Daisy’s mother.
Magnus and Sarah just stared dumbly at Victoria. Not at anything else - just the faint smile on her face.
Then Sarah noticed sothing else off - Victoria was wearing makeup.
As a mother who had just watched her daughter get stomped to death right in front of her, and only a few days ago... and now here she was, smiling, with full makeup on?
How was that even possible?
She’s beautiful. That was Sarah’s third thought. This woman, Victoria - she was striking. Maybe even more beautiful than herself. On par with Emily. And her figure? Better than Charlotte’s even...
As for her figure - Magnus noticed that earlier than Sarah. It was hard not to. Victoria was only wearing a white shirt, nothing underneath. The buttons across her chest wouldn’t close, she’d only fastened a few near the bottom, and beneath it - nothing. The sheer fabric left little to the imagination.
As his gaze steadily dropped - her legs. Long, smooth, easily over a ter. And no pants. Looked like she wasn’t wearing anything at all underneath.
"Hi, I’m Victoria."
She smiled, dimples showing. Then she raised her hand. "What, you won’t shake hands with ?"
"Uh - Magnus. I’m Magnus Specter," he snapped out of it and quickly reached out. As they shook, she curled one finger and softly scratched his palm. Magnus froze, awkward beyond words - Sarah was right there! He couldn’t say a damn thing.
"I used to be an anchor on Northreach Province News. Ever watched ? I hosted that show, ’Face to Face...’" Victoria sat right between Magnus and Sarah like she owned the space. Sarah hurriedly slid to the side. Magnus was almost lying down before, and now her thigh was practically against his - or into it. He shifted away a little.
"Dinner’s ready!"
Sothing about this woman just didn’t sit right. Magnus stood, fixing his clothes. "Let’s go, Victoria, Sarah. Ti for dinner."
They were eating out like it was a night around the campfire - grilled at, beer, the works. Most of the won had drinks. Victoria stayed glued to Magnus since stepping off the vehicle. Dressed like that? No wonder Emily and Sophia kept throwing him strange looks.
Magnus was crawling out of his skin, pretending to find any excuse to walk away and talk to anyone else. But Victoria? She followed him step for step. Always three inches behind.
Damn it... if it weren’t for fear of triggering her emotionally, he’d already told her off.
The way she trailed him openly - it was like he’d done sothing to her in the truck earlier!
"Charlotte," Magnus called over to Charlotte, giving her a look. "Co keep Victoria company for a bit. I need to use the bathroom in the truck."
Charlotte got the hint, nodded, and walked toward them, reaching for Victoria’s arm.
"I’ll go with you," Victoria said lightly, slipping past Charlotte’s hand, instead slipping hers through the crook of Magnus’s arm.
This ti, Magnus nearly lost it.
"No need! Not appropriate, Victoria. I’m just heading to the restroom, it’s really not okay for you to co along."
As he said it, his eyes flicked toward her face - and froze. Victoria had pulled her hand back, and was staring straight at him with those wide eyes.
Two fat, silent tears rolled down her face.
"I know... I know none of you really like . You’re only keeping around out of pity - don’t think I don’t get it..."
The room went silent. Victoria wiped away her tears, her voice rising with bitterness. "I don’t want your pity! I don’t need any of your sympathy!"
Without warning, she snatched the knife Sarah had been using to slice the lamb. Sarah still had hold of the handle, so Victoria could only grab the blade. Blood burst from her palm, but she didn’t even flinch - hands trembling, she aid it straight at her own throat.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Sophia sprang forward, knocked the knife clean from Victoria’s hand, and shoved her back hard. Victoria fell flat onto the ground. Sophia turned to glare at Magnus, snapping, "What did you do to her?"
"What did I do?! What could I possibly have done?" Magnus was shaken by what he’d just seen, anger flaring in his chest.
Sarah rushed to defend him. "Magnus was with the whole ti. He didn’t do anything. He was just lying in the back, looking over that checklist Mr. Liana brought."
Charlotte and Emily quickly moved to help Victoria up. But Victoria just collapsed into Charlotte’s arms, sobbing brokenly, words tumbling out, "I was just scared... it’s my fault... but I feel safe near him... I shouldn’t cling to him... shouldn’t be afraid of seeing Daisy in my dreams... I wasn’t trying to cause trouble. I just... just feel safe next to him. I don’t care what people think... please, don’t bla him - it’s . It’s all my fault..."
She was hysterical. Emily and Charlotte led her to the supply truck to look for bandages. The mont Daisy’s na slipped out, Magnus sighed heavily and followed.
Her hand was bleeding badly. The wound was deep. As Emily reached out with gauze, Magnus stopped her. "Let take care of this. Emily, can you find so sleeping pills? She needs rest."
Emily and Charlotte exchanged a skeptical look. "You’ll handle it?"
Magnus grabbed Victoria’s wrist with his left hand. The tip of his right pinky brushed the sigil etched on the middle finger of his left hand. In an instant, a milky white mist rose from his palm. Under the stunned eyes of the three won, he pressed it to the center of Victoria’s wounded hand. Two seconds passed. He pulled away, and the mist vanished.
His movents - steadily fluid, without hesitation.
Before their eyes, the gaping cut closed clean, not even a scar left behind. The three won stared, speechless.
"Magnus! How... how did you do that?" Emily gasped.
He’d already prepared an answer. "Just like Sophia and her sister awakened with speed, I awakened with this. Dunno what to call it exactly. But it burns Crystals every ti I use it - the sa white Crystals you saw yesterday."
The won nodded slowly, still trying to process what they’d seen. They didn’t find any sleeping pills, but Victoria naturally clung to Magnus’s arm again. This ti, he didn’t shake her off. He just sighed.
The al went on until around ten, and afterward, everyone headed back to the sleeping trucks. At Victoria’s insistence, Magnus swapped beds with Charlotte and ended up next to her.
Soti in the dead of night, Magnus was deep in sleep - until sothing strange jolted through his body, like so unseen force had slipped within.
He shot awake, bolting upright.
And that’s when he saw her.
Standing there, right next to the aisle on his right.
Emma Doyle.
A woman who should never have been there.
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