Victor looks up and makes eye contact with Leo. He can see that Leo is concerned. Victor notices Leo’s aura is now a mixture of red and green, hovering around him like an aurora borealis. He takes a deep breath before he responds, “Let’s finish dinner first. And then we can go.”
A server sets down new plates for them and a couple glasses of water. The two finish their meals in silence. But Victor’s mind is racing.Maybe this was a mistake,Victor thinks to himself. But why did the witch want him? Victor wants to get a few answers but doesn’t want to spoil dinner by going down the rabbit hole.
Chapter Ten
Leo and Victor are in the town car, driving through the streets of Manhattan in silence. Leo knows they should talk about what happened at dinner, but he doesn’t want to pry, letting Victor process this new reality at his own pace. A short time later, they stop in front of a hotel. Leo gets out of the car first and then offers to help Victor out of the vehicle. Victor steps out and looks up at the hotel, which he doesn’t recognize.
Victor finally speaks after almost an hour of silence. “Where are we? I don’t recognize this hotel.”
Leo looks up at the hotel and responds, “That’s because, unlike the restaurant, this hotel has an illusion spell. To the mundane, it appears as a regular business building. This hotel is only for us, hence why we can see the hotel.”
“How come I’ve never seen it before?” Victor asks. “I’m not mundane. Well, not anymore.”
Leo taps his finger on Victor’s tie clip. “This hotel is also protected by those who don’t carry this metal. As long as you have this clip or another variation of the same metal on you, you can see protected things that are hidden from others. If we were here before the attack . . .” Leo stops before he can finish.
Victor finishes the sentence for Leo, “If we were here before that witch attacked us, we would have been safe.”
Leo slowly nods. He lets out a sigh and then smiles at Victor. Leo nods to the entrance, and they continue into the hotel.
When they walk in, Victor is amazed at what he sees. The lobby is exquisite, with pristine white-and-black marble floors. The walls are painted white with thin vertical lines of gold. Gold and silver trimmings along the crown molding. Large crystal chandeliers hang down from the tall, vaulted ceilings. In front of the elevators, a waterfall flows from the ceiling. The air is filled with light floral fragrances of rose and lavender, with the added crisp scent of fresh water from the waterfall.
Several golden animals run around the lobby’s shelves, providing enjoyment to the children sitting around while their parents are chatting and enjoying a drink from the lobby bar. Golden birds of different varieties fly around, singing a beautiful melody. Musical instruments play by themselves as they hover over a platform off to the side. Victor can feel the magic in the air while he looks around.
The concierge acknowledges Victor and Leo as they approach the front desk. “Mr. Oliveira and Mr. Russo, welcome. We have your rooms ready. Only the best for the two of you.”
“Thank you,” Leo responds as he approaches the counter. “Have our belongings been delivered to our rooms?”
The concierge smiles as they slide the keys over the counter. “Yes, sir. Including the few packages that arrived about an hour ago.”
Leo thanks the concierge again as he grabs the keys and turns to Victor, handing him one of the keys. Victor cocks his eyebrow as he holds up his key. Hanging on a placard with the room number is an old-fashioned brass key with an elegant design.
“What are we in the 1950s?” Victor smirks.
Leo snickers and gestures a nod toward the elevators. “Come on, we have rooms overlooking Central Park.” They walk up to an elevator whose doors open as they approach it. A bellman stands inside and greets them as they enter. “Floor 13, please,” Leo requests as he and Victor step to the back.
“How appropriate,” Victor chuckles under his breath.
“What do you mean?” Leo asks as he continues to look forward.
“We’re staying on the 13th floor,” Victor mentions.
“Well, this hotel only has 13. I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” Leo remarks.
Victor rolls his eyes as he chuckles to himself.
When they reach their floor, they exit the elevator and head to their rooms. Halfway down the hall, Leo stops in front of the door to his room. He looks at Victor, gives him a wink, and walks into his room. Victor opens the door and is amazed by his room.
It’s a large suite with floor-to-ceiling windows. Sure enough, he has a terrific view of Central Park. An oversized lounge chair sits beside the window, and a huge flat-screen TV hangs on the wall. The wet bar is stocked with his favorite snacks. Of course, they would supply his favorite snacks.
When he walks into the bedroom, he notices the king-size bed faces outward to enjoy the view on the other side of the window. The TV rises from the cabinet at the foot of the bed. He walks into the bathroom. The shower and tub both have a view of Central Park. The shower itself is so large that it could hold eight people.
There’s a knock at the connecting door to Victor’s room. He opens the door, and Leo is on the other side holding two glasses of brandy. He’s already out of his suit and into more casual clothes.
Leo smiles gleefully and asks, “So, what do you think of the room? I’m sure you don’t get views like this on your layovers.”
“Not at all,” Victor answers as he steps to the side, to let Leo enter.
“Why don’t you get out of that suit and into something more comfortable?” Leo suggests.
