"Yuzu juice for brightness and honey syrup to soften it so it doesn't hit too sharp on the first sip."
"So it seduces you before it strikes."
"Exactly, but we need the dangerous part.”
He eyed me. “What do you think?”
"Absinthe.”
Hiro smiled.
"Just a rinse. I'll coat the glass with it. You won't taste it at first, it hides beneath everything else. But then. . .it rises. Kisses your mouth.” I touched my lips. “And suddenly you realize you've been cut."
"I’m liking this."
"Then, we add some performance."
“Like what?”
“Hold the peel over the glass and have a flash of flame”
Hiro actually rubbed his hands together. “Kaede will enjoy this a lot.”
“Good.”
“And what will be the name?”
“Ember Waltz.”
“That title came quick.”
“I’m a writer.” I began drawing the drink. “Now who’s next?”
"Daisuke."
I did my best to quickly finish Ember Waltz. Once I was done, I brought up the vision of Daisuke. It was a bit hard. All I could remember was that he had a stylish black mohawk and appeared highly loyal to Hiro and Kenji. "How does Daisuke kill?”
"Like smoke. The person never sees him coming. One second the room is empty, the next second he's behind you with a knife at your throat."
“Wow.” I flipped the page and worked on a crystal glass. “How does someone learn how to kill that way?”
"Daisuke’s mother sold him to a factory when he was five.”
I stopped drawing and looked up at him. “What kind of factory?”
“Illegal textile operation. Kids working sixteen-hour days and sleeping on the floor. He escaped when he was eight by learning to disappear. To move through spaces without being seen. To exist in the cracks where no one looked." Hiro paused for a second and then shook his head. "By the time I met him, he'd been surviving on the streets for years. A ghost. No one even knew he existed."
"That's. . ." I didn't have words. I just started drawing again and adding shadows to the new glass and putting darkness swirling in the liquid. “Alright. . .so. . .what if there's smoke? Like, actual smoke. A smoke bubble on top that releases when you break it?"
Hiro quirked his brows. “What?”
“Alright. Follow me on this one. First of all, what sort of liquor does Daisuke like?”
"Anything dark."
"Okay, so. . .maybe. . .a mezcal and bourbon base. That gives it smokiness. Honey-ginger syrup for warmth. And activated charcoal to make it dark—like, really dark. Almost black."
"With the smoke bubble on top?" Hiro added, looking so damned pleased I began to grin.
