The breath left him in one great whoosh, and he sat down next to her faster than he intended, looking as gobsmacked as he felt for once. He'd known about the curse for years, of course, but he'd tried not to dwell. Astoria was one of his closest friends, and Daphne was a good friend as well. He didn't want to think of them dying early, far before their times.
"Ah, bellissima," he breathed, and now his arm lifted so she could curl up against him. For once he wasn't certain just what to say. What was there to say? He knew if it were his sister, he'd be devastated.
"No, we can't let that happen," he said a bit more firmly, kicking his brain into gear. "Tell me, what are we looking at now?" The first of many questions. The reporter in him, he supposed. He needed the details now, so he could help her formulate and enact a plan of some sort.