Read Sucking Bites (San Francisco Vampires Series #3) Online
Authors: Jessica McBrayer
Tags: #Hell Hounds are for Suckers, #vampires, #Aidan, #werewolf, #paranormal romance, #shape shifting, #demons, #romance, #werewolves, #Lily Goodwill, #New Orleans, #Vampires of San Francisco, #Sucking Bites, #Sucking in San Francisco, #Sebastian, #witches, #hell hounds
Sucking Bites (San Francisco Vampires Series #3) (33 page)
Witches and vampires came to Thorn to be inked as she was able to invoke spells into her artwork and ink. She’d weave talismans into the tattoos to imbibe them with magick. These were her late-night patrons who paid so well. She could also bespell the ink so a vampire could be tattooed. Normally they healed too fast and the ink disappeared. She was the only one who could do it that she had heard of and she had vamps coming from all over the world to get tattooed.
“This is my work.”
“What can you tell me about it?”
“Part of it’s missing.”
“You’re sure about that? So many tattoos, you remember all of them?”
“Some are more memorable than others. This is one of those. There were some distinctive symbols that have been removed, just those specific symbols. It was very carefully done too.” Thorn pointed to the missing skin which hadn’t disrupted the unmagicked design.
Sé gathered up the pictures and studied her. “What did the symbols mean?”
Thorn laughed. “Detective, they’re just symbols.”
“I know that and you know that but our killer seems to think otherwise. You must know what they mean, Thorn.”
“She had a symbol for protection and for love woven together. Funny, the protection thing didn’t work too well for her did it?” Thorn said. She let out a big breath.
“No it didn’t.” He looked at the pictures a moment longer before he put them away. “Where did you learn to be a tattoo artist?”
Thorn’s face froze. Was this just curiosity or still part of the interview? “I was an artist first. Then I studied the art of tattoo in Japan, New Zealand, England, and all over the States.” Thorn shifted in her seat and took a sip of her coffee. “Tattooing is an old art.” She studied his eyes, trying to determine how much to tell him. “Its history is a mix of mysticism and magick.”
“Why do you think someone would want to cut these symbols off a person?” Sé asked.
“I have no idea, Detective. Why would anyone kill?” He lingered, looking past her. She needed him to go. She had a client coming in at three a.m. A vampire. One of the special clientele she kept separated from her everyday customers. There was blood involved and she didn’t want undue temptation from other customers being near. Besides the fact that the mixing of human mundanes and vampires was strictly forbidden in her licensing agreements with the vampire council. And she needed some time to recover from this shock.
“I didn’t ask why someone would kill. But I guess you’re right,” he said. “We never really know why these guys kill and even less why they mutilate. Thanks for your time, Thorn.”
He met her eyes and then, as if needing to prolong the conversation, he thanked her for the coffee too.
She walked him back out of the shop and saw him to the door. He gave a little wave as he strode into the night and she locked the door behind him. She stood in the doorway for a few minutes watching his figure get smaller as he faded amongst the shadows. The street was dark, hiding the homeless that used doorways for shelter once the sun went down and the shops closed up. The scent of rain was on the wind. This made her think of Sé again and she smiled to herself.
“Trouble that one.”
“Oh Raven, I can look at least can’t I?”
“Our kind don’t mix well. Trouble.”
“Clap your trap, Raven. I think I need to do some investigating of my own. Let’s go hunt.”
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
