by Lisa Edmonds
“I am intrigued. We must table this discussion until tonight, as I will be asleep for the day momentarily, but please spare me from spending my last moments of wakefulness in suspense. What is it you wish to sell, and to whom?”
I took a deep breath and took the biggest gamble I’d made in recent memory. “I wish to sell the services of Storm Girl to Darius Bell in exchange for him releasing all of the nulls he’s holding prisoner.”
A long silence.
“Please come to my home tonight at ten o’clock,” he said finally. “We will discuss the matter in person then. Do nothing further until we meet.”
I exhaled. “Agreed. Pleasant dreams, Charles.”
“Good night, Alice.” The call ended.
I sagged as the enormity of what I’d put in motion settled on my shoulders. Sean kissed my temple and put my phone on the nightstand.
“Am I insane to do this?” I asked him as he wrapped his arms around me and we lay back against the pillows.
“Possibly,” he admitted. “But if Vaughan can broker your deal with Bell with the Court’s backing, we might just pull off the impossible by saving the nulls and getting rid of Moses Murphy.”
I had nothing to say to that. If my gamble paid off, I could finally be free of Moses forever. If it failed, today might be my last day of freedom.
I wanted to tell Sean the truth. I needed to tell him. But damn it, and damn me, I just couldn’t say the words.
I pulled his arms tighter around me. We stayed like that until long after the sun rose.
18
The bell over the door jingled as I entered Jane Silvey’s tattoo shop.
“Alice, darlin’, come on in,” Jane called from the back room. She emerged, drying her hands on a paper towel. “Hello, gorgeous.”
I smiled. “Hi, beautiful.” It was our traditional greeting.
Jane was a mage tattoo artist, a burlesque dancer, a pinup model, and my favorite ex-girlfriend—the one I still fantasized about from time to time, though our relationship had ended amicably years ago.
Today she wore a fifties-style red and black polka-dot dress with matching red pumps and lipstick and her black hair was a halo of curls. If I dressed like that I’d look like a clown, but she was drop-dead gorgeous. Her tattoos covered her arms, most of her chest and back, and legs.
She tossed the paper towel into a trash can and studied me with narrowed eyes. “You look like you’ve had a rough couple of days.”
I wasn’t sure if she was reading that in my posture, my expression, or my aura, or some combination of the three. “It’s been a rough week, to tell you the truth.”
“It must have been if you had to use the dragon.” She inspected my upper right arm. I’d worn a tank top so she’d have easy access to work on re-spelling the tattoo. When she touched my arm, her air magic danced on my skin. I shivered.
“Let’s get this beauty redone first and then we’ll do the other tattoo in the back room so we have privacy.” She patted the chair. “Other than this week, how have you been?”
“Pretty great, actually.” I put my bag on the hook on the wall and settled into the chair, tucking my phone into my pocket.
She smiled and put my arm on the plastic-wrapped armrest, adjusting it so it was under my armpit and at the best height and angle for her to work. “I am so happy to hear that,” she said as she double-checked to make sure she had all of the ink and equipment she needed on her little cart. “The last time you were in here, getting the Bastet tattoo, you were a mess and your blood smelled like it was about one hundred proof. You and the werewolf back together?”
“Yep. As a matter of fact, we got back together not long after you did the Bastet tattoo. A couple of weeks ago, we vacationed in the Bahamas.”
“I thought you looked like you had a bit of a tan. That sounds like a wonderful trip.” She sat on a rolling padded stool and pulled over the little cart. “You got a picture of him?”
I dutifully took out my phone and found a picture I’d taken on the little porch of our cabana in the Bahamas.
Jane studied it as she put on black latex gloves. She grinned. “Damn, girl, you could wash your laundry on those abs. If he were mine, I’d forbid him to ever wear a shirt just because he’s so pretty, and I don’t even like boys.” She winked. “Maybe I need to explore my wild side a bit more. You know any werewolf gals who like gals?”
“Not off the top of my head,” I said regretfully. “I’ll try to set you up if I meet one who’s available.” I paused, then added, “Sean and I are buying a house.” It still felt really weird to say it out loud.
She got up to give me a hug and a kiss on my cheek. “That is fantastic. Congratulations! You’ve come a long, long way since I first met you and you were all sharp edges and sarcasm. Credit to your hunky wolf for some of it, maybe, but I just think you’re amazing. Now you really are the phoenix.” She checked the tattoo on my upper back. “This one still looks great, by the way. I sure as hell hope you never have to use that one.”
“Me neither,” I agreed fervently.
She settled back onto her stool and smoothed her dress across her knees. “I might have guessed you were back with Sean after you sent me the idea for the new tattoo you want.”
I hesitated. “It doesn’t actually represent Sean.”
She arched an elegantly shaped eyebrow. “Well, well. Your inner wolf, then.” At my expression, she laughed. “You’ve been fierce since the moment I met you, Alice. I wouldn’t have been surprised to find out you were a shifter, but you’re just one of those wild women whose strength seems limitless. No human man or woman would probably have been able to keep up with you, not long term. We had good times, though.” She winked. “You ready? Once we start, we can’t stop until the spellwork is complete. You need to pee first?”
I shook my head. “I already went.”
“Great. Deep breaths, then.”
Together, we inhaled and exhaled a half-dozen times. Magic rose.
Jane turned the tattoo gun on and began re-inking the spellwork hidden in the dragon. The pain was familiar and intense. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing.
Jane’s magic was in the ink already, but she pushed more in as she worked. The sensation of a spell forming in my flesh, made of Jane’s magic instead of my own, was equal parts disconcerting and beautiful.
The process took about an hour. Since the spellwork required all of Jane’s concentration, we couldn’t chat, so I distracted myself thinking about tonight’s meeting with Charles and the offer I was making. It was a dangerous proposition in many ways, but if anyone could negotiate an iron-clad agreement between me, Bell, and the Court, I believed Charles could.
Always distrustful of Charles and his motives, Sean had suggested I ask Ezekiel Monroe to broker the deal and write the agreement, since he was an attorney. When I asked Sean who he thought was more likely to protect my interests, however—Charles or Monroe—he had to admit Monroe’s priority would be representing the Court, cautiously backing Bell, defeating Moses, and protecting me, in that order, and neither of us felt anything close to certain that he’d protect me if push came to shove.
Charles had been a broker for nearly two hundred years and had vastly more experience crafting agreements between scheming and devious parties. I believed he would close all the loopholes, anticipate all the schemes, and thwart Bell’s inevitable attempts to either use the agreement against me in a way I hadn’t anticipated or find an oversight he could exploit. Even Sean couldn’t argue there was a better agent for the deal than Charles—a fact that irritated him to no end.
Despite my confidence in Charles, I did fear the consequences of revealing I was Storm Girl. I might have reconsidered the decision if it hadn’t been for Sean’s confidence. He was concerned, naturally, but not afraid. His support had made the difference and given me the courage to make that call to Charles to set the wheels in motion.
I remembered the night I’d summoned a powerful thunderstorm to
help put out the fires caused by my aunt Catherine. Sean had stood behind me, bracing me against the wind and rain. His strength combined with my power and we’d saved hundreds of lives, including Darius Bell’s. He was bracing me again, this time against Bell and Moses. The old Alice would never have allowed him to do so because she thought needing help made her weak. The old Alice would have been so totally wrong.
“There’s nothing wrong with needing help,” I said out loud as Jane finished the spellwork on the dragon.
She tilted her head. “That’s true. You want that inked under the dragon?”
I smiled. “No, thanks.” I turned my arm and craned my neck so I could look at the tattoo. The colors were vibrant again and the ink shimmered with magic. “It’s beautiful, Jane. Thank you.”
She wet a napkin with cold water and very carefully wiped the tattoo to remove the blood and extra ink. The cold water felt fantastic, but despite how gently she cleaned me, the sizzle of pain made me set my jaw.
“The longer you wait before you use it, the stronger it will be as your energy charges it,” she reminded me as she patted the tattoo dry and wrapped my upper arm with plastic wrap. “It’s at about half of maximum strength now. Full power in maybe a month unless you’ve got a way of speeding that up. I’m concerned there might be some cell damage from this use.”
“We thought there might be. It’s common in spelled tattoos.” I studied the dragon. “So if I use it again, it might be for the last time?”
“It might, and it’s likely to leave a mighty big scar too, one that even healing spells would have a difficult time repairing.”
“Scars caused by magic are the most difficult to heal.” I made a face and rubbed my stomach.
“Nauseous?” Jane asked sympathetically. “You can take the pain like a champ, but your tummy has never liked it. Don’t worry—I’ve got what you need.” She filled a small paper cup with water from the cooler and tore open a packet of medicine. “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz. Here you go. Drink up.”
I knocked it back and grimaced. “Yuck.”
She helped me stand up. “Let’s go in the back and talk about your new tattoo. We’ll take a break before we start that one.”
I grabbed my bag and we went into the private room, where I took off my tank top and bra.
Jane studied my torso critically. “You want it here?” she asked, indicating the area below my left breast.
“Unless that’s too close to the stars.” I had a wavy line of stars that ran from my upper left thigh to my ribs. “Do you think the spells would interfere with each other?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Do you have a copy of the spellwork we’re doing?”
I got the paper from my bag where I’d drawn the spellwork Malcolm had come up with that would allow me to summon him without needing my bracelet or risking leaving me lightheaded or unconscious.
“Interesting,” she said thoughtfully. “A summoning spell for a ghost, of all things. I didn’t know you had a ghost. Is that a recent acquisition?”
“Fairly recent.”
“I’m kind of surprised you’re letting him stick around.” She took out a pen and started sketching. “Not so long ago you didn’t want a lot of company, but now you’ve got a ghost sidekick and a werewolf pack. Happiness looks good on you.” She tapped the pen against her red lips. “The runes will flow beautifully, I think, and they’ll blend nicely with the rest of the design. Give me a few minutes to work it out.”
While she drew, I put my tank top back on, used the bathroom, and texted Sean. Dragon is good to go. Starting the new tattoo soon.
A few seconds later, my phone beeped. Wolf: In my fourth meeting of the day so far and missing you. I look forward to seeing your new ink. Should be home by five.
I hadn’t told Sean what new tattoo I was getting, only what the spellwork it contained would do. He was relieved to know I would have a better way of summoning Malcolm. I wondered what he would think of the new tattoo.
“This one’s going to hurt a lot more than the dragon because of where it’s going.” Jane looked up from her sketch. “And we’re going to be at it for a while since it’s all brand new work.”
“I have nothing else scheduled until this evening, so we have plenty of time. And hell, if I can survive getting the phoenix tattoo, I can survive anything.”
She laughed. “That is a true story. The phoenix was one of the biggest and most detailed projects I’ve ever done. You threw up at one point, as I recall.”
I made a face. “I barfed twice.”
“It was a lot of pain and a lot of magic. I wasn’t surprised.” She held up the paper. “What do you think?”
I smiled. “I love it. I think I’m ready to get started whenever you are.”
Sean and I arrived at Charles’s house just before ten o’clock. Bryan met us at the door and ushered us to the office to await the vampire’s arrival.
Charles’s office was two stories tall and divided into three areas: a sitting area with couches and chairs grouped in front of the magnificent fireplace, a well-stocked bar with six tall chairs and a black granite counter, and the office, with its large desk and leather chairs. Bookcases lined two walls and a dozen pieces of framed art took up the third wall. Spiral staircases led up to a second-level walkway. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the estate’s sweeping backyard. At the moment, the massive curtains were closed.
“Please have a seat.” Bryan indicated the chairs in front of Charles’s desk. “What can I offer you to drink?”
“Water, please,” I said as we sat.
“Same,” Sean added. He scooted his chair just a little closer to mine, positioning us side-by-side to face the desk. I smiled at him. We were a united front.
Bryan brought us bottles of water from the small refrigerator in the bar area and took his customary spot beside Charles’s chair.
Charles entered. He was still thin and pale, though I was sure he’d fed when he woke, and he seemed to walk slower than I was used to seeing. I remembered Bryan’s comment about Charles’s change in behavior after his walk in the sun. Was he simply still recovering from the Tepes stone, or was there something more going on?
Recalling my reaction to the sound of Charles’s voice the night before, I’d strengthened my shields the moment he walked in. Though it had been almost a full day since then, and three days since he’d saved me, when our eyes met, something passed between us and ran down my spine, making me shiver. I leaned forward. My hands gripped the armrests so tightly that my nails left little half-moons in the leather upholstery as I fought against the pull of his gaze.
He’d shared his blood with me several times before, but I’d never felt such a powerful desire afterward without him even touching me, as if I were drawn to him by a strong magnet. I wondered if he did it on purpose or it was simply the natural consequence of how much of his blood was in me. I fought the surge of arousal and attraction. Part of me was angry that my body was betraying me so intensely. The other part of me—several parts of me, in fact—didn’t mind the heat kindled by his nearness and softly glowing eyes.
Sean’s warm, comforting magic enveloped me and pushed back against Charles’s influence. I hadn’t drawn on his power, but he’d strengthened me without needing to be asked. Not so long ago, I would have been angry at him for doing it, but I wasn’t that stubborn and insecure woman anymore. I exhaled, let go of the armrests, and sat back.
Bryan took his customary position on Charles’s right as the vampire settled into the oversized leather chair behind the desk. “I am glad to see you are recovering well,” Charles said.
“I am, thanks,” I told him. “How are you feeling?”
“Much improved.” He studied me, his head tilted. “I detect the scent of fresh ink and blood. You have added to your collection of tattoos?”
“Yep.” I wore a button-up shirt with elbow-length sleeves to cover my redone dragon tattoo. I’d used low-level healing spells on both, but they
were still oozing a little. I hoped within a day or two they’d be healed and well on their way to full power.
I wasn’t here to talk about my new ink, however. “Let’s talk about my proposal.”
“Yes, we have much to discuss.” Charles took two thick red folders from a drawer and set them on the top of the desk next to a legal pad filled with his neat handwriting. Despite his familiarity with computers, he tended to resort to paper and pen when drafting documents and putting down ideas.
“I suppose it rather goes without saying at this point, but I’m the so-called Storm Girl,” I said.
He smiled. “But of course you are, Alice. Who else could have commanded a thunderstorm and conjured lightning? Who else would have risked so much to save others?” He glanced at Sean. “And who but your wolf would stand by your side as you did so?”
“Does Bell know?” Sean asked.
Charles’s smile faded. “After Alice’s altercation with his lieutenant on Sunday, he strongly suspects. My information indicates he is quite displeased the Court, and the Were Ruling Council have stated in no uncertain terms that you are off limits to him. If it were only the Council, or if he had not taken such heavy losses and did not count upon the Court’s backing against Murphy, it is likely he would be far more aggressive in his attempts to add you to his arsenal.”
“I thought as much,” I said. “If Ezekiel Monroe hadn’t shown up at my house the other day when Bell was there, that meeting might have gone a very different direction.”
Charles nodded gravely. “Bell would like to find leverage to use against you, but your status as a personal favorite of Valas makes that proposition very dangerous for him. He believes you have some sway with her. As such, he is reluctant to jeopardize making an enemy of her, and rightfully so. Your alliances have proven an effective deterrent, as has your reputation for defending your own interests.”
I was gratified to hear my reputation was a factor, not just my associations with the Court and Sean. I might be more enlightened these days about the value of allies, but I still had my pride.