by S. E. Akers
“I can see where you would want your revenge,” I voiced.
“On him and his men of course, but I may have been a little naughty,” she admitted with a pinch of her fingers.
“A little?” Federo interrupted with a gasp. “I heard you gutted and quartered every one of his sons,” he remarked dryly.
“Not true!” Kamya charged. “Only eight,” she assured me. “The one’s who mirrored his actions. I left the young ones.”
Federo shook his head. “How merciful.”
“What is your problem?” Kamya demanded.
“I don’t know, Kamya?” Federo snapped. “I suppose when one does a favor for another, he would prefer not to be questioned, harassed, threatened, or doubted by a member of the group. Listening to your charming reflections only serves to remind me that it is a mere taste of what you are capable of.”
“I am not so freehanded with my trust. It is earned…my friend,” Kamya mocked. “I will not be seduced by what tidings you dangle before me, no matter how desperate the need may be.”
“Always self-serving, aren’t we?” Federo charged.
Kamya shot to her feet. “Do not mistake my being here for anything other than what it is.”
“And what is that?” Federo posed. “Please illuminate me.”
“To keep an eye out for your brother, a Talisman who has betrayed the Guild and is hunting the one I have sworn to protect. I gave Beatrix my word I would watch over her, and I will kill any threat she encounters, even if I have to run my knife through you to do it! Especially knowing that Helio is taking refuge inside her! So if you don’t like my methods or my stories then I suggest you cover eyes and plug your ears, or I will gladly do it for you!”
Federo scrambled to his feet and snatched his torch. “I’m going to check the perimeter… Again!” he grunted.
“Yes, why don’t you!” Kamya snapped and then swatted her fingers like she was flicking a bug. Federo stormed away, headed in the opposite direction this time.
Kamya glowered at the empty spot where Federo had been standing. “I still can’t believe Benicio turned out to be the traitor. He’s more suited for the role of turncoat!”
“You don’t trust him at all, do you?” I questioned.
“I would sooner take my direction from a snake. Tanner’s judgment is skewed right now. His eyes are only on the prize he seeks. Mine are crystal clear. Somebody’s has to be!”
“You think Tanner’s risking our safety to get the stone for Katie?”
Kamya sighed and stroked one of my cheeks. “I’m saying that the quest to alter fate has consumed him. And even though Tanner is a very shrewd and skilled warrior, desperation can turn even the most diligent and fiercest of souls into a careless fool.”
After a moment of thoughtful contemplation, the Ruby Talisman snapped her fingers. “Tatka,” she called out.
The little child sorcerer stopped playing with his moths and approached her.
“Be a dear and shadow Federo,” Kamya instructed. “See if you can find out what he’s up to.”
The tiny sorcerer nodded to Kamya and took what she’d said to heart. We watched his body and clothes magically transform into a deep, charcoal shade as he edged his way into the jungle. Talk about camouflage.
Tanner had asked me to keep Kamya calm, but I was starting to question if even a supernatural sedative could make a dent. I decided to fill the unnerving wait with something that would distract the Ruby Talisman temporarily and was well overdo.
“I never thanked you for saving me,” I said wholeheartedly.
“Thank yous are not a necessity,” Kamya replied with a far-off look in her eyes. “I am glad to do this for my old friend.”
“I think a proper one is,” I insisted and then rolled up my sleeve. Kamya shook her head and halted my hand before I could dig the first nail into my skin.
“I want a lapis lazuli,” Kamya announced firmly.
“What?”
Kamya tilted her head. “You heard me. That’s the stone I want.”
“Why wouldn’t you want a dia—”
“I never said that I didn’t want a diamond. It’s naïve of you to think my actions merit one. Saving you was my duty. If you are offering a token of gratitude, then I’ll take a lapis lazuli…first.”
I shifted restlessly. “But… A diamond—”
“No. Something tells me that this request is more of a sacrifice,” Kamya assessed with grin.
My mouth fell open. Bull’s-eye.
“Is there a problem?” Kamya asked.
“But I’ve… I’ve never…” Frustrated, I lowered my head and sighed. “I don’t even know how to make one,” I confessed. Though Kamya tried her best to put on an austere front, I could tell she was taking enjoyment in watching me squirm.
“That is easily remedied,” Kamya guaranteed with a smile. “Place your hands together and cup them,” she ordered. Still full of reservations, I did as she requested. I flinched when she placed her hands over mine. She gave them a speedy smack. “You need to relax. Unless you want its former owner to run around that your head of yours the entire time?”
Terrific. I let out a dramatic, cleansing huff and eased my hands together. “How’s this?”
“You look like a monk,” Kamya groaned. “But I suppose it will have to do. Now, you need to inhale a deep breath of air while you focus on the lapis lazuli’s energy.”
“Don’t I need my ring?”
“No. Its power is already locked deep inside of you. You and the stone have been as one since the moment you claimed it. You just haven’t wanted to hear its calls. Tear down that wall you’ve built and locate it.”
“Will he—”
“Yes. The longer the stone is a part of you, the stronger its force grows in every way. But you must take the good with the bad, until you can control it…or tolerate it enough,” she added grimly. “Do you remember what its essence feels like?”
“Yes,” I answered hoarsely, thinking about the wicked vibe that rolled through me at the Drive-In.
“Then close your eyes, take a deep breath, and try. Not for me…but for yourself,” Kamya urged. “Let go of your fears and let its energy in.”
With my eyes clenched tightly, I drew in a hefty stream of air. It wasn’t hard to pinpoint the lapis lazuli’s energy. It burst through my body like a crowd of Black-Friday shoppers charging through freshly unlocked doors. Aside from the unwanted force bubbling within me, the only other thing I felt was gut-wrenching dread. The anticipation of seeing his face twisted every one of my nerves. I felt a haze beginning to cloud my mind. Exactly as I’d anticipated, I was back at the parking lot of the mine where Lazarus stood poisoning my father — again. My body started shaking, right along with Daddy’s as the lethal toxin ran rampant through his veins. It was even more real than before. This time, I could actually feel the poison’s corrosive sting and every shred of pain that consumed my father. And again, I could do nothing to help him.
Kamya instructed, “Now, lock on to the energy. The lapis lazuli is a stone of the air and must be born in the same manner. The only power it will allow you to transfer is its poison. Blow into your palm and close your hands tightly.”
Ready to end this torturous picture-show, I shot the gust into my hands and clamped them shut. I braced myself for any sort of physical pain, but strangely there wasn’t any. That was one plus. Suddenly, Lazarus appeared by my side in an instant and called out my name. My eyes flew open right along with my hands as soon as I felt his vile, heavy breaths hit my ears.
I immediately searched all around for the lapis lazuli. Kamya located it first and squeezed the royal blue stone between her fingers. What she presented to me was no bigger than a pebble. What a total letdown!
Kamya shook her head. “A million more of these and you could line a fish tank,” she assessed with a sneer.
I snatched it out of her grasp. “That’s it? All that…for this?” I demanded. “Are they usually this small?”
<
br /> “No. ‘Small’ would be better.” Kamya pried the piddly speck out of my fingers. “I’m afraid you’ll be spitting out a lot of these tiny things until you deal with your demons… But practice makes perfect,” she sang and placed it inside her pocket.
I rolled my eyes. “Great. I can’t wait.”
“Don’t beat yourself up,” Kamya encouraged. “Dealing with memories can be worse than a perilous bout.”
“Do you claim any other stones?” I asked, needing to step out of the spotlight.
Kamya grinned. She knew what I was up to. “Me?” she posed. “No. That’s frowned upon.”
“By who?”
“The Guardians of the Guild, of course,” Kamya replied.
“The Guild has guardians?”
“Yes,” Kamya answered. “There are four, one for each element. Including the one that hides inside you at this very moment. There is only one who was truly meant to claim another’s stone and that, my in-the-dark young girl, is you. That is why you are the only Talisman who can summon a stone’s full power and everyone else has limits that are bound by nature. They were solely meant for you.”
“But why?”
“Shiloh, you must understand that I don’t entirely agree with what your mentors choose to reveal. Personally, I feel everything should be on the table, but I must respect their wishes at the same time.”
Another roadblock, I thought as my gaze fell to the ground.
Kamya tilted my head up. “To a degree.” She scooted closer. “The powers bestowed upon the diamond you claim were crafted by the Guardians for a reason. A specific reason. But I’m afraid it is one that only they or the wand itself can reveal to you.”
“But both you and Tanner would go against them to kill Ferrol?” I asked.
“I cannot speak for Tanner, but yes…I most certainly would.” Kamya stared into the fire. “I would do anything to feel Adean’s essence… To talk to her… Share in her memories… Considering your predicament, I think you can understand why.”
“Did you ever betray your best friend with lies?”
“No,” Kamya laughed sadly. “Ironically, it was over the truth. But Adean didn’t want to see it, nor hear it from me.” The Ruby Talisman took a deep breath. “We had a terrible fight and some horrible things were said…by each of us. I didn’t mean any of it, and I would like to think neither did she.”
“What was it about?”
“Ferrol,” Kamya grumbled. “She was…with him. I told her I didn’t trust him and he was no good. That he was filling her head with lies. That he was up to something and didn’t really love her.” A single fiery tear streaked out of her eye and smoldered down her cheek. “He killed her that night. That was the only time I’ve ever prayed I wasn’t right.” Kamya closed her eyes reflectively. “I blame myself for not preventing her death.”
Her soft-side came as a shock, but it was a pleasant surprise. “But you didn’t kill her,” I assured her.
“Yes, I did! I could have stayed and prevented it all. But I thought she was being stubborn. I was the stubborn one! I regret storming away. She would still be alive if I hadn’t left. That was our first and last argument,” she sighed. Kamya placed her arms on my shoulders and looked thoughtfully into my eyes. “Your betrayal wasn’t the lie you told your friend, it was not trusting the strength of your bond. I did the same thing. I said some horrible things. Regretful things. I thought Adean was choosing Ferrol over our friendship, so I gave her an ultimatum and forced her to choose — him or me. She thought I was jealous and demanded I leave. Your friend is hurt, Shiloh. You are guilty of trying to manipulate her life. She placed all of her trust and faith in you, but you didn’t extend her the same courtesy.”
“I didn’t want her to lose hope,” I defended.
“But you must realize you have put her in that jeopardy all by yourself. I shudder to think how my one-sided demand may have played a part in Adean’s death. Was she so blinded with rage that she couldn’t see his attack? Did I make it easy for him? I disagree with Beatrix and Tanner on this one. You must always speak your mind and speak the truth, no matter how painful. I’ve never regretted my opinions of Ferrol, not one single day, only my approach. But, I do regret not staying and fighting for our friendship. Friends should never leave a rift. The only thing that cools well is ice.”
My eyes began to well. “She doesn’t want to talk to me,” I muttered.
“That’s the anger clouding her heart. Like the first ray of sunlight peeking through a violent storm, this too shall break. She’s alone and scared with nothing but her thoughts and fears to entertain her. But she’s guilty of the same thing. She hasn’t been open about her feelings with you either. She hasn’t told you about all the time she’s spent dwelling on her return to the earth. She knows its limits, but out of respect to you and your emotions, she chose to bury them and they fuel her anger. They’re eating her alive. This argument was a long time coming, Shiloh. You must accept that fact. This isn’t solely your fault, nor is it only about the lies you’ve told to shield her.”
I’d never looked at it like that before. I thought I was the one who was glossing over “what will be”, but I know Katie like she knows me. She would have asked. She had questioned everything else, every step of the way. Why else wouldn’t she broach the subject of the impending “after”? She is… She’s scared.
“I’m sure she has realized her culpability by now,” Kamya alleged. “She must be a smart girl if she chose you as her best friend.”
That might be true, but then again, she could also be a front-runner for the world’s record in “grudge holding”. “Or she could be in there still fuming and ready to go another round,” I countered.
“Answer this for me. How do you truly know if you are best friends if that friendship has never been put to the test?”
A swift, sharp pang struck my heart. At that very moment, the only thing I wanted to do was to race back to the hotel room so I could lock my bosom friend around my neck — but I couldn’t. That sure kicked my impatience into overdrive.
“Promise me one thing,” Kamya instructed. “When you do talk to her, make her confront her demons… Express every one of her fears, no matter how painful their mention is for either of you. And don’t take any exception to her harsh words. Sometimes words that stem from a wounded heart can sting sharper than any blade. And above all, remember that nothing matters except love and truth in the end.”
“In the end,” I repeated somberly. “But that’s the thing. Even if Tanner comes out of that cave with a stone, will it work? And the Onyx still has her body hidden somewhere,” I sighed as my eyes fell to the ground. “I doubt we ever find it.”
“Our mutual friend from the church could help you with that,” Kamya revealed. “One of his howlites will not only track a supernatural with great mark, but a human quite easily. All you would need is a personal effect to bind with its magic. The stone would beat a path straight to her body, wherever it may be.” Kamya noted the lustful look in my eyes. “Yes,” she grinned. “I see I’m going to have some competition when it comes to claiming his head.”
“But that would only solve one of my problems. I’m still leery about this ‘wishing stone’.” I leaned back and ran my hands through my mane angrily. “I was so close to getting the fire opal back from Lorelei. So close,” I sulked.
Kamya rubbed her chin. “You are wise not to put too much faith in the red chalcedony. The fire opal’s magic is let’s say…guaranteed.”
“You don’t think it will work?” I posed.
“I’m not saying that,” Kamya sighed. “I’m saying that appearances can be deceiving. The stone may not be meant for your friend.”
“What do you mean?” I asked anxiously. The pause that followed was unsettling. Kamya definitely seemed to be weighing her words.
Before she could answer, an unexpected roar blared out of the cave that catapulted me to my feet. Federo came charging out of the jungle. He looked more curi
ous than alarmed.
“What was THAT?” I demanded.
Kamya stood up and sauntered towards the mouth of the cave. “Something from Tanner’s past.”
Another heinous growl rumbled through the night air, but this time, it was followed by a horrific, human-like howl.
I whirled around to Kamya. “That’s Tanner!” I exclaimed, my gut burning with certainty. The three of us stood motionless while we listened to the back and forth barrage of distressing groans and growls. It didn’t sound good. I rushed towards the cave.
Kamya jerked me back. “NO! Tanner can handle himself. You are to remain here!”
“But what if he needs our help?” I pleaded.
“I’m sure he does, but even if we entered, the chances of us actually finding him are remote. We would all be tested. Bad memories are nothing compared to what horrors lay in there. Tanner made his choice when he entered. This is his battle.”
“So what’s the worst that could happen?” I asked. Kamya didn’t say a word, though a stoic look had hardened on her face, right before my eyes. I turned to Federo. “He just doesn’t get the stone? Right?” I posed and then shifted my gaze back to Kamya.
“No,” Federo answered. “Death is far worse.”
My back collapsed as a fist full of worry socked me straight in the gut. Another round of roars boomed out of the cave. This time, Tanner’s voice sounded shredded and weak. I grabbed my amethyst and called out to him. He didn’t answer.
“Can he hear me in there? Can he answer?” I asked them.
Kamya shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t—”
“Yes,” Federo interrupted.
“Then why won’t he answer?”
“Maybe he cannot?” Federo posed as he stared gravely at the opening.
That settled it. I had to help him, but the headstrong Ruby Talisman would surely try to stop me somehow.
I pretended to walk away, but I turned invisible and shoved them out of my path as I made a mad dash for the cave. My clever cloak disappeared as soon as I crossed its threshold. I reached into my bag and pulled out my hilt. Kamya rushed towards the mouth, but stopped shy of entering. I couldn’t tell if the fearful look in her eyes was for me, or about what would be waiting for her if she stepped inside.
