“You mean I got 100 points in less than five minutes? Why did you keep me going?” Victor demands.
Superior Charles claps Victor on the back. “I asked her for the full five minutes. I didn’t want you to give up so easily when you reached 100. You don’t get that in the real world.”
Wren turns to the audience. “It’s with great pleasure to announce that Victor RaymondRusso can now officially hold the title of Empath Warlock.”
Wren holds out her hand to Victor. “Congratulations,Empath Warlock Russo.” Victor smiles, taking her hand and shaking it with pride.
Victor’s friends rush over to him and get into a group hug, congratulating him. As the cheering calms, everyone starts to hear slow clapping from a single individual. Victor’s smile slowly disappears as he senses who’s behind him.
He slowly turns around, spotting Derek in the distance.
Chapter Forty-One
Derek slowly walks toward Victor, clapping and giving him an evil smile. Victor notices Derek’s left hand has a slightly darker skin tone. Derek got a new hand from somewhere, but Victor doesn’t understand how.
“Bra-Va! Bra . . . Va,” Derek exclaims as he concludes his clapping. “You should be feeling so proud of yourself. Empath. Warlock.”
Victor and Leo step in front of Victor’s friends. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Victor demands, keeping his focus on Derek.
“I feel like Maleficent for not receiving an invitation to thissoiree.I’m here to bestow a curse on your firstborn.” Derek looks at Leo with disdain. “Unfortunately, his firstborn won’t be with you. Although it would be funny, cursing my husband’s child.”
Leo narrows his glare at Derek. “We’re no longer together, Derek.”
Superior Charles steps in front of the group with his fists balled to his sides. “I think you’d better consider that you’re outnumbered here, Warlock Hernandez. You better get your sorry little ass out of here before I make sure you cannot break out again.”
Derek holds out his new hand and shakes his index finger. “Tsk tsk, that’s not how you’re supposed to talk to me.” Derek looks back at Victor, presenting his newly acquired hand. “You like what you did to me? I had to get a new hand because of you.”
“Fuck off,” Victor calls out. “You did that to yourself.”
Derek holds up the bracelet Victor placed on him. “If you didn’t put this piece of shit on me, then drastic measures wouldn’t have occurred.” Derek tosses the bracelet to the ground. He conjures a large rock, smashing the bracelet. “I don’t want you to get any dumber ideas.”
“How did you get a new hand?” Victor asks with curiosity.
“He got it from a necromancer,” Madame Jeanette responds as she walks forward. “Who did you have to kill to make sure you got a new hand? I can smell it’s still fresh.”
Derek buffs the nails of his new hand against his chest. “A young warlock was willing to sacrifice his hand for me. He didn’t need it anyway because he can’t conjure magic with it.” He holds his hand as if admiring the nails. “Such a shame too. He was great at buffing out my shoes. Now, he can only scrub the coven’s floors with one hand.”
“You make me sick,” Victor expresses with a disgusted look.
“No, you’re the one that makes me sick,” Derek spits back. “Trying to act like you’re better than everyone. That’s why your grandmother was killed. And your mother.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Leo whispers to Victor, placing his hand on Victor’s arm, hoping it will keep Victor calm.
“Why don’t you tell everyone not to listen to me, Leo?” Derek taps his temple with his new index finger, “Telepath, remember.Oh, wait, you don’t remember. Because you were too stupid to figure it out. Gods, what the fuck did I ever see in you?”
“Enough of this!” Superior Charles shouts. He tries to bind Derek with his Earth Magic. As the earth grows up to Derek’s neck, Derek lets out a diabolical laugh before breaking free. Eddie, Victor, and Leo throw up an air barrier to protect everyone from the flying debris.
Victor narrows his eyes and tries to focus on Derek’s aura.
“I would caution you, Empath Warlock. You won’t like what you see,” Derek warns Victor with a demonic smile.
Victor notices a dark glow radiating off Derek’s chest. But he can’t pinpoint where it’s coming from. “He’s got an artifact on him,” Victor mentions to the others. “But I don’t know what it is.”
“That’s probably how he was able to break out of his bind,” Superior Charles explains. “He’s connected to someone who’s sharing their magic.”
“No one is sharing their magic with me,” Derek mentions viciously. “Fuck, how are you even a Superior? And don’t you know it’s not polite to talk about someone behind their back? Especially a telepath?”
Victor becomes annoyed and barks back. “We get it. You’re a fucking telepath. Shut your face already.” Victor begins to sense something, which makes him nervous. “He’s not alone.”
