Chapter Thirty-Six #2
Leo is startled awake. “What! What is it?” Victor abruptly pulls Leo out of bed and over to the window. Victor rips back the curtains, but the figure is gone. Leo looks outside and then over at Victor. He can see Victor is frightened. “What did you see?”
Victor looks down at the spot where he saw the figure on the beach. “I think she found me.”
Leo grows concerned. “Who? Morgana?” Victor slowly nods. Leo turns Victor to face him, but Victor doesn’t stop looking towards the beach. “Are you sure it was her?”
Victor licks his lips before he responds. “I-I don’t know. Someone was down there. I couldn’t make out who it was. They only had this dark glow to them. And when they looked up, I could see a green glow coming from their eyes, just staring right back at me.”
Leo pulls Victor in for a tight hug. Victor buries his face into Leo’s shoulder as he returns to shaking. Leo lightly rubs the back of Victor’s neck. “Shhh, it’s okay. You’re safe and with me.”
Victor shakes his head on Leo’s shoulder. “You don’t get it. I sensed so much fear. It manifested in my dreams. Whoever was out there projected fear onto me.” Victor pulls away from Leo. “Look. I’m still shaking.”
Leo goes over to the nightstand on Victor’s side of the bed. “Where’s your silver card?”
“It should be with my jacket in the closet,” Victor responds.
“You should be keeping it close to you,” Leo mentions.
Leo rushes to the closet and rummages through Victor’s garment bag.
He finds the silver card and hurries back to Victor, who hasn’t moved from his spot.
Victor clasps the card in his hands and holds it against his chest. Leo pulls Victor back in for another hug.
Victor’s heart rate begins to slow down, allowing him to relax in Leo’s arms.
“Well, isn’t this touching?” a mysterious voice comments behind them.
Victor turns around abruptly to the voice. He sees the figure from the beach standing at the bedroom door. Leo jumps in front of Victor and creates a red fireball in his hand.
“Who are you?” Leo demands.
An older gentleman appears from the dark glow, dressed all in black.
He stands with his hands clasped in front of him.
His hair is gray and silver, neatly trimmed and combed back.
His goatee is well-groomed and shaped around his sharp chin.
A small, charcoal gray pendant of a raven’s head is pinned to his lapel.
He stands a little taller than Victor and has a lean, toned figure.
His eyes are the same dark brown color as Victor’s.
“Did I interrupt the two of you? You must have been doing something since you’re both in your underwear,” the warlock comments.
Leo makes his fireball brighter. “I asked, who the fuck are you?”
The warlock waves a hand and extinguishes Leo’s fireball. “Young Warlock, has anyone told you you should respect your elders?”
“You’re no elder of mine,” Leo sneers through his teeth.
Leo and Victor keep their eyes fixed on the older man as he steps forward. “I just wanted to check out the new empath,” the warlock remarks.
Victor lowers Leo’s arms from blocking him and steps forward. “Well, you’ve got to check me out.”
“In more ways than one, to say the least,” the older man says sarcastically as he raises an eyebrow.
“Now, I’m sure Derek would love to hear that his husband is half-naked with the warlock he’s supposed to be mentoring.
And I’m sure the council would have a field day if they found out one of their prized mentors is fraternizing with a student. ”
Leo grows angry. “Derek can’t do anything where he is. And the council already knows about this relationship.”
“Do they now?” the warlock questions. “Well, I guess I’ll have to have a long discussion with them.”
Victor holds back Leo before he charges. “Who are you?” Victor asks calmly.
The older warlock takes a step closer. “That’s not important, young empath.
” He looks deep into Victor’s eyes. “You have your mother’s spirit.
Your grandmother’s too.” He leans in closer, placing his hands behind him.
“Hell, even your uncle’s. The Russo line flows within you.
” The man turns and walks away. “We’ll see each other again. ”
He stops and glances over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, it won’t be anytime soon.” The entire room goes completely dark. When the moonlight slowly appears again, lighting up the room, the mysterious warlock is gone.
Leo rushes to the nightstand to grab his phone. “We need to get Superior Charles here now. Maybe even Jeanette.”
Victor keeps looking at where the man stood. “Don’t bother. There’s nothing they can do.”
Leo looks up at Victor with a look of shock. “What are you talking about, ‘don’t bother?’ They need to investigate who he was.”
Victor walks over and stops next to where he last saw the mysterious man. “I already know who it was,” he says, looking forward as though he is still looking at the man who was once there with him.
“Who was it?” Leo questions.
Victor remains quiet, still gazing at the blank space in front of him. “That was my uncle,” he finally says.
Leo drops his phone and his jaw. “Are you certain?”
Victor nods slowly in response. “Quite. I could see my mother in his gaze. They both have the same twitch with their left eyebrow when judging someone.”
“All the more reason to get Superior Charles involved,” Leo suggests as he walks over to Victor.
“No,” Victor speaks sharply over his shoulder.
“Why not?” Leo demands.
“This isn’t something a coven can take care of. And last time I checked, I’m not part of any coven,” Victor responds calmly.
“What are you talking about, Vic? Why does it matter if you’re part of a coven or not?” Leo questions as he walks around the bed.
“This is a family matter,” Victor proclaims. “Getting a coven involved, especially anyone I’m not incorporated with, will only worsen things.”
“And how do you know all this?” Leo questions.
“Because I just do,” Victor snaps back. He takes a deep breath, calming his emotions. “I can’t explain it, Leo. I just know.” Victor walks over and takes a seat at the foot of the bed. “It’s something that my mother told me before she died. I never quite understood what she meant until now.”
Leo takes a seat next to Victor and places his hand on top of Victor’s. “What did she say?”
Victor takes a deep breath and licks his lips. “When it comes to family matters, no other family can get involved.” Victor places his other hand on top of Leo’s and looks into Leo’s eyes. “Your coven is your family, not mine. I have to face him alone.”
Leo shakes his head in disagreement. “Victor, you’re not strong enough. Fuck, he extinguished my fireball as he was astral projecting.”
“He wasn’t astral projecting,” Victor comments.
Leo’s face turns white, and his eyes grow wide. “Are you telling me he was physically here? In our room.”
Victor nods slowly. “I’ve been quickly picking up on when someone is physically with me or not.” Victor looks back at the spot on the floor. “My uncle paid me a visit.”