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"You can feel them, can't you?" I turned to Rhiannon.
"You work with fire--you must be able to really tune in to the area because of the Cascade volcanoes."
She pressed her lips together. "I haven't tapped into the fire since . . ." Slumping into a chair, she pressed her hand to her forehead.
"Since what?" Leo looked at her, then turned to me. "What am I missing?"
I started to shake my head, but Rhiannon held up her hand. "I haven't told him. But I was going to, when I thought the time was right. I guess that would be now. And it's time I told you the full story, too, Cicely." She stared at her hands. "Both of you might be in danger living here, and not just because of the Indigo Court."
"Why? What are you talking about?" Leo knelt beside her.
Rhiannon shrugged. "You may not be so quick to reach for my hand when I tell you the truth."
"You were about thirteen, weren't you?" I knew a little of the story, but very little.
"Yes, I'd just turned thirteen. Just started my period and the hormones were flying. Heather and I were shopping one day. We were in the parking lot of the Dale-wood Mall. I wanted a new pair of sneakers and she said no." Her voice caught and she trembled, her neck taut, her expression bleak. "I was angry and I automatically reached for the flame. Without thinking, I conjured fire. It sparked off the fuel in the gas tank of a nearby car and there was an explosion."
"Shit." Leo slowly dropped to the sofa. "Were you hurt?"
When Rhiannon spoke again, her voice was so low we could barely hear her. "No, I wish I was. But it gets worse. The flames . . . I will never forget the smell. There was a ten-year-old girl in the car and she couldn't get out. Nobody could get to her because the fire was raging so hot and then, the car exploded. She died. I killed her. She died because of me.">The minute we got inside, without further to-do, Rhiannon asked him if he'd stay out at the house with us for a while. She stumbled over her words, and I wondered if she was worrying about how this would affect their relationship, but Leo took it in stride.
"Crap," he said as we explained what we'd found out. "Okay, I'm in. I'll feel better knowing the two of you aren't out there alone, so this will ease all our minds."
"But what about your rent here?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Don't sweat it. If it looks like I'm going to be over at the Veil House longer than a month or two, I'll give notice. Now that Elise is gone--we shared the apartment--there's just a lot of baggage here." He put his arm around Rhiannon. "We were talking about moving in together, anyway. This seems like as good a time as any. Can you grab my cat, Bart?"
He threw together a bag while I coaxed Bart off the top of the refrigerator. The Maine Coon was frisky, but when I opened the cat carrier, he let out a purp and looked at Leo, who was stuffing his backpack. He'd already filled two suitcases, one with clothing and one with spell components and herbs.
Leo gave a three-toned whistle and Bart delicately leapt down to the counter, then to the floor. He strolled over to the carrier and made himself at home, curling up on the thick cushion inside. I shut the door and fastened the latch.
"I've never seen a cat so responsive. How did you train him?"
Leo laughed. "You don't train cats. They train you. Marta gave him to me when he was nine weeks old, and performed a binding ritual for us. Apparently, Bart needed to be with a healer, and so Marta presented him to me and Bart approved. We've been together five years now, and he's been a great help. And a real friend," he added softly.
I peered into the carrier. I loved cats, but there had been no chance to have any sort of pet when Krystal and I were on the road. After she died I'd been too restless to settle down. I'd befriended the strays wherever I went, until it hurt too much to leave them behind.
"Hey there, Bart," I whispered.
Hello. It didn't come as a word, but an impression in the current of air streaming from the air cleaner on the floor near the desk. I stared at the cat. The greeting had definitely come from the Maine Coon, but he just stared at me and blinked, long and slow. I blinked back.
"I'm ready," Leo said, interrupting my thoughts. "It's almost five thirty. We should head out."
"Yeah, the light's starting to fade." I peeked out the front window. "We'd better get going."
Rhiannon started to pick up Bart's carrier. "Come on. Let's go home, little dude. I . . . I . . ." A catch in her voice made me turn. She set down the cat and slid into a nearby chair, rubbing her head. "Heather's the only family I have. I can't lose my mother--I can't."
"Hush," I whispered, stroking her back. "We'll find her. We'll bring her home and everything will be okay." I wished to hell I meant what I was saying, but my stomach twisted in knots. We had a long way to go before we ever found Heather. If we found her. "I'm here, I'm your family."
"I'm not family yet, but I'm here, and I love you," Leo said, stricken. "We'll all look out for each other."
She looked up at him. "And I love you, Leo . . ."
He smiled softly. "I know."
She stood and he enfolded her in his arms, kissing away her tears. I looked away, wanting to give them some privacy.
"Come on." Rhiannon wiped her eyes and picked up the cat carrier as I grabbed one of the suitcases. "We'd better go before it gets dark."
