A Dance of Power
Theo
Ismirk, seeing her aura glow around her.
First one to fall on their arse, loses, she declares with words that appear before me.
Look at you, Blondie, not even having to use your fingers to write. What else are you hiding behind that mask? You might share some, but there’s still a lot that you keep to yourself.
The barrier she’s created around us hums, and I smirk.
“Deal. Hope you don’t hurt yourself too much when you kiss the ground!” I taunt her as a mist creeps around us, filling up the tight area within the barrier that is barely four metres by four metres.
Likewise, I hope your ego survives, she replies tauntingly, that fancy font dancing in front of me.
“My ego’s the size of the Pacific Ocean, Sweetcheeks. It’ll survive anything.”
She throws the first attack, roots erupting from the ground, and I jump back, hitting the barrier behind me.
Fuck, it’s tight in here.
I let the mist unfurl, retreating into its fold as I realise that, rather than powerful attacks, I’m going to have to calculate them. Silently, I move as the ground becomes a sea of tree roots that look like snakes slithering around the ground. She’s sensing where I am through the earth.
I keep moving, from spot to spot, throwing her off by cutting through the tree roots from far and from near. I can see her standing in the middle, her power like an armour around her. She’s still, though her power is anything but.
I just need to yank her onto her ass and call it a win.
But even as I try to get close, her power surges like a wall stronger than steel all around her, sensing even the tiniest of movements.
I send several blasts in all directions.
My mist tries to wrap around her, but her aura is impenetrable, deflecting the tendrils of power that I’m trying to wrap around her.
I block her attacks, trying to target the roots far from me, hoping for her to buy it even for a second. She suddenly turns her head, her eyes looking directly at me even though I’m masked, and I cluck my tongue.
Tch, she’s good.
I raise my aura, letting it swirl around her barrier, spinning it faster and harder, forcing it to close around her. Her dark green aura bleeds into my pale one, each fighting to dominate the other.
Come on, there’s got to be a weakness in your barriers somewhere…
None, every single inch of it is strong.
She’s good.
Too good.
Fine.
She’s a powerful witch. I knew that, but right now she’s standing here, and not once have I seen her having to focus on casting a spell; her mouth is moving at times, but she’s not struggling. Almost as if this is child’s play…
Let’s take it up a notch then, init.
My aura rises around me as I increase the power, our two forces grinding and sparking where they touch.
The air crackles between us.
I launch forward, stretching out my hand as I call my scythe to me. I swing the blade down, calling back my power, and bring it down, cutting through her barrier. The power jars through us both, but I succeed as her barrier shatters.
I see a flash of dazzling gold, and the Tongue of Dawn wraps around my scythe, yanking it backwards.
But physical strength is my forte, Blondie.
Smirking, I yank my scythe back towards me with full force. She’s yanked from her spot and pulled towards me, her body colliding with mine.
Blondie’s on fucking fire, I suck in a breath as pain sears through me. I can smell leather and flesh burning.
Damn…
For a moment, her eyes widen, horrified at what she’s doing, before she tries to pull away, but I don’t release her.
“What’s wrong?” My voice comes out lower, rougher than I intend. “We’re not done.”
She narrows her eyes that are mixed with a hint of doubt.
You’re burning.
“I’m always this hot, remember?”
She rolls her eyes, twisting sharply, breaking free. A vine coils around my ankle, but I slice it to shreds, letting the mist grow thicker, but she tears through it effortlessly. Roots spear up, ripping at the shadows, dragging them apart.
I feign attacks through the real ones, cutting myself a path through the chaos, and land behind her as she deflects one of my false attacks. One move that has brought me the chance I need. Perfect.
I lean in, my lips almost brushing her ear.
“You’re good,” I whisper, “but I’m better.”
She stiffens, but my arm is already around her waist. I sweep her feet out from under her, lifting her clean off the ground, but she doesn’t admit defeat, pressing her back fully against me.
I raise an eyebrow, but then she’s sliding downwards, and somehow, she fucking frees herself from my hold.
She spins towards me, reminding me of a ballet dancer.
Didn’t she do ballet as a kid? I’m sure she did…
In one fluid move, she rises to her feet.
Her hand hooks over my shoulder, using it as a pivot as she turns with my momentum instead of fighting it. Her body against mine, heat sparking across every point of contact.
And in that moment, as we’re face-to-face, spinning as she turns slowly, both preparing our next move, our eyes meet, challenging each other. Then our powers snap tight.
Her dark green aura coils around my waist, pulling me in, while my mist curls around her shoulders and throat, threading between us like it wants to hold her there. Both of us are trying to crush the other.
For a heartbeat, we’re stuck in limbo, chest to chest, and then she smiles, her power disappearing as she pulls free from my hold and places her hands on my shoulders.
Using them, she lifts her legs right up, until they’re far above her head, and then she flips.
It happens fucking fast, one moment she’s looking me in the eye and the next she’s flipped herself, twisting with one smooth, precise movement and landing on my shoulders.
Fuck.
I grab hold of her thighs, but it’s too late; she wraps them around my neck and clamps them tightly together.
Pain spasms through me as I try to pry her off.
Damn woman.
She’s strong, and all I can do is make sure her hands don’t come anywhere near me. A strong root snaps against the back of my legs, and I fall. There’s no time to break the fall because my hands are too busy trying to pry her thighs off me before she snaps my neck.
Damn, she’s got good strength in them.
A second before I hit the ground, she releases me and flips backwards in one graceful move, landing on her feet just behind my head as I crash to the ground, staring at the sky above.
Her shadow blocks my view as she bends over me, and I look at her upside-down face, a few curls loose from her braid.
There’s a victorious smile on her lips as she smooths her skirt, which is way too damn short for a fight, by the way.
I win, she states the obvious in an extra curly fancy calligraphy font.
I scoff.
“Sure. Nice panties, by the way. I never took you for bold colours. Royal blue, nice,” I remark.
Her eyes widen as she jumps back, and I take the chance, elbowing her in the ankles.
She stumbles, and I lift my legs over my head, my back still flat on the floor, as I hook my ankles around her waist and flip her over, bringing her down on her ass in front of me.
I sit up, and this time I trap her between my legs, wrapping my arms around her tightly.
You didn’t win, she declares in writing.
I smirk. “Maybe not, but I still got you on your ass.”
She scoffs as we both sit there breathing hard. Damn, that was intense.
I slowly release her, resting back on my hands as I catch my breath.
I’m wearing shorts… she states. Now, realising what she had forgotten moments ago, she looks at me with narrow, suspicious eyes.
I snicker, looking at the blue in her outfit. “Yeah, I know, smart move with that skirt.”
So how… Her cheeks flush.
I cock a brow. “I know you, Blondie, everything from your nails, jewellery and bra match your outfit, so why wouldn’t your panties?” I answer smugly.
She glares at me. You’re so annoying!
I chuckle as I stand up and offer her a hand. She raises a brow, looking at it haughtily before she decides to take it, pouting slightly.
I smirk at her reaction before looking down at my skin, which is already healing.
“Luckily, the pants survived,” I remark. “Should I be worried, Blondie? Were you trying to get me naked?”
No. She frowns, then casts a spell, and I feel a cooling wave wash over me as the healing increases rapidly.
She is using spells without even moving her mouth or taking a second to cast them.
“Thanks,” I say. Our eyes meet for a second, one that somehow feels too long. I look away, activating my Schattenblüte and suit up, before crossing my arms.
“So, how exactly did you gain power? I need the full story.” I drop it in casually; I’m impressed I didn’t catch her off guard, as she doesn’t even bat an eyelid.
She sighs, looking around as she begins fixing the ground we’ve destroyed. There’s water leaking from somewhere. I think we destroyed some pipework, too, but she works on fixing it, and I know she’s buying herself time.
Well… I talked to Hecate… she begins after the pipe is intact and the ground is smooth again.
“Hecate. Ok,” I say, watching her.
She looks at me for a moment. You know how witch heritage works, right? she writes.
“Yeah, I might not be as smart as you, but I’m not that dumb either.”
Ok, well then you must know that Aunty Delsanra cut the ancestral link from my mama to all our previous witch ancestors, because Endora was trying to control her, she writes.
I know where this is going, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. “Yeah, I heard.”
Well, Hecate restored it, cutting only Mama from the equation.
Yeah, not what I wanted to hear.
I whistle. “Right, so that psychotic, power-hungry bitch is in your head right now?”
I have excellent self-control. She’s not in my head unless I allow her. She’s there for me to use when needed, she corrects with such confidence I might just believe her.
“And have you told your mom?” I ask.
I will, she writes with a defiant look.
I smirk. “So, am I the first to know?” I ask teasingly.
She rolls her eyes. Only because you’re so pushy.
“You like me pushy. And I mean, we can both agree I’m pretty hard to not like,” I say cockily.
Our eyes meet before she looks me over, shaking her head and folding her arms.
So, what do you expect to see from the surveillance footage? she asks.
It’s my turn to share; it seems we always do this. A secret for a secret…
“Well, I sensed an aura the night Ares was killed… and last night I felt it again and followed it…” I hesitate. I hadn’t been able to tell Jayce, not when I have nothing to go on. “I just need to know who was around at the time.”
She observes me for a second before nodding. I see. Do you have a suspect? she asks.
I shake my head. “None that makes sense.”
Tonight, meet me at midnight, she writes.
“Midnight it is.”
Sweat trickles down my forehead as I keep hammering the heavy bag.
Good thing it’s reinforced with magic, or we’d be replacing the damn things every day.
I pivot and snap a roundhouse into the side of the bag.
It whips back hard as I bounce lightly on the balls of my feet.
I keep going. Upper jab, lower cut, switch stance, mix that shit until my muscles burn.
My hair is flat with sweat, falling in my eyes as I keep going, my movements becoming a blur.
“Theo!”
I don’t stop, even when Ares’ voice cuts through the gym.
“Sup, man?” I call breathlessly over my shoulder, still throwing punches, feeling the weights strapped to my wrists and ankles forcing me to work myself harder.
Ares steps closer. He’s in sweatpants and a t-shirt, his hair also damp. He was training as well.
“They really do let the seniors out later than before, huh?” he says.
I smirk, still throwing combos. “Guess they finally realised we’re hard to cage,” I answer. “So, did you miss me that much that you came to look for me? I mean, we can mind-link.”
He’s silent, only the sound of my controlled breathing and the hits connecting with the bag filling the silence. When it’s quiet for a moment too long, I spare him a glance before punching the bag again.
“Ares?”
“Yeah, that was an option, but I needed to talk to you face-to-face,” he says, as if he had been distracted for a moment.
I don’t like the sound of that.
“Yeah? About what?”
“Spar with me,” he orders.
“Sure, kiddo,” I answer sarcastically. He narrows his eyes as I smirk. “I’m older, remember? I get to give the orders.”
He scoffs. “You don’t act older, so fuck off.”
“Well, I would, but you want to spar,” I remind him.
He simply glares at me, but there’s something off about him. We begin exchanging blows. Even when we change our routines, it’s so fucking easy to spar against and block the attacks from one of my brothers, because in a way, we can sense what each other will do next.
Tell me something, Theo, he says through the mind-link.
Sure. Let’s see… Oh yeah, I learned today not to underestimate people half your size, I answer, knowing he has a question of his own.
He narrows his eyes. I mean, about the night I was attacked.
Why now?
Unease fills me as I look at him and nod. Sure, what do you want to know?
I want to know if you really didn’t see anyone that night? He aims a jab that I block and throw a hit of my own.
I didn’t, I mean it, man, why would I keep that shit from you?
He cocks an eyebrow. Good. Cause there’s something that’s been niggling at my mind.
Just out of reach in my head, regarding that night.
Glimpses in my dreams that began from the moment we stepped into the Gods’ Realm.
There are random bits that are returning to me, Theo.
With one weird-as-fuck dream – if it’s a dream.
His eyes are glowing now, as his wolf surfaces. Want to fill me in?
I shrug. “On what, bro? It’s your dream. Ahh, unless you mean your belly dancing dream? That I can.” I smirk.
“Stop deflecting,” he growls, and I know he ain’t on about my defence. He throws a combo of moves at me, and I block them. He turns and aims another jab at my neck.
I mean, my dreams were all just fragments that made no sense until they did.
They started to make sense when put together, but there are parts missing.
I’m sure you’ll be able to tell me since you’re in the starring role in this dream, he says sarcastically before becoming serious again.
You know, the dream – or should I say the memory, where you bargained with Hades to bring me back from the dead? Ring any bells, brother?
My heart thunders as my eyes snap to his. Both of us stare at one another; our wolves have surfaced as we remain staring at each other. There’s no anger or irritation in his eyes, but something else as he stares at me.
Tell me, Theo. He grabs me by the back of my neck, yanking me towards himself, his eyes burning into mine. Did I die that night?
Fuck.
He remembers.