The Diamond Bearers’ Rising
The Unaltered series: book six
by Lorena Angell
Copyright 2018 Lorena Angell
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Cover Art: Creative Alchemy, Inc.
For more titles by Lorena Angell visit www.LorenaAngell.com
Special Thanks
To Mom and Dad, for sharing your creativity and for teaching me how to persevere. Oh, and sorry for blowing up the microwave when I was eight.
Thank You to my Patreon supporters:
Richard Baxter, Linda Baxter, Jeremy Baxter, Carolyn Collette, Jeanie Filter, Tiffany McClaskey, Kim Snyder, and Manuel Villaveces.
Contents
Chapter One - New Year’s Resolutions
Chapter Two - The Gathering
Chapter Three - Repeating With Police
Chapter Four - China
Chapter Five - Confusion
Chapter Six - Clara’s Apprentice
Chapter Seven - The Surrendering
Chapter Eight - Changing of the Guard
Chapter Nine - Brand on a Mission
Chapter Ten - Norway
Chapter Eleven - Clan Meeting Woes
Chapter Twelve - Bullseye on his Back
Chapter Thirteen - Birthday Surprises
Chapter Fourteen - The Backup Guy
Chapter Fifteen - The Bureau
Chapter One - New Year’s Resolutions
Am I really virtually indestructible as Crimson and Maetha said? Is that even possible?
The revelation Maetha and Crimson gave me earlier tonight has dug a deep hole in my mind, swallowing everything else. Well, almost. Nothing can overpower the irrepressible memory of being in Chris’s arms just a little while ago. Once my body healed, I healed his—an intimate, all-consuming process. A warm flutter fills my stomach followed by a quick shiver as I remember his exciting touch.
“Are you cold?” Chris asks, walking into the living room from the kitchen with two mugs of cocoa.
“A little.” I don’t want to admit what really caused my shiver.
He sets the mugs down on the coffee table in front of me and walks over to the fireplace. I admire his shape and the perfect way his body fills out his relaxed jeans. As he pulls the screen away and checks the flue, I observe his strong back and well-defined trapezius and lattisimus dorsi muscles through his snug-fitting tee shirt. I smile at my knowledge of the muscles’ names, something I learned in one of my college anatomy classes.
“I’m going to build a fire for us.”
“Is there any wood?” I ask.
“My dad always stocked more wood than he could burn in one winter. I’m sure there’s a pile out back. This is Denver, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. The run here from the mall was freezing.” A sudden realization hits me and I become a little distressed. “Chris, Marketa drove your car to the mall. It’s still there. I think she had the keys in her pocket, but she’s gone . . . ”
Chris comes over and kneels in front of me. He takes both my hands. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I have an extra set of keys.” Looking down at our connected hands, he says, “You are cold.” He lets go and grabs the blanket off the back of the couch and wraps me snuggly. Then he hands me a mug of cocoa. “This will warm you up. I’ll be back in a minute.”
He leaves the room, and soon I hear the back door open and close.
I sip on the delicious hot drink and clear my mind. I think about the concept of being virtually indestructible. How would I be able to know for sure? Tonight would have gone a lot better if I’d been tougher. Then again, maybe not. Crimson thought I’d be able to heal myself almost instantly if I was shot with a regular bullet. Of course, this one was made of obsidian, so that experiment went out the window. Am I going to have to be shot with a bullet to find out if I can heal myself quickly? I healed my burn once when I made tea. The rose thorn scratch didn’t tear my skin, or if it did I healed instantly. But a teensy, tiny, bit of that black rock gets in me and I’m rendered helpless. I need to ask if I can have one of the Healer quartz from General Harding’s compound on my body at all times. I already know a charged topaz isn’t strong enough to heal major problems like when I had an enflamed appendix, and since the Healer quartz doesn’t deplete like a topaz does, it would seem to be a good solution.
Tomorrow, New Year’s Day, the other Bearers will learn of Marketa’s death at the Diamond Bearer gathering. I’m still in shock over the whole incident. The more I think about it the more I remember. I’d rather not. I have to wonder if Marketa’s reluctance to accept younger Bearers could have been worked through eventually. How am I going to get the older Bearers to accept us? To accept me and what I’ve been chosen to do?
I take another sip of my cocoa and consider that most of the Bearers are still in the dark about the upcoming Elemental blast that will hit Portland, Oregon in twenty months. Chris and I have only met with Jie Wen, Chuang, Kookju, Ruth, and Marketa. The rest of the Bearers still need to be told. I sure hope things go better than at the first meeting.
My mind shifts gears to the running list of dissident Bearers. Marketa wasn’t a suspect in the first place on my list. Her mental communications were kept clean and positive, keeping her off my radar. Perhaps Jie Wen, Yeok Choo, Kookju, or Chuang doesn’t belong on the list. Or maybe I’m wrong entirely. Perhaps I should suspect Fabian, Ruth, Aernoud, or any of the others, too.
The topic of capturing the Elemental blast in a diamond floats through my head. Apparently I’m supposed to be strong enough to withstand the radiation from the blast so a diamond can be charged with the power. The whole concept is confusing. No other cosmic ray has caused problems like this. Why this one?
I drink more of my cocoa.
Chris comes into the room carrying an armful of various sized logs and kindling. He’s wearing an oversized winter coat and large boots that I assume were his father’s. I have to wonder how he’s coping with the loss of his father. Or rather, has he coped yet? I think I already know the answer to that.
He bends down, gently dumping the wood onto the rock hearth in front of the metal grate. “It’s chilly out there. The thermometer said seventeen degrees.”
“Fahrenheit?”
“Yeah. It’s silly for us not to have a fire. The power bill will be astronomical otherwise.” He piles the smallest pieces of kindling on the bottom and lights them with a long lighter. I’m surprised he’s concerned about saving money for the Bearers. After he signed the house away for the use of the Bearers, he also parted with the responsibilities associated with maintenance. His frugality is kind of endearing, honestly.
The tinder crackles and pops as it ignites and burns. Chris carefully places bigger pieces on top and nurtures the growing fire. Then he stands, sheds the coat and boots, and puts them aside. He bends down again and tends to the fire.
Feeling the desire to be closer to him, near his warmth, I set my cocoa down and grab the nearby accent pillows off the couch. With the blanket still draped around my shoulders, I shimmy down by Chris. I say, “You’ve built a wonderful, warm fire.”
“Thanks.” He meets my gaze. His eyes hold heat of a different kind.
“What a good idea, Chris,” Mae
tha says, entering the living room. “A romantic New Year’s Eve fire.”
I roll my eyes at the interruption and Chris smiles.
Crimson follows her and adds, “I find it interesting, Maetha, you refer to the fire as a mood setter and not a life-sustaining element. Fire is everything. A basic elemental ingredient to support life. Without it, humans couldn’t live in extreme cold locations, cook food, or illuminate darkness to extend daily activities.”
Maetha nods. “Yes, but in this day and age, with electricity and natural gas heating homes, the fireplace becomes a mood setter and alternative heat source.”
Crimson nods. “Much has changed over the course of my existence, that’s for certain. I remember when fires were positioned in the center of the floor, with the smoke filling the room. The invention of chimneys didn’t come about till less than one-thousand years ago.”
Chris clears his throat and says, “This is all really fascinating, but could Calli and I enjoy the warmth of this romantic fire without the history lesson?”
“My apologies,” Crimson says. “We’ll retire for the night to give you privacy.” She walks over and places a hand on each of our heads and says, “No one will be able to hear you.” The glittering blue mist of magical concealment encircles us. Then she leaves the room.
“Good night,” Maetha says, giving us a quick nod. She turns off the remaining lights and exits.
Chris and I are left alone in the living room. For a brief second, the only sounds are the sizzling crackles of the burning logs. Chris pokes at the fire to reposition the flame for better efficiency. When he’s finished, he sits beside me.
Breaking the silence, I say, “You know, I kind of like hearing what those two know about the past. They’ve lived it. They’ve experienced so many changes to normal life.” I rotate on my pillow and face him. “Maybe someday in the distant future we’ll tell our descendants about how we once used fire as a mood setter.”
“Yeah. By that time they’ll say, ‘You actually got to light a fire?’ ”
I laugh and reach out and rest my hand on his thigh. His eyes drop to my hand, then travel slowly back up to my eyes. He lowers his voice and says, “I love to hear you laugh. It’s something I didn’t know if I’d ever hear again.”
“What do you mean?”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me next to him. “When Crimson was trying to heal you and you passed out, I thought you might die. Well, actually, Maetha gave that impression because of how upset she became that you were injured in the first place. She said Crimson would not be able to heal you and she didn’t know if we’d get there in time. I couldn’t imagine what life would be like without you.”
I sense his anxiousness and want to soothe his fears. “Everything worked out in the end.”
“Sure, you can say that now. But it doesn’t fix the way I still feel.”
I wrap my arm around his back and turn into his hug. He lays his cheek on top of my head and rubs his hands up and down my back. I ask, “Have you thought about what you’re going to set for your New Year’s resolutions?”
He raises his head and cups the back of mine, gently massaging my hair. In all seriousness he says, “I want to catch that S.O.B Max Corvus. I can’t believe he shot you.”
“He wasn’t trying to kill me, though.”
“That doesn’t matter. The obsidian made you powerless and Marketa was able to hurt you. If he hadn’t shot you, you would have been able to defend yourself.”
“You’re forgetting that Crimson told me to let everything happen. Besides, if things hadn’t played out the way they did, you and I wouldn’t have the strong connection we now have.”
“True. But it still makes me mad.”
I go in for the hug again. I love being so close to his body and heartbeat.
He asks, “What’s your New Year’s resolution?”
“I want to find out if I’m really indestructible.”
He pulls away this time. “What? What if you’re not?”
“That’s why I need to find out.”
“But Calli,” his words are slow and deliberate, “what if you’re not?”
“Well, I’m not going to purposefully put myself in a life or death situation, Chris. I just want to experiment a little to see if I’m injured or if I’m able to heal quickly.”
“Okay, that sounds better.” He relaxes and I settle my head against his shoulder. He says, “This year I definitely want to find more time to be with each other. Things are pretty hectic, but I think we can find the time to connect.”
“I’d like that.”
“I already know Crimson is sending me back to continue working at the Pentagon.”
“Do you think you’ll ever get to not be a spy?”
“This coming from the girl who will never have a normal life again,” he jokes, then his body goes rigid and he pulls back. “I’m sorry, Calli. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Why is he apologizing? I haven’t even reacted to his statement yet. Chris has to be repeating, I just know it. But I don’t know how he’s doing it. Instead of voicing my suspicions, I say, “Normal life has flown out the window for both of us.”
He smiles. “We’ll just have to make a new normal.” He drops his hold on me and tends to the fire, putting on another log.
“How do you think the Diamond Bearers will react when they hear about Marketa’s death?”
“I suppose they’ll be frightened. Think about it. In the last four months, Freedom, Neema, Rolf, Hasan, and now Marketa have died. These immortals who have survived centuries and millennias are now able to be killed. That’s got to freak them out.”
I nod. “Well, learning Crimson has had the ability to remove diamonds all along is disturbing to me. Maetha didn’t even know. No one else knows this except us.”
“Crimson is definitely a mystery.”
“Chris, Max was about to post about Jonas and me. I saw the post. He would have stated both our names. Imagine the consequences. Jonas’ mother thinks he’s dead and buried. If she ever found out he’s not—”
“She’d probably be very happy.”
“I don’t know about that. She wouldn’t be able to have him come home. She’d have to keep the secret he’s alive for the rest of her life or risk him being sent to jail for faking his death. It’s for the best, I suppose. Jonas was going to die from cancer, that’s for sure. I feel sorry for him.”
“Do we really need to spend our evening talking about Jonas?” Chris moves into my space and nuzzles my neck. I tilt my head to the side and close my eyes, completely delighted by his touch.
“Are you jealous of him?”
He pulls away and stares me down with intensity. The blue mist reflects off his blue eyes making them seem to glow. “Should I be?”
I angle my head and lift one eyebrow. “No.”
“All right then.” He moves to kiss me but I move out of the way. His head drops. Then he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I’m sorry, Calli. I just feel like tonight should be focused on us. We don’t get much time together and if Max hadn’t come to Denver today, I wouldn’t be here at all, near you.”
“You have a point, but you don’t need to be jealous of Jonas. Max was here to post about me and Jonas. I was only pointing out how disastrous it might have been.”
“What about you? How would that have affected your life?”
“It wouldn’t have been good, that’s for sure.”
He reaches with his hand and cups my cheek, his fingers extending back into my hair. With his thumb, he traces my lips. “I’m relieved the post didn’t go up and that you’re healed. I just want to be near you tonight and celebrate the countdown to the New Year by your side.”
I’m surprised by his smooth response. I haven’t seen this side of him before. I say, “Do you remember what you said to me on the plane ride back from Alaska?”
“Which part?”
“The part where you worried we wouldn’t be able
to have a life together because I’d be off saving the world all the time? Before you became a Bearer as well.”
“Yes.”
“Well, now you’re a Bearer too and together we’ll be saving the world.”
“Interesting how things work out, isn’t it?” He brings his lips to mine and kisses me fervently.
I return the passion and soon we’re lying back on the floor. His hands move around on my shoulders and arms and under my back. Flutters, tingles, and lightning bolts race through my body all at once and I become abruptly aware of how exposed we are. Maetha and Crimson could come out of their rooms at any moment and see us.
I break the kiss and say, “It’s weird to get close when either one of them could walk out at any second.” I nod in the direction of the hallway. “I’m not comfortable with that.”
“I don’t think they would make a big deal about it. We’re both adults, clearly in love.”
“But I’m not okay.”
His hands freeze and he sits up, pulling me up too. “We don’t have to do anything that makes you un-comfortable.” He stands and helps me up off the floor. “Let’s sit on the couch and drink our cocoa before it cools down too much.”
I nod and take my place on the couch.
“Too late, the cocoa is already cold. I’ll go warm it up.” He takes both cups into the kitchen, breaking our blue mist of privacy. Chris and I will have to make sure we don’t discuss the happenings of tonight now that other Bearers could hear us if they wanted to.
Chris brings the warmed drinks in and together we sit and sip, watching the dancing fire flutter along the logs. Chris’s earlier passion feels muted and I worry I’ve upset him. He’s not acting put out, but I still worry.
“Calli, look at the clock. It’s almost midnight.”
Together we watch the second hand slowly climb to the twelve. I turn to him and say, “Happy New Year, Chris.”
He takes my drink and sets it down next to his, then cups my cheeks with his hands and kisses me. “Happy New Year, Calli.”
We linger in the living room for a little while longer, cuddled in each other’s space and enjoying our time together. Then Chris walks me to my bedroom.
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