Page 47

“Fire may be human, but there is no humanity in him.” Yuri sat on his stool and stared up at me. “He’d give up the seal without hesitation if it gained him the miracle worker. ”

My whole body shook with the strain of holding in the power. I wanted to blow something up. I wanted to burn down the world. I wanted to cut this old neph’s tongue out for telling a truth I didn’t wanna hear—

Water misted my face, then misted it again. After a second, the rage went to sleep and I could think again.

“We’ll get her back before that can happen.”

Mira stood a foot in front of me. She held up a tiny blue bottle with a squeeze trigger top.

“You need another spritz?”

I considered it for a second, then shook my head.

“No. I’m good.”

“Then let’s do this,” Yuri said.

He fluttered my sketch at me and asked me where I wanted it.

“My back. Fill it up.”

“The skin is too bad there. I told you that before. I can’t—”

“It’s fine now.” I pulled off my shirt to show him. “See? Gemma fixed it.”

“ Bozhe moy! Look at this!” He sounded stunned. “Your lady must be very powerful to do such amazing healing.”

“She is both powerful and amazing.” Something jammed up in my throat, and I had to swallow.

“Well, get in the chair. You know how it goes.”

While Yuri worked on me, he told Mira how to care for her new ink, and I tuned him out.

I could recite that lecture in my sleep.

I rested my chin on my forearms and appreciated the calm she’d sprayed me with while it lasted.

Despite Gemma’s healing, most of my back was fairly numb, so even the needle pricks didn’t disturb my zen.

Not that I woulda noticed it too much, anyway. Getting a tattoo was nothing compared to some of the stuff I’d endured.

Their voices washed over me—Yuri’s heavy accent, Mira’s endless questions, and Rome’s patient answers—and combined with the calm to make me drowsy.

I’ll close my eyes for a minute. Sorry, Gemma, but I’m so tired. Just for a minute, my angel, I promise …

“I think he fell asleep,” a girl giggled.

“Not surprising, really,” a guy said. “He spends most of the night pacing, drawing, or working out.”

“Kerry?” the girl whispered next to my ear.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands.

“ ’M awake.”

“First time I’ve ever had someone fall asleep while I inked their back.” Yuri grinned as he offered me a hand mirror.

Getting to my feet, I took it and went over to the full-length one.

Oh, yeah. There’s my girl.

I’d given her feathery wings, and sparkles drifted from them in tiny swirls against the evening sky.

Her glorious hair fell loose around her shoulders, just the way I liked it, and a small smile curled her lips.

All of her attention centered on the big tiger standing at her side, and her eyes shimmered with something I saw a dozen times a day in real life.

It had taken me forever to figure out what it was, and even longer to believe it.

Truth was, I still struggled to believe it.

The tiger looked straight ahead, and his snarling face clearly said he was there to make sure no one messed with the angel while she flew as high and as far as she wanted to go.

Originally, I’d toyed with the idea of her holding the tiger by a chain, but realized that wouldn’t work.

She’d set me free, not chained me. Everyone said I was too literal, and they were probably right, but I understood symbolism well enough to know that much.

So instead, I drew her resting one hand on the tiger’s head.

“I knew I could trust you to get it right, Yuri. Thanks.”

“My pleasure. I always enjoy the challenges you bring me.”

Mira came over and stared at my back.

“Kerry, I have no words for this.”

“You think she’ll like it? Or at least not be mad about it?”

“ Mad? If I were her, I’d drop my panties and climb you like a tree.”

“Mira!” My jaw dropped. “Rome, come get this girl.”

The jerk snickered. He was no help at all.

“Hold still now.” Brushing Mira aside, Yuri finished up my back.

When he was done, he handed me my balled-up shirt and knew better than to ask me if I needed help. After I got it on, he held up the page from my sketchbook.

“Can I have this?”

“Why do you want it?” I asked.

“It’s too beautiful to throw away. All your work is.” He smiled. “It’s not like you need it with a permanent copy on your back, and I promise I won’t use it as flash. I want to frame it.”

“I don’t know,” I stalled.

“It’s a compliment to your talent, Kerry,” Rome told me.

“And he’s right about it being too good for the garbage can,” Mira chimed in. “Think of all the work you put into it.”

She was right, and the fact he wanted to frame it, like it was real art, made me feel good inside. Still, I needed him to understand one thing.

“We have a good relationship, don’t we, Yuri?”

I thought I’d kept my tone even, but he still took a step back.

“ Da .”

“I’ve always paid you whatever you asked without haggling and let you keep all my originals for free and your own use, right?”

“ Da .”

He took another step back.

“You can keep that. You can even sell the tiger design if you want.” I narrowed my eyes and put a little power in my voice. “But if you ever ink her on anyone else, I will end you. You feel me?”

“ Da .”

Skirting around me, he walked us to the door. We’d already kept him ten minutes past his closing time, which was why I added an extra C note to the wad of cash I handed him.

“ Wunderbar as always,” I told him. “Thank you.”

“ Pazhalusta .”

The others said their goodbyes, and we headed back to the safe house. Mira tucked her hand in Rome’s elbow and laid her head against his arm. His face didn’t change, but I could tell that made him happy.

Good. I nodded to myself. I think they’ll be fine now.

“What does wunderbar mean?” she interrupted my thoughts.

“I picked it up from Kasparian. It’s German for wonderful.” Since the two words sounded so much alike, I could remember it.

“And what did Yuri say right before we left?”

“How should I know? I don’t speak Russian.”

I didn’t understand why she laughed.