Retribution (42 page)

Quin stayed by her side, meeting most of them for the first time as well, and he didn't greet his own family until Layla was free to accompany him. She was much quieter through this point in the afternoon. The touch of his relatives didn't provide the instant ease and openness supplied by her own family's touch, but she managed to keep her blush light, and she didn't stutter once. Not that it was hard. His family made it easy. They were as wonderful as Cordelia and treated Layla with impeccable politeness and kindness, never once making her uncomfortable or putting her on the spot.

Around three, Quin pulled Layla away from the crowd and led her to the buffet table. “Your stomach's been growling for twenty minutes,” he said, summoning two plates. “I can’t take it anymore.” He hovered the dishes out in front of them then began walking along the table, magically filling both plates.

“What are you doing?” she protested. “I can't eat all that.”

“Try. We have a lot to do, and I don't want to waste our free time eating and sleeping. You need all the fuel you can get when you can get it.”

She hovered up until her eyes were level with his. Then she flashed a mischievous smile and stuffed a raspberry in his mouth. “Are you worried I can't keep up?”

He grinned and pulled her into a hug. “No, because I'm going to make sure you stay nourished.” After swallowing the fruit, he pulled her into a deep kiss. Then he licked her lips and lowered her feet to the ground. “Now make a happy plate, love,” he teased, holding her steady while she found her equilibrium, “so you can have your dessert later.”

She grinned as she grabbed her plate and the glass of wine he’d summoned. “Ha. Like you’d deny me my dessert whether I touched this food or not. I'll believe that when I see it.”

He took his wine from the air, but left his plate floating so he could keep one arm around her as they headed for the circle of chairs. “Are you challenging me, Layla?”

“You wouldn't,” she countered, narrowing her eyes on him.

He laughed as he threw her a sideways glance. “You're right.”

“Told you,” she returned, smugly tilting her chin.

“I like that,” he approved.

“What?” she asked. “My arrogance?”

“I wouldn't call it that, because calling you arrogant would be like calling me short. But you’re pretty confident I can't resist you, and not only is that a turn-on, it's the truth, and it's something I want you to be aware of at all times.”

They sat then began eating while continuing their racy conversation. “So if I told you to take me inside right now,” she said, “you’d do it?”

“Yes,” he answered. “Shall I prove it?”

“Hmm... What if I said I wanted to stay inside the rest of the day and all night?”

His chewing paused as he contemplated this. Then he gave a nod and went back to his meal. “Yes. If that's really what you want, that's what we'll do.”

She'd watched his expression and aura as he found his answer, and her heart swelled as her veins warmed. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He shook his head as he swept a forefinger across her lips. “No, love. Don't thank me for that. If that's where you want to be, it's exactly where I want to be. All you have to do is say the word and I'll prove that to you.”

She grabbed his hand before he could pull it away. Then she kissed his fingertip. “I believe you, and your offer is extremely tempting, but let's get some work done. Then we'll play.”

“If that's what my angel wants,” he agreed.

She laughed as she released his hand. “I'm surprised you haven't bought me a pony yet, Quin. Every spoiled girl gets a pony, right?”

“Do you want one?” he asked.

Her smile fell. “No. It was a joke.”

He quietly laughed while taking another bite. “I know.”

She playfully pinched his arm as her smile returned. “You and your funny tricks.”

He watched her take a drink of wine. Then he leaned in and licked her lips. “I happen to know my angel loves my tricks.”

She greedily sucked his whisper into her lungs, her heart stuttering his name. “I love everything about you, Quin. Now stop tempting me, or I'm going to bite.”

After one more lick, he moved away. “Like I said, just say the word, and I'll take care of the rest.”

She smiled as she took another bite, knowing he spoke the truth, but she had no intention of taking advantage. Not because she didn't want to, but because there were so many reasons not to. The lawn was full of people she loved and family she'd just met, and it buzzed with plans to save her life. Leaving the scene would feel wrong, and the guilt would keep her from getting lost in her heaven, so they stayed on the lawn, taking advantage of their gathered loved ones and participating in group discussions about the challenge ahead of them.

An assortment of strategies were considered, scrapped or combined with others, all in an attempt to find the safest plan of action for their well-intentioned yet inexperienced army. Those who weren't concentrating on the fight to come were catching up with the family members they hadn't seen in a while, spending time with the family members they saw every day, or in Layla's case, getting acquainted with the family members she never knew about and may never see again.

Quin spent the afternoon divided, devoting part of his attention to Layla while the other half tuned into plans to keep their freedom. When Layla said she wanted to go play with Shaylee and Alana, he easily agreed, but when she headed for the littlest angels on the lawn, he followed, and so did everyone he was speaking with. They continued their discussion as they walked, and Layla curiously watched them, confused by their actions. But when she made it to the baby girls and sat, she knew exactly what was going on, because everyone else sat as well. Her cheeks flamed as she scowled at Quin. He'd made seven people switch chairs just so he could stay beside her while she played with the babies.

Quin seemed wholly absorbed in his conversation, but the moment Layla narrowed her eyes on him, he turned away from his great-grandpa and met her stare.

'
Don't do that,
' she mentally demanded.

But he didn’t respond, which told her he had no plans to yield, so she didn’t give him the opportunity to repeat the embarrassing scene and stayed put throughout the rest of his conversation.

Quin felt a little guilty he’d upset her, but he was fine with the new arrangement and would prove himself the most selfish man on earth if that's what it took to stay by her side. His own likability meant nothing as far as anyone besides her was concerned. She was his angel, and when it came to the deepest chambers of his heart, she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

Chapter 30

Over a hundred magicians inhabited the clearing by dinner time, so the food was once again served on a buffet. Layla and Quin found seats between his grandma and Daleen, and he stayed quiet and thoughtful as he hurried through his meal. Layla noticed his rush and sped her own meal along, but he beat her anyway, vanishing his dishes before she was halfway done.
 

She looked at him in confusion, and he kissed her cheek. “Eat. I'll be right back.”

“Where are you going?” she asked, sitting up straight.

He pointed at Kemble, who sat three chairs away. “To talk to Caitrin and my dad.”
 

Layla relaxed and took a bite. “Okay.” After watching him walk away, she shifted her attention to Daleen, who was looking at her with a sweet smile.

Layla swallowed her food and grinned. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Daleen returned, her voice warm and peaceful.

“That was quite the surprise you guys sprang on me,” Layla noted, motioning to the extended family.

Daleen’s aura pulsed and brightened as her smile widened. “I hope we didn't put too much pressure on you.”

“I was nervous at first, but the blood connection made it easy to relax around everyone.”

Daleen's eyes grew shiny as she squeezed Layla’s knee. “I'm glad you got to meet them. It means a lot to them, and it means even more to your grandpa and me.”

“I'm glad, too,” Layla agreed, laying her hand over Daleen's. “I've known from the beginning how difficult it must have been for you to move here, but now that I see how wonderful everyone is, I appreciate your decision even more.”

“This is where we want to be, darling.”

“I know. That’s what makes it so special. You made that sacrifice because you love me, and I’m so glad I’ve had this time with you. I’ve always wanted grandparents, but you’re even better than I imagined.”

Daleen turned her face into her free hand as she quietly sobbed, and Serafin summoned a silk handkerchief while wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Layla’s eyes widened as she squeezed her grandma’s hand.
 
“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you that while you're trying to eat.”

Daleen shook her head and cleaned her face. “No, darling, please don’t apologize. Those words were beautiful, and I'm so happy you said them. They kissed my heart, and it's always the right time for that.”

“I'll be replaying them in my head for the next several hours,” Serafin added.

“Oh,” Layla sighed. Then she shrugged and smiled. “I just wanted you to know.”

“And for that,” Daleen replied, leaning in to kiss Layla’s cheek, “I'm grateful.” She leaned back and took a bite, scanning the air around Layla as she chewed. “You’re a shiny star, my darling.”

“Then what does that make you?”

“A small piece of something quite amazing.”

“Well something can't be whole without its parts.”

Another tear rolled from the corner of Daleen's eye, and Serafin caught it, but neither of them said anything as they continued eating. Their auras said more than enough.

Quin immediately noticed them upon his return. “I see my angel’s been touching hearts.”

“Always,” Serafin confirmed, and Daleen nodded her agreement.

Layla’s cheeks warmed as she dropped her gaze, but when her plate disappeared, she looked at Quin, who remained standing as he held out her wine. “Drink up,” he instructed.

She raised an eyebrow at him, but obeyed, and as soon as she'd drained the cup, it vanished. Magic grasped her body and lifted her from the chair, and Quin laughed at her shock as he caught her in a hug.

“I'm going to steal the angel for a while,” he told her grandparents. Then he carried her away, leaving the crowded lawn behind.

He didn't head for the house like Layla thought he would, and when they neared the tree line, curiosity got the best of her. “Where are we going?”

“It's a surprise.”

“I love your surprises. But do you think it's a good idea to be sweeping me away right now?”

“Yes.”

They reached the cover of tall firs, and he tightened his hold on her as he leaned back, hovering a few feet above the forest floor. “Are you comfortable?” he asked, floating further into the timber.

“Of course,” she returned, letting him bear her weight.

“Good.” He kissed her curls then tilted his head back, double-checking his path. “Even though I think this is a fine idea, we're limited on time. We need to be back in an hour and a half.”

She raised her eyebrows while kissing his heart. “I can think of a lot of things we can do in an hour and a half.”

“Mmm... me, too, but believe it or not, I have a destination in mind, and we'll be there soon. We’re not leaving the property.”

Her lips trailed to his neck, murmuring between kisses and licks. “Oh yeah?”

“Yes,” he confirmed, losing his fingers in her hair.

“Okay. Let me know when to look.”
 

After a few more minutes of bliss, he slowed down and leaned his head back. “Are your eyes closed?”

“Mm-hm.”

He floated on for several more seconds. Then she felt him halt. “Okay,” he allowed, “look up.”

She gave his throat one more suck before raising her head, and her mouth fell open as her eyes widened. “Wow.”

They hovered on the edge of an oval clearing at least double the size of their lawn, and there was so much to see, Layla struggled to decide which way to look. On the left end of the glade stood a barn as big as any she’d laid eyes on – an impressive feat considering she traveled Oklahoma's rural highways for twenty-one years. But this wasn’t just a big red barn; it was made of polished granite that shone like a dark ocean, the cloudy moonlight catching every angle, and it was surrounded by a white wooden fence that looked like it had been painted yesterday. Another large enclosure connected to the first fence, holding in a variety of animals, and a much smaller pen connected to the second, housing chickens.
 

On the opposite side of the clearing, Layla found a huge garden – dozens of rows of plants overloaded with an array of fruits and vegetables. It was so big, it continued into the forest, mingling with tree trunks, moss and ferns, and it somehow looked right at home.

Next to the garden, and also stretching into the firs, was an orderly grove. By the variances in the sizes and shapes of the trees, Layla knew they held an impressive variety of fruit, and she also knew the miracle plants had been touched by magic. Tending a garden wasn’t on her list of talents, but she'd paid enough attention in school to know most of the vegetation she was seeing needed abundant sunlight, a different season, and an entirely different climate.