Magic Gifts

Magic Gifts (2011) Ilona Andrews

This story takes place at the same time as Gunmetal Magic and are Kate’s events (and the same events as seen through Kate’s eyes).

Andrea is working for Cutting Edge Investigations–Kate’s company. They also have two interns: Ascanio–the troublesome teen bouda, and Derek, the werewolf who is moving on from bodyguard duty.

After an extremely messy day (involving blood and other substance) Curran offers to take Kate out to dinner–something they never get to do. Unfortunately, the romantic dinner is interrupted when two vampires are set loose when one puts on a magical necklace that kills her

When the dead girl’s family arrives, the mother puts the necklace on her son and then takes her husband and leaves.

Nice lady.

Kate and Curran take the boy and then start to tear the city apart to try and find out how to keep the collar from killing the boy.

This involves going to the Norse Heritage Foundation, which is amusing.

Norse Heritage took everyone in. Viking wasn’t a nationality – it was the way of life. As long as you thought you were a Viking, you had a place at their table.

And then dealing with an undead dwarf, and seeing Ghastek get his comeuppance.

“Excellent.” He put emphasis in the x and the word came out slightly sibilant.

“You need a fluffy white cat. That way you can stroke it when you say things like that.”

We also get the situation with the Mercenary Guild resolved–they’ve been without a head since Solomon Red was killed by Kate’s aunt, and since the Pack has a 20% interest, Kate is designated as the person to break the tie.

Reading this short story and then Gunmetal Magic it’s easy to see that this story is Kate’s portion of that book that was excised from Andrea’s book.

Published by the authors

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