A Tip of Balance

by Bella Forrest

  “Kyana says he spends most of the night sleeping. I just need to go down there after midnight and catch him when he’s snoozing.”

  I took a deep breath, wishing I could hug her. She was the smallest in size and yet, she’d become the bravest. I gave her a weak smile, then nodded at the tweezers.

  “Think you can work a lock with those?” I asked.

  “It’s worth a shot, don’t you think?”

  Her confident grin made me feel like she could take on an entire army of Destroyers if she had to. A lock in Azazel’s castle didn’t stand a chance.

  Phoenix

  I’d been having a lot of weird dreams lately. While most of them revolved around The Shade and my inability to get my parents to hear my voice, this one was a whole new level of scary and weird.

  I stood outside the mansion, the Daughter just a couple of yards away from me. I walked toward her, but the distance between us never shrank.

  I ran, hoping I’d be able to reach her, but I never did.

  I shouted at her, and she turned around to face me. Her long reddish pink hair raised by the midnight winds, her violet eyes glowing beautifully under the moonlight, and her shoulders bare as the soft white linen of her dress fluttered to one side, revealing her beautiful curves.

  I couldn’t touch her.

  I ran faster, cursing under my breath.

  She lifted her hand as if reaching out to me. I tried to grab it, but she was still far away.

  I cried out, but I couldn’t get to her.

  My eyes opened wide as I woke up heaving. I broke into a cold sweat. I was in my bed, alone. It took me a while to realize that it had all been a dream. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a metaphor, or worse, a warning.

  I looked around. There was no sign of the Daughter. I remembered she’d been the first one to fall asleep in my arms when we got in bed after dinner, but she wasn’t here now.

  My stomach churned. The muscles in my heart contracted, urging me to get out of bed.

  I went out into the open corridor, scanning the area, but she wasn’t there. I checked the upstairs study room, the banquet hall, Draven’s study, and the bedroom I’d initially given her when she hatched. She wasn’t there.

  Panic came over me, rattling my bones. A bad feeling snuck into the back of my head. I knocked on doors and called out to everyone in the house, chills shooting through my veins.

  Something was off.

  Aida

  I left Vita in her chamber to fiddle with the lock, keeping all my positive thoughts channeled in her direction. I promised I’d check in on her first thing in the morning, doubting I’d get any sleep until then. She was about to do something dangerous but necessary. Kyana’s freedom could push Patrik over the edge and help him break Azazel’s spell, meaning that the other Destroyers could do the same.

  To rebuild Eritopia, we needed Druids to assume control of the kingdoms again. Restoring some Destroyers to their old selves seemed like a good place to start, especially since we weren’t yet sure whether the young Druids on Marton had survived.

  I needed to at least lie down for a while and replenish my energy, both for checking on Vita and for my next task. I needed to look through the present with my visions and see if any of the young Druids had survived.

  I left the garden and went straight into my room, skipping dinner altogether. I wasn’t hungry, although I’d barely nibbled anything throughout the day. Our dire circumstances made it difficult for me to consider putting food in my mouth. My stomach constantly threatened to throw everything back out.

  I opened the door to the bedroom I’d shared with Vita and Serena. I stopped at the sight of Field sitting on the bed, waiting for me. He looked up, his concerned gaze finding mine. His long dark hair was tousled, and his shoulders slumped.

  “Field,” I croaked, clearing my throat. “What, um, what’s up?”

  “I wanted to talk to you,” he replied slowly. “I’ve been thinking about this since yesterday. I’ve been trying to find the courage to come here.”

  “Oh,” I said, then closed the door behind me, leaning my back against it and hoping my thumping heart wouldn’t beat loud enough for him to hear.

  “I didn’t expect you to say those things yesterday,” he sighed. “That you’re… in love with me. I didn’t see it coming.”

  I braced myself for whatever he had to say, good or bad. I’d been so worried about Vita and the others that I didn’t have time to overthink the way I’d told him I was in love with him, and that he didn’t say if he felt the same or not. It was as good a time as any to talk this through.

  “I’ve been thinking about it, as I said. There are so many risks here. Our lives are constantly in danger. There’s always something happening or someone threatening to kill us. We’re going through a lot while we’re being drawn to each other,” Field said. “I’m worried that, given everything that is going on, you’re confusing love with what could be an emotional attachment. Every day in this mansion is a traumatic experience.”

  His turquoise eyes flickered from the candlelight as he waited quietly for me to say something in return. What could I say? He was right. Every day here was a reminder of how quickly we could all die, and how everything could end in the blink of an eye.

  The way my heart drummed when I was around him, though, was real.

  “Field,” I replied, biting my lower lip as my hands balled into fists at my sides. “With everything constantly against us, I’ve found the strength I needed to stop caring about all these risks getting in the way of how I feel about you. I didn’t think I’d say what I said to you yesterday, but I won’t take it back, either. It’s the truth. I’m in love with you, and I’m okay with that. I’m not holding anything back anymore. Life is way too short for that, as evidenced by the past couple of weeks alone.”

  He didn’t say anything, but his gaze softened and he straightened his back.

  “You know what? I meant every word. If you don’t like it, you can just go to hell,” I ended on a petulant note because I didn’t like having my emotions challenged. He was the first thing on my mind when I woke up every morning and the last thing on my mind when I went to bed at night. I had been done running away from that since the moment he took me in his arms and kissed me the first time.

  Field stood up, nodding slowly.

  “I’m sorry about my reaction, then,” he finally replied. “I didn’t know how to react to those words, although I wanted to hear them. I was afraid you didn’t understand their impact.”

  “Oh, I do,” I said.

  “Good. I’ll go crazy if I don’t tell you that I feel the same way about you, Aida. You grabbed onto something inside me, and you’ve refused to let go. Now I’m in love with you, and I can’t fathom a future without you.”

  It took me a second to register his candid confession. When the words did hit me, my heart dropped into my stomach and then spread out like liquid heat through my entire body. My chest filled itself up with everything I’d been feeling for him, amplified by knowing that he felt the same. I felt like I could explode.

  I was stunned and exhilarated, but unable to react.

  Field stepped forward and covered my mouth with his. He captured me in a dazzling kiss, and I welcomed it. I parted my lips in response. Our tongues met, and fireworks flickered in the back of my head.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer to him as he deepened the kiss and turned it into something far more profound and intimate. I held my breath for as long as I could before I exhaled and breathed him all in.

  His natural scent invaded my nose as his hands slid down my waist and pulled me into him, then pushed us both against the door. We gave in to each other, abandoning ourselves to the moment, kissing as our souls opened. His heartbeat echoed mine, frantic, excited, and craving more.

  A silent hunger rose to the surface as we devoured each other, my fingers slipping under his shirt, tingling from the feel of his muscles stretching beneath his
soft skin. He took our kiss even deeper, making me gasp for breath.

  I loved him, and he loved me. The only way to go was up. I was ready to give him everything I had and take everything I could in return.

  “This is intense,” Field managed to say, his lips brushing against mine. “It’s too intense. Addictive. Beautiful. I can’t stop. I don’t want it to stop, Aida. You’re it for me. You’re my beginning and my end.”

  I shivered under his touch. His mouth moved lower, dropping fluttering kisses down my neck. His arms tightened around me. I had a feeling I’d lose myself completely in his grip. Then, a rapid knocking on the door tore us apart and hurled us back into reality.

  Aida

  “The Daughter is missing!”

  Phoenix’s voice pierced through the bedroom door. My heart shrank into a small nugget. My eyes opened wide as my gaze met Field’s. In a single second, our moment of absolute perfection had been crumpled up and tossed out the window.

  “What did I tell you? Every damn day something goes horribly wrong in this place,” I muttered, feeling anger aimed at the universe and its constant trials. I was getting exhausted, and we hadn’t even made it to the actual war-against-Azazel part.

  Field took my hand, and we both ran outside, following Phoenix down the stairs into the front yard. Anjani, Eva, and the succubi checked the greenhouse and back garden.

  As soon as our feet touched the grass, we stopped.

  The sight before us knocked the air out of my lungs completely. We couldn’t move. Anjani and the others came around and froze, too.

  The Daughter stood a few feet in front of us, her hair loose as her white linen dress fluttered in the night wind. She wasn’t alone.

  The seven Daughters of Eritopia were lined up in front of her, wearing their rich silk dresses, their jeweled rings, and their gold masks with violet eyes glowing furiously beneath. Heavy diamond and ruby necklaces adorned their slim necks, their reddish pink curls cascading down their backs.

  “No,” Phoenix gasped and ran toward the Daughter.

  “Phoenix, wait,” I called out then darted after him, followed by Field and the others.

  One of the elder Daughters raised her hand in our direction and flicked her wrist, sending an energy pulse out that knocked us back and off our feet. I landed with a thud in the tall grass with the others.

  “Stay out of this, Phoenix,” one of them said, her voice low and echoing across the field.

  “No, you can’t!” Phoenix shouted and got back up.

  “You’ve been warned. Take another step, and you will regret it,” she replied.

  “Why? What are you doing here? What do you want with her?” he didn’t back down, breathing heavily as the elder Daughter held her hand up.

  He tried to move, but she had him pinned. I tried to get up as well, but my body refused to listen. I looked at Field and saw he was also struggling, as were the others.

  “What’s happening?” Anjani grunted, trying to push herself off the ground and failing.

  “The Daughters,” I managed to say. “They’ve pinned us down.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Phoenix demanded.

  The Daughters glared at him. His Daughter didn’t move, her back at us as her shoulders trembled. Dread came over me. Their presence was never a good sign.

  “What our sister did to the shape-shifters was an act against Eritopia’s nature,” one of the Daughters said. “After long hours of deliberation, we have decided that we must enforce punishment. She is far too unstable to be left here, unsupervised.”

  “She’s not unsupervised. She’s here with us!” Phoenix shouted.

  “What good did that do?” said another Daughter. “The damage she did to those creatures is irreversible. Their bodies have changed. Their lethal poison is even more powerful. They have so much energy flowing through them that their eyes still glow purple. It took one moment of anger for our sister to alter the natural balance of Eritopia forever.”

  “It was just a few shifters, it’s not like she changed the whole species. And she didn’t know what she was doing, or how she was doing it. It wasn’t her fault. She only wanted them to stop hurting us.” I groaned, still fighting against my body.

  “It’s precisely because she didn’t know that we have decided she cannot stay here,” said the first Daughter. “Pure Eritopian power flows through those creatures now, and we cannot intervene. It is in our code, our laws since the beginning of our existence, to not interfere in the natural course of our world. Disrupting the balance of Eritopia in any way is strictly forbidden.”

  “Our sister will come with us,” said a third Daughter. “We can teach her how to control her immense power and uphold our laws. You all can no longer be trusted with her care.”

  “You have the audacity to talk about disrupting the natural course of Eritopia while you let Azazel burn everything down?” Phoenix shot back, filled with rage. His whole body was shaking, unable to break free. “You’re pissed off because she didn’t follow your antiquated ways. Tell me, how have your stupid rules worked out so far? From where I’m standing, all I see is a handful of cowards with way too much power and not enough sense to use it to rid this world of its most disruptive and unnatural element. Azazel! He’s got one of you in his grip, and he’s sucking her power out and destroying everything good in this world! But you have rules! Well, screw your rules!”

  “Mind your tongue, boy,” said the first Daughter, pointing a finger at him.

  “Why? What will you do to me that’s worse than taking her away from me?” he held his ground, despite his inability to move. He looked at his Daughter. “Look at me.”

  She moved her head slowly, realizing he was talking to her.

  “Look at me!” Phoenix cried out, his eyes glazed with tears.

  The Daughter looked over her shoulder, her violet gaze finding his as she bit her lower lip.

  “You don’t have to do this,” he pleaded. “You can choose to stay here with me. You can tell them no. You can stand up to them. They couldn’t be bothered to give you a name, but I did. I found the perfect name for you. Stay with me, Viola. You belong here with me.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks at the sound of her name. She looked at her sisters, then back at Phoenix.

  “You can do this. You are stronger than you think. They can’t… They can’t break us apart. There’s a bond between us, Viola. My heart’s inside of you, and I have yours. I can feel it beating right now. I know you don’t want this. Just tell them no.”

  Viola’s body trembled as she cried. She opened her mouth to say something, but the second Daughter stepped forward, her flaring violet eyes set on Phoenix.

  “Stop it, Phoenix,” she said. “You can’t do anything to prevent us from claiming our sister back. Azazel already has one. We won’t risk losing her, as well. Consider everything that will happen to you from here on out a trial that will prove whether you are capable of saving Eritopia from Azazel. We do not get involved anymore.”

  “This is insane!” Phoenix roared. “You’re making a huge mistake, and you’re doing more harm than good. Your moody spirits are why this world will burn. You hear me? You’re to blame!”

  The first Daughter cocked her head to one side, as the second took Viola’s hand and walked her into their group. They moved closer to one another.

  “I told you to mind your tongue, Phoenix,” the first Daughter said, then snapped her fingers.

  Viola looked at him, her eyes wide, teary, and hopeful, her lips moving as she mumbled his name over and over.

  “Viola, no!” he shouted and ran toward them, finally able to move.

  I felt the pressure lift as well. I got up and chased after him, followed by the others.

  The Daughters disappeared into wisps of pink dust as Phoenix lunged at them. He landed with a thud in the tall grass, groaning from pain.

  “No, no, no!” he muttered as he pulled himself back up, desperately looking around.

  He cri
ed her name out, but nothing happened. Viola was gone. I moved to touch him, but he jumped back, his hands up in a defensive gesture. He was seething, rage making his eyes flicker. I had never seen him so angry before.

  There wasn’t enough time to properly digest what had happened. A crackling sound above made us look up.

  The protective shield glimmered gold, then began to crack like broken glass. My jaw dropped as I watched the cracks scatter across the entire dome before it caved in, disintegrating in flickers of gold all around us.

  It happened.

  My heart constricted beneath my ribs.

  It happened. The thing we’d feared the most finally happened, and we were all watching it unravel in a rain of golden sparks.

  The protective shield was gone.

  “What just happened?” Phoenix managed to ask.

  I shushed him, utterly horrified.

  We all stopped, looking around at each other. We all knew what this meant.

  We were sitting ducks in the middle of the night, surrounded by Destroyers. One by one, they emerged from their tents. They’d all probably heard Phoenix’s voice for the first time.

  They looked as stunned as we were, staring at us with wide open yellow eyes. Green fireflies flickered as they emerged from the surrounding woods. I forgot to breathe.

  Aida

  “Run!”

  It was the only thing I could say. We bolted. We went straight through the house, grabbing whatever we could as we shot through the other side and then exited through the green house. The Destroyers were shocked enough for us to have time to get our hands on a few weapons before we ran away.

  “We should head east!” Field said as he pulled a hatchet off the wall.

  All we had were a couple of crossbows, a few swords, a satchel left in the lobby, and the clothes on our backs. I saw movement from beyond where the shield had been. The Destroyers were out of their dazed state and were mobilized to come after us, slithering through the craters that their explosives had left behind.