Shine Not Burn(42)

“What’s that? Like a school project or somethin’?”

“Yeah,” I said, a lie sparking up in my mind and quickly turning into a roaring wildfire of bullshit. “I’m taking this special college course and we’re learning how to put together our family tree and stuff and his family …the MacKenzie’s… they’re in my tree. I think. The MacKenzies of Baker City to be exact.”

A gravelly voice came from behind me, making my hair stand on end with fear.

“Luceo non uro!”

I spun on my stool. “Wha…!” I banged my coffee on the way around and sloshed it all over my hand and the counter, but I didn’t bother with cleaning it up because I was too busy worrying that I was about to be eaten by a giant man-bear-pig.

“Luceo non uro!” he yelled again and then laughed. His mouth was completely covered by a gnarly, unkempt beard. I caught glimpses of teeth and tongue which made me feel just a tad bit safer. The idea of a toothless man-bear-pig somehow scared me more than one with proper dental care. I was obviously not functioning with all my brain cells online.

“Yeah, that’s about right,” said the waitress, snorting a little.

My voice finally started working again when I realized he wasn’t about to attack or eat me. He was just standing there looking down at me from very high up and speaking Latin. There was a slight chance he was even smiling, but it was impossible to tell with the brown shag carpet he was wearing as face decoration.

I cleared my throat, giving it a little jump start. “I’m sorry, but what did you say?”

His voice came out gentle then, and smooth. He could have been a book narrator when he wasn’t growling at women in diners. “Luceo non uro. It’s the MacKenzie clan motto.”

“MacKenzie clan?”

He cocked his head. “You know what a clan is, right?”

I gave him my best you-must-be-kidding look to cover up for my ignorance. “Of course I do. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m doing a project.”

“So I heard you say. What school are you attending? It sounds like a very interesting project.” His tone suddenly went from man-bear-pig to cultured academic.

I decided it was a distinct possibility that I’d either fallen into the same rabbit hole as Alice or been slipped something illegal on the flight over. “Just a community college. In Florida where I live. It’s pretty small, I’m sure you’ve never heard of it.”

“Could be I haven’t … could be I have, though,” he said, putting his hands behind him and rocking a little on his heels, waiting expectantly. “Won’t know until I hear the name.”

“Palm Beach State College?”

“Are you asking or telling?” he said. His beard moved. I took the upward shifting of the hairy mess as a smile.

“Telling.” I turned partway back to my coffee, using my napkin to dab away at my mess. “So, what was that motto again?”

“Luceo, which means shine .. Non, which means not…and Uro, which means burn.”

“Shine not burn,” I said, almost to myself. Why was that ringing a bell? Why did I think I’d heard that somewhere before?

“Kinda cute, huh?” asked Hannah.

Sounded more sexy than cute to me, but I smiled and nodded anyway. I had to get in good with the locals if I wanted to get this mess taken care of ASAP.

“That where you’re from?” asked Hannah. She set the coffee pot down on the counter in between us. “Florida?” She was ignoring at least three people waving at her for more of the caffeinated goodness.

I nodded. “Yes, I live there. I’m just here for research.”

“Long way to come for research when you could-a just called,” she said, chewing her lip like she was trying to figure me out. It made me nervous to think that Diner Barbie was hot on my trail of lies. I was getting the distinct impression she’d be really happy to bust me.

“Yes, well, I tried to call but the MacKenzie group is hard to get in touch with that way, apparently.”

“Who’d you try to call?” she asked.

Her questions were taking on an intense mood to them that made me less inclined to share. “I can’t remember. I don’t have my notes with me.” Lies, lies, and more lies. The leather messenger bag at my feet had exactly one troll doll and everything I’d been able to find on the MacKenzies. Unfortunately, all I had for an address was a post office box in the middle of town and a phone number nobody ever answered.

“Why are you looking for Gavin?” she asked. Her tone had taken on a proprietary air, and I realized I could very possibly be looking at Gavin’s other wife, since apparently only special people called him by his given name. What are the chances that I’ve stepped right off the plane into a pile of horse shit? I looked at her slightly mutinous expression and knew the answer. Out here, probably good. Checking her finger, I saw no ring there. I let out a slow breath of relief, hoping she and the man-bear-pig still behind me wouldn’t notice now nervous this conversation was making me.