Jaded Jewels (The Coveted Saga 2)

"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."