I try to convince Lukas that Roxy probably wouldn’t be comfortable at the bar. But of course, he insists on bringing her. He says Torin will probably like her and rambles something about the bar being pet friendly. I roll my eyes. In the end, I can’t be bothered arguing. Roxy is well behaved, and if Lukas wants to parade his familiar around a crowded bar, that’s on him. So, we end up crammed in the back of a cab, Roxy wedged between us. The driver seems a little nervous about her being there, but he doesn’t actually stop us. Just keeps glancing at the rearview like he expects Roxy to suddenly sprout fangs and devour the upholstery.
“We should really go collect your car from work.” I mention, staring out the window.
“As long as we don’t park right in front of my place, we can probably get away with it. Your family might still be looking for you, but they’re not exactly hardcore detectives. It made more sense to drive my car before, but now… Well, I don’t have a car.” I sigh heavily. Lukas pats my leg sympathetically, his hand warm and oddly reassuring.
“Sorry about that.” H says, though he doesn’t sound too sorry.
“And yeah, you’re right. We can go pick it up in the morning. I’m fairly sure as long as I’m with you, my family wouldn’t dare approach us anyway. At least not one on one.” He grins, that infuriatingly charming smirk of his in full effect.
“I think they’re terrified of you.” Yeah, he’s definitely not sorry. In fact, he seems thrilled about it all. I believe that he feels bad about my car, but I don’t think he regrets the rest of it or the fact that his family are now scared of me. Disturbingly, I kind of enjoy that thought. I mean, I did take on his whole family. We reach the bar, and it’s ridiculously busy. It’s a Thursday night. Who goes to a bar on a Thursday night? Apparently, half the supernaturals in this city. The noise hits me like a wave, people shouting over each other, the clink of glasses. This could be a problem. I might not be totally sure about spilling our necromancer and demon problems to Rina and Torin, but I DEFINITELY don’t want to be discussing them in front of this many people. I grab Lukas’s hand and send him a mental nudge.
*I guess we hang out and wait until it gets quieter?* I suggest. Then I remember that he isn’t all that fond of crowds and busy places. Which is totally understandable given the way his mind reading works.
*Unless the crowd’s too much for you. We can come back later.* I offer. I know how it feels to force yourself to sit through an uncomfortable situation. My mum used to insist that when I studied magic I needed to sit at a desk. She would demand that I sit still with perfect, upright posture. It was incredibly uncomfortable. I hate sitting still, I can’t focus if I don’t get to move around at least a little bit. I guess it’s not really the same as being bombarded with random people’s thoughts, but I understand how it feels having to act normal in an uncomfortable situation. He squeezes my hand in return, giving me a grateful smile.
“I guess I did get a little carried away rushing down here. But I think I’ll be okay. Although…” He hesitates, looking a little sheepish.
“If you don’t mind, can we sit somewhere near the back? And I would… Appreciate it if you sat next to me, kind of like a buffer?” He asks awkwardly. I nod easily.
“Sure, I can do that. Let’s grab drinks and let people know we’re here, then we can find somewhere to sit.” I glance toward the bar, spotting a familiar face.
“The good news is, it looks like Rina’s working again, so we should be able to talk to her.” I add.
“Which means Torin is definitely here too.” Lukas mutters, almost to himself.
“Huh?” I raise an eyebrow. He shrugs, a little too nonchalantly.
“I’ll explain once we’re sitting.” Still clutching my hand like it’s his lifeline, he tugs me toward the bar. Roxy trots along beside us, completely unfazed by the chaos. I guess it’s time for us to settle in for a long wait.
It takes hours for the place to finally start to calm down. This bar must be raking it in. And in the time we’ve been sitting here, I’ve seen enough weirdness to last a lifetime. I watched a group of ancient vampires whine and beg like teenagers trying to convince their older siblings to buy them beer. I saw Rina force some drunk to formally apologize to a guy he spilled a drink on, like, actual hand on heart, dramatic apology. AND she flat out refused to serve another guy who looked totally sober but was just being an absolute jerk to everyone around him. Then there’s the free drinks. At least a dozen handed out, ours included. Rina seems to know exactly when someone needs a pick me up and when to draw the line. Torin? He didn’t interfere or complain once. I guess he really does trust her to handle things. It’s honestly kind of sweet. Plus, Lukas told me that Torin was apparently all worked up about his relationship with Rina last time they were here. But from what I’ve seen tonight, Torin’s got nothing to worry about. The way Rina looks at him? She absolutely adores him, and she’s not trying to hide it either. Lukas was strangely happy to share what he’d picked up from Torin’s mind. I guess he hears a lot of things about people, but rarely gets to actually share them with anyone. I mean, it’s a good thing he’s not broadcasting everyone’s deepest secrets, but it must be tough having all that information and no one to talk to about it. Well, I’m happy to be the person he gossips with. I know I’ll keep it all to myself.
Eventually, when the crowd thins out enough and the noise dies down, we head up to the bar. Rina spots us immediately and leans down, resting her elbows on the counter, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
“So, I suppose you two have something you want to talk about? You don’t seem like the type to hang out in a bar all night. Plus, you’ve only had like one drink each, and Lukas there looks like he hates it here.” She says bluntly. Lukas shrugs a little apologetically, but Rina just waves him off with a grin.
“I get it. Places like this aren’t for everyone. Last time you were here to ask questions, so, did you guys have more?” She asks cheerfully. How is she not exhausted? I’m so tired. It’s so late. I really, really want to go home and pass out. But we waited this long, and I’m no quitter. Lukas, on the other hand, barely looks tired at all. I guess he’s so focused on our goal that he’s just… Ignoring how worn out he is.
“Yeah, we do. There’s a long story behind it, but basically, we need to figure out how to get someone out of a deal with a demon.” I tell her, getting straight to the point. It takes about half a second for Torin to practically materialize next to us, awkwardly inserting himself into the conversation like he’s been waiting for an excuse.
“Which of you made a deal with a demon?” He demands, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. I hold up my hands defensively.
“Relax, it’s neither of us. It’s someone else we know. We just want to help him out.” I assure him quickly. Torin still looks kind of suspicious but eventually gives a curt nod.
“Oh, good. I did not want to be the one to tell Laura that her favorite cousin is involved with a demon.” Rina comments. Meanwhile, Torin exhales, visibly relaxing. Then Rina perks up like a lightbulb just went off in her head.
“Oh! But if we’re talking about getting out of demon deals, we should include Richard.” Rina says brightly. Then, without missing a beat, she turns to some blonde guy sitting at the other end of the bar, chatting with a woman I don’t recognise.
“Hey, Dick! Get over here!” Rina calls out loudly. What the hell is she doing? We intentionally waited until the bar mostly cleared out so we could have this conversation privately, and she’s just calling some random dude over like it’s no big deal? This is SO not going how I planned it.