The Shadow Deception: The Shadow Enforcer Series Book Two

by N M Thorn

  “Powerful enough to bring gods to their knees.” Yakov rubbed his forehead. “I searched for this device for many years, and finally, in eighteen-twelve, I discovered it among all the treasures Napoleon stole during his Russian invasion. The device is protected by its ancient magic, so it can’t be destroyed. I had no choice but to seal it in a box and hide it on the bottom of a lake to make sure that no one ever would find it. Obviously, this Az, whoever he might be, found out about the device and its location.” He threw a glance at Damian. “Sorry, Commander, but he manipulated you into stealing the dagger from that private collector for himself and took the key while he was ‘scrying’ for me.”

  “The unrest in the Vampire Court, the war between the werewolves and vampires.” Damian groaned, hiding his face in his hands. “He did all that just to manipulate me. He made sure that I would find the wurdulak’s bite on Ace’s neck and start looking for a necromancer. The escalating war between the vampires and werewolves pushed me into a tight spot, and just to make sure I would have no other options but to find the necromancer, he broke the sanctuary law. So, after I knocked on his door, asking questions, all he had to do was give me the answer I desperately wanted to hear.”

  Damian laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “He even went as far as ordering the wurdulaks he conjured to attack his own house, pretending to save me during the fight.” He ran his hands over his face and dropped them on the table with a dull thud. “Dammit! I gave him the key with my own hands and then teleported him out of his house, setting him free.” He pressed his hands to his face again and moaned.

  “Forget it, Damian,” Luc cut him off. “At this point, it’s no longer important how he did it and who he manipulated. The important questions are what this device is and why he went through so much trouble to get it?”

  “I can answer the first question,” said Yakov, throwing the long strands of his hair off his face. “It’s a Hollow Band.”

  Luc pushed away from the counter, his face turning ghostly pale. “What?”

  “You heard me, Luc.” Yakov met the Warden’s widened eyes and then looked away with a deep sigh. “A Hollow Band. There are only two sets in all the worlds—human and magical.”

  “I know that…” Luc swayed and braced his hands against the table, dropping his head, his long black hair obscuring his face. “Of course, I know that. An unknown Master of the Dark Arts is going through a world of trouble to retrieve a magical device that can bend a god to his will, turning any being of magic, no matter how powerful, into his mindless puppet.” He raised his hand, setting his lips into a firm line. “Nope. There is absolutely nothing to worry about.” He laughed, his laughter sounding almost hysterical.

  “There is only one thing we can do now,” said Yakov, rising. “Damian, when was the last time you saw Az?”

  Damian glanced at his wristwatch. “About twelve hours ago.”

  “That’s good!” A tentative smile crossed Yakov’s face. “Not all is lost then. The lake is not easy to find, and to find the box at the bottom of it is even harder. If Az hasn’t been there, it’ll take him a long time to find the place. He won’t be able to teleport or open a portal, so if we’re lucky, he’ll have to use mundane methods of transportation, at least for a part of the journey. I can open a portal directly to the lake.” He observed everyone in the room, excitement in his eyes. “If Damian and I leave immediately, we can retrieve the device from the lake before Az gets there.”

  Damian frowned, nibbling on his lip. While Yakov’s suggestion sounded like the only option they had, something was bothering him, his intuition throwing red flags in his mind like a football referee.

  “JB… um… Yakov,” he corrected himself. “There is one question that has been bothering me since I’ve learned that you’re not the necromancer.”

  “What’s that?” Yakov turned to him, his smile slowly morphing into an expression of concern.

  “Why did Az send me to find you? He could have told me that the dagger belonged to someone in China, and I would be none the wiser,” said Damian. “You’re the only person in the entire world who knows about the crystal and the Hollow Band, and he sent me after you.”

  Yakov frowned, and his shoulders tensed. “You think I didn’t ask this very same question myself?” He stifled a sigh, his eyes sliding from Damian to Luc. “The only answer I could come up with was that he wanted me dead, and he hoped that the immortal Commander of the Destiny Enforcers had enough power and magic to end me.”

  “We don’t know Az’s supernatural identity or his motives, but if we keep wasting time, we may miss the only window of opportunity we have to retrieve the Hollow Band.” Luc straightened and pulled at his chainmail coif as if it were suffocating him. “How much time do you need to prepare the potion, Yakov?”

  “Thirty minutes.” The wizard replied and turned to Hawk. “Hawk, this potion is pretty simple to brew, and I’m sure I can find all the ingredients I need here, if you allow me to check your kitchen cabinets.” He waved his hand around the room.

  “Everything I have is at your disposal,” replied the Alpha, slightly inclining his head, and then turned to his older son. “Griffin, please make sure the Lord Wizard has everything he needs.”

  As Yakov started to go through all the herbs and spices Hawk had in his kitchen, Cole approached Damian and touched his shoulder. “Damian, I’m coming with you. Don’t argue with me, brother.”

  “Cole, we’re going after a man who can possibly control a vampire with a simple spell.” Damian got up, his every cell responding with soreness. “While I would love to have you by my side, I don’t think it’s a smart idea.”

  “Actually…” Yakov glanced over his shoulder at Damian. “I think it’s the smartest idea I’ve heard since this morning. I can protect a vampire from the influence of a necromancer, but if for some reason I can’t summon mavka Kostroma, Cole is the only one among us all who doesn’t need oxygen to survive.” He gave Damian another arched stare and returned to his work.

  Damian ran both hands through his uneven hair, exhaling a ragged breath. “Fine. As soon as the potion is ready, Yakov, Cole and I are leaving.”

  “Perfect. I believe I’m no longer needed here.” Luc touched Damian’s shoulder, calling for his attention. “Commander, I expect you to contact me as soon as you’re back.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Damian, slightly inclining his head.

  Luc said his goodbyes, wishing them good luck, and then snapped his fingers, vanishing from Hawk’s house.

  Once Luc was gone, Damian turned to River, worry gnawing at his heart. She caught his troubled gaze and warmth suffused her features.

  “I have to go back home somehow,” she said, making her way closer to him. “I guess I’ll call Uber. I’ll be all right, though. Don’t worry.”

  “Detective,” said Hawk. “You’re welcome to stay here until Damian and Cole return. My home is open to all of you at any time.”

  “Thank you, Hawk.” River smiled at the old Alpha. “I appreciate the offer and everything you’ve done for all of us today, but I have to go to work and call my father to fix my door. Again. I live with a handyman in my house, but my door keeps breaking on a weekly basis.” She chuckled softly, giving a slight wink to Damian. “I wonder if I should just leave it off. It’ll be cheaper.”

  “Ace, you’re going to return to Paradise Manor with River and wait there for Jamie to brief him in,” Damian said and raised his hand as he noticed that Ace jolted up, ready to argue with him. “It’s an order, recruit. Don’t argue with me. Cole’s not only my charge, but he’s also my brother. I can protect him.”

  “Fine,” she grumbled, throwing a murderous stare at Damian, eliciting a snort out of Cole.

  Damian gave his brother a loaded look and turned to Ace. “Is that the appropriate reply to your Commander?” he asked frostily. “Where are your manners, recruit?”

  “The same place where yours are,” she muttered, but pressed her fist to her chest and bo
wed to him. “My lord, I’m yours to command.”

  Damian groaned, throwing his head back and pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes. Cole chuckled, shaking his head.

  “Ace, stop driving my brother crazy,” he said pleadingly. “It will come back on me later.”

  Atticus laughed, but then sobered up and approached Damian. “If you think it’s a good idea, I could drive Ace and River back to Blue Creek and stick around to help River’s father install the door.”

  River was about to object, but Damian turned to her, mouthing ‘please’, and she sighed, gazing at him with reproach.

  Turning to the young werewolf, she gave him a warm smile. “Thank you, Atticus. That would be wonderful.”

  Damian glanced at his wristwatch and took River’s elbow. “We have about twenty minutes before the potion is ready,” he said, ushering her out of the kitchen. “Can I have a word with you?”

  He crossed the small lobby and opened the door, allowing River to walk outside first. The sun was blasting from the clear sky, but the air was still crisp with the morning coolness and filled with the fresh, earthy scent of the desert. He lowered himself on the steps and patted the cold wood next to him, inviting her to sit down.

  He rested his shoulder against the railing at the edge of the steps and dropped his arms, closing his eyes. She pushed her arm through the crook of his elbow and lowered her head on his shoulder.

  “What did you want to talk about?” she asked, caressing his hand with her thumb.

  “Nothing,” he replied without opening his eyes. “I just wanted a few minutes of peace with no one asking me any questions.”

  She chuckled softly. “I wish I could believe you.” She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “But for such old men, both you and your brother are terrible liars.”

  He cracked his eyelids open and glanced at her. “We’re exceptional liars,” he objected, laughter rumbling in his chest. “It’s not us. It’s you. You’re too good at what you do, my lady Detective.”

  “Nice avoidance maneuver, my lord Commander,” she replied in kind, slapping his hand slightly. “You are here with me because there is something you’re worried about, but as usual, you can’t articulate your feelings even if your life depended on it.”

  “Feelings? What kind of mythological beasties are those?” He plastered a fake frown on his face. “We manly Destiny Enforcers don’t have feelings. We’re always cold-minded, and we respond in the same manner whether we’re happy or sad.”

  “Smartass,” she murmured, closing her eyes.

  For a few seconds, they sat in silence, and Damian couldn’t help but enjoy her closeness. Then River shifted and raised her head.

  “Dima, is it true?” she asked, gazing up at him. “There is more than one world? Something Yakov had said earlier…” Her voice faded into silence as she expected his answer.

  “It’s true,” he replied at length, considering how much he could tell her without giving too much information to a human who was new to the World of Magic. “You live in what we call the Realm of Humans. Besides that, there is the World of Magic, as in the actual physical place. It’s called Kendral, and it is located outside the human realm. Also, there are three magical nexuses here on Earth—the Land of Dreams, the Isle of Legends and the Hidden Kingdom. I don’t know much about the Hidden Kingdom, but I’ve been to Kendral and the other two nexuses.”

  “Oh, wow,” she whispered, her blue eyes lighting up with wonderment. “I wish I could see all that.”

  He chuckled, and before he could stop himself, his hand went up to her face, caressing her cheek. “Maybe one day?” he said. “Anything to do with magic is never safe, and you must always expect the unexpected. But while all these places are prone to danger, they are also beautiful and mystifying. Every fairytale you’ve heard as a child, every myth and legend you’ve ever read, comes to life there. I hope one day I’ll be able to show you at least some of these magical places.”

  She shifted closer to him and encircled his waist, slipping under his arm. He didn’t resist, too troubled with the latest revelations. Instead, he planted a soft kiss on the top of her head and pulled her closer to his side.

  They didn’t speak and didn’t move until Cole came out to the porch and tapped his shoulder. “Hey, big bro,” he said gently. “I’m sorry, but Yakov is ready. It’s time to go.”

  Damian got up and offered his hand to River. She took it, rising easily to her feet, but before he moved toward the house, she held him back.

  “Dima,” she whispered, her voice deeper than usual and raspy. “I need you to come back home to me.” He didn’t reply, a thick lump stuck in his throat, so she placed her hand against his cheek and added, “You hear me, manly, emotionless, antiquated doofus? I need you to return to me. It’s an order, soldier.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, forcing himself to sound even, and pressed his fist to his chest, inclining his head. “I’m yours to command, my lady.”

  Chapter 26

  ~ Damian Blake ~

  Damian walked out of the portal and halted, carefully observing his surroundings. The sun was gone, and the velvety dark sky was covered with stars. He was in the middle of a forest. The trees, prepared for the winter, had lost their hefty foliage and stood naked. Through the heavy smell of the damp dirt and musky-sweet odor of decaying leaves, a barely noticeable scent of water touched his nostrils, suggesting they weren’t far away from a lake or some kind of body of water. As a light gust of wind rushed through the woods, a rush of cold air grazed Damian’s skin, and he shivered, zipping up his jacket.

  “Don’t move.” He heard Yakov’s voice and turned in the direction of the sound.

  Both Cole and the wizard stood right behind him. Yakov squatted and placed his hands flat against the ground, whispering something under his breath. A wave of magical energy spread around him, moving in all directions. Yakov got up and brushed his palms against his pants.

  “That’s better,” he muttered, but catching Damian’s puzzled gaze, he added, “Swamps are all around us. It’s not deep, but if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re not going to enjoy the experience.” He passed Damian and moved forward, gesturing for them to follow.

  A few minutes later, Yakov halted at the edge of the forest and raised his hand, stopping them. Past a narrow clearing, a dark lake spread before them, its motionless waters reflecting the dim light of the moon and stars. The silence seemed to be unnaturally heavy, sending chills down Damian’s back. He opened his other sight and quickly scanned the lake and the area around it as far as he could reach.

  “I don’t sense anything supernatural here,” he whispered, tapping Yakov’s shoulder. “But the silence…” He shivered like from a gust of cold wind. “It can’t be normal.”

  “It’s normal, alright. It’s always been like this. This is why the locals call this place the Dead Lake.” The old wizard sighed, shaking his head. “You Destiny Enforcers are so limited. When it comes to magic, all you know is the combat aspect of it. Magic is a lot more than just that.”

  Damian shrugged. “In my line of work, combat magic is what I need.”

  “Like I said—limited.” Yakov waved his hand as if dismissing the issue and walked out into the clearing.

  The old wizard approached the lake and took one knee, placing one hand on the ground. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, the air around him shimmering with a soft white light. Cole and Damian exchanged a look, but neither of them said anything. A few seconds later, Yakov opened his eyes and got up.

  “Well, boys, I have good news for you,” he said, his eyes darting from Cole to Damian. “If I’m not mistaken, our friendly neighborhood necromancer hasn’t been here yet. No one cast any spells or wielded any magic over the lake for quite some time.”

  “How can you be so sure?” asked Cole, his blue eyes searching the still pool of the lake.

  “Magic is a lot more science than you can imagine,” replied Yakov. “After
all—magical or elemental—it’s energy, and just like any energy in nature, it doesn’t come out from nowhere and doesn’t disappear without a trace. Even the lightest casting leaves a magical energy residue behind.” He glanced at Damian, and humorous twinkles appeared in his eyes as he jerked his chin in his direction. “Even your magically illiterate brother can sense it. Am I right, Commander?”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Damian, inclining his head.

  “Well, this area is absolutely clear.” Yakov waved his arm in a wide arch and muttered a few words. A large oval window, similar to a communication window, materialized before him, hanging in midair. “Come here, see for yourselves.”

  Damian stepped behind Yakov and held his breath. Through the window, he could see the flow of magical and elemental energy a lot brighter and clearer than through his other sight. Everything around him shimmered with the four colors of elemental energy and sparkling brilliance of the magical energy. The flow of the energy looked undisturbed and natural, not a touch of man-made magic.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” whispered Cole, gazing through the window in awe. “I had no idea…”

  “You’re a vamp, boy.” Yakov chuckled, closing the window. “Sorry, but you can’t wield or see magic.” He gave Cole a quick once-over and shrugged. “It’s a shame. You’re a clever one.”

  “You’re right, I can’t see it,” Cole agreed. “I never could, but lately I noticed I can detect its presence.”

  “Oh?” Yakov glanced at him with renewed interest. “Peculiar. I’ve never heard of a vampire with such a gift. When all this is over, I would like to run a few tests—”

  “My brother is not a lab rat, Yakov,” Damian interrupted him dryly, putting his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

  The old wizard smirked, rolling his eyes. “Relax, Commander. I wouldn’t dare hurt the Vampire King of Arizona. Especially now that I know who his brother is.” He wagged his eyebrows at Damian.

  “So, what do we need to do next?” asked Damian, switching the subject.