M.A.G.I Hunters 1: A Bounty Hunter Fantasy Series (M.A.G.I. Hunters)

by D. Levesque

  “No, you wouldn’t,” Marrisa tells him with a laugh. “You would be telling anyone who would listen.” Her dad harrumphs at her.

  “Yeah, well. I can vouch for the fact that it was vile,” I tell him, shuddering as I remember the taste. It was a cross between, yeah, never mind. Let’s not go there.

  “Is your apartment far from here?” William asks me.

  “No, it’s up that road,” I tell him. I point to the road in question, which you can see through the chain-link fence.

  “Follow me. I know the way,” Carmen says, with a grin directed at Marrisa.

  Dammit, girl, don’t antagonize her. If you want Marrisa to like you, you need to not get her pissed off. But Marrisa surprises me, and probably Carmen, based on her expression, when she casually says, “Sounds good to me.”

  “Eer.” Carmen blinks. “Yeah. This way.”

  “Hold on. Dad, you aren’t going like that, are you?” Marrisa asks her dad.

  “What? What’s wrong with how I look?” he asks her, perplexed.

  I hear snickering from Tallen and William. He turns to glare at them. “What is wrong with how I look?”

  “What I think your daughter means,” Carmen tells him with a laugh, “is you look like you just walked off a Harry Potter set, with that robe and that staff.”

  He looks down at himself and growls. “Fine.” He waves his hand and his staff is replaced with a walking cane, and instead of a robe he is. now wearing dark slacks, with a white shirt and a leather vest. He looks quite stylish. He nods at Carmen to lead the way.

  The rest of us follow her as Carmen takes us through the cut in the fence, and then heads up the street towards my apartment. We are less than two hundred feet from the entrance to my building when Magus Targun stops and looks up.

  “Mavin!” he cries in pleasure.

  “Magus Targun!” I can hear the voice of Mavin, but I don’t see him. Then suddenly, he is right above us and is flying down quickly to float in front of Magus Targun.

  “What are you doing here, boss?” Mavin ask him. Boss?

  “Oh, we are here so that Kevin can use his phone in his apartment. He is going to call his friend.”

  All right,” utters Mavin slowly, as if just going along with him. “Well, the apartment is well secured. No one has tried to come into it. Oh,” Mavin says, turning to me. “Kevin, we will need more Oreo cookies. We seem to have run out.”

  “Run out!” I blurt out in astonishment. “There were nine packages of them when I left!”

  “Yes,” he says, as if that was normal.

  “Just how many cookies do you eat!” I ask him in amazement.

  “Well, they only have so many in a package,” he says defensively.

  I put my hand over my eyes. “Mavin. I was only gone for what? Two weeks plus a couple of days? How in the hell could you have eaten what amounted to almost 360 cookies? That’s what? Twenty cookies a day?”

  “Twenty-two or so,” he says, nodding at me again.

  “You ate twenty-two cookies a day?”

  “Well, most days. Some days I had to go without because I ran out about three days ago.”

  I go to open my mouth again, but Carmen beats me to it. “Hey, Mavin.”

  He turns to her, and his face brightens up in joy. “Carmen!” Suddenly, he is hugging her around the neck with his tiny arms. He pulls back to look at her. “What are you doing here!?!”

  “Well, Kevin and Marrisa are my partners now. We are a threesome.”

  “Wow! A threesome,” he tells her, and I hear something in his tone.

  I don’t think he is taking it as a threesome as work partners, but in a sexual way. And I think Carmen meant for him to take it that way. When I look over at Marrisa, she is blushing and glaring at her.

  “So, did Kevin give you explicit instructions to eat all his cookies?” Carmen questions him.

  “What? Well, he said I can have some,” he says slowly, looking down at the ground as if she is chastising him.

  “But were his instructions, Oh Mavin. All those cookies that you see in my cupboard? They are all yours to take?”

  “Well, not exactly,” Mavin mumbles, still not looking at her.

  Carmen turns to me. “Kevin. You have to understand. Fairies will go beyond their limits, which is exactly what Mavin has done. I wonder what his mother would think if she found out that her son, who is a Prince among the Fairies, is acting like a common pig?”

  Mavin’s head snaps up, and he has a look of horror on his face, but Carmen ignores him. “Kevin. It is within your rights to have Mavin here be Bound to you.”

  “Bound?” I ask, but as soon as I think of it, it comes to me.

  Because a Fairy, Mavin, abused my hospitality, in this case, me saying he can have some of my cookies but not all of them, I can ask him as recompense to be Bonded to me. With a capital B. The Fairies of old used to make deals with other magical folds and even with humans. But if they broke the deal, they were bound by a rule they had, a magical rule.

  I look over at Mavin and he is staring at me frantically. I can choose to say three times that it’s all right. That way, the Magic can be satisfied. Or I can have him be Bonded to me. That meant he would be under my possession for a limited time. Based on the information I have, it would be for a good twenty-five years. That would mean that he would be a slave that I owned for that period of time. I’m not keen on that idea. No matter that it’s normal in the magical world. Many goblins, such as Preeka, I found out, are owned. Though their ownership is odd in that, it’s for a limited time. They go into service for a specific amount of time and then are let go.

  Goblins are not slaves in the way that I think of slaves. For them, it is an indenture they love going into and do it because they get something out of it. But they don’t ask for a payment. Instead, they gain power, sort of like a magical power, for doing this service. This makes them more intelligent. It’s odd how it works, but it’s something to do with Magic. Preeka, according to Magus Targun, was a very smart goblin because she had been under his service for the last fifty years. When I asked him if all goblins looked like her, he laughed and said no. She was old, but had also been in an accident when she was young. But according to him, she was the best damn assistant he could ask for.

  Everyone is looking at me with interest, except for Mavin, who is looking extremely worried. I decide to give him a break. “I am good. I am good. I am good,” I say three times. Mavin looks at me in surprise. Tallen, William, Marrisa, Carmen, and even Magus Targun, look satisfied with my answer.

  “You’re lucky this time,” Carmen tells Mavin sharply. “But now that I am around, you will follow the rules. Got it?”

  “Yes, Carmen,” he says sullenly, his demeanor changing quickly from happiness at my not Bonding him to sadness at getting chastised by Carmen.

  “Now,” Carmen says, looking at me. “Shall we go up and make that call?”

  “Yeah,” I tell her with a laugh. I head towards the entrance to my apartment building, with everyone following me. I don’t think I’m meant to hear it, but as we walk Mavin whispers to Carmen, “Dammit, Carmen, that was so close! But I promise to listen from now on. Would you mind not telling my mom? She would put me over her knee, even at my age.”

  “I won’t,” she whispers back with a laugh.

  I walk through the door of my building and we all head to the elevator banks, where I press the button to take us up to my apartment. As I get close to the door, Mavin zips past me and touches it, and it unlocks on its own. Neat trick. I open the door and we all head inside.

  Once we’re all in my apartment, everyone looks around with interest. William is the first to say it. “This is where you lived?” His tone is neutral, but I imagine he is cringing inside.

  “Yeah,” I tell him with a nervous laugh. “I was a struggling worker in the financial field. I made enough for rent and such. But expenses were tight.”

  “And your friend is a billionaire?” Tallen asks m
e.

  “Yes, but I refused to take handouts from him. He hated that I would never let him or his parents help me. His dad gave me shit for that once, but I told him that it’s just who I am,” I say with a shrug.

  Nodding approvingly, William and Tallen both look at my apartment in a different light. Or at least that is what I hope is happening. I go to the phone and pick it up, making sure there is a dial tone, and then I dial Mike’s cell number. It rings once, but it never gets to the second ring.

  “Kevin,” Mike’s voice says angrily. “You’d better have a damn good reason why you disappeared off the face of the earth for more than two days.”

  “Err, yeah. I do. Listen. I have a request for you,” I tell him, blushing. Shit, I never did tell him I was going anywhere for that long.

  “Anything,” he says without pause.

  “Hmm. Aren’t you going to ask me why?” I ask him with a laugh.

  “No need. If you’re asking for something, it means you need it. Whatever you want. I will get my parents to help if it’s more than I can afford.”

  “Oh shit,” I tell him with a laugh. “No, I am not asking for money, Mike. I have a proposition for you and your parents. I need to see them as well. Are you at your place?”

  “What?” Mike says, sounding confused. “Yes. We are all here. Jim is here as well. We were about to call the FBI to find you, when I didn’t hear from you after two days”

  “What?” I blurt out in surprise.

  “Kevin,” he says with a sigh. “You quit your job, you left your apartment free for weeks, and you, for all intents and purposes, disappeared. We were ready to call in a missing person report on you.”

  “See,” whispers Magus Targun with a big grin, reminding me of the time he said that I might end up being a missing person.

  “Well, don’t call the FBI,” I tell him quickly. “Can you send a car to my apartment? The bigger one, to fit six of us?”

  “Seven,” whispers Mavin. I wave him to shush.

  “Sure,” he says hesitantly. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes. Can you make sure it’s only your parents and you and Jim that are there?” I ask him.

  “Kevin, that’s asking a lot. You are asking us to send our staff and security away,” Mike says, but then he continues, “Nevermind. If you are asking, you have your reasons, and I trust you. I know mom and dad do as well. God, they will be happy to hear you’re all right. But get ready to get a tongue lashing from dad. He was worried for you, but you know how he is.”

  “Yeah, I do,” I tell him with a laugh. His dad treated me as if I was one of his kids and worried about me just as much. He used to try to send me money by depositing it into my bank account directly, and I finally had to have the bank not accept any money from him. He got the hint after I had to block four of his bank accounts and have the money returned through my bank.

  “Can you have the driver call my number when he is downstairs?”

  “Will do.”

  “Thanks.”

  I hang up the phone and look at everyone. “Now we wait for the ride, and we go talk to his parents.”

  “How long will that take?” Carmen asks me.

  “Hmm. His parents live about thirty minutes from me. Why?” I ask her curiously.

  “Because I saw there was a grocery store down the street a bit, so I am going to go see if they have Oreo cookies. Then I’m going to bring them up here and eat the entire package,” she says with a grin. I look over at Mavin, and he has a look of horror on his face. We can’t help it, we all end up laughing at him.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Once the driver shows up and we are in the limousine, everyone looks around the car curiously. The inside of the car screams technology, but from the outside, it looks like a regular limo. Mike’s parents are into technology big time. They have the newest gadgets, not because they bought them but because they made them. There are electronics everywhere, from the TV that Tallen has on mute as he flips through the channels like a kid with a new toy, to the digital board that controls everything inside the limo, except for whatever the driver needs. The driver’s panel gives information on everything from the temperature outside, inside, and in the motor, to the tire levels, to even the oxygen levels in the car. Oh, did I mention that the car is hermetically sealed? It has its own oxygen.

  “This thing is amazing!” Carmen says, looking around and running her hand on the leather seats in appreciation.

  “Yeah,” I say with a chuckle. “Mike’s parents worry about an attack on themselves, so this thing is pretty tough to crack. They sell these around the world.”

  “Well, I am sure Magic could break it easily,” William says, looking around the interior with interest as well.

  “Yeah, well. That is where I am hoping we can offer them something. Can you imagine if you had a car like this, for the rich, that was protected by Magic? How much money, or in your case, material, could you trade it for?”

  “Hmm,” William says, thoughtfully, looking around with even more interest.

  For the next 40 minutes, as we drive to Mike’s place, we chat about some of the things that Mike’s parents manufacture. By the time we reach his place, William and Tallen and even Magus Targun are talking excitedly. Should I be calling him Dad now that I married his daughter? Hmm. Food for thought. Though I am sure if I did, I would give him a heart attack. The thought puts a grin on my face.

  We pull up to the front door and the limo stops. Just as I get out of the car, Mike comes out of the house, with Jim following him. Both are glaring at me. All right, the fact that Jim is glaring at me, means he must have been worried. Jim rarely shows emotions around me.

  Mike walks up to me and gives me a quick hug, and then steps back. Even Jim surprises me and hugs me. Then he does something he has never done before. He wallops me on the shoulder with his fist.

  “You had us fucking worried. You told Mike this program was going to be two days,” he growls.

  “Down, Jim,” Mike says, but he is grinning. “And you’re lucky, Kevin. I was going to deck you. At least Jim got one in. Count yourself reprimanded.”

  Rubbing my shoulder, I grimace and say, “Fine. I deserved that. Thanks for seeing us on such short notice.”

  Mike and Jim look at the people emerging from the limo, and when Carmen and Marrisa come out, their eyes open wide in astonishment. Yeah, I can’t blame them, I think with a laugh. Both girls are gorgeous and should be on the runway as models, though with those tits, maybe not.

  I introduce everyone by the first name only. For Dad, I just call him Targun. I presume that’s his first name?

  “I assume you want to talk mainly to my parents?” Mike says.

  “Yeah, if that’s cool, but I want you and Jim there as well, okay?” I ask him nervously.

  “Of course,” he says with a sniff. “I’m just happy that you are finally asking for help. Though, I hope it’s something my parents can get you out of.” He looks around at the group of people before he says, “Whatever it is.”

  “It’s nothing bad. Trust me. I have a business proposal for your parents.”

  “Oh? Then let’s go inside.” Mike leads the way back into the house, and as we go into the mansion, everyone looks around, impressed. Even Tallen, which is saying a lot since I saw his place and I thought it was rich-looking.

  Mike leads us not to the formal sitting room, but to a quieter room in the back of the house, that if you aren’t family, you don’t usually get to see. It’s essentially a small living room. Mike’s parents were not always wealthy. They clawed their way up. Mike is living a rich life thanks to them, but they make sure that he learns humility and how to be humble. Having been Mike’s friend for so long, I can verify they did an excellent job.

  “Kevin,” Mike’s mother cries as Mike brings us into the space where his parents are waiting. She gets up from the couch and rushes over and hugs me. “Are you all right? Mike told us about the cancer. How did it go?”
r />   “I am. Thanks, Linda. They think it will work but it will take weeks to know,” I tell her with a warm smile. God, I hate lying to her. She has been like a mother to me growing up, especially after my parents died.

  “I should give you a lashing for what you put us through,” Mike’s dad says, coming up next to her and glaring at me.

  “Leon!” Linda tells him sharply.

  He sighs and offers me his hand. He hates to be called Leon. He prefers Leo, but she is the only one who still calls him by his full name. I take the offered handshake and he pulls me into an embrace and hugs me hard, and whispers into my ear. “We were worried, Kevin. Jim was about to call the feds, but I talked reason into his thick head.”

  “So I hear,” I tell him, pulling back. “Thanks for stopping him.”

  “I’m right here,” Jim says, rolling his eyes and showing more emotions today than he normally would

  “Now, I understand you wanted to talk to us?” Leo tells me.

  “Yes, I do. I have a business proposal.”

  At that, both Linda and Leo looked at me with raised eyebrows.

  I have to be careful with what I say. This is something that is now under the special project of one Lead Council member, Magus Targun. While Article 1 can be invoked, there are apparently special clauses in it that give permission to talk to humans about the other races if it benefits the races. This conversation would fall under one of those clauses, though as Targun mentioned, it was new with the Council. The special clauses have rarely been used, since, well, most humans just took and took. During our discussions at my apartment while we were waiting for the limo, I was able to find out some interesting stuff.

  For one, the use of Portal stones wasn’t always convenient since unless you had a location marked, you had to get somewhere the hard way. Usually on foot, wing, or, if you were lucky, on a plane. Most magical folks hated using technology though, so the idea of using a website to book a plane was not ideal.

  The Vampires on Earth seem to be the exception, from what I gathered from Tallen. He traveled all the time. William had only been on his first plane when he came to Earth to study. Carmen said that she was used to it, having grown up here. When I asked her how it worked for those M.A.G.I. working on Earth, she grimaced and said it worked like shit since most of the people or monsters they went after didn’t exactly stay near major cities, so it meant having to figure out other ways to get to them, even if it meant by horse.