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

by Harley Gordon

  I followed her along the wooden ramp. “Why wasn’t I brought here as well?”

  She turned her head to look at me over her shoulder. “So you could both have privacy and because she was much worse off than you.”

  Considering how weak and shaky I still felt, I was terrified what shape I’d find Liv in.

  “If you want, I can have the rest of your things brought here and you can stay until she’s well enough to move.”

  “Thanks. Adele too?”

  “Yes.” She held open the door, gesturing for me to enter first.

  I took a deep breath, nerves fluttering through my veins. Please be okay. Inside was similar to the Mountain Lion Cabin. Even the furnishings were pretty much the same.

  Summer stayed in the living room while I went into the bedroom. A huge guy around Summer’s age sat beside Liv’s bed. He slipped out without a word, and left me to stare at my best friend, my last piece of my family, of my life before.

  Sobs built up inside and tears blinded me, but her appearance was forever seared into my brain. She looked broken. Pale and frail with purple shadows under her eyes and hollows under her cheekbones.

  When had she gotten so small?

  I sat in the chair next to the bed, drawing tendrils of hope with each beep from the machine she was hooked up to. “Oh, Liv, I am so sorry. This is all my fault. You were right. We should have hunkered down for the winter. We weren’t ready. I shouldn’t have brought you along on this revenge quest of mine.” I took her hand in mine. “Please wake up. I can’t lose you too. I can’t live in this world without you.”

  Burying my head into the edge of her bed, I released everything into the mattress. Every bit of fear and pain and grief and heartache expelled from me, washing me clean, rinsing out the poison I’d been suffering from. I wept for my dead parents, for my brother, for Olivia’s parents, for Adele’s childhood cut short. I wept for the love I could have had if Jackson was human.

  My tears dried up once I could no longer breathe. I mopped up my face with the inside of my tee, sighing because it was my last clean one. “Please, Liv. Please.”

  She didn’t respond.

  I stayed by her side for over an hour with no change. A knock came at the door and I hauled myself to my feet and went into the main area of the cabin. A tiny body launched at me and my arms wrapped around Adele and squeezed tight. She smelled like soap and snow. I breathed her in, glad she was safe.

  Over her shoulder I saw Jackson watch us with sorrow turning his eyes almost black. Too bad. I spun her so he wasn’t in my line of sight and flopped on the couch with her on my lap. She snuggled into me, the figurine I gave her clutched in her hand.

  Summer took a seat across from me on one of the chairs. “I assume you have a lot of questions.”

  I wanted to tell her to kick Jackson out, but I didn’t want to upset Adele or sound like a brat, so instead, I pretended he didn’t exist. Still bratty, but better than a tantrum.

  “I don’t know where to start.”

  “I guess I’ll start at the beginning and you can ask when something occurs to you.”

  I nodded and adjusted my position on the couch to lessen the uncomfortable wrench in my spine. “Sounds good.”

  Summer folded her legs underneath her. “I’m from a long line of monster hunters. All the women in my family are trained from childhood in weapons and a mixture of hand to hand combat. When we reach our sixteenth birthday, we’re sent out on our first solo mission.”

  “So, your family has always known about the monsters?”

  “Yes. And for obvious reasons we never told anyone. We had no idea this whole mess was brewing.”

  “So, basically you’re Buffy?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m sick of that joke. My mom showed me the show when I was a child to explain everything. And no, not really. I don’t have super strength or anything like that. It isn’t a calling, it’s a family tradition.”

  “Gender flipped Winchesters?”

  Jackson snickered from somewhere behind me, so I snapped my mouth closed on the smart remarks.

  “That’s a little closer, yeah. Anyway. When everything happened, I started to gather forces of monsters and soldiers I was friendly with to start a resistance force and we went into hiding, staying in places monsters hate. In areas where larger Uprising cells formed, we sent in one or two of ours to help.”

  “You’re building an army? And you send, what? Undercover agents like what the British did with France during World War Two?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And what else are you doing? I assume not just holing up in the mountains while the rest of the world burns.”

  “No. We smuggle weapons and send out squads to take out monsters. We monitor the boards and send help where we can. But yes, in a way, we hole up across the country giving people a safe place while we also gather intel and supplies. We’ve had our eye on the sorceress you’re after for a while. She’s caused a lot of trouble for us, killed a lot of our people. And she has a lot of friends she puts between us and her.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  “Based on the skills you and your friend have shown, we would love it if you’d join us. And I would give you my word, we’d help you take out the sorceress. With our resources and your knowledge, we’d finally have a chance. Jax told us about the research you did. And you’re the only people to have faced her and survived a fight.”

  “Yeah, I’m not sure about that. And speaking of Jackson, why the hell did he insinuate himself in my life and pretend to be human?”

  Summer looked down at her fists clenched between her legs. “Those were my orders. His mission was to come to your town and assist with the Uprising there. He contacted me after your brother was killed and I told him to go with you and Olivia since you were after the sorceress. To keep his identity as a shifter secret and to assist you. I’ve followed your adventures with great interest. When he told me about the dragons in Savannah, we mobilized to come serve as backup in case you needed it. It felt like a trap. The sorceress doesn’t stay in one place very long.”

  “Why couldn’t he tell us what he is?”

  “Because I assumed it would cause you to distrust him.”

  “It would have. I have no interest in working with monsters.”

  Jackson sucked in a hissing breath, but I ignored the sound.

  Summer shook her head. “Not all supernatural beings wish harm to humans. In fact, over half feel that way. They’re glad to be out in the open instead of banished to fairy tales and shadows, but they completely disapprove of the way the real monsters have ruined the world. Our goal is peace between the races, no eradication.”

  I scoffed. “Peace? How will that work? Vamps taking the night shift at McDonalds? Shifters on Wall Street? Witches and wizards teaching our kids?”

  Summer scowled. “Not in our lifetime. Look, this isn’t going to be a simple endeavor and it will probably fail, but there isn’t really another option. There’s no way we can kill them all. There’s no way we can send them back into fairy tales. It’s peace or the human race will end. You could go after the sorceress on your own and if you survive, try to find a safe place to hole up, but eventually either starvation or one of them will kill you.”

  Her words made complete sense, but I refused to believe it was the only option. We could keep fighting. Humans always fought. To survive, to be top of the food chain. There was no way we could live side by side with monsters. Even if there were some decent ones who weren’t quite as monstrous as the rest, it didn’t mean we’d be safe.

  They were too strong and had too many powers and abilities.

  “Look, I’m really grateful for your help with the vampires. And for the medical attention and a place to heal. But I can’t make any decisions right now. Especially without talking to Liv first.”

  “I understand. And you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. Jax brought your stuff from the other cabin and we’ll leave you to get some rest
. Malek is going to stay. He was a doctor and will monitor your friend.”

  “Is he...?”

  “Yes. Will that be a problem?”

  I blew out a loud breath, my lips vibrated from the force of it. “No.”

  “Good.”

  She stood, but I stayed where I was, Adele passed out against me. Jackson stayed behind after she left. “Please let me explain.”

  “I think I heard all I need to. You were following orders. There’s nothing left to discuss.”

  “Yes, there is. I didn’t tell you everything, but I didn’t lie. Not about my distaste for violence and more importantly, not about my feelings for you.”

  I swallowed hard as I shoved away the memories of his lips on mine, the terror and heartbreak when I thought he was dead, how glorious it felt being wrapped in his arms. “Whatever there was between us is over. I need someone I can trust, someone who’d break orders for me. And more importantly, I need someone human.”

  He flinched at my venomous words. “I see. I’ll leave you alone then.”

  “Good.”

  His lips twisted and he shook his head as he headed for the door.

  I bit my lip as nerves jolted through me. “Jackson, wait!”

  He turned, hand still on the doorknob, but a tendril of hope in his eyes. “Yes?”

  “Where are our motorcycles and supplies?”

  He talked to the door. “They’re down at the store. Most of the food has been inventoried, but if you decide to leave, we’ll give it back.”

  “No. Let them keep it if we leave. We’ll make do.”

  “I’ll let them know.” The door slammed behind him.

  I shuddered and hid my face in Adele’s hair, trying to shove away the ache and guilt churning my stomach. I had nothing to be guilty over. He was a liar and a monster. Even if he was a so-called good monster on our side.

  The same big guy from earlier slipped into the room. “Hey. If you want to get some sleep, I’ll come get you if there’s any change.”

  Exhausted, I nodded and stood carefully, carrying Adele upstairs to the loft bedroom. Not a lot of privacy, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to sleep and not have to think about the piles of information dumped on me for a few hours.

  I curled up with Adele on the bed, passing out before even taking off my boots.

  I woke to a warm, familiar voice again and turned towards it with a sleepy smile. “Hey, you.”

  “Hey.”

  I sat up with a gasp, my mind taking a second to clear. Apparently, I still hadn’t gotten enough sleep. “What are you doing here?”

  Jackson drew back, face stiffening. “I came to get Adele for breakfast. The young kids have their meal before everyone else and then play while the rest of us have a meeting.”

  I’d slept the rest of the day and night? “There are other kids here?”

  “Yes. We aren’t an army of teenagers even though we’re led by one.”

  “Summer is a teenager?”

  “She’s nineteen, so yes.”

  Not liking how easy it was to fall back into old patterns with him, I got off the bed. “I’m going to check on Liv. Should I come get Adele later?”

  He shook his head, he clenched his jaw. “I’ll bring her back. Do you want to go to the meeting?”

  “No. I’m not leaving her.”

  His hair toss was almost as good as mine. “Very well.”

  While he helped Adele get her shoes on, I fled downstairs. Malek smiled at me. “She’s pretty much the same, but she has a little more color in her cheeks.”

  “Good. Thanks for taking care of her.” My words tasted like ashes, but I wasn’t about to piss off or offend the guy keeping my best friend alive.

  “Of course. Jax told me she plays the cello. That’s my favorite instrument.”

  “She’s amazing. She was accepted into Julliard.” The usual wince whenever those words leave my mouth didn’t happen.

  His smile widened. “That’s impressive.”

  “So is she.”

  “She’s going to be fine. You’ll get her back.”

  “I know.” I refused to accept any other option.

  “Are you all right with me going to the meeting? You can come get me if something goes wrong, but I have no fear anything will.”

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” I wished the monsters would just hurry up and leave so I could have one moment alone to think.

  “I’ll see you later. There’s coffee on the counter if you want some.”

  He left with Jackson who had Adele riding on him piggyback style. I knew he would never hurt her, but I didn’t like seeing the kid so in love with a monster. Monsters killed her parents. I didn’t have the heart to keep her away from him though. She didn’t have many loved ones left.

  I sat with Olivia for a while, but seeing her so still and ill in the bed tortured me, so I went out onto the deck and sat in one of the chairs, wrapping my hands around the hot mug to warm myself.

  White fog rolled over the valley below, the tips of the smaller mountains peeking through. The sky was a blue so pale it was almost white. Everywhere was white and bright and blinding.

  I preferred the shadows where I could hide. Where I could strike.

  I wanted to scream, to send my voice out into the air, to shatter the silence suffocating me, to expel the darkness inside me. Flakes of snow swirled and danced through the air, speckling my hair and clothes. A huff of humorless laughter fell from my mouth. I was stuck. How could we leave on a motorcycle in this mess? We wouldn’t be able to get down the mountain.

  Adele seemed to love it here and Olivia probably would too once she woke up. And it was like a cult. A bunch of idiots listening to the words of a girl who thought we could somehow have peace with things out of nightmares and horror novels at our side.

  These weren’t creatures from a paranormal romance novel. They were dangerous and were making great strides in killing us off. They’d never agree to peace.

  And what about the rest of the world?

  It was impossible.

  They were all mad here.

  And I refused to get sucked up into it.

  I stared down at the snow floating and melting on the surface of my coffee, unable to even enjoy it with my stomach in knots.

  “Hello? Where am I? Monet?”

  The coffee mug broke into fragments and coffee soaked my boots. Olivia was awake.

  After sobbing all over her and trying to explain everything, Olivia and I sat in silence, our hands clenched together.

  “So, what do you think?”

  “I don’t know what to think. Jax is a Pegasus shifter, a Buffy wannabe is building an army to bring peace between the races, and Georgia has snow and mountains?”

  I laughed and cried a little more. “I’m so glad you’re awake.”

  She smiled. “Me too. I missed so much.”

  “Do you want to stay?” I tried to hide my dread.

  She didn’t meet my eyes. “I’m with you. You know that.”

  “I still want to know your preference.”

  “Since when?” she scoffed.

  “Since you almost died.”

  She looked up at me. “We both did. And if it wasn’t for these people, we would have. I want Tashia dead as much as you, but we’ve tried over and over and she keeps winning. And people keep dying or almost dying because of it. We need help. And as crazy as their mission statement is, I get it. No one wants to spend generation after generation at war.”

  My chest tightened. “I know.”

  “But like I said, if you want to leave, we’ll leave. Though if we do, I think we should leave Adele here. She’s with other kids and is relatively safe. We can always come back for her.”

  Groaning, I rubbed my temples. “I don’t know what I want to do.”

  “We’re stuck here for now. Unless you want to steal one of their vehicles. And we don’t know where she who must not be named is anyway.”

  “No.”

  “Le
t me get the lay of the land up in here and let’s rest up and heal.” She scratched at the bandage on her neck, pulling it off. “Whoops.”

  I snatched it from her and shoved it at her face. “Look.”

  Her brow furrowed. “No blood?”

  “Your neck is completely clear. Not even a scar.” My heart tried its best to pound its way from my chest.

  “What? How is that possible?”

  I ripped the bandage off my neck. No blood on mine either. “Is there anything on my neck?”

  She shook her head, eyes wide. “Nope.”

  I took the one on my face off too. No blood.

  “You still have the scars, but they’re healed. The stitches are gone. They look months old.”

  I reached a hand up to touch my face. It didn’t hurt. I hadn’t noticed the pain in my face and neck was nonexistent with everything else happening. “Still want to stay?”

  “If they can heal our wounds like this? Heck yeah.”

  I wasn’t so impressed. Why did they hide it? They had to realize we’d find out sooner or later. If they’d healed us with some kind of monster magic, what ramifications were there—what long-term effects would we have to live with? I was sick and tired of being lied to and having things hidden from me.

  And what sort of powers could do this? Was it Jackson? I’d always suspected the healing he’d done hadn’t been quite natural. Had he left us suffering to protect his cover?

  It was time to get over myself and demand real answers from him. Maybe then, I could consider staying since Olivia and Adele would be happier and safer here.

  I didn’t get the chance to talk to Jackson until after dinner when he brought Adele back along with Summer so she could give Liv the same speech she’d given me. I found him on the deck of the Wolf Cabin watching the sunset with a drink swirling in his glass, the half empty bottle on the floor between him and Malek. I overheard sorceress and a whispered town name before they noticed my presence. I filed away the information to look into later if I couldn’t get anything out of Jackson.