The Cardinal Gate

by Amy Cissell

  We pitched a couple tents and went for a hike. The entire place was so amazing and it oozed power.

  “I could live here,” I said as we got back to our campsite to start dinner.

  “Until you ran out of water,” Isaac said.

  “Or it started snowing,” Finn added.

  “Or you had a coffee emergency.”

  I flipped them off and turned to drink in the landscape.

  The next day, we headed back to our home base campground, taking highways instead of the interstate, and pulling over at every scenic overlook and historic marker. By the time we got back to the KOA, we were about done with the car.

  After dinner, I passed out beers and Finn built a fire. I sat, leaning against Isaac, and drinking my beer. As I drained the last drop, I had an epiphany. I sat up.

  “What?” Finn asked, coming to attention. I felt Isaac straighten up and tense. I could tell he was ready to shift and do a perimeter sweep.

  “It’s okay, I had an epiphany.”

  “Christ, Ellie,” Finn said. “You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

  “Was your epiphany that we all need another beer?” Isaac asked, holding out his empty hopefully.

  I stuck my tongue out at him and grabbed three more beers.

  “My epiphany, if you’re interested…” there was a murmured chorus of assent, “is that I’m happy. This…” I waved my arm, trying to encompass them, the campground, the whole experience, “makes me happy.

  “Even though I’m still a bit unclear as to what I’m doing and the eventual ramifications, I’m doing something worthwhile, something right. If the changes in my skill level after the first gate opened are any indication, the amount of magic that’s returned already was phenomenal. It seems so much more important than data entry.”

  I sat back down next to Isaac and leaned into him. “And you guys make me happy. I love this. Sitting here with my best friend and…” I paused, not sure where to go with that. “…Isaac. Drinking beer, watching the fire.”

  “Are you drunk?” Finn asked.

  “Nope. Happy. It’s not unheard of.”

  I could tell he was going to say something snarky, so I headed him off at the pass. “Don’t ruin this moment for me, Elf-boy.”

  “I’m glad you’re happy, Ellie and that you feel like you’ve found purpose”

  I smiled at him, and Isaac slipped an arm around my shoulder. I looked up at him and the intensity in his once-again yellow-streaked eyes frightened me. I froze, feeling a bit like a rabbit. He’d never made me feel like prey before. Maybe his plan to take off for the full moon was a good one.

  His free hand ran up my side, grazing my breast, and then landing on my face. He tilted my chin up a bit further, and then brushed my lips with his.

  “I am glad I could play a part in your happiness,” he growled. I was torn between fear, which I was desperately trying to tamp down, and arousal. His growly voice did it for me. He smiled, and his teeth were pointier and more fang-like than usual. I couldn’t stop the fresh wave of fear that washed over me. When he stiffened and moved away, I knew he’d smelled it.

  “Sorry,” I muttered.

  “No, I am,” he replied. He stood up and stretched. “I’m going for a run. I’ll be back in a bit.”

  He stripped off his clothes and tossed them into a pile on the tiny cabin porch. Clad in nothing but tight boxer briefs, he headed towards the edge of the campground and the tree line. Before he disappeared, there was a shimmer of light and I saw his cream-tipped tail vanish into the darkness.

  “What was that about?” Finn asked.

  “I’m not sure,” I replied. “He’s having more trouble controlling his wolf. He says it’s because he’s been away from his pack and the full moon is approaching. This pack can’t help because he’s dominant to their Alpha and because the Alpha is a douchecanoe. When he’s hungry, or angry, or horny, it’s harder for him to stay in his human skin. Maybe it takes too much energy to maintain? I’m not sure; he didn’t fully explain that part.”

  “When did he tell you this?”

  “After I stole his bacon yesterday morning. Apparently, food stealing isn’t a good idea when you’re around shifters with control issues.”

  “And I’m just hearing about this now?”

  “It was yesterday. I wasn’t sure if Isaac wanted to discuss it again, and I’ve not been alone with you since. It’s relevant, you deserve to know, and that’s why I’m telling you now. I could’ve equivocated and led you off in a different direction. I may not be able to lie, but I’m getting better at misdirection and half-truths.”

  I could see him gearing up for a verbal sparring match and had no interest in that. “For an elderly man, you sure do have a lot of insecurities.”

  “Elderly? Are you seriously calling me elderly?”

  I punched him lightly on the shoulder. “You know it, Oh Ancient One. You should probably be in a home playing bingo.”

  “I am youthful,” he protested.

  “Whatever you need to believe.”

  I woke to fresh, delicious-smelling coffee being waved under my noise. “Rise and shine, Ellie,” Finn said. “Time to get your tramp stamp!”

  I glared at him and reached for my coffee. He held it out of reach.

  “I went to Seattle for this,” Finn said. “So I’m going to need you to get up and get dressed so you can properly appreciate my sacrifice.”

  “Fine,” I grumbled. “Out.”

  “I could help.”

  “Out.” He left. I dressed, leaving off the bra I knew I’d have to remove for the inking anyway. I strapped on my arm sheaths, and after a bit of consideration, armed myself with steel and not silver today. Fully clad, I exited the tiny room and retrieved my coffee. I savored the aroma for a moment before my first sip. Why couldn’t all coffee be this wonderful?

  After breakfast, we headed into town. My stomach buzzed with nervous anticipation.

  “Ellie,” Finn said. “Don’t thank him.”

  “Why not?”

  “Thanking a Fae conveys a real and biding sense of obligation. You never know how they’ll take that. If the Fae is particularly polite and is dealing with a human who likely doesn’t know the rules, they might let it go. But if they’re not polite, or if they’re dealing with another Fae or supernatural creature, they can take that obligation and demand repayment. That might not be something you’d like.”

  “But I thank you all the time.” I told myself I wasn’t afraid at how he’d demand repayment for years of built-up obligation. “And I’m just hearing about this now?” It wasn’t polite to throw his words back at him, but I needed him to get it.

  “I’m not full-blooded,” he said. “Not all Fae powers work the same way for me.”

  “You didn’t say this was one that doesn’t,” Isaac noted. Finn fidgeted in his seat.

  “He isn’t the first Fae I’ve met. Information like this would’ve been useful weeks ago.”

  Finn waved away my complaints. “I would’ve stopped you if you’d attempted to thank anyone else. Some habits are so ingrained that it takes an actual reason to remember to mention them.”

  I noticed that he, once again, didn’t say that this was one of those things. He was being careful, and I wondered for the first time if he’d misled everyone about his ability to lie. I dropped it for now and resolved to be cautious about thanking him—or anyone—in the future.

  “If I don’t say ‘thank you,’ how do I show my appreciation?”

  Only the slight relaxation of his facial muscles showed that he’d been worried. “Say something like, ‘your work is beautiful and I am honored to serve as your canvas.’ I’m sure you can come up with something appropriate.”

  “Your assistance in this matter is appreciated, but does leave something to be desired,” I muttered.

  He laughed, and Isaac pulled into the parking lot in front of the tattoo parlor.

  “I’m nervous,” I confessed.

 
“Yeah, I would be, too,” Finn said. “You’re getting tattooed. That lasts forever, and for you, that’s a very long time.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him, took a deep breath, and walked into the tattoo parlor. The Fae artist was waiting for me. He bowed, and I remembered that I’d wanted to figure out how to respond to that.

  “Your Highness,” he said. “Everything is prepared. Do you need anything before we get started?”

  I shook my head. “Only your name. We did not introduce ourselves the other day.”

  He straightened and looked a lot less subservient. “My name, Highness?”

  I held out my hand. “I’m Eleanor Morgan.”

  He looked at my hand as if he’d never shaken one before, which I knew couldn’t be true if he was posing as a regular member of society. Finally, he took it and said slowly, “I am Haerviu Ó Duineachdha, but please call me Harvey Dennehy, as it’s easier for the modern tongues to trip through.”

  I heard a muffled noise, and when I glanced back, Finn looked torn between amusement and outrage. I must have done something wrong, but if he wouldn’t tell me the rules, how would I know?

  It hit me. Names are power and by demanding his name instead of asking what he wanted me to call him, I’d forced him to tell me the truth. Dammit! This was hard. I opened my mouth to apologize, and Finn stepped forward to elbow me roughly in the ribs. Okay. No apologies, either, apparently. I thought fast.

  “You honor me with your name, Harvey Dennehy. I have no intention of using that gift for any action that would bring lasting harm to you or yours.” I hoped that was ambiguous enough. It was certainly true, but I couldn’t promise to never use it, since I knew I would if I had to.

  Harvey relaxed. “Your Highness, if you would follow me back, we can get started.” There was a massage-like table draped in a sheet. “Please remove your shirt and lay face down on the table. If necessary, we can switch to a chair later.”

  I stripped off my shirts, left the knives on, and positioned myself on the table.

  “I’m going to start,” Harvey said. “This is a little different than a typical tattoo process. I use special ink with magical properties and follow the power to create the image. This will hurt, both in the usual way and because power will be rising to the surface of your skin to bond with the ink but will not completely manifest until the tattoo is completely finished. That means this evening you will be uncomfortable.

  “For a piece this big on a human, I’d take weeks between sessions for healing and recovery, but you will be healed and ready to continue by tomorrow morning. If you need a break, let me know. I have water, fruit, and cheese available, and the bathroom is through that door.

  “Are you ready?”

  I nodded and we got started.

  I practiced my deep breathing when the needles first touched my skin, but the pain of the tattoo was negligible. It wasn’t something I’d sign up to do for hours every day, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.

  I switched positions after lunch. The afternoon progressed in the same manner. The whir of the tattoo gun lulled me into a semi-sleepy state. A couple of hours into the afternoon session, I started to feel uncomfortable.

  “Can we take a break?” I asked.

  “I’d like to finish this section first,” Harvey said. “It will only take a few more minutes.”

  “Sure.”

  Harvey finished what he was working on, and I sat up and gulped water. I was getting overheated and was wishing I’d worn shorts. Hell, I’d feel better doing this in my underwear, even if no one else would be comfortable.

  “What’s wrong, Ellie?” Finn asked.

  “I’m starting to feel a bit of the discomfort Harvey warned me about.”

  “We are nearly done for today,” Harvey said. “Once I stop, it should settle down overnight as it realizes nothing more is being done. Tomorrow might be more uncomfortable the closer we get to finishing.”

  I swallowed another cup of water. “Let’s finish.”

  I lay back down, and Harvey got to work. An hour later, he did his last swipe across my back and covered the ink with a large piece of cloth. “You only need to leave this on until you get home tonight. You should be healed enough by then to take it off. Stay off your back as much as possible tonight.” I sensed Isaac smirking behind me and shot him the bird behind my back as I pulled on my light t-shirt.

  Finn walked over to the table and held out his hands. Harvey looked at him, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes. He gathered up the sheet I’d been lying on and the cloths he’d used to wipe the blood from my skin and handed them to Finn.

  “Your cooperation does you credit,” Finn said.

  Harvey bowed stiffly. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the same time.”

  We climbed into the Jeep. “How was it, Princess?” Isaac asked.

  “Great. Most fun you can have partially clothed.”

  He laughed. “Are you sore?”

  “Not really. I feel hot. Really hot. I’m trying to tamp it down but would rather not spend too much time in the car.”

  “When can we see it?” Finn asked.

  “When it’s done. It’s a surprise. Plus, I haven’t seen it yet so you certainly can’t.”

  “Do you know what it is?”

  “Yes, but it’s my skin and my power. I’m pretty self-aware like that.”

  “One word, Ellie,” Finn said. “Hedge.”

  “Whatever, Finn. Anyone who’d been kept ignorant and deliberately misled as to their origin and the supernatural elements of this world would’ve reacted the same. That’s not a path you want to go down.”

  Finn smiled. “Point to you.”

  “Speaking of paths we don’t want to go down, are there any other rule I should know about communicating with Fae? The ‘don’t thank them’ was useful, but adding ‘don’t apologize’ and ‘don’t ask for their names’ would’ve saved me a truckload of gaffes and my ribs a Finn-shaped bruise.”

  “Like I said this morning, sometimes it takes a catalyst to remind me of the rules that are so deeply ingrained that they are no longer conscious and that have been seldom relevant in this era of so few Fae.”

  “Once again, you’re equivocating. The fact that you’re being so careful about this leads me to believe a couple of things. One—you actually can’t lie, but Arduinna believes you can; and two—you’re piece-mealing the rules out to me when you feel like it.”

  Finn didn’t answer, and since I hadn’t actually asked him a question, I guess I couldn’t complain. I opened my mouth to demand answers, but Isaac forestalled me.

  “We’re back.”

  The next day was almost identical, except Finn didn’t fetch me special coffee, and we had to make do with the French Press.

  By the end of the day, I was sweating profusely and could barely hold still.

  “Almost done, Your Highness,” Harvey said. “You’ll know when I finish. There will be a snapping feeling, like a dislocated joint popping back into place, and you’ll feel immediate relief.”

  About a half hour later, it happened. An audible pop made my ears ring, a wave of heat traveled through my body, and the relief was instantaneous.

  The whir of the tattoo machine switched off. Harvey wiped off my back and then helped me up. He directed me to the full-length mirror and gave me a hand mirror. I looked at the mirror to get the reflection of my back while Harvey cleaned up. He again handed everything to Finn, and I kicked myself for not remembering to ask about it earlier.

  It was gorgeous. A dragon in flight was resplendent across my back. Shimmering greens, purples, and reds made up the dragon’s body, and the plumes of flame and billows of smoke coming from her mouth and nose were so realistic, they almost gave off their own heat. One wing dipped down towards my right hip and the other curled around my left shoulder and neck. The tail curled above my left hip and the mouth was near my right shoulder. She was so beautiful.

  “Wow, Harvey! This is magnificent. You have hono
red me greatly and your service and talent won’t soon be forgotten.”

  “Can I see?” Finn asked.

  “Of course.” I turned around.

  “That is wonderful. I can feel its power from here.”

  “Her power,” Isaac said. “She’s beautiful. Truly, Mr. Dennehy, you are an artist worth singing about.”

  Harvey was blushing from all the compliments. “It was easy with such a wonderful subject. I haven’t done a transformation tattoo in so long. They almost ink themselves.”

  After admiring my dragon for a bit more, I put on my shirt and followed Isaac outside.

  As we ate dinner that night, I couldn’t sit still. I could feel the dragon moving, trying to get settled.

  “What’s wrong, Eleanor?” Isaac asked. “Does the tattoo hurt?”

  “It doesn’t hurt; she’s trying to get comfortable.” The tattoo shifted, and the dragon scales slid across my skin and up and over my right shoulder. I took off my long-sleeved shirt and removed my arm sheaths.

  Isaac and Finn were staring. “Eleanor, your tattoo moved,” Isaac said.

  I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, with everything’s that happened in the last month, a moving tattoo, done by a Fae with magical ink is what weirds you out?”

  He paused to consider that. “Fair point. Can she hear us?”

  “She’s a tattoo. Part of me. Not a separate entity.”

  “So, she won’t manifest on her own?” Finn asked.

  They still weren’t getting it, but to be fair, I wasn’t sure I was either, and I had the benefit of being the tattooed one. “She’ll manifest in the same way Isaac’s wolf manifests.”

  Finn stared at me.

  “I’m going to turn into a dragon, Finn.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. I don’t know how yet, but I do know that this tattoo will make my transformation easier.”

  “Okay then.”

  They might be freaked out, but they were adjusting pretty well. “Can we have a fire?”

  Unfazed by my non-sequitur, Isaac built a fire for me. Power surged forward. The tattoo had helped me level up my magic skills. I reached forward and put my hand in the flames. It was warm, but pleasant. A piece of the fire jumped into my hand and danced there. I watched, fascinated. I could see the fire for what it was—thousands of individual pieces, come together to dance in celebration of light and heat. The flame in my hand preened under my attention and tried to dance faster. As it danced, it grew, flickering more furiously. There was no consciousness, no desire except to dance and spread light and heat. I carefully placed my flame back into the fire and knew then that I could take these flames and create a maelstrom of fire if needed, but that I couldn’t control what I’d unleash. I could burn the world.