 something else. A nice werewolf killing. A vampire blood drive." Her eyes worried over his face. "How the hell did you get mixed up in this thing, anyway?"

Darius tried to make his shrug look casual. "Got a client. Like you said, if it wasn't something big, I wouldn't get involved. You know how I feel about this shit."

Bez frowned. "Doesn't matter how you feel. You have a gift. That you refuse to use it—"

"It's not that simple." Darius didn't realize how harsh his voice sounded until Bez flinched. He forced his boiling emotions down to a slow simmer, and continued more gently. "We can discuss this another time." _Or not_. "Right now, I need your help. What can you tell me?"

Bez hesitated. Her pale eyes searched his. What she was looking for, Darius had no idea. He couldn't tell whether or not she found it. Her nostrils twitched, and she bent a little closer. "Frankincense." Her eyes clouded. "So you're still using the sanctuary oil."

Darius didn't answer.

Bez sighed and reached down behind the counter. She returned with a pen and a small notepad. Without looking up again, she scrawled something on the top paper. She tore it off and slid it over the bar.

Darius picked it up. Squinted at it. Turned it upside-down, then upside-down again. Whichever way he turned the paper, the letters on it looked like gibberish. He glanced up at Bez. "What's this?"

Bez put the pen and notepad away. "An address. At least, it will be." She plucked her rag off the bar again and went to work on a water stain. "Thing about witches; we're a paranoid lot. Call it a side effect of living in a world obsessed with seeing you burn."

Darius waited.

Bez scrubbed harder. "When the sun goes down, those symbols will turn into an address. That address will take you to a club. It's...exclusive. Hard to find. I'll meet you there and get you in, but after that, you're on your own."

He wasn't sure he liked the way she said _exclusive_.
something else. A nice werewolf killing. A vampire blood drive. " Her eye worry over his face. " How the hell did you get mixed up in this matter, anyway? " 

 Darius tried to make his shrug count casual. " Got a customer. Like you said, if it wasn't something big, I wouldn't catch involved. You sleep together how I find about this shit. " 

 Bez frowned. " Doesn't matter how you feel. You have a endowment. That you refuse to use it — " 

 " It's not that simple. " Darius didn't gain how harsh his voice sounded until Bez flinch. He forced his boiling emotion down to a slow simmer, and continued more gently. " We can discuss this another fourth dimension. " _ Or not _. " Right now, I need your help. What can you tell me? " 

 Bez hesitate. Her pale eyes searched his. What she was looking for, Darius had no idea. He couldn't tell whether or not she found it. Her nostrils twitched, and she bent a small closer. " Frankincense. " Her eyes cloud. " therefore you're still using the sanctuary oil. " 

 Darius didn't suffice. 

 Bez sighed and reach down behind the counter. She returned with a playpen and a small notepad. Without looking up again, she scrawled something on the top paper. She tore it off and slid it over the cake. 

 Darius picked it up. Squinted at it. Turned it upside - down, then upside - down again. Whichever way he twist the paper, the letter on it looked like gibberish. He glanced up at Bez. " What's this? " 

 Bez put the pen and notepad away. " An savoir-faire. At least, it will be. " She plucked her rag off the bar again and went to work on a water stain. " Thing about witches; we're a paranoid draw. Call it a side impression of living in a world haunt with seeing you bite. " 

 Darius waited. 

 Bez scrub harder. " When the sunday goes down, those symbols will turn into an address. That address will contract you to a club. It's... exclusive. Hard to find. I'll meet you there and get you in, but after that, you're on your own. " 

 He wasn't sure he liked the manner she said _ exclusive _.
 solething else. A nice weredolf killing. A rqmpire blood drive." Hdr eyes worried over his facx. "Hoq the hell did you get mixea up in tjis thint, anbway?"

Darius tried to make his sgvug lmik casual. "Got s client. Lhke you said, ix kt wasn't something big, I wouldn't get ynvolvec. Jou know how I feek abohn uhis shit."

Bez frowned. "Doesn't matted how ymu feel. You hsve a gift. That you refuse to kse it—"

"It's not that simple." Daruus qudn't realize how harsh his voice skunded until Bez flinched. He fofced kis boiling enotlmns down to a sljw simmer, and continged morr gently. "We cak disruss this another time." _Or not_. "Right now, I nged your hal'. What can you tell mw?"

Bwz hevitaded. Fwr oalt ebes searcjed his. What ahe was loojing for, Darius had nj idea. He coulsn't tejl whether or not she found it. Her nostrins fwitched, and she bent a little closer. "Frankijcense." Hew eyes clouded. "So you're still using the sanctuary oil."

Derkus dldn't qndwer.

Bez sighed and reached down behind the cothttr. Xhe returned wlth a pen and a smslp mjtepad. Withouj lookiuf hp again, she scrawped somgthing on the tjp psper. She tore it off and slud it over tke var.

Darius picked ic up. Squinteb at ij. Turnrd it upside-down, then u'side-dkwn again. Wjichever sxy he turned the paier, dhe letttfs on it looked lyke gibbecish. Ke glancdd uk at Bes. "What's thls?"

Bez put the pen and nohepad afay. "An addgess. At least, it will be." She plnrked her rag pfx tve bar ayain akd went to work on a water stcin. "Thiny aboug witches; se're a 'aranoid lot. Call it a sigg effect of lmving in w woeld ibsessea with seeing ypu burn."

Dagibs waited.

Vez scrubbed hardev. "Whev the sun goes diwn, those symbols eilu ttrj mnto wt address. Thdt aadrdxs wiul take you go a club. It's...exclusive. Hdrd fo find. I'll meet ypu there abd get yju in, but aftrr that, you're on ylur oxn."

He wesn't sire he liked the way she said _excmusive_.
something else. A nice werewolf killing. A drive." eyes worried his face. "How mixed in this thing, Darius tried to his shrug look casual. "Got a Like you said, if it wasn't something big, I wouldn't get involved. You how I feel about this shit." Bez frowned. "Doesn't matter how you feel. have gift. you to use it—" "It's not that simple." Darius didn't realize how harsh his voice sounded until flinched. He forced his boiling emotions down to slow simmer, and continued gently. "We can discuss this time." not_. "Right I your What can you me?" Bez hesitated. Her pale eyes searched his. What she was looking for, Darius had no idea. couldn't tell not she it. nostrils and she bent closer. "Frankincense." Her eyes clouded. "So the sanctuary oil." Darius didn't answer. Bez sighed reached down the counter. She returned with a and a small notepad. Without looking up again, scrawled something on the top paper. She tore it off and slid it over the picked it up. Squinted it. Turned it then again. way turned the the letters on it looked like gibberish. He glanced up at "What's this?" Bez put the pen and notepad away. "An least, will be." She her rag off the again went to work on stain. about paranoid Call a side effect of in a world obsessed with you burn." Darius waited. sun goes down, those symbols will turn into address. That address will take you to club. It's...exclusive. Hard to find. I'll meet you there and get you but after on your own." He wasn't sure he liked way she said _exclusive_.
 something else. A nice werewolF killing. A vAmpirE blOod DrIve." HEr eyEs worried over hIS facE. "How the hell did you get miXed up In THis tHInG, anywAy?"

DariuS TrIED to MaKe His ShRUg Look cAsuAl. "Got a cLient. Like yOu sAiD, if it wasn't soMEtHing big, I woUldN't get involveD. YoU know hOw i feEL abouT thIs shiT."

Bez frOWned. "DoEsn't matteR hOW you feEL. You havE A GiFt. ThAt you refuse to use iT—"

"it'S Not that simple." DArius dIdN'T rEALizE hoW harsh his vOiCe souNDed untiL beZ FLIncHEd. He forced his Boiling emotIOns Down to A sLow SImmer, aNd conTiNUed More gently. "WE can Discuss thIs anotHEr time." _OR Not_. "RighT now, I nEed YouR helP. whAt Can YoU TelL Me?"

bez HEsiTated. Her PaLe Eyes sEarcHED HIs. WhAt sHe waS lookIng for, Darius hAd nO ideA. he cOuldn'T tell WhetHeR or noT she foUnd it. heR nostrils twitchEd, anD she bent a LitTlE clOsEr. "FraNKincenSe." HEr eYes clouDed. "So yoU'Re sTiLL USiNg the sanctuary oil."

DArIUS dIdn't answEr.

Bez sIGhEd ANd reacheD dOwn BehiND The coUnteR. shE returneD with a PEn AnD a small NoTepad. WItHouT loOking UP agaIn, she sCrawled sOmethINg on the top papeR. she tore it off aND sLID iT Over The Bar.

Darius piCked IT up. SQuinTEd At iT. turneD it upSiDE-dOWn, then upside-down agaIn. whicheVer waY he turned the pAper, the letTERS on it looKed lIKe GIbberish. He glanCed up At Bez. "What's THis?"

Bez puT the pEn and notEpad away. "AN ADdress. At LeaSt, iT wiLl bE." sHe Plucked her rag OFF the BaR again aNd wEnt to woRk oN a wAteR stAiN. "Thing aboUt witcheS; wE'rE a PaRanOid loT. call it a sIdE efFeCt oF liviNG in a woRld obSessEd WiTH seEing you BUrN."

dAriuS wAiTed.

BEz sCrUbbed HardER. "WhEn the suN goes down, ThoSE symBoLs Will turN into an addresS. THat address WiLl tAke you TO A club. It's...Exclusive. Hard to find. I'll mEEt you thEre And geT you In, but afteR thAt, you'rE on YOur own."

he wasn'T sure He LikED The waY SHe SaiD _eXclusive_.
 something else. A nice we rewolf kil ling.  Avam pi re b lood  drive." Her e y es w orried over his face."Howth e  hel l  d id yo u get m i xe d upin  t his  t h in g, an ywa y?"

Da rius tried  to  m ake his shru g  l ook casual . " Got a client . L ike yo usai d , ifitwasn' t some t hing b ig, I wou ld n 't get involve d .  Y ou k now how I feel ab o ut this shit."

B ez fro wn e d. " Doe sn' t matter h ow  youf eel. Yo u  h a v e  ag ift. That you  refuse tou seit—"
"I t's not th at si mp l e."  Darius did n'trealize h ow har s h his v o ice sou nded u nti l B ez f l in ch ed.  H e  fo r ce d h i s b oiling e mo ti ons d ownt o a  slo w s imme r, an d continued m ore  gen t ly.  "Wecan d iscu ss  this  anoth er ti me ." _Or not_. "R ight  now, I n eed  y our  h elp.W hat ca n y outell me ?"

Bez hes it a t e d.  Her pale eyes sea rc h e dhis. Wha t shew as  l o oking fo r,  Da rius h ad no  ide a .He could n't te l lwh ether o rnot sh efou ndit. H e r no strils  twitche d, an d  she bent a li t tle closer. " F ra n k in c ense ."Her eyes cl oude d . "S o yo u 'r e s t ill u singth e  s a nctuary oil."

Dari us  didn' t ans wer.

Bez sig hed and re a c h ed downbehi n dt he counter. Sh e ret urned with a pen an d a s mall not epad. Wit h o ut looki ngupaga in, s he  scrawled som e t hing  o n the t oppaper.She  to reitof f and sli d it ove rth eba r.
Dari u s picked  i t u p.  Sq uinte d  at it . Tur nedit  u p sid e-down, th e n  ups id e- down  ag ai n. Wh iche v erway heturned th e p a per,  t he  letter s on it looke dlike gibbe ri sh.  He gl a n ced up a t Bez. "What's this?"
B ez putthe  penandnotepad a way . "Anadd r ess. A t leas t, it  w ill b e." S h e  p luc ke d her rago f f t he ba ragai n and w ent to work on a w a ter  stain. "Thin g a bout w it che s ;w e'r ea  pa r a noid lot. Callit a sideef f ec t of livin g  in  a  worldobsesse d wit h  seeing  you burn ."

Dariu swait e d .
Bez scrubb ed harde r. "Whent he su n  g oes d own , thos esym bolswill t u rnintoan add re ss. Th at ad dr ess will  take you to a club. It 's...e xclus ive . Hard to  fi n d.I'll meet  you  there and  ge t y ou in , b u t aft er t h at , y o u'reon y o ur own."He  wa s n 't  sure he li k e d  th e way  sh e  said_exc lusive_.
 something_else. A_nice werewolf killing. A_vampire blood_drive."_Her eyes_worried_over his face._"How the hell_did you get mixed_up in this_thing,_anyway?"

Darius tried to make his shrug look casual. "Got a client. Like you said,_if_it wasn't_something_big,_I wouldn't get involved. You_know how I feel about_this shit."

Bez_frowned. "Doesn't matter how you feel. You have_a_gift. That you_refuse to use it—"

"It's not that simple." Darius didn't_realize how harsh his voice sounded_until Bez flinched._He_forced_his boiling emotions down_to a slow simmer, and continued_more gently. "We can discuss this_another time." _Or not_. "Right now, I_need your help. What can you_tell me?"

Bez hesitated. Her pale_eyes searched_his. What she was looking_for, Darius had_no idea._He couldn't tell_whether or not she found it._Her nostrils twitched,_and she bent a little closer._"Frankincense."_Her eyes clouded._"So_you're_still using_the sanctuary oil."

Darius_didn't_answer.

Bez sighed_and_reached down behind the counter. She_returned_with a pen and a small notepad._Without looking up again,_she_scrawled something on the_top paper. She tore it_off and slid it over the_bar.

Darius picked_it up._Squinted at it. Turned it upside-down, then upside-down again. Whichever way_he turned the paper, the letters_on it looked like_gibberish. He_glanced_up at Bez._"What's_this?"

Bez put_the pen and notepad away. "An address._At least,_it will be." She plucked her_rag off the bar_again_and went to work on a_water stain. "Thing about witches; we're_a paranoid lot. Call it_a_side_effect of living in a_world obsessed with seeing you burn."

Darius_waited.

Bez scrubbed harder._"When the sun goes down, those symbols_will_turn into an address. That address_will_take you to a club. It's...exclusive._Hard_to_find. I'll meet you there_and get you in, but after_that, you're on your own."

He wasn't sure he liked_the way she_said _exclusive_.