Victor looks back at Leo with a raised eyebrow, “Why are you answering my question with a question?”
“Why don’t you answer mine first so I can give you the proper answer to yours?” Leo winks, giving Victor a sly smirk.
Victor lets out a deep, aggressive breath through his nose. “Fine,” he says pointedly. “I don’t remember much about her. She loved her little family and wanted to ensure we embraced our traditions.”
“What about her tarot cards?” Leo pries.
Victor gives Leo a look of confusion and uncertainty. “Her tarot cards? She never had tarot cards. My mother did.”
“But were those her cards?” Leo implies.
Victor looks down and ponders his answer. “My mom wanted to learn about Tarot. I remember one day when I was younger, she had them laid out on the kitchen table. She was reading a book about each of the cards. But I didn’t think anything of it.”
Victor starts to recall a memory. “A cousin on my dad’s side mentioned that my grandma used to read tarot. She knew my grandma more than me.”
Leo takes a slow and deep breath as he prepares to answer Victor’s questions. “What I’m about to tell you will come as a shock. You will likely experience a mix of emotions, including confusion and anger. But I want you to take what I say and process it.”
Victor looks over at Leo, and after a moment, he nods.
Leo inhales deeply, “Your grandmother was a powerful witch. She was a lot older than you remember. She was well known among others of our kind.”
“Our kind?” Victor inquires.
“Witches. Warlocks. Sorcerers. Wizards. Magicians. Whatever you want to call us,” Leo explains. “She was excellent at reading tarot cards and was an empath. She was very proficient in other forms of the magical arts. Sadly, your grandmother died before she could get an opportunity to pass down her teachings to your mother.”
Victor doesn’t know how to process what he’s just been told. “Did you know my grandma or mom?”
Leo shakes his head, “No, I never met either of them. But I’ve heard about them in passing conversations. I think Jeanette and Akisha met your mother before she disappeared. Your grandmother’s death was a tragedy and a mystery.”
Leo uncrosses his legs and smooths out his shorts. “As you know, she died from cancer, but most of us think it was a cover for what actually happened. There is also speculation about what happened to your mother. But we don’t have any clear evidence to make a proper determination.”
Victor stands up and wraps his arms around himself. “I need to go for a walk. It’s a lot to process right now.”
“Would you like me to join you?” Leo asks as he stands. Victor nods, and they make their way down a trail in the park. They remain in silence for a while.
Victor finally speaks, “So why am I being told about all this after all this time? Why wasn’t I told when I was younger?”
Leo shrugs and places his hands in his pockets. “Well, you’ve been off the radar until recently. We thought when your grandmother died, so did her teachings. You didn’t come to our attention until about two years ago. We didn’t even know about you.” Leo pauses for a moment, “Well, Madame Jeanette knew.”
“What do you mean?” Victor inquires.
Leo looks forward down the path. “Well, your mother met Jeanette before you were born. But she doesn’t remember the conversation because your mother put a memory spell on her.”
“Then what did I do to draw your attention?” Victor asks.
“It was a tarot card reading you did on someone who was a warlock. He was impressed by your reading and mentioned it to Jeanette,” Leo replies.
Victor cocks an eyebrow and looks at Leo from the corner of his eye. “I only read tarot cards at parties. I’ve never read them professionally.”
“It was good enough,” Leo responds. “Jeanette wanted to know more about you. When we did some more digging, we realized who you really were—the grandson of Maria Russo. We needed to make every effort to bring you to us, so it wouldn’t seem like we were coming to you. Akisha explained that we never looked for you because your mother decided to fall off the map.”
Victor stops and turns to look at Leo. “So, was my trip to New Orleans planned?”
Leo looks at Victor and smiles. “It was a happy coincidence. But also, Jeanette has the ability of premonitions. She also teaches the formal practices of necromancy.”
Victor stops in his tracks. “Necromancy?”
Leo gives Victor an assured look, “Don’t worry, it’s not what you think.”
