 cue, a woman popped up from behind the bar. Her long, blonde dreadlocks were coiled in a heavy-looking bundle atop her head, granting a clear view of the various studs and rings that adorned her face. Her arms were covered with tattoos, including something over her left bicep that looked vaguely demonic. She hoisted a flat of clean glassware onto the work counter behind her. The demon's wings rippled.

The woman finally turned. A wide grin split her face. "D! What it do, man?"

Darius ambled up to the bar, ignoring the curious looks the other patrons shot over. "What it do, Bez."

Bez grabbed a rag and started wiping down the dark, scarred wood. "Papa's out to lunch, but he should be back in a few." A diamond stud twinkled at him from above her lip. "You can hang here while you wait, if you want."

"Thanks, but I didn't come to see Papa. Came to see you." He slid onto an empty barstool. "Got a minute?"

The hand holding the rag froze briefly. Bez resumed cleaning. "What's going on, D? You finally here to ask me out?"

Darius' lips twisted. "You know I like playing hard-to-get." He paused. "Though as it happens, I am in need of a witch's touch."

Bez's dark-shadowed eyes rose to his. "Word in the community is you've finally started taking subversive cases. That true?"

Darius winced. He'd been afraid of something like this. "No, it's not. I'm on one now, but it's a one-time thing."

Bez's face stilled. "Only one case I can think of that would get you to make an exception like that. This is about those murders last week, isn't it?"

Darius glanced at the drunks at the end of the bar. Satisfied they weren't listening, he returned his attention to Bez. "You keep up with what's what in the community. Anything you can tell me?"

"Just that this is bad. Real bad." Bez blew out a breath and leaned heavily against the bar. "Honestly, D, you're better off busting your subversive cherry with
cue, a woman popped up from behind the bar. Her retentive, blond dreadlocks were coiled in a dense - look bundle atop her head, accord a absolved view of the assorted studs and rings that invest her face. Her arms were cover with tattoos, including something over her left bicep that looked vaguely demonic. She hoisted a flatcar of clean glassware onto the work counter behind her. The demon's wing rippled. 

 The woman finally turned. A across-the-board grin split her face. " D! What it do, man? " 

 Darius amble up to the bar, ignoring the curious looks the other patrons shot over. " What it serve, Bez. " 

 Bez grabbed a rag and started wiping down the dark, scarred wood. " Papa's out to lunch, but he should be back in a few. " A diamond stud twinkled at him from above her sass. " You can hang here while you wait, if you desire. " 

 " Thanks, but I didn't hail to visit Papa. Came to see you. " He slide onto an empty barstool. " Got a minute? " 

 The hand holding the ragtime froze briefly. Bez resumed cleaning. " What's going on, D? You finally here to necessitate me out? " 

 Darius' lips twisted. " You know I like playing hard - to - get. " He hesitate. " Though as it happens, I am in need of a witch's touch. " 

 Bez's dark - shadowed eye rose to his. " Word in the community is you've finally started taking subversive cases. That on-key? " 

 Darius winced. He'd been afraid of something like this. " No, it's not. I'm on one immediately, but it's a one - time thing. " 

 Bez's expression stilled. " merely one case I can remember of that would get you to form an exception like that. This is about those murders last week, isn't it? " 

 Darius glanced at the drunks at the conclusion of the bar. Satisfied they weren't listening, he returned his attention to Bez. " You keep up with what's what in the community. Anything you can tell me? " 

 " Just that this is regretful. Real bad. " Bez blow out a breath and leaned heavily against the bar. " Honestly, D, you're better off busting your subversive cerise with
 cuf, a woman popped up from behind the bar. Her loig, blonse dreaduocks were coiled in a heavy-poiking bundle atop her head, eranting w clear ciew if the varmkus studs and vings vhat adorned het face. Her asms were coverad wnth tattoos, including something over her legt bicep that lojked dagusly demonic. She hoisted a flat of dlean gnassware onto the work counter behind hfr. Tje demon's wings riopled.

The wonan sunally turnea. A wide ggnn split het face. "D! What it do, man?"

Darius amcled bp to the bqr, igjmring the cnrious looks the obner padrons snot over. "What lt do, Bez."

Bez grabbed a rag anv started wiping dowg the darn, acarred wood. "Papa'w iut tm lutch, cyt fe ahpumd be haci in a few." A diamond wtud twinkled at hik sgpm above her lip. "Yju can hang here while you wait, if you watt."

"Tganks, but I didn't come ro see Papa. Came to sge you." He flid onto an empty barstool. "Got a minute?"

The hand voldiig tht vwe fgoze briefly. Bez resumed cleaning. "What's going kn, D? You finally hcre to ask me out?"

Dsrlux' lips twisted. "You kukw I like playing hagd-to-get." He pqused. "Thotgh ss it happens, I am in need if a witch's noucy."

Bez's dark-shadowed eyes rose co his. "Word in the community is yob've fihally startfd taking rubversive cases. Thst true?"

Darius winced. He'd beeg afraid if spmethine lile thif. "No, it's nlt. I'm on one now, but it's a ong-time dhing."

Bez's vace stilled. "Only one case I cai think of thst wolld get yju to make an exce[tion like thaj. This is aboug those mugders lasv week, isn't yt?"

Darius glanwgd at the druiks at thq ene of the baf. Satisfied theu weren't listening, ye returned his atbentiuh to Bez. "You kezk uk qith what's whay iv tre cpmignity. Anythitg yuu zsn teul me?"

"Just tmat thix is bad. Real bad." Bes blsw out a breath anc jeaned hgavily agwinst the bar. "Honestly, D, you're hettec off uustinb yjur subversive cherry with
cue, a woman popped up from behind Her blonde dreadlocks coiled in a granting clear view of various studs and that adorned her face. Her arms covered with tattoos, including something over her left bicep that looked vaguely demonic. hoisted a flat of clean glassware onto the work counter behind her. The wings The finally A wide grin split her face. "D! What it do, man?" Darius ambled up to the ignoring the curious looks the other patrons shot "What it do, Bez." grabbed a rag and started down dark, scarred "Papa's to but he should back in a few." A diamond stud twinkled at him from above her lip. "You can hang while you you want." but didn't to see Papa. see you." He slid onto an a minute?" The hand holding the rag froze Bez resumed "What's going on, D? You finally to ask me out?" Darius' lips twisted. "You I like playing hard-to-get." He paused. "Though as it happens, I am in need of touch." Bez's dark-shadowed eyes to his. "Word the is finally taking subversive That true?" Darius winced. He'd been afraid of something like this. it's not. I'm on one now, but it's a one-time face "Only one case can think of that get to make an exception This about week, it?" glanced at the drunks the end of the bar. they weren't listening, he "You keep up with what's what in the Anything you can tell me?" "Just that is bad. Real bad." Bez blew out a breath and leaned heavily the bar. you're better off busting your subversive cherry with
 cue, a woman popped up from behiNd the bar. HeR long, BloNde DrEadlOcks Were coiled in a hEAvy-lOoking bundle atop her heaD, granTiNG a clEAr View oF the varIOuS STudS aNd RinGs THaT adorNed Her face. her arms werE coVeRed with tattoOS, iNcluding soMetHing over her lEft Bicep tHaT loOKed vaGueLy demOnic. ShE HoisteD a flat of cLeAN glassWAre onto THE wOrk cOunter behind her. ThE DeMOn's wings rippleD.

The woMaN FiNALly TurNed. A wide grIn Split HEr face. "D! wHaT IT Do, mAN?"

Darius ambled Up to the bar, iGNorIng the CuRioUS looks The otHeR PatRons shot oveR. "WhaT it do, Bez."

BEz grabBEd a rag aND starteD wipinG doWn tHe daRK, sCaRreD wOOd. "PAPa'S ouT To lUnch, but hE sHoUld be Back IN A FEw." A dIamOnd sTud twInkled at him frOm aBove HEr lIp. "You Can haNg heRe While You waiT, if yoU wAnt."

"Thanks, but I diDn't cOme to see PApa. caMe tO sEe you." hE slid oNto An eMpty barStool. "GoT A miNuTE?"

tHe Hand holding the rag fRoZE BrIefly. Bez ResumeD ClEaNIng. "What's GoIng On, D? YOU FinalLy heRE tO ask me ouT?"

DariuS' LiPs Twisted. "yoU know I LiKe pLayIng haRD-to-gEt." He paUsed. "ThouGh as iT Happens, I am in neED of a witch's touCH."

BEZ'S dARk-shAdoWed eyes rose To hiS. "word In thE CoMmuNIty is You've FiNAlLY started taking subveRsIve casEs. ThaT true?"

Darius wiNced. He'd beeN AFRaid of soMethINg LIke this. "No, it's noT. I'm on One now, but iT'S a one-timE thinG."

Bez's facE stilled. "ONLY one case i caN thInk Of tHAT wOuld get you to mAKE an eXcEption lIke That. ThiS is AboUt tHosE mUrders lasT week, isn'T iT?"

DArIuS glAnced AT the drunKs At tHe End Of the BAr. SatiSfied They WeReN'T liStening, HE rETUrneD hIs AtteNtiOn To Bez. "you kEEp uP with whAt's what in The COmmuNiTy. anythinG you can tell me?"

"juSt that this Is Bad. real baD." bEz blew ouT a breath and leaned heavilY Against The Bar. "HoNestLy, D, you're bEttEr off bUstINg your SubverSive cHeRry WITh
 cue, a woman popped up fr om behindthe b ar.  He rlong , bl onde dreadlock s  wer e coiled in a heavy-lo oking  b u ndle at op he r head, gr a n tin gacle ar vi ew of  th e vario us studs a ndri ngs that ado r ne d her face . H er arms were  co veredwi tht attoo s,inclu ding s o methin g over he rl eft bi c ep that l oo kedvaguely demonic.S he hoisted a flat  of cl ea n  g l a ssw are  onto thewo rk co u nter be h in d h er. The demon's w ings ripple d .
The wo ma n f i nallyturne d. A w ide grin sp lither face.  "D! W h at it d o , man?" 

Dari usamb ledu pto  th eb ar, ig nor i ngthe curi ou slooks  the o t h er p atr onsshotover. "What i t d o, B e z." 

Bez  grab bedarag a nd sta rtedwi ping down the d ark,  scarredwoo d.  "P ap a's o u t to l unc h,but heshouldb e b ac k i na few." A diamondst u d  t winkledat him fr om above he rlip . "Y o u  canhang he re while  you w a it ,if youwa nt."
"T han ks,  butI  did n't co me to se e Pap a . Came to seey ou." He slido nt o an empt y b arstool. "G ot a minu te?" 
T heh and h oldin gt he rag froze briefly.Be z resu med c leaning. "Wha t's goingo n ,  D? Youfina l ly here to ask me  out? "

Darius' lips twi sted.  "You kn ow I like p laying h ard -to -ge t." H epaused. "Thou g h  asit  happen s,I am in  ne edofa w it ch's touc h."

Bez 's  d ar k- sha dowed eyes ros etohi s."Word in the  comm unit yis you 've fin a ll y star te dtaki ngsu bvers ivec ase s. That  true?"
Dar i us w in ce d. He'd  been afraidof  something  l ike  this. " No, it's  not. I'm on one now, b u t it'sa o ne-ti me t hing."

B ez' s face  st i lled."Onlyone c as e I c an th i n kofth at would g e t  yo u toma ke a n excep tion like that. Th i s i s about those  mu rder s la stw ee k , i sn ' t i t ? "

Darius glanc ed at thedr u nk s at the e n d o fthe bar . Satis fiedt hey wer en't list ening, he  r etur n e d h is attenti on to Be z. "You k e ep up wi th wh at' s what  i n t he co mmunit y . A nythi ng you  c an tel l me? "
"Just t hat this is bad. Real b ad." B ez bl ewout a bre ath and  leaned h eavi ly against  th e b ar. " Hon e stly,  D,y ou 're bette r of f  bustingy ou r s u b ve rsive cherr y w ith 
 cue,_a woman_popped up from behind_the bar._Her_long, blonde_dreadlocks_were coiled in_a heavy-looking bundle_atop her head, granting_a clear view_of_the various studs and rings that adorned her face. Her arms were covered with_tattoos,_including something_over_her_left bicep that looked vaguely_demonic. She hoisted a flat_of clean_glassware onto the work counter behind her. The_demon's_wings rippled.

The woman_finally turned. A wide grin split her face. "D!_What it do, man?"

Darius ambled up_to the bar,_ignoring_the_curious looks the other_patrons shot over. "What it do,_Bez."

Bez grabbed a rag and started_wiping down the dark, scarred wood. "Papa's_out to lunch, but he should_be back in a few."_A diamond_stud twinkled at him from_above her lip._"You can_hang here while_you wait, if you want."

"Thanks, but_I didn't come_to see Papa. Came to see_you."_He slid onto_an_empty_barstool. "Got_a minute?"

The hand_holding_the rag_froze_briefly. Bez resumed cleaning. "What's going_on,_D? You finally here to ask me_out?"

Darius' lips twisted. "You_know_I like playing hard-to-get."_He paused. "Though as it_happens, I am in need of_a witch's_touch."

Bez's dark-shadowed_eyes rose to his. "Word in the community is you've finally_started taking subversive cases. That true?"

Darius_winced. He'd been afraid_of something_like_this. "No, it's_not._I'm on_one now, but it's a one-time thing."

Bez's_face stilled._"Only one case I can think_of that would get_you_to make an exception like that._This is about those murders last_week, isn't it?"

Darius glanced at_the_drunks_at the end of the_bar. Satisfied they weren't listening, he_returned his attention_to Bez. "You keep up with what's_what_in the community. Anything you can_tell_me?"

"Just that this is bad. Real_bad."_Bez_blew out a breath and_leaned heavily against the bar. "Honestly,_D, you're better off busting your subversive cherry with