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Pocus nods solemnly in agreement. “Yeah, I can imagine how hard you must have worked for an evil bastard to hypnotize girls so that they can be prostituted and abused. It must have been even harder to help a bigger bastard cast murderous spells and steal the powers of others. I truly understand your plight, Mr. Alejandro.”
Alejandro’s eyes grow hard as his self-righteous expression morphs into a scowl. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Your nemesis, fucker,” Pocus spits out snidely.
Alejandro lunges for Pocus, but he is faster and more nimble, easily deflecting Alejandro’s blow. Pocus lands a packed punch on the man’s jaw. Alejandro reels back on his heels, but Pocus doesn’t give him time to recover. He grabs Alejandro by his shirt collar, hurls him forward, and kicks him in the crotch. Alejandro lets out a howl and doubles over in pain, but Pocus still doesn’t stop. He keeps hitting until Alejandro is flat on the ground, unable to do anything except groan in agony. And even then, Pocus kneels over him and lifts him up by his shirt.
“You scumbag, this is for Abigail,” Pocus grunts, ramming his fist into Alejandro’s jaw. He splutters blood, his head lolling to the side.
I feel an odd sense of satisfaction as I watch Alejandro get beaten to within an inch of his life. Of course, the scumbag deserves every punch he got for all the people to whom he caused pain, me included. But something feels off. If Alejandro is a powerful wizard, like Mama said, why is he letting himself get beaten up so easily?
“Wait, Prez. Stop!”
Pocus pauses to look at me with an inquisitive frown. “What?”
I gesture at the now-still man on the ground. “He’s passed out.”
Pocus looks down at Alejandro as if to confirm my words. “Oh…,” he says, looking unimpressed.
I sigh softly. “How do we get him to talk? He needs to tell us where we can find Edward.”
“That’s easy,” Pocus says, wiping his bloody fist on the unsoiled part of Alejandro’s clothes. “Dump some cold water on the bastard.”
Pocus was right. A few buckets of water later and Alejandro was as good as new, a more humble and compliant Alejandro.
“I thought you had powers,” I snort at the defeated man. “Wizards aren’t usually this pathetic, are they?”
“You’re lucky I don’t have my powers,” Alejandro grumbles sourly. “I would have turned you fucking idiots into frogs and added y’all to my winter collection.”
I frown at him. “You don’t have your power?”
“No. That motherfucker took it all.”
“Who?” I ask, even though I already know the answer to the question.
“Edward Abner.”
“Where can we find him?”
“Answering that question will cost my life,” Alejandro says solemnly. The fear in his eyes this time is real.
Pocus pulls out his gun, cocks it, and pushes its barrel against Alejandro’s temple. “If you think your life is worth anything at this point, you haven’t been paying attention. Now spill.”
* * *
Istruggle against the ropes that bind me to the stiff-necked chair in the middle of my cell. Edward is in another chair directly opposite me, sitting as still as a rod, his eyes closed. I gasp softly as a sharp pain zaps through my head. Suddenly, there’s a strange probing sensation in my head…an invasion. I whimper quietly, steeling myself against the strange clawing feeling inside my chest. I shut my eyes and let out a scream as I feel a sudden burning pain in my chest. Every part of my body is in pain now.
I feel weird, like someone or something – something terrible is about to take control of my body.
What’s happening to me?
“Don’t fight it, Victoria.” I hear Edward’s voice echo right inside my head. “Allow it to happen.”
“Wh… what are you doing to me?” I pant, grinding my teeth down hard to contain the waves of pain coursing through me.
“Open your eyes, Victoria,” Edward croons.
I open my eyes gently, and a soft gasp escapes my throat as I look around the familiar yet unfamiliar dark space. A soul’s territory –my soul’s territory?
