Enemy Of My Enemy (Price Of Power Book 1)

by Laura Stephens

  “Let the duel begin!” Seraphina screams.

  The Reapers circle one another, sizing each other up, waiting for the other to make the first move. The witch gets launched through the air but is able to roll right back onto her feet. I’ve never been able to land so gracefully. I didn’t see what attacked her, but I can only assume it was the warlock using his power on her. Unlike the air elemental who tried to kidnap and torture me, Travis’s power doesn’t have the black hue to it, making it impossible to see.

  A wall of fire spreads outwards from the witch’s body. It quickly grows in size, spreading form one wall of the arena to the other. The air elemental takes a few steps back as the wall of fire makes its way towards him. He remains calm and collected somehow. I’m on my feet, leaning over the balcony before the idea even registers. Why won’t he move? He needs to do something before he gets pinned! Okay, so maybe he’s already pinned, but still. He shouldn’t just sit there and let this play out! Is this what I look like during training with Lincoln? I’m sure the urge to grab my shoulders and scream ‘just make a move already’ is very familiar to him by now.

  My knuckles go white from the force of balling my fists. I don’t know either of these people, but if I had money, I’d bet on Travis – the air elemental – for the win. Something about his attitude, his way of carrying himself, makes it seem almost as if he himself is just the tip of the iceberg – as if his powers are there, lurking beneath the surface.

  And then his feet lift from the ground and his body rises several feet above the sand. I’m barely able to follow him as his body zooms through the air, climbing over the wall of fire beneath him with ease. Okay, apparently air elementals can fly?

  The fire elemental releases fireball after fireball at him, but Travis is able to dodge them with ease. Brynn struggles as her body lifts from the ground. Within seconds she’s engulfed in deep ruby red flames. She releases yet another fireball, this time the size of her body, towards the air elemental.

  He holds his hand in front of him, his elbow locking into place as he enters into a hover. The ball of fire begins to slow, eventually becoming stationary. The flames become more intense. Is the fire elemental, Brynn, adding more oomph or is it the air elemental adding more fuel to the fire with his winds?

  Travis places his left palm next to his right and the ball of fire inches backwards towards its maker. He’s using the winds to change the trajectory of the fire?

  Brynn, the fire elemental, remains airborne. Her arms are pulled taught over her head as though the winds are holding her up by her wrists. The poor Reaper’s fighting an element she can’t even see. The massive circle of flame strikes her and a look of bliss coats her face as the embers soak into her skin.

  Travis soars toward the witch, gaining more and more speed as he covers the distance. His shoulder rams into her, tearing her from her invisible confines. They enter into a dive with her in his arms. Screams fill the arena. Their speed is so fast that they’re little more than a brown blur.

  The blur separates. The fire elemental free-falls to the ground. Travis hovers momentarily before collapsing into the sand. He’s on his hands and knees, smoke billowing from his body.

  My hand goes to my neck as I remember the pain that Stanley caused with a single touch. Travis touched her. He had to know what kind of damage she would do to him. He must have decided it was worth it, that it would still end in his favor.

  My eyes dart to the fire elemental free-falling to the ground from where Travis left her mid-air. Her fate seems to be sealed. She need to find a way to slow her descent. Quickly. A thin circle of flames forms just below her path, another about a foot above the dirt. Brynn’s body falls into the first, disappearing all together.

  Loud inhalations fill the arena – each person just as confused as the one sitting next to them.

  Seconds tick by as I look for Brynn. She has to be here, right? I mean the circles are still ignited, so she has to still be nearby. I think. I don’t really know what I’m watching to be honest. Do elementals even have range limitations?

  The crowd bursts into applause as the witch reappears beneath the lower of the two fire circles. Her feet are planted in the deep sand. Well, okay then. What the hell did she do, and how can I do it?

  Travis tilts his head up as the circles fade away. He looks towards the sky in performative exasperation before turning his attention back to Brynn and saying, “Oh, come on!” His words echo off the marble as he rises back to his feet. His brown leather jacket is so scorched it’s now black. The burned clothing is the least of his worries, though. I have no doubt that his skin is burned as well. He doesn’t let that stop him as he breaks out into a run. His ability pushes on his heels and provides additional speed.

  The witch shifts, her left foot spaced farther in front of her right. She’s positioning herself to take the brunt of a substantial impact. And then her mouth opens wide as a steady stream of flame rushes out.

  Travis’s path veers from left to right as his opponent’s flames trail after him. As if that isn’t enough for him to deal with, small balls of fire start raining down from the sky in a heavy torrent. The crowd screams as the air elemental once again takes to the sky; the flames continue to chase him. Is Brynn herding him somewhere? Laying a trap? The soldiers duck as Travis zooms past, fearing Brynn’s fire will reach them.

  The air elemental is still on the defensive, unable to get the upper hand. It doesn’t look good for him. I guess my gut feeling – that he would win the duel – was wrong.

  Lincoln appears next to me, his body heat flooding into me. I give him a faint smile before focusing back on the duel. What these two are doing makes my few victories during the past few days of training look pathetic.

  “You are able to drown people using your water element. Can Travis do the same thing with his air? Suck Brynn’s oxygen away from her?” I ask, refusing to look away for even a second, fearing I’ll miss something epic.

  “I would imagine so, yes. I assume it is against the rules. They are putting on a show after all. Hard to do that when you just have to look at a person to end it,” Lincoln explains.

  Travis continues flying in large circles around the perimeter wall separating the arena floor from the stands of the stadium, gaining more and more speed. I lose sight of him after a little while and by the time I spot him again, I’m merely following a brownish black blur. Brynn stands in the center of the sands just watching – watching and waiting.

  “She’s resting,” Lincoln says. “Saving her energy for when she is able to attack again. Remember the well of energy – it is not bottomless. This is her focusing, evaluating, and conserving her energy.”

  The stone beneath my feet starts to shift as dust falls from the awning overhead. Small shrieks fill the stadium as confusion sets in. A dense white fog covers the blur of Travis and the vibrations through the stone intensify.

  Realization dawns on me. My hands slam against my ears as I squat down, bringing Lincoln with me, and make myself small in the corner of the balcony. Lincoln’s confused expression disappears the moment the sonic boom reaches us.

  An explosion rattles through the stadium. My ears ring. Dust and small fragments of debris fall from above. The others on the balcony are already doubled over, their hands over their ears with pain stricken faces. Warm blood trickles from my own ears. I’m unable to hear anything but loud and constant ringing. I use the marble railing as leverage to pull myself up. Brynn’s laying on the ground, Travis standing over her. After a minute Brynn reaches out, tapping the sand twice with emphasis.

  A hand touches my shoulder; Ivy. She points to her ears, giving me a questioning look. I shake my head back and forth in response. I’m not hurt, but I’m far from okay. I look around and see several Healers on the balcony, healing the most important and valuable people in Strega. She places her hands on each side of my head, a rich purple aura mixing with that of the other Healers. I’ve only met her once at the dinner that Emmy made me go to, but
she seemed nice enough. She didn’t talk about anything other than her husband – a fellow Healer – and her daughter. When she releases her grip the ringing in my ears is gone, leaving me good as new. “Thank you,” I mutter as she moves on to Lincoln.

  Both Reapers are back on their feet, conversing in the middle of the sand. “Pretty fun to watch, isn’t it?” Seraphina stands beside me, not a single hair out of place. It’s like the boom didn’t affect her at all.

  “It was amazing. I wasn’t even participating, and my heart was going crazy from the adrenaline.”

  “The winner of our duel is none other than Travis! Congratulations on pulling off a victory against all the odds!” the Queen announces to the soldiers in the stands.

  When no one claps I look around the stands. Each soldier is holding their head, lost in pain. I applaud, though, as loudly as I can. “When Brynn fell through the circle of fire, what was that?” I ask Seraphina. “She fell through the first and popped out of the second one.”

  “She has fire inside of her, in her very veins. Our elements become a part of us, merging with our souls. You’re the same way, Violet. Electrical current flows just beneath the surface. It’s always ready and waiting. She simply merged herself with the flames, using them to move herself from one place to another. Only those with raw abilities are able to do it. The concentration required is monumental. Only a select few are ever able to accomplish it, especially in a situation where their very lives are at risk.”

  “Can I go next?” I ask. My brows furrow as soon as the words leave my mouth. Where the hell did that come from? The confusion quickly changes to excitement. I seem to be better under pressure. Lincoln told me yesterday when he was drowning me that it’ll force me to use my lightning, force me to learn to control it. It might be a great learning opportunity and seeing as I’m about to go to war, I can use all the help I can get.

  15

  A rhythmic pounding comes from the stands, making the thin hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Seraphina hasn’t introduced us yet, so none of the Pensatore soldiers know who they are about to see duel next. I can guarantee that I’m not what they are expecting. Every duel has a winner and a loser, this one won’t be any different. It’s just how you get from the beginning to the end that will be less exciting.

  The iron gate in front of me is pristine. No dents or rust, just perfect iron curved into vines. It’s also the only thing keeping me from getting my ass kicked.

  “You know you’re an idiot for doing this, right?” Lincoln asks as he pulls the buckles on my jacket tighter, making it hard to breathe. “I do not agree with this. You are not ready, Violet. You aren’t even close to being ready. Half the time you forget that you have powers, and now you volunteer to go against a Reaper. Why? Why do it? You have nothing to prove.”

  My mouth opens to tell him that I’ve only forgotten that I have powers once or twice and that’s because of extreme training and the fact that he was literally drowning me. My thoughts had been a bit elsewhere, specifically on not dying. Regardless of who is right, I drop it before saying anything. “I have a lot to prove, Lincoln. The way I see it, if I win – which I won’t - then I’ll know I might live through this damn war. If I lose – which is likely – then Maddox and Seraphina will see that it’s dangerous to everyone to make me part of this war.”

  He releases a heavy sigh and runs his finger through his hair. “Did Seraphina tell you what element your opponent has?”

  “Nope.” I start bouncing in place, getting my blood flowing. “I know it won’t be the two that just went. She said they need to rest.”

  Lincoln places his palms on either side of my face, forcing me to stop jumping, drawing my attention to him. “Remember to never underestimate you opponent. Never take your eyes off them. Keep your energy level in the back of your mind and do not push yourself to your breaking point. The only limits you have are those that you place on yourself. Use your imagination. Your power can do whatever you want it to. Remember that, Violet.”

  He seems genuinely worried, but his advice is sound. Except for the part about pushing myself. I wouldn’t be all that upset if I became powerless. I don’t know if I would go back to Florida if it happened, but it might do these people some good to see it, to know what happens. To know that it’s not the end of the world. That a life without power is still a life. The gate begins to scrape upwards and I duck underneath it, too anxious to wait until it’s been fully raised.

  And then it hits me.

  Heat. Sweltering heat. Was it this hot earlier? Did they decide to change this duel up a bit and make it balmy and uncomfortable? Sweat beads on my skin, getting trapped under my leathers, making me feel disgusting. My feet scrape against the flat rocks covering the ground. Rocks that were definitely not here before.

  “Don’t forget that you’re a witch, Violet!” Lincoln yells from behind the gate.

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

  Pretending I didn’t hear him, I continue my march to the center of the arena.

  “Ladies and gentleman! We now move to round two of our duels. From Rovente I gladly introduce … Elijah! At thirty-five years old, he has accepted and conquered every challenge we have placed upon him! Blessed as a raw water elemental and as the Commander of the Reapers, he’ll surely pose an incredible threat to his challenger.”

  Elijah takes a heavy step forward, his massive height towering over me. I’d say he’s at least 6’5” and easily 250 pounds of pure muscle. His canary yellow eyes stare me down as the intimidation sets in. I grind my teeth together, releasing a growl in return. He shakes his head as if he’s embarrassed for me. The black tattoo that I saw on Travis’s neck is on this man’s as well. It snakes up along his jaw and cheek making his appearance that much more menacing. The muscles in his jaw twitch. He’s definitely antsy and ready to go while I’m barely containing my nervousness.

  “New to Strega, I present to you, Violet James! At a young twenty-five years old, she is a raw lightning elemental – the only one of her kind.” Oh lord. “After only a few weeks of training she’s volunteered to duel one of the best fighters Rovente has to offer! May her will overcome her limited knowledge and grant her a successful outcome,” Seraphina shouts.

  My eyes roll once she finishes my introduction. She made it sound like I don’t have a chance in hell at winning this. She’s probably right. I’m not entirely sure who gave her this information about me or if she’s just that good at putting the puzzle pieces she’s heard along the way together on her own. Either way, I wasn’t the one to tell her how long I’ve been training with Lincoln. The fact that she told Elijah this infuriates me. She took away the small element of surprise that I had. Elijah doesn’t know that I’m new and lack the knowledge of my own ability. That could have helped me in some way.

  The beast of a man in front of me looks at me in disgust. “Is this the best that Pensatore has to offer?” he asks low enough for only me to hear. “A little girl who doesn’t know how to use her powers?” His long white-blonde hair is pulled back into a long braid that hangs down the center of his back. His equally blonde stubble is only visible when the light hits it just right. Like Lincoln, his skin is tan from hours spent outdoors.

  I gulp silently. What have I done? What was I thinking, volunteering?

  “Begin!” Seraphina’s voice interrupts my internal berating.

  I expect Elijah to come at me fast and hard, but instead he asks me a question. “How is it that you’re new to Strega?” I stay stationary as he circles around me. The one thing I have going for me is that Lincoln is also water. So I do have some knowledge and experience. Not much, but at least it’s something. And in this situation, I’ll take what I can get.

  I make a mental list of what he could possibly do using his ability, and how I can conquer it. I’m sure he was placed with a restriction not to end the duel quickly. I cross my fingers and hope I’m right as I take drowning off my list of potential risks. Drowning once was bad enough and I have no inten
t of experiencing it again.

  I try to summon my magic, waiting impatiently to feel the familiar tingle in my fingertips. A wave of ice-cold water strikes my back, taking my breath away. The motion happens so fast, I barely have time to slow my fall with my hands. I can hear a bone in my forearm snap. The pain in my left arm makes me see stars. I glance at it quickly, assessing the damage. The bone is sticking out at an odd angle, but, thankfully, didn’t puncture my skin.

  He stands over me, lingering with a smirk on his face as I pull my arm to my chest in an attempt to ease the throbbing pain. “Do you even know how to fight back?”

  “You’re damn right I do, asshole.” I twist my body, kicking out my leg, knocking his feet out from under him. I jump back to my feet, trying my hardest to keep my arm from moving. He’s lying there on the stone, a grimace set on his face.