Retribution (77 page)

“Shit, dad,” Quin mumbled, vanishing moisture from his eyes. “Six of them?”

“Yes, and that's just from our coven. There are more.” Then he ticked off the names of twelve extended relatives.

Quin held his breath as he listened, letting the enormity of the sacrifices sink in. “What about Kegan and Weylin?”

“They're okay. Weylin's still mending; several of his bones were crushed, and he lost his dad, an uncle, and a cousin, so he's pretty torn up. Everyone else from their coven survived, but Caitlyn's great-grandparents were lost.”

“How?” Quin asked. “How did we lose so many?”

“The Unforgivables attacked the cliff right over their heads, and every single one of our own was buried in the rubble. Layla had them uncovered in seconds, but it was too late for many of them.”

Quin closed his eyes and shook his head. “This is all on me, dad. I'm sorry.”

“Don’t, Quinlan. You didn't ask anyone to be on that battlefield. They chose to be there because they loved what they were fighting for. Now you need to pull yourself together, because Layla will be here soon, and she doesn't need the extra stress. She needs your confidence right now, not your guilt. She's carrying enough of that herself.”

Quin nodded, knowing his dad was right. Layla's heart must be in pieces over the entire situation. “What has she been doing for the past forty-five hours?”

“She's been glued to this bed. I swear she's only gone to the bathroom twice, and that's literally the only time she moved away from you until your mom coerced her with lies. She's not sleeping or eating, and when you see her, you're going to be pissed, because she doesn't look healthy.”

“Damn it, Layla,” Quin whispered.

“You would have done the same thing,” Kemble pointed out.

“True.” Quin moved the covers and examined his side. It looked normal. “What's this?” he asked, gesturing to the bands circling his wrist and neck.

Kemble smiled as he touched one. “Gum wrappers.”

Quin's eyebrows furrowed as he looked closer. Sure enough, they were gum wrappers – dozens of them folded into tiny strips, then tucked together to form a shiny foil band. “Why am I wearing candy wrappers?” he asked, picking up the long necklace. “There must be a hundred of them.”

“At least,” Kemble confirmed. “Layla took a vow not to drink coffee until you can have it with her, but she's been struggling to stay awake, so yesterday morning she asked us to bring her some gum. She's been chewing it nonstop, and every time she pops in another piece, she folds the wrapper and adds it to the one from before. I guess it's something hexless children delight in.”

Quin was flabbergasted. Not only did he have a hard time believing one person could chew that much gum, he couldn't believe Layla sat there and folded over a hundred tiny wrappers into jewelry. He found it both endearing and sad. “So that's what she's been doing for forty-five hours? Just sitting here, looking at me and folding gum wrappers?”

“Well,” Kemble sighed, “the first night was really rough on her. All she did was lie there and stare at you while talking to you and herself and that's it. She wouldn't talk to anyone else or respond when we spoke to her. It had us pretty worried, and you would have flipped if you'd seen her like that. Serafin kept checking her head to make sure her brain was functioning correctly, but it was her heart that was broken.”

Quin swallowed a painful lump, and Kemble’s brow furrowed as he went on. “She'd never seen you sleep, Quinlan. How you've managed to spend every night with her without letting her see you sleep, I'll never understand, but you probably should have given her the opportunity, because it freaked her out seeing you unconscious. She kept talking about how perfect and still you looked, but then she’d start talking about how it wasn't right, you being so sober, and how you weren't you unless you were looking at her and smiling at her and holding her.”

“Please stop, dad.”
 

“She got better.”

Quin hopefully looked up. “She did?”

“Yes. Your color was returning to normal by yesterday morning, and Serafin had your side patched up. That's when she finally talked to us and asked for gum. We were so relieved, we bought the store's entire stock, and it's a good thing we did, because she's nearly chewed it all. Since then she's been using her time rather wisely. She practiced a song on the guitar, and she read one of Serafin's medical textbooks, quizzing herself on the human organ and nervous systems.”

Quin raised an eyebrow, ever impressed by her determination. “Those books aren’t easy to get through.”

“No they’re not, but I'm pretty sure Layla’s talent knows no boundaries. Once she decides to do something, she does it.”

“So it would seem,” Quin mumbled, remembering the way she carved through Agro’s army. “She saved our asses in that battle. I never meant for her to carry that burden alone.”

“She surprised everyone on that glacier, son.”

“Is she remorseful?”

“I'm sure she is, but she won't talk to us about it. Like I said, the only thing she'll discuss is you. She tunes us out when we try to talk to her about other matters at hand.”

“What other matters?”

Kemble lowered his gaze as he answered. “Her anonymity. It’s blown, Quinlan. The clearing near Mount Hood is full of people who want to see her.”

“Survivors?”

“Mostly. But there are some who weren’t even involved in the battle.”

“Then why are they here?”

“Good news travels fast. They're here to see the witch who defeated Agro single-handedly. Some of them want to look, some of them want her help, some of them want to say thank you, and most of them have brought her gifts.”

“She won’t take their gifts.”

“I know.”

“I hate that they know where she is.”

“They don’t,” Kemble countered. “They only know she belongs to a local coven, but they don't know our location, and no one has confirmed she's alive. Drystan and Devlin visited the strangers to get a feel for the situation, and that was the question on everyone's minds. Did Layla survive? They’re determined to wait around until they get an answer.”

“Are you thinking about faking her death?”

“We just wanted to leave the option open. What happens next is up to you and Layla.”

“Does she know what's going on?”

“I can't say for sure. We've told her, but we have no idea if she heard. She didn't react.”

“What about our losses? Have you told her about them?”

“Yes, and that we know she heard. She held your arm around her with magic and cried on your chest for hours, but other than that, nothing.”

Quin looked down, running his thumb along a shiny paper chain. “Do you think she'll ever get over this, dad? Do you think she'll be okay?”

“You know her better than I do, Quinlan. I will say this, though. She needs time and healing. We all do, but I’ve never seen anyone catch the amount of shit Layla’s been thrown over the past few weeks, and her unique heart harbors as much grief as it does love. We’re lucky she’s still with us.” He paused, his eyes moistening as he patted Quin’s bicep. “We’re lucky you’re still with us.”

“I wish we still had them all, dad. I’m sorry we don’t.”

“I know,” Kemble whispered. Then he cleared his throat and rose from the bed. “Now let that be the last guilt that slips from your lips today, because Layla’s almost here, and she's dying to see your eyes and smile.”

Quin's heart rate quickened. “She'll be mad at herself for leaving.”

“You can blame it on me,” Kemble offered. “Just do me a favor and wait ’til I leave.”

“You scared?” Quin smirked.

Kemble quietly laughed. “It’s never a good idea to get on a woman’s bad side, son. I taught you that long ago.”

They heard the back door close, and Quin sat up, magically rearranging the pillows behind him. He flipped his gaze toward the hallway, waiting for her to walk around the corner, but she didn't walk around it. She flew around it, and when she saw him sitting up and looking at her, she froze in mid-air, her lips parting into a tiny 'o' of surprise as she dropped toward the floor.

“Layla!” Nearly coming out of his skin, Quin threw out a hand, catching her in a spell right before she hit the floor. He sighed as he floated her back up. Then he pulled her to him much slower than he wanted to.

She came to her senses when she reached the foot of the bed, and she burst out of his magic, flinging herself at him and straddling his lap. Her hands closed over his cheeks as her shiny eyes met his. Then she showered his face in desperate kisses. “You’re awake. You’re finally awake. I missed your eyes so much, Quin… and your smile… I can barely breathe without it.”

He ran his hands down her back and thighs while letting her have her way with his face, but he wanted to look at her, so he carefully worked his fingers into her hair and halted her frantic kissing.

“Layla Love,” he sighed, searching her red-rimmed eyes, pale cheeks, and parched lips. She looked exhausted and slightly ill, but she remained the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He ran a forefinger over her lips, healing the chapped skin. Then he touched the pads of his thumbs to her eyelids, soothing the strain. “I'm sorry, angel,” he whispered, drying the tears streaming down her cheeks. “I'm sorry I couldn't stay awake for you.”

She shook her head while stroking his jaw and brow. “You're awake now, Quin. That's all that matters.”

“Hear, hear,” Kemble agreed. Then he nudged his crying wife forward. “Give Quinlan a kiss, my love, so we can leave him and Layla alone.”

Cordelia moved in to kiss Quin’s cheek, and Layla looked down, tugging on her t-shirt, which was actually one of his t-shirts, until she could have him back.

“I love you, Quinlan,” Cordelia whispered.

“I love you, too, mom,” he returned, glad he had the opportunity.

As Kemble guided Cordelia toward the door, he mind searched Quin. ‘
After Layla eats, she needs sleep. I suggest you help her out. Check the nightstand when you’re ready.
’

The moment his parents cleared the room, Layla found Quin’s stare, and her face flexed as fresh tears ran down her cheeks. “I missed you so much, Quin. It was like someone had me by the throat the entire time.”

“You didn't take care of yourself,” he said, sweeping his thumbs along the dark circles haunting her eyes.

“I know,” she confessed, “but I couldn't help it. Please don't be mad at me.”

“Of course not, angel.”

“I'm not an angel, Quin, but I’d walk through fire to make things right for you. I’d do anything to stay perfect in your eyes.”

He flashed a grin. “Then I must insist you don't walk through any fires for me.”

As her forefingers dipped into his dimples, a smile curved her exhausted lips. “I would if that’s what you needed.”

Quin’s heart sighed, a heavy weight lifting from his chest as he brushed a thumb across her smile. “This is what I need. This makes me soar.”

“It’s been lost without you. I’ve been lost without you.”

“Well I’m back, baby, and I have a favor to ask.”

“Anything.”

He laughed as he raised an eyebrow. “You're awfully compliant, my love. I could really take advantage right now.”

“I’m just so happy to see you awake and smiling at me, Quin. I’d do anything to keep it that way.”

He gave her dry lips a soft kiss. Then he held one palm in front of her mouth while summoning a glass of water in the other. “Then spit out that gum and drink some water before we have to treat you for dehydration.”

She puckered, but then she obeyed, letting her gum fall into his hand as she accepted the water. After vanishing the chewed candy and its mess, he carefully ran his fingers into her tangled hair. Then he magically worked out knots while she finished her drink.

“Will you eat something?” he asked, running a hand over her stomach.

Eager to please, she passed him the glass then summoned a bowl of fruit, feeding him a strawberry before taking one for herself. She sighed and closed her eyes, obviously missing the taste of food, so he let her eat in silence, hoping she’d keep going until she was full. When he noticed she was giving him bites without taking any, he set the bowl aside and picked her up, cradling her in one arm as he reclined against the pillows.

He brushed her hair back and kissed her nose. Then he gave her t-shirt a tug. “May I take this off?”

“Yes.”

He vanished the shirt then reached for her pajama pants, noticing they, too, were his. “How about these?”

She gave a timid nod, and he figured she was insecure because she hadn’t been showering and grooming. But she needed to know he didn’t give a shit how clean or dirty or prickly she was, so he vanished the pants and tucked her legs under the blankets with his. “That’s better,” he approved, smiling at her.

She nodded again, her eyes filling with moisture. “I can't believe we made it, Quin. I was so afraid we wouldn't.”

“Me, too, Layla, but I’d fight a million battles for you.”

She slid a hand to his healed side, her gaze wide and pleading as it searched his. “I saw it, Quin. My nightmare wasn't just a nightmare. It was a vision. I saw your injury, and the clothes you wore, and I saw leather armbands before I knew wizards wore such things.” Her tears ran like rivers now, and she and her aura shook with emotion. “I saw it all, and I was so scared… because those damn armbands told me exactly what would happen. And I didn't stop it, Quin. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.”