The Hunt for Lilywhite (part one)

The Bone Angel continues with series 2.

Image: Pixabay

Previously in this series: Maddalena the prostitute seeks shelter in the Cathedral of San Clemente, where she learns that the new priest Father Teodoro is not at all what he seems. After saving her from arrest for the murder of the pimp Paco Guero, he recruits her to help him protect the Moon Road between the worlds from a race of ancient, vengeful beings once worshiped as gods. His mission: find the man called Lilywhite, who’s building an army on the Earthside to open the way for their return.

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These summer nights, Mariposa Street is ablaze in all its bohemian glory: full of walkers and gawkers, buskers and hustlers filling the sidewalks outside the little hole in the wall cafes and vintage clothing shops and jewelry stores.

It’s long after sunset, but you can still feel the heat rising from the pavement. Lightning flickers over the mountains beyond the Capitol Bank tower, teasing rain that never comes. A wind kicks up, playing with the fairy lights strung among the trees. Somebody says “ooo!” and rushes to rescue a toppled sign, but the breeze dies away as quickly as it came.

Most of the snowbirds have gone home by now, fled back to the north once dry summer kicked in, but there are still a few with their white legs showing between cargo shorts and hiking sandals. They’re grabbing gourmet ice cream and snapping pictures of the man with shooting stars tattooed all over his face, who’s playing guitar in front of the natural food co-op on the corner.

The street is packed with tourists, too, snatching a bite of tacos with eye-watering habanero salsa and picking out turquoise rings and cowboy hats to take home. And the locals, walking kids and dogs for a cheap evening outing that’s better than reality TV.

This time of year, Mariposa Street is a perfect place to hide in plain sight.

Outside the coffee house called Café Colibri, two individuals sit at a metal table with a hummingbird painted on the top. In other parts of town, they might cause a head or two to turn, but here on Mariposa Street, where the smells of tobacco and pot mingle with the scents of incense and fresh baked cupcakes, they don’t rate a second glance. And that’s why they’re here, doing the business of the Moon Road.

One of these people is a very tall woman dressed for the climate in a yellow T shirt, a soft flowered skirt and woven sandals. She’s got skin the color of fresh cream and her dark hair hangs in a long loose braid. She leans back in her chair and regards her tablemate with amusement.

“You’re flickering, Ruan,” she says. “Better get it together.”

The man across the table takes a sip of his tall iced coffee and grimaces. His appearance shivers a little, blurring the outlines of a youngish, brown haired man in a black shirt and faded jeans, the priest’s collar a white flare at his throat.

He shakes his head. “I’m just tired, that’s all.” Frowning, he focuses hard. The high boned, ice white face settles into the affable features of Father Teodoro, priest of the Cathedral of San Clemente. A little more concentration, and his hard amethyst eyes become a gentle, Earthly hazel.

“You can probably get away without the glamour,” he tells her sourly. “Plenty of women have blue hair around here. And contact lenses. Does anybody ever ask if you play basketball?”

Down by the co-op, the guitarist pauses, bowing to scattered applause from the passersby. Then he picks up a new song, accompanied by the thrum of a leather headed drum in the hands of a skinny young woman in a long green dress.

Evenings like these, the buskers make good money. You can always feel magic moving on Mariposa Street. Maybe that’s why the creatures of magic feel right at home here, between the steel and glass of the city center and the warm, stately houses of the Old Town.

The tall woman smiles a little over her teacup. “Wish I could,” she says. “Looks like fun.” She taps a finger on the tabletop, keeping time with the drummer down the street. “Look, I know things went sideways last night. And —”

“Come on, Claudia. They could have warned me,” snaps the Hunter. “Told me it was Marcus. I didn’t need that little surprise on top of everything else.”

“Maybe the Directorate didn’t know who the Committee was sending.” The woman called Claudia hesitates. “Communication across the Road has been wonky these days. The Major thinks somebody’s messing with the systems. That may be why we’re having a hell of a time tracking Lilywhite.”

“We know he’s here,” says the Hunter. “This is a place of power. I’ll find him. And I may have somebody who can help.”

Claudia shoots him a sharp glance. “Oh no. You don’t want to get Earthsiders involved. Remember the thing about respecting the locals?”

The Hunter winces. Oh yes he does, the memory of a very uncomfortable meeting with the witch of Spring Street still fresh in his mind. But —

“Use all available resources.” He quotes the orders of the Directorate. “Stop Lilywhite and his network, whatever it takes. Earthside tech is way better than ours, so there’s that.”

This dawn, he’d fed the fugitive Maddalena a slice of stale pie from the church ladies and a fortifying glass of communion wine before sending her off with LeeLee Gibson for a shower and a change of clothes. Then he’d spent the day in priestly chores, grabbed a nap and come out to this meeting. In the morning he’ll see if Maddalena really has a line on Lilywhite and his growing army of acolytes. Or at least a line on Shady Steve’s gamer nephew.

Claudia shrugs. “Most of our tech doesn’t work on this side anyhow. I get it. The Major does too. He won’t be breathing down your neck on this. You’re the best he’s got, so you just do what you have to do.”

The movie at the art house around the corner has just ended, and people are spilling down the street, chatting and singing the film’s theme song. Some of them plop down at the empty tables surrounding the two Otherside agents, looking around for service.

A thin young man wearing an apron with the cafe’s famous hummingbird logo appears at the Hunter’s shoulder. “Anything else I can get for you?” His eyes brighten in recognition. “Father Teodoro, hey! Good to see you. How about a slice of tiramisu?”

Turning to Claudia, the waiter explains. “My sister’s baby got baptized over at the Cathedral last week. She said he didn’t cry even once, because Father Teodoro was so nice.”

She nods solemnly. “Yep, gotta love that Father Teodoro. But I have to go.” She pulls a bill from her purse and drops it on the table. “On me, yeah?” As the waiter bustles back inside, she rests a hand lightly on the false priest’s wrist.

“Keep me posted, man. And —” She meets his eyes, violet to amethyst as the glamour drops, just for a heartbeat. “I’m really sorry about Marcus.”

Then she’s gone, vanishing in the crowd of moviegoers and evening shoppers and lost souls drifting like autumn leaves along the glittering sidewalks of Mariposa Street. The Hunter called Father Teodoro sighs and sips the last of his latte.

Time for Maddalena to start earning her keep.

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Behind the Scenes:

I’ve had some requests from readers to expand on the story of our irascible otherworldly hero the Hunter and his search for the elusive Lilywhite, whose message of blood and vengeance resonates through the online world of the “manosphere” — angry and alienated young men just ripe for radicalizing. So here it is - a sequel of sorts, or maybe season two of the same series. At any rate, it continues to build the world of the Moon Road and those who travel it.

I’ve been told that these stories belong to a subniche of fantasy fiction called “noir fantasy” in which elements of magic mingle with the tropes of hardboiled crime and espionage fiction. I like that idea - just calling it urban fantasy doesn’t quite capture the down and dirty vibe I’m looking for.

Mariposa Street is inspired by places like the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and the Fourth Avenue District in Tucson, Arizona — glittering urban places with a touch of grunge and boho glamour where people can stroll, shop and enjoy a variety of entertainment well into the night. And readers of “The New Girl” will recognize the reference to Velocity Girard’s popular eatery in downtown Soledad City.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Till next time —

JM