Bloodstone (Talisman)

by S. E. Akers

  I pulled open the front door to find a sight for sore eyes unexpectedly standing there, smiling at me.

  “I thought you were on a cruise?” I said, still shaking off the shock.

  “Now, you didn’t think I’d miss your graduation, did you?” Samuel scolded with the hint of a smile. “I couldn’t let my girl look out in the crowd and not see one smiling face.”

  I was so overjoyed that I wanted to throw my arms around him, but a part of me was still hurt about him leaving without saying a word, so my frame remained rigidly locked at the knees. You would’ve thought I was actually graduating from Kindergarten today.

  “Beatrix is dead,” I blurted.

  Samuel lowered his head. “I’m so sorry,” he said.

  I nodded, knowing he truly meant it. “I miss her,” I replied. “And I’ve missed you too.”

  Samuel lifted his gaze. “I have to admit, honey…I was right jealous that you two had gotten so close. I kinda felt like I’d been replaced.”

  I loosened my muscles immediately and lunged at him. “You and me both,” I assured my surrogate father as I gave him a tight squeeze. I noticed the passenger-seat in his Jeep was empty. “So where is Ms. Marion?” I questioned. Or should I say, “Mrs.”…

  “She’s still in Jamaica. I think.” Samuel’s grin stretched as smooth and slow as taffy. “I left her when we made port two days ago.”

  I tried my best to muzzle my erupting smile, but it inevitably busted loose. “You didn’t?”

  “You bet your sparkly butt I did!” Samuel replied with proud nod. “Shiloh, honey, I didn’t know she was kidnappin’ me for over a month. I figured we’d be gone two weeks at the most. Now I know why she kept fudgin’ her answer when I kept askin’ ‘when’ we were headed home. Between missin’ your big day and findin’ a Wedding by the Sea brochure, I thought it best if I scooted my butt on home. So, when we docked in Jamaica, I told her and her ulterior motive that I was headin’ home, without her.”

  I bit down on my lip. “What did she say?”

  “She threw a fit…and everything else that wasn’t nailed down. I barely got off the ship alive. I had to leave my dang clothes back there too.”

  “Good thing she wasn’t packing…Was she?” I asked.

  “Nawww. But that crazy old woman can hurl a couple of mean dinner plates…and a fork,” he confirmed with a convulsive shake and a fierce rub of his arm. I gave Samuel several consoling pats and led him over to our version of a confessional, the old white-painted porch swing.

  “You must have liked her…a little?” I posed. “You two have been inseparable for months. I really did mean it when I said I wished you would be open to finding someone.”

  “I know ya did…but I finally figured out the real reason I was with her. I was filling a void,” Samuel confessed. “But the void I was filling was you. Since you found that diamond, your entire world has changed. I didn’t feel like an important part anymore.”

  “Samuel—”

  My surrogate father gave my hand a stirring squeeze. “Now, now. Let me finish,” he requested. “I was bein’ selfish. You know you’re like my own, and I’d just thought I might get to know what it felt like to be a real father to you. But I realized somethin’, honey…You’re not a little girl anymore.” Samuel stopped the swing in mid-rock and sighed. “And now you’re graduating. You’re almost as good as gone.”

  “I’ll still come back home on breaks,” I insisted. “Unless Charlotte changes the locks.”

  Samuel raised his brow. “After what you did for her?”

  “I didn’t tell her. I just started writing checks and mailed them off. And thank you, again. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t helped me sell those diamonds.”

  Samuel patted my knee. “I was glad to do it.”

  Since we were being honest, I figured now was as good a time as any to come clean. “I didn’t tell you the whole truth about why I didn’t want to ask Bea.”

  “Really?” Samuel sang, like he’d already suspected a ruse.

  “Diamonds born from my flesh are even more dangerous to me…If enough of them fell into the wrong hands…well, it would be bad,” I phrased delicately. “A Talisman used just one of them on me down in Mexico. Samuel, I honestly wanted to die it hurt so bad.”

  Samuel’s mouth fell open. “That happened on your class trip?”

  “Yeah…and I got stabbed in the gut with a diamond-dusted malachite blade. It was like a walk in the park compared to the sting of one of my stones.”

  “You got stabbed by a what? By WHOM?” Samuel demanded.

  “I’m okay. I’m okay. It was one of Malachi Xcavare’s bodyguards. Believe it or not, he was actually aiming for Mike.”

  “That’s supposed to make me feel better?” Samuel grumbled.

  “No,” I replied.

  “Don’t ever ask me to do something like that again… EVER!” Samuel grunted.

  “I won’t,” I vowed.

  Samuel pointed to my bare neck. “Where’s your friend?”

  “Hopefully her butt is at Bea’s, cleaning up the mess she made cooking my big graduation breakfast this morning,” I revealed casually, but my proud grin was hard to miss. “She made enough to choke a horse.”

  Samuel’s face lit up. “So you found her! I knew you would.”

  “Yeah, with some help…from the strangest place,” I mumbled. I watched Samuel’s head fall into a curious tilt. “A howlite of Ferrol’s. Oh, he turned up in Veracruz too.”

  “Ferrol? That no-good bastard who banged me up?” Samuel seethed. “He helped you?”

  “Not exactly. Just his stone. I wrapped a lock of Katie’s hair around one of his howlites and it led us straight to her body. But he didn’t give it to me. Another Talisman named Damiec did… But he tried to kill me in New Orleans.” And sucked on my arteries like a daggone bottomless box of juice!

  Samuel’s eyes flared. “ANOTHER ONE?” he growled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you.” I sprang to my feet and twirled around. “See. I’m perfectly fine.”

  Samuel shot me a stern glare. “Caiden always told me everything.”

  “I’m sorry,” I replied, sensing his hurt.

  “I never had to ask,” he continued, shaking his head.

  I sat back down and wrapped my arm around my “wounded” surrogate father, only for him to scoot over a tad as he pointedly looked away.”

  “It will NEVER happen again… I promise,” I cooed like any in-the-doghouse child would.

  “Okay,” Samuel grunted, half-smiling. “But it doesn’t sound like you had much of a vacation.”

  “No, but I’m about to get one,” I assured him as I glanced at my watch. Yep. I’m even later. “Samuel, I have to get going. I need to go over my speech one more time. And you better head on over to the Armory if you want to get a decent seat.”

  “All right,” Samuel acknowledged with a sigh. “I stopped by so I could give you something. Come on.” I followed him over to his Jeep. “Here,” Samuel said as he handed me a square wooden box. “Merry Christmas, Happy Graduation, and every other holiday I’ve missed in-between.”

  I rubbed my hand over the lid, tracing all the scrolly indentations with the tips of my fingers. “It’s the most gorgeous box I’ve ever seen. Did you make this?” Samuel’s woodworking was good, but this piece was quite exceptional.

  Samuel’s eyes began to glaze. “No. It was my wife’s,” he admitted in a low rustle. “And now, it’s yours.” He lifted the hinged lid back to reveal a vibrant, cerulean-blue velvet lining. I reached inside and rubbed my hand over its soft fuzzy nap. “That was one of the first gifts I ever gave her. She’d seen it in an antique shop. The lining was the color of her eyes.”

  “I’ll take good care of it. I swear,” I assured him.

  “I know you will. That’s partly why I’m givin’ it to you,” he chuckled. “It has a little feature I think you can use.” While I held the stunn
ing box, Samuel closed the lid and pulled the horizontal diamond-shaped inlays on each of its ends out about a quarter of an inch. One 45º degree turn to the right forced a couple of secret compartments to pop open. There were two more hidden in the base that opened in the same clever fashion. “Now you have something to keep your things safe. It works too. Where do you think she used to hide her goin’-to-town money from me.”

  “It’s the most perfectly fitting jewelry box I’ve ever seen.” Once all the compartments had been closed, I put it in the backseat of my Charger and pounced on Samuel for one more monstrous bear hug, possibly my last for a while. “Thank you for the box, Samuel…but most of all for coming today,” I said tearfully and pulled back to look into his warm brown eyes. “And everything else in-between,” I added with a kiss on his cheek.

  “I’ll miss you so much, Shiloh.” Samuel pulled back quickly. “You’d better not forget to call me…at least once a week!” The sternness in his tone let me know he suspected that “something” was up. Before I could tell him about my covert escape, he announced, “I ain’t blind! I saw all those boxes packed and ready in the hall.”

  I shook my head and grinned. “I can’t fool you.”

  “Not most of the time,” Samuel grinned. “You know, if I’d known Katie was fixin’ such a big breakfast, I probably would have stopped by to see her first.”

  I grinned. “Funny. But you wouldn’t have gotten in. Tanner sort of spelled the house…so no one can get in and she—”

  “Can’t get out?” he finished.

  “Exactly,” I confirmed.

  “I bet she’s plumb eat-up with a case of the antsies.”

  I shot him a stern glare. “Samuel, you have no idea. But she’ll get her reprieve tomorrow.”

  “Big summer planned?”

  “Yeah,” I replied. “But not entirely with her. I’m staying with Tanner.” Straightaway, Samuel crossed his arms and threw me a look that only a father knew how. “What?” I objected, already mounting my defense.

  “This Tanner,” Samuel began.

  “My mentor,” I stressed.

  “Whatever,” he griped, “This MAN… What are his intentions?”

  His ‘intentions’? I could have shriveled like a daisy in a drought right then and there. “He’s going to be training me,” I insisted. “That’s ALL.”

  “I can tell you like him,” Samuel stated with raise of his mocha brow. “By the look in your eyes when you say his name. I remember a time when my wife had that same look.”

  Somebody please end this now…

  “Samuel—”

  “Will anyone else be there?” he hinted.

  “No,” I replied awkwardly, despite aiming for “innocent”.

  Samuel didn’t say a word. He simply eyed me from head to toe with one hellacious, judgmental sweep. He was probably getting the measurements he needed for his next workshop project — welding me an iron chastity belt. Daddy would have been proud.

  A loud “bang” whirled our heads toward the front porch. There was Charlotte, pink fuzzy robe and slippers, bending down to grab the morning paper with a classy scratch to her rear. Samuel gave me a peck on the cheek and jumped into his Jeep. “Behave” and “You better watch those tingles” were the last words he said before he pulled out of our drive. Though his “I’m-watching-you” gesture he made with his hand took the prize.

  He doesn’t have anything to worry about, I affirmed with a nod as I headed to my Charger. The sound of our backdoor slamming shut caught my attention. So did the rustling and crackling noises I heard. I looked over to see Jake Bailey, a local construction worker, running over to a clump of bushes while he buttoned his shirt. A loud rumble rocked the mountainside, and not a second later, he took off down the road on his motorcycle headed home — PROBABLY TO HIS WIFE! I slammed the car door, extra hard.

  Then again, Samuel may have a point… I do lay claim to half of my mother’s genes.

  With one ridiculously slow mile left to go, I weaved through an obstacle course of cars lining the two-lane stretch that led to the Armory. It was the only building with the size and capacity to hold any sort of major event in Welch, but even its parking sucked. Most everyone from our small-town was here and the cops were directing traffic, so no one really cared where they dumped their vehicles. Thankfully my top-spot granted me one valuable perk — a reserved space just outside the rear entrance in the back lot of the building.

  I whipped into my spot to find a sign plastered on the wall. A blind person couldn’t miss this thing. Brown and gold ribbons trimmed a gigantic board with my name on it, outlined in shiny gold glitter. It was a touching thought and the way it was bedizened, it had Kara and the cheerleading squad written all over it. Now this one, I appreciated.

  Kara pounced on me as soon as I’d exited my car. “What do you think of the sign? I made it myself,” she bragged. “Doesn’t it just rock!?!”

  I wiggled out of her hold. “It’s seismic all right,” I replied. “That was sweet.”

  “Did Chloe make hers?” Kara asked.

  “Yeah,” I replied with a light laugh. “But I like yours better.”

  Ty swaggered over, looking at his watch. “I was starting to think I might get that first seat after all,” he teased with a frown.

  “Dream on,” I laughed. Everyone around me was already suited up, so I tore off the plastic sheathing in one yank and whipped on my robe.

  Kara snatched my cap out of my hand. “Here. Let me,” she insisted. I felt like a kid getting groomed for my annual birthday picture at J.C. Penny. A few wisps and a couple of bobby pins later, I was officially a graduate. My eyes scanned a sea of endless gold polyester. Or a member of a flashy cult.

  “Perfect!” Kara raved.

  I spotted Mike jabbing several guys on the football team in the gut as he headed our way. He had already sucker-punched Ty before I could get a warning off.

  “Damn,” Ty groaned, hunched over.

  “What?” Mike defended. “It’s a congratulatory pat, you wuss.”

  “Then give one to Shi, too,” Ty remarked.

  Mike glanced at my gut. I could tell by the look in his eyes he was thinking about the last time my stomach had played “target”. “Nah,” Mike shrugged.

  “Why not?” Ty ragged.

  I puckered my lips and interceded. “Because he knows that I’ll hit back.”

  Mike threw me a wink. “Yeah…Pretty hard from what I’ve been told.”

  Coach Hayes’ white Chevy pick-up came rolling into the congested lot. When he opened the door, a gust of air swirled hundreds of white specks in the air. A lot of them appeared to be clinging to him too. The closer he stormed our way, the sooner I realized they were static-charged packing-peanuts. From his head to his shoes, our school’s most sought after “easy-mark” was covered in them and seemed desperate to swat every last one of them off.

  I looked between the two most likely suspects, shifting my suspicious stare.

  “Don’t look at me,” Ty asserted.

  My gaze fell on Mike, whose eyes were suspiciously honing in on Kara. I quickly read her thoughts.

  She knew it too. “What?” she shrieked with a stomp of her foot. “He gave me a C! … In freakin’ Gym.”

  “Believe it or not, I was the voice of reason this time,” Mike added. “She wanted to jack his truck, slit his tires, and fill them with Quikrete.”

  Kara evaluated our expressions. “Don’t judge me,” she stated firmly and threw up her hand.

  Someone who was frantically calling out my name forced me to turn around. “There you are!” Mrs. Tuttle huffed. “Come with me.” She took a hold of my wrist and led me inside the building to a spot beside a pair of closed double doors. “There. Don’t move,” our guidance counselor warned. She turned and started clapping her hands, calling for everyone to take their assigned places behind me.

  “Is Bea coming today?” Ty whispered when he fell into line.

  Oh no. Anything but that. I�
��d meant to tell him, a number of times, but none of them still seemed like the right one. “Now” wasn’t an exception either.

  “No,” I finally replied and prayed he wouldn’t question my reserve. Telling him that the woman he’d known for years and thought of like a grandmother had died seven weeks ago was the last thing I wanted to spring on him before we strutted out in front of a huge crowd.

  “Why—”

  “She’s not here…in town,” I corrected abruptly, before the words forced any tears. But Ty wasn’t an idiot. There was a good reason he held the spot right behind me. He knew it had to be something serious to keep her from coming. Regardless of the limitations of her supposed “blindness”, she would have shown up simply to hear our names called. Before I let his thoughts run too far away from him, I whispered back, “I’ll tell you later. I promise.”

  Ty agreed with a somber nod, but that didn’t stop his brain from racing with a number of explanations. And rest assured, all of them were downright dismal.

  Nice going, Shi. You just ruined his day…

  Pomp and Circumstance certainly wasn’t the most uplifting tune to hear in my current emotional state and considering that I’d just sabotaged Ty’s too. Mrs. Tuttle motioned for me to start walking, but I stood there as still and contemplative as Rodin’s “The Thinker” sculpture — trying to persuade my conscience to let me “lift his spirits” on the sly. Ty tapped my shoulder, just as I started to send him a merciful, mind-altering message.

  “Don’t do it,” Ty whispered. “If it’s what I think…Look, I’ll be fine.” I respected his wish with a pause and took a much-needed deep breath before heading out the wide-open double-doors.

  I was sitting in my coveted first chair before I knew it, not remembering how I’d gotten here. Everything in my life, including the short walk I’d just made, seemed like one big blur. Then like a bright flash of light, I realized something as I glanced around at my classmates. With all the things that had happened to me since that fateful night in early November — changes and challenges — in the end, this was just another metal folding chair. Definitely more uncomfortable than theirs…and it always would be.