by N M Thorn
“The magic detectors,” replied JB with pride, pointing at the pile of small plastic boxes lying on top of the kitchen counter Damian hadn’t noticed before. “I invented and produced the first magic detector ever and improved them as time went on. Now, they detect not only the magical and elemental energies but also the vampiric and demonic essence as well as the energy waves of werewolves and shifters.”
“Nice,” muttered Damian, shaking his head. “Your invention almost sent my brother and me into supernatural slavery.” He shuddered. “Does your boss at the Destiny Council know about your invention?”
“Who do you think finances this venture? Yeah, I’m an alchemist, but I don’t turn kitchen utensils into gold, you know,” said JB with a slight shrug. “The Destiny Council wanted chosen human authorities to have something to identify the presence of magic. I’m talking about special divisions of the FBI and some people in the Secret Service who are exposed to the World of Magic. Don’t ask me why they wanted me to create something like this. You know how the Destiny Council works—the paths of the Board of Destiny and so forth and so on.” He waved his hand, pursing his lips. “Anyway, I invented it with the blessing and support of the Destiny Council. The question is how my invention fell into the hands of a private collector?”
“I’m not going to worry about that,” murmured Damian. “To be honest, right now, my head is spinning. All this time, I believed you were the necromancer in question. But now, I have no idea where to go from here.”
“Who was this man who scried for me? Az was his name?” JB asked, his fingers caressing the pommel of the dagger. “I don’t recall knowing anyone with this name. Does he have a last name?”
“He said he met you in California years ago,” muttered Damian. “His full name is Azul Moreno. He is a low-grade wizard with psychic abilities.”
JB averted his gaze, shaking his head. “I don’t know him.” His eyes fell on the dagger, and the color drained from his face. “Please, no,” he whispered.
His fingers trembled as he took the blade in his left hand and applied some pressure on the eyes of the eagle with the thumb and middle finger of his right hand.
“What?” asked Damian through clenched teeth, his heart beating in his throat.
With a soft click, a hidden door in the grip of the dagger opened. JB peered inside, and his face fell.
“Oh, Commander,” he mumbled, showing a tiny, empty compartment to Damian, “I hate to do this to you, but I think you have a lot bigger problem than the war between the vampires and werewolves or the unrest in the Arizona Vampire Court.”
Chapter 22
~ Cole Adams ~
“It’s sunrise already.” River glanced at the lock screen of her cellphone, checking the time, and then put it back into the pocket of her business suit. “Your brother is a selfish ass, you know that? He could have at least called to tell us that he arrived, and everything is fine. He’s just so... infuriating.” She tilted her empty cup, rolling it in her hands, almost knocking it over. “Ugh... I don’t think there is even a remote family resemblance between the two of you—either in your looks or personality.”
Cole glanced out the kitchen window, watching the shy morning light reflecting in the purple rock formation in the distance, his throat tightening with worry. Then he turned toward River, an easy smile playing on his lips. He grabbed the coffee cup out of her hands and put it on the counter next to the coffeemaker. With a habitual move, he refilled the cup, added some milk and sugar, and turned around, placing it in front of River.
“Did you deduce it all on your own, detective River Holms?” Cole laughed, lowering on the chair next to her. “My brother and I are nothing alike. Damian is a good man—a lot better than I am—but he’s not what you may call a modern man, if you haven’t noticed yet. The best technology in his hands is a pile of useless metal.” He chuckled, shaking his head, asking himself how she managed to suck him into a conversation about his brother again. “Despite his youthful appearance, he’s over a thousand years old with a huge luggage of good, bad and ugly.”
“So are you,” replied River with a half-shrug, taking a sip of her coffee. “It’s amazing how different you both are, even though you’re biological brothers. How much is he older than you?”
“About six years,” replied Cole. “Not the point. What are six years in comparison to a thousand?”
“Exactly the point.” River put the cup down, spilling some coffee on the table. “You live and behave like a modern man, easygoing and gregarious. And he is—”
“Introverted? Socially awkward? Guarded? The dark and brooding type?”
“Yes, and I can add a few more descriptions to your list,” she replied, getting up to grab a piece of paper towel. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be asking you all that, but I just want to understand him. Be there for him, you know? It’s a lot easier with you. I can speak with you pretty much about anything I want. With Damian around, I feel like I need to tread on eggshells all the time. I never know when he will just get his ass up and leave.”
“First of all, even as young people—human—we were very different. After our death...” Cole cleared his throat, gauging her reaction, but she just nodded, seemingly accepting it for what it was. “We were separated for many centuries. While my life wasn’t easy, I had my maker watching over me, helping me through the transition and protecting me. I was heartbroken, thinking that Damian was dead, and if not for Ruslan, I don’t think I would have survived. He had become my father, my friend, my family. I was never alone…”
His voice trailed off, and he averted his gaze, reminded of the two people who meant so much to him, but who were gone from his life now. He still hoped to find Ruslan—now more than ever—but Luciano was dead. By his hand… And there was no way to undo it.
“Both Ruslan and Luciano supported me in anything I wanted to try, no matter how crazy my ideas were. So, when I decided to try to live a ‘human’ life, they helped me to get where I wanted to be, including attending a college to earn a Master’s in computer science, opening my own business and anything else that came with owning a tech company. I’m sure on the sidelines they were laughing and shaking their heads—an old vampire trying to be human—but they never stopped me. Instead, they taught me how to control my thirst around humans and block the sound of beating hearts and rushing blood. Damian, on the other hand...”
He stopped talking, his fingers raking through the mass of his hair nervously. River was a smart and strong woman, but she was human, a young person to boot, and he wasn’t sure her mind could easily comprehend and accept everything he was trying to explain to her.
“I don’t know much about his life back then,” he continued at length. “He doesn’t talk to me either. Here is what I know. After he died a human death, the Destiny Council made him an offer, and he accepted the mantle of a Destiny Enforcer. But about five hundred years ago, he lost the only woman he had ever loved, and that turned his life upside down. He resigned, accepting the no one status, which was a terrible price to pay, by the way. For five hundred years, he lived alone, constantly on the move, in hiding, unable to create any kind of connections—”
“Cole, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I don’t know what I was thinking…” A pink shade crept up River’s cheeks as she touched his hand gently. “Sometimes I forget that you both are not the same age as me, even though you look young.”
Cole got up and turned away, bracing his arms against the kitchen counter, his fingers nearly crushing the granite countertop.
“You’re probably right. I shouldn’t be telling you all of this, but maybe you’re right—it’s a good idea for you to understand him a little better.” He turned around, leaning against the counter with his arms folded over his chest. “For five hundred years, my brother blamed himself for the death of the only woman he had ever loved. I’m not a detective or a psychologist, but I can safely assume that Damian’s greatest fear is the fear of loss. This is one of the reasons he ha
s doomed himself to a solitary existence. And now that he’s back on the Destiny Council payroll, there are rules in place. You’ve heard him speaking about it with Ace—a Destiny Enforcer cannot have personal attachments,” said Cole, perfectly imitating his brother’s voice, eliciting a burst of chuckles out of River.
He smiled, watching the twinkles of humor dancing in her blue eyes.
“Well, when it comes to you, I don’t think Ace cares much about these rules,” River pointed out, taking another sip of her coffee.
“That’s because she’s young, inexperienced and stubborn.” Cole glanced at the door as if expecting Ace to barge in. “Give her a few hundred years on the job, and she’ll be a lot more like my brother. The truth is, the Destiny Enforcers have more enemies than friends in all layers of the supernatural community. They are feared and hated by many, and sometimes they have to carry out orders they don’t understand or agree with. They have no personal life, they don’t own anything, and they don’t know where they will wake up tomorrow. This is the kind of life my brother has lived for most of his life.” He opened his arms with a slight shrug. “So, you can see where Damian’s fabulous personality traits come from.”
“It’s amazing when you think about it,” mused River, circling the rim of her cup with her finger. “You two have lived through the dark ages and beyond... Sometimes, I look at you and your brother and I can’t even wrap my mind around it... There are probably things you’ve seen with your own eyes that are not written in any history books. I would love to ask you a few questions and pick your brains one day.”
Cole smirked, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “Sure,” he replied, his voice a soft purr. “You do that with Damian and watch him get up and walk out on you while muttering something like ‘this discussion is over’. Trust me, even my vampire strength won’t be enough to stop him. I wouldn’t—”
Suddenly, a loud bang rolled through the area, causing Cole to flinch and still, listening intently. A noise of hundreds of voices assailed his sensitive hearing, and a moment later, a low buzzing and vibration filled the room. River jumped to her feet, knocking her cup off the table. It broke with a loud crunch, pieces of ceramic scattering over the tiles.
“What’s going on?” River’s voice shook, her hand reaching down to her gun holster of their own accord.
“Someone triggered the magical alarm system the Guardians placed over the property.” Cole closed his eyes, sharpening his sense of smell, and then pressed his hand over his nose. “Frigging werewolves... the reek...” He glanced at River, thinking of the best course of action. “Get Ace and go to the left wing of the house. You’ll be safe there. Just stay inside and wait for me. I’ll check what’s going on and find you there.”
Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed his trench coat and put it on as he jetted out the door. At his full speed, he crossed the hall and zoomed into an empty room at the opposite end. Carefully moving blinds aside, he peeked outside, and the small hairs on the back of his neck rose. The gates were broken by a powerful impact, warped into a metal ball. He didn’t think something like this could have been done by a human or even a purebred lycanthrope. It meant the werewolves had at least one wizard with them.
As far as he could see, the perimeter of the property, following the line of the fence, was surrounded by men and their vehicles—mostly trucks. A large group of men was walking toward the doors of the house, armed with firearms, swords and knives, silver-infested clubs, and silver chains and nets. Even from the inside of the house, Cole could detect the powerful energy signature they projected, and he had no doubt quite a few of them were purebred lycanthropes. It meant they were strong, fast, and could transform into their wolf form at any time of the month.
Cole crossed the room and ran to the left wing of the house. To his relief, River and Ace were there already.
“The property is surrounded. There are just too many of them,” he said quietly. Reaching into his pocket, he produced the small vial with the potion and gave it to Ace. “Open the portal—”
A loud banging on the entrance door interrupted him, and he spun in the direction of the sound, his eyes igniting with a murderous scarlet glow.
“Detective Evans!” a deep male voice shouted from outside. “We know you’re harboring Cole Adams. Give him to us, and I promise no one will get hurt. Except him, of course.” An outburst of wild laughter accompanied the man’s words.
River winced as if the words physically hurt her and took a step toward the entrance into the foyer, anger twisting her face. The buzzing and vibration of the wards became louder. Cole seized her arm, staring down at her heavily.
“What are you doing, River? Don’t you dare open that door,” he hissed, his fingers digging into her forearm. Turning to Ace, he growled, “Open the goddamn portal, Ace. Now!”
“Wait, Cole,” River whispered, prying his fingers off her arm. “Maybe I can talk to them. After all, I am a police officer.”
“River, there is no reasoning with werewolves, especially when they are hell-bent on revenge. They’re not going to care about your badge. We have to leave,” he said quietly.
“I hate running just because a bunch of rabid dogs are banging on the door. The wards will hold! The Guardians Mages placed them. Do you always do what your brother says?” grumbled Ace, searching for something in her pocket. She found a piece of chalk and started to draw a large pentagram on the wall.
“No,” growled Cole, throwing his hands up. “Only when he’s right! Do what I say, Ace!”
“Detective Evens!” shouted the werewolf. “Open the door. Last warning!”
The sound of police sirens broke through the shouting of the attackers and the loud buzzing of the wards.
“Christ almighty! Who called the police?” yelled Cole, slamming his fist against the wall, leaving a gaping hole in the drywall. “All I need is for the local human authorities to get involved.” He dropped his arms, shaking his head. “Dammit! Angry werewolves will eat them for breakfast.”
Metallic clicks of armed weapons reached Cole’s ears, and he pressed his hands to his face, thousands of thoughts rushing through his mind. Like a chess player, he tried to see all possible moves and combinations ahead, but nothing he could think of looked good.
If he left now, the werewolves would break into the house. The police would try to stop them, and it’d be a massacre. If he didn’t leave, trying to stand his ground, they would break in anyway, possibly damaging the wards and exposing the entrance to the sacred lake hidden under Paradise Manor. The police would get involved with the same deadly outcome. If he gave himself up, the police would still step in to deal with the possible hostage situation, anyway.
No matter how he twisted and turned the situation, both the death of humans and the possible exposure of the World of Magic were unavoidable.
River’s phone rang, breaking through the disarray of thoughts in his mind. She pulled it out and answered the call, putting it on speaker.
“River,” Jesse’s troubled voice sounded across the line. “Are you okay? Is Cole Adams with you?”
“Jesse, I’m fine,” replied River, sounding absolutely calm and even. “Cole is with me, but I need you to take your people and leave as soon as possible. I promise I’ll be fine.”
“What are you talking about?” yelled Jesse, tones of desperation clear in his voice. “Paradise Manor is under siege! I’ve never seen anything like this. They’re all armed, and I bet you anything, unless you’re going to give them Cole, they’re not going to stop. Their leader, Simon Cox, is open for negotiations, but only if I come in person and unarmed. I can’t leave you in this situation, River. I’m coming up to see if I can reason with him.”
“Jesse, no!” yelled River. “I’m begging you! Stay back and take your people as far away from here as possible. They’re all werewolves, Jesse. You’re dealing with the World of Magic. They will kill you!”
“I know,” replied Jesse, his voice calm and resolute, “but
as far as I can see, there is no winning here, and I will never leave you unprotected. River, I’m an experienced negotiator, and it’s not the first tough situation for me. Just let me do my job.”
Short beeps announced that Jesse hung up the phone. Cole turned to Ace, his pale face ashen.
“Goddamn idiot,” Cole moaned, realizing with painful clarity that the situation had just become worse. “Ace, open the portal. You and River are leaving now.”
“No, Cole, please. For once, don’t listen to your brother,” Ace whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. “Don’t you understand? I can’t leave you behind. Besides, Moore would skin me alive for leaving my charge unprotected… What am I saying? Cole, I—"
“Do it,” Cole interrupted her. “I’ll see if I can save Jesse and get the police out of harm’s way. After that, Jesse and I will stay in the left wing and pray that the wards will hold.”
“Wait...” Ace rushed into the foyer and halted in front of the entrance door. Cole and River exchanged a quick look and followed her. She moved her arm in a wide arch, whispering something, and the soft yellow glow of her spell surrounded the doorway. “It’s just a basic protection spell. Sorry, I’ve never learned anything more potent.” She threw a guilty look at Cole. “Not a studious type... But if you stay on this side of the threshold, you should be safe… At least from bullets.”
“Thank you.” Cole nodded. He didn’t believe Ace’s protection magic could withhold a major attack, but he hoped it would be enough to protect him from mundane weapons. Pointing back at the hallway on the left, he added, “Now you and River must go.”
Switching his focus to the events unfolding outside and with all his senses stretched to the maximum, he approached the door and opened it, making sure to remain behind the threshold. The entire area in front of the house was crowded with the attackers. Jesse stood on the steps with his back toward the entrance. One of the werewolves—purebred, judging by the powerful energy he was projecting—held a gun trained at Jesse’s chest. An older man with untidy gray hair stood next to the werewolf. He was dressed in leather pants and a jacket, and despite the absence of any kind of weapons in his hands, he looked like a poster child for a motorcycle gang.
