Dance of Ashes and Smoke (Age of Monsters Book 1) (17 page)

W
e 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.

T
hey glared at us with their lips pulled 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.

M
y 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.