"It's okay, Angie. I knew that you could probably see and was wondering if you did, so thanks for telling me," she said.
"I wanted to make sure that you were okay. It worried me when I saw that there were two of them. But you were fine because you came back." She smiled. "Anyway I just wanted you to know that I ... that someone ... was looking out for you," she said.
"I appreciate that more than you know," Victoria said, dazed. She felt absurdly grateful. "Hey do you want to come up for a minute? I could make some tea."
Angie was surprised but accepted the invitation. In Victoria's apartment, she was very complimentary even though Victoria knew her place was probably tiny compared to the one that Angie shared with Charla. Angie sat down on the couch next to Leto.
"Oh, you have a cat!" She giggled as if something occurred to her. "Of course you have a cat!" She stroked him a couple times before pulling her hand away as if his fur had burned her. Leto stared at her, his green eyes unblinking. "He's not just a cat though, is he?"
"What does he look like? I've always wondered. His name is Leto, by the way," Victoria said, bringing the tea and a plate of biscuits over.
Angie stroked Leto's silvery gray fur. He turned his head into her palm and purred but studied her with an intense look. "Lovely name," she said. "Do you know what it means?"
When Victoria shook her head, Angie continued. "It means 'the hidden one.' Leto was also the name of the Goddess Leto who gave birth to Artemis and Apollo."
"How do you know all this stuff?"
"I'm a sucker for Greek and Roman mythology," Angie said. She stroked Leto again, her eyes unfocusing. "His colors are so effervescent, there's so much silvery light that it's almost blinding." She squinted at Leto thoughtfully and then refocused to look into his knowing green eyes. He stretched and gave her his quirky cat smile, and she looked astonished. "Does he—" she began, and then stopped, confused.
"Does he know what you are, you mean?" Victoria finished for her as she sipped her tea. Angie nodded. "You already know the answer to that Angie, sure he does."
"Do you ... does he talk?"
Victoria nodded, staring at Leto for a brief moment. "He says in my world, you would be known as an Aurus. It's a witch term for someone who can see the true spirits of people." Victoria's eyes squinted as if she were listening to something more Leto was saying. "He says it's a very rare gift. Rare and dangerous."
In the space of half a second, Angie's eyes seemed to cloud over and her entire body tensed. Victoria wasn't surprised when she stood up abruptly.
"I'm sorry. I ... I have to go. I ... forgot that I told Charla I would pick her up later at the bar," she stammered. Two pairs of identical green eyes followed her as she raced out the door, almost stumbling in her haste.
Victoria watched her leave and Leto padded over to the windowsill, staring at Angie's disappearing taillights. Victoria scratched his head.
"What did you mean when you said her gift was dangerous Leto?" she asked.
Not just her gift. She is dangerous. Leto paused. The gift is coveted by many because of the power it grants to someone who can use it to control others. An Aurus has no magical ability, which is why most of them are usually bonded to evil witches and warlocks who abuse their gifts for their own ends.
"But she's human," Victoria replied.
You're human, Leto pointed out and Victoria rolled her eyes.
"You know what I mean," she said. "She's no witch, and I know she's not part of a witch coven under some other witch or wizard either. I read her."
She's hiding something. She has a mark of magic on her. Victoria immediately burned red and Leto shot her a sharp look.
"It could be me," she said. "She's seen me do magic at the bar."
You what? Tori! How many times have I said that you need to be careful! Leto hissed and flattened his ears.
"It's just a drink guessing game, Leto! And it's not like she doesn't know what I am," she said.
That's just the point, Victoria. When a witch or warlock uses magic, it makes a mark like a signature. Leto's tone was patronizing. Victoria gave an impatient nod, she knew that already. The signature really could only be used to determine the identity of the magic user so she didn't know why Leto was bringing it up. Angie already knew that she was a witch.
Leto stared at her with baleful eyes until she flushed again, before he continued. For an Aurus, that signature is as obvious as if you gave them the blueprint of your magic, and that information can be used against you ... to control you, to hurt you, to kill you! Leto's mental voice shook with barely concealed fury. That's why they are so dangerous.
"Oh," whispered Victoria. "But it was nothing."
Doesn't matter, it was still your magic. Please Victoria, you need to be more careful. You must know that there's a lot more at stake here. People have killed for far less.