A Tip of Balance

by Bella Forrest

  Aida

  My ears started to ring. I cringed from the moderately painful sensation as the sharp sound expanded into my brain.

  Field noticed there was something wrong with me, but he, too, started to react to what looked like a headache. He brought both hands up to his temples and groaned. Soon enough, we were all in the grips of an increasingly powerful migraine.

  “What is happening?” I managed to ask, but no one could answer.

  Then Serena’s voice started to echo in my head.

  “Aida? Phoenix? Field?” I heard her as if she were in the other room.

  Serena was getting in touch via the telepathy spell. With each second that passed, her voice became clearer and louder, as if the connection was getting better.

  “Are you there?” she asked.

  “Yes! Yes, we are,” I replied, looking at the others.

  Phoenix was all smiles, as was Field. Anjani waited quietly, and so did Eva.

  “We’re good,” I heard Jovi’s voice and instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

  Anjani grinned as our eyes met. She was happy to hear him.

  “So am I,” she said, and I heard Jovi’s ecstatic laughter.

  “Good! I knew you would be!” he said.

  “Of course she is, wolf-boy! She’s a succubus of the Red Tribe!” Hansa chimed in.

  “What about Bijarki? Tamara?” Serena called out.

  “Here,” Bijarki’s voice pierced through. “Still alive.”

  “I’m not that easy to kill, I told you,” we heard Tamara and Eva gasped, unable to contain her joy and relief anymore.

  “We’re all here,” I said. “Is everyone okay?”

  “Yes, we’re good,” Serena replied. “We’ve made it this far!”

  “We’ll reach the lagoon by nightfall,” Jax interjected. “It’s been relatively smooth so far, just stray shape-shifters here and there.”

  “Same on our end,” Draven’s voice echoed through. “We’ll get to Stonewall in a couple of hours. We had some shape-shifter trouble before we got out of the jungle, and we ran into Wren and what’s left of the Green Tribe, too. They’ve taken hold of a forest patch a few miles to the east.”

  “Oh, she’s still alive,” Hansa replied. “Will they join us? How many of them are there?”

  “There aren’t many left, and half of them are due to be mothers soon,” Draven said. “They’re not going to fight for now. They’ve chosen refuge and safety, at least until they give birth.”

  “How did they manage that?” Hansa did not mask her surprise. “Most of the incubi have gone dark!”

  “Grezzi’s scouts,” Serena explained briefly. “The scouts offered them shelter after Destroyers raided their tribe. One thing led to another and so on. How is everyone doing? What progress have you made?”

  Bijarki was the first to brief us on his search for invisibility spell ingredients.

  “I’ll be at Sarang in about an hour or so, judging by the sun’s position in the sky. Once I get some larimar stones, I’ll head southeast for the fire orchids.”

  “We’re on schedule for now,” Jovi said. “The horses are strong, and the road looks clear ahead. There have been no signs of hostile incubi or Destroyers along the way, so chances are they’ve yet to be deployed. We probably have a little bit of time on our side for now. What about you, Serena?”

  “We’re good for now. It’ll be tricky once we reach Stonewall. From what Draven has told me so far, the Bajangs may not be easy to engage.”

  “Not impossible,” Draven added. “How are things at the mansion?”

  “Destroyers are lurking around as usual,” Anjani said. “We riled them up with our diversions. Field was extraordinary.”

  She glanced at him and nodded respectfully, adding a smile on top of that. I was proud of him, too, even though he’d nearly gotten himself killed in the process. He smirked and shifted his focus on me, making my temperature rise a little.

  “We had visions, too,” I said.

  I told them about Vita, the Destroyer with a soft spot for her, and Kyana’s shackles keeping her from turning into a serpent and escaping. Phoenix then followed with all the information he’d uncovered about the young Druids and Jasmine.

  “That’s excellent news,” Draven replied. “It means we could try to get a boat or a small ship in working order and sail from Stonewall to the Sand Dunes once we reach an agreement with the Bajangs.”

  “Do you have any maps of the Sand Dunes with you?” Anjani asked, her eyes fixated on the parchment sprawled on the desk.

  “I do. It has some nautical routes highlighted as well. They would take us near the Black Mangrove Islands, which might be a double-edged sword. They’re dangerous but not as deadly as Destroyers flying overhead.”

  “What about land routes? You will need to get to Onyx River in the black stone region. That’s where the young Druids were last seen,” Anjani replied. “They’re central, several miles down south along the river.”

  “I’ll have to check what I have carefully, but it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s a large continent, but I can cover the river length easily in snake form,” Draven said.

  “We’ll need to see what archives are left in Stonewall, if any,” Serena added. “Those might help with reaching Onyx River sooner rather than later.”

  “Speaking of Stonewall,” Hansa interjected. “Once we reach the lagoon, we’ll need to have something concrete for the Tritones to stay on board. As in, another meeting place. Shall we push for Stonewall, as Jax suggested?”

  “You should, yes,” Draven replied. “I’ll make sure to get the Bajangs to at least agree to that. They owe my father that much. Sverik has most likely told Azazel everything, so you need to be wary of what’s to come over the next couple of days. He will be sending troops to the lagoon, and he’ll try White City and Grezzi’s camp, too.”

  “We’ll move fast, not to worry, Druid,” Jax said from across the continent.

  I exhaled sharply, mentally preparing for what was coming next. My brother was in a race against time to warn the allies before Destroyers rained down on them with poisonous spears. My best friend was about to enter a city that we knew little about in the hopes of securing a stronger alliance. My other best friend was trapped in a room, in Azazel’s castle.

  I had to reach out to her.

  “I’ll try the Oracle connection with Vita next,” I said. “I need to get her ready for what will happen. I’ll let her know that Bijarki is on his way to get her.”

  “Good,” Serena replied, and I could sense the concern in her voice. “Thank you, Aida. Please be careful.”

  “I will. You know, Vita could get into the Destroyer’s good graces, maybe manage to sneak out and help set Kyana free and give Patrik enough of an incentive to fight harder against Azazel’s spell and help us. What do you think, Serena? Draven?”

  “Should you be able to speak to Vita, please make sure that she doesn’t do anything reckless or put herself in danger there,” Bijarki was the first to respond.

  “I will, I promise, Bijarki, but she can help us,” I replied.

  “It sounds like a good plan, as long as she doesn’t get herself in trouble,” Serena agreed.

  “Aida,” Tamara interjected. “My sister might not jump out of that cage as quickly as you think. She doesn’t trust anyone under normal circumstances. I can only imagine what her mindset is now. Can you send her a message through Vita for me, should your Oracle connection work?”

  “Sure,” I said.

  “If she hears this from me, you will have her full cooperation. Tell her that ‘the jaspers are in full bloom this morning.’ It’s a secret code she and I have had for centuries. It means she can trust Vita with her life,” the Lamia replied.

  “Got it,” I said and made a quick note with a piece of charcoal.

  “Please make sure Vita doesn’t get my sister killed in the process. I will retaliate, alliance or not,” Tamara added, sending a chill down my spine.
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br />   “Rest assured, Tamara, we don’t aim to get anyone killed here,” Draven said politely, “but this is war. Should there be blood spilled, it will be a casualty of war. You have to ready yourself for that.”

  He had a point. Whatever happened going forward, it was all-out war. We were fighting for our lives against an army of monsters led by a maniac with far too much power in his hands.

  It wasn’t going to be easy. Perhaps we weren’t all going to survive in the end.

  We had to give it our best shot, though. Like my grandfather Xavier had once told Jovi and me: ‘If you can’t win a battle and death is unavoidable, make sure you go down swinging and take as many of the bastards with you as possible.’

  I’d doubted those words would ever apply to me, given our time of relative peace back on Earth, but his words rang powerfully true now.

  They gave me enough determination to see this through, then return to The Shade and give my mother, father, grandparents, and all my family a hug tight enough to last them a lifetime or two. Until then, I had work to do, and a fire fae Oracle to speak to.

  Jovi

  We reached the lagoon by sundown. It sprawled beautifully toward the ocean in cool shades of aqua blue, surrounded by a ring of white sand and lush purple and yellow foliage keeping the area isolated. A slim, tall, and rocky cliff covered in moss and wild flowers, protruded from the shore facing the ocean serving as a podium for a passage stone. I recognized it as the spot where Serena, Draven, Hansa, and Sverik had first come through.

  Our horses were getting tired. They’d been moving as fast as lightning for hundreds of miles now, helping us cover distances otherwise taking two or three days in several hours.

  As we reached the sandy shore, I noticed movement beneath the water and heard shuffling in the bushes and palm trees that surrounded us. Jax was the first to get off his horse and step forward, while Hansa scanned the mellow orange skies for Destroyers.

  “I think we made it here first,” she said. “Can’t see any snake-related activity anywhere up there.”

  “These are fantastic horses. No wonder we beat the Destroyers to it,” Jax smirked and patted his on its strong neck. The horse neighed and bowed its head as if perfectly capable of understanding that it was given a compliment.

  “Where are the Tritones, though? Are they in the water?” I asked, my eyes scanning the turquoise surface of the lagoon.

  I saw creatures moving beneath, but they were so fast it took me a while to register the large fish tails and human-looking arms.

  “Yes, they most certainly are,” Jax replied, exhaling sharply, “and unaware of what’s coming for them.”

  He looked around as if looking for someone.

  “Zeriel!” he shouted. “Get out here now. We need to talk!”

  Hansa and I got off the horses and joined Jax on the edge of the water. My boots were slowly sinking into the sand. It was too soft for my liking, especially if one had to run faster than a slithering Destroyer.

  One by one, Tritones poked their heads out of the water. Males, females, and younglings all watching us with a mix of curiosity and concern.

  “They don’t often get strangers here,” Jax explained briefly. “Hence their fascination with us. With you, actually, Jovi. They’ve seen Hansa and me before.”

  One of the males smiled then disappeared beneath the water. I saw him move with impressive speed until he reached the shore. He rose above as his beautiful fish tail shimmered and morphed into a pair of legs. His bejeweled belt held a slim white fabric in place, enough to cover his private parts as he walked toward us.

  He was tall and handsome, with long pale blonde hair and azure eyes. He wore a multitude of shells braided through his hair, a massive gold necklace, and gold armbands. His wiry frame was well balanced with toned and sculpted muscles. His tan seemed permanent, as did the childish smirk on his face. Judging by all visible markers described by Serena, I was looking at Zeriel, King of the Tritones.

  “Jaxxon,” the Tritone exclaimed with impressive enthusiasm. “What brings you back here so soon? I thought we were meeting at Mount Agrith in a few days.”

  “Change of plans, Zeriel,” Jax replied bluntly. “We had a traitor in our midst. Azazel knows everything, including our meeting spot at Mount Agrith.”

  Zeriel’s smile dropped, his entire expression instantly charged with tension and concern. He gave Hansa and me a once-over and nodded politely.

  “Good to see you again, Hansa of the Red Tribe,” he said, ignoring Jax’s words as he looked at me. “I believe I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting you, though. You seem as peculiar as that delightful Serena.”

  “I’m her cousin,” I lowered my head in a respectful gesture. “I am Jovi, half-wolf.”

  “Ah, that was the smell I couldn’t put my finger on. Wolf, you say. Interesting. But half. Can you turn?”

  “No, but—"

  “Did you not hear me, Zeriel?” Jax interrupted the nonsensical exchange before I could.

  Zeriel took a deep breath and gave the Mara a tired glance.

  “I heard you, but that is no excuse to throw one’s manners out the window,” the Tritone said. “So, Mount Agrith is compromised. What next?”

  “We agreed to meet at Stonewall instead. We’re spreading the word to the rest of our allies as well,” Jax replied.

  “That shouldn’t be a problem,” Zeriel said, scratching the back of his head and looking off to the side. “We can take the underground channels directly to Stonewall. It will be quite the swim, but we can make it in time.”

  “Underground channels?” I asked.

  “We connected the eastern and western oceans a long time ago,” he replied with a proud smile. “It took a few centuries to carve and consolidate, but they are our quickest route to Stonewall.”

  I had to admit I was impressed. Based on what I’d seen on maps of Calliope, the Tritones’ tunnels entailed an incredible amount of effort. There were thousands of miles on a solid granite base to break through.

  “There is more, Zeriel,” Jax continued. “You all need to get out of here now. Azazel knows you are all here and conspiring in this alliance against him. He will not stand by. He will send his Destroyers after you.”

  Zeriel thought this over, then cocked his head to one side. “Who betrayed us?”

  “Sverik,” Hansa replied. “He’d been working for Azazel this whole time. He played us all, pretending to get incarcerated so we would see it as an opportunity and reach out to him.”

  “Ah, I see. I should’ve drowned him when I had the chance.” The Tritone then looked over his shoulder and waved at his subjects, all of them waiting patiently in the lagoon. A male and a female with silver jewels and fine white fabric covering their torsos and waists came forward, their tails shifting to legs as they walked to the shore.

  “Get everyone ready. We must leave the lagoon as soon as possible,” Zeriel instructed. “Send the children and the elderly to Almora. I want every able-bodied Tritone armed and ready to leave by nightfall.”

  “That only gives us a few hours.”

  “Get it done!” Zeriel wasn’t willing to hear any excuses.

  Jax and Hansa watched quietly as the Tritones bowed and rushed back into the water, passing the message on to the other Tritones. One of the elders climbed the passage stone’s rock and blew through a large shell horn once he reached the top. The sound pierced through the silence of the lagoon, sending all Tritones rushing to get the younglings and seniors out into the ocean first.

  We waited nervously while the others brought out shell and metal plated armor and weapons from down below. I occasionally glanced at the sky, watching its colors turn dark as stars began to glimmer above.

  “What else does Azazel know?” Zeriel asked Jax.

  “He knows we have the Oracles and a Daughter of Eritopia. Also, he took one of our Oracles.”

  The Tritone was stunned, his jaw dropping as his eyes nearly popped out of their orbits. “What in the
world did you people do?!” he gasped. “How is this possible? How do you expect me to trust your alliance if you can’t keep your own people safe?”

  “Sverik played us all,” Hansa muttered. “He used our passage stone to get Destroyers beneath our protective shield. They ambushed us. We killed most of them, but the one that got away along with Sverik managed to snatch one of our Oracles.”

  “What about the Oracles themselves? Aren’t they supposed to predict this sort of stuff?” Zeriel shot back, visibly infuriated.

  “They couldn’t immediately identify the traitor,” I replied. “They’re still learning to use their abilities. The point is, it’s even more important now for all of us to come together. The Oracles are the most important people in my life. They’re my friends and my family. Azazel already has one of them, and I can’t let him take the others.”

  I felt the rage bubbling up to the surface once more. Zeriel seemed to cool himself down rather quickly at the sight of my fisted and trembling hands. I wanted to smash everything in sight, but I had to keep myself under control. The thought of Vita’s abduction made my blood boil. Not only was I worried about her, but I also knew that Aida was most likely next on Azazel’s to-kidnap list.

  “I understand,” Zeriel said slowly. “I am sorry for you and your family. Rest assured, however, that our alliance stands. I gave my word, but, please, for the love of Eritopia, can you people stop trusting anything that comes out of Azazel’s castle before you get us all killed?”

  “I must say, I find it ironic that you’re the one with trust issues,” Jax raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Zeriel frowned at him.

  “Really, Zeriel? Do you need me to remind you of Bagan Temple?”

  The Tritone thought about it for a second, then scoffed, visibly flushed with embarrassment.

  “I was young and foolish back then. You can’t blame me for that,” he replied.

  “That was last year.”