Fae Magic, The Kenzie Chronicles Book One

Chapter 1

Kenzie

For the third night in a row, I watched my mark across the way as he began his nightly ritual. The city buzzed with activity below me. Music blared, people laughed and shouted, horns honked. Somewhere out there, vampires walked the night and rubbed shoulders with other supes and with humans. The typical downtown Vegas scene.

My mark set his briefcase on the table by the door, shrugged off his tie while walking to the next room, going straight to the bar. He poured himself cognac from a crystal bottle. Then, he retrieved a cigar from the humidor behind the bar, clipped the end and lit it. He took his drink and cigar and walked wearily out onto the balcony. After sitting in a plush lounge chair, he gazed at the city before him, sipped his drink and puffed on his cigar.

Patiently, I waited while he puffed away. When he tilted his head to throw back his drink, I sat up in rapt attention and began counting down . . . Five, four, three, two, one. His body slumped over, appearing as if he’d passed out. But I knew better. A mixture of herbs, minerals, and chemicals laced his cup, causing a massive heart attack. An autopsy would reveal nothing untoward, and the coroner would rule his death as natural causes.

A mix of emotions washed through me. I felt sadness for the loss of life. He may have been a sinister individual, but I wouldn’t know; I never knew why a person was on my list. Regardless of any misdeeds, his life ended by my hands. I never liked this work, but a girl had bills and a certain lifestyle to maintain. This was my last job. My contract was over. A pleased smile tugged at my lips.

I took one more look at the slumped man across the way, packed my binoculars, and then moved from one rooftop to the next. I made my way down to mix in with the crowd on the streets, feeling like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. Now I awaited my wire transfer.

The next morning, I rose before the sun, anxious for the wire to come through. To ease my anxiousness, I got in my car and made a short drive to the dojo.

The dojo was a place of refuge for mercs and soldiers here in the desert. It was not only a place to train in many forms of combat, but it was also a place of reflection and meditation. My father always said, A good warrior needs both physical and mental training.

I took my time following the path that led to the Japanese structures that housed the training center. The pathway was designed to send one on a tranquil journey to clear the mind. A sense of calm washed through me as I leisurely meandered down the pathway surrounded by verdant laurel and hawthorn hedges. The tranquil sounds of water trickled into the stream filled with koi that swam gracefully. Seating areas were tucked into the gardens and provided a space of solitude for meditation. I sought out my favorite meditation spot hidden amongst bamboo trees and bonsai just off to the side of the waterfall behind the dojo.

Today my favorite spot was occupied, so I went straight into the dojo to begin my training. Upon entering through the shoji doors, a gust of cool air rushed in, earning me a few dirty looks from the few students that were training on the tatami mats. I turned my phone to silent mode and left it in one of the cubbies next to the door along with my keys.

I bowed to Sensei Hiro who was with a student, then stretched and went through fighting stances on my own, waiting for my turn in the sparring circle. Finally, the young fighter motioned me forward.

My opponent’s punches were swift and relentless. He was a student, not a seasoned fighter, but he was effectively kicking my ass. I could’ve used my magic. It wouldn’t be fair though. He was human and not a threat. I swerved my body and dodged each swing. He threw a right jab at my nose. Oww. I moved backwards, and my eyes watered, my lashes fluttering.

Fight back, Mackenzie! my sensei called out to me. Sensei Hiro was such a hard ass sometimes.

The distraction earned me a kick to the side of the head. Owww, fuck me. That kick rang my bell. I refocused my energies and blocked another hit aimed for my gut, then sidestepped to dodge another shot aimed for my face again. I swept out with my leg and dropped him. After landing on top of him, I hurled a barrage of punches at his head, but my opponent threw me off. He swiftly moved behind me, and caught me in an arm bar. Luckily for me, the bell rung.

Where is your focus today? Sensei asked me, as I stumbled back to my corner, panting.

I almost won that round. What are you talking about? I replied, stretching my overworked muscles.

You should have knocked him out a while ago. Not like you, Mackenzie. He shook his head.

Have a lot on my mind, I guess. I shrugged.

Go home. You’ve been training for almost three hours, he said with a dismissive hand wave.

Three hours. I scrambled over to the cubbies and pulled out my phone. Wire received.

I sighed in relief. My merc life was officially done and over with.

I wanted a normal life, a job I didn’t have to lie about, and maybe, just maybe, a family. But first, it was time to celebrate.

You need to spend more time practicing your magic, Mackenzie. Why are you avoiding your tutor? Sensei said to me, interrupting my train of thought.

I’m not avoiding anyone. It was a lie, and he knew it, so I quickly amended my statement. I will, Sensei. I bowed respectfully and took my leave.

In all honesty, this was probably another reason I was so antsy. Magic was difficult for me. I have two main types: combat magic and Fae magic. I excelled at combat magic, thanks to my lineage on my father’s side. Dad had trained me since I was a child. It made me faster and stronger than any human twice my size which is saying something when you’re a size zero at a hundred and ten pounds soaking wet. I can put more force into my hits, more speed into my movements, and I can shield my body from injury. I can and have gotten hurt, but the injuries were never lethal.

Despite these talents, I wasn’t meant to be a merc for life. Although the pay was great and I was good at it, a merc’s life was dark and lonely. I wasn’t cut out for that lifestyle. My father, on the other hand, felt differently. He was a lifer.

I inherited Fae magic from my mother. She is Fae and that was all I knew about her. She left me, or rather us, shortly after I was born, and she had never mentioned any family. Thus, my Fae magic was a complete mystery. I do have a touch of elemental magic. Small magics, nothing extraordinary. I can harness the elements to a minimal extent. It isn’t all that impressive, but it did come in handy every now and again.

Dad made sure I had magical tutors of all sorts throughout my childhood, even now. In all of our travels, we had never encountered another Fae or a mage that had any understanding of Fae magic. Supposedly he found a tutor that could help. I made an appointment, but I rescheduled . . . a few times. I was procrastinating.

Expanding my gifts was on my to do list, but I kept postponing because it was hard. Every time I pushed further with my Fae magic, it didn’t amount to much and it drained the ever-living life out of me. Recently, I tried teleportation, something I was supposed to be able to do. It took me nine hours of sheer determination, unwavering focus, and lots of sweat to get me from one room to the next, a good ten feet. An accomplishment, sure, but it had come at a cost. I was down and out with the worst hangover for thirty-six hours. Let’s just say I am not planning to do that again anytime soon.

Most of magic practice was like that for me. I spent hours for small gain and ended up physically drained. So not worth the effort. If it weren’t for this constant churning in my gut, I wouldn’t bother at all. Life was good amongst the humans for the most part. I had money, my magic kept me healthy and youthful, and so far, I haven’t needed my Fae magic. Grandmother had told me to keep my elemental magic a secret, that there would be those who would want me dead or worse, imprisoned if they knew. I respected her too much to disregard the warning, and thus far after all these years, I haven’t run into any issues. But that could be because I kept my magical signature locked up tight. I was tested at twelve, as all children were. But the mage from the Registrar’s Office that had tested me was a personal friend of my father’s. Dad had called in a favor. The mage determined I had access to all elements, plus combat magic. However, aside from reporting that I had a small scale of combat magic, he didn’t record anything else. He recorded my combat magic level at Tier Two, the bottom tier. This meant I didn’t receive a brand that would allow the world to know what kind of magic I possessed. This worked to my benefit. I was able to fly under the magic radar. Being unknown had come in handy as a merc.

Chapter 2

Kenzie

Damn, girl, you’re looking good. Tristan sat behind the large oak desk that was in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window.

He stood to greet me, and I took in his ethereal beauty. Dark, thick, wavy hair framed an angular jawline and sharp nose. His emerald eyes shone brightly against his dark skin. Tall and slim, he could’ve easily been a model. Runway, print, you name it. Women swooned in his presence, and he knew it, and moreover, he didn’t care.

Twirl for me, honey! He twirled his finger in the air.

I spun for him a couple of times, my cowgirl boots scraping the hard floor, and my lavender floral dress flared out around me, revealing the dagger I always wore strapped to my thigh and my white, lacy boy shorts. Tris had seen me completely naked a ton of times and he’d never been weird about it. The first time had been a humbling experience, and I’ll never forget it. We were out of town, sharing a hotel room. This was when we were both broke. I was in the shower and he joined me. Back then, my young mind was open to having sex with the handsome man before me, consequences be damned. But he’d remained limp even while he’d soaped me up. I had been disappointed for sure but glad in the end. Our relationship would’ve changed had we gone that route.

Where are you headed all decked out? he asked.

Nowhere in particular, but you never know who you’ll meet at the office. Besides, isn’t it Friday? I replied. I was honestly ready to celebrate the end of my mercenary work now that the funds had arrived from my final job.

True, you never know. There’s a hot UPS delivery guy that comes in. I could use a little of that. And No! No, it is not Friday, and you know that. But whatever, boss bitch, your talents pay the bills, he said with a wink.

Laughing, I replied, I know everything is good because if it wasn’t, you’d tell me. But I’ll ask anyway, so that you know how much I do care and how much I love you. Tristan, best friend in the world, is everything okay? Is there anything that I can do for you? Or am I all clear to bugger off and enjoy a fine day of debauchery, I said in a sing-song voice, a sickly sweet smile plastered to my face.

Tris smacked my ass before I could get away. You’re such a brat. And yes, everything is fine, my Queen, he said with a flourishing wave of his hand and a bow.

Now, look who’s being the brat. I rolled my eyes. We both laughed.

Seriously though, is everything good? I asked, pretending to be all business-like.

All good, a couple offers came in on the Florida properties. Not sure if you knew that, he stated while sitting back down at his desk.

I did. I’m making them wait till the end of the week for my answer. I smiled at him. Some offers were insulting, which is why I was taking my time.

Of course you are. A couple emails came in about some properties in Texas. Didn’t look familiar. He faced his computer screen to me.

I quickly glanced at it, noting the commercial building and acreage: interesting, not urgent. Send it to my personal email.

Expanding, are we? He typed away on his keyboard.

You know it. There are a couple little towns that are up for sale. I’m sure they are dust and tumbleweeds, but can you imagine, having an entire town to yourself?

Me? No. But you, yes. Let’s see . . . what else? He rubbed his chin. Spring products continue to fly off the shelves, production is running smoothly. And the samples for the summer body care line promo is expected next week. You’ll need to approve those, so do try and be here for that. Oh, and don’t forget you have mage training in the morning.

You’re the absolute best, Tristan! I could kiss you, but you know, sexual harassment laws and all that. I winked at him.

He laughed and said, That’s why you pay me the big bucks, honey! His office phone beeped, and he answered via speaker phone.

Tristan has been at my side from the beginning. He assisted me with just about everything, and I trusted him implicitly.

Tristan? Is Ms. Kenzie in your office? our receptionist asked.

I’m here.

Ms. Kenzie, there’s a man here asking for you. I told him he needed an appointment, but he refuses to leave. He said it’s important. Should I call security?

My brows knitted together. Did he give you a name?

Yes, Mr. Avery Knox.

Not familiar. Send him to the conference room and have security on standby. I hated it when people showed up without an appointment and expected to be seen. I hated it more when people harassed my employees. This Avery person needed to learn a lesson.

Join me in the conference room? I asked Tris.

You know it, he said.

We ran a quick web search of Avery Knox and found nothing. Using our security cameras in the conference room, I got a few close ups on his face and saved the file.

Avery Knox was an unassuming, older gentlemen, mid-sixties, hair on the sides of his head, bald on the top. I never understood why men wore their hair like that, and I wanted to shave those sides off. It wasn’t doing him any favors.

He wore an expensive suit, Rolex watch, and Italian loafers. He was sporting wealth but he looked uncomfortable in it, as though he only dressed up on special occasions.

Mr. Knox, I presume.

Yes, he replied.

No polite greeting, no introduction. Not even a smile. Huh, so, that’s how it’s gonna be.

Water? I asked.

Sure, he said.

Our receptionist brought in a tray holding glasses and a pitcher of water. She set the tray near me, poured water into the glasses, and then left. Seated across from him, I handed him a glass, which he emptied in one gulp. Tris waited by the door.

Knox opened his briefcase, pulled out an envelope and slid it over to me. It was a legal-sized envelope sealed with wax, the crest unfamiliar. Hmm . . . old school. I was relieved there for a moment, and had thought this guy was here to serve me papers. Still, I didn’t touch it.

Open it.

No. I gave him a flat stare.

It’s a job offer.

I’m not looking for work, I replied, wearing my best resting bitch face.

That’s okay. This one doesn’t pay, he added smugly.

This meeting is over. Out you go.

Take the job, or we go to the Super Natural Registrar’s Office and report you for hiding your gifts.

I burst out laughing so hard I doubled over in my chair. Tris was laughing with me.

After a few minutes of the much-needed comedy reprieve, I looked over at Knox. Thank you for the laugh. Whew, I needed that. You’ve wasted your time. And mine. I’m not taking your job, and you are welcome to call the Registrar’s Office, right now in fact. Hell, I’ll help you dial the number.

I picked up the phone. What’s the number?

He just stared at me with a blank look.

Tris tapped on his tablet, and then handed it to me.

The screen showed the contact info for the Super Natural Registrar’s Office. I showed it to Knox and said, These people, right? I started dialing the number but he reached over and hung up the phone.

Rude. I placed the receiver back in the cradle.

If you care about the people you love, you will take this seriously. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

With a subtle burst of movement, I struck out and pinned his head on the table, my dagger at his neck. Blood trickled on the blade.

Knox turned pale white, and his body trembled.

I am done with your threats. Get the fuck out. My voice was a calm whisper.

I grabbed him by his suit lapels and threw him out of the office into the hands of security who escorted him out of the building.

Well, that was interesting, Tris muttered.

I headed to my office and took a pic of the wax seal, and then left the envelope locked in my safe. It seemed innocuous, but I’d rather it be locked away and safe. I had zero plans on opening it. My gut warned me, I didn’t want anything to do with it.

The entire exchange bothered me. No one knew about my side work. Tris knew I had combat mage skills and that I made large sums of money. He just didn’t know all the details. The less he knew, the better.

And my merc contract was over as of that morning. Besides, I had a handler. I was never approached in public like this. Sighing, I texted the pic of the seal to Dad and Uncle Brian. Dad had connections in the merc world. And Uncle Brian was my handler. He wasn’t my uncle by blood, but he was a family friend. Between the two, one of them would know something.

Security was taking care of tracking the guy and, most importantly, tracing his employers. Until I heard back from someone, there was nothing I could do. I could’ve opened the darn envelope, but my gut was telling me I needed plausible deniability, so that was out . . . for now. Tension tightened my shoulders. The experience with Knox made me uneasy.

Chapter 3

Kenzie

By mid-day, most of my priorities were addressed. Everything else could be handled remotely. After dealing with Knox, I needed to get out of the office. I waved goodbye to Tris who was on the phone, and I told the receptionist to cancel all my appointments for the day and to have the security team contact me on my cell as soon as they were done with their analysis.

I was craving a Green Goddess drink from my favorite juice bar, so I hopped in my Range Rover and drove to Raw.

My favorite juice bar was located about two miles from my office. The juices were fresh, organic, and ridiculously overpriced. Plus, the guy that owned Raw was a total hottie. I liked supporting the local hotties, I meant local businesses, as often as I could.

As I walked in, juice hottie was on his way out. Jake picked me up off my feet in a bear hug.

Mackenzie! he said excitedly.

Hey! You leaving me?

Yeah, unfortunately. Business issues at the other location but I’d rather be here with you, he replied with a flirtatious wink.

Pushing him away, I laughed Go, big man, do that business thang.

He pulled me in for another hug. See you next week?

Like you could keep me away. I entered his store as he got in his car.

I found myself in a short line. The woman in front of me held her toddler. The little one was fussing, and the mom was searching in her purse for something. The little whiny girl reached out to me grabbing hold of my hair, not pulling, so I smiled at her and raised my hand to extract my hair from her tiny fingers. She let go of my hair and grabbed on to my finger.

Her mom turned to me, Oh, she really likes you. She’s been fussing until you walked in. She bounced and cooed at her child.

The mom was next in line. She placed her order and searched her purse again, while trying to balance the little girl with one arm. Her daughter started to cry. Not having success with her purse, the mom turned to me and said, Do you mind?

She practically shoved her child in my arms. The little girl reached out toward me, leaning away from her mother’s body, so I put my hands out and grabbed hold of the baby.

Who lets a stranger hold their child? Thankfully, the little one stopped crying. The baby who must be a few months, or maybe a year, was now speaking to me in that heart-melting baby talk language. I could not comprehend a single thing, but darn it, it was so freaking adorable.

You are absolutely adorable. Awe in my voice was evident. What’s your name? I asked, even though the baby couldn’t possibly understand me, let alone answer me.

Sophia. She loves you. She’s usually not friendly with strangers. Mom’s eyes lit up.

I would think your child being wary of strangers was a good thing. But I guess not.

The mother turned to talk to the staff behind the counter, apologizing for taking too long. I held her kid and felt a sense of peace, of rightness. I leaned in and inhaled the child’s heavenly smell. Why do babies smell so good? Like innocence and unconditional love. If this were bottled as a fragrance it would be a billion-dollar business, no doubt. I leaned in again, taking a deep breath. Uh-oh, my maternal strings were pulling at me.

Hi Kenzie! Here’s your usual, the gal behind the counter said to me, thankfully breaking me out of my baby haze. I started on it when I saw you talking to Jake.

Oh, thank you! I pulled out a hundred-dollar bill from my purse that was resting on my hip. I placed the bill on the counter. I’ll cover whatever Sophia and her mom want as well.

Sophia’s mom gave me a surprised look. You don’t have to do that. Sorry I’m taking so long. My wallet is here somewhere.

No, please, I insist. Your daughter is precious, I said as Sophia curled her tiny body against mine, her head in the crook of my neck.

You are so good with her. Do you have children?

I shook my head, unwilling to answer that question out loud.

Well, you’re going to be a great mom. My kids are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

I didn’t respond, because I didn’t know what to say to this stranger. Instead, I handed Sophia to her mom. Back in her mom’s arms, Sophia looked back at me as though she wondered where I was going. My insides were topsy turvy, and I felt the waterworks pooling in my eyes.

After grabbing my drink, I told the staff to keep the change and wished Sophia and her mom a good day. Mom and the gal behind the counter thanked me profusely.

You’re welcome, I shouted behind me as I all but ran out of the juice shop and vowed to never return.

I rushed to my car as though my ass were on fire. I closed the door with shaky hands and wet cheeks and paused a moment to take a breath. My heart hurt. I knew I needed to get moving, needed to be somewhere, anywhere but here. On autopilot, I put the car in drive, not really knowing where to go, but I kept driving as the unwanted memories flooded back.

Chapter 4

Kenzie

I recalled how the doctor had peered at me, his brow furrowed. I’m sorry, but having children the natural way is not an option. Your ovaries are producing eggs, perhaps you could consider a surrogate, but . . . your uterus is . . . inhospitable. You won’t be able to have children on your own. I wish there was better news.

Inhospitable!? Who says that? I should’ve kicked that doctor in the balls.

Overwhelmed by thoughts of the past, I blinked my eyes to focus on the road. Then I shook my head and swiped my face dry with the back of my hand. After fifteen minutes of driving, I was on the freeway, and took the next exit, knowing exactly where I was headed.

There was always something to do here in Vegas. Old Vegas started out as casinos owned by the mob to continue their shenanigans in the middle of the desert. Then corporations took over, growing the city and commercializing everything. When the magical community came out, Las Vegas became Vegas where the things that go bump in the night took over. It was always a nocturnal city. Now even more so.

Every casino was practically owned and run by vamps, shifters, and mages of every sort. And it was run by the Guild, a group of powerful magical types that