The Servant

by B. C. Burgess

  “You got that right,” Brietta repeated. “Not only does it boost their egos, it increases their chances of getting lucky tonight.”

  Aradia bowed her head, and Brietta sucked her lips into her teeth while throwing a guilty glance at Layla, suddenly aware how her comment might make Aradia feel. Unless Banning chose a different witch to pursue, his odds of getting lucky that night were slim.

  Layla released a big sigh and turned the spotlight on herself. “With my nursing schedule, Quin needs more than a game of football to get lucky. We need more hours in a day. I hate to admit it, but he’s probably playing just to release some testosterone.”

  Brietta wrinkled her nose. “Really?”

  “Yeah. It’s been a while.”

  Brietta puckered as Aradia’s discomfort eased. Then they dropped the discussion, but sex remained on their minds throughout the rest of the game.

  Leftovers were served after nightfall, and more games were played with the kids. Then the crowd lounged on the blankets and watched a short magic show. By the time everyone rose to say their farewells, Benzio was asleep, Layla couldn’t stop yawning, and Quin was practically holding her up.

  As they wrapped their kids in spells for the flight home, a loud whistle shrilled across the clearing, and everyone turned, finding Brietta and Kegan waiting for silence.

  Once they had everyone’s attention, Brietta pulled a stack of papers from Kegan’s satchel while he addressed the crowd. “I’m sure you remember my fiancé announcing she wouldn’t marry me until we found homes for all the kids orphaned by Agro.”

  Brietta rolled her eyes at his choice of words, but her smile stayed in place as he continued. “We’ve managed to place over half of them, most of them with their original covens, but we’ve hit a dead end in our search for relatives. We’re willing to put in the work to find them new families, but we’re short on time. My lovely bride-to-be is too stubborn to break her promise, but if we want to get married in front of all our family and friends, we need to do it sooner rather than later, so we’re asking for your help. We have a list of kids who still need homes, and Bri made a copy for each of you. We ask that you look it over and contact anyone who might be interested in adopting them. There are around seventy magicians in this clearing, and we all have ties to distant covens, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find enough homes within the next few months. They’re good kids. They all have dark pasts, but they’re not dangerous. We’ve evaluated them and have already made arrangements for those struggling with behavioral issues.” He paused, eyeing Brietta’s back as she distributed the lists. “Bri could drag her feet for another decade before marrying me, but I’m not waiting. Even if I have to adopt the rest of the kids myself, I’m making her my wife on Valentine’s Day.”

  The women in the crowd gushed with excitement, but Brietta raised dubious eyebrows at her fiancé. “Is that right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hmm… Before you go that far, you might want to ask Quin and Layla what it’s like to have multiple kids all at once. I hear it can be… time consuming.”

  “Hey,” Layla laughed, her cheeks warming under the spotlight, “fight your own battles.”

  “We’re not fighting over this,” Kegan cut in. “Right, Bri?”

  Brietta winked at Layla while handing a list to Caitrin. “Yeah, yeah. You’re getting your way.”

  Several people laughed, because everyone knew Brietta wasn’t making any concessions. When it came to her relationship with Kegan, she always got her way.

  “I’m making big promises to make this happen,” Kegan noted. “I hope everyone will help me pull it off.”

  His dad stepped from the crowd and squeezed his shoulder. “Of course we’ll help. This is a noble task, and we’re all excited about the wedding.”

  “Thank you. I look forward to finally tying her down.”

  “I won’t be tamed,” Brietta teased, tossing back her hair. “You’ll have to take me wild or not at all.”

  Weylin’s hearty laugh echoed around the clearing. “Your history proves Keg knows better than to try to tame a witch. He let you run wild for years.”

  “Let me? I don’t recall asking for permission, big boy. If you must know, he encouraged me to run.”

  “Because he knew you wanted to be chased. You’re still making him jump through hoops.”

  Brietta halted in front of Weylin, craning her neck to find his eyes. “The hoops were his idea, and when he’s done jumping through them, I’ll make it worth his while by giving him the wildest night of his life.”

  Kegan grinned and raised his eyebrows, and Weylin laughed while meeting Brietta’s stare. “You just lit up his aura like a supernova.”

  She flashed a smug smile while thumping Weylin’s chest with a list. “Just wait until you see it on Valentine’s Day.”

  “I’m counting down the days. As long as I get to throw the man a party before you leash him.”

  Brietta rolled her eyes and continued down the row. “If you help us clear this list, I’ll pay for the party myself.”

  “Deal,” Weylin agreed, studying the names of the refugees.

  Layla and Quin finished preparing for their flight, but before taking off, Layla called to her cousin. “Hey, Bri.”

  Brietta approached and doted on the triplets. “Yeah?”

  “We didn’t get a list.”

  “You’ve done more than your fair share, Layla. Besides, any connections you and Quin have to the magical world can be contacted through others. You’re too busy to worry about this.”

  “I’d still like to keep up with your progress. You and Keg are so sweet to do this. I want to cheer you on.”

  Brietta summoned an extra list and tucked it into Quin’s satchel. “I’ll let you know when we mark off a name.”

  Layla smiled and kissed her cheek. “Thank you. And congrats on setting a date. I’m glad we’ll get to be there.”

  “You must be there,” Brietta demanded. “Both of you. Keg and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Then we’ll make it happen,” Quin assured, watching Layla yawn. “Will you give our congratulations to Keg?”

  “Sure.” Brietta floated from the ground, dodging babies so she could hug Quin’s neck. “Be careful flying home. We’ll see you in the morning.”

  She walked away, and Layla and Quin sighed as they turned to each other, blinking and widening their tired eyes.

  “Will you make it home?” he asked.

  She secured Benzio and gave a nod. “Our bed is calling my name loud and clear.”

  Chapter Two

  Layla’s naps had been dreamless lately, brief snippets of exhaustion drowning her in heavy darkness drained of energy and brainpower. At times the weight seemed too much, as if she’d never be able to crawl into the light, but Quin was always there to breathe life into her drained body, pushing her forward with sweet encouragement. His faith in her was uplifting, but sometimes the pressure to succeed, to juggle everything the world had thrown at her in the past year, could feel as heavy as the physical fatigue.

  The morning of their first Thanksgiving together, Layla awoke to tingles sliding across her scalp, and though her burdens remained, it was easy to find appreciation for the man kissing her head. The triplets were stirring in their crib, but they weren’t crying, and Layla could tell Quin wasn’t in a hurry to let her go.

  “Good morning,” she whispered, flattening her palms on his chest.

  He slid one hand to her butt as the other got lost in her curls. “It’s a perfect morning to count my blessings.”

  She giggled and shivered. “In my hair?”

  “Every curl on your head.”

  “And my fingers and toes?”

  “And everything in between. Then I’ll move on to the triplets and Benzio.”

  She quietly laughed and nuzzled his throat. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “The happiest I can claim.”

  “Already?”

  “Yes. For so lon
g waking up meant saying goodbye to you. I greeted every day with a sense of loss, even the good ones. But now every morning promises more time with the woman of my dreams.”

  She leaned back and found his eyes, and the twinkle in their dark depths bore proof of his claims. She touched a forefinger to one of his dimples. Then she scooted up and rolled into his lips. His hand abandoned her backside, taking her cheek instead, and though she could feel the need blazing through his aura, he kissed her slowly and sweetly.

  He sighed as her lower lip slipped away, and she opened her eyes to his sexy grin.

  “Yep,” he whispered, brushing her hair back. “Best Thanksgiving ever.”

  “I agree, but why aren’t the babies fussing? How long has it been since they ate?”

  “Longer than usual.” He magically donned a pair of shorts. Then he tossed aside the sheet and headed for the crib.

  “Are they okay?” she asked.

  His colors brightened as he quietly replied. “They’re perfect. Come look.”

  She wrapped herself in a sheet and shuffled to the crib, but she hid behind Quin so the babies wouldn’t see her. Standing on her toes, she peered around his bicep and found the triplets calmly studying each other. The comprehension in their expressions and auras was astounding as they held hands, touched one another’s faces, and contemplated the hazes floating between them.

  “They’re keeping each other company,” Quin noted.

  Their lips parted as they looked up, their wide eyes searching for Daddy.

  Layla laughed while moving out from behind him, and when she leaned over the crib, her babies kicked and slapped the air, a sweet chorus of gurgles and grunts expressing their pleasure.

  “Good morning, my loves.”

  The three of them stilled and listened, and Quin laughed as he kissed Layla’s head. “They’re as entranced by your voice as I am.”

  She smiled and sang her reply to the triplets. “I bet my boobies will break the spell.”

  Quin dropped his gaze to her cleavage, his aura racing around them, but he kept his naughty thoughts to himself and moved to Benzio’s bed. Kneeling beside it, he gently touched the toddler’s cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving, Benz.”

  Benzio blinked his eyes open, immediately searching out the triplets and the puppy curled up by his feet. Then he returned Quin’s smile. “Will there be more mashed potatoes?”

  Quin laughed as he lifted him into a hug. “Yep. There will definitely be more mashed potatoes.”

  He headed for the bathroom, and Benzio laid his head on his shoulder while mumbling a sleepy reply. “I’m grateful for mashed potatoes.”

  Layla laughed and looked at her newborns, and suddenly the exhaustion and pressure felt much lighter. Her future might be grim, and her nights might be restless and sexless, but today was beautiful.

  She began nursing the triplets as Quin served breakfast in bed. Then he helped her eat while encouraging Benzio to count his blessings. Several more food items were on the list, making Layla giggle, but then he dug deeper and began listing people.

  “That’s a good list,” Layla approved. “Sometimes life is hard, so it’s smart to think about that list as much as you can. The good things in life make us strong enough to handle the bad things.”

  Benzio thoughtfully chewed and swallowed. Then he went for another bite while adding to his list. “Alana, too. Sometimes she’s bossy, but it makes me happy when she’s happy, and a lot of things make her happy.”

  Layla and Quin smiled at each other, glad Benzio was forming bonds with the rest of the coven. Then they looked toward the open door when they heard footsteps in the hallway.

  “Aradia?” Layla called.

  Aradia’s colorful aura floated over the threshold. “Yeah?”

  Quin waved a hand, opening the door wider. “Come on in.”

  She entered and halted near the foot of the bed, ruffling Benzio’s hair while smiling at Layla. “Good morning.”

  “Happy Thanksgiving,” Layla returned. “You look like you’ve been up a while.”

  “I have. I’m anxious to see Alec.”

  “Like Christmas morning.”

  Aradia turned her attention to the bedpost and traced its carvings. “I wouldn’t know.”

  “Right,” Layla breathed, bowing her head.

  Quin cleared his throat and eased the tension. “It’s almost nine. We’ll go get Alec soon.”

  Aradia shoulders straightened as she smiled. “Mind if I go with you?”

  “Not at all. If you want to go now, you can. But I suggest you take someone with you, and Alec can’t come on the property until I get there.”

  “I understand. But I don’t need an escort. Alec won’t hurt me.”

  “The precaution isn’t for Alec. We have a lot of enemies. It’s not safe to leave our borders visible and alone. If you don’t want a coven member to go with you, ask the Crusaders to provide protection until we get there.”

  “Will they agree to that? They’re not here to save me.”

  “You’re right. They’re here for Layla, and they know if they let anyone hurt her family, they’ll lose her cooperation.”

  Aradia tilted her head as a smile tugged on her lips. “And I’m family.”

  “As much as anyone here,” Layla assured. “You’re even on Benzio’s list of things he’s grateful for. Isn’t she, Benz?”

  “Yes. For the way she makes me feel when she cleanses my aura.”

  Aradia’s eyes grew shiny as she laid a hand over her heart. “I love you guys.”

  “We love you, too,” Layla returned. “Now go see your brother. I’m sure he’s already there.”

  Silver excitement laced Aradia’s aura. “I think I will.” Then she waved and bounced from the room.

  Layla raised her eyebrows at Quin while trading him two full babies for a hungry one. “I hope Alec’s visit goes well.”

  “It will. If he cares about Aradia as much I think he does, there’s no way he’ll mess this up. The past week has changed her, and he’ll notice the improvement right away. It will be a shock for him, and he might struggle with jealousy, but his love for her will win.”

  “Maybe witnessing her new life will inspire him to improve his own.”

  “Maybe.”

  After burping Lilyana and Kaedan, Quin laid them down and rushed through the rest of his meal. Then he gave everyone kisses and got out of bed. “I’ll send your grandmas in to watch the kids while you get ready.”

  “Please be careful.”

  “I’ll have your grandpas and my dad with me. We’ll be fine.”

  Despite his confidence, Layla remained restless while she showered, but as she stood in her closet, pulling a vintage lace mini-dress over her head, her nerves were replaced by a warm sense of serenity.

  Poking her head through the collar, she glanced over to find Quin leaning against the doorjamb, his piercing gaze sweeping her body. Her dress had long sleeves and a modest neckline, but the hem of the skirt grazed her upper thighs, offering him plenty of leg.

  “Like what you see?” she teased.

  He smiled and closed the distance between them, gently freeing her curls from her collar. “Love, angel. I love what I see.” He gave her temple a lingering kiss while tugging on the short hem of her gown. “Good thing you wear underwear. This dress without them would be far too tempting.”

  “Good thing I have magic. Underwear or not, this dress would be out of the question if I still had to shave. Can you imagine trying to find time with our schedule?”

  “I can’t imagine shaving under any circumstances. My skin has never been touched by a razor.”

  “Oh, yeah. Well, believe me when I say it’s a pain in the ass. If I wasn’t able to vanish the hair while I wash, I’d be the kind of mom who wears sweatpants every day.”

  His lips curved into a smile as his palm slid up the back of her thigh. “I’m adding smooth legs to my list.”

  “Of blessings?”

  “Mm-hmm…
”

  Gentle fingers crept around her throat and chin, holding her head in place, and as his soft lips tickled her face with tingles, his right hand roughly squeezed her ass.

  She shivered, trying not to get drunk on his potent concoction of tenderness and virility. “Benzio’s list is full of food, and yours is full of body parts.”

  His warm breath swept across her cheek as he quietly laughed. “Sounds about right.”

  He gave her one more squeeze while sliding his thumb across her lips. Then he stepped back and smiled. “Ready? Your grandparents already took the triplets outside, and I don’t feel comfortable having Alec around them without our supervision. Not yet.”

  She took his hand, letting him lead her from the closet. “How did the meeting go?”

  “Fine. He’s cooperating, but he isn’t happy about having his head shielded. Not because it keeps him hexless, but because it bruises his ego. He’s bitter and worries too much about his pride, but he’s putting it aside for Aradia.”

  “As he should.”

  “Exactly. And he’ll be rewarded for it. Putting Aradia’s needs before his will give his life meaning. He lost everything except contact with her. That kind of blow could easily take a man down for good. No home, no friends, no job or respect. I’m sure he asks himself every day what he has to live for.”

  “At least he’s alive,” she countered, recalling the blows he dealt her family.

  Quin halted at the front door and grinned. “Look at you pointing out the silver linings.”

  She returned his smile as she pulled the back of his hand to her heart, beyond grateful for the ways he inspired her. “It’s a good day to find them.”

  She meant it, but when she spoke those words, she had no idea how easy it would be to discover the silver linings in a Conn/Kavanagh Thanksgiving. Every day spent with her family was a good day, but adding a holiday to the mix was like sprinkling tinsel on a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Everyone sparkled a little brighter and smiled a little wider, finding a new blessing to count every time they turned around. Magic was in the air, and not just metaphorically. The clearing was shielded from the weather, so it was warm like spring, but someone had summoned several trees from the green grass and used them to dust the lawn in red and gold leaves. Seasonal bouquets and clusters of gourds and pumpkins added to the fall theme, and the natural décor was spiced with the supernatural. Turkeys made of magical smoke roamed around tree trunks and played with the kids, and animated scarecrows offered apples and mums to everyone who walked by. The long dinner table was festive and set with fancy dishes, and a circle of padded chairs surrounded a blazing fire pit. Between meals, the family was served succulent tarts and pies paired with hot cider, cocoa or coffee, so they stayed full and satisfied. Even the triplets remained content, too busy being spoiled to fuss, and since this gathering was more intimate than the one they attended at the Cormac/Adair coven, Quin was able to relax.