Castellanos - A Flame That Never Dies novel Chapter 1

From America to Middle Eastern to Asia. I have travelled across the world. Never staying too long in one place. I never crossed over a month in a city or the country. For my heart feared that if- just if they were to find me again.

No. I will not be found. I have promised myself never to return to that place again. I walked away from everything and everyone that I have ever know in this eternity of life I had been living.

Even though I faced a lot of struggles during these past twenty years, I refused to break down. All the money that I had was back in Amsterdam where I could never return to. That will be the first place they will sniff their nose on.

And they will know if I do return so my only option was to sneak on a ship to get away from there. For the longest time, I was no less than a beggar.

A person without a home. I became a stray Lycan. Until I met her.

One other person that lived in hiding. Constantly changing her identity. More like erasing them. Or her from the world. So, when I found her, I stuck by her. It had been ten years since I have been with her.

Like me, she too stayed away from the palace. The one place that reminded us of what we had done. But mine couldn’t be compared to hers. I could never fathom what she was going through.

Deep down I knew, she couldn’t even look at herself without hating her own reflection. She despised the people that birthed her. She despised her life. So, she lived as she erased herself.

But it came in handy though. The gift of hers.

Now I didn’t have to constantly keep moving. Her gift allowed me to live for a while without having to run away. She owned a house here and ran a café on the first floor. It was small but it was warm and cosy.

During the day, I helped her out with the café and at night we both hit the club. Drinking, dancing, wasting our eternity away. Just a perfect getaway and a brilliant distraction.

Because we had a lot to forget but nothing once left our minds. Not even for a second. The inferno in me burned. Deep.

We didn’t talk about the palace anymore. She didn’t ask me why I left as I didn’t pester her on hers, but I clearly knew why though. And I did feel for her, but I was in no position to console anyone else when I couldn’t even stop blaming myself.

“Tess. Will you give this to table five please.” Harmony calls out, breaking me out of my thoughts. I stand up from the sofa in the corner, with the sunlight directly upon it.

“Sure.” I call out and take the tray of coffees and croissants heading towards the only couple that occupied the cafe.

“Here you are, enjoy.” I place the tray on the table with a smile on my face.

“Thank you.” The couple replies. I nod my head and leave them to enjoy their food. I head back to the counter where Harmony was looking outside the window towards the beach. She leans her elbows on the counter and puts her head on her hands as she sighs loudly.

“It’s a shame, it’s so nice outside.” She exhales loudly.

I stand on the other side of the counter as I shake my head and chuckle. “You say that every day. And the weather here hardly changes anyways.”

She breaths out loudly and turns her head to look at me. “I know. But still. It would be nice if I were out there in the sea.” She stands up straight. “I can already feel the cool sea water. It’s so hot in here.” She complains.

“You know you can close the café anytime you want. It’s not like you need any more money.” I look around the café. “And there’s hardly anyone in here anyways.”

I shrug my shoulders as I look back to Harmony who now had her hands on her hips with a slight pout on her lips. “Now that is not very nice, Tess. You-”

“Are you up for tonight?” I cut her off. Her still open mouth closes to form a smirk. “You bet, I am.” I chuckle at her, heading back to lounge on the sofa which was heavily flooded with the warmth of the sun. I sigh and sink myself into the sofa, closing my eyes.

“There you go again.” I hear Harmony’s voice, but I just smile.

No matter how much I travelled or where I travelled there was no better place than a warm summer sky and the soft breeze of the ocean. Maybe it was because I was born within the land that was surrounded by water or maybe it just calms the fire that raged inside of me.

It felt good regardless.

Then I heard the couple move to the counter to pay. “It was so good. This place is amazing.” The girl says. I open an eye and turn my head slightly to look at them. “We will be definitely recommending this place to everyone we know.” The girl smiles as the man nods his head.

I see Harmony smile at them. “Really?”

She grabs both their hand as she leans on the counter, shocking them both. They try to take their hands off her awkwardly, but she just holds on tight. “You wouldn’t do that now, would you?”