Soporo, she thought. Everything slowed and calmed. Her eyes caught Holly's and she managed a wan smile. "I'm okay now," she said, releasing her death grip on the amulet. Holly touched the pendant, thoughtful, before brushing a stray strand of hair out of Victoria's face.
"Emmeline told me that you must never ever take off this amulet. She said that it is the only thing that can protect you when all else fails. It is the key to controlling your magic. She also told me that I must tell you not to underestimate those who would covet this power of yours."
Victoria's stare was guarded. "So you know? What ... I am?"
A gentle nod. "Yes."
"I don't want this, any of this," Victoria whispered.
"Oh my darling, not everyone wants what they are born with. One person's gift is another's curse. But you are who you are, Tori, and who you choose to become is entirely up to you."
"Did you know all this, all along, when I was in the hospital?"
"Yes ... no ... I did but ... no ..." Holly stopped, confused. Leto came to her aid.
She knew, but only when you asked about Emmeline's secrets was she able to remember, he explained.
A spell?
Yes, to protect not just you, but also Holly. Emmeline was very ... protective of both of you. Leto's thoughts felt weak, and Victoria cringed, knowing how terribly she'd hurt him. It was so easy to let power become undermined by emotions—far too easy.
To Holly, she said, "Leto says it was a spell to protect us." To Leto, she sent her naked regret and as if that wasn't enough, she followed it with the words.
I'm so sorry, Leto. Forgive me.
Forgiven, child.
Victoria turned to Holly, unable to find the words to say to this wonderful, generous, amazing woman who'd looked after her so selflessly, and carried such a terrible burden of knowledge for the sake of her friend's granddaughter. Overwhelmed, she hugged Holly tightly.
"Will you tell me about her?"
Holly smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."
WHEN VICTORIA RETURNED to Windsor, it was just after seven o'clock. She had a message on her answering machine from Tony at the Black Dog checking to see if she could work a short shift that night. She wasn't tired so she unpacked her overnight bag, got right back into the Mini and headed down Main Street to the Dog. She also wanted something mundane to take her mind off of everything she'd just learned about Holly, her grandmother, and her own powers. She wanted normal for a couple hours, and then she'd allow herself to dissect it into manageable pieces.
For a Monday, the place was packed. Students from both Windsor and Harland frequented the Black Dog, and it wasn't a surprise that there weren't many free seats in the place. She waved to Charla, Angie, and several of their friends as she walked to the bar. The time passed quickly and the bar was still pumping at midnight with no signs of slowing down. A familiar face drew her attention and she smiled.
"Hi Gabriel, what can I get you?" she said.
"Sara's twenty-one! What's her drink?" Gabriel said, grinning.
It had become an in-house Black Dog tradition during the last few weeks to have Victoria Warrick, bartender extraordinaire, pick out the special birthday drink for anyone celebrating a birthday at the Black Dog. The trick was to predict their choice of drink, and given her abilities, she was unfailingly perfect at it. She rationalized her brief intrusion in their minds with the excuse that they were going to order the drink anyway, so she wasn't really prying, and it was just a harmless game.
Victoria didn't hesitate to place a Sex-on-the-Beach cocktail on the bar, and everyone dissolved into laughter, including Gabriel. It wouldn't have been so funny if Sara didn't run the "Abstinence Until Marriage" coalition at Harland. Out of the corner of her eye, Victoria caught Angie's knowing smile but she ignored it despite her immediate unease. Sara accepted both the drink and the jibes with good humor.
"If I'm going to wait, I may as well enjoy the drink, right?" Sara said with a laugh. "Thanks, Tori!"
Personally Victoria didn't think that Sara was as crazy as most of the other girls seemed to think she was—she hadn't done "the deed" either. Ever since Brett, she had a healthy fear of losing control, and frankly, sex wasn't something that interested her. A fleeting vision of Christian came to her, and she felt her ears grow hot. Well, maybe it interested her a little. Or not! She banished the traitorous thought with a fierce frown. Not with him anyway, Christian Devereux meant nothing to her.
"Whatever it is, I don't think it has much time to live," said a dry voice.
"What?" Victoria said.
"Whatever you're glowering at like it's the devil," Gabriel said.
"No, I'm fine, just distracted about something silly, not even worth worrying about." She smiled brightly at him.
"Well, let me know if I can help. I'm a good listener."
"Thanks Gabe, I will."
"So, can I ask you something?" he asked. "How do you do it, Tori? The drink thing? How do you get it right every time? Is it like ESP?"
"I wish," she said. "I'm only right half of the time really. It's just a logical guessing game based on what they've had in the past." She avoided his eyes and pasted a vacuous expression on her face. He frowned.