Grace Feckterhight

Chapter Nine

"I.. uh." I couldn't form a sentence. "Sure."

He only smiled and gestured towards the bar. I looked over the drink menu, intent on getting something other than my usual. One name caught my eye. The Kistrian Lights. The description somewhat alarmed me. This one is sure to spark up your night!

I caught the bartender's attention. "Hey, could I get one of those Kistrian Lights?"

He smiled and put down his cleaning towel. "Ah, that's the new one! It's real special."

I would have been unsettled, but the gleam in his eye told me that it was a good special. I smiled and watched him work.

Navy Boy over here decided it would be a good idea to butt in. "You won't believe this drink, uh.." It was at this moment that he realized that he'd never gotten my name.

I kept my eyes on the bartender's hands. He was pouring sparkling water into a tall glass. I glanced at the boy to my right. "I'm Feckter."

He froze, gaping at me. "The Feckter?"

I smirked at him. "I see that my reputation precedes me." The bartender pulled out a small container of.. glitter?

"You.. You're the one that took out the shortblade operation! And the.. overpowered guns?" His shock left him stuttering.

"That's me." My eyes followed the container of what appeared to be shimmering glitter. The bartender sprinkled in a few shakes, then pulled out a second container of golden liquid. The clear glass allowed me to see everything perfectly. He set my drink down in front of me, seeming to be preparing for something. He tipped the container of liquid, and pulled back to watch. The moment the two shining substances collided, some sort of reaction occurred.

The glitter sparked up like embers, causing mini firework shows inside the liquid. It was like watching a sparkler and a wildfire ignite each other. The carbonated water left bubbles on the walls of the glass, but they didn't stay there for long. With all of the sparkling liquid-fire, they jumped around like the water was overstimulated.

    All I could do was stare at the beautiful scene before me. It was like a fight between the water and the fire, a tumble of who was more alarming. I'd never seen anything so skittish.

    I was thoroughly unaware of everything else around me. At least, until the boy in navy beside me cleared his throat.

    "Sorry, I–" I started.

    "No," He held up a hand. "Your reaction was fun to watch."

    Didn't I just stare at it for a solid minute? I thought, gently wrapping my fingers around the glass. The sparklers had died down. Surprisingly, the surface wasn't warm.

Ah, the drinks of Kistra. This B.L.A.D.E. bar alone was known to have one of the best selections of the city. Well, at least by its members.

He gestured towards a high-seated table, drink in hand. It appeared to be more similar to my teal sparkling water, but his was more brackish, with twinkling swirls of navy-silver. "Shall we?"

I nodded, all remaining thoughts of Dixter leaving my mind. "Sure."

When we were seated, I took a sip of The Kistrian Lights. It tasted like how I imagined the stars would. Twinkling with a hint of flame. It both burned your tongue and cooled it simultaneously.

"So." I began after swallowing. "How do you know my name?"

"Word travels fast in this agency." He eyed me. "Your heroics didn't fail to meet my ears."