Treasured Secrets (Coveted Saga #1) (The Coveted Saga)

  Treasured Secrets

  Book One of the Coveted Saga

  Published by C.M. Owens at Smashwords

  Text copyright 2014 by Christie M Owens

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places, events, or incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to places or incidents is purely coincidental.

  *Some content may not be suitable for readers under the age of sixteen.

  Chapter 1

  Away From Home

  Home is where the heart is, but what happens to the heart when the home is gone?

  "Aria Weislen, you'd better not still be in bed!" Ash, my sister, yelled at me before crashing through my bedroom door.

  Her cheeks were puffed, her eyes were angry, and her irritation was quite comical. I laughed at her, which only infuriated her all the more.

  "Chill," I grumbled while climbing out from under the covers. "I won't take long to get ready."

  She rolled her eyes and released a breath of exasperation. Her bobbed black hair bristled softly as she silently cursed me with the simple shaking of her head.

  I strolled past her, out of the room, and into the bathroom to start the shower.

  "Aria, you have to start school tomorrow. You've yet to acquire ninety percent of your needs. Your procrastination is giving me an ulcer. There's no more delaying the inevitable."

  I huffed as I finished stripping down and climbed into the shower. As I shut the curtain, I heard Ash plop down on the countertop of the vanity. She apparently had no intentions of letting me out of her sight today.

  I'd managed to put off starting school for an extra month, though it was a painstakingly dramatic endeavor. My relentless parents finally forced me out here to Grayford, Massachusetts, and I had to leave behind the only home I'd ever known, just like all four of my siblings, while Mom and Dad stayed behind to finish up their research.

  "How long did it take you to get used to... all this?" I asked while lathering my hair, holding back the tremble in my voice.

  Ash sighed, her anger subsiding as the sweet sister within her came out of hiding.

  "A while. It's not so bad though, Aria. It's different - very different - but it's really nice. At least there's electricity here." We both chuckled, though a slight sniffle marred my amusement. "Haluali will always be home, but soon this will feel like another home."

  I doubted that. I felt like an imposition living with my estranged grandparents. It was an odd arrangement to say the least. After being here for five days, I still hadn't really bonded with Iris or George. They were lovely, don't get me wrong, but they were still strangers I barely knew.

  For some bizarre reason, my mother - Jaslene - and my father - Alvin - found it necessary to send all of us off to live with Iris and George. They wanted us to have a senior year in the states - a real American school.

  Yep. At the ripe old age of seventeen, I'd been booted out of the nest.

  "The sun is different here. The sounds, the trees, the air... everything is different. I wish I had more time to adjust before getting tossed into a school full of people I don't care to meet."

  Haluali was a small village which was kept secret from the world, or so it seemed. It was close to Brazil, but far enough away to keep anyone from finding it by accident. It was the hideaway most only ever dreamed about.

  I spent so much time wandering through the rainforest that seemed to know me as well as I knew it. My sketchbooks were loaded with all the drawings the leafy giants and sparkling waterfalls had inspired. It was all I had left anymore - memories and drawings.

  The trees... Oh, I missed the trees. The glorious giants back home did their best to touch the sky. They'd lace together, twist and turn, even grow into one another with their feral will. Here... The trees were militant and strategically planted in most places. The wild was lost, for these short little twigs had been domesticated.

  Nothing felt the same, and I simply felt lost.

  Ash held her tongue, cautiously planning her words out so as not to make me cry as I had for the past few days. I hated crying. Nothing infuriated me more, and until this ridiculous move, I'd rarely ever done such a thing.

  As I climbed free from the shower and wrapped up in my towel, I met the softened eyes of my worried sister.

  "It'll be okay, Aria. We're all here for you." Then she offered me a menacing grin. "In fact, Jay and Gear are going with us today."

  I groaned at the mere mention of my brothers joining us for any reason. Gear wasn't so bad, but Jay - though I loved him - enjoyed embarrassing the crap out of me every chance he got.

  "Don't you guys have jobs or something? Lives, perhaps?"

  She laughed while shaking her head, and then she moved behind me to start combing through my hair.

  "We're all working for the family business, you know. It gives us some perks, meaning we get to ensure our youngest sister goes to school, has all she needs, and enjoys her limited days as an American teenager before she's a woman."

  "It's boring here," I grumbled under my breath, making Ash shake her head in frustration.

  "That's because you've been hulled up in your room for days on end."

  "That's because there's nothing to do. Iris... I mean... Grandma refuses to let me go anywhere without one of you, and there's nothing but fences and pale flowers inside the gates. I swear she thinks we're royalty or something."

  Ash chuckled, making me eye her with contempt.

  "There's so much more here to do than in Haluali."

  Not for me there wasn't. I missed my rainforest, and the sad autumn woods around here only grew in random patches that hadn't been overrun by inhabitants of the human variety. The leaves were gone, leaving all the limbs naked and shivering with each wind. It seemed so... wrong. I traded over my raving green beauty to live in a patchy nest of sickly woods.

  "Have you read any of the stuff I brought you? About the town? The state? The frigging country?" she asked, her melodrama back in play.

  I glanced at one of the books she had brought over. It was sitting on top of the vanity, forgotten, just as the rest.

  "It's the same stuff I've already read... since you think like Mom," I teased, relishing the fury sparking in her eyes.

  "Ha," she mumbled.

  "The only thing that piqued my interest was the witches. Other than that, this place is too dull," I said after a spell of silence, trying to make her laugh.

  Apparently this town was once a hotspot for witches, according to all the numerous urban legends. It's funny how wild a person's imagination can run. In the few days I'd been here, I had heard more stories of witchcraft than I thought possible. Everyone who came to visit my socialite grandparents had a story to tell. It's as though they believed it, caught up in the thrall of the fables meant for children.

  Her eyebrow cocked up, and a smirk spread over her perky lips. "Oh don't worry. You'll see witches everywhere you go."

  The drama in her tone made a giggle bubble out of me unbidden, and we both chuckled together.

  By the end of the day, I was ready to knock Jay's teeth down his throat. He snickered as he put me back down after having carried me over his shoulder down the stairs of the mall. My face was red, partially because all the blood had rushed to my head, but mostly because I was so furious with the laughing beast of a brother. />
  "You're such a jerk," I grumbled as he wrapped his arm around me.

  "I've just missed you. Get over it."

  I rolled my eyes as I leaned against him, slowly losing the urge to slap him upside the head. My eyes trailed left suddenly, and I saw something that made me stammer in my footing.

  Jay chuckled as he steadied me, but I forgot my brother even existed. Dark hair, icy blue eyes, and a smile no one should possess were all attached to one perfect creature. My heart almost fluttered out of my chest.

  What's wrong with me?

  The unknown guy glided with effortless grace toward a tall, stocky guy, and the two of them leaned over a railing as they spoke. His red shirt, dark jeans, and too-perfect body all worked to create a masterpiece on a canvas.

  "Aria! Hello!" Jay yelled obnoxiously, acting as if he had been trying to get my attention forever.

  I actually jumped a little when the sound resonated, stealing me from my trance. He tilted his head, and then his eyes went back in the direction where my gaze had drifted. Fortunately, the unknown guy was already gone.

  "Aria. Jay," Aster, my oldest sister, said as she joined us.

  We turned to face her, and she shoved about ten bags into my brother's hands.

  "Da... ng," Jay stammered, catching himself before he cursed, acting as though I was nine instead of seventeen.

  "I know, right?" Aster said through a giggle. "Ash has lost all self control. You should see all the bags Gear is carrying."

  I groaned inwardly when I saw my eldest brother and his collection of shopping bags. He shook his head, obviously irritated, as he neared us.

  "Next time, I'll stay with Aria, and you can deal with Ash," Gear griped, his eyes narrowing at Jay.

  I couldn't help but laugh, and Jay joined me. Gear was the oldest and the most irritable. Aster was the next oldest and the most maternal. Jay was right in the middle of us five, and he was the cockiest. Then Ash. Oh boy. Ash was the baby for a while before I was born, and she was definitely the most excitable.

  "What's everyone talking about?" Ash asked while walking up, credit card in hand as though she needed it for a speedy purchase.

  "Shopaholic," Jay teased.

  She rolled her eyes, but I became distracted from the conversation when I saw someone familiar. It was Selesha, Jay's Southern Belle friend who had come with him to Haluali the last time he visited. I had thought she was his girlfriend, but neither would confirm nor deny. Instead, she said she was there to protect him. I remember laughing so hard it hurt.

  "Selesha's here," I murmured, pointing with my eyes.

  "Selesha?" Jay asked, a lilt to his voice. "I thought they sent Mc-"

  "Selesha," Gear called, interrupting Jay and waving her over. His eyes scolded Jay for some reason, and oddly enough, my cocky brother backed down. So weird.

  She jogged toward us with a salacious grin on her face, her eyes only finding one focus. Gross.

  Jay blushed and three of my bags fell to the ground when he forgot to hold onto them. Ash let out a harsh breath, growling almost, and she scooped up the fallen.

  "He's all drool and Jell-o now," Ash retorted. "Thanks, Selesha."

  Jay growled at Ash, but she walked away, dragging me behind her as the sparks flew between the sweet southern girl and my dissolving brother. What was Jay going to say? Why did Gear look mad?

  Before I could seek answers, I saw that same guy again, and I started feeling as goofy and ridiculous as I had witnessed Jay act. My lips parted, my heart fluttered, and this hoard of butterflies slammed into my stomach in waves of repetition. He was alone this time. The stocky guy had disappeared, and now this masterpiece was talking on a phone, oblivious to me. Who was he?

  Right as we were seconds away from being close, Ash violently veered my path. At the last possible second, my eyes found his, and I thought I was going to unravel. All it took was a split second to become putty.

  I was starting to realize how completely inexperienced I was. Everyone prepared me for my life here through books and lectures. I passed my driver's test, got my license, and even managed to excel. I had studied all the month's worth of work I'd missed at school, and I was ready to face the scholarly challenge. I'd been given makeup sessions, hairstyling courses, and lessons on matching my attire.

  I was prepared for everything... I thought.

  Chapter 2

  Dealing With the New

  Change is hard for everyone, but change is necessary to truly live and grow.

  As the night descended upon us, the rough, exhausting day seemed to be over. We rose from the table at the restaurant and started to leave, when I saw that same beautiful guy I had seen at the mall. My heart sunk when I saw the girl he was with.

  Her arm was linked with his, and she was smiling as her silky blonde, almost white hair flowed to her waist. She looked a little older, possibly early twenties. I thought he was closer to my age.

  "What're we looking at?" Gear asked while tossing his arm across my shoulders as everyone started heading out to the vehicles.

  "Not... nothing," I said with a tremble.

  I swallowed hard, trying not to let my eyes gawk any longer. I turned to him just as his wife, Olivia strolled up to his side. She smiled warmly at me. She was petite, much like the rest of us. Her golden ringlet hair was soft and bouncy.

  "You look like you're ready to start school," Olivia said with her gentle grin. "New hair, new clothes, new shoes... new you."

  Ash had murdered my long hair that had reached my waist. Now it barely draped past my shoulders. My clothes.... ugh. I wasn't used to the tight jeans with purposely placed gashes and fray. They're brand new and look to be years old. Apparently aged denim was a fashion statement - though I had no idea what statement it could possibly make.

  The shirts were either really tight or flowing and loose - nothing in between. Tonight, Ash had put me in a white shirt that fell from one shoulder. Again, no clue as to why this was fashion. It seemed like someone messed up on the pattern and made one sleeve too long.

  "Yeah. A new me," I said through a hoarse whisper.

  My eyes drifted back to the guy. He was heading toward the game room attached to the restaurant. I just wanted to... I don't know what I wanted to do.

  As Selesha and Jay walked by, I turned back to Gear.

  "Can I meet you outside? I just need to use the restroom," I lied.

  "Sure. You can ride back with us."

  I nodded and headed toward the restrooms, but as soon as they exited, I changed course and headed into the game room.

  What am I doing? What am I thinking?

  An array of mixed emotions swirled around and tormented me as I sought to find answers for my irrational behavior. Without my permission, my eyes sought him out of their own accord.

  "Oh this is stupid," I mumbled when I couldn't find him. Had I gone crazy?

  I turned around and slammed into something that smelled like heaven, felt like a rock, and burned me through to my core. I gasped, taken aback from the colliding onslaught of sensations.

  Icy blue eyes stared into mine, and my heart tried to leap into my throat. My legs became rubber, doing their best to fold beneath me.

  "Excuse me," he murmured with a smirk, letting his delicious voice find my wanting ears.

  My mouth dried, words refused to form, and my attempt to look like anything but a fool failed miserably.

  "E...ex...cuu...s..." Yep. Pathetic. I know. But that's all I could muster. My IQ plummeted in that instant, and I became an unintelligible ball of mush.

  He smiled bashfully then, apparently realizing I was gawking shamelessly. I couldn't stop though.

  "You okay?" he asked after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, and I blushed fiercely, still unable to speak anything of any sense.

  A squeak left my lips in place of the words I wanted to say, and he chuckled lightly.

  "Okay then. I need to get back to my family," he said softly, smiling as he passed me by.

&n
bsp; A lost opportunity crumbled before me, and I shivered in his wake. How did I just manage to completely unravel and humiliate myself?

  I turned to see him joining the slim blonde and the stocky male from earlier, and he glanced over his shoulder at me. Family? Does that mean she's his sister or cousin? Why the crap do I care?

  Growing more and more frustrated with myself, I finally forced my eyes to tear away. I headed outside to see Gear on his way back in.

  "There you are. I was getting worried."

  I noticed Aster and her husband were still there as well, but I didn't know why.

  "Sorry. I thought I'd check out the game room for a second. Aster and Chris waiting, too?"

  He glanced their way, and then turned his eyes back to me.

  "Yeah. Let's get back home."

  Home. It sounded like such a foreign and meaningless word here. It still didn't feel like home. I missed Haluali.

  When we pulled up to the massive home, I groaned loudly, which provoked a chuckle from Gear and Olivia. There were cars everywhere.

  "Really? She's going to have a party this late?"

  "It's only seven," Olivia said, shrugging.

  "It's customary to see in the new by inviting over all the old," Gear muttered, offering me a wink.

  "Great. Let's throw the antisocial hermit into the middle of the socialites."

  Gear coughed out a laugh, and then he shook his head.

  "You'll do fine. Besides, you're about to be in a school. A real school. You need the socialization. Consider it practice for tomorrow.

  "There you are," Iris said as she sat down beside me, joining me on my bed.

  I had slipped out of the party and made my way to the room. Too many people down there liked hugging, and I wasn't much of one for being touched by strangers. It was easy to avoid both of my grandparents, considering the third floor of the house could have been an apartment and it was all mine.

  "Hey," I murmured meekly, staring at the photos of my old home.