New Spark (Dark Magic Enforcer Book 3) (10 page)

"A beatnik? Do you even know what one is?"

"I do indeed. It's someone who looks like they need to clean their shoes and get changed. Are you growing a beard?" she asked suspiciously.

"What? No, um, maybe some stubble." I scratched my chin. Kate liked it with a little growth. I did too.

As Intus concealed a snigger—not very well—I took off my muddy shoes and carried them into the kitchen, Intus still hitching a ride. Grandma returned to the stove and stirred her pots of potions. I tried not to melt under the terrible heat as the old extractor fan failed to deal with the perpetual onslaught from her constant potion making. It groaned and creaked, a sound as familiar as my own voice. Just part of being home.

I sucked down cool and freshly scented air from the garden as I put my shoes outside. I'd clean them before I left.

"Kate says to say hi, and she'll see you soon."

"Oh, goodie. I do like it when she comes visiting. How are you two getting on? You haven't ruined it have you?"

"What? No, everything is fine."

"And what about, you know?" Grandma wiggled her ears suggestively.

"Grandma! I will not talk about that with you."

"Don't be daft. I'm a woman, Faz, I know things."

"Maybe. But I don't want to know what you know, and I certainly don't want you knowing what I know either. Any tea?"

"Of course, it's jut brewing. I put the cups out and everything." I saw two regular sized cups and one tiny thimble sized one for Intus on the table. I never ask how she knows I'm coming, she just does.

"Sorry, Spark, sorry, Mrs. Grandma, there's an imp emergency. Apparently a group of key hiders have got a little carried away and a nuclear power station may melt down unless the technician can find his keys. I've told them a million times, and I mean literally, that they aren't to hide keys to things that could blow up the world. What would be the point? There would be no one looking for them if everyone got killed. Be seeing you."

"Bye, Intus, give the kids a kiss from Grandma."

"See you, Intus, hope you find the keys in time."

"Bye, and don't worry, they always put them in his briefcase. Why they can't leave the poor fellow alone, I'll never know." With that Intus was gone. No, I wasn't particularly panicked. You get used to it after a while.

"Those imps will be the death of us all one day," moaned Grandma.

"They're just having fun. They won't let things get too out of control. Maybe." I was fairly confident Intus would deal with it, but to be honest I was more concerned that my backup had gone. I had to ask Grandma about the trolls without Intus to soften the questioning I hoped wouldn't turn into an interrogation.

"How about this tea?" Yeah, I bottled it. Maybe I'd ask after I'd relaxed a little.

Naughty Witches

"Grandma, the trolls have gone mad. Apparently they've killed all the zombies and one was loose in the city and Spark found them and fought a troll and... Oh!"

"Hi, Gretchen," I said casually, as the young witch turned almost purple with embarrassment. Grandma stared at her until she wilted like a flower in the desert.

"Oh, er, um... Hi, Spark, didn't know you were here."

"Clearly."

"Out with you, silly girl, you and your daft tales. Can't you see I have a visitor? It's Faz and he doesn't want to be hearing your nonsense."

"Nice try, Grandma. I think we better have a little chat, don't you?" Maybe for the first time in my life Grandma looked genuinely uncomfortable. She was in over her head, and that was a first too. It wasn't like her to get involved in things like this. Could she be involved? Surely not.

Gretchen did what any self-respecting young witch would do and said, "Bye, sorry," and ran away. I heard the front door slam closed behind her along with crying. She would be in serious trouble for such a breach of trust. Poor kid.

"Now, I think you have some explaining to do, Grandma."

"Who, me? Little old Grandma? Gretchen was just telling me what was happening out there in the world, Faz. Sounds scary. Ooh." Grandma moved over to the sink and closed the window above it, the only ventilation in the room. She knew I hated the heat and the steam—not very subtle.

I drained my tea. She makes the best cuppa ever, even better than Madge's. "You are either involved in what is happening, or you are trying to avoid it. Come on, spill it."

"It's nothing to do with me, honest. You know what these witches are like, always messing about with spells and whatnot. I don't know, nothing but trouble sometimes."

"You're a witch. One of the oldest, and I don't believe for a minute that—"

"Of course I know, at least I think I do, but it's not my business. I have lived a long time, Faz, and always prided myself on staying away from trouble." Grandma cast me a look as I was about to interrupt—she most definitely does not stay away from trouble. "I help the people I help, give them what they need, but politics is nothing to do with me."

"So this is political? In what way?"

"I'm sorry, Faz, but I'm not getting involved. Why do you think I haven't told you anything about this? If the other witches want to get themselves into trouble, and deal with you and Rikka, then that is their business. I would never put you in that position with me."

"Thanks, Grandma, I appreciate it, and I know you wouldn't. So they came to you, asking for help?" She nodded. "What is it? To do with the Council, right?" Another nod. "Someone, or some of them, want positions on the Dark Council, is that it?" A nod, but there was more.

"Please don't tell me that Kaisa Hayashi is stirring up trouble, doing all this so she can be Head of the Dark Council. Is she mad?"

"It's not my place to interfere. And I'm guessing. Things are weird right now, Faz. Most witches don't know anything about what is happening, just a few of Kaisa Hayashi's close people, trying to stir up trouble. But they aren't right. Something else is happening."

"You could have warned me. This involves me. Rikka is my boss!" There was more to this though. If it wasn't a mass revolt by the witches, and even Grandma was in the dark, then everything was totally out of whack.

"I know, but I knew you'd find out soon enough. You're a smart boy, you'd figure it out." Grandma has always given me my independence, but this was taking it a little too far. If Kaisa Hayashi was vying to take over the Dark Council, not just Rikka's Ward of Cardiff, but the whole country, it would spell disaster for us all.

She's a cruel, nasty piece of work, and the only reason she is the top witch is because she is feared by the others. Powerful too. Very. The only good thing about her is she usually keeps her trouble to her witches—they infight and bicker like you would not believe.

"What's she been doing?"

"I couldn't tell you even if I knew. You know how it works, Faz. They are my sisters, and you don't betray family."

"I'm family!" I was angry, and I may have banged the table with my fist.

Grandma turned serious, eyes dark. Not a calling of magic, but a specific witch thing, power emanating from her in ways that made me shiver and my skin crawl. "You do not raise your voice in my house to me, ever."

"Sorry. I love you more than life itself, Grandma, and I am sorry. But come on, I am family."

"And that is why I said I would play no part in any of it. I know you are Rikka's enforcer, and I know how dangerous you are, Faz. More dangerous than even you know. I feel sorry for Kaisa Hayashi more than anything. She has always been a foolish woman. But nobody knows what is really going on, just rumors. They have gone quiet up at the farm where she has been spending more and more time lately. All very odd if you ask me, sneaky old witch that she is."

"You know I have to deal with her, right? This can't be allowed to happen. Rikka will go batty when I tell him. He'll want anyone involved wiped from the planet."

"I've known him since he was a little grubby kid, and I know the kind of person he is. He's a nice man, but you don't get to be Head for as long as Rikka without having a hard side too. You don't tell me how this works, I'm the one that tells you." Grandma gave me a hard stare. She seemed genuinely freaked out. Worse. She was guessing, not certain what was happening or how far the Head witch was willing to take whatever she was up to.

"Yeah, he's tough all right. But he's family too, Grandma. He's an old friend, you and him brought me up after... Well, he's family. Taught me everything I know along with you. Family."

"And fair. Strong, but fair, as it should be. I'd hoped the silly woman would come to her senses, but apparently not. Do what you have to do, Faz, but try not to involve the others. Some of them are a bit dippy. Sheep really."

"I'll try, but you know how it goes."

"I do."

"Okay, I have to go. Thanks for the tea, and I'll try to keep this low key." I headed toward the front door for our final goodbye, but Grandma didn't follow me.

"Wait a minute," she called, still in the kitchen. A minute later she came with my shoes. I'd totally forgotten them. The tan winklepickers shone like new. "Here. Stupid though. They're too pointy."

"It's fashion, Grandma." I like to think it is, anyway. "Thank you, I appreciate that."

"I just cleaned your shoes, you daft lump."

I kissed Grandma on the forehead and left with a smile and a nod. She knew what I meant.

Rikka would go apoplectic.

A Witch Hunt

I spent the next hour or so driving around the city and making calls, avoiding anything witch related. Just checking the city was safe and no more roaming zombies had been encountered. Everything was quiet, apart from more and more trolls suddenly getting smart and deciding they could do jobs better than other people.

There were a lot of irate human Hidden and a lot of confused Regulars in stores, offices, even banks. Trolls were still not good at taking no for an answer and simply muscled their way in, oblivious to the fact they hadn't been asked to do whatever job they took it upon themselves to somehow excel at.

Their actions weren't my main concern, though. It was the fact the witches were behind it. More importantly, Kaisa Hayashi, and that it was being done just to wind up Rikka and cause him a headache. What the endgame was I couldn't tell, but it was certainly causing trouble. Something wasn't adding up—the trolls were the tip of the iceberg. Deeper motives than a simple witch power play or disruption were at work. The whole thing stank of misdirection and it was getting seriously out of hand.

After learning bits and pieces, I headed to Rikka's "office." His place of business is a back room in one of his many "Rikka's Fitness Emporiums." He's got loads of them and they bring in the cash like nobody's business, and unlike other leaders of Hidden humans or species, he has his headquarters in a gym. A Hidden gym, for our kind only. Somewhere to stay safe and build the biceps.

It's unconventional to say the least, as almost every other Head has a smart building as their HQ where they do their business with suitable pomp and all that stuff. Rikka isn't like that. Maybe this is why—he bucks convention, keeping everyone on their toes.

Winking at the latest in a very long line of receptionists, I headed to the gym, opened the specially locked door only accessible to our kind, and was immediately immersed in the grunts, groans, shouts, and stink of numerous Hidden species all pumping iron and generally oozing testosterone, not just males either.

The usual array of characters were busy with the bespoke equipment. Dwarves were going up and down the rack of hammers, even the lightest of which I couldn't hope to lift.

Goblins were in their usual ridiculously skintight, and way too skimpy outfits, goading each other into using weights that often left them crippled and with bits dangling. Groups of shifters were in their own areas, ignoring their neighbors. There was a ghost moaning at the crossover station, a gremlin at the miniaturized chin-up bar, and there she was, Plum. Panther shifter, she of the gorgeous and shapely body, wrapped in a skintight black vest and training shorts, squatting with five hundred pounds, so clearly still on her warm up.

Her back was to me, and what a back it is. I had to drag my eyes away before I thought thoughts I now felt guilty about because of Kate.

I'm allowed to look, aren't I? Just not squeeze and physically drool over. At least I think I am. And no, I haven't asked Kate. I'm not that stupid.

Rikka was at his desk as usual. It still felt weird to see him there as he is now. I'd got so used to seeing his old self, fat overflowing, cake constantly being raised to mouth, that I did a double-take when I saw a rather handsome, slender wizard with nice long hair. But he was still looking grumpy, clearly impatient to hear what I had to say. He beckoned me over with an urgent wave. Some things never change.

I glanced once more at Plum, still squatting away in the rack, sent out a mental apology to Kate, and walked across the rubber flooring to my boss. My stomach rumbled—I was used to food at regular intervals now and it was past lunch time. Luckily, the clanging of the weights and the groaning of the goblins masked my rumblings as it isn't exactly the hardcore impression I try to cultivate. No sniggering.

"I hope you've got good news."

"I've got news."

"So it's not good then?" Rikka looked up from a piece of paper, clearly not anything he was pleased to be reading.

"Depends which way you look at it," I said, hedging my bets.

"Just tell me, Spark, I'm not in the mood for games."

"It's the witches."

"I know that, I told you it had to be them."

"Grandma says it's nothing to do with her, but from what she didn't say it's obvious Kaisa Hayashi is behind it somehow. My guess is she's after your position and is using the trolls to send a message to the other Council members. Not just here, but worldwide. To show you aren't keeping control over your local Ward let alone the country as a whole. She's the only one with the ability to make those smart pills the trolls are crunching on."