Tainted: Book Three - Enslaved

34. No Humanity in Him

Kerry

"So how much will this cost?" Mira handed over the phoenix sketch.

I told Yuri he could keep the design for his flash album, which would knock off some.

"You want the illusion ink like Harker? And it's to cover a scar, da? Three will cover it."

"Three hundred? Good thing you got me a refund on that weeping reaper, Kerry."

She pulled out a fistful of crumpled bills and laid them on the counter and looked pleased with herself. Yuri's expression didn't change, but his eyes skated over to mine.

Yeah. I shoulda figured as much.

I nodded, and saw he understood that I would cover the rest.

With a smile, he led us to a private room. That was probably from habit. He knew I hated anyone to see my scars. He settled Mira into position on a padded stool and showed her how to rest her arms in front of her. Rome took the chair next to her and said she could hold his hand if she wanted to.

She rolled her eyes, which made me snicker.

"Let's see what we're working with here." Yuri rolled up the back of her shirt. "Oh, bad scar. I'm so sorry. Did you kill the one who did this?"

"Kerry did," Mira said.

"Good."

I listened with only half an ear as he got her set up and started to work. I'd never been in this particular booth before and wanted to look at the framed photos of finished ink. One caught my eye and I couldn't look away in the same way you can't look away from a burning building or a derailed train.

A battle scene, complete with chopped up bodies and dying horses, was tattooed over someone's back. In the center of the design, a black-haired woman sat on a pile of skulls and wiped her bloody lips on the back of her hand. The detail was so fine, I could see the tongues lolling out of the severed heads at her feet.

"This piece is intense." I pointed, and Yuri glanced up for a second.

"Susma Tamang. Da. She always did have a way with nightmares." He shook his head and went back to work.

"We know that name," Rome said. "Mira said the alukah at Mammoth's told you something about her."

"Yeah. He said she's dead," Mira reminded us, then hissed. "That stung a bit."

"Nearest the spine is the worst. And, da, the Council ordered Susma's execution. Twenty or so years ago, I'd guess. She was nasty business and got what she deserved, but I always felt sad for her malyshka."

How does Susma Tamang tie into this mess? And why—

"Her what?" Rome and I spoke at the same time.

"Baby girl. She couldn't have been more than a few weeks old when Clemency caught up with Susma. Ha. That one should call himself Karma, not Clemency."

"What happened to the baby?" Mira wanted to know.

"I imagine Clem took her to the Sanctuary." Rome met my eyes again. "That's the standard protocol, anyway."

I looked at Mira's back. The firebird was coming to life. A black haze covered Yuri's hands, and darker flecks glittered every few seconds. His power was not only good for the illusion part, but also for speeding up the whole process.

That's what happens when you can cut and stitch time and space.

"You know anything about the daughter?" I asked him.
"I assume she lives at the Sanctuary." He shrugged. "Or maybe her father reclaimed her, although I doubt that very much."