Chapter 1

DAISY

The music pounded through the room, barely audible over the shriek of metal as it heated and changed. A loud clanging came from the back where Danny was forging something from scratch, but that wasn't my thing.

Sparks flew as my grinder cut through a piece of metal, showering all over me but bouncing off thanks to my protective gear. I set the heavy machine down and used a blowtorch to heat the metal to the point I could shape it with my gloved hands. I barely paid attention to the world around me as I twisted it into the positions I wanted it to be in, creating the effect of leaves falling from a tree. Or that was the idea, my sculpture was currently in the worst shape for guessing what it was going to be. I could see the potential, but I doubted anyone else could.

But this was also my favourite part. Speaking to the metal and seeing what it wanted to be, shaping it so that it became that, and seeing my creation spring to life in front of me.

I stepped back to consider it, trying to ignore the hammering coming from my best friend's forge. I knew he was just creating like I was, but it was a particularly noisy process. Still, it was cheaper for the two of us to share a workshop, so that was what we did.

The phone trilled loudly, cutting through the music and I let out a sigh. I set down my equipment and headed over to it. I cleared my throat, wishing I'd thought to bring my water bottle with me, but it had never crossed my mind.

"Good afternoon, Daisy Chains here," I said brightly.

"Ms Dixon?" the man on the other end said.

"Speaking."

"I'm calling on behalf of Violet Shaw," the man on the other end said.

"Ah, yes, she's a client of mine," I responded, trying not to get too excited that she was potentially planning on ordering a new sculpture. She paid on time and wanted something mid-range, that was good for business.

"Would it be possible to make an appointment?" the man asked.

"Of course," I responded, almost dropping my phone as I fumbled to get it out of my pocket to check my calendar. Maybe I should have hung it on the wall by the phone or something, but I forgot to buy a new one at the start of the year, and last year's was still on October. "How does Friday sound?"

"Yes, yes. Friday works," the man on the end of the phone responded. "Midday?"

I scrolled to the right place on my phone, getting frustrated by the crack on the screen that made it hard to do. "I can do that. What name is it?"

"Barker," he said.

"Okay, you're all booked in," I said. "I look forward to meeting you on Friday."

"Thank you, Ms Dixon." He hung up before I could say anything else, which was fine by me. I didn't need to know more than that, and even having the prospect of a new commission was exciting. I normally sold my sculptures in galleries, and that worked just fine, but people commissioning exactly what they wanted was always the most lucrative, even if sometimes it makes it harder to be creative.

I put the phone back in the cradle and turned to my sculpture, looking at it and trying to work out which part I needed to work on next.

Or maybe the next thing I needed to do was to have a break so I could actually consider my next move properly and not rush it.

And it was never the wrong time for coffee. I headed over to the door that connected my workshop to Danny's forge and pulled it open. "I'm putting the kettle on," I called through.

The sharp banging of his hammer against whatever he was making paused. "Be there in a sec," Danny called back.

I left him to it. How long he'd take would depend on exactly what he was forging. I wouldn't pretend to understand exactly how it works. He'd probably struggle if he was given my pile of scrap metal and told to make something of it too.

I flicked my fingers, sending sparks of magic in the direction of the kettle to turn it on. I'd never use magic when there was boiling water involved, but it was fine at this point in the drink-making process. Though I wished we had a coffee machine. Maybe I could buy one if I get the new commission on Friday. It would be good to have that amount of money coming in.

I pulled out my earplugs and popped them back into their case now that I was out of the noisy workshop. Even through the closed kitchen door, the music from the shop could be heard. It had to be loud enough for us to hear over the noises of the forge and the rest of the equipment.

The door opened a few minutes later and Danny stepped inside. His face was covered by soot except for a patch over his eyes where his goggles must have been.

"Great look," I said, passing him his coffee.

He chuckled. "I could say the same to you." He picked up the post and started sifting through it. "Letter for you." He held it out.

I took it from him, turning it over and pausing as I saw the return address. I almost dropped it as I tore it open.

A small squeak escaped me as I read the words, then read them again just to make sure that I was understanding them correctly.

"What is it?" Danny asked, taking a sip of his coffee despite the fact it was far too hot for that. Probably the result of all the time spent in the forge, he was used to the heat.

"Remember when I said I applied to take part in that sculpting competition?"

"No."

I rolled my eyes. "It was when we went out with your sister last month. When we got back here, you made me fill out the application in front of you."

"I don't remember that at all," he murmured. "Sorry."

I shrugged, he must have been drunker than I'd realised when it happened. "I guess it doesn't matter much. I got in. I need to be at the studio on...Eurgh."

"What is it?"

"I'm supposed to be there at eleven on Friday. And I just made a commission appointment for midday."

"Ouch. I mean, I could do that for you. What do you need to know from them?"

I sighed. "Everything. It's fine, I'll reschedule. It's a returning client, so they'll know what they want." Which was lucky for me. If it had been a potential new client then I'd have had to choose between the commission I had a meeting for, and the chance to get my work in front of some of the richest and most influential people in the world. If you could call the gods people. In reality, they were a lot more than that.

"Is it worth it for a competition?" Danny asked.

"I don't know," I admitted. "It's a risk. But the winner of the competition gets a commission for Jinx. Both the money and the exposure that would bring could make a huge difference to me."

"Jinx as in the dating app?"

I gave him an unimpressed look. "You know it's a dating app, you've been swiping guys on there for months. But the headquarters is for the dating agency itself, I think. They're sponsoring."

"And that's better than getting the other commission?"

I grimaced. "Hard to say. If I can get a piece in Jinx HQ, it could open me up to a lot of potential clients. Everyone knows the gods are loaded."

"Which is fair. I'd be pretty depressed if I'd been alive for centuries and still had no money. Being a struggling artist for five hundred years would be no fun."

"If you'd been alive five hundred years ago, you'd just be a blacksmith, you'd probably find it easier to get clients, not harder," I pointed out.

"Hmm, true. But you know what? The gods would definitely appreciate a good sword..."

"Oh no. I know what you're thinking."

"What? If you win, they'll be coming here, and we can make them my clients too. It's win-win."

I sighed. "I have to win first. And deal with the meeting I just arranged."

"Hope that they're done with you by midday?" he suggested.

"Seems a bit risky. I'll figure it out." And if it came to it, maybe I'd take him up on his offer to do the meeting for me. He might not know exactly what I needed to ask, but he could probably guess, especially if I gave him a list of questions. And it wasn't like Violet Shaw was a new client either.

The alternative was missing out on this opportunity, and I wasn't about to do that, especially considering what it could mean for me as an artist. I wasn't thrilled at the idea of being on TV, but there was nothing that could be done about that if I wanted to win. And at least it would be going out on an all-paranormal channel. It meant the chances of someone who knew me seeing were higher, but fewer people overall.

But if I won, it would be worth it. And I was going to do everything I could in order to win.