The Shadow Paradox: The Shadow Enforcer Series Book Three

by N M Thorn

  “Oh, almost forgot,” Zabava continued. “Since the impostors used the poison, which formula is a high secret of the Sisterhood, Grand Master Elony wanted you to know that she will continue her investigation, working on your territory whether you like it or not. Don’t worry, she already ran it by the Destiny Council, and they gave her their blessing. She also asked me to tell you that if you find the impostors first, you’re obligated to deliver them to the Sisterhood, and that she will personally hold you responsible if you don’t comply with her orders.”

  For a moment, Damian stared at her with his mouth open, unable to say a word. Then he pressed his hand over his eyes and exhaled, his breath coming out as a moan. “Ahh… why now… goddammit…”

  River moved her chair a little and took his hand, forcing it down. “Damian, what’s going on?” she asked softly, her troubled gaze darting to Jamie and back. “God knows I witnessed you fighting through tough situations before, but never have I seen you so… despondent. What happened?”

  “I would like to know that, too. As a Destiny Enforcer, you have no luxury of falling apart. So, would you care to tell us what’s going on, Commander?” Zabava sat down. Her sarcastic expression vanished, replaced by a cold, business-like determination. “And where is your fanged mini-me? Where is your brother? The last time we spoke, you two were going to visit the Head of the Arizona House. You were supposed to call me before going in, but you never did.”

  “I didn’t call you because I couldn’t.” Damian got up and motioned for Jamie to follow, half-turning toward the exit, but before he had a chance to move, River blocked his way, placing her hands on her hips.

  “Sit down,” she ordered in the best tone of a police detective. “And don’t give me your usual ‘conversation is over’ bullshit, because it’s not over until I say it’s over.”

  Jamie snorted, but pressed his hand to his mouth and shut up under River’s icy stare. Damian froze in place, stifling a sigh.

  “What do you want me to tell you, River?” he asked, speaking slowly and evenly. “That I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place? Then yes, I am. An evil monster holds my brother hostage, and there is nothing I can do about that because my superiors force me into complying with his demands. Is that what you wanted me to say?”

  “Damian, I’m sorry…” River reached for him, but he stepped back without realizing what he was doing. “I don’t understand. If this man is evil, then why are your superiors forcing you to comply with his demands? All this time, I thought the Destiny Council was supposed to be good.”

  Zabava chuckled, her laughter void of any humor.

  “You’re too new to all this, River. So let me explain to you the best I can, because your inarticulate buddy here”—she pinned Damian with a heavy stare—“doesn’t understand the importance of a clear line of communication.” She rolled her unnaturally bright eyes and turned to River. “The Destiny Council is neither good nor evil. They do fight on the side of Light, but they work in mysterious ways, darling. When it comes to Damian and the likes of him, they don’t explain themselves. The Destiny Council just tells them to jump, and they are supposed to ask how high. Destiny Enforcers are a special breed—they have no mercy, no remorse, no regrets, and no choice. Free will doesn’t apply to them. They do as they’ve been told. Period. Once an order is given, the choice is removed from their hands.”

  Damian sucked in a sharp breath as if someone had just punched him in the gut. Slowly, he turned around and headed toward the exit, feeling River’s and Zabava’s eyes on his back.

  “Damian, what does the Head of the Arizona House want you to do?” Zabava called after him, making him stop half-way through the threshold. “Does it have anything to do with my investigation?”

  He glanced back, debating if he should just leave while he still could, but then turned around unwillingly to face her.

  “No, it has nothing to do with the abduction of witches or the Sisterhood impersonators, at least as far as I can see.” He read the mistrust written all over her face, and the desire to be as far away as he possibly could from this forceful woman roared through him, increasing tenfold. “You’ll be happy to know that since my brother had no choice but to stay behind, it may give him the opportunity to look around. If the Head of the House is somehow involved in the disappearance of witches, Cole will figure it out.”

  He stopped talking, going over his conversation with Amaris in his mind.

  “I’m not happy about Cole’s situation, or that you’re forced into doing something against your better judgment. I’m sorry if I gave you that impression, Damian, but I have to do my job. I hope you can understand that,” said Zabava. “So, what does the Head of the Arizona House want from you? It has to be something important. Otherwise, he wouldn’t go through so much trouble just to force you into submission. He has more than enough supernatural slaves on-premises who can do his bidding.”

  “That’s the problem.” Damian rested his shoulder against the doorframe and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. “I have no idea what he wants me to do. He gave me a riddle and refused to tell me any details. I’m supposed to figure it out on my own.”

  “Maybe between the four of us, we can figure it out?” suggested River, pointing at a chair. “What was his riddle?”

  “I doubt that,” Damian murmured, but since he had nothing to lose at this point, he changed his mind. “He wants me to go somewhere and find something, but he didn’t tell me what that is and where it’s located. That’s the riddle.”

  “That makes zero sense,” said Jamie. Then he looked at River and shrugged. “River, do you have a computer? I can try to look it up. You never know what you can find on the internet.”

  “Wait.” Zabava buried her fingers into her short, golden hair, her eyes moving up and to the side. “Wait…” She moved her hand to her cheek as if she had a toothache, her face turning ashen. “That can’t be right. Can you repeat his exact words? Don’t add anything, say everything the way he said it.”

  “He said, I need you to go there—I don’t know where, and bring me that—I don’t know what,” Damian repeated with a sigh. “Does it ring a bell?”

  For a moment, Zabava stared at him, her jaw slacked, her eyes resembling two green plates. “Yeah,” she managed to say after a short pause. “It rings a bell, alright. A bell the size of the two-hundred-sixteen-ton Tsar Bell.”

  “Do you know what that is and where I can find it?” Damian asked, a spark of hope igniting in his heart for the first time since he met Amaris.

  “No and no,” she replied, rising from her chair. “But I know someone who knows someone.” She gave Damian a quick once-over and shrugged. “Your mission, since you have no choice but to accept it, takes you outside of the realm of humans and to the magical nexus, the Land of Dreams. I’ll escort you to the person who can point you in the right direction. But as always, I don’t take any responsibility for what may happen to you or your little buddy”—she sent a veiled gaze filled with mockery to Jamie—“during our journey. Since your brother is not here to go with you, I assume this baby wizard will take his place by your side.”

  Damian nodded, giving a warning stare to Jamie to prevent him from getting into an argument with Zabava. She followed their silent communication with a humorless look on her face.

  Gazing heavenwards, Jamie muttered to Zabava, “Please say that you’ll self-destruct after this message. Make my friggin’ day.”

  “So, do you agree with my terms, Commander Blake?” Zabava asked, ignoring Jamie’s remark.

  Dammit, what am I getting myself into? I swear if I ever see Magnus again…

  “You will do what?” Zhulik’s voice sounded in Damian’s mind, causing him to stiffen and hold his breath. “Oh, wait. Don’t tell me. I know that one. You’ll kneel and kiss his ring? Right? Am I right?”

  “Ha-ha. You are supposed to be my guardian. So shut up and guard,” Damian snapped.

  “I’m not your guardian. I’m t
he only voice your malnourished, suppressed conscious has,” the gargoyle muttered. “Take the deal, Commander. This is the only way.”

  “I agree to your terms,” Damian said, offering Zabava his hand.

  Chapter 15

  ~ Damian Blake ~

  “Let’s get going then.” Zabava shook Damian’s hand, but didn’t let go and raised her free hand, ready to snap her fingers.

  Damian pulled his hand out of her grip, giving her a tiny shake no. “Not so fast. We’re going outside the human realm. Would you mind if I take a few minutes to get ready?”

  Zabava looked at him with curiosity. “I thought Destiny Enforcers have no worldly possessions, travel light and can leave on the spur of the moment.” She cocked her head, looking up at him.

  “I guess there is something you don’t know about Destiny Enforcers after all. Give me ten minutes,” muttered Damian, turning toward Jamie. “Jamie, call Luc and let him know what’s going on.” He headed toward the exit, but as he caught River’s widened eyes, he halted and returned to her, taking her hand in his. “As much as I hate to admit it, Zabava is right. In my line of work, I sometimes have to get up and leave on the spot.”

  “I understand,” she replied, quickly composing herself. Giving a gentle squeeze to his hand, she added, “It’s going to be all right, Dima. You know that, right?” There was so much calm confidence in her voice, his chest tightened.

  “I’ll be right back,” he promised, giving her a reassuring nod.

  Pivoting on his heel, he headed out of the kitchen and didn’t stop until he reached his room. He stripped his clothes off, quickly changed and sat down on the bed, lacing his combat boots. Once he finished, he sat upright and took a few deep breaths, disconnecting from everything that troubled him at the moment. He opened his mind to his connection with his brother and stilled, listening intently. Cole responded immediately.

  “Cole, are you okay? Where are you?” Damian asked, lowering his face into his hands. “Listen, little bro… The errand Amaris wants me to run for him takes me to the Land of Dreams. I have no idea what to expect and how long it’ll take me to come back—” He fell silent, his fingers digging into his scalp. “Before I leave, I wanted to know you were okay and our blood bond could keep us connected no matter where I have to go.”

  “Dima, our blood bond is fine, but not for long,” replied Cole, speaking faster than normal.

  “What do you mean?”

  “As soon as you left, Amaris moved Ruslan and me to a different wing of his underground bunker,” Cole continued, but even though his normal calm confidence flooded their connection, Damian could tell something was off. “Good news—Ruslan is no longer being abused. Bad news—I believe Amaris knows I have a bond with you, so he sent some wizards over to work their mojo. I know nothing about runic magic, but as far as I can see, a few more runes on these walls, and this room is going to look like an art gallery.”

  Damian cursed, slamming his hand on the bed. “This asshole will block our connection.”

  “Yes, he will, and not only in my room. From what I understand, the same runes have been placed all over the bunker.” Cole’s voice wavered, breaking and cracking as if they were speaking on cellphones with a bad connection. “Dima, I’ll be all right. Trust me, I can hold my own. Watch your back, brother. You know how the magical nexuses are—you must expect the unexpected.”

  “Always…” Damian fell silent, thinking how to bring the news to his brother. Making a split-second decision, he chose to tell him straight. He’s a big boy, he can handle it…

  “You’re thinking out loud, brother mine.” Cole chuckled in Damian’s mind. “What can I handle?”

  “The Sisterhood’s Grand Master spoke with Zabava,” said Damian. “The women who attacked you are imposters. They don’t belong to the Sisterhood of the Sun.”

  “Then how did they come into possession of their poison? From what I remember, it’s quite unique.”

  “Beats me.” Damian frowned, rubbing his chin. “At this point, there are more questions than answers. So, I suggest we take one step at a time and see where the investigation leads us. I’m going to travel to the Land of Dreams and try to find—um—I have no idea what. And you just go with the plan and see if you can learn more about Amaris, his true business and what he’s doing with the witches. He’s a dangerous and conniving man, Cole, so don’t take him lightly. There is a reason he surrounds himself with all this mystery. I have a feeling these Sisterhood copycats may have something to do with him, too. Just proceed with caution.”

  “Always… Dima—” Cole’s voice broke and disappeared.

  “Cole?” His brother didn’t respond, emptiness flooding the place where their connection had once been. “Nikolai…” There was no answer.

  For a few long seconds, Damian just sat on the bed without moving, feeling hollow on the inside. Then he took a deep breath and got up, observing every detail of his room one more time. After years of constantly moving from place to place and living on the run, this was the first place he called home. Despite everything he had to deal with in his line of duty, Paradise Manor was his safe haven, a place where he could relax, at least to a degree, living a semblance of a normal life. But no matter what, he could never get rid of the feeling that it was as temporary as everything else in his existence, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  “I guess this is it,” he murmured to himself and walked out of the room, softly closing the door behind himself.

  He wasn’t sure why he did it, but instead of going to the kitchen, he turned in the opposite direction and headed toward Cole’s room. The door was cracked open, and he pushed it, walking inside. As always, everything in his brother’s room was in perfect order, not a thing out of place. A weight settled on his heart as he observed it. Unlike him, meticulous and punctual by nature, his brother couldn’t stand any mess, whether it was his bedroom in Paradise Manor, his corporate office, or his giant mansion.

  Damian’s eyes halted on the half-opened door of the closet, and he frowned. Quickly crossing the room, he walked into the closet and halted. Cole’s trench coat hung on a plastic hanger. With his heart beating in his throat, Damian pulled the side of the coat open and saw the leather scabbard with Cole’s sword inside.

  In the whirlwind of events, he hadn’t noticed that his brother went to the meeting with the Head of the Arizona House unarmed. Damian’s heart wrenched even though he knew it was the right thing to do.

  Smart boy, he thought, heading out of Cole’s room. He didn’t want to take the chance of Amaris learning about his unusual abilities.

  As soon as he walked into the kitchen, Zabava got up, giving him a quick once-over. “Are you ready to go now, Commander?” she asked, but even though a slightly sarcastic expression appeared on her face, her voice was serious bordering on tense.

  “Almost,” muttered Damian.

  He approached River and stopped in front of her, ignoring Zabava’s curious gaze. River got up, her movements slow and measured, which wasn’t like her. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently.

  “As always, you were right,” he said, caressing her hand with his thumb. “Everything is going to be all right. I just spoke with Cole. He’s fine. I’ll be okay, too. It’s just a quick trip. Jamie and I will be back before you know it.”

  “For someone so old, you sure have no idea how to lie convincingly, Commander Blake.” Reaching up, she cupped his face, forcing him to bend down. Her lips found his, and for a moment shorter than a heartbeat, the world around him disappeared. Even though his body ached with the need to feel her touch, he pulled away, taking a step back.

  “Come back to me?” she whispered.

  “Always,” he replied and bowed to her in the best traditions of the World of Magic.

  “I thought you don’t bow, and you kneel before no one.” She laughed softly, shaking her head.

  “I don’t,” he replied in full seriousness. Seizing Jamie�
�s arm, he turned to Zabava, offering her his hand. “I’m ready now.”

  She took his hand and snapped her fingers, teleporting them out of Paradise Manor.

  The sheer amount of magical and elemental energy was so overwhelming that for a moment, Damian couldn’t breathe. Feeling lightheaded and intoxicated, he bent forward and propped his hands against his knees, struggling to keep upright. He stood like this for a few seconds until the effects of the magical nexus started to dwindle, clearing his mind.

  “Ahh,” he exhaled, rolling his shoulders like after a long sleep. “I already forgot how great it feels to be here.”

  He looked around for Jamie and found him lying on his back, staring at the perfectly blue sky. His eyes were foggy, and a drunk smile played on his lips. Damian glanced at Zabava, and they both laughed.

  “He really is new to the World of Magic, isn’t he?” she asked, shaking her head.

  “You have no idea,” murmured Damian, lowering to his knee next to Jamie. “Are you okay, my friend?”

  “Whoa…” Jamie lifted his arm, trying to touch Damian’s face but missed it by a few inches. “What’s this place? All the colors and smells and sounds… And your eyes are glowing orange… so pretty…” He tittered. “I feel—”

  “Drunk?” Damian seized his shoulders and yanked him to his feet. He placed his hand over Jamie’s forehead, gently blocking some of his magical energy. As his glowing eyes cleared, Damian let go and waved his hand around. “Welcome to the Land of Dreams, one of three magical nexuses in the realm of humans.”

  Damian observed his surroundings, slowly turning in place. They stood in the middle of an enormous clearing that was surrounded by a thick, dark forest from every direction. A light breeze played with tall, lush grass, sending wave after wave across the clearing, and a chorus of birds chirped loudly somewhere in the depth of the woods. The bright rays of sunshine caressed the ground, kindling sparkling flares in the drops of the morning dew. The scent of wildflowers mixed in with a slight odor of damp earth and foliage lingered in the air, adding to its crisp freshness.