Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 104141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
The women chuckled.
“Alright.” I waved my hand. “Can we focus on the drink and not my helpers?”
Aki crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s going to be hard to do that.”
“Very difficult.” Yuki nodded.
“Well. . .” I smirked. “Do your best anyway.”
Chuckling, Katsumi and Natsumi set two crystal glasses down. The ice inside each one had been cut into a sharp matching shard rather than a sphere.
The Twins stepped forward together. Aki took the left side. Yuki took the right.
Katsumi poured the whiskey into one glass, filling it halfway with golden liquid.
“Whiskey-amber for Aki.” To not piss the twins off, I pointed to Yuki instead, pretending like I couldn’t tell them apart.
Hiro snorted, seeing through my bullshit.
I cleared my throat, turned to Aki, and pretended he was his twin. “And for Yuki. . .a nice cold vodka.”
Natsumi poured.
I waited until both glasses were full and then turned to the Twins. "You two have been one creature your whole lives. I could never split your drink. It would be an insult.”
Katsumi and Natsumi poured both glasses into a larger one.
The grey settled at the base.
The amber rose to the top.
"Two bodies." I looked at the glass. "But the same heart uniting them."
Toma whispered to Kaede, "I bet they’re going to cry.”
Kaede snickered. “Like you?”
Toma frowned.
Smiling, Katsumi reached for a small crystal vial and tipped a measured pour of high-proof shochu and then sprinkled pale blue dust over the surface.
Natsumi did the same on her side, but the dust was rose-gold.
“Ash of cherry blossom for Aki.” I gestured to the powders. "Ash of plum blossom for Yuki. Two trees that bloom back-to-back."
Both powders sat on the surface barely touching each other.
Daisuke leaned forward.
Aki's mouth had gone soft.
Yuki was staring at the glass like it had spoken to him.
Katsumi picked up the long match. I nodded. She struck it. Natsumi struck one beside her. Two flames lit at the exact same second.
"Aki and Yuki, you both have two burning spirits.” I smiled. "That’s why this drink is called, Twin Flames."
Katsumi lowered her match to Aki's surface.
The shochu caught.
A flame rose, but it did not burn ordinary gold. It bloomed blue. Cobalt at the base, climbing into a paler ice-blue at the rim, with tiny bright sparks lifting off the surface like fireflies.
“Wow.” Aki stepped back.
Then, the cherry blossom dust caught the heat and threw it back as glittering specks of pale violet.
Aki gasped at once. “That’s fucking amazing.”
Natsumi lowered her match to Yuki's surface.
Yuki's flame appeared as rose-gold. Pink at the base, climbing into a deep blush at the rim and sparking with flecks of true gold that lifted, danced, and disappeared.
Next, the plum blossom dust caught and threw warmth around Yuki's face in shimmering drifts of soft red.
“Twin flames.” I held out my hands. “Cobalt and rose. Ice and warmth.”
Sparks rose on both sides. And between them a slow drifting cloud of colored ash mingled in the air.
Hiro whispered, "Holy fuck. That’s impressive."
My other helpers rushed over to make drinks for the others. Once they were done, we all picked up our flaming glasses.
“Now for this one.” I watched the two flames swaying and twisting on my drink. “You do not want to drink through the flame.”
Aki frowned. “I want to drink through mine.”
“Don’t. You must blow them out. These could cause damage.” I swallowed. “Alright. Let’s all blow ours out together. One. Two. Three.”
A collective breath pulled through the room. Then, air rushed forward.
Flames bent, shuddered, and vanished.
A soft whoof rippled across the glasses as cobalt died into smoke and rose-gold collapsed into glowing embers before fading completely. For a heartbeat, nothing remained but thin ribbons of heat curling upward, twisting together, dissolving into the air.
We drank together and it was a harmony of flavor on my tongue sweet, burning floral yumminess mixed with cherry and plum. So lush and intoxicating all at once, just how I saw the twins.
Everyone paused for a few seconds taking in the drink’s details.
Aki loudly laughed. “I knew our drink would be the best of the evening.”
Yuki tilted his glass. “Even beating the Dragon’s.”
Kenji sneered.
The twins cleared their throats.
I smirked. “I would say that everyone’s drink is the best. No one’s drink is better than the other—”
“Except the Lollipop which dominates all.” Hiro gestured to one of my helpers. “I would like one of those by the way.”
She bobbed her head and hurried off.
“I will say this. . .” Toma clutched his chest. “That drink might have been the strongest. I just saw my ancestors and they were judging me.”
Kaede snorted. “I saw your ancestors too and you are right. They were definitely judging you.”
Laughter rose and the Claws began to brag about their drinks.
Behind it all, the violin shifted and the melody lifted into even more playful notes.
“Alright.” I headed back over to Kenji. “It’s time for dinner. Ladies, please let the Fangs and our other guests in.”