Yet another thing my landlord had promised to fix.
Shivering, I waited for the water to finally warm up, then tucked back under the spray and gave a contented sigh.There was nothing quite like a hot shower at the end of a long day.I basked in the warmth, then washed away the grime of the day, all while listening to the familiar insanity coming from the living room.Vol’s crazed laughter echoed through the walls and brought a smile to my lips.
After finishing my shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and headed back into the living room.Vol and Purrgy had settled somewhat, with Vol now perched on the arm of the couch, surveying his “kingdom” with a smug expression.Purrgy sprawled in his nearby cat bed, half asleep, though his ears still twitched at every sound.
Recognizing that they were done fighting for the night, I escaped to my bedroom, where I quickly dressed before Vol decided to come barging in.The first—and only—time he’d seen me naked, he’d thrown himself dramatically to the ground, wailing about how “it burned” his eyes and he’d “gone blind.”His theatrics had sounded so convincing that I’d actually worried about him.Since then, I’d made it a point to dress in private.Better safe than sorry.
Now wrapped in my coziest Christmas skull pajamas, I tucked myself into bed and stretched from tip to toe.In my head, I counted down from thirty.When I reached ten, the bed shifted under extra weight.A quick glance revealed Purrgy, with Vol astride his back, half sprawled as though their latest antics had worn him out.
Purrgy approached and nudged his cheek against my chin before tucking himself into his usual nook beside me.Once Purrgy settled, Vol hopped off and took his usual spot on the second pillow.
Smiling, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
* * *
Wraith& Whiskey thrummed with energy tonight.The bar teemed with patrons—both familiar and new—and lively conversation and laughter echoed from each corner.Between mixing drinks and bantering with the regulars, my mind raced with anticipation of what the night might bring.After all, it wasn’t every day I had the opportunity to hunt a vampire with my best swords in tow, swords quietly tucked away in the staff room so as not to attract any attention.
I slid a neon-pink cocktail across the bar to a pixie, who winked at me and left a generous tip.How she planned to carry a glass as big as her was beyond me, but I’d learned not to question these things.
A smile crossed my lips at the sight of her fluttering back to her table, where her companions awaited—a dragon shifter and a member of the fae court.In all my years pouring drinks, I’d never had the pleasure of serving such distinguished guests, as their kind didn’t particularly enjoy venturing into the human world.Where they’d met the pixie, I had absolutely no idea, but the three seemed to get along rather famously.Clearly, they were involved in some form of intimate relationship, and while I wondered how a pixie, dragon shifter, and fae had, erm, relations considering their range in sizes, I figured those details were best left to them to figure out.
From the looks of it, I wasn’t the only one curious about them.Their presence was certainly causing a stir.Heads turned and whispers followed them, adding a spark of excitement to the normally dank, dark air.
My coworker, Mason, sidled up to the bar and took a seat across from me, placing his empty drink tray down on the counter.He rattled off a list of requested drinks, which I immediately started mixing.
He swivelled on the stool and perused the bar.“Busy night,” he commented, his attention drifting to the unusual trio.
“Mm-hmm,” I hummed.“Feel free to jump in and mix a few drinks yourself.I’ve been slammed since we opened.”
Mason chuckled, a deep and gravelly sound that perfectly matched his gargoyle nature.I’d never seen him in statue form, but when we first met, he’d assured me he was made of thehardestgranite.I admit, I’d given him a high-five for that one.
“Trust me, there’s a reason I’m a waiter and not a bartender,” he said.“I think the only drink I know how to make is a scotch on the rocks.”
“Everyone can make that one,” I teased.
“Oh, and a gin and tonic.”
I chuckled before placing the first few drinks on his tray.As I reached for a bottle of vermouth, a sudden commotion stole my attention.My focus shot to the table responsible just in time to catch the dragon shifter laugh at something the pixie said.Then he leaned back in his seat, tilted his head up, and belched a jet of fire straight up into the air.
Silence fell over the bar for a few seconds before everyone erupted into cheers and laughter, egging him on.The pixie squealed in delight, but the fae lord merely raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed by the show.
I merely blinked, then lifted my gaze to the ceiling to ensure the dragon shifter hadn’t done any lasting damage.“Well, that’s a new one.Can’t say I’ve ever seen a dragon burp like that before.”
Mason laughed.“Seen many dragons, have ya?”
“Not at all,” I said, chuckling.
“Me neither.Guess there’s a first time for everything.”
Shaking my head, I continued mixing the last two drinks.
“And speaking of seeing spectacular things, I’ve recently seen somethinghellaspectacular,” Mason said.
I gave a quiet snicker.In all my years on Earth, one thing had become abundantly clear—both humans and paranormals loved a good dose of gossip.And me being a bartender meant I was always on the receiving end of everyone’s secrets.I’d heard things I could never unhear.
“You know how I watch over the Alberta Legislature Building?”he asked, continuing without my encouragement.
“Sure,” I said.That was his daytime spot.All gargoyles turned to stone at sunrise, so they each had a favourite perch they deemedtheirs.According to Mason, he mostly slept during the day, since he couldn’t do much else, but he was aware of everything that happened around him even when in stone form.
