A Tip of Balance Read online

  A few long seconds went by, and a mild sense of panic took hold of the pit of my stomach, squeezing tight and sending a cold sweat through me. Draven kept silent.

  “Please say something. Please don’t be mad, Draven.”

  He blinked several times, his eyes once again flickering black. He lowered his head and dropped a delicate kiss on my lips, pushing his hips forward. It was enough to make me understand the effect I had on him. I was as devastating to him as he was to me.

  “I could never be mad at you, Serena,” he whispered, then rolled onto his back and pulled me on top of him.

  I felt so soft against his hard frame. His hands rested on my lower back, drawing circles that moved lower and lower with each turn.

  “I understand,” he said. “There’s too much on your mind and on mine as well, but seeing you so gorgeous and naked, with water dripping all over your perfect body, I can’t think straight anymore.”

  I squeezed my legs together as he unwittingly started another fire inside me. I kissed him, short and sweet, gazing into his steely eyes as I brushed my knuckles against his rugged stubble.

  “If it makes you feel any better, you have the same effect on me, Draven,” I replied, “but I want to be completely immersed when we do… this. I don’t want anything clouding what is meant to be perfect. We both deserve it.”

  He nodded, slowly passing a hand through my wet hair. I breathed him in and closed my eyes, imagining the sea in midsummer, driftwood casting its shadows on the white sandy beach. That was Draven’s natural scent, salty and musky and incredibly addictive.

  We held each other for a while, enjoying the feel of skin on skin and our souls touching.

  “It will be okay, Serena,” he said. “We’ll get her out of there. We’ll end this. If there were a reason for me to finally take this fight to Azazel, it’s you. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, to see you happy, and to feel you until the day I die and beyond.”

  I looked at him. I felt him. He was genuine. He was mine.

  He was right. It was time to take this fight to Luceria and kick some Destroyer ass so we could explore and enjoy each other to the fullest. I was tired of having Azazel hanging over our heads like a bad storm.

  It was time to stomp the serpent’s head, once and for all.

  Vita

  I was left alone for the rest of the evening. Eventually, I gave in and ate the bread and steamed vegetables that Damion had left for me and filled up with water. I decided to keep myself strong and able to move because I knew that Bijarki was on his way to get me out of here.

  Seeing Aida and knowing that everyone else was okay gave me hope and strengthened my will to survive. I spent the night thinking about them and my first experience with Bijarki, my heart overflowing with love as I closed my eyes and saw his face, crystal clear and beautiful.

  I didn’t get much sleep. I spent the night struggling with nightmares of everything going horribly wrong. When the sun hit my face in the morning, though, I opened my eyes and felt like I was ready to face everything with newfound resolve. Most importantly, Aida’s suggestions on helping the group from the inside seemed to make more sense.

  I could do that. I could beat Azazel at his own manipulative game. I could pretend to agree to his conditions and gain enough free movement around the castle to get myself into the dungeons to help Kyana escape.

  When the key turned in the lock, and the double doors opened for Azazel and Damion, I took a deep breath and kept my head high and defiant. I had practiced my lines in the hours before his arrival. I’d even found the right vocal inflections to convey confidence. The Destroyers needed to hear me confident and unafraid.

  Azazel was the first to slither into the room, wearing a black silk shirt and a dozen leather pouches mounted on his wide waist belt. The snake medallion moved slowly, its ruby eyes taunting me. I knew from Phoenix that it had once belonged to another Druid, but neither of us knew more about it than that. There had to be something special about it, and I was determined to find out one way or another. I saved this for later, hoping I’d get some info out of Damion.

  I looked at Azazel who put on a brilliant grin as if he was genuinely pleased. I knew I was his most valuable property, so his joy at the sight of me made sense.

  “How are you doing this morning, little Oracle?” he asked, his voice far too sweet for his overall grotesque appearance.

  “Fabulous,” I replied sarcastically. “I was thinking of throwing myself out the window, but you decided to put bars on it, so I’ll have to find another way to end this charade. Got any poison I could borrow?”

  He chuckled, then glanced at Damion.

  “What do you think, Damion? Can we oblige the little lady?”

  “I don’t think so,” Damion shook his head, staring right at me. “She’s far too precious to die.”

  “That’s what I thought as well,” Azazel replied, playing along and shifting his focus back on me. “So! Have you thought about my proposal?”

  “I have.”

  “And? Come on, don’t keep me in suspense, I’m on the edge of my seat here!” he grinned maliciously.

  I wanted to punch him, but I knew I wouldn’t achieve anything with that. My hands itched to hurt him, nonetheless. I clasped them together behind my back and exhaled sharply.

  It’s show time.

  “I think your little lackey here deserves a congratulatory pat on the back,” I replied, nodding toward Damion, who raised an eyebrow in response.

  “How so?” Azazel’s gaze bounced from Damion to me a couple of times.

  “He talked some sense into me. I’ve had a bit of time to mull things over. Sleep on it, so to speak,” I said slowly. “I never asked to be brought here and exposed to this. I had a life, and I had great plans for my future. However, you ruined it all because… well, you’re scum.”

  Azazel’s face dropped. I’d managed to insult him, which brought me comfort for what I was about to say.

  “Nevertheless, I am here now. I have no chance of getting out, since you fine-tuned me with these bad boys,” I continued, raising my hands to draw focus to my shackled wrists. “So, I might as well make my existence as tolerable as possible. I will tell you whatever I can from my visions.”

  He beamed at me like a kid in a candy store. All I could think of was his face when he realized I’d escaped. It gave me enough comfort to play my part to the very end.

  “You have chosen well, little Oracle!” he grinned.

  “Vita, please. My name is Vita. Don’t objectify me,” I shot back. “I must warn you, though, I’m still learning to use my Oracle powers, and I can’t always control where my visions take me. You can’t expect me to tell you exactly what you want. You’ll have to settle for what I get.”

  “That’s quite all right,” he replied. “You’ll have plenty of time to hone that skill here.”

  “Also, I can only see the future. I have never been able to tap into the past or the present.”

  “The future is the most important, anyway,” he brushed it off. “My fireflies are everywhere, and I have spies in nearly every rogue settlement out there. I know everything.”

  “I have conditions, too.”

  “Of course, you do,” he scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I suppose you want me to spare your incubus lover? Give you two a nice chamber here in the castle? A servant of your own?”

  I looked at him for a while, quiet and still.

  Here we go.

  “I want all my friends and family spared and safe here with me,” I said.

  “Excuse me?” he cocked his head to one side.

  “You heard me. I’m sure Sverik has told you everything about our group. I want Serena, Aida, Phoenix, Jovi, Field, and Bijarki spared. They’re the ones I care about the most.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want the whole group spared? The succubi, perhaps? The Lamias? The Dearghs, the Tritones, the Maras, and all the other weaklings who think they can stand up to me?” he aske
d rhetorically.

  His voice was low, nearly freezing my bones. It was an attempt to intimidate me, but I was the one with the goods in this situation. I could take control. After all, his only other option was to put me in a glass bubble, and I wasn’t going to make it to that point because Bijarki was coming to get me. All I had to do was buy myself some time.

  “No, just them. I know you wouldn’t consider the others because you’re a heartless mouth breather. Unfortunately, you’re the mouth breather who can make or break me, so here I am, making concessions. I want my friends spared, safe, and here with me,” I held my ground.

  He thought about it for a little while, enough for a sliver of doubt to sneak into my soul. Any doubt was swiftly blown away by his response.

  “Fine. I’ll spare them. Anything else? A snack? A fancy jewel? Perhaps a noble title? I could make you Princess Vita,” he grinned, openly mocking me.

  “Do I have your word on my friends’ safety?”

  “Yes. My word is my bond,” Azazel nodded, resuming his serious composure.

  “Good,” I replied, in no mood for his tasteless jokes. I was already feeling incredibly filthy for even pretending to agree to help him. It had to be done, though. “Oh, and one more thing.”

  “Seriously?” Azazel’s shoulders dropped, not bothering to mask his exasperation. “What now?”

  “I can’t stay locked up in here. You could at least let me move around the castle, as per your original offer, in return for my cooperation. I’ll go crazy in here. I don’t think you want a crazy Oracle on your hands,” I replied.

  “I’m starting to prefer a crazy Oracle over a demanding one, such as yourself!”

  I didn’t reply but raised my chin high. I kept my eyes fixed on his. There was evil swirling in his flaring green irises. It made my stomach churn and my skin prickle.

  A minute passed with us looking at each other, neither letting go or showing any signs of wavering. I’d made it this far. I’d planted the seeds. I had to get him to say yes, or at least get under Damion’s skin later. I’d gone over all options before this discussion, and the only other way for me to reach out to Kyana was if I managed to convince Damion to take me downstairs. However, it was easier to convince the self-proclaimed Prince of Destroyers to let me out of this room instead.

  Azazel scoffed, then chuckled, visibly amused.

  “I have to say, I’m impressed, Vita,” he said. “For a creature as small and as easy to break as yourself, you are phenomenally strong. There’s more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there?”

  “You have no idea,” I replied.

  “Fine.” He brought his palms together with a loud and startling clap. “The door to your room will no longer be locked, but do not take that as an invitation to go and do something stupid, or you’ll end up in a bubble next to Abrille’s. It will be worse than torture and death. She can confirm.”

  I took another deep breath and nodded my agreement.

  “Shake on it?” he asked, reaching a hand out, wrist covered in silver bracelets with various sharp gems and studs.

  “You won’t go back on your word?” I asked.

  “Will you?”

  I shook my head.

  “Then we have a deal if we shake on it,” he kept his stance.

  I realized Azazel needed fear and recognition, not just power. There were insecurities stemming from his bipolar behavior. One minute he seemed calm and composed, and the next he was ready to rip your head off. Even with me, he sounded like he was trying to do things the nice way when all he wanted was to shove me in a glass bubble and doom me to a lifetime of misery and despair.

  I shook his hand. His fingers had a firm grip, digging into my skin.

  I felt a sting on my hand, and I gasped in response, pulling my hand back. I noticed a small drop of blood blossoming on my pinky finger’s knuckle, which I wiped away. I frowned at Azazel, not sure what I should say or what that was about.

  “Pardon me. My accessories can scratch sometimes,” he grinned and gave me a curt nod as an apology.

  Whatever that was, it didn’t feel right, but I’d just made a pact with Azazel, and there was no way I was going to kick the hornet’s nest or throw it all out the window. I decided I’d find some time later to figure out what he was up to.

  “Now what?” I asked, making sure to sound incredibly bored.

  “Let’s get you some fresh air,” Azazel smirked.

  I followed Azazel and Damion as we left my chamber and headed toward a mechanical elevator equipped with a handle which Damion repeatedly turned until we were lifted to a higher level of the castle.

  From there, we went up a set of circular steps made of the same black marble as the rest of Luceria. It felt like forever until we reached the top, and I needed a few seconds to catch my breath. Azazel then slithered forward. I realized we were standing on the dreaded terrace I’d seen in my visions.

  Physically being there nearly made me sick to my stomach, and I couldn’t move for a while.

  The wide arches were there, stretched out all over the platform with empty glass spheres hanging in the cool morning breeze. Three spheres mounted in the center each held an Oracle.

  “You should come meet your fellow Oracles, Vita,” Azazel called out. “You can see what happens when you cross me. I didn’t feel that handshake as much as I would’ve wanted, so I thought I’d show you the dark side of the coin before I toss it in the air and give you a chance.”

  I felt Damion nudge me. I looked over my shoulder and saw him nodding slowly, his gaze beckoning me to obey. My body, however, didn’t want to listen. I was on top of Azazel’s castle where I’d hoped I’d never set foot. I was experiencing the reality stemming from one of my visions. It made every vision I’d had feel more concrete than I initially thought.

  If they’d managed to abduct me, they could manage to kill Jovi, Draven, and everyone else I held dear. They could stuff me, Aida, and Phoenix in glass bubbles, and the world would end.

  Then again, what I was going through now was different and unprecedented. I was going against the future with my plan to deceive Azazel, Damion, and the other Destroyers. This was my chance to stop the worst from happening. I had to play my part.

  I took a deep breath and walked forward until I reached the occupied glass bubbles and stood next to Azazel. Two of them were in a catatonic state, their eyes white and wide open, their bodies floating in the liquid as runes fluttered across their arms, legs, and necks.

  The one in the middle was Abrille, who seemed to be asleep with her eyes closed. It was strange seeing her in the flesh for the first time. She’d made me, Aida, and Phoenix into Oracles. She’d wanted to do good and give Eritopia a chance to survive, and yet, here I was, Azazel’s prisoner. Another totem for him to collect. Her good intentions had nearly cost me my life, and I was nowhere near out of the woods.

  I channeled that anger into my next performance. The so-called Prince of Destroyers tapped the glass bubble and woke her. She blinked several times, her eyes like two white marbles, then moved her head to one side.

  Azazel raised his hand and wiggled his fingers in front of her. The liquid in the bubble dissipated. The Nevertide Oracle was no longer suspended and fell to the bottom of the glass sphere with a thump. She choked and coughed until her lungs got reacquainted with breathing normally. Two large holes formed at the top letting some fresh air in.

  Abrille placed her hands on the glass as she listened for whatever sound she could pick up.

  “Vita,” she said, her voice raspy and weak. “You’re here. I can feel you.”

  Azazel looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a self-satisfied smirk that I looked forward to wiping off his smug face.

  “She feels you, Vita. You should say hello,” he said.

  “Why should I? She’s the reason I’m here,” I replied bluntly.

  “Vita, I am sorry. I tried to stop this from happening,” Abrille sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

 
“Well, you didn’t try hard enough,” I snapped. “You know what you could have done? You could have not touched our mothers and passed this curse on. I would’ve been home now, oblivious to this whole mess!”

  I didn’t mean it. Despite the madness, if given a chance, I would have done it all again so I could meet Bijarki and feel him deep in my soul. This entire experience had made me stronger, and it brought out my fire fae abilities. There was plenty to be thankful for, but Abrille didn’t need to know that, not for the part that I was playing in front of Azazel.

  “Why are you up here, now?” Abrille asked between hiccups. “Azazel, please, don’t put her through this. Please, spare her! I will tell you what I can from my visions, just let her go!”

  Azazel’s dry laughter stopped her. She swallowed back another wave of tears, her lower lip purple and trembling.

  “Oh, Abrille, you naïve little thing. Vita’s not here to move into a bubble. Vita is just here to say ‘hello’, darling.”

  “What… What do you mean?” she croaked.

  “Well, I was given a chance to consider my options. I came up here to, yes, say ‘hello,’ but also to say ‘thank you’ because you are the only one to blame for what I am about to do next,” I replied.

  “Vita, what did you do?”

  “I agreed to share my visions with Azazel. In return, I will be kept safe, and so will my friends and family. It’s more than you’ve ever done for me.”

  “No. Vita, no. You can’t. He will kill you in the end! The moment you stop being useful, he will kill you!” she cried out.

  I banged my fist on the glass, startling her as she fell back.

  “You’ve already killed me!” I shouted. “I’m making the best of what I have left.”

  “Besides, I won’t kill you,” Azazel interjected. “She’s being dramatic.”

  Abrille pushed herself forward, leaning on her hands and knees.

  “Ask him. Ask him what happened to the others,” she replied, breathing heavily. “Ask him. There were tens of us here!”

  “Okay, that’s enough.” Azazel clucked his tongue. “Now you’re making things up to soil my reputation. Let’s put you back to sleep.”