A Signal
"My death, little daughter. Send the fire child to me. She is the pure flame I am looking for. And when I am dead, you shall have your Edo Coven."
A signal over five years in the making. Five years, she thought, too soon. I am not ready.
Sienna Lucas held the paper in her hand, the three words staring at her. Methuselah is dead.
From the corner reading the New York Times, Colin Richards, head of Hunter Operations in the Americas, frowned as he glanced in her direction. He stood, rounding the desk and went to stand above her, "Sienna, what is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."
She handed him the slip of paper wordlessly.
Quickly reading he swore under his breath, crumpling it in his hand. Sienna's storm-blue eyes flashed for a second and then the paper was ash. She had been waiting for it since Robin Sena had left for Italy a few months ago, but thought it years down the road… not months.
Craft is taught in absolutes, little daughter, but it should be learned in steps. You understand this better than the fire-child. That had been one of their last conversations, months ago. The Arcanum of the Craft is not held in a single instrument as those in the Church believe. It helps for those who do not understand what they are learning, but you know the lesson, you do not need the staff to help you. You understand, I see it in your eyes. Flame is heat, it is fire, it is ash. You understand heat. You understand fire. Why do you not understand ash?
It had taken her months to be able to do it. She burned countless pieces of paper in her quest; but one late night, more asleep than awake she had glanced at a piece of paper, running through the cold hard science of fire. The combination of elements, the consumption of what was burning… and in her head something had clicked. She skipped the burn, and the papers on her desk had become ash.
All of the papers - which had made her assistant glare at her the next morning because some of the items had been handwritten requests from Carlo himself Sienna had tried to appear contrite, but she had been too ecstatic to succeed, only making peace with her assistant after she promised to call Carlo herself.
It was those tasks, mostly administrative, but a few more interesting, that had kept Sienna from calling Abigail. She had just cleared her schedule and had been waiting for an appropriate time to contact Abigail with the new that she had mastered ash, and in so doing finally understood what Craft was. But then the note had come.
It was not soon after that the shit hit the fan.
And that which hits the fan is not always equally distribute, was a phrase her father had been fond of.
Roman had known the truth of the universe, Sienna decided as she watched chaos unfold. The news of Abigail's death had caused a giant ripple in Solomon's inner circles. The Grand Counsel whispered wondering what it all meant. Only Patricio, oldest witch now, cautiously guarded his reaction, while the rest of the Council salivating at the thought of Japan finally free of the powerful witch's grasp. The officers of the Corporation drew up plan after plan and ran simulations on the best way to infiltrate Japan – as the STN-J was not to be completely trusted – Carlo activating old family contacts, trusting only Henri with all the details. For Sienna he had other tasks.
Sienna bided her time, planning her next move with extreme caution. It seemed that the entire witch community in Japan was also thrown into a spin, Methuselah had not left instruction with her people… and Sienna guessed that none of them had even known her desire to die. It was a delicate situation, rebuilding ties with people who did not trust Solomon.
Yet, with all of that it had been Carlo's first move had her throwing fits in her private office. He had sent in a recon group to the STN-J Branch and retrieved their hard drives, what he believed the quickest way to get all the information he needed. He wanted more information about orbo, about Zaizen's back dealing, about everything.
But his tactics had an unforeseen effect, Robin had disappeared into hiding.
Protect her as best you can. She needs to know that love is not always a harsh thing, I have tried to show her this, but Juliano has made her believe that love is about debt. She is constantly trying to prove her worth to that man, and I fear that it will drive her inside of herself, Ysabelle had said the last time they had seen each other, placing Robin's safety into Sienna's hands. She was doing a terrible job and feared that Ysabelle was fuming in the afterlife.
Sienna hated thinking of the dead. They were piling around her, the bodies of the women in her life. First Maria who had been like a sister to her, twelve years later Aiko Lucas who had been so much more than step-mother, last summer Ysabelle who had been the last link to the old ways of Solomon, and now the Methuselah of Japan a late coming mentor.
Then there was Roman himself. Dead longer than she could believe, she thought of Roman often… and she still grieved. Or more correctly, she grieved anew. Patricio and Colin had brought her evidence of who had killed her father. And she grieved when the name was given. But that was a longer term goal, avenging her father and so she looked for her own sign, to move forward.
It came a week later when news reached her Juliano Colegui had summoned Amon Nagira to Italy. The one person who could possibly find Robin was unexpectedly within her grasp.
Rome
"Will you do it then?" Sienna asked as Amon exited Juliano's private study, closing the door behind him. "Execute a fifteen year old girl?"
He had half expected her, Roman's daughter. She sat in one of the dark leather chairs right outside the doorway, dressed in a beautiful blue suit that made her eyes more blue than gray. With her boyishly short hair, and the light smattering of makeup she wore, she looked like a carefree young woman – but he had known her long enough. The image was meant to put him at ease, so that she would retain the upper hand. It did not work.
"Most craft-users would have the decency to pretend they couldn't read minds," Amon said sardonically, taking the hand she offered and squeezing it in greeting. They spoke in English, and his was the perfect diction of one who had two first languages.
Sienna pursed her lips as she took her hand back. Amon was so old fashioned. Craft-User. Witch. He did not think them interchangeable. Though sometimes she herself felt like neither fit. Using Craft was like using air – one just did it. At the same time, she felt there was nothing magical with what she was. To her mother's regret, she only had a rudimentary knowledge of spell-casting. It was disconcerting, Amara had remarked, that the High Priestess of the Lucas Coven didn't even know simple spells. Sienna had replied that Jane Morrow, Roman's sister, thought her worthy and that was enough.
Instead of getting into another argument with Amon she answered, "If people hide who they are it just creates problems later on. You will one day learn this."
"You speak as if you have the wisdom of the ages. You're not much older than I am," he replied as he started down the open walkway of the second floor. It overlooked the inner courtyard, lending a rustic feeling to the house.
Standing and following closely at his heels, Sienna wondered if he would ever understand that in a way she was keeper of an ancient truth, "Age is relative. Your new partner, for example… even as a child, Robin was always far too serious."
He slowed his pace, letting her catch up. Though Sienna had long strides, she walked almost casually, another attempt to make people believe she was not as shrewd as she was. "Did you know much of her then? More than Juliano who raised and trained her and now sees her as a problem to be eliminated?"
Sienna, had she been anyone else, would have snorted. Juliano had raised Robin, but never really understood her. Sienna, more foster mother and friend, understood Robin better than the old priest ever would.
Yet Amon remained ignorant about her relationship with Robin. Juliano had always been prickled by Roman's command that she train Robin in craft. In some way Juliano had never forgiven either of them that… what would he have said if he knew that she had allowed Robin visits with Ysabelle?
"Juliano has a Hunter's mentality. He has never seen the big picture. No, I do not know her very well other than the profile that has been circulating. I remember a shy, serious girl who followed Juliano wherever he went. She did not appear to be any type of threat." Lies on so many levels, Sienna thought as she followed him.
"Neither do baby vipers," Amon answered.
She rolled her eyes as she looked over the railing and down at the courtyard. Servants were running from one end to the other, laden with all manners of food. She could make out some of the words and heard them speak of the sinful American couple the moody Japanese man. She wondered if Amon's Italian had improved much. It made her smile and she turned her head to catch him glaring at her.
She gave him a matching glare, but laughed in the end of it, "Don't worry. I didn't read your mind, Amon… I made an educated guess. Everyone knows that Juliano has been very upset his little spy is missing, and he is one who always cuts his losses. Did Juliano give a reasonable explanation as to why she should be hunted?"
"It seems she retrieved something in the Walled City," he searched her face, but she just nodded for him to continue. He had come to realize early on that Sienna Lucas was probably the most informed woman in all of Solomon. And if he shared with her, she would share with him. "From the Methuselah. Whatever it is has made Robin a very dangerous person, the most dangerous of witches to ever walk the planet, Father Juliano fears."
"Since he has not informed Carlo of the fact, I highly doubt it… It is interesting that Robin found that old witch – considering she has been laying low for the past hundred or so years. Do you know what she retrieved?"
"No and Father Juliano did not volunteer the information," he answered in all honesty.
"I have heard some rumors… Church secrets," Sienna supplied, as they came to the staircase. "An ancient artifact that helps with the Craft."
He started to walk down, but paused on the landing. She remained on the second level, some movement at the other end catching her eye.
"Help with the Craft? Robin needs all the help she can get," he answered lightly and just as suddenly clamped his mouth shut as she bore those blue eyes on him.
She heard it in his voice. Robin had only been there for less than four months and there was something in the way he spoke about her that was… different. His voice had softened.
Is he… no. he can't be… Sienna refused to even put words to the thought, but she watched him closely. His wore the same resolute mask as always. She cocked her head, waiting for him to say more, but he continued to head down.
"Amon?" She asked as another thought crossed her mind. He glanced up. "If you think she needs help with her Craft, how can you believe Juliano when he says she is the world's most dangerous witch?"
He ignored her and disappeared out of her sight.
She turned to catch Colin, coming out of their guest bedroom, "I am going to need your help with Amon Nagira, it seems."
It was later that evening that Amon and Colin sat in one of the many large rooms Juliano's residence boasted. Though a man of the cloth, he was also a man of Solomon and the company rewarded talent extremely well. Juliano swore that it was a residence he would when he retired to advance Church purpose when he retired, but that remained to be seen.
The two men, almost a decade separating them, sat on opposite ends of a small oak table, sharing a bottle of Roman's favorite scotch and playing chess. They had clinked their glasses in memory of the old man, Colin with a "may the old bastard be toasty warm in hell" and Amon with a gentler "may oblivion be the kindest god."
They played with completely different styles: Colin with the sure moves of someone who knew all the rules but cared not much for the game, and Amon with the deliberate moves of one who enjoyed the subtleties of it. It made them unevenly matched, even if it was their second bottle that evening.
"Tell me, Amon, what did Juliano ask?" Colin inquired, placing the pawn into position.
"That I do my duty by Solomon…. Sienna must have told you."
"Sienna gave me a little of the details… Duty, huh? Considering Juliano didn't run any of this through Carlo, I'm surprised he played the duty to Solomon card… maybe he meant duty to him? Or the old man may be getting a bit of the Alzheimer's, you ever think about that?"
Amon's stare was intent on the board, "Juliano is as sane as you and I, Colin."
"Exactly. Now the other question. Could you really do it?" He asked. "Kill the child?"
"All witches must be killed," he replied automatically, but his voice caught.
"Yet, Zaizen has not been following that credo." Colin said it kindly hearing the weariness in his friend's voice, remembering that Amon was innocent in all this. Hell, Amon had been a rookie five years ago when Sienna and Abigail had first laid the plans.
"We can only speculate as to why. The man hates witches," Amon replied and wondered for the hundredth time what game he was caught in. Or perhaps there were games upon games, and now they were intersecting, dragging him – and an unprepared fifteen year old girl – into it. Life was never fair for the rank and file.
If Colin had a gift, it was in reading people – and in rare moments, Amon let his guard down, just a little. It was enough for Colin to ask, "Do you no longer desire to be just a pawn in the game?"
"We are all pawns in this game, Colin. Even the King," Amon said lifting the king of its square and pointing the tip at Colin.
"Carlo." Fittingly on this chess board, the dark pieces were the same cobalt blue as the phoenix on the Lucas family crest.
Amon nodded. "Even Carlo."
"You speak truth, my friend. More than you know."
The door whispered open and both men glanced in its direction. Sienna walked in, barefoot, coming to stand in front of the chess board. She glanced at the pieces seeing the necessary moves Amon needed to make to win… four moves away from checkmate. Colin never had the patience for the game. Putting her hand on her lover's shoulders, she asked innocently, "Who is winning?"
Her eyes met Amon's and his narrowed a fraction. It had been Sienna who had taught him chess after all.
"You never know until the end," Colin answered. But he had never won against Amon.
"So have you decided, Amon, whether you will kill this child? Babes have always been innocent, in church and Solomon, as my father used to say."
He shrugged, "Why is your interest so piqued?"
Before she could answer, Colin asked, "She's what, fifteen? Cute as a button last I remembered. Someone that young could not be as dangerous as you think."
Again something in Sienna sparked. A stray thought, from a man whose control was famed on six continents. Ah, little Robin was getting under his skin. That's my girl. Even the cold hearted fall under your charm.
"To answer your question, Amon, I just do not like the idea of hunting a child. Whatever elseyou claim, she is a child… What if I gave you another way out?" Sienna inquired, taking the seat between them. She smoothed the line of her skirt as she did so, keeping her eyes on theboard as Amon moved into position. Three more moves.
Colin pushed his knight two left and three forward. As Amon had anticipated.
"Has Carlo ordered not to hunt her, Sienna, because he is the only one who will stay my hand." Amon's pawn touched the end of the board and he pulled the queen back into play. "Check."
"Do you only take orders from men?" Sienna retorted. "I thought you a more advanced beast than that."
"I only take orders from the leaders of Solomon."
"Of which I am counted, let's be open about that. You know Carlo sees me as his successor. Even in Japan they must know that."
"But Carlo Lucas sits at the head of Solomon," Amon reminded. "Not Sienna Lucas."
He watched Colin move his king to a space on the left. Colin's fingers paused on the top of the chess piece as he regarded the board. He saw the endgame then, shrugging his shoulders, finally releasing the piece into place.
Amon moved his queen again, "Mate."
Sienna preferred games where the opponents were equally matched. Colin and Amon in a simulation would be a fair game, both were perfect hunters. Maybe she would suggest it later on.
"Yes, my brother is still Chairman of this organization… and you still follow meekly behind. If you had even just a little ambition, you could be here – in Europe – or leading your own branch, but you prefer the backwaters of Japan. I am offering you another chance, Amon."
"Again, we are at an impasse. You do not lead Solomon."
"Amon, you're not stupid. If my father had died even five years later, I would have been made Chairman - you know the vote would have been unanimous."
"The Directors only told you that. It is all lip-service until action says otherwise."
"Bastard. You've always been a bastard."
Colin coughed, "Children. Please."
They could have argued all night, such was their friendship, but Amon surprised her when he answered next, "I concur that your brother looks to your counsel above anyone else's. So let's say I am interested, Sienna. What is your proposition?"
His eyes had flickered momentarily before he had spoken, as if he had put the pieces into play and decided the best course of action. She knew better than to take his words as bond – not yet. Amon would work in the best interests of Amon.
"Before you can make a decision, I propose you know the facts… Let say a Hunter in Japan lost her control over eight months ago, and while Solomon was assessing the situation to see who best to send, Juliano acted on his own and sent Robin Sena. Perhaps because she was born on Japanese soil and had some command of the language… perhaps because he felt that Robin was his instrument, and not really Solomon's. Whatever. Now let's say that he has lost track of this hunter-informant, and she now holds something the Church wants. Solomon has some interest in it, but the Arcanum means much less to us than it does to the Holy See.
"Now he no longer knows who his spy is working for. Solomon? Him? So to eliminate that unknown, because we all know how Juliano hates unknowns, he decides it is just better to eliminate the girl.
"And he must do so soon, because Carlo has already expressed his displeasure that Juliano acted without his approval, sending a fifteen year old child to Tokyo. The rest of Solomon is not as backwards as the STN-J seems to be. Normally, we wait for our Hunters to at least reach an age of majority.
"So , when Carlo moves to retrieve some information from the STN-J, Juliano slips in one of the Hunters he has personally trained to retrieve his favorite pupil – sorry, Colin."
"Not necessary, love," Colin said, glancing at the scotch and noticed it was empty. He reached under his chair for the third and last bottle.
Sienna continued, "And because this pupil has always followed his command blindly, Juliano asks him to do the one thing he cannot bear to do. Eliminate the perceived threat. Hunt Robin. For good measure Juliano makes up some excuse that the child has powers the world has never seen and now the girl must be hunted. Yet, we never though the Methuselah enough of a threat to hunt her…"
As if even Solomon would reveal how much it feared the oldest witch.
"So Juliano is hunting a child to hide a mistake?"
"I was just thinking out loud. You have been trained to take all the information and assess the situation. Robin is a fire-elemental, and really she was being saved for more dangerous places-the former Eastern block, or even the Middle East where her wits would be most needed. You know that Headquarters has not put much effort into Japan, why would we have wasted her talents there? Why would we now want to eliminate such a useful Hunter?"
She did not mention that she had been the one to suggest that Robin be sent to Japan. Who else do we trust, Father Juliano, besides Robin? She is yours explicitly. As is Amon – the two working together will be an efficient combination. She also left out that Abigail's power had been gathered over four hundred years. If Robin were a threat, it would be best to remove her while she was still young in her power. These she left out and waited to see if Amon would bring them up.
But Amon asked, "And if she is the most powerful witch out there – a danger to the entire world? What then?"
"Even Superman had kryptonite. .. and if she does become as powerful as Juliano fears, she cannot stand against hundreds of Solomon's… craft users," she submitted to his use of the word. Witches! You idiot, we're all witches every single one of us, including you if you would let that stick out of your ass and accept whatever power follows you! She wanted to scream at him, but her face was completely calm.
"You have that many at your disposal?"
"Yes," she replied. "If it came to it, she could count dozens of covens at her disposal, and dozens more that would follow her if she were to wrestle control of the organization from her brother. "Though I must tell you I feel Robin poses little danger to Solomon. You know that we ordered the little recon mission because we wanted information on the hard drives, not because we were after Robin, don't you?"
Let him think that she and Carlo were of one mind on everything.
"I will take your word on it, Sienna. Can you guarantee that this is green-lit?"
She paused for a moment and then nodded… "The Grand Counsel backs this one, Amon. Bring Robin Sena to the United States into Solomon America's care, and you will be able to write any ticket you want." She made a mental note to have Patricio prepare a memo, Amon always liked written proof.
He regarded the pair, two of the few people in the world he considered friends. He would never admit to it, but there was something about Sienna that had made him trust her from the very beginning. "And if I wanted to head Solomon operations in Japan?"
She had misjudged him... "I could deliver Japan."
"How long will you give me - to get Robin into your hands?"
She though then of Carlo's spy in the STN-J, "There is someone there who is working on our behalf."
"Where?"
"In the STN-J, one of your team members."
Amon said a name and she did not deny it. He swore under his breath, he hated surprises as much as his mentor Juliano.
"She will know when we intend to act. Use her as your time guide. Within24 hours after HQ acts against the STN-J, you will receive information on how to get Robin Sena to me."
He nodded, taking his own king and laying on its side.
Tokyo, Japan
From across what had once been the Factory, a lone figure in a dark car pulled out a cell phone and dialed. He had watched the two fleeing the scene, the taller shadow pulling the smaller one forward – as if stopping meant they died. He wished he could give them some heads up, that they had a friend watching. But that would most likely complicate the matter at hand. The little bird had to concentrate on surviving and though he wanted to help, he had explicit orders to interfere only as necessary.
"Hello?" It was the middle of the afternoon where he called, yet she sounded as if she had just awoken.
"Little bird and Shadow have flown the Factory."
"When do you expect to make contact with the Shadow?"
He glanced at his watch, "Not for another eight hours. Are we still going forward with your plan?"
"Yes, yes. Nagira has made arrangements for them to leave the country and they should be in New York within72 hours."
"And further instructions for Amon?"
"Nagira has also procured him a US phone number with a 310 area code. A message awaits him."
"How goes it there?"
There was a pause, and he wished himself there to support her. But they had agreed he was the only one she trusted to take care of things with Robin. He was the only one with the requisite skills to aide them if the need arose.
"It will be done before you get back," She said it calmly, but he knew that it hurt her deeply, what had been transpiring around her and what she had to do to bring everything into balance. She had to think about the organization's future, her grandmother's legacy… a promise made fifteen years ago to Maria.
"I'll be home in a two days."
"I'll be waiting."
District of Columbia, United States
Of Sienna's inner circle, no one was more important than Terri Morrow. Two years older than Sienna, she was also the only one currently able to succeed her. Jane Morrow's daughter had risen through the ranks with the usual Lucas determination and headed a position both Roman and Carlo Lucas had held: Director of East Coast Operations. Had she been anyone else she would have been content answering to the Chairman of Solomon International, but she was a Lucas and knew that she truly answered to the Grand Counsel and the covens they represented.
It was Terri who knew about orbo before anyone else outside of the Factory. Before even the STN-J team had figured it out as they stood in the Factory, seeing the process unfold before their eyes.
It was she who had chosen Yurika Doujima. Carlo had questioned the choice at first, Doujima was only a teenager and he was loathe to use children, but in the end she had proved to be an excellent choice. And it was Doujima who had sent Terri a sample of orbo.
As soon as Dr. Jim Morrow had placed the chemical composition of orbo on the huge digital projector, it had been his daughter Terri who had seen the pattern. Orbo was life. Or more appropriately, orbo was death.
Not that she was trained in genetics or biology. No, Terri Morrow had a history degree from Harvard University. Her senior thesis had been on Auschwitz's infamous Dr. Mengele, but in that pursuit she had done some research of her own in the Solomon archives. During the same time period as Mengele, a doctor in the Berlin Branch had theorized that witches' DNA could be used like vaccines. Live strains could perhaps be used to pass power from one witch to another or even to ordinary humans who weren't closely related to known witch lines. He had tried the process on human species first and enough had gone terribly wrong that he had stopped the project entirely.
But even she had been tempted with the possibilities, with no genetics background. Would someone with the means and knowledge be able to duplicate and eventually surpass the research? A hunch had sent her back to the digital archives weeks ago and she had inquired on who had accessed the files within the past twenty years. Of note was Hiroshi Toudou – her father had worked with the man on a project – but more importantly one complete copy had been downloaded by Administrator Zaizen at the STN-J twelve years ago.
Terri had instantly called a meeting with Carlo and Sienna. By then there had been word from Doujima that Amon Nagira and Robin Sena were back on the scene – and Terri, a more powerful psychic than either Carlo or Sienna, had felt that Sienna was not surprised by the information. She had expected it.
Then Terri had dropped the information about orbo… and it was Carlo who had not been shocked. He had known. Not suspected but known. He had known that witches were being harvested and allowed it.
Telling Sienna in private a few hours after Carlo dismissed them had been the hardest thing Terri had ever done.
It was enough for Sienna to convene a meeting of the entire Grand Counsel without Carlo's presence. Terri had been asked to participate as a witness to Carlo's trial. It seemed that orbo was only the beginning of Carlo's secrets.
The evidence laid out at the Grand Counsel had been disconcerting to say the least. After Roman's death Carlo had reinstated the Genetic Research Department; slashed the budgets for two-thirds of the branches throughout Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa; focusing the money back into United States.
Money had been diverted to US investments, stocks, and politicians – all for some grand scheme to fortify Solomon US. He had hidden information about branch needs in almost every other part of the world. He had doctored reports, paid Administrators to remain quiet… but none of that had compared with the fact he had allowed Zaizen to create a weapon from the death of innocent witches. Though the Tokyo branch had concentrated on witches who felt themselves above law, the Factory had capriciously hunted witches… including children.
It had been Patricio, oldest of the Counsel that had wondered aloud, And how soon before the Grand Counsel becomes obsolete for Carlo Lucas?
Patricio had been using his witches to gather information slowly on Carlo, but it was the last piece – Terri's testimony that had shocked them. In the Grand Counsel, the word of a renowned psychic was more than good enough.
Yet, after all the evidence was laid out, the majority of them had turned their eyes on Sienna and Terri. In an instant, both women's entire careers with Solomon, their positions as respected members of Lucas Clan had been forgotten – the fact that they were in Counsel Chambers charging Carlo with these crimes was almost forgotten. He had played a dangerous game for eight years, who was to say whether or not they were in collusion with Carlo.
As she had sat there, in the seat to the left of the Chairman's positions – empty without Carlo's presence – she could feel an invisible noose around her neck, the heat of a flame at her feet, the water in her lungs – some remnant memory of those women who had died in witch hunts throughout the ages. They cried out for vengeance.
He, one of the few of the Lucas line who could still see ghosts, had betrayed the edict of the Fifteen Families. Protect our future. Destroy those that stand in the way. He had let innocent witches die. He had allowed someone to stand in their way.
As if a few innocent witches were not being killed in the Catholic branches, Terri had mused, but kept her mouth shut. She had gone from accuser to accused in a manner of moments and was going to do her best to stay off the Counsel's radar.
It was Patricio who had listened without accusing. Patricio who had disagreed with Arianne when she chose Roman over Jane Morrow, Patricio who had refused to attend Roman's ascension party, Patricio who had been the lone vote against Carlo's own ascension. And it was Patricio that day who had passed the final judgment.
Now, days later, as Terri drove away from her DC office she read the text message that appeared on her smartphone. It begins.
Boston
The lightening was a nice touch, Sienna decided as she climbed the steps of her family's ancestral home a few miles outside of Boston. She paused at the landing and looked outside the tall windows. She had left the main house years ago, and her official residence was one of the cottages on the property.
Amon and Robin were safely on their way to New York, her message to Amon received by now, and she had only one more thing to do.
It had been a strange week, Carlo keeping both her and Henri close to him. Most of the time it was not even official business. The siblings had dinner together, spent late nights in Carlo's office reminiscing about their childhood. She had tried to partition her life, trying to see him as brother instead of tyrant. Instead of killer.
Henri seemed to have an easier time about it, and Sienna had almost wondered if he had known about the orbo. Terri had dispelled her of any doubt, present when Sienna had finally told him the truth of it. He had disappeared for a few days, off to his latest lover, Sienna supposed… but he had returned the other day – his eyes haunted, but committed to Sienna's cause.
She walked up the stairs, stopping at Carlo's office. The door was open. Odd. Still, she had been trained for so long in protocol that she knocked until his voice beckoned her inside.
The room still smelled the same as when her father had occupied it. The comforting smell of cigars smoked in the night against the wishes of his witches, first Aiko and then later Amara. Now it was Carlo, who occupied the office. Who smoked against the wishes of his own band of witches: wife, sister, brother and son.
He sat at his favorite couch waving her in, wearing a flannel robe. She walked on the Persian carpet set before the giant fireplace, barefoot and coming to take the seat across from him. He was only in his early forties, but his hair had turned white around the same time Roman had died. That combined with the storm blue eyes on his almost Japanese face made him devastatingly handsome.
He smiled - he of the beautiful smile- but it did not quite reach his eyes.
She asked, "Are you cold?" She could not stop the niceties from coming out of her mouth as she leaned forward in her seat, "Would you like me to stoke the fire?"
Without waiting for a reply she pushed her Craft and wood fell into the large fireplace. The heat was not quick enough for her and she increased that as well.
He said nothing, instead watched her as she tucked her feet under her, her fingers grazing the dark leather arm of her chair. She was growing her hair out, and it now tickled her neck.
Thirteen years – a lucky number her father had believed – separated them. She had worshipped him in only the way a younger sister could. Maybe the goddess had been envious in how she had worshipped him and set the events in motion, but Sienna doubted it. This was Carlo's own ego that had led to this, and in that she knew she should have figured it out years ago. He kept his blue-gray eyes trained on her, Arianne's eyes.
"Is Robin safe?" Carlo asked. The past loomed between them. It should have strengthened their bond, but instead it was a chasm that could not be crossed. There was one too many ghosts between them now.
"Maria's child is safe."
His eyes flickered for a moment at the mention of her name.
Sienna continued, "Of Administrator Zaizen we have no word yet."
"I'm sure he had his own procedures set in place. I don't think it will be the last we hear of him."
"Unfortunately no… and he has contacts in places even Solomon cannot reach."
"When the time comes, you will be able to handle it."
She noted the choice of words. Her brother had never been the fool. Ambitious, ruthless, but never a fool.
It would not do, to pretend otherwise and she asked him, finally, "Why did you do it?"
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and when he looked at her again, there was chaos in them. "You do not know what it is like to desire power. I have been the least of all the Lucas witches in three generations, Sienna. My own son has powers that surpass mine."
"And that warranted our father's death?" She asked. Would she ever forget this conversation, even if she lived twice as many years as Abigail?
"I fear he would have lived forever." And there was that in his voice. Fear. Frustration. Envy.
"It would have come in time," but it sounded untrue as it came out of her mouth. Had Roman died of natural causes he would have assured her ascension, his favorite child. "Why did you do it, Carlo? He loved you so much."
"Ah… yes, but he wanted you to take over, Sienna. And that was unacceptable."
"So unacceptable that you killed him?" Her face pale, lightening flashed in the window as it sparked in the night sky.
"Sienna… Power has always come to you, how could you understand?" He stood, his smile so like Roman's it made her look away. "And he was the fool for letting the Grand Counsel direct him. He brought this organization out of the dark ages and he listened to witches who still lived by an ancient code.
"I understood then that what I did would cost me everything if ever anyone found out. I did not think that they would have sent you to do their bidding."
She took a deep breath then answered, "It was my decision, Carlo. There has been enough blood on the hands of innocents."
"Innocent? The Grand Counsel is bloody with guilt, Sienna. You know that."
"Yes, but in the death of our father, in the killing of innocent witches, in the way you have taken Solomon in the opposite direction of our family's legacy – opposite what the Fifteen Families desired… in that you are the only one to blame, Carlo."
He kneeled in front of her seat, his hands finding the side of her face, "Will you be his avenging angel, sweet, sweet Sienna?"
Carefully, he turned her head so that she was made to look at the large portrait above the fireplace of Roman Lucas, sitting in contemplation. A brass plaque underneath it said, Beloved Father and Leader.
A tear fell from her eyes and she cursed the weakness. "Why didn't you kill me, too, since I stood in your way?"
If he had meant her dead, she would have died with Roman, she understood that… but she did not know why he had saved her. And so she craned her neck up towards him – one last time. He placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered close to her ear, "Because, Sienna… who else will lead after me?"
"Carlo…"
"Shh… I did what I thought I had to do all those years ago, though you hate me for it. Does your mother know – did my mother know?" He placed his hand behind her head and their eyes met. Arianne's eyes, Roman's eyes, the color of the darkening sky – the only ones of his children who had inherited it, linking them again in another way.
"No, as far as I know, Aiko never knew. I would never have told her and I have not told Amara… They loved you, too."
He understood that. Frowning he pulled away from her leaning back on his ankles and asked, "Are you strong enough to do this?"
She nodded, swallowing hard.
"I have been waiting for a long time to pay my dues, Sienna. Father haunts me, requires my presence next to him… perhaps in the next life, he will forgive me. Even if you will not."
She understood that. That he had orchestrated even this… he had allowed Terri to scrye him. And her brother was no fool.
He nodded, at her unspoken question and placed a kiss on her cheek, "I think he cursed me before he died… and it has been eating at me ever since. Do what you must, to right our wrongs, mine… and Roman's."
He squeezed her hand, and when he pulled away from her face his eyes gave her permission. Had they not she did not knowif she would have run. She was strong in all things, and had killed her share of people… but this was Carlo.
He killed our father. Henri's voice full of pain and betrayal after she had told him the truth of almost all of it. Henri's summer-blue eyes had shown no remorse when she had said she had permission from the counsel to avenge Roman's death. So be it, Sienna. If you cannot do it, I will.
And she would spare Henri this pain. It was for her to carry out, her blood price for ascension.
"I love you, Carlo," she whispered as her Craft swelled inside of her and she directed itat him, feeling the steady beats of his heart under their joined hands… even in this he had no fear. Slowly, she squeezed until his heart burst and it was she who still cried in the end.
A/N Thanks for the kind reviews. It's 1:15 am here, so if any one sees any glaring discrepancies, please email them to me and I'll make the changes.