Lily was already sitting at our usual table when I walked into the boba shop, sipping something neon green that probably had more sugar than caffeine but was doing a great job making her look like a goblin sorceress.

  She glanced up, giving me a once-over like she was checking for signs of a recent struggle. "You took too long. I was five minutes from storming into the bathroom to check if you fell in."

  "I had to make sure I looked presentable for my date."

  She snorted over her straw. "It’s not a date. It’s a business transaction."

  "Business can be sexy." I waggled my eyebrows.

  She just shook her head, popping a tapioca pearl between her teeth with an audible snap. "Just remember I’m here to keep you from being turned into a skin suit. That means no wandering off, no back-alley meet-ups, and for god’s sake, Daniel, don’t agree to any weird supernatural pacts, no matter how hot they are."

  "That almost happened one time." Or at least it had almost happened when Mirelle, an actual siren (or a songstress with some Greek roots) had almost gotten me to join her band after I’d met her at a game shop.

  "One time is one too many, Loverboy."

  I rolled my eyes and flopped into the seat across from her, pulling out my phone just as the bell over the door jingled. Right on time.

  Sélis entered like a shadow slipping through candlelight, fluid and deliberate. Their form tonight was striking—short, razor-cut black hair with a deep teal sheen, like a magpie’s wing. Feline-tilted eyes, one gold, the other a soft gray-blue, set in a sharp, elegant face that looked sculpted rather than born. They had the kind of androgyny that made people’s brains short-circuit, dressed in a perfectly tailored jacket over a charcoal-gray shirt that suggested taste without effort.

  The Dopplegeist was always interesting to look at, but tonight, they seemed particularly pleased with their chosen shape.

  They caught my gaze and smirked, pausing only to get their mobile order from the counter before joining us, much to the distraction of the tea baristas. Nodding briefly to Lily, just acknowledging her presence as a formality of this arrangement, Sélis slid in across from me. "What do you think?"

  I pretended to give them a serious once-over. "Seven out of ten. Docking points because I wasn’t consulted on the fashions."

  Sélis chuckled and took the seat across from me, tapping a manicured nail against the table. "I didn’t think you had a preference. Your lips have been on centaurs, vampires, fae…"

  I was such a mouth whore. "Maybe I like surprises."

  Lily sighed dramatically. "Gods help us. I knew this business venture was going to expose your less charming character traits.”

  I ignored her and her anxious hair twirling, leaning forward. "I didn’t expect you to want another dose of normalcy so soon."

  "The last one was... refreshing," Sélis admitted, stretching their fingers slightly, as if testing their solidity. "And I like the way this place smells: coffee, sugar, and a hint of burnt tapioca."

  "Can’t beat that." I took another sip of my own drink. "So, what’s it like? You’ve had time to process it now. What’s it like to just... be?"

  They considered the question, rolling their shoulders like they were trying on a new coat. "It’s like holding a single note instead of a whole discordant choir. I don’t feel like I’m coming apart at the seams."

  I whistled. "Damn. And I just thought I had good chapstick."

  That made them laugh, a sound that seemed almost normal now—almost. "You’re an anomaly, Daniel. A useful one."

  "I don’t know if I like being called ‘useful’ by someone who can turn into a small crowd at will."

  "It’s a compliment. I pay for what you offer, just like anyone else. That makes you valuable."

  Lily, still watching with mild disinterest, poked at her boba with a straw. "You really should charge more, you know."

  "I don’t want to price-gouge the Alterkind community. That’s gotta be some supernatural bad juju."

  They both looked at me expectantly. Both of them!

  Outvoted, I sighed. "Fine. Next time I’ll charge two boba teas instead of one. Maybe even a snack. Gotta keep up my strength if I’m going to be smooching my way into economic stability."

  Lily didn’t even look up. "All that sugar’s going straight to your already ample waistline."

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  I placed a hand over my stomach in mock offense. "Rude. You wound me, madam."

  Sélis chuckled, but their fingers drummed lightly against the table, like they were thinking about something more than my diet. "Speaking of value…" Their voice lowered slightly. "You’re attracting attention, Daniel."

  That got my full focus. "Good attention or bad attention?"

  "Depends on how you feel about being watched."

  I leaned in. "Define watched."

  They swirled their drink with a slow roll of their wrist, watching the pearls swirl like tiny planets in orbit. "The novelty of your services is entertaining. You’ve been careful, but word spreads. Some are simply curious. Others…" They glanced at Lily, then back to me. "Let’s say they wonder if you have more to offer."

  Lily was fully paying attention now, expression sharpening. "More what?"

  "More abilities. More… byproducts." Sélis’ golden eye gleamed. "You neutralize Alterkind with just a kiss. People start asking questions. Does a drop of blood do the same? A breath? A distillation of your saliva? What if the contact is… deeper?"

  I groaned. "Great. We’re already at the ‘speculation about my bodily fluids’ stage. That didn’t take long."

  "You’re an unknown in a world that doesn’t like unknowns." Their voice was quiet, but the weight of it pressed against my ribs like a stone. "It makes people nervous. Or hungry."

  Lily shifted, her casual slouch turning into something coiled and ready. "If someone’s hungry, they can choke on a silver knife."

  Sélis tilted their head, watching her with something like amusement. "No one is moving yet. But the longer you exist in this liminal space, neither hidden nor fully known, the more that will change."

  "Fantastic," I muttered. "So, my options are hiding in a cave forever or slapping a name tag on my chest and making friends?"

  "Not necessarily." Sélis tapped a finger against the table. "You’ve already taken steps. The coming-out party? Smart. Now you’re something real, not just a rumor. That buys you time. But you need more than a few clubgoers vouching for you. You need backing. Power respects power."

  Lily’s jaw clenched. "You’re saying he needs to start picking sides."

  Sélis gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Sooner or later, Daniel will have to decide if he’s a player or just another piece on the board."

  I rubbed a hand down my face. "I just wanted some extra cash and visibility. I didn’t sign up for supernatural politics."

  Sélis leaned forward, resting their chin on one hand, considering me. "You may not have signed up, but you’re playing all the same."

  I exhaled slowly, looking at them. "And what about you? Are you just the messenger, or do you have a horse in this race?"

  They smiled, slow and knowing. "I like things that tip the balance. And you, dear Daniel, are a fascinating weight on the scale."

  That wasn’t entirely comforting. Was she making another chubby joke? Lily had already said something about my waistline…

  I exhaled. "Well. I guess we should get on with it."

  Sélis nodded, straightening in their seat. "Agreed. Your payment is waiting."

  They slid a crisp hundred-dollar bill across the table. It was folded into a perfect triangle, like an offering.

  I took it, giving it a little flick between my fingers before tucking it into my pocket. "Hope you got a good drink for this. I’d hate for you to be parched mid-transformation."

  "I picked something sweet. Cherry-flavored. Seemed fitting."

  “Ha. Ha.” I frowned at them.

  They smiled, and the shimmer of their form flickered just slightly, like a ripple across the surface of a pond.

  I reached across the table, my fingers brushing against the warmth of their cheek, and then—

  Contact.

  Sélis inhaled sharply as the shift took hold, their form locking into place, like a puzzle snapping into its final shape.

  Tonight’s version of them was different—still beautiful, still androgynous, but something new. Their skin had a warm bronze undertone, their hair shifting to a deep auburn with streaks of gold, like sunlight catching on moving water. The sharpness of their jaw softened slightly, their features blending in a way that felt both familiar and entirely unique.

  They exhaled, blinking as they ran their hands over their arms, testing their solidity.

  "Well?" I asked.

  Sélis looked up at me, and for a moment, there was something unreadable in their gaze. Then they smiled, and, when they spoke, their wavering voice came out clear, a single tone, "Still worth every penny."

  Sélis settled back, running their fingers over their arms again, as if they couldn’t quite believe how solid they were. Then, instead of standing to leave, they propped an elbow on the table and rested their sculpted chin in their hand.

  "You wanted to know more," they said, eyes gleaming just for me, as if Lily wasn’t even present. "Tell me, Daniel—how much do you really want to know?"

  That made me pause. "That depends," I said. "Do I want to know?"

  "Possibly not. But ignorance doesn’t suit you."

  I exhaled. "Fine. Hit me."

  Sélis glanced toward the counter as if gauging how much time they had. The jukebox hummed to life, and the opening chords of “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell drifted through the shop.

  I glared at it. "That thing is rigged."

  Sélis smirked. "You’ve got attention on you, Daniel, like I said, but it’s more than just customers. The people looking for you? They’re the type that like to collect unique things."

  I gripped my cup a little tighter. "Define ‘collect.’"

  "I think you already know."

  I did. And I didn’t like it. "Who?" I asked.

  "Haven’t got a name," Sélis admitted. "Just whispers. But I’d wager someone’s trying to track your movements. Testing the waters."

  "So, they’re watching?"

  Sélis gestured subtly toward the window. "Not here. Not yet. But if I were you, I’d change up your meeting spots soon. This place might become too predictable. Work in a wider rotation."

  I ignored Lily’s stare burning a hole into the side of my head. The girls, particularly Elly, had gone on about enemies using my meeting spots to triangulate my home.

  "Consider this a tip for your services," they added. "Professional courtesy."

  I stared at them. "That’s the creepiest way anyone has ever thanked me for a kiss. Usually, they just look uncomfortable afterward and then tell me they think of me as a friend.”

  Sélis grinned, sliding lithely from the booth. They cast a glance over one shoulder, gleaming in any form. "You’re welcome."

  I sighed and pushed my drink away, the sweetness curdling in my mouth.

  Looked like I had more strategizing to do. More conversations. More hidden maps to draw with the girls. I’d thought I was taking a step toward freedom.

  Instead, it only proved one thing: I needed them more than ever.