by N M Thorn
“It’s time we had a serious talk, missy. What kind of bullshit is that? Just because I’m a vampire, you automatically assume I’m evil?” he murmured, looking behind the mirror to see how it was attached to the wall. “The stereotypes...”
He lifted the mirror slightly and carefully removed it from the hooks, feeling the rough surface of the antique frame under his fingers. With the mirror in his hands, he walked outside and placed it on the porch, leaning it against the wall. Gently moving it, he made sure the sun reflected in the mirror and playful flares of light bounced around.
“Zerkalitsa,” he whispered, angling the mirror a little to create brighter flairs, “I summon thee.” He waited a moment, his fingers squeezing the frame. “Please, talk to me... I swear I’m here to help. I’m not evil—”
“Says you!” A high girlish voice sounded from behind the glass.
The surface of the mirror lit up with a soft bluish glimmer, and when the light dwindled down, a young woman stood next to him. Her semi-translucent body was surrounded by a light, shimmering mist, but even through the mist, he could see a frown on her round face covered in a multitude of freckles. Her long, golden hair and silky dress flowed weightlessly even though there wasn’t any wind.
“My lady,” said Cole, bowing to her elegantly.
She folded her arms over her chest and turned away from him, gazing up into the perfectly blue sky. Despite the fury she was trying to project, as soon as her eyes fell on the sun, a blissful smile transformed her features, making her look like a cheerful teenager. She took a deep breath and outstretched her arms, twirling in place, her floating dress wrapping around her long legs.
Cole stood silent, allowing her to enjoy her temporary freedom for as long as she wanted. She stopped a few seconds later and turned toward him with a demonstrative sigh. Rolling her enormous pale-silver eyes that seemed to be too large for her face, she placed her hands on her hips, tapping her foot.
“So, what did you want, vamp?” she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly. “Normally, I wouldn’t even talk to your kind, but since you gave me this unexpected, pleasant surprise, I feel obligated.”
“Thank you, my lady,” replied Cole, inclining his head to hide his laughing eyes. “I need your help.” Noticing her eyebrows lowering over her eyes, he added hastily, “Not for myself. My friend and I are trying to protect Paradise Manor and River Evans, but we fight blindfolded with our hands tied.”
“How so?” she asked. Taking a step closer, she reached for his hand, her translucent fingers brushing his skin, and to his surprise, he could feel her touch. “Hmm, your hands seem to be free now.”
“It was just a figure of speech,” he said, smiling at her. “What I was trying to say was that without knowing whom we are fighting, we can’t win this battle.” He gazed down into her silvery eyes without blinking and froze, afraid to make a move. In her eyes, he could see his own reflection. “Help us. Please... I know you can.”
“You know, don’t you?” she grumbled, rolling her enormous eyes. She held out her hand, and he took it, gently rubbing her skin with his thumb. “I can feel your touch. So strange. Do you think it happens because you’re a vampire? Your undead status puts you sort of between the world of the dead and the realm of the living.”
“I don’t know. I can feel your touch, too.”
She sighed and turned away, pulling her hand out of his grip. “The giant, dark-haired man. Who is he to you?”
“Why are you asking?” Cole glanced at her with curiosity.
“Don’t answer a question with a question, vampire.” She pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes. “I have a reason for everything I ask. So, if you want my help, answer my questions. And keep in mind—you can’t lie to me. I’m the spirit of the mirror. I can see into people’s souls.” She lifted her airy hand and brushed her thin fingers over his chest. “I can see your soul, too...”
“My soul?” A bitter smile appeared on his lips. “As you pointed out so many times—I’m a vampire—”
“And you still have a soul, Cole Adams.” She pulled her hand back. “Please me by answering my questions with honesty, and I’ll reward you by giving you the information you seek.”
“The dark-haired man is my brother,” replied Cole.
“I figured as much,” she murmured, staring back at her mirror with sadness. “Did you know he’s truly willing to die for you? It’s not just words to him. Would you do the same for him?”
“The same and more,” replied Cole, his voice hoarse.
“If you want to save River Evans, it may come to that, Cole,” she said softly, gazing back at him. “Are you ready to do what’s right?”
“Yes, my lady.”
She sighed, running her fingers over the ornamental inclusions of the frame. “Both of you are in way over your heads,” she whispered, sunlight reflecting in the corners of her eyes where large drops of water gathered and slowly ran down her pale cheeks. “A powerful magical artifact, well-guarded by generations of mages, lies within these walls.” She waved her arm in a wide arch. “River Evans, even though she doesn’t know it, is the last guardian, and as long as she’s alive, the wards will hold. If she dies, nothing can stop evil from entering these walls.”
“From what Damian told me, the evil has already entered the house. You were the one who helped my brother fight it,” said Cole.
“No.” The Lady of the Mirror shook her head. “What Damian encountered was just a powerful illusion. The astral projection of the real evil.”
“Oh, God,” muttered Cole, shivers running down his back. “He almost died, and it wasn’t even the real enemy? With whom are we dealing? And what do they want?”
“You’re dealing with gods, little vampire. Two of them... Thousands of years ago, they were cursed, and to break that curse, they need...” The sun got shadowed by light clouds, and Zerkalitsa lowered herself next to her mirror, leaning her back against the wall. “Being on this side of the mirror makes me weary. And the sun is gone...”
“What do they need? Who are these gods? Do you know their names or at least their pantheon?” Cole spoke quickly, his stomach twisting with fear.
“The lake,” she whispered faintly. “They need the enchanted lake, which is guarded by the protection spell that was cast over this house. Only those who live in this house can enter the sacred grounds. So, as long as River is alive, the wards will hold. However, if she dies before inviting someone else to move into the house... Two dark deities will walk this world again. In their wake, they’ll bring the darkness, cold and lies...”
This is why the wards didn’t react to Damian... River invited him to move in. He lives here. A thought sped through Cole’s mind, leading to a thought that was a lot scarier. As long as Damian lives in the house, he’s also a target, just like River.
“How do we stop them?” he asked, barely able to unclench his tightly pressed teeth.
“You cannot. Sorry.” She took his hand, squeezing it with her delicate fingers. “You’re an ancient vampire, and there are some perks that come with it, like your speed, strength, self-healing and possibly other talents that are unique to each one of your kind. But what you have is not enough to face two angry gods who are fighting for their future. Just keep your brother and River Evans alive. That’s all you can do. Leave the rest to your brother.”
Zerkalitsa jerked her chin at the mirror standing by her side, and Cole saw an image of Damian. But the man in the mirror didn’t look exactly like his brother. He stood tall and proud, his muscled body clad in strange armor the likes of which he had never seen before. In his hands, he held two daggers—Damian’s daggers—and they shone so brightly that Cole had to squint his eyes. His black hair fell to his shoulders, and there was no ugly scar disfiguring the left side of his face.
“Is that—,” he started to ask, but she interrupted him.
“It is, but it is not,” she replied, trying to get up.
“You speak in riddles, my lady...”
; “When the time comes, you’ll understand.” She reached for him with both hands like a little girl would reach for her father asking to be picked up. Taking one knee, he lifted her gently into his arms and got up. “Now, help me. It’s time for me to go back home...”
He halted in front of the mirror and saw his reflection holding a beautiful spirit in his arms. “I can see my reflection,” he whispered before he could stop himself.
She looked up, and a sad smile touched her lips. The sparkling mist around her became thicker, and she vanished just to appear in the mirror a moment later. He could see her standing by his side, her arm hooked through the crook of his elbow.
“Of course, you have a reflection,” she said, caressing his arm. “When we look in the mirror, it’s not our reflection we see. It’s the reflection of our soul. You understand?” She looked at him through the glass separating them. “You have a soul, Cole, even though you are an old vampire. True evil doesn’t reflect in my mirrors because there is nothing to reflect.”
“Then why didn’t I reflect in your mirror before?”
She giggled, pressing her hand to her lips, her eyes sparkling with mirth. “Oh, that? That was me trying to give you a message.” She shrugged. “I bet everything on the assumption that you were smart enough to understand it. I was right.” She let go of the arm of his reflection and waved her hand in a final farewell. “Take care of your brother. You both need each other more than you know...”
Her voice faded into nothingness, and she vanished. Cole lifted the mirror and headed inside the house where he carefully placed it on the wall. Readjusting its position, he made sure it was situated exactly the same as it was before and glanced into it. His lips quirked up in a tiny smile as he saw his reflection in its silvery surface.
“Thank you, my lady,” he whispered. Pressing his hand over his heart, he bowed to the mirror. His reflection flickered and disappeared for a brief moment just to reappear right back, and he knew the Zerkalitsa heard him.
He locked the house and pulled his cellphone out as he headed toward the gates. Glancing at the display, he sighed. There was nothing from Damian. He dialed his number, but just like before, his call went straight to his voicemail. This time he decided to leave a message.
“Damian, I need you to call me back,” said Cole, unease twisting in the pit of his stomach. “Please, brother. It’s important. I talked to the Zerkalitsa. We’re facing two angry deities, and everyone who lives in the house is their target because only people who live in Paradise Manor can pass through the wards. Please, brother, call me as soon as possible.” He hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. Please, Dima... I need you to be all right...
The gates opened with a soft noise, and Cole walked outside. Carefully checking his surroundings, he stilled as a barely noticeable wave of vampiric energy touched his senses. Positive that one of the Queen’s flunkies was tailing him, he spun around but didn’t notice anything alarming. Since the street was empty, he took off running and didn’t stop until he reached the alley behind the shops. He halted there and quickly readjusted his suit and his hair.
He was ready to walk around the building toward the plaza where he had left his car when he detected the vampiric presence again.
“Show yourself,” he growled, sharpening all his senses. “I know you’re here.”
A burst of soft laughter was a reply to his words. He spun in the direction of the sound, but as fast as he was, he was too slow. A strong arm wrapped around his neck, and he felt the sharp sting of a hypodermic needle penetrating his neck. As the liquid silver spread through his body, he cried out in pain, fighting against the hold of his assailant. The world tilted and shattered into thousands of pieces.
As liquid pain rushed through his veins, he collapsed, curving in on himself. Barely realizing what was going on, he felt someone touching him, ripping his shirt off and wrapping silver chains around his unclothed body, pinning his arms to his sides. A massive fist connected with his jaw, adding to his misery, and finally, the darkness took him over.
Chapter 27
~ Damian Blake ~
A few hours had passed since they left Chicago, driving without stop back to Arizona. Jamie took the first shift driving, and that gave Damian some time to process all the information he’d received from the Archmage of the Guardians Order. It wasn’t much, but at least it confirmed his original suspicion that whoever he was dealing with was extremely dangerous.
The Guardians Order wouldn’t shell out six high-level mages to protect something insignificant. Secretive and powerful, this supernatural Order wouldn’t get involved in the affairs of the human realm unless there was a good reason for that, or unless they received direct orders from the Destiny Council. The questions still remained, though, what the Guardians Order was protecting in Paradise Manor, and why they abandoned it after Nick married River Vetrov.
Damian glanced out the window at the endless wall of greenery they were passing by. The words of the Archmage were burning a hole in his mind, and he couldn’t relax. Did he have what it took to do the job of six well-trained Guardians Mages alone?
Not with my powers stripped, he admitted to himself. I’m getting winded after a simple spell... And Cole is just a vampire. As fast and as strong as he is, he can be killed. Easily. Dammit... He slammed his hand on the door of the car, making Jamie flinch and glance at him. Rubbing his face with his hands, he sighed. What am I going to do?
One thing he knew for sure—he couldn’t leave River unprotected. Allerton was right about the Board of Destiny. As much as he hated to admit it, there was a reason he had met Sam Vetrov on his way to Phoenix. There were no coincidences in the World of Magic, and unfortunately, it had no sense of humor. So, if the Guardians Order sent their mages to shadow Paradise Manor for over a hundred years, whatever was hidden within those walls wasn’t a joking matter.
Damian sighed and reached into his pocket. It’d been a while since he left Arizona, and he still hadn’t heard anything from his brother. Unlocking his cellphone, he saw a blank screen—no messages, no notifications. His chest tightened with worry immediately, but he took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. Cole was a big vampire-boy. He had survived without Damian taking care of him for a thousand years. He’d be all right.
He opened his short contact list and pressed the green button next to Cole’s name. The phone beeped a few times and dropped the call.
“What the hell?” He tried to dial again, but with the same outcome. “Jamie, what’s wrong with this thing?” he asked, showing him the phone. “Why doesn’t it work?”
Jamie glanced at the screen and smirked. “You have no cell service here.” He waved at the endless forest. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he quickly checked it. “My cell is also dead. We’ll stop at the first gas station or a service plaza. Hopefully, we’ll get some connection there. Besides, I can barely keep my eyes open. We should grab something to eat and switch for a few hours so I can get some shut-eye.”
Fifteen minutes later, Jamie exited the highway and drove to a small plaza with a gas station and a fast-food restaurant. He filled up the tank and got back to the car. Starting the engine, he jerked his chin at Damian’s phone that lay in the tray between seats.
“See if you have service,” he suggested, directing the car toward the drive-through lane. “I still don’t have any bars on my phone, but yours is newer.”
Damian opened his cellphone and shook his head. “Something is not right,” he muttered, shoving his phone in his pocket.
“Why?” Jamie grinned at him. “We’re in the middle of God’s country, surrounded by wilderness. I’m not surprised we don’t have a connection here.”
“And normally, I would agree with you,” objected Damian firmly, “but we’re dealing with the World of Magic. I’m telling you—something is not right.”
“We’re miles away from Arizona and Paradise Manor. What could go wrong here?” Jamie stopped the car next to a window and placed the
order for himself and Damian, throwing the receipt between the seats.
“I wish you hadn’t said that,” murmured Damian, sharpening his senses. “Let’s eat and get the hell out of here.”
Jamie parked the car next to the exit out of the plaza, and they ate quickly without talking. Damian barely paid attention to what he was eating, constantly scanning the area for any supernatural presence. As soon as Jamie was done with his meal, they changed places, and Damian drove back on the highway. With his senses on overdrive, he picked up speed, trying to put as many miles between them and the gas station as he could.
Exhausted, Jamie fell asleep almost immediately, leaving Damian on his own. It was close to five in the evening, but despite the time, the highway was almost empty, only an occasional vehicle driving in the opposite direction, and that only added to his feeling of upcoming trouble.
After another hour of driving, he noticed a few vehicles approaching at a high speed in the rearview mirror. Since the road had only one lane going in each direction, he couldn’t say how many cars were lined up behind him. It became darker, and Damian looked out the window, noticing gray, stormy clouds gathering over the highway.
“Perun almighty,” he growled, looking over his shoulder.
The vehicles were getting closer at a considerable speed, and as the road curved to the left, he could see a chain of four large SUVs driving behind him. Damian floored the accelerator pedal, squeezing everything he could out of the heavy vehicle. The engine roared like an angry beast, but the pursuers were still getting closer.
“Jamie!” roared Damian, and the young man jolted awake, staring around wildly. “We have a problem. I need you to take over!”
“What the fuck, Damian!” Jamie yelled, his eyes wide in shock. “You’re driving over a hundred miles an hour, and you want me to take the wheel without stopping?”
“Only if you want to live!” Damian pushed the driver’s seat back as far as he could and shouted, “Move it!”