Page 62 of Dancing With Darkness

Though, that made me the absolute biggest hypocrite ever because I was keeping a massive secret from all of them at the moment.

“Rain drew up ink for us that represents our coven,” Finn shared helpfully with me. I said me because Romero didn't look surprised by this knowledge, so it was clear that he already knew about this. And, clearly, Rain had to know what they were talking about since they were talking about him.

These fucking men had left me in the dark. Again.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at all of them. “I didn’t agree to get a tattoo. My body is fucking perfect just as it is. What if I don’t want to get something permanently marked onto my body. Hmm? Did you geniuses think of that?”

I absolutely wanted a tattoo. And a tattoo that matched with the rest of my coven? Yes, please. Sign me right the fuck up, even if it was outrageously ugly. Not that Rain ever did anything ugly.

I held my hands together in front of me as I bounced up and down excitedly in my chair.

Everybody laughed.

“You’re not fooling anyone acting like that,” Rain informed me.

I just shrugged as I grinned at him because I wasn’t stupid and arguing with him about something he was absolutely right about would be incredibly stupid.

Rain picked up a piece of paper from his desk at his work station and carried it over to me.

“Have all of you already seen it?” I asked in a small voice, suddenly really hurt by this. Why would they leave me out of this until now if they’d all already agreed upon it? That didn’t exactly seem fair to me.

“Nope,” Finn rushed to assure me when he must have been able to read the emotions on my face. “Rain asked if it was something we’d be open to, but he didn’t offer to show us. When I’d asked him if he’d already asked you about it he told me he had not but assured me that you were going to love it. We both, Romero and myself, trusted him because he’s our leader.”

That was an acceptable answer to me. I relaxed in my chair.

Rain held a piece of paper out to me and I took it from him greedily.

It was a tree a lot like the ones that had been at my family home before the magic had been restored to it. It looked old as dirt but magical and the branches were bare of leaves.

It was the roots that went down into the ground that did it for me. They looked like they were sunk so deep and invested in the earth that the tree itself would withstand even the harshest of storms. They were intricately woven together beautifully. All of our names, even Baxter’s, were woven into the roots in dainty cursive.

I actually loved every single thing about it and I knew exactly where I was getting mine.

“I want mine on the inside of my wrist, going up my arm, with the roots in the palm of my hand, so I can hold onto them. But…” I hesitated because I had no idea how to even tell them this or how they would react.

Would they be mad and blame me?

Would they hate me?

I had no idea and it truly terrified me to my core. I knew they’d never leave me, but… it was a lot. I was a whole lot already to deal with and I was lucky they didn’t constantly demand a refund for my ass.

“But what, Isobel?” Rain demanded as he watched me with wise eyes that always saw far too much.

This time he’d never figure it out until I told him.

I wasn’t going to make them wait because they’d just bombard me with more and more questions until I coughed up some answers.

“But, uh…” Shit. Just spit it out, Isobel. “We’re going to need enough room to add at least one more name on there.”

“Like, another coven member’s name?” Finn asked in confusion.

“Who’s name?” Romero demanded to know in a low, dangerous voice. “I’ll kill them.”

Rain and I were locked in some bizarre staring contest that neither of us were backing down from. And neither of us spoke.

“We’re ready for you guys,” one of the brother’s said. Their voices were so similar I could never tell who was speaking unless I was looking directly at them.

“It’s obvious what she means, if you pay attention to her,” said the other one.

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