“You know,” Grant blurted, quizzically staring at Layla’s back, “she wouldn't be hurting so much if she'd let that aura go.”
“She knows,” Quin replied.
Grant shook his head then looked at Serafin. “I guess it's time you share your story. I have a feeling it’s going to be remarkable.”
Serafin cracked a smile as he gave a nod. “Yes, let's get on with it. Layla, sweetheart?”
Layla took a deep breath as she wiped her face. Then she looked at her grandpa. “I'll be better in a minute,” she assured, turning her attention on Dallas and Grant. “Your history with Agro is heartbreaking. Those you lost would no doubt be proud of your endurance to not only live, but to live in a way that allows you to smile on the same day you have to recount your sad stories. May we all find a measure of peace when wounded so deeply.”
Grant smiled, once again tilting his head as he examined her. Then he looked at Serafin. “Are you going to tell us who this sweet young lady really is? Or do we have to keep guessing?”
Serafin threw Quin a glance then turned to their guests. “Dallas, Grant, I’d like you to meet my granddaughter.”
Their gazes snapped to Layla, then back. “Your…”
“Granddaughter,” Serafin repeated.
“But…” Grant’s gaze flashed back and forth. “That would mean she's Aedan’s daughter.”
“That's exactly what it means.”
Their mouths fell open, and Serafin lifted a hand. “You see our predicament.”
They silently nodded, so Serafin went on. “Well that's only half of it. Quin, the young man she's sitting with, is a bonded child. The son of Cordelia and Kemble,” he elaborated, pointing out the golden couple, “and as of Monday night, he's Layla's bonded mate.”
“No way,” Grant mumbled.
“It's not possible,” Dallas added.
“I assure you it is,” Serafin disagreed, looking at his granddaughter. “Let your lights go.”
Quin and Layla released their auras and bonded lights, sighing as they examined the explosion of color. Then they kissed and looked at their company.
Dallas had a hand to his heart, and Grant stared with bulging eyes while holding his breath. He eventually filled his lungs while shaking his head. Then he turned to Serafin. “You do have yourselves quite the predicament, don't you?”
“More than you know,” Serafin confirmed. “Agro's aware of Layla's existence, he suspects she's here, and he was in this community less than a week ago. We believe he’s camped about an hour away, undoubtedly plotting his next attack, and Quin and Layla have chosen to stay and fight rather than run and hide. When Agro returns, we’ll have a battle on our hands, and we need help fighting it. So what do you say, guys?” He grinned and raised his eyebrows. “Ready for that revenge?”
Chapter 13
Three more guests were due to arrive that day, one witch at noon, and two wizards at one-thirty, so the family chose to stay outside and get to know their company while practicing defensive spells.
Caitrin and Serafin stood in the center of the lawn with Quin and Layla beside them, and everyone else watched from a nearby circle of chairs.
“Okay, Layla,” Serafin started, “the first thing you need to know about defensive magic is how complex it is. The caster must specifically mold the shield to protect against certain types of magic. For instance, I can cast a shield that will protect me from fire, but water magic would fly right through it. To protect myself from fire and water, I must mentally make it so. A magician can cast a shield that protects them from everything, but it's difficult to think of all the offensive spells at once when forming the shield in your mind, because not only is defensive magic detailed magic, it's pressured magic. You're not going to have time to work things out in your head. When you need protection, you need it within seconds, so you need to train yourself to instinctively cast a thorough shield.” He paused and walked several yards away. “Am I making sense?”
“Yes,” Layla answered, “and it sounds difficult.”
“It is. Especially in the beginning, but you'll quickly produce a basic shield that will protect you from the most utilized spells, such as elemental and summoning magic.” He eyeballed the distance between himself and Caitrin. Then he took five more steps back. “There’s another form of defensive magic that has a simpler concept, but it can be trickier to perform. Send something my way, Caitrin.”
Caitrin grinned and threw out a palm, sending a wave of water arching through the air, and Serafin smirked as he swept a hand in front of him. The swell gracefully curled and reversed its course, and Caitrin raised a palm, halting the wave in mid-air before dropping it to the grass.