InkintheBlood

by Chandra Ryan

  “Maybe he had a lighter palmed.” It was weak but it was the only thing she could come up with.

  “He didn’t have a lighter palmed and she didn’t get loose and slip into the crowd. And you know what? Someone really did bump me when I spilled your drink. But when I turned around, there was no one there.”

  Crap. That confirmed it. The girl must have been a fader. Whiny bitch! Izzy should’ve had Mitchell kick her out of the club when she’d had the chance. How the hell was she going to explain to Jacob that some people could just disappear and reappear at will? Izzy stared out the window as he fell silent. Putting her forehead on the cool glass, she wished the conversation were already over.

  “How’d they do it?”

  She tried to think of another lie, one that was plausible, but only the truth was left. “Maybe it was magic.” She expected the words to be painful somehow, but instead they left her oddly numb.

  “Very funny.”

  “Why would it be funny?”

  “Are you serious?”

  She shrugged in answer.

  “Because magic isn’t real.” His tone was sharp with disdain.

  “And no one can just vanish or light a cigarette with a snap of his fingers.” She echoed his condescension in her reply.

  “I know what I saw.”

  She took a settling breath before continuing. “And I believe you.”

  He didn’t speak for a moment, but his silence didn’t last nearly long enough for her comfort. “So you genuinely expect me to believe they used some sort of magic?”

  “I don’t expect you to believe anything. You saw something and asked for an explanation. I gave you one.”

  “But magic is the explanation you’re going with?”

  “What else is there, Jacob?”

  “I don’t know, but there has to be something.” His voice was becoming irritated as he spoke. “Maybe they put something in my drink. I could’ve been drugged.”

  “Would you really have gotten behind the wheel of a car if that were even a remote possibility?” she asked dryly.

  He cursed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Of course not. But then what? If I wasn’t drugged, what the hell happened in there?”

  She wished she had another explanation for him. That there were some sleight of hand or trick of light that would make everything believable. But, since she didn’t, she had to concentrate on getting him to accept the truth. And preferably before they got to Toxic. If he went up against Alex already jittery, Alex would win.

  She waited until he stopped at the next red light and then cupped his chin gently, forcing him to look into her eyes. As she stared at him, she imagined her hair changing from black to white and then back to black again.

  “Jesus!” His eyes widened with shock as he stared at her. “What the hell’s going on?”

  Letting go of his chin, she pointed to the now-green light. “Drive.”

  He began driving again but he was visibly shaken by her display. “Seriously, Izzy, what was that? How—”

  “Magic.”

  “How? How can you—”

  “It’s what we do. It’s what we are.” She could hear the detachment in her voice as it continued wrapping its numbness around her like a blanket.

  “It’s what you are?” His voice was tight with control. “I don’t understand. What are you?”

  “We’ve been called Asura, magicians, witches and sorcerers.” She paused suddenly, letting the oldest names die on her tongue. He’d had such a hard time accepting everything else, she feared the names angel and demon would push him too far if said. “You can pick whichever you like. They’re all as right as they are wrong. We tend to use Community though. It’s benign and can be overheard by humans without causing problems.”

  He didn’t reply right away. Instead he continued driving in silence. At least she didn’t have to worry about breaking things off with him anymore. Men never looked at her the same after they found out what she was.

  “Wait. What do you mean by, ‘can be overheard by humans’? Are you trying to tell me you’re not a human? And does that mean you can light cigarettes with your fingertips?”

  She chose to ignore the first question. They didn’t have the time to go into the logistics of what she was or wasn’t right now. “No, I can’t manipulate fire. And I can’t disappear at will. There are several ways the magic can manifest. My abilities are limited to my appearance.”

  “Huh?”

  “I can change the way I look.”

  “Anything about yourself?”

  “Anything and everything, except the tattoo, that’s permanent.”

  “Okay.” His voice was stiff.

  Turning to face him, she forced herself to meet his gaze. She didn’t find the disgust or horror she’d expected, but there wasn’t acceptance either. She took a deep breath as she reminded herself that tonight was about ending things. It wasn’t about acceptance and most certainly not about love.

  Love? The word stopped her in her tracks. Yes, she was attracted to him and she liked him. She even respected him. But did she actually love him? Her head spun at the sudden shift in thoughts.

  “I know this is a lot to take in.” She wasn’t entirely sure if she said the words for him or if they were directed toward herself.

  “Don’t start with the pacifying tone, Izzy. I’m not five. I just need to think. I need time.”

  It was exactly what she needed as well. But as they turned down another road she could see the neon lights spelling out Toxic in front of them. “We don’t have time, Jacob. Either we do this or we turn around now.”

  He grimaced as he stopped the car in front of the club. “Let’s say I believe you. That there are some people who can use magic. Does Alexander, I mean, can he…”

  “Use magic? Yes. He’s a shifter too but he’s not as strong as I am.”

  “I guess that’s better than the fire or the disappearing one. Still, it might be hard to arrest someone who can change the way he looks.”

  “He doesn’t usually shift. He isn’t strong enough to hold it.”

  “Hold it?”

  “Shifting takes a lot of mental discipline. Alex fatigues easily, especially when he’s been partying. And he’s always partying.”

  “Okay.” He shook his head suddenly. “Jesus! What am I saying? There’s nothing okay about this.”

  It was barely loud enough for her to hear, but she knew what it meant. He was starting to lose it. “Let’s just get through this. Tomorrow you can convince yourself it was all a trick of some sort and go on with your life.”

  He sighed heavily before looking at her again. “Do you have a plan?”

  “Not really. I thought that was your department.”

  “It is and I had a plan. But that was when everything made sense.”

  “Well, if it helps, I think I can get him alone. That way even if he does shift, he’ll be back to himself by the time everyone else sees him.”

  “How would you get him alone?”

  “When we used to do business, the deals were always made in private. So if I told him I was there to buy…”

  “He might be willing to go back to that arrangement. That would help. But what about when he sobers up?”

  “By then your captain will have handed him over to someone able to deal with a little shifting.”

  “He knows?”

  “He busted me, didn’t he?” Not wanting to think back to those days or to those nightmares, she turned away from him to open the door. But he stopped her before she could leave the conversation behind.

  “It was rough, wasn’t it?”

  If she didn’t know better, she would have sworn his voice sounded almost compassionate. “It wasn’t a vacation.” A shudder passed through her and her tongue sought out her teeth of its own accord. “But it’s in the past now.”

  Before he could press any harder, she stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance of the club. Thankfully Jacob joined
her before she reached it. As they walked up to the bouncer, Jacob wrapped his arm around her waist. She suspected it was either out of habit or for the bust, but she didn’t care. She still leaned into him. She was determined to allow herself the comfort of his nearness for as long as possible.

  The line was longer at Toxic but that didn’t matter. Nor was she concerned about the unfamiliar bouncer. She had an appointment with Alex and that got her to the front of the line. “I’m here to see Alex. He’s expecting me.”

  He studied her carefully and then looked down at the clipboard in his massive hands. “Name?”

  “Isabella Rathe.”

  He looked up at her with a startled expression. “Ms. Rathe, I’m so sorry to have detained you.” He moved out of her way so suddenly he nearly ran into a group of young sorority types waiting in line. “Your brother’s in the VIP lounge.”

  “Half brother,” she corrected under her breath.

  The club was loud and hazy as she walked through the door. Dancers were pressed into every available space and were moving in time to the rich bass that blasted from well-hidden speakers. Even with a quick glance, it was obvious her father’s club drew a different clientele than her uncle’s.

  Beck’s had been tailored to wealthy, beautiful people who were looking for an escape from routines. Toxic, however, had been designed for the young. The music was as fresh as the bodies dancing to it. Barmaids had been replaced by gorgeous men and women who walked around with glowing test tubes on their trays. Dressed in leather and lace, they helped the clientele forget about their mundane lives for the night. The employees were there to make the customers believe they were important, exciting people. And they had all the newest paraphernalia to help in that endeavor.

  Making her way to the roped-off stairs, she whispered to a guard and then started up the winding staircase with Jacob trailing behind her. He wouldn’t be searched since she’d vouched for him, but her stomach still cramped with nervous energy.

  They’d just cleared the last step when she spotted Alex’s table. Never one to turn his back to a crowd, he was aptly sitting in a heavily shadowed corner. He had two armed bodyguards posted next to him. And, of course, lanky females surrounded him. Their slight frames swayed to the remnants of music that wafted up the stairs.

  “There she is. My big sister!” Alex’s black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, revealing beautiful blue eyes that were framed with long, black lashes. With her new hair color and her natural eye color, they even managed to look like brother and sister.

  She’d expected to be afraid of him, just as she had been in the past. But their years apart and her recovery had changed her. Now, looking into his eyes, she found only pity for him. He wasn’t a monster. He was an empty shell—a wasted soul.

  “I see you brought a toy with you.” He wobbled slightly as he stood. “You certainly do have a love of their kind, don’t you?” He walked over to Jacob, his eyes sweeping over him appraisingly. “I, personally, don’t see it.”

  “Of course not,” she said dryly as she grabbed Jacob’s hand. She meant it as a show of solidarity, but she found comfort in his touch as well.

  “No offense, I’ve just found they’re no fun.”

  Having seen his definition of fun, she wasn’t offended. “No offense taken.”

  She was about to suggest finding a private table when a very familiar face stepped out of the shadowed corner and walked over to Alex. It was the fader she’d had evicted from the barstool at Beck’s. The one who’d disappeared in front of Jacob. Izzy watched as the girl whispered something to Alex, but try as she might, she couldn’t make out the woman’s words.

  “Maggie says she bumped into you at Beck’s.”

  Jacob’s grasp on her hand tightened just a little, but Izzy wasn’t concerned—yet.

  “She kindly gave me her seat.” Izzy smiled coldly at the woman standing next to Alex. “Thank you. Though I didn’t appreciate the vodka shower quite as much.”

  Maggie’s smile held a calculated twist that Izzy didn’t care for but she was too busy focusing on Alex to give it much thought. He’d already taken a couple of steps toward her. He was close enough now that she could smell the alcohol and stale smoke on his breath. “She says she overheard something about ink.”

  Izzy tried to pull her arm back, but it was too late. One hand wrapped around her wrist as the other pushed the capped sleeve up to her shoulder to reveal the red-and-gold sunset.

  “Is this real?” He ran his thumb over the ink as if expecting it to smear.

  “You sound surprised. You’ve always known who my family is.”

  “I thought I was your family. That our father was your family.”

  Even though she’d planned to keep the tattoo hidden, the anger in his eyes made her almost happy it’d been discovered. Her uncle had been right. She had gotten it for them to see. So they’d know she was no longer a puppet on their drug-laden strings. “No, you and Dad were unfortunate life lessons I had to learn.” She’d blown her cover a little early but it was worth it to see Alex’s handsome face contort into one of rage and betrayal.

  “Bitch!” The back of his hand connected with her cheek and the contact sent a sharp pain radiating through her head. “After all Dad and I did for you.”

  Jacob tensed behind her but he didn’t move. He still seemed willing to let her take the lead in this and let it play out. He probably wouldn’t have, had he known what she was planning to do next though. Letting go of Jacob’s hand, she looked Alex in the eye. She refused to back down to him. “You’re right. I never did thank you properly.”

  Before he could move, she reared back and slammed the heel of her hand into the tip of his nose while pushing up and forward at the same time. The impact didn’t kill him, but the pain and the wave of bright-red blood that rushed down his face did stun him for a moment.

  “God damn it!” Jacob cried from behind her. “Now! Now! Now!”

  But there wasn’t enough time to wait for the backup. Seeing the guards reach for their guns, Izzy turned so her body was shielding Jacob’s. Then, forcing her mind to focus, she concentrated on protecting him and nothing else.

  The familiar pain from her dreams enveloped her, leaving her gasping for breath. But this wasn’t a dream. Memories flooded her as she clung to Jacob. They were memories of her body twisting as she lay on her rehab cot. Her soul would scream with each new form she took.

  Demons and angels danced in her mind, filling in the gaps she wished had been left blank. But they also gave her the answer she’d been searching for. With a soft whoosh of air, the pain stopped. Feathers brushed across her cheeks as she wrapped the large wings around Jacob to shield and protect him.

  She heard the hollow ring of gunfire and felt the piercing pain of bullets as she and Jacob fell to the ground together. But it all seemed wrong somehow. Even Jacob gently pushing her off him seemed to happen in slow motion.

  Lying on her back, she shifted from angel back to human as she watched the battle play out around her. Alex’s groupies scattered for safety when Jacob began to return fire. The guards weren’t so lucky. Jacob hit one and then turned toward the other. His shots were quick and well aimed.

  The only remaining threat was Alex. Looking around, Izzy found him taking cover under a table. He was crouched low to the floor and the Glock in his hands was aimed at Jacob. Pushing through the blinding pain, she crawled to her handbag and grabbed her 9mm. The cool metal of the gun was reassuring in her hands as she quickly aimed and fired. She watched Alex’s head rock back sharply then, unable to ignore the pain any longer, she slipped into a numb blackness.

  Chapter Seven

  Sunlight woke Izzy. At first she didn’t remember what’d happened, but the sharp pains in her shoulder, chest and side quickly reminded her. Visions of Toxic, Jacob and Alex flashed through her mind and brought with them a feeling of hollow victory.

  Blinking rapidly against the light, she opened her eyes cautiously. As the room
came into focus, she instantly knew where she was. She’d been at Angels of Mercy too often not to recognize the décor.

  “It’s nice to see you waking, child.” Bastion’s warm voice was exactly the one she’d expected to hear.

  Staring up into his gentle green eyes, she smiled. “How did I get here?”

  He gestured to a corner of the room where Jacob slept in a very uncomfortable-looking chair. “He brought you. Four days ago.”

  “He did?”

  “You’re lucky he thought of us. Your injuries were extensive.”

  “What about Alex?”

  Bastion smiled bitterly at the name. “Your aim was good. Nothing could bring him back.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief at the news. Still, she felt somehow empty. “Thank you, Bastion.”

  “You’ve destroyed a monster, yet you look sad.”

  “For seven years I’ve wanted to get even with him. It’s all I thought about…”

  “Ah, I see. It’s not everything you thought it would be?”

  “He wasn’t a monster. He was a sad, pathetic soul.”

  “That doesn’t make his death worth mourning.”

  “No, I’m not mourning him.” She didn’t know why his death left her feeling so numb, but it did. “I just thought I would feel…”

  “Happy, fulfilled, free?”

  “All of the above.”

  “Oh Izzy. Your soul is good. It could never feed off a death. Even if it was justified.” He smiled as he pulled the gown back over her exposed tattoo. “But if it makes you feel any better, I’m proud of you. And your mother would have been proud too. She was such a strong fighter. You’re a lot like her.”

  Seeing the pain in his eyes made her heart ache. “I was so mad at her for so long. I didn’t understand why she had to do it. I didn’t know why she’d tried to go after my father. By the time I realized she was doing it to protect her daughters, it was too late. Now all I can do is miss her.” Her gaze fell to her uncle’s shoulder reflexively as she searched out the sunset ink hidden under the heavy robes. “She sacrificed everything for Nikki and me.”

  He saw the movement of her eyes and smiled sadly. “She made her share of mistakes, but she had a good soul. She was a good mother to you and your sister.”