She started pacing. “Now, please, please. I need to know. Now,” she pleaded.
“Okay, okay, Ophelia, babe. Sit down,” Jade said gently. Her beautiful best friend patted the couch cushion next to her, and Ophelia glared at Jade hesitantly. “Luke, can you get Ophelia a coffee? No, wait, the passionfruit tea. The decaffeinated one.”
“What the hell? I want caffeine,” she exclaimed like a petulant child as she plopped down on the couch.
“Dude,” Luke said. “You look like you need to sleep for a day, not stay awake.” He got up and walked toward the kitchen.
“Yeah, babe,” said Jade. “I mean this in the best way, but you look insane.”
“What-the-fuck-ever! Jade, tell me. Now.”
“Shhh. Keep it down. Theo is still sleeping,” Jade admonished.
“Sorry,” whispered Ophelia.
Jade took a deep breath and began.
“Mateo has the ability to manipulate people’s emotions. He’s what’s called a pathokinesis, and those with that ability can manipulate emotions in different ways. Sometimes it’s by their voice, touch, scent. Could be a multitude of methods.”
Jade paused for a moment as Ophelia digested what she was saying. It made sense, but she was also trying to reorient herself to Jade who clearly knew about magic. Not that it was a shock toOphelia, but the fact that Jade was speaking so openly to her about it now was new.
“Mateo hasn’t lived in NOLA that long, but he’s already made a name for himself here amongst the magical community. And look, I don’t know this for sure. No one can prove it yet. But I’ve been following his art career since he arrived here, and I saw one of his pieces at my friend’s gallery. I could actuallyfeelthe anguish of the woman in the sculpture. I thought it was one of those spray-painted people that try to trick you in the Quarter. But it wasn’t. It was an actual sculpture. And that’s when I started to look into him a bit more. I have a theory that he may be entrapping women in the sculptures—like their actual souls. I don’t know how he does it, but I’m certain he uses his manipulation abilities to do it. It’s actually why I want to go to that art exhibit I emailed you about. I haven’t had a chance to see more than that one piece.”
Ophelia was silent as Luke placed a cup of tea in front of her. “Drink,” he said. “It will calm you. I’m going to check on Theo. Give you two some privacy.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. Ophelia graciously took a sip of the hot pink tea. Invigorating fruit exploded on her tongue with an undercurrent of herbal flavor. She took one more sip and refocused her attention to Jade.
“Continue,” said Ophelia.
“I met him briefly over the summer at a gallery opening and I sensed evil, narcissism, and greed. He reeked. I shook his hand, and I knew instantly he was a pathokinesis.”
“My head is swimming.” Ophelia placed her head in her hands, and Jade calmly rubbed her back.
“Well, let’s get the big thing out of the way. I know you have magic. I’ve known for a while because I’m a sensor—or that’s whatIcall myself. Other people have different terms, but basically I can sense people’s feelings and truths more acutely than most. I can sense when someone is gravely ill or about to pass. I can sense other things too like goodness and evil and even things like depression. It varies.” Jade paused to let all of that sink in. “Isense now that you’ve accepted your gift as your family’s next Traiteur.”
Ophelia smiled. Jade was magical. Of course she was. “As soon as Mawmaw told me about magic, I just knew you had it.” Ophelia hugged her best friend then pulled back to look at Jade. “I’m not upset, but why you didn’t tell me? I hope you know I would have believed you. Supported you.”
Jade grabbed Ophelia’s hands. “I know. It’s something I always knew we’d share eventually, but I didn’t think I should be the one to tell you. When you first told me about your grandmother being a Traiteur, it all kinda clicked together. It was very clear to me then that you had not been introduced to the idea of real magic. It’s really difficult to tell someone.Really. Luke thought I had taken LSD or shrooms when I told him. He wouldn’t listen to me, so I had to tell him again the next day. Then he didn’t talk to me for a week.”
“Luke,” Ophelia said shaking her head.
“And I just knew it was something you needed to uncover with your grandmother.”
“I get it. I do.” Ophelia squeezed her hands. “All right. So back to that loser, Mateo,” she said. “You think he’s been entrapping women in his sculptures by using his emotion-manipulating powers. Correct?”
Jade nodded.
Ophelia started piecing it all together. Their electric meeting, the intense attraction that at times felt overpowering, her tiger’s warning, the smell…“I’ve only known him for three weeks or so, and since I’ve known him, I’ve been infatuated with him. Like, bordering on unhealthy. And there have been some red flags. Like last night he smelled. And I don’t mean that he forgot to put on deodorant. He smelled like the stench of death masked by sweet-smelling flowers. The scent would come in waves too. It wasn’t always present…Then both times we were hooking up, I wanted to stop but couldn’t. My body kept moving, but my mind was screaming to stop. It was very confusing because Ididwant him. I desired him, but when he started touching me, Ibecame almost paralyzed. Like my body moved how he wanted me to, but I couldn’t control it.”
“I’m so sorry, Ophelia. I’m so, so sorry,” whispered Jade as she held her hand.
“He kept wanting me to come,” she said awkwardly. “He would beg me to. I never did because thankfully something always happened before it could occur. And I wonder if that’s what he does. He seduces women and forces them to give an intimate piece of themselves, but he takes more than what is given.”
“Like…” Jade began but trailed off as if she became lost in her thought. “Sorry.” She shook her head. “I’m just wondering…Could it be possible that an orgasm is a gateway for him to take their soul?”
“Maybe.” Ophelia leaned into Jade’s side and closed her eyes in pain. “If that’s the case, he was close to taking me.”
Jade stroked her hair. “Babe, if you knew him for three weeks and held out, it’s because your magic is equally strong or stronger. You should be proud of yourself and your mental fortitude.”
