“You, too,” I said honestly. “So don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you here? The both of you,” I added, with a hard glance toward Father Donnelly. He may have provided invaluable information in Rome, but that didn’t mean I trusted him.
Signora Micari smiled. “Ah, Katherine, I am happy to say that Father Corletti suggested I come work for you. Now that I no longer have my bed and breakfast, he thought I would like to work with the students again.”
I wanted to whoop with glee, but Allie already had done that, and she high-fived Eliza, who we’d originally met at that same B&B.
“Wait,” I said. “What do you mean you don’t have your bed and breakfast anymore?”
“Arson, I am afraid. As you might expect, there were some demons who were unhappy with the work we did.”
“I am so sorry.”
“As was I, but now it is all good. God provides, yes? And please. You and the students should call me Gabriela.”
I looked at Eric, who shook his head with a smile. “I don’t think we can,” he said. “You’ll always be Signora Micari to us.”
She laughed. “Very well.”
“I just saw Quiric,” I told her. “He has a new body now, obviously, but he wanted to let me know that the four of us can name drop if we’re ever in a battle with a black hat demon.”
“Well, that’s some good news at least,” Eric said. “Always good to limit the scope of our enemies.”
“I’m sure he would’ve wanted me to give you his regards,” I told Signora.
“It is good to know that he is corporeal once again. He might be a demon, but in many ways he was a good man. Certainly when our interests aligned,” she added, and we all laughed.
“How about you?” Eliza asked Father Donnelly. “It’s great to see you, but why are you here?” Unlike me, Eliza didn’t have a problem with the priest. He had been her only help when she’d been trying to both rescue her mother and destroy the key that could open the gate.
“Yeah. Why are you here?” Allie’s tone was less welcoming, considering what Father Donnelly had done to her father, and, ultimately, to her. I felt the same way. But he had been instrumental in Rome, providing us with historical information that had turned out to be crucial. So I was willing to cut him a little—very little—slack.
We all waited for him to answer, but it was Signora Micari who spoke as she stood. “I think it is best if I leave to go explore the kitchen. That is assuming you want me to stay?”
“Are you kidding? Of course we do.” I glanced to Eric for confirmation, but he just held up his hands as if in surrender.
“You know I do, but it’s your call, Kate. You’re the headmistress.”
I rolled my eyes, then turned back to the Signora. “Welcome toForza West, Signora. I’m thrilled that you’re here. Go check it out, tell us if there’s anything you need, and thank you.”
“I am so happy to be here,” she said, aiming a bright smile at all of us before leaving the room.
“Okay,” Allie said, once the signora left the room. She stared down Father Donnelly. “What’s going on?”
She stood tall and strong, her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and her mouth curved down in a scowl. My heart squeezed as I looked at her. She was taking charge, and I knew that as the years went by, she would be doing that more and more.
Father Donnelly nodded for us all to sit, and we did. But before he could start his explanation, there was something I needed to know. “How are we related?”
He sat back his eyes going wide. Clearly that was something he didn’t realize I knew.
“How did you learn of this?”
“Wait, what?” Allie said, and I shot her an apologetic glance.
“I saw some of my mother’s family’s genealogical records when Eliza was moving up here. Not much. Just the name Donnelly, but under the circumstances it made sense.”
He leaned back, his fingers steepled as he nodded.
“So it’s true? You’re related to a branch of the family that spins out to me, not just to Eliza?”
I had been holding onto the hope that Father Donnelly was related to Eliza on her paternal side, which would leave me without a hint of blood in common with the man. Apparently that wasn’t the case.
