New Spark (Dark Magic Enforcer Book 3) (11 page)

"Goddammit! I will crush that woman." There's no sexism in the Hidden world, everyone can get crushed equally. We're funny like that. "You have to stop her, Spark. I've already been getting calls, even goons turning up. The Council members are less than happy about this. Wizards and mages are going nuts, moaning about it interfering with things, with their magic. Everyone's heard of it. I'm the goddamn Head of both Councils! I look like I can't cope when I let trolls go around killing other Hidden."

"I'll get it sorted. Don't worry. But something isn't feeling right. There is something else going on, something behind all this. Either way, I'll deal with it."

Rikka looked relieved. He was getting too stressed, almost close to swearing, and he never uses bad language. He was right though, the stupid Council setups he is a part of would be clamoring for his attention and there would be a lot of species that would be rubbing their hands together in glee knowing he would be squirming. "Good, what do you need?"

"Nothing. I'm going home for lunch then I'll be on the case."

"You what! Lunch? At a time like this?"

"Boss, this won't go away in an hour. I don't doubt it's gonna be a long day, and night, so I need food. Plus, I want to see Kate. We haven't really been apart from each other much of late, and I want to check she is all right."

"You could always call her. Oh, never mind. Go have your lunch and check on her, but don't let me down, Spark." Rikka warned.

"Have I ever?"

"Damn witches, what's wrong with them?"

"My guess is that they are rather annoyed they still have no seats on the Dark Council. You have to move with the times."

"Spark, I am all for women being on our human Council, but tell that to the other Heads. They're like antiquated dinosaurs."

"Hmm." I said nothing, but that was a little rich coming from a man who thought computers were a fad. "Okay, catch you later."

"And, Spark?" I turned, I don't know why, but every time I'm in the gym he does the same thing. Guess he likes the drama. "Try not to fight any more trolls. The zombie enclave will cost a fortune to repair."

"So bill the trolls, or get your accountant to use it as a tax write-off." I smiled then got out of there before he shouted at me again.

Plum was still squatting, and for some reason half the gym had gone quiet or was offering to spot her. I shook my head and left.

Like she needed a spotter.

Time for Lunch

You know sometimes you do something without knowing why? You decide you'll do it then make up reasons or excuses to justify your actions. This was what I felt like as I headed home.

I blasted hot air into the car as I drove, warding off weather that had turned cold, even for me. The rain had morphed to that sort of hard rain you wish would turn to snow just for a change, but you know it won't. I got hot too quickly so turned it off, and drove out of the city and onto quiet country roads where the air was pure.

The closer I got, the more I knew I was making up reasons to go home. Yes, I wanted to see Kate, and yes, I was hungry, but I could have called her, and got something to eat from any number of places in the city.

I could have joined the miserable people at the chains that have sprung up like the death knell of old business. Where coffee tasted different to the next place, where burgers were made with proper buns that never fall apart in hands and where you weren't expected to serve yourself then clean up afterward and pay for the privilege. That's not too much to ask, is it? Actually paying and getting real food, real service?

So I could have gone to one of the few remaining individual places like Madge's and got something to eat, but something told me to go home and I didn't know what. I was floundering, looking for reasons, when normally I would be hot-on-the-heels of my prey, doing my enforcer job and not letting myself get distracted.

I looked up at the sky as I drove, hoping Intus was ensuring a nuclear meltdown wasn't going on someplace and we'd all be crispy or contaminated by the end of the day. No point worrying about that—some things are beyond the control of us all.

Driving down the bumpy mud track to our new home, I felt the weight of the city lift. I hadn't noticed how tense I was, but my shoulders relaxed, my muscles unbunched. I realized my tattoos had been slightly agitated, hints of magic bubbling away beneath the surface in case of need.

I smiled. I'd wanted a return to the old days as far as work went, and I had it, with knobs on, and look what had happened. What made me happy was coming home, not going out.

Shaded by trees on both sides, the drive suddenly opened out to the land fronting the house and the large clearing in the forest. It's totally secluded, private and perfect. As if it knew how happy I was to be home, the sun peeked from behind the clouds. Rays of golden delight hit the garden like a gift from an angel—maybe I'd done something to get into one of their good graces.

Color and contentment was what I thought of when I saw our little piece of paradise, and even the mess the chickens had made didn't put a damper on my spirits.

I noted that Kate had put them back in their compound rather than giving them the freedom of the garden, so she'd had better luck than my early morning struggle. The trees were bright and lush with new late spring growth, the air tinged with the smell of damp earth and a purity you never find even in rural areas skirting large cities, but Cardiff is small, the countryside pristine. I hated to admit it, but Rikka had done me a massive favor giving me such a gift.

Getting out of the car, I grabbed my trashed jacket and stuffed the tie in a pocket. Kate came out of the front door of the cottage, unaware I was home, humming to herself and bending to tend geraniums in pots she was determined to grow to bring a splash of color right up to the house. The herbs Grandma had picked and helped plant—meaning she told me where to dig holes—were flourishing, and all in all it was just perfect.

My stomach growled again as I headed to the house. Kate looked up as she heard me approach, and smiled. God, what a smile. It still felt odd, this slice of normality, as if we were regular folk that had gone off to live in the country and weren't part of this strange Hidden world that would make Regulars freak if they knew about it.

But here I was, whistling and feeling great, smiling at my vampire girlfriend as she tended geraniums like it was all entirely normal.

And it was. This was what people did, right? They went home for lunch, chilled out before heading back to work. It was just that in my case heading back to work meant fighting trolls, dealing with wayward witches, and trying not to think about a possible nuclear meltdown somewhere in the world as imps had got carried away with their key hiding again.

"Wow, you look like it's been a long day."

"It has, and it ain't over yet. It's great to see you." I gave Kate a kiss; the world melted away.

What was wrong with me? Why didn't I stay there forever? Chase chickens and plant vegetables? Because magic was a part of me, that was why. Her too. She felt it. Kate would go off on her own into the city. I never asked, and sometimes she never told, but she is a vampire, and there is no escaping that.

It will change things, I know that, so does she, but for now, and for as long as possible, we will enjoy what we have, take it one day at a time, and make the most of this rare chance at happiness we have been granted. Hell, I'd waited long enough for my turn. A century of being a man means I deserve a bloody break, doesn't it?

"What was that for?" she said, stepping back and smiling.

"Just giving my favorite girl a kiss. I'm starving. Fancy some lunch?"

"Sure. I'll make it."

"No, leave it to me. You take it easy and I'll fix us something." I left Kate outside and headed into the house. It would do me good to do a normal task. Bring me back down to earth. No crazy fighting or dwelling on the morning and what I'd seen.

I couldn't shake the smell of the zombie pit. It lingered in my nostrils no matter it was a memory rather than real. I decided to change. My trousers were muddy, jacket ruined, shirt stained and gross. Kate had said nothing, just glanced at it and noted the mess. I suppose it wasn't the first time she'd seen me in a similar state, and it wouldn't be the last. Just part of the job.

Rather than pick another suit, something told me to keep it casual, so I dressed in red t-shirt, jeans, and battered retro Adidas Gazelles, listening to that silent voice again that told me what to do without me knowing why.

One thing I knew, the reason I kept it casual wouldn't involve chasing chickens around the garden. It would be something else, and something a lot worse.

A Welcome Rest

We had a pleasant lunch in the kitchen while I told Kate what had happened so far that morning. She offered suggestions, gave my neck a rub, and I could have happily stayed there for the rest of the day, maybe the rest of my life. But I'd made a promise, and besides, it wasn't just Rikka's future on the line. It was all of ours.

If Rikka got outed then you could bet the witches wouldn't be asking me to help clean up any problems, they would keep it in-house. We both shuddered at the thought of crazy old ladies running around dealing with all the issues that constantly arose in our world. Nothing against witches, but it would be chaos. They simply aren't best suited to the type of work I specialize in.

"Faz?" said Kate from by the sink as she stared out the window.

"Yeah?" Something was wrong, I could tell.

"Is this... um... What we have, is it enough? Enough for you?" She turned, eyes darting around nervously, as if afraid to meet my gaze.

"Is it enough? Of course. What do you mean?"

"I mean, the life we have now. Us being here, away from the city. The quiet, spending so much time together. Is it enough?"

"It's more than that, it's amazing. What about you? I know you feel the pull of the vampires, that they want you with them." It was true. They have this thing, something that draws them to each other, to the Head. To Taavi.

The vampire world had been crazy for many months after the previous year's events, and things were only just getting back to normal. Kate had been away quite a lot at first, unable to resist, called by Taavi to help. Nobody refused him.

"It's perfect. I never thought I'd be so happy. But look at you, Faz, you're practically glowing with excitement. You love this stuff."

I stood and moved to Kate, held her close and took in her scent, her essence. I love this woman more than anything. Being with her is what I want forever. We were quiet, just held each other, and then I pulled away, looked her in the eye and said, "I know what I want, and it's you, and this. Yes, I have to work, it's who I am and I don't know any different, Kate, but you are what I want. Is that okay? Enough?"

"Yes. Haha, just checking."

"It seems too easy, right? Like we've been given too much, that we couldn't be this lucky?" It was what I lived in fear of, that she would wake up one morning, realize she was amazing and I was, well, just me, and leave, not even look back. And I'd be alone. Again. Yeah, I know, I'm not as tough as I make out.

"Exactly! It's like we landed in heaven and I'm waiting for it to all go wrong. I know you see it in me, Faz, see me lose myself a little, become more like the vampires, the older ones. But I'm trying to fight it, to stop it. It's horrible, Faz. Sometimes I feel cold, and empty, like I don't care about anything. Then I'm back being me. It scares me, scares me so much it feels like I'm trapped inside somebody else's mind when it happens."

"I know. It's okay. You just have to fight it. You can beat it, Kate. You can remain who you are as long as you fight it. I'll be here, you can count on that."

I think maybe we both cried a little then. It wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last. Kate does become distant, and I can see the struggle inside of her.

It's the call of the wild, the urge to take another human being's life and revel in the blood magic, the sheer unrivaled force and pure animal drive they derive from their taking of a life.

Such a curse is a hard thing to beat, but she made her choice and she has to live with it. Me too. And I would rather that than the alternative, which is her death. She is infected with the vampire virus. She kills and drains other human beings so she can live, and whether we like it or not she is a part of that world.

So we do what we can. We cling to each other in the kitchen and we cry and we grow vegetables and we have lunch and I go off chasing about the city like a thing possessed. And she goes and kills people, but only bad people, and that proves she is human, that she cares.

When she doesn't care, when she looks at me and feels nothing, when she kills without guilt or shame, without it meaning anything, then she will be one of them. But we won't let that happen. We will fight it and I will not lose her. I will do all I can to keep her as Kate. Perfect, yet flawed, the same as the rest of us.

"Right, now about these witches," she said some time later, eyes dancing and bright.

"You got an idea?"

"I do, and if it means having you all to myself again soon then maybe this is the best way."

"Huh? You lost me."

"You need to kill Kaisa Hayashi, then it will be over."

"Kate, I can't kill the witch Head. Are you nuts?"

"Okay, what alternative is there? She's already got who knows how many people killed. The trolls are out of control. All the zombies they killed, that's awful. Um, sort of. Actually, maybe that's for the best."

"You see! It's never black and white, is it? She's gone crazy, that's for sure, but the trolls are doing what they think is right, not being cruel on purpose. Although I did prefer it when they were less smart." It was a mess, and for once I was stumped.

I couldn't exactly just go call on Kaisa Hayashi and ask her to stop with the troll smart pills, but I did need more information. I wouldn't do anything until I was totally sure who was to blame and what exactly was really going on.