I placed the dagger against the skin of Veronica’s back and began to work.
Chapter Seventeen
As soon as I placed the ink-filled dagger to the skin of Veronica’s back, I felt my Mana respond. I punctured the skin, and she gave a little gasp of pain. The ink flowed under her skin, and I guided it with my Mana as I withdrew the needle-thin dagger tip and settled into the rhythmic pricking.
This was a big, complex design. I would take my time to get it right. As I worked, I was looking forward to seeing how she would be able to use it.
Veronica’s skin welled up around the punctures as the ink flowed in. The round orb in the design’s center required a lot of maneuvering, so I had to swap between working on the lightning forks periodically. If I filled in the entire orb without stopping, the whole design would become one huge welt.
I could feel Veronica’s breathing coming in and out as her back rose and fell. The motion gradually became steadier as I continued. This was a very new experience for Veronica; I couldn’t imagine how overwhelming it must be for her.
Come to think of it, it was pretty new for me too. It wasn’t all that long ago I had been a slave. Veronica’s determination to help as many slaves as she could in Brightwater made me feel as if we had a bond already, and I could feel the bond deepening as I tattooed her.
I rested my left hand on the smooth curve of her shoulders as I steadily drew the Lightning Rune with my right hand. Veronica’s muscles still tensed sometimes as she readied herself for the sting of the knifepoint.
“Are you sure it’s not too much pain?” I asked. “We can always do some of the design now and continue again tomorrow.”
Veronica shook her head. “The pain is just right.”
Jacques let out a burst of laughter. “Sounds like you’ve got the same… unusual proclivities as the good Mistress.”
“It’s not that.” Veronica’s voice was steady. “I’m leaving behind the ties with my old life as a Vector Mage, as an Astros-trained Mage. I’m not going to be a simple mercenary anymore. My destiny is intertwined with the return of an Ink Mage to the world.”
Amelia stepped forward and laid her hand on Veronica’s, resting on the towel. “We support you, Veronica. You’re going to become a Rune Sorcerer.”
I gave Veronica’s shoulder a squeeze. I was impressed by what she was doing; it seemed like a big step. I wasn’t sure what it was about her past that made her want so badly to leave it behind, though. I would have to ask her more about this at some point. For now, I was glad to be able to help her do it.
We worked on, quiet now, watching the gorgeous design unfold across the smooth skin of Veronica’s strong, toned back. The tattoo plunged into the valley around her spine, rising up to the crest of her shoulder blades, flowing down toward her lower back, and her tight round buttocks. The bolts and forks of lightning appeared to skewer the empty spaces in a kind of spiral of energy.
I hadn’t had a chance to see any Lightning augmentation runes, but given how much space I’d had to take up with this foundational rune, I assumed I would have to draw any others in the spaces in between the bolts of lightning. That wouldn’t be a problem, of course. In fact, the foundational tattoo seemed almost designed with spaces for augmentation runes. As long as Veronica could learn to channel Mana into the first tattoo and then into the support runes, it would function just like my Fire and Cold tattoos.
As I worked the ink into the last fork of lightning, everyone was tense, waiting for the climactic moment when the tattoo would be complete. Despite her calm, I could tell that the pain was getting to Veronica now. She made no sound, but there were beads of sweat at her hairline and I could tell from the set of her jaw that she had her teeth clenched.
It was not surprising; the huge tattoo was a mass of welts, and her smooth skin had bled more than mine or Amelia’s had when getting tattoos. Mistress Blossom had silently brought crisp, clean towels as needed to wipe the blood from the pinpricks as I worked, and now three of them lay sodden on the floor at my feet.
“Nearly done,” I said to Veronica, and she gave a tight little nod. I took a breath and used dagger and Mana to guide the ink into the final detail of a lightning fork.
The whole tattoo flickered, and Veronica gasped, sitting up with her hands flat on the bench. A sudden blaze of bright purple flashed out and filled the room, and Veronica sucked in a deep breath as she saw the light. Then a burst of lightning appeared, and to my amazement, it ran from the central orb of the design quickly out to the edges of the tattoo and back. The blood was reabsorbed into the skin of her back as we watched, and the welting disappeared. The design shone out bright purple again for a moment, then faded leaving the crisp lines of the tattoo looking fresh and clear, but without any suggestion of a wound remaining.
I smiled. It was my best work yet.
Jacques gave a low whistle of amazement, and Amelia and Mistress Blossom stood gazing at us with shining eyes.
Veronica picked up the towel she had been using to pillow her head on and draped it down her front, shielding her breasts from sight. She looked down at the garment she had been wearing. She was a bit pale.
“William, will you please help me back on with my garment?” she asked.
Mistress Blossom stepped forward. “Here, dear, try this instead,” she said. From a drawer, she had taken a leather garment of very fine workmanship.
