Jaded Jewels (The Coveted Saga #2)

by C. M. Owens

  His body surfaced, motionless. He was dead. I thought back to how everyone had told me the pool was the safest place in the house. Now I knew why.

  Amelia and I both sighed, feeling safe again. But the reprieve was short lived when we heard more footsteps. We held each other tightly, terrified, as Taryn appeared. I exhaled, in relief. Amelia still looked scared though. She knew Taryn from school, but I'm sure meeting Warren had her on edge.

  "It's just Taryn. She's on our side," I said to comfort her.

  I started to walk toward Taryn as she stared blankly at Warren who was still lifelessly floating in the pool. Amelia grabbed my arm very forcefully and started pulling me back towards her.

  "Aria, don't," she whispered, panicked as her eyes stayed wide.

  The recent traumatic events were provoking unnecessary fear, and now she was a little paranoid.

  "Amelia, she's a bodyguard. She's part of our coven."

  I smiled and looked toward Taryn, but she seemed different. Her once annoyingly vibrant personality was absent, and a snarling contradiction was in its place. She glared at Amelia like she was disgusted. Something was wrong—so, so wrong.

  In place of her normally perky smile was a furious, foaming-at-the mouth scowl. She was almost unrecognizable as hell's fury moved to reside in her glassy eyes.

  "You brought an empath into this house," she hissed, her body poised for attack.

  She almost growled at Amelia, treating her like the enemy.

  The twilight zone had just found my house apparently. Even in an alternate universe I had never imagined Taryn being able to act this scary.

  Only our immediate family and the Verdans knew about Amelia so far, so I understood why Taryn didn't know. Chris was the only bodyguard that knew about her. I understood her surprise, but I didn't understand her reaction.

  Amelia tugged my arm gently as she whispered, "She's not on our side. She's one of them." She pointed to Warren's body still floating in the pool.

  The alarm in her tone wrapped around the words, guiding me to what she was trying to say, but I couldn't understand. But as soon as it stopped confusing me, it made perfect sense. A sickness tainted me to my core, shaking me with a dark realization.

  The only way Warren could have gotten in was if someone had let him in; someone who could block the crests because they were a trusted part of the coven. That someone was Taryn.

  Adrenaline fueled my anger as my teeth ground together. "Taryn?" I bit out. "It's been you? The one who has been leaking all of our secrets and helping the dramians is you?"

  I couldn't believe it. McKee and his family would be so devastated. Not to mention Iris and the rest of my family. Everyone had entrusted their lives with her.

  Her vibrant and bubbly persona had all been fake. Her real colors were showing very clearly now—and she might as well have been a black hole. Amelia could see right through her, so she couldn't hide. The pool wouldn't save us from Taryn. It more than likely wouldn't recognize her as a threat because she was part of the coven. I couldn't believe this was happening.

  Seeming disgusted with me, Taryn said, "Don't give me that self-righteous attitude, Aria. You have no idea what life has been like for me. Centuries of guarding a witch will make you a little resentful."

  She paced as the bitterness in her eyes multiplied, making her anger almost tangible. Her eyes locked on mine as she continued.

  "I grew tired of being someone's babysitter many years back. So long ago we were prestigious, coveted even. We were invincibles. That was our name in the immortal world of magic—invincibles. We were better in every way. We were stronger, faster, no essence, no light, and we were invincible against almost every form of magic. Then magic evolved, thanks to Isis's spell.

  "All the witches kept getting stronger and all their magic, too. Soon we were almost equal as far as strength and speed. As the magic grew even stronger, we weren't invincible to all of the new magic. The amount of magic we could withstand became more and more limited with every new generation born. Little did I know that one day we would be disgraced to the point where our skill set revolved around hiding witches. That's my job now. To mask your precious essence so that no one can come after you. That's how belittled my title has become. We went from being called invincibles, to being called bodyguards. It's enough to really piss you off. So pardon me for being fed up."

  Lunatic—that was the best word to describe the sociopath in front of me. Her monologue continued as my mind frantically searched for a way out of this.

  "I've hand-delivered you to so many of the idiots Graven keeps sending. I don't know what what's so special about you that makes them unable to do as they were told. Then on top of that, you have my brother, Tallis, and Jared in love with you, completely wrapped around your finger; guys throwing themselves in the line of fire to save you. Unbelievable.

  "A witch used to be nothing in comparison to me. These days they look down on me. And now your family has brought an empath into the coven? You've given her your protective crests? And I'm sure they have plenty of my kind selected to take care of her as well. Hmm? That's just another stab in my gut.

  "Empaths are the scum beneath my feet. They're nothing—less than nothing—but because there are so few, they're more coveted than I am. They're nothing more than a hiccup in magic—an accidental existence. Yet here you are sitting with her, trusting her, and worrying about her safety. Some thing that doesn't even deserve to breathe the same air as I do!" she yelled, pointing to her chest for emphasis, her eyes ablaze with furious hatred.

  Her breaths became instantly calm, and she unleashed a smile that would deceive someone who hadn't just heard her psychotic rant.

  "Tonight they'll just think that someone managed to break through a gap. I tried to stop them, and I was wounded in the process. I killed the guy, but sadly, it was too late. I'll shed a few tears for effect.

  "Then little by little I will finish off the ever so powerful Coldwell coven. By which point I will have secured a comfortable position in the dark realm of Graven. I can promise you that I will not be guarding anyone ever again. I'll be famous for the feat I plan to accomplish. Starting with you."

  Amelia stepped in front of me, even though she didn't stand a chance, as Taryn smiled and added, "Oh don't worry, empath, I planned on killing you first."

  In nothing less than a blur, Taryn charged us. Amelia had that same wild-eyed look again as she held her hand from Warren to Taryn. The blur stilled suddenly, and Taryn became visible again, gasping as she doubled over and clutched her stomach, her hair veiling her face. A garbled scream rang out as she dropped to her knees, crying as the pain intensified.

  Amelia looked on, seeming expressionless as she glared at her. Her instincts were running her right now—saving us.

  "You're not so invincible right now, are you?" Amelia taunted.

  She was aware of what she was doing this time. She was in control of it, and the ruthlessness in her eyes scared me a little. She was tapping into Warren's past indiscretions and using them against Taryn. I could taste it, feel it spiraling around me. It was jaded and she needed to hurry before it tainted her.

  "You hate me so much because I can see right through you. You hate me so much because you can’t lie to me. I expose you and make you vulnerable, and it pisses you off to lose that control." Her voice dropped to a near whisper as she murmured, "Feel their pain."

  Taryn crumbled to the ground, screaming loud enough to pierce eardrums. Her body contorted in awkward positions, like she was being ripped apart from the inside. I just stood and watched in amazement, feeling the drops of blood as they dripped from my nose.

  Amelia was so strong—too strong for her own good. She had no control and yet she had total control. We'd be able to walk away from this, when only moments ago, I thought we were both doomed to die. But the way her eyes darkened chilled me.

  Taryn let out one last bloodcurdling scream, then she didn't move again. Her eyes glazed over black, just as her soul
had been. Amelia fell lifelessly to the ground, unconscious. Her pulse was weak, but it was still there.

  Killing Taryn had nearly killed her, and my panic shifted to a new form of fear as I started to race for a phone. But a fresh putrid smell invaded, shredding the hope I'd just had renewed. I slid to a halt, staring at the doorway where the smell seemed to originate.

  Taryn must have planned for something to go wrong. It was another man with muscles bulging all over. He looked at Taryn and ran to her side, as I slowly returned to Amelia, pulling her to me as though I could somehow protect her.

  "What did you do to her?!" he yelled, his body shaking with anger.

  He hugged her to his chest, before he turned his glare on. He slowly and gently let got of Taryn, and stood back up. There was a low, ominous growl—my only warning before he charged.

  I braced myself while still holding Amelia in my arms. My eyes screwed shut when I refused to watch my own death, but the sound of glass shattering across the room had my eyes popping back open. The next thing I saw was the unknown freak flying across the room, yelping in pain.

  My heart sped up when I saw what had happened. Tallis was on one knee, fingers still spread wide as he slowly brought his hand down. After one powerful blast from Tallis, the guy was dead. Henry dropped and landed right beside my hero.

  Tallis stood up, shaking his head as he flashed to my side to inspect me. "I should have stayed when you asked me to. I'm so sorry. Iris left me a voicemail saying they were going to town and wanted to know if I would check in on you. I tried your cell and didn't get an answer. I called the house, and nobody answered it either. I got worried and decided to swing by. Henry got here at the same time I did because he couldn't reach Amelia. We went up to your rooms and saw what was going on from the window."

  I was still on the ground, holding Amelia tightly to my chest. Her pulse felt stronger as her body worked to heal on its own. I looked up at the shattered glass ceiling and around at all the fragments that surrounded me.

  "Glad you know how to make an entrance," I muttered, still breathless and unable to say anything else until my heart found a slower rhythm.

  Amelia stirred and instantly Henry was at her side. Her eyes flittered weakly as Henry helped her sit up. "My head," she groaned, massaging her forehead. Her eyes trailed over to Taryn. "Is that witch dead?" Then she looked around at the three of us. "No offense."

  Henry just laughed. "None taken. Although you should contemplate finding a new choice of word for insulting someone in the future, considering the company you keep."

  Amelia laughed slightly, and then grabbed her head again, cursing it for hurting so much. "Yeah, sorry, this is all going to take some getting used to. When did you get here?"

  Before Henry could answer, she was pointing to the last guy in the room and speaking again. "And where the hell did he come from? How long was I out?"

  A touch of laughter escaped me, but it was layered with more exhaustion than humor. "They just got here a few seconds ago, and Tallis took him out on the way down."

  She just looked around, puzzled. "On the way down? Down from whe—" She paused as she took in all the shattered glass and shifted her eyes to the destroyed ceiling above. "Oh, never mind."

  Then Henry and Tallis exchanged a confused look, belatedly processing everything. "Wait… Why did you want Taryn to be dead?" Henry asked.

  Tallis stepped toward us with the same curious look, his eyes on me expectantly. So I answered, "Taryn was the one who let them in."

  The shock that spread over their faces made me feel less naive. At least I wasn't the only one who had been so easily duped by her.

  "I never saw that coming, and I hate guards," he muttered regretfully.

  Henry put his hands on his hips and glared, offended, at Tallis. After a few seconds, Tallis realized why Henry looked affronted, and he bit back a grin.

  "Let me rephrase that; I hate guards when I can't tell whose side they're on. She was one of the few that I wouldn't have suspected."

  Henry relaxed, but the same regret captured his next breath. "I wouldn't have suspected her either. If anything, I thought she was too nice."

  Amelia scowled. "That witc... I mean, that wench, has had a chip on her shoulder for centuries. And let me tell you, she definitely does not like empaths."

  Despite all of the life threatening encounters we had just faced, Amelia still found a way to be humorous. I shook my head, holding back an inappropriate laugh.

  "She wanted Amelia dead as badly as she wanted me dead. She's been trying to deliver me to them. She would have succeeded tonight if Amelia hadn't been able to stop her, and if you hadn't shown up when you did."

  I stared directly into Tallis's eyes. He almost winced as I did so. He started to move toward me. I could feel gravity pulling us into each other as it had so many times before. I could feel the passion that had tried to abandon me as it started to resurface.

  My breath caught when the pull became nearly overwhelming. His hand wrapped around my waist before settling on my back, and the forgotten fire surged through me, burning me. My whole body ached to be closer. The moment surprised us both, leaving us caught in a gaze we couldn't abandon on our own.

  "Should we leave you two alone?" Amelia asked, amused.

  Tallis backed up slightly, his bashful grin forming. The sound of footsteps snapped us out of it, putting us all on alert. Tallis took a defensive stance and then relaxed almost just as quickly.

  Jay and Ayla walked in, crunching on glass as they stepped across the floor. Jay looked around the destroyed room, taking it all in with wide, quizzical eyes.

  "Looks like someone had better start explaining—" His eyes landed on Taryn, and his curious expression turned to terror. "No! They killed her?!"

  Tears filled his eyes as he dropped to his knees, his gaze still on the traitor.

  Amelia stood to her feet, still shaky, and answered bitterly before anyone else could.

  "No. I killed her."

  Jay just gawked at her, shocked and lost for what to say. His accusatory glare burned when landed on me as he restrained his anger. Considering Amelia failed to elaborate, we were the ones looking like traitors.

  "Jay, she was trying to kill us." He warily stood up, his knees trying to betray him as he shook his head, his disbelief almost tangible. I filled him in on Taryn's in-depth confession, watching his face go pale with each new truth.

  Jay sat down in a chair, unable to stand any longer. Glass crunched beneath him as he did, but he didn't seem to notice. He was trying to take in all the information I had just unloaded, but it was a lot to process.

  "I can't believe it." He rubbed his hands through his hair, pained and still stunned.

  Tallis walked over to me and looked me over again, tilting my head from side to side as he checked for any damage that I had not reported to him. I smiled at his concern, and put my hand over his to bring it down, fighting to ignore the burn I felt from the chaste touch.

  "No one ever even touched me. I'm perfectly fine, thanks to all of my heroes."

  I winked at him, forcing him to grin for a second. Then I looked over at Jay who was still going through the messed up sordid details in his head. I knew he felt betrayed, possibly even more than I did. He'd known Taryn longer than I had.

  "You could have told me about the enchanted pool. I would've moved my bed to the middle of it a long time ago," I said by way of lightening the intense situation.

  Jay only barely smiled, still seeming distracted as he stared at Taryn's body. "Well, we usually keep it quiet. We thought it would only help you in your immortal state. They can just kill you any old way as a mortal. It's a family secret that you learn when you get your immortality."

  My brow raised as I spoke with humor. "Or you learn about it when a crazy man tries to suck the life out of you while you're taking a swim, and suddenly the pool is fighting your battle for you."

  I laughed instead of trembling, it seemed to make the truth less dramatic
.

  I was still in my bikini, and due to the broken glass, a chill had spread throughout the room. Tallis saw my slight shivering, and pulled his shirt off and handed it to me. Personally, I preferred the freezing to the drooling. Suddenly my eyes were glued to his perfect body, feeling teased and taunted.

  I pulled on his shirt while I mumbled, "That's not even fair."

  Apparently it wasn't quiet enough. His throaty chuckle proved it.

  "A soaking wet, black bikini wasn't too fair either. Let's consider it an even trade." He winked at me and pulled open the door to the main house. A breath of reluctance fell through his lips as he added, "Let's go tell Iris why I broke her house."

  I put my head down and laughed. When his back was turned again, I pulled his shirt to my nose and smelled it. Sad, I know. But it smelled so amazing.

  I stared at the perfect contours of his back as I pathetically continued sniffing his shirt and smiled to myself. Then I felt a harsh stab of pain when reality broke through the fantasy. He still wasn't mine. He still didn't want to be mine. He couldn't be mine.

  I began fighting the overwhelming urge to cry as the painful knot tightened in my throat. He grabbed his side, like something was hurting him. He looked at me and his lips tightened, a fresh pain in his eyes.

  I wasn't sure what was going on, and I didn't feel like asking either. As we walked into the living room, Iris was smiling and laughing... until she saw our faces. The whole room's mood changed instantly as we recapped the events again.

  After several moments of weeping and gasps of disbelief, everyone calmed down.

  Iris was the first to speak. "Tallis, I don't know what we would have done without you this past year. You've been the fresh air we needed on a blazing hot summer's day. Thank you again for saving my sweet Aria." Then she turned to Amelia. "Thank you, too, Amelia. You saw what none of us could. This family is growing stronger everyday, and you are now a part of the reason why." Then she turned to Henry, her praising continuing. "I'm glad you're here. You're all such a big part of this family."