Khell's most recent commission was a massive bartop at a new trendy bar owned by his mothman friend, Elias, whom he'd met through MSA. I'd met a few of his other friends in the past couple months, but this was going to be a big group of them together for Elias's opening night.

I hung my purchases on the stair railing and then changed in the bedroom, debating briefly over a pair of jeans or a dress. Khell and I had nearly been caught fucking in public a couple of times now. Jeans might deter him from coaxing me into a dark alley corner, or they might just make it harder for me to redress in a hurry. And did I really want to deter him? I smirked to myself and chose the dress, pulling on a pair of thigh high socks.

It was better to be prepared when it came to going out with Khell. Two months later, and we still couldn't really keep our hands to ourselves. Which suited me just fine.

* * *

Elias's bar, Nightlight, was located in the heart of Wicker Park and perfectly suited to the overly glossy shop fronts and music venues. The entire space had a warm, golden quality, with high-polished wood and dim yellow bulbs in stylishly arranged clusters and vintage chandeliers. It matched the tall, brilliant man behind the bar with the yellow, brown, and black wings and the thick ruff of soft, golden fur peeking up from the open buttons of his white dress shirt.

I'd met Elias briefly before, and he'd mostly spoken over my head to Khell, ignoring me. Tonight, he waved cheerfully at our arrival, shining brightly under the carefully angled hazy spotlights. The room was full of all sorts of species, and I was one of only a handful of other humans. Khell guided me to the bar, and I was surprised to find Elias beaming at me.

"Sunny, I have an experiment I'd like you to try," he greeted me.

"You poison her, I'll tear your wings off," Khell warned, strangely friendly in tone considering the threat of the words.

Elias shrugged and turned to his amply cluttered shelves of dubiously labeled alcohol.

"Do you make most of what you sell?" I asked.

"Maybe half. I only bring in the best," Elias answered over his shoulder. He pulled down a glittering gem of a bottle, filled with a brilliant fuschia liquid up to the wax and cork seal.

"Natalie and Theo came," Khell said, pointing out my friends at the other end of the bar. "Oh, and they've met Rafe. Natalie will challenge him to a drinking competition."

"She'll lose. She's a lightweight, she just won't admit it," I said.

Elias poured me a small sample of whatever was in the bottle into a champagne glass and then slid it in my direction, crossing his arms on the bar top and watching me.