Ayla's Supernatural Love Dungeon

Third Visit to Minty’s Shop

Before the bell above the door chimed, Minty called out, “Welcome back you two!”

Nekros raised his hand in greeting, “Yo!” Nekros, for the first being in her shop, wore a plan tank top. An ace bandage covered the forearm holding his skull-and-roses-and-mint tattoo. Minty shoved her tongue inside her cheek. She wanted to voice that covering a tattoo with an ace bandage was ill advised, but she thought better of it. Maybe he had been injured, and she chose to ignore it…for now.

Althea gently waved. As the duo got closer to Minty, the same familiar scent filled her nose. She bit her tongue. The action allowed her to control her desire to speak without thinking. “What tattoo are we doing today?” she finally asked.

Nekros rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I’m wanting to get something to represent my book nerdom.”

Minty cocked her head to the side. “You’re a book nerd?”

Nekros released a sheepish laugh. “Yeah. Everyone has the same reaction when they find out the books I read.”

            “He’s on par if not more of a book nerd than me,” Althea chimed in.

            “There are five books that left an impression on me the most. Those are the ones I want to get as a tattoo,” Nekros spoke. As he described his vison for this tattoo, Minty sketched the idea. At the center was a fortune-teller slip that read, ‘You are destined to be together forever’. A potted plan held down the top corner of the fortune-teller slip. On the pot was a logo that said, ‘Crowley’s Garden and Nursery’. On the opposite top corner was a photo strip of the different faction symbols from Divergent by Veronica Roth. The right bottom corner of the fortune slip was pierced by a trident, possibly a fork, with peanut butter. The last corner had an arrow with a mocking jay pendant wrapped around it.

            “Judging by the images you’re using, the books that resonated with you the most are Good Omens, Divergent, Percy Jackson, and Hunger Games,” Minty said as she stared at the design.

            “You’re forgetting the fifth book.”

Minty shook her head. “I’m stumped. I don’t know what book that could be.”

            “Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz,” Althea and Nekros said in sync.

            “We both loved the book series and the movie. That’s actually how we got together,” Althea said. She pressed the tips of her index fingers together as she called the traumatic memory of how their relationship began.

            “That’s the fortune slip, I take it?” Minty asked.

Nekros nodded. Minty made her way around the shop gathering everything she needed to set up her station. “Where are you getting this tattoo?”

            “Shoulder,” Nekros answered as he shrugged his exposed shoulder toward her. Minty marked it and resized the stencil to fit the area.

            As Minty started the line work of the tattoo, the familiar scent kept wafting up into the air. Not losing focus on her work she called Althea over. “Hey, Althea, I got a question for you. Can you come over here for a sec?”

Althea got up from her seat near the front door and sat in the stool on the opposite side of Nekros’s tattooed shoulder. “What’s up?”

            “Are you a necromancer?” Minty asked bluntly.

Althea’s skin pricked with panic. Nekros even squirmed which caused Minty to stop tattooing.

            “What makes you ask that? There’s no such thing as Necromancers,” Althea answered with a stutter. Minty narrowed her eyes on Althea. The gaze itself would have petrified Althea like Medusa’s glance. Nekros’s muscles tightened, ready to jump in to defend Althea at any second.

            “Since the second time I tattooed Nekros, I’ve been smelling mint. Not the artificial scent, either. It’s suffocating even now as I’m tattooing the line-work. So, I’ll ask you again, are you a necromancer?”

Althea bit her lip anxiously. Her fingernails dug into her thighs, and despite wearing jeans the grip drew blood.

            “I’ll know if you’re lying to me,” Minty warned.

Nekros peered at Althea, his baby blue eyes asking what she wanted to do. What she needed him to do. Althea averted Nekros’s gaze and stared at her black tennis shoes on the marbled floor. The shop was silent.

            “Yes.”

Minty took a deep breath. “I figured as much.”

Althea’s head popped up as she stared at Minty, shocked. “What?”

Nekros stiffened at Minty’s response. The tattoo artist sighed and resumed tattooing Nekros, now that he was no longer ready to fight. “I’m a necromancer too.” She gestured to the décor in the shop with her elbow. “The décor in the shop, mint-colored walls, I mean, it’s kind of obvious. Hell, my name ‘Minty’ should have also been a dead giveaway.”

Althea’s eyes widen. A mixture of excitement and shock sparkled in them as she stared starry eyed at Minty.

            “Hey, babe!” a voice called from the backroom. The figure emerged shortly after. He was a fit male with extremely fair skin. His black hair matched Minty’s Viking hairstyle except his hair had bright red highlights and his stopped at his shoulders. His left ear had multiple piercings from the upper ear down to his lobe. A black spiked collar was around his neck. Dark eyeliner and mascara made his icy blue eyes stand out against his fair skin. All of his clothes were distressed.

            “Hey babe,” Minty greeted. She stared at him for long pause. “Um where’s my coffee?”

            “They were sold out…” Minty groaned. However, her disappoint was shortly lived when the man set a cup of tea and a large pop next to her. “So, I got your favorite tea and soda pop instead.”

            “That’s why I fucking love you babe!” Minty noticed Althea and Nekros’s blank stares and returned them with bewilderment. After the dial-up noise in her head disappeared she registered what was going on. “This is my husband, Dante. Babe this is Althea and Nekros.”

Dante stretched out a hand and shook Althea’s and Nekros’s hands. “Nice to meet you.”

            “Althea is a necromancer.” Minty blurted after she sipped her tea. Althea’s back straightened like a frightened cat. Minty waved off Althea’s panic. “He knows. I mean he’s married to me and he knows I’m a necromancer.”

Dante offered a comforting smile. “There’s no need to hide it from me. If it makes you feel better, I’m a vampire that hails from the Renaissance era of Italy. Though I feel more at home in the grunge scene style,” he said with a laugh.

Minty resumed tattooing Nekros as Althea asked questions.

            “How many necromancers are there?”

Minty pondered for a moment. “Counting you, there’s three in Mayfield. I don’t know much about the other necromancer. We’re not exactly part of a cult or anything. We know each other in passing.”

Nekros beamed in the mirror as he appraised the finished tattoo in the mirror. “Amazing as always Minty.”

            “Of course! I am amazing. After all, you keep coming to me for tattoos so I must be doing something right.” Minty said, stroking her own ego as she posed with her hands on her hips and her chest puffed out. Dante rolled his eyes at his wife. He rolled his head to look at Althea.

            “Your secret is safe with us. Also, if you ever need anything, or just want to know more about the supernatural underbelly of Mayfield, we’re here for you.”

Althea nodded in appreciation. “Thank you, guys, so much. It feels better knowing I’m not the only one.”

Minty patted Althea’s shoulder. “Any time kiddo.”