Aedan wasn’t able to sit beside Rhosewen’s empty body for long. Morrigan and Caitrin had already left the room, and as soon as he was composed enough to safely carry his baby, Aedan left as well.
He walked dazedly down the hallway, finding Rhosewen’s parents sitting on the couch in the living room, crying in each other’s arms, and Katherine sitting in an easy chair by the fireplace, looking lost and helpless as she twisted a tear-soaked tissue.
When Aedan tried to speak, his voice failed him, so he cleared his achy throat and tried again. “She needs a blanket.”
Katherine jumped up and disappeared down the hall, returning in a flash with a pink blanket. “May I?” she asked, motioning to the baby.
Aedan drifted the tip of his nose across his daughter’s soft cheek then gently handed her over.
Katherine cooed and whispered as she wrapped the baby in a cozy cocoon. “Hello there, you precious, little girl. It’s so good to finally meet you.” She kissed her tiny forehead then passed her back to Aedan. “What did you name her?”
“Layla,” he answered, watching his baby’s eyes. “It means dark beauty.”
“Layla,” Katherine whispered. “It’s beautiful. Does she have a middle name?”
He and Rhosewen hadn’t discussed middle names, but for him there was only one. “Love,” he answered. “Layla Love. Do you like it?”
“I love it,” Katherine approved, eyes shiny like melted chocolate. “I think it’s perfect.”
“Good. Your approval’s important to me.”
Katherine’s eyebrows furrowed, displaying her surprise and confusion. Then she sobered and bowed her head. “I’m sorry about Sarah, Chris. She was . . . such a beautiful person, in every way. She’ll be missed.”
“Yes,” Aedan rasped. “Do you mind fixing Layla a bottle?”
“Of course not,” Katherine agreed. “Did we decide on a brand?”
“Whatever you think is best,” Aedan replied, knowing absolutely nothing about baby formula.
“Okay,” Katherine replied. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Aedan watched her leave the room then walked to Morrigan and Caitrin, sitting between them so they had a clear view of their granddaughter.
“She’s beautiful,” Morrigan whispered, struggling with continued sobs. “I can see Rhosewen so clearly.”
“Yes,” Caitrin croaked. “She holds a striking resemblance to both her parents.”
“Would you like to hold her?” Aedan asked, turning toward Morrigan.
“Yes,” she answered, jarring tears loose with an avid nod. “Very much.”
Aedan passed Layla over, and Morrigan stifled a sob as she pulled the newborn’s cheek to her bosom, squeezing her eyes shut and tucking her chin in. “I can smell Rhosewen,” she breathed.
Aedan’s heart squeezed as he looked at his empty hands and flexed his idle fingers. “Why don’t you take Layla to your bedroom, Morrigan? I’ll have Katherine meet you there with the bottle. I need to speak with Caitrin and my parents.”
Morrigan’s tears paused as she looked at him. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I need to deal with a few things. Then I’ll be able to hold her the way I want to.”
“Okay,” Morrigan agreed, lips curving into a small smile. “She’ll be yours when you’re ready.”
“Thanks. Caitrin will join you soon.”
Katherine entered the room as Morrigan was leaving and was thrilled with the invitation to watch the newborn drink her bottle, so both women set off down the corridor.
Aedan’s eyes stayed on the doorway for a moment then turned to his father-in-law. “I’m sorry for your loss, Caitrin. Our loss.”
“Our loss,” Caitrin repeated. “I’m sorry, too.”
“Will you take her home? She would want to be laid to rest at home.”
“Yes, if that’s what you wish . . . what she wished.”
“Will the four of you be able to get her there without being seen?”
“Yes.”
“Nobody outside the coven can know the details of what happened here,” Aedan stressed. “For Layla’s safety.”
“Of course,” Caitrin agreed. “Layla’s safety comes first. Rhosewen died for her. We’re willing to do the same.”
“Yes,” Aedan mumbled, glancing at the hallway.
Caitrin looked, too. “When will we take her?”
“Soon,” Aedan answered. “I need to talk to my parents, and I want you guys to spend some time with Layla.” His throat tightened, cutting off his air supply. “There’s no guarantee you’ll see her again.”
Caitrin swallowed as he looked at his fisted hands. “I figured you’d choose this route—the safest . . . the hardest.” He raised his knuckles, choking into them. “It’s what my baby girl wanted, yes?”
Aedan closed his eyes, clearly picturing Rhosewen’s face. “She knew of my intentions.”
“Then yes,” Caitrin sighed, running flexed fingers down his face, “we’ll want to spend some time with our grandbaby. We’ll leave an hour before sunrise.”
“Thanks, Caitrin. Will you tell my mom and dad to meet me in the apartment when they’re done in there?”
“Sure,” Caitrin agreed, rising with much less energy than usual. “I’ll let them know on my way to hold my granddaughter.”
After sitting in the apartment for ten minutes, simultaneously mourning and planning, Aedan looked up to find his parents in the doorway. He lethargically stood, and they rushed forward, pulling him into a familiar family hug.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” Daleen whispered.
“Words can’t convey,” Serafin added. “I can’t imagine the pain you’re in. I wish I knew a way to help you bear it.”
“The pain’s there to stay,” Aedan countered, “but there’s something else I need your help with.”
“Name it.”
“I’m leaving here, sometime soon, and I’m certain I won’t be coming back. Not here or anywhere else.”
Daleen’s arm tightened around his waist, but she didn’t object.
“I’ll make the necessary arrangements for Layla to hide in the non-magical world,” Aedan continued, pushing the words through an achingly tight throat. “But if all the pieces fall into place like I want them to, she’ll eventually receive information that could lead her to our coven in Oregon.”
“Eventually?” Serafin asked.
“Once she’s grown,” Aedan explained. “Children need stability, which she won’t get if she’s chasing down her family or running from magicians who want to use her. She needs time to mature and explore her heart with clear understanding before being told the circumstances of her birth, which would pollute anyone’s sense of self, especially a child. Nothing about this situation should be thrust onto a child, so I’m not going to give her the truth until she’s had time to be a kid and graduate high school. Besides, the longer she stays out of our world, the longer Agro has to forget about her.”
He paused, retrieving the homemade jewelry box from the coffee table. “Which brings me to the favor I need to ask. I’m leaving this box with you. Should Layla find her way home, I want her to have it. At the moment it’s empty, but I’ve enchanted Rose’s wedding ring to hold our memories of each other.” He raised his right hand, displaying the ring halfway down his pinky. “Rose imprinted hers yesterday, but I’m not done with mine yet. I need you to perform a spell that will transfer this ring from my finger straight into this box the moment I die, not a second later, and it has to work. Otherwise Agro will get his hands on a treasure map that will lead him straight to Layla. Once the ring reaches the box, it will stay secure. Only Layla can open it, and the wood won’t bust or burn.”
His parents looked at each other then back to their son. “It doesn’t have to be this way,” Serafin insisted. “I know you’ll miss Rhosewen. I know every second without her will decrease your quality of life, but you can find her in your child. Layla will help fill the hole in your heart. At least give it a chance.”
“I can’t,” Aedan refused. “If I sit around and do nothing, Layla may not make it past her first birthday. But if I can find Agro, I can make it safe for her. I promised Rose I would give our baby the best chance I possibly can, and this is it. If I could kill Agro and his army, I would. Then I’d take my baby home, where she belongs, and I’d stay with her as long as my broken heart would allow. But it’s a dream. I can’t dispose of an army, so I’ll settle for filling their heads with lies. This is the last thing I can do for my wife and daughter, and I’m going to do it. Preferably with your help.”
Daleen burst into sobs, burying her face in Aedan’s bicep, and Serafin ran a shaky hand down her long mane, his own sadness clear in his watery, green eyes, down-turned mouth, and sagging shoulders. “You’re very brave,” he whispered. “I expect nothing less. Of course we’ll help.”
As Aedan scanned his dad’s despondent posture, the vast hole in his heart widened. “I’m sorry, dad.”
Serafin shook his head as he slid his hand to the side of Aedan’s neck. “Don’t apologize, son. We understand, and we’ll keep Layla’s possessions safe until her awaited return.”
“Thank you,” Aedan replied. “I’ll miss you guys. All of you . . .” His voice broke as he clutched his throat, willing it to loosen. “My Layla Love,” he choked, tears flooding his strained eyes.
He dropped his gaze to the jewelry box, thinking it a pitiful gift to leave his daughter. Then he set it aside and raised his head, taking his dad’s shoulder. “If she finds you, make sure she knows how much Rose loved her, how much I love her. And keep her safe once she’s close. Show her all the love she’s going to miss, give her the family she deserves, and make sure she’s happy.” His head fell again. “Please.”
“We promise,” Serafin vowed. “Our lives are hers.”
Aedan watched as Layla’s grandparents shared her throughout the predawn hours, but all too soon it was time for them to leave with Rhosewen’s body, which lay undisturbed in the room she left it. Aedan wouldn’t watch them carry her out. The woman he loved was elsewhere, waiting for him to complete his purpose on earth.
Each grandparent held their grandbaby one last time, telling her to be safe and happy and asking her to come see them as soon as she could. Then they laid her on the bed so they could say goodbye to Aedan.
Morrigan embraced him first, wrapping one arm around his waist and touching a hand to his heart. “Thank you for loving our daughter so much, Aedan, and for easing her pain. We’ll always be in your debt for making her life better.”
“The debt is mine,” he disagreed. “I’m eternally grateful to you for giving my precious Rose life.”
Morrigan reached up, touching his cheek as moisture slid down her temples. Then she dropped her hand and moved away.
Caitrin stepped forward, clasping Aedan’s hand and shoulder. “Give Rhosewen our love when you see her. Make sure she knows we’re already missing her.”
“I will,” Aedan agreed.
“Good luck, my son. May the Heavens be with you.”
“Thanks, Caitrin. Give the coven our love and goodbyes.”
Caitrin nodded as he let go. Then he pulled Morrigan into a hug. As they left the room, they briefly turned back, catching one last glimpse of their sleeping grandbaby.
Daleen had thrown herself into Aedan’s chest and was weeping uncontrollably.
“I love you, mom,” he whispered, hugging tightly. “I’m sorry I’m leaving you like this. Please understand.”
“I do,” she sobbed. Then she took several shaky breaths, attempting to talk clearly. “I love you, Aedan, with my whole broken heart. And I trust your heart . . . and your beautiful soul. Someday, when my life is through, we’ll be together forever.”
“I’m counting on it,” he whispered, inhaling her familiar scent.
She looked up, taking his face in her quivering palms. “Goodbye for now, baby boy.”
“For now,” he returned, placing his palms over hers.
She choked on a sob as she pulled away, flashing her gaze to Layla. Then she left the room in tears.
Aedan sucked in a heavy breath as he turned to his dad, mirroring his mournful expression.
“Do you have a plan?” Serafin asked.
“Not a detailed one,” Aedan confessed. “Where’s Agro’s last known location?”
“He was near Duluth, Minnesota two weeks ago, but he’s cleared the area now. If someone knows where he went, they weren’t telling me. Perhaps you’ll have better luck.”
“Then I’ll start there,” Aedan decided.
He looked at Layla, raising a hand to his tormented heart. “I’m going to spend some time with her before I go. It seems unfair . . . that I get that chance when Rose didn’t . . .” He closed his eyes, picturing Rhosewen’s smiling face. Then he returned his gaze to their baby. “I won’t leave until I know she’ll be taken care of. I don’t know how long it will take, but it doesn’t matter. There are requirements to fulfill before I go. One of them is relocation. I don’t want her staying in Idaho or anywhere else connected to our family. If you get an itch to find her, and I know you will, don’t bother coming here. And if locating her can’t be done in complete secrecy, don’t do it. At least wait until she’s grown. If she doesn’t find you at that point, safely search her out, but remember, she may not want you to find her. Her lack of knowledge may leave her bitter, and if staying in the dark about her birth family is what she desires, that’s her choice to make.”
“The temptation will always be there,” Serafin confirmed, “but we play by your rules. Layla’s safety and happiness are what matter most.”
“I’d die a thousand times to ensure her safety and happiness,” Aedan whispered. But he couldn’t die a thousand times. What he had to give was pitiful. “I’m leaving her all the money I have, including the cash you and Caitrin gave us, so she’ll be financially set. She won’t have a coven to lean on, but she’ll be loved and cared for. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Good,” Serafin approved. “She deserves the world.”
Aedan nodded, his jaw and fingers flexing as he looked from his baby to his dad. “Once that’s taken care of, I’ll start searching for Agro and Medea. I don’t know how long it will take, or if I’ll even succeed, but it will be my final gift to my girls to die trying.”
“If you need me for anything,” Serafin offered, “or if you change your mind, please come home.”
“I can’t change my mind, and I won’t drag you and mom any further into this mess.”
He reached up, untying the necklace Rhosewen had given him. Then he pressed his lips to the rose gold, kissing their engraved names. “Put this around Rose’s neck,” he said, handing it over. “I won’t get a proper burial, so I’d like to be considered buried with my Rose. This is the only way I know how to do that. I hope Morrigan and Caitrin will understand.”
“They will,” Serafin assured, morosely examining the necklace.
He looked back up, and they both swallowed, staring at each other through salty moisture. Then they tightly embraced.
“Remember, dad, if Layla finds you . . .”
“We’ll take care of her, son. I promise.”
“Thank you,” Aedan whispered. “For everything.”
“I love you, Aedan. You’re my life’s most precious achievement.”
“I love you, too, dad. I am who I am because of you. You and mom.”
“Goodbye,” they choked in unison, fiercely squeezing. Then Serafin swept from the room.
Aedan watched him go, and truly understood the word heartbroken. His was shattered, and it hurt like hell.
He walked to the bed and lay beside Layla, running his gaze from the top of a corkscrew curl to the tip of a teeny toe. The redness from her birth had faded, leaving her skin velvet soft and olive toned, and her jet black hair was clean and dry, lying against her head in the most perfect spirals imaginable. Her petite fists were curled up against her puckered mouth—a mouth like her mother’s. And her round cheeks were naturally rose colored—just as her mother’s had been. As she slept, her long, black eyelashes fluttered, and her pink lips suckled at delicate fingers. She was perfection in the flesh.
Tears began flowing as Aedan watched her—so beautiful and purely innocent, brought into the world by perfect love, blessed with life by a perfect woman, his perfect Rose. He could only hope that, one day, their angelic Layla Love would know exactly how perfect it had been.