Treasured Secrets (The Coveted Saga #1)

by C.M. Owens

  Chapter 15

  Mean girls

  Whoever said 'these are the best years of your life' must have been popular. It's not that way for everyone.

  I walked down the stairs in a tight pair of jeans that tucked into my boots which came up to my knees. I had on a white shirt that fell off one shoulder just slightly.

  I put my coat on and started looking around for Jared. But I heard him before I saw him.

  "High school dress code is a lot different than what it was when I was in high school." His eyes caught mine while he rapidly descended the staircase. Then he continued. "I might've shown up to class a bit more if all the girls had looked like that."

  He winked at me before giving me his best that's-right-I'm-cute-and-you-know-it grin.

  I tried hide my blushing cheeks by turning away before speaking. "Thanks for going with me. I apologize in advance for anything that might be said. Some of these people are jerks."

  Jared's hand moved to the small of my back as he held the door open for me. "Why don't you just tell your mom what's going on? I'm sure she'd let you skip these sorts of events if you did."

  I shook my head. "You don't know my mom very well. I can hear her now. 'Making friends is never easy. Arisianna, dear, you have to kill them with kindness. Things are never easy in life, so you need to learn the best way to fight your own battles now.' The list of wiser-than-thou quotes goes on and on."

  He laughed slightly at my impersonation before he spoke. "She doesn't realize mean girls have risen to a whole new level these days, huh?"

  I just sighed. It felt odd talking about girl politics with an immortal who probably had far worse things to deal with. I felt childish, but I couldn't help it. Despite the fact I was a little mature for my age, I was indeed still seventeen. I deserved to act like it on occasion.

  "No. And I don't want to tell her either. Everyone has enough to worry about. I can deal with a few nasty comments if everyone else can deal with keeping the world safe."

  Fine. Maybe it was harder to be a selfish teen than I thought. I felt petty for letting Elaina and her bitch patrol get under my skin.

  He laughed a little harder, possibly poking fun of my miniscule problems. "How very noble of you." Then he opened the door to his jeep. He saw me eyeing it skeptically.

  "I put your crest in it. Everett will be following us as well. You're safe."

  Oddly enough, I did feel safe with him. I barely knew him, but I felt protected. I'd seen him use his fire recreationally, and I could only imagine how much of a threat it would be if the need arose.

  I climbed in the jeep and he shut the door for me. As soon as he opened the door on his side, I asked him a question that was bugging me.

  "How old are you? Or... how old were you when you transformed?"

  "Transformed?" he asked, grinning.

  I flushed. "Whatever it's called," I grumbled.

  He chuckled lightly to himself.

  "Nineteen. I was one of the youngest ever to transform, until your friend Tallis came along."

  I winced noticeably at the mention of Tallis's name, but I tried to recover before he noticed.

  "So, you didn't have too many years to explore the mortal side of life?"

  He laughed a little. "Judging by the way you're dreading this party - an event that is supposed to be fun - it doesn't seem as though I missed out on too much."

  I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure your high school years were just fine. All a guy has to do is look good and sound cool. It’s not as easy for the girls."

  I heard him snickering before he responded. "Is that your way of telling me that you find me attractive?"

  I could feel my face suddenly beaming red again, and I started stammering in an effort to recover from my blabbering fiasco.

  "That's not… I was just saying… Oh forget it. I think you know what you look like."

  I slumped lower in my seat as his laughter roared free. How did my foot get that wedged in my mouth?

  "Yes, I do know what I look like. I just wasn't sure if you'd noticed. I'm looking forward to this party a little more now that I know you have. We might break a few of Gear's rules."

  He winked at me and such an adorably cocky grin perked up. I just shook my head before lowering it in embarrassment.

  We pulled up to the house shortly after, much to my relief. I wasn't even sure whose house it was. All I knew was the address and the time to be there. Maybe I'd get lucky and Elaina wouldn't even be there.

  There were people everywhere, which meant Miss Socialite Alpha Hyena was probably somewhere within the mix. My nerves balled up. I really didn't want to do this.

  Most of the people looked like strangers. Were we at the wrong place? That would be perfect.

  Jared hopped out and walked around to my side to open the door.

  "Well, it's now or never." Then he held out his hand to take mine.

  I took a deep breath as I got out. I saw two of the girls that usually followed Elaina around, making this all too real. My stomach started twisting up with knots. I had already been embarrassed in front of Tallis numerous times, and it would be nice if Jared didn't have to witness the same events he had.

  Jared studied me, seeming to notice my tense... everything. "Aria, we can leave. I can tell your mom we were here. I'll just leave out the details about how long we stayed. If she prods for more information, I'll turn on the charm and lead her to think we stayed longer. I can be rather convincing."

  I was instantly very fond of that idea. "Let's hang out for a minute so I can tell her I was here and then we can bail. I'm not as good at lying as you claim to be."

  He chuckled a little. "Alright. Sounds like a plan."

  We walked up to the enormous house and went in, narrowly avoiding the two hyenas. I breathed out in relief when I saw them veer right instead of following us. There were kids my age everywhere. We could hear splashing out back as if there was a pool. We were almost back there when I saw Elaina.

  Bile rose to my throat when I saw the malice glaring from her eyes. She looked away from me long enough to appraise Jared, and then the frosty stare was back.

  "Well, well, well. She did show up," Elaina snarked, her lips curled up in a wry grin.

  Her hyenas laughed, acting like the sheep they were. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one hip. Then she continued. "And she brought yet another new boy toy."

  Jared put his arm around me protectively, seeming bored with Elaina and her mignons. When my knees grew shaky, rattled with stress and nerves, I leaned against him for support.

  "He's hot," one of her giggly, drunken mignons blurted out.

  Jared just rolled his eyes as he pulled me away from the girls. Elaina wasn't the type to let someone walk away though, so she took another stab at me.

  "I guess he's in a hurry to get what she gives out so freely." Then she and her hyenas cackled in unison. Several of the drunken partiers joined in, some of them laughing without even knowing why.

  I bet if my mother knew there was a bunch of underage drinkers here I'd never have to go to another social function again. Of course, she'd also call every parent of everyone she knew was involved. That certainly wouldn't help my status at school.

  Jared turned around with a dangerous smirk playing on his lips. "No, I'm just too old to hang out with trash. I'm used to being around a more attractive crowd. Quite frankly, your thunder thighs are a total buzz kill. Gonzo's nose over there isn't doing anything for me either." He pointed at one of the girls standing beside Elaina. She grabbed her nose quickly and her face blushed with humiliation.

  I stifled a laugh, even though his insults were absolutely terrible. He really needed to brush up on current cut-downs. Too old to hang out with trash? Gonzo? Thunder thighs? Sheesh. He sounds like my grandfather insulting someone. Ew.

  Elaina snarled at him, suddenly looking rabid. She was about to say something else whe
n he turned back around. There was an oversized, pretentious portrait of her and her family on the wall. If I had known that this was her house, I would have never come.

  Before I even knew what was going on, the portrait was on fire, blazing uncontrollably. There was no smell of smoke though.

  My mouth hung unhinged as I stared in shock. A few gasps rang out as others took notice, but Elaina's back was to it. She had no clue.

  Jared smiled menacingly, popping candy in his mouth so casually as he brought it to her attention. "I don't suppose you have a fire extinguisher, do you?"

  The burning smell finally crept around as the smoke seemed to double, but she still didn't notice.

  Elaina looked confused as she replied. "No… Why?"

  He smiled as he continued popping the candy in his mouth. "Because you're going to need a damn good one to put that out. It's a scorcher." He pointed at the picture behind her.

  Elaina whipped around to see her oversized, obnoxious family portrait blazing. The walls were scorching and the floor was starting to singe, much to my twisted delight. She and her hyenas were panicking and some of the other party members started laughing at their frantic attempts to put it out.

  I elbowed Jared slightly in the waist and whispered to him. "Put it out before you burn the whole house down. You proved your point."

  He just laughed as he flicked his wrist. The fire was extinguished as quickly as it had started, but the scorched remnants and smoky haze remained. The portrait was destroyed.

  "My parents are going to kill me," Elaina wailed, tears filling up in her eyes.

  Then Jared smarted off before we walked away. "Personally, I'd say the place looks a lot better now."

  He pulled me away from the party quickly before anyone else could say anything to hurt my feelings. I felt like a spineless wimp once again - a pathetic cause for rescue.

  We got back out to the car and he held the door open for me, grinning smugly as he ushered me in.

  Everett came running up, sounding panicked. "Jared, was that you?" Jared nodded. Then Everett continued, relief covering his face. "Thank God. I was worried there was a blazer here other than you." Then realization settled in and he tilted his head, bemused. "Why did you blaze up the house?"

  Jared kind of laughed lightly. "They were giving Aria a hard time. I thought I would distract them a little and wreak a little havoc on their perfect little lives. Mission accomplished."

  Everett just nodded. "I can follow you if you're leaving."

  Jared looked at me and winked, and then he turned back to Everett. "Yeah we're leaving, but where I'm taking her is completely safe."

  Where was he planning to take me?

  Everett was about to walk away when Jared called back to him. "Don't tell any of her family she left early. Her mom would be upset. And please, don't tell Iris that I torched the place."

  Everett dropped a grin, shocking me more than Jared's pyrotechnics. I didn't know Everett even knew how to smile.

  "Understood. No problem." Then he jogged back toward the party.

  I rolled my eyes. "Why is he nice to you and not me? You might need to see if he hurt something after smiling for the first time ever."

  "I've saved his life once or twice, so he tends to fancy me a bit. He isn't as bad as he seems. I promise," he said, sounding playfully haughty.

  I shrugged. "I'll take your word for it."

  He shut my door and quickly joined me in the jeep. "I think you'll like the place I'm taking you a little better than you liked this place."

  I huffed. "It's not another party, is it?"

  He laughed somewhat. "No, it's a little dead where we're going."

  He placed heavy emphasis on the word "dead," which raised a few questions, but I just let it go. I was just grateful to be getting out of there.

  I cocked my head to the side. "I thought a bodyguard had to cover my scent. Where are we going?"

  He just smiled. "Trust me. I think you'll appreciate it. It's not too far, and it is heavily crested."

  We drove to a place that was just a little ways down the road from the party. Jared hopped out of the jeep and flashed to my side to open my door for me. I hesitated slightly before putting my hand in his.

  He noted my hesitation and spoke with reassurance. "Don't worry. Like I said, these grounds are very crested. You'll be perfectly safe here."

  I looked around at all the old statues. Everything glistened under the moonlight. Most every statue had a fighting stance, anger in their eyes, and a feel that demanded respect.

  There was only one that seemed to be at peace. It was a woman with one hand across her heart and one hand stretched out with the palm facing up. I wasn't sure where we were exactly or what all these idols stood for.

  Jared walked up and leaned against the tree beside the statue of the woman that kept calling for my attention. "It figures you'd head straight to this one."

  I raised an eyebrow at him curiously. "Why do you say that?"

  He put his hands in his pockets as his eyes held mine.

  "This is the statue of Isis. She was known for her compassion and mercy. So when they built the statue of her, they tried to incorporate that. It was why she was such a good leader for us. Despite her unimaginable depth of power, she was very modest and controlled. She never used force unless absolutely necessary. She believed in defending her family and herself, but she never set out to start a fight if it could be avoided."

  I took a step toward him, letting my eyes fall back to the tranquil statue for a moment, analyzing her with a different gaze. Then I turned back to him.

  "Isn't that the way all the good guys are?"

  He laughed slightly as he closed some of the distance between us. "No. Your grandmother is though. Dramus's followers have made a lot of us want revenge. I personally would love to see their ashes spread every chance I get."

  He started sitting down, and I felt warmth flowing to me despite the frigid air and snow all around. Before he got to the ground, all the snow around him melted and a beautiful green grass was revealed. Not only was the snow gone, the ground was also dry now.

  Okay... That was a little impressive.

  Then he patted the ground next to him for me to sit down.

  I did as he beckoned and sat down beside him. "Why do you seek revenge? What did they do?"

  He grimaced slightly upon hearing my question, making me feel guilty for asking. I was all too eager for knowledge. I sometimes forgot many of them had buried scars they didn't want to dredge up. I should have learned to tread lightly over someone's past after being with Tallis.

  Tallis. Just the thought of him made tears swell in my eyes. But I didn't want Jared or anyone else to know how much pain I was in. They'd all lecture me about links. I couldn't stand the hushed whispers of worry and dread as it was. One major breakdown and they'd call in a magical shrink.

  I missed him though. I physically ached to be with him. Having Jared take my mind off things for a night was nice, but the hole in my heart was too vast for a small Band-Aid to cover. I didn't need closure. I needed him back. It was agonizing to not have anyone understand.

  As a nervous habit, I started messing with my fingernails, wishing I could take my suspended question back. After a few moments of awkward, extended silence, he finally answered me, much to my surprise.

  "Well, for starters, they destroyed most of my first coven," he said softly, his eyes focused on the ground.

  I gasped, but I quickly covered my mouth. I wasn't expecting that. I waited patiently to see if he'd elaborate, and after a few more passing minutes of silence, he did.

  "We were on a scouting mission. My sister had just come back from the guardianship. We'd told her of who she was to become, and we were trying to keep her protected. We were also keeping an eye on the surrounding area for any unwanted trespassers. We did a poor job of spotting anything out of the ordinary that day.


  "We were ambushed. My sister had gone to town with my mother and a few bodyguards. They awaited her arrival in front of the gates of our home. We fought the ambush, trying our best to get back to my home before they could get to my sister, but they killed my father right in front of me. They forced me to watch as they held me down and showed him no mercy.

  "I don't know what happened, but something inside of me snapped, forcing me to lose control, and suddenly, my magic surged in a way that has never happened since. I sent a blue blaze from my hands and destroyed ten of their best fighters in a matter of seconds."

  I heard the unmistakable pain in his voice as he told the story. As an instinct, I started to reach for him, to comfort him, but I withdrew before I ever made it too close. I tucked my hands in closer to my body, unsure of what to say or do.

  I decided to shift the topic in a different, lighter direction. "What's a blue blaze?"

  He moved in closer, almost too close. He had one arm just centimeters from my back as it propped him up. His other hand lay across his lap.

  "It's ancient magic. Most haven't seen it since the age of Isis. I don't know how I was able to do it, and like I said, I've never been able to do it since. It's the strongest blaze there could ever possibly be. It burns a thousand times hotter than the average blazer's fire. It was the strongest and most powerful I've ever felt in my life. Believe me, I wish I knew how I did it. I've tried recreating it a thousand times at least with no luck."

  I reached over and grabbed his hand that was laying in his lap, finally succumbing to my desire to comfort. I wasn't sure if I should say anything else about it, but at the same time, I didn't want him to think I didn't care.

  "What happened to your sister?"

  He stared at my hand that was holding his and he rubbed my fingertips with his thumb, casually caressing them as he became lost in thought - lost in his memories.

  "After I went super blaze, the other essence thieves ran away. We raced back to the house. They were in the process of draining her essence when I killed the one doing it. The others took out the dark ring left at the house. My mother died trying to protect my sister. My sister lived though, and now she's a very powerful electric."

  He stood to his feet abruptly, startling me a little, and then helped me up. He walked me over to two statues - a man and a woman in a fighting stance.

  The man was a blazer who looked to have fire radiating from his hands. The woman was a flooder with water circling above her head. He spoke very softly as he stared intensely at the two statutes.

  "This is my mother and my father. Any follower of the light who is killed and can't be buried has a statue built here. It's a way to remember their sacrifice and a way to be close to them. I often come here when I need guidance. It's the only way I can be close to my parents. Oddly enough, I even find myself asking them questions or telling them how well we're doing. I want them to know their sacrifices weren't in vain. I want them to know my sister and I are alive everyday because of them and what they gave up."

  I put my hand on his shoulder, aiming for comfort again. "I'm really sorry. I can't imagine what you've gone through."

  It sounded so cliché to say such a thing, but it was all I had handy. I wasn't expecting this heavy conversation to come raining down. He was so amazingly honest. It was refreshing.

  He smiled down at me. "The Corpus family took us in after my parents' deaths. Iris was going to invite my sister and me to join her coven, but the Corpus family needed us more. They had a couple of blinders and a few weaker blazers. I knew we would have better protection with your grandmother, but I felt like my family would have wanted me to go somewhere where I was needed more. The heads of the families asked me to be a part of the militia later on, and the rest is history. Although now, I almost wish I had chosen Iris's coven. I would've gotten to spend a lot more time with you."

  I could feel the red burning on my cheeks while I dropped my hand from his shoulder. "Ha, ha, ha. I can assure you I'm nothing fantastic."

  He squinted his eyes at me and smirked slightly as he spoke with fiery intensity. "On the contrary, Aria, you're fascinating. You're so different from anyone I've ever known. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

  Now I knew he could most certainly see me blushing. I pushed him slightly in a playful manner. “You're smooth. Definitely smooth."

  He laughed. "You haven't even seen my A game yet."

  I shook my head, accidentally giggling. Then he grabbed a hold of my waist and pulled me toward him. "I'm serious though. You're so different from everyone I've ever known. I've never felt so... compelled to be around someone the way I am you. I don't know how to even explain what I'm feeling. I don't know how to explain how truly mesmerizing I've found you since the moment I met you. It's certainly new to me. And I don't mind feeling this way either."

  No. No. I couldn't do this. I loved Tallis. He was an insensitive jerk who didn't answer my calls or even bother to send a message, but I loved him. He didn't love me and we'd never be together, according to him, but I couldn't just give up. I knew he was meant to be with me.

  I knew Jared was being serious, but I was trying to lighten the mood as I awkwardly joked, "Well, I can see you're starting to bring out your A game now."

  I started to wriggle out of his grip as I chuckled nervously, but he didn't back away, nor did he laugh.

  He put a hand against the side of my face and caressed my cheek, letting his heated touch stroke me all the way through my skin. He started coming in closer, and all I could think about was Tallis, how it felt like a betrayal.

  It took all my strength not to wail out, sob until I choked on my emotion, but I refrained. I even managed to hold back the sniffle that almost escaped.

  I didn't want Jared to be my first kiss. I wanted my first kiss to be with Tallis, but at the same time, I did feel some freaky connection with Jared. Was I just vulnerable? Or was I simply pathetic?

  In all actuality, Tallis didn't want me. Jared did. Why couldn't I move past the one who ripped my heart out?

  My head was riddled with confusion and worry. I knew it would only hurt him, but I couldn't in good conscience kiss him, even if it would spare him. I couldn't lead him on when I knew I was in love with Tallis.

  Still, it would be so much easier to be with Jared. He wasn't fighting his feelings for me. Life apparently didn't wish to be easy.

  Knots tightened in my stomach. I dreaded to end our intimate moment that had only just started. I worried he wouldn't understand.

  "Jared... I can't do this." I put my hand on his chest and started pushing him away gently. "I'm so sorry."

  I wanted to say more. I wanted to explain things better. I didn't want to hurt him, but it was just so hard to find the words, especially when I was strangling on my unshed tears. All the pain I had been ignoring was starting to crash down on me, begging me to let it flow out. I could do it though.

  I was angry, hurt, and tortured, left to fall to pieces, but I hadn't really allowed myself to do such a thing. It was trying to catch up with me, but not here. Not now. I couldn't let it.

  He backed away slowly with a look that let me know I had just ripped his heart out. It seemed like all I had done lately was hurt people. I had hurt McKee, confused Tallis, and now I was hurting Jared. I was such a mess, and I was dragging everyone down with me. Toxic. That's what I was.

  I could hear the pain from my abrupt rejection in his voice when he quietly said, "I'll call Everett and tell him we're about to leave. Then I'll take you home."

  He walked away from me quickly and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

  "Jared, I am sorry. I didn't mean to… Please forgive me."

  He ignored me, continued on as if I hadn't said anything at all. A lone tear trickled down my cheek, and I wiped it away. I barely knew Jared, but he was acting as though I had just destroyed him. Had he linked to me, too? I hated
this new life and all of its screwed up rules and consequences.

  Everett was there within minutes. He walked up to where I was sitting, though I barely acknowledged his approach. The tears had finally started falling in a pattern. Hot and heavy drops flowed down my cheeks with no regard for my dignity.

  "I just spoke to Jared, and he asked me to take you home. He said he had to go meet up with some of the militia," Everett said, sounding as gruff as usual.

  I fought back the urge to roll my eyes as I wiped away my tears. "Of course he did."

  I stood up in an aggravated manner and watched as Jared squealed out of the drive. I was so sick of all the drama.

  We rode in silence for a while, an awkward, uncomfortable silence. Everett was the one to finally slice through the barrier of quiet.

  "Are you okay? Jared didn't go into too much detail."

  I huffed slightly. The last thing I felt like doing was confiding in Everett of all people.

  "I created more drama, yet again. Shocking, I know. I think I'm broken or something. I don't know how this keeps happening."

  So much for not confiding in him.

  Even in the dark car, I could see the confusion that riddled his face. "What keeps happening?"

  I destroy everything I touch.

  "Somehow I led him on, and I shouldn't have. I think I hurt him worse than I did McKee." He slightly nodded, seeming indifferent to my screwed up confession. Then I rolled my eyes again. "You must think I'm terrible."

  He shook his head, stoic in expression. "Not at all. You're just human... for now. It's much, much too easy to link to you. Things get messy when you're still mortal and aware of the immortal world. Especially with you."

  My neck tried to snap when I whipped around to face him, suspicion oozing from my eyes. "Why do you say it like that? Especially with me?"

  He shrugged, still seeming as expressionless. "Your essence is too strong. It's much stronger than it should be, and much stronger than what most of us are accustomed to dealing with. It draws them in like bears to honey. That's one of the reasons I've made a very strong attempt to distance myself. You'll get the hang of things. I promise."

  "Do you think Jared linked to me?" I ask, my voice meek.

  He lets out a scattered, hesitant breath, refusing to even glance my way. He already confirmed my fear just with the amount of time it took him to gather an answer, trying his best to cushion the burden.

  "I know he did," he said at last, not bothering to dress it up the way I thought he would, leaving it as raw and terrible as I knew it was. "He linked faster than usual, meaning you're stronger than I thought."

  "I still don't understand links," I grumbled, gripping my head.

  "They're complicated. Links start when you're mortal, but the end varies. Sometimes the links are severed when you turn immortal, sometimes a great deal of time and distance can break a link, and sometimes it's not broken until one of you find your soul mate. It depends on the individual and the power they come from."

  My hair tangled in my hands as I gripped it. Considering where I came from, that meant McKee and Jared would both be stuck on me until I turned immortal and proved to the whole freaking world Tallis was my soul mate. My siblings were all in their twenties when they turned. I was sure I would be, too. That was a long time to wait.

  "Aria, you can't dwell on it. We all know how easy it is to fall into. If it happens, we deal with it. It's not like it's you're the first one to go through this. Jared's a big boy. He left because he knew he needed to distance himself before he got... crazier."

  I almost laughed, but it was one of pure exhaustion and misery. He smiled, offering me silent encouragement with his softer than usual eyes. It was the first time he had ever been nice to me. Though it was a strained attempt, I smiled at him as we pulled down the drive to Iris's house.

  "Thanks for the ride," I said through a sigh while climbing out of the car.

  He smiled back, rolling down the passenger side window as I shut the door.

  "No problem. I'll see you tomorrow."

  He backed up and pulled back out of the driveway. Gear was waiting outside with a quizzical look.

  "Where's Jared?" he asked, raising his arms in confusion.

  I could hear the irritation return to my tone with just the mention of his name. "He said he had to go meet up with some of the militia. I'm sure it'll be a while before we see him again."

  Gear tilted his head to the side, still perplexed. "That's odd. They aren't supposed to meet for another couple of days. The next mission they're going on is going to be very dangerous. They were supposed to rest their magic and their minds."

  I could feel the guilt knocking around inside of me, almost stealing my breath. Now I was worried I had just endangered him.

  I should've just kissed him and been done with it. Now he was out there without a guard, and his head was anything but clear. I was nothing but trouble. All I had been since I had gotten there was trouble. All I was doing was hurting everyone and causing problems.

  I almost snapped at Gear when I spoke. "I guess he decided to bump up the date. Why don't just you ask him and leave me alone?"

  Gear looked shocked as I barged by him on my way inside.

  "Aria, is there something you're not telling me? Did something happen?"

  "The same thing that always happens just happened. I made yet another mess. I need to be locked in a padded room right now. I'm done trying," I mumbled, keeping my back turned.

  I ran to my room, stumbling and whimpering the whole way. I lay on my bed, crying for at least thirty minutes. All I could think about was how much I loved Tallis. I couldn't believe how broken I was. It all came out in a vengeful rush. My tears were furious for having been held back for so long, so they ravaged my cheeks mercilessly, refusing to creep back into hiding or be subdued any longer.

  I clutched his picture against my chest, weeping into the pillow beneath my head.

  Then I worried about how Jared might possibly being in danger... because of me. I was so tired of all the messiness.

  In my old home, the most complicated thing I had to worry about was my schoolwork. The most drama I'd ever dealt with was arguing about having to leave my home. This was all too much to take on at once. It was all too different from what I was used to, and I was doing a horrible job adjusting. I needed a break from it all. I needed somewhere that would provide me with an escape. I needed to recharge and start all over.

  I got up and walked into the upstairs library and turned on the computer. I pulled up the tickets I had bought earlier in the year. I reserved the first flight to Brazil and changed my name to Ashiara Weislen.

  I snuck downstairs, weaving through the people who never seemed to go home, and found Ash's purse. I carried it into the bathroom and took out her license and passport. Then I put it back just like I had found it - minus the few borrowed items.

  I glanced toward the unlocked cupboard - the place where Iris kept all her goodies. I had heard her speak of a stripping potion. I needed it. It took a minute to find it without anyone noticing what I was doing, but I finally succeeded.

  I went back to my room and changed my clothes. I had three and a half hours before my flight. It was midnight, and I hadn't slept at all, but it was a long flight, so I could sleep the whole way there.

  Absentmindedly, I tossed a bunch of clothes in a suitcase and threw it out the window. I heard a thud as it hit the ground, and I sucked in a steadying breath. Everyone would be mad, but this was something I needed. Selfish? Probably, but I just wanted to breathe again, and I couldn't do it here.

  Still questioning my resolve, I went to the window and started climbing down the shaky, weak lattice that stretched the full length of the house. The vines that grew in between the gaps were wet and made it slippery. I inched my way down, carefully and cautiously moving before the creaks grew too loud.

  Then, when I onl
y had five feet left to go, the slippery vines bested me, forcing me to lose my grip and fall the rest of the way. My arms whipped wildly and uselessly in the air, as if I could take flight and spare myself the impending slam. It didn't even slow me down.

  My side pounded the ground with too much force. A grunt was forced through my lips, and a gasping wheeze followed as I strained for a new breath. After a minute, I was breathing normally again, and the pain dulled. I scowled at the wicked lattice and vicious vines.

  "This night is just freaking wonderful," I griped to myself while heaving my protesting body upright.

  I picked up my bags and threw them in my car. Fortunately, I wasn't blocked in, and I kept my lights off until I reached the end of the driveway. I was glad my car was so quiet. And with so many coming and going, they never even noticed the car cranking.

  I turned on my lights and headed toward the airport. This had been the worst week of my life. I needed comfort and warmth. I was sick of the snow and the cold. I was sick of the magic. I was sick of the lies I had believed to be truths, and all of the rules disguised to seem arbitrary, when they actually held such severe consequences.

  I was tired of learning about all the ways magic could ruin my life before I could even use it. I was exhausted from constantly being confused and feeling like I had just moved to another planet. I couldn't rest or relax anywhere there.

  I was tired of being hunted down by the Dramians... Yes. I called them Dramians. It wasn't comforting to feel like a trophy someone wished to hang above a mantle.

  I wanted to go to the one place that made sense. I wanted to go home.

  I knew everyone would be worried, but I was taking precautions. I had grabbed some of the talismans that helped to block my scent for the times I wasn't in my car. I also grabbed the vial of stripping potion.

  Iris told me once that it was a special concoction that would strip you of your scent for up to four days. I would wait until I got to the airport before I took it.

  She said it couldn't be made anymore because the main ingredient was extinct. It was for emergency purposes only. I felt bad for taking it, but I had to go. As far as I was concerned, this was an emergency.

  I'd left a note telling them where I'd gone, and told them I would be back before the four days were up. I knew they'd still be worried, but I had to go. I needed to feel peace again. And I couldn't get that anywhere but my rainforest.

  I reached the airport with two hours to spare. I turned up the protective concoction and cringed as I drank it down - or forced it down, rather.

  "Oh my damn!" I coughed out. "That's disgusting."

  It was a slimy, wretched, foul tasting monstrosity, and it lingered, refusing to leave my mouth completely. The slimy film covered my tongue, my teeth, and my gums. I wanted a toothbrush.

  "It sure as hell better work after going through that," I murmured to myself while grabbing my bag. I locked my car and headed inside the airport, ready to escape.