What the Heart Takes Read Free Page A

can’t get anything right with my abilities. I’m beginning to think Delia was wrong about me.”
    “No, she’s not. Trust me. Your hand bears the same mark as Dylan’s and mine. Besides, I feel you. Your energy speaks to me.”
    A half laugh passed between them. She sensed the ache in his energy, and his heart. Whatever emotional attachment bound them, it ran strong.
    Her fingertips caressed his chin as she urged him to look at her. While he gave in and faced her, his eyes remained lowered. Then she stroked his cheek with her thumb, noting the line of fire coursing through his body. That same line reached out to her, circling her waist, pulsing stronger with each second.
    “Layne,” she whispered. “You’re sad… Why?”
    She finally gained his attention. The more his eyes burned into her, the hotter her skin grew.
    “Because I’m failing you.” His voice, barely a whisper, shook with emotion. “If I don’t figure out my abilities, what good am I to you?”
    “You protected me before, with your mind. Your abilities are just an enhancement of that. I trust you to keep me safe.”
    “It won’t be enough next time. Your father said that we would encounter really powerful psychics. I have to learn how to protect you with every gift I have. Do you think Dylan’s the only one who would suffer if something happened to you?”
    “Layne, I never said—”
    The heat of his palms scorched her arms when he drew her closer. “I may not be bound to you like he is, but I am bound to you. I’m your Keeper, Heaven, and you’re my world. My life holds no purpose if you’re gone.”
    “And that’s how I know you’ll figure this out. You’re devoted to Dylan and me. You won’t let us down.”
    So much loyalty burned in his eyes, yet something burned brighter, something that scorched his soul every day. His adoration . She refused to call it anything else. Doing so wouldn’t help either of them, especially Layne. Not to mention it would embarrass him. She didn’t doubt for a second that he thought he hid his feelings well. He succeeded somewhat with Dylan, but not with her.
    The fire in his eyes faded as they dropped back to the ground. She wished he would trust her, wished he would believe in himself as much as she did.
    Dark blonde hair draped around his face when he shook his head. “Quit looking at me like I’m a hero, Heaven. I’m not. If you only knew the things I—”
    “There is only one thing I need to know, Layne. That you’ll protect me when the time comes.” She pressed her hands to his face, forcing his head back until he met her eyes. Then she leaned in closer. “I don’t need to be convinced that you’ll succeed at keeping me safe.”
    “You have too much faith in me. I’m going to let you down. It’s who I am—a failure.”
    Cupping her hand, she placed it over his mouth. “I don’t want to hear those words pass over your lips again. Do you hear me? You’re not a failure. If you were, I’d either be dead or in the hands of whoever wants me dead. We both would be.”
    His gaze lowered, along with her hand, to her stomach. The moment she touched it, he brought his hand forward, as though he wanted to join it with hers. But something in the distance gained his attention.
    Dylan. He’d come rushing out of the cottage.
    She would have sworn he was angry with Layne for being so close to her, but fear jolted through their connection like shockwaves.
    His lips moved in slow motion, leaving one word ringing in her ears.
    “Run!”
    An odd swooshing sound spread through the air, as though something went flying past them. Then silence reclaimed her ears. A mixture of sand and rich dirt filled the air a second later. Dylan disappeared. So did the ground, the scenery, and every sound but one.
    BOOM!
    Her mind spun, along with her body. It made her head ache but not as much as when it collided with another. Her knees gave, sending her to the sand.
    Dull aches surfaced throughout her body. The