Stolen Ink (Ink Born Book 1)

by Holly Evans

  That left me with one final task for the day: visiting Faru. Keirn had clearly thought ahead of me, as he declared that Faru would be joining us all for dinner. He didn’t want the shifter eating alone. I got the distinct impression that it was more a desire for him to be surrounded by as many friendly faces as possible. I didn’t know how long his elf get-together thing went on for, but it was clearly bugging him to be in the city.

  The breaker showed up when food was almost done and Faru was sharing the story of the first time I’d met him, how I flirted with him all night long. The feline shifter preened at the memory. It was the first smile he’d had since he arrived.

  “Are you telling me that Dacian knows how to relax?” the breaker asked Faru.

  I glared at the breaker. Faru laughed.

  “Dacian was the life of the party in college.”

  The breaker looked me up and down.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “What work, exactly, was it you said brought you to the city?” I asked.

  He didn’t miss a beat. He smiled and took the seat next to me.

  “I’m working with a security firm to help them break the sigils and such that hackers have been using to try and get into important places,” he said.

  Hackers were much like they sounded, magicians who tried to break through security defences to steal something. That something was often knowledge, which the air house then traded for a lot of money. Other times, it was items.

  “Keirn tells me you’re to be re-graded on Monday,” the breaker said to me.

  His tone was light, but his eyes had hardened. I shrugged.

  “Apparently.” I turned to Keirn. “How long until food? Can I help?” I asked.

  “Lay the table,” Keirn said while poking at the food he was cooking.

  I stood and gathered the required cutlery. The breaker didn’t take his eyes off me. Faru broke the increasingly tense silence.

  “I’m going to stay with my cousins over in L.A. for a couple of weeks. I think a change of scenery will do me good.”

  “You’ll be missed,” I said.

  The Silent Scream wouldn’t be the same without him, but that wasn’t appropriate for me to say.

  “What happened with your weaver?” the breaker asked me.

  I stared him down.

  “He got into trouble with some unpleasant men,” I said.

  “Addict?” he asked.

  “No,” I growled.

  “Debt?” he pushed.

  “Just a shitty upbringing. When are you leaving?” I asked.

  “It’s a shame that some people have that. Keirn tells me you’re close with your father,” he said.

  Keirn and Vyx placed the food on the table.

  “You push too much,” Vyx told the breaker.

  He laughed. “You’re not the first woman to tell me that.”

  “I’m sure,” she said dryly.

  All amusement vanished from his face. Creases formed around his mouth.

  “I am not like that,” he said softly.

  She simply stared at him, unmoving, judging. He looked away and focused on eating his food. Faru laughed.

  “You’re quite something, Vyx.”

  She grinned at him, all traces of malice gone. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “It was intended as one,” Faru returned.

  The conversation flowed from there. We focused on easy, comfortable topics. The breaker remained quiet and a little withdrawn. Keirn checked on him while Vyx was washing the dishes. The breaker remained tense, but gave Keirn a small smile and shrugged everything off.

  Faru departed in much higher spirits than he’d arrived. He had his feline swagger back, much to my relief. I kicked myself when I realised I’d forgotten to pick up the books Ms. Goldarn has reserved for me. We’d eaten an early dinner. It wasn’t even eight pm yet.

  “Keirn, when does that book place close? The one with the gold trim and antiques?” I asked.

  “It’s run by a shadow worker, I believe, so I doubt it opens before four; you should be ok.”

  Shadow workers were as they sounded. Whoever named the magic systems wasn’t very inventive. Their magic focused on the manipulation of shadows. They were a secretive bunch, so I didn’t know exactly how it worked. I did know that they tended to be nocturnal or close to it, which meant I could go and retrieve the books.

  “I’ll come with you,” Vyx said.

  “Did the breaker hurt you?” I asked.

  “No. I fucking well did not,” the breaker snarled.

  He calmed himself almost instantly, but his eyes remained hard.

  “I just want to stretch my legs. I miss being out in the city,” Vyx said.

  “Ethan wouldn’t hurt anyone under our protection, Dacian,” Keirn said.

  “Can’t blame me for asking,” I said.

  “I can, actually,” the breaker muttered.

  I ignored him and went out the back door into the city.

  33

  Vyx garnered some looks. She was wearing one of Keirn’s shirts over scruffy jeans full of holes. I made a mental note to speak to Keirn about getting her some clothes of her own. She was relaxed and animated, her head turning left and right, looking up at the buildings around us. We were entering the more ornate, rich part of the city where the buildings were centuries old and had magic woven into their very fibres.

  The walls of the building we were heading for shimmered and shifted colours like an oil slick. Blues slid over greens to reveal splashes of yellows, constantly moving over the building in gentle swirls and waves. The walls themselves were a plain pale grey, entirely smooth, making sure no one could try and scale them. If I narrowed my eyes and looked really closely, I could make out the currents of pale blue and soft white that pooled around the primary sigils of its security network. A skilled weaver must have charged the owners a small fortune for a system that complex and complete.

  Vyx stood and looked up at the building. It stood out from those around it, each with ornate designs ranging from complex Celtic knots engraved into the stonework on one to an ever-shifting mural on another. The sheer blunt simplicity of it set it apart. It wasn’t my style, but it worked. We walked to the door, the only extravagance of the place with gold inlaid around the entire frame. Delicate gold threads were twisted into symbols and patterns that I didn’t recognise. Each of them was smooth and curving, not a single straight line or corner to be found.

  I pulled the reservation slips out of my pocket and opened the door. Something audibly clicked when I stepped through the doorway. The scent of fresh cotton and pixie magic filled the space, fresh and sweet. I wrinkled my nose and hoped the pixies weren’t in residence. I remembered my last encounter with them. A tall thin man stepped out from behind the large solid counter at the back of the store extended his hand, palm up.

  “The slips, if you please,” he said.

  His voice ran over me in a cool oil sensation. Somehow, his words slithered down my spine. Vyx curled her lip and snorted.

  “Death worker,” she hissed.

  That explained the strong scents when we walked in. Not many people enjoyed being around the scent of death. I handed him the slip, and he seemed to glide over the pale wooden floor. No sound came from his footsteps. His black suit was well-fitted and highlighted just how thin he was.

  “These are rather interesting books. Are you writing a thesis on ink magicians? They’re a fascinating myth,” he asked.

  I gave him a tight smile. “Just a little light reading.”

  His face remained entirely neutral, a bizarre mask. He glided over to the counter and pulled out a black cotton bag edged with genuine gold thread.

  “Enjoy your reading, Mr. Corbeaux.”

  The polite words somehow came across as a threat. I took the bag and walked out before I could find out exactly how accurate that sensation was. Vyx snorted, trying to clear her nose of his scent when we were out on the street.

  “Hate t
hem. Horrible people,” she said.

  “I haven’t dealt with any,” I said.

  “People on the streets are easy targets for many people,” she growled.

  I nodded and left it at that.

  “Are you trying to be an ink magician? People keep connecting you with that phrase,” she asked after we’d walked a block.

  I laughed.

  “They’re myths. I’m just hoping these will help me find the tattoo thief,” I said.

  If she’d noticed, others would too, but I couldn’t leave Keirn. I ground my teeth and hoped she’d drop the topic.

  “Why haven’t you let Kyra out today?” she asked.

  “Because she’s a disloyal, disobedient little wretch,” I said.

  She laughed.

  “She’s a cat,” she said.

  I laughed. She did have a good point.

  “And what about you? Are you disloyal? Foxes aren’t known for their loyalty,” I asked.

  She stopped dead and narrowed her eyes at me.

  “I would defend Keirn and his fox to the death,” she said fiercely.

  I smiled and stepped closer to her, “And me?”

  She lifted her chin and looked up into my eyes.

  “And you,” she said.

  “Then I’ll make sure Keirn gets you some clothes tomorrow. You look absurd,” I said.

  She looked down at her clothes. “I rather like it.”

  “You’ll like having clothes of your own better,” I said.

  “I’m choosing them.”

  “That’s between you and Keirn.”

  The breaker was waiting for us when we returned. Vyx managed to slip away to her room, leaving me with him, in the darkness. I crossed my arms and put my shoulders back. I had too much going on to be worrying about his shit, too.

  “I can help you,” he said calmly.

  His eyes never left mine, his face oddly blank. I raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

  “You see… the thing about magic breakers is we can feel how much and what type of magic people have. We often know their limits far better than they do,” he said, taking a step towards me.

  His stance was strong. His hands were tucked in his pockets, though. I could likely punch him before he’d be able to block me. That would give me the advantage. I’d tell Keirn he threatened me. The elf would believe me.

  “I can make sure that you grade at a tier two on Monday,” he said.

  I narrowed my eyes and ground my teeth.

  “And why would you do that?” I asked.

  He smiled.

  “Because Keirn would be lost without you, and me without him,” he said.

  I closed the space between us.

  “If you so much as think about hurting someone close to me, or telling anyone my limits, I will make sure no one finds your body,” I whispered in his ear.

  He made no attempt to pull away from me. He was an inch shorter than me but much leaner. I could break him in two if I wanted. His hands made a quick motion before he ran his thumb over my bottom lip, his eyes softening as he did so.

  “I promise I won’t tell a soul before you do, and I will harm none under your protection,” he whispered in my ear, his body pressed against mine.

  I ran my tongue over my lip, following the trail of warmth he’d just left there. The familiar tang of blood filled my mouth. He’d just made a blood pact.

  34

  I stood on the roof looking out over the city, wondering what I was supposed to do with the catastrophic mess I’d found myself in. The breaker knew what I was. Yet, he’d willing made a blood pact binding himself from telling anyone else. I looked skyward at the dark sky overhead; once more, a heavy blanket of clouds blocked my view of the stars. The council was coming to re-grade me in just over a day, I was supposed to stop a killer, and then there was the breaker and Isaiah.

  One step at a time. First I needed sleep, then I had to see what was in those books that Ms. Goldarn had reserved for me. Had she known I was an ink magician, too? Who else was there? The familiar itch to grab my bag and vanish into the night filled me. It was quickly chased away by thoughts of Keirn and Isaiah. I cursed out the gods for good measure.

  “Ethan said he was going to help you with the re-grading tomorrow,” Keirn said as he handed me my coffee.

  The breaker gave me a small smile. I took my coffee and set about finding breakfast.

  “He mentioned it to me,” I said.

  “I’ll partially block the graders’ link with you so he can’t feel the full extent of your magic,” the breaker said.

  He was closer than I’d expected. Somehow, he’d crossed the room and stood barely inches behind me when he spoke.

  “You move like a thief,” I told him.

  He laughed, Keirn snorted. My mind was torn between the breaker and that predicament and the books; they seemed connected.

  “Dacian said you’re going to buy me some pretty clothes,” Vyx said to Keirn.

  I turned to face them both. My arm brushed the breaker’s as I did so. I stepped away from him.

  “I said that you should speak to Keirn about getting some clothes of your own,” I said.

  Vyx grinned at me.

  “That’s what I said,” she said.

  The breaker was watching me. I could feel his eyes on me. Aris pushed to be free of his tattoo to protect me. Seeing her excuse, Kyra began yowling in my mind, demanding to be set loose while I pulled down the plates for the elven pastries. I sighed and released Kyra. She bounced down onto the kitchen counter and strutted back and forth. The breaker reached out and stroked the top of her head. I glared at him.

  “Did no one tell you how rude it is to touch someone else’s tattoo without permission? That is a very intimate act,” I said.

  He rubbed his thumb over Kyra’s cheek. His gaze never left mine. The asshole was challenging me, daring me. Kyra had the good sense to jump down and take refuge by Keirn’s feet. The breaker smirked and took a seat at the table. Vyx growled something under her breath and helped me place the breakfast of pastries out on the table. Once again, the breaker had chosen to sit opposite me. Keirn looked between us and shook his head.

  “Vyx will be studying art with me today. I’ll take her for clothes first thing tomorrow,” he said between bites of the pink pastry.

  “I’m studying the books Ms. Goldarn gave me,” I said.

  I had no idea what she felt I was supposed to learn, but I had to try. She was no fool, there was a purpose to her actions.

  “I’ll look through them with you. Two sets of eyes are better than one,” the breaker said.

  “You’re not a tattoo magician. It’ll be easier doing it for myself,” I said.

  Keirn narrowed his eyes at us.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  I shrugged.

  “I’m stressed, is all. I don’t like having the council here,” I said.

  “Will Isaiah be here later? I like him,” Vyx asked.

  I smiled. “Probably.”

  An evening with Isaiah sounded like the perfect way to unwind after a day spent reading those books and trying to figure out a solution to the situation I was in.

  “Can you at least gag him this time? I’d like an early night,” Keirn said.

  Everyone laughed, including Keirn. The tension finally evaporated. For a brief moment, everything was ok again. We ate breakfast in a comfortable silence. Vyx practically bounced into Keirn’s art room, much to Keirn’s glee. Kyra followed them, which was hardly unexpected. The breaker insisted on watching me and being too close while I tidied everything away. I finally told him to clean the kitchen and leave me alone while I read the books. I was growing tired of his pushing.

  I took the books into my preparation room and, opening the curtains to allow enough light in so that I could read, I laid them out before me and chose one at random to start with. I had no idea what exactly I was looking for. There was something within those pages that Ms. Goldarn had w
anted me to find, some knowledge that would help. I began by flipping through them and checking for a note or something equally easy. Of course, there was none. It came down to reading and hoping. I texted Isaiah to come over for dinner and settled down for a long and tedious day. I never had been one to enjoy studying.

  35

  The books were entirely focused on ink magicians and full ink magic, as I had feared. I leaned back against the wall with the books spread around my legs and took a deep breath, taking a break from the intense reading. The information was fascinating, there was so much potential that I didn’t know about, but the fact that I had the books could be considered incriminating with the council sniffing around. Each of the books referred to the idea that ink magicians were ambassadors for the ink network, or perhaps enforcers. They had a much stronger connection to the magic and, as such, they acted on behalf of the ink network. That explained why the network had been bugging me in my dreams and such. I was expected to resolve problems with the ink magic on this plane.

  I hadn’t found anything that would help me find the tattoo thief, but there were methods and theories about how to connect more fully to the ink network. They postulated that, if an ink magician could do that fully, then a form of communication between network and magician could be formed, something akin to that with the tattoos. I wondered if the ink network could direct me to the thief, if I was expected to stop him. It was a long shot, but I had nothing better. People were dying, and it was down to me to stop the thief.

  A light tapping came at the door while I was in the middle of reading about the use and design of sigil tattoos.

  I pushed the books aside and said, “Come in.”