Tainted Heart (The Tainted Series Book 2)

by Marie, Tarisa

  He laughs without humor. “Are you blaming your bad behavior on my delicious body?”

  I close the space between us and hit him on the shoulder.

  “Well, are you?” he teases.

  I really can’t argue because that’s exactly what I’m blaming it on. “Yes,” I mutter and bury my head in my hands in embarrassment and regret.

  “It’s okay, you’re not the first one to attack me with lust. I’ll let it slide only because you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.” He laughs and pulls my hands away from my face. “I’m not going to lie, I want to be angry with you but I can’t be angry with the fact that you can’t control yourself around me. That’s pretty hot. Don’t do it again, not until we get rid of these curses. That could’ve ended with you being unconscious and in pain for days. But if you do that once my curse is removed, that’d be perfectly fine,” he smiles in encouragement. God, he’s cocky sometimes. I have to admit that I like it way better when he’s cocky than when he’s in a mood or feeling whiney.

  “But you stopped, you told me you wouldn’t be able to,” I accuse.

  “Yeah, you’re lucky I did. You’re lucky that I-” he starts but then stops.

  “Lucky that you what?” I ask making a motion with my hand for him to continue.

  “You’re lucky that I love you,” he says after a moment of contemplation. “If I didn’t care so much about you I wouldn’t have stopped.”

  Taken a bit off guard, I just stare at him. Love? Does he mean like love love or like friend love?

  “Let’s go, we should find Marco,” he changes the subject when he sees my wheels turning.

  I follow him out the door and down the dark street. What time is it? He leads me to a coffee shop where he orders some donuts and coffee for my breakfast.

  “Aren’t you hungry?” I ask him.

  “I had a pretty potent breakfast,” he smirks and I think I see a hint of crimson cross across his eyes. I wonder if he craves me now, more so than before. I wonder even just the memory of drinking my blood is really enough to have him in a knot. He’d said he wouldn’t be able to be around me if he’s tasted my blood, but here he is around me and what not…

  “Right,” I answer awkwardly.

  “Are you scared of me now?” he wonders.

  “No,” I say automatically and bite into one of the donuts.

  “You should be,” he tries as if he’s trying to scare me.

  I look at him dubiously and shake my head.

  “What?” he asks.

  “You need to shave.” I observe his scruffiness.

  He chuckles and then feels his beard. “Yeah, I guess I do. You don’t like it?”

  I shrug. “You’re starting to look like a hobo.”

  I take a sip of my coffee and when I look back up at him, he’s clean shaven. Okay, not quite. His signature five o’clock shadow is still there. I’ll never get used to things like this.

  “Quite honestly, Ariella, I haven’t felt this satisfied since the curse was put on me. I think your blood may just be magic,” he teases. “I feel a little more like myself right now.”

  “Good,” I reply with a nod. “How are we going to find Marco if we’re not supposed to go near him?” I ask him curiously.

  “You are not going near him. I am going to find him. You’re going to stay here in Detroit and keep yourself out of trouble. I don’t want the Tario to find you. At least not until you get to meet your mother. After our curses are removed, I’m going to get that knife back and then I’m going to go Tario hunting,” he tells me excitedly.

  “You’re going to get yourself killed that’s what you’re going to do,” I argue.

  He doesn’t disagree, he only shrugs.

  “Here’s some money. Hopefully I won’t be gone long.” He throws some cash on the table and then disappears. I look around the shop to see if anyone’s noticed but they don’t seem to have. I wonder why. Why does not one seem to notice these things? I decided that this is a question that I’ll have to ask him another time.

  After I finish my breakfast, I decide to take a walk. I walk quite a ways down the street and check out a few clothing stores before I find myself in a part of town which I don’t think I should be in. I’ve heard about how Detroit has a sketchy area but I didn’t think that I’d accidentally stumble upon it while out walking. I turn around and start heading back to where I came from. A couple times I think I hear footsteps behind me and turn to look only no one is there. A chill runs down my spine and I begin walking faster. Am I paranoid? I really wouldn’t blame myself if I was.

  I take in the falling down buildings and the rubble in awe. It’s both disturbing and fascinating at the same time. I try to imagine what this area looked like many years ago before it was ruins.

  I keep my feet moving and am nearly back where I should be when a hand grabs my shoulder and spins me around. I gasp in shock.

  “Where is a pretty little thing like you off to in such a rush?” a rough voice asks. I’m staring into the eyes of a big burly man in a torn sweater and sweats. I wonder if he’s homeless.

  When I don’t answer, he smiles revealing broken yellow teeth. I panic and knee him straight in the nuts. He hops back in pain and makes an oompf sound.

  Then he comes back at me and his weight sends me backwards. Ariella, you know better than this. I take my fist and send it right into his jaw. Then I use his weight against him and send him flying down to the cement. He cusses and when his head collides with the cement I bring my foot down on his face.

  He looks up at me with terrible, venomous eyes and it only makes me want to kick his face in more. I can’t imagine what this man has done, but he looks like someone you’d see on the news being wanted for murder. I can’t help telling myself that this man deserves to be kicked in the face. I mean, he grabbed me!

  That’s about when I begin losing control. He soon becomes unconscious but I continuously keep pounding his face with my foot. My temper rises and then my fists are pounding into his bloody face. I want him dead, not just unconscious. No one messes with me. For once it’s nice to feel like I have the upper hand or like I’m in control.

  “Ariella,” a sweet voice chimes. “That will be enough, he is not going to cause you anymore harm now.”

  I stand up and take a step back from the man. It’s hard for me to pull away but I do. I look to the origin of the voice and someone I vaguely recognize stares back at me. Could it really be? Could this be my mother? Looking at her now, I see that she too has the sharp eyes and pixie-like features of the Tario and god almighty does she ever look like me, like Baylon and Anessa.

  “I see Theenis has taught you well, maybe a little too well. Do you go off like that often?” she questions me, almost scolding.

  “Mom?” I ask and she nods in reassurance.

  “I can’t believe I‘m standing before you,” she voices and takes a step closer. “Are you here all alone?” she asks sounding surprised.

  “Yes,” I answer with a quick nod and begin straightening my clothes.

  “I thought so, where is the warlock-vampire boy Corra told me about?” she asks while continuously looking around as if she’s paranoid. “Shouldn’t he be watching you?”

  “He’s trying to rid us of a curse Marco put on us,” I tell her. Like this is what I want to talk about right now. I haven’t seen her in fourteen years!

  “What kind of curse?” she asks me with very mild concern. Before I can answer she closes the space between us and places her hand against my cheek. “It’s done. The curses are both gone.”

  “You can’t just remove a curse like that,” I tell her as if she doesn’t already know this.

  “Yes, I can. Child’s play for the Tario,” she whispers as she seems to inspect me while she’s up close. I wonder why Layli couldn’t have just removed the curses when we were there when D asked her to kill Marco to rid us of our curses. What a bitch. Each breath I take I seem to hate Layli more. “I’m sure you have many quest
ions and I will answer them but first answer me this-how is Theenis?”

  “He’s fine. I think. I don’t really know. He’s with my brother Jacob. I think. They’re…well I don’t really know. They might be looking for Marco,” I stammer in a ramble. Where are they? I’ve been too caught up in my own mess to really think about them much.

  “Has he found love again?” she asks, which catches me off guard.

  “No. He’s single and ready to mingle,” I say stupidly and then I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment. That could be the dumbest thing I’ve ever said in my life.

  She laughs at my awkwardness.

  Without warning we are in a park, both of us seated on a bench.

  “You may ask your questions now,” she instructs while straightening her blue blouse.

  I don’t know what to ask. I mean, yes, I have millions of questions but which one do I ask first?

  “Do I have a twin?” I blurt out unexpectedly. I have to admit that this question has been poking around in my head for the last few days. It may not be the most important question or the one I’ve had the longest but I’m super curious. How cool would it be to have a twin?

  “Yes Tyler. He keeps busy as a Makro.” When she’s sees my confusion she adds, “He cleans up after the supernatural. It’s a job mostly performed by a group of humans who are aware of the supernatural. They cover up after vampire attacks and strange occurrences that can’t be explained.”

  I wonder why I have never heard of these people. Are they people who everyone in the supernatural world is aware of?

  “He can’t wait to meet you.” She smiles warmly.

  “Why haven’t I ever met him? You know him?” I question upset. Has she been with him this whole time like Layli had guessed?

  “You’ve met him. You grew up with him until you were four. I wiped your father’s, Jacob’s, and your memory of him.”

  “Why?” I say too loudly. This makes me extremely upset. Why would someone do that?

  “Ariella, you and Tyler were born strangely. I’ve been alive for a very long time and I’ve never heard of this happening before. You were both born light and dark. Not one of you was either dark or light and before you ask, no one of you did not influence the other into darkness. I watch you both very carefully. You were both dark and light. I had to separate you because the two of you together would get in such mischief. You brought the darkness out of each other. When you were separate you were more susceptible to the light. I wasn’t sure what to do, and I knew the Tario would soon be sending someone to check up on your father as they do every five to ten years and so I faked my death so Marco would think I was a vampire and would think you were part vampire. I took Tyler, erased your memories, and I ran. I chose Tyler because male Tario, even halflings are very difficult to raise. They are very rebellious as they are meant to be warriors whereas the females are calm and meant to be nurturers. I didn’t think Theenis could handle raising Tyler on his own. Male Tario halfling discover their power at age fourteen whereas females not until age twenty. I hoped I’d be able to find you again by then. I needed Marco to think I was a vampire because I couldn’t reveal the Tario to anyone and I couldn’t kill my best friend’s son, no matter how terrible he was. I couldn’t even erase his memory because Corra long ago made sure that neither of her children would be susceptible to Tario mind wiping. Corra and I are rogues. We don’t associate with the Tario any longer.”

  “Oh.” My mind whirls with even more questions now. What next, Ariella? Now that you know that being with your brother will make you go evil ape shit cray cray.

  “I’ve heard about the mishap where you stole the blade from your father and gave it to Layli. I gave it to your father for safe keeping. I move around too much and didn’t want to lose it. I stole it from Layli a few years ago when you were first born. We’re going to need that blade back so we can rid this planet of those beasts before they destroy yet another realm with their deconstruction. I will have to snatch it again, I have no problem doing so. She isn’t the brightest lady, and she’s been trying to find a way to destroy that thing for the Tario for millennia. She thinks it will gain her status in the community.” She shakes her head as if this is ridiculous. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how dumb she is, after all she didn’t even wipe your mind before releasing you.”

  After a moment of silence she says, “You are going to need to keep out of sight. You’re coming to my house with that boy to protect you while I’m gone. You need to stay safe from those angry witches after you, not that they can kill you but I’m sure you’d rather not be tortured.”

  “Why couldn’t you just tell dad about all this?” I interrupt.

  “Corra and I have had this all planned for years. I’m the one who made sure that Marco knew you existed and thought you were part vampire. The witches, immortals, and vampires are all distracted wanting to go at each other’s necks right now because of your existence and Marco’s ridiculous hybrids as well which was unplanned I must say. This is keeping all the Tario busy watching them and following them around waiting for their next move like a bunch of sports goers watching hockey at a bar. The Tario are all spread out. It’s the perfect time to attack them.”

  “Who are you?” D asks while approaching us. A skeptical look on his face. I see him relax when he no doubt sees the remarkable resemblance between us.

  “My name is Ali, I am Ariella’s mother. Come now, now that you’re here we must be going. I’m glad being a vampire didn’t weaken your senses so much that you couldn’t follow an essence trail.”

  D scoffs as if this is ridiculous and then we are in an enormous, open concept home with a high roof and a very modern touch. I’m getting rather sick of being in one place one second and the next somewhere totally different but it’s nice to be reunited with my mother, I have so many more questions.

  “This is my humble abode. No one and nothing will find you here, it is spelled greatly to keep everything from finding it. Corra and Tyler are the only ones who know it’s here. No one can follow an essence trail here if they try it’ll land them right back where they started. Do not leave this place, please.”

  D looks as if he’s about to ask my mom a question, when she disappears. So instead he looks at me and says, “Was that the mother-daughter meeting you imagined?”

  “No, definitely not. That’s not how I remember her at all,” I answer confused.

  “Well, at least she’s alive. It could be worse, she could be like Layli or any of those other cold-hearted Tario…is she like them? You think?” he asks sounding exhausted by the Tario. I feel his pain.

  I shake my head and then slump down on the elaborate black couch beside me.

  “Did you learn anything new?” he asks then while seeming to study a vase full of marble on one of the shelves.

  “I have a twin brother and we’re both light and dark and apparently my Tario power isn’t supposed to kick in until I’m twenty so I must be running off my witch power….when it decides to work that is, which seems to be only when I get angry. Ali gave my dad the knife to protect basically and we put it back in the Layli’s hands. She must somehow be able to touch it because she’s went to get it back. What about you?” I wonder with a small, tired laugh.

  “Notta, didn’t get very far in my Marco chase before I felt the curse lift. How’d that happen anyway? Any ideas?” he asks while sticking his hand into the vase and pulling out a few marbles. He looks at them in wonder.

  “My mother, she said it was ‘child’s play’.” I shrug. “Another thing Layli was a bitch about.” One second I believe one thing and the next second I believe the opposite. I’m not sure who’s telling the truth anymore. I don’t even know what’s right and wrong anymore. I’m suddenly questioning everything that I’ve learnt, not only in the last week or so but in the last year.

  “What are these things?” D asks while still examining the marbles in his hand.

  “Marbles…” I trail off. Has the guy never see
n marbles before?

  “They squishy…like fish eggs or something,” he says in wonder.

  I roll my eyes. “They’re probably those smelly decorative ball things.”

  He continues to stare at them in wonder and then paws some more out. “They definitely smell,” he observes with a nod.

  “Will you put those back?” I ask with a giggle. Boys are so weird.

  “Ariella?” a thick voice asks excitedly. I turn to face my father. No, that’s not right, he’s too short, too young.

  “Yes…” I trail off slowly.

  “I’m Tyler. Mother told me not to see you until she was here but I couldn’t wait.” He looks just like my father. So much so that he could easily be mistaken for him by someone who didn’t know my father well.

  He runs up to me and grasps me in a hug. I’m not sure what to do so I hug him back gently and then pull away to get another look at him. He has long black lashes and deep brown eyes. He is fairly short like me and has my father’s brown hair. I am astonished by their similarities.

  “You look so much like mother,” he whispers and grabs a strand of my hair in his hand as if inspecting it.

  “You look like Theenis’ stunt double,” D says slyly. Oh my gosh good one, D.

  “Really? What is he like? I’ve been dreaming of the day I could meet him again since mother and I left,” he replies in a rush and drops my hair.

  I suddenly feel a wave of anxiety course through my chest and I’m unsure why. A strange look passes through Tyler’s face and I realize that he’s felt what I have. Is it our darkness? Could my mom be right in that us being together stirs our dark sides?

  “I mustn’t stay long, there’s no telling what kind of trouble we could get into together even without your power being uncovered yet….well for the most part. I must be getting back to my work, there’s much to do. I will visit again soon, I just couldn’t wait to see you,” Tyler suggests and smiles warmly. I like him already. There’s warmth inside him, I can feel it. He’s not cold-hearted like the Tario or even my other sisters. Speaking of which…