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Cherie would know what to do,I thought as I headed for my vanity, waving to the other girls in a way that made it clear I didn’t really want to talk. Their conversation washed over me in an excited babble as they changed out of their costumes and into casual clothes, getting ready to enjoy a hard-earned evening off before we were closed for the next couple of days.

I pulled a pair of loose sweatpants over my gem-encrusted panties. I could change later, but for now I just wanted a bit of comfort while I worked through the bitter emotions that’d hijacked my body.

Besides, if I’d learned anything, it was that even when things were falling apart, it was always better when it happened in an ample amount of glitter and a push-up bra.

The cruel injustice of it all made my throat tight, a familiar feeling whenever I stumbled into thoughts of my sire.

It wasn’t fair; it wasn'trightthat Cherie wasn’t here to talk about this.

She would’ve loved Vi, or at least the way she’d shaken up the sad little routine our coven had fallen into since she’d passed.

I tugged a cropped hoodie over my head, fluffing my hair out of the back.

Grief was... weird. Uncomfortable. I missed Cherie more every day, always finding new things that I wished I could tell her about or stuff I wanted advice on, but it was getting easier too. More normal.

Instead of immediate sobs whenever I thought of her, it was more like an aching. A longing that was manageable more than crushing.

Like learning to breathe again.

But nights like tonight? It sucked.

The staff afterparty was Cherie’s favourite. An opportunity for everyone to get together as a family and blow off some steam.

I was proud of Dana for keeping it, even if she’d rather head upstairs to unwind solo with a glass of wine and a book. But that didn’t make it any less hard.

The lights overhead flashed, letting us know that the bar was finally empty of patrons, and I grinned to myself. Leaning forward so close that my breath fogged the surface, I met my eyes in the mirror with a glittery fingernail pressed into the glass.

“You’renotpushy. You’re totally cool. Cute.Flirty.”

Babydoll—Kaylee, as she was known when she wasn’t working—snickered from the other side of the vanity. “Hyping yourself up?”

“Maybe.” I groaned, running a hand through my silvery blonde hair that made the curls stand on end.

She peeked her head around the corner, green eyes gleaming with mischief. “Is this about Vi?”

“Maybe,” I repeated.

Was it inappropriate to gossip about the girl to her best friend? Yeah, probably. Was I slightly desperate for information about my pathetic little crush? Also, tragically, yes.

“I just came from VIP. Cole sliced his hand, and Ren is taking the opportunity for a refill, sooooo,” she dragged the word out with a pointed swing of her gaze toward the curtain separating us from the main bar. “If you go out there now, Vi is probably alone. You know, if you want to talk.”

I grinned at the blonde, a newfound fond gratitude for Babydoll bubbling to life. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

Kaylee winked as she disappeared back into her station, pointedly calling to the other girls. “Hey, can you guys look at this picture I took? I want to make sure that it’ll make Roxy wish she joined me in VIP tonight…”

The perfect distraction to buy me a little time.

Girls looking out for girls, gotta love it.

Babydoll, I owe you one!

With the quickest brush of some blush against the apples of my cheeks for some colour, I was up and headed for the bar. I pushed through the heavy curtain with butterflies doing the salsa in my belly, my eyes immediately seeking out the human.

A little one-on-one time wasexactlywhat I needed to get my secret mission started on the right foot.

Vi had her back to me, her face upturned to look at the shelves behind the bar. Her arms crossed over her chest as she studied the multi-coloured bottles thoughtfully.

“Thinking about what you want to make?” I asked curiously, sitting on one of the stools to lean my elbows on the polished wood surface.