The situation was so unexpected that her mind still couldn't process the situation that just landed in front of her. There were several beats of stunned silence on the line before Ley got her bearings back.
"That's correct," she muttered confidently but she was biting her fingernail as soon as she was done in apprehension.
She was facing Siri who was showing a 'what's up' gesture at her behavior. Ley mouthed Landon's name while pointing to the phone.
"I've heard about your abilities and I would like to propose a transaction," Landon continued.
Ley's eyes bulged incredulously at what he heard. It wasn't entirely unexpected since only people interested in the tattoos call this number but Ley never imagined that she would have to show up in front of him in her tattooist identity if she ever agreed to the deal. An identity she must keep hidden tightly from him at all costs.
"Keep talking," she replied coolly, hanging on to the mysterious halo of the tattooist, with the thought that she will decide once she heard his piece.
"I need a spell that would protect my team from mental manipulation. Would you be able to do that?" Landon stated politely but Ley could hear that he's not expecting that much on this deal.
She always wondered what he's beef was with magicks. Landon was guarding against the manipulating power of the ocarina which backed her into the corner. She can't just abandon them since they're on the same team, technically.
Ley knew basic mental shields but this time it would need to be tailored to manipulation. She would have to consult Merda regarding the right spell to use since she would be more knowledgeable about it than Sera.
"How many are you thinking?" She asked once she made up her mind.
"20 at most."
"15. I can only do a few more after a couple of weeks since I'd need to gather the materials again," she informed him with finality in her voice. Doing tattoos for 20 people would cause her to collapse from blood loss so it's non-negotiable and she would need time to recover from them, the number she quoted was already pushing it.
"Alright. We can just make plans for the next batch then. I need this done as soon as possible."
"We can do the procedure in Warped Alley tomorrow. The guides know where my shop is located," she simply said. It was one of the many perks of having a reputation at the alley.
"I looked forward to tomorrow then," he replied like it was just one of his normal business deals before he hanged up.
Ley put down the phone with a frown on her face. She needed to prepare thoroughly and ensure that there would be no hiccups tomorrow. Ley was about to head back to double-check her tools and to talk with Merda when a voice spoke at her back.
"I'm coming with you."
Ley turned around and saw Tristan with his arms crossed in front of her. She noticed that Siri already left her sometime ago unknowingly. Tristan looked relaxed and casual but she knew that he won't accept no for an answer. He rarely budged from his decision but that doesn't mean that she'll tolerate it this time.
"Don't be ridiculous," she shot him down unhesitatingly.
"If Gale didn't go with you last time. . ."
Tristan didn't finish his sentence but we both know what he's talking about. She could have survived the attack but it would have been a struggle due to the sheer number of their attackers. She also wouldn't be able to guarantee Old Bertie's survival. Annoyance gnawed at her since she got cornered immediately.
"Landon knows your face and I don't have enough magic to cloak the both of us with illusion," she pinpointed the problem with his idea.
"Not if I go with you in shifter form," Tristan smirked at her.
Of all the ideas, Ley wanted to whack him. Shifters working for magicks wasn't rare but they're frowned upon by the others once seen. Most of the time, it was because the shifter was treated like a servant due to the result of a contract between two parties. Shifters value freedom more than anything and they can't tolerate their kind being treated like that.
"That's unusual and it would look bad on you," she shot back.
"I don't care about their opinions. They won't know who I am. Look, you would be surrounded by shifters that know your identity. You're outnumbered and we don't know how Landon will react. I'm not saying that you've got holes in your disguise but you never know what might happen. I want to be there as backup just in case," he elaborated reasonably this time.
Ley stared at him impassively, stewing in frustration. She walked out without a word upon seeing Tristan's smug smile. She gave up trying to argue with that stubborn fool and just left in search of Merda.
***
Ley slowly walked the familiar alley with the floating lights blinking at her sides. Her cloak that was black as night, clung to her like a second skin, exposing only half of her pale face. A medallion with a glittering gem on its center hung at the fastening of the cloak which bedazzled anyone who's looking at it momentarily.
She glanced at the shifters gathered in front of the shop and flashed an arrogant smile. She was the elusive but highly sought engraver. The one whom people at wits end went to in exchange for a high price. Her every action radiated pride befitting her reputation. Tonight, she was the Tattooist.
Her onlookers swiveled their eyes to the side and saw the menace. Disdain flared at their faces instantly. A midnight colored panther with its gaze bordering beyond feral padded quietly alongside her while she made her way. Glinting silver magic chains wove around its body like a leashed animal which provoked the disgust of their new client. It was the manifestation of the restraining tattoos she put on Tristan. He didn't care one bit and continued trailing her like he would pounce at anyone in just one wrong move.
She ignored their stares and stopped to wait right in front of the shop motionlessly. A familiar hand appeared in front of her bowed head which she grasped without hesitation.
"I'm-"
"Forget the introductions. I don't need to know any of your names. I'll do what you need, pay me and let's go our separate ways," she cut him off brusquely as per her usual routine while she dropped his hand.
The tattooist just needs to get the deal done. Get in, get paid then get out. Making it personal would just complicate things and bring trouble on her doorstep. She was already knee deep in this. She doesn't need to give Landon more information that may lead to the discovery of her identity. As long as she's careful, the medallion would confuse their senses and they wouldn't be able to get a hold of her description like the quality of her voice, her scent or even her face. After this, all they would remember was a blurry cloaked lady.
She opened the door to the tiny shop that can barely accommodate them. There were only a few pieces of furniture inside without any personal indications. A wooden cabinet, table and two chairs were driving home the fact that it was only a workroom. Hanging jars of light were in the walls illuminating the dim room.
She sat on the chair in front of the table and signalled for one of the shifters to sit on the other one in front of her. The chair was customized to have a raised platform where the client rested their arm while she created the tattoo. She noticed Landon nodded before one dared to sat.
She reached for the pot containing her ink and the pen inside her cloak which she will use for the tattooing. She opened the pot and the potency of the magic flooded the room and enveloped them. It was this mystical feeling that gave her joy every time. There was no doubting its power after the result of her trials with Merda. She also included materials that would increase the efficacy of the tattoo when it came to its lifespan, strength and compatibility to the shifters. The pen absorbed the ink and its pointed end glowed dark red.
"You ready?" She asked as she reached for his arm to start.
"Do your worst," he muttered while his eyes openly showed scorn.
Lovely. She got a prick right at the bat. A slight smile graced her half-hidden face while her hands gripped the pen. Not even a minute later, screams emanated from the guy. He only turned quiet once she stopped. There was a sudden snort from the panther beside her as if it was making fun of him.
"You were saying?" She said, lips stretched to a blinding smile while she took in his pale face. The procedure is normally painless however she discovered that when she inserted the magic without care suddenly, it would cause unbearable pain to the person. She learned to do it slowly and get past the natural barriers of the body painlessly. However, when faced with a cocky client, she gave them a taste of this special treatment.
Hearing him scream once already satisfied her so she concentrated on the tattoo. She doesn't have a set drawing in mind but goes by feeling. She weaved the magic around his mind with blood as its medium like a shield. An hour later, she finished the tattoo and saw a dome-shaped tree flashing red but instead of leaves, it has thorns instead. The tattoo this time won't disappear since it would be actively defending the mind from sudden control attacks. Ley stared at him as he put his hand in his head bewilderedly as if he's feeling the trace of magic.
"Can we test it?" Landon asked, breaking the silence in the room.
She tilted her head up slightly and saw his impassive face focused on her but he gave off a disturbing feeling instead. Ley felt like he wanted to rip off the cloak covering her face. She tugged the hood on her face lower unconsciously.
"No problem, however, take note that every time it deflected manipulation, the magic would be depleted in the tattoo until it's gone," she finally replied.
"Go."
The shifter in front of her immediately stood up and went outside following Sebastian. Ley proceeded to clean out her engraving pen while she waited for them to be done. She tapped it once and it gave a little burst of light. The magic dissipated along with the blood in just seconds.
The door opened again and Ley saw Sebastian nodded triumphantly at Landon when she glanced over.
"Any side effects?"
"Nothing at all," he shook his head.
"Proceed then."
Another shifter immediately sat in front of her. She took a deep breath before starting since this time it would be nonstop. She grabbed her pen and began tattooing again.
She didn't know how many hours already passed from doing the tattooing when she heard someone speak.
"There was no decision yet on our report and call for help. They said the whereabouts of the Beast King was unknown."
"Do a follow up after a couple of days."
Ley paused at what she heard but didn't look over at where the sound came from to avoid getting their attention. They were speaking in a lower frequency only heard by shifters, unaware of her sharp hearing. She soon resumed her drawing as if she didn't hear anything at all.
She cleaned her pen for the nth time while waiting for the next shifter when someone adjusted the chair to fully face her with the raised platform away from her before sitting down.
She was startled to see Landon just within touching distance due to the chairs being so near to each other. She glanced around the room and realized the others were gone and there's only two of them left with the addition of a lounging panther suddenly looking interested in their direction.
She hadn't recovered yet from her surprise when Landon suddenly stripped off his shirt, revealing sculpted muscles that threatened to break her composure.
"What are you doing?" Her tone rose sharply.
"I want the tattoo drawn on my chest," he explained while raising one eyebrow at her reaction.
What a load of bull.
She didn't have any viable reason to refuse and just steeled herself. She stared at the expanse of chest in front of her and reminded herself to act professional. Helplessly, she touched his chest and felt the hardness of it. Heat immediately flooded her face. It was fortunate that her face was barely seen and he couldn't see her reaction.
She had never concentrated so hard in her life until now. She entered her zone and focused on the tattoo. She was already feeling the fatigue from doing continuous tattoos and it took her double the time to finish Landon's.
She exhaled a breath of relief as she checked the finished tattoo when she felt her hood slipping. Her hand shot out so fast and collided with Landon's hand. Her other hand secured her hood back while she clamped on his arm.
"Nice try," she sneered at him.
The whole drama of not wanting the tattoo on his arm was just drama so he could have more access to her and can easily try to remove her hood.
The devil just chuckled at her unrepentantly.
"I couldn't just pass this chance, could I?"