I look at Kasabian.
“Edible flowers?”
“Yeah. Fairuza uses them when she cooks. They’re not bad.”
“If you say so.”
I lean over to the mirror.
“Keep the movies coming and I’ll get you a whole damned wedding cake next time.”
Dash mouths “thanks.”
“Thanks, Dash,” says Maria. “Now everybody knows everybody. Isn’t that nice? I’ll talk to you tonight.”
Dash gives a little wave and drifts out past the edge of the mirror. Maria snaps the compact shut.
“That’s Dash,” she says.
I pick up the shot glass.
“Seems like a nice kid. Thanks for hooking us up.”
Maria puts out a hand as I raise the glass to my lips.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Why? What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing. It’s just that when we present food to Dash, any looking-glass ghost, he eats the essence of the offering. Don’t worry. The food isn’t poison or anything like that. It’s just a bit empty.”
I look at the glass. Ghost leftovers. Why not? I open up and toss the Aqua Regia back.
Maria was right. It isn’t awful, but it’s not booze anymore. The taste is thin and slightly sour, like the memory of a drink. I take a bite of the éclair. It’s worse. Like Play-Doh and chalk. I go behind the counter and spit it into the wastebasket.
“Classy,” says Kasabian. “You really know how to impress the ladies.”
“I don’t need etiquette tips from you, Tin Man.”
Maria is tugging on the loose threads of her jacket sleeves again. She’s used to nicer people than us.
“What do we owe you for the movie, Maria? We aren’t exactly rolling in cash, you know.”
“Oh, no. It’s not like that,” she says. “I was just hoping you could show me some magic.”
“You’re a witch. What do you think you can learn from me?”
“That’s it. Kasabian said you know different kinds of magic. And that you’re good at improvising spells and hexes.”
“Yeah, I can improvise things. But that’s not what you’re after, are you?”
She looks up from her sleeves.
“No. I want to see Hellion magic.”
“Why?”
“It’s different. I’m curious.”