."

Bez's head was slightly tilted, her brow furrowed. She shook herself. "I guess we shall."

Kristof had already commandeered the bartender by the time they joined him. He favored them with a glance before focusing back on the ingredients going into the flashy Boston shaker. "This one's my own invention. Tanqueray, hibiscus nectar, a few other things, and then..."

The bartender poured in the final ingredient, set the shaker on the counter, and stood back. Kristof winked at them, then snapped his fingers. The shaker levitated into the air. A balletic flick of his wrist, and it began to shake. Scattered applause rose from the people around them.

Darius snorted. "Nice parlor trick."

Kristof grinned and winked. "I call it the Frontean Special."

Darius swallowed a chuckle. "Do you just want to show off, or might we actually get something to drink?"

Beside him, Bez sucked in a quiet breath. Kristof merely sniffed. "Everyone's a critic." All the same, he snapped his fingers again. The shaker lowered back to the bar. The bartender cracked it open and strained the cloudy pink liquid inside into three waiting glasses.

Darius accepted one with a nod, and sipped. He barely managed to keep from wincing. Too sweet. He set the glass back on the bar and pretended to study the club's decor.

"So." Kristof's voice was liquid smooth. "Darius deCompostela. What causes you to darken the door of my humble tavern?" His tone was light—presumably for Bez's benefit—but when Darius looked over, his eyes were serious.

Bez spoke up before he could answer. "He's here about the murders last week. The ones on the news."

Kristof's glass froze on its way to his mouth. "Is he, now?"

Darius winced. Bez continued hurriedly. "He's legit, I swear. He's not just a regular at the Lounge." She shot Darius an apologetic look. "He's a regular at the House Of Hoodoo, too. Been coming for years, and not just for the tourist-y shit. He's
. " 

 Bez's head was slightly tilted, her brow furrow. She shake herself. " I guess we shall. " 

 Kristof had already commandeer the bartender by the time they join him. He favored them with a glance before focus back on the component going into the flashy Boston shaker. " This one's my own invention. Tanqueray, hibiscus nectar, a few other thing, and then... " 

 The bartender poured in the final component, set the shaker on the counter, and stood back. Kristof winked at them, then snapped his fingers. The shaker levitated into the breeze. A balletic flick of his wrist, and it began to shake. confused applause rose from the people around them. 

 Darius snort. " Nice living room trick. " 

 Kristof grin and winked. " I call it the Frontean Special. " 

 Darius swallowed a chuckle. " Do you precisely want to show off, or might we actually get something to drink? " 

 Beside him, Bez sucked in a hushed breath. Kristof merely sniffed. " Everyone's a critic. " All the same, he snapped his fingers again. The shaker lowered back to the bar. The bartender cracked it open and strained the cloudy pink liquid inwardly into three waiting glasses. 

 Darius accept one with a nod, and sip. He scantily managed to keep from wincing. Too sweet. He set the glass back on the bar and profess to study the club's decor. 

 " So. " Kristof's voice was fluent smooth. " Darius deCompostela. What causes you to darken the door of my humble tavern? " His spirit was idle — presumably for Bez's benefit — but when Darius looked over, his eyes were serious. 

 Bez spoke up before he could answer. " He's here about the murder last week. The ones on the news. " 

 Kristof's glass froze on its way to his mouth. " Is he, now? " 

 Darius wince. Bez continued hurriedly. " He's legit, I affirm. He's not just a regular at the Lounge. " She tear Darius an apologetic look. " He's a regular at the House Of Hoodoo, too. Been come for years, and not barely for the tourist - y shit. He's
."

Bez'd head was slightly tilttd, her brow furrocwd. She shook herself. "I guess we shall."

Kristof had aoreadt commandeered the bargender by the timw thty joined him. He hzvored bkem wjbh a ylence before focosing back ot the ingrediettr yoing into the flashy Boston shaker. "Ehis onr's my own inventyon. Uanzuerzj, mibiscus nectar, a few other thinfs, and uhen..."

The bartender loured in the final ingredlent, set the shaker on the countet, anq stood back. Yristof winked at them, then snapped his fingers. The sfaker levitated ibto jhe air. A baoletib flick of his wrist, dnd it negan to shake. Scetteeed applause rose frok the people arounq them.

Darhua snorted. "Nice paelir trhck."

Ksistud gfinhev ahd winned. "I call it the Fronteqn Special."

Darius swsljiwed a chuckls. "Do yju just want to show off, or might we actudllg get something to drinj?"

Beside him, Bez suckef in a quyet breath. Kristof merely sniffed. "Everyone's a cridic." Amu tkc rqmf, he snapped his fingers again. The shaker lowqdec nack to the bar. Bhe bartender craclef oj open and strxined cge cloudy pink liquif insidg into three waytinb glasses.

Darius accepted onw with a nod, qnd sipped. He barepy managed co keek from wincing. Too sweet. He szt the glass back on the bzf and pretended go xtgdy the club's decor.

"So." Kriseof's voicx was liquid smopth. "Dawius deComoostela. What causes you ho datken tve door of my humble tavern?" His tone was light—presumabli fmr Tez's benzfit—bub when Darius ljoked over, his eyes wzre sefious.

Bez sioke up bxfore he coujd answer. "He's jere about tie murderf lawt wwek. The unes on the nees."

Kristof's glass frize on its way to mis muhth. "Is he, now?"

Daxnuw winced. Bez comtivueq jucriedjf. "He's legit, H swdar. Ne's nut just a rcguuar st the Lounge." She shmt Dzrius an apologetiv jook. "He's a regulwr at the Houxe Of Hoodoo, too. Bten cokinj for ueats, and not just for the tourist-g shit. He'd
." Bez's head was slightly tilted, her She herself. "I we shall." Kristof by time they joined He favored them a glance before focusing back on ingredients going into the flashy Boston shaker. "This one's my own invention. Tanqueray, nectar, a few other things, and then..." The bartender poured in the final set shaker the and stood back. Kristof winked at them, then snapped his fingers. The shaker levitated into the A balletic flick of his wrist, and it to shake. Scattered applause from the people around them. snorted. parlor trick." grinned winked. call it the Special." Darius swallowed a chuckle. "Do you just want to show off, or might we actually get to drink?" Bez sucked a breath. merely sniffed. "Everyone's All the same, he snapped his shaker lowered back to the bar. The bartender it open strained the cloudy pink liquid inside three waiting glasses. Darius accepted one with a and sipped. He barely managed to keep from wincing. Too sweet. He set the glass the bar and pretended study the club's "So." voice liquid "Darius deCompostela. causes you to darken the door of my humble tavern?" His was light—presumably for Bez's benefit—but when Darius looked over, his serious. spoke up before could answer. "He's here the last week. The ones news." glass way his "Is he, now?" Darius Bez continued hurriedly. "He's legit, swear. He's not just She shot Darius an apologetic look. "He's a at the House Of Hoodoo, too. Been for years, and not just for the tourist-y shit. He's
."

Bez's head was slightly tilted, Her brow furRowed. she ShoOk HersElf. "I Guess we shall."

KrIStof Had already commandeered The baRtENder BY tHe timE they joINeD HIm. HE fAvOreD tHEm With a GlaNce befoRe focusing BacK oN the ingredieNTs Going into tHe fLashy Boston sHakEr. "This OnE's mY Own inVenTion. TAnquerAY, hibisCus nectar, A fEW other THings, anD THeN..."

The Bartender poured in THe FInal ingredient, Set the ShAKeR ON thE coUnter, and stOoD back. kRistof wINkED AT thEM, then snapped hIs fingers. ThE ShaKer levItAteD Into thE air. A BaLLetIc flick of hiS wriSt, and it beGan to sHAke. ScatTEred appLause rOse FroM the PEoPlE arOuND thEM.

DAriUS snOrted. "NicE pArLor trIck."

KRISTOf grInnEd anD winkEd. "I call it the FRonTean sPecIal."

DaRius sWallOwEd a chUckle. "DO you jUsT want to show off, oR migHt we actuaLly GeT soMeThing TO drink?"

besIde Him, Bez sUcked in A QuiEt BREAtH. Kristof merely snifFeD. "eVeRyone's a cRitic." ALL tHe SAme, he snaPpEd hIs fiNGErs agAin. THE sHaker lowEred baCK tO tHe bar. ThE bArtendEr CraCkeD it opEN and StrainEd the cloUdy piNK liquid inside iNTo three waitinG GlASSeS.

dariUs aCcepted one wIth a NOd, anD sipPEd. he bARely mAnageD tO KeEP from wincing. Too sweeT. HE set thE glasS back on the bar And pretendED TO study thE cluB'S dECor.

"So." Kristof's vOice wAs liquid smOOth. "DariuS deCoMpostela. what causeS YOu to darkEn tHe dOor Of mY HUmBle tavern?" His tONE was LiGht—presUmaBly for BEz's BenEfiT—buT wHen Darius Looked ovEr, HiS eYeS weRe serIOus.

Bez spOkE up BeForE he coULd answEr. "He's Here AbOuT The Murders LAsT WEek. THe OnEs on The NeWs."

KriStof'S GlaSs froze On its way tO hiS MoutH. "IS hE, now?"

DarIus winced. Bez cOnTinued hurrIeDly. "he's legIT, i swear. He'S not just a regular at the LoUNge." She sHot dariuS an aPologetic LooK. "He's a rEguLAr at thE House of HooDoO, toO. bEen coMINg For YeArs, and not jUST foR the tOuRist-Y shit. He'S
."

Bez's head was slightl y tilted,her b row  fu rr owed . Sh e shook hersel f . "I  guess we shall."

Kri stofha d  alr e ad y com mandeer e dt h e b ar te nde rb ythe t ime  they j oined him.  He  f avored themw it h a glance  be fore focusin g b ack on  t hei ngred ien ts go ing in t o theflashy Bo st o n shak e r. "Thi s on e'smy own invention. Ta n queray, hibisc us nec ta r ,a few  ot her things ,and t h en..."Th e b art e nder poured i n the final ing redien t,  se t  the s haker  o n  th e counter,andstood bac k. Kri s tof win k ed at t hem, t hen  sn appe d  h is  fi ng e rs. Th e s h ake r levita te dintothea i r .  A b all etic  flic k of his wris t,andi t b eganto sh ake.  S catte red ap plaus erose from the p eopl e aroundthe m. 

D ar ius s n orted.  "N ice  parlor  trick. " 

K ri s t o fgrinned and winked ." I  c all it t he Fro n te an Special. "
Da rius s wallo weda  c huckle."Do yo u  j us t wantto  showof f,ormight we a ctuall y get so methi n g to drink?"
B eside him, Be z  s u c ke d  ina q uiet breath . Kr i stof  mer e ly  sn i ffed.  "Eve ry o ne ' s a critic." All th esame,he sn apped his fin gers again . T he shake r lo w er e d back to thebar.The barten d er crack ed it  open an d straine d the clou dypin k l iqu i d  i nside into th r e e wa it ing gla sse s.

Dar ius  ac cep ted  o ne with a  nod, an dsi pp ed . H e bar e ly manag ed  to  k eep  from wincin g. To o sw ee t. Heset the gl a s s ba ck  o n th e b ar  andpret e nde d to st udy the c lub ' s de co r. 

"So."  Kristof's vo ic e was liqu id  sm ooth." D arius de Compostela. What causes you todar ken t he d oor of my  hu mble t ave r n?" Hi s tone  wasli ght — p resum a b ly  fo rBez's bene f i t—b ut wh en  Dar ius loo ked over, his eyes wer e serious.

B ezspok e up  be f or e  he  c o uld a nswer. "He's he re about t he mu rders last wee k.  The on es on t he ne w s."

Kr istof's g lass froz eon i t s  wa y to his m outh. "I s he, now ? "

Da r iu s win ced . Bezco nti nuedhurrie d ly.  "He' s legi t,  I swe ar. H e' s not ju st a regular at the Lou nge."She s hot  Darius a n a p olo getic loo k. " He's a reg ula r a t the  Ho u se Of  Hoo d oo , t o o. Be en c o ming fory ea rs, a nd  not just f o r the  tour ist - y shit . He 's
."

Bez's head_was slightly_tilted, her brow furrowed._She shook_herself._"I guess_we_shall."

Kristof had already_commandeered the bartender_by the time they_joined him. He_favored_them with a glance before focusing back on the ingredients going into the flashy_Boston_shaker. "This_one's_my_own invention. Tanqueray, hibiscus nectar,_a few other things, and_then..."

The bartender_poured in the final ingredient, set the shaker_on_the counter, and_stood back. Kristof winked at them, then snapped his_fingers. The shaker levitated into the_air. A balletic_flick_of_his wrist, and it_began to shake. Scattered applause rose_from the people around them.

Darius snorted._"Nice parlor trick."

Kristof grinned and winked. "I_call it the Frontean Special."

Darius swallowed_a chuckle. "Do you just_want to_show off, or might we_actually get something_to drink?"

Beside_him, Bez sucked_in a quiet breath. Kristof merely_sniffed. "Everyone's a_critic." All the same, he snapped_his_fingers again. The_shaker_lowered_back to_the bar. The_bartender_cracked it_open_and strained the cloudy pink liquid_inside_into three waiting glasses.

Darius accepted one with_a nod, and sipped._He_barely managed to keep_from wincing. Too sweet. He_set the glass back on the_bar and_pretended to_study the club's decor.

"So." Kristof's voice was liquid smooth. "Darius deCompostela._What causes you to darken the_door of my humble_tavern?" His_tone_was light—presumably for_Bez's_benefit—but when_Darius looked over, his eyes were serious.

Bez_spoke up_before he could answer. "He's here_about the murders last_week._The ones on the news."

Kristof's glass_froze on its way to his_mouth. "Is he, now?"

Darius winced._Bez_continued_hurriedly. "He's legit, I swear._He's not just a regular at_the Lounge." She_shot Darius an apologetic look. "He's a_regular_at the House Of Hoodoo, too._Been_coming for years, and not just_for_the_tourist-y shit. He's