Page 61 of Treasured Secrets
I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "Arisianna?" It was Jaslene. "Honey, are you okay? I saw, and heard Tallis leave. What happened?"
As she made her way over to me, I fought back the fresh onslaught of tears.
"I told him I loved him and he didn't feel the same way. He said my mortal feelings clouded both of our minds. Then he proceeded to tell me I needed to enjoy the rest of the mortal time I have and love other people."
I started sobbing uncontrollably as she sat down beside me on the bed and wrapped her arms around me. She kissed my head and began rocking me slightly, as a mother tends to do when her child is hurting.
"Oh, honey, I was afraid of this. Tallis did the honorable thing. He's just looking out for you," she said. Her tone was deceitfully comforting, but her words cut through the already shredded pieces of my heart.
My eyes narrowed with a rejuvenated sense of anger. "What?" I backed away, swatting at her hands when she reached for me. "How could you say that to me right now?"
Her tone turned to explanatory as she tried to defend her poor choice of words. "Dear, I know you believe he's your soul mate. All of this has just been sprung on you too fast. You learned about your destiny in the most unconventional way. I'm sorry, but you haven't had the proper amount of time to really digest the overwhelming heaps of information you've had thrown at you. It's going to take some time, but you will understand. The chances of you finding your soul mate so fast are slim to none. The chances of you finding your soul mate before transformation are… Well, it's never happened before. It's an emotion the mortal mind is too fragile to fully comprehend."
I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat, recoiling from her even more.
"What about Aster, Gear, and Jay?" I barked. "Desmond may be fighting it, but he's still Ash's mate. Maybe our family has a need for their soul mates so quick."
Jaslene grimaced, letting her guard down enough to show me secretiveness in her eyes.
"Arisianna, dear... Geariandan and Astrianna are over a hundred years old. They were born a full century before you. Jaymondian and Ash are, however, the exception to the rule. Ayla has been searching for centuries though. The same goes for Desmond. And Ash is truly struggling in pain while he fights the emotions that even someone as old as he has difficulty understanding. It's not as simple as you believe it to be. I wish it was."
I was still reeling from the first part of her revelation. Has my whole life been nothing but one enormous wad of lies?
"Whoa. Gear and Aster are that old? Why am I just now finding that out? I have memories of them growing up with me. They were older, but I still remember them."
I was starting to glare at her with absolute distrust. Everything... All of it... It was all a lie.
She grimaced again. "Fabricated memories, mostly," she said, letting out a harsh breath when she saw the horror on my face. She sighed deeply before continuing. "When Gear and Aster would come to visit, they would bring a guard. They would also change their appearance to be younger. However, most memories were the concoction of a dreamer."
My eyes grew wide. I felt like a rug had just been pulled out from underneath me and I was landing on a bed of jagged rocks. Everything had been turned upside-down.
My voice echoed the betrayal I was feeling inside. "You have to be kidding. Memories of my brother and sister are fabricated? How could you?"
She tried to touch me, but I knocked her hand away with disgust. She frowned slightly.
"I'm sorry, dear. I didn't plan on having anymore children after Geariandan Astrianna. I told you about getting my tubes tied before getting pregnant with you, but it wasn't true. I went to a chanter, which is a magical doctor. He told me I wouldn't have anymore children, but directly after I had Jaymondian and then Ashiara the very next year. Then I went back to the chanter. Again he told me I wouldn't have any more children. Then you introduced yourself to me so late in the pregnancy that it nearly shocked me to death. I was trying to protect you, but now it seems as if I should have told you about your destiny sooner."
"You think?" I scoffed sardonically, refusing to meet her gaze.
She sighed. "I may have done this all wrong, but everything I did was for you. I thought I was doing what was best for you. Nothing like this has ever happened with your siblings."
I just mumbled, "The road to hell was paved with good intentions."
She groaned, desperate to find a way to clear her conscience, but I was done. I had no intentions of easing her guilt.
She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Honey, you've had so much dropped on you so fast. Let's not press anything tonight. I think you need some rest. We'll talk in the morning. Give your emotions time to settle down. We shouldn't let anything get said that we might regret." She got up and headed to the door, hesitating before she fully retreated. "Good night."
I didn't say anything. I just turned away. I listened as her footsteps disappeared down the stairs.
Chapter 14
Gas on the fire
When your world falls apart, you can't always pick up the pieces by yourself.
I woke up the next morning with tears still staining my eyes. My head was aching from the absurd amount I'd cried. I could hear people talking outside. I half hoped it was Tallis.
I peeked out the window to see a younger guy. He was maybe twenty. He was huddled up with several members of our coven.
