Only Skin Deep: Paranormal MMM Romance, page 16
“Well, if Becky’s going to reschedule my clients, I can help with the research—if you’ve got ones in a language I understand. I’ve got nothing better to do.” His mind drifted to Colby and the man’s welfare. He wanted to sit outside the Kennedy household and ensure their mate was safe, but he realized it was best if he gave the man space.
“Betty,” Atlas corrected, before handing over a couple of ancient spell books. “And you should be resting.”
Luca rolled his eyes.
“Promise me you’ll lie across your bed while you’re reading these.”
Luca eyed the spines. “These are Ancient Aramaic. I can’t read them.”
Atlas opened the cover of the top book and Luca noticed English on the page.
“What?”
“Translation spell,” Atlas said. “It should remain for another day or two. Bring it back if you need me to refresh it.”
“Here I thought you were some incredible linguist, speaking a million languages and you’ve been using spells the whole time?” Luca had attempted a translation spell once, but it hadn’t worked well at all. His eleventh-grade French teacher hadn’t been amused, especially when the spell backfired to the point everyone in the room began speaking gibberish for a good two hours.
Atlas scoffed. “In order to create a translation spell, you must understand both languages for it to work properly. Otherwise, the translation might be incorrect or worse—so, yes, I am an incredible linguist, thank you very much.”
“My bad,” Luca said, grinning. No wonder his spell hadn’t worked. “We could’ve helped you long before had we known you could translate them for us.”
“As if I ever got any help around here until the demons started knocking on our door,” Atlas said. “The only reason I’m handing those over is a… your mate is the one cursed, so you have a vested interest in getting this right, and b… I’ve already read them, and I found nothing—but who knows, you might find something I missed.”
Luca cocked his head, lifting a brow. He was accustomed to Atlas’ distinctive brand of condescension, but he wasn’t in the mood for it. Not when everything in his life was utter and total shit. “Me? Find something the perfect Atlas missed? Inconceivable!”
Atlas sighed. “Yeah, yeah. I was sure I’d find something in one of those, and I didn’t. I can’t help but feel like I’ve missed an important clue. Another set of eyes can’t hurt. Maybe you’ll get lucky.”
“Did that hurt?”
Atlas frowned.
Luca closed the top book. “Being less of an asshole?”
“You try putting up with seven arrogant tattoo artists, a bunch of haughty familiars, and snot-nosed apprentices all day while single-handedly dealing with the public, managing the books, the research, the schedule, and doling out customer service with a smile and not become an asshole.”
“A smile? I can’t remember the last time I saw you do that.” He did, and it had been creepy.
Atlas offered double tatted middle fingers. “Me either.”
Luca laughed, and before he could depart with the books, Betty whipped open the front door and Ash rushed in—with another man screaming in his arms. Half-burnt clothing hung from the human, the scent of burning flesh filling the air.
“Another one,” Ash yelled, eyeing Luca. “Where’s Cassius?”
“He’s out,” Atlas said.
“Take him to my studio,” Luca told Ash.
“No,” Ash said, searching the first floor. “Where’s Eli?”
Luca pushed into Ash’s line of vision. “Take him to my studio, Ash!”
Ash moved closer. “No!”
Luca summoned all the energy he had into his hands and directed it at the screaming man. The screaming quieted. “Take him to my studio.”
“You don’t have the strength,” Ash whispered hotly. “We need Cassius.”
Cassius walked through the front door at the most opportune time.
Ash spun to face the man. “Another one.”
“Bring him up,” Cassius said, eyeing Luca. “Can you direct me?”
Luca sighed. “Yeah.”
The two men headed for the elevator, Ash still carrying the human. Luca slid the two large volumes onto the counter and met Atlas’ stare, sensing his strength was sapped. One small calming spell and he was drained. He took a deep breath, one step, and immediately hit the floor.
Ash was at his side within seconds. Luca lifted his gaze and noted Cassius held the human—and the elevator door.
“You’re so fucking mule-headed,” Ash said, pulling one of Luca’s arms around his neck. He lifted and marched them toward the elevator. “Why you have to be so obstinate, I don’t know.”
“He needed help,” Luca said.
Ash entered the elevator. “You can’t help others until you get your shit straight.”
Luca met Cassius’ gaze, ignoring the one raised brow, and turned his attention to the human. Sections of skin were charred black; others were raw and burnt. Flames erupted on the man’s leg, and Ash lowered Luca to brush it out.
“That keeps happening,” Ash muttered.
“Melting, rotting, burning… a new curse for every occasion,” Luca mumbled. “What will they send us next?”
Once the elevator opened again, Cassius stalked toward Luca’s studio. “You’ve got healing inks, so we should work in your space, okay?”
“Yeah,” Luca said, glaring at Ash—who helped him stay upright as they walked down the hallway. “I told Ash to take him to my studio, but he didn’t listen.”
“Don’t you even,” Ash said, glaring.
Luca smiled. “You can let me go now.”
“When we get there,” Ash said.
True to his word, Ash let Luca down once in the studio—directly onto the chair that was usually offered to guests of a client. Cassius laid the human on Luca’s tattoo chair and squatted on the stool next to it, his back to Luca.
“Ash, you might need to go ask Oz for more of my inks. I might have enough, but I’m not sure.”
“On it,” Ash said, rushing out.
Cassius searched the man’s body. “You do realize Ash was right?”
Luca glared at the back of Cassius’ head.
“You can’t help anyone until you’re right again.”
“I don’t like this, Cas. I should be back to normal by now.”
“I know. You’re scared. But don’t take that out on Ash for trying to protect you.” Cas lifted the human’s arm. “Look—the same place as Colby’s curse.”
“This might be another mate.” Luca rose and walked closer. “We need to do this right. I won’t be the reason a witch loses their third.”
He walked across the hall to the empty studio and stole the rolling stool there. Sitting, he rolled himself back into his space and sidled closer to the human. More flames burst, and the human groaned in pain. Luca grabbed a pile of soft gauze and used it to put out the flames.
Cassius washed up and pulled on gloves while Luca cut away some of the man’s clothing, looking for a spot of unblemished skin to start their tattoo. While Cassius prepared the items required, Luca washed up as well. They sat across from one another and surveyed the damage.
“There’s a spot here, on his side. Start there,” Luca said. “Flowing design, like the one I did on Colby.”
Cassius shook his head. “Come here.”
Luca rolled the stool to the other side of the chair. “What is it?”
Cassius’ hands shook. Visibly. Luca’s gaze flipped to Cassius’ face—but the man refused to look directly at him. “You need to do this, Luc… I’ll pour my energy into you.”
“Why?”
“Just do it. Please.”
Luca took the gun. “Okay.”
He slid into place and readied the tattoo gun. Cassius laid hands on his back—and a tidal wave of power washed through him. Power unlike any he’d ever known. Glancing at his hands, the skin above the black latex gloves glowed.
This wasn’t Luca level magic. It was all Cassius had and then some.
Luca went to work, laying down the lines of the spell, mumbling the incantation so familiar that his lips moved on automatic. The burns faded around his instrument, flawless skin appearing from the char. The surge of Cassius’ magic was almost too much, but as fast as it poured into him, it poured back out into the tattoo. He was but a conduit, the middleman in the equation.
He sensed something different from the time before. With Colby, Cassius hadn’t given him as much juice. This time around, Luca felt almost drunk off Cassius’ magic. Yet he didn’t pause his incantations to ask. He worked feverishly, forcing back the burns and ruined flesh. When he was near done, the man was almost whole. There were a few spots of scarring, but they were minor. He ended the last of the colors and lifted his head from the work, noting the curse evaporating from the human’s arm.
There was no mate’s mark there. At least, not yet.
When it was over, Cassius rose and swayed on his feet some. Luca frowned. “You gave too much.”
“I had to,” Cassius whispered.
For a split second, his mind returned to thoughts of Colby. If Cassius had given him more, might he have saved Colby? As quickly as the idea came, it was gone. The curse Colby wore was stronger. Why, he didn’t know.
The human’s eyelashes fluttered. He opened his eyes and jumped from the chair, patting his skin as if putting out an invisible fire. Half of his clothing was burnt or cut away, leaving pieces of fabric falling oddly over his body. After a moment, he paused, observing his skin. And the tattoo.
“What the hell is this?”
Cassius hissed in pain at Luca’s side. He gripped his inner arm and collapsed onto the stool.
Luca surveyed the human. “It’s a tattoo… it stopped you from burning.”
The man lifted his gaze to Luca. “That… wasn’t a nightmare?”
“Sadly, no,” Luca said.
The human’s gaze flipped to Cassius. “That other tattoo… the one you gave me the other day… it’s what started all of this. The burning started there.”
“I’ve never given you a tattoo,” Cassius said.
The human wailed, grasping his inner arm. Luca moved closer, fearful his healing tattoo hadn’t worked, but he saw a mate’s mark burning onto the human’s skin before his very eyes. Looking over one shoulder, he noted the knowing look in Cassius’ eyes.
The human was Cassius’ mate.
Cassius and the mysterious Switch—his familiar. Luca had only met Switch a few times over the years and never for more than a few minutes. From what he understood, the pair had been together for decades—in a long-distance relationship. Switch lived in Hollywood, of all places. The commute would’ve been hell, but luckily Cassius was a master portal maker and likely traveled there more often than Switch came to Salem. When the familiar came for a visit, the pair disappeared for days on end.
Suddenly there was a third… Luca wondered what would happen. Would Switch move to Salem?
“What is this?” the human asked, wide-eyed. “What the hell is going on here?”
Cassius rose and sauntered closer to the man.
“Oh, no you don’t,” the man said before backing up. “You don’t touch me again.”
“I’ve never harmed you.”
The man dragged his falling, torn shirt into place before bolting and racing from the studio. Cassius was quick on his heels. Luca walked to the doorway and watched the pair running away.
“Is that what you did for me?”
Luca spun toward the voice behind him, sure he’d been left alone. Ash and Colby stood in the shadows along the back wall.
“Is it?” Colby asked.
“Yeah,” Luca murmured. “Only I didn’t use Cassius' power for you—well, I used a little of his power, but not as much as I got today. Maybe I should’ve.” A bit of the residual magic still flowed through his veins, and it felt good. Really fucking good.
Especially after his recent lack.
“You were able to cure him. But not me?”
“Yours is… more complicated. His curse wasn’t as strong as the one you bear. At least, it didn’t feel like it. Maybe that was Cassius’ doing. I don’t know.”
Colby’s face gave away no emotion. Luca’s gaze drifted to Ash, who clearly had no issue showing his anger. That blowout would have to wait for later. He glanced at Colby. “Where’s Daniel?”
“Downstairs, looking through the binders of tattoos. He says he wants one now.”
“I’d be happy to give him one. One for protection.”
“After you heal,” Ash spat. “Or perhaps Eli should give it.”
“That’s okay,” Colby said. “He’s not getting a tattoo.”
“Why?” Luca asked.
“Because… he’s not.”
“That’s not a suitable answer,” Luca said. “He’s an adult. If he wants a tattoo, he can get one. He should have one to protect him from what’s outside these walls. You, too.”
Colby shook his head. “It was a mistake to come here.”
“Why did you come?”
Colby paused at the door without turning around. “Because…” He grew silent. “I don’t know why.”
Luca stepped forward, bolder because of the magic zinging through him. “Because you know you belong here.”
“I don’t belong here. I belong in my studio, creating.” He lifted his hands. “But I can’t. Not until you guys fix me.”
“I’d be happy to help you create. Like I did before.”
Colby met his gaze. “Maybe.”
“Tonight?”
Colby was silent a moment before he nodded. “Okay.”
“Ash can come,” Luca said, glancing over his shoulder at his angry mate. “He can make dinner for us while we work.”
Colby gazed at him and nodded. Silent.
“See you tonight,” Luca murmured as he rose from the stool. He leaned in to press his lips to Colby’s.
Colby didn’t kiss him back, but didn’t push him away, either.
“See you tonight,” Colby spat before rushing out.
Luca smiled to himself. He spun to eye Ash, that smile fading.
“What do I need to do to make you see reason?”
“About?”
“Your magic. You have little left.”
Luca slid onto his tattoo chair, propping his feet up. “That was somebody’s mate—and from the looks of it, he just might have been Cassius’.”
“You have absolutely no sense of self-preservation, Luca!” Ash walked over and slammed the studio door closed. He spun to Luca, seething. “Do you have any idea what losing you would do to me?”
Luca sat up straighter. “Your job is dangerous. I have to worry about losing you every single day.”
“Humans could never do to me what these curses are doing to you,” Ash said. “I need you to promise me you won't use your magic again until you’ve refilled your stores.”
“I can’t promise that! What if Colby’s tattoo needs to be refreshed? He comes first.”
“With what magic, Luca? You have none. If you keep pushing, you’re going to lose your gift. Didn’t we just have this conversation, where you were grieving the loss of your power? Then you use up what little you’ve collected without a second thought? It’s madness!”
“He was a mate in need. If it had been someone else helping Colby, would you have wanted them to turn away?”
“There’s a difference between turning away and having nothing to give.”
Luca scoffed.
Ash closed the gap between them and grabbed Luca’s shoulders. “I will not lose you. If I must protect you from you, I’ll do it. I’ll ask Cassius to bind your power until you can heal.”
Did Ash even know that was possible? Luca searched Ash’s face. “You and he have already discussed this, haven’t you?”
Ash’s expression told him the truth.
“You wouldn’t.”
“If it saves you from harm, I will.”
Luca shoved against Ash’s chest, angry. Ash was as strong as a redwood and couldn’t be moved. Still, Luca shoved again. He closed his fists and swung a punch.
Ash ducked, spinning Luca, and putting him in a choke hold.
“Get off me!” Luca screamed, pulling.
Ash was unmovable.
Luca tugged and tugged, to no avail. Finally, he stopped moving and laid back against Ash’s shoulder.
“I’m not sure if it’s foolishness or denial, but either way, you continue using your power. To your detriment,” Ash murmured in his ear. “You can be as angry as you want with me, but I won’t allow you to destroy yourself. Either you find some self-control and let your magic heal—or I’ll do it for you.”
Luca swallowed past the lump in his throat. He was furious with Ash. And maybe a bit turned on. “Fine. You win.” He struggled against Ash. “Can you let me go now?”
Ash did—just as a knock sounded on the studio door. Ash walked over and peeked outside. Someone whispered something before he closed the door again.
“What now?”
“You might want to sit down.”
Luca glared. “Just spill.”
“Mrs. Stephenson… has passed,” Ash murmured.
Luca collapsed onto his tattoo chair. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Tears slid down his cheeks as the weight of his situation hit him square in the shoulders. Ash moved closer, and at first, Luca pushed him away.
But it was too much grief for him to handle alone.
He twisted his fingers in Ash’s shirt and dragged his mate closer. Luca sank his face into Ash’s chest and let the tears fall as they may. Ash caressed his head and neck, offering the solace he needed.
The tide hit hard. He was overdue for a good, ugly cry.
When it was over, he was lighter. Lifting his gaze to Ash, he winced. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Ash whispered, wiping some wetness from Luca’s cheek. “You don’t have to be ashamed of being emotional. Not around me.”
“Not for this… for being an idiot.”
Ash chuckled. “We’re both capable of being idiots. This was just your turn.”
“I’m lucky to have you in my life,” Luca murmured. “Someone strong enough to tell me enough is enough.”
