Page 52 of Tragic Ink
“I’m back to see this through,” he saiddefiantly.
His feet never moved, but somehow he was closer now. I took a step back, wishing Rhys would hurry the hell up. Across the room, Deputy Conall toyed with the cuffs attached to his belt. His brows were wrinkled, and I knew he was contemplating how the hell to cuff a ghost. So wasI.
“See what through?” Iasked.
“My deal with the Unseelie mercenary, of course.” He sighed. “Trusting an Unseelie, and a Greater Fae more powerful than me, might have been my fatal mistake, but I still get my revenge... and I can’t complain.” He held up his hands and did a little dance in place. “I’m mobileagain!”
I raised my brows at that. “Walter,” I said, speaking as if to an ignorant child. “What the hell are you talkingabout?”
Walter’s eyes narrowed, and his good mood vanished. “I’m talking about getting revenge on you for killing mysister.”
“I didn’t killanyone.”
“Maybe not directly. But your tattoos have. And that means her blood is on yourhands.”
My body went cold. “Your sisteris...?”
“Sarah. My sisterwasSarah,” he corrected, “until her husband used his magical tattoo to cause her heart to fail. A tattoo that you inked and then infused with a spell. Her death is on you, and I vowed that even if it killed me, I’d see you suffer for what you’d done. It took time and a lot of planning, let me tell you, but I finally found someone who wanted you dead more than I did.” He barked out a laugh. “Who knew it would be someone even more capable than me—and someone even moredangerous.”
I couldn’t answer, not when I could barely breathe. Walter’s sister had been Sarah? The fae woman whose husbandhad...
My first magical tattoo goneawry.
I felt numb underneath the crushing weight of the familiar guilt. Aelwyn’s death I could avenge. But this... this was justified. Whether I liked it or not, Walter was right. I deserved tosuffer.
“Walter, what happened to your sister was a tragedy. I can’t tell you howsorry—”
“Save it,” Walter snapped. “The time for talking is over. You’re my only unfinished business here, and I’d really like some god damned peace and quiet now, so just hurry up and diealready.”
“You’re wrong,” Deputy Conallsaid.
Walter rounded on him. “What the hell do you know about it?” heboomed.
“I know that, according to the coroner’s report, iron poisoning was listed as her cause of death.” Deputy Conall’s voice was clear, his wordscertain.
Iblinked.
Walter wentsilent.
“Are you sure?” Iasked.
“Positive. I never forget a case file I sign offon.”
He held my gaze, unflinching, and for the first time, his was free fromannoyance.
If what he was saying wastrue...
“No, I don’t believe it. Doctored the evidence. I saw the heart tattoo missing from my brother-in-law’s body, and Iknow—”
“According to the note Lyle left, he activated that heart spell to try to save her when he’d realized what happened,” Deputy Conallsaid.
Walter’s lip curled. “Lies.” He whipped around to me. “All lies to try to stop this. But it’s not going to work. I will avengeSarah.”
He roared, and although I wasn’t sure what he could do to me as a ghost, I backed up as he came. In a swift move, I notched the arrow in my hand and pulled it taut. When Walter still came, I let itfly.
It passed straight through Walter’s ghostly form and narrowly missed Deputy Conall’s shoulder as it buried itself in the wall. “Shit!” He glared at me. “Watchit.”
“Sorry,” I managed, but Walter was stillcoming.
