n’t been there before.

  We slid our stuff under one of the abandoned cars along the streets, fear and dread slowed our steps and weighed down our feet. At the curb, I stopped, unable to make myself continue for fear of what I’d find. How many people I cared about was I going to find literally torn apart? I didn’t think I could take it again.

  Liv tried to reassure me. “They’re probably hiding and waiting for us to come and get them once it’s safe.”

  “I know.”

  “The place was disgusting. Let’s not leave them in there any longer.”

  “Okay.” My feet still refused to obey.

  “Monet, you have to move.”

  “I know.”

  The door banged open and Adele leapt from the steps and barreled into my arms. I crushed her back, trying not to sob with relief. Liv reached for her and I handed her over, my eyes glued to Jax, drinking in the concern painted across his face. The usual twinkling amusement in his eyes muted.

  The clog in my throat melted away, and I launched myself at him, clinging to him like a koala. He froze for a second before his arms threaded around my waist, one of them sliding up into my hair. The last of my tension faded, leaving me almost limp.

  “You’re hurt.” His words ticked my ear.

  “Yeah.”

  He pulled back a little, searching my eyes and face. “Looks like your stitches have popped.”

  “Yeah.”

  His brows creased. “What?”

  I shook my head with a smile. “Nothing. Just this.” I pressed my lips to his and breathed in his signature scent of wild herbs and sunlight. He kissed me back, his mouth light and careful on mine.

  It wasn’t enough.

  I pressed my body closer into his, opening my mouth. He growled and kissed me harder, our tongues danced together, our breaths shared. Heat and lightning tore through my body, leaving a molten fire pooled in my stomach. Everything else fell away until we were the only two people in the universe. Kissing him, I could forget everything. The pain, the fear, the grief, the loneliness, the exhaustion. Kissing him, I could pretend we were anywhere instead of the wasteland our world had become. Kissing him, hope and trust and family and love seemed possible. Attainable.