by N M Thorn
Alliandr inclined his head respectfully. “Please tell us everything you know, my lord,” he said, gesturing for Yakov to proceed.
“Koschei is not just a Master of the Dark Arts,” Yakov continued, lowering on his chair. “Born by Mother Earth herself at the time of Creation, he’s as old as Svarog and the first gods of the Slavic pantheon. Russian fairytales downplayed his power and importance. Even his name was explained wrong. Many think his name ‘Koschei’ comes from the word ‘kosti’, which means bones. Don’t get me wrong—the man is as skinny as a skeleton, so it does seem to be appropriate.” Yakov chuckled mirthlessly. “But that is not what his name means. His name comes from the old Slovenian word ‘koschun’, which means evil sorcerer. He is not of this world. He draws his power from the realm of the dead, from the darkest corners of the Dark Nav, and in his power, he’s equal to Chernobog himself.”
“Can you take it all back?” murmured Cole, shaking his head. “I don’t think I wanted to know all that.” He glanced at Damian, his hands nearly crushing the counter he leaned against. “Are you saying the Fallen is trying to free some crazy, evil, ancient god?”
Yakov shrugged, falling back in his chair. “Well, maybe not quite a god anymore, but an equal in power for sure,” he said. “Just like Master Alliandr said, Koschei’s immortality is conditional. He has death, but he hides it well. His death is a physical object. Slavic fairytales say that his death is hidden in a needle. The needle is hidden in an egg. But I think there is some kind of misinterpretation here, just like with his name. Perhaps, we’re talking about the World Egg, which is a symbol of the Sun. Anyway, this is nothing more than speculation. I would have to talk to the Master Warden and return to the Wardens Library and Archives. But one thing is for sure—he can be killed.”
“Thank you,” said Alliandr, slightly inclining his head. “If at some point you feel you need more information, the Riders Library in Kendral is available to you.” He turned to Damian, his expression hardening again. “In the meantime, Commander, you’d do well to stop the Fallen before he can free Koschei.”
“Yes, Master.” Damian pressed his fist to his chest, wondering what Moore had done to anger the young Master to the point where he couldn’t look at another Destiny Enforcer without getting hot under the collar. “It would help me a great deal if you could tell me the location of the cell where you have Koschei imprisoned. I’m sure this is where Azazel will go.”
Alliandr exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose, nibbling on his lip. “That’s another problem, Commander. I can’t give you the direction. This place is a cave without any ways in or out of it. It is located underground on the border between the world of the living and the realm of spirits and demons. Between the Yav and the Nav. The only way to get there is by teleporting. And the only way you can teleport there is if you know where it is located.”
“Catch twenty-two,” breathed Ace, and everyone turned to her.
Alliandr smiled. “Yes, my lady,” he said softly. “It would be, considering the fact that as the Master of Kendral I’m bound to my realm and can’t leave it for long, but I think I do have a solution.” He turned to Damian and for the first time, his face didn’t harden. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re a Child of Earth, Commander?”
“Yes, Master,” replied Damian, cringing inwardly, reminded that any Master of Power could control his element and him.
“It’s so strange to see such a rare and powerful being of magic taking on the mantle of a Destiny Enforcer,” he muttered, shaking his head.
“I accepted this position before I knew what I was,” Damian replied with a shrug.
Alliandr looked at Damian as if sizing him up. Damian met his heavy gaze without blinking, and for a heartbeat, they both fell silent.
“Anyway, Damian,” said the young Master at length, and Damian’s eyebrows rose as he realized that for the first time, Alliandr used his name. “Give me about thirty minutes, and I will send someone who can help you. He’s my friend, so do me a favor and take good care of him.” A sad smile crossed his face. “He was with me when I imprisoned Koschei, so he can take you to the cave and assist you in your fight against the Fallen. He’s a powerful wizard and… well… you’ll see.” Alliandr raised his hand, ready to close the communication window. “I’ll summon you as soon as I’m ready. I’ll need a location rune, so I can open a portal to your house. Can you do it?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Damian.
“Sir?” A lopsided smirk curved Alliandr’s lips. “Yes, I believe you and my friend will find quite a few things in common. Thirty minutes, Commander. That’s all I need.”
He snapped his fingers and closed the communication window.
Chapter 31
~ Damian Blake ~
As soon as the communication window closed, Yakov got up. Reaching for Damian’s shoulder, he nudged him slightly, ripping him out of his thoughts. Damian closed his eyes and took a deep breath, returning to his human form.
“Damian, are you sure you want to do this?” Yakov shook his head, looking more than troubled.
“Do what?” asked Damian flatly.
“Go after the Fallen and Koschei the Deathless,” replied Yakov, placing the empty coffee cup and the plate into the sink.
“Someone has to, and I’m already neck-deep in this mayhem. Besides, being a Destiny Enforcer, I don’t have a choice in the matter.” Damian shrugged, switching his attention to his brother. “Cole, please—”
“No.” Cole pushed away from the counter and folded his arms.
“Cole, be reasonable.” Damian sighed, feeling too exhausted to argue with anyone. “Az already controlled you once. You know you’re powerless against his magic.”
Ignoring Damian, Cole turned to Yakov. “You told me once that there is a way to protect me from the influence of necromancy. Can you do it, Yakov?” He smirked, throwing Damian an arched stare. “Even though my brother is a Mister I-Work-Alone, I would rather die than leave him without any support in this situation.”
As an answer to Cole’s question, a wide grin crossed Yakov’s face, and Damian threw his hands up—there was no way he could talk his brother out of this mission now.
“Come here, my friend,” said Yakov, gesturing for Cole to sit down. “Not many wizards know how to protect a vampire from necromancy, but I do.” A glimmer of pride ignited in his eyes for a brief moment, but then he tapped Cole on his shoulder, an expression of pride morphing into a semblance of guilt. “There is one serious drawback that you may want to consider, though. This spell is extremely unpleasant. Just a fair warning, you know?”
“Do it.” Cole sat down on the chair, looking up at the wizard, and Damian threw his hands up again, making Cole chuckle.
Yakov glanced at Cole’s unclothed chest, rubbing his chin, and then placed his hand over his heart. A soft glow of his magical energy surrounded his hand, and he started to chant. Cole clenched his teeth, bearing down on his chair. His eyes widened and muscles bulged on his tense shoulders as he fought to suppress a scream of pain. Thin red veins sprouted from under Yakov’s palm, slithering under Cole’s skin, moving in all directions.
Cole groaned, red liquid gathering in the corners of his eyes, his face strained. Then he threw his head back and screamed, his cry of pain turning into a low growl. In a heartbeat, Damian was next to him, taking his brother’s hand into his. Cole’s fingers crushed his, but he didn’t move and didn’t make a sound.
Both River and Ace moved closer to Cole, and Ace, with her hand on the pommel of her sword, looked like she was ready to split the wizard in two. Atticus ran into the room, but Jamie halted him in the doorway, whispering something into his ear.
Yakov stopped chanting and lifted his hand. For a few seconds, a bright red rune shone on Cole’s chest before gradually disappearing. Slithering red veins slowly withdrew and dissipated. Cole’s head dropped backward, his eyes closed, a few drops of blood escaping from under his tightly shut eyelids.
“He’s o
kay.” Yakov glanced at Damian, giving him a reassuring nod. He slapped Cole’s cheek slightly, and the vampire opened his eyes, straightening.
“Jesus, man,” muttered Cole, wiping bloody tears off his face. “Extremely unpleasant? You couldn’t have said it was going to hurt like a bitch?”
“The benefits outweigh the cost?” Yakov winked at him slyly, but then quickly sobered up. “Never again a necromancer, no matter how powerful, will be able to control you, Cole. I embedded the protection rune into your very bones.”
“It sure felt like that.” Cole got up, swaying slightly, his eyes moving from one face to the next. “If the great assembly doesn’t mind”—he bowed, humorous twinkles dancing in his blue eyes—“I’m going to steal my brother for a few minutes. I need to have a quick tête-à-tête with him before we leave.” He glanced down and scratched the back of his head. “Getting dressed also sounds like a good idea. I promise we’ll be right back.”
Without waiting for anyone’s response, he grabbed Damian’s elbow and ushered him out the door. They walked through the dark hallway in silence until they reached Cole’s bedroom. Damian opened the door, allowing Cole in first. The vampire crossed the room and sat down on the floor, leaning his back against the wall. Damian looked down at him, guessing what Cole wanted to tell him.
“You’re right.” Damian lowered himself to the floor in front of Cole and crossed his legs. “We should have done it a long time ago, but now that we’re about to face…” His voice trailed, and he exhaled a short breath. “I wish you let me go alone, Cole…”
“No.”
Damian nodded, nibbling on his lips. “Let’s do it then. We should have a way to communicate with each other when we’re apart. What happened at the lake could have been prevented if we had a blood bond established. With Mara’s help, I could have contacted you even in the enchanted sleep.” He dropped his head, looking at his clenched hands.
“Come here, brother.” Cole grabbed Damian’s hand, pulling him closer. “Sit next to me, I’m not gonna bite.” A lopsided smirk crossed his face, sadness remaining in his glowing eyes. “Oh, wait. That is exactly what I’m going to do.”
Damian changed his position, sitting down next to his brother, and offered him his arm. Cole took it, his fingers brushing over a thick blue vein running from Damian’s elbow to his wrist.
“Ready?” he asked softly.
“I’m never ready to drink vampire’s blood, but let’s do it.”
Cole lowered his face over Damian’s arm, and his fangs penetrated his skin. Damian sucked in a sharp breath, but the momentary pain was replaced by a feeling of warmth and contentment. He moaned and leaned back, closing his eyes. His mind fogged, his muscles turning into mush.
“When you’re done, I’ll kill you,” he exhaled, his weak fingers seizing Cole’s hair on the back of his head. He could feel Cole’s lips stretching into a smile over his arm but had no strength to push him away. “You little bloodsucking monster…”
A heartbeat later, Cole pulled away. Damian looked at him with his eyes half-closed but had neither the desire nor strength to move. Cole pulled him over, propping him against his shoulder, and then bit his own wrist. As dark, thick blood spilled from two puncture wounds, he moved his arm over Damian’s mouth.
“Drink,” he said, supporting his head gently. “I’ll let you know when to stop.”
As the first drop of thick, sweet liquid fell into Damian’s mouth, he closed his eyes, his mind blissfully blank. He wasn’t sure how much blood he took, but when Cole moved him away, resting his back against the wall, he felt something close to regret, fighting the need for more.
“Do you still want to kill me, big bro?” Cole’s voice sounded in Damian’s mind, his scarlet eyes laughing.
“No,” muttered Damian, and as the fog in his mind started to clear out, he tried to communicate through their psychic link created by the blood bond. “What I wanted to do to you was a lot worse than death.”
The corners of Cole’s mouth lifted, and Damian knew his brother heard him.
“Listen, Dima,” said Cole, suddenly serious. “Now that you’ve agreed on me going with you, Ace would want to follow.” He fell silent, rubbing his hand with his thumb. “You can’t let her go with us. Use your authority as a Commander or do whatever you need to do but don’t let her follow us into that…” He took a pause as if searching for a better word, and finally added, “Battle. You know it’s going to be hell there, right?”
Damian glanced at his brother sideways and leaned forward, resting his arms atop his bent knees. “I agree, but I want to know what brought this up.”
“She’s not ready, Dima,” Cole said, his shoulders tense. “Neither as a Destiny Enforcer nor as a person. I like Ace, but after what happened when Simon’s pack attacked Paradise Manor, I feel that her physical attraction to me will be the death of her in a real combat situation. We’re about to face a monster of our childhood nightmares, and when the shit hits the fan, I don’t think I’ll be able to protect her. I can’t have it on my conscience.”
“This is why there is a rule in place—Destiny Enforcers can’t have personal connections with their charges. In our line of work, any personal attachment becomes a dangerous liability.” Damian massaged the back of his neck. “If Moore ever finds out…” He whistled, shaking his head. “He’ll skin her alive, and he’ll try to put his hands on you as well, blaming you for seducing her. He would do it just to hurt me. I don’t know why, but this man hates me with a passion. He would do anything to bring me down, and your situation with Ace gives him all—” Damian didn’t finish the statement, nibbling on his lip. “Anyway, if he tries to hurt you, I’ll do what I have to do to stop him.”
Cole shuddered visibly. “I hope it’s not going to come to that.” He got up and headed toward the closet. “Just make sure Ace stays in Paradise Manor.”
Damian rose to his feet and swayed slightly, his head still a little heavy after the influence of the vampire bite. He stretched his arms and shoulders and sat down on the bed, waiting for Cole to come out. His thoughts circled back to Ace’s infatuation with his brother, and a painful heaviness settled in his chest.
I hope you don’t feel the same about her, brother mine, Damian thought, forgetting about the psychic link they just created, his fingers rubbing the edge of his bracelet absentmindedly. That would be a true disaster.
Cole walked out of the closet, a wide grin on his face. “You need to learn how to block our connection, so I don’t hear your thoughts directed at me unless you want me to hear them. It’s easy. Try.”
Dammit…
“I heard that.” Cole laughed, bending down to lace his combat boots. “No, Dima, I’m not in love. She’s a beautiful young woman, and I like her. I care about her, but it’s not love.” He straightened, readjusting his scabbard. “I don’t think it’s possible.” He sat down next to Damian, gazing at him sideways. “I’m a thousand years old. The things I’ve seen… and done…” He hid his face in his hands for a short moment. “She’s what? Twenty-five? She’s a child, Dima. I didn’t think about the consequences of having sex with her. It was wrong on many different levels, and I should have stopped her.”
“Damn right, you didn’t think. Or you thought with the wrong head,” replied Damian. “Anyway, what’s done is done, but if you care about her future, you have to stop it now.”
Cole dropped his head. “I’m so curious to find out how she became a Destiny Enforcer in the first place, and why the Destiny Council sent someone so inexperienced, young and unprepared to shadow me. Apparently, they knew my situation before your arrival, and after you arrived in Blue Creek, it became even more dangerous. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing for a while,” replied Damian, “and I have no answer to that. But I will find out.” He glanced at his wristwatch and tapped his brother’s knee. “Alliandr should summon me in five minutes. It’s time to go.”
They got up, but
as they moved toward the door, a light knock stopped them in their tracks.
“River. I can smell her perfume,” projected Cole, using their link, a mischievous grin crossing his face. “Speaking of—"
“She’s not a child, despite her age,” objected Damian.
“No, she’s not, but when she’s around, you behave like you are a child.” Cole chuckled, shaking his head, and placed his hand on the door handle. “Man up, big bro.”
He opened the door and gestured for River to come in, making a move to leave, but she seized his arm, halting him in the doorway. Her eyes moved from Damian to Cole and then settled on Damian.
“I know you’re about to summon that young man… um… Master of Kendral,” she said, pulling Cole back inside. “I know you both want me to stay behind.” Damian tilted his head a little, taking a step closer, but she raised her hand, stopping him. “You don’t have to say anything, Dima. You’re doing the right thing. I’m just a human with no magical powers. As much as I wish I could, it would be stupid and reckless for me to go with you. But there is one question I wanted to ask both of you.”
“What is it?” asked Damian unwillingly, raising his eyes at her.
“He is a vampire,” she said, pointing at Cole. “I’ve seen enough fantasy movies and read enough books to know his immortality is conditional. He can be killed. But I don’t understand anything about Destiny Enforcers. Can a Destiny Enforcer be killed, Dima?”
“Don’t believe everything you read in fantasy books,” murmured Cole, a lopsided grin on his lips. “Some of them are written by vampires to deceive humans.”
“Destiny Enforcers are not immortal, River,” replied Damian. “Their lives are a lot longer than an average human life, though. When you accept the mantle of a Destiny Enforcer, you receive new powers and your own powers are amplified to a degree, but it doesn’t make you immortal. It’s my connection with the elemental Earth that gives me the immortality.”