Protector(17)

“Grandmother said she didn’t want the news to get out. The situation isn’t the same as it was two years ago, but you know she still doesn’t want to appear weak.”

“I know.” His mother, usually so serene, so calm and in control, now just looked tired. Shadows seemed to have appeared from nowhere to touch the smooth skin under her eyes. “And we’ve all respected her decision. But no secret can remain hidden forever.”

That much was true. And how much more of the burden would his mother have to carry now, with this latest crisis? He didn’t know. She was strong — everyone in his clan was strong — but he knew she’d always believed she wouldn’t have to take the mantle of prima from her mother for many years yet to come.

“At least relations between the clans are very good now,” he ventured, but she appeared far from reassured.

“They have been. But once the McAllisters and the Wilcoxes learn of what has happened to their daughters while visiting our territory?” Her shoulders lifted, and he realized then how she had lost weight over the past few months, how those shoulders now seemed much thinner and narrower.

“That was not our fault,” Alex argued. “No one could have foreseen anything like this happening.”

“You can say that, and in our case, it is partially true. We have no seers among us right now. Even so, there was a time when mamita could have sensed a strange witch or warlock entering our territory and given the alert. The prima of the McAllisters and the primus of the Wilcoxes both know she had this ability once upon a time, and so they will want to know how such a thing could have occurred now.”

It still sounded strange to think of Angela and Connor in such a way, but he knew his mother referred to them by their formal titles as a sign of respect. Alex couldn’t claim to know Angela well. However, he’d interacted with her enough to believe she’d listen to what the de la Pazes had to say for themselves and wouldn’t immediately think the worst. Connor he didn’t know at all, but the reports seemed to indicate he was fairly level-headed as well, and more or less the polar opposite of his brother, who’d always been quick to take offense and never met a scheme he didn’t like.

The door to the bedroom opened then, and Caitlin emerged, looking far more in control than the disheveled girl who had left them five minutes earlier. She’d changed into a fresh pair of jeans and another one of those peasant-style tops, this one a fresh yellow with turquoise embroidery, and she’d brushed her hair and put on a little makeup, some lip gloss and maybe mascara. Gold hoops gleamed in her ears.

She was stunning.

Alex realized he was staring and said, his tone probably too casual, “You ready?”

If she’d noticed the way he was looking at her, she didn’t give any indication of it. “Yes, thank you. I feel — well, not all the way better, but better.”

“Good,” Luz said in approval. “Then we should be on our way.”

Caitlin made a strange abortive step toward the coffee table, then stopped and shook her head. “Sorry,” she said. “It’s just — I was about to grab my purse, and then I realized I left it back at the warlocks’ house when I ran. So now those bastards have my phone and my wallet, my debit card….” She trailed off, looking so worried that Alex had to fight the impulse to go and give her a hug, to tell her it was all right.

Instead, he stayed where he was and asked his mother, “Shouldn’t Caitlin call that in? They could be using her credit cards.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Luz said, so emphatically that a little of the worry seemed to leave Caitlin’s face. “If they use any of her credit cards, then they will give away their position. And what they have in their favor right now is that we don’t know where they are.”

“I should still call, though….”

“Later.” Luz appeared to hesitate, then went on, “My dear, I would be more worried about any personal items you had in your purse. With the dark magic these warlocks are using, it’s possible they could use something as innocent as a strand of hair from a brush, or a family photo, to attempt to do you harm.”

The color seemed to drain from Caitlin’s cheeks, making the bit of blush she must have applied while freshening her makeup stand out against her white skin. But her voice was firm enough as she said, “I did have a hairbrush in there. I’d just changed out my wallet, though, and hadn’t transferred over a lot of the personal stuff. So they won’t find too much, unless they want to abuse my Walgreens reward card or something.”