Angel's Ink

by Jocelynn Drake

  “I won’t allow it. She stays!”

  Trixie laid a gentle hand on my shoulder and stepped around me so that I could look into her sad eyes. “Gage, I think it’s time to let it go.”

  “No, you can’t do this.” I shook my head, tearing my gaze from her attackers. “You can’t give in.”

  “I’ve been running for so long. I’ve lived a nice life, but maybe it’s time I gave up this fight. It’s not worth it if it comes down to either you or my brother dying, and I know both of you are willing to fight to that point. And if not that, then you are risking death from the Towers. It has to stop.”

  My arm shot out, wrapping around her waist before pulling her close against me. I glared at her brother as confusion twisted his expression. My hand clenched on her side, melting into her softness, but it failed to ease my black mood. Despite holding her tightly, she was slipping away. I was losing her. My heart tripped and stumbled in my chest, threatening to splinter. I couldn’t let her sacrifice her happiness just for my safety. She had a right to live her own life, regardless of my desires, or the desires of her brother and her king.

  “How could you do this? She’s your sister!” I shouted at Eldon, my head snapping around to glare at him again.

  “This is what is best for her!” Eldon snarled. “Do you think you could provide for her better than the king of the Summer Court? A pathetic tattoo artist?”

  “I think I’ve already proved that I’m more than a tattoo artist.”

  “Even worse, a warlock! You’re a danger to her and everything around you. Kill me and you declare war on the elves of the Summer Court!”

  “Her love for you has stopped me from killing you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t protect her with everything I have. She’s not leaving with you.”

  Trixie laid her hand on the side of my face, forcing me to look at her. Her expression was heartbreakingly sad, washing away the heated anger that burned in my frame so that I was left with only a bitter taste in the back of my throat. “Please, Gage. Look at where we are. I didn’t want this. I never wanted to drag you into this mess and endanger your life. I know that because of me you would never harm Eldon, but I can’t say that he would spare your life for me if we continued to fight him. I can be happy living with the king if I know that you’re still alive.”

  I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against hers as my eyes slid closed. “What if I can’t? I can’t be happy knowing that you gave up to protect me.”

  A soft sigh from Trixie caused me to open my eyes and find a fragile smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “I guess I’m in a no-win situation.”

  “No such thing when I’m involved.”

  “What should I do?”

  “Forgive me.”

  “Done,” she said, her smile growing.

  “Love me.”

  I felt her entire body tense at my suggestion, but to my surprise, her smile never wavered. In fact, it only grew on her beautiful face as she stared at me. “You’re getting greedy,” she teased.

  “A man’s gotta try.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no either and I could accept that. It also wasn’t the best time to be discussing emotions. I liked to think that it at least gave her one more reason to stay in my arms. I closed the last inch between us, capturing her slightly parted lips in a rough kiss. Her hands came up and cupped my head, holding me in place as her tongue slipped into my mouth while my hand tightened on her side. If she continued to kiss me like this, I was willing to carry her back into my apartment where I would keep her locked away from everyone.

  “Rowena!” shouted Eldon, sounding more than a little shocked. I didn’t know whether it was the fact that she was kissing a human, a tattoo artist, or a warlock that he found so appalling. It could have been all three. The truth was that I wasn’t making a very good impression on a member of her family, but I really didn’t care.

  It was only the sound of gravel being crunched beneath boots that finally pulled my lips from Trixie’s. Keeping her locked to my side, I turned my attention back to Eldon and the others, narrowing my gaze on them. I had to fix this, and there was only one way to fix the issue of Trixie’s freedom and the rift with her family if she was ever to be happy.

  “I’ve been told that the only reason your king wants Rowena is because he has been unable to father a child with his wife,” I said in a neutral tone.

  Eldon’s brow furrowed as he stared at me. “She’s been chosen to be his consort. It’s an honor.”

  I bit my tongue against his “honor” comment, as Trixie didn’t seem to see it as much of one. “What if he could father a child with his wife?”

  “That would be preferred, but the queen has been unable to have a child with either the king or her own consort,” Eldon admitted, his expression softening as he looked over at his sister. “Rowena is our only hope. The royal line cannot be allowed to die out. We would be attacked by both the Winter Court and the Svartálfar.”

  I wanted to say that Trixie wasn’t the only hope, but the king was being stubborn because she was probably the first one to run from him. It wasn’t just her beauty that made Trixie so valuable. It was her strength, intelligence, and wonderful spirit that drew those around her.

  “What if I could find a way for them to have a child?” I pushed, forcing him to circle back to the idea.

  Eldon frowned and shifted from his left to his right foot. He seemed hesitant to answer me as he looked over his shoulder at his companions. I had a feeling that court gossip was not something discussed with outsiders. I was just hoping that Eldon would be willing to take a risk on me for the happiness of his sister.

  “There would need to be a reconciliation,” Eldon admitted after a few seconds of silence.

  “Between whom?”

  Eldon’s eyes darted away from me as he proved reluctant to continue. Luckily, Trixie spoke up when the others refused to look at me. “Between the king and queen. When it was declared that they could not have children together, the king did not search out any remedies, as others in his position have in the past. He simply jumped at the chance to have a consort. While I doubt that she would admit it, I think she was hurt by his readiness to abandon her.”

  “That’s gossip, Rowena!” Eldon snapped.

  “How would you feel if you could not have children with Alaina and she immediately jumped into the arms of another?” Trixie shot back at him while wrapping her arms loosely around my shoulders.

  I looked over at her to find her intently watching her brother. “Alaina?” I asked, capturing her attention again.

  “His wife. They were matched just before I left.”

  “It’s different between the king and queen. They have their duty,” Eldon interjected quickly, moving the topic away from his own life.

  “Duty or not, she’s still a woman. She can feel spurned and unloved by his lack of concern for her,” Trixie argued.

  “He’s the king. He has to think of his duty to the royal line,” Eldon contended, but even he failed to meet Trixie’s angry gaze when he spoke. It didn’t seem as if he completely believed the argument he was making.

  “Regardless, this has to end,” I slipped in before Trixie could dispute his claim. “If you’ve spent all this time hunting for your sister, you can’t have been spending too much time with your wife. Wouldn’t you like this to end so you can go back to your life? Wouldn’t it be best if your king and queen were united rather than separated by Rowena?”

  “What are you proposing, warlock?” Eldon hedged.

  “His name is Gage and you will use it,” Trixie snapped heatedly.

  I smiled at Eldon, who stiffly nodded at me, hating to recognize my existence beyond the nuisance I was proving to be. “Can you arrange for the queen to meet with me?”

  “You want a meeting with the queen?” Eldon’s entire body became rigid with the idea. “What could you possibly have to offer?”

  “P
ossibly an answer to this problem—isn’t it worth the risk? Just a short delay?”

  “We’ve delayed long enough,” Eldon growled, glaring at Trixie.

  “Wouldn’t you rather see your sister happy?” I said, causing the frown on Eldon’s face to fade.

  Eldon stared at his sister, his face devoid of any expression. “Are you happy as you are?”

  “When I’m not being chased? Yes, I’m very happy.”

  “I would rather see you home with your own people where you are needed, but if this is the life you want, then I will try to speak with the queen. I can’t make any promises. She knows I’m one of the king’s guards searching for you and things have been . . . tense since the king and queen have sought their own consorts.”

  “Thank you, Eldon,” Trixie whispered.

  “Don’t thank me. Like I said, I would rather have you home. I have a daughter now and I would like her to know her only aunt.”

  “Congratulations,” I said to Eldon, who glared at me.

  “I will be in contact as soon as possible.” He then turned up the driveway and walked away. Watching the elves disappear around the apartment building, I wrapped both my arms around Trixie’s waist and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I had bought us some time. I didn’t know how much, but it would have to be enough for now.

  Trixie lay her head on my shoulder. “I have a niece.”

  “And he should be home taking care of his daughter instead of chasing you,” I groused, staring blindly at the back of the building. There were a handful of balconies with metal railings covered in peeling white paint. I was lucky in that no one had stepped out onto their private balcony to watch the little family drama unfold. Elves were an extremely private people and I was sure that Trixie had no desire to air her personal laundry before an audience.

  “Don’t, Gage,” she said, raising her head when I looked over at her. “This has been hard on Eldon. He was a member of the guard before I left, and I knew that he would be the one forced to search for me since I am his sister and we have a connection. I can’t hide from blood. At least, not for long.”

  “Being your blood, he should have supported you. He should have protected you and believed in what you wanted for your life instead of trying to force you to submit to the king.”

  “You shouldn’t judge him so harshly. We’re not like you,” she said, frowning. “We’re raised to believe that we should do what is best for our people and that making hard choices isn’t about sacrifice but about honor. I am an outcast among my people because of what I did. No one looks up to me or supports me.”

  “Then why did you do it if it went against your upbringing?”

  “I didn’t believe in what the king was doing. He was very forward with me even before it was declared that the king and queen couldn’t have children. And maybe Eldon is right. I am selfish. I wanted more for my life than what I could have as a consort.”

  I shook my head, smiling at her. “Selfish or not, I’m glad you left. I’m glad that you came into my world, and I’m going to work very hard to keep you here as long as it is what you want.”

  Trixie leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “Thank you.”

  “I am assuming that we can count on Eldon’s word and that you’ll be safe for a little while.”

  “Yes, we should have a minimum of a few days, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it took much longer. I think it would be safe for me to return to my apartment. I can even open the shop tonight and work for a while to make up for all the recent chaos.”

  “No, leave the shop closed,” I said quickly, then adjusted my tone to a more neutral level. “Take the day off. You’ve been through a lot and could use the break.”

  “And you’ve got some other plans in the works that you don’t want me around for,” Trixie added in a grim voice.

  “Yes, I do,” I admitted. I had lied and hidden enough from her during our friendship. I was tired of it, but in this one instance, I would not allow her to become involved. She was threatened by the elves and in danger with the warlocks. I didn’t need her more entangled in the mess I had made of my life. “It’s just one last thing that I need to sort out and then I’ll tell you everything.”

  “You better,” Trixie said, tapping the tip of my nose with her index finger. “You’ve been hiding too much from me and I don’t want any more secrets between us.”

  “Agreed. Now go home and get some rest. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”

  Trixie smiled at me one last time, but I could see the worry in her eyes. I reminded myself that I could still fix everything. I just needed a little more time and luck. Once Tera and the grim reaper were taken care of, I could then turn my attention to Trixie’s problem with the king of the Summer Court. Unfortunately, that still left me with no answers when it came to the warlocks, and I still had to pull Bronx from Reave’s grasp. I hadn’t a clue as to what I could do about either problem, but I knew a couple of places where I could dig for some answers.

  Waving to Trixie as she pulled out of the small parking lot in her little green hybrid, I forced a smile onto my lips. For the first time, I wondered if it would have been better to let the elves take her back to the Summer Court. As consort of the king, the Ivory Towers wouldn’t be able to touch her without causing a war, and for now it seemed as if everyone was trying to avoid a war. Staying here meant that I was the only one who could protect her from Simon’s wrath. The arrangement was less than ideal. Right now, I had to figure out what was the bigger threat and take care of it before I ran out of time.

  Chapter 27

  As I walked up the wooden stairs to the creaky front porch, I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket and glanced at the time. It was just after six. Plenty of time for a quick visit with Sofie and then back to the tattoo parlor by nine so I could meet with Tera. I had already left a message with Bronx updating him on Trixie’s status regarding her kin. On the way to Sofie’s, I stopped off at the parlor and divided up the river water I had picked up from the underworld. I saved five small vials of the various rivers and carefully marked them before hiding them in the back of my padlocked cabinet in the basement. The other five were safely packed away in a small case and would be delivered to Chang as soon as I figured out exactly what I needed from the wily old man.

  The wooden porch groaned under my feet as I crossed to the front door and rang the bell. I glanced up and down the quiet suburban street. The neighborhood was empty, but then it was likely that most people were sitting down to dinner at that moment, relating their tales of the day. Sofie’s small yard was full of blooming flowers and green bushes, leaving little room for grass, which was probably for the best as the old woman would have needed to hire someone to maintain a large yard if she wanted to keep up appearances.

  At the sound of the door opening, I swung around to face a white-haired old woman in a cotton dressing gown. A slow meow drew my attention down to her slippered feet where a large house cat with a distinct blue-gray coat brushed against the woman’s legs. Wide yellow eyes gazed up at me.

  “Hello, Sofie,” I said with a smile.

  “Hello, Gage. It’s been a while,” the old woman replied as she took a step back and motioned for me to enter. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me before following her and her cat into the crowded living room. Large, bulky furniture filled the tiny room so that I had to sidle sideways in order to sit down on the couch. The old woman paused next to a big rocking chair with thick cushions. “Would you like some tea?”

  I shook my head, relaxing against the back of the couch. “No thank you. I can’t stay long. I was hoping for some information.”

  The old woman laughed, wagging one bony finger at me. “Oh, you naughty boy! You’ve come here trying to get me into trouble.”

  “You know I would never do that to you, Sofie. I’m in a bit of a bind and I could really use a little insight into what’s going on.”

  The old woman nodded and settled into the rocking chair.
The Russian blue jumped into her lap and curled up while the old woman gently stroked her soft fur. Frowning, I leaned over to my left and turned off the old black-and-white TV, silencing the evening news. I didn’t need the distraction.

  “What can I do for you?” the old woman inquired.

  “First, it would be great if we could drop the act,” I replied with a shake of my head. “You know I find the whole thing too confusing.”

  The cat lifted its head and fixed its intense yellow eyes on me before giving its tail a quick flick. The old woman’s eyes drooped and finally closed before soft snoring slipped from her. The cat sat on its back paws, facing me.

  “Most people prefer the pretense. They feel it is easier to talk to an old woman,” the cat said.

  “Yes, but I find it uncomfortable since I know the truth.”

  The cat swished its tail back and forth in a lazy motion. “To each his own. You’ve always been an odd one, Gage Powell.”

  “Thanks, Sofie,” I said and smiled at her. Some things didn’t change despite the passage of time or even the unfortunate morphing of a body. Sofie still had an incredibly thick Russian accent that made her somewhat difficult to understand at first. It also didn’t help that she was trying to talk around a mouthful of sharp fangs.

  I had seen Sofie only a couple times in human form, and then she had been a relatively sweet old witch with a plump body and curly gray hair. Unfortunately, she had run afoul of someone stronger and found herself cursed to live the rest of her days in the form of a cat. What little I could get out of Sofie about her situation revealed that she couldn’t change back into human form until the person who had worked the curse died. I didn’t know who had cursed her and I wasn’t brave enough to bring up the topic. Despite being a cat, Sofie was still a formidable witch in her own right.

  As I understood it, after being transformed into a cat, she quickly realized that in order to maintain a comfortable lifestyle she needed to acquire an owner. The old woman was allowed to live her normal life under most circumstances, but Sofie put her under tight mind control when someone from her past, such as myself, appeared. Sadly, I didn’t even know the old woman’s real name. I just called her Sofie for the sake of simplicity. It didn’t matter since she wouldn’t remember my visit once I left.