by Al K. Line
Contents
Title Page
Men
Some Detective Work
Working Solo
A Babysitter
Follow That Troll
A Slight Problem
Click Clack
Knock, Knock
A Fumble in the Dark
Seriously
Feel my Wrath
Feeling Antsy
No End in Sight
Pause for Thought
Wasn't Expecting That
Overdid It
The Good, the Bad, and the Grumpy
Confusion Abounds
An Explanation
Information Overload
I'm Alive!
Very, Very Weird
Utter Terror
No Respite
Darkest Despair
Untold Strength
Oddness
Everything Goes Wonky
Beastly
A Wander
Action
Getting to Know You
What a Difference a Day Makes
Female Intuition
Alone Again
Welcome to Hell
A Reunion
The Caretakers
Ooh
Like a Hedgehog
Urban Jungle
Tea Time
Cold
So Strange
Emptiness
Home to Daddy
A Deep Hurt
A Big Fight
No Chance
New Enemies
Beyond Expectations
Broken Ties
It Gets Worse
A Long Wait
The Evening Comes
Mistaken Identity
Let's Try Again
A Brief Respite
A Plot
Strange Times
On the Hunt
To the Rescue
A Surprise
As You Were
Furtive Glances
Death Raineth
A Bit Crowded
Doing a Solid
Ending
Back Again
Disobedient Children
A Mother's Fury
Breaking the Law
Getting Close
All Alone
It's Alive
Here We Go Again
Stop, Start
Eek!
Damn Dwarves
Dumped
Time to Say Urgle
Rough Around the Edges
Stacked Odds
Power Unleashed
An Interruption
Taking Sides
The Looking Room
Hunting Trip
Hidden Blood Book 3
Al K. Line
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Copyright © 2017, Al K. Line. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Men
"Put it through that bit there," I said helpfully.
"Huh?" snapped Faz. "Put what through where?" He glared at me, sweating like a yeti in a hot spring during a heatwave. Served him right for wearing his suit. He even had his jacket on, the utter muppet.
"Put the longest pole through the guide at the top."
Faz scowled then threw the tent pole down in disgust. "That's it, I give up. There's obviously been a mix up. They gave us the wrong bits or something." He stormed off and the whole sorry mess of a half-erected tent collapsed.
"Hey, what's happening? Let me out, let me out." Mithnite punched at the tent from inside where he'd been holding it up so Faz could assemble it easier.
The comedy act had been going on for forty-five minutes now, and what was funny at first become a lesson in just how impractical in some regards my husband was.
Faz walked back to the tent and raised an arm, his shoulders hunched up by his ears in anger.
"Don't even think about it," I warned.
"What?"
"You were gonna blast it, weren't you?" I glared at him but couldn't stop myself smiling.
"Um, maybe a little. Stupid bloody tent. Why couldn't we go glamping, hire a yurt or something?"
"Because this is fun, that's why. Grab a chair and sit down. You need a rest."
Faz gave the mess of material and poles a final look then ambled over and took one of the new fold-up chairs identical to mine. He snapped it open, plonked himself down, then promptly toppled sideways as it folded in on itself.
I stared down at my dear husband on the scorched brown grass, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Seriously? You can't even open a chair?"
"Bloody camping shop sold us a load of duff equipment."
"Hold the baby, I'll do it." I passed him Kane, and Faz's face lit up as it always did when he held our son, then stood up and went to sort out the chaos.
Ten minutes later the spacious tent was assembled, Mithnite was safely extracted, and the baby was fast asleep. Faz may not have excelled at camping but he was a whiz with the little one. What took me hours, he did in minutes. I'm sure they had a pact and did it to wind me up.
Persimmon and Dancer joined us from their swanky tent, more like a generously proportioned house judging by the size. One of those multiple room versions for large families, complete with bedrooms and a separate cooking area. I kept my smile on my face even though I was jealous, but in a nice way.
"You had to help too?" asked Persimmon, frowning at Dancer who was as sweaty as Faz.
"Yup. You'd think the Head of all things magical and his number one enforcer could put up a tent."
"Men," sighed Persimmon.
"Men," I agreed.
"Hey, we are here, you know?" said Dancer, wiping his forehead with a crisp white handkerchief.
"We know," we both chorused.
"But you could have worn more appropriate clothes." I suggested. "What's with the suits?" Faz wore a smart nineteen-sixties affair complete with white shirt and black tie, Dancer's a more modern cut, but again, white shirt, and a much narrower tie.
With his usually slicked back hair, although presently it was rather unruly, he looked like an undertaker, not the man in charge of running the various magical creatures of the UK. Faz's hair was freshly dyed blond, and he was gaining weight for the first time in almost a year. He was, finally, recovering from an ordeal that had left him almost dead and ended up with me inheriting Hidden magic he himself had been gifted.
So here we were, a bunch of magical misfits, a vampire, her wizard enforcer husband, our boss and friend, his shifter girlfriend, our lodger-cum-family member, Mithnite, and our baby, now eight months old and a constant source of worry.
Hardly surprising when I'd gone from pregnant to giving birth all in the space of ten days. That would freak out any mother.
That's magic for you, it never ceases to surprise.
"What we doing first?" asked Mithnite, stripping down to his vest and jeans like a sensible person.
"Ooh, look at those muscles," said Persimmon with a twinkle in her eye.
"Hey, don't be cheeky." Mithnite let his long hair fall in front of his face to hide his embarrassment, a habit I was sure he'd grow out of as he advanced through his twenties.
"I don't think she was," said Faz, studying his body like the rest of us.
"You look buff, dude."
; "You think?" Mithnite flexed and muscle rippled. He was lean, but his chest was broad and his shoulders wide, with slender arms bulging in all the right places.
"Yeah, what's the secret?" asked Dancer, who'd always been like Faz, slim and sinewy because the magical furnace burned bright. Boy did it take a lot to fuel them.
It's a definite boon to having magic. I got my figure back quickly after giving birth, but I guess the short pregnancy helped with that. Although, my damn breasts were still like balloons, not that I got any complaints from hubby about that.
"Been working out," said Mithnite, trying to act nonchalant but smiling like a loon.
"We should have a session together some time," said Persimmon with a wink.
Mithnite blushed but grinned back at her, and no surprise why. Persimmon's own vest clung to her dark skin like plastic wrap, revealing breasts larger than even mine, her perfect figure the envy of every woman she'd ever met.
"Enough of this, let's eat," said Faz, who's appetite was insatiable now he was recovering.
"I'll get wood." This was the perfect excuse to do some preliminary exploring, and truth be told I couldn't wait for some alone time. So I kissed Kane, fussed about making sure he had everything he needed, then wandered from the clearing in the nice spot we'd found and went in search of firewood.
As I entered the forest, the birdsong grew louder, the coolness calmed my skin, same as the trip was already doing to my slightly jangly nerves, and I wondered if life got better than this. After so much turmoil the last year it was just what we needed. Life had been turned on its head once we had a child, zero sleep, magical mayhem around every corner—nothing new there—and Faz had even returned to do a few very easy jobs. I'd had my hands full so was off the books as an enforcer for now, and to be honest I missed it.
Being a mum is great, best thing in the world, but when your days are usually filled with bashing wayward wizards or supernatural creatures over the head or blasting them with magic, changing diapers and having your adorable baby clamped to your breast like a limpet for half the day, and the other half is taken up with washing or trying to catch a few minutes of sleep, feels very odd indeed. It's a hard thing to admit, but I missed the action.
It took minutes to gather firewood. The crazy warm summer had dried everything out, and after eking it out a little longer, I wandered back to camp with my arms full and my spirits soaring. This was going to be a great week, just what everyone needed. No magic, no phone calls in the middle of the night, just a chance for me to take it easy while Faz and Mithnite looked after the baby. They'd promised I could have some me time, could go off on my own for long walks, and generally be spoiled.
It was going to be awesome.
"Right, let's get this fire going and cook like we're cavemen," I said with a huge grin as I dumped the wood down by the circle of stones I assumed Persimmon had made as it looked quite professionally done.
No answer.
I turned, but there was nobody there. Frowning, I checked our tent but it was empty.
"Not funny, guys. Come on, Kane needs feeding. Faz, this is not clever."
Still nothing.
I checked Dancer and Persimmon's tent, but it was empty too.
Surely they wouldn't have gone off without me? I scanned the area but saw nothing. Just trees, the cars, the tents, and the track we'd driven down. We were in the heart of Snowdonia, miles from home, but there were lots of paths leading in all directions as the whole area was a designated camping ground. Vast swathes of land where you could camp for free as long as you cleaned up after yourself.
Maybe they'd gone for a walk? But all their stuff was here, all the baby things, and Faz was utterly paranoid about taking the changing bags with him. He didn't go anywhere without a dozen nappies, three changes of clothes, and more wet wipes than was practical for even the most extreme of emergencies.
I spun hard on my heels at the sound of Kane crying. I ran to our tent, pushed aside the flap, and dashed inside. I pulled back a sleeping bag and there, wriggling and smiling, was my baby. Picking him up, I clutched him tight, and got a very bad feeling.
There was no way on earth Faz would leave his son alone even for a minute. He slept in our room, he went with us everywhere, Faz would never go off and leave him like this.
"Guess the holiday's over," I sighed, and I swear I didn't mean to, that I was worried and scared and all that, but a little smile spread across my face, just for a moment.
Game on.
Some Detective Work
Familiar feelings surfaced as ink tingled and magic came to life like a bear prodded from hibernation with a big, sharp stick. It surged and eddied like it had been waiting for this to happen. I guess it had. I guess I had.
So many months had passed where I'd hardly used magic at all. My focus was on the baby and I didn't have the energy. From the moment I discovered I was pregnant, I was consumed with worry. Worried the baby would be born a monster, the rapid gestation resulting in something too terrible for a mother to stand. But he was perfect in every way, grew at the usual rate once born, cried and screamed and suckled and smiled his gorgeous smile, just like a normal baby.
But part of me longed for the rush of violence, for magic to flare and my body to dance under the power of the Empty. The anticipation turned instantly to dread and shame. What was wrong with me? How could I, even for a split second, want something bad to happen? What kind of person did that make me? I cuddled Kane tight and he fell asleep, unconcerned by whatever had happened.
I understood something then. That it wasn't so much me wanting bad stuff to happen, but the magic inside needing a release. And the moment I believed something was amiss, it took its chance and sent an insane amount of chemical combinations coursing through my veins, confusing my body and mind.
It's why some people smile at funerals. They are so close to crying, to breaking down and weeping, that the signals get mixed and they laugh or grin instead. You feel awful, how could you do such a thing? But it's just your body acting up in times of deep stress.
Fun most definitely over, I left the tent and turned slowly in a circle, listening with enhanced senses, searching the trails and the woods for any heat signatures. Nothing.
We were alone.
Getting my act together, I cradled Kane as I checked the tents and cars thoroughly, just in case I was missing something. I wasn't.
Everyone's things were still here. Nobody had taken anything they didn't already have on their person. Faz had his suit, same as Dancer. Mithnite and Persimmon, the buff ones, were down to trousers and vests, and everything else was exactly as they'd left it.
There was no sign of a struggle; I'd heard nothing from in the woods. They were just gone.
I settled down on the chair and nursed Kane when he woke and began to nuzzle for a feed, all the while waiting for something to happen. But it didn't, and after I changed the baby he dozed. I couldn't put him down though, was too afraid, too worried something might happen. So I held him tight and sat on a cheap chair in the middle of the woods, alone and frightened as the afternoon sun beat down and my imagination grew increasingly wild.
It wasn't like there was any shortage of people who'd want to see us dead. We all had enemies. Enforcers, Heads, shifters, demonic junior wizards in human form, vampires with Hidden magic, we weren't exactly enemy free, but that was the point. We were dangerous people. You didn't get to sneak up and carry us off without a fight. It just couldn't happen.
Except it had.
Working Solo
Why would anyone kidnap them? And how? Both questions had no easy answers. Killing them, missing out on getting me by luck, I could understand. But just take them away? No way would they go without a fight, and it would be one helluva fight too. You simply didn't get to grab people like my husband and friends without there being a major bloodbath. Probably several.
Or maybe it wasn't coincidence I was left out of it. Maybe it was a kidnap, however it was done. I wasn't sure who
knew, although I assumed hardly anyone, but we had over a million in gold stashed away, Mithnite too, after the dwarves paid up, sort of, because Faz did a job for them. Was that what this was all about? Was I supposed to wait for a ransom note?
Haha, stupid. You didn't hold wizards, shifters, and Council Heads to ransom, you'd get your eyes popped out and your blood boiled for your trouble. Revenge then? It had to be. What other explanation was there? Someone, or multiple someones, had snatched them somehow. Surely there would be a sign of a struggle? I put Kane in the front carrier so he was wrapped tight against my chest and did a little investigating. The ground was clear, just the signs of us having set up camp. No scuffed ground, no magical residue, nothing.
I went to our car to grab my phone but remembered there was no signal here, part of the appeal, and found Faz's. Glancing in Dancer's car I could see his and Persimmon's too, so that was a dead end.
Venturing away from camp, I checked out the beginnings of the various trails but there were no dropped pebbles leading the way, no scraps of cloth tied to bushes, no nicks in trees, or broken branches, nothing to indicate anyone had been past recently. It was a large area with a lot of space for hikers so the chance of anyone being here was remote, and I could see no footprints because the ground was too solid.
I had a genuine mystery on my hands, and I did not like it one bit.
We'd had enough grief the last year to last a lifetime and then some. We'd only just got paid out on the insurance, and that was only after I insisted the insurance guy meet me in person. They changed their minds then and paid up, a bit of glamoring from yours truly helping speed things along. Our new place was nice but it didn't feel like home yet as everything was too new, too impersonal, so this break was just what was needed to escape reminders of the attack on our home and the destruction of so many good memories in the only place I had felt truly safe.
We were getting our life back together slowly, though, and we had each other, Kane, and friends, but the escape was overdue. The Chemist took his role as godfather very seriously and was constantly bringing gifts and fussing about, and as much as he was a great help when we needed to rest, it all became a little too much, too overbearing. Combine that with Grandma, who's dictionary doesn't contain the word interfering, it somehow having been replaced with "helping out," so when Faz suggested a camping trip I jumped at the idea.
