Retribution (18 page)

“Sure, love. I'll see what I can do.”

“Thank you.”
 

“You don't have to thank me for that.”

“Well can I thank you for this room? Because it's gorgeous; even more beautiful in the daytime than at night.”

“I'm glad you like it.”

“No, Quin. I love it. And I love the effort and thought you put into it. The stuff you buy me is nice, but the things in this room took you countless hours to create and you put them in a room designed just for me. I feel very spoiled.”

“Good,” he approved. “That’s how I like it.”

She took a sip of coffee then sent her mug to the table. “How long before we have to be out there?”

“About fifteen minutes. But what will they do if we’re late? Ground us to our room? I’d be okay with that.”

She grinned and bit her lip, her lashes demurely fluttering. “Would you like to help me get clean?”

He grinned as he vanished their breakfast mess. Then he stood with her in his arms. “Always, my love.”

Before walking outside, Layla and Quin paused at the front door, kissed each other, then concealed their auras and bonded lights. Two of Serafin's contacts were due to arrive any moment, and Quin insisted the shocking hazes stay hidden until he got a chance to evaluate their company. Serafin approved, saying it was a good idea to ease his friends into the unbelievable mists.

To help plan for the impending confrontation, most members of the family had put their businesses on hold or in the hands of other covens, and those still going to work had cut their hours back, so when Quin and Layla walked onto the porch, they found over half the family on the lawn.

As Layla and Quin approached, seven wizards stood – Catigern, Lann, Cadman, Devlin, Drystan, Belinos and Kearny. Tasked with locating Agro's camp, the seven men lined up and let Layla and Quin conceal their bodies and auras.

“What do you think?” Quin asked, glancing at Caitrin. “Can you see them?”

Caitrin intently stared at the spot Catigern had stood a moment before. Then he jumped when someone said
boo
in his ear. “Damn you, Cat,” he cursed.

Catigern’s laugh floated from seemingly empty air. “Guess they work. See you in a couple of hours.”

The invisible men said their goodbyes and moved away from each other. Then a whoosh of air rushed over the lawn as the scouts shot toward the sky.

Not long after the departure, Serafin's head perked up, and he announced the arrival of his friends. Two auras soon flew overhead, circling twice before landing in the middle of the lawn, and Serafin and Daleen walked to meet them.

“Dallas,” Serafin greeted, shaking the hand of a wizard slightly older and smaller than he. Then he turned his smile on the other man, who was younger and much larger. “Grant, you big lump, how've you been? I forgot how fat you are.”

He jabbed at Grant's large abdomen, which probably didn’t have an ounce of fat on it, and Grant laughed as he pulled Serafin into a bone-crushing hug. “Hey, old man. Virginia hasn’t been the same since you've been gone.”

“I'm sure Virginia's doing just fine,” Serafin countered. “What do you think of our new home?”

“Gorgeous,” Grant answered. “And speaking of gorgeous.” He moved around Serafin and lifted Daleen into a hug. “How's my darlin' Daleen?”

Daleen laughed as she gave his back a solid pat. “I’m good. Even better now. I missed your smile.”

“You, too.”

He lowered her feet to the ground, and she squeezed his massive bicep before turning to the other guest. “How have you been, Dallas?”

Dallas smiled and looked around. “Well, my dear, if the birds are chirping and I'm breathing, life’s grand.”

“Yes,” Daleen agreed, scanning the surrounding forest. Then she linked her arm with his. “Come meet our new family. I think you’ll find they’re incredibly special.”

Serafin made the introductions, leaving Quin and Layla for last, but their missing auras drew the guests’ curiosity right away. When Serafin got to his granddaughter, he spoke as casually as he had with the others, but there was no mistaking the pride in his eyes. “This beauty is Layla, and that's Quin.”

Grant smiled and offered his hand. “You are a beauty, Layla.”
 

She smiled back, letting his large palm swallow hers. “Thank you, Grant. It's nice to meet you.”

He held on to her for several seconds, tilting his head while watching her eyes, and she swallowed as her cheeks flamed.

Keeping his gaze glued to the scene, Quin squeezed Layla’s other hand, fighting the urge to pull her away from the stranger, to calm her embarrassment and ease his own nerves.
 

Grant finally released her, cocking an eyebrow as he looked from her eyes to Serafin's. Then he moved over, letting Dallas take his place while he greeted Quin.
 

The older wizard stared at Layla with equal curiosity, but Serafin didn’t give him time to linger. “You'll meet the rest of the family this afternoon. Take a seat.”

Dallas and Grant obeyed, and the rest of the family sat around them, summoning drinks while Serafin tended to the guests. Once everyone was comfortable, Grant leaned back and looked around. “So who has the skirmish with Agro?”

“We all do,” Serafin answered.

“Of course,” Grant returned, “but where did it start? Aren't you going to tell us why this conflict is brewing?”

“Yes. But first, do you mind telling us your experience with Agro?”

“Not at all. I'm an open book.”

“Dallas?”

“Sure,” Dallas agreed.

“Great,” Serafin approved. “Go ahead, Grant.”

Grant took a swig of wine and a deep breath. Then he ran a hand through his blond hair. “Let's see. Guess I'll start from the beginning, thirty-two years ago. I'd just finished high school and was on a solo trip to Indian River Bay in Delaware. I was there to fish, but at one o'clock in the morning, a witch landed on the beach.” Grant's turquoise eyes unfocused as a sad smile curved his lips. “Erin… that was her name. And she was terrified, which was odd because there was no one else around and I was just sitting on the bank with my hands full of fish. And I probably looked like an idiot, because all I could do for the first several seconds was stare. She was beautiful – long red hair and cornflower-blue eyes that glowed through the bright layers of her aura. I could tell she was about to take flight, and I didn't want to see her go, so I tossed my fish in the water and stood. All I said was hi, but she acted like I’d threatened her life, looking from me to the sky while twisting her cloak. She was literally frightened of her own shadow; I actually saw her jump when it moved. But she must have been starving, because I got her to sit with me by offering a sandwich. Before long she was sobbing and spilling her story, and I learned why she was so scared. Erin was one of two, a twin,
and
she was a bonded child.”

Layla’s throat tightened as her insides squirmed. This story wasn't going to end well, she could tell. Swallowing a lump, she looked at Quin, who magically held her coffee in place while shifting her onto his lap.

Grant was lost in memories and paying no attention to the people around him, so Layla's shift didn't disrupt his story. “Erin's twin sister had fallen for one of Agro’s soldiers and willingly pledged her allegiance to him. And of course, Agro wanted the other piece of the set. Erin had no intention of joining him, and she didn't want her family hurt, so she fled her community without telling anyone where she was going. For three days she'd been zigzagging across the country without food or sleep, and she was on the brink of an emotional meltdown. I’d never felt such profound sympathy for a woman. All I wanted to do was take care of her, so I spent the entire night trying to talk her into coming home with me, just long enough to get some sleep and food. By sunrise and the grace of the Heavens, she agreed, and every day I did everything I could to convince her to stay one more day. After about two months, I somehow convinced her to love me.” His expression changed again, haunted by regret and longing. “We thought Agro had lost her trail. We hadn't heard a word out of him or received news he'd been in Virginia or any of its bordering states, so we dropped our guard and planned to marry. Five months from the day we met, we did just that. I married a gorgeous witch who was way out of my league yet thrilled to be carrying my baby.”

Layla's stomach flipped as she squeezed her eyes shut, tempted to ask Grant to stop. She didn’t want to hear more.

Grant dropped his head, finishing his sorrowful tale in a muffled voice. “The day after our wedding, we flew to Vermont, to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, miles from anyone. There wasn't even a coven nearby, so we thought we had the forest to ourselves. To this day I don't know how they found us, but it doesn't matter how. All that matters is what they did. We'd been there for two days when the cabin door was blown off the hinges by Agro's soldiers, and within seconds they’d overpowered us and cut off our magic with brain shields. Of course I tried to put up a fight, but I was worthless against their numbers. They had me beat before I could throw a punch, so I had no choice but to lie there and watch Agro give Erin an ultimatum – join his ranks willingly or be taken by force. I remember her looking at me with beautiful blue eyes full of tears and terror, silently begging for a miracle, and I wanted to reassure her so badly; tell her it would be okay; that I’d take care of her. But it wasn't okay, and my mouth was so crushed I couldn't tell her a damn thing. Crawling to her wasn't even an option; my body was broken and bound… useless. I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn't tear my gaze away, so I watched Agro lose his patience and yank her from the floor. That’s when Erin put up the struggle she’d been avoiding for our baby’s sake. She fought their grip with tooth and nail, putting everything she had into that fight, and when all five of her fingernails ripped across Agro's face, his eyes burned like fire. A flash of his hand and Erin was dead, along with the baby inside her. I remember every detail – the flutter of her hair as her body fell to the floor; the dimming of the room when her aura disappeared – and I swear I felt my heart split in two. Part of it went with my love and my son that night, and that's where it stays.”

He paused for several seconds, his eyes shiny and distant, and the entire lawn was quiet, weighted with compassion and sorrow.
 

Grant eventually took a drink and cleared his throat. “I don't know why Agro left me alive. I've often wished he hadn't, but he seemed to forget about me altogether. He was pissed he lost his mark and left as soon as her heart stopped beating, screaming for the others to follow, so they did, leaving me bound, beaten and sobbing like a baby as I stared into empty blue eyes. Since then, I've had nightly dreams about killing Agro, and I've waited thirty-two years for the chance to do it right, for the day others like me were ready to stand up and bring the bastard down.”

There were several teary eyes in the group, and Layla quietly cried into Quin's neck, her body vibrating with soft sobs.

Grant looked over, noticing her distress for the first time, and his eyebrows drew together as he glanced at Quin. “Is she okay?”

“No,” Quin answered, his jaw achingly tight. “She's sad for you.”

Grant tilted his head to the side. Then he sighed and looked away. “Well she better prepare herself, because Dallas' story is no walk in the park.”

Quin burrowed his face through Layla's hair and whispered in her ear. “Do you want to take a break?”

“No,” she croaked. “Please just get it over with.”
 

Quin considered the option of releasing their auras before hearing what Dallas had to say, but if they paused the sad recounts to explain their own predicament, it would merely prolong the heartbreaking story hour. “We need to get through this,” he said, looking at Serafin.
 

Serafin nodded then turned to their company. “Let's hear yours, Dallas. Then we'll tell you ours.”

“Sure,” Dallas agreed, bracing his elbows on his knees. “My story starts long before Grant's took place – fifty-nine years ago, when I was a carefree seven-year-old. Agro had been building his army for about four years and had already procured a substantial following. The name Unforgivables hadn't been coined yet; people called them the Lost Ones, because they were magicians who’d lost touch with their peaceful roots. Today his army mostly consists of people forced or brainwashed into servitude, but back then the bulk of his followers were willing rebels, and they weren't as hidden as they are now. It wasn't uncommon for them to be seen in public, acting disrespectful and bullying the locals, both magical and non. When they first started haunting our restaurants and taverns, we dealt with it. Well, I say
we
, but I was just a boy and hadn't seen them. The adults had banned the children from going into town to keep us safe, so I stayed home and raptly listened when the adults complained about them, wishing I could see the bad wizards for myself. Looking back, of course, I wish I'd never made that wish at all. After two weeks of inappropriate behavior, my coven decided to ban Agro and his delinquents from their businesses, and from then on, when the Lost Ones showed up, the proprietor would close shop, leaving Agro with no magical watering holes or eateries. And that's all it took to bring his wrath on my family. Four days into our stand against them, Agro showed up at our community, and he had no intention of negotiating. They were there for one reason only – to show the rest of the magical world what happens when someone defies the Dark Elite. His army came in blazing, and within minutes the other children and I were watching every adult member of our coven burn in a pile in the middle of our lawn. There were six of us; my three-year-old brother, my four younger cousins and myself, the oldest at the age of seven. We were held by Agro's men and forced to keep our eyes open as our family turned to ash. When residue and smoke was all that remained, Agro walked down the line, staring at us with red eyes as he drove his point home. He said,
when asked what happened here, you'll tell them your ignorant family was foolish enough to deny the Dark Elite, and for that, they burned.
Then his men dropped us to the ground and took flight. We stayed with our charred family until a neighboring coven came to check on us. Then my brother and I were separated from our cousins and relocated into a new community. That was almost sixty years ago, and since then, I've sat in on plans to defeat Agro on eight separate occasions, but each time I've respectfully bowed out, because the missions were doomed to fail. I won’t waste my life by lending my support to a half-ass attack, but when my revenge is in sight, I’m all in. It's not my end that concerns me, only Agro's.”