New Spark (Dark Magic Enforcer Book 3) Read Free Page A

battle with the acre that came with the house to care much about the world I used to live in.
    However much I tried, I still missed it though. I'm drawn to the magic like an imp to Marmite, and it called me like I'd run out without paying the bill—incessant, nagging, something missing from my life even though I'd been given the chance at happiness I ached for.
    Yeah, I know, I should count myself lucky. But that's the point, isn't it? Magic is my world, the only life I have ever known, and my body craved it. Anyway, I couldn't even deal with a chicken, so I had to get back in the game before I lost my unique set of skills.
    I'm beyond mere enforcer, anyway. Often I'm more detective than wielder of magic, and I hoped that Rikka's job would be more cerebral than physical. Wishful thinking, but if nothing else I am a positive kind of guy.
    Intus brought me back to reality with a tap on my nose with her very sharp claws. "Eh? What?"
    "Hello? Anybody home? I said, have you seen any fae lately?" Intus glanced around the kitchen nervously. The last time we'd met one, things had not gone well. I can still see her ears. Oh, those lobes, they make my insides go funny. I want to lick them and tickle them and... Let's just say faery ears are nice, and leave it at that.
    "Sorry, I was miles away." Everyone was staring at me, as if I had a chicken on my head or something—no, I didn't pat my hair, although I was tempted.
    "I said," Rikka gave me one of his "looks." That's nine hundred-year-old mages for you. "Are you up for it? Or do you need even more time to rest?"
    Dancer snickered like a kid. I turned to him and said, "You do know I'm going off you again, don't you?" He wobbled his head—a strange mannerism—but I knew he liked the fact we were something akin to friends now. I never would have imagined it, but he'd shown himself in a different light the previous year. Even Kate had grown fond of him.
    "Of course I'm up for it. I'm Black Spark, Dark—"
    "Spare me, please." Rikka held up slender fingers, something I'm still not used to, even now. Ever since I was a child, he was fat, incredibly obese, so seeing him as a slim man, apparently in his early forties with long brown hair and looking, I hated to admit it, great, was freaky as hell. It just wasn't right. He even had a chin. I'd never seen his chin in my life, and it has been a very long life so far.
    "What about..." The question was left hanging and an awkward silence filled the airy kitchen, the sweetly scented breeze wafting in from the herb garden Grandma had helped us perfect.
    I was at a loss. "What? What's going on?"
    "They mean me, Faz," said Kate, looking cross as hell.
    "Okay, spill it you guys. What's Kate got to do with this?"
    Dancer and Rikka exchanged glances and Dancer smiled. Intus paused her licking of the open Marmite lid—I didn't even see her put it on the table—and piped up, "They want to know if you have permission to go out with the boys, haha."
    It dawned on me. I hadn't even thought about it to be honest. I'm an Alone, I work best solo, can't handle groups of people for too long, and do my best work when functioning on my own. But now there were two of us, living together, and it was great. But I hadn't considered needing to ask if I could go on a job. Did I have to? No, I was an enforcer, and I didn't ask permission of anyone, for anything.
    "Um, can I?" Okay, I bottled it. Do not judge me, this was all rather new.
    "Lightweight," said Dancer.
    "Under the thumb," laughed Rikka.
    "Big girl's blouse," said Intus.
    "Hey, you're a girl. Well, female anyway," I protested.
    "So. At least I'm my own boss. Anyway, it's not sexist, I'm an imp."
    "What's that got to do with it?"
    "Um, not sure, but don't go trying to squirm your way out of this." Imps, you can never win.
    "Faz, I know now isn't the time, what with us having company, but you don't have to ask. This is who you are." Kate enjoyed watching me suffer, I could tell by the twinkle in her eye and