I leaned to the side of my chair as the server squeezed the large Chicago style pizza onto the dinky table, somehow managing to avoid spilling everyone’s drinks.
“This is why I love Zachary’s,” said Aengus. “It’s one of the only places on the West Coast where you can get a Chicago style pizza. In fact, it’s the only place I know of.” He helped himself to a pie-size slice of pizza. “Eat up boys, don’t be shy.”
Disregarding Nehemiah’s advice completely, I helped myself to a slice of steaming hot pizza. Nehemiah cleared his throat, then shrugged and grabbed a piece himself. Remembering my manners I handed my slice to Charice and then got myself another one.
“Sorry about the Dullahan attacking you back there,” said Aengus in between bites. “He’s not the most clear-minded thinker. Hasn’t got much of a brain left in that skull.”
“No need to be sorry. Thanks for sticking up for us.” I said chuckling. “We were on our way to see you.” I don’t know if it was the pizza or what, but I was in a really good mood. I was beginning to like Aengus. It wasn’t just because he saved our butts, or even that he bought us pizza. He genuinely seemed like a cool guy.
“You stay in Berkeley now? Or you just kickin’ it?” asked Nehemiah.
“You know, I got tired of the whole Celtic god politics thing. It’s a bunch of bull. There’s only so many ways you can express your creativity in politics before you start killing people. Sure I’m not as powerful here on Earth as I am in Tir na nOg, but the people here get me. I didn’t fit in with the other gods anyway. None of them understand love like people in Berkeley do.”
Charice giggled at Aengus. Batting her eyelashes, she nudged Aengus’ open backpack. Spray paint cans rattled. “What’s with all the spray paint cans, Oggy?”
Oggy? Was she flirting with him, or just buttering him up to help me get information out of him by making him feel important? Either way, yuck.
“Stop,” said Nehemiah to Aengus.
“What?” Aengus shrugged. Ignoring the wizard, he directed his attention to Charice. “I wracked these from the store. I’m a writer.”
“Like an author?” asked Charice.
“No, that’s too convoluted. I prefer to express myself through graffiti.”
I snorted. “Tagging?”
“Only toys call it tagging. We call it writing. And toy is slang for newbs that don’t know how to write.”
“Well sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be man. It’s a misunderstood art form. But there’s nothing like it. When you’re trying to bomb, really lay down some legit pieces on walls, there isn’t any more politics or drama. It’s just you and the letters. I live for the smell of aerosol and the adrenaline rush I get when I’m about to finish the piece but I can see the red and blue lights flashing, pigs rolling up on me trying to bust me for writing, for putting my love out there on walls in visual form for the world to enjoy.”
“Sounds like you found a new passion,” said Nehemiah.
“Yeah, it beats killing people, and politics. I hate politics. Everything is love.”
“Like Average White Band,” I said.
“Man! Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Aengus embraced me in a quick arm to arm grasp. “Sean gets it.”
Charice glared at me. Was that jealousy in her eyes? No matter. Aengus spoke of love and graffiti with so much passion, it made me want to pick up a can and try tagging myself. I found myself admiring him and flashing all my teeth. I had not smiled like that in… years. I had not been happy like this for a long time.
“You want to see my black book?”
Before I could ask him what a black book was, he produced an expensive looking black sketchbook. “I wracked this too. Thank you, Michael’s.”
Inside were some of the most intricate pieces of wildstyle graffiti I had ever seen, fully colored with Copic markers and outlined with Sharpies. “I can’t read any of this, but it looks amazing. Impressive.”
Nehemiah, slamming his fist down on the table. “I said stop!”
Aengus crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair flashing a big grin. “Stop what?”
“Quit blasting us with auras of admiration and unearned affection. You don’t need us to idolize you. How vain are you?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Am I laying it on thick? I’m just so used to needy people, you know.” He opened his arms wide taking in everyone in the restaurant. “Although people here get me, they really need the love too. People are nothing but broken. Just plain old shattered souls.”
“What you’re doing is a lie,” said Nehemiah. “You’re manipulating people’s emotions, like a drug.”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“So what if I am? This is what people need. I am what people need. I’m the Celtic god of love after all. I’d rather go around helping people than withhold exactly what they need, especially if it’s in my power to help them.”
A group of people finished their meal and exited Zachary’s pizza. On the way out they all patted Aengus’ shoulders or gave him high-fives. A few of the women gave him big hugs and kisses on the cheek. One guy yelled out in a surfer dude voice, “Aengus, you’re the man!”
Aengus shrugged, raising his palms in the air. “What can I say? I’m loved and I love others. These people get it. I can’t understand why you don’t, wizard?”
Now that Nehemiah drew attention to it, I noticed that Aengus was giving off a strong aura, and as strong as it was, it was super subtle. I flexed a little bit of my Good Luck and it was like stepping into an ice cold shower. Creating my own aura around myself I was able to block a little bit of Aengus’s power of love. I realize just how much he was causing me to like him with his magical ability and I was disgusted with myself.
I looked to Charice who flashed Aengus huge toothy smiles, batting her eyes, and adjusted her hair. Gross. The admiration I felt towards Aengus turned sour. No wonder the Morrigan warned me about this guy. I was really starting to dislike him now, and I could see why Nehemiah did too.
“Let me tell you the real reason we wanted to see you,” I said. “I’m looking for Diarmuid.”
Aengus took a bite of pizza and closed his eyes, savoring it. “Looking to get revenge on Donn by attacking his son?”
“How’d you know about that?”
“Just because I don’t do politics anymore doesn’t mean I don’t pay attention to what’s going on.”
“We heard Donn asked you to train him.”
“Donn is a weird fellow. He sent his son to me after raising Diarmuid from the dead. I owed him a favor. I guess he thought I could help the boy out. But what do I know about being undead? Anyway, I’m not gonna encourage more politics by telling you where he is.”
“Whether or not you want to be a part of this, if love really matters to you, you’re gonna help us,” I said.
“Why is that?” said Aengus Og. He smirked as if he didn’t believe me at all.
“Because if Donn really gets his way, then eventually all his scheming and planning is going to affect not just the Otherside but Earth as well. I’ve been consistently fighting monsters for a little over a few months now, and I’ve seen countless people die. And who knows how many more died before I even got involved. And I’m just one guy sitting here in the Bay Area. You don’t think that Donn’s negative influence is going to eventually impact Berkeley? I’m sure there’s already people here that have died because of the monsters that are running rampant around the Bay Area, eating people on a whim. You wouldn’t want to help Donn spread his hatred and Chaos would you?”
I seem to have hit a nerve there and he adjusted in his seat uncomfortably.
“All I need to know is where Diarmuid is. I need to show Donn that he can’t just send his son over here willy-nilly. Someone has to thwart his plans, and it’s going to be me.”
“Well he’s not with me,” said Aengus Og. “Like I said, I didn’t know what to do with the boy. He wanted one of my love runes, so I gave him that. But he doesn’t have sway over people like I do. Only women.” Aengus Og chuckled at that. “Anyways, I figured, what better way to learn how to live life as an undead than learn it from the Dearg Due?”
I shot a glance at Nehemiah whose eyes widened as well.
Diarmuid was rolling with the Dearg Due now. Not good.
I leaned back in my chair as my mind raced in a hundred different directions. Had the Morrigan planned this all along? Had she wanted me to confront the Dearg Due? Wasn’t it odd that Tain had turned into a werewolf and was now hunting down vampires of the same Dearg Due clan? And now Aengus Og was telling me that Donn’s son, the one the Morrigan wanted me to look for and confront, was under the tutelage of the Dearg Due, queen of the vampires of the Bay Area.
Call it fate. Call it dumb luck. I guess it didn’t really matter how all this happened. What mattered was that I now knew where Diarmuid was, and it was most likely the same place that Tain was heading. So with any luck, I’d be able to confront Diarmuid, slay some vampires, put a dampener on the Dearg Due’s power play, and find my dog Tain after all.
“So where does the Dearg Due hang out?”
“She stays over by the Port of Oakland. On the outside it looks like an old five-story warehouse built of brick. It’s a one hundred-year-old building. But don’t let the exterior fool you. She’s got it all renovated inside. The place fronts as an exclusive fight club. And the cops are paid off and told to stay away. She’s got touch points with all the local gangs. They are funneled in and reporting to her, so I’d look sharp before you consider just waltzing in there.”
I pushed away from the table and stood up. “Thanks Aengus. We appreciate the help with the Dullahan, and with Diarmuid’s whereabouts. I’m gonna do my part to keep the Bay Area politics-free.” I winked at him.
As we drove for the Port of Oakland I turned to my friends in the car voicing my concerns and questions. “Sounds like we’re in for a wild night. Are you all sure you want to do this? I mean, Tain is my dog. And I’m the one that owes the Morrigan for helping part ways with Asen Scáth.”
“My brother and his friends occasionally mentioned the Big Boss in Oakland,” said Charice, eyeing me. “You don’t think it’s the Dearg Due?”
“The way things are going,” said Rob, “it sounds like it’s her. Aengus did say all the local gangs funnel into her.”
“But that means my brother…”
“Is in league with vampires,” I finished. “He probably doesn’t realize it. I mean he looked completely shocked when I fought him and his gang a few weeks ago. Like he’d never been exposed to the supernatural before. But we all know how fast the supernatural can turn your life upside down in a matter of days.”
Silence found everyone as those implications sank in.
“So are you all in? Tonight is going to suck, no doubt.” I eyed each of my friends.
They all nodded, resolute. I sighed with relief. I did not want to do this alone.
Charice spoke up. “Last week, Takahashi caused enough damage at the movie theater. And he was just one of many vampires.” Her eyes captured mine. They glowed in the moonlight. “He almost took you from us. Almost turned you into a monster. If you didn’t have your powers, if you didn’t have us, you would not be here right now.” She grabbed my hand. “Point is, it’s in our best interest to confront them. They can’t hurt the ones we care about and get away with it.”
Tingles ran from where our hands made contact all the way up my arm and into my heart. I felt better in that one moment than the entire meal spent with Aengus Og.
Nehemiah remained silent during most of the trip, and I assumed he was trying to formulate some kind of game plan, or absorbing all the information.
“Waltzing into a vampire fight club,” said Rob. “Sounds like fun.”
I wiggled my eyebrows. “Let’s suit up first.”