by N M Thorn
“The last three of the Evans family,” whispered Jamie, rising. “I grew up with Nick.” His voice shook with sadness. “So, I was right.”
“About what?” asked Archmage, gazing at him with curiosity.
“Rumors, you know?” The young man shrugged apologetically. “You can’t stop people from wagging their tongues, especially in a small town like Blue Creek. They used to say that the original three families used to inbreed, and I always argued with them. These people were too smart, educated, and powerful to do something as stupid as inbreeding.”
Allerton chuckled, shaking his head, almost rolling his eyes. “People... No, they weren’t inbreeding. At least not in the traditional sense of this word. But they chose their spouses strictly within the Guardians Order, and from what I understand, only the members of the three original families had access to their homes.”
“Why?” asked Damian. “And how did it happen that Nick Evans, initiated Guardian wizard, went against his parents’ wishes and married a woman who not only wasn’t a part of the Order but was mundane?”
“River Rose Vetrov?” asked the Archmage. “Well, this is a topic for a separate discussion, my friend. The young man followed his heart... In a way, I respect that. Besides, there is possibly more to River Evans than meets the eye. Do you know anything about her parents?”
“Yes,” replied Damian. “Her father is an old hunter. Her mother was a witch with air magic.”
“Precisely. We don’t know if River is touched by the World of Magic.”
“Not as far as I know, and her father is hell-bent on keeping it that way,” objected Damian. “Anyway, why did the Guardians Order send their people to the Arizona desert to dig for non-existent gold and keep them there all those years? What were they guarding?”
The Archmage sighed, unease shadowing his face. “This is the part I couldn’t get a clear reading on.” He waved his hand, and the photo of the Evans family disappeared, replaced by the topographic map of the area around Blue Creek. “There is something interesting that I found in the archives, but I’m afraid it would only add more mystery to the situation.”
He moved his fingers, panning the image. “Look here.” He pointed at the map, channeling his magic. Without touching the map, he drew three glowing circles. “These circles are the three buildings the founding families built after the pandemic was over. The one in the center is Paradise Manor. These are the houses of the Browns and Andersons.”
“I believe both buildings have been rebuilt and moved off their original locations by the new owners,” pointed out Damian, his thoughts darting to his brother for a brief moment.
“It’s a big problem.” The Archmage sighed. “I believe this is the reason supernatural activity around Paradise Manor spiked up in the last few years.” He raised his hand, asking for a moment. Channeling his magic, he drew two more circles across from the location of the buildings. “These two circles are the main entrance into the gold mines and the small backdoor that leads into the underground passages.” He turned back to Damian and Jamie. “What do you see?”
“I’ll be damned,” whispered Damian, cold perspiration beading his forehead.
“Isn’t it...” Jamie swallowed, his face ashen. “A pentagram?”
The Archmage moved his finger over the map, connecting the five circles with glowing white lines made of his magical energy. “Exactly. It’s a pentagram. A giant one. I’m sure the underground passages connect all five locations. It’s extremely powerful protective magic, and it requires an unbelievable amount of power and skill to cover such a large area with protective magic.”
He shoved his hand in his pocket, stroking his thick stubble with his other hand, and his bushy eyebrows knitted over his glowing eyes in a deep frown.
“Why didn’t I detect it?” mumbled Damian, staring at the shimmering star. “This entire area should be emitting magical energy for miles around.”
“I didn’t sense anything,” said Jamie. “And I grew up in Blue Creek.”
Allerton sighed. “Jamie, your magic is too weak, and you didn’t put any effort into developing it. You wouldn’t notice anything if it stared you in the face. I offered you a place in the Guardians Academy, but you refused it. If you change your mind, my offer still stands. You can return here as a guard or as an apprentice. I would love to have you back in any capacity.”
He turned to Damian, and pity in his eyes made Damian cringe inwardly.
“As far as you, Damian...” He shrugged and lowered down to his chair. “Do I have to rub it in and remind you of your status?”
Damian dropped his head, his hands clenching into tight fists.
“I’m sure when you accepted your status, some of your powers and magic were stripped,” continued Allerton. “So, I’m not surprised you didn’t detect it. You must be extremely powerful and skilled to detect the protective and concealing spells cast by the members of the Guardians Order.”
“What you’re saying is...” Damian smirked faintly, his heart giving a painful jolt. “If I keep my status, I can’t fight whatever is attacking Paradise Manor. I’m not powerful enough.”
“No, you’re not,” objected the Archmage flatly. “I’m not sure even in your full power you have what it takes to protect River Evans. Six extremely powerful and skilled Guardians Mages were sent to this place to shadow and guard whatever is hidden there, and now, they are all dead. Every single one of them. Including River’s husband who went through vigorous training in my Academy. Poor boy... I wish I knew what we were getting him ready for, but we had an order not to—” His voice broke off, and he glanced at Damian, sympathy in his eyes. “Tell me, Damian, if you were in your full power, do you think you would be more powerful than six experienced Guardians Mages?”
Damian swallowed hard, goosebumps rising on his skin. “Yes,” he said, his voice a cracked, painful whisper.
“Heaven and Earth,” breathed out Allerton, his eyes widening. “Who the hell are you, Damian Blake.” He pressed his hands over his mouth, staring at him in shock.
“I am—,” Damian started, but cut himself off and lowered his head. “No one.” A heavy silence engulfed the room as Damian dropped powerlessly in his chair. “I can’t change my status. It would cost me my freedom, who I am, everything...” His hand went up to his throat of its own accord, and he jerked it back down. “Never again.”
“Freedom?” asked Archmage Allerton, his eyebrows rising, but as understanding dawned on him, he added, “You keep saying that... You have to be extremely old, Damian. Can you tell me how old you are?”
“Over a thousand years old,” replied Damian at length.
“Holy shit!” yelped Jamie, eliciting a snort out of the Archmage.
“Things have changed since then,” said the Archmage with a nonchalant shrug. “If you choose to forfeit your status, it’s not going to be as bad as it used to be, and hopefully with your full power, you can save River Evans and protect whatever is hidden within this pentagram.”
Damian leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “Since Paradise Manor has been shadowed by Guardians for years, why did you stop now?” he asked dryly. “Why don’t you send a few of your overqualified Mages with Jamie and me back to Blue Creek and let them do their job?”
“I wish I could,” replied Allerton, throwing his hands up. “It seems that Paradise Manor and its secrets are no longer under the Guardians Order protection. Not since Nick Evans married River Vetrov.” He picked up a pencil, twirling it between his fingers nervously. “I have no idea why, but all the files related to that were archived and most of the documents were so heavily redacted, I could barely extract any information. The paths of the Board of Destiny—”
“Screw the Board of Destiny,” growled Damian, rising, and the walls trembled despite his efforts to control his power.
“Whoa... What was that?” Allerton jumped to his feet, pinning Damian with his heavy gaze. “Are you a Child of Earth?”
In
stead of answering, Damian turned to Jamie. “Let’s go, Jamie,” he said through gritted teeth. “We’re wasting our time here. I’m on my own. When it comes to the Destiny Council, some things never change.”
“But Damian—,” started Jamie, rising.
“I’ll just have to do whatever I can with my limited power,” replied Damian, interrupting him. “It’s okay. Won’t be the first time.”
He headed toward the door, his every step making the floor shake.
“Damian, wait!” Archmage Allerton rushed after him and seized his arm. “Bend your knee before me... Pledge your fealty to the Guardians Order, and I can get your status revoked. You’ll have your power restored. I swear, you will report to me only, and while serving the Order, you will never have to do anything you don’t want to do. You’re not going to lose your freedom. You’ll be free—”
“Free?” asked Damian, prying Allerton’s fingers off his arm. “Define your understanding of freedom, Archmage! I’ll be a branded slave on a short leash. Been there, done that. Never again!” He raised the left sleeve on his shirt and moved his fingers over his upper arm, making the rune appear on his skin. Then he let go of the sleeve and leaned down slightly. “Never again. You hear me? You want to help me because you know it’s the right thing to do, send a few of your Mages with me.” He took a deep breath and pushed the door open. “Thank you for your help, Archmage, but I kneel before no one.”
He walked out the door and halted, waiting for Jamie, focusing on controlling his elemental power.
“Damian, it looks like you’ve been dealt a bad hand in the past. Since I took over the Guardians Order a few years ago, I changed a lot of the old and antiquated practices,” started the Archmage, sounding sincerely crestfallen. “This brand on your arm... I can remove it. Please think about it. If you were working for me, I would have more freedom to help you...” He shrugged, his eyes almost pleading. “Besides, there is no such thing as complete freedom. Absolute freedom means absolute loneliness...”
Damian laughed bitterly, anger slowly simmering down in him. “Bad hand?” he repeated. “You have no idea. Anyway, thank you, Archmage, but I work alone.”
He touched his chest over his heart and extended his arm to Allerton in a gesture of gratitude, but his move was filled with too much sarcasm for the Head of the Guardians not to notice it.
Allerton sighed, pursing his lips. “If you change your mind, Damian, you know what to do.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” murmured Damian. “If you decide to do the right thing, Archmage, you know what to do.”
He turned around and walked away, followed by Jamie.
Chapter 26
~ Cole Adams ~
At precisely eleven in the morning, Cole knocked on the door of the bookstore. Even though the ‘Open’ sign was turned off, he was positive Aaron was inside, waiting for him by the door. He could hear his elevated heartbeat and had to wonder if the human Warden was scared of him or excited about something.
Aaron Cooper opened the door for him, excitement alight in his eyes. Even his spectacles seemed to be shining, but most likely it was just a reflection of the morning sun. He gestured for Cole to come in and locked the door behind him.
“Master de la Crosse is waiting for you,” he said, pointing at the backroom.
Cole made his way between the bookshelves. Even though Aaron was glowing with glee, he didn’t allow himself to get excited. Over the years of his long life, he had learned that high expectations usually led to bitter disappointments. So, he preferred to keep his expectations low and enjoy a nice surprise later, if it happened. Nevertheless, for the first time in many years, he felt jittery.
He walked into the room and halted. If he had been a human, his heart would be jumping out of his chest. Instead, he froze with his eyes wide open as he watched Luc de la Crosse get up and turn to face him.
“Master Warden.” Getting in control of his nerves, Cole bowed to him, his moves stiff and unusually awkward.
“Good morning, Cole,” replied Luc, pointing at a chair across from him. “Sit down. Let’s have a talk. I do have the information you need.” He thought for a brief moment and shrugged. “Most of it, at least.”
Cole sat down, opening the bottom button of his suit jacket. “I’m listening, my lord,” he said softly, squeezing his hands tightly together.
Luc de la Crosse glanced at Cole and touched his clasped hands. “Relax, mon ami,” he said with a one-sided smirk. “It’s nothing bad, just a little... how do I say it? Peculiar?”
“Peculiar?” repeated Cole, lowering his hands to his lap. “Please tell me if you find anything about Paradise Manor that’s not peculiar.” He chuckled, shaking his head.
“That’s true.” Luc’s smile dwindled down. “First of all, I think you were probably right. The spirit possessing the silver mirror in Paradise Manor is a Zerkalitsa. This mirror was installed there by the first owners of the mansion—Richard and Helen Evans.”
“Probably?” asked Cole.
“Yes, probably,” repeated the Warden. “Here is where the peculiar part comes. Neither the Wardens’ nor Guardians’ books contain any information about Paradise Manor. I actually had to travel to Paris to speak with the Grand Master of the Wardens Order. Between the two of us, we were able to figure out that at some point, Paradise Manor was under the protection of the Guardians Order. However, a few years ago, all information related to Paradise Manor was archived by the Destiny Council, and to retrieve it...” He raised his arms apologetically. “It’s above my status. Even the Grand Master would have to submit a special request to make this information available to us. I think Archmage Allerton of the Guardians Order has a better chance.”
Cole nodded. “I forgot about all the bureaucracy the Destiny Council surrounds themselves with.”
“For good reason, mon ami, for good reason,” mumbled Luc. “We don’t always understand why they do certain things the way they do it, but they always have a reason for their actions.”
“Please tell me you can help me communicate with the Zerkalitsa,” said Cole.
“That I can.” A wide grin crossed Luc’s face, making his hazel eyes twinkle brighter. “All you have to do is make a girl happy.” He winked slyly. “I’m sure you have some experience in that department.”
“Excuse me?” Cole’s jaw dropped as he stared at the Master Warden in shock, but as he caught the humor reflected in Luc’s eyes, his shock morphed into reproach. “Luc?”
“I’ve heard you’re a silver-tongued devil... um... vampire,” he said. “You should be able to talk the Zerkalitsa into telling you the truth. After all, she’s nothing more than a woman locked inside a mirror. All you have to do is make her happy.”
“How?”
Luc de la Cross rose slightly and leaned across the table. In a soft whisper, he gave all the instructions to Cole, and then added louder, “Good luck, my friend. I hope after you’re done, you’ll come back here and tell me what happened.” His smile grew wider and warmer. “What can I tell you? I am a sucker for a good story.”
On the surface, it seemed as if the Master Warden was joking, but Cole knew it was an order—soft and friendly, but still an order.
“Yes, my lord,” replied Cole with a slight bow. “As you wish.”
“And maybe, at the same time, you could introduce me to the mysterious Damian Blake?” he asked, all humor gone from his face. “Even the Grand Master Warden couldn’t find any information about your friend. If he has magic, his obscurity is quite unusual... if not impossible.”
“I can’t promise you that, my lord,” replied Cole carefully. “But I’ll do my best to introduce him to you.”
“Please do,” said Luc de la Crosse, rising. “If you leave now, you should be at Paradise Manor at the perfect time.” He gestured at the door. “Aaron will show you out. I hope to hear from you soon, Monsieur Adams.”
Cole inclined his head and walked out the door.
Walk
ing toward his car, Cole pulled out his cell phone. The screen lit up, showing him the time—11:30 AM. He winced, realizing he spent more time in the store than he intended. Quickly scanning through all the messages and notifications on his phone, he didn’t find anything from Damian, and his chest tightened with worry. His brother should have gotten in touch with him at least once by now.
Assuming he knows how to use his phone... Ugh... Medieval doofus. He dialed Damian’s phone number, but the call was transferred straight to his voice mail. What the hell, Dima... pick up your phone.
He checked the time again and rubbed the nape of his neck. If he wanted to be at Paradise Manor before noon, he had to move now. And most likely, the car would only slow him down.
Goddammit!
He opened the text message window from Damian’s contact and quickly typed in:
“DAMIAN. I KNOW THE NAME OF THE LADY IN QUESTION AND HOW TO CONTACT HER. ON THE WAY THERE NOW. CALL ME ASAP.” He thought for a moment, then erased the word ‘ASAP’, typed in ‘AS SOON AS POSSIBLE’, and pressed the ‘send’ button.
Putting his phone back in his pocket, he checked the area to make sure no one was watching and took off running. A few minutes later, he came to a screeching halt in front of the entrance to Paradise Manor. He raked his fingers through his windblown hair and readjusted his suit before dialing the security code to open the gate.
As the gate started to open, he slipped inside and jogged toward the mansion at a normal human speed. Running up the steps, he pulled on the door, but it was locked. He reached in his pocket, found the key River had given him yesterday, and unlocked it. A bright ray of the afternoon sun burst into the dark foyer but didn’t reach the antique mirror.
Cole made his way through the foyer and halted in front of the mirror, smirking at the absence of his own reflection.
