Protector(80)

Without asking for permission, Lucinda grabbed the handle of the rear passenger door and then opened it. She settled herself behind Caitlin before leaning forward and telling Alex, “Drive. Go around the block or something. We need to talk.”

His eyes widened in astonishment for a second, and then he nodded and turned the key in the ignition. He pulled away from the curb, but sedately, as if he knew that peeling away in a screech of rubber would only attract attention. Once they were far enough away that the Santiago house was out of eyeshot, he said, “What’s this about?”

“You know what it’s about.” Lucinda cast a nervous glance over one shoulder, as if to reassure herself that they were a safe distance from her property. “Matías Escobar.”

So that was his last name. Whether knowing it would help them, Caitlin had no idea, but at least it was something. “So he is a member of the clan.”

“Well….”

“Either he is or he isn’t,” Alex put in, turning left down another street, one lined with equally impressive houses.

“His mother was a refugee from El Salvador. She came here when Matías was really young, way before his powers began to manifest. Since she was a powerful healer, a curandera, my father let them stay in our territory, gave them the protection of the clan. I remember him saying once he wished she’d come a few months sooner, because that way she might have been able to help my mother after she had her fall.”

Not sure how she should respond, Caitlin nodded. That would have been difficult, knowing his wife could have been healed, if only Matías’ mother had come into their territory in time. As for Simón offering the woman shelter, Caitlin had heard rumors of such things happening occasionally, especially in the larger clans, but it wasn’t common. “And then when your father discovered what Matías’ talent really was….”

“It wasn’t good.” Lucinda’s shoulders slumped, and she leaned forward in her seat. For the first time, Caitlin realized the other young woman wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and wondered if she should say something. But she decided not to, just because Alex was barely going twenty-five, and she didn’t want to interrupt any of these revelations. “Matías’ mother could control him…sort of…but he still got away with murder.” Her mouth curled faintly, and she added, “Well, not actual murder. But a lot of bad stuff. He started hanging out with Jorge and Tomas, who’d always been trouble as well. Neither of them are particularly strong warlocks, but they started dabbling in things they shouldn’t, digging up rituals that had been buried for years.”

All this sounded pretty much in line with what Caitlin and Alex had encountered so far. “And no one tried to stop them?”

For a second, Lucinda didn’t reply. Her fingers tightened on the seat back, the leather creaking slightly. “They were good at hiding what they were up to. Maybe they would never have been discovered if Matías hadn’t gotten a little too sure of himself and started aiming too high.”

“Too high?” Alex echoed, sounding puzzled.

A flush tinged Lucinda’s warm olive complexion. “He thought — he thought because he had this power that no one else had, and could make people do pretty much what he wanted, that…he could be with me.”

Oh, Goddess. No wonder Simón Santiago wanted to act as if he’d never heard of Matías Escobar or his friends.

Not looking at either Caitlin or Alex, Lucinda went on, “My father found out. He was furious. He’d expected more of me, wanted me to honor the clan by marrying one of my more powerful cousins, and Matías had — in his words — ‘ruined’ me.”

“Seriously?” Alex asked. “Isn’t that sort of…medieval? I mean, you weren’t the prima-in-waiting, were you?”

An immediate shake of the head. “No. So there was really no reason for me to be saving myself, except that that was what my father expected of his daughter. When he found out — that was about six months ago — he ordered Matías out of Santiago territory.”

“Could he do that?” Caitlin asked, then shook her head at herself for the clumsiness of the question. Obviously, Santiago had managed to avoid Matías’ own particular blend of mind control…the real question was how. “I mean, if Matías can make people do pretty much what he wants, how was your father able to keep enough control of himself to exile him?”

“You’ve met my father.” Lucinda’s mouth turned down in a wry smile. “He doesn’t take orders very well. A lifetime of having it his own way, I suppose. So Matías’ powers didn’t have as much effect on him as they might on someone else. I, unfortunately, was pretty susceptible, since I’ve spent my whole life doing what my father says.”