Black Magic (Black Records Book 1)

by Mark Feenstra

  Chase took a long pull from his beer and then tucked it between his legs while poked the screen of his phone for a few seconds before looking up at me.

  “How did you know the Conclave would show up in time?” he asked. “And how did you know they’d side against Eddie, or Bracchus, or whatever his name is now?”

  “I didn’t,” I admitted.

  “So it all came down to luck in the end?” asked Chase. “That’s crazy, Alex. I can’t believe you basically went down there on a suicide mission.”

  “What matters is that everyone survived the encounter,” Viktor interjected. “Alex acted more bravely than most in her position would have, and she did so because she thought she was saving your kind. In the end, she may have saved us all. With that kind of power in the hands of a mage like Bracchus, there’s slim chance it would not have corrupted him beyond rescue.”

  “So I guess the word you’re looking for is thanks.” I stuck my tongue out at Chase and threw a wadded up napkin at him.

  “Whatever,” he said. “Weren’t you just doing it all in the name of justice, Mrs. Wizard Detective?”

  “Mage,” I corrected. “And I’m not a detective.”

  “Right, consulting mage.”

  “Anyway, once I tell Mrs. Weathersby that the man who killed her husband has been locked away in a prison so secure he’ll never see the light of day, I think I might lay off the freelancing for a while.”

  “What?” Chase nearly dropped his beer. “You can’t quit now. What the hell else am I going to do for fun if I can’t be your muggle Watson?”

  “I’m inclined to agree,” added Viktor. “I know this was challenging, Alex, but you rose to every obstacle thrown in your path. You’d be doing both the fae and the ungifted a great disservice if you were to quit now.”

  “I’m not quitting,” I said. “I’m just backing off for a while. You know, taking a break.”

  I picked up my beer and took a sip. Even the kobold was staring at me like he thought I was being a coward. Or maybe I was projecting my own feelings onto them. I didn’t know which; I’m a mage not a psychiatrist.

  “Well, don’t take too long to think about it,” said Chase. He held his phone up and wiggled it in the air. “Because I think I got us our next case.”

  I nearly spat out my beer. “Our what? How in the hell did you do that?”

  “I may have made a little website for you while we were eating,” he said. “Don’t worry, it’s on the dark web where no one will stumble across it unless they’re specifically looking for someone with your unique talents.”

  “And someone found it already?” asked Viktor.

  “Yeah, doesn’t that strike you as odd?” I asked. “I may not know much about the dark web, but don’t people have to connect directly to your site?”

  “I may have advertised it a few other places,” Chase mumbled as he put his beer bottle back to his lips.

  I drained the last of my beer and stood up.

  “I’m going to take a shower, and then I’m going to go to sleep,” I said. “Tomorrow, we’ll talk about this website and whether or not I’m taking on any new clients.”

  “Fine,” Chase called after me as I walked away. The last thing I heard before I shut the bathroom door was him shouting, “But this gig pays a thousand a day, and it sounds like cake.”

  I went to the tub and cranked the water as hot as I could stand it, stripped down, and stepped into the shower. Closing my eyes, I let the warmth roll over me. I tried to convince myself that I wouldn’t go back downstairs to hear Chase out, and that I wouldn’t take the next case, but it was too cheap an illusion to possibly delude myself into believing.

  After all, I was a mage with no other practical life skills. What else was I going to do but continue on as the city’s only consulting mage?

  Afterword

  I know a lot of people skip these, so if you want learn how you can get the free Black Records prequel novella, skip ahead a few pages to find out.

  For those of you still reading, thank you! After years of shelving unread novel drafts, it really is a wonderful feeling to have my first book out in the world. Some readers have already sent me the most amazing messages telling me how much they enjoyed the story, and that has made every bit of the journey getting this to publication worthwhile.

  The idea for this book was born in the departure lounge of the Vancouver airport on the eve of a trip to Colombia in February of 2015. With only my iPad and bluetooth keyboard to work on, I pecked away at the story, discovering her character and world as I went. The more I wrote, the more excited I became. Over the last two years, my plans for Alex have grown considerably. With at least ten more books roughly plotted out, I’ve got long term story ideas heading all the way into book 20. If you’re as excited as I am to find out where Alex finds herself next, stick around, because there’s plenty more to come! Black Market is available now. Book 3, Black Ice is planned for a release sometime this spring.

  So here’s the part where I ask you a favor. You knew that was coming, right? Don’t worry, it’s nothing crazy.

  Basically, if you’re enjoying the Black Records series so far, tell a friend! Word of mouth is the absolute best way for people to discover new books, and without a huge promotional budget, I count on people like you spreading the good word in person or online.

  If you really like the books and want to see more, it helps me out if you leave a review on Amazon.com. (Specifically the American site for all you lovely international readers.) Reviews are the best gift you can give an author — besides liquor and a new TV series to binge — so that goes for any other books you may love.

  There, that wasn’t so painful, was it? We got through it together. Playing the super-confident promoter is not my favorite thing in the world, but I’m told it comes with the job.

  On a lighter note, how did you enjoying the book? If you’re on the mailing list, you can reply to any of those emails and it’ll land in my inbox. It may take me a few days to reply, but I adore getting reader mail. Send me some fan art, and you might even discover your name has found its way into an upcoming book!

  - Mark Feenstra, February ‘17

  Want to shed light on Alex’s Dark Past?

  Thanks for reading Black Market! If you enjoyed it, consider signing up for my mailing list. As thanks for staying connected, I’ll send you a FREE copy of The New Black, the prequel to Black Magic and the Black Records series.

  Visit markfeenstra.com/mailing-list to sign up and get your free copy of The New Black prequel novella. Available exclusively to subscribers.

  BLACK MARKET

  Black Records #2

  Excited to continue reading the next book in the Black Records series?

  Get it for kindle or visit markfeenstra.com to learn more.

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, thank you, dear Reader, for giving Black Magic a chance. It’s my firm belief that a book is only complete when someone reads it, and the thought of my words finding life in your imagination makes me happier than you can ever know. As a writer, I’d be nothing without you.

  Special thanks to Kris, Kaja, Meaghan, JP, Katrina, Mark, and Sarah for your feedback and discussion on early drafts. Thanks to Joan B Flood for not-so-gently ordering me to prioritize brain power on this novel over other professional obligations. Big thanks again to Kris for the editing help. Thanks to the Daily Grinders for keeping me accountable. I’d thank a certain Sooper Seekrit Clubhouse if they existed — but they don’t, so I won’t. Thanks mom for the whole giving birth to me thing — I would literally be nothing without you. Thanks to the silent heroes who picked the coffee beans that fueled the writing of this novel.

  Last, but never least, a million thanks to the authors who’ve given me countless hours of heady immersion in the pages of their novels. Having even a chance of giving someone else a gift like that is a huge part of why I write in the first place.

  About the Author

  Mark
lives in Vancouver, British Columbia where he’s attempting to adapt to life with a wildly entertaining seven month old daughter. At any given time, he’s probably avoiding exercise, trying not to eat an entire pizza by himself, or just maybe he’s working on the next book in the Black Records series.

  @mfeenstra

  authormarkfeenstra

  www.markfeenstra.com