Flesh and Bone (Blood and Darkness Book 2) Read online

  Flesh and Bone

  Melissa Sercia

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  About the Publisher

  Additional Titles

  FLESH AND BONE

  By

  Melissa Sercia

  Copyright © 2018 Melissa Sercia

  * * *

  Edited by Amanda Roberts.

  Cover Design by Mibl Art and Tina Moss.

  All stock photos licensed appropriately.

  * * *

  Published in the United States by City Owl Press.

  www.cityowlpress.com

  * * *

  For information on subsidiary rights, please contact the publisher at [email protected]

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior consent and permission of the publisher.

  Author’s Note

  Don’t miss book three of the Blood and Darkness series with GODS AND DEMONS

  Demons have escaped the Underworld and descended upon New Orleans. Gray must invoke the Hades Protocol and turn to the gods for help. Only one thing stands in her way--Harpies. As they guard the entrance to Elysium, the price of passage will cost the life of another coven leader.

  * * *

  With the Crescent Witches struggling to hold a magical protection barrier around the city, Gray tries to unite the covens as they gear up for the fight of their lives. But when a target is painted on her back, she discovers a traitor amongst them, countering every move she makes. And when one of her closest allies abandons her, Gray is forced to make a life altering choice that threatens everyone she loves.

  * * *

  Unsure of who to trust, Gray will have to rely on her own power more than ever. With the clock ticking and the fate of the world hanging in the balance, she must find a way to send the demons back to the Underworld or watch her world, and everyone in it, burn to the ground.

  BUY NOW!

  For all the dreamers.

  * * *

  Reach for the stars, let your imagination run wild, and don’t ever give up. There is a story waiting to be told in each of you.

  "When time no longer exists, and magic is caught between the shadow and the soul, we will return to the soil with nothing left, but a pile of flesh and broken bones."

  One

  It had been three months since the battle at Infitum. Three months since I unleashed my darkness. The world was quiet, but my head was not. It raged. It tore at my limbs. My loins. It seeped into my veins, slicing through like broken glass. But I kept this to myself. I had already done enough to Aldric. I plastered on a happy face and a frozen smile, all the while knowing the worst was yet to come. It was more than a feeling in my bones. More than an instinct. It was in every chill that passed through the open window I hung out of in the middle of the night. It was in every frantic, shallow breath I tried to hide. Something dark was coming.

  “Can’t we just stay here forever?” I took a long sip of my coffee, closing my eyes as the warm liquid trickled down my throat.

  Aldric sighed. “Gray, at some point we need to get back out there. While I have loved every minute of having you all to myself, Infitum was just the beginning. The longer we wait, the quicker they will gather their forces.”

  He was right, but I just couldn’t shake this feeling of dread. The minute we went back out there, everything would change. I would grow dark again. At least here, in New Orleans, in Aldric’s loft, I could keep those feelings at an arm’s length. But I knew the Consilium was already rebuilding. We should strike while they were still weak. And we still didn’t know anything about the strange note with the serpent drawing that we had found when we returned from Infitum.

  I downed the rest of my coffee and jumped to my feet. “Okay. We need to start with Stonehaven. There’s a good chance Tobias has returned there.” The last time we were at Stonehaven was before I knew that Tobias was my father. It felt like a lifetime ago. The sight of all those humans hooked up to blood draining machines had made me sick. I promised myself that I would go back for them.

  Aldric smirked. His blue eyes sparkled at me. “Now there’s the Gray I know and love.” His face still took my breath away. It was a handsomeness that I never got used to. I leaned in to kiss him and he pulled me closer. His lips were soft on mine and tasted of chicory and molasses.

  He pulled back to give me a wink. “How about some breakfast?”

  I nodded, delighted. Now that my cravings for blood were gone, I enjoyed human food even more. My palate was sharper and no longer masked by the taste of metal.

  Aldric grabbed his coat and headed toward the door. “A box full of beignets it is.”

  My stomach fluttered. “As if you didn’t already have my heart.”

  He winked. “Be back soon, darlin’.”

  After pacing around Aldric’s apartment for about an hour, I wondered what was taking him so long. Maybe he stopped for something else? It wasn’t like him to get side-tracked. That feeling of dread returned tenfold. Maybe I was being paranoid, but something didn’t feel right. Our link had weakened since I had ingested the Narcissus flower, but I couldn’t sense him at all right now. A knot formed in my stomach.

  I grabbed my coat and bolted out the door to go look for him. If I could retrace his steps, maybe I could catch his scent. The thought of him being in danger made my blood pressure rise. Dark magic clouded my thoughts. I tried to focus on my breathing to keep it at bay. I couldn’t afford to lose control and unleash it on the city.

  As I sped down the path along Pirate’s Alley, the knot in my stomach tightened. There was no trace of Aldric. I pushed on. Reaching the Honey Butter Café, I stopped outside the door and took a deep breath. I shut off all my thoughts and listened.

  Snippets of conversation floated through my head. One couple was discussing their plans for the weekend. Another was arguing over who’s turn it was to do the dishes. I’d give anything to have such simple and mundane problems right now.

  I listened but heard nothing of importance. There was no sign of any conflict on the street or witnesses to any wrongdoing. I shifted my eyes to black and looked around. If Aldric had been attacked, he would have fought tooth and nail, but there was no evidence of any struggle. Not a drop of blood spilled.

  My paranoia was increasing. What if I was overreacting? My mind had not been clear for some time. Ever since draining Py
thia of her magic, my thoughts were darker than usual. I was too quick to jump to terrible outcomes. What if Aldric was back at the apartment already and now worried about me?

  I turned around and headed back, hoping my absence hadn’t given Aldric a heart attack. I didn’t even think to leave a note. It was a wonder how he even put up with me these days.

  I tried to shake off the nerves as I walked and instead willed myself to envision the taste of soft flaky beignets, fluffy and coated with velvety powdered sugar. It had become our morning ritual—two cups of chicory coffee and a bag full of delectable treats. We’d stuff our faces while chatting about sixteenth century art and literature. He’d ask me questions and we’d debate over certain events in history. I’d laugh and remind him that I had witnessed most of it in person.

  As I opened the door to Aldric’s bar, the Three Blind Mice, my heart sank. It was quiet, with no trace of movement. I raced up the stairs to the loft to find it just how I left it. Empty. Aldric still wasn’t back.

  I was paralyzed with fear, yet still clinging to the hope that Aldric would return. I sat on an overstuffed chair and waited. I listened, straining my ears till I could even hear the clanking of glasses from the other side of town.

  As day turned to dusk and then to night, I began to pace around the loft. When the new morning light broke through the stained glass windows and there was still no sign of him, I knew in my bones that he was not coming home. Someone had taken him. There was no other explanation.

  I swallowed hard to keep the Narcissus magic from burning my throat. My head filled with thoughts of the Consilium torturing Aldric, or worse, killing him. I had to get to Stonehaven now. If Tobias was behind this, then that was where he likely would have gone. If this was a trap or another ploy to get my attention, it worked.

  I gathered my things and took one last look around the apartment. The note with the serpent drawing caught my eye. I stuffed it into my coat pocket and darted out the door.

  I flew through the streets and arrived at the port in record time. Our ship, given to us by The Keeper, perched quietly in the harbor. I felt strange boarding it by myself. If I had just listened to Aldric weeks ago, we’d be sailing on it together right now. Guilt and regret clawed at me like a hungry crow.

  This was no ordinary ship. Just like Seven’s ship, the Resistance, it was cloaked in magic, which meant it could travel at alarmingly fast speeds. I calibrated the controls to sail for Scotland and sank down with a bottle of whiskey. I poured it straight into my mouth. Warm aromas of honey and pepper wafted through my nose as the liquid slid down my throat like an old friend.

  The ship rocked back and forth, gentle like a soft breeze as it carried me across the Atlantic. This was the first time I’d been on my own in four centuries. I’d always had a companion. A confidante. Yet underneath the anxiety, there was a quiet solace in being alone with my thoughts. In my world, our eyes reflected our emotions, changing color to mimic our shadow selves. With my eyes shifted to black, I clung to my rage, desperate like the lost souls in the Mourning Fields.

  In the past three months, I had become too passive, too merciful, and too comfortable. While stuffing my face with sugary pastries and Aldric’s kisses, I’d let my enemies get too close. I’d let my guard down. And now, it had cost me. This Narcissus magic had debilitated me. Instead of embracing it, I tried to push it away. Instead of using it, I chose to ignore it. That ended today.

  As the coast of Scotland edged into view, I gripped my daggers tight. The shores of Dunnottar radiated and shimmered bright emerald green. Almost there. I took a deep breath and said a silent prayer to Apollo as the salty air filled my lungs. I prayed not for myself, but for those who had wronged me. Their days were numbered, and they would soon regret ever knowing me.

  Two

  The rocky coastline splayed out like shards of glass. I drifted into an alcove on the north side of the island. Stonehaven was nestled at the top, perched above a steep and windy path. I anchored the ship and raced up the steps, taking them two at a time. My heart was beating out of control by the time I reached the top.

  With daggers out, I spun around, surveying the terrain. It was quiet and still. Not even a bird in sight. This was too easy. My body tensed as I crept along the side of the gatehouse. As I turned the corner, I braced myself for an attack. Nothing. I let out a deep breath. Where were all the guards?

  I crept inside the gatehouse, my senses sharp and heightened. The maze of corridors sprawled out before me in multiple directions. I hugged the wall as I turned down the first one, careful not to make any noise. As I peered around the wall, I was met with emptiness. I closed my eyes and focused. Nothing. No sound. No heartbeats. I let out a deep breath and leaned against the wall.

  The gatehouse looked how I felt, empty and abandoned. My blood boiled as I clenched my fists to keep from punching a hole in one of its walls. Shuffling down each corridor, I found more empty rooms, which only amplified my despair. The office I had ransacked the last time we were here was bare. It was as if everything and everyone had vanished, like ghosts.

  I made my way to the room where we had first discovered the human bodies and froze outside its double doors. There was a note pinned to one of them. My stomach dropped. It was a drawing of a serpent, identical to the one I was carrying. I ripped it off the door, balled it up into my fist, and shoved it into my pocket alongside the other one. This was too strange of a coincidence.

  I pushed the doors open and shuddered. Another empty room. Everything was gone without a trace—the humans, the equipment, and the blood bags they had been hooked up to. My heart sank. I was no closer to finding Aldric here than I was in New Orleans, and I still had no idea what the serpent drawing meant. Was this Tobias or something else?

  My head pounded as I dragged myself through the rest of the gatehouse, my eyes peeled for any signs of life. I had to stay present, so I didn’t let my mind wander to thoughts of Aldric—helpless and wondering why I hadn’t found him yet. The guilt was suffocating.

  As I neared the last corridor, a chill passed over me. A shadow flickered out of the corner of my eye. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Something moved past me. My eyes shifted to black and I reached for my daggers.

  I called out into the darkness, “Who’s there?”

  A shrill voice giggled, followed by the clicking of heels, skipping down the hallway away from me. My grip tightened, whitening my knuckles. I sucked in a sharp breath and raced in its direction.

  The voice laughed louder as I chased her, picking up speed with each corner she turned. I ran faster but could not gain on her. How was this possible? Nothing could outrun me. I grunted as I picked up my pace even more.

  A crack of light poured in from the exit up ahead. I sprinted toward it. Her shadow darted around it. I couldn’t get a glimpse of her. The door clicked open and then shut as I neared it. I barreled into the door and threw it open, nearly knocking it off its hinges. I flew out leaping, with my daggers in front of me. I had leaped at nothing but air. Whatever this thing was, she was gone.

  I cried out in frustration. What was that? A ghost? A demon? And what did it want from me? My fingers trembled as I sheathed my daggers. I sucked in a deep breath of cool salty air. There was only one place left I could go for answers. The last place on earth I wanted to go. The Hall of Secrets.

  Sailing into the Sea of Magia, feelings I had pushed away were starting to return. Anger toward Pythia, yet guilt for draining her of her power. Rage against Dragos. A bittersweet rage mixed with a longing for an old life that no longer existed. The only one I was happy about seeing was Valentina, my best friend of four hundred years.

  I docked quickly and began my climb up the hill toward the Hall. I sped through each level, ignoring the elemental magic that decorated each one. The first time I had seen it, my eyes were full of awe and wonder. Without a second glance, I brushed past the exquisite foliage and went directly to the Hall.

  Valentina came bubbling out the front
door, her blood red curls bouncing around her shoulders. She took one look at me and her face fell.

  “Gray. Your…your eyes. What’s wrong?” Her face was pale, and her eyes were as big as saucers.

  My body shook. I locked my knees to keep from falling. I ripped one of the notes from my pocket and handed it to her. She shook her head, confused.

  I could only muster a whisper, “Aldric’s gone.”

  The Keeper rushed forward as Valentina ushered me inside the study. They guided me to a chair by the fire and placed a glass of whiskey in my hand. I knocked it back and gestured for more. The Keeper didn’t hesitate as he poured me another. They both stood trembling, waiting for me to explain.

  “Aldric went out for pastries and never came back. All I have is this stupid note, which means nothing to me.”

  The Keeper spoke with caution, considering my fragile state. “He left you this note?”

  I shook my head, annoyed. “No. It was waiting for us when we first got back from Infitum. Aldric wanted to pursue it, but I kept putting it off. I wasn’t ready to deal with it. Now he’s gone, and it’s all my fault.”