Mystic Ink

by Casey Wyatt

  “Dad, I have no idea why random mortals keep dying in the alley.” What if her father was there to drag her off? “I swear I have nothing to do with it.”

  “I believe you, Nix. I really am just here to say hello.” Nereus touched her wrist, his ocean blue eyes capturing hers. “I’ll call around and see what I can find out. If there is anything to find out.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.” For the first time in weeks, she felt a sense of calm. Of course, Nereus could help. She should have called him when it first started. He would fix everything . . . She started. “Dad, are you trying to influence me?”

  Nereus smiled. “I was only trying to help you. You seem so tense. I should’ve known it wouldn’t work on you. You’re too stubborn. Must come from your mother’s side of the family.” They both knew that wasn’t true. Nix’s mother was so laid back it was surprising she could stand up at all.

  “Well, my dear, I must be off. The ocean is calling my name.” Nereus gave her a peck on the cheek. “Don’t worry about the body thing. Enjoy your leave instead.”

  Easy for you to say, Dad. You’re not dealing with corpses and Officer Dickface, she thought, watching Nereus leave. Since there was still time before her next client, she restocked the workstation. A strong gust of wind rattled the door. Nix smiled and turned around.

  “Hello, Nix.” Zephyr, the West Wind, stood tall and resplendent in the doorway. His long, pale hair hung loosely split down his back and across his broad shoulders. He was her friend and a very distant cousin. He always emphasized the distant part.

  “Hey. Come for some ink?” Nix patted the tattoo chair. “I’ve got time before my next appointment.”

  “Sadly, no. Now that you’re back in town, I hoped to persuade you to reconsider my offer.” Zephyr glided over to the chair and leaned in close enough for their noses to touch. “We would be so good together.”

  “Zeph, you know how I feel. We’re too good of friends to become more.” The offer was tempting. Zephyr was gorgeous and reportedly, a very good lover. But she just didn’t feel the heat for him, like she did for...

  “Zephyr. Don’t you ever give up?” Cal said, emerging from the backroom. Jason made a beeline back to the break room.

  “This is none of your concern, Son of Ares.”

  Crap. Nix circled around the tattoo chair, ready to intervene. Cal’s possessiveness excited and concerned her at the same time. Zephyr was a giant flirt. He couldn’t help his nature. While it was flattering to have the attention of two desirable males, she didn’t want either of them to fight, let alone over her.

  “When are you going to figure out that Nix isn’t a Maenad? If you want an orgy, go find one of them to satisfy you.” Cal stepped forward.

  Zephyr closed the distance. “You don’t know anything about my needs, Fire Boy.”

  “Listen, Windy, I know what happens to the women you court. You’ve got a terrible track record with lovers.” Cal ticked names off. “There was Lena, Cassandra, Astrid. And who could forget Flora?”

  Nix sighed. Cal really shouldn’t have said that. Flora was a huge sore spot for Zephyr.

  “I’ve changed since those days. What happened to Flora wasn’t entirely my fault.” The air pressure in the shop suddenly dropped, making Nix’s ears pop.

  Zephyr shot back, “And you’re one to talk. Remember Princess Halcyon? You nearly started an international incident.”

  The room’s temperature rose. White smoke trailed from Cal’s hands. Small flames appeared in his eyes. In response, Zephyr’s eyes went silver. Wind whipped the hair off his shoulders.

  “Stop it! Right now. Both of you,” Nix fumed. “You’re not destroying my shop! If you two want to fight like cavemen, take it someplace else.”

  “Customer coming!” Basil screeched.

  Jason came up front, along with Mary.

  “Nix, think about my offer.” Zephyr held the door open to let in Nix’s last appointment of the day. Mary had returned to the desk in time to receive the customer, and to flash a small finger wave at Zephyr, before he left the shop.

  Cal tried and failed to summon up remorse for losing his temper with Zephyr. Gods, that guy bugged him. Bringing up the whole Amazon court incident . . . was so low. Of course, he did bring up Zephyr’s sordid past first. Regardless, Cal didn’t have a mile-long line of jilted lovers in his past.

  There was only one female he had truly loved. And at the moment, Nix couldn’t remember him. Of course, it wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t mixed duty with pleasure. They were very discreet and no one knew about their love except him and Nix. If he had courted Nix in between assignments, events might have turned out differently. After Nereus wiped Nix’s memory, she left for break and fell in love with Nate Adonis. Cal was still away on assignment. By the time he returned and realized what had happened, it was too late.

  And Cal, like an idiot, tried to bury his heartbreak with a foolish rebound relationship—with an Amazon Princess. Halcyon lost her virginity to Cal to ruin a marriage alliance she didn’t favor. After he had served his purpose, she dumped him and cruelly took it a step further. She publicly declared the relationship, exposing him to the Queen’s wrath. It was the one time he had regretted not listening to Ares’ advice. His father had been right—Amazons were ball-busting bitches. If Ares hadn’t intervened, Cal would probably be a eunuch.

  Past aside, Cal did feel bad about upsetting Nix. He could see the strain in her shoulders as she inked the young mortal. He would have loved to rub those shoulders, erasing all that tension. She was strung so tight, he was amazed she kept such a steady hand. Hands he knew from experience. Hands that would feel soft and smooth, rubbing his . . .

  Whoa. He shook his head. This line of thinking would get him into trouble. If he rushed things, he could ruin any future chances with her. Nix was different—he would only get one shot. She was straightforward, with no secret agendas and she didn’t put up with bullshit. He believed her when she had said two weeks earlier, “All I want to do is run the shop in peace.”

  I wonder what it would be like, he thought massaging his neck, trying to relax the ache in his muscles, to have my own business?

  The hum of the tattoo machine stopped. Nix reached over the young man for a jar at the workstation, her chest hovering near the kid’s face. From his vantage he could see the mortal’s eyes slightly widen. Lucky boy—to get a glimpse of her fine cleavage, barely contained by that tight little T-shirt. Cal wanted to feel those soft breasts pressing against his chest again. His body stirred. Desire slammed into his groin like a fist. He would wipe the leer off the mortal’s face, then crush the boy. There was a fine line between the heat of battle and the flames of passion, all of which Cal had now experienced in a span of fifteen minutes.

  He needed a release, before someone got hurt. “Nix, I’ll be out in the backyard.” Cal cracked open the employee door. “Jason, up for a spar?”

  Chapter 4

  Nix didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, but she could guess that Cal needed to let off some steam after the near beat down with Zephyr. And Jason would be happy to oblige. He loved learning new battle techniques. He blamed it on his restless Hero blood. She was relieved that Cal could find a productive way to release his pent-up tension. The last thing she needed was a fire in the shop. Ever since Zephyr had shown up, Cal seemed ready to combust.

  When Nix’s final customer of the day departed, it was nearly five o’clock and she was impatient to leave. Jason, once he finished sparring with Cal, would cover the evening’s two appointments until the shop closed at nine p.m. He had even agreed to take care of Basil for the weekend; a decision she would probably regret later. Lord knows what else the bird would learn after a night with Jason.

  Please don’t let it be porno movie night.

  It didn’t matter. She had special plans for the weekend, and she wasn’t missing them for anything.

  After a quick trip upstairs to get her overnight bag, Nix locked her apartment and went to th
e backyard. Good thing the back lot was surrounded by a high fence. Any mortal female with a pulse would have passed out at the sight that greeted Nix. Two, sleek, chiseled and bare-chested Demigods were grappling hand to hand. On the ground nearby were two double-edged short swords.

  Nix gripped the handle of her bag and feasted on the sight. Their golden toned muscles flexed and bunched with each swing or block. When Cal maneuvered so he faced Nix, she gaped at his washboard abs and defined pecs. Jason was equally cut, but it was Cal who made her blood boil. She could have stood there all day, but she had somewhere to be—the beach house.

  Reluctantly, she dragged her eyes away and skirted the workout, headed to the garage where her baby was stored—a mint condition 1970 Dodge Challenger Convertible in Plum Crazy. Nix had bought it straight from the factory. She rolled open the garage door, pulled off the protective cover, and slid inside the car. The leather seats were soft and supple. The interior gleamed. Not a grain of dirt or sand on the carpets. New car smell still lingered. She loved it.

  When the ignition turned over, the car’s V8 engine roared to life, then settled down to a rumbling purr. It ran like a dream, thanks to her friend Denys, a mechanic and Son of Hephaestus, who regularly maintained the vehicle while she was on active duty. In exchange, Nix offered him free tattoos, piercings, or stays at the beach house.

  She was about to shift into drive, when the passenger side door opened.

  “Leaving without me?”

  Shit. Nix had completely forgotten about Cal. Instead of mooning about the car, she should have driven off immediately. “Not quickly enough.”

  “Look, the sooner you accept my presence, the easier this will be on both of us.” Cal dropped into the passenger seat and shut the door. His chest gleamed, still damp with sweat.

  “At least put a shirt on. You’ll ruin my seats.” Nix hoped he would get out of the car, so she could take off, leaving him in the dust. But, no such luck.

  “Hey, Cal. Here’s your bag. And I brought you one of my spare T-shirts. You can return it, whenever.” Jason, the traitor, winked at her. “Have a good time, boss.”

  Nix shifted into drive, stomped on the accelerator and peeled out of the garage. Jason moved away so she couldn’t roll over his feet. Disappointing. She grumbled at Cal. “Are you always ready to go at a moment’s notice? You’re like a giant Boy Scout.”

  Cal pulled on a Disturbed T-shirt and grinned at her. “Of course. Be prepared is a great motto to live by in our line of work.”

  “Put your seatbelt on. I don’t want to get stopped because of you. You’re cutting into the little sun-time I have left today.” Fortunately, the beach house wasn’t far, only a short drive over the border into Rhode Island. Nix would have been happy to spend the drive in silence, but Cal kept talking to her.

  “This is a very sweet ride. Did your daddy buy it for you?”

  “No.” His tone irked her. “Unlike most of my sisters, I’ve earned my own money.” Nix didn’t want her father to support her and had refused his money every time he offered.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Cal twisted to face her. “I understand how you feel. I never let my father pay for anything for me either. It used to drive him nuts.”

  She smiled, forcing her eyes to stay on the road and not on the strong line of his jaw. “When I was a teenager, Uncle Memphis gave me a job at the tattoo shop. I barged in with a book of my drawings and begged him to teach me. My mother was appalled, of course.”

  “Hence, part of the appeal, I take it?” Cal said with a smile in his voice. “I like how you think.”

  “Well, yes. In the beginning, but I really enjoyed the act of creation. And it was liberating to have my own money. Uncle Memphis taught me how to do things in the mortal world, too, like ride a horse, handle a carriage, harvest food. Then later on, he instructed me on how to pick food at a market, drive a car, and open a bank account.”

  Cal nodded his head. “I hear you. As soon as I could, I left to enlist in the Colonial Militia.” There was a dark edge in his voice. “Ares couldn’t be bothered to take care of his offspring.”

  “Did you say Colonial Militia?” Most Demigod children had inherited their parent’s immortality. That was one of Zeus’ few parting gifts to all of his children before abandoning them. “I bet that made your father proud.” Nix exited I-95 and headed down Route 234, toward Westerly, Rhode Island.

  “Absolutely. Back then, my father’s approval and attention were important to me. I craved it. Not that I would’ve ever admitted it to him. Or myself.” Cal ran his hand through his dark hair. “I have pretty much served in every U.S. war. First in the Army and Marines, then the Navy, and later the Air Force. I’ve served in all branches, for the experience.”

  “Wow. I take back the Boy Scout comment. You’re more like James Bond. Can you do it all?”

  Cal shrugged. “Pretty much. I can pilot a plane or helicopter, sail, sky-dive, rock climb, storm a beach,” he paused, “take a bullet, and kill, when necessary.”

  “So it’s true, then. You were in the CIA.” Nix steered the car onto US-1. Thankfully, the traffic wasn’t too dense. Most of the cars were heading away from the beach, not toward it.

  “If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.” Call laughed at the joke, then got serious. “Yes, but I have always primarily worked in The Delian League, since your father recruited me back in the 1860s.”

  “Maybe you can settle a bet between Jason and me.” Nix hoped she would win, since they had wagered a body piercing over it.

  “Shoot. If I can tell you, I will.” Cal gripped the dashboard when Nix made a sharp turn onto Rhode Island 1A.

  “Did the Navy Seals really assassinate Osama Bin Laden? I say they didn’t and the US government is keeping it quiet.”

  Cal chuckled. “Let me guess, Jason thinks he’s really dead and his head is prominently displayed over Ares’ fireplace mantle?”

  “Oh my Gods! Yes. How did you know?” Nix shuddered. Jason had some gruesome theories.

  “He told me. I had a hard time keeping a straight face. My father stopped displaying human trophies a long time ago.”

  Nix slowed the car down. They were almost to the house. “Well . . . don’t keep me in suspense!”

  “Yeah, they caught him.” Cal kindly paused long enough to let her whoop over her win. “The US government handed him over to The Delian League, where he was turned over to Circe’s tender mercies.”

  “So the rumor that he was turned into a pig is true?” The scum deserved it. What a fitting punishment. And she had won the bet. No extreme piercing for her. Except, God knew what body part Jason would pick to pierce next. He delighted in the practice. And he was running out of visible places. Shuddering at where he might go next, she swore a mental oath—no more wagers with Jason that involved body piercing.

  “Yup. In a nice, white cage that she keeps by her side.”

  She parked the Challenger in the driveway, breathing in a deep lungful of salty, sea air. It was good to be at her home away from home. There were no other cars in the driveway, but she was sure her two sisters had already arrived by the faint laughter drifting from the house’s open windows. They probably swam over from Mystic in their water form. One big advantage of being a water deity, Nereids could travel at superhuman speed in bodies of water.

  “So you bought this on your own, too?” Cal asked, taking his bag and hers.

  “With my sisters, Tabitha and Chloe. We pooled our money and purchased the house after the Hurricane of 1938. This whole area was devastated, and the mortals who owned the place wanted to be far away from the sea.” Water nymphs also had the power to keep the ocean at bay and away from the beachfront if they wanted. “The house was built at the turn of the last century so it has plenty of rooms for guests. Back then, the rich mortals considered a house like this to be a cottage.”

  “I can’t wait to see the beach.” Cal held the front porch door open for her.

  Points for hi
m. He likes the beach, Nix thought, then stopped. What was wrong with her? He was not boyfriend material.

  “Come on through, I’ll show you the view.” Nix led him through the formal parlor and into the three-season sunroom. Every time she saw the magnificent view of the ocean, she wanted to pinch herself. It was a slice of heaven—the view of the Atlantic Ocean’s deep blue water, the white sandy shore, and the surf gently rolling in. The house’s elevation above the beach gave the illusion it was floating next to the water. “When we walked into this room, we knew we had found the right place.”

  “I can understand why.” Cal said, circling around the room, taking in the view.

  “Let’s hit the beach.” She opened the old screen door. The hinges protested with a loud creak and a sharp bang as Cal joined her on the outside porch. She led the way down to a small grassy lawn buffeted by a rock sea wall. Nix waited for Cal to kick off his shoes, before taking the concrete steps that opened onto the beach. The warm sand squished between her toes, then sprayed out with each kick of her feet.

  The water beckoned her to join with it—the eternal struggle for land-bound Nereids—the call of the Sea. Some of her sisters chose to spend all their free time in their water form, completely shunning the mortal world, forgetting who they were until duty called them back. That kind of existence wasn’t even remotely tempting to her.

  “Nix! Over here!” Chloe, her red hair glowing like a fiery beacon in the late afternoon sun, waved at them from a large beach blanket. Tabitha was face down, catching the last rays of sun on her back.

  “Remember, you wanted to follow me,” Nix warned Cal. “They can be very Nymph-like at times.”

  “I’m sure you’re exaggerating,” Cal said with a big smile as they approached the blanket.

  Tabitha sat up, her ample breasts naked and fully exposed. “Hi, Nix! Who’s your hot-looking friend?”