by Trudi Jaye
Hidden Magic
The Magic Carnival Series, Book 5
By Trudi Jaye
www.trudijayewrites.com
When Henry leaves the Jolly Knight Carnival for a consultancy gig in Tampa, he arrives to find a dysfunctional research team with a struggling prototype—and the only reason he doesn’t turn tail and run is his instant fascination with gorgeous robotics genius Fee. Henry is enthralled by the secrets in her eyes, and the strange electricity they generate whenever they touch.
Fee’s been running from her dark past for a long time. She’s used to hiding in the shadows, and keeping her magic to herself. But the electric attraction she feels toward Henry disrupts her usual ability to remain aloof.
When her past finally catches up with her, it’s not only Fee who’s in danger—Henry and the rest of the research team are in the firing line as well. It’s not long before Henry and Fee are on the run, desperately trying to evade an enemy that never, ever gives up—and whose only goal is to eliminate Fee.
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Hidden Magic (Magic Carnival Series) is published by Star Media Ltd
Published 15 December 2015 by Star Media Ltd
Copyright © Star Media Ltd, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9941048-7-8
Cover design: www.ravven.com
Urban Fantasy
All rights reserved. Hidden Magic is a work of fiction. Names, places and incidents, except those clearly in the public domain, are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, names, places or incidents is purely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the author.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Readers Group
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Epilogue
Thank You!
About Trudi Jaye
To my delightfully wonderful daughter Zoey. You are the light of my life.
CHAPTER ONE
Henry whistled through his teeth as he gazed up at the steel and glass monstrosity in front of him. It towered overhead, making him squint as he tried to see the top through the glare of Tampa’s midday sun. He glanced at the piece of paper again, just to make sure. Yep. It was the right place. He was going to have to put up with this for the next month.
It’s just a month, Henry. And the money they’re going to pay for the contract will cover a third of what we owe on the last installment to the bank. We’re relying on you.
Jack’s words still ringing in his ears, Henry sighed. He didn’t have much choice. He glanced back at his car, a pristine condition 1974 Dodge Charger SE parked across one and a half spaces, and considered leaving. When Rilla had said she would fly him down to Tampa from the Compound in Montana, he’d shaken his head and insisted on driving. It had taken him a few long days of driving, but he’d arrived in one piece, and was far calmer than if he had flown.
He still thought this was a bad idea. He didn’t like spending long periods away from the Carnival and he didn’t like working on projects where he wasn’t the one in charge—or was related to the person in charge. Plus, ordinary people made him edgy.
But Jack had been persistent and, despite his reluctance, the Carnival was depending on him.
Heaving a big sigh, Henry took off his cowboy hat and strode into the building through the glass revolving doors. It made him tired just thinking about spending an entire month with ordinary folk. The way they thought, the way they talked—the way they judged based on how you looked, instead of who you were on the inside. It all added up to a headache.
The massive entrance area was stark and industrial, with concrete floors and steel beams visible overhead. Henry’s boots struck the polished floor, and the sound echoed through the high-ceiling entranceway. Glass featured heavily in the design, as did steel bolts and rivets.
There was no signage to give any hint of what they did here, but the massive security guard standing next to the reception desk said it was something they wanted to protect. Henry nodded at the guard who had arms twice the size of Henry’s and a chin that looked like it could bulldoze mountains. The man didn’t even blink.
When they’d told him about the contract, Jack had muttered something about smart-room robotics and nanotechnology, but both fields were so wide, Henry still had no clue what the project might be. Not that it mattered; he could generally turn his hand to whatever was needed. He’d been doing it since he was old enough to pick up a spanner and help his father fix the thrill rides and to invent whatever they needed to grant the wish of the Carnival’s Mark.
He strode up to the starchy woman at the black marble reception desk who’d been eyeing him suspiciously ever since he’d come through the doors. Her perfect makeup was marred by the frown line in her forehead, and her dark brown hair seemed to be glued in place.
“Can I help you?” she said.
“I certainly hope so,” he replied, giving her his best toothy smile.
She looked down her nose at him, her glasses perched precariously on the end. Apparently, she didn’t respond to good ole carnival charm. Henry tipped his head to one side. “You know, you need a contraption to keep those glasses properly on your nose. I could do that, if you gave me a bit of time with them.” He leaned in and squinted at the tiny screws on the side of the glasses.
She blinked, leaned away, and pushed the glasses up her nose. “Your name?”
Her voice was so cold Henry had to suppress the urge to shiver. “Oh sorry, I was distracted. Henry Kokkol. I’m here on assignment.”
“Assignment?” She looked Henry up and down. He glanced downwards; cowboy boots, ripped jeans, and a faded David Bowie t-shirt—his usual. He’d taken his cowboy hat off as soon as he’d entered the building. His Momma had raised him properly.
He nodded. “Assignment.”
“You know what we do here, Henry?”
“Design high-end smart room and nanotechnology for the international market. So I believe. I didn’t have time to do much more than look you up on the internet before I was sent here.”
“And you still feel you’re in the right place?” Her voice was snide, but Henry was distracted from her attitude by the glasses. They’d fallen down her nose again.
Henry shrugged. “It’s not the place I’d choose to be, but it’s the place I’ve been
ordered to report.”
“And who are you here to see?”
Henry pulled out his piece of paper again, and checked the name. “A Dr. Callaghan, according to this piece of paper.”
She sighed. “Dr. Callaghan is the owner of the company and our Chief Operating Officer. Are you sure that’s the name on your piece of paper? If I call his office and you’re not expected, I’m going to be annoyed with you, Henry.”
Henry smiled. “You’re not going to be disappointed,”—he paused, looking at her name badge—“Wanda.”
Wanda narrowed her eyes, not entirely certain he could be trusted. However, she picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Deirdre, there’s a Henry Kokkol here to see Dr. Callaghan?” Her voice implied she knew it was a hoax.
Henry leaned casually against the reception desk, tapping a finger on the marble, waiting patiently.
“Yes, Deidre, I’ll send him right up,” she said. Wanda glanced up at Henry, who grinned and winked.
Wanda shook her head. “I can see you’re going to be trouble, Henry Kokkol. Dr. Callaghan will see you now. He’s on level twelve. Robert will escort you to the elevators.” She waved one hand toward the large security guard.
Henry smiled. “Thank you, Wanda, for your help. I appreciate it.” He ambled over to the elevators in Robert’s wake. The guard inserted a keycard to unlock the call button, and pressed it with one beefy finger. The elevator doors opened immediately. Henry nodded at the impassive guard and stepped into the small space. It was fancy, all done up in mirrors and industrial steel. He sighed as he pressed the button for level twelve. This was already tiresome, and he’d only been here five minutes. He vowed that he would finish this contract within the week, no matter what. He knew he could do it. The magic pulsed through his veins even this far away from the Carnival.
When the doors opened, Henry stepped out into another, very different, entranceway. This one was much friendlier, with cream walls and old 50s advertisements for toys—mostly rockets and cars—framed on the walls. A blonde receptionist with another perfect up do was waiting behind a wooden desk.
“Mr. Kokkol? Dr. Callaghan will see you now. Please follow me.” The younger receptionist smiled at Henry, her blue eyes sparkling, and stood up.
Henry followed her to a set of double doors. She pushed one open, and led him into a large room, filled with strange and incredible paraphernalia. Henry looked around in wonder. Old-fashioned video games, life-size statues of movie characters, bits and pieces of machinery, cars and even boats all littered the room. There was even a Tardis.
“Hey there, Henry. It’s so great to meet you!” A friendly voice emerged from the side of a strange metal contraption at one end of a large wooden table. A moment later, it was followed by the shape of a tall, gangly man who looked to be in his early twenties. “I’m Lucas Callaghan.”
He took in Henry’s surprised stare, and sighed. “I’m older than I look. Bad genetics mean people never believe I’m the one in charge. It’s lucky I’m more intelligent than most of them, or I’d never survive.” He flipped his long, brown hair out of his eyes, and grinned down at Henry.
A surprised bark of laughter escaped Henry’s mouth. “It’s, uh, good to meet you, Dr. Callaghan,” he said, holding out his hand to the younger man. Despite himself, Henry liked him already.
“Lucas, please.” He took Henry’s hand in both of his and shook it vigorously. “It’s great to have you here. Jack told me all about you. He said you’re a genius with machines.” He looked like an overgrown kid on Christmas morning.
Henry shook his head, suddenly nervous. “I hope Jack hasn’t been boasting too much. I’m good with figuring out how things work, mostly.” He could fix anything, and create whatever they needed for the Gift. But that was different to working in the outside world in some fancy research lab. His palms started to sweat and he wondered if he was going to get out of here in a week after all.
“That’s exactly what we need. We’ve reached a roadblock on our latest device, and I’ve decided a fresh pair of eyes will help the team push through.”
Henry walked forward and touched a massive engine sitting at the other end of the table from where Lucas had been working. “Is this what I think it is? A Chrysler A57 Multibank? The engine they used in the tanks in World War Two?”
“One and the same.” Lucas gave a pleased smile. “I have a working model in storage. I’ll let you drive it sometime.” Lucas walked over to stand next to Henry beside the table, and slapped one hand on his shoulder. “I knew you were the right man for this job, as soon as Jack told me about you.”
“I don’t even know what it is you’re doing here, Lucas.”
“It’s really quite simple. We’re trying to take smart room technology to the next level, to have it on us at all times. Not just when we enter a certain place or room, but all the time.”
Henry frowned. “At the risk of bursting your bubble, wearable technology is pretty much mainstream these days, isn’t it?” he said.
Lucas grinned. “Oh, yes. I really like you. You don’t hold back. That’s just what this team needs.” He touched the motor sitting in front of them with a reverent finger. “You’re right, it’s old news. Our project takes it further. At least, it was supposed to. It’s a Second Skin Kinetic Intelligent Neurosystem.”
“A what?” Henry struggled to imagine what that sequence of words might mean in practice. Some kind of computer that was worn on the skin?
“We call it SSKIN. Come on, it’ll be easier to just show you. I’ll introduce you to the team.”
Lucas led Henry back out to the elevators and pressed the button, talking the whole way. “The team is small, and they’re probably going to resist the idea of someone else coming in to help. But I know you’re going to blow our socks off, I can feel it.” Lucas rubbed his hands together and grinned. The doors to the elevators pinged open and Lucas gestured for Henry to go first.
“Research lab,” said Lucas as he entered.
“Certainly, Dr. Callaghan,” replied a woman’s voice.
“Voice-controlled elevators?” Henry said, his eyebrows raised.
“Only for me.” Lucas grinned. “Privileges of being the boss.”
“Do you tinker with inventions as well, Lucas?” Henry was suddenly curious about the background of the enthusiastic man in front of him. How had he come to be the owner of a multi-million-dollar technology company?
“Yes, I’m an inventor, too. I have a PhD in nanotechnology from MIT.”
“So a big time inventor, then.” Henry was being sarcastic, but Lucas didn’t pick up on it.
“Not so much big time as lucky. My PhD research into an alternative heating system was picked up and purchased by a rather large multinational company. Luckily, it wasn’t my only idea, so I was able to take that money and set myself up here. The rest is history.” Lucas swept his arms wide indicating the building around them.
Henry was impressed. Lucas really had done it all himself.
The doors opened, and they walked out into a large open floor plan area. Aside from a few desks with extensive computing systems to one side and at the back of the room, and a meeting area with a table and chairs, the area was filled with shelves and tables covered with robotics equipment—metal legs and arms, computer parts, keyboards, nuts and bolts, wires and cables, soldering devices—in all shapes and sizes.
Henry itched to start putting things in the right places. His hands even rose up of their own accord, as if to grab the closest part and get to work. He literally had to clasp them together in front of him.
He took another step into the room and stopped. He sensed a faint metallic magic floating in the air around him, whispering to him. He glanced at Lucas, and the other men who were walking toward him. It wasn’t coming from any of them.
They might not know it, but someone was working magic here.
CHAPTER TWO
From her cubicle on the far side of the room, Fee looked up. Something tingled
down her spine; the intuition she relied on for survival. Lucas was standing in front of the lift and next to him was a golden god. Tall and broad, with blond hair and a chiseled chin. He smiled at the room in general and Fee knew she was in trouble.
She took a sip of her iced tea, wondering what to do. Something tapped on her glass, and she looked down at the little metal creature who had stowed away in her handbag this morning. He was one of her inventions, a tiny spider-like robot with multiple legs and a constant desire to swim in water. She’d been trying to create something that could test the purity of water in third world countries. Instead, she’d ended up with an annoyance. She sighed and tipped him into the glass of water she kept on her desk. She watched as he splashed around, before going back to her immediate problem.
The others generally ignored her, left her in the corner, and didn’t bother her too much, only coming to her when they needed a particular bit of robotic help to grease the wheels of the project. She preferred it like that. She certainly didn’t want to make friends with any of the scientists on the team.
However, her intuition was going off big time, and she knew something was about to change. Goosebumps appeared on her skin, and she rubbed her arms. What if they’d found her? What if this man was a scout sent to assess the situation? The exit sign to the far side of the elevators blinked mockingly at her. She’d never be able to make it there before this man, if he was here for her.
