The Burning Chaos (Smoke and Mirrors Book 2)

by Melissa Giorgio

  We worked tirelessly. West had me running back and forth, but I never faltered, never complained. I passed Leonid, Vernen, and Aden, but I never once saw Parnaby. Was he with Elyse? Or was he chasing after Aeonia? I thought he’d be out here, trying to calm the panicked citizens, but maybe this was too much for him. Maybe his magic wasn’t strong enough to manipulate all of them into forgetting what had just happened.

  Maybe he needed the amplifier to do something like that.

  Soldiers poured onto the scene, assisting in the rescue and aiding West in tending to the victims. Still, I didn’t want to stop working. I didn’t want to sit down and be alone with my thoughts because then I would focus on the fact that I caused this.

  I was the reason Dusk was burning.

  “Go inside,” West told me gently when he saw me hovering by his side, shaking. I shook my head and he gave me a sharp look. “Irina, I mean it. You’re in shock, and you need to sit down.”

  “But…”

  “You’ve done enough. Let us do the rest,” he said. “Do me a favor and go find Elyse? Make sure she’s all right.”

  We stubbornly stared at one another until I sighed and gave up. Sitting down for a few minutes did sound good, and I could go for a drink of water. My throat felt like it was coated with ashes.

  So I did as West said and slipped inside, searching the rooms until I found Elyse curled up asleep on a couch in one of the many sitting rooms, Quinn sitting on the floor by her feet. The girl jumped up when she saw me, tearing across the room and throwing her arms around me.

  “Irina! Are you all right? I heard the explosion and I wanted to go outside but that soldier told me to stay in here, and I was scared!”

  “It’s all right, Quinn.” I ran my hand through her hair in soft, soothing strokes. “There won’t be any more explosions.”

  “Is Aeonia dead?”

  I shook my head. “No, but she’s gone.” I started to say we would never have to worry about Aeonia again, but I stopped myself just in time. I was tired of lying to everyone.

  I wished that was the last we’d ever hear of Aeonia, but I knew in my gut that this was far from over.

  ELYSE SAT UP ON THE couch, rubbing her eyes. Her right cheek was swollen from where Aurora had struck her, and it was already turning dark purple. She touched it gingerly with her fingertips and winced.

  “What happened?” Quinn watched her, awestruck.

  “Nothing,” Elyse mumbled.

  “It wasn’t nothing. She stabbed Aurora,” I said, enjoying the way Quinn’s eyes grew round.

  “Good,” the girl said. “She deserved it.”

  “Parnaby was going to do something stupid.” Elyse stared at the floor. “For me. I couldn’t—I couldn’t be responsible for that. It was my fault that woman—Aurora—grabbed me in the first place. I let myself get distracted and…” Curling her hands into fists, she banged them on her knees. “This is why we said we’d never get involved with one another. It causes distractions and we forget what’s important.” Tears trickled down her cheeks, but she ignored them.

  “Are you saying Dusk is more important than you? Than your life?” I thought about Quinn, and how I knew I’d do anything to save her, even the impossible. But, as one of Parnaby’s spies, was I expected to always put Dusk before everything?

  If I’d known that, then I never would have agreed to work for him.

  “That stone…” Elyse shuddered. “That stone belongs here, not in the hands of that madwoman. It’s not just Dusk that’s at risk. It’s the world.”

  “We’ll get it back.” My reassurances sounded weak even to me and I fell silent.

  “I’m sorry,” Quinn said to both of us. “If I hadn’t been caught, Irina wouldn’t have had to get the stone to save me.”

  Elyse’s head shot up, as if she’d just remembered what I’d done. “You need to leave.” She stumbled to her feet and grabbed me by the wrist with ice-cold fingers. “Go. Now. Before Parnaby comes back.”

  “Go where?” I asked. “If he wants to find me, he will. Besides, I’m not leaving Leonid.” The way he’d looked when he realized I’d been lying to him flashed in my mind. “I have to explain to him what I did. Properly.”

  At my words, all the life drained out of her. Elyse’s shoulder slumped, and her blue eyes went dull. “I’ll protect you as best as I can, but Parn… He’s going to be so angry, Irina.”

  “I know. Believe me, Elyse, I knew what I was doing was crazy and suicidal.”

  “And yet you did it anyway,” she said slowly, staring at me as if she’d didn’t recognize who I was.

  “I didn’t have a choice.” How many times had I said that? And how many more times would I say it until they listened to me?

  WE WAITED IN THE SITTING room for what felt like hours. A small clock on the mantle ticked quietly as the room steadily darkened. We sat on the couch with me and Elyse at the ends and Quinn curled up in the middle, fast asleep, silent as we waited for the others to return. I wondered how West was doing with the victims. If everyone was going to survive, or if some had perished. And what about the people who’d seen Parnaby and Aeonia battling with magic? How were they reacting to that?

  I nervously played with the bandage on my right hand. West had bandaged it during the chaos, promising to look at it again when he had a moment. My small burn was nothing compared to the injuries I’d seen on the victims.

  At one point Elyse rose to light the candles, and then she sat back down again, her face grim as she glanced at me once before looking away.

  Should I have run? I asked Jaegger.

  Running is for cowards, he responded, and you are not a coward, little bird.

  Then why was my heart racing as I sat there, trembling? Is that what bravery felt like?

  When the front door banged open, the sound reverberating throughout the mansion, I jumped. Standing, I steeled myself.

  Parnaby stormed into the room, grabbed me by the shoulder and shoved me against the wall, hard. My teeth cracked together as I struggled to free myself from his ironclad grip.

  “Stop it!” Elyse cried.

  “Parnaby, get your hands off of her right now.” Leonid entered the room. His clothes, face, and hair were covered in ashes, and he was spitting mad as he rushed toward us. I never thought I’d hear Leonid speak to Parnaby that way.

  “Stop,” Parnaby commanded. Power flowed from that one word, that one order, and everyone in the room froze. Everyone except for me, that is. I was still able to struggle, and Parnaby’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Why are you still moving?”

  “Let me go and I’ll tell you,” I said. “I’ll tell you everything—”

  “I’m not interested in what you have to say,” he snapped. “You gave Aeonia the stone. Do you realize what you’ve done? What you’ve caused? You’re going to wish Bantheir had killed you that night in the prison.” His eyes were flashing maniacally, his anger controlling him. There would be no stopping Parnaby if he decided to kill me.

  “Parnaby, stop using magic on me!” Elyse cried. “You promised—”

  “Be quiet, Elyse!” He roared over his shoulder. Her head snapped back, like she’d been slapped. Even from here I could see the tears sparkling like crystals in her eyes.

  I stole a glance at Leonid, but he was frozen in place, his mouth half open. His eyes, however, were burning with anger, and I knew, the moment Parnaby let him go, he would attack the president. But it would be too late for me.

  Parnaby pulled a long, curved dagger from his coat’s pocket and I whimpered.

  “No!” Leonid shouted. He was struggling so hard against Parnaby’s magic that his face was strained with the effort. “Leave her alone, you bastard! I swear if you hurt her, I will kill you!”

  Uncertainty flickered across Parnaby’s face. Leonid was his favorite, after all, and to hear him say something like that must have hurt him, no matter how livid he was.

  At that moment Vernen entered the room, took one look at the situati
on and shouted, “Leave her alone!” A flash of bright, white light leapt from his fingers and struck Parnaby in the shoulder.

  Crying out, Parnaby stumbled backward, clutching his shoulder. He regained his balance almost instantly and hissed, “You can use magic.”

  It wasn’t a question.

  But Vernen didn’t falter under the president’s furious gaze. “Yes, I can. Does this mean you’re going to kill me?” He lifted his hand again.

  “You’ll have to wait your turn,” Parnaby said. “I’m dealing with Irina first.”

  “Parnaby, stop it already!” Elyse cried. “You’re acting insane! These are our friends! Let them explain!”

  “No.” Parnaby gave me a cold look as I cowered against the wall. “She is not my friend. Friends are for the weak.”

  In my head, Jaegger was snarling unintelligibly.

  “The weak? So what about today, when you were about to give up the stone for my life?” Elyse asked. “Doesn’t that make you weak as well? She gave it away to save the girl’s life, Parn! Just like what you were about to do for me! We’re human. We care and want to protect one another. Don’t—” Her voice cracked. “Don’t call Irina weak. What she did today was not weak.”

  “Please,” Leonid said softly. “I’ll do whatever you want, but please don’t hurt her or Vernen. I’m begging you, Parnaby. Please.”

  But Parnaby was shaking his head. “Things aren’t adding up, Leonid. Irina shouldn’t be moving right now, not when I’m hitting her with as much magic as the rest of you. And what Vernen said about me killing him? How does he know about that particular conversation I had with Irina when I made her forget about it? You are nothing special,” he said to me, and I flinched at his cruel words. “You don’t have magic, and yet…” His brown eyes grew contemplative. “And why did Aeonia seek you out to get the stone? How did she know you’d be able to find it?” He slowly unsheathed his dagger.

  Again Vernen tried to intercede, but this time when Parnaby threw magic at him, he froze. “You may have some raw power, Vernen, but you can’t stand against me.”

  Parnaby came for me. I knew I should run, and yet I couldn’t. My knees were shaking, barely able to support me as Parnaby assessed me with his magic. When his eyes narrowed, I knew he’d figured it out.

  He clamped his hand around my left wrist and my palm heated up, much like it’d done when I’d met Aeonia.

  “The Essence,” Parnaby murmured. “All of this time, you’ve been using it?”

  “No, Parnaby, don’t—” I struggled to break free of his grip, but to no avail.

  Jaegger growled, Let him come for me. I grow tired of hiding!

  “This ends now.” Ignoring the others’ horrified shouts, Parnaby brought down the dagger, driving the blade directly into the middle of my palm.

  THERE WAS A BLINDING FLASH of light as I was thrown backward into the wall. A booming noise different from the earlier explosion filled my ears as it rattled the mansion. My vision went hazy, and I had to shake my head a few times to clear it.

  I looked up, and my mouth dropped open.

  Jaegger was here. His obsidian body took up almost the entire sitting room, and I realized the noise I was hearing was him growling. It was coming from deep within his chest, a noise so bone-chilling that it raised all the tiny hairs on my body. My instincts screamed at me to run, but I ignored them. This was Jaegger. He was still my ally. He wouldn’t harm me.

  Jaegger was facing me, his wings flat against his body to keep them from brushing the ceiling, and Parnaby and Leonid were captured under his claws. His wickedly-sharp talons were inches from their faces. Leonid had the sense to remain still, but Parnaby was struggling, and one of the talons sliced his shoulder. Vernen was to my right, crouched on the floor, staring at Jaegger in frozen horror. I couldn’t see Elyse or Quinn, but I assumed—hoped—that they were somewhere behind Jaegger’s massive body.

  “Get off of me, you foul beast!” Parnaby snarled.

  Jaegger’s growl increased in volume as he shoved his head inches from Parnaby’s. “I’d watch what I’d say if I were in your position, magician.”

  “You don’t scare me. My ancestors killed your kind in the old wars, and I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

  “Such brave talk,” Jaegger said, “for one without his amplifier.”

  “I don’t need an amplifier to kill you!” Parnaby said, still struggling.

  Jaegger slowly blinked his aqua eyes. “Such arrogance. Just like your cursed ancestors. Did you forget, magician, that it took hundreds of them to sacrifice their lives to kill one of my kind? I did not forget because I was there.”

  “Lark,” Leonid hissed, his face pale and sickly-looking.

  Leonid’s words broke through my fear, and I lunged forward, placing my bandaged hand on Jaegger’s leg. “Jae, please. Let Leonid go. He’s on our side, remember?” I had no idea how he’d ended up under Jaegger’s claws in the first place.

  The dragon’s neck arched in my direction. I remained still as he assessed me, my heart pounding out of control. When he spoke, the smell of brimstone washed over me. “You trust him, little bird?”

  “With my life,” I said immediately.

  “Then I trust him.” The moment Jaegger lifted his leg, Leonid scrambled out from under him, his eyes wide with panic. The sound of his panting filled the room.

  “Vernen,” I called. He still hadn’t moved, and I feared he’d gone to that other place and wasn’t aware of what was going on.

  “I’m all right,” he said after a moment, his voice shaking. “Why is there a dragon here?”

  “How rude,” Jaegger sniffed. “I brought you back to life. The least you could do is address me by my name.”

  Vernen gaped at him.

  “Will you get off of me?” Parnaby shouted, his face red with anger.

  Keeping Parnaby pinned underneath his paw, Jaegger shifted his body so he was sitting. He flashed a grin filled with pointy teeth, looking highly pleased with himself. “I think not, magician.”

  Parnaby let out a string of curses.

  “You’re bleeding,” Leonid said suddenly. He grabbed my left hand and examined the wound closely, causing me to wince. Shucking off his coat, Leonid used his knife to rip off his sleeve, which he tied tightly around my hand. “Lark—I— What’s happening?”

  I blanched. “I’ve had a dragon inside my hand all of this time?”

  Leonid stared at me. “And you couldn’t be bothered to tell me that?”

  “How?” I demanded. “‘Good morning, Leonid, how did you sleep? I slept fine, and oh, by the way, a shard of Jaegger’s Essence is still inside of my palm and sometimes he talks to me. In fact, the last time he did, he stopped Parnaby from making me forget a conversation we had, in which he told me he was going to kill Vernen! Do you want some tea with your eggs?’” I knew my tone of voice was all wrong, too harsh and sarcastic, but I was angry. Lying to him—I never had a choice. “My hands were tied. I couldn’t say anything.”

  “You could have told me. No,” Leonid corrected, “you should have told me.” There was hurt in his eyes before he tore his gaze away from me, concentrating on Parnaby. “If you’d trusted me, you would have told me.”

  “I do trust you—”

  He laughed bitterly and shook his head. Tears sprung to my eyes, but I made no move to wipe them away. Leonid was right, and this wasn’t something I could easily fix with a few words. I’d broken his trust, and now…

  “Little bird,” Jaegger said, not unkindly. “There will be time for that later. For now, what shall I do with the magician? I can eat him, if you’d like.”

  “No!” I’d already had to listen to Jaegger devour Bantheir. I couldn’t live through something like that again. “You can’t eat him!”

  The dragon shrugged and I stared at him in astonishment. I’d forgotten how human-like he could be. “He’ll kill you if I don’t kill him first,” Jaegger pointed out. “You and the undead one.”

 
Leonid was shaking his head. “No. Parnaby isn’t killing anyone.”

  “Of course I am,” Parnaby said, still cantankerous even with a giant dragon pinning him down. Blood from the wound on his shoulder slowly pooled onto the floor.

  “I said no.” Leonid’s words were as sharp as the crack of a whip. A lesser man would have flinched, but Parnaby stared up at his soldier evenly. “You’ll have to go through me first. And I know I don’t stand a chance against your magic, but I don’t care.” With shaking fingers Leonid reached for the captain’s pin in the shape of a sword that hung over his left breast and ripped it off, hurling it onto the floor where Parnaby lay.

  “Leonid, what are you doing?” Parnaby asked as fear crept into his eyes.

  “Do you honestly expect me to quietly obey you as I watch you murder the people I care about?” Leonid was yelling now, gesturing wildly at the same time. “I became a soldier to protect the people of this city! But if this is the type of person you expect me to be—someone who swallows your orders, no matter what they are—then forget it. I’m through. I’m tired of being your damn puppet. I’m tired of you using magic to get what you want, no matter who suffers in the end. Enough already, Parnaby!”

  I watched Leonid, his shoulders heaving with the effort as he poured all of his rage into his words. I ached to go to him, but I was afraid he would turn that wrath on me.

  Parnaby studied Leonid for a moment. He’d gone very still, but I could tell his mind was racing furiously. “Leonid, I do the things I do for very specific reasons. But despite what you may think of me, I don’t enjoy doing them. This job, this life… It’s a harsh one. I was born into it, with no say in the matter. I wanted—I should have gone about it alone, cooped up in my mansion like my predecessors, but I thought I could do it all. Have a life out there in addition to the one in here.” His turned his gaze to stare at Elyse, who, along with Quinn, had crept forward to join Vernen, and she looked away quickly. “But I let people in, and now this has happened.” He exhaled loudly, looking like he’d aged ten years in the last couple of hours. “The worst possible thing. You can’t quit, Leonid. I need you now more than ever.”