tresses cascading over Skyla’s shoulders. “And it’s about damn time. I’ve been your target for seventeen years.”
“Yes, but I won’t be getting any slower. Now you’ll have to race the kids or the old folks if you want to win.”
“Get Brayden up here,” Banning joked. “I’ll show him who’s boss.”
Layla smiled at her cousin, admiring his sense of humor and humble attitude. Then Quin whispered in her ear. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” she answered, so they turned and descended toward the family.
They were still five feet from the ground when Alana jumped to meet them, and they both reached for her, pulling her between them as their feet found earth.
“Hi, cutie,” Layla greeted, pulling the toddler into a hug. She nuzzled her strawberry-blond curls then found her big, purple eyes, smiling as she softly pinched her nose. “How are you today?”
“Mommy says I’m spittin’ fia,” Alana answered. “You fwy weawwy fast. You'we awmost as fast as Quinwin.”
“Well thank you, angel.”
“You'we wewcome.” She reached for Layla’s hair, but then a baby lamb skipped by, followed by a rabbit, and Alana’s attention drifted. “Otay, put me down.”
Layla laughed as she reluctantly obeyed, and Alana took off after the creatures.
“Looks like you’re about to lose your champion status, Quinlan.”
Layla looked at the man who spoke, finding Quin’s great grandpa Catigern in a nearby chair, his hawk alertly perched on his shoulder.
“I didn't figure I’d hold onto it for long,” Quin replied.
“Yes,” Catigern agreed, “we knew she’d be one hell of a witch. How are you doing, Layla? Healing up?”
“Yes,” she answered. “How about you?”
“My injuries were minor and easily repaired by your grandpa. I’ve never met a better healer.”
“He’s amazing,” Layla agreed, glancing at Serafin. Then she returned her gaze to Catigern, struggling not to bow her head in shame. “I'm sorry you had to go through that.”
“Nonsense. We'll deal with what we must to keep our family safe.”
Quin gave Catigern's unoccupied shoulder a squeeze. Then he took Layla's hand and led her to a huge spread of food.
As they walked alongside the table with plates, Layla felt like she was at a Vegas buffet. “I can’t believe you guys eat like this all the time,” she mumbled, grabbing the most delicious looking strawberry she’d ever seen.
“Grandpa Cat grew that,” Quin replied.
“What?” Layla exclaimed. “Where?”
“There’s a garden by the barn.” He halted, his forehead wrinkling as he looked at her. “I need to get you over there.”
“Where?”
“The barn.”
“Oh yeah. You’d think I’d ask for a tour of the place.”
“You’ve been busy,” he excused, continuing down the table.
“I guess,” she mumbled. Then the subject flew from her mind. “Oh – my – god, there’s lobster.”
Quin laughed, and Layla threw a grape at him, smirking when he weaved to catch it in his mouth.
Once they’d gathered their lunch, they headed for two empty chairs between Morrigan and Kemble. Layla hovered her food so she could give her grandparents hugs. Then she retrieved her plate and sat next to Morrigan. Only then did Quin take a seat, and Layla had to curb another smirk.
“That was impressive flying, sweetie,” Morrigan commended.
“It sure was,” Kemble agreed, gingerly leaning forward. “It’s about time Quinlan’s reign came to an end. Ready to say goodbye, Son?”
Quin smiled as he swallowed a bite. “I can’t think of a more beautiful way to go.”
Kemble laughed as he sat back, and Layla looked at Quin. “So you're the fastest here? Out of the entire family?” She recalled Alana saying he was the fastest, but she figured the child was exaggerating about her beloved cousin Quinwin.
“He holds the record,” Kemble boasted, slapping Quin’s back.
“That’s an overstatement,” Quin clarified. “Bonded children are faster and more
“Yes, but I won’t be getting any slower. Now you’ll have to race the kids or the old folks if you want to win.”
“Get Brayden up here,” Banning joked. “I’ll show him who’s boss.”
Layla smiled at her cousin, admiring his sense of humor and humble attitude. Then Quin whispered in her ear. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” she answered, so they turned and descended toward the family.
They were still five feet from the ground when Alana jumped to meet them, and they both reached for her, pulling her between them as their feet found earth.
“Hi, cutie,” Layla greeted, pulling the toddler into a hug. She nuzzled her strawberry-blond curls then found her big, purple eyes, smiling as she softly pinched her nose. “How are you today?”
“Mommy says I’m spittin’ fia,” Alana answered. “You fwy weawwy fast. You'we awmost as fast as Quinwin.”
“Well thank you, angel.”
“You'we wewcome.” She reached for Layla’s hair, but then a baby lamb skipped by, followed by a rabbit, and Alana’s attention drifted. “Otay, put me down.”
Layla laughed as she reluctantly obeyed, and Alana took off after the creatures.
“Looks like you’re about to lose your champion status, Quinlan.”
Layla looked at the man who spoke, finding Quin’s great grandpa Catigern in a nearby chair, his hawk alertly perched on his shoulder.
“I didn't figure I’d hold onto it for long,” Quin replied.
“Yes,” Catigern agreed, “we knew she’d be one hell of a witch. How are you doing, Layla? Healing up?”
“Yes,” she answered. “How about you?”
“My injuries were minor and easily repaired by your grandpa. I’ve never met a better healer.”
“He’s amazing,” Layla agreed, glancing at Serafin. Then she returned her gaze to Catigern, struggling not to bow her head in shame. “I'm sorry you had to go through that.”
“Nonsense. We'll deal with what we must to keep our family safe.”
Quin gave Catigern's unoccupied shoulder a squeeze. Then he took Layla's hand and led her to a huge spread of food.
As they walked alongside the table with plates, Layla felt like she was at a Vegas buffet. “I can’t believe you guys eat like this all the time,” she mumbled, grabbing the most delicious looking strawberry she’d ever seen.
“Grandpa Cat grew that,” Quin replied.
“What?” Layla exclaimed. “Where?”
“There’s a garden by the barn.” He halted, his forehead wrinkling as he looked at her. “I need to get you over there.”
“Where?”
“The barn.”
“Oh yeah. You’d think I’d ask for a tour of the place.”
“You’ve been busy,” he excused, continuing down the table.
“I guess,” she mumbled. Then the subject flew from her mind. “Oh – my – god, there’s lobster.”
Quin laughed, and Layla threw a grape at him, smirking when he weaved to catch it in his mouth.
Once they’d gathered their lunch, they headed for two empty chairs between Morrigan and Kemble. Layla hovered her food so she could give her grandparents hugs. Then she retrieved her plate and sat next to Morrigan. Only then did Quin take a seat, and Layla had to curb another smirk.
“That was impressive flying, sweetie,” Morrigan commended.
“It sure was,” Kemble agreed, gingerly leaning forward. “It’s about time Quinlan’s reign came to an end. Ready to say goodbye, Son?”
Quin smiled as he swallowed a bite. “I can’t think of a more beautiful way to go.”
Kemble laughed as he sat back, and Layla looked at Quin. “So you're the fastest here? Out of the entire family?” She recalled Alana saying he was the fastest, but she figured the child was exaggerating about her beloved cousin Quinwin.
“He holds the record,” Kemble boasted, slapping Quin’s back.
“That’s an overstatement,” Quin clarified. “Bonded children are faster and more
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