Retribution (29 page)

Guthrie’s confusion ebbed as he sighed. “The witch.”

“Yes,” Agro bellowed, throwing his hands in the air. “The fucking witch.”

“Why?”

Agro’s fit paused as he found Guthrie’s stare. “Come again?”

Guthrie understood he was playing with fire, but that was nothing new. And Agro didn’t need a reason to kill, so why pussyfoot around? “Why do you want her?” Guthrie clarified. “If you don’t want the power, why do you want her?”

Agro gave this a short moment of consideration then pointed with his pipe. “In the beginning, it was the power, another means to secure my position. Then I thought she died, and for the first time in my life, I mourned a loss. That’s when I realized her power was merely a perk. This witch is an anomaly, vastly different than I in so many ways. I want to experience those differences. I want to know how she sees life. Then I want to wash away her guilt and watch her eyes open to a new world. I want to watch her transform into the witch she was meant to be, a witch unburdened and unrestrained. She intrigues me like nothing else before her, because there’s never been anything like her. If anyone’s existence is remarkable, it’s hers, and I want to leave my mark upon it.”

“No offense, sir, but your logic sounds like a twisted love story.”

“I don’t love, Guthrie. Haven’t you been listening?”

“But this time is different. The question is why.”

“No,” Agro barked. “The question is where the fuck is she.”

“Right,” Guthrie conceded. “You didn’t discover anything while I was gone?”

“No. I have spies posted half a mile outside their property, which they keep guarded, but the traffic in and out is slow and the witch hasn’t shown her face. We followed a group of them to an inn on the coast. It’s owned by one of them, and it seems that’s where several of them are staying, but the witch hasn’t shown up there either.”

“Then I’d say she’s in the community.”

“We don’t even have proof she’s in Oregon. If we invade that community and she isn’t there, we’ll lose the only link we have to her, and it’s a damn good link. I’m not starting from scratch on this. All four of her grandparents are in that community. If she isn’t there now, she will be eventually, and they will slip up.”

“So we wait?”

“Unfortunately, but I’m done keeping my head down.”

Guthrie set his jaw and stifled a groan. The only rational thing Agro had done since arriving in Oregon was keep his head down. Considering his volatile mood, interacting with the public was a bad idea.

The fire had drained from Agro’s eyes, leaving them rusty. “Bring me the wizard who showed up unannounced last week – Dolan Barr. We'll brief him then send him into the fray. He has until Monday, using whatever means necessary, to come up with something useful, either proof of the witch’s location, or a clue leading to proof. Failure’s not an option and will lead to his demise. He already seems eager to please. A threat will merely spur his motivation.”

“Yes, sir,” Guthrie agreed, getting to his feet. “Are you ready to inspect the newcomers?”

Agro vanished his pipe and summoned a cloak. “Yes. I need to set the soothsayers to task. While I do that, search out six soldiers with mild appearances and low profiles. Send them to the shops owned by the Conn/Kavanaghs, including the inn. Instruct them to hang around and listen without drawing attention to themselves. They're not to act without my permission.”

“I’ll see it done,” Guthrie assured, hastening from the tent.
 

But Agro barely noticed the exit. An image of the witch's nubile face had burned his brain, and his eyes blazed with it.

Chapter 19

Quin and Layla must have been exhausted, because neither of them stirred until the phone rang at noon. He jolted awake, making her jump as well, and she blinked away blurriness while trying to remember when or how she’d fallen asleep. Pulling her cheek from Quin’s heart, she found his eyes and frowned. She'd missed her ride to heaven.
 

He kissed her wrinkled forehead then summoned the cordless phone. “Hello.”

Tucking her face in his throat, Layla pouted against his pulse as he finished a short conversation. Then his strong arms wrapped around her and squeezed. That’s when she realized they were both nude. “When did you strip me?”

He shivered as his hand slid to her butt. “Right before falling asleep.”

She was cradled in his lap, and his morning arousal nudged her hip as his fingers stretched across her backside. Tingles ignited, slithering through flesh and veins to form a web of energy, and her lips parted as her lungs quickened. “Was that phone call important?”

He tightened his grip, quietly groaning as he used her body to counter the pressure of his erection. “Yeah,” he breathed. “It was pretty important. We slept through the guard change.”

Torn between responsibility and bliss, she struggled to reply. “What’s that mean?”

He eased up a little, letting her breathe, but she remained tingly and insanely aroused. And if the hard-on still pressing on her hip was any indication, he wasn’t calming down either. Guess that’s what happened when they missed a trip to heaven.

“Kearny’s supposed to be watching Agro,” he explained, “but he’s using his own spells and can’t get close enough. We need to conceal Belinos so he can take Kearny’s place. Then we need to go meet Kegan's coven.”

Now that kind of killed the mood. “Damn.”

“I'm sorry, angel. I know you’re uncomfortable meeting people.”

“I don’t care about that. Well… I mean, yeah, it makes me uncomfortable, but I don’t care. I’m just mad we’re so pressed for time.” She pulled away from his neck and found his eyes. “What happened last night? Did I fall asleep on the first video?”

His aura brightened as he smiled. “Yes. You didn’t even make it through your dance recital.”

“Geez. I must be boring.”

“Nu-uh, Layla Love, you captivated your audience. Your grandparents and I finished the videos.”

“All of them?”

“Yep, and you are unquestionably the most magnificent creature that's ever lived.”

“They weren’t that good.”

“Yes they were, and it blows me away that you don’t comprehend your own worth or notice how others value you. People gravitate toward you, and you respond to the attention beautifully, humbly touching lives with your heart and aura, but you fail to realize why they gravitate toward you or the impression you leave on them. I'm not the only person who’s been blessed by an angel. You're everyone's star.”

“Nu-uh,” she disagreed, touching a forefinger to his nose. “I only shine for you. How long before we have to be outside?”

“I told them we’d be out in about thirty minutes.”

She pouted, but cuddled closer, wiggling against his arousal. “Not enough time for a proper trip to heaven, but maybe enough for a taste. Come get clean with me, and I’ll shine for you in the shower.”

He grinned as he tightened his hold and stood. “I’m a lucky man.”

After spending twenty-seven of their allotted thirty minutes in the shower, Layla and Quin skipped coffee and breakfast and rushed onto the lawn… mostly dressed. Layla managed to remember her chrome tourmaline jewelry, but somehow forgot underwear, and Quin zapped on a pair of shorts, but didn’t bother with a shirt.

The moment Layla looked over at his bare chest, she realized her error and suddenly felt nude, exposed to the breeze drifting up her dress, caressing her the way she wished Quin were caressing her right now.

They were approaching Belinos, and she didn’t want to draw attention to her goof, so she attempted to summon a pair of underwear from the house straight onto her body. She felt the lace on her skin and knew the magic worked, but to be sure, she glanced down while smoothing the ruffled layers of her knee-length skirt. Everyone would probably think it was hilarious had the garment fitted itself on the outside of her dress rather than underneath, but she’d be mortified. All was as it should be, so she looked up to watch her shirtless hero work his magic on Belinos.

Quin reached out, and Layla fixated on his bare back, seeing it in a whole new light. Literally. Illuminated by the cloudy, mid-day sun, his skin shimmered but wasn’t shiny, no glares and few shadows, nothing to disrupt the graceful flow of flesh over brawn. Her vision narrowed as the world around her faded and disappeared. She couldn’t look away; couldn’t focus on anything save for the hard muscles shifting the terrain of her gorgeous view. Her hand rose on its own accord, like her wrist was tied to a huge, helium-filled balloon, and as her fingertips found the center of his lower back, tingling sparks shot up her arm, flooding her body and all its sensitive parts with vibrations.

Her lungs yanked in air as her vision blurred, and she tilted her head back, squeezing her eyes shut as the surging sensations culminated in what felt like a short and powerful orgasm. Right there on the lawn!

She quietly moaned as Quin's head rolled, and Belinos cursed as he stumbled backward. Apparently skin contact with Quin put Belinos in the line of fire. “What the hell was that?”

Quin and Layla shivered. Then he reached behind him, taking her hand from his back and pulling her into a hug. “That, Belinos, is what it feels like to be touched by an angel.”

“That happens every time she touches you?”

“It generally isn’t that powerful, but yeah, she has a magic touch.”

“Sorry,” Layla mumbled. “I didn't mean to.” She pulled her face from Quin’s chest and found his uncle. “Did I hurt you?”

“Well, no,” Belinos answered, rubbing his arms. “It just… shocked me. In more ways than one. I expected a concealment spell and got hit with something I've never felt before.”

Quin laughed. “Did you think I was casting odd spells on you?”

“I didn't know what to think. My brain was scrambled.”

“She tends to do that to people.”

Layla laughed and playfully bit Quin’s chest. “I do not.”

“Deny it all you want, love, but you just scrambled two brains with one touch. My case is solid.”

“Fascinating,” Cecelia murmured.
 

“Truly,” Dallas agreed. “Someone should be recording this. These two are changing the magical world as we speak. Are you writing this stuff down?”

“Yes,” several coven members answered.

“You are?” Layla asked.

“Of course they are,” Quin answered. Then he looked at Belinos, who hadn’t yet recovered from his shocking experience. “Get over here and let me conceal you,” Quin laughed. “We need to leave soon, and we haven't eaten breakfast.”

Layla left Quin to the task and walked to a buffet on the edge of the lawn, fixing two plates and two cups of coffee. They ate standing up, and they both remained thoughtful and quiet – her staring at her food while he stared at her.

Grabbing one more slice of apple from her plate, she looked up and vanished her dishes. “I suppose you’re wondering what I’m thinking.”

“Yes,” he confessed.

She took a bite, her gaze flitting over the people who’d put their lives on hold for her. “Well,” she explained, finding Quin’s eyes, “as guilty as it makes me feel, I’m wondering if we could take an hour or so for ourselves this afternoon, before it gets dark.”

“Sure,” he approved. “Our predicament can’t get much worse, and I doubt an hour or so will make a difference. What are we taking time off for?”

She hesitated, her throat tight as she fidgeted with a curl. “Well… I want to visit my parents' memorial. It's been over a week since I was there, and the last time I went, I was really upset. I know this probably sounds weird, but I thought it would be nice if I went back when I'm not so sad. Nice for me… and for them. Weird, I know, but...”
 

He cut her off with a kiss. Then he whispered across her lips. “Not weird. I think it’s sweet, and I’m glad you’re not so sad anymore.”

She smiled as her tension eased, and he straightened, keeping his eyes on her aura while taking a bite. “Do you want to visit them by yourself?”

He held his breath as he waited for her answer, and she didn’t know if it was because he did or didn’t want to go. “Do you want me to go by myself?”

He slowly exhaled as his brow furrowed. “Do you remember the request I made the day after we bonded?”

Her chest deflated as she looked down. Of course she remembered. He rarely asked her for anything, so it was a big deal when he did. “You asked me to be more open and vocal about my feelings.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

He stepped closer and took her chin, forcing her gaze back up. “I don’t want you to be sorry. I want you to answer my question. Do you want to visit the memorial alone?”

“Okay,” she caved, “here's the deal. I want you to go and sit with me, but if you're uncomfortable with that, then I don't want you to go, and I'll be fine going by myself.”

He smiled as he slid his thumb across her lips. “I'll go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Layla, my love, in case you haven't noticed, I don't like to be a few feet away from you, let alone out of your sight. Staying near you is my number one priority, so yes, I'm sure.” He let go of her and grinned. “By the way, I know you were lying.”