by Lisa Oliver
Illuminate
(The Magic Users of Greenford #1)
By Lisa Oliver
Illuminate (The Magic Users of Greenford #1)
Copyright © Lisa Oliver, 2020
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Cover Design by Lisa Oliver
Cover pictures purchased from Shutterstock.com.
First Edition July 2020
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, Lisa Oliver. [email protected]
No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from Lisa Oliver. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.
Illuminate is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All trademarks are owned by the relevant companies and are used for reference purposes in this book only.
Table of Contents
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
Epilogue
About the Author
Other Books By Lisa/Lee Oliver
Author’s Note
Please note there are references to rape/abuse in this story, including one scene (not graphic and not including main MCs) that features in this story. If this is a trigger for you, this story might not be for you.
Hug the one you love
Lisa xx
Chapter One
“No. I won’t have him. I don’t even want to see him. Damn it, Darwin, I want you to keep doing it, no one else.”
Stefan wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose. It’s just the voice on the other side of the office door was exceptionally loud. Whether he was meant to hear or not, the outcome was the same. He’d heard and his heart sank.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Stefan bent to pick up his bag when he heard another voice say, “You’ve got no choice, Lucy. You know the council rules. I’m mated now. I can’t anchor for you and my mate, and now we’ve claimed each other, it’s impossible for my mate to have any other anchor but me. It’s the way things are Lucy – you’ll just have to accept it.”
Stefan recognized the second speaker. It was the man who’d called him in for the interview in the first place. One would assume he should have cleared it with his boss first. And then something else clicked – Lucy? That’s the gruffest sounding Lucy I’ve ever heard. Now, Stefan was intrigued, and he settled back in his chair. He’d undoubtedly be kicked out soon enough, but he hadn’t had any entertainment in a while and the chair was comfortable enough.
“I told you to stop calling me that.” The first voice sounded even gruffer now. “There isn’t a better anchor than you and you know it. Do you want me working for someone second-rate? Why the hell did you have to claim your mate anyway? Things were working fine as they were. You anchored for me during working hours…”
“Which was all the hours under the sun and beyond when it came to working with you,” Darwin raised his voice. “Six months I waited for you to get your act together. Six months of barely seeing Monty awake. I got the silent treatment from him every time you called telling me we had another case and I had to leave him. Well, no more. What’s done is done and I’m not sorry. Brother or not, I deserved better from you, and Monty deserved better from me.”
“I refuse to work with anyone non-family.” Lucy was sounding peeved now and Stefan muffled a giggle. It sounded like Lucy had a major attitude problem and was used to getting his own way.
“You don’t have a choice.” In contrast, Darwin was sounding pleased with himself. “I found you a good replacement. His scores are off the charts. He can handle seven different types of magic…”
Stefan winked at Garrick who was sitting on his shoulder, pleased he was being stuck up for.
“What does he look like then? How old is he?”
What’s that got anything to do with anything? Stefan looked down. His shirt was clean and pressed and while his trousers were showing signs of wear, they still held a crease. His green and gold waistcoat was old – made for him by his mother many years before, but not a thread hung from it. I’m clean and tidy. What more does he want?
It seemed Darwin wondered that too. “I’m not asking you to date him. He’d be your anchor. His looks have nothing to do with how well he can do his job.”
“I bet he’s young – still moony eyed and power hungry, I suppose.” Stefan could almost hear Lucy’s teeth grinding. But then Lucy’s next words shocked him to the core. “You know what these young ones are like. They see me, feel my power, and start drooling. They’re useless in the field, too busy flirting and just getting in my way. Why do you think I insist on working with family members only?”
What a cheek! Stefan wasn’t sure he wanted the job anymore. The money he’d been offered would have put a roof over his head, and a hot meal would have been nice. But no. Anyone who had their head so far up their ass they believed everyone would fall over it… Stefan didn’t need that shit in his life. He’d been there, done that, and paid a really steep price for his stupidity.
Gathering his bag for real this time, and yes, Stefan knew how pathetic it was that all his worldly goods fit in one large carpet bag, he patted Garrick’s feathers. “Come on, old boy. We know when we’re not wanted.”
Garrick cawed his assent, his feathers ruffling as he settled more securely. Stefan glanced back as the office door opened, and Darwin poked his head out. “You’re leaving? Please don’t go.”
“I’m sure your friend Lucy pitched his voice purposefully loud enough so I could hear just how badly he doesn’t want me as an anchor.” Stefan raised his voice as well. “He should count himself lucky someone with my skills happened to be free at the moment and was willing to work on short notice. But heaven forbid, I might catch sight of him and fall into a drooling mess at his feet. Honestly, I have better things to do.”
“See what you’ve done? He was the best appli
cant by far,” Darwin called over his shoulder. Coming into the waiting room, which really was a nice space, he said more softly. “I can’t apologize enough for my brother. Unfortunately, as the eldest and most powerful in our lot, he gets ideas above his station sometimes. He can’t help it. People have seen him as a sex symbol for so long, he can’t see past his own press. What his fans don’t know is that he’s only appealing when he keeps his mouth shut. Can I at least take you out for a hot meal for your trouble? My treat.”
Oh wow. A hot meal! Stefan was hardly going to turn that down, but he also had a kind heart which shouted louder than his empty belly. “You mentioned you not getting a lot of time to spend with your mate,” he said hesitantly. “I don’t want to intrude on that.”
“Which just goes to show you’ve got more consideration than my pig-headed brother – a pig-headed brother who won’t be allowed to work his cases because he doesn’t have an anchor,” Darwin said loudly.
Softening his voice when Darwin turned his attention back to Stefan, he said, “He’ll come around. Lucy’s just not good with changes. I’ll contact Monty – he’ll be happy to join us and unlike my brother, he’s a pleasant wielder of the magic sword. Come on. We’ll leave my brother to stew in his own unpleasantness. Do you like roast beef? I know a great place.”
“I love it.” Stefan fell into step beside him. “It’ll be nice to have pleasant company with a meal.” He didn’t see the point in mentioning the meal was the most important part of the deal. He’d sit with Satan himself if the man were paying the bill – he was that hungry.
“Sit and stew, Lucy,” Darwin called out as he held the door open for Stefan. “I’ll come and see you tomorrow. Maybe you’ll be in a better mood. Remember, don’t use any magic.”
“My name’s not Lucy,” came a roar from the inner office. “It’s Lucifer.”
“Yeah, he sounds like a right charmer,” Stefan whispered, and the two men chuckled as they headed into the street.
/~/~/~/~/
Lucifer scowled as he heard the outer office door close. Tapping his pen furiously on the oak desk, he eyed the offending letter that had arrived the day before.
Dear Lucifer Fireborn,
We have received notification that your brother, Darwin Fireborn, has claimed his mate, Monty Duncan. In accordance with the rites and rituals required to be followed by all Wielders of the Magic Sword, it is your duty to inform this office within forty-eight hours of the name and rank of your new anchor.
Please note, in accordance with these same rules, you will no longer be able to work in your capacity as Magical Steward, until you have an anchor secured.
We remain yours…
Blah, blah, blah. Lucifer knew every word by heart. His bloody brother just had to go and allow himself to be claimed – by Monty Duncan, no less. Second rate, goody two-shoes magic wielder who believes his services should only be used to improve the well-being of society. Monty didn’t use his powers for anything more than searching for lost kittens, and my brother’s got to fucking anchor him now while he does it. Such a waste of talent and all because of the mating curse.
Still grumbling to himself, Lucifer got out of his chair, standing to the side of the window so he could see who his brother thought was worthy enough to anchor him. From his three-story distance, Lucifer could just make out his brother as he and his companion crossed the road. The man was wearing a hat, obscuring his features, but Lucifer caught a glimpse of white blond hair and full red lips. The scenery’s nice, he admitted to himself, when he’s walking away.
As Lucifer watched, a huge black raven flew down and settled on the man’s shoulder. Lucifer turned away in disgust. If there was one thing on the long list of things he couldn’t stand, it was magic users who took exotic familiars just to make themselves look cool and mysterious. The poor bird’s probably rented by the hour.
Sitting down, Lucifer’s frown deepened as his computer dinged with an incoming message. It was from one of his contacts in Egypt. Clicking on the message, Lucifer ignored the words he could see on the screen, waving his hand over it instead. Damn it. He cursed as a tingle shot down his arm and a spark flew from his fingers, igniting a pile of papers on his desk. When he tried to put out the flames with another dose of magic, the flames got hotter and then to add insult to injury, the sprinkler system came on. Lucifer’s glower intensified as water dripped off his hair and down his nose.
Eyes narrowed, he read the revealed message on the screen.
Technic has been located in Cairo. You and Darwin need to be here like yesterday.
Lucifer banged his head on the desk. Fuck. Shit. Fuck. Shit. I have to get a damn anchor.
Chapter Two
This is the best roast ever. Stefan chewed appreciatively, barely stopping long enough to feed Garrick the occasional lump of meat. It’d been more than a week since he’d been evicted from his apartment, and probably two weeks since he’d enjoyed anything hot to eat. So engrossed in the delicious meat, just on the right side of pink, and the thick rich gravy, he almost missed the fact he’d been asked a question.
“So, what’s your story, Stefan? How come you even thought about working for my over-zealous brother in law?”
“Be nice, Monty.” Stefan looked up to see Darwin smiling indulgently. “Stefan doesn’t need an interrogation along with his meal.”
“It’s fine.” Stefan swallowed. His meal was paid for; it was only polite to pay attention to his hosts. “There’s not much to tell about me, really. The last person I anchored for, he… well, let’s just say he wasn’t the nicest of persons and leave it at that. I’m not ashamed to say I walked out, but things have been difficult since. I’ve been licensed to anchor since I was seventeen and it’s not like I can gain employment with other skills, even if I wanted to.”
“Hmm.” Monty nodded. Darwin’s mate was a pleasant looking man with a shock of dirty blond hair and kind eyes. “It’s not easy for magic users in any capacity to get regular work. That’s one of the things I’m hoping to change with my advocacy work. Just because you have powers, doesn’t mean that should determine your career path. People have an infinite capacity for creativity and should be able to do as they please when they are adults.”
Stefan chuckled around his last mouthful – roasted carrots and gravy could become his new favorite thing. He was sorry he had to put down his knife and fork, but at least his stomach was full, for now. “Before I found out I was an anchor, I always wanted to be a tinkerer. My father, he’s dead now, but when he was alive, he was a master watchmaker. I spent many hours testing inventions in his workshop when I was young.”
He shrugged. “But then I got tested, and you know how that goes. My mother sold my father’s shop when he passed away. By then I was already anchoring an old wizard out on the coast. I was with him for three years until he passed and then…” He stroked down Garrick’s feathers. “I was lucky, Garrick chose to come with me.”
“Wait a minute.” Monty clicked his fingers and pointed one in Stefan’s direction. “Stefan. I should have clicked when I saw the hat and bird. You’re Stefan de Marco. You were credited with using a swarm of mechanical/magical butterflies to infiltrate a rogue coven back in ninety-four. You saved the life of your wielder – Gaston… Gaston…” he clicked his fingers again.
“Gaston Bridge.” Stefan ducked his head; his cheeks were flaming. “He was an amazing man, taught me so much. I was really sorry when he passed.”
“Oh wow, you’re that guy. I saw the name. I skimmed your resume, but I honestly didn’t put two and two together. All I was really focused on were your test scores. I should have looked deeper, I’m so sorry.” Now Darwin seemed awed. “You’re a legend among anchors, man. A true legend. I don’t want to be rude, but I’ve got to ask - why the hell did you apply for the anchor position with my brother? After what you did for Gaston, you could have your pick of jobs anywhere.”
Stefan shrugged, unwilling to lie but equally unwilling to share his embarr
assment. “Gaston was my first position. I wasn’t even twenty-one when he died. I was flooded with offers then, and… and… I guess there is a kernel of truth in your brother’s assessment of young magic users. I met a guy – Jordan Luck – he swept me off my feet and told me we were mates. Because I hadn’t hit my maturity yet, I could only take his word for it and he was persuasive enough for me to believe him. I think a lot of that was me being blown away by his power which was so different to Gaston’s.” He looked up, meeting two somber faces. “You can guess what happened when it turned out he was conning me.”
Darwin leaned over, resting his hand on Stefan’s. “Tell me he didn’t. Please tell me he didn’t try to drain your powers through sex. That’s the oldest and rottenest trick a magic user can use, not to mention illegal. Tell me he didn’t.”
“If I told you that, I’d be lying. I went to bed with Jordan and woke up three months later in hospital. It took another three months after that before I could even think of using magic, let alone channeling or anchoring anyone else’s.”
Stefan managed to huff out a laugh of sorts. “That’s the ironic thing. In a lot of ways, I would’ve been a perfect anchor for your brother, especially since hearing his complaints. After what happened with Jordan, I’ve never let another magic wielder get close to me intimately – which is why I’m currently unemployed again. Your brother could’ve been the man of my dreams and I wouldn’t react to him in anything but a professional manner. My magic and my personal life don’t mix – ever. When I have down time, I use that time to tinker with my toys, or at least I used to.” He sighed. “I have to find another job first. As you know, unemployed magic anchors aren’t treated well by landlords either.”
Garrick cawed a warning, and Stefan felt the brush of an impending storm flow across the nape of his neck. “This has been a really pleasant evening. Thank you both so much for the food and the company, but I must be going. There’s trouble brewing – I can feel it.”
