by S.E. Akers
Then just as soon as the message-sending “swoosh” struck my eardrums, I turned off my cell and tucked it back inside my purse. I eyed my leather bag curiously. I didn’t know where we were going, so wasn’t sure if I needed it.
“Do I need to take my purse?” I hollered down to Tanner.
“Um . . . Are you buying me dinner?” he popped back.
Is he kidding? “No,” I countered assuredly.
“Then leave it,” Tanner advised.
After a shrug of my shoulders, I threw my purse on the bed and grabbed my jacket.
“Okay, so can you at least tell me what we’re going to be doing that warrants old clothes?” I asked as I trotted down the stairs.
Tanner pursed his perfect mauve lips together and stretched out a smile. “We’re going to play catch.”
“What?” I cried out, confused. “Catch? It’s pouring rain, and there’s lightning flying all around out there. You’re not serious, are you?”
Tanner opened the front door and looked out at the tempestuous sky, grinning from ear to ear like he was standing underneath a cloudless blue sky on a sandy beach somewhere drinking in the most picturesque, glinting ocean scene. “Oh yeah,” he hummed, sounding almost thrilled. “We couldn’t ask for a more perfect day.”
He’s crazy… I followed him down the porch steps, however, I still felt the need to question his bizarre request.
“But the weather is horr—”
“Enough,” Tanner interrupted as he turned and stopped me at the bottom of the steps. “No more questions. Just do what I SAY. Think of me as your mentor. I’m here to teach you, advise you, and to make your transition as smooth and as painless as possible.” Though Tanner’s overall expression had softened, his eyes remained staunchly stern. “Normally, it takes a Talisman years to master their skills . . . But we don’t have the luxury of time, not with Lazarus snooping around and hot on your trail. And keep in mind that the Onyx is still lurking out there, waiting for the perfect time to strike. So instead of wasting valuable time arguing with me about my methods or my reasoning, just trust me . . . Understand?”
“Okay,” I agreed. “I’ll trust you.”
“Excellent,” Tanner smiled.
“Where’s your vehicle?” There wasn’t one parked out front, and I hadn’t seen any cars sitting anywhere beside the road on my drive home.
Tanner ignored my question and stepped out into the pouring rain. Then he turned to me with the slyest of grins. “Try to keep up,” he winked.
The next thing I knew, he’d transformed into that spellbinding purple mist and was bolting into the woods like a flash. Though I was taken aback for a second, I poised myself and readied my muscles, resigned to following him as promised.
I guess we’re RUNNING…
I trailed behind him through the forest at a normal pace. Then shortly and to my amazement, my strides began to quicken with every second that passed. I couldn’t believe the speed at which I was presently running. I’d never even driven a car this fast in my life, and my spirit felt freer than it ever had. Despite the harsh winds battering my entire body with their tireless whips and the fact that I was head-to-toe drenched from the hard rain steadily bombarding my frame, I honestly couldn’t have cared less — not feeling this incredibly alive!
Though the Amethyst Talisman was always a good fifty yards ahead of me, I thought I was keeping a decent pace. We had been running for almost ten minutes when the purple mist stopped abruptly and began morphing back into Tanner Grey’s human form.
My speedy stride came to a slippery halt when I tried to brake in mid-run. I ended up sliding on some wet leaves and tripping over my own feet. My body crashed to the ground, hitting some rocks right beside him. Tanner had no sooner helped me up when his stare fell straight to my jeans. Sure enough, there was a long tear running down the right leg of my Levi’s, roughly six inches long.
“Yeah . . . Definitely ripped,” he confirmed.
I brushed myself off and scanned the surrounding landscape curiously. We were still in the woods, but I’d been running so fast and focusing too hard on following him that I’d completely lost my bearings.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“I don’t know. You’re the local,” Tanner cracked and then started walking up a small hill, shaking his head.
I surveyed the terrain as I trudged behind him. Nothing looked familiar. All I knew was that most of the time I’d been running uphill. We carried on for several more minutes, winding through the trees and heavy brush of the forest. I would have liked to think he had some sort of clue as to where we were going. I wasn’t so keen on the idea of taking a leisurely country stroll, not out in this wretched weather.
“Your speed will pick up over time. You won’t always be that slow,” Tanner added confidently.
“I thought I did pretty good,” I interjected, somewhat offended. Tanner stopped immediately, his eyes appearing painfully fixed and flat. “Well, I kept up,” I corrected boldly.
“I slowed down,” Tanner countered, bumping me slick off the tiny pedestal I thought I’d mounted. “So tell me, Shiloh . . . What other tricks have you found in your bag?”
“You already know I can hear people’s thoughts. Does that work on everyone?” I asked, clueless about the actual mechanics of telepathy.
“The diamond wand comes with an enormous amount of psychic energy. One of its powers is telepathy. It’s easy to get inside a typical human’s mind. You can hear their thoughts . . . experience their corresponding emotions, though not feel them directly . . . and delve into any of their memories. Talismans and supernaturals are different. You have to physically touch them to make a psychic connection. Like when you touched Lazarus . . . Hence my warning, ‘not to touch him’. But it doesn’t work on all of them.” Tanner flashed a smile that bordered on amusement. Then his grin quickly disappeared when he confidently added, “Definitely not on the Onyx. Nothing affects him that’s of the psychic nature. And as far as other supernaturals, it ultimately depends on what kind you’re dealing with and what magic they possess.”
It seemed every answer I received would undoubtedly lead to more questions. “Tanner, what other superna—”
“I’m starting to think you might be partially deaf, instead of stubborn,” Tanner interjected. “What did I say?”
“I know,” I sang compliantly. “No questions.” I still didn’t understand what all the secrecy was about. I was dying to know what other supernatural creatures were out there. I kept conjuring up images of all the various fantasy figures I’d ever read about or seen in a movie. Of course, a part of me was hoping that a lot them didn’t turn out to be true — a really, really big part.
“What about you?” I probed suspiciously.
That sly, entertained expression swiftly returned to his face. “What about me?” he inquired.
“Well, when I touch you, I don’t hear anything. In fact, all I feel coming from you is tranquility and bliss.” I also feel a heck of a lot of desire, but he probably already knows that. Why embarrass myself further with an out-loud acknowledgement? “What are you? Some kind of supernatural Prozac pill?”
Tanner let out a boisterous laugh. He quickly composed himself enough to answer, “No, nothing like that.” He chuckled some more and added, “Though I do have a special psychic talent of my very own. I’m sort of what you would call a medium or a channeler. That’s why you can’t hear my thoughts or connect with any of my emotions. And I can only receive a person’s feelings, never their thoughts. Then I filter their emotions back to them — purified and clear of any negativity. That’s why I’m able to take away the pain you’re feeling. It’s just one of my many talents.”
Mentally noted, I thought to myself as we kept on walking through the soggy woods.
“Is there anything else that you’ve discovered?” Tanner inquired.
My thoughts turned to Chief Roberts and O
fficer Ryan. “Yeah,” I began, as a boastful smile crept across my face. “I’m a lot stronger than what I look.” I had to admit, I felt pretty proud about that.
Tanner’s brow rose. “Really?” he posed curiously. Then with the stealth and execution of a masterful black belt, he threw his cinderblock-like arm straight at me. And with that one sweeping blow to my chest, he’d managed to knock me several yards, towards a large maple. The trunk of the massive tree cracked when my back crashed into it, and then I dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
“Maybe you’re not as strong as what you think?” Tanner submitted. I glared up at him as I tried to catch my breath. “Don’t worry,” he assured. “That too will strengthen. You shouldn’t have a problem with humans. Just don’t go picking a fight with any Talismans for a while.”
Without a doubt, his sneaky jab had thoroughly ticked me off, however, the wet mud presently soiling the front of my clothes just made its bitter sting feel ten times worse.
Tanner walked over and extended his hand. “Here, I’ll be a gentleman.”
“A ‘gentleman’ wouldn’t have knocked me down,” I huffed. My glare sharpened when I felt the fire he’d lit under my tail slap me with an overwhelming urge to return the favor. As quickly as I could, I swung my leg around to sideswipe his lower limbs, hoping to knock him off his feet. To my dismay, it was only an attempt. Tanner managed to jump out of the way and then the next thing I knew, he had grabbed hold of my arm and was hurling me over his head. I crashed onto the ground with a harsh “thud”. I was now lying flat on my back, feeling nothing but a slight thump from his attack and enough mud coating my frame that I looked like a damn chocolate cake. The only silver lining I could find was that the pelting rain would beat what it could off me.
Tanner stood over me smirking. “Vengeance is a pretty powerful emotion, Shiloh. You need to learn to control that one.”
I propped myself up on my elbows and scowled at him, feeling angrier than I was before. And judging from his grin, he sensed it too.
“Okay, since you obviously want to play,” Tanner assessed confidently, “let’s see what you’ve got.”
Good, I cheered silently. I needed to release some of my tension the good old-fashioned way and not by letting him absolve me of it. I had started to get up and was still in the middle of rising to my feet when Tanner spun around without any warning and then kicked me back onto the ground.
“Any day now,” Tanner taunted as he casually removed his jacket and hung it on the limb of a tree.
So it seemed I was going to have to be a lot quicker and clear my mind if I planned on scoring any payback, let alone proving anything to him. Though the reality of the latter was easier said than done knowing my head felt like a lava-churning volcano ready to erupt. After forcing all of my strength into my calves, I sprang to my feet and then swiftly snapped a hefty branch off a nearby oak. Tanner didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. And if that wasn’t enough of a slap, all the severity and focus I’d put into my many exhaustive swings was for naught. The Amethyst Talisman succeeded in eluding every one of them, quite effortlessly in fact, like he was dodging an old geezer trying to poke him with a cane. And though he never countered me physically, the chafe of his gloating smile sure smacked as hard as if he had.
Feeling the hover of my imminent defeat, I started to throw up my hands when suddenly, a loud “squawk” cried out from somewhere within the trees. Tanner looked up to see my feathery friend swooping down on him. The falcon’s sneaky attack provided me with the perfect opportunity to hammer the branch into the side of his abdomen. The force of the blow propelled him back several yards, where he rammed into the sidewall of a cliff. With a proud smile now lighting my face, I stood back and watched as a hail of gritty earth and rock cascaded all around him.
The crafty falcon landed on a bush beside me. “Thanks,” I replied and threw the bird an appreciative nod.
I looked back to the exact spot where Tanner had crash-landed, only to discover that he was gone. I heightened my guard and scanned the area for any signs of movement, branch raised and ready to strike. Another abrupt “squawk” shrieked through the forest like a warning shot. I’d just started to turn around so I could see what had alarmed my feathery cohort when I felt my makeshift weapon being ripped from my hands. Tanner had almost entirely transformed back into his human form as I completed my spin. Then he tossed the large branch off to the side and slammed me down on the ground. Granted, I was incredibly strong, but I couldn’t hold a candle to his brawn. The more I wrestled, the more I realized that he had me helplessly pinned.
“You can get off me NOW!” I barked, glaring at him.
“In a second,” Tanner assured, his swirling violet eyes locked in a deep focus. “You need to calm down a little more.”
I knew what he was doing. I could feel all of my anger, as well as every ounce my aggression, slowly leaving my mind and body like the waning tug of an ocean tide. Once my attitude had been properly adjusted, Tanner loosened his hold and pulled me up to my feet. I may have been feeling a lot more at ease, but this was far from over. And that wasn’t any lingering traces of anger talking either. He’d chilled the heat of that burn completely. It was simply my inborn, overly competitive nature crying for his head.
“See, not a scratch on you,” Tanner confirmed as he spun me around. “That’s another one of your powers . . . your body’s defense mechanism. Your bones are virtually indestructible, and the chance of even scratching your skin is almost as unlikely,” he declared, his eyes beaming with admiration.
My absentminded brush with the table saw flashed in my mind as I checked my body. He was right. Yet again, I’d escaped unscathed. Tanner extended his arm. Streaks of blood-covered cuts were etched on his skin. The rocks had nicked him, but his injuries were minor, like scratches from a cat.
“Even I can’t lay claim to that,” Tanner added as he reached for his jacket.
I remembered how badly injured I was after falling into the cave. “So the wand that night, sort of—”
“Gave you the strength and invincibility of diamonds. That’s a pretty powerful gift, Shiloh. It’ll help you dominate your enemies when they strike . . . and believe me, they won’t be playing around like we were. You’d better use every advantage you have against them.”
Tanner’s words echoed in my head. I still found it hard to believe there were people or even things out there that actually wanted to KILL ME. Aside from my very first experience with the Onyx when I was little, I’d never been in a real fight. And I couldn’t really count that one because all I did was run off. The only acts of aggression I’d had over the years were the Tonka truck incident with Mike Riverside in kindergarten and the occasional riled up & rowdy sister-tussles with Chloe over the years. No one ever had grounds enough to hate me, let alone want me DEAD (Charlotte excluded, of course). But now sadly, it seemed I had every reason in the world for someone to want to finish me off with a murderous end. I was the lucky one destined to claim what Tanner had declared to be “the most powerful stone in the world”, and I was the only one who could wield its power. Evidently, if someone wanted to take it from me, I could do one of two things. I could surrender it willingly like Adamas had done. But realistically, anyone who wanted it bad enough wouldn’t just ask me for it or even expect me to hand it over. The second option was more daunting — they would have to kill me.
Um, I think I know how that scenario will play out…every single time.
The two of us strolled through the forest for a few more minutes, until we eventually reached the edge of a clearing on the mountain’s plateau. Tanner signaled for me to walk out into the small field ahead of him. I hesitated…for many reasons. There wasn’t a single tree out there that could provide any sort of protection from the bitter pounds of rain. The sky above us had darkened considerably and looked even more ominous hanging over the wide-open field the way its s
torm clouds were churning with the gnawing roll of a ravenous belly. The booms of thunder were almost deafening, pummeling the air like the sound of cannon-fire, and I found myself flinching right along with every wicked flash of lightning that tore through the sky.
Tanner gave me an insistent shove. “What are you waiting for? Go on.”
“You still want to play catch?” I asked skeptically. “In this weather? With all this lightning flying around? In this field? Seriously?”
Tanner motioned a stern nod towards the clearing, totally ignoring the implication of my pleas. I grunted and then stormed off, headed into the wide-open field. The wind was whipping… The air was chilly… And the rain was just downright raw!
I slammed my foot forcefully onto the ground and whirled around. “And when it is going to stop raining?” I yelled. Tanner’s only response to my theatrics was through the use of his index finger, by way of a firm horizontal point directing me onwards. Yeah, I had one of those handy little fellows as well — only mine sat in the middle and tended to peak with the pitch of a tent whenever the occasion beckoned. And judging from my mood and the itch of its repeated requests, I was getting pretty daggone close to whipping it out.
I continued walking, grumbling along with my steps. I’m soaking wet, and he wants to play “catch”. The only thing I’m going to “catch” is a cold!
Every time I stopped, Tanner would call out, “Keep going,” and then motioned me on further with a casual wave of his hands. I’d reached the center of the field when he finally yelled for me to stop and turn around.
“Okay. I’m waiting!” I hollered anxiously.
Tanner didn’t say or do a thing. The cheeky Professor just stood there with his head cocked back and smiling, which only added to my confusion. A violent bolt of lightning flashed across the sky above us, ripping the air in two. I flinched while Tanner calmly remained where he was, conveniently mantled by the trees and far more protected from the merciless elements wreaking their havoc all around.
I could feel my fuse growing shorter and fierier by the second. “Where’s your ball?” I demanded.
“I must’ve dropped it somewhere along the way,” Tanner replied as he superficially patted the front pockets of his jacket. He didn’t really strike me as someone who seemed to care about any missing ball, which in turn made me seriously doubt that he’d had one in the first place.
A wave of sore disbelief rushed over me. I shook my head and started to head back his way when from directly up above, a bolt of lightning came streaking out of the stormy sky, charting a speedy course headed straight down. I jumped back and cowered down to the ground just as it landed in a rocking explosion merely a few feet in front of me.
CRAP, I trembled, spooked to my core.
I glanced up at the sky and then back over at Tanner Grey, who happened to be pacing back and forth looking the epitome of cavalier.
“I knew this was a BAD IDEA!” I screamed out in a rage.
I sprang to my feet and gave the sky a quick check before I attempted to take another step. I started to race towards Tanner again, only to spy another bolt heading my way. Without a second to lose, I dove out of its path and landed on the muddy ground. The lightning had struck so close this time I could still feel its heat smacking me like the flare of a nasty sunburn.
WHAT THE HELL! Still, Tanner stood back and did nothing but smile. What kind of sick joke is he playing by leading me out here like this? I felt like a sitting duck as soon as I saw YET ANOTHER bolt racing towards me. I didn’t have time to get to my feet, so I threw my body over to the side and managed to roll out of its path, barely. The thunder roared with the fervor of a hungry lion, which only intensified my anger.
I shot to my feet. “Why are you just STANDING THERE?” I screamed.
I had to get out of this wide-open field. Surely my luck was about to run out. My virtually indestructible bones and tough skin wouldn’t offer me any sort of defense if a billion volts of electricity happened to light me up like a Christmas tree.
I scanned the turbulent clouds and took a quick, deep breath. I’d just gotten up my nerve to make a run for it when I saw a brutal, blazing bolt charging down upon me. There was no time to react. This one had me dead in its sights. I cowered to the ground and braced for its imminent strike. Why I raised my hands to protect myself from the blow was beyond me? It wasn’t like I could push the daggone thing away. Its electric heat was going to shoot straight through me, no matter what part it smacked first.
In less than a second, the lightning nailed me with all its vehement force. While the bolt’s electricity coursed like a bullet train through my body, I kept hoping that I was going to be one of those fortunate people who claimed they were “struck by lightning” and lived to tell it. I could feel every ounce of its volts bursting inside me, but to my surprise, it wasn’t painful — not in the least.
Once the powerful electrical surge had ceased, I lowered my hands and pried my eyes open. I was alive and miraculously uninjured. Slowly, I rose from my crouched position as a wave of relief engulfed me, almost sagging my frame back down to the ground. I looked over to see Tanner Grey standing there, smiling proudly.
Though I was thankful to be alive, I was pretty hot under the collar. He could have at least given me a heads-up when it came to his crafty little “hands-on” teaching methods.
“Is that what this was all about?” I demanded.
“Not this,” Tanner replied as he threw his arms up at the sky. “That!” he exclaimed and pointed to my side.
I looked down at my hand. My mouth fell open as I lifted my right hand up to my face. There in my palm churned a radiant ball of pure white-hot electricity. I felt its formidable power as it lay there, swirling fiercely in my hand. Its force was mind-blowing, and I was left nothing less than awestruck. I raised my other hand, and then started shifting the lightning ball back and forth between them. Fascinated, I manipulated it some more, discovering that I could even stretch it out, back into the shape of a long bolt. I felt like I was five-years-old as I sculpted the lightning like I would a hunk of Play-Doh fresh out of its can.
This is freakin’ fantastic!
I looked over at Tanner. His smile was beaming just as radiant as the lightning.
“Some things are better left as surprises,” Tanner announced.
He was right. Aside from the diamond wand of Adamas, this was the coolest thing I’d ever seen, and its power was exhilarating!
“You’re right,” I confirmed with a mischievous grin as I thought about what Tanner had said about “surprises”. I couldn’t help myself. My competitive nature took hold as I pulled my arm back and hurled the lightning bolt in his direction.
Let’s see how HE likes it…
As I’d predicted, Tanner’s violet eyes widened just before he quickly morphed into his misty, luminescent purple form. He successfully dodged the bolt and was by my side in an instant. He threw me down to the ground as he quickly changed back into his manly state.
“Don’t try to school the teacher,” Tanner scolded as his body pressed against mine. I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “And by the way,” he added, “The rain will stop . . . when you will it to.” He jumped to his feet and pulled me up beside him.
A haze of confusion clouded my mind. “What do you mean?”
“Shiloh, the diamond is an incredibly unique stone,” Tanner explained. “It has the ability to sway all four earthly elements . . . The air around you, the earth you stand on, the water which sustains you, and the fire that warms your soul. But your birth-stone is the only one of its kind. It’s the only stone to reign over the sacred fifth element—storms—which can permeate the universe, balance its energy, and sway the conscious mind. Your origin stone not only gives you an exorbitant amount of psychic power, but it allows you to draw your energy from a storm’s life force. This storm that’s been churning is connected to your emotions. I can only ma
sk your feelings temporarily. I can’t absolve you from them.” Tanner placed his hands on my shoulders. “So when you finally let go of all your deep-seated anger or learn to suppress it . . . the rain will stop.”
I looked up at the stormy sky. I would have never guessed that I was the one responsible for this horrible weather. Though admittedly, it did match the mood I was in. It had been raining ever since I ran out of the house yesterday morning, right after finding out about Daddy.
“Shiloh, I know how the loss of your father has hurt you, and I know you want to avenge him.” Tanner hesitated. “Caiden was protecting you from Lazarus. He knew the real reason Lazarus rolled into town to purchase the mine, and how close he was to discovering the wand’s location. Caiden stumbled upon the cavern years ago. He knew this day would come . . . when someone else would find it.”
My entire world fell into a haze of eerie silence, and I felt myself bobbing heavy in its dark and deafening drift. He’d known all this time and had never breathed a word…
Tanner let out a somber sigh. “We were supposed to meet at the cave’s entrance that night, but he never showed up. I went to look for him and found his lifeless body in the back of his truck, right after you’d been there. I knew Lazarus had poisoned him. His passing truly saddened me, Shiloh. I’ve known Caiden for many years, and I hate that he’s gone. But you must understand that vengeance is a very raw, callous emotion. It leads to nothing but evil intentions that will end up consuming your thoughts and clouding your judgment. Caiden wouldn’t want that. You don’t want that. You have to let it go. Lazarus wants the wand, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it. Your day with him will come and then you’ll have to face him. But don’t ever become misguided with hatred or let the quest for power consume you. That’s not what bearing the honor of being a Talisman is about. We’re here to protect life, never to take it unless a threat exists. Every Talisman who took that road now roams the earth with a malevolent heart that’s driven only by wicked intentions. Just look at Lazarus and the Onyx. It’s easily done. It’s a lot harder to stay true to your soul’s intended purpose, and yours Shiloh, is one of peace. Adamas’ was as well. That’s what truly made him a powerful leader and force to be reckoned with. I’m afraid you have some very big shoes to fill to claim that honor.”
Tanner’s words turned in my mind like a whirling tornado. I still couldn’t believe that Daddy had known about the wand all this time and had never hinted a word about it. He’d never told me about the danger he was in either — that we both had been in.
“I never asked for any of this,” I stressed. “I still don’t understand why the diamond chose me.”
Tanner held on to my shoulders gently, but with purpose. “Shiloh, destiny isn’t random. It comes for you when you’re ready, whether you think so or not. You don’t just have to trust it, but more importantly, you need to trust yourself. Anything is possible when you do that.”
I could feel the rain subsiding throughout Tanner’s tender touch, but as soon as our physical connection broke, the fickle clouds above resumed their steady and dismal drenching. There wasn’t a shred of doubt in my mind; I was going to have to figure out some way to deal with my feelings on my own.
I tilted my head towards the sky. Talk about wearing your emotions on your sleeve.
“I think we’ll end your lesson here for the day,” Tanner advised.
I agreed with a nod and then we took off just as swiftly as we’d come. This time, the distance between us narrowed. I couldn’t tell if it was because I was running faster or if Tanner, out of consideration for my current emotional state, had tapered off his speed as a polite courtesy. Either way, I found his companionship comforting, though it wasn’t strictly because he had the power to lift my spirits. For some strange reason, I felt more connected to him and even sensed a sort of bond forming between us. The one I’d shared with my father had been stolen so unexpectedly, so callously.
Maybe I need that?
We came to a stop at the edge of my gravel drive. Charlotte’s car wasn’t there. They aren’t back yet, I breathed with a grateful sigh of relief.
“I think you can find your way from here,” Tanner teased.
A thought popped into my mind as I walked towards the house, regarding something Tanner had mentioned earlier.
“Hey, I have one more question,” I called back.
Tanner stopped and spun around. “You’re kidding. You have a question,” he said, his eyes as wry as his smile.
My gaze narrowed as I shook my head. “You said that it was almost impossible to sever my skin, right?”
“That’s correct. Almost impossible,” Tanner confirmed.
“Well? Don’t you think I need to know?” I demanded impatiently. “What can cut my skin?”
Tanner transformed into his misty form and was by my side in an instant. After a brazen wink, the Amethyst Talisman forcefully held down my left arm while he grabbed my right hand. Then he took it and dug my fingernails down deep into the skin on my left arm, straight through my clothes. I belted out a fierce scream. The pain he was forcing me to inflict on myself was excruciating. I couldn’t believe he would do something like this to me — ON PURPOSE! I broke free from his grasp and began inspecting my arm. Through the rip in my jacket, I spied a deep gash that was pouring blood.
Before the first profanity spewed from my mouth, Tanner extended his hand and replied, “A diamond, of course.”
There in his palm lay a tiny raw diamond. I glanced at the hole in my arm and then redirected my eyes back to the little rough stone.
IMPOSSIBLE!
Tanner tossed me the diamond and then turned to head off.
“Bring that with you tomorrow — bright and early, Shiloh. Oh, and soak that arm in some sea-salt & water tonight. It’ll heal in no time.”
“But I have school,” I quickly countered, to which he never responded. “Where are we going?” All I saw after that was a haze of purple light fading in the distance, leaving both me and my latest question officially in the dust.
I held the little stone in the air to admire it once more. My arm hurt like hell, but all I could do was stare and marvel at the rough diamond gemstone.
Amazing… Absolutely AMAZING!
Chapter 16
