Her day continued its downward spiral when she pulled into her driveway nearly an hour later and spied Luca sprawled on the porch swing with Sid contentedly snoozing on his lap. Fabulous! It hadn’t taken McAllister long to put out the news alert via the Earthbound party line. She refused to even glance in his direction as she dragged her feet up the walk and reached for the loose board where her key was hidden.
“Door’s open.”
“Of course it is,” she sighed tiredly. She finally risked a glance. His eyes never left her, and his placid expression gave nothing away. “C’mon, Sid.” The cat picked his head up and gave her the once-over, yawned widely, and snuggled back down into Luca’s lap.
“Traitor,” she mumbled sadly, shuffling on into the house, closing the door firmly behind her. Maybe she would throw herself a great big pity party, table for one. She tossed her keys on the hall table, and then nearly jumped out of her skin when a subdued pop sounded in the living room. Neither Luca nor Sid had changed position, but they were now reclining on her sagging sofa instead of the peeling porch swing.
“Oh, sorry…where are my manners? Won’t you please come in?” Her voice dripped with a sarcasm she made no attempt to conceal. She couldn’t deal with him right now, not when she already felt so raw and exposed. Of course, he didn’t look like he had any intention of leaving. She hesitated, then decided she might as well get all of the wretchedness out of the way at once; then both Kassian and Luca could go away to fight the bad guys and leave her alone to wallow. She’d been perfectly content with the life she’d made before either of them gate crashed her concept of reality; she’d be absolutely fine when they conveyed themselves back to whatever little black cloud they’d hijacked to get here. She stalked across the hall and fell heavily into the armchair with a resigned sigh. He continued to watch her, absently stroking the cat as the silence stretched uncomfortably between them.
“Well?” she demanded finally, unable to bear it any longer. “You obviously didn’t come here to make nice with the cat. Say what you have to say and let’s get this over with. I’ve really about reached the end of my rope for one day.”
“I didn’t know,” he said in an odd, flat voice.
“What?”
“About you…I didn’t know. My…our…father didn’t know, either. When he came back…well, he thought Lilly’s new husband was your father. He would never have left if he’d known.”
“He came back? When?” She sat up a little straighter.
Luca shooed Sid from his lap, brushed the stray hairs from his crisp charcoal slacks, and stood, only to begin pacing aimlessly. He stopped in front of the mantel, examining the framed and matted record of the childhood he had missed. He lingered, examining each one in detail, and then finally paused to pick up a shot of Lilly holding an infant Kat in the air, both of them laughing as though sharing a secret joke, completely unaware of the camera. When he turned back to her, his eyes shimmered suspiciously and he had to forcefully clear his throat more than once before the words would come.
“First of all, you need to know that he loved your mother…he…well, he lost it when she ended things. He came back a little over a year later to try once more to change her mind, but she was already married to someone else, she had you, she’d moved out of the city. He thought she’d moved on…he didn’t begrudge her happiness, but it killed him. Literally. He locked himself away from the world, away from me. I guess it never occurred to him that I’d lost first my own mother and then Lilly, too. And then he died. He willed himself to death. I blamed her. Deep down, I think a part of me even hated her. I’m sorry, I know she was your mother, but he was the only family I had.” He shrugged, but it didn’t have his usual insouciance. “Once he lost her, I guess I wasn’t enough reason to stick around.”
Kat could hardly reconcile the detached, impassive Luca that she’d known until now with this emotional man standing before her with tears in his eyes and a face lined with grief. Her mother had ended it? It seemed that every time she thought she’d found an answer, it turned out she’d only managed to find another question.
“He didn’t know,” she repeated in wonder. “It wasn’t me…all this time….I thought it was me.”
“Hell, why would you ever think that?”
“I thought he didn’t want me…I thought that was why he left and never tried to find me.” And now her father was dead. She hadn’t been consciously looking for him, but if she was honest with herself somewhere deep down she’d always held out a tiny little spark of hope that someday he would show up. But he hadn’t even known about her. He was dead; he would never come; she would never know him. She shook her head, her words caught between hiccoughs and sobs as she tried to maintain some degree of composure, but it was all too much. When the tears came, it felt as though they would never stop. She cried for every missed bedtime story, birthday party, and dance recital…for every time she’d felt abandoned, unwanted, and defective, for every time she blamed herself for the father who wasn’t there. She cried because she miraculously had a brother and in the end, he’d ended up feeling as inadequate as she had. She cried because she missed her mother and felt betrayed at having never been told the truth. She cried for more reasons than she could fathom, giving in to pain and emotion that had remained corked tight and bottled up for years.
****
She was too distraught to block him. Her mind was wide open and Luca relived it all right along with her. He felt helpless, floundering in unfamiliar territory, unsure of his role, unsure of his reception. Finally, when he feared the depth of her grief might consume her, Luca strode across the room and pulled her out of the chair and into his arms. His own throat was aching with tears. His sister. He had a family. They’d both gotten the short end of the stick through no fault of their own. He’d spent so many years blaming Lilly; he’d never acknowledged that maybe his father was partly to blame. Nicola chose to make his grief and disappointment more important than his son, more important than his life. Luca had no idea how to comfort Kat, so he simply held her while the sobs wracked her small frame, stroking her bright hair, and she clung to him like an island in a stormy sea. Maybe in this place, in this moment, his arms were exactly what she needed. When the flood finally subsided to subdued sniffles, he pulled back slightly and peered down into her puffy face.
“Sorry, that was a little embarrassing.” She sniffed with a small smile, dragging her forearm across her eyes in a futile effort to dry her face.
“Kat, none of it was anyone’s fault…least of all yours. It was never yours.”
“Would you have come, when my mom died…if you’d known about me?”
“Katrina Lucia Brookes Fiorelli …my beautiful, miraculous girl…I would have come long before then, if I’d known.”
She pulled back with a gasp and regarded him with wide eyes as he thumbed a tear from her cheek.
“How did you know? I’ve always used Roger’s surname.”
He gestured to the pile of books and papers on the table near her laptop. Her work was no longer in the neat pile in which she’d left it.
“I’m not comfortable being at a disadvantage and I can travel a little faster than you do in that scrap heap you call a car. We are so getting you a new car.”
“My car again? What is it about men and cars? Sheesh! And you were snooping!” she accused, her laugh catching on a hiccough.
“I was.” He agreed with his typical shrug and not an ounce of remorse.
“I guess I probably would have done the same thing.” She took the handkerchief he offered and mopped at her eyes. “Would you, um, like some coffee or something? It’ll only take a minute.”
“This is one of those times that I can truly appreciate the human predilection for a good stiff drink. However, since alcohol is neither beneficial nor detrimental to Earthbounds …in other words, it won’t do a damn thing for me unless I consume enough to float a barge …coffee sounds good.”
****
It didn’t t
ake any time at all to make the coffee, and when it was done, Kat poured them both a hefty mugful and sat at her kitchen table across from her brother…her brother…thoughtfully stirring a fourth spoonful of sugar into her coffee; so preoccupied that she forgot she’d been drinking it black for years.
“Luca, do you have any idea how surreal this all is to me? In a matter of days I discover an entire world I could never have imagined and a brother who looks like he should be posing for the cover of steamy romance novels. I know you’ve got me by a few…um, decades…but in five or ten years, I’ll look older than you do.” She absently took a sip of her coffee and gagged on the unexpected sweetness. Luca laughed at her expression and then looked thoughtful.
“Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about the aging thing…you’re Earthbound… you’ll look pretty much the way you do now for at least the next couple of decades.”
Kat choked again, completely unrelated to the coffee this time, and fixed him with an appalled gaze; how was she going to explain that to people, especially Elle? Although she had to admit there was something to be said for the apparent eternal youth thing. Guess she didn’t have to worry about running out of moisturizer ever again.
“But I’m only half Earthbound.”
“Still, it’s a dominant gene. Then, of course, there’s your mother. Witches tend to age more slowly than humans, as well.”
“Witches?” Kat choked, wide eyed.
“You didn’t know?” Luca looked as shocked as she felt.
“Strangely enough, it never came up. You know what?” She held up her palm in his direction and continued as he opened his mouth to elaborate. “Talk to the hand…I’m not sure my nerves are up to any more revelations today. You aren’t the only one beginning to understand the predilection for a good stiff drink…any chance it would have the desired effect on me?”
“Not likely,” he shrugged, but his lips twitched impishly.
“All these years of abstinence for nothing,” she shook her head. “What a waste.”
“Lilly really never told you?”
“She really never did. I knew that she was psychic, of course. But I have a sinking feeling you’re going to enlighten me even further, aren’t you?” Kat sighed in weary resignation. She pushed the undrinkable coffee away, folded her arms on the table, and dropped her forehead on them. She and her mother had been so close. How could Lilly have kept something this life altering from her? She felt as if she didn’t know the truth about anything or anyone anymore. She wondered if a person could die from information overload. “Go ahead then…let me have it.”
“Well, Lilly was from a long and powerful line of witches,” he began slowly, leaning back in his chair and propping his Gucci loafers on the corner of the table. “She didn’t practice the craft, but she was a strong empath, too. That’s probably where you get it…no one in my family has ever had that particular talent. The only gifts I inherited were the typical Earthbound telepathy and a bad attitude,” he laughed.
“Why wouldn’t she have told me, Luca? And get your feet off of the table. Do you have any idea where your shoes have been? I have to eat there, you know.”
“I don’t really know and I wouldn’t presume to answer for her, but maybe like you, she didn’t relish being different. Miranda is another story…she’s devoted her life to seeking power.” His tone changed completely when he mentioned her cousin.
“Miranda?” she mumbled. If Kat had been asked to use one word to describe her taciturn cousin, it would have definitely rhymed with witch. Somehow, the fact that Miranda was a witch didn’t surprise her nearly as much as learning that her mother was. “I can’t believe Mom never told me.”
He shrugged. “Maybe she would have, if she’d lived… I’m sure she thought she had more time. Doesn’t everyone? By rights, she should have had several more centuries. Maybe she thought you had enough to contend with already and was waiting for the right time.” She’d been too emotionally overwrought earlier to even attempt keeping him out of her head. Kat knew he’d seen her memories and understood what a struggle she’d had to learn to control her abilities and protect herself from the constant emotional battery.
“I’m surprised you didn’t find something among her things that would have clued you in, or at least made you wonder.”
“Well, to tell you the truth …I’ve only ever gotten as far as the things in her room. I finally moved in there a couple of years ago and I didn’t find anything that screamed ‘Hey, look at me, I’m a witch.’ That’s where I found the locket with the picture of my…our…father.” But then Kat had a thought. The unusual symbols engraved on her locket. She’d always assumed they were some kind of antique Victorian design. She pulled a chain from the neck of her sweater revealing the heavy gold oval. “I’ve never been able to bring myself to start on the attic or the basement. It always seemed so overwhelming to tackle it alone. Miranda was more than happy to offer her assistance,” Kat’s expression grew tense. “So much so that she took it upon herself to start without me when I told her not to; that was when I asked her to leave. But I do have this; Mom always wore it, and I found it in her nightstand after the accident. Do these symbols mean anything?”
Luca’s gaze locked on the pendant. “It was my mother’s,” he said in a tight voice. “The symbols are sigils, a sort of ancient angelic language. Those particular sigils are a protection spell.” His tone was grim, and she glanced at him with a worried look.
She started to pull the chain over her head. “I didn’t know. If it was your mother’s then you should have it.” With a visible effort, he cleared his expression and forced a smile. He grabbed her hands and pulled them away from the chain.
“My mother has been dead a long time, so she doesn’t need it. You, on the other hand, need all the protection you can get until we get Rapier. I think it’s a good idea to leave it right where it is.”
“Okay, I’ll wear it if you want me to.” It had always been a bit ornate for her taste, but it was her mother’s, as well as his, and it seemed important to Luca that she wear it. “What about the numbers? Are they sigils, too?”
Luca frowned in confusion. “What numbers?”
“The ones inside the locket under the picture. I took it out thinking maybe there was a name on the back…” She opened the locket and flipped the photo free with her thumb. Luca leaned in for a closer look at the series of numbers engraved into the inside of the locket.
“I have no idea what they mean. They weren’t there when my mother had it. Either my father had them added at some point or your mother did.” He shrugged and tucked the photo back inside, snapping the locket shut.
Kat sensed his hesitation as he continued. “Kat, maybe it’s time to go through your mom’s things… it’s been years…in fact, maybe you should consider moving out of here altogether? I could give you a hand with the heavy stuff.”
“Maybe…I don’t know. I really love this house.” This was her home, had always been her home, her refuge. She could still feel her mother here. Even though she was upset with her mother at the moment for the many secrets she’d kept she was reluctant to let that go. “You don’t think I’m safe here anymore.” It wasn’t a question. Kat sighed, and pushed back her chair. She gathered up the empty coffee cups and rinsed them in the sink. How had her nice orderly life gotten so out of control in such a short period of time? She turned and leaned back against the counter and examined Luca from across the room.
“I’m not sure you ever were,” he admitted reluctantly. “I can see what the place means to you, cara. But, I think maybe we were just damn lucky until now. You were off the radar until you met Mac.”
“You look so much like him, you know, at least judging from the picture. Whenever I thought about what my father might be like, I guess I pictured someone more along the lines of Ward Cleaver or Mike Brady than Brad Pitt.” Her lips twitched as she cocked her head to the side.
“I’m sorry if you’re disappointed.” He shrugged.
<
br /> “I didn’t say I was disappointed. I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to explain you to Elle.” She laughed and he flashed an answering grin. “She’ll want to put you on one of her book covers.”
Luca visibly shivered and then joined in her laugh. “Kat…I’ll admit this whole thing…you…is a shock…. I see so much of Lilly and Dad in you I can’t believe I didn’t spot it the moment I laid eyes on you. Then again, I guess I had no reason to be looking for it. I haven’t had a family in a long time. I never expected I’d have one again. There will be times…a lot of times… I’m sure I won’t always act like a brother. I’m not sure I’ll ever really get the hang of it…but I’m willing to try if you’ll have me.”
If she’d have him? Was he kidding? He was so stuck with her, he had no idea!
“I can deal with that,” she smiled, her eyes filling. “Look, if we’re confessing our shortcomings here, I haven’t exactly been the model sister either. I think I might actually have been a little…er…hostile toward you at first.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” He was unable to suppress a smirk at the blatant lie.
“Oh pul-eeze…admit it, I was a total bitch. Honestly, given the way I’ve been acting, I was surprised to find you here.”
“You didn’t think I’d come?” His brows rose nearly to his hairline.
“McAllister seemed to think you wouldn’t want anything to do with me,” she said in a small voice. Her life and everything she’d ever believed had been turned upside down in the last few days. Though she tried, she couldn’t completely hide her lingering uncertainty, her need for reassurance.
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