Chapter 3- Loxley
TWO DAYS LATER, the barbecue is in full swing.
Peeking my head outside at the backyard, I take in the grill, large picnic table, and various lawn chairs strewn about.
Not too many people are mingling, other than my roommates.
Thank the stars that Auntie only invited a few magical friends.
It’s mostly men, and their backs are to the window.
I’ve never seen so many handsome mages; a not-so-small part of me wonders if any of them will have romantic chemistry with me. Still, my anxiety levels are spiking.
Who would want to date a shorter, nerdy dude who can’t talk right?
In an effort to bide my time from meeting new people, I sequester myself in the bathroom.
My dark brown hair is just as wavy as ever, reaching past my ears the way I like.
I’m proud of my clear skin and sharp jawline.
Dudes I’ve hooked up with in the past have claimed I was sexy.
They called me a twink because I’m skinnier and wear tighter clothes, but their interest always fizzled out when they realized I’m not a good conversationalist. That’s fine by me since that sexual pull was barely there.
No powers, no words, and no male prospects. Nothing ever fit right. Moving here was easy because I had nothing going for me in my hometown.
“Nice to meet you. My name…is Loxley.” Verbalizing isn’t so hard when it’s just me and my reflection.
Now, to bring this energy to the barbecue.
After checking my teeth one last time and smoothing out my red shirt, I take in a deep breath and walk out of the bathroom, headed straight for the back door.
When I step outside, the sounds of everyone mingling fill my ears.
The weather is pleasant enough, and the smell of cooked meat is appetizing for sure.
I need to focus on that, the food, and not the happy mages being charming and garrulous, two traits I’m severely lacking.
Auntie stands at the grill talking to two good-looking dudes.
A few yards away, Anika is passionately talking to a man in a large hoodie while pointing at a tree.
When Taina waves at me, I decide that she’s the safest person to be by right now.
“Hey, man, you made it. This party is about you after all.” Taina laughs and pushes back her hair, and I nod in response.
She’s holding a small red beanbag, and it appears she was playing a game with two gentlemen where you toss them into a wooden crate.
And the well-dressed guests are sauntering over to us right now.
“Well, you bested us. You sure you’re not using magic?” the White dude says, pushing his blond bangs back.
“Ha! Nice try,” Taina remarks.
“That would be a huge waste of magic,” the Black dude retorts.
“Aw, lighten up. I recall us playing those games back in high school,” the first man says, tapping his elbow to the other.
“Those were sorcery exercises,” he says with an incredulous grin. While they’re extremely good-looking in their ties and button-down shirts, it’s obvious these witches only have eyes for each other. “I’m Luther, by the way.”
“And I’m Taz,” the first man adds.
I shake their hands and try to sound as charismatic as possible as I think of the words I want to say. “L…L…Loxley.” Failure.
They gaze at me expectantly, but my mind goes blank. Taina looks between us, and fortunately, she breaks up the awkward silence. “How about we all get drinks?”
“Perfect, what you got?” Taz asks. Our little quartet walks to the table where a bucket of ice calls our name.
“Beer and soda,” Taina says. “You didn’t expect a witch’s house to have potions on hand all the time, did you?”
We all laugh. “No, but imagine drinking a love potion?” Taz asks playfully. When he says that, I catch the eye of the taller man in a hoodie approaching us. He’s bulky, and his Asian face makes me believe he’s my age.
“Ooh, or a virility potion!” Taz adds, and I turn to see the other chuckling.
“Like you need a love potion,” Luther says. He grins as he sips a beer.
“And you certainly don’t need a virility potion,” Taz adds, his blue eyes filling with heat.
“Keep it in your pants, boys. This is a family affair.” Taina rolls her eyes and picks up two sodas. “Anika!” She hollers and dashes to our other roommate.
That leaves me with the sexy gay couple. The way they stare at each other fills me with jealousy and more than a little arousal. Imagine having a man look at me like that…
Then they turn to me. “So, Lisbeth tells me you’re her nephew,” Luther says.
It takes me ten whole seconds to force out, “Y…yes.” All that for one word. What’s wrong with me? Seriously, I’ll never get a relationship the way I’m going. I can hardly talk to attractive strangers that I’m not flirting with; how much worse would it be with a guy I actually want?
With a lull in the conversation, Taz and Luther exchange quizzical looks. “Not much for talking. I can get behind that,” Taz remarks with an uncomfortable chuckle.
“Talking is overrated.” My head whips around at the deep voice behind me. The muscular dude in the hoodie seems surprised as he locks eyes with me. Maybe he meant to say that in his head? I wish I had that problem. With a pop of his soda can, he scurries off.
I turn back around to witness even more confused expressions on Taz and Luther’s faces. After a beat, Luther puts down his beer. “Hey, want to play that beanbag game with us?”
I prefer my games to be of the digital tactical variety. But they don’t need to know that, and with their friendly smiles, it’s obvious they’re trying to make me comfortable. So, after another long stretch of silence, I quietly reply, “Okay.”
After playing the beanbag toss game for a few, Auntie gathers us together for an early dinner.
Barbecued meats of all kinds are being passed down the long plastic table.
In the bustle of food being distributed, all the attention is off me.
Today is supposed to be a gathering to introduce me to Cosmo, Virginia, but I’m happy to sit here quietly as others talk to each other.
Everyone has playful banter, and there’s plenty of food to go around. The gentlemen all appear to be coupled together except for the man in the gray tracksuit. I think I’m going to like living here for the time being.
When we’re mostly done eating, Auntie stands up and clinks together two beer bottles. “I’d like to raise a toast. Everyone, stand up.”
We all do as she says, and in moments, it’s quiet at the table. “Life is changing fast. Eight months ago, we didn’t even know any wizard friends, and now we’re tight-knit with Luther and Taz.” The happy couple cuddles closer together. So they’re wizards! Fascinating.
“And of course, we now know of mage supreme, Kai, the Jade Lion. And Seb is applying to culinary school.” Auntie turns to the Asian man and the shorter, Latino dude.
“Good things are happening here in Boysen House. Soon, hopefully, we’ll have my very own nephew joining the Union of Mages.” Everyone turns to me, and my face gets hot. “Loxley, we welcome you here in Cosmo.”
“And we thank you all for helping us with this fabulous backyard,” Anika remarks. “The trees are so high our mortal neighbors won’t be able to see us use our magic!”
“Which means we can be ourselves!” The guy, Seb, grins in delight at Kai. “You can let the lion out!”
Moments later, I’m stunned when the Asian guy morphs into a tall lion man with black-and-green fur. It’s a shocking sight, but no one else is reacting. Must be a wizard thing? The Jade Lion moniker makes a lot of sense now.
“You can too, Gordy!” Seb eagerly smiles at the tall man in sweats.
“It is important to show your true form,” Kai says in his British accent. “But only if you want.”
The dude, Gordy, looks around, then shrugs.
“Since we’re all magical…I guess.” He slowly unzips his hoodie but keeps the hood on, then turns around before I can see any more of his body.
His reluctance is obvious, and I sympathize, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see his tantalizing, almost goldenrod skin.
A moment later, Kai waves one hand at Gordy, and the image changes. I recognize that type of magic―it was a glamour! But Gordy still isn’t facing us.
“So, cheers! To our friends, the Jade Lion, the Ruby Turtle, and anyone else we might meet. To being ourselves, be they witch, wizard, or shifter!” Auntie raises her bottle, and we all do the same.
Ruby what?
“Cheers!” they all say and proceed to sip. Meanwhile, my gaze is transfixed on the now-taller Gordy. Is that a…tail?
When he turns around, I lose my breath completely. He pulls off his hood, and my eyes are blown wide. “Cheers,” Gordy says, his sharp teeth on display.
He’s a reptile! And his eyes glow with a beautiful red hue. And judging by the yellow shell on his chest, he’s some sort of turtle-type creature. As he drinks his beer, I’m entranced by his scaly green skin and his clawed hands.
I can’t even blink as I’m slammed back into my memory of a few nights ago. My tea leaves showed me my familiar, an impossible being that I wrote off as a glitch. But he’s here!
Gordy is the key to my magic. He’s the Ruby Turtle, the red glow, the one destined to protect me. Fate has brought me here, to this very moment, to Boysen House, to discover him. In his human form, he’s attractive, but in this, his turtle form, he’s…even more fascinating.
Time stands still, and everyone at the party disappears as my feet are compelled to move forward. I stand before Gordy, and he looks down at me in confusion.
“Sup?” he asks. “You need something?”
The way he speaks moves me, deep within my bones. I know he’s right for me. A familiar is supposed to be a pet, but I can’t fight this pull. Gordy belongs near me; every magical instinct in my body is telling me so.
The party seems to quiet down as I reach out my hand to his chest. A small wisp of red, magical energy floats from within my palm to his chest, then back to me. That’s never happened before! This must be our connection.
“Whoa, what?” he asks.
There are a thousand words I want to say. Instead, all I can manage is: “You’re…my familiar.”
The party is silent, and I know they heard me, but I don’t care. Nothing matters except him, the most extraordinary being I’ve ever met. I need to tell him so much more, but as usual, my dysarthria gets in the way. But he has to feel this, right?
With a confused expression, Gordy steps back and says, “What?!” I startle at his almost-roar. “What did you call me?”
I gulp. “A…familiar…is a creature that…”
“A creature?” He takes another step back, and his scaled face shifts from horror to anger. “A witch’s familiar, like a pet?!”
He’s got it all wrong! I never want to offend or hurt Gordy. I need to apologize, to explain how I feel, but my tongue is caught in my throat.
I shake my head, pulse pounding in anxiety. “N…no!”
“I may be a turtle, but I’m NO ONE’S familiar!” He points at me as he yells, the fury clear in his eyes. For a moment, I fear this giant turtle man is going to maim me. Before anyone can react, however, he turns and storms off.
My familiar, the being I saw in my dreams, has rejected me.