Retribution (35 page)

“Who?”

“Nevyn, Brynton, Caitlyn and Maeveen. Oh, and you met Dion, the witch who works the front desk at Karena's inn. She's Nevyn and Maeveen's aunt.”
 

He headed for the front door, and Layla swallowed as she looked away. “I see.”

“What's wrong, love?”

“Nothing.”

“Hmm...” He paused in the entryway and searched her aura. “Why are you lying to me?”

Her mouth fell open. “I… I...”

As Quin watched her eyes moisten, it felt like a blade punctured his chest and drained it of everything that mattered. “Hey,” he whispered, touching her trembling pout. “What’s that about?”

As soon as she opened her mouth to answer, a tear slipped free. “I didn’t mean to lie to you, Quin. I’m sorry.”

He sighed then kissed away the moisture. “Don’t apologize, angel. It’s not like it was a big lie, and I’m not mad, but I don’t want you to hide your feelings from me. I want to know them, good or bad, and I'll never judge you or think less of you. It will only make me love you more.”

“But I didn’t tell you because I don't know. I don't understand why I got all weird when you told me who was out there. It doesn't make any sense, so how am I supposed to explain it to you? That's why I said nothing.”

“Okay,” he soothed. “I understand, but not knowing why you're feeling the way you are doesn't mean everything's okay. Something's wrong. Let's stop pretending otherwise and figure it out, so we can fix it.”

She gave a nod, and he carried her to the sofa, carefully looking her over as he sat. “Our company makes you uneasy. I want to know why.”

She didn’t offer any suggestions, so he slid his hands under her skirt and softly squeezed her thighs. “Are you still worried about my relationship with Caitlyn?”

Layla quickly shook her head no, but didn't say anything.

“Are you sure about that?” he pressed, firmly holding her gaze.

“I'm sure, Quin. It's obvious she's not obsessed or crazy, and I know I'm the woman you want, so it's not like I'm jealous of her.”

“I'm relieved to hear that, because if jealousy was the issue, my heart and confidence would undoubtedly take a hit.”

She puckered. “No, Quin. I know you're in love with me and no one else, and if for some reason I ever forget, all I'll have to do is look at you to be reminded.”

“That's right, and if there ever comes a time when I'm not showing you how much I love you, I want you to slap me straight.”

“That will never happen.”

“I'm confident you're right. So, if it's not Caitlyn, is it Maeveen?”

“Not really. I guess it's just the thought of them looking at me and judging me and talking about me behind my back.”

“What makes you think they'll do that?”

“I don't
think
, I know. First of all, Maeveen's a gossip, and second of all, they've done it before.”

“What do you mean? When?”

“While you were playing hockey.”

His hands flexed around her thighs as an unexpected rush of anger washed over him. “What did they say?”

“It's not a big deal, Quin.”

“Please tell me, Layla.”

She sighed then looked down, fidgeting with her dress as she answered. “Well, while you were playing, those other two witches showed up – Meckenzie and Dahlia – and Meckenzie asked Caitlyn about me. Then they spent the next thirty minutes debating whether or not I’d be around longer than a month and trying to figure out how I was managing to keep my claws in you when no one else could.”

“Why didn't you tell me this before?”

“Because it's not a big deal. It's not like they said anything mean.”

“It was rude.”

“A little, but not that bad. Meckenzie was the only one who seemed spiteful.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because she was the one who was sure I don't have what it takes to keep you. She kept accusing Caitlyn of exaggerating things, and when she finally came over to talk
to
me instead of about me, she didn't even return my greeting. She just started asking questions she'd already heard the answers to, and she seemed intent on finding out how long I’d be around. It was pretty obvious she would have been delighted to hear me say I'd be leaving soon.”

“You're not going anywhere.”

“I know.”

He ran a hand down his face, hating that people he considered friends made his angel feel ostracized and insecure. “Okay,” he finally said, moving his palm to her cheek. “First of all, Meckenzie can be a snob and was probably intimidated by you, so I want you to disregard everything she said or will ever say to you or about you. Her opinion means nothing to me or anyone else in this family. We're not as close to her coven as we are the two that are here today, so she isn't someone who’ll be hanging around all the time.”

“I'm not worried about her, Quin.”

“Good, because there's no reason to be. Now, as for our company, they're really great people, even Caitlyn and Maeveen. Yes, Maeveen's obviously a gossip, but I can tell you with certainty her heart's in the right place, and the same goes for Caitlyn. They’d do anything for their family and friends, and neither of them would be malicious toward you or anyone else.” He paused and leaned closer, touching his forehead to hers while running his fingers into her hair. “I'll be honest with you, Layla. When we go out there, everyone will stare at you, but only because you're so beautiful. You and your lights are beyond pleasing to the eye, and I can't blame anyone for wanting to look. And the other covens are going to make judgments about you, but only because they're human and curious and they've never seen anything like you before. And I have no doubt they'll talk about you, because a person doesn't witness a miracle then never speak of it again. They'll do all those things, but I can promise you this, everyone out there will accept you. They'll hold you in the same regard they hold me, and if they fail to treat you kindly, they'll leave and not return. You're here to stay; you're as much a part of this coven as I am, so you'll be treated with respect, or the guilty party will be dealt with by the entire family.”

She gave a little nod. “I know.”

“Good. So tell me, are your nerves the only reason you’re hesitant to go out there? Or is there something going on I'm not aware of?”

“There's nothing going on. It's just the embarrassment of sitting there while everyone's looking at me and talking about me, but I'll be fine. I promise.”

“Okay, but if there's anything I can do to make it easier, please let me know.”

“You already make things easier, Quin, all the time. I wish you’d realize that, because you don't give yourself enough credit.”

He grinned and laid a hand over her heart. “Are you kidding? When I make you smile, or satisfy even the smallest of your needs, my ego shoots through the roof. It gives me a huge rush of accomplishment to please you. That’s why I'm always looking for ways to keep you happy. When I'm feeding you, I'm feeding my ego.”

She smiled and mischievously wrinkled her nose. “Ahh... so there's the motive. This whole time I've been wondering why you treat me so well; now I know. It's all about
you
.”

He laughed as he nuzzled through her hair and softly bit her neck, making her scrunch her shoulders and giggle. “That's more accurate than you think, angel. I'm a selfish man. Now…” He leaned back and looked her over. “…let’s suck in our lights and go hunt down some of Cinnia’s coffee.”

“That suggestion’s half hell, half heavenly.”

Nevertheless, she sucked in her lights, and he followed suit while carrying her across the room. “It's getting easier, right?”

“Easier to keep our lights hidden?” she incredulously returned.

“No,” he answered, making sure her skirt covered her backside as he opened the door. “Easier to go through the process of telling people who you are.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess. The first time's always the hardest, though. That's true with almost everything.”

They both looked toward the lawn, finding more than fifty pairs of eyes staring, and Layla blushed as she turned her head. Quin faced her away from everyone and lifted her chin, forcing her gaze to his. Her breathing was sporadic, and her pulse was rapid, yet she seemed oblivious to the fact that she was about to hyperventilate. “They're not all looking anymore,” he assured. “You just glanced up at the wrong time.”

“Oh,” she mumbled, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

He let her stay there while her heart and breathing calmed, and when she raised her head, he was happy to find a more confident expression.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered. “I need my coffee.”

He lowered her feet to the porch. Then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing her head as they walked down the stairs.

Halfway to the breakfast table, their trek was interrupted by Brynton, Nevyn, Kegan and Weylin.

Brynton and Nevyn scanned Layla from head to toe, returning the warmth to her cheeks, but then Weylin eased her embarrassment with a smile and a wink. “Hey, gorgeous.”

“Good morning, Wey,” she returned, compelled to smile back. Then she offered the others a little wave before shrinking into Quin’s side.

“What's up, Quin?” Brynton asked. “Wey and Keg aren’t giving anything away, and your coven’s keeping their lips sealed. Where's your aura?”

“Concealed,” Quin answered, “but I'll be letting it go in a bit, so don't get worked up over it.”

“Hmm...” Nevyn hummed. “I'm not sure I've ever seen you without it.”
 

“What's going on, Quin?” Caitlyn asked, approaching with Maeveen.
 

As everyone looked at them, Layla turned away from Quin’s friends and raised a hand to his heart. “I'm going to go get us some coffee. Meet me there?”

He picked her up and nuzzled her neck. Then he whispered in her ear. “I won't be long.”

He lowered her feet to the ground, and she gave his friends another wave before walking away, but part of her stayed behind. She was suddenly half the woman she’d been a moment before, the distance cutting deeper than expected, and she ached to go back. Her legs actually shook with the urge. But turning around would be embarrassing as well as needy, so she straightened her shoulders and kept walking.

Quin watched her go until Brynton brought his attention around. “What's going on, man? Why has everybody been called here? And why is your aura gone? This whole situation is bizarre.”

“Everyone in your family has the same questions,” Quin returned, “and I’d rather answer them all at once, so you'll have to deal with my refusal for now. I need coffee before I dive into an explanation.”

Weylin and Kegan laughed as the others slouched, but no one argued, and Brynton's disappointment lasted about three seconds before he smiled and rubbed his hands together. “Intrigue and mystery. What a way to start a Saturday. I like it.”

Quin laughed at Brynton’s enthusiasm, but then he sobered when Caitlyn and Maeveen started to turn away. “Just a minute, you two.”

They turned back, and Quin glanced at Layla, finding her waist-length spirals. “Beat it, guys,” he told the wizards. Then he waited for them to obey before looking between Caitlyn and Maeveen. “Layla overheard your conversation with Meckenzie Monday.”

They both blushed, and Maeveen got defensive. “What did she do, tattle?”

The mild insult heated Quin’s blood, but he was quick to rein the anger in. “No, Maeveen, she didn't tattle. I didn't find out about it until ten minutes ago when I yanked it out of her.”

“Oh,” Maeveen mumbled.

“We didn't say anything bad about her,” Caitlyn interjected.

“I know,” Quin assured. “She made a point of telling me that. But you know very little about her, which means you shouldn't be talking about her, and if you did know more, you’d never treat her that way. I know she's new around here, but she's as much a part of this family as anyone else, so you should give her the same consideration you give the rest of us. I don't believe for one second you’d sit a few yards away from Bri and hold a gossip session about her, so you shouldn't do it to Layla either.”

Their lungs deflated as they dropped their heads. “You're right,” Caitlyn conceded. “That was rude of us. I'm sorry.”

“I don't need your apology, and neither does Layla, so don't give her one. Just treat her like you do the rest of us and we won’t have any problems. You’d really like her if you got to know her. She has a heart of gold and she shows it off all the time. Just watch, you'll see it before you leave this lawn.”

Caitlyn nodded, and Quin glanced at her aura, sighing as he reached for a faded wisp of blue – proof of her lingering sadness over the way he ended it. “Guess it's my turn to apologize.”

She furrowed her eyebrows at his hand. Then she realized what he was seeing and blushed. Looking away, she gave a shrug, but she didn’t say anything.

Her silence was loud enough to tell him he’d handled the situation poorly. “I'm sorry, Cait. To this day I don't know if I should have told you about Layla when I ended things with you. I'm not sure if it would have made things better or worse, and that's why I didn't mention it. I was in a position I've never been in before, and I didn't know the protocol. If I made it worse, I'm sorry, and I hope you'll forgive my ignorance so things can go back to the way they've been for the past twenty-one years.”