Chapter 4
COFFEE AND SUNSHINE
Cesar
Elena and I met at our favorite café, A Page Under the Sun, for our weekly after-market gossip session and a cup of deliciously brewed Americano Grande.
The café employed a fire salamander who roasted the beans with hellfire.
The end result was a rich, velvety, and chocolate tinged beverage that had garnered rave reviews from both locals and tourists alike.
The beverage was one of my favs.
Elena loved it too, as she sat relaxed and resplendent in her oversized brimmed hat and Illuminatus-style dress that reminded me a little of the revered Stevie Nicks.
We had met a thousand years ago during one of the witch holiday festivities in Lazaro Cardenas square, which was directly across from us.
Despite our different clans, we clicked.
A thousand years ago, I thought to myself.
How did I get this old so fast? Life trudged along at an alarmingly rapid pace, even though I still had moments where I felt like I was twenty—wild, carefree, and willing to take on the world.
Or at least it seemed that way. In reality, my body creaked and groaned and complained just to remind me of my actual age.
My dwindling faculties were a kick to the groin— a way to add insult to injury.
I had shared my discovery with Elena, and she had promised to be with me through my journey.
Thinking back, I could still remember the hippy style dress Elena wore the first day we met, the clickity clack of the multitude of bangles on her wrist, and the rich scent of patchouli she had dabbed on her skin.
I’d had my bone booth all set up with other local witches in celebration of Lughnasadh, and she came over, intrigued by all the skulls, charms, and sparkly crystals – or so she still tells me and others.
There was instant chemistry. She loved my unique aura, and I adored her wardrobe.
We connected in a flame flicker and have been fast and close friends ever since.
We even dated for a brief period of time.
Suffice it to say, I came out, and she discovered enjoyment with both men and women.
That was twenty years ago, give or take a few wrinkles, many bottles of tequila, and a lot of grey hair.
The nights we got into trouble, drank too much, and raised hell were too numerous to count. The loves who had come and gone from both our lives, our life’s trials and tribulations – we had shared it all.
It still amazed me how fast time had slipped through our fingers, peppering our lives with richness, and yet still promising us untold adventures–even if my bones now complained when I got out of bed each morning.
“I’m telling you, Elena, it was like being back in high school.
My stomach was all aflutter. I felt hot and embarrassed by everything he did, and it was almost as if the gods were shining a light from above.
And this was at night, in the middle of a downpour!
So that beam of bright, angelic light was radiant.
I haven’t felt like that in ages.” And it was all true.
Instant attraction happened a lot. After all, I’m a gay man of a certain number of years.
I’ve had my share of boyfriends, tawdry affairs, orgies, and romances won and lost.
But this felt deeper.
“Oh, Cesar, really though? Artur Beaulieu? He’s been right in front of you, in the community for years!
Why now?” She reached over, took my hand with both of hers, and gripped me tightly.
“He’s an unworthy chaos witch, and every time you turn around, he’s in trouble.
Don’t you remember what happened at Beltane last year?
Those children barely had time to get out of the way before the maypole streamers took on a life of their own and attempted to strangle anyone they could get close to. He’s a menace.”
“I’m not doubting anything you’re saying, and yes, that streamer incident was rather unfortunate.
But he was kind, and thoughtful. I mean, he completely overcharged me for a flawed crystal, but…
I don’t know. I think he’s getting a bad rap.
And you know how this community is: judgmental, cliquey, and gossipy.
I mean, look at us. We’re hardly innocent.
” I pulled away from her and leaned back in my chair, running both my hands over my face and through my hair.
“Well, everyone deserves love and second chances. Or thirds, fourths even, I guess. I mean, we’ve had our share.
” Elena cocked an eyebrow, then took a sip of her coffee.
She paused for a moment, then set her cup down.
“All I’m saying is you’re gonna have to be really careful here.
You’re not twenty anymore, and you’ve got to protect both your business and your reputation.
You’re right—people talk. And besides, you’re now dealing with…
” She arched an eyebrow again, then pointed to her temple, indicating my encroaching memory loss.
I shook my head. I didn’t know what to do. Elena wasn’t wrong, and yet, it felt good to see and feel those little electrical sparks. I hadn’t been tortured by their sting in ages. Still, one chance meeting with a handsome fellow shouldn’t warrant me being so damn flustered.
I suddenly felt a tugging on my robe, as if it had gotten pinned beneath one of the legs on my chair. I reached down to pull my garment up, only to topple over an imp.
The little creature was like the one Luana had in her lap the other day, but whereas her daemonic companion had been shades of black, this one held hues of red in its scales. It still sported the random tufts of hair on the top of its head and ears, and the sharp teeth, which it now bared at me.
“I’m sorry, little one.” I scooped it up with one hand and set it down on the table between Elena and me.
“Oh, my goddess, Cesar, those things are filthy. Put it back down.”
“Relax,” I said to my best friend in the whole wide world, although right now I was giving her a healthy dose of side-eye. “All right, little one, why were you tugging my robe?”
It growled, then pointed toward the beach, which was only a block or so away.
“Do you want me to go in that direction?”
It shook its head, then repeated the gesture using one clawed, pointy bony finger.
I glanced in the direction and spied Artur at the end of the block, scanning the vicinity and looking rather panicked.
“Well done, friend.” I patted its head, which made it gurgle. “You wait here.”
“Cesar?” Elena followed my movements and soon spied Artur as well. She gripped my bicep as I passed her. “Don’t you dare—!”
I walked a few steps past Elena, then waved my arm as soon as Artur glanced my way. The moment he spied me, he let out a huge sigh, his shoulders dropping. He briskly walked over to our table.
His skin glistened with sweat as rivulets of moisture ran down his neck and into his clavicles. The shine on his tanned skin made for a glorious sight, and his thin white tunic had absorbed the sweat, making it damn near see-though.
His muscled chest and taught nipples were on display, and I was very turned on by the short, trimmed chest hair which I could see nicely dusting his pectorals from the open “V” collar of his shirt.
But his face was pale; he looked exhausted, and his eyes held a touch of wildness.
“Artur, please, sit with us. What’s the matter? You look horrible.”
I lied, somewhat. He looked stunning, other than the bewildered and frightened pallor.
“Cesar, I’m so glad I found you.” Artur dug in his pants pocket, pulled out a coin, and flipped it to the imp.
He caught it in his teeth, then scampered off the table and down the street.
“Those vermin are bloody expensive, but I couldn’t think of another way to find you.
I don’t know where you live. And after you left last night, I had a visitor, and I needed to let you know right away. ”
Artur was so frantic I didn’t think it had registered that I had been visiting with someone. His eyes were locked on me.
“Woah, child, take a breath,” Elena said, her voice laced with contempt.
I stared at Elena. I loved her to pieces, but some days she could be a real bitch.
Artur turned and seemed startled as he stared at Elena. “I’m sorry, I’m interrupting something aren’t I?”
I put my hand on Artur’s shoulder and pulled another chair in from the table beside us. “Please, sit down. Tell me everything.”
Artur sat, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started from the beginning.
“Last night, right after, well, the sparks thing happened, you know? When we touched? I got a little lost in that and didn’t really pay too close attention to what was going on around me.
I mean, wow. Cesar Aguiar and I created sparks!
I kinda floated for a bit after that.” Artur glanced my way looking sheepish.
“That’s never happened to me before. So, I didn’t notice the wight—”
“The what?!” Elena and I spoke at the same time, our voices raised in inflection and volume.
Artur nodded his head vigorously.
I hadn’t dealt with a wight in years. They were exceedingly rare—and just as well, because they were also deadly. The undead creatures were usually reanimated powerful witches, often angry, and generally bent on completing unfinished business.
I had once heard a story of an extremely powerful elemental ice wight in Canada.
The hellish creature had taken over a town, raised all the dead from the surrounding cemeteries, and created its own army.
Once it gained a foothold in the area, it slowly slaughtered everything alive—and then resurrected the townsfolk turning them into its own personal warriors.
To my knowledge, that town still existed, but only in the winter, which, being Canada, meant at least half of every year.
“Artur, you could have been killed,” I said, concern thick in my voice.
“Why the hell would a wight visit you? What have you done?” Elena got right to the point.