The Shadow Deception: The Shadow Enforcer Series Book Two

by N M Thorn

  Oblivion swallowed him whole, and for once, he slept without any nightmares or dreams. He woke up a few hours later because the car jerked violently and came to a sharp stop, Jamie’s colorful curses sounding somewhere on his left. He jolted upright but fell back, held by the seatbelt.

  “Damian, relax.” Jamie tapped his knee. “We just hit the LA traffic.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Now we’re going to be crawling stop-and-go all the way until we reach Studio City.”

  “What time is it?” mumbled Damian, raising his seat back up, blinking sleepily at the ocean of red brake lights in front of him.

  “Four fifteen. There has to be an accident somewhere,” replied Jamie, dancing on the pedals as traffic congestion became thicker. “Do you feel better? You looked like the walking dead when we left.”

  Damian took a deep breath, stretching his shoulders as much as he could inside the vehicle. The soreness was gone, and he felt stronger now—not a hundred percent restored but refreshed enough to function effectively in a combat situation.

  The use of magic and elemental power didn’t come without a price, and the more he used it, the weaker and more worn out he felt. Even though he was channeling magical energy from nature, it was impossible not to tap into the internal resources of his own body, and after prolonged use of magic, his body was getting drained of magical energy, which weakened him physically.

  Masters of Power, who were considered being at the top of the food chain in respect to power and magic, could get drained even faster if they used their magic excessively, and it could take them quite a bit of time to regain their strength. Like everything in life, the bigger they were, the harder they fell. One of the perks of being a Destiny Enforcer, however, was that Damian could restore his strength much faster than any other being of Magic of equal power. Nevertheless, he always had to keep in the back of his mind that his body was human, and its resources weren’t endless.

  “I’m fine,” he replied, readjusting his position.

  “How do you know when to stop?” asked Jamie, throwing a quick glance at him.

  “Stop what?”

  “Not to overuse your magic, I mean,” said Jamie. “During the fight, when adrenalin is pumping, how can you measure your resources.”

  “Comes with experience, I guess,” he replied unwillingly. He liked Jamie, but he was too young as a person and too inexperienced as a wizard. He needed a lot of training, and Damian wasn’t sure he was the right person to teach him. “Jamie, are you sure you don’t want to come back to the Guardians Academy as an apprentice? They know how to teach young wizards like yourself. I am...” His voice trailed off, and he stifled a sigh. “I lived on my own for most of my life. I’m not mentor material.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure.” Jamie pressed his lips into a stubborn line. “You’re the only mentor I want. It’s either you teaching me, or I’m on my own.”

  Dammit, kid... Why me? he thought, staring out the window wistfully.

  “When all this is over, hopefully, I’ll have more time to devote to your training,” Damian said out loud. “To know your limits, you have to be placed in a real high-pressure combat situation. This is the only way you can learn how far you can push yourself. Trust me, you’ll feel when you’re getting drained. The truth is, sometimes you have no choice but to push through the exhaustion and stretch your abilities to the maximum.” He thought for a moment and added, “Especially when your life or the lives of others depend on it.”

  He smirked, throwing a veiled gaze at the young wizard from under the long strands of his hair. “Let’s survive this trip first, though.”

  Thinking about what was coming and all the uncertainties, Damian ran his fingers over his dark stubble and whispered more to himself than to Jamie, “I wish I didn’t have to drag you with me to California, putting you into this situation—"

  “Ehhh... But you always do, don’t you? You’re a magnet for trouble, Kid of Earth, and everyone around you is always in danger, whether you like it or not,” a screechy little voice sounded in Damian’s mind, and he flinched, turning around. The magpie sat on the headrest of the back seat, its white chest prominent in the darkness of the vehicle.

  “How did you get here?” Damian grumbled, making Jamie flinch and look back. As he spotted the bird, his jaw dropped.

  “Ohhh... I’m glad you finally asked,” chirped the bird, flying forward and landing on the dashboard to Jamie’s utter displeasure. “You know I’m Canadian. Toronto—a beautiful city. You should visit when you get a chance. Anyway, one day, I was talking to my friend Jack, and he was like, hey, dude, I heard there is no winter in California, and it’s warm all year round. Why don’t we go? And I was like, yeah, dude, awesome idea—”

  “Perun almighty,” exhaled Damian, rolling his eyes. “Can you answer one question without turning it into a full-length novel?”

  “I wish I could understand what he’s saying,” murmured Jamie, his eyes darting from the bird to Damian.

  “Trust me, you don’t. He’ll talk your ears off,” Damian muttered, switching his attention to the bird. “I didn’t ask you about your life story. I asked you what you are doing in this car and how you got here.”

  “Ekhhhhkh,” chirped the magpie, spreading its wings. “Well, I heard you two were going to take a road trip to the City of Angels, and I was like, a road trip? Alright, babe, count me in. Hollywood is where I wanna be, anyway. And Gypsy was like, yeah, a good idea, dude. You go to Hollywood, pick up some nice chick and live your life on the hills. And I was like—”

  Damian grunted, and the magpie flew up, landing on Jamie’s left shoulder away from Damian.

  “Anyway, Kid of Earth, just drop me off as soon as you get off the freeway,” said the bird. “I’ll find my way to Hollywood on my own. It’s not safe around you by any stretch of the imagination.”

  “Thank God for small mercies,” murmured Damian, watching Jamie trying to wave the bird off his shoulder. “I’m just curious... Why Hollywood?”

  For a moment, the bird stared at him, cocking his head. “Movie stars! Shiny!” the magpie sang, and Damian could swear it winked at him.

  Jamie was right. Once they passed Studio City, traffic became handleable, and soon, he took the car off the freeway and onto the street. At the first stoplight, Damian opened the window and let the magpie out. The bird chirped its goodbyes and disappeared into the dark sky. For a moment, he stared into the darkness, trying to calm his mind and focus on the mission ahead.

  “Damian!”

  Jamie’s voice broke his train of thought, and he raised his face, gazing at the young man, doubt tearing at his soul.

  “Damian,” said Jamie, staring at him with concern. “We’re here. I parked the car at the Ralphs supermarket parking lot. The address you gave me is just a block away.” He pulled the key out of the ignition and gave it to Damian. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need more rest before we go?”

  “Thanks, Jamie, I don’t need rest,” Damian replied calmly. “But I need you to stay in the car and wait for me. I don’t know what we’re going to run into and—"

  “I know I made a stupid mistake a few days ago when Cole was in trouble, but I learned my lesson. Something like that will never happen again.” Jamie glanced up at Damian, his eyes pleading. “This is the only way I can learn. All the practice you give me at home is not enough. You said it yourself—only in a real combat situation can I learn how to use my magic and what to expect on the field.”

  “Hey, don’t use what I’ve said against me.” Damian chuckled mirthlessly. “And it’s not true,” he objected quietly. “I went through rigorous training when I started as a Destiny Enforcer. My Commander would never put me on the field before I passed their tests.” He fell silent, shivering at the memory of his initial training. “Come on, Jamie. Use common sense. We have no idea what we’re going to find there.” He waved at the dark street, worry gnawing at him. “Possibly, I will have to face one of the most powerful Masters of the Dark A
rts I’ve ever met—a man who can conjure wurdulaks in groups of fifteen. I’ll be honest with you, I’m afraid. I’ve never heard of a Dark Wizard wielding so much power.”

  “You’re afraid... You?” Jamie’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re never afraid of anything. I saw you fight. You enjoy it... your power, your strength. You toy with your opponents, and the more dangerous and skilled they are, the more fun you have. You have no idea what the word ‘fear’ means.”

  Damian smirked, shaking his head. “Of course, I do,” he objected, a warm smile touching his lips. “Only complete idiots are scared of nothing. Every time when I have to face a dangerous adversary, fear is twisting my gut into a tight knot.” His hand went up to his chest of its own accord, his fingers clenching over his heart. “Being brave doesn’t mean being fearless, Jamie. It means controlling your fears and doing what’s right, no matter how scared you are. Actually, fear—if you know how to control it—makes you more careful, more alert, and that’s exactly what you need in a combat situation where being reckless means certain death.”

  “Wow, if you hadn’t told me, I never would’ve guessed,” mumbled Jamie, gazing at him in awe.

  “I am afraid. I’m terrified, Jamie, but not for myself. I’m afraid of what could happen if I fail. I have failed too many times over the course of my life...” Damian’s voice melted into the silence of the night, and he dropped back in his seat, pressing his hand over his eyes. “Right now, I’m a ball of nerves, but I know when the time comes to face the enemy, I’ll be all right.”

  “Damian—,” started Jamie, but Damian held his hand up, interrupting him.

  “Every time I fail,” he said, numbness spreading through his chest, “people get hurt. I can’t fail now, and I can’t put you in the line of fire either. You’re going to stay here and wait for me, and I’m going to face JB on my own, whoever or whatever he is.”

  “Yeah... no.” Jamie opened the car door and stepped outside. Turning around, he bent a little, looking at Damian, and said, “Dream on. Get your terrified ass out of the car. We’re going together. Someone has to watch your doublewide back.”

  “Dammit, kid,” muttered Damian, stepping out of the SUV. I’ve made possibly the longest speech in my entire life, and it successfully fell on deaf ears...

  The sky gradually began to change, pale shades of yellow and pink advancing to the deep ultramarine color of the night along the horizon. Slowly and unwillingly, the city started to wake, getting ready for the upcoming day. Following a two-lane street toward the designated address, Jamie kept checking the numbers on the houses, and after a short while, he halted in front of a gate into an apartment complex, observing it with curiosity.

  Three two-story buildings positioned at ninety degrees to each other encircled a large court with a swimming pool and fitness center in the middle. Decorative palms and other leafy trees, strategically planted inside the complex, created a tropical atmosphere of relaxation and comfort. A few windows were lit up with the yellow light of electric lamps, suggesting that some of the residents were getting ready to start their day. Everything looked so quiet and peaceful that no one could even suspect that possibly one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards resided within the walls of this complex.

  “Are you sure you have the right address?” asked Jamie, checking the number on the gate again.

  Damian nodded and opened his second sight, carefully probing the area. He couldn’t sense anything alarming, but he didn’t expect that he would. If JB truly was the necromancer behind all the attacks in Blue Creek and Phoenix, he wouldn’t let anyone detect his presence. Moving his hands over the surface of the gate, he probed it for wards but found none.

  “Jamie,” whispered Damian, switching his attention to his young friend, “remember what I taught you about shadowing your magical energy signature?” Jamie nodded, and he continued, sounding as calm as he could muster, “Do it now.”

  Carefully, he pushed the gate, and it opened with a light squeak. Holding his friend back, Damian walked inside first, following the narrow asphalt road toward the building on the right. As he reached the swimming pool, he halted in the shadow of the fitness center, checking the address.

  “Building A, apartment Two-Twelve,” he said, cringing inwardly. The apartment was on the second floor, which meant he would be a little weaker than he would be standing on the ground.

  “Right there.” Jamie pointed at the building on the left. The door with large numbers two-twelve was located in the middle of the second-floor balcony.

  Damian nodded and headed toward the staircase leading to the second floor, silently cursing his bad luck. Taking a deep breath, he walked up the stairs, feeling his connection with his element weakening with every step he took. As he reached the top, he halted, leaning heavily on the railing to check his surroundings. The balcony ran in both directions for quite some distance, but the entrance into the apartment they needed was just three doors away. Opening his other sight, he surveyed the door and the wall around it but couldn’t find any sign of either protective or concealment magic. For a heartbeat, he started to wonder if Az had sent him on a wild goose chase when something changed, immediately setting his mind on high alert.

  A barely noticeable wave of magical energy touched his senses, and the floor swayed under his feet. Damian wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew it was just the beginning. Turning to Jamie, he hissed, “Hold on to the railing and don’t move. Something is coming—”

  He didn’t finish the statement when their surroundings shimmered with a dark mist, slowly morphing into something entirely different. He was still in the same apartment building, but its looks had changed, turning into something blood-chilling and sinister. The walls wobbled as if they were made of some disgusting, gray jelly, and dark, thick drops fell from the edge of the roof. The temperature dropped considerably, and the suffocating stench of sulfur invaded his senses, making his stomach spasm painfully.

  In the place of the tropical paradise, twisted, thorny bushes stretched their dry branches toward the sky, purple goo seeping from them like a putrid, revolting sap. The light was gone from the windows, and they stood dark and hollow, staring at him like the empty eye sockets of a skull. Glancing down, Damian grunted and swallowed hard, hiding his nose and mouth into the crook of his elbow. The pool was filled with a thick, dark liquid, its nauseating copper odor permeating the air. Semi-translucent swirls of steam rose above its surface, hanging over the pool like a disgusting curtain.

  A constrained gasp reminded him that Jamie was nearby, even though he couldn’t see him.

  “Jamie, hold on. Don’t be afraid,” Damian whispered, channeling his magic. “I think it’s just an illusion.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Damian heard Jamie’s terrified voice and turned in his direction but could see only his dark silhouette. “I hope you’re right,” continued Jamie, “because I would hate for this to be real.” He pointed at something behind Damian.

  Damian spun around, and the hair rose on the back of his neck. The entire space of the balcony was filled to the brim with assorted monsters—pureblood demons, by the looks of them. They stood shoulder to shoulder in the narrow space between the wall and the railing, their eyes glowing with malice and hostility. A low growl rumbled through their rows, and Damian took a step back, running into Jamie.

  “All this is not real,” he whispered, not quite sure if he was trying to reassure the young wizard or himself. “It can’t be real.” He moved his arm in a wide arch and whispered, “Veritatius Revelare.”

  The dark mist dissipated, the wall stopped wobbling, and now he could see the shimmering outlines of the demonic army coming in and out of focus. He was right. All this was an illusion—powerful and skillfully crafted, but still nothing more than an illusion. The goo dripping from the roof and the pool filled with blood were still there, however, and that sent chills down Damian’s back, making him wonder how powerful this Dark Wizard truly was if a Destiny Enforcer of his caliber couldn’t
see through this illusion and dislodge it. He heard a loud bang and spun around a moment too late.

  “Damian, watch out!” Jamie yelled, desperate tones ringing in his voice.

  An enormous monster appeared seemingly out of nowhere and pushed off the floor, leaping in the air. In a way, it looked like an oversized Rottweiler, but its chest was a lot wider with thick ropes of muscles working under its black fur, and two webbed wings protruded from its back. Before Damian could do anything to stop him, Jamie pushed him away, unbalancing him, and threw himself in the beast’s way, shielding Damian with his body. The monster roared, its eyes igniting with a deep blue light as it impacted Jamie on his chest with enormous force.

  Jamie fell, propelled a few feet back by the impact, and a howl of anguish erupted from his lips as the monster pinned him to the floor with its heavy paws and sunk its enormous fangs into his shoulder. Bright red spurts of blood rushed down his chest, neck and arm, his face contorted by the debilitating pain. His arms fell to the floor, his body arching against the monster standing over him.

  In less than a heartbeat, Damian was back on his feet, daggers blazing in his hands. He crossed the distance in two long strides and plunged his dagger into the monster’s back between its wings. The blade bounced up, doing it absolutely no harm. Damian staggered a step back, staring at the creature in shock, the force of the impact still reverberating through his arm. The beast lifted his head and looked back at Damian, blood dripping from its fangs, the semblance of a smile stretching its ferocious muzzle.

  As anger spiraled through him, Damian connected with his magic, and his daggers vanished, replaced by a high-voltage energy orb in the palm of his right hand.

  “Hey, mutt,” he roared, stepping closer to the beast, and as the monster turned its ugly head again, he shoved the energy orb into its maw.