Page 54 of Treasured Secrets
"Sorry. Just a routine check." He seemed like he was hiding something or covering something up.
"So you keep an eye on my locker for evil soul stealers?" I raised one eyebrow to show my disbelief for his answer.
He shifted his weight uncomfortably as he answered. "You never know where danger may be. It's usually right in front of you. It's just too hard to see because it's so perfectly camouflaged. You wouldn't notice it at a glance, but it becomes more obvious when you realize what you're looking for. For instance, there might be a scratch on the wall of your room that you didn't notice for years. Then one day, it suddenly stands out. And once you've seen it, you can't help but stare at it every time you're in the room."
I hate riddles. His answer insinuated there was something he knew that I didn't. He made me squirm uncomfortably as I swapped my books. I'd never trusted Everett. He had always given me an uneasy feeling with his cruel and cold looks.
Then suddenly I grew angry when I thought I knew what he was talking about. "You better not be referring to Tallis. He's as good as anyone - better than most. I'm so sick of hearing about his bad blood."
His eyes twitched with heavy hesitation. His voice was riddled with regret. "It's not Tallis. He's chosen his light, and I trust that his intentions are pure. I wasn't referring to anything in particular. Like I said, just a routine check."
He walked by me hastily, probably feeling chastised, and I stared at him until he disappeared. When I turned back to my locker, I gasped out a breath of startle.
McKee was inches from me. I could hear my too-loud voice shriek slightly in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" I breathlessly asked.
"I felt something wrong. I was just coming to make sure you're okay. What are you doing out of class?"
He put his hand on my side. I didn't like his touch. It made me feel like I was doing something wrong. I wiggled away subtly as I responded.
"I had the wrong book. I had to explain the intentionally antagonistic remark that you made in front of Tallis." I flashed him a disapproving glare.
"Sorry. Old habits die hard. I just wanted him to know what was going on without me having to tell him. I'm sorry if he didn't take it so well."
He looked like he was trying to hide a smile. He was pleased with his instigative remark, and he had most likely hoped it would spark a fight between me and Tallis. He wasn't too pleased when I finished telling him what had happened though.
"Well, he was hurt when I explained why you were the way you were, but he was better when I told him how completely devoted to him I was. He understood, and I got to tell him how much I really do care for him. It actually worked out pretty well all the way around."
"You love him, don't you?" he asked, catching me off guard. "Don't deny it. I'm linked to your emotions. I don't really know what love feels like personally, but I do know that your feelings are strong."
He sounded so wounded, like I had just broken his heart. Now I felt like I was being cruel again.
I sighed loudly. "I wasn't going to deny it. I just haven't told him yet. I'm really sorry if this hurts you. I'm not trying to be mean or dismissive of your feelings. I really do love him, and he's the one I want to be with every second of every day. I have no intentions of ever being with you, and I feel like it would be nicer of me to be honest, than to let you think that there would be a chance for us."
I touched his shoulder, trying to be sympathetic when I saw the wave of pain and disappointment that spread across his face.
Then in a hushed tone, he said, "One day he's going to hurt you. You may not believe it now, but it will happen. I'll be here when it does. You'll see how much you've been missing when that happens, and you're going to kick yourself for not seeing it sooner."
Then he turned and went back toward his class.
I shook off the feeling of guilt I had. I did hate hurting him, but I knew Tallis cared for me and would never hurt me. I went back to class with the correct book and tried to pretend everything was okay.
The rest of the day flew by, thankfully. Tallis took me home and we had an unexpected surprise. My parents had arrived early. Finally, something good was happening. I couldn't wait to introduce them to Tallis.
Chapter 13
More to it than Just Love
A promise not kept is nothing more than a pretty lie.
I had spent almost every waking moment with Tallis. I was learning everything I could about him. There was still so much to learn.
He was eighteen when he turned eternal. His mom said he was the youngest that she knew of. He was kind of proud of that fact. I'd been worried I would be older, like Iris or Allaysia, but Tallis said that was unlikely.
He said most people turned around their early twenties nowadays. He believed that magic was evolving and we were transforming earlier to get closer to the guardian deadline. That way we wouldn't have to go long without being masked. He also believed that it may have been a side effect from the spell cast by Allora.
He told me we would start preparing my body when I showed signs that I was close to transformation. I didn't like the idea of waiting that long to see if I was his soul mate.
