Retribution (14 page)

In the corner, between the fireplace and window, stood a wooden table holding a large TV and a wide range of accessories.

“I forgot about that,” he mumbled.

“What do you mean you
forgot about that
?”

“I got it Sunday,” he explained, “before we bonded. You made me forget.”

“But I don't need a TV.”

“I know you don't
need
it, Layla.”

“Then why did you get it?”

“I told you – I want you to show me the things you enjoyed before moving here, and you can show your grandparents your home movies on it.”

“It's huge.”

“Not really. Besides, if you're going to watch TV, you might as well do it right.”

She sighed and met his stare. “Well thank you, but you didn't need to do that.”

“I have to be honest with you, Layla – this wasn't a sacrifice for me. I've been working for my parents for years, getting paid very well to do so, and I don't have anything to spend money on. No house, no car, no bills, my parents refuse to let me pitch in on overhead for the business, and the same goes for upkeep on their house. I don't even buy my own food most the time. I have plenty of money, love, so indulge me by letting me indulge you. Please.”

She smirked and narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion. “Do I have a new library as well?”

He took a measured breath. Then he looked away and headed for the front door.

“Quin!”

“What?”

“Did you really?”

“We have a lot of people waiting for us. Let's argue about this later.”

“You did! Where did you put it?”

“I'll show you when we get home.”

“I can't believe you, Quin. You really built me a library?”

He stopped at the door and found her eyes. “Yes. Well, kind of.”
 

“When?”

“Sunday.”

“But you were only gone a couple of hours.”

“Yes, and that's why it's not really accurate to say I built it. My mom and dad did most the work.”

“Oh my god, Quin. Your mom and dad built me a library?”

“No, they built
me
a library. I set the groundwork and told them what I wanted, and they did me a favor by putting it together. It was easy and only took them a few hours.”

“A few hours? Yeah right.”

“I swear. All the material was in our warehouse, and the furnishings and woodwork were things I'd already made. They just had to transfer everything and put it in the right spot, a task they were thrilled to see through. They’ve wanted to use the design for years, but I wouldn't sell it, because I made it with my own home in mind, so I’m sure they enjoyed putting it together. It's what they do. Dad builds it; mom fills it.”

“And what do you do?”

“I do it all.”

“Of course,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I can't believe you did this, Quin. You shouldn't have gone to all that trouble.”

“When we get done dealing with all this,” he replied, motioning toward the lawn, “we can come back here, take off that lovely dress you're wearing, and go sit in our library while you scold me for building it for you. I'll be okay with that.”

A smile twitched her lips, but she tried to hide it. “Fine. Prepare to be scolded by your naked angel.”

“Sounds like heaven,” he approved, leaning in for a kiss. “Now show me that smile you're hiding before I have to watch you conceal your aura.”

The entire coven sat in a circle when Quin carried Layla onto the lawn, and as they drew close, the family did a double-take, scowling at the empty air around Quin.

Several of them questioned him, but he ignored them and looked at Caitrin. “Let's get this over with.”

Caitrin stood and moved to the middle of the circle, and Quin followed, lowering Layla’s feet to the ground beside him. Her cheeks were on fire and her stomach was a knotted mess, so she turned and hid her face in Quin’s chest.

Caitrin leaned close and whispered. “Would you like to tell them or should I?”

“We'll just show them,” Quin answered.

Caitrin gave a nod then looked at their family. “Quinlan and Layla have... news.”
 

“Quin's getting married,” Banning assumed, shooting magical sparks in the air.

Several members expressed favor toward the idea, and Layla laughed as Quin rubbed her back.
 

“I was beginning to think we’d never see the day,” Catigern noted.

Caitrin laughed, but he put a stop to the excitement by raising a hand. “That's not the news. Maybe someday.” He looked at Quin. “Go ahead. They’re as prepared as they’re going to get.”

Quin leaned in and kissed Layla's head. “Ready?”
 

She nodded. Then they both sighed as they released their auras and bonded lights, filling the inner circle with a dazzling mixture of bright colors, silver ribbons, and golden mist.

A collective gasp pulled lungfuls of oxygen from the atmosphere, but Quin ignored the family’s shock as he whispered through Layla’s hair. “That feels better.”

“Much better,” she agreed.
 

He looked up, but she stayed hidden. “How are they doing?”

“It's what we expected,” he answered. “They can't believe what they're seeing.”

“Disbelieving is better than horrified.”

“Of course they're not horrified, love.”

Staying true to form, Brietta broke the coven's silence. “But… but…” She stood, propping one hand on her hip as she pointed. “You weren't bonded Monday, at the hockey game… were you?”

“No,” Quin answered. “We bonded that night.”

“But how is that possible?”
 

“Be more specific.”
 

“Well...” Brietta glanced at the back of Layla's head then met Quin’s stare. “I mean... doesn't it happen when... you know, other things happen?”
 

“Yes.”

“So you're saying you two hadn't... you know, before Monday?”

“Yes.”

Her mouth fell open, her eyes wide as she stared at him for several seconds. Then she laughed and sat down. “Geez, Quin, when did you become such a prude?”
 

This broke the tension, and several people laughed, including Layla, which eased Quin’s tension. “I'll let the jab slide, Bri, but only because you made my angel laugh.”
 

Catigern stood, and Zenith shook her feathers before taking flight from his shoulder. “This is huge, Caitrin.”

“Yes it is,” Caitrin agreed.
 

Lann stood as well, his stunned gaze glued to his grandson. “This is bigger than huge.” He paused and found Kemble. “What do you think of this?”

“I think it's amazing,” Kemble answered, giving his dad a shrug, “and yes, it's bigger than huge.”

“It is amazing,” Catigern agreed, “but we can't ignore what else it is.”

“It's insane,” Banning interjected. “Look at their power-bands.”

“Unbelievable,” Kearny and Enid whispered.
 

“It's destiny,” several people murmured.

“I think it's lovely,” Skyla dreamily noted.

Her parakeets tweeted their agreement from her shoulders. Then a hush fell over the family as they reverently stared at the lights.

Catigern eventually cleared his throat and sadly broke the silence. “It is lovely, but it's also a number of more unpleasant things.”

“We understand what else it is,” Quin sharply returned.

“Good,” Catigern countered, “because we're talking about a lifetime of worries and lurking danger, and at the present time, Agro's right around the corner.”

“We're well aware of our predicament,” Quin assured, “and I'm glad you understand as well. If everyone fully comprehends the situation, we can move on to discussing what to do about it.”

“What's to discuss?” Rhiannon cut in, rising from her chair. “You have to hide. You have to stay away from that man at all costs.”

Layla cringed, and Quin tightened his hug. “We're not hiding, grandma.”
 

Several people gasped as Rhiannon stepped closer, her grace faltering. “What do you mean? You have to, Quinlan.”
 

“No, we don't, and we're not going to. The decision has been made, so this discussion is a waste of time.”

Tears gathered in his grandma’s mint-green eyes as her ferret crawled from her satchel and skittered to her neck. “He'll kill you,” she whispered, blindly grasping for Lann's hand, “both of you.”

“That's a risk we’re willing to take,” Quin replied, “but we're hoping to turn the tide.”

Every spine straightened as several people got to their feet.
 

“You intend to challenge him?” Belinos asked.

“No,” Rhiannon protested. “You can't.”

“Why can't they?” Banning argued. “I don't blame them for not wanting to hide.”

“I second that,” Drystan offered.

Selena threw him an incredulous look. “We're talking about their lives, Drystan.”

“Yeah,” Alana agreed, following her mom's lead.

“I know that, honey,” Drystan soothed, running a forefinger across his wife’s and daughter’s wrinkled foreheads. “But a life in hiding would be miserable. Fighting for freedom is a viable option.”

“Yeah,” Brayden added, following his dad's lead.

“It's not that simple,” Kearny noted.

Banning twisted in his chair to face his father. “You think they should hide?”

“I'm not saying that,” Kearny corrected, “but a suicide mission isn't what I’d consider a viable option.”

“Who says it has to be a suicide mission? Look at their power-bands. Agro wouldn't stand a chance.”

“Agro isn't the one to worry about,” Catigern interjected. “It's the vultures watching his back that make fighting an impossible option.”

“Absolutely,” several women agreed.

“Absowutewy,” Alana repeated.

Quin scanned Layla's aura and could tell she was feeling the pressure. “That's enough,” he insisted, but nobody paid attention. Nearly everyone had stood and was offering their opinions, their voices a steady stream of quick rebuttals. Quin was okay with this. It was pointless, sure, but his family could debate all day then hug and kiss one another goodnight. For them to disagree so avidly was nothing to get worked up about, but Layla didn't know this about her family. She'd never seen them debate, and since her face remained hidden, she wasn't seeing them now. She was merely hearing them, her head filling with fervent voices and conflicting point-of-views.

Her lungs quickened as her muscles tensed, and Quin ran a hand down her hair while getting Caitrin’s attention. “Either you put an end to this or I will...”

His threat trailed off as the dark blue in Layla's aura expanded, stretching like a dome to envelope the entire circle. The arguing abruptly ceased, and everyone’s mouths hung open as they stared at the bold and colorful ribbons spiraling through the sad swell – twenty-seven rivers of light, one for each coven member. The inky-blue haze reached beyond the chairs and halted, trembling in place for several seconds. Then it snapped back in, leaving a soft and melancholy hum floating on the air. The pets released dejected noises as they tucked their heads in, and the magicians stared at Layla in dumbfounded wonder while the wind carried the sorrowful tune into the forest.

Quin had never seen anything like it, and panic disrupted his pulse as he carefully pulled Layla's face from his chest. A solitary tear skated down her cheek, and he brushed it away with his thumb while sliding his fingers into her hair. “Did you mean to do that?”

Her forehead wrinkled as she took a choppy breath. “Do what?”

“Your aura, it just pulsed, covering this entire circle.”

“Did it? I’m sorry.”

He sighed and ran his thumb over her lips. “Don't be sorry.”

He was sure the aura’s odd reaction stemmed from her extreme sadness over the situation. She'd always felt emotions on a higher level than normal, and it seemed their bonding had increased her sensitivity. This deeply troubled him. If the strength of her emotions affected her aura so fiercely, he couldn't imagine what they did to her heart, particularly when she had her aura concealed.

He cupped her face and leaned close. “Do you want to go inside?”

“I go where you go,” she answered.

“Are you okay?” he pressed. “Physically?”

She nodded, so he kissed her forehead and wrapped her in a hug, turning his attention on their family. “This discussion is over. I’ve made up my mind, and there isn't anything you can say that will change it, so there's no point in debating the issue. As you can see, it's a sensitive subject.”

Everyone bowed their heads and returned to their seats, and Quin relaxed. “Thank you. Like I said, we're not hiding. We're going to prepare ourselves the best we can then face the Unforgivables.”

Several people mumbled their disbelief, and a few women sobbed. Rhiannon, in particular, struggled to accept this decision. “It's not possible, Quinlan.” She looked at her son with bloodshot eyes. “How can you just sit there and let this happen, Kemble?”