New York—Saturday, March 31, 2018
The dance club at Flatiron Five Fitness was rocking, just the way Reyna had expected. The music was loud, the DJ was smoking, and the dance floor was packed with writhing, bopping, beautiful bodies. It was exactly the urban fix she needed. As much as she loved the tranquility of Honey Hill, Maine, sometimes Reyna needed a taste of the city’s excitement. A girls’ weekend away in Manhattan, to celebrate Liv’s graduation, was the ideal solution—especially if it meant Reyna could bring her friends to Chynna’s big event. She and Lexi and Liv danced every song, high on the music, not caring whether they had partners or not.
Reyna was the newest member of the trio of friends. Lexi and Liv had grown up in Honey Hill and had known each othe for years, while Reyna was a recent arrival to the small town. Lexi had long dark hair and the most amazing silver-grey eyes. She was a beauty who didn’t bother with it, and Reyna always wondered what her story was. She waited tables at Wolfe Lodge, which was owned by her brother Spencer and his friend, Gabe, but didn’t seem to have more ambition than that. Liv had ambition to spare: she’d just finished grad school and was headed to England for post-graduate studies. She was intense, conservative and serious, but she and Reyna both loved books. Reyna was the one who looked wild, with her extensive tattoos and her rockabilly clothes, she never blended into the crowd—she didn’t want to, unless she was in New York. If either Lexi or Liv had noticed that she was dressing down a bit this weekend, or looking over her shoulder a lot, they didn’t comment.
That was good, because there were some stories Reyna wouldn’t tell.
At the stroke of eleven, a guy jumped onto the bar and raised his hand. The music immediately fell silent, as if it had been arranged in advance. The crowd stopped dancing, and some complained even as they turned to look at him. He was tall and blond, a surfer guy caught downtown, and Reyna assumed he was one of the partners who owned the fitness club.
“Hey, I’m Kyle!” he shouted and the crowd cheered. “Thank you for coming to the first full moon party at Flatiron Five Fitness!” There was a roar of approval from the crowd. “Are you having fun?” They shouted agreement and stamped their feet. “Only that much fun?” he asked, apparently surprised, and they bellowed agreement again.
“He’s loving this,” Lexi whispered to Reyna and she nodded. This Kyle wasn’t hard on the eyes, either. Reyna scanned the club though, hoping to catch a glimpse of her old friend, Chynna. It was supposed to be her night.
“You’ve made this night awesome and the party’s just started,” Kyle continued. There was another cheer in response to that, but he lifted a finger. “But I had to stop the dancing for a surprise.”
“Free memberships!” suggested someone on the dance floor.
Kyle laughed. “You’ve got it!” he joked then snapped his fingers. Two of the waitresses began to fling fistfuls of gift cards into the throng. There was a scramble to claim the cards, then shouts as they were held up triumphantly. Reyna caught one but passed it to someone else. Since she didn’t live in the city, there was no chance she’d use it.
“Woo hoo!” Kyle cried. “Welcome to another crop of new members at F5F!” He was answered by a cheer and applause. Reyna saw people bouncing, obviously wanting the music to start again. “This last surprise is the touch that will make F5F even more special. Are you ready?”
The crowd cheered, then quieted as the lights dimmed. There were still excited whispers but a hum of anticipation began at the back of the club. Kyle gestured toward the door. A trio of spotlights swirled across the walls and ceiling, then focused on a woman who stood alone in the doorway.
Chynna.
Reyna lifted her hands to her lips and smiled, her heart racing.
When had the legendary tattoo artist appeared? She hadn’t been there, and then she was. She could have been conjured by magic—and Reyna wouldn’t have put it past her. There was something special about Chynna. She was wreathed in swirling white and appeared to step out of a mist, which added to the illusion.
Chynna had short hair that was bleached white and tipped in pink. Reyna could remember it being longer once upon a time, but she liked it short. Chynna was dressed mostly in black, a preference that hadn’t changed in a decade. Her eyes were outlined with dark kohl and her lips were vivid pink. There was a massive gem at the collar of her flowing white shirt and her black skirt swirled around her ankles. She wore black boots with stiletto heels and a long black jacket with silver embroidery. It looked Edwardian. A frock coat. Her face was pale and achingly beautiful.
Timeless.
The crowd stared.
“Chynna,” Reyna whispered with awe and saw her old friend’s lips curve slightly.
Lexi and Liv spun to look at Reyna. “You know her?” Lexi asked, mouthing the question. Reyna nodded. Liv lifted a finger and indicated Reyna’s full sleeve of tattoos. She nodded again, then directed their attention back to Chynna.
In one hand, Chynna gripped a silver briefcase. She lifted the other hand and the rings on her fingers sparkled. The crowd gasped as a black bird flew from behind her, appearing just as suddenly out of the mist, and landed gracefully on her finger.
Tristan was still with her. That was a good thing.
Chynna lifted her hand so the bird easily could step onto her shoulder. Tristan was a large black raven. He cawed then bobbed his head, seeming to survey the crowd with approval. His eyes gleamed as if he could see the secret thoughts of each person at the club, and as he moved, the silver tag on his leg caught the light. The woman murmured to him and Tristan nodded again.
“‘She walks in beauty like the night,’” Kyle said and Chynna laughed. Hers was a throaty chuckle that made Reyna think of nights spent in bed, and maybe long afternoons there, too. She had her effect on the crowd too—Reyna saw hands joining, couples drawing closer to each other, arms slipping around waists. She felt alone and reminded herself that she preferred it that way.
Kyle jumped down from the bar and joined Chynna in the doorway. Reyna had the whimsical thought that they looked like moonlight and sunlight together. Sister Moon and Brother Sun. Kyle cleared his throat and recited a poem clearly. “‘Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright; Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellow’d to that tender light; Which heaven to gaudy day denies.’”
“Lord Byron,” Chynna said, her words almost a purr of pleasure. She reached out to put a fingertip on Kyle’s chest and for a moment, Reyna thought she could see a tattoo there. He could have had a chest piece, one that glowed through his black T-shirt, as if it had been lit by fire. Reyna thought she saw the heart tattoo burn radiant for a moment, which was impossible. By the time she’d blinked, Kyle’s shirt looked normal and she wondered if her imagination was messing with her.
On the other hand, it was Chynna.
“The moon is full,” she said. “There is magic to be worked.”
The crowd rustled, excitement rising.
“Please welcome Chynna,” Kyle said. A gasp of delight filled the club at this confirmation and her name was repeated again and again. She was obviously known, at least by reputation. “The world’s most amazing tattoo artist, the one whose work has the power to set hearts afire.”
The repetition of her name became a chant. Chynna, Chynna...
Chynna bowed to the crowd. “Tonight the moon is full,” she said, her rich voice carrying over the crowd easily. “The power of love magic is strong. Tonight, to celebrate my new shop within F5F, I will give a tattoo to one of you, a tattoo with the ability to make your romantic desire come true.”
There was a ripple of excitement, and Reyna felt that anticipation rise as they jostled forward. A free tattoo from a famous artist wasn’t a small thing, whether it was magic or not.
“Me!” cried one woman, then the shouts became more numerous.
Reyna could see that Chynna’s popularity intersected perfectly with the people who had come to the club. Opening her tattoo shop here, in the lobby, was a great marketing choice. Reyna wondered whose idea it had been.
Possibly this Kyle guy. He looked proud of the reaction.
Chynna held up a hand for silence. “But the choice is already made. Tristan will show us.” The raven flapped its wings. The spotlights swirled as the bird took flight. Reyna might have been concerned that the raven would be dazzled by the lights but he seemed untroubled. He flew over the crowd, circling three times, then descended to land.
Reyna thought for a moment that Tristan was coming to her.
She took a step back, aware that she had no romantic desires of her own. Chynna’s gift should go to someone more deserving.
Tristan landed on Liv’s shoulder. He gave Reyna an intent look, as if to chide her for thinking he’d choose her, and she exhaled with relief. Of course, Tristan knew as much about her hidden past as Chynna did.
Liv gasped in surprise, her hand rising to Tristan’s claws in shock.
Lexi laughed with delight. “Liv! Total score!” she cried and gave her a high five.
Liv looked more than a little uncertain of that. Reyna doubted she had any tattoos.
On the other hand, some magic ink—and a dose of love—might be just what Liv needed.
Reyna gave Liv a hug as the crowd cheered around them. “You’re officially the luckiest person in the world!”
Liv clearly had her doubts.
Tristian took flight, returning to Chynna’s outstretched hand. Lexi hooked her arm through Liv’s on one side, and Reyna did the same on the other. They led her toward Chynna, and the dancers parted like a Biblical sea, making a path for them.
While Tristan had been choosing Liv, Chynna had removed a deck of cards from her pocket. The silver briefcase was at her feet and she fanned out the cards in her hands. Even from a distance, Reyna could see that they were over-sized with pictures on them.
Her famously-accurate tarot cards.
This was a prize.
Chynna lifted them so that only the backs of the cards were visible to the crowd, then held them out to Liv. Lexi gave Liv a push when she hesitated, and she picked a card, turning it to look at it.
“Who is he?” Lexi demanded and the crowd laughed.
“The object of desire.” Chynna plucked the card from Liv’s fingers and slid it into her right pocket. She offered the fanned cards to Tristan, who was perched on her shoulder again. He cawed and bobbed his head, as if debating his selection, then tugged one out of alignment with his beak.
“The mechanism of desire.” Chynna added it to her pocket without showing it to anyone. She then chose a third card herself and put it into her pocket, too. “The end result of desire,” she purred. Tristan nodded, looking wise, as Chynna smiled. The rest of the deck disappeared into her left pocket.
She touched Liv’s cheek with a fingertip. “As you wish, so shall it be,” she said, then picked up her briefcase and spun to leave. Her coat tails and skirt flared out as she pivoted. Her heels clicked on the stone floor as she led the way out of the dance club. Liv, Lexi and Reyna followed, though Reyna wondered which of them was more excited. Lexi was glad one of them had one and Reyna knew the value of the gift. Liv looked skeptical but was playing along.
Would she run when she saw Chynna’s tattoo gun?
Once in the lobby, Tristan took flight again and flew over Chynna toward the new shop. The ceiling was high and he had room to show off. Again, he flew three circuits, then dove toward the shop. He was the first one over the threshold, and landed on a gold perch inside.
Flatiron Five Tattoo it was called, the name filling the back wall with a red pulsing lit heart at the end of it. The black floor had the phases of the moon in white on it, and there were a lot of black glass tiles that sparkled like they were filled with stars. There were red hearts scattered in key locations. One wall was filled with framed photographs of Chynna’s work and there were a lot of fairy lights. A pair of women were standing ready. They were dressed in black, but not quite as flamboyantly as Chynna. One had short black hair and one had long hair that looked like flowing flame. Reyna didn’t recognize either of them, but Chynna did a lot of mentoring and her apprentices changed often.
Chynna ushered the three women into the shop, took another bow, then her employees pulled deep red velvet drapes across the glass walls that faced into the F5F lobby. They tugged the drapes until only Chynna stood framed in the gap. Reyna realized there were hearts embroidered across the drapes, a perfect touch. She smiled in admiration.
“Some magic must be done unobserved and by moonlight,” Chynna said, her voice coming from everywhere and nowhere. “I bid you goodnight.” The crowd hooted and cheered as the drapes closed, then the music started again. Reyna peeked out to see Kyle pointing back to the club.
“Let’s dance!” he shouted and they were only too happy to follow his instruction. Then it was only the three friends alone with Chynna, her assistants and a watchful Tristan. Chynna removed her frock coat and one of the assistants hung it up. She reached for her favorite tattoo gun, then surveyed Liv.
“This tattoo brings true love to the bearer,” she said. “So I believe and so shall it be. Where would you like it?”
Liv looked like she didn’t want it at all, but Reyna gave her a gentle push forward. She couldn’t refuse a magical tattoo.
She wouldn’t, would she?
A secret heart tattoo.
For her.
Liv’s heart was going to explode. It was still racing, beating faster than ever, and she knew why. She didn’t do risk or experiments or even girls’ weekends in the city. This was a good reason why. She couldn’t believe the raven had picked her, out of all those people. She never won anything. She was never chosen for anything. She didn’t like being the center of attention and usually managed to avoid it.
But the bird had chosen her. She’d always admired Reyna’s tattoos but would never have volunteered to get one herself. It seemed like something a more flamboyant person would do.
Like Chynna.
The stuff about the moon’s magic and finding true love was nonsense, of course. Liv didn’t believe in either magic or love, but she knew it would be rude to voice her doubts.
Lexi, of course, was loving it all. Comparing their reactions, anyone would have thought that Lexi had won the grand prize. She was practically bouncing in her anticipation and her eyes were shining. She went straight to the sample books and began to flip through them. Reyna was surveying the tattoo shop, her eyes wide with wonder like a kid in a candy store. She was the one who’d suggested they come here, as Chynna had done most of her tattoos.
“This is an awesome place,” she said to Chynna. “You totally scored.”
“I love it,” the artist confessed.
Lexi was turning the pages of one of Chynna’s portfolios. “What are you going to get? I saw your face, you know. Who is he?” she demanded again. “And why haven’t you told me anything?”
“Liv and her secrets,” Reyna teased, her eyes sparkling. “I knew we’d get to the bottom of at least one this weekend.”
“Big adventure in the city,” Lexi said.
“Or tequila,” Reyna replied. “Whichever works.”
“Liv never drinks enough tequila to lose control,” Lexi complained. “Good thing the raven had your number.”
Liv didn’t answer her. She loved her best friends to bits, but she didn’t have anything like their verve.
Stepping out of her comfort zone had to end badly.
It invariably did.
“Maybe Lexi should get the tattoo,” she said when the curtains were drawn. “Or Reyna. She has lots already.” There were just the six women in the shop, but Liv didn’t feel as if she had much in common with any of them.
Chynna gave her an amused glance. “Tristan didn’t choose Lexi or Reyna. He chose you.” She had set her silver briefcase on a table and opened it now, revealing the collection of tattoo guns packed inside. Each one was in a special compartment, carved out of the dark foam lining to fit it perfectly. Liv guessed that they were customized, because Reyna leaned closer for a better look. Chynna caressed them, her fingers sliding over each one lovingly.
“Why did he choose me?”
“Because he knows who needs the magic most. It’s his gift.”
Liv bit her tongue. She leaned over the portfolio beside Lexi. What would she get?
“Why is he named Tristan?” she asked to stall for time. Maybe if she asked enough questions, Chynna would toss her out.
But the question didn’t seem to annoy her. She slanted a glance at Liv. “Do you know the story of Tristan and Iseult?”
Liv shook her head.
Reyna cleared her throat. “Weren’t they the first star-crossed lovers, the ones some say provided the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet?”
“Exactly.”
That didn’t explain the bird’s name, but Chynna didn’t say any more.
“Is your real name Iseult, then?” Liv asked and the artist laughed.
She still didn’t reply, though. She took the three tarot cards out of her pocket instead and went to the counter by the entry to the shop. More fortune telling, too. Liv kept from rolling her eyes.
“You’re skeptical,” Chynna said quietly, no accusation in her tone. She laid down the first card, the one Liv had chosen.
The Knight of Wands.
“A man,” Reyna explained. “And since it was right-side up, he’s arriving in her life.”
“Galloping in on a white charger maybe,” Lexi said.
Liv felt shivery. Pieces of paper couldn’t know anything about her life. Divination was a trick, a game of the odds. She was in her early thirties. Statistics suggested that she was probably heterosexual and she wore no rings. Chynna had made a deduction and probably used some sleight of hand to encourage Liv to choose the card.
It had to have a logical explanation.
“The object of your affection,” Chynna said, giving the card a little stroke. “Or perhaps, more accurately, the focus of your passion and lust.”
Liv didn’t scoff.
“Who knew Liv had passion or lust?” Reyna teased. “There was a reason they called you the Ice Queen in high school.”
“And she hasn’t thawed yet,” Lexi said.
“Maybe it’ll just take the right man,” Reyna said. They both looked at Liv, their manners expectant.
“Everyone has passion and lust,” she said, knowing she sounded a little stiff. “It’s the biological mechanism that encourages us to breed, which ensures the survival of the species.”
“It’s a lot more fun than that, Liv,” Reyna said.
“Maybe you need to do it with Mr. Right to really enjoy it,” Lexi said.
Liv could have argued that there was no such thing as a Mr. Right, but she was thinking of Lexi’s older brother Spencer. He was so different from her. That’s why he’d always fascinated her.
What if she had a one-nighter with him before she left for England?
Too bad she didn’t have the nerve to seduce him or even suggest intimacy with him.
“Look at that blush,” Lexi said, gripping Liv’s shoulder. “Who is he?”
She was leaving in three weeks. If she made a move now, even if it went badly, even if Spencer did find out it was her, he might forget by the time they saw each other again.
Or, alternatively, she might not ever come back to Honey Hill.
That was do-able.
She liked the idea of seducing Spencer before she left.
Although it might take more than one taste to satisfy this particular biological urge.
“What’s the next card?” Reyna asked.
“Tristan’s pick?” Chynna asked, then turned over the second card. It was The Moon. “The Moon governs impulse and urges. It demands that you run wild and follow your primal urges.” Her dark eyes sparkled. “The Moon insists that you surrender to your instincts.” She slid her finger to the first card and tapped it. “With him.”
Liv might not survive any interval of surrendering to her impulses with Spencer.
He’d probably never look at her the same way.
And actually, that might not be a bad thing. Anything had to be better than him treating her like another sister when all she wanted to do was lick him from head to toe, jump his bones, lock him in her bedroom, and have her way with him over and over again.
She was getting wet just thinking about it.
Chynna watched her and smiled.
“A night of wild sex with her fantasy lover,” Reyna concluded with satisfaction, cutting right to the chase, as always. She nodded. “It’ll be good for her to lose her inhibitions and go for it for once. Come on, Ice Queen, schedule a spring thaw!”
“What do we do to help make it happen?” Lexi asked.
Of course, Lexi saw herself as part of the solution. She was always ready to step up for her friends.
Could Lexi and Reyna help?
“Accept the tattoo,” Chynna said, raising her gaze to meet Liv’s. “And set your heart afire.”
“I’ll get you a shooter from the bar if you need encouragement,” Lexi offered.
Liv shook her head, her decision made. She hoped she didn’t regret it. “No. I want to do this sober.” She took a deep breath. “Could I have a tattoo of a bee?”
“A bumble bee? Of course.” Chynna shed her frock coat and one of the assistants swooped in to claim it and hang it up. She rolled up her sleeves with care. “Why a bee?”
“Because that’s the focus of my research. Genetics in bees and how—or if—it influences them falling prey to viruses and parasites. It’s possible that there’s a genetic reason why some hives are experiencing large losses of population and others aren’t.”
Chynna nodded and Liv realized she was moving into lecture mode. She smiled and fell silent as Chynna showed her a few images.
“I’d like one in flight, so it’s obviously alive, maybe with a flower.”
The raven crowed as if approving of that, and Chynna smiled even as she took a pad of paper and sketched. She was obviously talented, because her pencil moved with confidence.
“No bees sliced up for the microscope?” Reyna asked, making a face.
“I see enough of those,” Liv said. “I want to look at the tattoo and think of how they buzz on a summer’s day.”
Reyna smiled. “In the gardens at The Pines.”
Liv nodded. She and Reyna had spent a day at the big house in Honey Hill the previous summer. Liv had watched the bees while Reyna helped Jane with the honey harvest there. She used their honey in the cupcakes she sold, and she sold the honey for the Watkins, too.
It was a bit spooky how Chynna drew exactly what Liv wanted.
As if she had looked right into her imagination and plucked out the image. That was irrational. She must have just described it well. It was bigger than Liv might have hoped, a good four inches across, but she wasn’t going to pick nits. This was a once in a lifetime experience and she would enjoy it.
She’d never get another tattoo.
She hoped it didn’t hurt too much.
Chynna drew a red heart in the middle of the bee, the only spot of color on the drawing. “That’s where the magic goes,” she said softly.
“What’s the third card?” Lexi asked.
“That’s a secret, for now,” Chynna said. “It’s the result of what we conjure here tonight. You’ll find out soon enough, but the card is probably the only way that I’ll know. I like to know the end before I participate.” She lifted her gaze and gave Liv a smile. “You should tell Lexi and Reyna who he is, since you might need their help.”
Liv nodded, bracing herself for Lexi’s reaction. “It’s Spencer.”
Reyna swore softly, her astonishment complete.
There was a moment during which the only sound was that of Chynna drawing.
“My brother?” Lexi demanded.
“I don’t know anybody else named Spencer.”
Lexi blinked, her astonishment clear. “Since when?”
Liv felt her cheeks heating but didn’t answer.
Lexi swore. Reyna laughed. “Spring is in the air,” she said with a laugh.
Lexi shoved her hand through her hair, paced the width of the shop then came back to eye Liv. “Seriously? Spencer? Seriously?”
“Seriously. Why is that hard to believe?”
“He is so hot,” Reyna said with a wise nod at Lexi. “You’d think so, too, if he wasn’t your brother.”
Lexi turned to Liv. “What can we do to help?”
“I don’t want him to know it’s me,” Liv said.
“A secret lover,” Reyna mused. “Oh, this will be fun.”
“I’ll get Gabriel to help,” Lexi said, referring to Spencer’s partner at Wolfe Lodge. “He’ll be up to help with that.”
“It has to be a secret,” Liv insisted. “One time with no repercussions.”
Reyna shook her head, her skepticism showing.
“Don’t waste the magic of the new moon,” Chynna said, her voice dreamy.
“That’s two weeks away,” Reyna said.
“We can work with that,” Lexi said, purpose in her tone.
The deadline made no sense to Liv, at least not because of the moon. Moons didn’t have magic whether they were full or new. But she was leaving for England in less than three weeks and leaving it that long meant that there would be less time for Spencer to find out the truth before she was gone forever.
Liv felt her blood run hot and then cold. Could she really do this?
She had to do it.
She had to know.