Dance of Ashes and Smoke (Age of Monsters Book 1) (16 page)

T
hey 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 hadn’t been there before.

W
e 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.

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.”