by N M Thorn
As he stopped, Cole approached him and moved his fingers over the blades without touching them. “Beautiful daggers,” he whispered. He rubbed his forehand, a frown shadowing his features for a brief moment. “I have a feeling I’ve seen daggers like this before, but for the life of me I can’t remember where.”
Damian pulled away gently. “Be careful, Cole. These daggers are built to kill anything un—” He cut himself off, wincing inwardly at what he almost said.
“It’s okay. You can say it,” he said, unsheathing his sword. “Your daggers are built to destroy anything unholy. Like me.” Cole shrugged and offered Damian his sword. “It’s pretty old, and its blade has inclusions of Ardenium steel, but it’s still just a sword.”
Damian put his daggers on a small lounge chair and took Cole’s weapon. Shaped like a gladius, the sword was definitely ancient, yet its blade was well preserved and polished. Its hilt was skillfully crafted, and a bright red stone that looked like a drop of blood was embedded into its pommel. He touched it and jerked his hand away as a soft wave of magical energy rushed through his hand.
“Very special weapon,” he murmured, giving it back to his brother. “How did you come in possession of it? It seems to be older than both of us.”
“It probably is,” replied Cole, executing a perfect figure eight technique. “A gift from my maker. He was...er...is—I hope—one of the ancient ones. Even I don’t know how old he is. Roxana can’t stand him, but my guess is she’s afraid of him and his influence over me.”
Cole stopped rotating his sword and assumed a guarding stance, bringing his weapon to his shoulder. He flicked his wrist, gesturing for Damian to come closer.
Damian folded his arms and tilted his head, staring at his brother with unconcealed sarcasm. “You want to spar, little boy?”
One second Cole was standing in front of him and the next, he vanished. Before Damian realized what was going on, he felt a muscled arm wrap around his neck, holding the blade under his chin but slightly away from him so he wouldn’t get hurt.
“Who are you calling a little boy, high-rise?” Cole chuckled softly.
Before his brother could react, Damian seized his sword hand with both hands, directing the blade away from his body and easily spun under his arm, breaking his grip. He didn’t attempt to disarm Cole or lock his arm and laughed, releasing him instead.
“For me, you are always a little boy. Deal with it.” He glanced at his brother with warmth. “You want to spar? I’m game. No vampire speed and strength?”
“No earthquakes and magic?” retorted Cole. He shrugged his trench coat off. Then he took his jacket, tie and shirt off, throwing everything on the lounge chair. “I’m ready. We fight like a man.”
“Like a man?” Damian laughed, throwing his head back. “Do you even remember what it means?”
“Let’s find out,” replied Cole, raising his sword to his shoulder. “En garde, big bro.”
Damian snapped his fingers, and his daggers vanished from the chair, reappearing in his hands. Cole attacked almost immediately, his blade meeting Damian’s daggers with a loud clang, sending a few sparks in the air. Even without utilizing his full speed and strength, he was fast and forceful. Quickly exchanging fierce attacks with skillful feints, he moved swiftly and soundlessly like the night predator he was, and Damian had to utilize everything he had to deflect his vigorous attacks. A short while later, he was drenched in sweat again, and his black hair plastered over his face as they circled each other.
The sound of a constrained gasp made Damian stop and spin around. River stood in the doorway, watching them with her mouth open. Cole picked up his shirt but didn’t make a move to get dressed and just stood there with his sword in one hand and his shirt in the other. River’s eyes darted from Damian to Cole and then back to Damian as a soft blush colored her cheeks. Cole’s smile grew wider.
“Stop grinning like Ivan the Simpleton and get dressed,” whispered Damian.
“Wow...” River exhaled, shaking her head. “I must say...” She moved her hand in a circular motion. “You don’t see something like this every day.”
“Hello, detective,” said Cole. “It’s nice to see you again.”
River nodded to him and turned to Damian. “I had no idea you and Cole Adams knew each other before that day when you saved him. Judging by the way you two behave, I would say you’ve been acquainted for quite some time.”
“We know each other longer than we’d like to admit,” said Cole, as calm and charming as always. “Unfortunately, for the last few years, we’ve lost contact. So, when Damian saved me, it was a double-nice surprise.”
“I see,” muttered River, but Damian could see she didn’t buy anything Cole said. She approached Damian and tilted her head a little, narrowing her eyes at him. “Now, the truth, please. Damian, unlike you, Mr. Adams has a silver tongue. So, I have no choice but to ask you, despite your strange intolerance to anything that ends with a question mark. I assure you, whatever your history with Mr. Adams is, I’ll keep it between us.”
Damian exchanged a quick glance with Cole, and he gave him a short nod.
“Considering everything we need to talk to you about, I think it’s a good idea for you to know the truth,” he said softly. “Cole is my younger brother, ma’am. Like he said, we were separated for a few years and lost contact. I had no idea he was in Arizona until I found him in that hotel.” He moved his hand through his matted hair, and added, “And that’s the truth.”
“Brothers?” she mumbled, her eyes flashing between Cole and Damian. “I see no family resemblance. You’re opposite to each other in everything. Cole is a rich entrepreneur, and you’re traveling across the country on foot with a single backpack. Everything that is dark about you is light in him. It’s like you are the darkness, and he’s the light.”
Cole laughed, putting his shirt on without buttoning it up. He grabbed the rest of his clothes and approached Damian, halting by his side.
“You got it all wrong, detective,” he said gently. “He’s the light, and I’m the darkness. And as far as the family resemblance, he was adopted. I guess he was so huge when he was born that his birth parents didn’t want him.” Damian gave him a scorching stare, poking him in his ribs, and Cole laughed, hopping a step to the side. “Just kidding. Damian looks like our father, and I’m a carbon copy of our dear mom.”
“Your last names are different,” said River dryly, folding her arms.
“When I joined—” Damian grunted, cutting himself off. “I changed my name years ago.” He approached River and smiled. “River, we are brothers. You can run a DNA test if you want. But there is a reason we don’t advertise it. Anyway, we need to talk.” He wiped the sweat off his face, and a guilty smile crossed his face. “Would you please give me a few minutes to clean up and change?”
River approached Cole and ran her finger over his unclothed chest. “Isn’t it amazing,” she murmured with a hefty layer of sarcasm, rubbing her index finger against her thumb. “I was watching your swordplay for a few minutes before you noticed me. You, Damian, flushed and sweating the storm while your brother didn’t even break a sweat, and his skin is as cold as snow. How do you explain that?”
She has to be a great detective. Damian sighed but had nothing to say to that. Instead, he headed toward the door to his room. “I’ll see you both in a few minutes. In the meantime, River, you can torment Cole with your questions.”
“Well, that would be a waste of breath. I think he can sell a cape to Superman.” Damian heard River’s grumpy remark and chuckled, crossing into his room.
Damian found River and Cole in the living room. They were talking softly, and River seemed to be at ease with his brother, which made Damian feel a lot better about everything he was going to tell her. He sat down on a large armchair, facing both of them.
“River,” he said, carefully observing her reaction. “I need to leave for a few days.”
“Okay,” she said, straightening. “Why?�
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Damian nibbled on his lip, thinking about how to give her the news without exposing her to the World of Magic. In his mind, he had gone over this conversation a few times, but now that he was face to face with her, everything he had prepared evaporated, and he was lost for words.
“That night when I almost froze to death, I realized that to deal with whatever is going on here, I need more information,” he started awkwardly. “I can’t get it in Blue Creek, but I know people in Chicago who can help me.”
“More information?” she asked, her voice firm and stone-cold as she obviously switched to her detective mode. “What kind of information?”
Damian grunted, throwing a veiled glanced at Cole, asking for help.
“The kind of information that would help us figure out what’s going on in Paradise Manor, Detective,” said the vampire, his voice getting deeper and somehow softer.
“River, you were right,” Damian took over, hoping that he sounded sincere enough not to trigger unwanted questions. “Your husband didn’t commit suicide, but it wasn’t a ghost or the Lady of the Mirror that killed him. I did all the research I could do here, in Blue Creek, but I still need to know more. To protect you, I must know more.”
“I knew he didn’t...” Her trembling voice melted into silence, and she averted her eyes, staring at her tightly clenched hands. “So, to get this... information, you must leave for a few days. And of course, I can’t ask any questions because if I do, you’re going to get up and walk out on me, right?”
“No, River,” Damian objected softly. “No matter what you do or ask, I would never leave you unprotected. But please, do me a favor and just trust that I will do everything I can to keep you safe.”
She swallowed hard, her eyebrows snapping together as she bit her lip. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. Then she took a deep breath and forced a smile that left her blue eyes sad. “Does it mean I can ask more questions?”
“Sure, you can,” agreed Damian with a half-shrug. “Doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”
“You’re an ass,” muttered River, but her smile became easier.
“I’m an ass who is going to keep you alive.” Damian winked at her.
“From almost two thousand miles away?” huffed River.
“This is why I’m here,” chimed in Cole. “If you will allow me, I’ll stay with you while my brother is gone.”
“You? A rich tech geek?” asked River, her copper eyebrows climbing up. But her shock was short-lived. As her eyes fell on Cole’s sword lying on top of his trench coat next to him, she cut herself off and turned to Damian. “Damian, is your brother as ‘open-minded’ as you and my father are?”
“Probably even more so,” said Damian, throwing a warning glance at Cole as the vampire pressed his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
“Fine.” River shifted in her seat, her eyes darting between Cole and Damian. “Do you want Cole to stay in your room while you’re gone, Damian? There are enough rooms here. I can prepare a separate one for him.”
“Whatever is easier for you, River,” replied Damian, and Cole waved his hand, dismissing the matter.
Feeling a vibration in his pocket, Damian pulled his cellphone out and peered at the screen. Reading Jamie’s name on the collar ID, he answered the call. A moment later, he hung up the phone and got up, shifting from foot to foot, unease coiling in the pit of his stomach.
“My ride is here. I have to go.” He turned to Cole. “Keep me updated. And if you find anything new, call me right away.”
“Will do.” Cole got up, readjusting his shirt.
“Damian—,” started River, but he interrupted her.
“River, if God forbid something goes wrong, and for whatever reason Cole is not here,” he said, touching her shoulder lightly, “I need you to know that your bedroom is the safest place in this entire building. Go there, lock the door, and don’t let anyone in except for Cole, your father or me. You will be safe there. Don’t leave no matter what you hear or see. Do you understand me?” He sent a heavy glance to his brother over River’s head, and Cole nodded.
Blood drained from River’s face, making her pale complexion of a redhead almost translucent, but she squared her shoulders and nodded. “I understand,” she replied calmly, her voice hollow but even. “I’ll do as you say. Or as Cole says.” She glanced at Cole, and a tiny smile touched her lips. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even thank you for interrupting all your personal plans and moving in here just to protect me.”
“All good,” replied Cole with his usual lighthearted smile. Switching his attention to Damian, he offered his hand. “Watch your back, big bro, and stay in touch—that’s what those cellphones are for.” He jerked his thumb at the phone Damian held in his hand. “Don’t make me fly to Chicago just to kick your antisocial ass.”
Damian shook his brother’s hand, nodded one more time to River, and walked out the door.
Chapter 24
~ Damian Blake ~
The trip to Chicago was uneventful. Jamie had rented a Ford Expedition, and even though Damian was never comfortable inside any car, he felt more or less at ease in this giant vehicle. Despite his dislike of modern transportation, Damian had years of experience driving and was a skilled driver. They drove the entire trip, replacing each other behind the wheel every few hours and stopping only to get a bite to eat and fill up the tank.
It was past midnight when Jamie drove through the dark byroad surrounded by a thick canopy of trees and stopped in front of a tall iron gate. The sky, obscured by a shifty veil of clouds, barely produced any light, and the night seemed to be darker than ever. A single streetlight towered next to the gate, throwing a weak, glowing yellow circle at the small security monitor. A cool breeze blew through the trees, playing with their heavy branches, creating a continuous rustling noise interrupted only by the screeches of night birds.
Jamie stepped out of the car, letting the fresh night air filled with the scent of greenery and wet dirt inside. Reaching under his shirt, he pulled out a silver chain with a small round pendant attached to it. Damian looked at the pendant and stiffened, shivers running down his back.
“Guardians,” he muttered under his breath, keeping his eyes on the young man. “After hundreds of years, they still keep all their members on a short chain.”
Jamie moved his pendant over the security monitor and glanced up, showing his face to the camera. Something clicked, and the monitor lit up with a dim blue light.
“If it ain’t James Coldwell,” said a deep male voice with a southern drawl. “Whatcha doin’ here, man? I thought you called it quits.”
“I did,” replied Jamie, chuckling. “But I have an urgent business matter with Archmage Allerton, Jack.”
“Look at the time, man,” rumbled Jack. “The Archmage is long asleep. You don’t want me to wake him up, do yah?”
“Actually, I do,” replied Jamie calmly. “Can you please tell him I am here, and I need to speak with him as soon as possible?”
Something clicked and shuffled on the other side before Jack answered. “Who’s your friend, Jamie?” he asked, back to the official mode. “What’s your business with Archmage Allerton?”
Jamie glanced at Damian over his shoulder, a question in his light eyes. Damian stepped out of the car and approached the security system. He looked up but made sure that his hair obscured most of the left side of his face.
“My name is Damian Blake,” he said calmly, listening to his voice echoing in the speakers. “I’m here to see the Archmage. My business is private, and I can discuss it only with him. Sorry. But as Jamie said—it’s urgent.”
Something clicked again, and Jack asked, “Jamie, are you willing to vouch for Mr. Blake?”
“Yes. While we’re within the property lines of the Guardians HQ, Damian Blake is my responsibility, and I vouch for him,” replied Jamie without skipping a beat.
Jack didn’t say anything else, but the screen shut down, and with a mournful
noise, the gates started to move aside. Damian sat in the passenger seat of the SUV and watched as Jamie drove the car through the gateway. The metallic clang of gates closing behind them made his blood run cold, and his skin crawled as a feeling of someone watching him overwhelmed him.
“Are they watching us?” he asked, his mind on high alert.
Jamie threw a glance at him and shrugged. “You’re in the Guardians HQ. I’m a guard who quit a while ago, and you’re a little black horse no one knows anything about. Of course, they’re watching us.”
He drove the car through the shadowy night park and stopped it in a circular driveway in front of a giant mansion. Shutting down the engine, he turned to the right slightly and looked at Damian.
“Are you ready?” the young man asked, his nervousness making his voice raspier than normal. “This is the point of no return.”
“I know. I’m as ready as I can be.” Damian pushed the door open and stepped out of the vehicle. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the energy of Earth rushed through him, and he grunted, suppressing it completely and shadowing his magic.
Following Jamie, he walked up the steps and halted by the entrance. The tall double door was made of solid redwood, reinforced with cold iron strips and decorated with silver ornaments. Perhaps, just like iron, silver wasn’t a pure décor but rather a defense mechanism against certain types of supernatural beings. Between the stones polished by time and elements, and the vines weaving their way up the tall walls, the entire building gave a vibe of agedness.
Jamie raised his hand to knock, but before he could do it, the door opened, showing a dark lobby behind it. He lowered his hand, and his eyes widened a little, a shadow of fear crossing his face. Damian frowned, a multitude of questions speeding through his mind as he noticed Jamie’s reaction.
