Treasured Secrets (The Coveted Saga 1)

How is that possible?

He retaliated by breaking the man's hands and kicking him in the chest simultaneously. It seemed like sparks flew as he connected his foot with the man's chest. Amazingly, it threw the man backwards at least sixty feet.

The man shook his hands and the bones cracked as they reconnected. It wasn't natural, and I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. Sickness now joined my fearful adrenaline rush.

Tallis couldn't fight this monster. There was no way.

Then the man stared at Tallis and smiled as he reached to the sky, as if he were trying to grab something. Suddenly, fire blazed from his hands.

I gasped loudly, scrambling backwards instantly and tripping over a stone. I thudded against the ground, but I crawled backwards until a tree halted my retreat.

My eyes couldn't possibly get any wider. This couldn't be real.

A blazer... like Iris's story.

Tales of magic and mayhem struck me with realization, making me almost convulse. He was trying to steal my essence - that was what he was drawing out of me. That meant I was a… but this couldn't possibly be… None of this was making any sense, and a single coherent thought refused to process.

There was no way that all of that could be real. I had to be dreaming, or having a nightmare, rather.

"Wake up, Aria!" I said frantically to myself, half-crying, half-laughing through hysteria. But it wasn't working, it was all still happening. There's no way-

My thoughts were interrupted as the man sent fire blazing right at Tallis. Tallis jumped, spiraling through the air, landing on his feet behind the man. The man turned around swiftly, but Tallis kicked him again, sending him sailing.

He landed next to me this time. The man jumped up and grabbed me with one arm around my neck and one hand pointed to my head like a weapon.

"I'll kill her now and neither of us can have her. If you want to share with me, I'll let you go first. Otherwise, neither of us get her."

Then the man stared at Tallis for a moment and gasped slightly. "You're a light eternal. You plan to save her! It'll never happen. If you're a guard, you shouldn't have a light. Why can't I smell your essence if you're a-" He didn't finish his sentence, which only added to my mounds of confusion.

He was breathing heavily, more than likely out of breath after that epic battle. More tears streamed from my eyes as the overwhelming amount of panic flooded me mercilessly.

Tallis smiled as if he knew something I didn't. Then he winked at me as he threw his right hand forward. The man's hand that had been beside my head was now gone.

Ashes fell from his arm where his hand should have been. The man screamed in pain and stared in shock. He dropped me and turned to run. Tallis jumped over to me in one gallant bound. Then he threw both of his arms forward with his hands pointed upward and his fingers spread apart. I watched as the man turned to solid ash, and a loud boom erupted through the forest. The man was no more. Not even a speck of dust remained.

My heart was still racing, refusing to find a slower rhythm.

Tallis turned to look at me. His eyes were riddled with panic and sincere concern as he gauged trembling hands. He knelt down and scooped me up in his arms. I whimpered involuntarily, terrified of what else might be out there.

He started walking, carrying me effortlessly. He looked down with his still sad eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, treating me like a frightened rabbit caught in a trap.

I cleared my throat nervously. Despite everything I just witnessed, I wasn't even the least bit afraid of him. Although I was so ridiculously confused.

"I th... think so." My voice went out for a moment, making it impossible say any more.

His eyes now looked even more concerned. "Are you sure? I wasn't sure how long he had you."

I could hear the uncertainty and shakiness in my tone. "Yeah… Wh…what…what-" I couldn't finish my question. I'm sure a grave sense of shock played a part in that.

"I know this is going to seem crazy, probably more than crazy, but it was a follower from the Dramus circle. It's actually the Graven circle now. Your grandmother told you most of the story, or at least the story she knows. It's overwhelming, I know, but you have to grasp this as reality right now. I have to get you to my place and make sure he didn't do more damage than we realize."

Grasp this as reality? Are you kidding?

I couldn't possibly grasp the bedtime story Iris told me as reality, even though I saw it for myself. It all seemed too psychotic to be real. It had to be a dream. I felt like I was insane for even considering such a possibility.

I was still trying to make sense of the irrational situation.