The Fire Salamander Chronicles Series: Books 1 - 3: The Fire Salamander Chronicles Series Boxset Book 1

by N M Thorn

  “No, ma’am,” replied Gunz quietly, putting his shirt back on.

  “Perfect,” she muttered, turning around sharply. Zvereva grabbed Lera by her hand and pulled her forward toward the dead forest. “Now, darling, it’s time for you to play your part in this operation.”

  Zvereva pushed Lera, and she staggered forward, wrapping her arms around the post to prevent herself from falling. Zvereva muttered another spell and thick ropes erupted from her hands, wrapping around Lera and tying her to the iron post. Lera screamed, tears streaming down her pale face, distorted by fear. But no matter how much she pushed against the magical restraints, she couldn’t break free.

  “What are you doing?” yelled Gunz, making a move toward Lera, but he was too late.

  “Ignius Amplio!” shouted Agent Zvereva, pointing her hand at the pile of dry branches next to Lera’s feet.

  A wall of scorching fire surrounded the iron post, Lera’s bone-chilling screams of pain breaking through the crackling of the smoldering flames.

  “Cease!” yelled Gunz, but his magic and power were blocked. His own element couldn’t hear him.

  The magically powered fire was burning a lot hotter than a normal fire would and a few seconds later, it was all over. The flames slowly died down. The stench of burnt human flesh mixed with thick black clouds of smoke were still rising high into the night sky. There was nothing left of Lera, not even ashes.

  “What did you do?” whispered Gunz, unable to take his eyes off the iron post.

  Zvereva shrugged her shoulders indifferently.

  “I did what I had to do to open the gates to the other side,” she said coldly. There was no regret, no sympathy, no human emotions of any kind in her voice. “To open the gates to the Dark Nav, someone must die an unnatural death. Don’t play innocent, soldier. I’m sure you killed your fair share during your military tours. What is one life compared to the future of this whole world, Mr. Burns? And correct me if I am wrong… Weren’t you going to strangle her just a few hours ago? As far as I’m concerned, by killing her, I did you a favor.”

  Gunz couldn’t deny that he hated Lera for her betrayal. After what she did to his friend Oleg, he could never forgive her. Just the sound of her name was making him boil with fury. But as angry with her as he was, he never wished her to die. Especially not this way. He cringed inwardly, disgust making his stomach churn.

  “Why did you choose her for your sacrifice?” asked Gunz.

  “Does it really matter?” Zvereva answered his question with a question.

  Her eyes lingered on something behind the post and a slow predacious smile spread through her hard face. Gunz followed the direction of her gaze and everything inside him stilled. Behind the post, a black square abyss was slowly growing in size, consuming the light of the stars.

  “Time to go.” Zvereva gestured toward the obsidian emptiness. “This is your door to the Dark Nav. Get moving. It’s not going to stay open forever.”

  Barely moving his unbending legs, Gunz walked toward the gaping square hole that seemed to lead into nowhere. Fear was coiling in him like a tight spring, ready to break free. He wanted to run away, but he was still walking forward.

  He was almost at the edge of the gates when he heard a commotion behind him and felt a welcome wave of fire energy enveloping him with the warmth of hope. Gunz spun around and his mouth fell open.

  A man, riding on a large black stallion with a long golden mane, was approaching them at full speed. In his hand, he was holding a flaming sword, and the ground was burning behind him. His eyes were two flaming forges. His long red hair flowed over his back and shoulders like a flaming river. The amount of fire energy this man was emitting exceeded the energy of the Great Salamander himself. His fire power was so overwhelming that even with suppressed magic, Gunz could feel it.

  “Stop!” shouted the man, jumping off the horse. His deep voice echoed through the dead forest and the ground trembled at the touch of his boots.

  “If you’re here to protect your elemental brother, you’re too late, Semargl.” Agent Zvereva seized Gunz’s shirt sharply and pushed him through the gates.

  Gunz yelped, struggling to keep his balance but he couldn’t. In the last moment, he saw Semargl rushing toward Zvereva, but she whispered something and turned into a dark mist, disappearing into the night sky.

  The gates to the Dark Nav closed above him and he started to fall into a swirling, mushy nothingness.

  Chapter 4

  ~ Aidan ~

  Aidan walked into his office at the Elements Martial Arts and closed the door. It was six in the afternoon and he had thirty minutes before the beginning of his next martial arts lesson. He sat down in his chair, folding his arms, stretching his legs in front of him.

  Lately, there wasn’t a quiet night where he didn’t have to walk the streets, patrolling the city. The amount of strange and supernatural activity grew to unusual heights, and the combined efforts of his team, the FBI team and Zane with his fire power, didn’t seem to be enough to keep everything under control and people safe. Even though he was a god of the Otherworld, in this world he still had a physical body and he required food and rest. And with everything that was going on, he was getting neither. Sleepless nights and constant physical exertion were taking their toll.

  Aidan closed his eyes and relaxed, feeling his mind drifting away. A loud knock on his door made him jolt upright in his chair. He grunted, rubbing his face with his hands.

  “Come in,” he said, his voice hoarse and cleared his throat.

  Agent Jim Andrews walked into his office, closely followed by Angelique and stopped in front of his desk. Aidan observed Jim’s drained face and Angelique’s red glassy eyes and frowned.

  “Agent Andrews,” he said instead of hello. “Angelique.”

  “Aidan,” said Jim, his voice strained and fell silent. “Aidan, I think Gunz… Zane is in trouble and it’s all my—” He squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers, closing his eyes for a moment and sighed. “Something is wrong, and he said to call you.”

  “Please explain,” said Aidan, rising. Jim wouldn’t come to his place of business without calling first. And the fact that Jim was standing in his office, worried and upset, was giving away how serious the situation was, making him feel uneasy.

  “Aidan, Zane is no longer in this world,” whispered Angelique, answering his question before Jim could say anything. Tears ran down her colorless cheeks and she quickly wiped them with her fingers, averting her eyes.

  “What do you mean?” asked Aidan, slightly leaning forward. “Did Kal summon him back to Kendral? You know that Zane is a Fire Salamander. He can’t die. The only way the Fire Salamander can end his life is by dissolving into his own element and Zane is too young to make such an extreme decision.”

  Angelique shook her head no and her lips trembled. “He is no longer in the realm of the living,” she said without meeting his eyes. “Since Zane came back from Kendral, I reestablished my psychic connection with him. About an hour ago, our connection was severed. I can’t find him anywhere. I don’t sense his life force or his magical energy.”

  The door opened again, and Angel nearly ran into the office. He was half-transformed into his true form, wearing his long trench coat. His hair, now black and long, was windblown, and he was breathing hard, like he just ran a half-marathon.

  “Aidan, Zane crossed the veil into one of the realms of the dead,” exhaled Angel, panting. “About an hour ago. When it happened, I sensed it right away. But now, I can’t detect his presence in any of Death’s domains.”

  Aidan channeled his power and a bright white glow surrounded him. His eyes shone with a brilliant white light and for a few minutes he stared into space, like he was scanning something visible to him only.

  “He is not in the Otherworld,” he murmured after a few minutes.

  With his finger, he drew a complicated rune in the air and infused it with the brilliant glow of his power. Then he touched the rune with
his finger and whispered a summoning spell. The air in front of him shimmered with a soft golden light and Uri materialized in the middle of the office, with his body engulfed in golden flames and his mighty wings opened behind his back. As soon as he noticed Jim and Angelique in the office, he grunted and quickly transformed into his human form, throwing a guilty look at Aidan.

  “What are you?” mumbled Jim, awestricken, but then shook his head. “Never mind. I am not sure I want to know.”

  “Uri, Angel and Angelique are both saying that Zane is no longer among the living,” said Aidan. “Can you sense him anywhere?”

  For a moment Uri closed his eyes and stilled, slightly rising up and levitating a few inches above the floor, cold golden flames softly wrapping around him. Then he lowered himself back down and shook his head. “I can’t sense him anywhere.”

  For a moment, complete silence enveloped the office. Angelique sat down, hiding her face in her hands. Angel and Uri exchanged a troubled look but didn’t say anything.

  “Jim, can you tell us anything else?” asked Aidan. “I think you’re right. Zane is in the realm of the dead. If anyone would know that, it’s Angel. So, let’s trace it back. When did you see Zane the last time and why did you think he was in trouble because of you?”

  Jim quickly recounted everything that happened last night, giving them as many details of his meeting with Agent Zvereva and Lera Volkov as he could. He also mentioned that since Zane left with Agent Zvereva, the GPS in his watch stopped working and his phone went dead too. He didn’t hide the fact that Agent Zvereva pressured Zane into working with her, giving him an ultimatum—either he works with her or it would be the end of Jim’s career at the FBI.

  “Aidan, do you know how to summon Kal?” asked Angelique, notes of desperation in her voice. “Please, Aidan, you’re a god… Do something.”

  “Anyone can summon Kal,” said Aidan, furrowing his brow. “Anyone who isn’t human, that is. Jim will have to leave.”

  “Do what you need to do,” said Jim, turning around and halted, his eyebrows slowly climbing up, toward his hairline.

  A fire curtain unfolded outside the office door and a man walked through it. He was so tall that he had to bend down slightly to pass through the doorway of the office. His body was emitting scorching heat and his eyes were glowing bright red. He quickly observed everyone in the office and his igneous gaze stopped on Aidan. He greeted him with a light nod and a tiny smile touched his lips.

  “Aodh mac Lir,” he said, and his deep voice with roaring R’s seemed to fill the entire space of the office, “I apologize for the intrusion. There is no need to summon Kalidus. The great Fire Elemental cannot help you. I am Semargl, the Fire god of the Slavic pantheon and I can tell you what happened to the young Fire Salamander.”

  “Hello, Semargl,” said Aidan cautiously. He wasn’t sure how to take the presence of the fierce Slavic deity in his office. Semargl was a god-protector of the human realms and he wasn’t sure how he could know about Zane’s disappearance or that Aidan was looking for him. After all, the realms of the dead were closed to all elemental gods. “May I ask how you knew that I was searching for the young Fire Salamander?”

  Semargl smirked, the flames rising in his deep eyes. “You are watchful, god of the Otherworld. But the answer you seek is simple. I am the Fire. I am everywhere, and I know everything.”

  “Without you, we, humans, can’t even light a match…” mumbled Angelique. “This is what Kal usually says.”

  Semargl glanced down at her and his smile got warmer. “Yes, my lady,” he replied slightly inclining his head. “Kalidus and I possess many of the same powers. And just like my old friend, the mighty Fire Elemental, I can sense when one of the Children of Fire is in distress. We all dwell in the same element.” Then he switched his attention back to Aidan. “I assure you, Aodh, I am here to help.”

  “I apologize for my mistrust, Semargl. In my line of work, I must stay vigilant at all times,” said Aidan with a light bow. “Please tell us everything you know.”

  “The young Fire Salamander was forced to cross the veil and enter the realm of spirits and demons,” said Semargl with a sigh. “I do not know why the mage wanted him to go to the kingdom of Chernobog, but this is where he is now. In the Dark Nav.”

  “Then why can’t I sense him there?” asked Angel. “All realms of the dead are opened to my sight.”

  Semargl frowned, his hand landing on the pommel of his impressively large sword as he turned to Angel. “That mage must be extremely powerful, if she can conceal the energy of a Fire Salamander from Death himself.”

  “A mage?” asked Jim. “Zane left my office with an Interpol Agent, not a mage. She was human.”

  “I forgive you your ignorance,” said Semargl throwing a heavy stare in Jim’s direction. “You are but a human and the ways of magic are veiled from you. Zane was with a woman who was dressed like a man and had an appearance of a man, despite her sizable bosom. She was harsh and pitiless, willing to do whatever it took to achieve her purpose. Was that the woman he left with?”

  Jim nodded, cold sweat glistening on his forehead.

  “She was a mage,” confirmed Semargl, switching his attention back to Angel. “I assure you, Grim Horseman, your friend is in one of your domains. He is in the Dark Nav and you need to get him out of there before my brother Chernobog will discover him.”

  “Chernobog is not a hospitable type,” mumbled Angel, shivering like from a winter blizzard. “It’s not easy to enter his domain, even for me. How was a mage able to send the Fire Salamander in? The veil of the Dark Nav is well protected and hard to breach.”

  “That mage is clever. She possesses great knowledge that most do not have,” replied Semargl. “When a person dies an unnatural death, Chernobog opens the gates into his realm to accept the soul. If a living person has a deep emotional connection with the departed, he has but a few moments to follow the soul through the gates. But there are only a few places in this world where a living person can see the gates into the Dark Nav.

  “The mage knew all that. She took your Salamander into the Land of Dreams, to the border between Yav and Nav and she sacrificed someone he probably loved dearly. A young woman perished in flames a few seconds before I arrived. I could feel my element devouring her flesh while her soul was pleading her God for salvation. I was too late to help her and to stop the mage.”

  “A young woman,” echoed Jim and shook his head. “A woman in her late twenties, slim and blond?” Semargl inclined his head. “It was Lera Volkov. Zane loathed her. He hated her so deeply that he almost killed her himself in my office, when Agent Zvereva first introduced her. Zane didn’t love her, so he wouldn’t be able to follow her through the gates.”

  Semargl rolled his eyes. “Humans,” he said. “I did not say that only love connection can reveal the gate to the Dark Nav to a living. I said a deep emotional connection. Love and Hate—the two sides of a double-edge sword. These are two of the most powerful emotions human beings can share. And the mage knew it.”

  “I’ll go to the Dark Nav and find Zane,” said Angel. He transformed into his magical form, unfolding his heavy black wings.

  “Do not rush, Grim Horseman,” said Semargl, carefully touching Angel’s wing. “Even though the Dark Nav belongs to your domain, you do not know it. You will get lost there and my brother Chernobog will find you first. You need someone who can help you. And among all the gods of Slavic pantheon, besides Chernobog himself, there is only one who has the power inside the Dark Nav. Seek Veles, the god of the Three Realms. You will need his help.”

  “Fine,” said Angel, waving his hand irritably. “Summon Veles. Let’s have a chat with him.”

  “Summon Veles?” repeated Semargl and burst out laughing, bright sparks surrounding his massive body. “No one summons the great Veles. If you need his assistance, you should seek him in the Prav, the Slavic realm of the gods.”

  “Ahh, why does it have to be so complicated?” muttered
Angel, throwing his hands in the air. “Fine. Can you take me to the Prav?”

  “No, I cannot,” replied Semargl, the last sparks of humor gone from his flaming eyes. “The gates of Prav are locked for me just as tight as they’re locked for you, Horseman. But there is someone in your midst who has the power to enter the Prav. I still can feel the traces of his magical energy in this room.” Semargl moved his hand over Aidan’s desk and gently touched the tender petals of the orchid.

  “Of course. Svyatobor,” muttered Aidan.

  He drew another rune in the air, infusing it with his power and said the summoning spell. The air shimmered with green sparks and Sven materialized in the office. He looked around, visibly surprised by the assembly. Then he noticed Semargl and stiffened. His large eyes grew even bigger, glowing with bright phosphoric light.

  “My lord,” said Svyatobor kneeling before Semargl, lowering his head down respectfully.

  “Please rise, little kinsman,” said Semargl, a soft smile hiding under his rich flaming-red mustache. “I’m glad to see you. I wish it was under better circumstances. We need your help.”

  Svyatobor got up and glanced at Aidan quizzically.

  “Zane is missing,” explained Aidan. “Semargl said that he was forced to cross over to the Dark Nav.”

  “Why?” asked Svyatobor. “Zane is just a little Fire Gecko. Why would someone send him to the Dark Nav? He’s not very powerful in the realm of the living and in the Nav, he’ll be less than what he was here. Chernobog will squash him like a bug.”

  “We don’t know,” replied Aidan, “but a powerful mage chose him for this mission and went through a lot of trouble to get him into the Dark Nav. There has to be a reason for that. In any case, we can’t leave him there alone.”

  “I can’t travel to Nav, Aidan. I don’t have such power—,” started Svyatobor.

  “We know that, little kinsman,” said Semargl, interrupting him. “I need you to accompany the Grim Horseman to the Prav. I believe you can travel into the realm of gods, can you not?”