He sets his cane on the table and writes Who? on his board, showing it to me. He then picks up one of the goblets, taking a sip. Only a second ago, they were empty, but now the one in his hand is full of dark, cherry-colored wine.

“You know, the guy,” I practically growl. “The one who drinks this stuff and talks like a gentleman though he’s anything but.”

He ignores my questions, continuing to sip his wine. Then, his face lights up with an idea, and he reaches behind my left ear. He pulls out a coin, a token from one of the local casinos. He flips it at me, hitting me in the cheek before it falls to the ground. Then he does the same on the right. And again on the left. And so on until the sidewalk is ringing with the sounds of falling money, and my cheeks and chest burn with so many strikes. Several nearby panhandlers run over and scrabble across the concrete to collect all the tokens.

“Stop it!” I yell, cupping my ears with my hands.

He grabs his cane and points to the sky. Look up!

I glance upward just in time to notice a dark, purpling cloud exploding like a bruise directly overhead. Wet blotches of rain fall in drops as big as pebbles. Every single one smells like peppermint. And then the coins start falling, tumbling over my head and shoulders like golden hail. I cover my head with my hands and break into a run down the street. I don’t look up again until I have turned several corners and can no longer hear the sound of clattering metal on stone. When I do, the sun is shining, and there is not a cloud to be seen.

X.

THE YELLOW CAFÉ SIGN IS LIKE A WELCOME FRIEND by this point. All I want is to get off these damn streets. I kept looking over one shoulder, expecting the magician to follow, but he never did. I tuck the bottle of schnapps and the key into my pockets. Outside the café doors, Daniel is waving at me. His smile is meant to be reassuring, but I don’t know this boy at all. He could be an ax murderer for all I know. Doesn’t New Orleans have one of the highest rates of missing persons in the US?

“Hey, you came!”

I smile tightly, trying to hide the fact that I was imagining him wielding a blood-coated blade only moments ago. “Yeah.”

Daniel takes the application from me and glances at it. “Looks good. You’re hired.”

“What?”

He grins and shrugs one shoulder. “I know the owner. She trusts me.”

I give him a puzzled look.

He laughs. “My auntie. Her name is Wanda. Come on, let’s get you settled.”