The Shadow Paradox: The Shadow Enforcer Series Book Three

by N M Thorn

  “She treats all vampires like disgusting parasites, kiddo. Don’t flatter yourself. But she will do as promised, trust me,” objected Zabava, lowering herself on the bed. She leaned back, propping herself on her elbows, and a sneaky feline grin crossed her face. “I think your big bro put the fear of God in her.” She laughed, throwing her head back. “I’ve never seen good old Elony squirm like that.”

  Damian shrugged indifferently, his mind on the upcoming mission. He didn’t like the idea of them diving into the supernatural swamp of the underground fighting pits while Cole had to constantly look over his shoulder for a possible attack of the slayers.

  “Shadow Enforcer, huh?” Zabava’s voice brought him back to reality. She gazed at him with unconcealed curiosity. “I knew you were a Commander, but you didn’t bother to mention your status.”

  “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t believe you needed to know,” Damian replied, sarcasm lacing his words as he gave Zabava the exact same speech she had given him just yesterday. “For now, all you need to know is that I’m a Destiny Enforcer who’s here to do his job. When the time comes—if it comes at all—I promise I’ll show you my entire pedigree.”

  “Fair enough,” she murmured. “For such an old geezer, you have a good memory.”

  “What can I tell you,” replied Damian. “Maybe I’m old, but my memory is still intact as well as everything else.”

  She pushed herself up into a sitting position. “So, what’s your next move, Commander?”

  “We’re going to meet with the Head of the Arizona House,” replied Damian. He tried to sound confident, but all sorts of doubts crowded his mind. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhaling. “Dammit, not the thing I wanted to do.”

  “Do you want me to come with?” asked Zabava lightly. “Going into a place like that, you’ll want to have a strong team with you. Keep in mind, it’s not only your mission, but also mine.”

  “I would love to have a team, but it has to be a team I can trust entirely,” replied Damian, motioning for Cole to get up. “Thank you for the offer, Zabava, but I prefer to have my brother by my side. He’s the only team I need.” He thought for a moment and added, “Besides, I need to have a person who knows where I’m going on the outside. If Cole and I don’t come back in time, you know what to do.”

  She nodded, all mirth gone from her face. “That’s fine, Damian. I understand. Trust is not given. It’s earned, and so far, I haven’t really given you a reason to trust me.” She looked at the heavy panels covering the window and stifled a sigh. “Do me a favor and call me right before you go in, so I know when to expect you back.”

  “You got it.” Damian turned around and walked out the door, followed by Cole.

  Chapter 9

  ~ Damian Blake ~

  For the entire way to Ricardo’s house, Cole didn’t say a word. Even though Damian wasn’t sure what bothered his brother more at the moment—the idea of returning to the house where he had been treated like a slave, or the fact that the Sisterhood slayers were after him—he didn’t try to push him into a conversation, giving him some space.

  He didn’t worry about meeting with Ricardo in his house since they were bound by a mutual interest. As far as the Sisterhood of the Sun, he believed the safest place for Cole was by his side. The slayers wouldn’t dare assault a Destiny Enforcer protecting his charge. Besides, Zabava had a point—Grand Master Elony hadn’t looked happy with the situation, so whether she liked it or not, she would take care of it and run the investigation as she had promised.

  Cole stopped the car in front of a tall gate next to a guardhouse and rolled down the window, staring at a guard who stood with a phone squeezed between his ear and shoulder. The man lifted his hand, gesturing for them to wait a moment. Cole grunted, and a muscle twitched in his tightly pressed jaw, aggravation breaking through in his every move. But as soon as the guard stepped out of the booth, a wide, friendly smile split Cole’s face, and he looked as relaxed as ever.

  The guard approached their car and bent down slightly, giving Damian and Cole a quick once-over. “What can I do for you?” he asked once satisfied with his observations.

  “We have a meeting with Mr. Torres,” Cole answered calmly. “Cole Adams and Damian Blake.”

  The guard brought up his cellphone and stared at the screen, swiping across it. Then he lifted his head and gestured toward the gate with a nod of approval.

  “Please proceed, Mr. Adams. Mr. Torres is expecting you and Mr. Blake in his office.” He returned to the guardhouse, and a moment later, the gate slid to the side, opening slowly.

  Cole drove across the property and parked the car in front of the main entrance. He shut down the engine but didn’t move, staring at the door without blinking.

  “Hey, Cole.” Damian touched his brother’s shoulder, causing him to flinch and snap toward him as if he had just woken him up from a nightmare. “If you don’t want to go with me, you don’t have to. I can take care of everything on my own.”

  “No.” Cole unlocked his seatbelt and opened the door. “The meeting with Ricardo doesn’t bother me. I’m worried about what he may say to us. What if the man he found is not Ruslan?”

  “No what-ifs. If that’s the case, we’ll keep looking for him,” promised Damian. “In the meantime, we also have the situation with the witches, and Ricardo has connections that will open a door to the top layers of the Arizona underground fighting pits.”

  “And then there is that,” Cole murmured, stepping out of the car. He shut the door and turned toward Damian, looking at him across the top of the vehicle. “There is something else we need to look into, brother, and I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Damian shrugged. “Is there anything in the current situation I may like?” He chuckled humorlessly. “Spit it out. What’s going on?”

  “Remember that vampire you captured yesterday?” Damian nodded, and Cole continued, “Well, before the Sisterhood slayers showed up and killed him, he said something... interesting in a disturbing kind of way.”

  “What did he say?” asked Damian.

  “He had a strange amnesia, and something tells me a rune inscribed on his chest was the cause of it. It didn’t look like the necromancy rune I’d seen on Luciano, but for the life of me I couldn’t place it. Anyway, he had no idea what he was doing in Arizona, but most importantly, he had no recollection of leaving Nevada in the first place.” Cole walked around the car and halted next to Damian. “From what I understood, he was Santiago del Castillo’s executive assistant, and that tells me he would never betray his king. Santiago is an ancient vampire, probably close to my maker or Luciano in age. He doesn’t surround himself with people he doesn’t trust entirely.”

  For a heartbeat, Damian stared at his brother, all sorts of troubling thoughts and worst-case scenarios flashing in his mind.

  “Perun almighty,” he whispered, frowning. “Why now? Why are all these events happening at the same time? They must be connected somehow, even if we don’t see the connection yet.” He took Cole’s elbow, directing him toward the steps to the house. “Have you called Santiago yet?”

  “No.” Cole raised his face, a haunted expression hiding in his blue eyes. “When? I barely had time to—”

  “That’s okay,” Damian interrupted him. “We’ll call him together after we speak with Ricardo.” He tapped his brother’s shoulder. “Let’s get it over with.”

  He walked up the steps, reaching for the button of the doorbell when the door opened and a short, stout man in a black business suit with a bow tie appeared in the doorway. He bowed, gesturing for them to come in. Despite his refined appearance and manners, his lips twitched slightly as if he had just smelled something foul as his icy gaze halted on Cole. A carnivorous light ignited in his shifty eyes, but he quickly switched his attention to Damian.

  Catching his reaction, Damian cursed inwardly, hoping his brother didn’t notice that, but since Cole remained emotionless and calm, at le
ast on the outside, he let it go. The butler took in Damian’s appearance and blanched, but quickly composed himself and pointed toward the hallway on the left.

  “Mr. Blake, Mr. Adams.” He bowed again, a smile as sweet as honey appearing on his face. “Allow me to show you to Mr. Torres’ office.”

  As they walked through the wide, well-lit hallway in silence, Zhulik’s tiny voice emerged in Damian’s mind, adding to his overall unease. “Commander, I don’t like this place,” the gargoyle peeped. “You know you can’t use magic here? And this short man… I can’t tell you what it is, but something is off about him.”

  “I know,” replied Damian, fighting the desire to turn around and leave the house. “But—”

  He stopped talking with Zhulik as the butler halted in front of a door, knocked, and then pushed it open with a slight bow. Stepping out of the way, he gestured for them to come in.

  “Be careful…” Zhulik whispered.

  Damian glanced at the opened door, and his eyes darted to the butler, a dark sense of foreboding spreading through him. He cursed inwardly at the magic detectors and other anti-magic tech installed in Ricardo’s house that prevented him from teleporting or channeling magical or elemental energy without triggering unwanted consequences.

  Giving a short nod to the butler, Damian walked into the office, feeling as though he were crossing enemy lines. As the door closed behind him with a soft thud, he winced inwardly, his intuition screaming bloody murder in his mind.

  Ricardo sat on the leather sofa, his normally manicured hair in disarray, his white shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. His jacket and tie lay on the floor, and the entire office looked like it had been vandalized. Papers were scattered all over the carpet, and his computer monitors lay by the desk, cracked.

  He lifted his face, and his dark eyes filled with raw anguish halted on Damian. “Thank God, you’re here,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

  “What happened?” asked Damian, taking a step forward, his dread intensifying tenfold. “I spoke with you yesterday, and you were fine. What happened between now and then?”

  Ricardo rose to his feet, his every move heavy and torturously slow. “I think I made a mistake, Damian,” he whispered even softer, averting his eyes. He took a couple of steps forward and halted. “Now, you and your brother are my only hope.” He dropped to his knees and hid his face in his hands. “Please, I’m begging you—"

  Exchanging a shocked look with Cole, Damian seized Ricardo’s arm and yanked him to his feet, directing him to the sofa. He pushed him onto it and stopped, folding his arms.

  “Stop the drama. It doesn’t work on either of us. Especially since we know what kind of operation you’ve been running for years. So cut the crap and tell me what’s going on,” said Damian through gritted teeth. He grabbed a chair and moved it closer to the sofa, lowering himself on it. Cole sat at the other end of the couch, half-turning toward Ricardo.

  “Right. I’m sorry.” Ricardo cleared his throat, looking away. “I did everything the way we discussed,” he started at length, still keeping his voice low, “and everything was going just the way we planned. My efforts paid off, and I was able to meet with my sister in person. First time in years…” He looked up at Damian, shaking his head bitterly. “And I thought, this is it. Here it is—the light at the end of the tunnel.”

  “You called Damian and told him that you found Ruslan. Why?” asked Cole icily.

  “Because I did find him. I’m many things, Mr. Adams, but I’m not a liar,” Ricardo snapped back, but then raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. “Your brother and I had an agreement. Damian helps me break my Mephistophelian deal and set my sister free, and I help him find your maker. I fulfilled my part of the deal. I found Ruslan. The reason I called was that I also found a way to get both of you into the House HQ without triggering any suspicions. We were going to go tonight—”

  “Something tells me your best laid plans of mice and men backfired?” murmured Damian.

  Ricardo nodded and swallowed hard. “Damian, I swear I was careful, and I didn’t rush. I did everything the way you told me to do. I have no idea how he found out. The only thing I can think of is that I made a mistake somewhere, but for the life of me, I don’t know what I’ve done wrong…"

  Damian got up and walked toward the window. Pulling the heavy curtain aside, he glanced outside at the view of the desert, thousands of thoughts rushing through his mind.

  “What now?” he asked without taking his eyes off the view. “Since you’re begging on your knees, I believe you’re in serious trouble.” He turned around and rested his back against the wall. “Tell us the truth and don’t turn it into a two-part story. What’s going on?”

  Ricardo got up and looked around, his face darkened by fear. “He called me in this morning,” he whispered.

  “Who?” asked Cole.

  “The Head of the Arizona House, of course,” replied Ricardo. “When I arrived, he told me straight that he knew I betrayed him and now our deal was off.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, averting his eyes. “Now he wants a new deal, but not with me. He wants it with you and your brother, and if you don’t comply—”

  “Let me guess,” Damian interrupted him. “He’ll kill your sister?”

  Ricardo nodded. “Yes, and Ruslan.”

  “Goddammit, Ricardo!” hissed Damian, slamming his fist against the wall. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

  “I have no idea how he found out.” Ricardo threw his hands up. “I told no one about it. Not even my sister. Like I said, I followed every instruction you gave me.” He bit his lip, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. “I couldn’t warn you, Damian. I swear I would if I could. While I was meeting with the Head of the House, he sent his people here, and now, all the magic-detecting and repelling tech is activated. Everywhere. You can’t teleport. You can’t use magic. They installed anti-magic tech even in my office. They are watching my every step, and if I tried to warn you…” He threw his hands up again, desperation radiating around him. “I’m sorry, Damian, but you walked into a trap, and this time, I am not the one who set it up.”

  Damian took a deep breath and bowed his head, processing everything Ricardo had said.

  “Do you know what this new deal is?” he asked after a while. “What does he want from me and my brother?”

  “He didn’t give me any details,” replied Ricardo. “He told me to bring you to his office, and if you comply with his demands, he’ll release me from our agreement and free my sister and Ruslan. He said he wants you, Damian, to run an errand for him.”

  “Me?” Damian chuckled coldly. “He picked the wrong person to blackmail. Not going to happen. I’m not an errand boy for every evil bastard out there.”

  Cole froze in place, his blue eyes staring at Damian without blinking, his fingers ripping through the leather upholstery, but he said nothing.

  “Damian, please… you can’t.” Ricardo stepped forward, his shoulders slumped powerlessly. “He’ll kill my sister. Please! I destroyed my life… I sold my soul to give her a future. Please—”

  “No,” Damian snapped, his jaw clenched. “I’m not going to be blackmailed into doing something that could potentially endanger both the realm of humans and the World of Magic. You have no idea who I am and what kind of power I wield. I cannot allow some evil bastard—a slaver, to boot—to force me into submission. Because of what I am, my actions have serious consequences.” He shook his head slowly and repeated, “No.”

  Ricardo grunted and spun toward Cole. “Cole, please!” he pleaded. “Please, talk to your brother. If he doesn’t agree, come tomorrow morning, your maker will be dead. Please! I’m begging you…”

  Cole lifted his eyes, meeting Damian’s steady gaze, and a muscle twitched in his tightly pressed jaw. “As much as I want to, I can’t ask him to do it, Ricardo,” he said, barely moving his lips, his face becoming almost translucent. “Damian is right. He can’t allow an evil being to command him. It’s to
o dangerous.”

  “I don’t understand!” Ricardo yelled, raising his voice for the first time since they arrived here. He turned to Damian, breathing hard. “Who the hell are you that you think your power can destroy the world? You are just a Child of Earth and your brother is a common vamp! Get off your high moral horse and save the lives of two people. I understand you don’t care about my sister, but how about your brother’s maker? I believe he’s like a father to him.”

  Suddenly feeling exhaustion settling in his very bones, Damian sighed and made his way to the sofa. He sat down by Cole’s side and bent forward, hiding his face in his hands, thousands of thoughts crowding his mind. Crumbling inside, he glanced at his brother sideways, and besides endless sorrow, he found the warmth of support in his eyes. Damian lowered his hands and looked up at Ricardo.

  “Ricardo, I’m truly sorry,” he said quietly. “But I can’t allow myself to get into a subservient situation to an evil being of magic because I’m not only a Child of Earth. I’m a Destiny Enforcer.”

  “A Destiny Enforcer?” Ricardo repeated, sweat beading his forehead. For a moment, he stilled, staring at Damian in shock, but then he punched the air and yelled, “I don’t give a fuck what you are! You can be Lord Jesus himself for all I care. To me, you are the only person who can save my sister but too full of himself to do it!”

  “Ricardo—,” Damian started but cut himself off as a familiar headache started to build up behind his eyes. He threw a glance at Cole, feeling chills running down his back, and then switched his attention back to Ricardo. “Ricardo, someone is summoning me. I need to use my magic to answer the call. I can’t ignore it. Can you shut down the magic tech in your office?”

  “A summoning call?” A wild burst of laughter escaped Ricardo’s lips as he slapped his thighs. “Perfect timing. Guess what, asshole? Even if I wanted, I couldn’t deactivate the magic tech. I’m no longer in control. And if you try to answer the summoning call, you’ll get this room filled with the dust of gray stones and silver, killing your brother. So, yeah…” He laughed again, and there was so much hatred and pain in his laughter that Damian flinched. “Enjoy the pain. And while you are emasculated by the summoning call, I’ll summon the people who will deliver you to the Head of the House. They are just one call away.”