The first time I noticed Ian’s skin, I thought maybe I was seeing a floater in my eye. Mother always told me not to stare at the sun. Or maybe it was a fly zipping between us. I blinked and rubbed my eyes thinking my vision was the problem. No, I wasn’t seeing incorrectly. What was on his skin though – that didn’t seem right at all. Ian had some of the coolest tattoos I’ve ever seen.

He had a sleeve full of Japanese traditional elemental spirits on his right arm with a fierce black and red dragon curled around his bicep with its wild face coming out of his shoulder. He also had Viking bindrunes all around his left arm and the words “fight first, love later” in a whip of cursive on his forearm. On each shoulder blade were mounted a shield and sword, as if burnished there by the Archangel Michael himself.

Most of his tattoos were done by professionals, but he let his girlfriend give him a rose dripping with blood on his ribs. He gave himself some tattoos on his legs and one on his neck. Boba Fett, Skeletor and an evil looking Scooby Doo. He called that one, “Scooby Don’t!” They looked as good as the pro’s. I always wondered how he was able to do that on his own. He said he felt the pain but it made him stronger inside. Seemed more like it made him tickle.

That day he took his shirt off to change, I noticed these other symbols. I didn’t know they were there or what they meant. I want to say they looked like ancient text or some kind of alchemical equation. Like sentences written with an alphabet I had never seen. When I stared at them, it seemed like they began to move on their own. Or like they started to swirl together. Almost as soon as I noticed that I guess I must’ve gasped. Ian must’ve noticed my alarm because he quickly turned around and excused himself from the room. The look on his face was almost like shock, like I wasn’t supposed to see what was on his back and he forgot that I was there for a moment.

What I came to find out that day was that Ian, my friend for 15 years, wasn’t entirely who I thought he was. Best mechanic I knew. For sure! Amateur tattoo artist? Yeah, no doubt. Coolest guy I ever met? He was still my best friend, no matter what. But, the son of an actual maniac? A so-called “living weapon?” A warrior for the Angelic Realm? Well, that would take some real getting used to.

On top of all the revelations I would learn that day, I found out that somehow I was a part of his big mission on Earth. Me! What was special about my life that I needed a guardian angel? I wish I never knew! If I could have ignored it, I would have. But that night - what I saw with my own eyes - floaters and all - changed everything.

The demons found us at the farm. Ian told me to hide. I watched form the cellar window. Every tattoo Ian had gave him the power of its image to use for his own self-defense — and to vanquish his enemies. And boy, did he have enemies. But not for long! Out came his dragon, his sword, even Scooby Don’t! They came to life and Ian used them to slay the demons, almost all at once. What in the actual Hell? My best friend: the ultimate Demon Hunter!