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

  A gust of wind flew by my head and I fell to the ground. I coughed hard and then gasped in a breath of air while grabbing my throat. I felt my strength coming back quickly, even though I still felt more brittle than I ever had before. At least I didn't feel like I was dying anymore.

  I glanced up to see the lanky blonde man looking around, as if he wondered like I did, what just happened. He spun in circles while screaming into the treetops.

  "Where are you?! Show yourself! Fight like a real eternal!"

  Eternal?

  I had no idea who he was talking to. I never saw anyone. I tried to stand to my feet to run away, but the lanky man turned his attention back to me. Keeping his dark eyes on me, he yelled back into the woods to the mystery presence.

  "If you want her for yourself, you'll have to fight me for her! I won't give her up that easily!"

  He was back in front of me in a blink again. He grabbed me by my throat and lifted me back to his mouth. I was fighting uselessly, trying ineffectively to pry his hand from my collapsing airway.

  Then my same savior whooshed past me again. And just like before, I landed on the ground. I looked around again, but nothing. The lanky man threw off his long jacket.

  "Come on! Come on! I can't smell you, but I know you're there! You can't be a witch or a changer, so you must be a bodyguard. You can't possibly defeat me. Run away or show your face, coward!"

  What the hell is he talking about?

  Every time I thought it couldn't get any crazier... it got crazier.

  His yells could have been heard for miles, if there had been anyone else around to hear it. Then I saw a flash. From tree to tree, there was just a blur. Then suddenly, before the lanky man could reach me again, there was a body standing between us.

  Every breath I tried to take evaded my grasp when I saw who it was. I recognized the body that stood in front of me, saving me. I'd spent weeks memorizing it from the back. It was Tallis.

  He quickly turned to me and pointed behind me while speaking in a forceful, slightly panicked tone. "Get back, Aria!" Then he turned back around as the lanky man charged him.

  They began to fight. Well... I think. It was all happening so fast, so it was hard to see. Trees cracked, leaves crunched, and grunts released as the blur of motion went on to further traumatize my widened eyes. I didn't know if I should run or hide, but like the petrified fool I was, I stayed there, staring open-mouthed at the mess of impossibilities.

  In less than a blink, Tallis was behind the man, grabbing his arm and throwing him into a tree at least a hundred feet away. Unbidden, a gasp slipped through my lips, and I covered my mouth before it made any other unsanctioned sounds to draw attention my way.

  The man stood up and charged Tallis. They were face to face again within seconds. The man grabbed Tallis by the neck and slammed his head into the rock where I had been sitting earlier. A muffled squeak fell out of my covered mouth, but the man was too busy to acknowledge me.

  Tallis!

  The rock shattered, shocking the crap out of me. Tallis was unscathed.

  How is that possible?

  He retaliated by breaking the man's hands and kicking him in the chest simultaneously. It seemed like sparks flew as he connected his foot with the man's chest. Amazingly, it threw the man backwards at least sixty feet.

  The man shook his hands and the bones cracked as they reconnected. It wasn't natural, and I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. Sickness now joined my fearful adrenaline rush.

  Tallis couldn't fight this monster. There was no way.

  Then the man stared at Tallis and smiled as he reached to the sky, as if he were trying to grab something. Suddenly, fire blazed from his hands.

  I gasped loudly, scrambling backwards instantly and tripping over a stone. I thudded against the ground, but I crawled backwards until a tree halted my retreat.

  My eyes couldn't possibly get any wider. This couldn't be real.

  A blazer... like Iris's story.

  Tales of magic and mayhem struck me with realization, making me almost convulse. He was trying to steal my essence - that was what he was drawing out of me. That meant I was a… but this couldn't possibly be… None of this was making any sense, and a single coherent thought refused to process.

  There was no way that all of that could be real. I had to be dreaming, or having a nightmare, rather.

  "Wake up, Aria!" I said frantically to myself, half-crying, half-laughing through hysteria. But it wasn't working, it was all still happening. There's no way-

  My thoughts were interrupted as the man sent fire blazing right at Tallis. Tallis jumped, spiraling through the air, landing on his feet behind the man. The man turned around swiftly, but Tallis kicked him again, sending him sailing.

  He landed next to me this time. The man jumped up and grabbed me with one arm around my neck and one hand pointed to my head like a weapon.

  "I'll kill her now and neither of us can have her. If you want to share with me, I'll let you go first. Otherwise, neither of us get her."

  Then the man stared at Tallis for a moment and gasped slightly. "You're a light eternal. You plan to save her! It'll never happen. If you're a guard, you shouldn't have a light. Why can't I smell your essence if you're a-" He didn't finish his sentence, which only added to my mounds of confusion.

  He was breathing heavily, more than likely out of breath after that epic battle. More tears streamed from my eyes as the overwhelming amount of panic flooded me mercilessly.

  Tallis smiled as if he knew something I didn't. Then he winked at me as he threw his right hand forward. The man's hand that had been beside my head was now gone.

  Ashes fell from his arm where his hand should have been. The man screamed in pain and stared in shock. He dropped me and turned to run. Tallis jumped over to me in one gallant bound. Then he threw both of his arms forward with his hands pointed upward and his fingers spread apart. I watched as the man turned to solid ash, and a loud boom erupted through the forest. The man was no more. Not even a speck of dust remained.

  My heart was still racing, refusing to find a slower rhythm.

  Tallis turned to look at me. His eyes were riddled with panic and sincere concern as he gauged trembling hands. He knelt down and scooped me up in his arms. I whimpered involuntarily, terrified of what else might be out there.

  He started walking, carrying me effortlessly. He looked down with his still sad eyes.

  "Are you okay?" he asked softly, treating me like a frightened rabbit caught in a trap.

  I cleared my throat nervously. Despite everything I just witnessed, I wasn't even the least bit afraid of him. Although I was so ridiculously confused.

  "I th... think so." My voice went out for a moment, making it impossible say any more.

  His eyes now looked even more concerned. "Are you sure? I wasn't sure how long he had you."

  I could hear the uncertainty and shakiness in my tone. "Yeah… Wh…what…what-" I couldn't finish my question. I'm sure a grave sense of shock played a part in that.

  "I know this is going to seem crazy, probably more than crazy, but it was a follower from the Dramus circle. It's actually the Graven circle now. Your grandmother told you most of the story, or at least the story she knows. It's overwhelming, I know, but you have to grasp this as reality right now. I have to get you to my place and make sure he didn't do more damage than we realize."

  Grasp this as reality? Are you kidding?

  I couldn't possibly grasp the bedtime story Iris told me as reality, even though I saw it for myself. It all seemed too psychotic to be real. It had to be a dream. I felt like I was insane for even considering such a possibility.

  I was still trying to make sense of the irrational situation.

  "So you're a… I mean... you can… And that guy was a… that means that I'm a-"

  He just smiled encouragingly at my stammering attempt. "Welcome to the real world, Aria. I just need you to try to understand and trust me right now. I know it's a lot
to digest, but we have to get out of here."

  "Okay."

  Okay? I didn't know why I said that. It just came out. Absolutely nothing was okay, other than him holding me. Despite all logic, I felt safe in his arms - protected. He'd just battled some fire wielding demon to save me.

  I had one arm wrapped around his neck and my other was flat against his chest. His heart was beating fast, too.

  Well duh, he was just in a massive fight with a blazer.

  Oh my gosh… this was real. I started crying, overwhelmed by the complete absurdity of it all when it crashed down on me.

  "It's okay. I promise. It's all a little much at first, but it gets better. You'll like my sister. She'll be able to help the overwhelming emotions you're experiencing. My mom can help you understand things better. Just be prepared for Desmond, my brother... He's going to be intense at first. He's harmless though. My dad may surprise you a bit, considering what you have been told."

  It sounded like he was talking gibberish, though I'm almost sure it was English.

  His voice was so sincere and calm. Regardless of everything that had just happened, he was calm.

  I didn't have the strength to speak anymore. I just nodded in acceptance of what he said, and the next thing I knew, he was putting me in the passenger seat of my car.

  I had never noticed before, but that same symbol I'd seen all over the house was imbedded on the headrests of my seats, as well as the dashboard, and even the floor mats - the crescent moon inside the eye.

  How have I missed these? Great. I was just attacked by something that shouldn't exist, saved by a guy from school with exploding hands, and my concern was symbols etched in my car. Perfect. I've lost my mind.

  As soon as he shut my door, it seemed like he was opening the driver's door. I couldn't process all of this right now. It was too much too quick, but I knew I had to. Someone or some... thing just tried to kill me. If it hadn't been for Tallis, the monster would have succeeded in his quest.

  The music played dully in the background as he drove away from the dirt road. I had to ask him something. I had to know how he knew - about me in trouble and who I was, when I didn't even know.

  I could hear my voice still weak and shaky as I overloaded him with my incessant list of questions. "How did you know where I was? How did you know he was killing me? Who are you really? Who am I? What are we exactly?"

  He smiled compassionately, but never took his eyes off the road as he responded with his voice still calm. It was like it was nothing out of the ordinary for him.

  "I was worried about you driving while being so upset, so I followed you. I kept a good distance, tracking the slight scent you were leaving behind. It’s not hard to follow. You have a strong essence. That's why he wanted you so badly. McKee and Taryn were a little less obvious. I have to admit, I was impressed by your dirt road driving skills. The way you shook them off your tail was-"

  I interrupted him with panic in my voice as I sat straight up. "That was Taryn and McKee? Oh my gosh! I have to go see how badly they're hurt! I didn't know they-"

  "Whoa, relax. They're fine. They never saw me either. I was on foot. They aren't hurt at all. There's a lot you don't know about them. I know he's your lover boy and all, but he walked away without a scratch. I promise. No need to panic, Aria."

  I sighed in exasperation over his comment. "He's not my lover boy. I just met him and his sister the first day of school. They're friends of my grandparents." I paused briefly. "How could they possibly be okay? That car rolled off the road and looked like it lost a fight with a compactor."

  His head bobbed once with a bit of a laugh, surprising me. Then he smirked, still not taking his eyes off the road. "They're invincibles, or bodyguards, whatever you want to call them." He seemed to be enjoying all of this.

  He spoke like I was supposed to know exactly he was talking about. I knew the confusion in my voice was unmistakable. "What is an invincible?"

  "Your grandmother doesn’t go into a whole lot of detail on them during her story, but an invincible - or bodyguard - is a being that is nearly indestructible. They're immune to many witch powers, and they're sheer brute force. They have a talent for hiding a witch's essence from the wrong person, too.

  "That's why they were following you. Your essence is so strong though, so they weren't doing such a good job. I am, however, a better tracker than most. I'm sure Iris told them not to take their eyes off you. They're probably going to be in big trouble when she finds out one of the dark followers attacked you."

  He snickered at that last part, enjoying the fact McKee screwed up. Then his face turned more worried. It was as if he just realized how close I came to dying. Then he didn't find that so funny. His lips pursed with extreme distress.

  I broke his concentration as my voice rang out in panic yet again. "First of all, Iris can't find out! Secondly, who is Graven?" I was so lost.

  "Oh, Iris has to find out. Otherwise, the next time may be far worse. I killed that guy back there so no one would find out about you, but your essence is so strong when completely unguarded, that he probably smelled it thirty miles away the second you stepped out of your car.

  "Who knows who else caught a whiff without a bodyguard around to hide you. I'm surprised McKee and Taryn didn't track you down after the wreck. Iris needs to be on the lookout. When you shook your tails – meaning McKee and Taryn - you shook your protection. They were so preoccupied tumbling that they lost their grip, and your essence most likely attracted a lot of unwanted admirers."

  He talked about killing that guy as if it was an everyday occurrence. I still hadn't even tried to reconcile that part of the day in my mind yet. I was going to need more therapy than I'd ever be able to afford.

  "So... can you disguise my scent?" I was starting to worry about being sniffed out again, which was evident in my tone.

  He laughed, finding humor in my question for no real good reason. "No, I'm not a bodyguard, although I can slightly mask your essence when I'm close enough. I'm sort of just like you, but with a bit of a twist. You'll see."

  Then I thought of how he reacted to me at the coffee shop. The man who smelled almost the same as this man... he was one of them. Tallis had thrown himself almost on top of me.

  "Is that why you did that at the coffee shop? You already knew who I was, or what I am? What am I again?"

  He smirked slightly as he replied. "Yes, that's why I did that at the coffee shop. If I'm close enough to you, I can mask your scent to a certain degree. I knew you were a witch, I just didn't realize that you were a Bradbury. Someone has been masking your blood smell as well. It's mixed with Weislen blood, so that dilutes the smell slightly. They've most likely masked your blood with a symbolta potion though."

  "A symbolta potion?" I turned my nose up slightly.

  He laughed... again. Glad I'm a one-girl comedy act.

  "It's a tasteless liquid they most likely poured into your drink once a day. I use the same thing to mask my blood. The crest is liquefied and… well, it gets complicated."

  Crest?

  I squinted slightly, regarding him curiously. "Why would you need to mask your blood?"

  He smiled. "You aren't the only one with strong family connections. Sometimes, it's better to be safe than sorry. You have to try to smell blood. It takes concentration. I, however, don't like to leave things to chance, especially with so many of your coven around. If I had known you were a Bradbury, then I would've been a little more careful and not taken you to the coffee house. I would've just brought you to my house instead. I promise I didn't mean to put you in danger."

  I shrugged slightly at his comment. "What does it a matter if I'm a Bradbury? How did you know I was… um... that?"

  I couldn't bring myself to say witch. It almost seemed silly to use such a word.

  "They kept you masked well at school, but I could tell you had magic coursing through your veins. I'm a little different than most in the magical world. Not too many can do as I do.

&n
bsp; "Everett is part of the magical community as well. Most likely a bodyguard, given his behavior and stature. The way he concentrated in the coffee shop gave him away. He was working hard to cover your scent completely. I knew I couldn't have masked you that well. That guy was far too close not to smell you without a strong guard nearby."

  I ignored the last part. It was all becoming too overwhelming for me to digest. I went back to the part where people could smell me from thirty miles away. "What if they find us right now? What if they're following us?"

  "Not likely. Those are protective marks." He pointed to the symbols that had piqued my curiosity since I'd gotten to the Bradbury Manor. "That's your family's crest. Anyone considered a part of the Bradbury coven is protected by it. It won't completely cover your scent once you've evolved - or inherited your powers, rather - but for now, it'll keep you safe. Only a slight bit of your essence escapes, however, I haven't sensed anyone close enough to track you, though your scent is still all over the woods.

  "The crest only works in small places like this one, your house, and your yard. The ownership of something pushes the link to be stronger, and you can't own too much of a vast area or it weakens the crest. You can own a lot and crest a lot, however, it has to be in smaller clusters, as opposed to one massive area. It's the only safe way to do things."

  I felt like I just flunked a class in school. It was too much.

  Then he smiled really big for no obvious reason.

  "By the way, Aria, you dropped this during the attack earlier. I picked it up for you while I was saving you…yet again." His shirt slid up slightly as he pulled something from the waist of his jeans. Then he continued speaking in an even more adorable, but teasing tone. "I guess I must have made quite the impression."

  His cocky little smile was so smug as he handed me my sketchbook that I had been drawing on earlier. It had his face on the open page from where I had been sketching before the lanky man attacked me.