by N M Thorn
Jesse shook his head, his eyes darting from Damian to River and then back. Cole smirked darkly and opened the door for Damian.
“Mr. Blake,” he said, warmth suffusing his hard features, “please allow me to give you a ride to wherever you need to go. This is the least I can do at the moment to express my gratitude.”
Unable to say a word, Damian nodded and walked out the door.
Chapter 11
~ Damian Blake ~
A little while later, Damian walked out of the police building accompanied by his brother. He halted and turned to face him, but Cole shook his head, a warning in his cerulean eyes.
“Keep walking. Don’t say a word until we get inside my car,” he said so softly that Damian had to strain his hearing.
Cole crossed the parking lot and stopped in front of a silver sports car. Damian stared at the luxury vehicle that cost more than some people’s houses and raised his hands, backing away from it.
“I can’t...” he mumbled, throwing a guilty look at his brother. “I don’t think I can even fit in into this car.”
Cole chuckled, gazing heavenwards. “I forgot about your dislike of small spaces,” he said, throwing his hands up. “I can’t believe you still didn’t get over it. Anyway, this is my fastest car, and I wanted to get here as fast as I could. Besides, I’m only two inches shorter than you, and I fit inside without any problems. So, man up, big bro, and get in.”
Still chuckling, he walked around the car and slid into the driver’s seat. Gritting his teeth, Damian folded his massive frame into the passenger seat and locked the seat belt. Cole started the engine and drove the car out of the parking lot and onto the main street.
“Just fair warning, brother. This town thrives on gossip,” he said, pushing down the accelerator pedal, ignoring the speed limit signs. “Everyone knows everyone, and everyone has their noses in their neighbor’s business. There are no walls thick enough that could stop the wagging tongues.” He wrinkled his nose, and Damian’s heart skipped a beat. His brother had never gotten rid of this little childhood habit. “So, let’s keep up appearances. Damian Blake? Is that the name you go by?”
Damian nodded, not sure he was capable of coherent speech at the moment. Cole smiled, throwing a sideways glance at him as he pulled his car into the parking lot of the hotel, stopping it in front of the main entrance.
“What a dump,” he murmured, shutting down the engine.
Only too happy, Damian got out of the car and headed toward the hotel. He unlocked the door and let his brother in first. Cole halted in the middle of the room and looked around, shaking his head.
“Jeez, man, how do you live like this?” he asked, turning to face Damian. “I don’t care what you say, put your shit together. I’m getting you out of here.”
Damian stood by the door, unable to move or say a word, silently gazing at his brother whom he had buried centuries ago. Cole met his eyes, and the expression on his face changed, perfectly reflecting everything Damian felt at the moment. His lips parted a little, and a deep vertical wrinkle crossed his forehead.
“I thought you were dead,” they both said at the same time.
“Technically, I am dead.” Cole shrugged, opening his arms.
“I don’t care,” replied Damian, his voice coming out in a raspy, strangled growl.
He covered the distance between them and pulled his brother into a tight embrace. Closing his eyes, he swallowed the tears burning behind his tightly pressed eyelids, feeling Cole’s arms locking around his shoulders. His fingers found their ways into his brother’s mass of unruly blond curls, and he stilled, barely able to believe it wasn’t a dream.
“Your body was never found, but I never believed that you died that day under the bridge... I have been searching for you.” Cole pulled away, the pained, vulnerable expression on his face making him look younger. “All these centuries... As soon as my maker allowed me to live on my own, I started looking for you all over the human realm. Where were you?” He stopped talking, and his lips opened up, his fangs slightly elongating, betraying his vampiric nature for the first time since Damian met him in this strange town. “What are you? You can’t be human... Who are you, Dima?”
“I’m no one,” whispered Damian, averting his eyes. “I’m a Child of Earth whose powers were partially stripped. The energy of Earth in combination with magic makes me immortal, but I am... less than no one...” His voice broke, and he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, biting his lip.
“I think I’ve heard of you,” whispered Cole, his pale face losing whatever color he had. “The Queen of Arizona warned every vampire in the state that you were moving here. You’re some hunter or slayer who moves from state to state, destroying everything undead in his way. She was forced to cooperate with the Demonic rulers of other states to send a few teams to intercept you along the way from Florida. Are you a slayer, Dima? The Shadow Slayer?”
“Is that what they call me? The Shadow Slayer? Cute...” Damian shook his head, barely meeting his brother’s widened eyes. “But no. I’m not a slayer, brother. Slayers kill vampires. The proper name would be the Shadow Hunter, I guess, since I don’t discriminate against any supernatural monsters. If they kill humans, I kill them. As simple as that.”
“Simple? Nothing is simple.” Cole staggered back a few steps and dropped to the bed, looking up at him, a haunted expression in his glowing scarlet eyes. “Are you going to kill me, Dima? I’m an ancient vampire. I’m fast, strong, deadly. I have killed hundreds of humans over the centuries. Am I one of the monsters you’re going to slay?”
“Never,” whispered Damian, chills running down his spine at the thought. He approached his brother and sat down on the floor, crossing his legs. “I swear, I’d rather die than lose you again. I don’t care what you are.”
Cole smirked, sadness shadowing his features. “We’re both old enough to know it doesn’t work like this, brother,” he objected, his fingers digging into the bedspread, tearing holes through it. “In the World of Magic, there is always someone who yanks your leash. In my case, it’s my maker and the Queen of Arizona. Who are you bowing to, big bro? Who pulls your strings?”
“No one,” replied Damian. A blur of memories, painful and unwanted, flushed through his mind, his lips curving into a bitter smirk of their own accord. “I stand alone. No one yanks my leash. Not anymore.”
“Impossible...”
With a suppressed sigh, Damian scrambled to his feet. Grabbing the collar of his T-shirt, he pulled it off and turned his back toward Cole, his moves painfully slow.
“I have the scars to prove it,” he said quietly. “I refused to obey. I got tired of being a mindless pawn in someone else’s game.” The bed squeaked as Cole got up, and Damian winced, feeling the gentle touch of his brother’s cold fingers on his back. “I got my freedom, but at a terrible price.” He turned around, putting his shirt back on. “Do you believe me now?”
“I’ve seen a fair share of shit in my life,” said Cole, his voice deep, his eyes glowing brighter. “But I’ve never seen anything like this. Who was your master, brother? What did they do to you?”
“I swear, I will never lie to you,” replied Damian, his fingers tracing the edge of his leather bracelet, “but this is the only thing I can’t tell you.” He looked out the window, the dull ache in his heart expanding, constricting his throat. “I can’t tell you who they were. It was one part of my agreement with them—I must keep their identity a secret. But I can tell you some of what they’ve done to me. They partially stripped my power and left me on my own in the realm of humans—a broken and helpless mess at the mercy of any supernatural freak who had a grudge against me. Trust me, there were plenty of those...”
He smirked bitterly, his mind traveling back in time. For a few long moments, complete silence engulfed the room. Like all vampires, Cole could keep motionless for a long time, and right now, he was absolutely still and quiet, his glowing, wide eyes filled with murderous intent. His look sent shivers
down Damian’s back, and he swallowed hard.
“So, yeah,” he continued at length. “For years, I moved from place to place, trying not to attract attention to myself from either the human or supernatural community. I don’t age, and I gain enemies very fast, as you have probably noticed. So, I never stay more than a few years in the same city. Like I said, I’m no one. And this is the best I can do.”
“Oh... God damn them all,” hissed Cole, pain and anger making his voice shake. “You’re not alone, Dima. Not anymore.” He looked away, frowning, but then smirked and waved his hand around. “We’ll start by leaving this shithole. Get your stuff. I’m taking you home.”
Damian chuckled, shaking his head. “Wait, Cole. I’m leaving this hotel today, but I can’t go with you. There is something I must do first.” In so many words, he told his brother everything that had happened since he left Florida and followed Sam Vetrov to Blue Creek, Arizona.
Cole listened to him without interrupting, and when he finished, he just smirked, throwing his hands up.
“You’re a real magnet, aren’t you? How did you manage to get neck-deep into supernatural shit in a matter of a few days?” he murmured. “Ghosts, demons, shifters-for-hire, vampires, warded secret chambers.” He whistled. “And that not counting the local human authorities. Wow! Sounds fascinating. I wouldn’t miss this fun for the world.” Cole laughed, his laughter youthful and contagious, making Damian smile, too. “Count me in.” He sobered up and headed toward the exit. “I believe you need to check out, and I wanted to ask the hotel owner a few questions, anyway.”
He kicked the door open and gestured for Damian to follow him. Taking the narrow path by the wall, they headed to the hotel main entrance and walked inside. The lobby was blissfully empty, and the hotel owner’s daughter sat behind the counter, as always deeply engaged with her cellphone.
Damian approached the counter and knocked on it, throwing a veiled glanced at his brother. The girl sighed and put away her phone with a disgruntled look. As her gaze darted from Damian to Cole, her eyes widened, and she held her breath for a brief moment. Then she jolted to her feet, clasping her hands in front of her, her eyes lighting up in awe.
“You are...” she breathed out, pressing her hands over her mouth. Then she squealed and added in one breath, “You are Cole Adams. Please tell me you really are Cole Adams.” She fell silent, looking pleadingly at him.
Cole smiled, humorous twinkles dancing in his eyes. “What if I am?” He leaned forward, cocking his eyebrow at the girl.
“Ohmigod... ohmigod... ohmigod...” she kept repeating breathlessly, hopping in one place. “No one will believe me...”
Damian threw a puzzled glance at his brother, but he gave him a tiny shake no and reached into his jacket pocket, producing a business card. Grabbing a pen from the counter, he wrote something on the back of it and gave it to the girl.
“When you go shopping at the Blue Creek game shop, show this card to the owner,” he said, straightening. “He’ll give you my newest game free of charge.” He thought for a moment and added, “Can I have your cellphone, please?”
“Of course... Anything,” she whispered, offering it to him.
Cole took the phone out of the girl’s trembling hand and switched it to the camera. Pulling her closer, he snapped a selfie and gave it back to her. “Now, everyone will believe you.”
“Ohmigod... Thank you so much, Mr. Adams,” she squealed, staring at the screen of her phone.
“You’re very welcome, sweetheart,” he replied with a sunshiny smile. “Now, Mr. Blake and I need to speak with your mom. Can you please fetch her for us?”
“Mr. Blake?” She raised her eyes, looking as if she just remembered Damian was here too. “You and Mr. Blake—”
“Are like this.” Cole winked at her, showing her two crossed fingers. “BFFs. So, would you get your mom for us, please?”
She nodded and rushed out the backdoor. A few minutes later, she came back, accompanied by Mrs. Davidson. As soon as the hotel owner saw Damian, she blanched and froze in place, her eyes wide.
“Hello, Mrs. Davidson,” said Damian, reaching into the back pocket of his pants. “I would like to check out. What do I owe you?”
She shifted her terrified gaze to the computer screen and then shook her head without lifting her eyes. “You owe me nothing, Mr. Blake. Please bring your keys to the front desk once you’re ready to leave.”
Damian put away his wallet, ready to go, but Cole seized his arm, stopping him. He leaned forward ever so slightly. “Hello, Mrs. Davidson,” he said, his voice soft and sweet. “My name is Cole Adams. Would you be so kind as to answer just one question for me?”
She raised her head, locking her eyes with Cole’s. “Cole Adams?” she asked, a sheepish smile stretching her lips. “As in the Cole Adams, that rich entrepreneur who disappeared in Blue Creek a short while ago? It was all over the newspapers...”
“Yes, ma’am. As you can see, I re-appeared. Newspapers like to exaggerate things,” he replied, leaning forward a little more. A soft scarlet glow ignited in his eyes, but neither Mrs. Davidson nor her daughter seemed to notice it. “Mrs. Davidson, can you please tell me why you didn’t tell the police that Mr. Blake didn’t kill that couple or abduct me for that matter?”
She blanched and perspiration covered her forehead, but she didn’t say anything, her fingers squeezing a pen until it broke in her hands.
Cole’s smile grew wider, and his eyes shone brighter as he leaned closer to her and whispered, his voice sounding like an insinuating purr, “Please, answer my question.”
Damian stilled, realizing what his brother was doing. The vampiric energy spiked around Cole as he turned on his “charm”, invading her mind with his glamor.
“I don’t know...” The woman’s lips trembled, tears gathering in her eyes, but she couldn’t break the trance on her own, and Cole wouldn’t let go. “I don’t even remember why I sent my daughter to bring him over... I remember calling Sam, and after that everything is blank...”
Cole took her hands into his gently and pulled her closer. “Look into my eyes, darling,” he murmured, his vampiric energy rising even higher. “Who asked you to summon Damian and leave him there? Look back... it’s all in your brain... somewhere...”
He pulled her closer, whispering something into her ear. The woman’s transfixed eyes became foggy, and she moaned, her fingers caressing Cole’s hand.
“A woman... tall and beautiful... long black hair and large brown eyes,” she moaned. “I remember... she told me to summon Mr. Blake and then call the police once he was inside the room.”
A dark smirk crossed Cole’s face, and he let go, pushing away from the counter. The woman stared around, dazed and confused, as if she had just woken up. Her eyes settled on the vampire, and her eyebrows rose.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “Did you ask something?”
“No, ma’am,” replied Damian. “We’ll be on our way now. I’ll drop the keys off in a few minutes.”
He grabbed Cole’s arm, ushering him out the door. They made it to the room without talking. Once inside, Cole shut the door behind them and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.
“Wow,” he muttered, rocking back and forth on his feet slightly. “Your life is like a friggin’ fairy tale. The farther you go, the scarier it becomes.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Damian, quickly stuffing whatever little belongings he had in his travel backpack.
“The woman who ordered Mrs. Davidson to feed you to the local hounds,” said Cole, observing his backpack with interest. “Do you know who she was?”
“I can count the people I know here on the fingers of one hand,” replied Damian, checking the room and the bathroom to make sure he didn’t forget anything. “Who is she, anyway? Do you know?”
“I have a suspicion.” Cole smirked, his eyebrows rising as he watched his brother approach him with a single backpack in his hand. “That’s all you have?”<
br />
“I travel light.” Damian swung the backpack over his shoulder and opened the door, allowing Cole out first. “So, who was she?”
“If I’m not mistaken, she’s the Queen of Arizona’s Vampire Court,” murmured Cole, making his way through the parking lot. “Congrats, big bro. You made her blacklist, and it means nothing good for you.” He rubbed the back of his neck and added with a soft chuckle, “And to me by association.”
Chapter 12
~ Damian Blake ~
The sun was gone, and night had fallen over the town when Cole drove his car through the gates of Paradise Manor. He parked it on the driveway in front of the entrance and leaned back in his seat, leaving the engine running. Damian noticed that the house entrance door was back in place and assumed that Sam had taken care of it while he was imprisoned.
“You know, I live maybe a mile away at the most,” said Cole, pointing to the west of the property. “A while ago, I purchased the old Brown’s estate as my vacation home.”
“A vacation home?” repeated Damian absentmindedly, but then looked at his brother and smirked. “Who are you, Cole Adams? Teenage girls recognize you, panting after you as if you’re a movie star. Where did you get all the money?”
“Not a movie star but one of Arizona’s most eligible bachelors.” With an indifferent shrug, Cole reached into his inside pocket and gave him a folded newspaper clipping. Damian took it and unfolded the paper, reading the already familiar headline—An eccentric serial entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, Cole Adams is still missing.
“Eccentric serial entrepreneur,” Damian read out loud. “Serial, alright. It’s just a word other than the entrepreneur that comes to mind.”
“Hey, take it easy, Shadow Slayer.” Cole laughed, giving him a slight punch on the shoulder. “It’s been centuries since I fed on a human without their consent or killed for that matter. I promise I don’t glamor them to get their blood donation either. Everything I do is legit. As far as money—I work hard to earn it. I own a large tech company in Phoenix, and I built it from the ground up,” explained Cole with a half-shrug. “Pays the bills, you know?”
