Retribution (25 page)

“But you were showing me long before that, and you do it with more beauty and grace than any story could portray.”

“I love you, Quin.”

“I know.”

“I know you know, but I have to make up for lost time.” She flashed a grin as her eyes twinkled. “I love you.”

He smiled and tightened his hug. “You don't have to make up for anything.”

“I do. I love you.”

He laughed and nuzzled her nose. “Are you going to start saying that at the end of all your sentences?”

“I could… I love you. Maybe I'll use it in place of a period… I love you. Every time you hear me say it, consider it a pause… I love you.”

He laughed again, reveling in her playful spirit. “I think that might get confusing if other people are trying to follow what you're saying.”

“Good point. Guess I'll have to get in as many as I can while we're alone.” She took a deep breath then let it out, saying
I love you
over and over again until she needed to draw another breath. Then she repeated the process.

He watched her vivacious determination, committing every detail of the carefree moment to memory, and when she paused to inhale again, he interrupted her game by tickling her ribs.

“Hey,” she squealed, wiggling and tilting her head.

He dove for her neck, his hands coming to a rest on her sides, and as his lips found her pulse, they both stilled, listening to each other breathe as their hearts beat in sync.

“I love you, Layla,” he whispered, and she tickled his scalp with a sweet sigh.

“I love you, too, Quin.”

Chapter 16

Around dinnertime, Layla and Quin left their blissful bubble and walked onto the lawn, finding everyone seated at the dinner table. The entire coven was there, except for Lann, who was keeping an eye on Agro’s camp. Weylin, Kegan and the five guests from out of town were also present, and everyone had just begun to eat.
 

They looked up as Layla and Quin approached, and Layla's heart squeezed at the sight of her grandparents' expressions and auras. They were worried sick about her, and she wasn't doing enough to reassure them. Walking to each of them in turn, she wrapped her arms around their shoulders and kissed their heads, and they noticeably cheered up, giving her heart a reprieve.

Quin held her chair out as he waited for her to finish. Then they took their seats between Morrigan and Cordelia. Everyone went back to their meals, and Quin filled his and Layla’s plates as she studied the surrounding faces and auras.
 

Everyone was remarkably subdued and remained that way through the first half of dinner, barely speaking and using low voices when they did. The silence depressed Layla, the weight of it adding layers to her guilt. Not one time had she known her family to go so long without saying a positive word, let alone without saying anything at all, and as she watched their faces, she wondered if they kept quiet due to despair, or if they were walking on eggshells because she was an emotional train wreck.

She glanced at Quin, who seemed calm and contemplative as he ate. Then another thought struck Layla, and her throat swelled as she searched everyone's auras. Maybe they were mad at her for taking off from the glacier only an hour and a half after getting there. Maybe they thought she'd been rude, and that she should acknowledge her lack of consideration and apologize for her ridiculous emotional outburst.

With a great deal of effort, she swallowed the bite she'd been chewing. Then she tried to strengthen her nerve while taking three large drinks of wine. Once the goblet was back on the table, she looked up and cleared her throat. “I'm sorry I took off like that earlier.” It was the loudest anyone had spoken since she’d sat down. “That was rude of me to leave everyone standing there with no reason to stay. I'm sorry I didn't take that into consideration.”

Quin stared at her with wide eyes, his chewing on hold. Then he scowled and swallowed. “Why are you apologizing?”

She straightened her shoulders and scowled back. “Because it's the polite thing to do when you make a rude exit.”

“Nobody here thinks you were rude, and if by some chance they do, they can take it up with me, because I'm the one who carried you out of there. And if they're mad at me, they can piss off, because I'm not apologizing.”
 

He took a bite, and Layla watched him with her mouth hanging open.

After swallowing, he raised his eyebrows at her. “What?”

“That was rude,” she pointed out, stunned by his behavior. Usually he was an exemplar of politeness, especially around his family.

He grinned and stabbed another bite. “Were you offended?”

“Well, no, I guess not, but they might have been.”

He looked around the table. “Did I offend someone?”

A few people mumbled
no
while others shook their heads or waved a dismissive hand. Then Weylin set his fork down with a noisy clang, a mischievous glimmer in his sea-green eyes. “As a matter of fact,” he objected, elbowing Banning in the side, “you did offend me. Bann, too. He just told me so.”

Quin laughed and took a bite. “So what do you want, Wey? An apology?”

“Hell, yeah, I want an apology.”
 

“And if I don't give it to you? Will Bann whip me into shape?”

Several people laughed, and Layla raised an eyebrow at Quin’s feistiness.

Weylin slapped Banning’s back while taking a heaping bite of mashed potatoes. “Go for it, kid. Show Quin what happens when he forgets his manners.”

“You must think I'm an idiot,” Banning refused. “Quin would tie me in a knot.”

Quin pointed his fork at Banning. “Smart kid. You should take a lesson from him, Wey.”

Weylin’s eyes narrowed, and Quin set his fork down while pulling his arm from around Layla’s shoulders. Flashing her a wink, he scooted his chair back. Then he turned his ornery dimples on Weylin. “You could use some more common sense. You're about as clever as that plate you're scraping clean.”

Weylin impishly grinned. Then he soared over the table as Quin shot into the air. Their bodies collided with a loud crunch, and Layla jolted as they flew backward. She twisted in her chair, gasping as they hit the ground rolling. Then they both jumped to their feet, meeting each other's stare for a split second before moving into battle.

Layla clutched the back of her chair and started to rise, but Morrigan’s palm came down on her shoulder, returning her to the seat. “Don't worry, sweetie. They'll be fine.”

Morrigan casually speared a bite, and Layla returned her incredulous gaze to the wrestling match, wondering how Quin could possibly equal Weylin in a physical battle, a question soon answered. Speed… sexy and shirtless speed. With athletic grace and extraordinary reflexes, Quin stayed a step ahead of Weylin, anticipating every move before it could be executed. And Weylin was far from slow or clumsy. Considering his size, he was incredibly agile, and he probably would have looked damn sexy if he’d been shirtless, but after nearly five minutes of cat and mouse, he began wearing down, so Quin showed mercy and made his move. Dodging Weylin’s grab, Quin darted in and swept the giant’s legs out from under him while slamming his shoulder into his chest.

Layla gasped as Weylin’s back hit the ground, no doubt knocking the breath from his huge lungs and shooting pain through his massive body, but he didn’t express a hint of distress. Quin flew into the air, and Weylin immediately jumped to his feet, smiling as he shook his head.
 

Quin descended and landed next to his chair. “I don't know why you put yourself through this, Wey. You haven't defeated me in seven years.” He sat then wrapped a perfectly relaxed arm around Layla's tense shoulders.

Giving a defiant laugh, Weylin flew over the table and reclaimed his chair. “When it comes to backing down from a challenge or getting slammed to the ground, I choose getting slammed. At least I get practice that way. And that's a lesson you can take from me,” he added, jabbing Banning in the ribs. “If you back down once, you'll back down again. Then you'll find yourself backing down every time. You'll never know if you can win, because you've doomed yourself to lose.”

“Point taken,” Banning conceded, “but you’re forgetting something.”

“What's that?” Weylin asked, picking up his steak with his fingers.

“I've known Quin my entire life,” Banning explained, “and I've watched him slam you, the biggest wizard I know, to the ground on numerous occasions. I can't beat him. It's a fact, so even though I love a good concussion and a broken rib or two, I'll leave the challenges with Quin up to you, because you can't seem to get enough of them.”

Quin laughed and nodded. “Like I said, smart kid.”

“Well it doesn't take a genius to figure it out,” Brietta cut in. “I mean, really, Wey, you're the only one who can't get it through your head.”

Kegan laughed, and Weylin looked at him. “You think Bri's funny?”

“I know she is,” Kegan answered, “and she's right. I gave up on Quin's challenges six years ago, and I don’t understand why you continue to try.”

“Weylin has a lot of pride,” Brietta noted. “Even when Quin's stomping on it.”

“I think Weylin makes a good point,” Layla interjected.

Everyone looked at her, and their collective reaction made her blush, so she dropped her gaze and took a drink.

“Thanks, gorgeous,” Weylin returned. “I got the angel's vote. I win.”

An uncomfortable stretch of silence passed. Then Quin pulled Layla close and stroked her hot cheek. “So tell us, what should we take from Weylin's point?”

She swallowed then straightened, but she couldn't make herself look up. “Well, I'm not saying Weylin isn't pigheaded with a primordial and testosterone-driven urge to prove himself.” She threw Weylin an ornery grin, and he chuckled as he bit into his steak. “However,” she went on, “I think we can all draw inspiration from his determination, resilience and confidence. Those are admirable qualities. A person lacking any one of them will most likely face desperate times at one point or another.”

“Hear, hear,” Caitrin called, lifting his goblet, and the rest of the family and guests followed suit, chorusing their agreement and swigging their drinks.

Weylin drained his cup. Then he laughed as he looked at Layla. “Apparently I need you to interpret my points for me, gorgeous. Only when an angel speaks them do they make perfect sense.”
 

“I wouldn't say it made perfect sense,” she disagreed. “Bann's point made as much sense as yours. Why on earth would you volunteer to get slammed to the ground? All that determination, resilience and confidence is being wasted. You're putting them toward a pointless effort.”

“Hear, hear,” Banning proclaimed, smiling as he raised his goblet, and the family chimed their bold agreement.

Quin returned his glass to the table and summoned a chocolate chip cookie, passing it over to Layla. “You should have aspired to be a judge, my love. You seem to see both sides of a debate with crystal clear vision.”

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “Sounds like an awful job, drawing conclusions on people you don’t know, conclusions that might have a profound effect on multiple lives. I can’t imagine the stress, uncertainty and guilt. I understand judgment is a way to protect ourselves, but it's a flawed system.” Looking up, she realized every person at the table, right down to little Alana, was staring at her as she rambled on, and heat flooded her cheeks as she dropped her head. “Anyway,” she hurriedly concluded, “judgment is a necessary evil, and those who take on that burden put themselves in a position of life-altering power, essentially playing god. I don’t want any part of that.” Her stomach tightened as she fidgeted with her cookie, and because she was at loss of what to do, she forced a bite down her swollen throat. She felt like she was in the spotlight, giving a group of bored students a lecture on molecular biology, and she had to fight the urge to hide her face in Quin's neck.

“That was insightful,” he offered, running a hand down her hair.

“I think boring might be a better word,” she countered.

Several people laughed as their attention returned to their food, and Quin took Layla by the chin, forcing her to meet his stare. “No one thought that was boring,” he whispered. “You speak beautifully, and your words are lovely. It's a privilege to be your audience.”

“Thank you,” she replied, unconvinced his words applied to anyone besides him, but she appreciated them anyway.

He smiled and kissed her nose. Then he returned to his meal while she braved a glance at the others. Most of them had gone back to eating, but a few continued to stare. Cecelia watched her like she was the most intriguing thing that had ever lived, and Dallas studied her aura, obviously doing a little judging of his own. When she made eye contact with him, he smiled, unconcerned by the fact that she caught him staring.

Utilizing another wave of confidence, Layla leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her knuckles. “I have to say, Dallas, and please don't take it the wrong way when I do, but I’m surprised you haven’t already called this a bad idea and left.”

The family looked at her with wide eyes, but Dallas merely leaned forward and smiled. “Well, dear, I know the situation seems dire at the moment, but a well devised and properly orchestrated plan can work miracles.” He paused, motioning between her and Quin. “Particularly when the conductors themselves are miracles. I won't call it hopeless when I haven't even heard how you intend to succeed.”