Tragic Ink: (A Havenwood Falls Novella)

by Heather Hildenbrand

  At the same moment, Elsmed appeared, clearly rattled. “Well?” he demanded.

  “What?” Sheriff Kasun frowned.

  “Is someone here going to tell me why I received a note from a salty vampire to meet you all at the tattoo shop when you’re all clearly still here?”

  Sheriff Kasun pinned me with a look. “You. Tragic Ink. Start talking.”

  Chapter 19

  Snug and warm in my thick coat and wool gloves, I adjusted my pack, slowing to navigate a stream that had frozen over months back. The only sound our party made now was the crunch of our boots. Up ahead, Rhys cut a path as straight as he could, considering there was no real trail to our destination, not in the snow anyway. I couldn’t believe I was leaving this winter wonderland behind. I’d never been beyond the town limits, and here I was leaving this realm altogether. At least it hadn’t required a passport. I almost snorted at that, because it had been nearly as complicated working out our travel details as a rushed passport would have been.

  Behind me, Elsmed muttered words that sounded like crooning compliments. Ethan perched on his shoulder, his beady, black eyes constantly scanning. I still couldn’t understand what drew him to Elsmed of all people; I could barely get him to sit like that for me. I wondered if it had something to do with Elsmed’s telepathic abilities.

  Rhys stopped and waited for the rest of us to catch up.

  I hurried forward, excited—and more than a little nervous—to get a look at the portal.

  “Um, am I missing something?” I asked, turning a complete three-sixty before frowning. “There’s nothing here but a bunch of rocks.”

  Rhys raised a brow. “Be patient. We have to activate it first. It’s not like we can leave the door open all the time. Any sort of creature could slip right in.”

  I gave him a look.

  “Again,” he added ruefully.

  I shook my head.

  Cael’s body had been transported and sent through the portal a few days back. A different portal than the one we were using now. I was more than okay with that. Sharing my arrival into the faerie realm with a dead criminal wasn’t exactly my ideal impression.

  “Right, makes sense.” I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.

  Rhys grabbed my elbow and bent closer, lowering his voice even though Elsmed was still a ways off. “You don’t need to be nervous,” Rhys said. “She already loves you.”

  “I know. I just . . . It’s a lot.”

  He nodded. “I can imagine.” Then he put his arms around me and pulled me close, propping his chin on my head while he held me. “But we both know it’s not nearly as heavy as that misplaced guilt you’ve been carrying around.”

  “True.” It was a huge relief to know my tattoo hadn’t killed Walter’s sister. My magical tats were still capable of a lot of damage. The hellhound was proof of that, and I still battled with that guilt a bit. But learning the truth about Sarah had made me realize everyone was responsible for their own actions. My tattoos could be used for good—or for evil. It wasn’t up to me once the ink had dried.

  Rhys seemed more relieved than I was to hear I’d let some of that shit go. It had also allowed us to reconnect, catching up on the years we’d been apart. Standing here in the circle of his arms made me think of some of those reconnections now. I was snug and warm like this, and I almost didn’t want to let go, but we had a portal to catch.

  Elsmed joined us, still chatting to Ethan. He looked at us expectantly as he came close. “Well?” he asked. “Are you both ready then?”

  I shot a glance at Rhys. “I think so.”

  “Good. Now remember, once you’re settled, the Seelie Court would like to meet you both. Rhys will need to make a statement about his mission here, and I suspect they’ll want to get to know you, too, Gwen. If you want help setting that up, get in contact with Chase MacElvoy.”

  “Who is he?” I asked.

  “Chase is our Seelie representative. He travels back and forth from here to Tír na nÓg regularly, so he can help coordinate your appearance with the Court there.”

  “Tír na nÓg?” I repeated, trying to place the name from everything I’d heard of the Seelie Court.

  “It’s a small island off the coast, and it’s the capital of the Seelie Court. Chase has an office there, so just contact him when you’re ready, and he can bring you home. But take your time.” His gaze settled on me. “When you return or how long you stay is completely up to you. Just remember—time passes differently in Faerie. A couple of weeks could equal months here.”

  “Thank you,” I told him, startled to realize how far we’d come in a short time. Elsmed had been completely terrifying to me when we’d first met—what? Two weeks ago? And now, at least to me anyway, he was one of the friendliest faces in this town. Not that any of the others were unfriendly. Not anymore.

  “You’re welcome. As for your personal affairs while you’re gone . . .” Elsmed said the words like a question.

  Rhys jumped in. “Everything’s in order, sir. My bar manager is in charge with complete autonomy while I’m gone. Gwen’s shop is closed until further notice.”

  “I’m told Aelwyn’s house belongs to both of you now,” Elsmed said.

  We both nodded. We’d been over this with Sheriff Kasun and a lawyer during the past week. The sheriff had been a lot friendlier after we’d caught Cael for him—a strike against him that meant I probably wouldn’t be sending him a Christmas card anytime soon. But at least I wasn’t on his short list of “chicks capable of murder” anymore. Deputy Conall had actually hugged me when I’d given my statement. Weirdo.

  I planned to resume my mistletoe supplements the moment we stepped foot back in Havenwood Falls.

  Thanks to Aelwyn’s savvy financial foresight, the taxes and mortgage were both paid for the next few years. Which meant we were keeping the house until after our trip. I didn’t want to think about it right now, but I’d probably never sell it. It was home in a way Faerie could never be. Rhys agreed.

  “All right, I think that’s everything. Oh,” Elsmed held his arm out. “You’ll want him back I suppose.”

  I returned Ethan safely back to my skin, and then Elsmed surprised me by offering his gloved hand for a shake. A handshake wasn’t all that foreign, but I’d never really seen him touch anyone before. Another thing I could blame on the mistletoe. Maybe this was what it felt like to be normal?

  I shook and gave him a smile. “Thank you for arranging all this,” I told him earnestly.

  “It’s the least I could do.” He bent lower, his voice dropping as if he were sharing private information. “Speaking of arrangements, I wanted to let you know that there are . . . circumstances at work regarding your blackmailing problem. I think, by the time you return, that particular problem will have worked itself out.”

  I blinked. “Wow. Thank you so much.”

  Elsmed’s eyes seemed to twinkle, and then he moved on to Rhys. “Son.” They shook stiffly. “You don’t need me to tell you, but keep our girl safe, will you? Bring her back.”

  “Will do.”

  Rhys was so solemn, their handshake so formal, I rolled my eyes.

  But then Elsmed stepped back. He closed his eyes and murmured words in a language I’d never heard before. A moment later, the rock façade that loomed before me began to move. Small ripples started in the center and ringed outward, like the surface of a lake after throwing a rock into it.

  I watched in awe as the ripples spread and the liquid grew lighter—until I wasn’t looking at a surface so much as seeing through it.

  Rhys slid his hand into mine and squeezed.

  My stomach tightened with nerves again as a figure came into view on the other side. A woman, tall and slender with flowing hair, stood just beyond the veil.

  “Is that—?”

  “Moonlaith,” Elsmed said from behind me. “Sure looks like. Give her my regards, would you?”

  I didn’t answer. I couldn’t speak around the lump in my throat. My hand
s were clammy inside my gloves.

  Rhys looked over at me. “Are you ready?”

  I nodded, knowing full well I wasn’t ready. How could anyone ever be ready for something they were positive would never happen? My whole life, I’d believed my mother was dead. Never coming back. Gone. And now, here she was, standing just on the other side of this portal. A few steps away.

  Hell no, I wasn’t ready for that.

  But I also wasn’t going to stand still any longer. I was going to live my life moving forward. No more hiding what I was and what I could do.

  With feet that felt like lead, I took one step. Then another. With each footfall, they became easier. Until I was passing through the strange gel of the portal and through the magic to the other side. The woman waiting smiled at me, her hair white like the moon. Her smile soft and warm. Like a mother’s. I kept walking—straight into her open arms. And I knew I’d always look back on this moment and think, This is when it all began.

  We hope you enjoyed this story in the Havenwood Falls series featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors.

  Books in the main Havenwood Falls series:

  Forget You Not by Kristie Cook

  Old Wounds by Susan Burdorf

  Fate, Love & Loyalty by E.J. Fechenda

  Covetousness by Randi Cooley Wilson

  The Winged & the Wicked by T.V. Hahn & Kristie Cook

  Alpha’s Queen by Lila Felix

  Ink & Fire by R.K. Ryals

  Lose You Not by Kristie Cook

  Tragic Ink by Heather Hildenbrand (Feb. 2018)

  Nowhere to Hide by Belinda Boring (March 2018)

  More books releasing on a monthly basis

  Also try the YA line, Havenwood Falls High.

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  Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up to date on news and announcements at www.HavenwoodFalls.com. Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HavenwoodFallsBookClub/

  About the Author

  Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia, where she was homeschooled through high school. (She’s only slightly socially awkward as a result.) She writes paranormal and contemporary romance with plenty of abs and angst. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs.

  You can find out more about Heather and her books at heatherhildenbrand.com or sign up for email updates.

  Acknowledgments

  First, I have to say a big thank you to Kristie for inviting me into the world of Havenwood Falls. I am so honored to be a part of something so unique and alive! Thanks to the entire team at Ang’dora. It’s because of you, this story actually shines! Special thanks to Randi Cooley Wilson, Kallie Ross, and E.J. Fechenda for helping me include some of their characters in these pages. It’s such a cool thing to be able to share in this way—also, I’m a huge Everett fan so I am kind of swooning that I got to write him into a few corners of my own story. (If you haven’t read Covetousness by Randi Cooley Wilson, what are you even doing with your life?)

  To my early—and emergency—beta readers: Amber Shepherd and Rebecca Pruner Kimmel, you guys made this story WAY better, and I am so lucky that you’re always willing to read my stories on short notice. I still have no idea how you are able to do that. I swear, it’s like a superpower.

  And to my readers, my Love Birds, thank you guys for always reading with such excitement! Your ideas helped shape this story early on, and I can always count on our Facebook tribe to help me out when I get stuck. I appreciate all of you! See you in the next book!