by S. E. Akers
I contemplated going after him, but before I could decide, a familiar voice called out, “Let him go, Shiloh.”
I turned around to see a battle-worn, but still undeniably dashing, Tanner Grey trudging through the snow.
“That’s his domain down there,” he warned sternly. “He would have the advantage, even injured and without his powers. He won’t be back…not anytime soon, at least.”
I ran over to him, happy to see he was still alive. Carelessly, I started to throw my arms around him with the wand still drawn. He stepped back to dodge its blade.
“Watch it. That’s not a toy, little girl,” Tanner scolded as he lowered my weapon and shook his head.
After hearing those “two words” I hated so much, the thought of greeting him with an affectionate hug left just as soon as it had arrived.
“Nice to see you’re still in one-piece,” I announced coolly as I spied several cuts on his face and body, as well as his extremely singed clothes. I noticed his belt was missing.
“Where’s your tin belt?” I asked curiously.
“Destroyed,” Tanner announced with a grin, though he seemed clearly displeased by the fact.
I couldn’t contain my giggles. “Sorry,” I replied sarcastically. “Where’s Ferrol? Is he dead?”
Tanner’s brow furrowed. “No. The bastard ran off, and it was either go after him or look for you…but now, after seeing this scene, I think I made the wrong choice. Of course, you could’ve helped me make that decision, if you had returned my messages.”
I hesitated. In light of leaving the cave’s entrance open all day, I’d also destroyed the amethyst stone Tanner had given me. I was sure to get an earful.
“I don’t have the amethyst anymore,” I confessed. So much for being responsible, I thought quietly.
“Why not? Did you lose it?” Tanner posed.
“No. I destroyed it…accidently, when I dropped it in Charlotte’s bottle of wine…right before I got to the cave.”
To my surprise, Tanner grinned. He seemed amused by my reckless act and didn’t question my intentions. That’s a relief…
“So, how did you know where I was?” I asked.
Tanner gently brushed back my hair, leaned in, and sniffed my neck. “I just followed the scent of freesias.”
I shied away from him, still clueless as to why I couldn’t smell anything. Tanner spotted my golden topaz glowing.
“I’m glad to see you finally got that thing charged, and not a minute too soon I’d be willing to bet.”
I nodded back.
Tanner eyeballed me curiously. “Come to think of it, you really don’t look a bit worse for wear, considering when I saw you last, you were dripping in blood and having a rough time fending off Lazarus. Then I show up here to discover that you’ve driven away the Onyx?” Tanner tapped his finger against his chiseled chin for a moment. “Let me see your hands,” he demanded.
I smiled proudly as I revealed my perfectly-healed hands to him and wiggled my fingers. He was stunned.
“A simple moonbeam couldn’t have done this so quickly, even one from a blue moon,” he announced frankly with an air of suspicion.
“No, but I think a special healing moonbeam could,” I replied coyly and pulled the white pearlescent stone from my pocket. “Or possibly…a moonstone.”
Tanner took the stone from my hand and held it up to the moonlight. His eyes shined brighter than the smile illuminating his face.
“So,” Tanner began, “Seraphina healed your injuries with one of her personal stellar beams and granted you a moonstone?”
“It appears so,” I confirmed. Well now I knew the name that belonged to the enchanting voice who had saved me.
“Do you know how fortunate you truly were?” Tanner posed. “She doesn’t personally heal just anyone, nor does she hand out her stones frivolously. Moonstones are extremely rare. She’s only allowed to give one stone away on the night of a blue moon. She has thousands, upon thousands of supernaturals to choose from when she grants one of her stones…Those who are only allowed to roam the earth under the moon’s light, or find themselves at the mercy of its ominous power…Even those who cast their magic under its mystical glow…and of all these creatures she turned her gaze on you.”
I became overwhelmed with a deep appreciation for the stone, as well as the Moonstone Talisman’s generous, selfless act. I knew her special moonbeam had been instrumental in healing me, but I had no idea of what an honor “choosing me” to receive one of her moonstones actually was.
“There’s typically an order of succession she follows when bestowing one of her sought-after stones,” Tanner revealed. “Trust me, Shiloh…Whoever was originally slated to receive this moonstone tonight is right about now furiously foaming at the mouth,” he warned and then tossed it back to me.
“Oh,” I mumbled. Tanner’s declaration left me feeling a little uneasy, but considering the graveness of my life-or-death situation, I honestly didn’t have a shred of guilt. Not a lick…
“As long as you have that moonstone on you, none of your stones’ powers will never fade, and your body will heal itself instantly from anything — except a diamond’s sting, of course. The moonbeam she generated actually healed your hands, not the stone.” Tanner nodded to the moonstone and added, “She may have put some of her other powers in here, but you’ll have to discover that out for yourself. You can to talk to her, of course…but since she doesn’t have one of your diamonds, she can only answer you on the night of a full moon. Though it doesn’t have to be a blue one necessarily.”
“So, I can thank her, Seraphina? Right now?” I asked as I pointed up to the moon.
Tanner nodded his head.
Without further delay, I held the moonstone in my hand and sent her the most heart-felt thank you that I’d ever expressed to anyone in my entire life. I stood there, eyes closed for a few minutes.
Tanner nudged me. “That’s a pretty long thank you.”
“Oh, I finished that a few minutes ago. I wanted to see if she would answer,” I replied. “Maybe she didn’t get the message?”
Tanner looked up at the moon and then back at me with a smile. “I think she got it.”
Funny, I thought to myself. This Seraphina was awfully chatty with the Onyx earlier. She just saved my life, but didn’t want to answer me? Then again, knowing what Tanner had said about having to “assume my affliction”, she’s probably bandaging her hands and puking up blue poison right about now…possibly regretting her decision…After feeling that crap running through my own body — I know I would!
I looked back up at the moon, which seemed to be noticeably more buoyant and now beamed brilliantly against the dark canvas of the night sky. If the moon had actually been shedding any tears earlier, you would never know by the way it looked now.
“Where’s Lazarus?” Tanner asked as he scanned the woods.
I motioned towards the railroad tracks with a proud sweep of my hands. Tanner put his arm around me, but instead of turning to head towards the cave, he started leading me down to the bloody scene where the remaining bits and pieces of Lazarus Xcavare littered the ground.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You need to claim your stone,” Tanner replied frankly.
I didn’t take another step. “What are you talking about?”
Tanner snapped his fingers in my face. “The lapis lazuli. Lazarus’ origin stone. You killed him, so now it’s yours. You have to claim it.”
Paralyzed by his announcement, I stood beside the railroad tracks and watched while Tanner sorted through the tiny pieces of flesh in a nonchalant manner.
“It has to be around here somewhere,” Tanner remarked as he picked through the sinister Talisman’s remains. “Nice to see you cut that pompous bastard down a couple of sizes. Really more like a million,” he joked.
“Tanner,” I called out hesitantly. I waited for him to answer, but he just kept rummaging through the blood-drenched snow around the
tracks. In a much louder voice, I called out, “Tanner.”
He pulled what looked like half of a finger out of the snow. “Got it,” Tanner announced as he rose up. “What were you saying?”
“I’m not claiming that stone,” I stated firmly.
Tanner shot me a testy look. “Yes, you will.”
I glared back at him. “No. I won’t. Tanner I know what claiming that stone means, beyond its powers. That stone harbors Lazarus’ memories. It’ll haunt me with images of my father’s death. I know it will. I don’t want anything associated with that evil bastard, and I don’t want a mental DVD reminding me of how Daddy suffered. You said yourself that, ‘stones have a mind of their own’. I won’t risk it! Let it be claimed by another Talisman. You take it.”
“Sorry, little girl. The rules don’t play that way in this game. If you turn down this stone, it may end up one day being claimed by another evil bastard who would love to see you dead and claim the wand’s powers. Trust me, Shiloh…the fewer Talismans there are in the world, the better. Now claim this damn stone!”
“No!” I yelled back. I shook my head and folded my arms. “Too bad you don’t have your little tin belt…What a shame!” I goaded as the bell sounded in my head again.
Here goes “Round Three”.
Before Tanner could utter another word, we were distracted by a “squawk” echoing through the sky. We looked up to see Beatrix swooping down for a landing. She changed back into her human form as soon as she made her touchdown.
I hurried over to hug her, relieved that Lazarus had lied. “Bea, I’m so glad you’re okay!”
Nervously, she pulled from my embrace. “That’s nice dear, but Shiloh—”
Tanner interrupted her. “Bea, tell her that she has to claim Lazarus’ stone. She was responsible for his death, so she’s obligated to claim it. End of discussion!”
Beatrix looked a little less anxious. “Did you REALLY kill him, Shiloh?” she asked, sounding hopeful.
“I did, but I’m NOT claiming the lapis lazuli, Bea.” I glared at Tanner. “…and no one will MAKE ME,” I declared.
Beatrix grabbed my hand. “I’m afraid you must, dear. I’m sorry.”
I was taken aback by her announcement. As I stared into her eyes, searching for a reason behind why she would agree with Tanner, I saw a sadness that set deep within them. It was a look I’d seen there before, when she’d spoken about Daddy at his funeral.
“And you must come with me quickly…to the hospital,” Beatrix implored in a dire tone.
The hospital? “Is it Samuel? Did something happen?” I questioned anxiously.
Beatrix shook her head.
My mind raced back to what Lazarus had said. Poison in the cider. My eyes flew open when I remembered Bea had brought us out two cups. I hadn’t touched mine, but a sinking feeling came over me that Ty must’ve taken a sip of his after I’d left.
Bea’s eyes were tearing up. “I placed a golden topaz on him to stave off the poison’s lethal effects, but its power will dwindle soon. There’s not much time. Only the lapis lazuli, combined with your diamond’s healing powers can reverse the effects. I’m sorry, Shiloh. I know what claiming the stone will mean…especially for you.”
My heart sank. That was that. I had no choice in the matter. I threw the wand over to Tanner and gruffly snatched Lazarus’ severed finger out of his other hand. I yanked off the gold ring that held the royal blue stone. I took a deep breath and slid it on the ring finger of my right hand. It was way too big, but the metal magically shrunk down to the appropriate size. I flinched as it did. I felt like I’d just been handcuffed and was now a helpless prisoner who waited to be taunted by their captor.
Tanner handed me the diamond wand. “Keep this on you at all times. Never, ever let it out of your sight,” he insisted. With one quick twirl, I flourished the wand and watched its diamond blade magically retract inside the platinum hilt, now protected and secure. With that taken care of, we were off like the wind — headed for McDowell County Hospital and hopefully in the nick of time.
Chapter 27 — A Traumatic Token
Within minutes, the three of us had arrived at the hospital’s main entrance and were passing through its automatic double-doors. I’d shoved the platinum hilt inside the front pocket of my jeans, but it was still sticking out at the top. While we waited impatiently for the attendant at the main desk, I removed my jacket and tied it around my waist, tucking it securely out of sight.
“What’s he doing here, anyway?” I asked Beatrix.
“Oh, that old Mr. Mayfield stopped by right after it happened…The idiot called 911 before I could stop him. I rode along in the ambulance.” Beatrix shook her head. “There’s nothing they can do for him here. I placed a golden topaz around his neck to keep the lethal effects at bay, temporarily, but as soon as he hit the ER, the twits removed it!” She leaned in closer. “I had to turn invisible and sneak another one on him. You wouldn’t believe where I had to put it,” Beatrix whispered.
My brow furrowed with suspicion when a particularly personal & private orifice popped into my mind. I passed Beatrix a curious look. After a few seconds, her eyes widened.
“Not there!” Beatrix shook her head. “I put it in his ear,” she replied with a slight giggle.
The attendant still hadn’t shown up and time was of the essence. Just then, I spotted Beverly Rhodes bouncing down the hall and waved her over. As soon as she got a look at Tanner, her pace quickened. Beverly sidled up beside him (breasts blazing) and grabbed his arm.
“Who’s your friend, Shiloh?” Beverly asked as she batted her eyes at Tanner.
I ignored her question (and her obvious sexual assault).
“Beverly, where’s Tyler Smith?” I asked.
Now, it was her turn to ignore me. She stood there, just as every other red-blooded female trapped in Tanner’s seductive web, staring at him doe-eyed and dreamily. Needless to say, my patience had left the building. I snapped my fingers directly in her face and raised my voice.
“Beverly! Tyler Smith’s room? Where is it?” I demanded.
Beverly looked at me for only a moment and then directed her stare back to Tanner.
“They moved him to a room in the ICU wing. He’s still critical. No one but immediate family members are allowed in there…Absolutely no other visitors,” she declared.
Before I could say a word, Tanner rubbed his hand on her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes.
“Are you sure we can’t see him?” he asked suggestively.
Without hesitation, Beverly jerked Tanner’s arm. “Come with me, handsome.”
I shook my head as I followed down the hall after them.
Instantly, Beatrix cleared her throat. “Don’t forget, dear. You need to take my hand.”
Curiously, I walked back towards her.
“I’m supposed to be blind, remember?” Beatrix reminded me under her breath.
“Oh,” I gasped. I’d been around her so much over the past week that I’d forgotten about her deceptive charade. I took a hold of her hand and pretty much dragged her down the hall. Several stares from some of the hospital staff gave me a good idea of how insensitive my assistance must have looked. One male nurse detained us briefly and asked if he could get Beatrix a cane or help her around himself. I didn’t care how offensive my actions appeared. I was in a hurry and kept thinking, If y’all only knew…
The ICU wing was swarming with nurses and techs. Luckily, they were all females. Beverly motioned us over to a door bearing a small placard that read, “IC – 301”. A chart hanging on the wall beside it had the name, “SMITH, T.” scribbled diagonally across its cover in bold, black letters . That was all the confirmation I needed.
I hurried over to a large window that looked into his room. Every nerve in my body cringed at the disturbing sight of the handsome jock lying there unconscious, buried under a mass of tubes and wires that were hooked up to numerous flashing monitors.
I turned to Tanner and poi
nted over to the nurses’ station. “Okay. Go do what you do best.”
Tanner let out a dry laugh. “Are you trying to pimp me out?” he asked, amused.
I smacked him on the back. “I sure am, man-whore,” I confirmed affectionately.
Tanner’s brow rose. “If that’s what the little girl wants,” he replied and then casually strolled over to a group of nurses who’d already started to gather around the main station to ogle him, giggling and whispering amongst themselves.
Straightaway, Beatrix and I snuck into Ty’s room and closed the blinds. I stood over Ty nervously while Beatrix pulled a chair closer to his bedside. Still dazed from the sight of Ty looking so pasty and frail, she took my hand and lowered me down into the seat.
“Are you ready for this?” Beatrix asked.
I snapped out of my stupor. “Yes. What do I need to do?”
“The same thing you did to Tanner the other night. The diamond’s healing power will guide you. You have the lapis lazuli that will reverse the effects of the poison. The diamond will also magnify the stone’s strength. Just relax and let the diamond’s energy flow freely.” Beatrix’s voice trailed off as she added, “The actual healing is the easy part. I’m going to wait outside so I can keep an eye out for Tyler’s parents.”
Beatrix removed the little golden topaz from his left ear and slipped it back in her pocket. I moved closer to Ty and laid my hands on his chest, just like I’d done to Tanner the other night outside Mr. Estell’s shack.
“No, no. Not there,” Beatrix corrected as she lifted my trembling hands off his chest and gave them an encouraging squeeze. “When you’re dealing with a poison like this, you have to do it at the toxin’s point of entry.” She pointed her finger towards his mouth and then headed for the door.
