Forbidden Secrets Read Free

away.
    â€œYou’re wrong!” Victoria cried. “Tyler Fier comes from a cursed family.”
    Savannah whipped around and glared at her sister. “That’s ridiculous. I love Tyler. I know him as well as I know myself. This”—she pointed toward the bloody table—“is nothing more than a cruel game. I don’t believe in the dark arts.”
    Victoria took a step forward. “You should believe, Savannah. The dark arts revealed the truth to me. Evil stalks the Fier family.”
    Savannah sighed wearily. “Victoria, I know you hoped to marry Tyler. I know you overheard Tyler asking me to marry him. I know you’re disappointed. But nothing you say will stop me from marrying Tyler.”
    â€œYou don’t understand!” Victoria wailed. She wrapped her arms around herself and sank to the floor. Then she rocked back and forth, back and forth, over and over. “You don’t understand!”
    Savannah dropped down beside her sister. “I do understand. You feel hurt—”
    â€œNo!” Victoria cried shrilly. “You are the one who will be hurt. I’m trying to protect you! Madness. Death. Hatred. They all follow the Fier family. And they will follow you if you don’t break off your relationship—”
    Savannah held up her hand to stop her sister’sranting. “You are jealous, Victoria. Jealous because you met Tyler first—and he chose your little sister over you.”
    â€œThat’s not true,” Victoria insisted. She grabbed Savannah’s hands. Her fingernails dug into Savannah’s palms. “I’m worried about you. You must stay away from Tyler Fier!”

Chapter
    4

    â€œI can’t stay away from Tyler,” Savannah said quietly as she rose to her feet. “I love him.”
    â€œHe will bring you nothing but unhappiness,” Victoria warned her.
    â€œThe only one bringing me unhappiness is you,” Savannah said sadly. She took Victoria’s hands and helped her stand. “You are my sister, Victoria, and I love you very much. I want you to share the happiest day of my life with me.”
    â€œI don’t want you to get hurt,” Victoria mumbled.
    â€œThen come back to the picnic with me.”
    Victoria nodded. Savannah led her sister to a nearby bucket of water.
    I wish Tyler had not been so polite when he first met Victoria, Savannah thought as she gently washed the blood off her sister’s face. But how was he to knowthat Victoria would fall in love with him so quickly? Or that he would fall in love with me?
    When Victoria was clean, Savannah slipped her arm around her sister’s waist. In silence, they walked away from the slave quarters. They strolled across the formal grounds. As they neared the plantation house, Savannah saw Tyler leaning against a tree, watching her.
    Will he always make my heart beat so fast? she wondered. Will the sight of him always steal my breath away?
    Tyler sauntered toward them. “I want to make your sister happy,” he told Victoria firmly.
    â€œThen leave her.” Victoria walked away without another word.
    Savannah placed her hand on Tyler’s arm. “Ignore her. She’s jealous. She wanted you, but you wanted me.”
    Savannah’s heart fluttered at the intensity of his dark blue eyes.
    â€œForever, Savannah,” Tyler said in a low voice. “You will be mine forever.”
    â€œForever,” she vowed, and joy swelled within her heart.
    A far-off shout made Savannah spin around. She saw a horse galloping along the dirt path. The rider frantically waved a newspaper in the air. “War!” he shouted. “War has broken out!”
    The man pulled his horse to a halt as people rushed to gather around him. “Fort Sumter has been fired upon!” he yelled so all could hear him. “We are at war!”
    â€œWar,” Savannah whispered hoarsely. War! her heart screamed. Tyler is now a