“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.”