A Bolt of Lightning
Sienna
Something is up with Jayce; something crossed his mind just earlier. He wants to test my barrier once we return to the outpost, and considering he wants nothing to do with me, I am absolutely certain something happened or occurred back there.
I’m not sure what it is, but there’s definitely something. And before we set off, he kept looking at the dome, too.
I feel uneasy. What is it?
The dome itself is intriguing in a way I didn’t expect it to be. The urge to go to it and test the barrier crossed my mind; to learn what it’s made of, to see if I can sense anything from it – is it power or magic, elemental or not?
A vicious wind blows and I’m almost lifted off my feet, but I use my power to fuse the soles of my shoes to the ground. From the corner of my eye, I see Jayce’s head whip my way, and I hide a smile.
Is he worried about me?
As much as I wouldn’t mind letting him ‘help’ me, I don’t want him to see me as weak, as someone who always needs saving. He’s saved me a lifetime’s worth already, and I want him to know I don’t need saving.
I push against the wind, wondering if it would be easier for me to simply fly back. Probably...
Another huge blast of wind and snow pushes me back a few feet, and I turn towards Mikhail, who’s walking as if the wind does not affect him.
“May I have permission to fly back, General?” I ask as loudly as possible, my voice barely audible over the howls of the wind.
Mikhail looks at me thoughtfully, his face barely visible in the heavy snow.
“What do you think, Captain? Shall we let our little possession return ahead?” The cold mockery in his voice confirms my thought; he knows what Jayce and I are.
“Fine,” Jayce replies coldly. “I’m sure you can keep up with her, General.”
Mikhail smirks. “Of course. We will go ahead.”
Everyone here could keep up with me if they shifted and travelled in wolf form. Even the few vampires on the team remain moving at the same pace despite their ability to move faster – I wonder why they don’t?
Well, that’s their choice. I look forward to returning faster.
I shrug out of my coat, aware of the attention it draws but refusing to acknowledge it, focusing instead on folding the coat neatly in my arms. Cold bites into me; my custom Schattenblüte uniform leaves my back bare, designed with my wings in mind.
When my wings burst free, unfurling in a wide, powerful sweep, the cold air rushes against my skin as I push off the ground. The first heavy beats carry me upward, the snow and figures below shrinking as I keep flying higher.
Even from up here, the dome is still visible in the distance, disappearing high into the fog in the sky, a dark presence etched against the white surroundings. While ahead, there is nothing but endless snow, though I know the direction of the outpost well enough to set my course.
I fly into the wind and sleet, forcing myself to push harder, my wings straining against the resistance. But I have trained in far worse conditions than this, and they carry me with ease.
I catch sight of Mikhail below, still moving on foot yet covering ground at an impossible pace, his speed incredibly fast. He’s definitely faster than the fastest werewolf or lycan.
I leave the others behind as I pick up my own pace, one arm stretched ahead, my hand balled into a fist, the other holding my coat against my stomach, the cold burning my lungs.
When the outpost finally comes into view, I slow my descent, making sure the guards can see who I am before I touch down, landing softly in the snow and drawing my wings back in as I pull my coat on once more, a shiver running through me as the fabric settles against my skin.
A shadow falls over me as Mikhail comes to a halt, and I glance at him. From this close, I can see his unique violet eyes properly.
Beautiful eyes that belong to a man who is as dangerous as he is powerful.
He is an ally, I remind myself, yet there is something about him that keeps my instincts on edge. He has a quiet, cunning side that is hidden beneath his composed exterior, which makes me a little uneasy.
I push the thought aside, feeling guilty for thinking it. We are here together, sharing the same ground, and suspicion alone is no reason to suspect him. Yet vampires are not wolves, and they are different from us, but even I’m different – it’s wrong to assess like this.
A vampire’s eyes turn red for a period of time after they’ve consumed blood.
They say if a vampire’s eyes are not red – run.
I noticed last night that all the other vampires here had red eyes, and unless the vampire has great control, they can be dangerous if they are low on blood.
But in the case of the Crown Prince, despite his eyes being clearly violet right now, he doesn’t seem to be struggling with hunger or control.
That, or he’s exceptionally good at hiding it.
“You are not very trusting, Demon Princess,” he remarks, his gaze drifting towards the outpost.
I am certain my expression gives nothing away; is he good at reading what one’s thinking?
I respond after a moment, “You misunderstand, Crown Prince.”
“I rarely misunderstand,” he replies smoothly in his strong accent. “And that is saying something, considering how many years I have walked this earth.”
I wonder how old he is.
“I apologise if I have offended you,” I say.
His eyes meet mine, as if searching for something I refuse to reveal, before the faintest smirk touches his lips. “No offence taken.”
He’s handsome, with a square jaw, dark straight hair, a red jewel glinting in his ear, but there’s also a dangerous charm to him, one clouded with secrets and mystery.
He turns and walks ahead, his figure towering tall as he strides towards the outpost gates.
That was a strange exchange.
I follow him. Once inside, I decide to look around the outpost yard to choose a good spot for whatever Jayce wants to test, while I wait for his return.
I smile softly. I could sense him last night. A thin wall was the only thing that separated our beds, and I slept better than I have in ages. I could hear his steady breathing become rhythmic, and it was the perfect soothing lullaby to make me sleep.
My cheeks flush despite the cold, and I smile.
He’s so close…
“Create a barrier.” The sharp, abrupt words make me blink, and I turn to see Jayce walking towards me, lighting a… cigarette.
“When did you start smoking?” I ask, not knowing why my stomach sinks.
He narrows his eyes. “And why should I answer that?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Ok… don’t. But it doesn’t suit you,” I whisper, looking away.
I can sense his irritation as he takes a long drag on it, as if making a point. “And I don’t fucking care.”
I purse my lips. Whatever.
Lifting my hand, I begin raising a barrier, the same kind as the one I made beside the dome. I can feel him watching me, the intensity distracting me slightly.
Focus, I remind myself, forcing the chaos beneath my skin into something steady, something obedient.
The barrier forms at my command, ten feet by ten, dense and alive, its surface dark and shimmering. I step back, my pulse loud in my ears under Jayce’s intense gaze.
“You can try it now,” I say, turning my gaze to him.
Jayce nods as he tosses the cigarette to the ground; it hisses for a second before it’s snuffed out, the heavy snowflakes covering it almost instantly. I brush snow out of my hair, shivering as I watch Jayce examine the barrier carefully.
He then raises his hand to the heavens, and the sky answers immediately, lightning tearing through the clouds in a violent flash before a blinding bolt slams into the barrier with bone-shaking force.
Pain detonates through me.
It rips the breath from my lungs, excruciatingly painful, and I stagger back as if the strike had hit me directly and not the barrier. My vision is blurring as fire races through every nerve, my neck and jaw spasming. I barely register when I stagger, a pained whimper escaping my lips.
“Sienna!” Jayce’s voice cuts through the pain as he turns sharply towards me. Through blurred eyes, I see the worry flare in his brilliant blue eyes, bright and raw, before he masks those emotions almost instantly as he moves swiftly towards me. That urgency itself gives away the panic.
“You felt that,” Jayce says, already close, his voice tight.
I nod, breathing unevenly.
“You’re connected to the barriers,” he says, realisation dawning on him.
I blink several times to clear my focus, looking at the barrier, even as my chest burns and my head spins. There’s a thin spider crack across the barrier’s surface; it’s been weakened, and yet it holds, vibrating under the strain. One more strike like that and it will fail.
“I think I am,” I murmur through the pain. “I didn’t know I would-”
I break off sharply, feeling the coppery taste of blood in my mouth.
I turn away slightly, intending to wipe my mouth before he notices, but his hand reaches for me, his fingers closing around my jaw, the contact sending sparks dancing through me. He forces me to look at him, heat flaring beneath my skin as my heart stammers violently in my chest.
His thumb slowly brushes my lower lip, making my core clench. That simple move is so intimate…
I’m unable to move, as if he’s cast a spell on me.
I remain still as he wipes the blood away, his touch impossibly gentle compared to the power he wields, his gaze dropping to follow the movement, eyes still blazing blue.
I’m too aware of the way his touch feels, the way his gaze ignites a fire within me, the way his breath causes small puffs of mist, remembering how the warmth of his breath makes goosebumps rise on my skin.
“This plan is too dangerous, then,” he murmurs, more to himself than me, before his gaze locks with mine, his brows knitting. “You can’t use barriers here if every attack on them means you will feel it.”
I’m still in too much pain to process or think straight, unable to focus on anything but him.
His thumb lingers for a fraction longer before his hand finally drops, the loss of his touch almost jarring as he turns away, jaw clenched, shoulders rigid as he drags his composure back into place.
The tension between us is intense, but at this moment, I don’t know what to say, and I can’t bring myself to push him to admit he cares.
“You should get checked over by a healer,” he says quietly.
I nod. “I will.” I manage to answer without my voice cracking.
Why isn’t it easing up? Do I need to get rid of the barrier? I raise my hand and focus on bringing it down.
Jayce is watching, and I refuse to let him see how much pain I’m in.
Once the barrier is gone, I brush past him and, turning, head towards the barracks and straight for my room, each step sending pain through my stomach and chest. But I refuse to let it break me.
Only when my cabin door is shut behind me, and I’ve locked it, do I deactivate my Schattenblüte and look down, seeing the angry mark that runs across my stomach. It still sears agonisingly where the pain from Jayce’s lightning bolt had torn through me.
Praying I’m not called on again today, I stagger to the bed and drop onto it as I curl up, hoping the pain eases up soon because it’s excruciating.
I take a deep breath as I touch my stomach, hissing at how tender and painful my stomach feels.
Gods… help me.
I clutch the bedsheet beneath me with one hand as I begin to whisper a spell to take the edge off the pain, but even as I’m whispering the spell, it does nothing for the angry welt.
I close my eyes, taking deep breaths to steady the burning pain that is searing through me. I don’t know what’s happening, or why, but the pain only seems to be getting worse with each passing second.
What have I done?