By Earth by T Thorn Coyle

Author:T Thorn Coyle [Coyle, T. Thorn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PF Publishing

19

Cassiel

Cassie had stayed up late again, worrying about her housing situation, and ghosts, tarot cards, and images of fire.

Raquel had been up too, she said. Something to do with her son, Zion, having nightmares. No one was sleeping well these days, it seemed.

So here they both were, slamming through making cappuccinos and lattes, breakfast sandwiches with ham and cheese and egg on toast. People bustling in to get their go cups of coffee and scones, pastries, bananas, or yogurt and granola from the little fridge off to the side.

Cassie’s bones felt as though they were moving through molasses. She kept shaking her head a little bit, breathing, trying to connect her feet to the earth below her, like a good witch. Just trying to keep up.

People seemed happy at least. That was good. It was a cheerful day, instead of a morose or cranky day. It was funny how days have personalities like that.

Cassiel, despite the disturbing visions she’d had in the night, actually felt okay. She had a lot to think about, and yeah, sure it worried her. But something else, some energy around her, was telling her things were going to be all right. It didn’t quite feel like a promise, but at least it felt like a possibility.

“You almost done making that sandwich?” Raquel asked.

“Yep, coming up.” Cassie slid it out of the grill, sliced it in half, two long triangles, and slipped it into a rustling white paper sleeve before handing it over to Raquel.

“Thanks.” Raquel turned. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Cassie said.

“Okay, well, we’re going to have a delivery coming in soon, and I’ll need you to take over the register. I’ll take care of the delivery and do double duty making food. Does that sound okay?”

“Sounds good,” Cassie said. That would be nice, actually. Cassie loved working the big espresso machine. She loved the hiss of the water as it steamed milk. She loved smelling the ground coffee, and seeing people’s faces so grateful when she handed over their drugs.

She wondered if every drug dealer felt good about it. At least the drugs at Raquel’s were benign. Although Cassie couldn’t have any more espresso today or she’d shake herself to death.

“Hey, you’re Cassiel, right?” It was Olivia from the Tenants Union, with her shining round face and spiky black hair.

“Yeah. And you’re Olivia. Nice job at the rally in front of city hall, by the way. What can I get for you?”

“Thanks. We still have so much work to do, but that’s always the way, right? Double espresso please, and the special breakfast sandwich to go.”

“Coming right up.” Cassie rang the woman up, took her money, put the order ticket on the rack above the counter. Raquel started in on it; the delivery guy hadn’t shown up yet.

As Cassie turned to the espresso machine, the woman looked at her phone and muttered something. Cassie usually stayed out of customers’ issues, but something told her to ask.

“Pay attention to your intuition,” Brenda always told her.

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