Chapter 8

 

Betrayal

 

There are plenty of things that can hurt a person, but betrayal is one of the most unforgivable.

 

By the time we pulled up at my house, we had almost overloaded Amelia's brain with information—things that seemed impossible. It was a lot to digest all at once.

"So I'm going to live forever?" she asked in a hoarse rasp, still pale.

"Not yet. Your immortality will be a gentle transition, though. It won't be painful like ours was," Henry reassured her.

My head whipped around in surprise. No one had made me aware that there would be any pain involved, so that was news to me and slightly unsettling to hear.

"So... you're all a bunch of witches?"

She still wasn't processing everything fully. Her face was bruised badly now. After the long ride, the wounds had time to fully surface. I was going to ask her some questions about her abusive father, but we were greeted by my family, as well as the Verdan family, before I could.

Tallis flashed around to my side to open the door for me, and Henry did the same for Amelia. I walked around as Iris stepped in front of Henry to examine the new addition to her coven.

Iris was in her old lady form as she took Amelia's hand gently, helping her out of the back. I could see the excitement beaming in her eyes as she gazed at Amelia in disbelief, treating her like an exotic creature she had longed to see.

Amelia took her in, frowning before turning to me and whispering, "So I have to live forever as an old lady?"

I heard Iris laugh before she answered, "I see you've already filled her in. No need for the masks then."

The sea of deceptive faces around her dropped their aged facades, and youthful images emerged in their places. Amelia stumbled backwards, her eyes wide with shock, but Henry caught her before she fell. It was a lot different to hear about it and then to see it.

"So this… this is really happening. I'm not on some prank show?"

Tallis laughed as he slid in behind me, wrapping both arms around my waist as if gravity refused to let him be close without touching me. It sent waves of conflicting emotions through me, torturing me and exciting me at once. But then he realized what he was doing and quickly released me, stepping away before he crossed some arbitrary line.

Iris smiled warmly at Amelia as I warred with my emotions. She looked so giddy about the anomaly we had brought home.

"It's as real as real can be. There's still a lot to discuss. You have to hear everything, and then we'll have to make sure you are protected. I don't know the rules with empaths. I can't smell you at all, but I can feel your presence. It's strong because of your bond to Aria."

Amelia sniffed herself, and I stifled a grin.

"Smell me?" she mouthed, realizing now that it was safer to be silent, since they overheard her whisper earlier.

I just shook my head. That was the least of her worries at the moment.

 

We had talked for hours and finally got to the subject of Amelia's family. Iris had been the one to bring it up. Amelia had tears in her eyes the whole time. I could tell she was accidentally letting some of her power carry her emotions around the group. I could feel her pain of loss. Then I felt her tragic life as an abused foster child.

"My mom had me at nineteen. She and my dad got married right out of high school. I don't know where any of my other family is, because my mom lied about her name on my birth certificate. I really don't even know if I have any more family. My mom and dad were killed in a crazy arson fire one night when I was two. The only thing I know about them and my past is what the social workers have told me."

"Fire?" Iris asked, keeping her expression neutral. "How did the fire start?"

Amelia shrugged as she stared at her fingernails, her attention focused on them only to escape the intensity of everyone's gaze.

"They never found out what started it. It seemed like a freak accident with no real point of origin. They don't know how I got out."

I could see everyone exchanging glances. They all knew it had been a blazer. Amelia didn't notice the silent exchange as she continued talking.

"I was bounced around from place to place before they stuck me with Quinton. He's the worst person I've ever known, but no one else would keep me. It was either live with him or live in the orphanage. There wasn't a good option. I chose the lesser of the two evils.

"Eventually, I just gave up hope. I thought for sure he'd kill me one day. I never thought I would end up some magical being. It's all still a little bizarre. Well, it's more than a little bizarre. I'm still contemplating on whether or not I'm actually stuck in a dream right now."

Iris smiled sadly as she said, "It's going to be okay now. This is where you belong. I'm not saying life will be easy, but you now have a family that will do anything necessary to keep you safe. We would like to adopt you into our coven and give you a home if you will accept us."

Iris had tears in her eyes from the emotion Amelia's story had carried. It was a touching story, even more so when you could actually feel the pain as if it was your own. Even Desmond had tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Being the alpha male that he was, he discreetly wiped them away, hoping no one noticed.

Amelia smiled at Iris, but she looked scared to be too hopeful, worried the illusion would shatter at any moment. "I don't even know what to say. It's like a dream. I would love to be a part of your family."

Iris hugged Amelia as though she had always been family. Anesta walked over to Amelia and began the healing process on her face, erasing the pain on the surface. Each of the marks faded, the cuts sealed up, and in less than a few seconds, she was as good as new. If only she could remove the scars beneath the surface so easily.

Amelia touched her face and was shocked by the instant healing. Smaller conversations erupted about how exciting it was to have a new addition, but I could tell Amelia was drained and tired of all the magical overload. So I stole her and whisked her away, offering her a piece of my upstairs haven.

The room where my art had been had already been transformed into a beautiful room that suited Amelia pretty well. It had bright blue walls and peaceful decorations, such as butterflies and flowers. It was too girly for me, but Amelia seemed to enjoy each and every detail, running her fingers over everything she could as though she was in awe.

There were clothes and all the essentials she would need. We had only taken thirty minutes to get there, but they did say they were going to work a little magic. I smiled to myself.

"Amazing. I've never had a real bedroom before. This is so surreal."

She touched all the clothes in the closet before gawking at the oversized TV that was mounted on the wall. She walked over to the window and gazed at the amazing view. The pool was directly below her. You could see the pool from my room as well from one of the windows.

She studied it through the clear glass walls that surrounded it, and I watched as her grin grew. It wasn't an Olympic size pool, but it was really close.

"There's really a pool?" she asked, her eyes alight with so much excitement as the rest of the day seemed to melt away.

I chuckled. "Yeah. We'll go swimming tonight. The view of the stars is amazing. I'm sure they got you some swimsuits. If not, let me know. I have plenty."

Tears too big for her eyes welled up as she took a breath, making it seem as though it was the first easy breath she had taken in years. It was possible that it was.

"Thank you, Aria. I know I'm supposed to protect you somehow, but you're the one who protected me. You saved my life today and gave me something I haven't had in a long time—family. I could never thank you enough."

Her emotions grabbed me and coursed through my veins, making her breath of gratitude be felt. For once, I felt useful.

"We have a lot to worry about, but this coven is strong. I've seen what they can do. I've seen what the Verdan crew can do as well. Together, we stand a chance."

She looked at me like she was unsure about whether she should say something. Her voice was nervous as she spoke.

"He still loves you. He can't help it. He's trying really hard not to, but he needs you as badly as you need him. He keeps trying to stay away, but he can't do it for long. His heart desires to see you so badly that his body finally gives in. He burns inside-out for you. He's just afraid of hurting you again."

I swallowed hard as I let her words sink in, feeling caught off guard by the quick turn of conversation.

She sighed loudly before continuing, "I didn't know if you wanted me to say anything, and I'm sorry if I've upset you. I just wanted you to know that you weren't suffering alone."

I hadn't thought of her being able to feel all of his emotions so vividly. This bond really had amplified her abilities.

With a shaky voice, I murmured, "Thanks. I really needed to know that."

"He hurts just as badly as you do. Today, when I did my thingy on Elaina, he felt it. Not like she felt it, but he felt it. I felt his pain as he realized how badly you really and truly ached for him."

She smiled as she flopped down on her new, soft bed. But my smile refused to come out. The weight of her insight was a little too heavy.

"You're a good friend, Amelia," I said while closing the door.

"You're a better one, Aria," she said while smiling and staring around the room.

I shut her door as I made my way to my room. As I passed the small bathroom, I smiled to myself. We were definitely going to need more than one bathroom on the third floor now.

Closing my eyes, I dropped down on my bed, feeling exhausted, but the wind in the room stirred. Never a minute's rest.

Without opening my eyes, I asked, "Who is it?"

I knew it was someone magical from my family. There wasn't a stench. It would be nice when I could effortlessly jump to a third-story window. I would never climb those stupid steps again.

An unexpected voice suddenly sent a wave of butterflies rippling mercilessly through my stomach. "It's just me."

Tallis.

I sat straight up as my heart all but stopped beating, stumbling over itself to find a feasible rhythm. It couldn't decide if it wanted to stop or beat too fast.

"Hey. Is everything okay?" It wasn't like him to be in my room these days, so it worried me a bit.

"Yeah, I was just checking on Amelia and you. How's she taking it?"

Be mature, Aria. Don't act like an idiot.

"Surprisingly well. I think she's more excited about having a family than worried about the supernatural drama. She's going to adjust well."

He nodded slowly, seeming lost in thought.

I stared at his heavy eyes, and tilted my head as I spoke. "You look tired."

He wiped his eyes and yawned. Then he put his hands behind his head while he answered, "I am tired. I stayed out all night last night chasing down leads as to what Graven might be after. They were all dead ends though."

He yawned again, and I moved over in the bed.

"You can lie down. I promise I won't touch you. I was about to go for a swim anyway."

I knew my face had to look as pitiful as my voice sounded. His answering rejection was swift.

"I have to get home. Mom is incredibly excited about finding an empath and now she wants to make all of us study up. I'll see you tomorrow, though."

As disappointment settled, I stared down at my lap. "I'm not going to school. Iris thinks it would be unsafe with Amelia just coming into power and bonding to me. We don't really know that much about her power yet. She feels it would be safer for her and me to just stay home. There're only three days left anyway."

I looked up as he frowned. This sucked. Both of us wanted each other, but magic refused to let it happen. It wasn't fair, and I was starting to hate something that was going to be a part of me for all eternity.

"Well, I'll probably swing by tomorrow—just to check in."

I smiled. He could just call. Hope was a dangerous thing in the hands of the heartbroken, and I had a lot of hope in that moment.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

He walked away from me and leapt back out of my window. I couldn't help but get up and hurry over to watch. I stood against the wall and tried to stay out of sight.

Then that hope rose up just a little more as I watched the reluctance he carried himself with, because he didn't want to go. There had to be a way, and I had to find it.

 

"Aria? Are you ready to swim?"

Amelia sounded excited as the moonlight streaked down on the pool below. The sparkling reflection looked like there were diamonds floating on top of the water.

"Yeah."

I grabbed the towels as we walked down the stairs. Everyone had gone out to eat while we were napping. Mom had left a note to tell us Taryn was there if we needed any help. She said there were other guards posted all along the perimeter, making sure that no one breached it.

I felt safe and comfortable as we headed to the pool. It was rare that I had the house all to myself. I was glad that Amelia and I got to have some one-on-one time.

I was surprised that Henry had gone as well. He had been pretty adamant about staying close to Amelia. I only hoped he didn't hurt her the way Tallis was hurting me.

I tried to stop thinking about anything so heavy. I was worried Amelia might feel it, and I wanted tonight to be fun for her.

She was very inquisitive as she asked all sorts of questions about the magical realm. I had very few answers, considering how new everything still was to me.

"So you and I will always be friends? Because were bonded and all?"

A real smile broke across my face. "You and I would always be friends even if we weren't bonded. I believe that completely."

Her grin spread, too.

"I've never had a friend, and I haven't really had a family since my mom and dad died. It all seems too good to be true. Everything I've dreamed of is suddenly happening. I've lived in a room with a mattress on the floor for most of my life. Now I have a real bedroom with an actual bed, and friends, and family. There's food in the fridge, and no one yelling is at me. There's no one hitting me. I can just breathe in without worrying about what's going to happen when I exhale. I never thought I'd feel this way. For the first time in my life, I'm not scared. I probably should be, considering all the crazy soul stealers that want us dead, but I'm not. I'm not afraid, because for the first time in forever, I'm not alone. Things just don't seem as scary when you don't have to face them alone."

I had never felt the pain that she had. I had wonderful parents. I'd always taken my family for granted. I couldn't imagine everything she had gone through. I was so happy that I could help her find a place where she actually felt wanted.

"I never really had a true girl friend before you. Ash and I were close, but she was always older, and of course there was sibling rivalry. All of the village kids were much younger or much older than I was.

"I'd never dated anyone until I came here. Everything in my old home was set up to keep me isolated. The guardians could only harbor one family of witches at a time. I was home schooled on top of that. It's nice to be able to have a real friend. It feels good to have someone I can just talk to. And it's nice not to have to hide anything from you anymore, too. I don't feel like I am going through this all alone now. It's hard to be a mortal in a house full of immortals. Sometimes I just want to have a regular conversation. It's nice to now that we can learn together."

She threw her arms around me, initially catching me off guard with the spontaneous affection, but then I returned the embrace. I didn't even realize how badly I needed this hug. Maybe magic did know a little bit about what it was doing, because Amelia was my only lifeline right then.

 

We had been swimming, and talking for about thirty minutes when we heard something. It sounded like someone had walked in, but we never saw anything. Then we heard something again.

Then I smelled it—that foul, unmistakably putrid smell. I felt my body cringe. Someone dark was in the room, and it didn't take long to spot him when he strolled in without any resistance.

He was a stocky-built man, with the same black eyes I had seen so many times now. It didn't make any sense. Our house had just been recrested. There were guards posted all over the yard. How did he get in?

I swallowed hard as his eyes turned to menacing slits, and his eerie voice broke the silence that was suffocating us.

"Good evening ladies. I suppose I should introduce myself. After all, I am a civilized person. My name is Warren."

His creepy grin spread as he slowly circled us. I half expected him to lick his lips. Amelia said nothing. Then Warren laughed for no obvious reason.

"I find such magnificent irony in the fact that there is a pool here. Not too many witches keep a body of water so close by. Too bad I can't put it to good use little mortals." He continued laughing—an ominous, skin-crawling, dark laugh.

Amelia stepped in front of me, but I pulled her back as I spoke. "I don't know how you got in here, but you should leave now before one of the others turns you to dust," I bluffed.

"I don't think so, little girl. I happen to know they're all gone, leaving you two unattended. Not very smart. But lady luck shined down on me tonight, it seems."

"There are guards all over the place," I countered, cringing when my voice broke and betrayed my fear.

How had he break through our barriers? I couldn't think of anything at all. It didn't make any sense. They had given that house all kinds of protection with the new crests. Tallis had slaved himself into a near coma.

Suddenly, he stopped pacing and smiled demonically. I felt every hair on my body rise.

"Well, I guess that's enough chit-chat." With that lone warning, he lunged into the water, his sights set on me.

He threw Amelia out of his way, making her crash into the far side of the pool. I prepared for death, embracing my fate with dignity and refusing to cry. But something I could have never expected to happen surprised everyone there, especially Warren.

He never even made it to me. The water stopped him in his tracks and glued him in place like concrete just before it pulled him under. It was as if the pool had suddenly come to life.

With frenzied motions, I climbed out quickly, gasping in shock as the water swirled around him like a cyclone, pulling him down deeper and deeper. Amelia ran over to me and we hugged each other in a terrified embrace, staring on in horrified amazement.

What just happened?

We could see him struggling under the water that seemed to be attacking him. Garbled gasps of disbelief and muttered threats escaped him, but he couldn't fight hard enough. After what felt like an eternity, the struggle ended.

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."

She swallowed hard, needing a second to recompose herself. "I wonder how many breaches to our perimeter Taryn has made. There are probably trap doors all over the place. We need to do a full-scale inspection."

I chimed in about something that was bothering me. "I wonder why she didn't bring more with her? Tonight was the perfect opportunity for a fully functional ambush. There would've been very little resistance if they had been carrying more with them."

Tallis said, "She wasn't afraid of you. She knew everyone was going out. She knew you and I weren't staying together anymore. Fortunately, she had no clue about Amelia's existence. No one would have ever suspected her. She would have gotten away with it, and she would have been here, consoling the family."

He frowned as he cast his gaze toward the floor.

"She must not have known about the killer swimming pool either," Amelia chirped, trying to regain the lightness.

Iris smiled. "No, we keep that a secret from almost everyone. Which, now, I guess the secret is probably out. However, it did serve its purpose, though I wasn't expecting it to have to protect you while in your mortal form. I'm surprised they attacked you while you were in the water actually. But then again, they didn't perceive either of you as a real threat."

Allaysia walked over to me. "Aria and Amelia can stay with us until everything is fully checked. We haven't trusted guards in a long time, so our perimeters should be completely intact."

Oh no. My stomach just flew into my mouth, and I was pretty sure every immortal in here heard my heart speed up.

Iris nodded absently, her mind spinning in all different directions. "Thank you, Allaysia. That would be perfect, actually. It shouldn't take more than three or four weeks."

Three or four weeks? They planned to make me live with Tallis for three or four weeks?

Allaysia put her hands on my shoulders as she continued, seeming oblivious to my silent panic attack. "They are welcome at my house for as long as necessary. Henry is welcome, too. I know he has people looking for him as well. Tallis will be close, I assure you. He packs quite a punch."

I giggled slightly as I thought of how they hadn't seen the pool house yet, and that helped alleviate the depth of dread I was facing. Tallis looked at me and tilted his head, a smile of curiosity and amusement playing on his lips. Then he realized what I was giggling about. He smiled shyly even as he flinched. I think he had almost forgotten about it.

Iris looked at me, puzzled by my unexplained laughter. "What's so funny?"

Tallis answered with hesitance and a bit of embarrassment. "I kind of… well, I sort of … I broke the pool room," he groaned. "Sorry in advance."

Iris seemed amused and confused in the same expression. She led the way to the pool, and we followed at a leisurely pace—no one doing their freaky immortal speed stuff.

Iris shivered when her eyes fell on Taryn's body. Then she looked at all of the destruction surrounding her.

"Yes, he does pack quite a punch," she said softly, more to herself than anyone else.

Then she smiled and took Allaysia and Jaslene's hand. They didn't say anything. They just stared and suddenly the glass lifted back up, defying gravity and numerous other laws of nature.

It was like watching a jigsaw puzzle being put into place at a rapid speed, each piece going exactly where it fit. Then, with a flash of light, the room was just as it had been before the attack. No destruction, no shattered glass, no dead bodies. Speechless. Utterly speechless and awestruck—that was me. My mouth even fell open to prove it.

After a while, numerous conversations and strategizing, Iris told me I needed to pack. My stomach churned at the thought.

Tallis followed me to my room, looking out my far window the second he entered. He looked down to the pool that's pristine appearance betrayed the craziness of the night. With the evidence gone, it was almost as if it had all been one horrific dream.

I joined him and gazed down as he was doing. "That's a long way down."

He smiled as he stared at me, eyeing me in his saturated shirt. Some of the water had started dripping on him. I looked down and frowned, seeing the trails of water that were dripping on his shoes and shorts.

"Oh, yeah, sorry... I guess, well... it's wet now."

So stupid, I thought, wishing I could slap myself.

He laughed lightly. "It's not that. I was just looking at how perfectly unharmed you are after all that." Then he frowned and resumed staring back down "You asked me to stay, and I didn't. I keep trying to keep you safe, but it keeps putting you in danger."

I missed the happy, cocky, easy going Tallis. Brooding, guilt-ridden Tallis was growing old.

"This wasn't your fault. At some point you have to quit blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong. In case you haven't noticed, I tend to be a danger magnet. I went from this contently naive little jungle girl, to a witch-in-waiting that everyone wants to kill, or do whatever with my essence. At no point should any of this craziness land on your shoulders. You don't owe me anything, and I'm nothing to you. You can't take responsibility for my blood-related problems, or my pure bad luck."

I walked over to my bed and pulled out a suitcase from underneath it. Then I started packing my clothes.

My back was facing him, and I was hoping he'd just leave.

"You are something to me Aria—something more important than I should say. I just can't risk hurting you again," he said sadly.

Crap. Again we found ourselves thrown together, and I was making him feel worse than he already did.

Turning to face him, I took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that. I just meant you don't owe me anything." I paused for a minute. I could hear voices coming from the living room. "Aster and Chris are here," I said, needing to shift the topic.

He nodded. "Chris will be upset to learn one of his kind was the traitor. I'm glad Amelia was with you tonight. If she hadn't been…" He dropped his head, more guilt plaguing him.

I refused to abed his useless guilt party.

"Well, I haven't gotten to see Aster a whole lot since she found out she was pregnant. I'd like to see her before I leave for house arrest."

I smiled and enjoyed his answering grin as it formed.

"You will definitely be under lock and key," he teased. "I run a tight ship."

He winked at me as he took my bag from my hand and carried it down the stairs for me.

"Aria. Thank goodness you're okay," Aster gushed in relief as she threw her arms around me. But her protruding belly forced me bend unexpectedly and snapped me forward.

Chris walked up with a guilty look on his face, interrupting our painful embrace—well, painful to me. What was it with all these immortals and their unwarranted guilt?

"Aria, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"It's okay, Chris," I said while disentangling myself from Aster. "Not your fault."

His guilt didn't seem alleviated, which was just annoying. It was funny to think about how I thought Chris was a bit of a jerk when I met him. Now he was just like one of my brothers.

Ayla and Jay were snuggling on the couch—per the usual. Gear and Olivia were in the kitchen, holding each other. Everyone was so in love.

Ash sat alone in a chair by the window as she stared out at Desmond running around in his panther form. More than likely he was checking for any other unwanted visitors.

Henry and Amelia came walking down, hand in hand. Henry had both of their bags is his other hand.

Aster leaned over to hug Amelia. I laughed as Amelia snapped forward as suddenly as I had, and I silently enjoyed her pained expression.

"Thank you so much, Amelia. I'm glad you're in this family," Aster said, weeping.

Pregnancy hormones were definitely a deterrent from childbearing. I'd seen Aster swing moods quicker than someone with a bipolar disorder.

"Well, Tallis saved the both of us so I can't take all the credit."

"I have to thank Tallis all the time. He probably gets bored with it," Aster said while leaning back and wiping the tears from her face.

Tallis laughed at Aster's joke. I just glared at her.

"Don't let her get to you, Aria. I called her Dizz for a while," Gear chided as he walked toward us with his arm lazily tossed Olivia's shoulders.

"Dizz?" I asked, puzzled. A few chuckles followed my question. Aster wasn't laughing though. She was too busy casting a murderous glare toward Gear. "As in disaster. Before she turned immortal, she was always in trouble."

I thought to myself for a moment. Disaster; Dizz Aster. Oh I get it. Then I laughed as Aster hit him in the arm.

I glanced at Tallis who was lost in thought, an intense expression on his face as he studied the vacant air in front of him. Did he just sniff the air?

He looked toward Ayla. "Do you smell that?"

I almost got sick to my stomach. Another breath sucker? I couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary, but that didn't mean anything because his sense of smell was stronger than mine.

"Is it a dramian?" I asked, wishing my voice hadn't cracked.

Ayla stood to her feet, her eyes closing as she inhaled deeply.

"No it's an essence—a faint one. It's almost masked," she said distractedly.

Her eyes opened and she looked around the room, as Tallis cocked his head to the side and smiled.

"It’s a seer," he said with a large smile.

"Oh, Mom is downstairs," Aster replied casually.

Tallis continued smiling at her, intriguing me. Now Ayla was staring at Aster, too.

"Yes, it is a seer. A seer who will have a problem being sniffed out."

"What are you two talking about?"

Aster was getting uncomfortable from their intense stares. I found it amusing to watch her squirm for a change.

"Your little girl is going to be a seer," Tallis said with his growing grin.

Aster hadn't been able to go to the doctor. It's apparently too dangerous with her body being invincible and all. If they tried to give her a shot, the needle would bend. If they wanted to check her reflexes, then she might just kick them through a wall. So she had been unable to find out the gender of her baby.

None of the chanters—magical doctors—had been able to see her. They wouldn't have been much help with the baby anyhow. They could mostly just perform procedures to help change the body in some way, and they were there to deliver the babies. They were part of a village called the charmers, and they masked magical babies when they were first born.

Sonograms didn't work on pregnant witches either. Because our bodies course with so much magic, the sonogram machine would short circuit, or possibly blow up before she could see the baby. No one was willing to find out the consequences.

"A little girl? How do you know?" she asked with a rasp voice full of shock.

Tears swelled in her eyes as she grabbed the hand of a stunned and somewhat tearful Chris.

"I can smell it through her essence. His is different, though. I haven't ever smelled one like his. He'll have a new power."

Alya's smile widened as she nodded to confirm her brother's words. But everyone else was confused, not following their silent conversation or cryptic comments.

"He?" Aster squeaked.

"Twins?" Chris said, sounding suddenly excited and terrified at the same time.

"Yes. Twins. Something I've never heard of in the magical world," Tallis confirmed.

Aster half smiled, but then she frowned as she replied, "That means I'm going to get twice as big."

Chris leaned over and kissed her stomach and then kissed her. Aster wiped away her tears before she attempted to speak again.

"Thank you, Tallis." She hugged him, snapping him forward so unexpectedly and forcefully that it knocked the breath out of him. Tallis just laughed softly when he drew in a harsh breath.

Aster wiped another tear as she added, "I guess I will tell you thank you tonight after all."

I hugged her again and Ash joined us.

Ash rubbed Aster's belly. "A seer and an unknown. Welcome to the family, little ones."

Mom came up, and we told her the news. She was hugging Aster when suddenly she stepped back. Her eyes were still—staring into space. Physically she was still here, but it was as if the rest of her had checked out.

Her words came out hollow, as though she was talking to us through a tunnel. "I see him—Lokan. I know who he is and why he didn't hurt Aria."

Life returned to her eyes as she sucked in a sharp breath. Fear creased her brow as she tightened her lips. "We have to get everyone that we know we can trust and go to the Verdan's home. I don't trust these walls right now."