Chapter Twenty- Five
Victor wakes up leaning against a tree and notices he’s back in the glowing forest. He looks down and sees he’s again in the platinum-silver suit.
As he looks up at the tree, he doesn’t recognize its animals and fruit.
Victor looks over to the side and sees a glowing blue stream.
He stands up, dusts himself off, and heads toward the creek.
When he walks up to the bank, he looks down but doesn’t see his reflection.
There doesn’t seem to be any reflection.
He follows the direction the stream is flowing and spots that it leads somewhere.
A small building appears in the distance after following the bank for about a mile. It’s familiar; could it be the house he saw before? He continues to walk, watching the building get closer. The closer he gets, the more he recognizes it.
“Am I . . . home?” he says to himself. Victor stops and wonders how he’s speaking without moving his lips. He shrugs his shoulders and continues walking to the building.
As before, the building starts to move away when he gets closer.
After a few attempts, he decides to stop.
“What if I go around it?” He turns to walk around, but the building moves along with him.
He goes the other way, and so does the building.
Victor doesn’t know how to react to the situation.
He decides to sit down and try to come up with a solution.
“If I can’t go toward it, and I can’t go around it, then how am I supposed to get inside?”
“You’re not supposed to go inside, Victor,” a mysterious but familiar voice comments.
Victor looks around. “Who’s there?” He doesn’t see anyone.
“I don’t think Grandma would be happy if she found out what you just did. So, let’s not tell her,” the voice says.
“What did I do?” Victor keeps looking around, but no one is in sight. He stands back up and notices a tree that wasn’t there before.
He walks over to the tree and looks up, gently placing his hand on the trunk. “I used to climb this tree.”
“That’s right, and you almost broke your arm. You loved to try to climb all the way to the top, but the branches weren’t strong enough,” the voice tells Victor.
“You . . . You sound familiar. Do I know you?” Victor asks the voice.
“Of course you do. I am your mother.”
Victor snaps back around. He sees a glowing figure that is as tall as he is.
He can’t make out the face, but he can see a female figure in a flowy, brilliant white dress.
She has the same dark, wavy hair as Victor’s that falls onto her shoulders.
He walks closer to the figure, and her face starts to clear.
As he steps closer, his eyes begin to tear up.
He brings his hands up and cups her face.
“Mom?”
She places her hands on top of his hands. “It’s me.”
Victor’s knees buckle under him, and he drops to the ground. He grabs his mother’s glowing dress with his fists and can’t hold back the tears. “I have missed you so much.”
She smiles gently as she strokes his hair. “I know you have, but I’m here now. Stand up. Let me look at you.”
Victor stumbles as he tries to get back onto his feet. When he does, he looks deep into his mother’s eyes. She uses her fingertips and knuckles to help Victor wipe the tears off his cheeks.
“You have gotten so handsome,” she says. “I also see bits of your father in you.”
“But I inherited your damn stubbornness,” Victor snickers back.
Victor’s mother wraps her arm around his. “Come, we have much to discuss.” She turns him around and walks away from the building. They make their way back to the stream and start walking beside it. “I was hoping to keep you away from all of this.”
“What are you saying? You knew about Grandma being a witch?” Victor asks.
His mother smiles and speaks again without moving her lips. “Of course I did. I’ve known since I was five.”
“Why would you two keep all of this from me?” Victor asks. His mother just smiles and pats his arms, guiding him toward the stream.
They walk up to a set of rocks. Victor’s mother gestures to take a seat as she explains to her son about his grandmother and her decision.
“Grandma was on her way to become High Priestess. During the trials to test her powers, it concluded that she could very well be the next Grand Witch. There hasn’t been any witch or warlock to hold such an esteemed honor in a few hundred years.
“There was one more test she needed to accomplish, but it would be some time since it was to be done under a full blood moon during a blue moon month. It was going to be at least a year. But a couple of covens didn’t want a Grand Witch running things.
They were stuck in their old ways of witchcraft.
They hated how modern witches were becoming.
So, one witch decided to challenge your grandma. ”
“Do you know who the witch was?” Victor asks.
Victor’s mother shakes her head. “Sadly, I was still young, barely turned eleven. Things got very heated between your grandma and the witch. It got so bad that Grandma stopped me from continuing my lessons. I barely got to learn Air Magic. I didn’t know then, but it was for my protection.
The witch succeeded in halting your grandma’s final test, and it would be a while before another blood blue moon would happen. ”
Victor’s mother looks off in deep thought.
“My mother began worrying, and when I turned eighteen, she told me I could no longer communicate with any of my friends. I must become mundane. She never told me why. Your uncle was not happy with the news. He wanted to storm into the witch’s coven and show them who’s who.
We struggled to live a mundane lifestyle. ”
Victor lets out a small laugh, “I was also told to let go of my mundane friends. What happened to Grandma?”
Victor’s mother takes a deep breath, preparing to explain what happened to his grandmother.
“Well, over the years, her body started weakening. Someone created a spell to make her sick. But no one could figure out who. Her coven even went to see the Voodoo Queen for help with answers. Even she had a difficult time. The seers and empaths of other covens couldn’t figure out who could have done this.
“When I found out I was pregnant with you, a seer sought me out and told me that in order to keep the bloodline safe, you were to be hidden from anyone who could find you and keep you away from this life. But it came with a price.”
Victor starts to shake his head vigorously. “No. Don’t say it.”
His mother takes his hand into both of hers. “It was a sacrifice I would do again if I had to.”
Victor slides off the rock and drops to his knees. He tries to hold back his tears. “Why? Why did you do that?” Victor can’t hold back the floodgates anymore. He drops his face into his mother’s lap and sobs profusely.
Victor’s mother gently strokes his hair.
She lifts his head and cups his cheek with her hand.
She uses her thumbs to wipe away the tears.
“It was the only way to protect you. They were killing my mother, your grandma. Your uncle became so angry that he left to find the witch who had done this by himself. He would show up from time to time, until eventually your uncle disappeared.”
“I remember bits and pieces of him as a child. Whatever happened to him?” Victor asks through the sobs.
“No one knows, not even the seers I kept in touch with,” his mother responds. “The only thing I had to worry about back then was making sure they wouldn’t come after you. I knew it would be a while before my time was up, so I had to make the most of it.”
Victor rests his forehead on his mother’s knees. She gently combs his hair with her fingertips.
He looks back up at his mother and asks, “Wasn’t there another way? Why did you have to sacrifice yourself?”
She lightly shakes her head. “It was the only way, my child. You don’t truly understand how powerful you are.
It’s dangerous and wonderful. Terrifying and amazing.
You could be the first Grand Warlock, and because of that, you had to be hidden from those who conjure magic.
Some covens want to bring back the old ways of witchcraft.
Ways that caused those of religion to fear us. ”
Victor picks himself up and sits back on the rock. “What am I supposed to do?”
His mother reaches over and fixes the side of his hair. “Well, you’re older now. You can make your own choices. You have a good head on your shoulders. You listen and take things into consideration.”
Victor comes to a realization. “Like the King of Swords.”
Victor’s mom sits up straight and smiles fondly at her grown child. “Looks like you’ve become more familiar with Tarot.” She leans over and softly kisses Victor’s cheek. When she leans back, she smiles softly while taking one of Victor’s hands into hers. “You will figure things out.”
Victor jumps up from his bed, covered in sweat, his heart racing, and breathing heavily.
He looks around the room and notices he’s back in his apartment.
He peeks under the sheets. He’s out of his suit and wearing just a T-shirt and underwear.
Victor looks over to the side of the bed and sees Leo resting in a chair wearing a sweater hoodie, and some workout shorts.
“Leo? Leo,” Victor says softly.
Leo slowly wakes up. “Huh, wha . . . VICTOR!” He jumps from his seat and tackles Victor, wrapping his arms tightly around him. “Thank the gods you’re okay.”
Victor embraces Leo and can still smell the light scent of Leo’s cologne. “How long was I out?”
Leo pulls back and looks into Victor’s eyes. “You’ve been out for three days.”
Victor seems unsure how to react. “It’s been that long?” He looks over at the chair Leo has been sitting in. “How long have you been here?”
Leo makes himself more comfortable sitting beside Victor.
“I’ve been with you the entire time. After you passed out back in Otsu, Akisha, Chiyo, and I rushed you back to the hotel room.
When it was obvious that you wouldn’t wake up anytime soon, we took a risk and brought you through a mirror and back to your apartment.
It was agreed that it would be better to wake up somewhere familiar than in a strange place. ”
“How did Derek feel about you staying with me this entire time?” Victor asks, looking around, knowing that Derek is someone to watch out for.
“He hasn’t contacted me. And frankly, I don’t care. I wanted to make sure you were safe while you were unconscious,” Leo mentions.
Victor gives a slight smile to Leo, but it fades, knowing that what he wants from Leo won’t be able to happen.
Leo reaches for a glass of water on the nightstand and hands it to Victor. “Do you feel strong enough to take a shower?”
Victor looks slyly at Leo, saying, “I might need some help.”
Leo chuckles, “Well, we need to head to Texas. We’re to meet with Superior Charles. He asked for you to see him once you have awakened and are strong enough. He has a lake house just north of Dallas.”
“So, you’re taking me to your coven?” Victor asks. Leo nods in response. “Then we shouldn’t keep your superior waiting.”