by Sarra Cannon
“This won’t hurt, I promise.”
I closed my eyes and turned my head to the side as Rend inserted the needle into that strip of flesh. I braced myself for pain, but he was right, it didn’t hurt at all. Instead, my skin flushed with warmth as the liquid gushed under the surface of my skin, writhing around like a snake.
Rend backed away and I lifted my hand to the spot.
“What did you do to me?”
He looked from side to side, then grabbed a silver mixing tumbler and lifted it up in front of me like a mirror. “I just gave you my mark,” he said. “A silver serpent. Like a tattoo. And don’t worry, it’s only temporary. When you want it removed, just say the word and I’ll take it out.”
I pulled my hair back and stared at the snake tattoo just behind my ear. Everyone had one of these? How had I not noticed that before?
The spot still felt tender and warm, but at least the thing had stopped wiggling around.
“Now look at the bottles of liquid,” he said. “What do you see?”
I looked down and my eyes grew wide. “Holy crap, they’re all different colors.”
“Exactly,” he said with a laugh. “It’s a little trick I came up with to give patrons of the club a little bit of extra privacy. That way no one else really knows what type of shot they’re drinking tonight.”
“Except us.”
“Right.”
He moved back down to where we had started our lesson and placed a new spout on top of the blue bottle. “Try again.”
I picked it up much more carefully this time, ready for how light it would be, then poured. The liquid flowed much slower than I expected, confusing me. It should have flowed faster if it was lighter than normal liquid, right?
I lifted the bottom of the bottle higher and the liquid poured out faster. I stopped when I’d poured the standard three-ounce shot.
“Great,” he said. “You’re getting a feel for the weight of it and how it works. These potions don’t always act the way you’re expecting them to because they don’t follow the basic rules of physics. Everything in this world acts a little differently than you might expect.”
“So I’m learning,” I said.
His eyes met mine for a long beat before he looked away and grabbed another empty glass. He set it on top of the bar. “Red.”
I reached for the bottle of red liquid. I lifted it carefully, ready for anything. This time, it felt totally normal, just like any bottle of liquor. I relaxed.
But then the bottle grew warm beneath my hand. In seconds it began to burn my skin and on instinct, I opened my palm and watched in horror as it dropped toward the ground.
Rend leaned across the bar top and caught it without a second thought, his movements so fast my eyes barely registered them. I drew in a surprised breath.
“The red liquid gets extremely hot,” he said. “We call this Red Dragon.”
“This is what Azure gave me the first night I came in here,” I said.
“And then Lyla gave you a version of it last night, too, right?”
“She said it was something you made especially for the dancers.”
“Right,” he said. “Dragon’s Breath. It’s the same as Red Dragon, but with a little something extra added in. We’ll cover specialty drinks later, but for now, at least you understand the basics of how Red Dragon makes you feel. Instead of heightening the senses like Blue Frost, it does the opposite. Red Dragon relaxes you and takes away some of your inhibitions. It’s almost like getting drunk, but without the hangover.”
He handed the bottle to me again and this time I made sure to grab it from the top instead of the bottom. I poured a shot into the second glass, relieved when it poured easily.
He pointed to the yellow bottle in the center next. “Yellow Sunshine. This one is our happy drink,” he said with a laugh. “Anyone who is feeling depressed or down or just generally drained of energy can have a shot of this to lift them up and make them feel better.”
“The ultimate anti-depressant,” I said.
Rend smiled and for an instant, his eyes dipped to my lips. He cleared his throat and forced his eyes away. “Pour a shot,” he said.
I lifted the bottle and found this one to be so heavy it nearly slipped out of my hands from the sheer weight of it. “So, this one lifts people’s moods, but weighs a freaking ton. That makes sense.”
“Like I said, not everything is going to make sense in a logical way,” he said. “Someday, if we get the chance, I’ll take you to my lab and show you how all this works when I mix the potions, but for now, just learn the basics.”
A shiver went through me at the thought of being alone with him in his lab. Getting to know him and really being a part of his life. Was that too much to hope for, considering the circumstances? I was getting way ahead of myself here.
Focus, Franki.
“Purple?” I asked, staring down at the next one in line.
I wanted to get through these as fast as possible so Rend would leave and go about his business. I couldn’t hope to focus with him standing so close to me and looking at my lips or brushing his hand against mine. It was pure torture.
The doors to the club had opened for the night and the lights had all been dimmed. Azure served anyone who came up to the bar, leaving Rend and me alone at the other end.
“Purple,” he said. “Lady Luck. It gives people a sense of confidence, as if luck is on their side. It doesn’t actually make them lucky, so they couldn’t leave here and go win the lottery or anything. It just gives them the illusion of luck. A lot of people come in and request this one when they have a big business meeting or a performance coming up.”
I poured the purple shot and found that it felt relatively normal compared to the others. No big tricks there.
I nodded to the last of the five basic shots. Green.
“Green Monster,” he said. “You won’t be asked for this one nearly as often, but we keep it on the menu for certain guests who crave it.”
“What does it do?” I asked. I picked up the bottle and the liquid inside began to bubble up as if it were agitated with my touch. I set it back down, scared it was about to burn me like the red one did.
“Green Monster gives you courage,” he said.
“How is that different from Lady Luck?”
“Luck is about confidence and feeling good about your decisions. It’s about presenting yourself in a way that makes others believe you are a confident, sure person,” Rend explained. “Courage, on the other hand, is about believing in yourself. It’s about gathering that inner strength you need to get the job done.”
“Why did it act so agitated when I picked it up?” I asked.
“Because Green Monster is all about fearlessness and daring,” he said. “It’s a very energy-focused drink. To keep it from bubbling up like that, just hold it closer to the top. In fact, you’ll do better to just grab them all at the neck and pour from there. That way people can’t read the drinks by the way you’re holding them.”
I nodded, pouring the final shot to complete the set in front of me. I was in awe of the glamours and the other magic I’d seen so far, but alchemy was something different. It was like bottling magic and gifting it to other people. I wondered if I could learn how to make potions like this someday.
“How do you feel, do you want to go over it again?” he asked.
I stared at the line of glowing shots. I briefly went over the basics of them in my mind. “No, I think I’ve got it,” I said, amazed I could even concentrate when the sleeve of his jacket was touching the bare skin on my arm.
“It’s Sunday night, so it should be much slower tonight than what you’ve seen in here so far,” he said. “When it really gets going back here, it can be intense and some of the people who come in can be less than patient when they really need a drink.”
“I’ve worked behind a bar before,” I said. “I know how fast-paced it can be. I’ll be fine.”
“This isn’t like any bar you
’ve worked in before.” He picked up each glass and dumped the contents into the sink.
“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” I said, then regretted my sarcasm. I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t taking this seriously, but did that really have to be said? I may have been naive, but I wasn’t stupid.
“This isn’t a joke, Franki. This isn’t some game I’m playing with you,” he said. His voice grew rough and a few of the staff serving at nearby tables turned to look at us. Rend turned away from them, leaning so close to me, a warm rush of desire spread through my veins. “If anyone so much as says a single word that makes you feel uncomfortable or frightened in any way, I want you to come to me.”
“Okay,” I said, wanting to tell him that he was making me uncomfortable.
He let out a breath and ran a hand through his dark hair. He moved over toward the register and opened a mirrored cabinet filled with dozens of smaller, rounded bottles. He selected three of them and set them down beside a fresh glass on the bar.
Two of these smaller ones glowed much brighter than any of the basic bottles. The other was pitch black, like ink. He poured an ounce of Blue Frost, then carefully poured a tiny bit from each of the smaller bottles. The colors mixed together, then the entire glass-full turned to black, a dark mist rising from it.
He threw it back, downing the shot in one smooth motion, and then set the glass down hard against the bar.
He placed both hands on the edge of the bar and leaned into it, his head dipped low.
I waited, watching to see if I could tell what kind of effect the drink would have on him. The only physical response I could see was that his tense shoulders relaxed and his breathing steadied.
What it was doing to his insides, I had no idea.
“What do these do?” I reached for the bottle of black liquid but the moment I touched it, his hand closed over mine.
The touch of his skin against mine made me ache for something I knew I couldn’t have. At least, not in front of all these people.
“These are special,” he said. “Not for the average customer and definitely not for you to touch until you’ve studied them and you understand how the different potions mix and combine. The wrong combination could be fatal.”
He released my hand and I pulled it back, my stomach twisting and turning.
“What did these three do mixed with the blue, then?” I asked. My voice came out unsteady and breathless. I cleared my throat and forced myself to relax. He couldn’t know how much he was getting to me.
“I don’t have a name for this mix,” he said. “Azure, what would you call this?”
“Rend’s Addiction,” She called out, laughing.
Rend smiled and nodded. “It’s just something that takes the edge off for me when I need it,” he said.
He didn’t give me any more details than that. He just put the three smaller bottles back in their case and closed it up again.
“Azure will take care of any orders that require mixing,” he said. “All you have to do is serve the basic five. Like I said, most of the people who come up will ask for one of those.”
I had been staring down at the five bottles, running through what he’d taught me so far, but when he paused, I looked up to find him watching me. The look in his eyes took my breath away. There was something unsaid behind them, and I suddenly couldn’t wait for my shift to be over. What was he waiting to tell me? Would he break it off? Or would he kiss me again?
I bit my lower lip and his eyes dipped to my mouth. His lips parted slightly and he sucked in a ragged breath. When his eyes returned to mine, they were full of undeniable desire.
But desire for what?
“I’m going to make sure everything is set up and ready for us to open,” he said. He left me standing there behind the bar without another word.
Pure torture.
Chapter 8
Currency
Once the customers started pouring in, the night flew by.
I got used to the weight and flow of each of the five basic drinks and before too long, I was able to choose the right bottle without even looking down.
Most of the people who came in seemed happy to see a new face behind the bar. I began to relax into the rhythm of the work, having fun meeting new people and listening to the kinds of conversations taking place.
Since the music was loud, most people practically yelled at each other, laying their business out in front of everyone close enough to hear.
I paid attention without making eye contact or showing any indication that I was listening, but I was getting a kick out of things like complaints about girlfriends who had cast spells on them when they refused to help with the dishes.
I was sure the more serious conversations were happening back in the shadowy booths and in the darkness of the second floor tables, but I liked the energy up here away from the darker places. I liked the neon glow of the bar and the energy of the place.
I also liked the fact that no one could come up and threaten me in front of everyone. I felt safer up here.
The people who crowded around the bar were like most customers at bars I’d worked in the past, here to have a good time and be around friends and people who were like them.
People like me.
“Where’s Rend?” A man wearing a black baseball cap leaned across the bar near me. From what I could see of his face under the cap, he was handsome.
I moved toward him, the mention of Rend’s name sending an involuntary flare of heat though my middle. “I’m not sure,” I said. I glanced around the crowded room, but didn’t spot him anywhere. “I don’t see him. Wait here just a second.”
Azure had barely spoken two words to me all night. She’d mostly kept to her side of the bar all night, only coming over when someone requested one of the more complicated drinks and she had to get into the cabinet behind me. She would know what to do, though, and possibly where to find Rend.
“Hey, the guy in the black hat down there is looking for Rend,” I said, walking over to where she was openly flirting with a group of guys at the end of the bar. “Do you know where he is?”
She sighed audibly. “Do you?”
I bit back a sarcastic reply and played nice. “What should I tell this guy, then?”
“I’ll go see if I can find him. Tell him to hang on to his britches.”
“Thanks.”
I asked the man to wait here while Azure went to see if she could find Rend. I served a few customers who all wanted Red Dragon. A few minutes later, Rend appeared on the other side of the bar and shook the man’s hand. They half-embraced, clapping each other on the back.
The pure smile that spread across Rend’s face mesmerized me. I’d never seen him so joyful. He always seemed angry or amused or passionate, but this was a new side to him. The smile animated him, and I was struck by the intense desire to someday see him smile at me that way.
Watch yourself, kiddo.
Forcing myself not to care was an exercise in futility. He was magnetic. I was drawn to him despite myself. No amount of logic could keep me from wanting him, and I might as well accept that.
As I looked up from pouring another shot for a new customer, I knew honestly and completely that I was falling for him.
I was falling for a freaking vampire. What the hell was wrong with me?
“He’s beautiful when he’s happy, isn’t he?”
Azure stood next to me, mixing some new concoction that glowed bright pink in the glass.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said. I don’t even know why I denied it. She’d obviously seen me staring at him like a lovestruck schoolgirl.
She laughed. “Okay,” she said. “But just so you know, whatever it is you think the two of you have, it isn’t going to end well for you.”
I bristled. Who was she to tell me what Rend and I had?
“I know you don’t believe me, but nothing happened the other morning,” I said. I had no idea why I wanted her to believe nothing had happened betwe
en us, when something obviously had. She just brought out the worst in me. “He’s just trying to protect me. So whatever bug you have up your ass about it can just die a slow, painful death. There’s nothing to be jealous about.”
Her eyes widened and both of her eyebrows rose. “You think I’m jealous of you?” She threw her head back and laughed. “Girly, you’ve been here what? Three or four days? I’ve been with Rend for decades, working right here beside him every minute of every day. Trust me, I’m not jealous of you.”
Decades? I swallowed and glanced back at Rend. If he was a vampire, that also meant he was old. Possibly centuries old. If she’d been with him that long, maybe she did know a lot more about him than I did.
The thought unnerved me.
“Then why are you so intent on making me feel like I don’t belong here?” I asked. “I’ve been nothing but nice to you and you keep coming back at me with anger and sarcasm, like I don’t matter.”
“Oh, you matter,” she said, finishing the mixture and using a clear glass rod to stir it around. “Just not the way you think you matter.”
She replaced the bottles she’d taken from the cabinet and returned to her side of the bar to deliver the drink to a beautiful blond woman wearing a hot pink dress that matched the color of the drink exactly. I couldn’t help wondering what the special drink would make her feel. The woman leaned over the bar and planted a kiss on Azure’s cheek, then slid her a one hundred dollar bill.
I glanced back at Rend. He was still standing with the handsome man in the black hat, smiling and laughing. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they were obviously old friends.
Azure’s words kept playing in my head like a broken record. What did she even mean by that? What way did I matter, then?
A woman leaned over the bar and asked for a shot of Red Dragon and I held up a finger and told her I’d be right back. I wiped my hands off on a towel and threw it back down on the shelf beneath the bar, then marched over to where Azure had resumed her flirting with the group of guys who’d been lingering around her all night.
“What exactly did you mean by that?” I asked. I knew I sounded like a petulant child demanding an explanation, but I didn’t care.