CHAPTER 15- LOXLEY
DAYS LATER, I’Mmostly recovered. The pain has generally subsided, with the empath sounds intermittently increasing and decreasing, but nothing as deafening as that first hour. As I lie in bed, I type via video game chat with the one person I want to see the most.
Me: So, for next weekend, I could pick you up and we could get dinner?
Coldblooded: I think I’m starting my new job.
CB: Are you sure you’re okay, though?
CB: I want to give you as much time to rest as possible, and if you need to take it easy or be with your coven.
CB: I want to respect that and make sure you’re well enough.
Me: I promise I am.
Not technically a lie, all wellness is subjective. For the past few days, I’ve been holed up in Boysen House. I can’t go on any more job interviews, and Gordy hasn’t shown up here. It figures?I finally have sex with someone I really like, someone I’ve been forging a connection with both on and offline, and my world gets rocked. Auntie and my roommates know I slept with Gordy, and they probably scared him off.
An empath witch; that’s apparently what I am. That wizard guy, Taz, looked up my mystical symptoms in the Union library and managed to find exactly what’s going on with me. I’m grateful to have a name for it, but now I have to deal with yet another shift in my reality.
Sighing, I put my phone away and take the book from my nightstand. This ancient tome outlines obscure witch roles, including that of an empath witch. According to the text, when an empath witch reaches their full powers, they can interpret the auras of humans, near and far. The hand-drawn diagram shows a witch sensing the souls of folks from a distance.
I know all about distant aura sensing now. It was as if a thousand people were whispering to me all at once. That pain was unlike any other, a mystical cacophony ringing in my head. My powers finally kicked in, and it made me bleed. I didn’t think my destiny would hurt my head that much. I guess be careful what you wish for.
But now that I’m feeling better, I’m ready to see Gordy again. We’ve forged a connection, and I want to get him alone with me again as soon as possible. Still, it’s obvious as we chat via Hot Water that he thinks that I’m not well enough to date yet.
That changes now. I put on some clothes and, with a determined look, I head out the door. Down the hall from my bedroom, I’m stopped by a curious sight. Several rolls of paper are sprawled out on the floor, each with red symbols painted on.
I frown and crouch down. These are witchcraft runes alright; Auntie’s handiwork. What is going on? It’s my first time walking farther than the bathroom in over a day, so I certainly didn’t see when Auntie did this. What project is she doing?
Does this have something to do with my newfound powers?
“Loxley! What are you doing up?” Auntie rushes down the stairs.
“I’m…g-going out.”
“Out where?” She gives a nervous chuckle and gestures for me to step back.
I shoot her an incredulous look. She’s never been that concerned about me driving around, even at night. And it’s a warm, early summer day. Oh, and also, I’m twenty-five.
I shrug, and she still seems panicked as she leans on the table in the foyer. “Just…stay! Hang out with your old Auntie Lisbeth! I took the day off just to be with you!”
My eyebrows furrow. Okay, now I know she’s hiding something, because other than handing me meals, she’s hardly been interacting with me these past few days.
“Wh…what’s happening?” I murmur.
“The thing is…” Her words are cut off by the door opening. If I recall, Anika and Taina are both at work, so who is this?
“The key works!” Two dudes walk in, and their smiles fall. “Whoa, you really rolled out the red carpet for us,” the taller one says.
“Hi, Lisbeth.” The dude with glasses walks past the first, and we seem to recognize each other at the same time. “Hey, man. Loxley, right?”
Auntie looks between us. “You remember the Kondo brothers?” she asks me with a smile.
I nod and shake his hand. “Hi. You’re…”
“Shugo.” He shoots me a friendly smile.
“Kenta,” the other one says, stepping forward to shake my hand. They both carefully step around the giant parchments on the floor to get closer. “Pleased to meet you. Well, again, since we all took the competency exam together.”
