Read Silver Smoke (#1 of Seven Halos Series) Online
Authors: Monica O'Brien
Brie had no choice but to go with Justin. He pulled her onto the dance floor, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her body into his chest.
"It's too bad you're only a sophomore," he whispered into her ear. "If you were a senior, you would have been a shoe-in for queen."
"It's okay," Brie said. "I get more attention than I want as it is." She reached up and jiggled his crown. "Congratulations."
He smiled. Before she knew what was happening, they were kissing. His mouth was soft and gentle on hers, not too forceful.
She tried to relax and enjoy kissing him, but she was distracted. She worried about Rykken and where he'd disappeared to. She worried about Thessa and whatever might be happening to her. She worried about Pilot too, and what Clara had done to him. She had never seen Clara's powers cause a blank look on someone's face before.
"What is it?" Justin asked softly. He rested his jaw on her lips. She nudged his face up with her forehead to look in his eyes.
"Nothing," she said, putting on her best smile. She stood on her tip toes and kissed him, parting his lips. She kissed him again and again, each time kissing him harder, deeper.
She felt a tap on her shoulder. "Break it up you two." Brie looked around—it was one of the dance chaperones, admonishing them.
Brie pulled away from Justin. She tried to avoid eye contact with him so she wouldn't laugh.
Sirena walked up to them. "We're leaving Brie."
"Leaving?" Justin looked at Brie.
Brie's eyes widened. "I forgot to tell you. It's..." Brie looked at Sirena for help.
"It's my birthday," Sirena said, not skipping a beat. "Brie and the other girls are taking me out, then we're all sleeping over at Brie's house." Sirena gave Brie a big hug. "Isn't she the best?" Sirena gave Justin a toothy, clown-like grin.
Justin's eyes darted between the two girls, before resting on Brie. "I didn't realize you had other plans tonight."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier." Brie grabbed Justin around the waist, squeezing him tightly and burying her face in his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her and she kissed him one last time.
"You guys are sooo cute," Sirena said. "Brie can't stop talking about you."
Brie tried not to laugh; Sirena was laying it on a little thick. Her words seemed to perk Justin up though because he let Brie go.
"There are always other nights," he said. He nodded his head. "Yeah, you girls have fun tonight then."
Sirena and Brie waved goodbye as they left the dance, arm in arm.
When they reached the parking lot, Sirena gave Brie an update. "Thessa is already with the twins."
"I thought she was in trouble?"
"She got out, just barely. She's recovering." Sirena turned to Brie. "You're not wearing your necklace, are you? I need to transport you with me."
"No. Just tell me where we're going."
"Thessa's house. Hold on to me."
"I'll see you there." Brie pulled out of Sirena's grasp and moved. A few seconds later, she was standing in Thessa's foyer.
Sirena appeared within seconds, shock on her face. "When did you learn that?"
"What? Like it's hard?"
Sirena pursed her lips, raising her cheekbones. "Most Hallows can't do it until their third or fourth year of practice."
Brie shrugged. "I'm an innate."
They walked up the stairs to Thessa's room in silence.
"She's okay," Cora said as they walked in.
Thessa was lying in her bed, her chest covered in blood. Brie glanced at Sirena, who looked horrified.
"It looks worse than it is," Thessa assured them. "I'm healing quickly."
"What happened?" Brie asked, appearing at the head of Thessa's bedside.
Clara's jaw was set. "She went to Silver Smoke, that's what. To figure out what your stupid boyfriend and brother got themselves into with that pendant."
"Clara—"
"What?" Clara turned on Cora. "You have to admit Brie and her family have been nothing but trouble since they got here!"
"It's our job to protect them," Thessa said.
"You can't protect them if you're dead, Thessa." Clara's lip quivered, a single tear dropping from her face before she wiped her eyes. She pouted. "Why would you go there without me?" she whispered.
"Because it was incredibly dangerous and because your life and talents are much more valuable than mine."
For some reason, this caused Clara to sob.
"What is Silver Smoke?" Brie asked over the sniffles.
"Silver Smoke is the gang that helped overturn the monarchy in the early nineteen hundreds," Sirena explained.
"I thought it was a place."
"It's both a group and a place. The gang resides in the underground tunnels of LA, which they call the Silver Smoke."
"So they killed my grandparents," Brie said.
"Not specifically. But yes, they helped take our family out of power."
Brie felt anger bubbling in her throat. "What happened?" she asked Thessa. "Did someone at Silver Smoke attack you?"
Thessa laughed, then winced, coughing up blood. Clara glared at Brie, though Brie couldn't see how it was her fault. Finally, Thessa spoke.
"No," she said. "I knew exactly what I was getting into. I've been to Silver Smoke before."
"Silver Smoke is one of the most feared places for Hallows because you can enter inadvertently,"
Sirena said. "It takes archangel blood to enter unharmed, and archdemon blood to leave unharmed."
"That doesn't make sense," Brie said. "Is it just a trap for Hallows, then?"
Clara scoffed. "No, of course not. There are ways to enter and exit unharmed and people who can do it without any problem. Well, as long as you don't count being insane as a problem. Which I would, but—"
Brie filled her chest with air and released it, exhaling as loudly as she could. "You're driveling."
She didn't have the patience for Clara's twisted sense of humor tonight.
Sirena gave Brie a dirty look. "Don't," she said firmly. Brie huffed, but said no more.
Cora leaned over Thessa's body, holding her hands over Thessa's chest. "What did you learn Thessa?"
she asked quietly.
Thessa sighed. "I don't think Bristol has anything to do with what happened on Friday, but it's possible her sister does."
"Illona?"
"She goes by 'Kennedy' now, according to Bristol."
"I don't have anything on anyone named Kennedy to cross-reference," Clara said, like the robot she was.
"We have to find her," Thessa said. "If she's after..." Thessa moaned, and Clara shushed her. The twins touched Thessa, and she instantly fell into a steady breathing pattern, her face more relaxed and peaceful than Brie had ever seen it.
Cora ushered the girls out of the room. "I think she needs to rest and heal before we ask her any more questions." Clara sat at Thessa's bedside, holding Thessa's hand. "Clara? Come out here for a couple minutes."
"After who?" Brie asked, when Clara had joined them. "Pilot?"
Sirena seemed confused. "No, not Pilot. Someone's using him to get to..." Sirena looked at Brie.
"Who, Sirena?" Brie asked. "Me?" She turned to the twins. "And where was Rykken tonight? I thought one of you was supposed to keep an eye on him. He doesn't show up to the dance and neither of you even notice?"
"I'll check on him later," Clara said dismissively.
"Brie," Cora said, sounding incredibly tired. "Can we talk about all this stuff tomorrow? I think everyone is spent for the night."
"No," Brie said. "You two and Thessa never explain anything to me, and now things are happening to people I care about. Like, what did you do to my brother earlier Clara? His eyes went completely blank."
Clara glared at her. "I erased a portion of his memory. Look, I'm really worried about—"
"Have you done it before?" Brie thought of the party at their house, when Pilot could barely remember where he had been all night. "Did you erase his memory the night he caught you sneaking into James' office too?"
Clara put her pointer finger on her temple. "I did what had to be done to keep Pilot from finding out about all this."
Brie turned to Cora. "You said your powers had an adverse effect on earthlies..." Brie trailed off; Cora looked like she had been crushed.
"It's not completely safe," Cora said, "but I've been watching Pilot really closely, and—"
"Don't do it again, ever," Brie said. "Either of you."
Sirena put her hand on Brie's arm. "They're doing the best they can. We all—"
Brie brushed Sirena's hand away. "You can't just go around erasing people's memories! He's my
brother
, and you're all supposed to be helping me protect him, so why is he still getting hurt?"
Clara raised her fist. "I'm about three seconds away from—"
Cora grabbed both of their wrists, her touch shocking Brie with a plethora of emotions—anger at Milena for dying and sending her baggage to Honolulu, hatred of the van Rossum family, fear of Thessa dying, panic at why she couldn't put the pieces together, pain because Thessa left her behind, and a longing to stroke Thessa's hair.
Cora released their wrists. Clara looked like she might murder someone. "I can't believe you just did that," she said to Cora, as she stalked out of Thessa's room.
The night before was a blurry one for Pilot. When he woke up in the morning, he wondered if someone had spiked his drink at the Homecoming dance. He couldn't remember the dance ending, couldn't remember leaving Cora, and couldn't remember how he'd gotten home.
The grogginess reminded him of waking up in random hotel rooms in New York, especially after a wild night with the kids from school. He was never that close to the guys he spent time with, though he'd known them all his life. They were caught up in girls, cars, drugs, and money—none of which were things Pilot really cared for, at least more than superficially.
It was Sunday morning, and the varsity polo team was up bright and early for an emergency practice.
The guys were bleary-eyed and grumbling, most having stayed out late the night before.
Pilot and the rest of the guys were sitting on the benches near the pool when Rykken came bursting out of the coach's office with his foster mom.
Pilot stood up. "Where have you been?" The sun glared down at him, leaving spots everywhere he looked.
Rykken's mom gave Rykken a pat on his arm. He stopped walking, while she continued into the school, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"I was sick last night," Rykken said.
"I called you," Pilot said, trying to focus his eyes when everything around him seemed too bright and blurry. "You could have answered."
Justin laughed. "Are you two dating now?" A couple other guys laughed appreciatively.
Pilot scowled at the guys, used to their teasing, but Rykken spun around, staring Justin down.
"You've always been jealous of me," he said. "You want the friends, the talent, and the titles I have."
Rykken opened his sports bag, pulling items out one by one and dropping them, letting the rest of the contents spill to the dirty concrete pavement. He found his cap with the number three on it.
"You've taken most of what I have away already, but here's the rest." He threw his cap in Justin's face.
He turned to the guys sitting on the benches. "I'm quitting the water polo team. Justin's been named your new captain." Rykken walked toward the door, leaving all his things on the floor in front of them.
Tim, their best goalkeeper, beat Pilot to the door to block Rykken. He put his hand on Rykken's chest, forcing him to stop. "We've only lost one game this whole season," Tim said. "You can't leave us right now."
"I'm sorry. I'm just not feeling it anymore and you'll do fine without me." Rykken pushed around Tim and walked out the door.
Pilot chased after him, grabbing his arm. "Dude, you're kidding, right?"
Rykken turned around, putting his hand on Pilot's chest, keeping him at arms length. "Leave me alone, Pilot."
"No. Not until you tell me what's going on. Did something happen? Is someone forcing you to quit?"
Rykken brushed Pilot off with frustration. "I'm leaving the team because I want to. And by the way, I don't need rides to and from school anymore."
He walked away. Pilot wasn't going to give up.
"Rykken, wait." He grabbed Rykken's arm again. "So what, we're not friends anymore?"
"Let go of me, Pilot." Rykken shook his arm out of Pilot's grip, but he didn't push him away this time.
Pilot curled his fingers, holding his palms out. "You gotta give me some answers."
Rykken put his hand over his eyes, dragging it downward past his cheeks with his pinkies and thumbs.
"I'm over it."
"Over what?" Pilot asked. "Your favorite sport? Or your best friend of four years?" Rykken's forearm muscles rippled as he clenched his fists, but Pilot didn't back down. "This isn't you. What the hell happened?"
Rykken relaxed his arms, crossing them over his chest. He scraped the tile with his tennis shoe, trying to unstick old gum from the floor.
"Spill it," Pilot said.
Rykken stood there stoically, not even blinking. A minute passed.
"So that's how it is." Pilot didn't understand.
"The team is going to be fine."
"But you're not fine."
Rykken looked away, focusing on something behind Pilot. "You're going to be late for practice."
Pilot said nothing; he simply shook his head and walked back to the pool.
*****
Brie felt like the water could carry her away at any minute. She tried desperately to keep up with Sirena, who was swimming toward something that Brie couldn't see. Sirena wore no mask and no gear, and with her long blonde hair flowing like tentacles around her face, she looked like a mermaid.