“We can do a spell to find out,” Leo suggests.
Before Victor could respond, there’s a knock at the door.
“If it’s that maid, I’m going to scream.” Victor opens the door and sighs, relieved that it isn’t the maid. It was just the bellman bringing in breakfast.
As soon as he was about to close the door, someone’s cheerful voice rings through.
“Good morning, Darlings,”the maid sings.
JESUS H. CHRIST! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!is all Victor screams in his head. Leo cannot hold it in and bursts out laughing, almost tripping over a chair. He doesn’t have to hear what Victor is saying in his head. It is written all over his face.
“I can’t stay long,” the maid says as she proceeds to the bedroom. “I’m here to pick up your suits and get them cleaned before you meet with Ms. Yamada this afternoon.” She grabs Victor’s suit and is about to walk out when she stops in front of Victor. “There is one more thing . . . “ She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a cream-colored envelope with a green wax seal. “ . . . this came for you last night.”
She hands the envelope to Victor. “I was going to slide it under your door, but I wanted to make sure you got it personally. Something told me that it must be handed off to you. It feels very important. Make sure you read it right away, okay.” The maid and the bellman exit, leaving Victor puzzled.
Leo walks over and examines the envelope in Victor’s hand. “This envelope looks old. The paper is yellowed.”
Victor sets down his mug and holds the envelope in both hands. “Who would send me a letter sealed with wax?”
Leo drops the mug when he notices the seal.
Victor jumps back just in time before his feet are covered in ceramic and hot coffee with cream. “What’s the matter? What did you see?”
Leo starts tapping his finger rapidly against the seal. “This . . . this seal. This emblem. It belonged to your grandmother.”
The color drains from Victor’s face. “W-w-what? How do you know?”
Leo takes a slow breath, trying to keep his composure. “I’ve never met your grandmother, but during my studies as a young warlock, I was fascinated with symbols and their meanings. Every superior would use a known symbol or create one for their coven, and they had a seal made for them. And this symbol was from when your grandmother was a superior of her coven.This is her seal!”
Victor’s hands shake, not knowing what’s inside. “What if someone else used my grandmother’s seal?”
“It’s very unlikely,” Leo responds. “Your grandmother’s coven changed their emblem when your grandmother went into hiding almost 50 years ago. Every seal would have been destroyed.”
Victor’s legs go weak as he walks over to the couch and sits down. He keeps looking at the envelope. After a few moments, he licks his lips and takes a deep breath. “You open it,” he says, holding out the envelope.
Leo holds up his hands, “No, no, no, this letter is for you. And isn’t it illegal to open someone else’s mail?”
Victor rolls his eyes before he closes them and takes a deep, shaky breath. He looks down at the seal and carefully opens the envelope. When he looks inside, there is only a single tarot card. He pulls the card out and looks at it.
“What is it?” Leo asks with curiosity.
“It’s the “King of Swords,” Victor answers.
“I’m not familiar with tarot. Is it a good or bad card?” Leo questions.
Victor tilts his head as he studies it and ponders before he answers Leo. After a short moment of silence, Victor says, “It suggests that you should remain open to your current situation. Truth must be established by sticking with the facts handed to you. The king’s intellectual power implies that you need to use intellect to make your points across to reach your goal.”
Leo looks confused. “Translation.”
“Listen to the facts, and you’ll find the truth.” Victor sits back in his seat. “Why would my grandma save a card for me before I was born or as a child, only to have it sent to me now? In Japan, of all places.”
Victor stares at the card some more. Tears begin to build in his eyes. He starts to breathe heavily. With a loud groan, he tosses the card and envelope across the room. “What the fuck are you trying to tell me?” He bends over and rests his head in his hands, covering up that he’s crying. “I’m thirty-fucking-two-yearsfuckingold,” he says, muffled in his hands. “Why am I acting this way?”
Leo sits beside him, rubbing his back. “Shhhh, it’s okay. It’s okay. You’ll figure this out. You’re smart, and you understand Tarot. It’ll come to you. You’ll see.”
Victor sits back up and wipes the tears off his face. His breathing is still shaky, and he tries to take deep breaths to help him calm down. After a moment, he clears his throat. “We need to eat before our food gets cold,” he says, getting up from the couch and walking over to the dining table. Leo looks worried as he watches Victor. “Are you going to eat?” Victor asks when he sits down.
Leo stands up and smooths out his robe. “Yeah.” He takes a seat, and they eat their breakfast in silence.
