Enemy Of My Enemy (Price Of Power Book 1)

by Laura Stephens

  Ben trips over his own feet, catching himself before he falls. “Really? I thought –”

  “So did I,” Lincoln says, cutting off his brother.

  “What about the other one?”

  Another shrug from Lincoln. “Don’t know. Haven’t seen her do anything yet, nor did I ask.”

  “The telling made it sound like there was only one, Lincoln.” Telling? What the hell is a telling?

  “You know how those things are though. Vague is putting it nicely.” Lincoln clears his throat, then speaks so softly that I have to get a bit closer to them to hear. “It also didn’t tell us that someone is after the girl.” The two brothers look at each other and Lincoln simply arches his brow.

  Emmy tugs on my arm, pulling me from their conversation. “Look!” She points towards one of the lower hanging branches of a nearby tree. It’s covered in cobwebs that are so thick you can’t see through them. I spot the red beady eyes before I see the dozen legs protruding through the tangle of webs. It looks like a spider, but it’s bigger and meaner looking than any I have ever seen before. It’s the size of a medium sized dog and is utterly terrifying. Its eyes though, are mesmerizing. So much so that I can barely look away. I can sense that Emmy is still standing next to me, but I can’t look away from the spider long enough to look at her instead.

  The thing hisses and I want to jump back in utter disgust and fear. But I can’t. I’m enthralled with it. Suddenly two arms wrap around my waist, pulling me clean off of my feet. I struggle in Lincoln’s grip, kicking out at him, yelling for him to let me go. I want to go back to the spider. I need to go back.

  “Stop,” Lincoln growls. His hold is unfaltering as he continues down the moss covered cobblestone path. He doesn’t let me go until we’ve cleared the forest entirely.

  Sitting me back on my feet, he looks me over, checking for injuries. Ben does the same with Emmy beside us. “They are called Schfixa,” Ben says breathlessly. “They aren’t dangerous unless you meet their gaze. They hypnotize their prey. Best to stay far away from them in the future.” I shrug it off, making a mental note in case that information becomes useful later on.

  The double front doors are nearly thirty feet in height, made of solid wood by the looks of it, and covered in detailed metalwork. I don’t have enough time to see what the designs are before Lincoln pushes the doors open more easily than should have been possible. The three of us follow him inside.

  It’s not like the castles I’ve seen in pictures. No marble floors or golden chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. There’s not even immaculately drawn pictures of half-naked people on the walls. It’s plain, actually. Wooden furniture and potted plants and lanterns that hang from the natural mountain walls. Most of the windows in this area aren’t even really windows, more like open-to-the-outside type arches.

  Two men and one woman are inside. One carries a tray of delicious smelling food across the foyer and into another room. One dusts as though she can clean away all the dirt from the inside of a mountain. The last one is fast asleep in one of the chairs, his snores echoing in the space.

  Lincoln and Ben lead us through a maze of hallways and up a flight of stairs. The lanterns flicker like they are actually lit by fire, but there isn’t a single flame or candle in any of them. We go through another hallway that can only be described as a balcony. There are no walls here, simply a walkway with hip high rails on either side. The wind howls, slinging my hair everywhere and making it hard to walk in a straight line.

  After what feels like forever, Ben finally stops in front of a plain, single door and opens it, letting us follow him in. Inside the large room are two tables. One of which is centered under a large chandelier, and has two people sitting at it. The other table is set to the side against the wall and is covered in what appears to be maps.

  Two men are in the room. One is older, nearly bald save for the few strands of hair left at the very top of his head. His eyes are large and beady, with heavy bags of old age underneath them. He’s wearing what appears to be navy blue robes that nearly swallow him whole. The second man is much younger, probably around the same age as the two brothers that brought me here. His brown hair is long, pulled into a bun on the top of his head. I almost laugh at the concept that the man bun fad made it as far as another realm. He’s leaning back in his chair so I can’t make out his build or height, but he’s watching me. His eyes feel like they are digging into my soul trying to figure out everything about me without me saying a single word. My skin breaks out in goosebumps and I have to look away from him. Something about this man sets me on edge and I don’t like it.

  The older man rises to his feet, waving a hand toward the empty chairs left at the table. “Welcome,” he says in a gravelly, aged voice. “Take a seat, we have much to discuss.”

  When I shift to find the chair farthest from man bun, the old man sees Emmy for the first time. His head cocks to the side. Confusion. I can feel the hurt pouring out of Em. The constant reminder that she wasn’t the one they wanted keeps getting thrown in her face and it seems to really be affecting her. With the old man at the head of the table, I end up at his right with Em next to me. Lincoln sits directly across from me, with Ben and the other guy next to him.

  “I’m sure you both have many questions,” the old man explains. “All of which will be answered in time. There are, of course, several things that cannot wait.”

  “Who are you?” I ask. The question comes out snappier than I intended it to. That frustration wasn’t even aimed for the old man, but for the man bun who is still staring at me.

  One side of his top lip curls in possible anger, but he quickly hides it. “I am Maddox, the Lord of Pensatore and this settlement,” he answers with a practiced line. “These three warlocks – Lincoln, Ben, and Kaleb – are my Commanders. They are second in command and report directly to me.”

  I nudge my chin towards Lincoln. “Why did he come after us?”

  “Because I told him to.” Maddox’s voice screams annoyance at being asked a question.

  Ben clears his throat as though asking for permission from his Lord to answer the question for him. “Strega is a realm of magic and abilities. Pensatore is comprised of mental and physical powers. One of those powers is premonitions called tellings. Someone with this power is known as a seer. There is one person in Strega at any one time with this ability. My mate, Tessa, is the current seer of Pensatore. Two days ago, she had her first telling: In a place without magic, seek to find the one hidden from the darkest of minds. Ability born of power and light will protect her from becoming the night. When the attack comes, do not run but face like with like.”

  I snort. Loud and long. “You’re telling me that some girl had a dream about me so you traveled across realms to hunt me down?” I glance at Emmy, thinking that she will find this as ridiculous as I do. But her jaw is locked and her face serious. My shoulders sag.

  “Tellings are not dreams,” Lincoln explains. “They are gifts from the Gods. A glimpse into the future, so to speak. They have more importance than you could ever understand. Tellings are rare and do not happen often. Fate has her hands on you and you would do well to listen.”

  My eyes roll and I lean back in my chair. “What makes you think that this telling is about us?”

  “It’s not,” Emmy says quietly. “It’s about you. You have the magic, not me.”

  “Who are you and why are you here?” Maddox demands.

  Lincoln runs his fingers through his hair. “She is the sister. The Watcher ordered that both come here.”

  “And your names?” Maddox replies. We both answer him, saying our names only, not wanting to give him a reason to snap on us. He is a very grumpy old man. “You have powers, Violet James? What kind?”

  I swallow, my mouth suddenly feeling as dry as a desert. Saying it out loud makes it real. Isn’t it already real? “Lightning.”

  He cocks a salt and pepper brow at my answer. “Interesting. How did the two of you end up in the hum
an realm in the first place?”

  A few seconds pass and Emmy doesn’t answer him, so I do. “I don’t know. We didn’t even know any of this existed until Lincoln showed up to save me. We were orphans.”

  “Saved you?”

  Man bun has his eyes on me again. I can feel it like little needles poking into my skin. I refuse to look down the table towards him. What is his problem? I try my best to ignore it. “I think someone was after us.”

  “You think?” Maddox asks sharply.

  He is really starting to annoy me too. I sigh, obnoxiously loud. “Someone was after us. Several someones actually. The third time they showed up, the bitch gutted me with a sword and that’s when Lincoln and the other guy showed up.”

  Maddox’s face jumps to Lincoln. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Lincoln answers. “The only one I saw was an elemental witch. Rain … she controlled the rain. Turned it into acid. I killed her before getting any information from her.”

  The old man hisses. “Idiot.” He turns back to me. “What did they want with you?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. They kept telling me that they wanted me alive though.”

  Maddox leans back in his chair, crossing his arms along his chest. Silence permeates the room for a long while before he finally speaks. “You were raised amongst humans. Do you have control of your powers?”

  I shake my head. “I didn’t even know about any of this until a few days ago.”

  “It isn’t safe to have an untrained witch within the settlement, regardless of the type of power she yields,” Maddox says slowly and methodically, as if choosing his words very carefully. “There have been a string of murders in Pensatore during the past few weeks also. Everyone here has been told to use extreme caution and to protect themselves in whatever way they can. The two of you are no different. You don’t know your abilities and that makes you dangerous. If you should be confronted by whoever is behind the murders, your magic may lash out and hurt innocent people. Not only that, but every member of Pensatore goes through rigorous weapon and strength training when they are still children. Neither of you were trained in physical combat either. Starting tomorrow, both of you will learn how to defend yourselves.”

  I open my mouth to refuse, but Emmy beats me to it. “No,” she answers flatly.

  “No?”

  “No,” she says again. “I have no powers so I am not a danger to anyone. I do not hurt people.”

  “Even if your life were in danger?” Kaleb asks. His voice is soft and one of the scariest sounds I’ve ever heard.

  “I believe that people are good,” Emmy responds without hesitation. “That our natures are naturally caring and loving.”

  “You didn’t answer the question.”

  Emmy leans forward until her lower arms rest on the table. “No. I wouldn’t fight them. I would talk to them, help them see reason.”

  “That’s enough Kaleb,” Ben says. “Leave the girl alone.”

  After another twenty minutes, the meeting ends. Maddox caves to Emmy just as everyone always does, assigning her to go to the Alchemists – whatever that is – while I am still forced to train and learn my powers. With Lincoln of all people; he seems nice enough, nit I barely know the guy. I cringe. At least I wasn’t assigned to Kaleb.

  Lincoln, Maddox, and Kaleb each leave the room without a single word to us or look in our direction, which is fine by me. Maddox seems to be a prickly old man. Kaleb is just downright scary. Ben seems to be the most gentlemanly man of the group. Lincoln … well. I can’t deny that he is attractive, but I seem to be drawing a blank when it comes to making sense of him.

  Emmy and I filter out into the open balcony/hallway and wait for someone to come out and guide us to wherever we are going to next. Hopefully it has food because my stomach won’t stop growling.

  “That guy,” Emmy says to me quietly. “You know … the creepy one. He kept staring at me. Like staring. It felt almost intimate.”

  I snort. “That’s not the word I would use for it.”

  “He jumped up and confronted me when you stood to leave. Whispered in my ear that that is how I will die.”

  “What?”

  She shrugs. “I think it was his way of responding to what I said about talking to someone instead of hurting them.”

  “Or he was threatening you,” I say.

  6

  Ben leads Emmy and I back through the settlement. “What’s up Maddox’s ass anyway?” I ask him as we walk. “As the high and mighty of this clan, what could he possibly be so grumpy about?”

  He cracks the knuckles on his fingers one by one, stalling to try and think up an answer. “He wasn’t always like that. He’s been Lord of Pensatore for the majority of his life. People say that he is the best ruler we have ever had. Then one day a few years back, he just started to change. He’s quick to anger now for some reason.”

  “If he was elected then why not change him out for a newer model?” I ask.

  “He swore to a lifetime of service as did the clan. Unless he is medically unable to make decisions that are best for us, then he will remain in the position. Attitude and popularity have little to do with him being a good ruler.”

  Before I’m able to rebut that, Emmy steps in. “What about Kaleb? What’s his story?”

  Ben leans forward, looking around me to her. “I’m sorry about him confronting you like that earlier. Kaleb is,” he rubs at his chin, finding his words, “unique. He’s not very good with people in general. He’s my brother and I love him, but he’s more of a stay-in-the-shadows type of person.”

  “How many brothers do you have?” I ask.

  “It’s just the three of us. I’m the oldest, then Kaleb, then Lincoln.”

  Is it just coincidence that all three of them are valuable enough to Maddox to be deemed his Commanders? Two brothers in such a high position would be unlikely, but three just seems strange.

  A strong manure smell reaches me and makes me gag. “Where are we going?” This is definitely not the scenic route that Lincoln had taken us through earlier.

  He laughs as though oblivious to the stench. “To my house. My mate is making dinner for you. She’s about your age too, might be nice to have someone to talk to. I know you are both going through a lot of changes right now.” That’s putting it nicely.

  Twenty minutes later, Ben holds open the front door to a narrow three story house and Emmy and I enter first. The room is small but homey. A billowing fire crackles in the stone hearth. Thick red rugs cover most of the stone floors and thick cushioned sofas and chairs crowd the space. We follow through an archway that leads to a kitchen area. The countertops are made of stone, probably granite or marble, and the cabinets are some kind of pale wood. There’s a sink and an oven, lights dangle from the ceiling and hang over the island where two barstools are. In many ways, it doesn’t look much different than the homes that I am used to.

  The door at the far end of the kitchen opens, revealing a small, well-trimmed back yard, and a petite woman, slightly older than me enters the room. Her watermelon colored dress is partially covered with a white apron from her waist down, the material of which is currently bundled up as she carries in what look like potatoes. Her large copper eyes wander between the three of us before settling on me.

  “Tessa, this is Violet and her sister Emmy. This is my mate Tessa,” Ben says then gives the woman a light kiss on the forehead before muttering something to her that I can’t hear. He turns to us. “I’ll be back in about half an hour. I have something that I have to take care of. You’re in good hands though.”

  He walks out without further explanation, leaving us here with this woman we barely know the name of. “So you’re the seer?” I ask her bluntly. “You’re the reason we were brought here?”

  She nods gently as she plucks one veggie at a time out of her apron and sits it down on the counter. “That’s correct.”

  I move to the island, sitting down on one of the stools. “W
hy? What did you see?”

  Tessa finally turns and faces us. “A seer doesn’t see. It’s more of a sensation. When we awake from the telling, all we remember are the words or phrase that was given to us.”

  “So you thought this phrase was enough of a reason to take us from our home?” I’m being a brat and I know it and I don’t care. Emmy and I have been thrown into a world that doesn’t make sense. We are being told of powers and magic and murders and tellings and fate. I don’t like it. I want normal back.

  Emmy hisses my name under her breath but ultimately doesn’t say anything.

  Tessa looks between both of us. She is the first one to not make some kind of confused gesture towards Emmy’s presence. “Violet, the future will come to pass whether you’re ready or willing to accept it or not.”