"What do you mean, 'waking up'?" Luna demanded, her voice rising with panic. "I was plenty awake before all this craziness started!"
Declan hushed her, his eyes darting around the bustling French Quarter streets. Even in the early morning hours, New Orleans was coming to life, street performers setting up their acts and the smell of beignets wafting from nearby cafes.
"Not here," he muttered, steering Luna and Zoe down a narrow side street. "We need to get somewhere safe first."
Zoe, her arm still firmly around Luna's waist, shot Declan a glare. "And how do we know your 'safe place' is actually safe? For all we know, you could be leading us into a trap."
Declan sighed, running a hand through his messy curls. "Look, I know you have no reason to trust me. But those guys back there? They're the ones you really need to worry about. I'm trying to help."
Luna felt torn. On one hand, Declan was a stranger who'd shown up with a gun and a lot of cryptic talk about secret organizations. On the other hand, he'd also tried to protect them from the men who'd attacked the shop.
And right now, he was the only one offering any kind of explanation for the impossible things she'd just done.
"Okay," Luna said finally. "Lead the way. But I want answers as soon as we're there."
Declan nodded, relief clear on his face. He led them through a maze of narrow streets, always keeping an eye out for pursuers. Finally, they arrived at an unassuming apartment building tucked between a voodoo shop and a jazz club.
Declan ushered them inside and up to the third floor. He knocked on a door in a specific pattern: two quick raps, a pause, then three more.
The door opened to reveal a striking woman with dark skin and hair styled in intricate braids. Her most notable feature was her eyes - one was a deep brown, while the other was a startling ice blue.
"Took you long enough," the woman said, her voice carrying a hint of a Jamaican accent. Her mismatched eyes swept over Luna and Zoe. "These our new friends?"
Declan nodded, closing and locking the door behind them. "Iris, meet Luna Hawkins and her friend..."
"Zoe," Zoe supplied, her eyes wide as she took in Iris's appearance.
Iris smiled, the expression warming her severe features. "Welcome to our little sanctuary. I'd say make yourselves at home, but I'm guessing you have some questions first."
Luna nodded emphatically. "You could say that."
The apartment was small but cozy, filled with an eclectic mix of furniture that looked like it had been collected from various thrift stores. What caught Luna's attention, though, were the walls.
Every available space was covered in maps, newspaper clippings, and photographs connected by red string, like something out of a detective movie.
A young man lounged on a worn leather couch, his fingers flying over a laptop keyboard. He looked up as they entered, pushing a pair of thick-rimmed glasses up his nose.
"Oh good, you're back. I was starting to worry." His eyes landed on Luna and Zoe, and he grinned. "New recruits?"
"Not exactly," Declan said. He gestured to the newcomers. "Luna, Zoe, this is Charlie. Our tech wizard."
Charlie gave a little wave. "Charmed, I'm sure. So, which one of you is the ink mage?"
Luna blinked. "The what now?"
Iris shot Charlie a warning look. "Maybe we should let them sit down before we start throwing around terms like that."
Luna felt her patience wearing thin. "No, I think now is a perfect time for some explanations. Starting with what the hell an 'ink mage' is and why those guys were after me."
Declan sighed, gesturing for everyone to sit. Luna and Zoe took the couch, while Declan perched on the arm of a nearby armchair. Iris leaned against the wall, her arms crossed.
"Alright," Declan began. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I need you to keep an open mind. The world... it's not quite what you think it is. There's a whole other layer to reality that most people never see. Magic, monsters, things that go bump in the night - they're all real."
Zoe snorted. "Right. And I'm the Queen of England."
"After what we just saw at the shop, are you really going to doubt this?" Luna asked quietly.
Zoe fell silent, her expression troubled.
Declan continued, "There are people - special people - who can tap into this hidden world. They've got abilities that most would consider impossible. We call them Awakened. And Luna, you're one of them."
Luna felt a chill run down her spine. "And this... Awakened thing. That's what you meant by me 'waking up'?"
Declan nodded. "Exactly. Your abilities were always there, dormant. But something triggered them recently. Let me guess - it happened during a tattoo session, right?"
Luna thought back to Bear and the dragon tattoo. "Yeah," she said slowly. "How did you know?"
"Because that's your particular flavor of magic," Charlie chimed in, his eyes bright with excitement. "You're an ink mage. Your tattoos, they're not just art - they're spells waiting to be activated."
Luna looked down at her arms, at the intricate designs inked into her skin. She'd always felt a special connection to her tattoos, but this... this was something else entirely.
"And those men at the shop?" Zoe asked. "Who were they?"
Declan's expression darkened. "They're from an organization we call the Collectors. They hunt down Awakened, especially newly emerged ones like Luna. We're not entirely sure what they do with the people they capture, but it's nothing good."
"So what's your organization then?" Luna asked. "The, uh, Veil, was it?"
Iris spoke up for the first time since the explanations began. "We're the good guys, or at least we try to be. We find Awakened individuals, help them understand and control their abilities, and protect them from groups like the Collectors."
"And occasionally save the world," Charlie added with a grin.
Declan rolled his eyes. "We're more of a 'keep the balance' type of operation. Make sure the supernatural world doesn't spill over too much into the regular one."
Luna's head was spinning. It all sounded utterly insane, and yet... hadn't she just brought her own tattoos to life less than an hour ago?
"Okay," she said slowly. "Let's say I believe all this. What happens now?"
"Now," Declan said, leaning forward, "we teach you how to control your abilities. Because trust me, what you did at the shop? That's just the tip of the iceberg."
Zoe, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly stood up. "This is insane. Luna, we need to go to the police, report the break-in at the shop. We can't just-"
She was cut off by a sharp knock at the door. Everyone froze.
"Expecting someone?" Luna whispered.
Declan shook his head, reaching for his gun. Iris moved silently to the door, her stance tense.
The knock came again, more insistent this time. Then a voice called out, "Luna? Luna Hawkins? I know you're in there. We need to talk."
Luna felt the blood drain from her face. She knew that voice.
"Bear?" she called back, ignoring Declan's frantic gestures to stay quiet. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," Bear's deep voice rumbled through the door. "And you better let me in quick. I think I was followed."
Declan and Iris exchanged a look. Then, moving as one, they opened the door.
Bear ducked inside, his massive frame filling the doorway. He looked exactly as he had the night before, except for one crucial difference.
The tattoo on his back - the dragon Luna had so painstakingly created - was moving. Its copper scales rippled as if caught in a breeze, its eyes blinking lazily as it surveyed the room.
"So," Bear said, his eyes locked on Luna. "I think we need to have a chat about this little pet you gave me."
Before anyone could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the stairwell. A lot of footsteps.
Charlie's fingers flew over his keyboard. "Uh, guys? We've got company. Lots of company."
Declan cursed, moving to the window. "Collectors. They must have followed Bear. We need to move. Now."
Luna felt panic rising in her throat. "Move where? We're three stories up!"
Iris grinned, a wild light in her mismatched eyes. "That's where the fun begins, sugar. Hope you're not afraid of heights."
As if on cue, the dragon on Bear's back stretched its wings, growing larger by the second. Bear grunted in discomfort. "Uh, Luna? A little help here?"
Luna stared at the expanding tattoo, her mind racing. She had done this. Somehow, she had created this impossible, magical being. And now, it might be their only chance at escape.
She took a deep breath, focusing on the tingling sensation in her hands. "Okay," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "Let's see what this ink can really do."
As Luna raised her hands towards Bear's tattoo, the dragon's eyes locked onto hers. For a moment, the world seemed to fall away. In those ancient, copper eyes, Luna saw power beyond her wildest dreams - and danger beyond her worst nightmares.
The dragon opened its mouth, and Luna could have sworn she heard a voice in her mind: "Are you ready to fly, little mage?"
Before she could answer, the door exploded inward in a shower of splinters. Armed figures in black poured into the apartment, weapons raised.
Luna made a split-second decision. With a gesture that felt as natural as breathing, she commanded the dragon to grow, to become real.
The tattoo peeled itself off Bear's back, expanding until it filled half the room. Its wings unfurled, knocking over furniture and sending papers flying.
The dragon threw back its head and roared, the sound shaking the very foundations of the building.
"Everyone, on the dragon! Now!" Luna shouted, grabbing Zoe's hand and pulling her towards the massive creature.
As Collectors swarmed into the apartment, Luna and her newfound allies scrambled onto the dragon's back. With another earth-shaking roar, the dragon charged towards the window, smashing through in a shower of glass and plaster.
For a heart-stopping moment, they were in free fall. Then the dragon's wings caught the air, and they were soaring over the rooftops of New Orleans, leaving their pursuers far behind.
As the wind whipped through her hair and the early morning sun peeked over the horizon, Luna clung to the dragon's copper scales. Her mind was reeling from everything that had happened, from everything she had learned.
She was an ink mage. She could bring her creations to life. And now, she was flying on the back of a dragon over the city she called home.
But as exhilarating as the flight was, Luna couldn't shake a growing sense of unease. She had unlocked something within herself, something powerful and potentially dangerous. And she had a feeling that this was just the beginning of her troubles.
As if sensing her thoughts, the dragon turned its massive head, one copper eye fixing on her. And in that gaze, Luna saw her future unfolding - a future filled with magic, danger, and choices that would shape not just her life, but the very fabric of reality itself.
The dragon banked sharply, heading towards the outskirts of the city. Where they were going, Luna had no idea. But one thing was certain - there was no going back now. Her old life, her normal life, was over.
The age of the ink mage had begun.