Jaded Jewels (The Coveted Saga 2)

I tried digesting all the facts, slowly catching up to what he said. But... What? Huh?

"Whoa. Now that she's bonded to me? She's my soul mate?"

This wasn't possible. I was in love with men—well, one man. So why would magic give me a woman?

Tallis burst out laughing, and so did Henry. In fact, Henry laughed at me so fiercely that it made him cough. It was a struggle for him to even answer me.

"No. Empaths find a strong essence to bond to for protection. It strengthens their powers, as well as it develops a loyalty to that person. Your essence is incredibly strong, so her powers became linked. She's forever bound to protect you and devoutly loyal. She'll also make your power stronger when your magic surfaces.

"That's why Elaina started crying. Amelia projected painful waves of emotion onto her that were too overwhelming. Even I felt them as if they were my own emotions."

Tallis got quiet after Henry's explanation, letting the tension mount. Finally, he whispered, "I felt it, too." He kept his eyes glued to Amelia's back, never meeting my gaze.

"I didn't feel anything." This was all starting to give me a migraine. I put both of my hands on my head as I huffed in frustration.

Henry said, "That's because she was projecting your emotions. You're her direct link. You keep her grounded, and she's incredibly protective. Think momma bear and cub."

"Does she know I'm going to be a witch?" I asked, still trying to keep up with the rapid-fire learning session.

"No. Judging by the look she had, I don't even think she knew who she was. I know she didn't know what she was doing. It was just instinctive for her to protect you, and it happened naturally. A defensive reaction after the bonding process is very common with any magical relationship."

Any magical relationship... Magic seemed to love shoving crap down my throat, and I was still on the beginner level.

"So she's mortal, but she can still use her magic. Why can't I?"

Henry continued to answer me without seeming annoyed by my incessant questioning. "Empaths are different. Magic courses through their bodies from the day they're born. They can use pieces of it, but they harness its full power after they gain immortality.

"If they bond with a witch before immortality, they can use a great deal more of their gift. But they can't read magical intentions until they reach immortality. They can only read the mortal side of things and feel mortal feelings. She could read Tallis's feelings toward you as a mortal, just as she could read I was only your friend. She couldn't feel why Tallis felt guilty, because her strength has not met the magical realm.

"Today she bonded and she projected for the first time. She felt a whole new depth to your emotions and brought them to life for everyone else to feel as well. With that amount of power, it's hard to believe that she's still mortal. They're different in the sense that they can be afflicted by the mortal world and the immortal world. She's had to suffer illnesses, insects, parasites, and everything a normal mortal would. Now she'll also have to face the immortal world, unlike a normal mortal."

Henry took a breath as I wrapped my mind around the massive overload of information. He seemed to be lost in thought, and suddenly he exhaled loudly, his expelled breath rife with regret.

"She knew so much about the emotions people were having. All the signs were there. I should have seen it then. I would've never have even thought about it if she hadn't bonded and projected so fiercely today," he murmured, sounding as though he was talking more to himself than anyone else.

Tallis nodded slowly in agreement, sounding completely miserable when he added, "Me neither. I never even considered the possibly of such a thing so close to us."

I had heard about her projecting from them over and over, but they weren't being very descriptive. "So what exactly did she project?"

What would have made Elaina cry? What would have made both Tallis and Henry so instantly aware of her power?

Henry glanced toward Tallis and then back to me. He was almost reluctant to speak. "Heartbreak. Agonizingly painful heartbreak. It was a stronger emotion than I've ever had in that sense. The only pain I've felt worse than that was the loss of my parents. It took my breath for a minute."

Henry glanced back toward Tallis as I began slinking down in my seat, suddenly very aware of the gathering tension between me and the object of my obsession.

Tallis's sighed, "It took my breath, too."

At least that explained his hands all over me when that happened. He felt my excruciating pain that I had been trying so desperately to hide from him.

That was just great. As if I hadn't been put on display enough, now someone was baring my soul for all to see. I couldn't even suffer privately.

Then Tallis added, "I never knew about all the times you cried yourself to sleep. I didn't know you were going through all that. I even felt the pain you felt the day I was cresting your house—after I left. I didn't—"

I couldn't stand the pity or humiliation, so I interrupted. "So what happens if a male witch and a mortal female fall in love and have a child? What does that child become?"

Tallis was the one to respond, seeming grateful for a topic shift. "Something just as rare and completely different. A…" His voice trailed off as Amelia ran down a driveway, making everything else unimportant.

"What do we do now?" I whispered—though I didn't know why I was whispering.