Treasured Secrets (Coveted Saga #1) (The Coveted Saga) Page 15

  I elbowed him sort of hard in the side. He didn't flinch, but my elbow popped.

  "Crap!"

  People turned their heads to question my accidental outburst. I was slinking down and avoiding their eye contact.

  McKee just snickered slightly as he inspected my wounded elbow. Then he spoke in a lower whispered tone than before.

  "It should be fine. You can have Aster or Anesta double check it when you get home. Not wise to make any rough physical contact with a bodyguard." He paused as I shook my head. Then his eyebrows raised up and down, as a smug little grin spread across his face. "Well, not all rough physical contact is discouraged, if you know what I mean."

  I started to elbow him again, but the light throbbing pain reminded me why that would be a mistake. I just rolled my eyes and commented this time instead.

  "I think I'll pass."

  The bell rang, interrupting the playful banter, and Tallis was in the doorway promptly. McKee pushed his seat back in place, and Tallis grimaced in a displeased manner.

  McKee intentionally made an effort to speak to me on his way out, stopping in front of Tallis. "See you later ,Aria. Glad we got this sorted out. It'll be better now." He left, leaving a pile of mystery in his wake.

  Tallis stared at me, quizzical and worried. "What's he talking about?"

  I let out a deep sigh. "We talked about the way he's been acting, and he agreed to be better. I agreed to be more understanding. I don't understand all the weird rules of magic. I'm sure it's a little more complicated than I realize."

  His eyes were riddled with confusion, as was his voice. "What do you mean?"

  We stopped at my locker so I could swap my calculus book for my Spanish book.

  "I was attracted to McKee when we first met. I kind of liked him. He said he was linked to me so he could hide-" I paused, trying to find the right discreet phrasing as I noticed people within earshot of our conversation. "-me from the crazies. His link to me and my feelings magnified his feelings."

  Tallis's head drooped in a defeated manner. It looked like I had just destroyed his will to even stand at that moment. I quickly continued speaking as I put my hand on his chest and stood directly under him to stare up into his eyes.

  "It was a brief second. My feelings for McKee completely vanished without a trace even quicker than they appeared. I was never drawn to him even a fraction of the way I was drawn to you.

  "I couldn't even compare the differences in the way I felt about the two of you because there is no comparison to be made. My feelings for you surpassed any hint of attraction I thought I had toward him. My feelings for you surpassed anything I even thought possible."

  I wanted to tell him I loved him so badly, but I couldn't in that moment. It wasn't the right time. He raised his head, shaking off the pain. Now he seemed to be pleased with what I had to say.

  He grabbed my hand and walked me to my next class. He kissed me gently on the hand before I walked through the door. What a crazy morning.

  "Class, turn your books to page one-forty-nine, and read quietly to yourself. We will have a short quiz on conjugations after you finish." Mrs. Inglewood seemed to be talking through a stopped-up nose. She wiped it with a tissue as she sat down in her squeaky chair.

  I rolled my eyes. So stupid, I thought to myself. I was staring down at my economics book instead of my Spanish book. I had been so distracted by my conversation with Tallis that I didn't pay attention to which book I had grabbed.

  I sheepishly raised my hand. I could hear the embarrassment in my voice. "Mrs. Inglewood?"

  She sneezed loudly before her tone of annoyance answered me. "Yes, Aria?"

  "I accidentally grabbed the wrong book. Can I run to my locker real quick?" My face beamed red as I heard some of the others snickering.

  She huffed in aggravation. "Yes, but do it hurriedly, and don't make a habit of this."

  I slid out of my chair and walked toward my locker. I noticed that my locker was open and someone's head was in it. It was Everett.

  "What are you doing in my locker?" I spat.

  My accusatory tone was abrupt and unexpected, causing him to spin around with a guilty look.

  "Sorry. Just a routine check." He seemed like he was hiding something or covering something up.

  "So you keep an eye on my locker for evil soul stealers?" I raised one eyebrow to show my disbelief for his answer.

  He shifted his weight uncomfortably as he answered. "You never know where danger may be. It's usually right in front of you. It's just too hard to see because it's so perfectly camouflaged. You wouldn't notice it at a glance, but it becomes more obvious when you realize what you're looking for. For instance, there might be a scratch on the wall of your room that you didn't notice for years. Then one day, it suddenly stands out. And once you've seen it, you can't help but stare at it every time you're in the room."

  I hate riddles. His answer insinuated there was something he knew that I didn't. He made me squirm uncomfortably as I swapped my books. I'd never trusted Everett. He had always given me an uneasy feeling with his cruel and cold looks.

  Then suddenly I grew angry when I thought I knew what he was talking about. "You better not be referring to Tallis. He's as good as anyone - better than most. I'm so sick of hearing about his bad blood."

  His eyes twitched with heavy hesitation. His voice was riddled with regret. "It's not Tallis. He's chosen his light, and I trust that his intentions are pure. I wasn't referring to anything in particular. Like I said, just a routine check."

  He walked by me hastily, probably feeling chastised, and I stared at him until he disappeared. When I turned back to my locker, I gasped out a breath of startle.

  McKee was inches from me. I could hear my too-loud voice shriek slightly in surprise.

  "What are you doing here?" I breathlessly asked.

  "I felt something wrong. I was just coming to make sure you're okay. What are you doing out of class?"

  He put his hand on my side. I didn't like his touch. It made me feel like I was doing something wrong. I wiggled away subtly as I responded.

  "I had the wrong book. I had to explain the intentionally antagonistic remark that you made in front of Tallis." I flashed him a disapproving glare.

  "Sorry. Old habits die hard. I just wanted him to know what was going on without me having to tell him. I'm sorry if he didn't take it so well."

  He looked like he was trying to hide a smile. He was pleased with his instigative remark, and he had most likely hoped it would spark a fight between me and Tallis. He wasn't too pleased when I finished telling him what had happened though.

  "Well, he was hurt when I explained why you were the way you were, but he was better when I told him how completely devoted to him I was. He understood, and I got to tell him how much I really do care for him. It actually worked out pretty well all the way around."

  "You love him, don't you?" he asked, catching me off guard. "Don't deny it. I'm linked to your emotions. I don't really know what love feels like personally, but I do know that your feelings are strong."

  He sounded so wounded, like I had just broken his heart. Now I felt like I was being cruel again.

  I sighed loudly. "I wasn't going to deny it. I just haven't told him yet. I'm really sorry if this hurts you. I'm not trying to be mean or dismissive of your feelings. I really do love him, and he's the one I want to be with every second of every day. I have no intentions of ever being with you, and I feel like it would be nicer of me to be honest, than to let you think that there would be a chance for us."

  I touched his shoulder, trying to be sympathetic when I saw the wave of pain and disappointment that spread across his face.

  Then in a hushed tone, he said, "One day he's going to hurt you. You may not believe it now, but it will happen. I'll be here when it does. You'll see how much you've been missing when that happens, and you're going to kick yourself for not seeing it sooner."

  Then he turned and went back toward his class.

>   I shook off the feeling of guilt I had. I did hate hurting him, but I knew Tallis cared for me and would never hurt me. I went back to class with the correct book and tried to pretend everything was okay.

  The rest of the day flew by, thankfully. Tallis took me home and we had an unexpected surprise. My parents had arrived early. Finally, something good was happening. I couldn't wait to introduce them to Tallis.

  Chapter 13

  More to it than Just Love

  A promise not kept is nothing more than a pretty lie.

  I had spent almost every waking moment with Tallis. I was learning everything I could about him. There was still so much to learn.

  He was eighteen when he turned eternal. His mom said he was the youngest that she knew of. He was kind of proud of that fact. I'd been worried I would be older, like Iris or Allaysia, but Tallis said that was unlikely.

  He said most people turned around their early twenties nowadays. He believed that magic was evolving and we were transforming earlier to get closer to the guardian deadline. That way we wouldn't have to go long without being masked. He also believed that it may have been a side effect from the spell cast by Allora.

  He told me we would start preparing my body when I showed signs that I was close to transformation. I didn't like the idea of waiting that long to see if I was his soul mate.

  The days had flown by, and it was closing in on Christmas break. School was going to be out for a couple weeks, and I looked forward to spending every moment of those two weeks with Tallis. I was concerned about the fact that it had been a few months, and he still had not kissed me.

  We had gotten so close so many times. There were so many heated moments where he couldn't run away, but someone always ruined it. It was Ash mostly. She and Desmond had been spending a lot of time together though.

  I had asked Tallis if he knew anything. He said that Des would be in denial for a while, even if they were soul mates. Desmond still felt hurt from the years of feeling like a pariah. He was still adjusting to the new acceptance, and seeing Ash here and there would eventually wear him down. Tallis said that it would be nearly impossible for Desmond to stay away once they had a true, emotionally connected moment. Sometimes it just took a spark to ignite a roaring fire.

  I had decided I was finally going to tell Tallis I was in love with him. We were supposed to hang out with Aster and Chris later - since I had to be masked and Chris was a bodyguard - and then when we got back, I had every intention of telling him how much I felt for him.

  I had it all planned out perfectly. Our Christmas vacation started in the morning, so no annoying buzzing and no empty bed when I got up. We could just sleep in and snuggle the day away. Hopefully, there would be some overdue affection during that time.

  We got home from school, and I went straight to my room. I called Ash who was all too excited to come help me out with getting ready for my big night out. I couldn't wait.

  Ash put me in a little fitted black dress that was sleeveless. It was absolutely freezing outside, so I decided that something had to give.

  I dug through my closet and found a cute dark denim pair of jeans. Then Ash grabbed a sheer red shirt and gave me a black see-through lacy shirt to wear underneath. I felt pretty good about the way I looked.

  She put my dark brown hair in some loose curls, and I had on a little more makeup than usual, but in a tasteful, glamorous sort of way. I had on black high heels with red stripes that crisscrossed in the front. It was the first time I had ever felt confident about the way I looked.

  I'd never walked in high heels, so Ash spent thirty minutes giving me lessons. It was a lot harder than I had anticipated, and Ash was frustrated with my inability to be girly. I awkwardly got the hang of it - enough to pass her test, at least.

  While I waited, I sketched in my art room. I sketched what I had been sketching for several months. His face was all I could see. His lips were the hardest part to get right because they were so inexplicably perfect.

  I was so nervous about the first time I was going to say I love you. I was nervous about what I thought would be our first kiss. Tonight, things were going to change, and I was going to make sure of that.

  Jaslene came up the stairs. She and Alvin had been living in the guest house out back.

  "Hey there, pretty girl," she chirped. Her eyes widened slightly in a very surprised and displeased sort of way. "You're a little too pretty actually. You don't look like the same glum, young girl that left me in Haluali." Her voice was upbeat at first and then turned sappy and sentimental.

  "I'm not the same girl. A lot has changed… I've changed." I couldn't stop smiling, but there were tears in her eyes.

  "Be careful, honey. There's a lot more that's going to change in your life, and well, Tallis may be one of those changes to come." Concern wrenched her voice.

  "Tallis is in my life to stay. I know you think I'm just a young foolish teenager, especially since you're like three-hundred years old, literally. But I know this is real, and I trust that I'm right."

  "I'm actually four-hundred-and-fifty. I was born back when... Well, no history lessons tonight. Tonight my little girl goes out on her first real date."

  It was odd seeing her look thirty again. She almost looked the same age as Iris. It was still an adjustment.

  She hugged me tightly and went back downstairs to where everyone was congregated. I joined them shortly after. We were talking and joking around when there was a knock at the door.

  Jay laughed while speaking in a playfully teasing tone. "Did he actually just knock? He's been coming on in for months now. I swear he's moved in and not told anyone."

  He had no room to talk. Ayla spent most of her time there, too. She and Jay had become inseparable. It was uncanny really. Jay had never been the settling down type. That soul mate connection must be pretty powerful stuff. I couldn't wait to be Tallis's soul mate.

  Aster walked to the door, motioning for me to come with her so that the family didn't tease us for longer than necessary. McKee was there, scowling as usual when it came to Tallis and me. He was completely different than the perky, confident guy I met the first day of school whenever Tallis was around.

  I felt bad for him, but I loved Tallis. McKee stared at me as I walked to the door. Then he made a snide comment.

  "Don't see the point of taking her out when he's been sharing her bedroom for months now."

  I cut my eyes at him and shook my head. He wasn't ruining this for me. I wouldn't allow it.

  As soon as Aster opened the door, I darted out to the porch. There he was. He had on dark denim jeans with a button up black shirt that complemented my ensemble quite nicely. His eyes grew incredibly wide when he saw me.

  "Wow." He seemed surprised, which was flattering and a little disheartening at the same time. I definitely needed to dress up a little more. "Did I miss something? Aren't we going to grab a bite at the diner?"

  I heard Jay snickering. I ignored him though. I was slightly blushing as I spoke with a bit of embarrassment. "Yeah, I just let Ash have her way with me tonight."

  As I shut the door behind us, he waved to everyone. I grumbled under my breath when I saw McKee roll his eyes.

  Tallis wrapped his arm around my waist to usher me to the car. I leaned into him, ignoring the fluttering nerves trying to strangle me.

  We got to the diner and I heard a guy whistle at me. Tallis shot him a threatening look. The guy threw his hands up in mock surrender, snickering somewhat. Tallis shook it off.

  "He wouldn't be laughing if he knew you could blow him up with the flick of your wrists," Chris whispered, chuckling lightly.

  Tallis let out a laugh and got over the quick surge of anger. He put his arm around me. He winked at me as he spoke in his smoldering tone. "I guess I can't blame him for his interest. You're… well… perfect."

  I felt myself blushing, squirming awkwardly under his enamored gaze. "Ash worked hard." I smiled lightly.

  "She didn't have to do anything. You're
always beautiful." He winked at me, making those butterflies collide in frenzy.

  "So then there's nothing special about me tonight?"

  "I never said that. Tonight-" He paused, letting his eyes rake over me in appraisal. "Tonight, you're stunning in a whole new light. Made me gasp for air."

  Now I really was blushing. He certainly had a way with words. He was definitely smooth and charismatic. I found charm in the tiniest of things he would say. I was in love with him, and my resolve was cemented. I knew he was my soul mate no matter what the odds were.

  My voice was quiet. "Thank you."

  "Anytime." He was staring intensely into my eyes until we were interrupted by the waitress.

  We finished up and walked out with our fingers interlocked. The night was going great.

  Chris and Tallis had been having a friendly dispute about who was faster. They decided on a ten mile race. Tallis turned to kiss me on the cheek.

  Mmm. His lips were so soft.

  "Chris and I are going to settle this. I'll be back soon. I'll be the one you see first."

  Aster rolled her eyes as Chris leaned over and kissed her. "Be careful, boys. Don't let yourselves be seen."

  Chris chuckled as he spoke teasingly. "I don't know about him, but I'll be going too fast for the mortal eye to see." Then with a whirling sound of wind, they were gone.

  Aster and I walked around to the side of the restaurant. She laughed lightly as she spoke. "Boys will be boys I guess. I suppose it doesn't matter how many centuries they have under their belt."

  "Apparently." I laughed, too.

  Then we heard voices. It was the guy who had made Tallis mad earlier by whistling at me, along with some other rough looking guys.

  "What's up ladies?"

  The fatter one licked his lips as he walked toward us. His bulging belly shook as he approached. I cringed at how grotesque I found him to be.