“I wouldn't try it yet,” Serafin advised. “With some experimentation, you might be able to do what she's doing. Or you might be able to adjust your own theory to compensate. It's undiscovered territory, so it's going to take trial and error to get it right. We'll need to figure out a way for you to safely test yourself.”
“And we will,” Kemble cut in, giving Quin’s shoulder a proud slap before returning to his chair. “Have you experimented with Layla's trick?”
Layla and Quin grinned and answered in unison. “Yes.”
Layla laughed as she turned her face into his neck, and his smile stretched as he drifted his lips across her hair. “It was fantastic,” he recalled. “I don't think you guys will believe it until you see it. If the media reports a meteor landed off the coast of Oregon last night, don't buy into it.” He paused, remembering they were even stronger now. “I can't imagine what we can do now. It might be difficult to figure out. We’ll need a huge testing area.”
“How large was your combined fireball before?” Caitrin asked.
“I can’t say for sure,” Quin answered, “but it was unlike anything I've seen or heard about. I wouldn't feel comfortable trying it on our lawn.”
Everyone's foreheads wrinkled, and Quin laughed as he shook his head. “Just wait. You'll believe it when you see it. We'll have to figure out a safe place to play. Then we'll test our new abilities.”
Layla’s aura flashed with colors that didn’t belong, and though her face remained hidden, her voice was sure and strong. “I like that idea.”
Chapter Nine
Quin stared at the top of Layla’s head, the haunted haze around her squeezing his heavy heart. “What's on your mind, love?”
“Lots of things, Quin.”
“I know,” he whispered, nuzzling her hair. “Would you like to tell me what you're scheming on?”
“I'm not scheming on anything. I'm just trying to figure out how to stay alive, and I think testing my magic is a good place to start.”
He knew there was more to it than that, and so did everyone else. He looked at their worried faces and could tell they felt as helpless as him. “So we're going home?” he asked, looking back down.
“Yep,” she answered, “as long as it’s okay with the coven. If not, we’ll find a place nearby.”
“We'll stay in the community, not outside of it.”
“Then it's settled.”
“It's not settled.”
She pulled her face from his neck and found his stare. “What do you mean?”
“What do you intend to do about Agro?”
Layla opened her mouth, but didn't answer, because she didn't know what to say. What she wanted to do was let the bastard come so she could tell him to go to hell, but a response like that would get her family killed, so of course it was out of the question.
“Layla.”
“I don't know, Quin.”
“You're not facing him. I can't let you do that.”
She twisted and pulled herself up, bringing her face closer to his. “How much sense does it make for me to run and hide while others stay and face him? I don't have to be helpless anymore, Quin, and it's unfair for other people to protect me. Do you think our family wanted to face them? No, but they did.”
“This is different.”
“You're right. It is different, but no matter how the victims vary, this is about me, so it's something I should be dealing with. Not everyone except me.”
He took a measured breath while laying his palm on her heart. “It is about you, and that's exactly why you're not facing him. He may be hurting our loved ones, but he's not stealing them, or cursing them, or killing them. Those are the things he’d do to you, and those are far worse than torture spells.”
“He hasn't done any of those things to our family yet, but it’s going to happen. Caitrin told us Agro had to refrain from slaughtering the entire coven the second time he blew through. Then he slaughtered his own soldiers when he dropped in to find the community empty. If he sits on his hands while rebuilding his army, his patience will be spent by his next visit.”
Quin's jaw flexed as he breathed through his nose. “And what do you plan to do about it?”
Hating his tension, Layla snuggled closer and ran her fingers along the curves of his face. “I don't know, but we need to figure it out. I don't want to hide like a helpless victim while others die for me. I followed your rules and ran from him while everyone else stayed, and I did it because I was helpless to do anything else. I'm still helpless, but I don't have to be, and I need to learn how not to be. Until that point, I don't know what I'm going to do.”
“And after that point?”
“I'm going to let him find me.”
“And do what?”
“That depends on him I guess.”
“Are you thinking about trying to kill him?”
She carefully considered this then shrugged. “If that’s what it takes to protect myself and the people I love, yes, I’ll do my best to kill him.” She paused then nodded. “I think I’d have a decent chance.”
Quin's face paled as his aura darkened. “If you learn more about your magic, I have no doubt you could defeat Agro, but he doesn't travel alone, and it's always the others who keep his skin intact. You wouldn't be facing Agro, you’d be facing his army.”
“Well that's something we'll have to consider, isn't it?”
Quin closed his eyes, keeping one hand on her heart and one in her hair, and he stayed that way for a long time, his shadowed aura flowing slowly… sadly. “I can't,” he breathed, finding her stare. “We'll die. Do you understand that? We'll both die whether we take Agro with us or not.”
Layla watched his eyes… his soul, and she could see how torn it was. His pain made her nauseated, and she was tempted to say Okay, let's hide. Just you and me. Forever. But it wasn't right, it wasn't fair, and it wasn't what they wanted, what they deserved. “You really don't think we have a chance, Quin? Not one glimmer of hope?”
“We don't have the power to take on a ruthless army, Layla.”
“There has to be a way.”
His eyes widened on her. “Aren't you scared?”
“Of course I'm scared, Quin. I'm terrified, but if we give up and hide, and let him take everything we have, he wins. I don't think my mom and dad would have hid if she hadn't gotten pregnant, and I'm not going to get pregnant, so why should we leave? Teach me how to defend myself and let the dice roll.”
He didn’t reply. He just watched her while swallowing hugely, and she didn’t need words to know how he felt. Taking his jaw, she slid her thumb to a hidden dimple and quietly pled her case. “We have a beautiful life here, Quin. I know if we die, we lose it, but if we hide, we're giving it away. Of course I could live hidden from the world as long as I stayed tucked in your arms. You know it’s my favorite place to be. But a life in hiding isn’t what we want, not for ourselves or for each other. We want to be able to sit on the lawn with our family; eat our meals at a table with the people we love before lying on the ground to watch them perform magic. We want to see Alana and Brayden grow up, and Bann and Sky graduate. We want to take walks on the beach, fly over the ocean, and drink amazing coffee at Cinnia's cafe. I don't want to surrender the things that are special to me, Quin. It feels like I’d be placing them in Agro's hands and bowing my head in defeat. You once told me some things are worth dying for, and you're right. I have a long list of things worth dying for, and by hiding, I’d be giving all but one of those things away.”
He took her face in both hands, blinking as he swallowed another lump. “It's impossible to do this by ourselves, Layla. It can't be done. One of us would have to watch the other die, then turn and face our own death. And I can't watch you die.” He pulled her closer, whispering against her lips. “I'm not – that – strong.”
Seeing his glistening eyes and hearing his tortured confession tied Layla in knots, and since she wasn't as good as he was about controlling the waterworks, her
tears quickly spilled over. “There has to be a way, Quin. We have to find a way to end this. I don't like living this way. Always afraid. Always hiding.”
Quin quickly dried her tears. Then he tucked her face into his neck and looked at the others. His eyes went from one pair to the next, waiting for someone to object to what he was about to do.
After several silent seconds, Serafin stood and walked behind Daleen, placing his hands on her cheeks as he met Quin’s stare. “We'll figure out a way.”
Quin closed his eyes and laid his head back, his body heavy like lead, his lungs struggling under the weight of trepidation, the weight of all those who’d line up in front of a firing squad for him and Layla, the weight he’d carry until his dying day.
Layla pulled her face from his neck and looked around, noting everyone’s auras and expressions while putting them together with Serafin’s agreement, and when comprehension slapped her, it also nudged her gag reflexes. “No,” she blurted, scowling at her grandpa. “We'll not ask people to die for us. That's not an option. Quin and I will handle this. No one else.”
She turned away so they’d know the topic wasn’t up for discussion, and when she saw Quin's disparaging aura, her stomach rolled. She snuggled into his chest and drifted her lips across the tight tendons in his neck, and he wrapped his fingers in her hair, covering her back with solid arms just the way she liked it.
“You're not asking,” Serafin replied, “and this isn't just an option. It's the only option. If you face them, we’ll face them. That's how it's going to work.”
Layla stopped moving her lips along Quin's neck, but she didn't look up. “I don't want you to. I don't even want Quin and I facing them, so if you throw yourself into the mix, it just makes things harder.” She straightened and raised a suspicious eyebrow at her grandpa. “Are you just saying this so I'll reconsider my decision not to hide?”
Daleen’s mouth fell open as she grasped her heart. “Of course not, Layla. We understand why you don't want to hide, and we don't want you to go.”
Layla's gaze softened and saddened as her grandma squeezed her eyes shut and hugged Serafin's arm. Daleen had always been a rock and was usually the first to suck it up and move beyond her grief. But at the moment, she was struggling, and Layla hadn’t seen her this way since watching Aedan and Rhosewen’s memories.
Taking a shaky breath, Daleen opened her eyes and met Layla’s stare. “The reason we supported Aedan and Rhosewen's departure into hiding was for your protection, Layla. We didn't want them to leave, but there was an innocent and precious life on the line, so that's what had to happen. If things had been different and Rhosewen hadn't gotten pregnant, they would have stayed and faced the Unforgivables, and we would have faced the evil with our children. We want you to stay, darling, and if that's what you want, we'll support you every step of the way, which includes any you take toward the Unforgivables. We’d be devastated if we lost you to them, so we're not going to sit by and watch when there are ways we can help. We're only doing what we would have done two decades ago had it not been for you. Your existence has given us an extra eighteen years to enjoy our lives, and if we must sacrifice those lives to give you a better chance, that's what we'll do. We owe them to you.”
Layla's face flexed as her lips trembled. “You don't.”
Morrigan pulled away from Caitrin's hug and rapidly blinked away tears. “What do you think your mom and dad would ask of us if they were here?”
“That's not fair,” Layla squeaked.
“It's the truth,” Caitrin returned. “If Rhosewen and Aedan could speak to us, they’d tell us to do whatever we could to protect you and give you the best possible chance at a happy life. That’s what we’re going to do, and it shouldn't come as a big surprise.”
He was right. Layla should have known they wouldn’t let her do this alone. She looked at Quin, who still had his eyes closed. Why wasn't he alert and responding to this discussion? “What do you think of all this?” she asked, shriller than she'd meant to.
His eyes popped open, and his heart beat faster as he slid a hand to the nape of her neck. “We can't face them alone and keep our lives, Layla. We don't stand a chance, and I'm not prepared to watch you die, so I'm going to accept all the help I can get.” He paused and took a labored breath. “You might find it selfish of me, and that's fine. You're too kindhearted to accept the help, so I'll do it, and the guilt can rest on my shoulders. That's exactly how I want it.”
Backed into a corner, Layla stupidly stared at him, her determination to live by her own rules draining away. Hopelessness flooded in, swirling into a familiar void, one she hadn’t suffered in weeks, and she began resigning herself and her hero to a half-life – a life full of love and magic, but empty of family to share it with.
She sank into Quin's chest as she concealed her aura. “Fine. Let's go. Start planning and we'll leave. We’ll hide until Agro dies of old age. Then we'll come back until the next evil person comes along.” Her throat tightened, which was weird, because the rest of her body was numb. Despair and loss acting like Novocaine against hurt and anger. She touched her neck, willing her vocal cords to relax. “Where do you want to go? Think we can still take Vegas by storm?”
When she yanked her sad aura from Quin’s sight, she yanked the air from his lungs, and he realized there was only one choice. Watching his angel suffer in life wouldn’t be much better than watching her life drain away. He couldn’t acquire satisfaction if he wasn't satisfying her, and while she may find contentment in hiding, she wouldn't be able to reach the level of happiness that made her shine like a star. He’d be lucky to catch rare glimpses of the woman who made his heart soar.
His path was clear now… terrifying, but clear.
He pulled her closer, wanting to carry her back to dreamland where she could forget about the heartbreak and stress plaguing her life. “Layla Love.”
“Yeah, Vegas probably isn't a good idea. Maybe somewhere with less people. Karena has a computer downstairs. We'll do some research on the internet.”
“Please let me see your aura.”
“No.”
The flat refusal felt like a dagger to his heart, but she didn’t notice the sharp edge on her tone and kept brainstorming.
“I don't want to go back to the Bible belt, so that's out of the question. I guess somewhere along the Gulf of Mexico might be okay, but the humidity’s hell on my hair. I don't know. What do you think? Anywhere you want to live that's not swarming with covens? Maybe a cave on a distant mountain top…”
Quin took a deep breath and looked at his dad – a man who never failed to give him good advice. What Quin was about to do would be a first for him, and he needed to know he wasn’t crazy for doing it.
Able to read his son without a mind-search, Kemble gave a sad nod, and Quin looked back down, wondering if he was strong enough to follow through.
“How about some input?” Layla mumbled, her voice monotone. “Where do you want to live?”
He didn’t answer, but returned his gaze to his parents as he sent them a mental message. 'I'm sorry it has to be like this.'
Cordelia shook her head while touching her heart, but it was Kemble who responded. 'We live for you, son. You and Layla. This is a sacrifice we're prepared to make.'
“Quin,” Layla demanded, scowling up at him.
He met her stare, struggling to endure the twisting of his stomach and the cracking of his heart. This was the biggest decision he'd ever made, and a lot of lives could be lost as a result. Steeling his nerve, he finally gave his terrifying reply. “We're not leaving.”
“Yeah we are,” she disagreed. “I'm not going to do anything to Agro, and neither is anyone else. We can't stay and hide from him, because I'm not going to watch him destroy my family while I remain out of sight. Nor am I going to stand there and face him while my family falls around me, so only one option remains. We'll show our faces somewhere far away to get him out of Oregon. Then we'll hide. That's the only way to keep eve
ryone safe, so that's what we’ll do.”
Quin braced himself. “No, Layla. We're staying, and when it’s time to face Agro, we'll do it with allies.”
She straightened, finding the energy she lacked in her depressed state. “Why are you fighting me on this? You wanted me to hide, and I know you don't want your family hurt.”
He kept his voice even and undeterred. “I'm not fighting you. The decision has been made. I want to protect you from the danger, but not at the price of your happiness. And no, I don't want my family hurt, but walking into the lion's den alone is certain death. That leaves one option. It's a sad choice and a hard one to accept, but you're going to have to figure out how, because I've made up my mind. As long as we have people who are willing to help, we'll stay and face our enemy.”
“I'm okay with hiding,” she argued, but with little conviction. “I'll have you with me and that's all I need. I'll adjust to a life in hiding fine. I'm flexible. I can be happy, Quin.”
“You're lying, Layla, but it doesn't matter, because this is non-negotiable.”
Her eyebrows furrowed as she leaned back. “What do you mean it’s non-negotiable?”
He hesitated for a short moment then cursed himself for doing so. “It’s not up for debate. I've made up my mind, and I'm not going to change it.”
“That's not how it works, Quin.”
“That's how it's working this time, Layla.”
She took a deep breath and pushed her shoulders back. “You can't force me to do this.”
His jaw tightened as he stared into her beautiful and angry eyes. “Are you going to leave without me?”
Her mouth dropped open, but she quickly closed it, her eyes narrowing as she icily whispered. “I'm not asking people to die for me.”
“You're right.” He knew what was coming, so he reluctantly loosened his hold. “You're not, but I am.”
“But... You can't... This isn't...” Her face turned red as she looked for an escape, but there wasn’t one. She would never leave him. He knew it, and she knew it, so threats would be useless and immature.
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