Bloodspell (The Cruentus Curse, #1)(72)

"I'm really happy for you, Angie. You deserve it." Victoria hesitated for a second and then asked the question that had been bothering her. "Angie, can I ask you something? Does Gabriel treat you the way he does because of what you can do?" The happiness on Angie's face immediately dimmed and she looked sharply at Victoria. "I mean I know you said that he isn't like you, but is that it?"

"Why?" Angie was reluctant to respond and kept shooting panicked looks toward her brother. Even though Angie hadn't said anything, Victoria had her answer.

"Don't worry I won't say anything ..."

"Say anything about what?" Gabriel interrupted rudely.

"Nothing, I was just asking Angie to give me a ride home."

"But I'll take you home, Tori," he said.

Victoria smiled. "Don't forget you have a job to do, Gabriel, and taking me home is definitely not one of them. Pay attention to your girlfriend," she said, jerking her eyes toward Charla sitting at her table and casting furtive glances at them.

Gabriel knew he was beaten when he saw the resolute look in Victoria's eyes, and he sighed, resigned. "Fine, I'll call you later then," he said.

As they made their way out, Victoria was rewarded with a happy squeal from Charla as Gabriel grabbed her from behind and twirled her in the air. She and Angie waved goodbye, and Charla gave them a big grin on the way out.

The ride to her apartment was quick, and just as Victoria was thanking Angie for the ride and getting out, Angie put her hand on Victoria's arm.

"Look, it's really weird between Gabriel and me. It's hard to talk about when he is there and well, it's pretty obvious how he feels about me."

"It's okay, I understand, sorry I asked," Victoria said.

Angie still looked like she had something to say and Victoria waited, her hand on the door handle. "I meant to tell you before, but I just didn't get around to it." Angie paused and smiled awkwardly. "I saw those guys in New York with you. You know, the ones without any colors. The dead ones."

Victoria leaned back into the car seat and stared at Angie. She didn't say a word. Angie squeezed her hand on Victoria's arm.

"Look, it's okay. I didn't say anything but I was watching them for you. I know that one was Christian Devereux. I recognized him even in the white mask, but I didn't know the other one." Victoria could see that she was starting to get agitated.

"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.