Descension (21 page)

She breathed deep, smelling him as she collected herself. Then she boldly met his stare. “What did you need to tell me before I tried to freeze you in time?”

It took him a few seconds to remember what she was talking about. “Oh yeah. I need to fill you in on a few things before you meet your grandparents.”

“Like what?”

“Well, your dad’s parents, who live in Virginia, they’re here. Should be anyway.”

“What?” Layla blurted, shocked by the prospect of meeting all four of her grandparents in one night.

“We called them last night,” Quin explained, “and they left right away. They were due to arrive this evening.”

“From Virginia?”

“Yes.”

“I guess they flew?”

“Yes,” he answered, flashing a grin.

“Oh…” she replied, “you mean they
flew
. No plane.”

“Right,” he confirmed. “It takes about twenty-four hours to get here from Virginia.”

“They flew for twenty-four hours straight?”

“Sure. It’s not as difficult as it sounds.”

“But that means they flew overnight.”

“And all day.”

Despite his claims, Layla thought it sounded like an exhausting journey. “They didn’t have to do that. They could have waited. Or at least slept. Why did they come so quickly?”

“A few reasons. Most importantly, they want to see you. They’ve waited a long time for this opportunity, so they weren’t going to sit in Virginia and let it pass them by. But there is another reason. When your dad last saw Serafin, he gave him a box and asked him to keep it safe for you.”

“My dad left me a box?”

“Yes.”

“What’s in it?”

“A ring.”

“The kind that goes on a finger?”

“Yes. Aedan imprinted his and your mom’s memories on her wedding ring. When you wear it, the memories will be yours.”

“Let me get this straight,” Layla replied. “If I put this ring on, I’ll see my parents?”

“Their memories,” Quin corrected, “not them.”

“Right…” Layla mumbled. “Like home movies or something?”

“I can’t answer that. The box is sealed with magic only you can break, so no one has seen or touched the ring since Aedan told Serafin about the imprint. The memories might show like home movies or photos. A lot of imprinted objects show that way. But sometimes it’s just voices, or images combined with voices, and I’ve heard of a few that were like out-of-body experiences, but with another person’s body. We have no idea which method your dad chose.”

The thought of watching any of these things starring her parents excited and scared Layla. The memories would be sad, but the chance to see where she came from, to see who her parents were, was too good to pass up. “When will I see it?”

“That’s up to you,” Quin answered. “When we go tonight, the minute you enter the community, everyone plays by your rules. We know this is overwhelming, so we do it your way. If you want to see the ring before you meet anyone, that’s what you’ll do. If you want to meet one person at a time, that’s how you’ll meet them. If you want a welcome home party, the feast will be prepared before we get there. The call is yours.”

Layla understood the enormity of his offer. Twenty-six people were bending over backward for someone they didn’t know. “I don’t want a party.”

“I know,” he replied, lips twitching into a grin, “but my point remains. This happens the way you want it to.”

“That’s really nice of everybody. I know it must be inconvenient.”

“Not really. We’re a laid back group of people good at rolling with the punches. As you’ve so beautifully proven today.”

“I still appreciate what they’re doing.”

“I know you do,” he assured, playing with a curl.

Layla closed her eyes, absorbing his tingling touch while debating her next steps to the truth. Her dad must have left an explanation, either on the ring or in the box. So whose account of events did she want to hear first? Her parents’ or her grandparents’?

Her parents’, she decided. No one would know better than they why things turned out the way they did.

Now, did she want to meet anyone before she got her chance with the box? On this she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t want to be rude and make her grandparents wait, but she would have a better idea how to receive her new family if she knew why they were strangers. Only then could she be honest about her feelings toward them.

Quin patiently waited, watching her face as he twirled a lock of hair around his finger, so when Layla opened her eyes, she immediately found his.

“If I choose to see the box before meeting anyone, where would I look at it?”

“Wherever you’d feel comfortable looking at it,” he answered. “You could use your house, your grandparents’, or mine. Or we could have someone bring it here.”

“Wait a minute. Go back. My house?”

Quin grimaced. “I’m sorry. I forgot I hadn’t told you.”

“Told me what?”

“You have a house in the community.”

“How’s that?”

“It belonged to your parents. When they died, the coven decided to keep it for you. I should have mentioned it earlier. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s fine.”

“Then I’ll get back to the point. Where would you like to see the box?”

Layla considered having the ring delivered, but decided it would be more fitting to discover the truth in her parents’ house… her house. Besides, she didn’t want to ask favors of the family she’d never met. “My parents’ house,” she answered. “I mean… my house.”

“Okay. When would you like to go?”

She checked the time—ten o’clock. “Won’t they be going to bed soon?”

“Some of them, but your grandparents won’t sleep until they know what’s going on. If they think there’s a chance they’ll get to see you tonight, they’ll stay up.”

“What if I get there, see the memories, then decide to wait until morning to meet everyone?”

“Then that’s what you’ll do. Is that what you want?”

“Maybe, I’m not sure. I don’t know what to expect.”

“Then you’ll take it one step at a time and we’ll follow you. They’ll be fine with whatever you choose.”

“What about you?”

His dark eyebrows drew together. “What about me?”

“What will you do when we get there?” she elaborated.

His confusion smoothed into thought. “Hmm… What do you want me to do?”

Layla took his hand, fidgeting with his fingers as she swallowed a lump and her pride. “I want you to stay with me,” she confessed, feeling weak and immature.

Moisture stung her lids, so she squeezed her eyes shut, but a tear escaped anyway, landing in Quin’s palm. “That’s convenient,” he whispered, transforming the teardrop into an emerald green rose petal, “because I really want to stay.”

Layla took the petal he offered then found his eyes—dark pools sparkling around her reflection, holding a tenderness previously unknown. “Yeah?” she asked, smiling despite her flaming cheeks.

His dimples deepened as he swept the tip of a curl across her nose. “More than anything.”

As Layla drove into Jewell, a small logging community north of the Sunset Highway, Quin pointed out a dilapidated parking lot bordered by forest. “We live about ten miles northwest of here, but it’s surrounded by trees, so you’ll need to leave your car.”

“How will we get there?” Layla asked, parking between two faded, yellow lines.

“Fly.”

“But I don’t know how.”

“It’s easy, but if you’re worried, you can fly with me.”

“Okay,” she agreed, trying to ignore her queasy stomach. “What about my things?”

Quin glanced at the stuffed back seat. “Morrigan made sure your house has everything you need, but if you want your things tonight, I can send them for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but it might take a while.”

Layla hated to ask for more favors, but would be more comfortable having at least some of her clothes with her. She looked at the back seat, searching for the bag containing some old favorites as well as the clothes she bought the day she found out she was adopted. “I don’t need them all right now, but can you send that one?”

“This one?”

“Yes.”

As soon as she answered, the bag vanished, making her jolt. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to things like that.”

“You will,” he assured. “Do you want to try flying by yourself, or would you rather fly with me?”

She looked at the dark sky. Learning to fly at night probably wasn’t the best idea. “I’ll fly with you for now.”

His dark eyes twinkled like the stars as his aura brightened like the sun. “Excellent,” he approved, pulling his cloak from his bag. “Are you ready?”

She squirmed in her seat, rubbing the side of her neck as her chest and throat clogged.

“We’ll land outside of the clearing and walk in,” Quin said, pulling her hand from her throat, “to give you more time to prepare.”

“Okay,” she agreed, but she couldn’t calm her swirling stomach.

“You don’t have to do this, Layla. We’ll wait as long as you need us to.”

Layla was tempted to take him up on the offer, but confronting her past would be hard no matter how long she waited. “No. I don’t want to put it off.”

Quin watched her for another ten seconds before exiting the car, and Layla closed her eyes, trying to steady her unreliable breathing. How was she supposed to fly when she was having such a hard time on the ground?

She jolted when Quin opened her door. Then she rolled her eyes and took his hand, letting him pull her from the car. With a flick of his wrist, he shut and locked the doors. Then he pulled her close, keeping one arm around her as they walked into the surrounding forest.

Once they were shadowed, he opened his cloak, and she slipped her arms in, loving the soothing warmth of luxurious velvet. “You never told me how you keep from freezing,” she remembered.

“Magic,” he answered, carefully pulling her hair from the collar. Then he covered the tresses with a roomy hood.

“That’s all I get?” she objected.

“Are you cold?” he returned, an ornery twinkle in his eye as hooked the platinum clasp.

“No,” she answered.

“Then you don’t need more,” he refused.

She scowled, and he grinned, slipping his hands under the cloak and around her waist. Layla’s breath caught in her chest as he lifted her from the ground. Then she was face-to-face with him, lips fluttering around tiny bursts of oxygen laced with his scent, heart thundering as her cheeks burned.

“Is this okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she breathed. Aside from her embarrassing physical reactions, she was quite content. “It’s nice.”

“I think so, too,” he replied, supporting her with one arm as he reached up with the other. “I’m going to cast a spell to protect your ears from the pressure, but you shouldn’t feel any affects. Tell me if you do.”

“Okay,” she agreed, and he cupped his hand over her ears one at a time.

“Feel normal?” he asked, and she nodded. “Good,” he approved. “Tell me if that changes. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not.”

She meant what she said, but couldn’t help but squeeze her eyes shut and tighten her grip as he shot into the air, darting through a thick canopy of needle covered branches. When they reached open sky, he leaned back, letting her rest on his torso, and she opened her eyes, feeling foolish for closing them in the first place.

She was pleasantly aware of his solidity as gravity pulled her against him, and her cheeks burned brighter as she looked away from his watchful gaze, turning hers to the blur of treetops below. The reality of the absurd situation suddenly seeped in, and excitement replaced embarrassment. They were flying!

Quin ignored the superb view of the stars in the sky, opting instead for those sparkling in Layla’s enthused eyes. When her spirals fluttered around the billowing hood of his cloak, softly caressing his cheek, he smiled, mesmerized by the once in a lifetime moment. Nobody else would see the beautiful expression she wore the first time she flew, her aura polished by wonder, shining like the star she was born to be. The moment was his alone.

Captivated by the magic, she didn’t hesitate to touch her cheek to his. “This is insane,” she whispered, tickling his ear. “Amazing, but completely insane. How do you know where you’re going?”

“I’ve been flying here since I was two.”

“That young?”

“Younger, I learned the basics in Alaska.”

“That’s crazy,” she breathed. “And lucky; this is wonderful.”

“I’m glad you like it, because I’d love to take you on a longer trip. This one’s about to end.”

“Already?”

“Yes. I’ll be floating upright in about a minute.”