I pulled my satchel out to prepare it for the tattooing and placed it on my desk for easy access. I hadn’t even had a chance to pick up the first paint to place in there when Keirn’s fox hopped in. It sat in the middle of the bag looking very pleased with itself. Its bright blue eyes were dancing, and its mouth was split into a joyous grin. I sighed and picked it up with the plan of placing it down on the floor so I could continue my preparations. The fox, however, had other plans. It threw its entire weight against my hands and scrambled with everything it had to get back into the bag. It succeeded in getting its front legs, shoulders, and head in there, its back legs kicking wildly. I held it firm and kept trying to pull it back out of the bag.

  “I’m not going to leave you behind, but I need to pack the bag in a way that means you have a space to sit,” I said firmly.

  The fox continued straining against me, but turned to look at me, its ears half-flattened as it assessed my face. I waited. It finally decided that I was telling the truth and allowed me to pull it out of the bag. I placed it on the floor, only to have it jump onto my desk and sit next to the bag, where it watched every movement I made with disconcerting intensity. The moment I placed the last item in there, it hopped back into the bag and grinned at me. It certainly shared its elf’s determination.

  I placed the flap down over the bag, which hid the fox. No one would know it was there, as long as they didn’t spy the bright blue eyes glaring at them. Kyra remained curled up in the middle of the sofa fast asleep when I headed out into the living area. Rex had let himself in; no doubt Fein had given him a key for just such a thing. He greeted me with a broad smile that went against everything I felt he was supposed to be. He tucked his hands in the pockets of his smart black pants. His pale blue shirt was tucked in, but he kept the collar open. I’d pulled on my smart jeans and the closest button-up shirt I laid my hands on.

  “Fein told me to keep you safe during the tattoo process,” Rex said.

  My instincts told me to relax around him, and he certainly seemed like a good guy. My mind, however, kept reminding me that beneath the slightly scruffy dark hair and kind eyes was a terrifying assassin and predator.

  “Thanks, hopefully I won’t need it,” I said.

  There was a good chance that the Ceremonials were screwing with me and planned on stabbing me in the back the moment I finished the tattoo. Having Rex around to cover me helped ease the gnawing anxiety in my stomach. I wasn’t a murderer. It was one thing to defend myself in a fight; it was quite another to knowingly inflict agony on someone and feel their life essence snuff out. I put my shoulders back and picked up my satchel. It was Keirn and Vyx, or them. Realistically, it was them or half of the city. If I did manage to pull through the wyvern, then the moment the recipient let it loose it would go on a rampage around the city. Those damn things were notoriously difficult to kill. They’d have to bring in death magicians to back up the military magicians.

  Rex gave me a curious look.

  “Everything ok?”

  I shrugged and gave him a smile.

  “Sure, I’m just going to bring through a wyvern, no big deal.”

  He laughed and grinned at me.

  “I’ve got your back, and I don’t fail. We’ll get your elf and vixen back,” he said with a complete confidence.

  Gods be with me, I believed him. I dared allow a sliver of hope to form within me as I rubbed the fox’s ears and began the elevator ride down. We were going to get Keirn and Vyx back.

  9

  The tram was late. I sighed and tried to relax. It was just another tattooing client. I could do it in my sleep.

  “How long have you and Keirn been together?” Rex asked.

  I frowned. I wasn’t actually sure. I hadn’t made a note of the date that we officially transitioned from friends to more. It simultaneously felt like the blink of an eye and a lifetime.

  “A month?” I said.

  Creases formed around Rex’s eyes as he smiled.

  “Fein and the cougars speak very highly of him, and they say Vyx is something to behold,” he said as he glanced down the road at the faint rumbling.

  It was just another car driving down the rough cobblestones. Still no tram.

  “Vyx is a bundle of joy and fire,” I said with a laugh.

  I could see Kyra preening in my mind’s eye. It had been her that brought Vyx into our lives, after all. The little vixen feral had certainly left her mark on us all. She had a strength that I admired, and a determination that I’d hate to get in the way of. She was a bright point in our days, whether we wanted our days brightened or not.

  “So, tell me what to expect here,” Rex said.

  I shrugged.

  “From the outside it’ll look like I’m focusing really hard as I tattoo whoever this guy is.”

  “And from the inside?”

  The tram finally rattled down the road and came to a stop in front of the red sign. We fought our way to a pair of seats. Rex sat in front of me and sat sideways on the uncomfortable red plastic seat with his legs tucked under the seat to stop them from tripping people walking down the aisle.

  People around us were absorbed in their own worlds. Magicians didn’t often share their experiences with other people; it wasn’t explicitly stated as something wrong, but each of the magic types was very secretive.

  “From the inside, it’s hard to explain.” I didn’t know how my experiences compared to a normal tattoo magician. What if I accidentally outed myself right there on the tram?

  “I connect with the ink magic network, and it feels like I’m transported to another plane. I can still feel my physical body and surroundings, but they’re… distant. The animal is right there in front of me. It becomes more solid, and the thin barrier between us weakens as I ink the tattoo. They quite often fight, as they want to be free, they want to be in our world.”

  Rex watched me with a broad smile, his face filled with fascination.

  “That sounds incredible,” he said.

  He leaned back against the window behind him and was quiet for a moment before he turned back to me.

  “Have you ever really sat down and thought about what you do? I mean… you bring living beings into this plane. You connect the life essence of two separate beings. Have you ever really thought about that?” He leaned a little closer to me, putting his arm across the back of his seat.

  Small creases had formed at the corners of his mouth and his eyes were dancing with happiness at this line of thinking.

  “It’s incredible, what you do,” he said, making small gestures with his hands to press just how incredible he felt it was.

  I hadn’t really given it much thought, it was such a natural thing to do. I frowned and rolled the thoughts around in my mind. I supposed that it really was quite something. The ink network crept into my mind and pressed the sensation of the power I’d held when it had taken control. It was reminding me of what I could be, of how much more I could do if I allowed it to push me that way.

  “I guess it’s pretty damn cool. It’s not like I can walk to a whole new plane like the shadow walkers, though,” I said.

  Rex laughed and shook his head.

  “’Pretty damn cool,’ he says.”

  I smiled and glanced out of the window as we crossed the river. The dark water seemed particularly calm, almost barren. During the warmer months, there would have been people wandering along the river banks and various beings cavorting in the water itself. I shook my head. The anxiety was getting to me. I had a Cu Sidhe on my side. Everything had to work out.

  We exited the tram into a crisp day with clear blue skies overhead. The neighbourhood the Ceremonials occupied was every bit as pretentious as was expected. The dark trees that lined the cobble-stoned road remained covered in pure white and pale blue leaves. There wasn’t any of the usual chatter and activity from puka and such; they were likely driven away for being too noisy or something. My satchel felt heavier than usual, and my feet dragged as I walked down the broad path towards the house in question. Keirn’s fox poked its head out to lick my hand, much to Rex’s surprise.

  “Is there supposed to be a fox in there?” he asked.

  I raised an eyebrow at the fox.

  “No, but it was determined, so I gave in and allowed it to come along.”

  The fox gave us both a big grin before it went back into hiding.

  “Well, it looks very pleased with itself,” Rex said with a smile.

  We stopped in front of the house in question to find tall wrought-iron fences; tinker made, of course. They twisted from elegant rose forms into a more complicated spiraling pattern as we walked through the open gate. The small gardens on either side of the pure white path were pristine and full of manicured bushes and flowers. Not a single leaf was out of place. My stomach roiled. I didn’t remember the last time I’d been this nervous to tattoo someone. Lifting my chin, I gritted my teeth and reminded myself that it was for Keirn. I wasn’t going to lose him or Vyx.

  10

  The door swung open, and we stepped into a spacious entryway, complete with obligatory double-height ceilings and not one, but two lightning-glass chandeliers. The walls were covered in intricately patterned wallpaper which appeared to be printed with holographic paints. Vyx had said they were very expensive. The soft creams and pale pinks leapt off the paper and gave the patterns a depth that made them quite striking. It was all very ostentatious and flaunted the wealth of the owner, who was leaving us to wait in the entryway.

  Rex checked his watch. “We’re two minutes early.”

  I rolled my eyes. They were seriously making us wait for two minutes? I hoped that there wouldn’t be any more demands after this; I wasn’t going to be able to remain calm and deal with their petty games for very long. Perhaps that was the point. They were very interested in political games. It could be that their plan was to push me past my limits and force me into doing something risky and dangerous. I sighed. I needed someone who understood that bullshit to figure that out for me. I hoped Fein was making headway on that side of things.

  Finally, an older woman with deep green hair pulled back into a severe bun emerged from the pale metal door at the far end of the entryway.

  “Mr. Devereaux is ready to see you now,” she said with an expression of incredible disdain and boredom.

  I forced myself to keep a blank, polite expression and followed her down the short grey hallway into a large room with a trio of overstuffed high-backed chairs and a large open fire. The fire in the grate didn’t burn like normal wood fire. There must have been an elemental or some such involved somewhere.

  Mr. Devereaux stood from one of the chairs closest to the fire and turned to greet us. His eyes hardened when he saw Rex, but he held his tongue until I had placed my satchel down on the small table closest to him. He was a small man in casual black pants and an electric-blue shirt that was only half-buttoned. The shirt shimmered in the light with sparks of bright white and pale silver. He must really have loved lightning to have it woven into his clothing.

  “I was told to expect an ink magician,” Mr. Devereaux ground out.

  “I’m his bodyguard,” Rex said with a large grin as he held his hand out to Mr. Devereaux.

  “Standard protocol,” I said with a shrug.

  Keirn’s fox hopped out of the bag and bristled at the client. The older man sniffed and ignored the fox in favour of removing his shirt.

  I couldn’t feel any sign of a tattoo within him. Not only was I supposed to bring through a tattoo that wasn’t his, but he wasn’t supposed to have a tattoo at all. The chances of him surviving the process were almost nil. He stood with his narrow shoulders squared and his pale grey eyes staring at me. I was a few inches taller and broader than he, but that didn’t stop him from looking down his large nose at me.

  “Well, get on with it,” he said.

  “I must tell you that there is a chance you will not survive bringing through this tattoo, as you have not been chosen to receive it,” I said.

  “You’re an ink magician, this is what you were created for,” he said sharply.

  “Dacian will begin shortly, if you’ll take a seat and present your back to him,” Rex said firmly, the friendly smile still fixed on his face.

  The client huffed and positioned himself so that his pale back was facing me, ready to begin the proceedings. Rex squeezed my shoulder.

  “Just do as he asked, we’ll deal with the consequences later,” he whispered.

  I allowed myself to slip into the familiar routine and set out my paints and tools next to the man. The ink network crept into my hands, and Keirn’s fox sat next to my feet. I rolled my shoulders and mentally prepared myself to take on a fucking wyvern alone. I’d never tried bringing through such a large and vicious tattoo by myself before. Keirn had been with me for both the shadow phoenix and the dragon.

  I leaned down and rubbed the fox between its ears for comfort and a little luck before I allowed the ink network fully into my hands and began painting the man’s back. The act would usually have soothed away my worries. It was the thing that always brought me peace. Seeing the rich slate grey and forest green of the wyvern pop against the man’s pale skin only drove home what I was about to do. The wyvern stood glaring at me from the paint, its teeth partially bared and its dark red eyes full of hate. Bringing it through was going to be anything but fun.

  Rex stood near me, his back straight and his gaze vigilant. I didn’t know how much help he’d actually be, but I was glad of his presence nonetheless. Taking a deep breath, I picked up my tattoo gun and allowed the ink network to take a little more control. The ink magic was razor sharp and unpleasant as opposed to the usual smooth flow I dealt with. The wyvern snapped at my face the moment my needle touched the man’s skin. It writhed and screamed against the paper-thin barrier between us. Its hot breath rushed against my face as I tried to fight to keep the ink network under control and the tattoo flowing. The ink magic fought me at every turn and bit my fingertips as I tried to force it into the edges of the wyvern. The damn wyvern refused to stay still and made every tiny stroke a fight.

  The ink magic felt sharp and jagged against my skin as the network protested and blurred my vision with blood red.

  “I’m doing this to save Keirn,” I shouted at the network.

  “Not his,” it shouted back.

  “I know that, but I have to try!”

  The network calmed and smoothed out the threads of ink magic within my hands. It had developed a fondness for Keirn. The wyvern paused and looked at me with startling intelligence in its eyes. I felt as though it were plotting something with the ink network, but I had no idea what.

  Slowly, the ink magic unspooled and the wyvern became more vivid and alive under my fingertips. The man began trembling. I was aware of his ragged shallow breathing somewhere in the distance. The wyvern snapped at my face again. Its long teeth grazed my cheek. The pain made my hands falter and my vision blur. I wasn’t strong enough. The ink network was fighting me again, and I couldn’t handle the wyvern on my own. I suddenly feared the ink network using this opportunity to take me over and make me its vessel. I was wide open and weakened.

  A warm soft feeling pressed against my calf. It was soon followed by a feeling of strength and my vision brightening. Keirn’s fox was helping me. I grabbed a hold of the ink magic and pulled it back under control. The threads stopped spooling out under my fingers, and the wyvern backed off with a growl. I wasn’t done yet.

  11

  The wyvern began to fade. Its lustrous colours dulled, and its roars of fury became softer, more distant. Everything shifted around me. The ink magic stuttered beneath my fingertips, and I felt it. The client’s life essence slowly crumbled and turned to dust. I was thrown out of the tattooing state when the man slumped down onto the chair in front of him. My heart skipped a beat, and my breath caught. I’d killed him. I knew it was a possibility, and it wasn’t the first time I’d killed someone. It felt different this time, though. It wasn’t done in self defence.

  His body began to grey, and Rex stepped forward. I felt numb, and a quiet voice rattled around my mind. It may not have been done in self defence, but it was done to protect Keirn. I gritted my teeth and pushed aside the guilt and anxiety that had formed. He had been warned, and he had been involved in the kidnapping of my Snow.

  “I have no idea what the protocol is here,” I said to Rex as I put my tattooing things away quickly.

  “They knew we were here, and the half-formed tattoo on his back will make it pretty clear what happened,” Rex said.

  I held my satchel open for Keirn’s fox to hop into.

  “So, we just walk out the front door?”

  Rex looked between the body and me. The body was beginning to crack, revealing bright red muscle beneath the increasingly grey skin. Was that caused by the ink magic? Or was that his own fragment of magic causing that?

  “Yes, we’ll go out the front door with our heads held high as though it was a success. We’ll tell Fein what happened and prepare ourselves from there,” he said as he gestured towards the door.

  I felt like there should have been more to it, but I wasn’t going to argue. A small flicker of hope formed. Maybe this was all the Ceremonials would ask of me. I quashed it. They weren’t going to let it stop there. They had me under their thumb. They were going to push as hard as they could. I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable fight as we stepped back out into the city.

  The Ceremonials were going to regret their choices. I’d make sure of it.

  We made it a grand total of ten steps before the Ceremonials’ heavies appeared. A pair of military magicians strode up the path towards us with steely expressions and an impressive collection of blades. A bear shifter and a woman came up behind us. I glanced to Rex. It was broad daylight. Were we going to take them all on? Rex’s features sharpened, and his grin became more predatory.