Dahlia flicked me a glance, the power in her eyes setting my stomach to trembling. This was a being that could easily kill me.
“Just saying. I don’t want to carry them out of here or deal with any nasty things their bodies might leave behind. Do you?”
Dahlia’s face remained blank and icy. She didn’t give any sign that she’d heard my words, much less planned to listen, but black smoke retreated from the women’s throats and noses. The smoke curled playfully in on itself as it rejoined its companions on the ceiling.
The three drew deep, gasping breaths, their color returning to normal. They didn’t waste any more words on arguing or posturing, grabbing their purses and hightailing it out of the bar, fear on their faces.
Dahlia turned her gaze on me, the look in her eyes indecipherable.
“Do you want us to leave too?” I offered. I would understand if she did. I was the one who’d initiated contact. Some might say that I was the cause of everything that had happened.
Her expression lightened, a small smile curling her lips. “I believe you’re next for karaoke. I wouldn’t deprive my guests of such an amusement.”
I blanched, almost wishing she’d thrown us out.
Caroline whooped and grabbed my arm. “I second this motion.”
She didn’t give me a chance to protest, shepherding me to the karaoke machine and shoving a microphone into my hand before grabbing her own.
“We’re ready,” she chirped at the person running it.
He looked between the two of us with wide eyes, as if not quite believing a vampire and werewolf would want to participate in karaoke night. He seemed almost human except for a slight glimmer around him.
Caroline gave him a look that said ‘hurry up’.
He busied himself with his computer, lifting his microphone and saying, “For our next song, we have Caroline and Aileen performing Toxic.”
Caroline gave me a playful look and took the first part, shaking her hips and performing to the crowd as she got into the song. By the time it was my turn to join in, I’d forgotten my reservations and just enjoyed playing my part.
Caroline grinned at me as I sang the first notes, putting her back to mine as we hit the chorus.
After that, we strutted our stuff, riling up the crowd before sashaying past each other. We finished to thunderous applause.
Caroline bowed and waved as we handed our microphones back to the DJ who looked impressed.
We headed back to our seats to find two shots already on the bar. Caroline grabbed hers and downed it before I could stop her.
She picked mine up and handed it to me. “You’re drinking. I’ve been stuck cataloging at the bookstore and I’m ready to live it up. We haven’t had a night like this in ages.”
I gave her a sideways look. It’d been a long time since I had a drunken night of revelry. Already, I was tipsier than I’d been in years.
Seeing my hesitation, she threw her arm out to indicate the rest of the bar. “You don’t even have to worry about losing control here. Dahlia will keep an eye on things, won’t you?”
Dahlia gave my friend an amused look. “You are correct.”
Caroline’s face turned mushy. “Aw, I love this woman. Lena, you have such awesome friends.”
I threw back the shot before I could think better of it. Caroline cheered and slapped the bar. “Another.”
It turned out the shot was just the beginning in a long line of drinks that got wilder as the night deepened. The bar turned into a giant rave as we progressed from shots, back to martinis, then to a delicious fruity concoction that reminded me of rainbows.
Dahlia didn’t bother taking our requests, serving us whatever took her fancy at any given moment. She had a new drink waiting every time we finished the last.
I bypassed tipsy and headed straight to Inebriationville, letting Caroline convince me to perform two more songs with her, the last one of which we sang from the top of the bar as our adoring crowd gathered before us.
Caroline bopped next to me, her body gliding to the music and managing some semblance of grace despite the amount of alcohol she’d had.
We were on the last chorus, the crowd singing with us, when I looked down and spotted Liam frowning up at me from beside the bar, his face slightly incredulous.
