A Tip of Balance Read online

  Bodies fell around me, several horses along with their riders, and soon I’d reduced my followers to a dozen. I watched the Destroyers as they fell hard, their bodies crushed into the ground, their tails flailing in agony.

  I looked over my shoulder and saw the others coming back for me. It was time for another move. I stretched my wings and glided in a broad arch before I flew upwards once more. This time, my wings were heated and ready to go the distance. I had passed them before they realized what I was doing.

  The horses brayed in distress as they were forced to follow me, their turning arch much tighter and more painful. Nevertheless, the creatures were powerful enough to take it, and they followed me through the night sky.

  The higher I went, the louder they got below me. The atmosphere was beginning to make its presence felt. The air was thinning. I didn’t feel it affecting me yet, so I kept going, wondering what my limit was. I had been moving so fast that the Destroyers hadn’t had the chance to hit me with any of their spears, all attempts failing miserably.

  I looked down and noticed the horses slowing down. Their riders were frustrated, slapping them with sharp whips that drew little droplets of blood. The animals were heaving, and the Destroyers’ tails tightened further around their stomachs.

  I reached a top layer of clouds and watched as my followers began to slow down. The Destroyers were so eager to catch me that they didn’t realize there were physical limits to their animals. I understood these creatures were not made to fly this high. My body seemed to withstand the pressure and increasing lack of air, whereas the horses were beginning to lose their stamina and ability to breathe.

  I kept going until they no longer could. One by one, the horses and riders started dropping. The horses were passing out or dying from extreme exhaustion and low oxygen. The Destroyers cursed after me on their way back down. I knew the ground would be the scene of absolute carnage. I felt sorry for the animals, but they were sacrifices for the greater good.

  My pursuers were lost, shooting into the ground like giant scaled projectiles. They weren’t going to die, but they would be in a lot of pain for quite some time.

  Soon, I had the sky to myself and glided back to the southern side. I caught movement in the corner of my eye and saw more Destroyers jumping on winged horses, eager to come after me.

  I’d just observed an enormous tactical advantage, and I was more than happy to use it again.

  I took a deep breath and put my swords away, arming my crossbow instead. I would keep my distance this round. I’d learned enough about the Destroyers to understand that they, too, would not repeat their predecessors’ mistakes.

  If I were to get close again, I would be at a much higher risk of capture.

  My wings and high-altitude resistance were a newly discovered and successful combination. It was time to exploit it to the fullest.

  Jovi

  As soon as Field shot into the night sky and Draven and Serena rode east, Anjani darted across the grass past the protective shield, whistling and shrieking loud enough to capture the attention of a pack of Destroyers stationed on the west side.

  Amongst them was Goren, who licked his lips and put on a disgusting sneer as he slithered after her, followed by the rest of his group. Anjani was incredibly fast, moving like a shadow with her feet barely touching the ground. She vanished between the thick and gnarly trees, taking advantage of the night to obscure her movements.

  The Destroyers went after her, swallowed by the darkness. I heard them hissing, their swords screeching as they left their scabbards.

  It was the opening we needed. My heart shrank to the size of a pea, and I prayed to all possible deities for Anjani to be okay and return to the safety of the shield as quickly as possible.

  Jax clicked his teeth, and his indigo horse knew what to do. Hansa held on as it galloped over the meadow and pierced the protective shield. I followed closely behind them, never increasing the distance between us by more than a couple feet. I’d initially asked Hansa if she wanted to ride with me, but she told me she was fine with the Mara’s horse because he’d chosen the one that knew how to jump over hurdles without having an impact on her crossbow targeting.

  My horse was strong and fast, its hooves thundering as its muscles trembled beneath me. It wanted to go faster but the trees made it impossible, so it did the best it could with the available space. Nevertheless, I was impressed. I held on and kept my eyes and ears open.

  We’d entered the darkest depths of the northwestern woods while the Destroyers chased Anjani in the opposite direction. We covered as much ground as possible, perhaps more than a mile before I registered movement around us.

  Shadows ran alongside us, darting between the trees and jumping over the thick, twisted roots poking out from the hard ground. I caught a clear glimpse of one and recognized myself. We were dealing with shape-shifters.

  Hansa spotted them as well. She reached her crossbow arm out and shot one in the neck. I heard it shriek before it tumbled away like a ragdoll thrown from a train.

  “They’ve lost all sense,” she shouted as she reloaded and sent another poisoned arrow out, hitting another shifter. “Their habitat has been thrown off balance by the Destroyers around the shield. They’re confused and hungry. It has probably affected their hunting ground.”

  “So, basically, they’re stupidly hungry?” I asked, hitting a shifter in the hip. It fell over, wailing as the poison ate away at its nervous system.

  “Yes,” she replied, one arm wrapped around the Mara’s chest and the other launching another arrow. “Otherwise, they’d know to keep their distance by now. The Destroyers have messed with their diets.”

  “Forgive me if I don’t shed a tear over this,” Jax retorted and waved a handful of shifters away as they came out onto the trail to stop us. They fell to their knees, shaking their heads as their pale skin rippled, and they morphed into different Eritopian species one after another, like flickers of their past victims.

  I looked over my shoulder as we passed them, our horses kicking them in the process. I heard bones breaking as the creatures continued shifting uncontrollably, screaming and crying as they lost their original form.

  I realized that the Mara had used his mind-bending ability on them.

  “What did you do to them?” I asked as we put another mile between us and the mansion, the hissing now distant and dim.

  “A few bad thoughts will go a long way for a creature already as tortured as the shape-shifter. I made them think they couldn’t control their shifting abilities. Chaos is the most effective weapon, sometimes, and often the simplest,” he replied as he led us out of the woods.

  A beautiful plain stretched out before us in undulating shades of dark green and black beneath the starry sky, clear and smooth. We continued riding northwest, our horses now giddy and eager to go faster in the open space.

  I kicked mine gently in the ribs while contemplating the extent of the Mara’s mental damage on his victims. It made me think back to my first encounter with his kind in Sarang Marketplace. I’d only lost a minute there, and I dreaded ever getting into Jax’s crosshairs because his ability seemed far more potent and painful.

  My horse was grateful for the push, nearly flying over the tall grass.

  We’d made it, but my heart was still small and tight in my chest, hoping to hear soon that Anjani had successfully evaded the Destroyers, as well.

  Aida

  I craned my neck to keep a good view of Field. As soon as he passed through the shield, my heart nearly stopped. Draven and Serena rode out to the east, while Jovi, Hansa, and Jax darted toward the northwest.

  Tamara had slithered out with absolutely no problem while Anjani’s sisters did their part by running past the protective spell, their poisoned crossbows locked and loaded as they sprinted across the open space. They had tantalized the remaining Destroyers before they vanished into the woods. The monsters immediately went after them, giving Bijarki the opening he needed to ride out and h
ead northeast. His horse was unbelievably fast, shooting through the night like a bullet.

  Phoenix and the Daughter stood by my side, watching the deployment in all four directions. I couldn’t focus on the ground movement for too long. My heart constricted in my chest, and my gaze followed Field in the sky.

  “So far so good,” Phoenix sighed, nodding toward the east. “I think they made it out safely.”

  “Aha,” I mumbled as I continued watching Field mid-flight with a crowd of Destroyers flying after him. He flew up until he turned into a dot and I could no longer see him.

  Time slowed. Minutes felt like hours, horribly slow hours that had me stuck beneath that protective shield while the Hawk I loved was out there, risking his life for us all. I hated the feeling, but I also understood there was no other way.

  I looked around, but there was no sign of him. I heard the distant hisses but saw no sign of Field. My stomach tightened itself in a painful knot. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Eva sitting on the porch steps, elbows resting on her knees as she looked up, her golden yellow eyes scanning the night sky.

  A grin slit her face from ear to ear. I followed her gaze and understood her reaction.

  One by one, flying horses and Destroyers fell from the sky, crashing into the protective shield before they dropped to the ground. The animals’ bones and internal organs were crushed in the process, and the Destroyers cursed and groaned from the excruciating pain of such an impact.

  They rolled around in the grass, wailing. I noticed dozens of open fractures and blood spurting from ripped arteries. The pain eventually knocked them out, leaving their contorted bodies limp in the tall grass. Still, there was no sign of Field. My breathing began to falter as fear flooded through me, chilling my bones and filling my mind with the most horrifying worst case scenarios.

  Where is he?

  I paced around the front garden while Phoenix and the Daughter continued to monitor our surroundings. I heard more hissing to the south, and when I turned around, I finally saw Field.

  He flew down from above in a wide arc, his wings stretched out and spanning a considerable length, as he made his way toward the protective shield. I couldn’t help but smile, excited to see him back safely. I would be able to hold him and kiss him and tell him that I knew he’d make his way back to me.

  He flew low as he prepared to breach the Daughters’ magic. My relief never came. More Destroyers emerged from the jungle behind him, led by Goren, hissing and launching their poisoned spears at Field.

  I held my breath, unable to react. One had grazed his shoulder before it ricocheted from the shield. Field pierced through, holding his wound with a pained expression as he lost his flight balance. The Destroyers were left restless beyond the shield, cursing, and hissing. Goren was particularly vocal.

  “I’ll get you all, you little worms! I’ll get you all!”

  I didn’t have time to worry about Goren at that point. I needed to help Field. I ran forward, thinking I could do something to soften his landing. I didn’t have anything to use, other than my body weight. In the spur of the moment, I decided that it would do.

  I increased my speed as he shot toward me. I nearly missed him, but I managed to wrap my arms around him as he crashed. We both fell backward, rolling over the grass. The hard ground beneath was riddled with mounds, knocking every soft part of my body until we eventually slowed down and came to a halt.

  As soon as we stopped, I immediately got up on my knees to assess him. He groaned from the pain. Our eyes met for a second before his rolled back in his head and he started seizing. I cried out, not knowing how to help him.

  “Field!” I croaked. “Somebody help us!”

  He started shaking as if trapped in a permanent fit of epilepsy. I tried to keep him still, but my arms still hurt from the fall. I had trouble matching the strength of his convulsions that seemed impossible to control.

  Phoenix and the Daughter reached us quickly.

  “I’m here,” she gasped and dropped to her knees next to us.

  Phoenix held Field’s legs while she covered his festering wound with her palms.

  “Please help him,” I whimpered, my eyes stinging as they filled up with tears. It was all happening too fast. There was no time to react or to object against the order of events. All I could think of was Field dying from the Destroyers’ poison. Nothing inside me was ready for that, nor would it ever be ready.

  We’d only just found each other. It couldn’t be over yet. I wasn’t done with him and neither was he with me.

  I sat beside him and waited helplessly. The Daughter’s hands glowed pink on Field’s shoulder. My heart stuck in my throat while I watched the gash gradually close and leave nothing but a faint scar behind.

  A minute passed in torturous silence while the Daughter repeated the same process she’d used on Bijarki several hours earlier. I found myself praying for her sisters to keep him alive.

  Field’s eyes opened wide before his body jerked and he rolled over to one side. He expelled a gooey black liquid, vomiting wave after wave and turning my stomach upside down in the process. His torso quivered as the heaving subsided and he managed to look at me.

  His face was pale. His lips were the first to regain some of their natural color. He looked at me and gave me a weak smile while the Daughter sat back, blinking fast and shaking. Phoenix sat next to her, wrapping one arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into him. I had a feeling she was quite exhausted, probably still figuring out how her powers worked and the amount of energy they drained from her, or at least the energy she’d been able to tap into so far.

  Nevertheless, relief washed over me. I gave her a grateful nod and a warm smile before I focused all my attention on Field. He sat up, panting and sweating. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, leaving a black smudge across his chin.

  “See? Told you I’d make it back in one piece,” he smirked.

  I was angry and exhilarated at the same time. I slapped him on the shoulder, and he groaned. I immediately regretted my reaction. I’d accidentally hit him on the shoulder that had just taken a poisoned spear and had been healed by the Daughter. Despite the wound being healed, the flesh probably still felt sore.

  “Don’t you scare me like that again, or I’ll pluck your feathers out,” I replied, gritting my teeth before I took him in the tightest and warmest embrace possible, given my muscular aches.

  He responded with the same intensity, if not more, as his arms took hold of my upper body and constricted around my ribs. He held me and hid his face in that warm nook between my neck and shoulder. I heard him breathe out and felt his body relax in my embrace.

  There was no way I was letting him go this time.

  We’d had enough excitement for one night.

  We held on to each other, not saying another word. We both knew what we wanted to say. We both felt it, and the way our hearts echoed each other as they drummed in our chests confirmed we understood.

  We’d managed to ward off death again.

  Phoenix

  I would’ve hugged Field, had he not been already occupied with Aida who was close to crying as she tightly held on to him. He looked at me and winked like a mischievous child, making me smile as I held the Daughter close to me. She seemed tired. It had been a long night, and she’d put in a tremendous amount of effort and energy into first healing Bijarki and then Field. Given the amount of black poison that they had both regurgitated, I had a feeling it had not been an easy thing to get rid of. There was a seemingly infinite source of power inside her, but she had yet to learn how to tap into it fully. The steep learning curve and constant surprises were not in her favor. I had a feeling that once she did master it, though, she’d be able to obliterate an entire mountain with the flick of a finger.

  “Don’t you do this again, Field,” I heard Aida mumbling, her head leaning on his shoulder.

  He ran his hand down her back as he breathed into her hair and kissed her gently on the forehead. The c
olor was coming back to his cheeks, and his lips were no longer purple.

  “Thank you,” Field looked at the Daughter and nodded respectfully.

  She gave him a weak smile and sought further refuge in my arms. We looked around for more signs of life. Eva was quietly watching us from the porch steps, her expression a mixture of angst and relief. I figured she was worried about her mother but, at the same time, relieved to see us fight and withstand Azazel’s Destroyers. There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes as if she was starting to believe that we would make it to the end.

  Branches broke and leaves rustled as we all turned our heads and smiled broadly at the sight of Anjani rushing back through the protective shield. She was covered in scratches, mud, and dry leaves, but she seemed okay.

  She frowned as she reached us, giving Field a concerned look.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “Yeah, still alive,” Field smirked. “How was your side?”

  “Easier than I expected. I think the fact that it was a succubus who ran circles around them drove them crazy and impaired their capacity to think strategically. My seductive nature has paid off,” she said with a wink.

  She took a few deep breaths, still panting from her run. Destroyers hissed in the background, slithering through the woods and cursing after the succubus.

  “Did everyone make it out okay?” she asked, looking around and squinting.

  I used my True Sight to scan our surroundings and saw Serena with Draven galloping safely away toward the east. Jax, Hansa, and Jovi had also made it out, as had Bijarki and Tamara. It was a relief and a pleasure to nod my answer to Anjani, feeling myself able to breathe again knowing my sister had escaped.

  “Good,” she mumbled as she scanned the northwest side, telling me she would’ve rather been out there with Jovi than here. She had served a good purpose in helping him escape, and that seemed to give her great satisfaction, judging by the smile gently curving her lips. She then looked at me, “What about my sisters?”