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Authors: Christine Pope
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lemonade in the kitchen. Go and get yourselves some. I wish to speak to Caitlin alone.”
That was the last thing Caitlin wanted, but she knew she didn’t dare protest. Neither, it seemed, did Luz or Alex, because they nodded and headed out of the room, Alex giving Caitlin a single backward glance as he did so. Something in that gaze felt very warm and friendly, and somehow, meeting his eyes, she didn’t feel quite as nervous about being left alone with Maya as she might otherwise have.
The prima didn’t miss that look, either, it seemed; her mouth, surrounded by deep lines, seemed to purse in apparent amusement, and possibly approval. “My Alex, he is a very good boy.”
Not sure how exactly she should respond to that remark, Caitlin ventured, “He’s been very nice.”
“Nice?” Maya chuckled, but the laugh turned into a cough, and she had to drink some of the water from the glass on her tray before she could continue. “Well, I suppose we can leave it at that for now. Valentina has related the basics to me, but I want to hear from you what happened.”
Again? Caitlin thought, but she took a breath and then dutifully recounted everything that had occurred after she and Danica and Roslyn walked into that Mexican restaurant. Well, almost everything. If she could get away with not revealing anything of her own strange visions and feelings, she would. None of that was Maya’s business.
When she was done, Caitlin shifted on the couch, her mouth dry. She wished she could have some of the lemonade Alex and his mother were currently off drinking in the kitchen. Why Maya hadn’t offered her some, or at least a glass of water, Caitlin wasn’t sure. Maybe she’d intended the apparent oversight as a subtle show of power. If that were the case, Caitlin knew she wouldn’t allow herself to show any signs of discomfort. At least she was reasonably hydrated, considering the iced tea she’d finished off right before Alex parked his SUV in front of Maya’s house.
“Ah,” Maya said, after a protracted pause. That could have meant anything…or nothing. The old woman lifted the glass of water from her lap tray and drank slowly before setting the glass back down. “Tell me, Caitlin McAllister…do you truly intend to keep hiding your gifts from everyone?”
Her mouth was dry, and Caitlin wondered if she’d been too hasty in thinking she’d be above asking for a glass of water of her own to quench her thirst. Maya’s black eyes were fixed on her, far too penetrating, too keen.
“What gifts?” Caitlin managed.
A pair of sparse salt-and-pepper eyebrows drew together, and Maya responded, “You can lie to your family, and you can lie to yourself, but I will not allow you to lie to me.”
Crap. Since she didn’t have a glass she could fiddle with, or a purse strap or anything else along those lines, Caitlin had to settle for knotting her fingers together and slipping them over one knee. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do.”
The sharpness of Maya’s dark gaze disconcerted Caitlin. It could have been the contrast between their all-too-knowing gleam and her overall decrepit appearance. Once again Caitlin found herself wondering what had happened to Maya to cause such a degeneration. Surely no one in the McAllister or the Wilcox clans seemed to have an inkling of the sea change the de la Paz prima had undergone. Unfortunately, Caitlin knew she could sit here and speculate all she wanted, but in the end it wouldn’t matter — Maya wanted answers, and apparently seemed content to sit here and wait for as long as it took to get them.
“I — ” Caitlin floundered, wishing she had a plausible lie to cover up the very obvious holes in the story she’d told Maya. None of it made sense if you didn’t factor in the seer abilities she’d tried so desperately to hide. And the prima , weak as she might be, was certainly no fool.
“You what?”
Desperation clear in her voice,
That was the last thing Caitlin wanted, but she knew she didn’t dare protest. Neither, it seemed, did Luz or Alex, because they nodded and headed out of the room, Alex giving Caitlin a single backward glance as he did so. Something in that gaze felt very warm and friendly, and somehow, meeting his eyes, she didn’t feel quite as nervous about being left alone with Maya as she might otherwise have.
The prima didn’t miss that look, either, it seemed; her mouth, surrounded by deep lines, seemed to purse in apparent amusement, and possibly approval. “My Alex, he is a very good boy.”
Not sure how exactly she should respond to that remark, Caitlin ventured, “He’s been very nice.”
“Nice?” Maya chuckled, but the laugh turned into a cough, and she had to drink some of the water from the glass on her tray before she could continue. “Well, I suppose we can leave it at that for now. Valentina has related the basics to me, but I want to hear from you what happened.”
Again? Caitlin thought, but she took a breath and then dutifully recounted everything that had occurred after she and Danica and Roslyn walked into that Mexican restaurant. Well, almost everything. If she could get away with not revealing anything of her own strange visions and feelings, she would. None of that was Maya’s business.
When she was done, Caitlin shifted on the couch, her mouth dry. She wished she could have some of the lemonade Alex and his mother were currently off drinking in the kitchen. Why Maya hadn’t offered her some, or at least a glass of water, Caitlin wasn’t sure. Maybe she’d intended the apparent oversight as a subtle show of power. If that were the case, Caitlin knew she wouldn’t allow herself to show any signs of discomfort. At least she was reasonably hydrated, considering the iced tea she’d finished off right before Alex parked his SUV in front of Maya’s house.
“Ah,” Maya said, after a protracted pause. That could have meant anything…or nothing. The old woman lifted the glass of water from her lap tray and drank slowly before setting the glass back down. “Tell me, Caitlin McAllister…do you truly intend to keep hiding your gifts from everyone?”
Her mouth was dry, and Caitlin wondered if she’d been too hasty in thinking she’d be above asking for a glass of water of her own to quench her thirst. Maya’s black eyes were fixed on her, far too penetrating, too keen.
“What gifts?” Caitlin managed.
A pair of sparse salt-and-pepper eyebrows drew together, and Maya responded, “You can lie to your family, and you can lie to yourself, but I will not allow you to lie to me.”
Crap. Since she didn’t have a glass she could fiddle with, or a purse strap or anything else along those lines, Caitlin had to settle for knotting her fingers together and slipping them over one knee. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do.”
The sharpness of Maya’s dark gaze disconcerted Caitlin. It could have been the contrast between their all-too-knowing gleam and her overall decrepit appearance. Once again Caitlin found herself wondering what had happened to Maya to cause such a degeneration. Surely no one in the McAllister or the Wilcox clans seemed to have an inkling of the sea change the de la Paz prima had undergone. Unfortunately, Caitlin knew she could sit here and speculate all she wanted, but in the end it wouldn’t matter — Maya wanted answers, and apparently seemed content to sit here and wait for as long as it took to get them.
“I — ” Caitlin floundered, wishing she had a plausible lie to cover up the very obvious holes in the story she’d told Maya. None of it made sense if you didn’t factor in the seer abilities she’d tried so desperately to hide. And the prima , weak as she might be, was certainly no fool.
“You what?”
Desperation clear in her voice,
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