The Shadow Enforcer: The Shadow Enforcer Series Book One

by N M Thorn

  Damian closed the distance between them and punched him again and again without giving him a chance to regroup. Morok yelped, pressing his hands to his face, blood running from under his fingers. Damian swung his arm, placing the entire weight of his body behind a mighty hook. The god fell backward, hitting his head against the wall, and then slowly slid down, blacking out.

  For a moment, Damian stood over him, glowering down at the deity sprawled at his feet, his chest shuddering with laborious breaths. Even though they were gods, both Mara and Morok were bleeding, and that told him Mara hadn’t lied to him. They weren’t in their full power. Nevertheless, he knew they would heal soon, and he had only a few minutes to disable them while they were down.

  Feeling a soft touch to his shoulder, he growled and spun around.

  “Whoa, brother, relax.” Cole raised his bloodied hands, smirking. “It’s over.”

  “It’s not over,” exhaled Damian, rage slowly abandoning his body, leaving him calm and collected. He extended his arm, whispering a quick spell, and a pair of handcuffs glowing with a dim, white light materialized in the palm of his hand. He kneeled next to Morok and restrained him, using the handcuffs. The god cried out, and his eyes flew open, the glow of his power slowly abandoning them.

  “Are those the Destiny Cuffs?” whispered Cole, cowering away from him, his eyes wide with shock.

  “Cole, I can—,” started Damian, turning to his brother, but didn’t finish what he was trying to say. Archmage Allerton, accompanied by Ace, Sam, and two unfamiliar women walked through the doorway, his attentive eyes staring directly at Damian.

  A smile touched the Archmage’s lips as he approached him. “I guess you’re no longer no one, are you, Mr. Blake?”

  “No, sir,” replied Damian. He let go of his power and his wings disappeared.

  “Commander,” Ace whispered, looking just as shocked as Cole. She pressed her fist to her chest, kneeling before him.

  “Holy shit, kid,” mumbled Sam, staring at him in awe. “You cleaned up nicely.”

  Damian sighed, all this unwanted attention making his skin crawl. “Get up, Ace,” he said quietly. “I’m not a Commander—”

  “Yes, you are, my lord. Your wings are black,” she pointed out, rising to her feet. Her eyes darted to Cole, and she pressed her hand to her chest, noticing his blood-covered body.

  “My lord,” Cole snorted, earning himself Damian’s stern stare.

  Allerton approached Damian, craning his head back slightly to look into his eyes. “Commander Blake, my mages and I will restore the wards and protection spells in this area if we could have this room for a few hours.” He glanced down at Morok and smirked. “We can take care of him, too. Unless you want to deliver him to the Destiny Council holding facility yourself.”

  Damian shuddered, his eyes widening for a heartbeat. “I would greatly appreciate it if you could take care of them for me.”

  “Them?” Allerton’s eyebrows shot up.

  Damian glanced at the wall where he had left Mara pinned with his dagger and cursed, his anger igniting his orange eyes with a furious glow. The bloodied dagger with a piece of flesh dangling from it was still in the wall, but the goddess of Nightmares was gone.

  “Goddamnit!” he yelled, punching the air. “How is that possible?” He rubbed his forehead with his hand, dropping his head. “I failed again.”

  Allerton pursed his lips, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Please define the word ‘failed’ for me, Commander, because surely we are not on the same page here.” He waved his hand around. “Between the two of you, you and your brother managed to protect the most powerful and dangerous magical artifact. You stopped two gods who were a lot more powerful than a vampire and a man with the ‘no one’ status combined. You saved the lives of two people and possibly the entire realm of humans, and you captured a dark deity.” He took a short pause and sighed. “So, please, define the word ‘failed’ for me, Commander.”

  Damian smirked, exhaustion settling in his shoulders. “Magnus is not going to see it this way. The only thing he is going to see is that I let a dangerous deity escape back into the realm of humans.”

  “Magnus?” asked Allerton, tilting his head a little. “You mean Lord Magnus, the Head of the Destiny Council?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, Damian...” He gave him a quick tap on his shoulder. “Now that your records are no longer sealed, I know who you are. Please trust the old man when I tell you, Magnus will be happy to see you when you return with your report.”

  “Yeah, I still have to do that.” Damian sighed. “But that can wait a few hours. There is someone I need to take care of first.” He bent down and lifted an unconscious Jesse, draping his body over his shoulder, and then nodded to the Archmage. “We’ll leave you to it, sir.”

  He waved for Cole, River, Sam and Ace to follow him and headed out of the room.

  Chapter 37

  ~ Damian Blake ~

  Walking through the dark hallway of the left wing of the house, Damian whispered a short spell, conjuring a few light orbs. They rose in the air, illuminating the area with a shimmering blue light. The lobby stood dark and empty. The ice was gone, and a few large puddles spread over the floor, glistening with the reflected bluish light of the magical orbs.

  He halted in front of the mirror and turned to his brother. “Cole,” he said, taking Jesse’s body off his shoulder, “can you hold on to him? There is something I want to take care of right away.”

  Cole grabbed Jesse and threw him over his shoulder, as if the man were no more than a sack of potatoes. Sam snorted, his entire demeanor showing just how little he cared about his daughter’s partner and received a glaring stare from his daughter. Damian bent down and found Gypsy. Carefully lifting her in his arms, he opened his other sight and quickly examined the cat. Her body was still emitting a soft white glow. It was weak and interrupted by dark patches in places, but he knew she was alive.

  “Damian... is she...” River approached him and raised her arm to touch the cat but then pulled it back, tears glistening in her eyes.

  “No,” he said tiredly, cradling Gypsy in his left arm. “I think I can manage a little bit of magic for you.” Catching a scorching stare from Sam, he cocked his head, sending a reproachful gaze to him. “It’s too late for that, Sam. Like it or not, both River and Jesse have been exposed to the World of Magic. There is no way back now.”

  “I don’t give a damn about him.” Sam shrugged, jerking his chin at Jesse. “But I wish River didn’t have to know all this. The World of Magic brings nothing but pain and suffering.”

  Damian frowned, unease spreading through him as his eyes halted on Jesse’s limp body. “I know you don’t favor him, Sam, but I think he’s mostly a victim in all this.” He thought for a moment. “Actually, his only fault is that he is—” He cut himself off and smirked. “It’s not my place to tell. I guess we’ll find out in a few minutes.”

  He placed his hand over Gypsy’s body and channeled the elemental power of Earth, gently circulating the healing energy through the cat. As a soft, orange light erupted from his hand, the cat stirred and meowed, opening her bright green eyes.

  “What took you so long to get here, Sasquatch?” she asked, twisting in his arms.

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “Traffic.”

  River yelped, her face lighting up with joy as she reached for Gypsy. Damian passed the cat to her and smiled, watching River squeezing her kitty in a tight hug.

  “I’ll forgive you just this one time,” purred Gypsy. “And only because you healed me.” She stretched under River’s fingers. “I must admit, as a Child of Earth, you’re not that bad after all.”

  Damian straightened and stretched his shoulders, just now realizing how truly exhausted he was. He headed toward the living room, motioning for Cole, Sam and Ace to follow him. Once inside, he lowered himself on the couch and leaned forward slightly, rubbing his face with his hands.

  “I have to leave in a few minutes,” he
said, watching Cole unload Jesse on one of the armchairs. “I think before I leave, it would be nice to get some questions answered.”

  He got up with a groan and approached Jesse. Placing his hand on his forehead, he channeled some of the healing energy of Earth through him. Jesse’s eyeballs rolled under his tightly shut eyelids, and his eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes. For a brief moment, he looked confused and disoriented, but as his gaze settled on River, a mix of emotions crossed his features, starting with happiness and then slowly morphing into deep remorse.

  “Jesse,” said Damian, sitting down on the couch across from him. “Is there anything you wish to tell us?”

  Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose, frowning, deep wrinkles crossing his forehead, and Damian noticed a wide streak of gray hair running across his right temple that hadn’t been there before.

  “It was true then?” Jesse asked at length, dropping his hand in his lap. “These two... people. They were...”

  “Ancient Slavic gods,” confirmed Cole, folding his arms. “Would you like to explain how you got involved with them?”

  “I wasn’t involved with them, Mr. Adams.” Jesse’s eyes widened, unmistakable fear distorting his face. He dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders hunched. “It started a long time ago,” he continued after a pause. “Before Nick’s death.”

  “What do you know about Nick’s death?” hissed River, scooting to the edge of her seat, her hand moving toward the gun holster. “Please tell me you had nothing to do with that! You were his best friend! I trusted you!”

  “No, River! Of course not!” he gasped, raising his hand. “I swear, I had nothing to do with that. All I was trying to do was protect you!”

  “How is that?” she yelled, pain and anger ringing in her voice. “By opening my house to some ancient monsters? Or by watching Nick and his entire family die?”

  “No, please!” he pleaded, leaning forward to touch her hand, but she pulled away as if his touch burned her. “River... I’m begging you...”

  “Did they blackmail you?” asked Damian, seizing River’s elbow and moving her hand away from the gun. “What did they hold over you?”

  “They did,” whispered Jesse. His words were barely audible, but in the heavy silence engulfing the room, they sounded loud and clear. “They held River’s life over my head. There was nothing else in this world that would have forced me to do what I did.” He raised his red-rimmed eyes, his lips quivering slightly.

  “Speak,” said River, her voice icy cold.

  Jesse cleared his throat, his eyes sliding over the faces of the people gathered around him, finding no support in their frosty, reproachful gazes.

  “The first time, they approached me a few days before Nick’s death, but I refused to cooperate with them, ignoring their warnings and threats. So, they cornered me right after Nick’s funeral,” he started, staring down at his trembling hands. “They told me River would be next if I didn’t force her to move out of her house. At that point, I knew these weren’t empty threats. So, I tried my best to talk River into moving out of the house, but she wouldn’t listen.”

  River leaned back on the couch, pressing her hands to her face, a soft groan of disbelief escaping her lips. Jesse sighed and bit his lip, clenching his trembling hands in his lap.

  “Then Mr. Vetrov returned and brought”—he threw a quick glance at Damian—“him. And that made everything so much worse. I don’t know why his presence spooked the...” His voice trailed off as if he had a hard time pronouncing the word that was supposed to follow. “I don’t know why, but it seemed like the gods were afraid of him or worried about his presence. Since he seemed to lead a normal life, they ordered me to get him out of the way in a legal manner and sent some woman—Roxana, I think that was her name—to help me set him up for a double homicide and a kidnapping.”

  He glanced at Cole, but catching the murderous intent in his glowing eyes, he quickly averted his gaze. He reached into his pocket and produced the deed to Cole’s house. Leaning forward, he placed it on the coffee table.

  “Mr. Adams, I’ll talk to a real estate attorney tomorrow and find out what I need to do to return your property to you,” he said, barely meeting Cole’s eyes. “I swear, it wasn’t my idea to kick you out of your home.”

  Cole glanced at him with interest. “Did you know that the Brown’s estate used to belong to your biological father?” he asked. “It’s actually your ancestral home.”

  Jesse smirked, lifting his shoulders in a tired shrug. “Of course, I knew that,” he replied quietly with a half-shrug. “I’m a detective. Did you seriously think I didn’t research my origin? Anyway, I never wanted any part of it. My father gave me up at birth, and I wanted to have nothing to do with that family.” He rubbed his chin, throwing a veiled glance at River. “I don’t want their money, and I definitely don’t want their home. The only reason I signed the papers was because of River. I would do anything to keep her safe.”

  He got up and swayed slightly on his feet. Approaching Damian, he halted and stared directly into his eyes. “Damian, I’m sorry for what I put you through.” He frowned, a muscle working in his jaw. “I know it’s a poor excuse, but I was scared.” He looked to the side, pure anguish in the set of his tense shoulders. “I was terrified of losing River, and I didn’t... I couldn’t think of anything past that.” He smirked bitterly. “I hated you because of all the complications that came with your arrival, but now...” He swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

  Damian nodded and leaned forward slightly, looking up at Jesse from under his hair. “Is there anything else you want to tell River?” he asked softly.

  Jesse’s mouth dropped, and his eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything and turned to River.

  “Yes, there is,” he said, clutching his throat with his fingers as if he had a hard time speaking. “River, all the whispers you’ve heard in your house... and Nick’s voice...”

  “Yes,” she croaked, rising slowly, her movements stiff.

  “I did it to you. I’m sorry,” he whispered, dropping his head.

  River swayed, all color draining from her face, giving her a ghostly appearance. She opened her mouth, but couldn’t say anything, her breath coming out in short gasps.

  “What you did to my daughter,” growled Sam, stepping closer to Jesse, his jaw set with fury. “I’m going to—”

  “Sam, I can only imagine how you feel right now, but let him speak,” said Damian, putting his hand on the old hunter’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Just let him finish.”

  “I’ll deal with him later,” Sam grumbled but stepped back.

  “When Nick was alive,” continued Jesse, his normally bronze face sickly yellow, “he showed me something unusual about this building. The way this house is built creates strange acoustic effects. There is one place in the attic...” He pointed up. “I have no idea how to explain it. Nick didn’t know either. Anything you say there carries through the entire building. A while ago, Nick left his keys in the office. He passed away shortly after, and I never got a chance to give them back to him, so I used his keys to get inside the house without River noticing me.” He reached into his pocket and produced his cellphone. “On my phone, there are a few messages Nick had left before he died. I used his voice—”

  He didn’t finish his statement when River swung her hand and slapped him across his face. His head jerked to the side, and he pressed his hand to his cheek.

  “I deserve more than that,” he said, lowering his hand, River’s handprint blazing on his cheek. “But I did it under duress. If I didn’t obey them, they would kill you. So, yes, I’ll take this slap and a lot worse just to see you alive, River.” He turned around and headed toward the exit. At the door, he halted, and a pained expression shadowed his features. “I love you, River. I always have and I always will.” He threw a haunted gaze at Sam, and an uneven smile twisted his mouth. “I would die for your daughter, Mr. Vetrov.”

  He turned aroun
d and walked out the door.

  Sam cursed under his breath, and for a few long minutes, everyone remained silent, processing everything Jesse had told them. After a while, Sam glanced at his watch and shook his head.

  “I don’t know about you, kids, but I need my beauty sleep.” He approached River and pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll see you later on today, daughter. Your front door is broken again, so I need to do some fixing. Besides, I want to see what’s going on in that cursed left wing and if anything needs to be fixed there.” He pulled away and offered his hand to Damian. “Now that you’re an angel almighty with a wingspan wider than this room, are you still willing to guard my daughter and help me around the shop?”

  “My status in the realm of humans has changed, Sam, so I have no idea what is going to happen in the next few hours. But assuming everything goes well, you got yourself a supernatural handyman.” Damian smiled, shaking his hand.

  “Angel my ass.” Cole snorted. “He’s a glorified supernatural jail guard. Ouch!” He hopped aside, snickering as Ace poked him in his ribs.

  “At least I’m not on a liquid diet,” retorted Damian snidely. “Oversized leech.”

  “Doofus,” murmured Cole through laughter.

  Sam and River exchanged a look, and a weak smile touched her lips for the first time that night.

  “I have an angel and a demon in my living room, and they’re bickering like two oversized teenage siblings,” she said, her eyes sliding from Cole to Damian.

  “Cole’s not a demon, River,” said Damian in full seriousness, arching his eyebrow at his brother. “He’s a vampire. Demons would get offended if they heard you say that.”