Chapter Twenty-Seven
Victor walks outside, looking for Leo. He scans the grounds and sees a few dozen people walking around. Others are enjoying the sunny day, lying on a blanket in the grass. A half dozen are windsurfing on the lake. As Victor walks over to the lake, he sees Leo returning a horse to the stables. Leo smiles as he pets the majestic beast, mouthing how handsome and powerful the horse is. Victor smiles, noticing this is the first time he has seen Leo relaxed and enjoying himself.
Leo spots Victor alone in the grassy field when he leaves the stall. Leo sends Victor a smile as he closes the door behind him. He brushes his hands on the sides of his jeans and walks over to Victor. Victor meets him halfway.
“Were you riding around while you were waiting for me?” Victor asks.
“Yes, it’s been a while since I rode. We took a lap around the lake,” Leo mentions as he looks out to the water.
“It’s huge,” Victor remarks as he looks around the lake, barely able to see the shoreline on the other side. “How fast were you going?”
Leo smiles ear-to-ear. “She can run on water, so we just went across to the other side and back. You know the saying, ‘You can lead a horse to water, but it will just want to run across it.’”
Victor ponders Leo’s statement. “I’m not so sure that’s how it goes.”
Leo laughs and pats Victor on the back. “Come on, let’s get something to eat before we head back to your place.”
Leo walks Victor over to a large ramada on the other side of the lawn. The coven gathers around several long wooden picnic tables. Several young individuals are helping an older woman bring out the food. As Leo and Victor reach a picnic table, Leo gestures to Victor to have a seat.
“I know you’ve probably had some good barbecue in Texas, but wait until you’ve had Elder Maggie’s barbecue,” Leo remarks.
Elder Maggie starts floating the food around the tables. She has a huge smile as she waves her arms and hands around as if conducting an orchestra. As soon as the food reaches Victor, he goes for a bowl. Before he could take it, a spoonful of green beans plates itself onto Victor’s plate.
“Is lunch always like this?” Victor smirks.
Leo lets out a light chuckle, “No. It’s only because Superior Charles is trying to impress you.”
“Why?” Victor asks, giving Leo a side-eyed glance.
“For one, you’re not part of a coven yet. Some young individuals are inherited into a coven when they are born. But if they decide to join another, they must be invited by the superior of that coven,” Leo explains.
“What’s ‘For Two’?” Victor questions while watching the food float around the ramada.
“You’re basically aSolus Warlock,” Leo responds. “A Solus is someone without a coven. That’s reason enough for a superior to invite you to join their coven, especially if you impress them. And you’re an empath. We don’t have many empaths nowadays. That also includes seers and telepaths.”
“What do you mean? Have they died off?” Victor ponders as he watches his plate fill with food.
“Or were killed,” Leo comments under his breath. “What?” Victor snaps his head to Leo.
Leo puts his napkin in his shirt and picks up his fork. “A little over four decades ago, these dark covens, if you want to call them that, wanted to go back to a traditional way of life. They sought out everyone who was gifted with an ability.” He takes a bite of his food before he continues. “You should eat before it gets cold.”
Victor pours himself a glass of tea before he takes Leo’s glass to pour some tea for him. “What happened to those with abilities?”
“They were told to join those dark covens and help with returning to the ways witchcraft once was, or be killed,” Leo responds with a mouth full of food.
Victor drops Leo’s glass of tea all over the table. No one around reacts. Leo snaps his fingers upward, lifting the liquid off the table into a ball. Leo then flings his hand over his shoulder, throwing the liquid into a trash can. Victor looks around. Everyone at the table continues to eat and talk amongst themselves while Leo chows down on a couple of ribs.
Victor pours Leo another glass. “How many with an ability are left?”
Leo wipes his face before asking, “Can you please hand me a wet nap?” Victor reaches over to the pile of wet naps until Leo scolds him. “No, with your magic.” Victor gives Leo a disgusted look, and Leo gives a cheesy smile in return.
Victor takes a breath and then waves his hand to pick up a wet nap with his magic. As it floats over to Leo, he snatches it before Leo can take it.
“Are you going to answer my question?”
Leo grabs the wet nap from Victor’s hand. “About seven empaths are left, including you. Five seers and three telepaths. Only three seers and five empaths are not in one of those dark covens. There could be more, but they have gone into hiding.”
“Why were they told to join or die?” Victor inquires.
