A Tip of Balance Read online

  I gave the area another once-over and found the jungles still shrouded in darkness. I caught a glimpse of silvery movement and turned my head to see Aura and Almandine sprinting over curled up roots as they made their way back toward the mansion.

  “They’re good, coming back now from the southwest,” I replied.

  I heard Anjani’s sigh of relief leave her lungs, and I kept watching the young succubi headed in our direction.

  They seemed okay and were no longer being chased by Destroyers. The monsters had all huddled back to the main campfire where they looked after their wailing wounded, and Goren barked more orders at them. He spat and cursed, pointing at the shield as he shuffled around the fire.

  “There is no excuse for this! Something happened, and you allowed it to happen. They’ve had you running around like fools, and flying around like fools. Like mindless imbeciles! How many horses gone? You idiots!” he snapped.

  One of the Destroyers chuckled, his tone laced with mocking contempt, “Well, it’s not like you were any wiser, Goren. Weren’t you the one leading the charge against the succubus? You were outsmarted and outrun by a succubus. Let that sink in,” he muttered, while the others laughed.

  Goren smirked, then pulled out his broad sword and drove it through the Destroyer’s neck, severing his spinal cord. He withdrew the blade with a spurt of dark red blood, and the body dropped to the ground, limp and lifeless. It was enough to teach the others a valuable lesson. Goren didn’t take kindly to mockery. He looked at the others and scoffed.

  “When did I ever allow such disrespect from my people?” Goren asked.

  I ignored the chill running down my spine at the sight of his ruthlessness and cruelty, focusing on the succubi instead. There was a healthy distance between them and Goren’s Destroyers, along with a thick patch of woods, and the Destroyers hadn’t spotted them yet. Something else caught my attention, though.

  Shadows moved swiftly between the trees, growing larger as they approached Aura and Almandine. They made it out of the woods and had several yards left before they could pass through the protective shield. Shape-shifters came after them, running on all fours toward the succubi as they ran toward us. Almandine glimpsed over her shoulder and instantly increased her speed. She passed Aura and was the first to make it to safety.

  “Aura is in trouble,” I gasped as I watched the shifters get dangerously close to her.

  One of them reached out and slashed her ankle, making her trip. She fell and tumbled through the grass.

  “No!” Anjani shouted and ran toward her.

  Over a dozen shifters had Aura surrounded in the tall grass, growling and licking their lips, their eyes glimmering with hunger. I ran after her, but before either of us could reach Aura, I saw a pink flash pass by me.

  The Daughter stood outside the shield next to Aura, who had trouble getting up. My heart stopped at the sight of her surrounded by bloodthirsty, mindless creatures that wanted to rip her apart.

  Unlike the last time she’d encountered shifters, however, the Daughter’s expression was fearless and determined, her eyes glowing violet as she watched the beasts circle around her. They snapped their loose jaws at her, but none seemed to have the courage to approach her.

  I managed to pull Anjani’s arm as we both stopped right in front of the shield without exiting it, several feet away from Aura. Almandine hurried to our side, eyes wide open with awe.

  “Wait,” I managed to say. “Something feels different about the Daughter.”

  The Daughter glanced at me with a reassuring half-smile as she stretched her arms out. She could see us through the shield, somehow.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “I know how to handle them.”

  Her violet glare intensified as she looked at each of the creatures, now a total of twenty, baring their fangs at her and Aura. They were desperate to get to the succubus, but they lacked the courage to confront the Daughter. As desperate as they were, their survival instinct told them to be wary.

  One of them was foolish enough to attempt an attack, but the Daughter pointed at him, her eyes flaring. The creature stopped, its muscles instantly relaxing as it looked at her. Its eyes changed from pitch black to a familiar glowing violet as it bent down in a reverent bow, breathing heavily. It didn’t want to do it, yet it was forced to obey.

  One by one, the other shifters’ eyes caught the violet glow. They stopped and closed their drooling mouths. I was stunned by the extent of her power, discovering yet another incredible perk to having a Daughter with us.

  “You will not harm us,” the Daughter said with the voice of a million people compressed into one, sending shivers down my spine. “You will protect us.”

  The shifters nodded slowly and stepped backward, allowing the Daughter to help Aura to her feet as they walked toward the shield.

  A hiss drew our attention away from the incredible scene to our right. Several Destroyers had finally seen them and decided to slither over to capture them.

  “Aura, watch out. They’re coming!” Anjani shouted.

  My heart was constricted, but I had a feeling that the Daughter would not allow Destroyers to harm her or the young succubus. She glanced at one of the shifters, her eyes flaring one last time before they reverted to their natural violet shade.

  The creatures set their sights on the Destroyers, revealing their long white fangs before they shifted into replicas of the monsters coming for them.

  “Woah,” I managed to croak as I watched the shifters take on the Destroyers.

  There were growls and hisses, biting and slashing and scratching as the two groups merged into a tornado of claws and spears, punches and fangs. The Daughter and Aura quickly reentered the safety of the shield, leaving the shifters behind to fight the Destroyers.

  I took the Daughter’s hand as Almandine and Anjani helped Aura walk, and we all moved back enough to get a good view of the astonishing spectacle. The Destroyers weren’t easy to defeat, but some were killed while several shifters ended up on the ground, bleeding to death. The remaining dozen Destroyers darted back into the woods, dodging the poisoned spears that the surviving shifters had retrieved from the fallen snake-beasts. They left a trail of curse words behind, as they once again found themselves wounded and without anything to show for it.

  I had to admit that I’d witnessed something remarkable. I looked at the Daughter to find an expression of concern settled on her beautiful face, her gaze following the shifters in the dark woods.

  “How did you do that?” I asked her.

  “I… I don’t know,” she replied slowly. “I felt like I could reach out to them. I was angry because they hurt me before, and I felt like I should teach them a lesson. It didn’t feel right, though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know how to explain it. I went against their wills. I forced them to do something they weren’t naturally inclined to do,” she sighed.

  “Protect us?”

  She nodded briefly.

  “They’re meant to deceive, to hunt, and to kill. They don’t even care for each other. They only hang around in packs because it’s easier to feed. If one dies, they will not cry. They won’t even care. I made them care.”

  “Well, whatever you did,” Anjani said with Aura’s arm wrapped around her neck. “It worked beautifully. I never thought they were capable of such things. Thank you for saving my little sister.”

  The Daughter gave her a weak smile, leaning into me. We all looked at each other, absolutely bewildered but relieved. We’d all made it back alive, and our teams had deployed successfully.

  Despite Vita’s abduction and Sverik’s foul betrayal, we’d managed to rise and move forward. The Daughter continued to amaze me with her powers. There was still so much we didn’t know about her, and so much she didn’t know about herself.

  One thing had become apparent, though. The stronger her emotions, the higher the probability of her manifesting more of her raw Eritopian power. Despite her fragi
le and delicate form, the Daughter was coming into her own. We were fortunate enough to stand next to her while that happened.

  Vita

  My head hurt.

  I peeled my eyes open, painfully moving them around, not sure where I was.

  Obsidian walls flowed upward into a domed ceiling. A massive gold chandelier hung down, its candles flickering yellow light on the walls. The gold and brass details reminded me of sumptuous 17th-century banquet halls. The furniture was equally precious, plated with gold and adorned with floral patterns and motifs of the Daughters of Eritopia.

  The bed I lay on was immense and soft, and smooth silk sheets as black as the walls covered me. Long amber-colored organza curtains hung loosely by the tall windows, which had thick iron bars mounted on them. I was small, but even I couldn’t fit through them.

  I stilled then as the horror of my situation crashed into me, one devastating moment after another. My most recent memories hit me hard. My body began to quiver as I replayed each scene in my mind.

  Bijarki and me in bed, sleeping. The door crashed open. Destroyers flooded the room. A poisoned spear slashed Bijarki’s shoulder.

  Heat spread through me like a raging fever. A cold sweat replaced the heat as my muscles stiffened and I jumped out of bed. I nearly fell on the solid black marble floor, feeling dizzy. My headache refused to subside, instead pulsating through my brain and impairing my overall ability to react.

  Bijarki.

  Was he still alive? What about the others? The Destroyers had made it inside the mansion. My vision had come true.

  But how?

  A thousand thoughts flooded my mind as I tried to make sense of what had happened and how I’d gotten here.

  Where am I?

  My stomach churned. I already had a good idea of where I was. Putting two and two together didn’t take long before it brought me to the only possible answer. The black walls. The magnificent architecture. The bars on the windows.

  I was in Azazel’s castle.

  My breath hitched as I immediately looked around, trying to find a way out. My feet shuffled across the floor, reaching the massive double doors. I pulled and twisted the knobs, but they didn’t budge.

  I ran to a window and pushed against the bars. No chance.

  My heart palpitated as ice-cold fear trickled through my veins. I was in Azazel’s castle. My worst nightmare had come true. I needed to get out. All I could think of was escape. I paced around the room frantically, trying to think of a way out.

  I passed by a mirror and caught a glimpse of my reflection. I stopped and turned to see a disheveled Vita staring back at me. I was pale, my blonde hair tangled and messy. I was wearing my nightgown, with several droplets of dried blood scattered across my chest. I had dark rings around my eyes, and the color had left my cheeks. A reddish-purple bruise covered the top left side of my forehead. I touched it and cringed from the pain. It was still tender and swollen. The Destroyers must have hit me on the head.

  Of course they did. I shot fire at them, I remembered.

  Fire…

  I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I needed fire.

  I could use my fae abilities to get myself out of here. Maybe I could melt the door knobs to open the doors and sneak out. I looked around, and my eyes fell on a candelabra on the night stand.

  I grabbed it, my trembling fingers wrapped around the intricately decorated brass stem. I tried to will the fire into submission, but the little flames just flickered away undisturbed. I reached my hand out, spreading my fingers as I tried to manipulate the fire again, but nothing happened. Not even the tiniest movement.

  What’s going on here?

  It was as if my abilities had been turned off. Not even a tingling sensation in my fingertips.

  I tried filling my consciousness with Bijarki, like I’d done before when I’d tried to master my fae powers. I did my best to clear my head, focusing on him alone and everything he made me feel. I focused on the sweetness of his kiss, the feel of his skin against mine, the strength and confidence that he gave me, and everything that made him the perfect complement to my soul.

  It didn’t work. Not a single spark.

  My gaze wandered down my arm, and I noticed a wide obsidian bracelet with strange symbols engraved on it. I checked my other wrist to find a matching copy, reflecting the candelabra’s light. The symbols seemed familiar, like the runes I’d seen fluttering on my body after a vision.

  I set the candelabra back on its nightstand and assessed the writing on my bracelets. My heart nearly stopped when I finally made the connection. These were not regular jewels. They served a purpose.

  I felt them blocking my fae powers, like a floodgate keeping it all in.

  Anger took over as I paced around the room, the feeling of helplessness further pushing me toward the edge of insanity. I wanted to scream and break everything. I needed to know if my friends were okay and if Bijarki was still alive.

  Frustration got the better of me as I slammed my wrists into the wall, hoping I’d break the bracelets. Sparks flew, but all I managed to do was bruise my forearms with the impact. I cursed under my breath and felt my pulse racing.

  My breath staggered as I took in a lungful of air, unable to control myself. My limbs started shaking. A panic attack was imminent, and I couldn’t afford one at that moment. I willed myself back under control, gripping the edge of a chest of drawers in the process. A minute later, I was lightheaded after having narrowly escaped hyperventilation.

  The doors clanked open, startling me. I jumped a couple of feet back, my survival instinct kicking in. I was ready to fight.

  A Destroyer slithered inside, and I froze. I didn’t have my fire fae abilities. I only had a candelabra to defend myself. I grabbed it and raised it over my head, ready to strike.

  He stopped in front of me, cocking his head to one side with an irritated expression.

  “Please put that down,” he said.

  He was tall and was probably once handsome in Druid form, with long brown hair and deep-set yellow eyes. He wore a leather tunic that accentuated his broad shoulders. His facial features were soft and smooth, despite the black scales spreading upward from his thick neck.

  He was unarmed but massive in size, enough to make me look like an ant in comparison.

  I didn’t move.

  “Little Oracle, no one wishes you harm here,” a familiar voice echoed through the room.

  My stomach dropped as pure dread glazed over me, stiffening me to the very bone.

  Azazel came into the room wearing a red silk shirt and a large black leather cape. His long black hair was slick and combed in a tight ponytail. His beard was carefully trimmed, framing his sharp face and accentuating his horror-inducing yellow eyes that occasionally flickered green.

  His lips stretched into a satisfied grin as soon as he saw me. The snake pendant hung from his neck, constantly moving in an infinite loop, its ruby eyes glimmering in the candlelight. He was a lot bigger, in reality, a massive monstrosity with long fingers, each loaded with at least one gold ring.

  I took a few more steps back until my back felt the cold wall. I tightened my grip on the candelabra. If I were going to die, I would die swinging it left and right with all the strength I could muster.

  Azazel shook his head slowly, his yellow eyes smiling.

  “Little Oracle, please put that down. My Destroyers are under strict orders to not lay a finger on you. On the contrary, you are safe and protected here,” Azazel’s syrupy voice made me want to hurl.

  “Stay away from me,” I spat, keeping my defensive stance.

  My blood boiled and, for a moment, I was amazed by the amount of sheer hate I’d nurtured toward this monster. I wanted to kill him, plain and simple. At the same time, I had no other option but to listen to what he had to say. I had a feeling he was going to try doing things the nice way, to coerce me into telling him my visions of the future instead of him having to torture me. Otherwise, I would’ve woken
up directly in a glass bubble, my lungs already filled with liquid.

  “Darling, rest assured, no one will harm you. All you need to do is be a good girl and tell me what you see in the future. We will treat you well if you cooperate. I’m sure the others have already told you who I am and what I am capable of,” Azazel smirked.

  “Go to hell,” I shot back.

  “Now, there’s no need for such vitriol,” he replied. “You have a choice. We either do things the easy way where you’re treated like a princess, allowed to move around the castle and enjoy the finest foods and softest silk sheets. All of which I will give you in return for your visions. Or, I will shove you in a glass bubble and force it out of you until you beg me to kill you.”

  His tone dropped toward the end of that sentence, sending shivers down my spine and chilling the blood in my veins. I felt my arms get tired as I lowered them, my knuckles white from gripping the candelabra, which now began to feel completely useless.

  Who was I kidding? I wouldn’t even manage to throw it at them before I got tossed into a glass sphere. Violence was not the answer. I needed to get out of there. I needed to survive, and I needed to get to Bijarki. We’d made love, and we’d fallen so hard for each other that I had a hard time breathing without him. The thought of him dead tore me apart.

  I had to get out.

  “What makes you think I’d ever tell you what the future holds?” I asked him, thinking of stalling him until I could find a way out of there.

  “To put it simply, little Oracle, there is no way out for you. Try as you might, you are now under my control. You are mine,” he replied bluntly, his grin fading. “I will soon have complete control over Eritopia. No one can stop me. You need to accept that sooner rather than later if you want to avoid a miserable existence. Keep in mind, I have ways of making you talk, none of which involve asking nicely, like I am now.”