Secrets (Secrets Book #1)

Healing and feelings

"I don't know if I can," I reply honestly.

"So your just going to leave your friend in this conditions?" She asked while the boy set Carter down on the couch in the living room.

"I... guess." I started, but then an idea hit me, "How do you know I can heal him?" I expected her to try to cover up with a flimsy lie, but instead she just smiled. "We know what you are, and because I think you deserve to know what's happening I'm going to tell you that we've been watching you. All of us. Those times when you were training with the Vampire. At the school dance, you know that Werewolf that saved you was Rain."

"So you've been stalking me?" I asked in disbelief.

"Not stalking, protecting," she ushered me to Carter's side.

"Now, first things first, you need to check his injuries." She said. I didn't understand why I couldn't just heal him like I did with Jagger.

"Whenever you heal someone just with touch, you are giving them a piece of you. If you were to heal Carter with nothing but your powers you'd be giving him a some of your soul, and you only have so much to give." She said, holy crap could she read minds?

"No I can't read minds, but Werewolves can easily read others by there facial expression or body language." Oh okay. So I just had to keep myself closed off when around Rain I guess.

I lifted Carter's shirt and saw deep red splotches on his stomach around his ribs. He also had tiny cuts decorating his arms and face that would probably leave scars. Then there was the matter that whenever he took a breath it made a wheezing sound.

"First off, chop up these roots and mix them with this choke-cherry powder." She handed me a bowl and some plant roots.

We went on like this, me doing some weird sounding spells, then the weirdest part was rubbing the mixture of herbs over Carter's wounds. Rain came in just while I was washing my hands. "Tempest, how are you doing?" He studied Carter, then the basket of herbs.

"I hope this works," I say looking nervously at Carter's sleeping form.

"Trust me, my mom knows her way around healing magic," He said nodding towards the woman that had been helping me.

"That's your mom?" I questioned.

"Yes," He said

"But that's Mrs. Hilal to you," said Rain's mom.

We heard a gasping breath come from the living room and I ran over. "Tempest!" Carter called when I came in. "I'm right here," I rushed to his side.

He was looking around frantically and I could feel his confusion. There was no possible way I could explain what happened to his truck and explain why and how we were here, so I did the only thing I could. I grasped his chin with my fingers and turned him so I could look directly into his eyes. "You are not going to remember any of this." I said.

"I am not going to remember any of this." He repeated back in a monotone voice. His pupils dilated and he wasn't blinking.

"We went to the drive in, enjoyed the movie, and came home. You went to bed when you got home." He then proceeded to repeat this back to me.

"Your truck," I had to stop to think of something that wouldn't cause to much trouble. "was stolen when you stopped to fill up for gas."

"My truck was stolen when I stopped to fill up with gas," He said.

"Your very tired now, and won't wake up until tomorrow," He fell backwards onto the couch in a deep sleep. I felt terrible for doing this to him. He deserved to know what actually happened, but I would probably loose him as a friend if I told him, and plus I'd be killed or locked in the crazy house or much worse. This was for my own protection, I said to myself. It was the only way to survive.

****

Rain had driven both Carter and I home. Now I had just gotten in my front door to see Jagger sitting on my kitchen counter. I brought a hand to my chest in an attempt to slow my speeding heart. "You scared me!" I exclaimed.

"I scared you? I scared you!" He said with a fake laugh. He took out his phone and pushed a few buttons then put it to his ear. "Yah... I found her... no she's alright," He eyed me from head to toe, "okay I'll do it... bye," He shut his phone off and slid off the counter.

"Wolf boy still out there?" He asked, was he referring to Rain? I didn't think Rain would like it very much if Jagger new about him.

"I don't think know what your talking about," I said casually while getting a glass down and filling it with water.

"I felt his breath on my ear before he said, "I can hear your speeding heart from across the room, don't lie to me. I don't like it when you lie to me." His fingers gently ran up and down my arms.

I took a gulp of water before answering, "Rain dropped me off and went home,"

"Oh!" He said with fake amusement, "We're on a first name basis with wolf boy now?"

"What do you want Jagger," I turned and was face to face with him, my heart did a little jump-y thing in my chest, and a big grin stretched his lips like he could hear it.

"Obviously you didn't check your phone, if you did you would have noticed that my family heard the whole ground splitting and you sending some demons down it thing. We went to the scene of the wreck and was very surprised to see nobody there." He said.

"Yea, well I'm safe you can go," I pushed against his chest and he moved so I could step by him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, when I kept walking he grabbed my arm and urged me to look at him.

"It's just, Rain showed me more about my powers than I even believed was possible. He explained the dangers of them, and some tricks. and..." I stopped to take in a breath because I would not cry in front of him, "You haven't done anything but teach me how to defend others,"

"The stuff I've been teaching you can save you to!"

"It's not the same! It's like all I am to you is a weapon or something!"

He paused at me in shock before saying, "Alright, I'll teach you how to defend yourself,"

"Rain agreed to teach me that already," I replied. It was true, after I'd told him about what Jagger was teaching me Rain had said it wasn't enough to help myself from hunters.

"Then I'll show you some of the perks of being a witch," Jagger said.

"No," I turned to go and when I was at the top of the stairs he said, "I care about you, let me take you somewhere fun for a change," Then he was gone.

Jagger cared about her? He had to be lying. And even as I did my best to tell myself that his words weren't true, a smile spread across my face at the possibility of Jagger liking me.

End of Chapter

Just please hang in there! When I go through editing I'll end up cutting the boring stuff out. I'm thinking of just doing a new book because I will be changing some stuff that you may like or dislike and making it flow better, but some of you might prefer this one over a new one. Not sure yet but I'll let you know when I decide.