Novel & Cerita Onyx Coffee House

Time: Thursday, December 12, 2024 | Evening Location: The Onyx Room, The Olympus Casino The Onyx Room was a sanctuary of shadow and sin, hidden deep within the sub-basement of the Olympus. The air was thick with the scent of hand-rolled Cuban cigars, twenty-year-old scotch, and the quiet, electric desperation of men gambling away fortunes they couldn't afford to lose. The only sounds were the soft, hypnotic whisper of cards on fresh felt and the gentle, rhythmic clink of heavy poker chips, a sound like falling coins in a king’s tomb.

"The scrying mirror! Can the technicians loop that specific segment? My wolf must witness the bloom one more time!" "Me too! Let me see it!" "Can any wolf here grant me a single sip of that fluid? Just one drop?" "Excuse me, Alpha Sterling? Could you introduce my vanguard to your eldest son? I manage the high trade routes at Orecchiette Cafe..." "I am the supreme director of XX Coffee, and my house requires a formal meeting with his shadow..."

I straightened up and started walking. Café Noir was about fifteen minutes on foot from my house. It was this small‚ dimly lit coffee shop on the corner of Fifth and Maple that opened at five every morning because the owner was an insomniac who liked the company. During the afternoon it was all college students with laptops and moms with strollers. At six in the morning it was the early risers‚ the insomniacs‚ and the people who had reasons to be meeting someone before the rest of the world woke up.

Apollo opened his window. I smiled, “I think so.” Onyx took a left at the light and suddenly it was like we entered the entertainment realm, hotels and casinos were everywhere. Bright hanging lights illuminated the streets that invited people into the bars and restaurants that stayed open late, on both sides of the road cars were parked behind gated condo buildings and expensive townhouses. “Beautiful,” I breathed. Apollo pointed to a restaurant, “Onyx, park here.” “You want sushi for dinner?” she pulled in a parking space.

"Yes. Marcus can drive us down to this new place in the theater district; The Onyx. Liz said the rooftop views are incredible, and we haven't had a proper drink all week." I looked down at her, her eyes bright with a demanding, expectant sort of affection. I wanted nothing more than to go back to my penthouse, sink to the bottom of the pool, and let the water drown out the noise. But the mask had to be maintained. "Fine," I said, opening the car door for her. "Just one drink." The Onyx was exactly the kind of place Vivian loved; difficult to access unless somebody important already knew your name, dimly lit, with velvet booths and a sweeping view of the glittering Manhattan skyline.

“Fine. But you listen to me once we get there.” The wolf enclosure sat on the edge of the city, surrounded by tall fencing and reinforced gates. The air smelled of sand, metal, and animal musk. The workers moved cautiously as they led us toward the isolation pens. Every step forward made the weight in my chest heavier. “This is Onyx,” a handler said, stopping in front of a wide pen. “If you can put a halter on him before four, he’s yours. No charge. If not, the vet proceeds.”

Isaac’s wolf, Rolf, shoved forward and answered in his own voice, “Yes, my love, you are amazing.” Kenny and Kyra laughed and Kenny smiled, “Onyx, we all believe you are amazing.” I heard Onyx purring and strutting around in my mind, “Onyx, now that you’ve had your ego stroked, why don’t you lay down and let the humans talk?” Onyx huffed, “Fine, just know you couldn’t have done that without me.” I chuckled, “I know that very well. Thank you for being my other half.”

One of them, who could no longer hold it in, complimented me, and the others followed suit. “Thank you so much.” I appreciated them, smiling at each one of them as I walked past. As I got to the main entrance, Kelvin had opened the car door for me. I smiled, and got in. Soon, we were on our way to “Onyx Noir Haven”, a Five Star restaurant in the heart of the city. A place for only the high and mighty in society. After driving for almost forty-five minutes, we finally arrived in the grand majestic building. Just staring at the exterior architectural design, my jaw dropped.

Still nothing. Onyx growled. “It’s odorless.” A frown crept up on my face. “You sure?” “Positive,” he said with certainty. That wasn’t helping. Onyx could identify hundreds of scents. Poisons. Plants. Blood. Illness. Most things left traces. Whatever had been mixed into these drinks apparently didn’t. “There’s no smell,” Onyx muttered. “Wonderful.” My sarcasm wasn’t appreciated. I set the glass back onto the table and looked toward Kael. “Have the contents examined.”

The meeting was at a place called Oren’s, a coffee shop in Midtown that looked unremarkable from the outside and was, in fact, unremarkable on the inside too. That was exactly why I chose it. No one who mattered ate at Oren’s. No one who mattered even knew it existed. It had bad lighting and good espresso and the kind of anonymity that money usually couldn’t buy because money tended to announce itself through the quality of its surroundings. I arrived seven minutes early, chose a table against the back wall with a clear sightline to the door, and ordered a coffee I didn’t particularly want.