Jaded Jewels (The Coveted Saga #2) Read online

  She smiled and her eyes softened as she spoke. "It's kind of embarrassing to say, but my dad doesn't really let me do a whole lot. But every Friday he goes bowling with some of his buddies. That's why I said it was a good night. He leaves at six, but I don't want to take any chances. He never checks in on me, so we can stay out as late as you want to."

  Henry relaxed a bit, and then he blushed as well. "Sounds good. I'll just pick you up from here."

  I rolled my eyes and smiled at the same time. Then Henry leaned over the table. "Do you want to come with us?"

  Ah. A pity third-wheel offer. How could a girl refuse such a thing?

  I swatted as though I was knocking away his invitation. "No. Thanks, though. Jay already offered to take me with him and Ayla. I'll catch up with you two there."

  Amelia mouthed, "Thank you."

  I winked at her. She worked really hard not to smile for the rest of lunch. I glanced over to see Tallis throwing away his drink and heading out of the lunchroom. I decided to run and check on him. Perhaps I needed any excuse at all just to speak to him.

  He was propped up against the side of the wall messing with his phone when I caught up with him.

  "Hey."

  His head popped up quickly, and his incredible eyes locked with mine. Surprised, he answered, "Hey. Is everything okay?"

  "Yeah. I was just coming to check on you. Did you ever get any rest?"

  He put his phone back in his pocket, and then his hands both went to his front pockets. "Yeah, I got some sleep, and I've fully recovered. Have you seen anyone lurking around?"

  Lurking? "No." Awkward silence grew between us, but I refused to continue this weirdness. I wanted some semblance of normalcy between us again, even if I did have to force it. "Are you going to the festival?"

  His smile was as forced as my casual tone. "No. I have plans. You?"

  I shrugged. "I thought about it. It sounds like it would be fun. I'll probably tag along with Henry and Amelia or Jay and Ayla. I'll just be a third wheel."

  He grimaced before speaking. "Sorry."

  I was wishing I hadn't said that now. I wasn't fishing for an apology or an invitation. "It's fine. I don't mind."

  More awkward silence gathered until I finally gave up.

  "I should go to class."

  Tallis nodded before I walked off, but my heart stopped when I felt his hand on mine. I eyed the contact as he spoke, trying not to tremble.

  "If you run into any trouble, call me. I'll be there."

  I smiled, but I was truly fighting back tears. I continued to stare at the hand that was holding onto mine. The heat spread throughout my body with such burning intensity that it almost stung. He must have felt it too, because he dropped my hand like it was radioactive.

  "Thanks," I muttered in a near whisper, my breath as fragile as my heart in the moment.

  Then I quickly walked away, almost running, as I shook my hand to rid it of the unwanted tingles.

  "Be extremely careful. Everett, Calvin, and Chris will be there tonight to mask you. You should be fine, but stay alert. Watch after Aria, too," I heard Iris tell Jay.

  I was still upstairs, but the sound seemed to carry well—better than usual.

  He snickered. "We'll be fine. Henry is going to be hanging around us, too. He's picking up a date, but we should all get there about the same time. No worries." He paused for a minute and then he spoke with a hint of irritation. I heard him taking a deep breath, preparing to yell. "Ar—"

  "I'm coming! Do not yell! I'm tired of cleaning up shattered bulbs."

  Like the jerk he loved being, he laughed. Three bulbs in my room shattered in unison, forcing me to shriek as I dodged the fragments. I cursed him under my breath, got scolded by Iris, and then cursed him for that, too.

  He was holding the front door open when I came down the stairs, and I glared at him. I understood Ash better these days. Jay was grating on my nerves.

  "Well, at least you haven't had to deal with me getting really mad."

  I rolled my eyes. "If you get really mad, you're cleaning up the mess."

  He laughed again as we headed out. I wasn't joking.

  As we got in the car, I realized something was missing—well, someone.

  "Is Ayla meeting us there?"

  "No, I'm picking her up at her house. She had to help her mom out with some things."

  Knots suddenly formed in my stomach. Tallis. Crap. Talking to him at school was hard enough. Seeing him at his house would be excruciating torment.

  Jay was driving far too fast when I noticed something flickering in the side mirror—blue lights. Stupid speed demon brother.

  "Jay, there's a cop following us."

  Jay glanced in his rearview mirror, and a challenging gleam crossed his eyes. He smirked as he raised one eyebrow. "They never learn."

  I looked in the side mirror to see the cop car slowly coasting to a stop.

  I slapped my idiot brother in the arm. "Why'd you do that?"

  He laughed. "Because I don't need another ticket. Besides, he's perfectly fine. His car will just need a new spark plug."

  As distracting as Jay's amusement was, it still didn't calm the storm brewing inside me. I was about to be at Tallis's house.

  We pulled up to the Verdan Estate, and I could instantly feel the lump in my throat swelling, tripling in size. My stomach twisted furiously, punishing me for being so weak. Jay hopped out, and I slowly followed him at a sluggish crawl. Desmond was the first Verdan to meet us as he walked out onto the porch.

  "Hey."

  Jay waved in acknowledgement. "Is Ayla inside?"

  "Yeah. Head on in. She and Mom are just finishing up some stuff."

  Jay walked inside as though he belonged, making it look so easy. I felt like there was a barrier pushing against me, so I stayed outside and joined Desmond on the porch.

  And it was... awkward. Things between us had never been awkward, but right now everything felt... off.

  There was massive hunk of debris littering a place where a building once was. Now it was nothing more than a pile of oversized splinters. I decided to use it as an icebreaker.

  "What's that?" I asked, pointing to the destruction.

  Desmond scowled as he answered, "It used to be the shed that I built with my own two hands. No magic. Now it's a big pile of destroyed wood—thanks to Tallis."

  I tried not to laugh at his obvious aggravation. "Why'd he blow it up?"

  He just continued scowling, looking beyond me so his eyes could fall on the shambles. "He didn't blow it up. He punched it."

  I hated how much that fascinated me. I was twisted—totally insane. "All of that from a punch?"

  "Yeah. I guess now you have a whole new appreciation for the strength of an immortal. Think of all the dark ones who have felt that impact and were able to stand back up." That wasn't exactly comforting. "His fists are essentially laced with dynamite, you know."

  "I guess I never really thought about it." I studied the shards of the destruction for a second as several questions bubbled up. "Why did he punch it?"

  He grimaced, as if he was unsure of whether or not he should speak. Finally, he did. "It was after the first day back to school. After the whole burning alive kiss. He didn't have such a good day."

  My mind raced back to the day of ice. Tallis was cold and distant, but not angry. He seemed completely at ease with pretending as though he and I meant nothing to each other.

  "He seemed perfectly fine that day," I mumbled dryly.

  Desmond smirked. "He wasn't fine. You know he'll kick my ass if he finds out I said something to you, right?"

  I smiled half-heartedly. "It'll be our secret." Then I sighed out deeply as I spoke hesitantly. "So, is he here?"

  "No. He's out hunting right now. He does that a good bit lately. Tracking down leads for the item that Graven is seeking."

  My eyes grew wide as I yelled, "He's hunting? Alone?!"

  He took a step back, warily gauging the fury in my eyes. "Yeah.
It's no big deal. The dramians are in much more danger than he is. He's been a bit of a hothead lately—shoot first, ask questions later."

  "Why would you let him go out there all alone?" I growled.

  Desmond cowered down, acting as though he could see the devil in my eyes. "I can go help him if you want me to."

  I nodded, calming down a little.

  Desmond smiled and relaxed as well. Then my eyes narrowed at him impatiently. It took him a second, but realization finally sank in.

  "Oh. You mean now. Okay."

  He leapt over the railing of the porch and headed into the woods, shifting into a massive panther before I lost sight of him. I couldn't believe he was letting Tallis hunt alone.

  We finally pulled up at the festival. Ayla and Jay were making me feel nauseated with their overly sappy affection. Gag. I was so happy to see Amelia and Henry.

  "Thank God," I said as I raced toward them, desperate to escape my brother and his soul mate. "They're making me sick."

  Henry laughed knowingly, and we walked to a game stand. He paid the guy a couple of dollars and the man handed him a ball. Henry smiled and winked at Amelia before winding up to throw.

  He hit the heavy little pins and sent them sailing off the platform. I just rolled my eyes. Cheater.

  The man behind the counter seemed shocked. He handed Henry an oversized stuffed bear, which Henry handed to Amelia while smiling like a boy with a crush.

  "Well, I think this would look better in your room than mine."

  She laughed while blushing. "Thank you."

  They might as well have been the only two people in the universe.

  Great. This wasn't much better than hanging out with Jay and Ayla. I looked around, hoping to see anybody I knew, needing to escape a gag-me couple once more. There was no one, though.

  We walked around for a while, and even rode some rides. We had been there for at least an hour. Amelia had more stuffed animals than she knew what to do with. I was carrying a small tiger for her. The poor tiger was strangled every time Henry said something too sweet to her.

  "Hey, you're Aria right?" a random voice asked, startling me.

  He was about six-feet tall and he had shaggy brown hair. He was cute, sort of. He would have been dreamy to anyone who hadn't seen Tallis. Unfortunately, I had seen Tallis, so this guy registered below par.

  I felt bad for not knowing his name, since he apparently knew mine. "Yeah," I mumbled finally.

  He smiled, realizing that I had no clue who he was. "My name is Trey. I had Spanish with you last semester. You were an absolute whiz."

  "Sorry. I don't pay too much attention to anyone in class."

  He didn't acknowledge that as he looked around, seeming to be searching for anyone who might be with me. "Do you want to grab a bite?"

  I smiled uncomfortably. "I don't know. I'm really not that hungry right now. We're not too far from leaving."

  "Just a bag of cotton candy, then? Come on. I don't bite."

  I felt obligated for some reason. Amelia and Henry walked off, abandoning me. I glared at their backs, wondering if Amelia had a knack for knowing when I was irritated.

  I finally relented, "Okay. I'll take a candied apple."

  His triumphant grin spread, and he glanced over my shoulder at a nearby stand.

  "Great. Be right back. Don't move. Please."

  I laughed slightly at his eagerness to spend a moment with me. It made me feel good, actually, considering how desperate Tallis seemed to stay away. My confidence needed a boost.

  I was waiting for him to come back when I saw something that sent chills up and down my body. Every part of me tingled with desire and excitement as Tallis stepped into view, walking toward me.

  Desmond was with him. Tallis didn't look like he had been hunting at all. His dark jeans were hugging him with perfection. His long sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he was breathtakingly captivating as he approached. I was finally able to catch a breath well enough to speak as he made it to me.

  "I didn't think you were coming." Crap. I sounded breathy and awed.

  He looked around, a wary expression marring his beauty. "We were hunting and ran across about fifteen young electrics training. We came to make sure there wasn't any trouble." He saw concern spread across my face, and added, "They were pure lights."

  And? "So what's the problem?"

  "They were unaware of the festival, and they were only about five miles away. This place usually stays empty. They wouldn't have been training so close if they had known."

  That certainly didn't clear anything up. "I still don't understand what the problem is."

  His smile caught me off guard as his eyes finally met mine. I'd forgotten how much I loved that smile.

  "You know how bulbs blow so often in your house?"

  I rolled my eyes, not revealing the fluttering in my stomach that glorious smile provoked. "Oh yes. I'm sick of it."

  "You know how violently they can burst. They're harmless in small spurts, but with several going all at once, it can be dangerous. The energy doesn't stop surging once the bulb has blown, either. It tapers down in your home because of the magical proofing done to it. Imagine Jay multiplied by fifteen in a place that's not proofed at all. It could be catastrophic."

  I tried understanding, but bursting bulbs didn't seem as dangerous to me as they apparently did to him. "Well, I guess everything is fine. I'm sure they've stopped by now, and nothing seems to be cracking or popping."

  Desmond laughed a little as he responded, "It's not that simple. Sometimes the mortal world has to catch up with immortal magic. We might not see signs for a little while. We're just going to hang out and make sure there isn't any trouble."

  Ah hell.

  "Okay. Well—" Before I could finish, Trey returned with my candied apple.

  Oh no. Why didn't I just send him away? I wanted him far, far away right that moment.

  "Here's your apple, Aria," he said, intentionally acting as though he was my date. He handed me my apple and turned to face Tallis and Desmond. "What're you guys up to?"

  Tallis smirked slightly and then looked at me somewhat teasingly before returning his eyes to Trey. What was that look about? Why wasn't he jealous? I'd be livid if some girl was handing him a candied apple.

  "We came to check in on the festival. We were curious as to what all they had added," Tallis lied.

  Trey took another step closer to me, annoying me. "Well, not too much, actually. It's been kind of dull most of the night." Then he motioned toward me. "Hey, this is Aria. She goes to our school."

  Apparently Trey wasn't aware of the very public relationship that Tallis and I had shared—according to the exaggerated school rumors. Our relationship had never reached the intimate levels that the gossip mill had said. This poor boy was completely oblivious to all of that.

  Tallis smirked as he responded, "Yeah, we've met." Then he tried to hold back a laugh as he continued, "So, are you two here together?"

  Desmond turned around to snicker quietly. Both of them were pissing me off. What was so funny?

  I scowled at Desmond and quickly responded with my ever growing red face. "No."

  Then Trey interjected, "We didn't come together, but I was going to see if Aria would let me take her home. I tried to get her something to eat, but she said she wasn't hungry. I think we're going to walk around for a bit. Are you guys sticking around for a while?"

  Tallis was smiling bigger now—no trace of jealousy. "Yeah, we'll be here for a while."

  Then Desmond teased, "See you later, Aria. Behave."

  I shot him a nasty look as Trey pulled me away from them. Tallis and Desmond were both laughing now.

  Trey's touch did nothing for me as he held my hand. I didn't give him permission to touch me, did I?

  "So, do you want a ride home?" he asked, making me frown.

  "No. I rode here with my brother and his girlfriend. I should probably ride with them."

  "Oh. Well, can I give y
ou a call sometime?"

  Before I could answer him, there was a loud pop. I looked up to see that a single bulb had burst. I sighed in relief—short-lived relief.

  Suddenly, a whole row started viciously shattering in unison. Trey squealed and dove under a vendor stand before screaming at me, "Get down!"

  Every bulb around us was exploding now. Then the power line above me shot out and landed beside me as it whipped and jerked violently, threatening to strike me at any second.

  I screamed, but before it hit me, Tallis had already scooped me up. He swung me far away from the rabid power line, keeping me in his arms until he knew I was safely out of its reach. His eyes ran over me, searching for any damage.

  "Are you okay?" he asked absently, still inspecting me.

  I could feel my hands trembling as the fire from his touch burned through my veins. I was relieved and disappointed as he put me back on my feet. "Yeah. I guess you were right."

  "That's just the beginning. Call Henry and tell him to get Amelia out of here."

  Trey came running up to us as a few other bulbs shattered. "Aria! Are you okay? I just saw that… and then you were… I was so worried."

  Tallis rolled his eyes, his jaw tensing. "She's fine. You need to get out of here, and start getting everyone else out of here, too."

  Trey nodded and started pulling my hand. Tallis quickly pulled me back to him. "Not Aria. She can stay here with me. I'll make sure she gets home safe."

  Trey moved toward him. "I'll take her home. You just worry about yourself."

  Tallis took a step toward him now. I stepped in between them, pushing a hand against Tallis's chest. "Trey, thanks, but I really do need to stay with Tallis. I appreciate the offer though. Just get everyone out of here that you can."

  Trey just turned away and huffed off angrily. Tallis rolled his eyes again. "Like he could protect you better than I could. What's he going to do? Hide and scream again when some glass breaks?"

  I tried not to laugh. I felt sorry for Trey. From the moment Tallis walked in, he never stood a chance. Truthfully, he never stood a chance regardless.

  My thoughts were interrupted as a new wave of bulbs began bursting. This time, there were more. Power lines jerked around on the ground everywhere now—resembling an electric, headless snake's body. People were running and screaming in panic. Tallis grabbed me and threw me out of dodge.