Jaded Jewels (The Coveted Saga #2)

by C. M. Owens

  It was hard, really hard, not to laugh when I whispered back, "I think they just heard every word you said."

  Henry and Tallis both burst out laughing, making it all the harder for me not to laugh. Amelia's face beamed red as she looked at me completely mortified.

  I shrugged, still biting back the teasing grin that was trying to spread. "Super hearing. No secrets are safe. What can I say?"

  She shook her head and retreated toward the dark rooms in the back. I heard her moving her hands up and down the walls, fumbling around for a light switch. A few muttered curses from her had me finally laughing.

  "Really?" We heard her hands sliding around some more, until she reluctantly gave in. "Could I get a little help here?"

  She knew the smartass comments that would ensue.

  Tallis was all too eager to respond with his heckling tone. "Why don't you just flip on the light switch? You don't need magic to turn on lights, you know."

  I heard her trying not to laugh. "You're hilarious."

  Henry walked toward her, smiling teasingly, and the lights suddenly flashed on. Then she yelled to Tallis, "Which room do we get?"

  Tallis grinned and walked toward them, leaving me alone in the living room. As they talked and laughed, I eyed my new bed—the living room couch.

  I grabbed a pair of shorts out of my bag and threw them on quickly before anyone came back in. There was a blanket laying over the back of the couch, saving me the trouble of asking for one. A sense of warmth fell over me as I smelled its heavenly scent. It smelled just like Tallis.

  I smiled as flopped down and covered up with it. I knew if I didn't just take the couch, Tallis would make me take the other bed. I wasn't going to let him sleep on the couch in his own house. Besides, I was tired enough to sleep comfortably anywhere at that moment.

  Is it really necessary for birds to chirp and sing the second they see the sun? I thought, mentally forming a hit-list that included blue jays and robins.

  An orangey-red glow was shining through my eyelids, which agitated me even more. Then I felt heat—desired, incredible, familiar heat. Something softer than the couch was under me, and protective arms were wrapped around me, holding me close to a body that I had missed so much.

  I opened my eyes to see Tallis still asleep, facing me, unaware of the sun that was shining through the window. The soft mattress under me still didn't register. None of this made sense.

  I was in the bedroom instead of on the couch. I was tucked safely in his arms instead of being in the living room all alone. The wonderful scent was coming from him instead of the blanket I had clung to when I drifted off.

  Terrible excitement washed over me, torturing me and invigorating me to my core. He shifted slightly before his eyes flittered open and met my gaze. He smiled weakly, and in a second he was out of bed, looking regretful.

  I climbed out of the bed feeling confused. I knew I didn't climb into bed with him, unless I had been sleep walking. Oh please don't let me have been sleep walking. This is bad enough.

  I went to the kitchen where Tallis had already started preparing coffee. Slowly, I approached as he pulled a shirt on, hiding the body I was possibly obsessed with.

  "Did I do something wrong?" I asked.

  "No. I just didn't mean to sleep so late." He wouldn't look at me when he answered.

  I glanced over at the clock. "So late? It's only eight, and we stayed up pretty late."

  Amelia and Henry walked through, interrupting our awkward moment.

  "What's for breakfast?"

  Amelia giggled when Henry wrapped his arms around her and nipped at her neck. But her eyes changed as she felt my emotions, and her lips tightened to a thin line before she forced a smile for me.

  Tallis turned around, a pained expression marring his face. But then he forced a smile that looked tighter than Amelia's.

  "Henry and I are going to go check the perimeter and get a workout, while the two of you figure out breakfast."

  Tallis winked at us and Henry chuckled, kissing Amelia's cheek once more.

  They went to the rooms and came out in gym shorts that draped just passed their knees and hung just barely below their hip bones. Both of them were shirtless and immortally perfect with defined ripples and sleek muscles.

  Amelia and I were both staring helplessly. Honestly, what red-blooded girl wouldn't be?

  Henry and Tallis both snickered while shaking their heads as they walked out the door.

  "What were they laughing at?" Amelia asked, genuinely clueless.

  "Us… staring… drooling."

  I kept my best fake smile in place, but it was sort of pointless, considering Amelia felt my every emotion. I understood it. I hated it, but I understood why he was distancing himself.

  He had already accepted what I couldn't—we weren't meant to be,

  Tears slowly filled up in my eyes, but I made my way to the bathroom to shower them away. They could fall in secrecy under the shower and no one would ever see them. I wasn't ready to let go, even if holding on kept me imprisoned with my continuously breaking heart.

  After climbing out of the shower and pulling on my underwear, I smelled the promise of something wonderful awaiting me—coffee. The guys were going to be outside for a while, so I didn't see any harm in grabbing some coffee in my underwear, and I was a mindless bloodhound on the trail. I really needed coffee. It was a late night, and the stupid birds and annoying sun woke me up too early.

  I walked into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, smiling happily as the stronger scent welcomed me.

  The first sip was heavenly. The second sip was divine. The third sip was... interrupted. The front door swung open suddenly, forcing me to react rather dramatically. I screamed and dove to the floor, spilling my cup of coffee all over the place.

  A familiar laughter rang out, making my face burn with humiliation.

  "Aria? What the hell are you doing lying in a puddle of coffee?"

  Desmond. Damn him.

  Before I could answer, in ran Tallis and Henry with a look of alarm. Now I was trying to cover myself very awkwardly with my arms and hands while still lying on the floor.

  Tallis started laughing under his breath when he realized what was going on. In an instant he had flashed to the couch and then flashed back to me. Smiling as he helped me up and wrapped the cover around my shoulders.

  I pulled it together until it overlapped and covered me better than a nun.

  Desmond was still laughing very loudly, when Amelia ran in with a towel wrapped around her. Her hair was dripping wet, carving trails to where her towel clasped.

  Henry's eyes got big as his laughter disappeared and turned into a... Did he just wheeze? Amelia noticed everyone staring at her, and the scarlet in her cheeks spread to match mine.

  Then she uncomfortably started fidgeting with her towel and stammering. "Sorry... I... um... heard a scream, but I guess it's under... control."

  Then she walked backwards to the room while clutching her towel like a shield, abandoning me to deal with the mortifying morning alone. I scowled at her even after she couldn't see me anymore. She felt it.

  Desmond shook his head, laughing a little harder now. "Mom was worried how you guys made it through the first night. I can see it's pretty cozy in here, though. She sent me with another pile of groceries. She didn't know how long your other food supply would last."

  Tallis shoved Desmond playfully as they walked out to the car, both of them chuckling. I couldn't move. They came back in with several bags, and in a blink, they were all put away.

  I finally managed to walk to the room to finish putting on my clothes. Tallis walked in, more than likely not expecting what he saw. I had on my shorts and bra.

  His jaw clenched as he swallowed hard, but I didn't try to cover myself.

  "I… I'm going to go back to… to working out now. If you need anything, just call," he said through a stutter.

  "Thanks," I muttered.

  I heard more footsteps comin
g toward us, which prompted me to cover up. I grabbed my shirt and slid it into place just as Desmond poked his head in.

  "Well, Aria, I was just coming to say bye. Thanks for the show." He grinned at my embarrassment. Underwear wasn't the same as a bathing suit, and I didn't care what anyone else said.

  Desmond turned to Tallis and groaned, "I have to get back. Mom is driving Ayla and me crazy."

  Tallis tilted his head, slightly confused. "Why?"

  Desmond smiled. "Anesta has stepped down, giving mom the co-head position of the light council."

  Tallis's smile grew very large as he spoke excitedly, "What? When did that happen?"

  "It happened last night after you left. Anesta told her that she would be the perfect co-head for the council. Being a descendent of Allora would bring the council more power. I was actually shocked when I found out that it was all Anesta's idea.

  "Iris and the rest of the committee agreed that it was the best decision. Mom is beyond excited. I bet she's tried on everything she owns twice. I had to look at a hundred-year-old ball gown this morning before I left. She's gone off the deep end trying to find the perfect outfit."

  Both of them with their boyish, warm grins was so sweet. So many years his mother had felt isolated from the rest of the magical community. Now she was being given one of the highest honors there was.

  "I'll call her after while to tell her congratulations. It's nice to hear about her being happy with magic nowadays," Tallis said through a soft breath, his smile still large and heartwarming.

  Desmond nodded. "Hold the phone out when you call. She's been in her squealing voice all day." They both chuckled lightly, and Desmond added, "But I'm going to get on back. I wish Ayla would sting her with some serenity. Maybe my headache would go away if she did."

  This time I laughed with them.

  Something crossed my mind. "Will you see Ash today?" I asked, looking at Desmond.

  He squirmed uncomfortably from my seemingly random question. Amelia's voice chimed in from behind.

  "He wants to, but he worries about being around her for too long. He's trying to fight his true feelings for her. For some reason he's scared about her being his soul mate. He was looking for a reason to see her, though."

  Desmond glared at her, but Amelia merely smiled instead of shriveling in fear. "You know, I'm starting to understand why there's not too many of you around."

  Amelia laughed as she walked back to the living room—fully clothed this time.

  Tallis chuckled lightly. "It isn't fun having her around, is it? Imagine how we all feel."

  Amelia yelled from the living room, "I heard that without super-hearing, thank you very much."

  Tallis and Desmond chuckled. Amelia was fitting in perfectly with all of us, possibly better than me. I was glad, too. She was handling everything so well. She felt as if we really were her family—because she was.

  I smiled slightly at Amelia's comment about Desmond's feelings for Ash, but then I continued, trying not to push him. "I found a perfect stone for her the other day. I was going to give it to her yesterday, but got a little... distracted. She collects them, and she doesn't have one like this as far as I know."

  I handed it to him. It was an iridescent white with swirls of creamy beige in it. He studied it for a moment, then he looked up.

  "She collects these?"

  You didn't have to be an empath to read his emotions in that moment. He let his tough exterior melt away and gave me a glimpse of the real Desmond.

  "Yeah, ever since she was a little girl. She has thousands. Will you take it to her?"

  He smiled. "Yeah, I can swing by there on my way home."

  Then he turned and walked away, staring at the small stone with a smile on his face.

  "He's warming up to the idea of him and Ash," Tallis said while leaning against the doorframe.

  My breath caught in my throat when my eyes met his. This freakish, forbidden connection was become painfully strong. He walked toward me and put his hand around my waist. He moved in so close, then he stopped and pulled away just as quickly, leaving me leaning for the abandoned touch.

  He just walked out of the room without saying anything else. I heard the front door shut behind him as he joined Henry outside. I stood there, still unsure of what was going on. One second he was distant and cold, the next second he would be touching me and a fire would blaze between us. Then he was cold and running away again. My head started hurting again. I heard Amelia yelling at me from the living room.

  "You have to quit driving yourself crazy. Your emotions are sending me on a roller coaster ride in here." Amelia's tone was playful, but when I walked in to see her holding her head in her hands, I realized she was sharing my headache.

  I winced, feeling guilty. "Sorry, Amelia."

  I shrugged apologetically.

  "It's not like you can control it. You love him and he loves you, but he doesn't want to hurt you. He's trying to fight every temptation to touch you, but it's really hard when he can't leave you alone. His need to protect you from everyone else supersedes his need to protect you from himself. Between the two of you, I'm getting a migraine."

  She rubbed her head as she stood up.

  "Maybe we should learn more about empaths and see if we can figure out a way to block everyone's emotions from your mind. Maybe we can find a way for you to use it only when you want to, instead of all the time."

  I knew it had to be hard, always feeling what everyone around you was feeling. Especially around Tallis and me.

  "It wasn't this strong until I did the whole bonding thing with you. Now it's like my power, or whatever it is, has multiplied in strength. Henry showed me some focusing techniques, but it doesn't seem to be working for me too well. The only time I can control it is when I feel like we're threatened. I wish I could read the magical stuff, too. I would've been able to see through Taryn a long time ago. I just thought she was a fake; I didn't feel the hatred until after we bonded."

  She looked almost sad from her inability to control her power.

  "Don't worry about Taryn. You did more than anyone could have expected you to do. As for controlling your power, you aren't the only one with that problem. That's the same problem Tallis has with his other power. He's never been able to control when it happens. It has worked twice since I have known him though. A man shot at me in Brazil, and Tallis slowed time down to get in front of me. The bullet shattered like glass against his chest. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Then he used it again the day we took you away from Quinton. Tallis caught the bullet with his hand and the other one shattered against Henry's stomach."

  She smiled lightly as both of our headaches eased.

  "It all happened so fast that I didn't see anything. I would have felt that way too if I had seen that. Henry is more wonderful than anything I've known. I hadn't ever even kissed a guy until him. He's a slow mover, though. We haven't done anything but kiss.

  "He says he's linked to my emotions for him, and my empathic powers don't help things. I'm constantly projecting my feelings outward toward him. I think we're soul mates, but he says that you can't find your soul mate in mortal form."

  She tried to mimic his voice as she repeated the speech he had given her—the speech sounded very familiar. "A mortal can't possess the power necessary to find that connection. One day you'll find your true soul mate when you transform."

  So Henry had been talking to her about this. I've been worried, and he's been trying. Poor Amelia.

  Her voice returned to normal as she spoke with a hint of exasperation. "I know a lot more about emotion than he does though. I know what I'm feeling is real. I know what you feel for Tallis is real, too. It's not the links they keep obsessing over. They just know too much about the magical world. They have complete and total faith in what they've been taught, and they refuse to accept the possibility that things have changed. Despite the fact I've heard magic evolves a million times, they hold steady to their beliefs that they're
just linked to us. It's pretty stupid if you ask me. Considering how old they are, you'd think they could be a little smarter."

  I was about to agree with her when suddenly we heard a loud explosion and what sounded like a tree falling. Then I heard laughter from Tallis and Henry.

  Amelia ducked and dove behind a chair. "What was that?" she screeched, poking her head out around the side of the chair.

  I just smiled while I lightly laughed. I answered while picking my coffee back up. "That was Tallis."

  "What the hell is he doing? Is he a lumberjack that chops trees down with dynamite instead of a chainsaw or something?"

  She slowly climbed back to her feet, still cowering slightly as if she were unsure of what I meant.

  "Working out," I said dryly, taking a sip of my coffee.

  I could have told her and put her out of her misery, but it was more fun to toy with her a little.

  "Come on, let's go watch the show," I murmured while holding back my tell-all grin.

  I didn't want to spoil the surprise. I wanted her to see it with her own eyes.

  We walked outside, our eyes immediately scouring the woods around us. It was so much thicker than I realized last night.

  Finally, we spotted them, though they were barely visible.

  Tallis was throwing off explosions and Henry was dodging them as he ran toward Tallis at full speed. He was almost a blur as he flipped through the air and bounced to the ground. Tallis had created an explosive obstacle course, almost like a live minefield. No matter which step Henry took, there was another explosion barreling his way like a rumbling fireball. It was impressive.

  Henry leapt into the air with his feet outstretched, ready to knock Tallis down. Tallis dodged him and Henry fell to the ground instead. Tallis laughed, taunting him playfully. Then they swapped.

  Now Henry created the obstacle course as he launched stumps and boulders into the air at Tallis. Tallis span and flipped all over the place. The grace and power he possessed was mesmerizing, and I couldn't look away. My smile spread as I watched them spar playfully, both of them holding back.

  Amelia leaned over to me. "I agree with you. This is pretty hot."