The Fire Salamander Chronicles Series: Books 1 - 3: The Fire Salamander Chronicles Series Boxset Book 1

by N M Thorn

  His body was emitting unbearable heat and angry flames were surrounding him, protecting him from the monsters. But the more demons he obliterated and vampires he beheaded, the more were coming to stand in place of the dead monsters. They were pushing him from every direction, invading his space, ignoring the fire and the heat.

  He heard Karma shouting spells and the moans of the dying monsters. That told him she was still there, fighting. Over the heads of demons that were trying to close up on him, he could see Voron dealing with the vampires on the roof.

  Even though they were still holding their ground, Gunz didn’t know how much longer they would be able to keep it up. Fighting at this pace was taking a lot of strength and the extensive use of magic was taking its toll. Despite the adrenalin that was surging through his body, he started to feel the signs of exhaustion. He was also sure that both Karma and Voron were getting tired too, possibly faster than he was.

  Gunz felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as one of the vampires struck him with its sharp claws. He ignored the pain and swung his sword again, cleanly shaving the monster’s head off his shoulders. Feeling that his sword started to get too heavy, he decided to see if he could break through the wall of monsters that surrounded him from every direction. He punched the demon on his left, and then grabbed the face of the demon in front of him with his hand, channeling the energy of the fire through him. The demon screamed and writhed but couldn’t break his hold. In a heartbeat, only a steaming pile of ash was left.

  Gunz saw a small opening and pushed toward it, punching and burning anyone who came across his way. As he was just a step away from freedom, something seized his legs above his ankles and pulled. He fell face-forward on the ground, losing the hold of his sword.

  Ignoring the fire, another demon jumped on his back and grabbed a handful of his hair, pushing his face into the ground. Gunz grunted, struggling to regain his freedom, but it was impossible. He felt a few hands taking hold of him, twisting his arms behind his back. The demon was still holding his hair, pushing his face down, suffocating him.

  He couldn’t breathe and the lack of oxygen was affecting his elemental power. The fire went off in his eyes, leaving him exhausted. Somewhere on his left, he heard Karma screaming his name. He didn’t know if she needed his help or she called him because she saw him falling. His lungs were burning, and he was on the verge of passing out.

  Don’t die… people around…

  “Just take a rock and knock him out.” He heard a hissing voice of a demon somewhere above his head. “Just make sure not to kill him or we are all dead.”

  Gunz tried to struggle again just to realize that he was completely immobilized. All of a sudden, he felt the weight on his back lighten up and he was finally able to lift his head, filling his lungs with oxygen. For a moment, the monsters abandoned him, giving him the opportunity to scramble to his knees. He found his sword and got up.

  The monsters were fighting someone new, but Gunz couldn’t see who it was. All he could see was the blur of bright red streaks.

  Chapter 24

  ~ Zane Burns, a.k.a. Gunz ~

  The army of demons trembled as the invisible fighter swept through their front lines, planting the seeds of destruction. As a majority of them turned around to face the new threat, Gunz used the opportunity to pull back and regroup. He swung his sword through the air, the heavy blade whistling softly as he did it. A few demons charged him again, and he met them, his flaming blade carrying death with every move.

  A few minutes later, everything was over. While Gunz dealt with the leftover demons, his reinforcement destroyed every single vampire. Voron cleared the roof and landed next to Gunz, transforming back into his human form. His hair was drenched with sweat and his clothes were dark with blood, but as exhausted as he was, he was still standing, heavily leaning on his sword.

  Karma also was done, slowly walking toward Gunz and Voron with a bloodied dagger in her hands. Mishka sat on top of her head, golden wings opened wide, winning gleam in his red eyes. Karma was covered in ashes and dirt from head to toe, her red hair in disarray. Her pink pajamas were soaked in blood, but she announced right away that the blood wasn’t hers, cutting off all questions.

  “Who was that?” asked Karma, searching the backyard. “Whoever it was, they were moving so fast that I couldn’t see them.”

  “I believe it was the Scarlet Queen,” answered Gunz, probing the prickling wound on his shoulder with his fingers. He turned around and shouted, “Ms. Akira Ida, show yourself. Please. Allow me to express my gratitude for your much-needed assistance.”

  A shadow separated from the house and Akira materialized in front of them. As usual, she was moving with lightning speed and it looked like she just popped up from thin air. She was dressed in a leather jacket and tight leather pants and was holding two of her katanas in her hands, fresh blood dripping from her blades. Unlike Gunz, Karma and Voron, she was showing no signs of tiredness. Her face was as pale as usual and not one hair was out of place on her slick ponytail.

  “Thank you.” Gunz bowed to her, a Japanese traditional bow as she taught him.

  She touched his shoulder lightly, asking him to rise and took in his appearance. “You’re hurt, Zane,” she said, brushing her fingers over the wound on his shoulder. Then her eyes darted to Voron and a tiny smile lifted the corners of her lips. “Your friend is hurt too. Would you like me to heal you both?”

  “As usual, thank you for your generous offer, but no,” replied Gunz, shaking his head. “But allow me to introduce my friends, Karma and Voron.”

  Akira inclined her head in Karma’s direction and her glacial eyes halted on Voron. The warrior stepped forward and kneeled before Akira, lowering his head in a courtly bow.

  “Akira Ida,” he said without lifting his head. “My lady, you are as breathtaking as I remember you. Time is powerless against your beauty and strength.”

  “And you are as charming as I remember you, Lord Voron. Please rise.” Akira smiled and embraced Voron like he was her dearest friend.

  Voron gently hugged her, careful not to crush her in his bearhug even though she was a vampire. “I didn’t realize that the young Salamander, and you were aquatinted, my lady.”

  “Zane and I go way back,” purred Akira, closing her angled eye in a sly wink. “He’s my student. I’m teaching him swordsmanship.”

  “I thought some of his moves looked familiar.” Voron chuckled and winced, pressing his hand to his ribs. “And where is your son, Akira? Is he still with you?”

  Gunz felt a movement in the air and the presence of a vampiric energy, other than Akira’s. But before he raised his sword, Akira seized his wrist, shaking her head no. A tall young man appeared next to her. His straight blond hair was falling below his shoulders and his eyes were glowing with a scarlet light, betraying his vampiric nature. His white shirt was torn on his chest and covered in dark red stains, and both his Katanas were smeared in blood.

  “Mother, I took care of the filth in front of the house,” he said, his voice unexpectedly soft but deep. “None of the vampires belonged to our organization.”

  Akira glanced at him, a mix of pride and love gleaming in her eyes just like it would in the eyes of any mother who were gazing upon her grown-up son.

  “Allow me to introduce my son, Yaroslav,” said Akira, putting her hand on her son’s arm affectionately.

  “Yaroslav?” asked Gunz, his eyebrows rising.

  Akira giggled, her laughter sounding as girly as ever. “Yes, I know. The son of a Japanese vampire has an ancient Russian name. Many years ago, he was Yaroslav Potemkin, illegitimate son of Prince Potemkin. He is my only son, Zane, as I swore that I would never create another vampire. And he is my pride and joy.”

  Yaroslav bent in a formal Japanese bow, his long golden hair falling over his chiseled face, but then straightened and extended his hand to Gunz. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Burns,” he said, an open smile exposing his long fangs. “My mother told me a lot about you. I
hope one day I’ll have the honor to cross my sword with you.” Then he cleared his throat uncomfortably and smiled again, his fangs retracted now. “In training, of course.”

  “But of course,” said Gunz, squeezing his icy fingers in his hand. “I would love that, but I’m afraid that even with your mother’s training, I stand no chance against you, Yaroslav.”

  The vampire laughed, throwing the long strands of his hair off his face and shook his head. “We’ll see. And Slavik is fine. My mother loves the full name, but to me Yaroslav sounds too official.”

  “Slavik,” repeated Gunz, thinking how inappropriate this name sounded for this old vampire, even though he looked like a twenty-year-old boy. Then he turned to Akira and waved his hand toward the house. “Akira, may I invite you and your son into my home? I think we should talk about what just happened.”

  “Yes,” replied Akira, “we should talk.”

  Gunz opened the door, allowing the vampires, Voron and Karma into the house. As Karma was passing through, Mishka hopped from her head to Gunz’s shoulder. The backyard was covered in dead bodies. When vampires died, they disintegrated into a pile of ashes, but demons left the dead bodies of their hosts behind.

  “Mishka, my friend” said Gunz quietly, pointing at his yard that looked like a battlefield, “can you help me? I need to talk with Akira. It’s important. Can you clean up my backyard for me? And check the area around the house. Yaroslav was fighting there. I hope he didn’t leave any dead bodies on the street.”

  “Mishka the Incinerator is at your service, boss,” said the wyvern, raising his wing in a salute. He flew out of the house and a moment later, Gunz saw him flying over the bodies, setting them on fire.

  Gunz walked inside the living room and found Akira, sitting on the couch and discussing something with Voron. Yaroslav stood by the window, talking with Karma. She looked unusually sweet and flirty, and Gunz wondered if the vampire turned his charm on her or she actually liked him.

  As soon as Akira saw him, she stopped her conversation with Voron and waved her hand at an empty chair across from the couch, inviting him to sit down. Gunz took a seat, folding his arms.

  “Do you know why the demons attacked you, Zane?” asked Akira. “That was an organized attack and whoever organized it wasn’t joking. They brought a bunch of demons and vampires out of state because I didn’t recognize any of them.”

  “I am not sure,” replied Gunz, “but I think someone was sending me a message. Someone knows that I escaped from the Dark Nav and wants me out of the way.”

  “You were in the Dark Nav?” asked Akira, her thin eyebrows climbing up. “How did you survive there? A creature of the Elements… You had to suffer greatly…” Sympathy reflected on her face, but it disappeared in a heartbeat, replaced by her usual calm and indifferent expression. “I guess, that is not important. Can you tell me what happened and how you ended up there in the first place?”

  With the help of Voron and Karma, Gunz told her everything that happened in the Dark Nav and everything that Veles told them before leaving the Isle Buyan. Akira was sitting silent and motionless. Like most of the old vampires, she could remain without making the tiniest movement for a prolonged period of time. After Gunz finished talking, she glanced at her son and frowned.

  “Dark times are upon us, young Salamander,” she said quietly, her fingers running along the blade of her katana that was lying on the couch next to her. “I assume you and your team will attempt to stop the Lord of Chaos from rising. This is why you have Voron here. Chernobog and Veles are getting ready to defend the veil.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” replied Gunz. “Aidan and his team, Kal and Master Mrak Delar are also with us in this fight.”

  Akira shook her head, narrowing her eyes into slits. “May not be enough.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Gunz, his chest tightened with worry.

  “Whoever is behind all this… That mage, I presume. She is running a clever warfare,” explained Akira. “I’m sure she will attack the city to create a diversion and split your forces. She knows you well, Zane. She’s sure that you will not leave humans unprotected.”

  “Another thing you may want to consider is that the veil between the grave where the Zmey is chained is the weakest inside the Dark Nav,” chimed in Yaroslav. “There is a chance that the mage will break the coffin in the human realm, but the Zmey will rise through the Dark Nav, tearing the veil apart. You must stop the mage before she breaks Zmey’s restraints, but if you fail, you should be prepared to fight the Zmey inside the Dark Nav. You can’t let him break free into the realm of the living. And you definitely can’t let him destroy the veil between the two realms.”

  “Dammit,” muttered Gunz, raking his fingers through his hair, “this attack was a test and I passed it with flying colors. Agent Zvereva wanted to see if I would revert to take care of her demons. Now she knows for sure that I wouldn’t sacrifice human lives. You’re right, Akira. I have to talk to Jim. He needs to be ready to defend the city on October 31st.”

  “Tell Agent Andrews that my son and I will patrol the city that night. He will need some supernatural reinforcement. Neither you nor Aidan McGrath with his team will be able to help him. And who knows what kind of monsters will invade the city,” said Akira. “Tell him that EverSafe Security will stand by his side.”

  “Thank you, Akira,” said Gunz, “I deeply appreciate it. I will talk to him later on today and fill him in on everything that’s going on.”

  Akira got up, gathering her swords, and waved at her son to follow her.

  “The sunrise is coming,” said Akira airily, gazing toward the window where the first gray light of the upcoming morning was visible through the half-opened blinds. “Neither Yaroslav nor I particularly enjoy sunbathing. We must leave you now. Zane, would you kindly walk me outside?”

  She bowed in her Japanese manner to Voron and Karma and headed through the kitchen toward the backdoor. Yaroslav sent one more smoldering gaze in Karma’s direction but got up and followed his mother. Gunz opened the door, allowing Akira and her son to walk out into the backyard. She pulled him all the way to the other end of the backyard and stopped there.

  “Zane, I know Voron for many years,” she started, “and you can trust him fully. He is a man of honor. He will do the right thing, no matter the cost. However, I am not sure that you can trust Karma. She’s a Sword for Hire and people like that are loyal only to their bank accounts.”

  “A Sword for Hire?” repeated Gunz incredulously.

  “Yes,” confirmed Akira. “You didn’t know? I believe humans call people like that—an assassin. A hired gun. But in the supernatural world, we call assassins, a Sword for Hire. She is a paranormal assassin. Be careful, Zane. You cannot trust her. Swords for Hire have no honor.”

  Gunz grunted, rubbing his face tiredly. “No, I didn’t know,” he said quietly. “But so far she has not given me a reason not to trust her.”

  “You always see the good in people first,” said Akira, shaking her head. “Innocent until proven guilty. I’m afraid, it’ll be your undoing one day, my student. With the Lord of Chaos rising in ten days, you should trust no one.”

  Akira and Yaroslav left, but Gunz stood a few minutes, leaning against the tree, and watched the sun slowly rising, decorating the dark morning clouds with pink and yellow lining.

  Trust no one…

  Akira’s words rang in his head and he shuddered. The war is coming, and it’ll be impossible to fight it if he can’t trust the people who stand by his side. Maybe Akira was right, and it would be his undoing one day.

  But not today.

  Chapter 25

  ~ Zane Burns, a.k.a. Gunz ~

  Since Gunz had only two bathrooms in his house, he let Karma use the shower in his bedroom and went downstairs to wait for Voron to clean up, so he could take care of his wounds. Luckily, Voron’s injuries weren’t serious—a couple of bruised ribs and a few lacerations on his chest and back, left by vampire claws.

/>   Karma took her sweet time and used up an unimaginable amount of hot water. By the time Gunz made it into his shower, he got drenched by water that was slightly above room temperature. He clenched his teeth, swearing up and down, and grabbed the soap from the shelf.

  Halfway through his shower, he heard the doorbell. Hastily washing off shampoo from his hair, he probed the area in front of the house and smiled, recognizing Angelique’s magical energy signature. Jim and Angelique were here. He quickly finished and hopped out of the shower, grabbing the towel on his way out.

  He threw the wet towel on his bed, put his jeans on and pulled a shirt over his half-wet body, and then rushed downstairs. As he walked into the living room, he saw Angelique standing with her hands on her hips, fuming, and Jim who resembled a man who wanted to be a few miles away from where he was.

  Karma stood by the door, dressed in nothing but a towel that was wrapped around her torso, hardly covering her shapely bottom. Voron sat on the couch, looking mildly amused.

  Uh-oh. Gunz didn’t have to guess why Angelique wore a murderous look. Karma’s state of undress explained it all.

  Cautiously, Gunz made his way to the door and stopped, catching Jim’s sympathetic glance. Angelique noticed his arrival and paced toward him, throwing a killer-look at Karma as she passed her.

  “Who is this woman, and what is she doing undressed in your house?” demanded Angelique, fury making her voice tremble.

  “I told her I’m your friend and I have no desire to be anything more than that,” replied Karma with a shrug, almost losing her towel as she did that.