Wrought Iron gates towered above us, the design met in an arch that was simultaneously inviting and threatening. If I didn’t come from money, I might have been intimidated. My boots crunched the gravel beneath as the pedestrian gate swung open, allowing us access to the estate. Dimitri’s shoulders were tense as he led the way up the path, small grey stones catching the sun in a way that made them appear to glitter.
Dimitri's eyes twitched once in my direction. He probably thought I was enchanted by the luxury, when in fact I was categorising how many windows there were that may need protection and if the archway had a space where I could spell the entrance with sigils.
Sigils were such a useful piece of Magick. A bit of salted water with a muttered protection spell, along with a Witch's finger and her sheer will, allowed one to paint sigils across almost any surface, spelling them for a specific purpose. I had once worked with a Japanese businessman who had insisted that I spell each pair of his underpants with success and societal standing.
My teeth grazed my lip as I concentrated on Dimitri's actions. Every movement of his seemed to be controlled - calculated even. Once we stepped beneath the archway, the wrought iron gate opening beneath Dimitri's fingerprints as he touched a security keypad, his entire demeanor changed.
A black Cadillac idled outside the estate - its tinted windows made it impossible to tell if someone was inside or not, but as the hairs on my arms stood on end, I knew we were being watched. I just couldn't tell if it was friend or foe. In a city like New Orleans, something was always brewing - or bubbling beneath the surface. A new Witch in town would raise some eyebrows, but for the most part, I was simply trying to keep my head down and remain focused on the task at hand.
The large wooden door was pulled open by a butler, and soon Dimitri and I were ushered into the conservatory.
The stern looking man seemed to be dwarfed next to Dimitri and I tracked him quietly as he led us into a room positioned on the outskirts of the house, a circular metal table with artwork depicting dragons and flames etched into the surface sat in its center. Plants seemed to overflow from every pot and crevice. The glass roof and glass floor to ceiling windows allowed a steady stream of sunlight to fill the room. It was as if I took a step back in time. This room harkened back to flapper girls and the notion of living large, but looking at Dimitri, I doubted that anything he did in the current day wasn't done in half measures.
The tug of the earth pulled low in my belly and I shifted in my seat uncomfortably while we waited for the butler to bring us some refreshments. Surrounded by plants, I found myself leaning towards a large fern seated in a gold etched pot. The tension in my shoulders eased slightly as I breathed in the greenery around us. Even a self proclaimed plant killer like me couldn't deny the allure of this place. Zoey would be in her element here.
It’s funny, because I would never have pegged Dimitri for a tea man, and yet, when the grey haired butler brought out refreshments, that's what he walked through the doors with.
Knobbled hands laid a silver tray upon the table, complete with a teapot. Sugar cubes sat in an opaque sugar bowl, and milk was held in an elegant porcelain milk jug. His butler could give Olga, our house keeper, a run for her money. His setup was too close to my world, too similar to Andrew. The thought soured on my tongue. Swallowing down my irritation, I lifted my teacup towards my lips, and gave Dimitri a polite smile. His confusion quickly turned to annoyance as he grunted out, “Let’s get this consultation started.”
Consultation. Yes, I supposed that was exactly what this was. Maintaining my smile, I sucked in my breath as I waited for him to continue. I had learnt long ago that silence often spoke louder than words. It began as a knee-jerk reaction - a way to avoid saying the wrong thing, embarrassing my family and the positions we held. Soon enough, I learnt that it didn't need to be something to cower behind, but rather silence could be a weapon in itself - a tool of manipulation.
It was through silence that I endured the whispers surrounding me everytime I stepped into society around how odd I was. It was silence that allowed me to skirt my mother's never-ending questioning. It was silence that kept me from throttling Charl at times.
The silence pressed in upon us, beating against the tension, stretching the discomfort to almost unbearable levels. Dimitri was staring at the table, specifically at one precise speck on the table, just above the dragon’s beady eye. I was a heartbeat away from clearing my throat in an attempt to ease the tension, when Dimitri finally swallowed audibly - the only indication that he actually might start talking.
“There are two sides to what we do.” He paused, and I could only assume that it was for effect. “The legitimate businesses we run, and the illegitimate ones.”
I suppressed a grin. He probably thought I didn’t know about his background, and that this would shock me - perhaps make me run for the hills. While my heritage did not offer me much in the way of a Magickal lineage, it did provide me with the same steely strength and determination that my mother flexed on a daily basis.
Rands don't run.
My father's booming voice sounded through my mind, aptly reminding me who I was.
“Okay,” I spoke slowly, waiting for him to continue. His eyes flicked up to meet mine,as if my nonchalance was annoying.
Join the club. Up to date, I found everything about Dimitri annoying.
“Look,” he snapped, “I don’t believe in all of this,” he gestured in the air with his hands as if my Magick would manifest and snap at him instantaneously, “but, I am contracting you to appease my grandfather. He believes in this hocus pocus bullshit, so I am going along with it to ensure that our business does not come to a stand still in the interim. In his old age, he is becoming fucking delusional.”
His long fingers ran through his hair as if those silken strands could present him with the solace he so desperately sought. I didn’t have to have any special gifts to know that Dimitri was troubled - he was part of the mob for God sake. Worse still, the weight of the knowledge that
Dimitri wasn't just a foot soldier in his world sank deep into the pit of my stomach. I hadn't been dealing with an underling at all - he was probably next in line to take over for all I knew. How had my initial assumption of him been so off?
Because I hadn’t bothered to inform myself about who I was exactly meeting. In fairness, I hadn’t expected him.
“I guess that clears up where you stand,” I cleared my throat and offered him a small smile. He blinked and I wondered if he was waiting to see if I was offended.
The truth was, that in my industry, there are a lot of doubters and non-believers. I always had to be careful with how I delivered information because while people always claimed to seek the truth, they rarely wanted it, and often, when faced with my delivery, they called me a fraud. This meant that before I deliver the information, I have to consult with my guides to double check how that information should be delivered. Sometimes people do actually want the truth, but my delivery simply has to be gentle. So, as much as we read cards and cast Magick, we also had to be adept at reading people and understand how they would accept such information.
When I figured he wasn’t going to say anything further about his doubts and non-beliefs, I went on to ask, “What do you need me to check?”
I needed to know what I was exactly in for, and so far, Dimitri wasn’t giving me much with all his hints and caginess. It didn’t bode well if this was to be the start of a three week assignment, so this was me setting boundaries and understanding expectations.
He grimaced and spoke, “Let’s start with a legitimate business question, that way we can keep the old man at bay, and ease you into this situation.”
“Sure,” I laughed, “I’m a little offended that you think I need to be eased into reading cards for you,” I joked
A look flashed across his face. Gone too quickly for me to pinpoint exactly what I saw. Guilt? Dread? Anticipation? I didn’t know Dimitri well enough to determine exactly what that expression exposed. Did I want to know Dimitri outside of this business arrangement? The thought alone brought my Magick to the surface as I exhaled in excitement. He’s a client, I chastised myself. But, he was also so completely different from the men that I usually associated with that you couldn’t blame a girl for being a little curious.