The Balance of Power
Jayce
“What is it?” Uncle Alejandro asks from behind his desk, where he’s pouring over some papers that clearly show the dome and how much it has grown since last month.
“She can’t make the kind of barriers we need. Demon magic is not going to do the job.”
He cocks a brow as he sits back, resting his elbows on the armrests of his chair. “So, it didn’t hold?” he asks, frowning.
“No, it held, but I wanted to test how strong it is, so when we got back, I had her make one here.”
“And?”
“I attacked it, and she felt it,” I finish curtly, a wave of guilt rushing through me. I hurt her… Unintentionally, but she felt the pain. I know how powerful my lightning is; it was fucking reckless to even use that, but how does a barrier have a connection to its creator?
Demon magic… Obviously, it didn’t work in the same way as normal magic. Fuck.
“Well, that’s not fucking good then. Is she alright?”
“She went to her room; she’s probably still in some pain. It was pretty intense. I did advise her to visit a healer.” I have no idea if she did, but knowing her, probably not.
“Concerned, fucker?”
I frown at him but don’t answer.
He sighs heavily. “I’ll check up on her, but this means that we can’t really create barriers around here. And we got news that the Indomitable are planning something. Three more flights landed.”
“That’s not good.”
“Yeah, it fucking isn’t.”
“There’s something else…” I begin, hesitating. “It’s only an observation with no backing.” If there’s anyone here, he’s the one I can trust, even if he is annoying. “I didn’t mention it to Mikhail at the time.”
His eyes glimmer red as he frowns and looks at me sharply.
“That doesn’t fucking sound good… What is it?”
“It’s Sienna’s barrier; it feels and appears pretty similar to the dome.”
His heart rate quickens. “What? Are you sure about that shit?”
“How about we go check it out?” I suggest.
He nods. “Head out. I’m going to submit these reports for Leo. The fucker’s been making me do paperwork and shit, and I’ll join you out there as soon as I’m done.”
“Alright, I’ll wait for you. Where’s Ahren?”
“That little fucker went off; he’s the worst at fucking listening,” he grumbles.
Facts. He’s always done what he wants without telling anyone.
I leave the barracks and head towards the gates when Vasquez approaches me.
“Where are you going, Captain?”
“I’m heading out to the dome where the barrier was created. I’ll be observing if there are any changes in it.”
“Got it. Do you want anyone to come with you?”
I glance at him and shake my head. “No, patrol is there. Besides, we have our shifts later, so get some rest.”
He nods slowly. “Roger that.” I turn to leave when he speaks again. “Captain!”
Glancing over my shoulder, I cock a brow. “What?”
“Er… the- er, Sienna Rossi, do you know if she’s dating someone back in England?” he asks. Irritation ripples through me, but I don’t let it show. But something in my eyes changes as he gulps, stepping back.
“You’re here on duty, not to mess around. Focus,” I say coldly.
He watches me before scratching the back of his neck. “Yes, Captain… That, uh… didn’t answer my question.”
“Ask her yourself. How the fuck am I supposed to know?” I answer harshly before I turn and walk off.
Fucking dickhead.
I return to the spot where her barrier is, and it remains just as we left it. I glance at the larger dome; they are slightly different, with the large one much denser, but still similar…
I touch her barrier, glancing towards the larger one. I don’t like the thought of leaving it unguarded. What if it’s attacked, and she gets hurt?
I glance at the floor, frowning slightly when I notice the footsteps already half-covered by the snow, a slimmer boot.
Mikhail. He’s the only one who doesn’t wear boots like the rest of us.
They’re still visible, meaning he was here not long ago.
I try to listen for any sign of life close by, but with the humming of the dome and the howling of the wind, I can’t hear anything. Walking over to the dome, I wonder: if we attacked it, would it hurt something within?
Is the dome keeping them in or us out?
I lift my hand, palm upwards, tempted to use a bolt of lightning when I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see Uncle Alejandro’s huge lycan. He shifts until he’s left in his Schattenblüte outfit.
“Fucking Spanx,” he mutters.
I cock a brow. “I don’t think it’s Spanx,” I remark.
“Fucking feels like it,” he grunts.
I smirk faintly. “Have you worn them to know?” I ask, and he glares at me as he pulls at his collar.
“I hate tight shit.”
His suit isn’t tight; the top is tight-fitting with a high collar, but the pants aren’t, yet he’s clearly still not happy. “You should try to create your own suit; you might be able to do better than Leo and Kataleya.”
He scowls at me as he walks over to Sienna’s barrier. “I see what you mean; it’s similar.”
I nod, crossing my arms as he observes both barriers, hammering on the large dome, only for roars of what could only be described as rage to be heard. I tense, readying my power, but it dies down swiftly.
“Fucking cunts,” Uncle Alejandro growls, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. He offers me one, and I shake my head.
‘It doesn’t suit you.’
I frown and step forward, taking one. He arches an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything as he tosses me the lighter. “Your dad won’t be happy to see you smoking,” he remarks.
“I’ll tell him you got me into it,” I reply.
“That ain’t fucking true,” he grunts.
“My word against yours,” I reply arrogantly as I flick the lighter, lighting my cigarette.
I look back at the barrier Sienna made as Alejandro disappears into the thick fog. I can barely see his outline as he examines the large dome again before he turns and returns to Sienna’s.
“I do agree, it’s quite similar. So, what’s your theory?” Alejandro asks. “Do you think there are demons in there? The thing Mikhail saw didn’t sound like it was a demon.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know; there are different types of demons, so who knows, maybe?
I don’t really have a theory right now, but I do feel that demon magic helped create this.
” We both look up at the large dome. “And it makes me wonder, when we strike it, are we hurting someone or something within?”
“There’s a big possibility we are.”
“And do you think Ahren can create a barrier like this? I mean, otherwise we’re looking at it being someone with both witch and demon powers. But the way Sienna created it, I think Ahren may be able to as well,” I ponder, frowning.
“Ahren, that little fucker… Possibly. I’ll mind-link him and tell him to come here,” Uncle Alejandro says.
I hear a small puff and then a chuckle. “Missing me already, Grandad?”
We both turn to see Ahren standing there, a smirk on his face.
“Not really, no,” Uncle Alejandro remarks.
“Can you make barriers?” I ask abruptly.
Ahren shrugs. “I guess I can.”
“Then why the fuck make Sienna do it?” I ask, frowning.
“Because no one asked me?” he says with a wink. “If you asked nicely, I might have agreed.”
“Make one,” I command.
“Now, we shouldn’t go bossing other alphas around, Jayce,” Ahren says annoyingly. I simply frown, and he sighs. “I’ve never created one to simply remain there. I don’t think mine will hold like Si’s,” he says as he walks over to Sienna’s and places his hand on it. “It’s holding well.”
“So, can you make one or not?” Uncle Alejandro says impatiently.
Ahren sighs before he raises his hand, and with one simple flick of his wrist, a barrier three times the size of Sienna’s is resurrected, far faster than she had taken to create hers. And with his, I can hear a very faint hum.
It’s a deep, blood-red that matches his aura, but once again, it is similar to the other two in matter and appearance, aside from the colour.
“Well, what do you know, it’s the brother of that monstrosity over there,” Ahren says lightly, a faint smirk on his face.
“You fucking knew that already,” Uncle Alejandro growls.
“I noticed it when I first came here,” Ahren admits. “Interesting indeed.”
“So, what do you think? Do you think a demon made this barrier?” I ask.
Ahren shrugs. “Most likely several; who knows… I’m pretty strong, but I don’t think I could create something this big alone.”
“Jayce said that when he attacked Sienna’s barrier, it hurt her physically. Think yours is the same, then?” Uncle Alejandro asks.
Ahren raises an eyebrow. “Only one way to find out,” he says. “Have at it, Jayce.”
I raise my hand and send a blast at it, which does nothing. Frowning, I watch, but Ahren is entirely unfazed.
“Alright then… That didn’t fucking work,” Uncle Alejandro frowns. “Then why did Sienna get hurt?”
I know the answer to that.
“I hit Sienna’s barrier with Zeus’ lightning,” I say, wondering if that could be the cause.
“Take your best shot then,” Ahren says as he looks at me.
“Are you sure?”
He nods, and I raise my hand, the sky splitting as a lightning bolt rips through it and hits the barrier. Ahren doesn’t stumble, but he grabs his shoulder, gritting his teeth.
“Yup, I felt that one,” he groans. “Fuck, it hurts.”
“You’ll live.” Uncle Alejandro slaps his injured shoulder, and I smirk.
“So, the power of a god can harm the barrier but not normal magic,” Uncle Alejandro muses slowly as Ahren nods, still holding his shoulder.
“Precisely.” We all turn at Mikhail’s voice as he steps forward.
How long has he been there?
“Ah, Mikhail, we were just discussing the barrier. It seems Ahren and Sienna’s barrier is made from a similar substance,” Uncle Alejandro explains seriously.
Mikhail doesn’t move, his purple eyes cold and emotionless as he scans the huge dome in front of us.
“I think I missed the memo for this rendezvous, no?” he remarks, his eyes still trained on the dome. Tension settles like a thick glove around us, and I glance at Uncle Alejandro, who has clearly noticed it, too.
“Yeah, we were going to return soon and fill you in. It’s just a theory, but we may have a better fucking idea about this barrier now. Or at least a start on it, anyway,” he says.
“I think you forget, Lycan King, that you are under my command here. These are my lands, and I am the one who has granted you permission to be here,” Mikhail says, his voice as crisp as the brittle cold that surrounds us.
Ahren and I exchange looks. It’s clear he’s offended. Dad told me to be careful, that offending a vampire is dangerous, that they don’t forget, and right now I think we may have just offended him.
Uncle Alejandro shakes his head. “Yeah, I fucking know that, but if there’s nothing to share-”
“You mean you had to confirm that no harm came to your family first, for if it did, you wouldn’t have shared what you learned with me. Just the way the Deimos King noticed the similarities between the barriers instantly earlier on, but he, too, has loyalties.”
Fuck.
“I did, but wasn’t sure what to make of it and didn’t want to jump to conclusions,” I correct.
Mikhail doesn’t even bother looking at me, as if he has no time for the likes of me. His eyes are trained on Uncle Alejandro. “Just remember, you may once have been the King of Wolves, but the vampire race is far older, and here in my domain, you will do well to be careful.”
His eyes meet Alejandro’s, the tension almost suffocating, before he turns and walks away, leaving the three of us behind.
“Well, that was not how I fucking wanted shit to go,” Uncle Alejandro sighs. “Let’s head back.”
He shifts, and Ahren sighs. “Are you forgetting that I’m here?” he says as he lets go of his injured shoulder and, closing the gap between us, places a hand on my and Uncle Alejandro’s shoulders before teleporting us into the outpost yard.
“I’d better try to fix things with Mikhail,” Uncle Alejandro grunts.
I nod, watching him walk off, wondering if Sienna visited the healer. I head towards the infirmary and knock on the door before entering. Korina, the head healer, is a witch in her sixties. She looks me over, her silver eyes steely and her lips pressed in a firm line.
“If you are not hurt, Captain, don’t take up room.”
“I won’t take up too much of your time. I wanted to ask if our new arrival, a woman with dark red hair, came in earlier?” I ask.
“The hybrid witch? No, she did not.”
Tribrid actually.
“I see… Do you have any healing balms I can take for her? She was hurt earlier.”
She glances towards her shelves that are filled with ointments and nods. “Take what you need and nothing more.” With that said, she walks away, returning to whatever she was doing.
I walk over to the shelf and take a few healing balms after skimming over the labels, and duck out of the low door of the infirmary. I stare down at the five tubs I’ve picked up.
Now, how the fuck do I make sure she gets these? Because I’m not about to fucking give them to her.