What the Heart Desires

Chapter 3-1

Chapter 3

Heaven gripped the kitchen counter and stared at the calendar on the wall. Today marked one week since they’d arrived at the safe house in Kentucky. Dylan remained in the bedroom, finishing a call with his mom. The harder she strained to hear his voice, the more it tore at her last sliver of hope—the hope she had of returning home right away.

She glanced out the window at the hills of budding trees. She’d never been to Kentucky before, nor had she known her parents owned this safe house. The cabin was comfortable, and the land they owned was breathtaking, but it wasn’t home.

A cluster of trees towered over the ground fifty yards away from the house. Layne stood beneath them, stretching his arms behind his back. He sat on the ground a few minutes later, staring toward an open field.

He’d given her the silent treatment since they’d arrived. It ended today. The sooner she addressed the problem, the faster it would disappear. At least, she hoped.

When she was halfway to the door, Dylan appeared. He carried the cordless phone in his hand, tapping it against his leg. Once he spotted her, he set it on the counter and proceeded past the table. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she said when he approached. “Is everything okay?”

He trailed his hand up her arm and shrugged. “Not much has changed since last week. There’s been no sign of Dad, but Dane said he isn’t on the spirit plane, so he’s alive. I’m supposed to call back in a few days to check in.”

“And then what?”

“If they think it’s safe, we’ll go back. If not…” His eyes moved to the window. “Guess we’ll be staring at these hills a little longer.”

The sound of jangling keys drew her attention to Dylan’s hand. She asked, “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah. I’m driving into town. We need a few things.”

“Do you want me to go?”

“No. I can manage.” He pressed his hands to her belly and grinned. “You kinda draw attention to yourself right now. It would be best if you stayed here.”

“I guess you’re right.”

She said nothing else as he kneeled in front of her and pressed his lips to her belly. Then he whispered, “Take care of your mommy.”

The sweet sentiment brought a wave of relief. Even after he stood and swept his lips across hers, she enjoyed his display of affection. But the moment he walked away, the peacefulness vanished.

The front door clicked when it closed, signaling his departure. It wasn’t long before a car door mimicked the sound, and soon an engine revved to life.

Since Dylan’s confrontation with his father, Heaven didn’t like him going anywhere alone, but there was no point in dwelling on her fear. He wouldn’t take long in town. Besides, this gave her an opportunity to talk to Layne.

Once she swiped her sweater off a chair, she made her way outside and strolled through the backyard. The morning dew glistened in the sunlight like fairy dust covering the ground. She hated to disrupt its beauty with her movements, but there was no other way to get to the cluster of trees in the distance. Layne remained underneath them, though he no longer sat on the ground.

Heaven passed the old well, sliding her fingers across its rocky surface. When Layne’s body stiffened, she stopped. He’d either heard her approaching or sensed her energy. She wasn’t sure which had given her away, but he peered over his shoulder in her direction.

It didn’t take her long to reach the spot where he stood and even less time to sense how her presence distracted him.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hey.”

There was frustration in his response. He hid it from his face, but his stiff movements revealed how he really felt. He wanted to be alone. The longer she stood there, the more annoyed he became.

Tough s**t.

She moved past him to an old stump beneath a low-hanging branch. The wood dampened her pants when she sat atop it, but she ignored the cool sensation. She lifted her eyes to the branches extending in different directions.

“It’s beautiful here.”

“Yeah, if you say so.” Layne bent over and grabbed a water bottle off the ground. He untwisted the cap, then placed the bottle to his lips and chugged. When he finished, he gave her a sideways glance.

“What do you mean, if you say so?” Heaven asked. She deepened her voice to mimic his and exaggerated the words.

It sounded as ridiculous as she’d hoped, but at least it eased the tension. If she weren’t mistaken, he was fighting hard not to smile.

“Trust me, Layne,” she went on. “I’d rather be in Brightsville, but while we’re here, why not enjoy it? Look around you. The leaves are sprouting on the trees. The forsythia bushes have bloomed. This place is full of energy. It makes me feel alive.”

His shoulders rose and fell. “I’m not disagreeing with you, except the last part.” He finished the water. The plastic crackled when he crushed the sides together. “We’ve been here a week and I’m already bored. I’m so bored, I came out here to meditate.”

“You meditate?”

“I have been.” His jaw flinched when she raised her brows. “Don’t look so shocked. I told you that Spencer showed me some techniques. He said meditating would help me clear my mind and focus.”

“How long do you meditate?”

“Depends on how stressed I feel.” He inspected the bottle in his hand, then he squeezed until it resembled a disfigured ball. “I did it for fifteen minutes today. Let’s see if it helped.”

Layne tossed the bottle in the air and then caught it. His brows rose in a taunting gesture before he walked twenty yards in front of him to an old milk crate. He placed the crushed bottle atop it, made sure the breeze didn’t blow it away, and then returned to his original spot.

Eager to see him use his abilities, she gripped the edge of the stump, stilling her body so she wouldn’t distract him. She had the perfect view of his face, unlike when she first came outside. His eyes twitched tighter, narrowing on the bottle. Then he closed them and drew in a deep breath.

A moment later, he raised his hand to his waist. His fingers curled into a fist he kept near his hip. The rise and fall of his chest grew steadier. It gave him a calm appearance, but the fire building inside him did so in haste. The intensity it gained heated the air.

The hairs standing on the back of Heaven’s neck said something would happen, soon.

And right on cue, the bottle burst into flames.

As golden flares consumed it, she stared at the crate, amazed that it wasn’t burning too. Even as the bottle liquefied and dripped through the holes, no damage occurred to the crate.

Layne remained in his position as a breeze tousled his hair. When the heat of his energy weaved with hers, a rich, plum-colored flame engulfed his hand. Not only was it beautiful, it was unlike any she’d seen him produce. If using Spencer’s techniques helped, she could only imagine how powerful he’d be when he mastered the fire within him.

Pride overwhelmed her. Layne was hers. Her Keeper. Her protector. Her angel of death. He would kill for her. Had killed for her. And before this war was over, he’d leave a graveyard of bodies in his wake.

“This is the first flame I’ve formed since the attack,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “I haven’t been able to produce one since I woke. Not even the night I set the torch on fire.”

“You went through something horrific, Layne. There were moments when I didn’t know if you’d survive. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” She stood from the stump and crept in his direction. “I believe in you, Layne. I know you will do amazing things.”

As he decreased the space between them, the flame burned higher. Heaven took a step back, then hesitated. Layne had never hurt her, not on purpose. Still, her presence caused the flame to gain strength. She didn’t want to chance it growing out of control.

“Don’t be afraid.”

He spoke the words in a soothing voice, but she sensed his desperation. It consumed her, much like the heat radiating from the flame. When he brought it closer, her curiosity spiraled, and before she realized how reckless her decision was, she touched her hand to his.

Fire flared around her fingers.

A swarm of butterflies fluttered in her stomach, their blazing wings heating her to the core. The sensation caused the flame to shoot higher and burn in a deep shade of pink. It captivated her, yet frightened her at the same time.

As far as she knew, Layne had never produced a flame for this long, not even the one he’d created on the cottage deck. But the fire didn’t consume them. It shrank to a small flame. Then it disappeared.

“That. Was. Amazing,” she said, exaggerating the words while observing their joined hands. Neither showed any signs of burns or blisters.

“It’s because of you.” His voice dropped to a husky tone. “When you’re around, I’m in control.”

His shallow breaths steadied. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and stared at the crate. Accomplishment swelled within him, as it should, because what he’d done was nothing short of spectacular.

“This was a bigger accomplishment than the torch, wasn’t it?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I didn’t burn the trees this time.”

Heaven’s cheeks tightened at the thought. The poor maple trees in her parents’ backyard would never be the same. At least two of the five that caught fire were salvageable.

Layne placed his hands on one of the lower branches and did a few pullups. His biceps flexed with each movement, showing off his physical strength. He made it look so easy.

“My dad told me to take it slow, but I’m impatient. I’ve worked all week for that few minutes of glory.”

“I noticed you talking to your dad the night before we left. Are you two close?”

His feet hit the ground once he released the limb and shrugged. “I’ve always been able to talk to him, but there were times I needed him to be strict—to be my dad. He always caved.”

She reached for him, cautiously placing her hand on his shoulder. “It happens to a lot of parents. It doesn’t mean he loves you any less.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Things are better between us now. He watches out for me.”

He grew quiet again and scanned the hill behind them, but she doubted he was paying attention to the landscape. Something else was on his mind.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I was just… The night you saw us talking, my dad told me something bizarre. Did your mom mention anything to you about an affinity?”

Shock surged through Heaven like a hot poker had branded her. She unwrapped her sweater as cool air rushed over her skin. Layne shifted his stance beside her, waiting for her answer. She could feel his curiosity, but she couldn’t find the courage to look at him.

“Um, yeah, she mentioned it. She said it’s the strongest bond that exists between a Seeker and Keeper. It’s also the rarest.”

“Is that it?” he pressed.

“No.” She studied the blades of grass beneath them, hoping he wouldn’t be angry with her for not sharing the information sooner. “My mother explained how aura readings confirm affinities. If one exists between a Seeker and her Keeper, their auras merge when they’re near each other and burn in shades of pink.”

She glanced up in time to see his throat wobble.

“Like the flame?” His eyes narrowed on her face when she nodded. “So we share an affinity?”

“Yes, Layne. My mother noticed it when we came back from Jamaica.”

The grass recaptured her attention. It wavered in the breeze, providing enough of a distraction. He wanted her eyes on him. Each tug of his energy grew harder to ignore.

“What’s the purpose of the affinity?” he asked.

“I don’t know its purpose, but both your mom and my mom said I can reach you on a level no one else can. Our affinity also allowed me to heal you after the attack.”