Page 10 of Tragic Ink
Chapter 4
The moment Ada was gone,I closed the shop and went upstairs. With all of the lights still burning, I shed my clothes and climbed into bed, careful to keep my bow and arrows close. Aelwyn had taught me to use them in our backyard as a kid. Since then, it had been a fun hobby that helped explain the long periods I spent in the woods with Ethan. But tonight, it was a comfort. Not that I anticipated a need for self-defense, but my impromptu appointments with Ada always left me on edge. Her special requests were awful and draining, but this one had been worse. Coming to me when I was already off-balance and requesting a tattoo that was obviously meant to harm twisted my stomach inknots.
The new tattoo itched. I lifted my sleeve to scratch it and frowned when I caught sight of the snake’s tongue where it blended with a vine of orchids that had already been there from another one I’d given out a few years back. My magical tattoos just sort of showed up on my skin. I didn’t get to place them. They appeared in the same spot I’d inked them on the client. As a result, I had a collage of two or sometimes four or five tattoos overlaid, thanks to the fact that most people chose the same spot on their bodies for new ink. They also itched as if I’d actually inked them on my own skin, which was completely unfair in my opinion. Regardless, my upper arms, shoulder blades, and calves were covered. Some of them were so blended with past images, they were unrecognizable. I really wished that had been the case with the snake. Sadly, it was easy to spot among theorchids.
On my other arm, Ethan was still mostly unhindered, but I suspected that was because he somehow shoved aside anything that encroached on his territory. He’d been the first enchanted image I’d given myself when my gifts had developed, and it still thrilled me to know I’d created at least one creature that wasn’t used for nefarious purposes. He was also the only enchantment on my body that was permanent. Mostly because I was too scared of getting caught to createmore.
Aelwyn speculated that all of my own self-induced ink would always be that way: magical and permanent. The magic I gifted to others expired once they’d used it up. Thank goodness for that. People were so mean. It was the reason I stayed away from them. After witnessing the destruction my tattoos could cause, I hadn’t given myself or anyone else a magical tattoo in a long time. Except for Ada’s minions, of course. I hated her forthose.
I lay in bed and thought of Rhys’s offer to help me figure out who had murdered Aelwyn. Not to mention the fact that his senses had picked up on a strange fae behind the house. I couldn’t believe the sheriff hadn’t sensed that, but considering me as a suspect was insane. Sure, the cops didn’t like me, but a murder suspect? It was beyondridiculous.
With Aelwyn gone, Rhys was officially the only person in the entire world who was on myside.
He was also the one person in the world who could hurt me deeply. Who already had. And I wasn’t sure I had the strength to survive it again. Not now. So I’d wait. See what I could uncover on my own. And hope the killer didn’t strike again in the meantime. Or leave a trail that led back tome.
The problem was Aelwyn didn’t have a single enemy in the world. Who would have wanted to hurt her? That question stumped me and, in the end, left me in tears as I tried to imagine moving forward without her wisdom, or her worry constantly hanging overme.
Ethan scratched at me. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort or distract me, but I ignoredhim.
I didn’t sleep that night, and when the sun rose, I gave in and got up, too. A quick shower. A bite of stale toast. A rough comb through my hair. I was out the door earlier than I’d been in a long time. But I had to move quickly if I wanted to bypass Rhys and do some investigating myself. He wasn’t going to be happy when he found out, but I wasn’t ready to face him yet. My promise to Aelwyn rang in my ears. She’d insisted he could help me, protect me even. Maybe he could, but I wasn’tready.
Havenwood Falls in the morning was gorgeous. A three-hundred-sixty-degree view of mountain peaks with morning fog rolling off them and coating the air in tiny droplets. It was magical in a way that had nothing to do with the fact that this was a town full of supernaturals. In fact, with the sun reflecting off the mist, and the chilled air so clear you could taste it on your tongue, Havenwood Falls felt almost like any other normal ski town. And I felt like any other normal human. As long as said human had found her mother murdered and was the prime suspect in their joke of aninvestigation.
And just like that, reality crashed back down around me. I turned away from the view I’d been admiring from my second story balcony and made my way down the steps to the street. At the bottom, I jumped back to avoid a collision with a large cardboard cutout of a cartoon cupid drawing its arrow back. It was being carried by two men in handyman uniforms. The one in the back smiled at me and dipped hischin.
“Morning,” he saidbrightly.
I eyed the pink and red hearts painted into the background behind the cardboard cupid and my brows knitted at the familiar coloring and design. “Isn’t Valentine’s Day still over a week away?” I asked, doing the math in myhead.
But he was alreadygone.
A flash of red hair caught my eye, and I saw Rose Howe smiling wide as she headed for the square with another armful of pink décor. Rose managed Howe’s Herbal Shoppe along with the help of her teenaged daughter, Scarlet. Ruby Howe still owned it, but the most she did for that place now was sweep the sidewalk out front while mumbling about talismans and enchantments. I didn’t wander too close, mostly because I was afraid Ruby’s sixth sense might detect my own ability toenchant.
Rose was harmless enough, aside from her excessive enjoyment for decorating. If a holiday was in sight, you could bet Rose was out here decorating for it. She’d cornered me in my shop two years back and tried to auction me off for a charity date event they’d included in the festivities that year. I’d narrowly avoided it by claiming I had a date of my own somewhere else that night. But then she’d just pried her way in, demanding to know who I was going outwith.
I’d given the first name that had come to mind: Ethan. It had shut her up since she didn’t know an Ethan, but she was still suspicious of me to this day for it. I couldn’t blame her, since I didn’t know any Ethan either. At least, not an Ethan that wasn’t my magical hawk. But she left me alone after that. Still, I always made sure to steer clear of her this time of year in case she tried roping me in again. An event built around selling people to the highest bidder wasn’t my idea of a goodtime.
“Hi, Gwen,” Rose called out as she approached me. “How are you?” Her expression fell in worriedconcern.
“I’m okay,” Isaid.
Her eyes brimmed with tears, and her chin wobbled. “I heard about Aelwyn, and I’m so very sorry about what happened. We will all miss her verymuch.”
I nodded, suddenly distrustful of my voice at the sight of her wateryeyes.
Rose grabbed my arm and squeezed affectionately. “If you need anything at all, please let us know,” sheadded.
“Thanks,” I said quietly and looked away. Losing Aelwyn was bad enough, but watching everyone else grieve for her too was too much for me rightnow.
I cleared my throat and nodded at the decorations Rose carried, forcing my voice lighter. “A little early for decorations, don’t you think?” Iasked.
“Never too early for romance, Gwen,” Rosejoked.
Igrimaced.
Maybe not, but it was definitely toolate.
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