Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

We looked at each other briefly before Vance spoke up.

"Lead the way," he said with a shrug, motioning for Brad to follow the man.

The rest of us moved behind Brad as the man led us through a beaded curtain near the rear, which went into a small room in the back of the store. The man walked over to a small closet and pulled out several folding chairs for us to sit on.

"I . . . Juan," he said, pointing to his chest.

Brad made the introductions of our foursome, pointing at each of us in turn as the man nodded to us individually.

"I try speak English, yes?" Juan said as he looked at us.

We nodded in understanding.

"You . . . um . . . wishes?" he asked, looking us over, before his eyes rested on Vance in particular.

Vance shook his head, lifting his arm in a semi-helpless gesture. "I'm sorry. I don't understand," he said, apologetically.

Juan looked very frustrated for a moment before he turned and began speaking rapidly to Brad in Spanish once again.

When he was finished, Brad turned to Vance with a surprised look on his face.

"I believe he wants to know if you're a witch," he explained.

This shocked us all, and I watched Vance ponder this, several emotions passing over his face. Vance looked at Juan as if he were sizing him up. He finally pointed over to me.

"Portia's a witch," he said, before pointing at himself. "I'm a warlock."

"Si! Si!" Juan said excitedly, and then pointed to himself. "I . . . warlock."

Vance sat up a little straighter and watched Juan closely. "You're a warlock?" he replied, leaning forward now in interest.

Juan spoke to Brad with what seemed like incredible speed, going on and on as he waved his hands in the air wildly and made strangling motions around his neck. Then he pointed back at me, gesturing toward my talisman, which hung around my neck.

Brad finally translated for the rest of us. "Juan says he's been a warlock since the age of sixteen. He said the magic has passed through his family for generations, though sometimes it skipped a generation or two. He's the first one in his family who's experienced these powers in over a hundred years.

"When we walked into the store he recognized the jewelry we were all wearing as having magical significance.

"He says several months ago a new warlock came into the area. He specifically calls him the demon warlock. Juan says one night when he was closing up his store, some men came and overpowered him. They took him to a nearby location where he was assaulted."

"They beat him?" Vance asked, his eyes moving between Brad and Juan.

"No. He says they removed his magic from him. They stole it," Brad replied.

"They stole his magic?" Vance looked a bit confused. "How is that possible? The only way I know of taking another's powers is through drinking their blood, which is usually the result of a demon conversion. Even then, unless the witch is killed, they retain their own power. This man clearly isn't a demon."

Brad turned and asked Juan a few more questions before turning back to Vance.

"He says they performed something called the Demon Kiss on him," he explained.