Spoilers Ahead! This story follows the Luca Plotline, LOOSELY, and will contain spoilers.

Dragon's Touch Series Book 1

The Tower of Sorrow

Chapter 4.

Several days passed with no sign of Luca returning to class. Katarina was worried that she really was the cause of it and found herself completely unable to focus at all. Sighing, she resolved to find him after classes were done for the day.

As she was leaving, Merkulova stopped to ask her about Luca again. He seemed worried about Luca's health since he had missed so much school and wouldn't listen when she tried telling him he was just skipping as usual. Even Elias tried to explain he skipped more classes than he attended, but Merkulova was adamant about having Katarina check up on him.

"Luca?" Katarina called out as she entered the Archives and headed to the window. She had left Raine back at the dorm because the owl was so tired. She was so rarely without the familiar, it made her feel off and more timid than usual.

"Hey, Kitty Kat," Luca said from behind her.

Katarina jumped and spun around, "Luca, you scared me."

Luca shrugged and sat on top of the desk. He picked up a random book and pretended to look through it.

"So… um… Professor Merkulova was worried about you."

Luca looked up, "Oh? Was he now?"

"Yeah, he's been asking me about you a lot," Katarina glanced around the dusty room.

"So you talk to Merkulova a lot?" Luca's eyes narrowed.

"Not really. He just talks about you, mostly." Katarina pretended to be very interested in an old lamp.

"What do you mean?" Luca asked

Katarina shrugged, "He thinks you're sick but I told him you were just skipping. He wont believe it, though. He really wants you to come back to class."

"Yeah, I bet," he rolled his eyes as he dropped the book on the table.

"Luca," Katarina timidly glanced at him. "Do you not like the professor?"

"Not particularly," He answered slowly.

Katarina bit her lip, "To be fair, you haven't given him a chance. Maybe he's a nice person." She liked Merkulova. He was a good teacher.

"Y'know, I don't really wanna talk about the Professor," Luca slid off the table and walked up to Katarina. "I wanna know why it took you days to come find me, and why you're here now."

"W-what?" Katarina unconsciously stepped back and looked away from him.

Luca reached out and pulled out the elastic from her hair. Like that first time she came down here, he undid her braid and ran his long fingers through her hair.

"U-um… please stop..."

"You sound a little breathless, Kitten," Luca murmured in a low voice as he trailed a finger down her neck and across her shoulder. The sensation made her shiver noticeably and Luca smirked. "So why are you here?"

"I, um..." It was difficult for Katarina to form a sentence with Luca invading her personal space. "P-professor Merkulova asked me to..." Luca took another step toward her and moved one hand to the back of her neck. "W-what are you doing?"

"Come, on, Katarina. You came down here, alone, talking about another man. Of course I'm gonna get jealous."

"J-jealous?!" Katarina squeaked as Luca pulled her flush against him by her waist. "L-Luca?! Stop fooling a-around..." She pushed on his chest but Luca wrapped his arms around her.

"Who's fooling around? I'm completely serious," Luca leaned in and began kissing Katarina's neck.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Katarina gasped out, "St-stop."

"But I don't want to," Luca murmured before he continued on the other side of her neck.

"L-luca! Mmph!"

He silenced her by pressing his lips forcibly to her own. For a moment her mind went blank. Suddenly, she felt Luca's hand slide over her belly and up. Snapping out of her stupor, she manged to free herself and slap Luca hard enough across the face that his head snapped to the side. The sound practically echoed in the room, it had been so loud.

Tears spilling from her eyes, she whispered, "How could you?" then ran from the room.

Luca sighed and plopped down in a chair. He had to do it. To make her hate him, but he still loathed himself for it anyway.

Katarina finally managed to fall asleep after crying herself out in Amelia's arms. Tucking her friend into bed, Amelia moved to the desk and silently debated what to do next. Deciding she had to tell someone, she took out paper and scribbled a quick note before enchanting it to find the person she wanted to see. Tearing the paper, she watched it flutter out the window. If he got her message, he would meet her in the morning. For now, she got into bed and pulled the covers tight.

In the morning, Katarina looked awful but wouldn't listen when Amelia told her to skip class and rest. Amelia walked out with her and pretended she'd forgotten something in their room. Telling Katarina to go on ahead of her, she doubled back and went to the fountain behind the girl's dorm.

Vinny was already there. He smiled when he saw her coming, but it instantly turned into a frown. He moved up to her and gently tucked some hair behind her ear, "Amelia, what's wrong?" He had wondered what she wanted to meet with him about and had certain hopes, but at her distraught aura, he knew he'd been wrong.

"It's not me, Vinny. I didn't know what to do, so I called you. It's Kat."

"What happened?" He asked.

Katarina was sitting in her classroom, half numb, when Briella and Lucia burst into it. "Katarina! Are you alright?" They yelled before smothering her with hugs.

"What are you talking about?" Katarina asked quietly.

"Vinny told us everything. Don't worry, he and the boys are taking care of that slime," Briella said.

"What… do you mean?"

"I've never seen Vinny get this mad before," Lucia said. "He might just kill Luca."

"What?!" Katarina pushed her sisters off of her.

Just then another student poked his head in the room and said, "Hey, there's a huge fight in the east courtyard!"

Katarina immediately got up and ran to the courtyard, her sisters following and telling her not to. There was already a huge group of students that Katarina had to shove her way through to see what was happening.

"You son of a bitch!" Vinny yelled as he grabbed Luca by the collar. He punched Luca right in the face. Some of the students cheered as Luca stumbled back, spitting out blood. Tony and Lucio stood behind Vinny menacingly. Neither interfered, knowing a three-on-one was beneath them. They trusted Vinny to deal with it.

Luca put up his arms at Vinny's next strike, letting it hit his forearm with an audible snap. Luca winced at the pain and Vinny hit him in the stomach. Luca bent over and gasped for air. Grabbing Luca by the back of his neck, Vinny pulled back his hand. Luca knew this was going to hurt. Already his vision was blurring and he could hardly breathe.

"Vinny, stop!" All three Pagano brothers looked up at Katarina's shout. She was running towards them, but Tony grabbed her and held her back. She made eye-contact with Luca, but he looked away from her. She looked so sad even though he deserved this.

"Hold her," Vinny said to his twin before turning back to Luca. "If you ever go near my sister again, I'll fucking kill you." He pulled his arm further back before beginning to strike, but suddenly his arm stopped just before he connected with Luca's face.

"I believe that is enough, Mr. Pagano." The students moved away and made a path for Professor Dubois. When she made it to the fight she looked around, "All three Mr. Paganos it seems." Turning back to Vinny, she said, "Would you please release Mr. Orlem, now?" She flicked her wand and Vinny could move his arm again. Scoffing, he basically threw Luca on the ground.

"Well, now. I never expected this from the eldest Pagano brother," Headmaster Randolph said as he came through the crowd followed by Schuyler.

"I have my reasons," Vinny said holding eye contact with Randolph.

"I see. Anthony, why don't you let Miss Katarina go, and the three of you can come to my office. Professor Dubois, see that Mr. Orlem gets medical attention."

As soon as Tony released her, Katarina went to Luca. He wouldn't look at her, but she fussed over him anyway.

"Katarina," Vinny said commandingly.

"Just go!" She yelled at him. Vinny was shocked. She'd never yelled at him.

"Move it, Pagano," Schuyler said to him. He and Randolph led the three brothers away while some of the other professors dispersed the crowd.

Professor Dubois crouched down, "Come on, you two. Orlem needs a medic."

Katarina nodded and moved to help Luca but he shrugged her off. Getting up, Luca followed Dubois quietly. Katarina walked with them, head down.

Luca ended up having a fractured arm and two broken ribs, but with Dubois' incredible healing magic, she was able to mend the bones easily. Other than a wounded pride, Luca was mostly fine. Dubois left him in Katarina's care and headed back to her classroom.

"Why are you still here?" Luca asked from the bed, not looking at her.

Katarina began to cry, "I'm so sorry, Luca. This is all my fault. You're hurt because of my brother… I'm so sorry," she wiped furiously at her eyes but the tears just wouldn't stop.

Luca watched her and hated himself even more. "It's not your fault. I brought this on. You should, you should just go."

She sniffed and looked up at him, "L-luca?"

"Just go, Katarina, or I'll end up hurting you again. God, I'm such an idiot," Luca put a hand over his eyes and sighed. "Please, just leave me alone," Luca turned over in the bed and pulled the blankets up.

Katarina sat there for a moment longer before running out the door. She nearly smacked right into Merkulova as he entered.

"Miss Pagano, are you alright?" He asked grabbing her shoulders so she wouldn't fall.

"I-I'm fine," she ducked around him and left.

"What do you want?" Luca asked sitting up.

"Well, I just wanted to ask how you were feeling," Merkulova smiled at him as he took the seat Katarina had been in.

"I'm fine, now get out."

"Have you taken time to reconsider my proposition?"

"My answer is still screw you," Luca dripped hostility.

"Hm," Merkulova looked to the door. "Katarina seemed so upset when she left here. Are you two, fighting perhaps?"

Luca glared at the man, "Get out, or I reveal your little secret to everybody."

"Get well soon, Mr. Orlem," Merkulova said his name knowingly as he stood up and exited the room.

Luca glared as he left, unable to swallow the bad feeling rising in his throat.