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

by Harley Gordon

  And I never wanted to stop.

  Then the world and my life crashed back down around me with four words from Adele’s mouth. “I have to pee.”

  We jerked away from each other, my face in flames, his shining with mirth. Liv was trying to hush her and lead her away. Keeping my gaze down, I held my hand out for Adele.

  “Let’s go back to the house and while you pee, we’ll pack up as much of the food there as we can. We can’t stay in this city, especially anywhere near here. We’re not safe.”

  Liv sighed as we headed up the sidewalk. “Do you think that last dragon that got away will be back with friends?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. The timing is just odd. The day before yesterday we tried to take down the sorceress and now a long since empty city suddenly has a dragon infestation?”

  “You think she sent them?”

  “Maybe. But we can’t wait around to find out. If she did send them, it’ll be worse next time. I’m healed enough. We handled a damn dragon today. We’re ready. We have to be.”

  I sent Adele ahead into the house with Jax while Liv and I retrieved our things from under the car. She stopped me before I could follow them inside.

  “What was that?”

  “What was what?” I raised innocent brows.

  “Don’t pull that with me. You know I’m talking about the kiss.”

  I puffed out a breath. “Ugh. I don’t know. I was so sure they were dead and I was relieved and you know...adrenaline.”

  “Sure. I was suffering from the same thing and I didn’t make out with him. Why is it so hard for you to admit you have feelings for him?”

  “We live in an apocalyptic horror show and we’re on a mission to kill probably the most dangerous monster there is. I know the romance always has a happily ever after in books and movies, but this is real life. I can’t afford to let anyone else in. And I can’t afford the distraction.”

  “That’s the reason you should go for it. We could die later today. Better to go out a little happier and kissed. Believe me, if Jax and I had the chemistry you guys do, I’d be kissing him all the time. Every chance I get.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Maybe after we deal with the sorceress, we should go look for a guy for you.”

  She scoffed. “Yeah, like there’s a lot of those hanging around waiting for their princess charming.”

  “I’m sure we can find a dude in distress who needs saving pretty easily.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that. I miss kissing.”

  A goofy grin tugged at my lips. “I didn’t realize it until now, but I guess I did too.”

  “Then get in there and do it some more before we have to leave.”

  We snorted with laughter as we dragged our stuff inside. Liv shot me a lewd wink as we entered the kitchen where Jax had dumped the food across the counters.

  The three of us opened our packs, getting rid of old trash and stuff we didn’t need to make room for the food. With regret, I set the couple of books I’d swiped from the library. The food was more important and so were the books I’d brought from home. They were all I had left of my family and I’d stuffed photos between the pages. I couldn’t lose them.

  “I’m really starting to think we should help ourselves to a truck. We could even keep the bikes and strap them into the bed.”

  Liv shook her head. “I wish, but a truck would be too big. Fast getaways would be impossible and with roads the way they are covered with abandoned cars; we could get stuck.”

  “If we’re going that route, I vote for an RV,” Jax said.

  I sighed with longing. Traveling in comfort with a house everywhere we went. It’d be nice. “We have a hard enough time finding gas to fill the bikes up. Liv’s right. A truck or an RV or a van would be more trouble than helpful.”

  “But not as fun or comfortable.”

  I smiled. “True.”

  Olivia frowned. “Where’s Adele? I’ll go find her.” She winked at me again.

  I used my hair to hide my cherry red cheek and kept stuffing food into my pack as I willed my face back to its usual color.

  Jax pulled aside the curtain of hair and cupped my neck. “Shouldn’t we talk?”

  “Probably. But I’d rather take the good advice I got recently.”

  His eyes darkened when I stepped closer to him. “What advice was that?”

  “To kiss you whenever I had the chance.”

  The most delicious and wicked grin took over his lips. “That is excellent advice.”

  We went under the cover of night, after resting up the entire day, and left Jax and Adele behind in safety. The air had a bite to it as it blew off the water. We walked my bike to the Battery Brumby across the street from the lighthouse, keeping it close for a fast getaway.

  Slipping through the shadows, wrapped in the dark night, we crossed the street, avoiding the streams of light from the unclouded moon. I allowed no second thoughts or fears to enter my head or shake my hands. We would end this. I tried not to kid myself with the dream of riding off into the sunset and living happily ever after. Killing the sorceress wouldn’t fix our world, but it was a start.

  Maybe we could find a small corner to hole up in, give Adele the semblance of a stable life. Maybe the dream the Piper gave me could sort of come true. I could build a new family.

  Liv’s hand reached for mine and I grabbed back, hard, as we approached the porch. I met her eyes, seeing the same need burning in her which burned within me. We released each other and set our jaws, then climbed onto the porch.

  I let Liv have the honors, stepping back to give her room.

  Her red booted foot smashed into the door and sent it splintering to the floor. I aimed my gun at the opening, ready for anything to come out at us. The doorway remained empty, so we eased inside, flashlights searching corners.

  The structure was too still, like an empty tomb left undisturbed for days. My gun wavered. They’d moved on. We’d waited too long and now we had to start over again.

  We searched the building anyway to be sure, but there was no one inside. I cursed and slammed my fist into the hallway wall. I slumped against it and slid to the floor, palms digging into my forehead.

  I was so tired and wrung out and my face hurt. And the screaming emptiness inside me demanded repletion.

  My family’s deaths demanded vengeance.

  “This cannot be happening. It was supposed to end tonight.”

  Olivia’s hopeless tone raised my head. “I know. But we’ll get her. This isn’t over.” I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up, indulged myself in whatever it was with Jackson. I’d allowed myself to split my focus, taking in an orphan, swooning over a boy.

  No more.

  “It’s time for you and I to go back to doing this alone. We’re gonna find a safe place for Jax and Adele to hole up in, get them stocked up on supplies for the winter, and you and I are going to find the crone and end this.”

  She stared down at me, shadows dancing across her face. “I can’t. Monet, I’m exhausted and so are you. Neither one of us has had a chance to grieve for Alcott, or even our parents. We’ve been training or hunting or racing after a sorceress for the past year with no breaks. We won’t win this fight if we run ourselves into the ground. And the winter is going to keep getting worse and we’re on motorcycles. It’s stupid and dangerous. We should hole up with them. Gain back some weight, get good rest, and completely heal. When spring returns, we’ll find her.”

  I gaped, speechless, no idea what to say. I’d thought we were on the same page, fueled by the same losses and rage. How could she just quit now that we’d gotten so close? I hauled myself to my feet and walked out the door without a word. She trailed behind me with a heaving sigh.

  Outside on the porch I stumbled to a halt, and Olivia slammed into me from behind, causing the gun still in my hand to clatter onto the wood boards.

  Vampires covered the lawn outside.

  They glared at us with their lips pulle
d back from their teeth, showing us their fangs. My heart stuttered as it tried to continue beating around the shock and terror freezing my limbs. There were at least a dozen of them, deathly still as they prepared to pounce.

  We were dead.

  The gun was useless against them, so I left it at my feet and slipped my hand to the back of my neck to grip the handle of my sword. My other hand reached for the stake I’d never used on the inside pocket of my jacket.

  I looked over at Liv and tried to smile at her. She shrugged and jumped from the porch. As soon as I landed at her side, the vampires converged on us and I moved away from Liv to lead them in my direction and to keep us out of each other’s way. My world became a swirl of slashing steel and flashing teeth as I cut, sliced, and jabbed. They surrounded me, never giving me a break or a moment to breathe.

  One of them slapped the stake from my hand, the night sky making it impossible to find it again. I split my sword into two parts, keeping them at bay, but it was only a matter of time. I’d tire and they wouldn’t. I’d make a mistake and there were so many of them. Hopelessness swam over me as I wondered why I bothered. Why I kept fighting. I’d failed.

  I failed my parents.

  I failed Alcott.

  I wouldn’t fail Liv.

  No more of this. I’d taken on and beaten all sorts of monsters and walked away. I wouldn’t allow this to be any different. I focused on one of the vamps, slicing at his neck with both swords from each side.

  They slid through his skin and tendons with ease, scraping together as they met. His head tumbled from his shoulders to the ground.

  I caught a glimpse of one of them sink their teeth into Liv’s neck.

  I didn’t even see the fist coming.

  Flat on my back, weaponless, I lay wheezing, watching the stars fall. Before the monsters could converge on me and block my view of the sky, a sight brought hope soaring back through me.

  The Pegasus was here.

  Fangs dipped towards my neck, the vampire sniffing at the blood on my face. He ripped off what remained of the bandage and ran his touch across wounds. My vocal chords froze, keeping the scream trapped in my throat.

  He sat back and gave me a scarlet smile, his teeth dripping with my blood. And he plunged down to my throat, choking me with his stink.

  Vampires were flung away from me, the one attached to my neck taking my skin with her. A girl not much older than me with short blonde hair stood above me, turning them each to ash with ease like she was stabbing training dummies.

  I flopped over and crawled to my knees, hands searching for my swords. I sliced my hand open on one of them, too busy watching the battle to focus.

  The blue-haired girl didn’t come alone. At least twenty others took on the vampires, not all of them human. Monsters fought monsters. The Pegasus continued to dive and stomp at the vamps with its hooves, making them an easier target for those on the ground.

  Olivia.

  She was so still.

  Too weak to move, I crawled over to her. “Liv?” I shook her, but she didn’t respond.

  My fingers slipped in blood as I felt for her pulse. It was there, but faint. I sobbed, bowing over her, my tears falling on her face.

  A horse-like scream caught my attention. The Pegasus hadn’t been fast enough. Blood pooled on its pure white flank and it crashed to the ground, changing into its human form.

  A groan of shock and fear wrenched from me. I recognized the hair and eyes.

  It was Jackson.

  My gaze bounced back and forth between my dying best friend and the lying monster I’d begun to fall for. This couldn’t be happening.

  The sounds of the battle faded into the background, the only thing I could hear was the internal scream trampling through me. Jackson’s eyes met mine and his mouth gaped open, no sign of humor or wickedness in his expression. Just horror and guilt.

  How could he?

  All this time, he’d lied and pretended to be human. Time and time again he could have been helpful, but he’d pretended to be useless.

  He was a monster.

  My lips twisted, and I turned away from him completely, my focus on Liv. She still breathed, but they were shallow and slow. The scarf I’d used to halt the bleeding was soaked through and I knelt in a puddle of crimson.

  My hearing returned and everything seemed louder, more shouts and gunshots and screams.

  I couldn’t stop leaking all over her, unable to dam the flood streaming from my eyes.

  The battle finally ended, and the ashes of the dead floated around the yard. The blonde girl came over to me. “I’m Summer, the leader of the Uprising. We’re here to help.” She looked over her shoulder and yelled for the medic.

  Jackson headed our way, but I snarled at him. “Stay away from us.”

  His eyes darkened with pain and he stumbled to a stop, words perched on his lips, but I refused to hear them, so he swallowed them back down.

  Summer raised a brow, but refrained from comment, motioning at two human guys. They came over and lifted Liv carefully from the ground, carrying her towards the white vans lined along the road.

  Summer held her hand out for me and pulled me to my feet, catching me when I swayed. “You’re bleeding.”

  I had a strange ringing in my head. I noticed something bright burning not too far away, and I wondered if I was supposed to head towards it. I needed to move. I couldn’t help Liv like this. I had to get to her. I hoped she was alive. I’m fine, move, take a step. Is Adele okay? Jax? Why aren’t you fighting? Adele. Where was Adele?

  My world exploded in a bright light and the world went white followed by a blessed silence.

  Dreams of cartoon bullets flying at my face and men melting in acid plagued me as I fought my way from sleep. I forced open my eyes to bright lights in chorus with the loud noises roaring in my ears. A tug in my arm brought my gaze down. Something grew from it and a loud fast beeping noise cut through the other unidentifiable sounds. Faster and faster it beeped. My chest hurt and I struggled to draw breath. Was I running? I was pretty sure I was lying down. A face swam before my eyes. One fuzzy, but familiar. It calmed me. A voice, soothing and dear, called my name.

  “Monet, you have to calm down. You are okay. We are all okay. You were bitten and lost a lot of blood, but you are going to be fine. It’s me, Jax. Monet, please. You must calm down.”

  Jackson. He was here. He was alive. He said everyone was okay. I took several breaths to compose myself. It seemed to work. I licked my lips and tried to produce saliva so I could speak.

  After a couple tries, I was able to. “Where are we? What happened?”

  He bit his lip and stared down at his hands clenched together in his lap. “You and Liv were attacked. The Uprising came to the rescue. We’re in the Georgia mountains. You’re safe. Adele’s safe. Liv’s alive.”

  The memories of the fight crashed down around me. The memory of Jackson’s secrets and lies. My chest roared with pain and I wouldn’t be able to hold back my fury or tears for long. “Get out.”

  “Monet, let me explain.”

  “No. I don’t want to hear it. Get out.”

  Tears shone bright in his eyes as he slumped and stood. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  I turned my head away, setting my jaw. Once the door closed behind him, I ripped the IVs from my arm with a hiss and threw off the weight of the blankets. Thankfully, I wasn’t in one of those awful hospital gowns, but I wasn’t in my own clothes either. I was in a dress. A long, cotton candy pink dress.

  What the hell?

  Were they some sort of creepy cult?

  I had fresh clothes in my pack. Where was my pack? I searched the room, but there wasn’t much in there. The walls and the floors of the small room were wood. Two windows showed trees and piles of snow outside. A bed and medical equipment and the chair Jackson had been sitting in were the only furniture. No closet or dresser or shelf.

  Heart thudding, I walked over to the door, praying I wasn’t locked in
. It opened, and I almost swooned with relief. The place was empty, equipped with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and another bedroom in a loft overlooking the main room of the cabin. It was a sort of cabin.

  My pack sat the couch, and I ran to it, rustling through and counting my weapons. Everything was there. I grabbed a set of clean clothes, then tossed Jackson’s shirt into the trashcan, no interest in it anymore. I changed in the bathroom, arming myself in jeans and leather jacket and boots, feeling much better.

  Until I looked into the mirror.

  My hair was stiff with blood and tears and my face had a fresh bandage on it to match the new one on my neck. There was still a hair tie in my jacket pocket, so I did the best I could to get my hair in order without bothering with a brush. I needed to find Liv and Adele.

  Summer waited for me in the living room when I emerged. “You look much better.”

  Uninterested in small talk, I ignored her. “Where are Olivia and Adele? What is this place?”

  “Adele is with Jackson. Olivia is in another cabin and is still unconscious. She lost a lot of blood, but she’s stable. We’re on Blood Mountain. There’s a string of cabins and a General Store. We’ve set up a temporary HQ here.”

  “That’s lovely. Can you please take me to my friends?”

  “Of course.” She smirked as I grabbed my weapons before following her outside.

  The bright white from the sun glaring off the snow blinded me. I stood, blinking for a moment before I took in my surroundings. A sign outside claimed the cabin I’d woken up in was Mountain Lion Cabin. I snorted and shook my head. Blood Mountain? Cabins named after wild animals? The irony would’ve delighted me under other conditions.

  At the end of the trail, Summer pointed out the store. “It’s where we hand out rations and ammo and gather for meetings.”

  We turned right and walked a little way down the road until we came to another cabin built onto the side of the mountain. “That’s Wolf Cabin. It’s our medical cabin because of the ramps and it’s one of the biggest.”