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“My dad told me stories about tattoos breaking spells, so that didn’t surprise me. But parts changing into something else… that was definitely a first for me.” Isaac gave Damon a smirk. “Out of all the pieces of Morgana’s tattoo you could copy, you want the serpent, huh? Cunning and manipulative. Your ability of persuasion not enough?”
Damon cracked a smile. “According to Morgana it is. But to be honest…” His expression sobered. “If Morgana hadn’t resisted my persuasion, I would have prevented her from finding Sam. I can’t imagine...” He rubbed his right cheek. He’d come back from Mexico with a raised scar covering that cheek, and it ended just below his eye. “So I don’t regret this, and since no amount of magic will heal it, I’ll always have it as a reminder of what we went through. But I’d like one that’s a little more positive. One of my own choosing as well,” he said, looking Isaac in the eyes. “I want it on my forearm where I’ll see it all the time.”
“Understood.” Isaac flicked through the pictures from Damon until he found the close-up of Morgana’s serpent. After he studied it for a few minutes, he switched to his drawing program and began to sketch. The original sunflower he’d tattooed on Morgana had been small, only about an inch in length, and the serpent it had transformed into wasn’t much bigger.
Isaac used the full length of his tablet for the design, knowing he could print the stencil in any size Damon wanted. He didn’t talk as he drew free hand, adding detail as he went.
When he was finished, he turned the tablet around and watched Damon’s face to gauge his feelings on the piece.
“Wow, man, you’re talented. Amazing. I know that’s exactly what I asked for…” Damon hesitated, as if he wanted to say something else.
“But…” Isaac prompted.
“I’m not sure.” Damon took the tablet and studied it closely for a few moments.
Isaac knew why Damon hesitated, because he’d felt the same thing. Something was missing from the sketch. Not from the serpent, but from the design as a whole. He took the tablet when Damon passed it back. “You open to adding something to the design?”
“Sure, but I can’t see the other transformed pieces working.”
“Agreed. But an idea just came to me and I think you’ll like it.”
“Show me.”
Isaac saved his current sketch as version one and went back to drawing. He’d drawn the serpent in an S-type shape with the bottom curling around itself. In his mind, he saw a large sunflower coming out of the loop formed by the curled tail, with the stems and leaves of the smaller sunflowers surrounding the rest of the serpent. With the image so clear in his mind, he was able to draw quickly, and then he moved to the next addition. On the bottom of the serpent’s tail, he added a butterfly that looked like it was about to take flight.
“I picture all of it in black and gray, except for the butterfly,” he said as he handed the tablet over to Damon.
Damon took in the sketch but didn’t say anything. Isaac hadn’t expected him to as sometimes it took a while to absorb the impact of the full design. Sometimes his designs even surprised him.
“I’d like a copy of this to frame,” Damon said when he handed the tablet back. “It’s perfect.”
“Great. Now let’s talk about the colors for the butterfly and get it transferred to a stencil.”
Damon decided on vibrant blues, and since Isaac had blocked the rest of the day for the appointment, he figured they would get it finished in one sitting.
It didn’t take long to get the stencil the right size and the design transferred to Damon’s skin.
“Did you ever hear the story about why Morgana got the serpent?” Damon asked after Isaac had been tattooing for a few minutes.
Isaac kept his focus on his work as he answered. “No. But I heard all about the fire and gravity.”
“Yeah, that was something I never want to go through again.” Damon made a huffing noise. “The serpent was the second flower to change, the first being the butterfly when the spell broke. Anyway… we had gone to the apartment where she’d been held, and I was worried she was going to do something reckless. Since the spell on her had only just broken and her magic hadn’t returned yet, I figured I could use a little magic persuasion to make sure she stayed safe.”
Isaac glanced up at Damon with a grin. “And how did that work out for you?”
Damon chuckled. “At first, I thought it had. I should have known better. Morgana has always been stubborn, even as a little girl.”
“I know all about stubborn women,” Isaac muttered as he worked.
“Talking about my sister by any chance? She’s always…” Damon stopped talking when his phone rang, and he shifted onto his hip so he could pull it out of his pocket. “It’s my mom. Just a second…” He answered the call and then paused. “What?”
Damon’s harsh tone was a surprise. The man revered his mother and never treated her with anything but respect.
Pushing to his feet, Damon shoved his phone back into his pocket. “The sword did something to Kate. She’s at her forge.”
Isaac didn’t need to hear anything else. He flashed.
4
