Bloodspell (The Cruentus Curse, #1)(32)

It was heady and frightening at the same time. She became adept at moving things with a simple command, "effero," and bending others to her will, which Leto definitely did not like, especially when she made him walk into the ice-cold spring in the back yard. He retaliated with a vicious swipe of his paw on her leg, which healed on its own at an unspoken command, "curo," from her mind.

Shall we try teleporting? Leto asked her one afternoon while Holly was out grocery shopping.

"Didn't you say it was really difficult? As in things-can-go-terribly-wrong difficult?" Victoria said, frowning.

It's an important spell. I'd rather you get hurt now than later.

She backed away warily. "Hurt? I don't—"

Leto hissed in her direction. See that tree over there near the spring? Clear your mind and focus on a spot near it. Say "transeo" when you are ready. The destination must be clear.

Victoria scowled at his tone but took a deep breath and focused on the spot he'd said, envisioning it clearly in her head.

"Transeo!"

It felt like everything was being sucked into her belly button and then all of a sudden she was standing near the tree, the wind knocked out of her. Momentarily disoriented, she felt exhilarated with success until pain jackhammered through her leg. She looked down. A fallen branch skewered her calf, blood spurting everywhere. Lightheaded, she crumpled to the dirt, and gingerly tugged it from her leg.

"Curo," she gritted through clenched teeth, and watched as the wound healed before her eyes.

That was relatively painless, Leto said. Let's try it again when you're ready.

Victoria made a choked noise. "Relatively painless? ld You're a sadist, Leto."

At least you didn't get fused to the tree trunk. Victoria blanched. Trust me, I've seen far worse.

After some practice, Victoria grew to understand the nuances needed to successfully teleport. Leto explained it succinctly.

It's physics. Mass and matter displacement, he thought to her. Certain materials will give to support a teleported object. In other cases, the reverse is true. With the tree branch, blood and tissue gave.

Victoria learned quickly, moving inanimate and animate things alike, seemingly without effort, and a few times, she'd almost slipped up with Holly.

Once, Holly walked into the kitchen when Victoria was pouring herself a cup of coffee, only from the other side of the room. She'd coughed loudly to distract Holly, and set the cup down gently.

Later that same night in her room, Leto confided something she'd wondered herself.

I think she knows the truth of what we are. Victoria was startled. Of what we are?

His green eyes glittered. I have something to confess. I also belonged to your grandmother. Victoria stared at him, frowning.

But that would make you over eighty years old! How long do familiars live? You could be five thousand years old for all I know, no wonder you're so grumpy half the time, she said with a grin.

Leto paused giving her a sidelong glance. Not that old. But back to the start of the conversation, I think Holly knew about Emmeline.

Should we ask her?

Perhaps you can look first, he said pointedly.

"Leto, I can't just go into her head! She's family and that's intruding! I do have a few principles," Victoria said aloud. "While we're on the subject, there has to be rules. What's to stop me from controlling someone's mind completely?"

Nothing. You could if you so wished, Leto said, nonchalant.

Her eyes flicked to his. "Then that makes me just like Brigid," she said. Her eyes remained on Leto. I will not use this power at the expense of everything I cherish and love, against what I know is right. I won't.

Leto's expression did not change as she left the room but she could sense something like disappointment radiating from his thoughts. It puzzled her. Did he want her to control people? To use her powers in a way that went against everything good inside of her?

For the first time, Victoria understood that the gray area between right and wrong had become larger, and more indistinct. Things, once simple, were more complicated. Black and white blurred into each other, and with this strange power of hers, intent wouldn't always be enough, it could always be twisted.

Was she strong enough? Or would she succumb to the dark side of her power that terrified her? Would she become Brigid? She could still feel the weight of Leto's thoughts pressing in upon her. Victoria fled from his presence but his thoughts still followed.

Don't be afraid of who you are. You cannot hope to control your power if you do not understand it and who you are. You must protect yourself at all costs, even against those you ... love. He hesitated lost for a moment, and Victoria felt his thoughts flicker briefly into a strange nothingness before moving back to the consciousness she recognized. His words were hard. Love is a breeding ground for betrayal. Guard against it.

Unable to bear any more, she closed her mind to him.

At dinner that night, she stared furtively at Holly, wondering how and whether she could broach the subject.

"Darling, if you slice that chicken any more, you won't need to chew it." Victoria stared down at her plate and laughed at the pile of shredded food.

"Sorry, just distracted about something."

"What is it, dear?"

"Aunt Holly, did you ... did my grandmother ever tell you anything about her?"