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

Dragon's Touch Series Book 1

The Tower of Sorrow

Chapter 5.

"Katarina..." Amelia sat on the edge of her friend's bed while Katarina lay face down in her pillow. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have told Vinny. I didn't think he would go crazy like that. I'm so sorry..."

Katarina shook her head then turned and looked at Amelia, "I'm not mad at you. It's just..." Suddenly she was sobbing again. Sitting up, she began wiping furiously at her eyes and Amelia moved to rub her back affectionately. "It's just I don't know what to do. My whole family hates Luca now and I like him so much my chest hurts..."

Amelia looked sadly at her friend, "But, Kat, he practically assaulted you..."

"No!" Katarina yelled. "At first, I'd thought he was just being cruel, but he let me go. Right before I slapped him, he completely loosened his grip. I just know Luca wasn't ever going to hurt me then. I know he's really a good person. I just...I like him so much..." Katarina cried.

Amelia sighed, "Well, if you care for him that much, you can't give up can you?"

"Huh?" Katarina looked up and Amelia.

"I can't say I approve, especially not after how he treated you, but I'll support you. Go talk to him, tell him how you feel and make him explain what he did. I'll be rooting for you!" Amelia smiled.

Finally calming down, Katarina wiped her eyes and smiled, "Thank you, Amelia." Still uncertain, but hopeful with her friend's show of support, Katarina was finally able to calm down. The two spent the entire morning in their dorm, skipping their classes before Amelia left for the afternoon ones. Katarina decided to go back to the medical center but already Luca was gone. She made her way down to the Archives where she found him asleep on the window as usual.

She moved up to him quietly and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Luca?" He must have been extremely tired because he didn't react to her at all. This close, Katarina could see the bruising around his eye and the cut on his lip. Feeling weirdly brave, Katarina bent down and placed a feather-light kiss to that cut. When she pulled back, her eyes met Luca's clear green ones.

"Taking advantage of me, Katarina?" he asked calmly.

She blushed deep red, "It's… it's no worse than what you did."

Eyes widening in surprise, Luca let out a snort-like laugh, "No, I suppose not."

Katarina sat next to him on the plush seat and realized why he always slept there. It was very comfortable. It was long moments before she spoke again in a near whisper, "Why, Luca?"

Luca frowned and looked away from her, "Cuz I wanted to. That's all."

"I don't believe you. You can't even look me in the eye right now. Luca, I… I care about you."

Luca looked up at her with wide eyes, "Don't say that."

She blushed, "But it's the truth..."

"Are you stupid?" Luca asked angrily and grabbed her shoulders. "I hurt you yesterday. Don't you understand that? You should be staying as far away from me as possible, not caring for me. You're an idiot."

"I may be an idiot, but you're a jackass, Luca Orlem," Katarina said firmly. Luca looked surprised. "You keep playing these little games. First you're nice, then mean. You make me hate you, but love you at the same time. My heart can't take it," Katarina felt tears burning the backs of her eyes and she grabbed her chest. "It's going to burst because of you."

Luca reached out and caressed her cheek before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on her lips. After, he leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, "I hate myself for making you cry. Katarina, I..." he stopped himself and pulled away. "You should stay away from me, Katarina. I'll just end up hurting you again."

"I don't think so," Katarina said confidently. "You're not that type of person." She wiped her eyes and smiled at Luca. "No matter what you say, I'm staying with you."

Luca looked at her incredulously before smiling, "I never pegged you for the stubborn type, Kitten."

Katarina was so happy that he finally used a pet name with her, that she threw her arms around Luca in a hug. It took him a moment, but he eventually wrapped her up in his arms and held her gently against him. Turning her head, Katarina kissed Luca on the cheek. Luca pulled back and looked at her as her face turned red. Smiling, he held her face gently and kissed her. The soft way he held her made Katarina's toes curl. This was the real Luca. He was gentle and caring, even though he tried so hard to be the opposite of that. He could never fool Katarina and she would make sure he'd never lose himself in the facade he wore each day.

Luca and Katarina grew a little closer each day, but she could see that he was still fighting some inner battle. He would be the caring Luca she knew he was only in private. During class or if they were around other people, he would revert back to the spoiled, selfish person he pretended to be. He would even try avoiding her sometimes, walking in a different direction if he saw her in the hall. Katarina had been the one to suggest they keep their relationship quiet until her brothers calmed down, but this seemed a little over the top to her. Amelia was the only one who knew and she promised not to tell anybody, including Vinny.

It was weeks later that she finally said something to him down in the archives, "I think my brothers would be okay with this if we told them."

Luca was leaning in the window seat with Katarina in his arms. He was playing with her hands, but stopped at her words, "I don't think we should tell anybody, yet."

Katarina frowned, "Why?"

Luca sighed, "I just, I don't know. I guess I'm just not ready to get my ass kicked again, that's all."

Katarina knew he wasn't being honest but nodded anyway, "Okay. If you don't want to..."

Luca sat them up and kissed her on the forehead, "Are you mad?"

"No..." Katarina pouted a little and looked away. "I just hate hiding things from my family."

"I know. I'm sorry," Leaning down, Luca kissed her. Katarina blushed and nodded, not wanting to argue. She would try again after some more time. They stayed together for another hour before Katarina said she needed to do her homework. Luca teased her for being a bookworm as usual and she called him lazy. Walking through the halls she heard someone call her name.

Turning around, she saw Professor Merkulova walking up behind her, "Good afternoon, Professor."

"Thank goodness I caught you. You left your history book in my classroom and I believe you'll need it for your assignment today," Merkulova smiled. "I left it in my office on the desk so no one would mistake it for theirs. It's unlocked so go right in."

"Oh, thank you so much. I hadn't realized I'd left it," she smiled. Merkulova waved and continued down the hall. Turning herself around, Katarina went to the professor's office. She really didn't remember leaving the book, but when she entered his office, it was sitting right there on the desk. Moving over to it, Raine began fluttering unhappily. "Raine?"

"Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Not sure. I have a bad feeling."

"Did you eat too much at lunch?" Katarina asked reaching for the book.

"It's not that." Raine jumped from her shoulder and shouted, "Don't touch that book!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. White hot heat shot through Katarina's fingertips to her entire body. Suddenly she was falling and her world went black.