Fighting for air, he pried his fingers from the thriving flora then aimed a palm at the determined old man. The local dropped to the dirt, convulsing and gurgling blood. Then the deadly vines withered as their caster went limp, drained of life and any knowledge he held on his neighbors.
“Damn,” the stranger mumbled, rubbing his throat as he brushed dead leaves from his shoulders. “We could have done this the easy way.”
He stepped forward and knelt, checking the man for a pulse, but it was obvious by his absent aura and the blood running from his ears that he was dead.
“You saw that, right?” the stranger called to the sky, to the souls who’d warned him to tread lightly. “I had no choice.”
Of course they didn’t answer. He found them only in the deepest moments of meditation, so he sighed and looked at his victim. “Damn you,” he scorned, picking up a tomato plant. “Now I have to clean your mess.”
Chapter 12
DRAINED OF ENERGY YET FULL of anticipation, Layla stood on her deck, watching her grandmas walk away. When they reached the corner of her house, they paused and looked back.
“Relax for while,” Morrigan suggested. “You have a big night ahead of you.”
Layla nodded her agreement as she waved goodbye, but she didn’t have time to relax. She needed to call Travis and change her clothes, and she wanted to practice the magic she’d learned that morning.
As soon as she entered the house, she found her cell and dialed Travis, hoping her long-distance encouragement would help, but he didn’t answer, so she had to leave her pep-talk on his voicemail.
After setting the phone aside, she tried to ease her sore muscles with magic, but barely got results. Quin was much better at healing.
She pouted and looked at the clock on the quartz fireplace. Three-thirty, and he wouldn’t be home until five. Maybe practicing magic would take her mind off him.
So that’s what she did, but even though flying down the hallway and disappearing in front of the mirror brought her fulfillment and confidence, it didn’t keep her from thinking about Quin.
She decided to get dressed for dinner, hoping her vast wardrobe would make her forget she was obsessing over a guy, but no such luck. Every time she pulled an outfit from the rack, she wondered if Quin would like it, and this only served to frustrate her, because she had no idea what Quin liked.
After debating over two outfits for several ridiculous minutes, she picked a long-sleeved lace shirt in antique white, and a long brown skirt with multiple layers, the topmost layer gathered in satin bows and lined with lace.
She slipped them on and examined herself in the mirror, blushing at the cleavage swelling from the lace bodice. A t-shirt and jeans kind of girl, she’d never owned a top that displayed her cleavage. All through high school, she’d watched guys drool over breasts, unable to look girls in the eye long enough to know whose tits they were ogling, and since Layla had no desire to be their target, she’d kept her bull’s-eyes covered up.
Now, as she stared at the flushing flesh peaking from her shirt, she found herself wondering if Quin would ogle her cleavage, and if so, how it would make her feel. Uncomfortable? Or would the butterflies in her belly merely spread, energized by his gaze? She was tempted to test him; thereby testing herself.
The doorbell rang, jolting her from her engrossed state, and she rolled her eyes as she walked down the hall. She glanced at the clock on the fireplace—almost five—and her heart rate spiked. Maybe Quin was home early.
She ran to the door and yanked it open, finding deep dimples as Quin’s bright aura engulfed her.
“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted, running his gaze down her body, but it felt nothing like ogling, and his stare didn’t linger on her chest. “I missed you.”
Layla grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. “I missed you, too.”
She kicked the door shut before hugging his waist, and he wrapped his arms around her, filling her belly with soothing warmth.
“Now I’m the one getting spoiled,” he whispered.
“Did you have a good day?” she asked, finding his handsome smile.
“No,” he answered. “But it’s perfect now.”
“Good,” she approved, unable to stifle her grin.
He leaned in, taking her cheek as he gave her a kiss. Then he slid his thumb over her moist lips. “I see you’ve been busy.”
“Hmm?”
“Your magic. You’ve been practicing.”
“How can you tell?”
“Your aura.”
“Oh yeah. What in my aura tells you that?”
He released her and took a step back. “Find the pearlescent cord spiraling around my body.”
Layla easily found it, because she’d noticed it before. “I see it, but I don’t know what it means.”
“It’s called a power band. It’s nonexistent in babies, but as our powers increase, the cord will lengthen, widen and grow more condensed, changing from pure white to pearlescent.”
“Oh,” she murmured. Then she found his face and smiled. “I missed you.”
He grinned and stepped forward. “You said that, but you can say it again.”
“I missed you,” she repeated.
He wrapped his hands around her waist and picked her up, nuzzling through curls until he found her pulse. After breathing her in for over a minute, he kissed her neck and lowered her feet to the floor. “I’ve missed you more than you’ll ever know. Now, would you like to show me what you learned today?”
She blushed, worried she might crack under pressure. “I can try.”
“Then you’ll succeed.”
She took his hand and led him to the back deck. Then she told him to stay before putting some space between them. “Don’t laugh if I mess up.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” he agreed.
She closed her eyes, and Quin took the opportunity to scan her feminine curves.
“Are you watching?” she asked.
“Yes,” he answered, flipping his gaze to her face.
She vanished, melting into shimmers surrounded by a colorful haze. Then her aura paled, curling toward her veiled body in an attempt to hide.
“Did it work?” she asked.
“Yes,” he whispered, approaching the sparkling cloud. He carefully reached out, finding her slender hand. Then he pulled her out of her magic and into him. “That’s amazing, Layla. Did you learn those things on your own?”
“No. Morrigan and Daleen helped. Do you want to see what else I learned?”
“There’s more?”
“Just one other thing.”
“I would love to see.”
She stood on her toes and gave him a kiss. Then she shot from the ground, performing a triple back-flip before halting and hovering fifteen feet in the air. She grinned at him, well aware of her success, and he grinned back, thinking success looked lovely on her.
“That was beautiful,” he commended, flying to meet her.
“Thank you,” she returned, floating into his arms.
“But I have to admit,” he added, “I’m a little disappointed you no longer need my help. I liked being your safety net.”
Her grin widened as she flattened herself against him, tilting him back until they were parallel to the ground. “Better?”
“Perfect,” he whispered, gathering her hair at the nape of her neck. Then he pulled her into a kiss.
Her body melted into him, giving him exactly what he wanted. Then she took it a step further by sliding her lips to his neck.
“This is even better than flying,” she whispered.
He mumbled an agreement as he tilted his head back, and she took advantage, leaving a trail of tingles from one side of his throat to the other. She eventually returned to his mouth, and he grasped her butt, pulling her closer while kissing deeply. A cute little murmur muffled in her throat, and he smiled as he slid his hands to her back and flipped upright.
She tightened her grip, her sigh tickling his lips. Then
she pulled away and laid her head on his shoulder. “Flying together presents some interesting possibilities.”
“You read my mind,” he replied, keeping her in his arms as he landed. “I hear you have a big night ahead of you. Are you worried?”
“A little nervous, but not worried. It sounds like a dream come true—connecting with so many people.”
“I can’t wait to share that connection with you. It’s going to feel incredible.”
She pulled her face from his neck, blushing as she found his eyes. “I already feel connected to you.”
“I know, but the bond we’ll form tonight will be different. You’ll see.”
“When will everything start?”
“We’ll have dinner between six and seven, but everyone’s on the lawn now.”
“Already?”
“Yep.”
She swallowed and looked east, her jaw flexing as she chewed her lip.
“It’s going to be great,” he assured.
“I know,” she mumbled.
But he wasn’t convinced. “Is there anything I can do to make it easier?”
“You do too much already, Quin.”
“I’d love to do more.”
She found his eyes then looked down, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt. “There is something, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate.”
“You’ll have to explain.”
“Well,” she elaborated, cheeks flushing, “I want you to stay with me, but I don’t know how the coven feels about us being together. I’m afraid we’ll make them uncomfortable, and I don’t want you in trouble because of me.”
Quin stifled a laugh as he tapped the tip of her nose with his own. “I would shout my feelings for you to the world if I could, and not even an angry mob would make me regret it.”
“Oh,” she breathed, smiling despite her concern. “That’s good to know, but I don’t want to upset our families.”
“Why would they be upset?”
“You said they’d be disappointed in you for kissing me.”
“Only because they didn’t want me making things harder on you.”
“So it won’t make them uncomfortable? Seeing us together?”
“They already know how I feel about you,” he answered. “They’ve seen it in my aura, so they expect us to walk onto the lawn together. On the other hand, they would find it weird if we walked out there and went our separate ways.”
“Why?”
“Because we don’t hide things around here. There’s no point. Our auras give us away. If you and I try to conceal our relationship, they’ll just think it’s foolish we’re bothering. What we feel will be obvious whether we’re standing next to each other or across the lawn from each other.”
“I see. So you’ll stay with me?”
He smiled and kissed her red cheek. “Until you ask me to go.”
“I won’t.”
“I beg that you don’t.” He kissed her other cheek. “What else can I do to make your evening easier?”
“Just having you next to me will help.”
“Beautiful music to my blessed ears.” He kissed her nose then her lips. “Now, are you ready to meet your family, or would you like to wait a while?”
“Um...” She looked down, chewing her lip again. “Maybe I should change.”
Quin lowered her feet to the ground and stepped back, running his gaze down her body. “I don’t see why. You look stunning; the most beautiful thing I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a lot of beautiful things.”
She blushed and whirled a toe in the grass. “You don’t think this shirt is... inappropriate?”
He laughed and stepped forward, sweeping her off her feet. “Why would I find that shirt inappropriate?”
“Well, it’s revealing.”
“This?” he asked, lowering his mouth to her cleavage. It was barely any; far less than he was used to, but the flushing flesh got his blood pumping like never before. He softly ran his lips across what little he could see. Then he straightened and found her face. “You look beautiful, Layla, not the least bit inappropriate, and you’ll see that for yourself when you step out there.”
She remained bright red, so he decided to tease her. “Or, if you’d like, I could carry you out there. Then everyone will know right away how I feel about you.” He turned toward the side of the house. “I could take you from person to person, introducing you as my Layla Love.”
She grinned and touched one of his dimples. “Stop teasing.”
“Who says I’m teasing?” he countered, taking a few steps. “I’m going to introduce you to my family.”
“No!” she blurted, clutching his shoulder.
“Why not?” he asked, taking another step.
“Don’t you dare, Quin. That would be embarrassing.”
Another step. “Not for me.”
Her grip tightened as her spine straightened. “If you don’t stop walking, I’ll... I’ll...”
“You’ll what?” he asked, laughing at her panic as he took a few more steps.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw her move, and before he could look over, her mouth was on his neck. He froze as her soft lips stretched across tight flesh. Then he forced himself to relax so she could suck him in.
“Mmm...” he mumbled. “You’re good. I’ll never be able to compete with you.”
Her lips came together then swept back and forth across charged skin. “At least I have the edge in one area,” she approved, smiling up at him.
“You have it in all of them,” he assured. “Now, are you ready to walk out there?”
“Yes, but I need to use the bathroom first. I don’t want to have to turn right back around.”
“Good thinking,” he agreed, carrying her up the deck stairs and through the back door. When he reached her bedroom, he lowered her feet to the floor and gave her a kiss. “I’ll use the other one. See you in a second.”
Layla watched him disappear into the spare bathroom. Then she turned into the bedroom, unable to stifle her cheesy smile or calm her fluttering heart.
Chapter 13
LAYLA STEELED HERSELF FOR THE meet and greet as she washed her hands, but her knees remained weak when she walked to the hallway.
Quin straightened from the wall, and his aura swallowed her—emerald ribbons floating through forest green rivers.
“Stop worrying about me,” she insisted. “I’ll be fine.”
“You’re nervous.”
“Yes, and I’m sure I’ll spend the entire night blushing, but I can’t help it and neither can you.”
He slid his hand under her hair and took the back of her neck, tilting her face up. “Your blush is beautiful.”
His mouth found hers, and her heart jolted as her bottom lip trembled around a whoosh of air.
“There’s that beautiful blush now,” he added, sliding his lips to her cheek.
Sensitive nerve endings twitched and tickled, and an embarrassing laugh burst from her mouth into his chin. His lips paused on the tip of her nose, curving toward deep dimples. Then he dipped her into a passionate kiss.
When he pulled her upright, she rested her forehead to his chest while trying to catch her breath. “If you keep doing stuff like that, I’ll never make it onto the lawn.”
“We can cancel dinner and stay inside,” he offered, slipping his fingers beneath the shoulder of her shirt.
“Yeah right,” she smirked. “Disappointing my grandparents like that is not an option. Daleen and Morrigan glowed like the sun when I agreed to this.”
He abandoned her shirt and stepped back. “Then you’re ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Taking her hand, he led her to the front door; and while she found comfort in his warm palm, her heart rate was on the rise.
“Your fingers are going to fall off if you don’t give them some blood,” he advised, touching the inside of her wrist.
She looked at the hand clutching his, finding white fingers. “Sorr
y.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he pressed.
“Yeah,” she insisted, trying to steady her lungs. “It’s going to be great, right?”
“Right,” he confirmed, offering a reassuring smile.
Layla took a deep breath as he reached out. Then she slowly exhaled as he opened the door. He gave her a nudge onto the porch, and her lungs refilled with a gasp as she stumbled to a standstill, pausing on the fringe of a scene that transcended the most fantastic fairy tales.
Surrounded by gorgeous houses and majestic trees, twenty-six glowing magicians mingled on the lawn, their happy voices and cheerful laughter filling the clearing with music so serene it soothed the soul. Wearing dresses or skirts and beaming with unmistakable confidence, the women moved like liquid among muscular men, who anticipated every turn of the feminine current with attitudes as laidback as their carefree clothes. Exuding an air of charisma, mystery and magnetism, not one of them wore shoes, and every move their active bodies made was executed with calm grace.
Layla found her grandparents, easily picking them out by their bonded lights, which shone a little brighter than the rest of the emblazoned hazes. She smiled and waved at them, and they beamed as they waved back.
Layla scanned the lawn, looking for another set of bonded lights, but she couldn’t find them. “Where are your parents?” she asked.
“Dad’s next to Caitrin,” Quin answered, “and mom’s the blond by the dinner table. Their bonded lights are dulled by the distance between them.”
Layla looked for his dad first, and immediately made eye contact.
Damn. She quickly dropped her gaze as her stomach flipped and her cheeks burned. She didn’t expect him to be watching. Now she felt rude because she couldn’t look back. Instead, she looked for Quin’s mom, who was also watching. Damn.
Layla swallowed a lump and looked down, struggling to catch the breath they’d stolen with their curious stares. She didn’t blame them for their intrigue. Aside from the obvious reasons everyone else had, they probably wanted to know what had kept their son so busy over the weekend. Layla truly hoped they weren’t already disappointed by what they’d seen.
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