by N M Thorn
“I’m talking to you, young Salamander,” said Veles, inclining slightly toward him.
“There is only one Great Salamander here. My Father,” replied Gunz. “Anyway, with everything we learned in the last couple days, I don’t think the three of you would be enough. If my team fails to stop the mage from freeing Skiper-Zmey, I’m almost a hundred percent sure that he’ll make a break through the Dark Nav. Actually, make it a hundred percent. From what I’ve learned, the Dark Nav is the only place Skiper-Zmey can regain his full power. And if it’ll come to that, you’ll need some help to stop him before he can tear the veil on his way out.”
“None of you can fight in the Dark Nav. Without elemental powers, you’ll be helpless there,” said Veles with a light shrug. “What are you suggesting?”
“Agreed,” replied Gunz. “But Aidan can fight in the Dark Nav and so can Gwyn ap Nudd. They both belong to the Celtic Otherworld, which is not far from the Nav. And Angel is actually stronger in the realms of the dead. So, we can send them to help you. It is the night of the Wild Hunt, so Gwyn ap Nudd can be there at sunset.”
Gunz glanced at Kal and Mrak Delar. Kal nodded at him, encouraging him to proceed.
“Kal, Mrak Delar, Svyatobor, Karma and I will meet the mage in the Yav, at Mount Karasova where the Zmey was buried,” continued Gunz. “Voron will probably want to stand by Chernobog’s side. But I’ll leave the decision up to him. And I hope that Semargl will join us.”
“That’s all good,” agreed Veles. “Here is what you need to know though. It’s not easy to break Zmey’s restraints. Besides the Axe of Perun, the mage will need a blood sacrifice. If you can stop the ritual, the war is over. If she fails, we don’t need to defend the Dark Nav. So, my advice—stop the ritual before it even starts. You can’t fail.”
“No shit,” murmured Gunz. “How am I supposed to know when and where she will do that ritual? Maybe I’m not the right person to run this show…”
“You’re the only person to run this show, as you put it,” objected Veles, shaking his head. “Yes, the Great Salamander is a lot more powerful than you are and so is Mrak Delar. But all of them, including your friend Aidan, are ancient warriors. And you’re going to fight in the modern world of the living.
“I don’t know much about this woman, but she seems to be smart and resourceful. There is a reason she wanted you, young Salamander, detained in the Dark Nav. You were the one she wanted out of the picture, not any of us. Have you ever thought why that was?”
“Of course, I thought about it,” replied Gunz. “But the only explanation that made any sense was the one Zvereva gave me. She said that I was the only one who could cross the veil and still live to see another day. Which is bullshit, because later on she said that I was just a decoy and she never was going to get me out.”
“Here is what I think,” continued Veles. “Among us, you’re the only one young enough to know and understand modern warfare. And the mage knows it. This tells me that besides the demons and witches, she will have modern-day mercenaries defending her while she’s performing the ritual.”
“But mundane weapons can’t kill any of us,” noted Gunz. “What can a mercenary do against a Master of Power or a Fire Elemental?”
“They can slow us down. Significantly. Maybe not the gods like Svyatobor or Semargl. But I know bullets would present a problem for me and for you, Zane,” admitted Mrak Delar quietly. “I see Veles’ point. Any delay on our part will give the mage a chance to complete the ritual and raise the Zmey. Yes, bullets can’t kill any of us, but they still hurt like hell and if a wound is serious enough, we have to stop what we’re doing to perform healing magic. That would take not only time, but our physical strength and our magical energy.”
“And what if she finds a way to block your magic?” asked Veles. “Can you fight without your combat magic? I know that you all, especially Mrak, still can wield the elements, but would that be enough?”
“Without magic, modern weapons may become a serious problem,” agreed Mrak Delar.
Kal chuckled, patting Mrak Delar on his shoulder. “Who knew that the day would come when I’d see the Ancient Master worried about guns.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think that the day would come when a regular whip would bring me down to my knees, but it did,” replied Mrak Delar dryly. “So, I prefer to expect the unexpected.”
“I can’t say for Semargl, but I know for a fact that Svyatobor’s physical body can get hurt,” added Gunz. “Nothing mundane would kill him, but as fast as he heals, he still feels pain. I made him bleed enough times during the training at Aidan’s dojang.”
“Ugh, this insufferable trickster,” muttered Veles, slamming his hand on the table. “Remind me to have a word with him when all this is over. He is a pureblood Slavic deity. He doesn’t bleed. He was just tricking you into believing that you were hurting him.”
Kal laughed. “I think I like this kid already.”
“How about Aidan?” asked Gunz. “I know he can get hurt physically. It wasn’t a trick. His pain was real.”
“Aidan? Aodh mac Lir?” asked Veles with a smirk. “Well, that I can believe. He’s not a pureblood god. So, yes, he feels pain, he needs to sleep and eat. He has a human part to him, just like you, young Salamander, or the Master of Power. Nevertheless, he’s extremely powerful. Almost as powerful as his mentor, Gwyn ap Nudd.”
Veles stopped talking and raised his hand up in a warning gesture, like a person who was listening to something only he could hear.
“Voron just told me that Karma and he are on the way here,” he explained a moment later, rising. “It is my time to bid farewell. If you need me for any reason, you can communicate with me through Voron. We are psychically connected for the time being.”
Veles snapped his fingers and vanished from the room. As soon as the god was gone, Gunz turned back to Mrak Delar and Kal.
“I don’t understand why Veles is so worried about modern weapons and mercenaries. Mercenaries are just humans and the Fire Salamander’s natural state is deadly to them. I can revert any time I want, and Kal is always in his natural state. As soon as we come closer to their lines, we’ll obliterate them.”
Mrak Delar glanced at him and sighed, his index finger slowly circling the rim of his cup. “I wish it was that easy,” he said with a light smirk. “There are quite a few different spells that can safely contain the fire energy or shield humans from it. Why do you think any time Kal comes here into the world of humans, he asks me to come along? I’m here to contain his natural state from harming humans. Do you have any doubts that a mage as powerful as Zvereva would realize that and would know how to protect her soldiers?”
Gunz bit his lip, frowning. “You’re right, Mrak. She knows that I escaped the Dark Nav and she’ll be ready. She’ll expect that Kal and I will be at the Mountain Karasova to stop her. Right now, she seems to be a few steps ahead of us, manipulating the situation to her advantage. So, we have to think of something that she won’t expect.”
Mrak Delar and Kal got up. Mrak Delar put an empty coffee cup in the sink and turned to Gunz.
“Well, Great Salamander Junior, I guess, we’ll go too. If you’re in trouble, don’t call me. I don’t want any part of it. Ta-ta for now.”
“Ta-ta for now? Where did you even learn these words?” Gunz stared at him, flabbergasted. “You are not serious, Mrak, are you?”
Mrak Delar burst out laughing. “Of course not. You should have seen your face. Of course, you can summon me any time you need me. For anything. Even if you just want someone’s company to drink a cup of coffee with. And of course, I’ll be right next to you when the time comes to fight. Wouldn’t miss it for the world, little Salamander.”
Kal unfolded the fire-curtain of his portal, letting Mrak Delar through first. “Gunz, this is one of those rare occasions when I want to know everything that’s going on,” he said, putting his hand on Gunz’s shoulder. “You know that usually I don’t get involved in the affairs of human
realms and I don’t like to dictate every step of your life. As I promised—you’re free to make your own choices. But this time is different, so please keep me updated. I want to hear from you every day. And if you’re in trouble, don’t feel ashamed to call me. You understand me, my child?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Gunz, troubled and touched by the notes of concern in Kal’s voice. “Thank you, Father. I’ll stay in touch.”
The moment Kal vanished from the kitchen, Gunz heard the sound of a key opening the door. Karma peeked through the doorway into the kitchen and waved at Gunz.
“Missed me, firetwat?” she asked with a sly wink. She reached into one of the shopping bags and threw Gunz’s sweatpants and shirt into his hand. “Thank you. Finally, got my own garb.”
She pirouetted, demonstrating him her new outfit and headed upstairs into her bedroom. Gunz followed her with his eyes and cringed inwardly. He didn’t like the idea of keeping things from Karma. Maybe she was an assassin for hire, but it didn’t mean that she would betray him the first chance she’s got. How could he trust her to fight by his side if he couldn’t trust her enough to share all the information?
He sighed and caught Voron’s heavy stare. He was standing in the doorway, leaning his shoulder at the doorframe.
“We must be sure first,” he said quietly. “Chernobog didn’t like the situation with her girlfriend’s suspicious disappearance. He checked the Dark Nav after you left a few times and did not find her. She is not in the Dark Nav. So, tell me, Zane, you’ve been to the Nav and back. You know well that there is no escaping there without Chernobog’s permission. How did a young seer without any notable magical power escape the Dark Nav? Someone assisted her. It was not me and it was not my lord Chernobog.”
Gunz dropped his head, biting his lip. “I don’t know, Voron. It makes no sense. But if you saw how heartbroken Karma was, you would know that she had no hand in Milana’s disappearance.”
“I guess, only time will tell,” said Voron. “Did you talk to Lord Veles? Are we all on the same page now?”
“Yes, we are. Except for Aidan and his crew. He is still not back from Chicago and that troubles me.” Gunz thoughts circled back to his last conversation with Aidan. Something wasn’t right there. Nevertheless, Aidan was a god and he could hold his own.
“Do not worry, young Salamander,” said Voron calmly with a light smirk. “Your friend will return in time.”
I wish I had his nerves and his self-assurance. Gunz sighed, checking his phone.
There were no messages from Aidan.
Chapter 28
~ Aidan ~
Aidan walked out of the Phoenix airport early in the morning. It was slightly past eight, but the airport was crowded. Since he didn’t have any luggage, it took him just a few minutes to go through the gates and walk outside. The cold morning air hit him, and he shivered in his thin shirt. It was a little warmer than Chicago but still too cold for the way he was dressed.
He took a shuttle to the car rental, silently cursing the Head Mage for forbidding him to use his full power or to teleport. It was slowing him down considerably and he couldn’t understand why she would do it. With her magic, she had to sense the disturbance beneath, just like he did. Yet she was determined to waste his power and abilities on performing some minuscule tasks.
He needed to go back to Florida and see if there were any new developments. He had to tell Zane everything he learned from Gwyn ap Nudd, so they could get ready for what was to come. Instead, he was forced to run errands for the Guardians, traveling via mundane transportation and fighting like a human hunter.
On top of all that, he was bound to lose another twenty-four hours. His flight back to Chicago was leaving Phoenix at 8:45 PM and arriving in O’Hare airport at six in the morning with a two-hour stop in San Francisco. All this was driving Aidan crazy.
Why didn’t she book a non-stop flight? Why did she get a ticket with the departure at such a late hour? Surely, she didn’t think he would need twelve hours to get rid of a single pack of werewolves, no matter how large it was. He thought about it. Fighting a large pack of werewolves, especially if some of them were purebreds, could take a little time, especially if he couldn’t use his full power. He also stood the chance of getting injured. Even though he could heal himself later, he didn’t want to get hurt in the first place.
He was positive that Ms. Bonneville wasn’t trying to save on the cost of tickets. Since the Guardians weren’t tight on funds, extreme couponing wasn’t her style. There was only one reasonable explanation—she was trying to keep him tied up with the Guardians, doing whatever errands she needed him to do.
Or is she trying to delay my return to Florida and keep me away from everything that is happening there?
He thought back to the warning he received from Raoul’s friend. If the Guardians Order was corrupt, who could guarantee that the Head Mage was on the right side of the fence. Aidan shuddered from the mere thought.
Aidan drove his car through the desert, from time to time, checking the GPS on his phone. According to the GPS, he was driving in the right direction, but the scenery remained unchanged—brownish-yellow colors of the Sonoran Desert land covered in patches of grass, occasional thorny bushes and tall spikes of Saguaro cacti.
He drove for miles without seeing any houses and he started to think that the mage sent him on a wild-goose chase, when he finally noticed white fences of a horse ranch far on the horizon. A small bi-road was branching away from the main road, leading to the left, deeper into the desert.
Aidan slowed down, battling with doubt. His intuition was telling him to take the bi-road. His GPS was insisting on following the main road.
“Intuition wins,” murmured Aidan, turning left.
He drove for a while through the desert, happy that he rented an SUV. After a few miles, he noticed a small farmhouse surrounded by fences. Possibly it was a horse ranch. But if the ranch belonged to the werewolves, it would be quite unusual. Horses, sensitive by nature, could feel the supernatural element and they wouldn’t be keen on obeying supernatural owners.
A mile away from the ranch house, Aidan abandoned the bi-road and drove a few yards into the desert. He stopped the car and walked out. He didn’t want to drive all the way to the house. The noise of the SUV’s engine would alert the pack about his presence far in advance.
He waved his hand, muttering the words of a cloaking spell and the car disappeared, becoming invisible. Then he returned to the bi-road and headed toward the ranch house. About fifteen minutes later, he stopped by the fence that surrounded the ranch. The land looked well taken care of, but he couldn’t see the presence of any animals on the grounds—no horses, no dogs, not even a cat. Just a few chickens were roaming around the front yard, busy pecking at the dry patches of grass. Perhaps the mage was right—this house belonged to a pack after all.
Instead of going through the main gate, Aidan hopped over the fence and slowly circled the perimeter of the property. Behind the main house, there was another building that used to be a barn or a horse stable, but now was turned into a mechanic’s shop. Judging by the equipment and the vehicles that were parked outside the shop, the owner was mostly working on agricultural machinery.
It looked like there was no one in the shop. Aidan walked around the mechanic’s shop and halted behind the main house. He probed the building with his magical sight and counted five people inside. They weren’t quite people. A hardly noticeable glow of supernatural energy was surrounding each one of them.
Aidan had no problem recognizing the house inhabitants as werewolves. It wasn’t a full moon yet and their energy signature was feeble. That told him that these five werewolves weren’t purebred. Unlike turned werewolves, purebred ones could transform at any day of the month, full moon or not, and their magical signature was always strong, easily recognizable.
Everything about what he discovered so far made him think. The house was far away from any populated area. It told him that the pack wan
ted to stay as far away from humans as they possibly could. They had a small business, and they took care of their land. The Head Mage described them as a vicious pack that was killing and turning humans to build up their ranks.
During the course of his long life in this world, Aidan had seen enough of werewolves and was familiar with their lifestyle. He could easily make out the difference between “vicious and dangerous” packs and people who suffered with their condition and were trying to live their life as normal as possible, doing everything to avoid harming others.
While all werewolves were short-fused, extremely strong and fast, in his full power Aidan could easily handle them. However, Ms. Bonneville had his hands tied by ordering him not to use his full power.
Aidan sighed, shaking his head. Screw that, he thought resolutely, heading toward the entrance of the house. I’m not going to kill these people just because the Guardians said so. I need to see how dangerous and vicious they truly are for myself first. After all, they’re not purebreds. It means they are monsters only three days a month and the rest of the time, they’re normal people.
Aidan knocked on the door and listened, probing the house with his magical sight again. He heard steps and agitated whispers, but no one opened the door. He pressed the door handle down, realizing that the door wasn’t locked. He pushed it in, opening it soundlessly. A small room in front of the door was empty. On the wall, there was a hanger with a few adult-size jackets hanging. A single chair was standing on the right of the entrance door. The room led straight into a small kitchen and the doors on either side of kitchen were tightly shut.
Even though Aidan felt the presence of the werewolves in the next room, he proceeded inside. “Hello?” he said tentatively, connecting with his magic. He heard a shuffling behind the door on the right, and a young preteen boy walked into the room.