by N M Thorn
“Oleg?” asked Damian, recognizing him. “Why are you outside?”
“Waiting for you.” He smiled with a light shrug. “Do you have a place…” He moved his hand in the direction of the desert. “You know, a place where there is no one around, and you can just relax and let go?”
Damian chuckled softly, knowing well what Oleg had in mind and how he felt. As a true Child of Earth, he needed solitude and nature to relax and recharge. He approached Oleg, placed his hand on his shoulder, and snapped his fingers. They materialized on a small plateau surrounded by purple rock formations. The moonlight flooded the desert with its dim silvery light, shadows hiding behind every stone and cactus.
“It is a beautiful place… Peaceful…” Oleg looked around with interest, lowering himself on a large boulder. “It reminds me of the Isle of Legends, the magical nexus here, in the realm of humans. Deserts in Kendral are nothing like this. More like the Sahara, I guess.”
Damian sat down next to him and leaned forward, dropping his head. The effort of teleporting took a lot more out of him than he expected, and the desert around him kept shifting and flowing in nauseating waves. He glanced at Oleg sideways, realizing that he looked just as worn out as he felt.
“Do you need me to heal you?” asked Oleg, staring down at his feet. “I hate to say it, but you look like crap.”
Damian chuckled. “I’ve been told that a few times today.” He thought for a moment and then slipped off the boulder and lay down flat on the cold ground. The elemental energy of Earth embraced him like a tender lover, gently kissing his exposed skin. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled with a soft gasp that sounded almost like a moan. “No, thank you. Healing magic takes too much effort, and you’re just as drained as I am. I’ll be all right. Nothing that a good night’s sleep can’t fix.”
Oleg nodded and leaned forward slightly to see his face. “Have you ever met another Child of Earth?”
“No,” replied Damian. “You are the first.” He lifted his head a little and threw a curious gaze at him. “When did you discover your power?”
Oleg shrugged, his eyes going out of focus for a brief moment. “About ten years ago or so?”
“You’re so young,” whispered Damian. “So new to all this…” His mind traveled back to the time when he was just as young and new to the World of Magic, and for a brief moment, something resembling pity took hold of him. He didn’t know this man, but he didn’t want him to suffer through the trenches of the World of Magic the way he had to do it. “Why do they call you Captain Svetlov?”
Oleg flashed him his wide, open-hearted smile. “It is my military rank. I used to be a Captain of the Belorussian Special Forces. That was before I was driven out of my own country by gangsters who wanted to exploit my power.”
“Belorussian?”
“Yeah. Where are you from?” asked Oleg.
“Originally?”
Oleg nodded.
“Kievan Rus,” replied Damian, absentmindedly. “From the time of Prince Vladimir the Great.” Even if Oleg was shocked by his statement, he didn’t show it, and Damian continued, “A thousand years from now, you’ll be talking to a young Child of Earth, probably sounding like me—tired and indifferent.” He smirked. “Who helped you through the transition after you discovered your powers?”
“In the beginning, I had no idea what was happening to me. Back in Belarus, I had someone who taught me how to use my magic, but she gave me no insights into what I truly was. I did not learn my supernatural identity until I crossed over to Kendral and met Sandhya, the Elemental of Earth,” replied Oleg. “But it was the Ancient Master of Power, Mrak Delar, who taught me how to use my power and magic. As much as I love Sandhya, I consider Mrak to be my mentor.”
Damian lifted his head again, meeting Oleg’s calm gaze. “Do you know how unusual it is? A Child of Earth in love with the Earth Elemental.” He chuckled, dropping his head back down. “You won’t find something like this in any fantasy novel or movie.”
Oleg ran his hand over the ground and elemental energy responded to his move, flowing with his movement, wrapping around his body. “This brings us to what I wanted to tell you, Damian,” he said softly and got up.
He spread his arms, his entire body emitting a soft, orange glow of his elemental power, and the desert responded to his call. The ground under his feet rolled and small rocks and pieces of dirt rose in the air. The night birds fell silent, and all the sounds disappeared. Damian pushed up on his elbow, watching the show with interest. Oleg brought his right arm up, pointing into a dark sky. A small bird, brown with gray and white spots, flew down and landed on his outstretched hand.
“Hello, my friend,” he whispered, petting the bird’s back gently with the tips of his fingers. The bird chirped its hellos and flapped its wings, disappearing back into the sky.
“You can speak to animals, of course,” murmured Damian.
“Not only.” Oleg sat down on the ground next to Damian, playing with a tiny pebble, throwing it up and catching it on the way down. “You are so much older than me, and you have the magic of a Destiny Enforcer, yet as a Child of Earth, I am more powerful than you. I can wield the energy of Earth and bend it to my will without channeling the power. Not only can I communicate with animals, but I can also transform myself into any living creature on Earth—shapeshifting is one of my powers. Do you know why I can do that?”
“Some beings of magic are more powerful than others?” murmured Damian, folding his arms under his head.
“No, my friend,” replied Oleg. “This is not a reason for it. I allowed the Elemental of Earth to claim me, and that gave me extra power and sensitivity to the elemental energy.”
“Wouldn’t it also put you in servitude to the Elemental?” asked Damian.
Oleg shrugged. “You are a Child of Earth. Every cell in your body is infused with the energy of your element. It means the Earth Elemental can control you, suppressing your will, anyway. Any Master of Power who can control the elemental energy of Earth can control you. I am sure you know that.”
“True,” admitted Damian. “This is the part of being a Child of Earth I hate the most. After that comes the intolerance to high-rises and a minor case of claustrophobia.”
“And then there is that.” A faint smile crossed Oleg’s face. “My claustrophobia is not that bad. I do not let it affect my life. But the farther I am from Earth, the weaker I feel.” He threw the little pebble up and made it freeze in midair. “I used to have the same concerns about subserviency and being controlled,” he continued at length, slowly lowering the stone to the ground. “Kneeling and bowing is not my style, you know.” He smirked, all but rolling his eyes. “In the end, I did it because my friends were about to face a formidable foe, and to help them, I needed more power.” He tapped Damian on his shoulder and got up, offering him his hand. “Something tells me this is not the last time we fight side by side. So, if one day you change your mind and decide you need more power, visit me in Kendral.”
Damian took his hand and got up, brushing the sand off his torn pants. “I hope you’re wrong, Oleg,” he said. “You have a life in Kendral—a woman you love who loves you back, friends, purpose. Diving back into the mayhem of the World of Magic brings nothing but pain and loss. I don’t wish it for you.”
“I guess we will see.” Oleg waved his hand, whispering something, and a portal, shimmering with bright orange sparkles, opened next to him. “No matter what happens in the future, my offer stands, Damian. If you ever need me, all you have to do is call.”
“In my line of work, it’s not easy to make friends. Your offer means a lot to me,” said Damian, holding out his hand. “Thank you.”
Oleg shook his hand and stepped into the portal, disappearing into the clouds of swirling sparkles.
Chapter 37
~ Damian Blake ~
Damian materialized next to the entrance door and braced his arms against it, dropping his head. He took a few deep breaths and grabbed the door
handle, pulling the door open. The foyer stood dark and empty, and his steps echoed against the ceiling as he made his way to the kitchen. To his surprise, the kitchen was vacant, a few empty coffee cups sitting on the counter by the sink.
“Cole?” Damian reached out to his brother through their blood link and received the answer immediately.
“Living room.”
He made his way to the living room and halted in the doorway. Jamie stood by the window, staring into the darkness of the desert, his hands clenched tightly behind his back. Cole sat in an armchair with his long legs outstretched before him, motionless in the way only vampires could be. His face bared no emotions, but as soon as Damian walked in, he got up and approached him.
“Dima, finally.” His features softened, and relief reflected in his blue eyes.
But there were other scenarios where you failed to capture Azazel, too, or where your brother was killed. Magnus’s words surfaced in Damian’s mind, and he shuddered, realizing how close he had come to losing his brother again.
Without words, he took a step forward and pulled Cole into a tight hug.
“Hey, hey, I’m all right,” Cole whispered, giving him a light tap on his back. “What happened, big bro?”
“Nothing. Thank the gods, nothing happened outside of what you know already.” Damian pulled away. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t save Ace. Moore never bound her spirit to the Destiny Council realm.”
Cole nodded, averting his eyes. A deep vertical wrinkle materialized between his eyebrows, and his jaws clenched. He didn’t say anything, but Damian had no doubt his brother blamed himself for the young woman’s death.
Suppressing a sigh, he switched his attention to Jamie. The young man still stood by the window, just turned around to face him, his fingers fidgeting nervously with a cuff of his long-sleeved shirt. Catching Damian’s gaze, he smiled, the smile never reaching his red-rimmed eyes.
“I’m glad to see you back,” he said, his voice raspier than normal. “In one piece.” He gave him a quick once-over and added, “More or less…” As a haunted expression shadowed his face, he averted his gaze. “I knew something wasn’t right with her. I was trying to stop her, but she just—”
“What are you talking about?” asked Damian, taking a step closer.
“The last few days… No, actually, it’d been a couple of weeks already. Ace wasn’t herself.” Jamie raised his face, his eyes darting from Cole to Damian. “Stubborn and argumentative. More than usual, that is. And she was constantly unhappy about Cole hanging around you, Damian. According to her, when Cole was next to you, he behaved like a little boy in the presence of his parents, incapable of making his own decisions. I tried to figure out why she had suddenly developed such a severe allergic reaction to you, but I couldn’t get anything out of her. I should have tried harder… I should have told you or Cole. Dammit!” He punched the air with his fist and turned away, biting his lip. “I should have pulled her back when she—”
“Jamie, stop.” Damian approached him, placing his hand on his shoulder to give him a reassuring squeeze. “It’s not your fault. You’re right, something is going on, but so far, I have no idea what that is. Trust me, there was nothing you could do to stop her.”
Jamie nodded, swallowing hard. “I always do. If there is anyone in this world whom I trust no questions asked, it’s you, Damian.”
At his words, something twitched in Damian’s heart, and he pressed his hand to his mouth, gazing down at the young man, astonished. “Jamie, do you still want me to teach you?” he asked at length. “Or would you rather study with Luc and Yakov to become a part of the Wardens Order?”
Jamie and Cole exchanged a puzzled gaze, and a tentative smile graced Jamie’s face. “Can’t I have the best of both worlds?” he asked. “But if I have to make a hard choice—you’re the only mentor I want.”
Damian gave him an arched stare, considering a few options, but then nodded. “I’ll see that you have your time with the Wardens,” he said, sounding hoarse even to his own ears. “But if you want me to train you, get ready for pain.”
Jamie’s eyebrows climbed up, and he threw a quick look at Cole. “Cole, is your brother always this”—he twirled his wrist—“doom and gloom?”
“Nuh. Not at all.” Cole waved his hand dismissively. “Only on special occasions.” He took a brief pause and added, inching away from Damian, “But he does treat every day of his immortal life as a special occasion.”
“Ugh, shut up, little bloodsucker,” muttered Damian, catching the humorous look in his brother’s eyes.
“Doofus,” Cole didn’t fail to reply in his usual manner.
“Where is Yakov?” asked Damian, switching back to serious mode. “I wanted to speak with him about Koschei. We can’t let him roam the realm of humans freely, and I was counting on Yakov’s help with the search.”
“Oh, yeah.” Cole lowered back in his chair, crossing his legs at the knee. “The old eagle asked me to give you a message. He said that he has something you need, but it’ll take him about a month to find it and bring it here.”
“Something I need?” parroted Damian, his eyebrows rising. “I have no idea what he’s talking about. Did he say anything else?”
“Not much,” replied Jamie. “Just this… And that he’ll try to dig out anything he can on Koschei by the time he comes back here again. He asked you to be patient and not to enforce anything that doesn’t need enforcing.”
“Whatever that means,” Damian grumbled, shaking his head. “This man can’t speak plainly if his life depended on it.” He glanced over his shoulder at the doorway, his eyes searching the darkness of the hallway. “Where is River? Is she home?”
“What do you think?” Cole leaned to the side, propping his elbow against the armrest. “She was so tired, she could barely keep her eyes open, but she was determined to wait for your return no matter what. So, I had to insist on her going to her room to lie down. I promised to wake her up as soon as you got home.”
“Oh…” Damian raked his hand through his dirty hair, covering the left side of his face without realizing he was doing that. “I guess I’ll see her in the morning then.”
Cole and Jamie exchanged a flabbergasted look, and both said, “No.”
Cole facepalmed, rolling his eyes. “Go to her room now. I can bet you anything, she’s not sleeping.” Damian hesitated, and Cole’s lips quirked up in a tiny smile. “Dumbass... When it comes to women, you’re like—” He chuckled, not finishing his statement.
Damian stopped in front of River’s bedroom and opened his second sight, quickly scanning her room and the area around it for any supernatural presence. He didn’t need to do it, but he was so used to guarding her that it had become his second nature, his instinct.
The door was cracked open, and a narrow ray of the dim, yellow light fell on the carpet next to his feet. A small, dark shadow squeezed its way out of the room, making the door squeak. Damian smirked, recognizing Gypsy, mentally preparing himself for the verbal attack of the sarcastic furry monster. The cat sat and looked up at him, her jaw dropping in a very un-catlike manner.
“Well, now you do look like a real Sasquatch,” she murmured, raising her paw and giving it a good lick. “I hope no one caught you on camera outside Paradise Manor. I can just see the newspaper and social media headlines tomorrow.” She closed her eyes and moved her paw from left to right. “’Ten most convincing Sasquatch sightings in Arizona’, or ‘Bigfoot hunting season is opened in Blue Creek’. And all those videos going viral on YouTube…Yay! We’re finally famous.”
“Gypsy—,” Damian started, but the cat got up, completely ignoring him. With her bushy tail up, she made a circle around him and finally halted in front of him again, narrowing her round, green eyes. He suppressed a sigh, not sure if he wanted to laugh or be angry at this unexpected delay.
“And the smell, the smell…” purred Gypsy, wrinkling her nose. “What is it? Let’s see…” She sucked in a large gulp of air, pressin
g her ears with long furry brushes down. “Black and puke-like green colors. A fine demonic essence bouquet, and a touch of dark magical energy with a hint of sulfur. Good balance.”
“Gypsy, I’m too tired to deal with your shenanigans,” whispered Damian, throwing a gaze at the bedroom. “Is River awake?”
“Once a Sasquatch always a Sasquatch.” The cat rolled her eyes furiously. “What do yah think? She couldn’t relax since y’all left. And when Cole returned with the news about Ace, she was heartbroken and terrified.” Gypsy stepped closer, rubbing her side against his legs. “For you… She was terrified for you, silly Sasquatch. She was afraid that something could happen to you, too. I think until that moment, she didn’t fully realize how perilous your job was…” She took a short pause, giving him a pointed stare, then a wide feline grin appeared on her face. “Anyway, she’s not sleeping. Go already.”
As Gypsy strolled down the hallway toward the living room, Damian knocked softly, then pushed the door open and walked inside. The room was semi-dark, illuminated only by the weak light of a small nightlight. River lay on her bed with her knees pulled to her chest. Her copper hair cascaded down her chest and back, partially covering her face. But he could see her wide-open eyes gazing at him from under her long, golden eyelashes.
Silently, River sat up, her every move slow and measured. Throwing her hair to her back, she rose to her feet and walked toward him, her bare feet stepping soundlessly on the carpeted floor. He watched her approach, and for some reason, his limbs felt as if they were filled with lead. She halted in front of him and looked up, their eyes meeting just for a brief moment shorter than a heartbeat. Then she leaned forward and rested her forehead against his chest, her arms remaining at her sides.
He raised his arms to embrace her but froze halfway, unable to make a move. “River,” he croaked, his vocal cords refusing to function. “I am—”
