by S. E. Akers
“Bea,” I said uneasily. “Katie wants to know if her cousin is really a witch? What am I suppose to—”
“Nothing!” Beatrix scolded back mentally. “This witch-business stays between us. Am I clear? Not a word to anyone. Not even to Tanner. I’m supposed to be keeping you away from all supernaturals, even the ones at the bottom of the food-chain. I can only imagine his reaction over this. There’s nothing he detests more than witches! Ugh! He’d shit a brick over this one!” the refined little old lady remarked, shaking her head in a huff. “Sideways,” Beatrix added as she reached for the handle and then gave the door a solid slam.
“All righty then,” I noted now wide-eyed, with the sharp “bang” echoing in my ears. Shocker… I didn’t think she even knew HOW to cuss.
No sooner than I had hopped into my seat and started the engine, Katie cleared her throat, rather loudly. Beatrix was rummaging through her purse for something, so I took that opportunity to respond to my friend covertly.
“Yes,” I replied, already mentally preparing my denial.
“You two have been awfully quiet. Sooo? Is she? Is my cousin a witch?”
“No,” I shot back adamantly as I backed out of my space.
“Well that was rather quick, considering you could have answered ‘NO’ about a million times within the past five minutes. I think you’re lying. Yes. You’re lying to your best friend. Your bosom friend. Your soul-sister,” she rattled off in an unwavering manor. “Oh, wait… Can we still be soul-sisters if mine is trapped in a diamond?” she added artfully. My guilty conscience forced my foot to brake a little too hard, sending several items flying out of Beatrix’s purse.
“Goodness, Shiloh,” Bea gasped. “Should I drive?” she teased and began picking her make-up off the floorboard.
“I’m waiting,” Katie warned confidently. “And considering my present predicament, I’ve got plenty of time for it.”
I didn’t even have to give her an official “yes”. My long mental sigh was all the confirmation she needed. I did insist we couldn’t talk about it right then, not as long as we were around Bea. Talk about someone “shitting a brick”. A minute hadn’t even lapsed before I ignored my mentor’s order.
Well, I won’t tell Tanner, I assured myself as we pulled out of the Ramsey Funeral Home’s parking lot. I can at least keep part of my promise.
As soon as my mind had wrapped up its reflection, I found myself merely an eighth of a mile from Roselawn Cemetery. For some reason, I thought when I got here this time, I would feel a heck of a lot more optimistic — but I didn’t. That dreaded feeling of angst began to suffocate me as soon as I flipped on my blinker, just as it had when I’d arrived here four fraught-filled weeks ago.
Chapter 3 — A Grave Situation
Knowing my Charger would hail attention like a caution flag, I veered it towards a cluster of overgrown bushes and crept into park. I peered out my windshield to check for any signs of life. Nothing. I found myself physically all alone, sitting amongst the massive shadowy trees and surrounded by a spooky silence that rattled my core like thunder. My eyes panned over to the front entrance of Roselawn Cemetery. Locked in a daze, I stared at its massive wrought-iron gate. A billowy layer of white fog was rolling out from between its rails like a misty river. My eyes followed the harrowing iron structure that stretched around the grounds with no end in sight.
No brick columns to scale this time… Glad I remembered gloves.
If you were a Talisman whose stone reigned over the air, water, fire, or storms (like me), then iron was nothing less than a bitch. Only Talismans who claimed an earth stone were immune to its effects — every power-depleting, energy-zapping, mind-scrambling, nauseating last one of them.
A bulky chain, fit for a giant, had been woven several times through its bars while an intimidating lock of equal size shackled the mighty links together. I felt like the first to arrive unannounced to a stranger’s party. My thoughts were full of reservations as to what lurked behind the door. They kept me glued to my seat, not fully knowing when to finally ring the doorbell and praying that someone would magically appear to welcome me in with open arms.
If my nerves weren’t already shot, unexpectedly, a black bird landed on the hood of my car and let out a chilling “squawk”. I flinched at the unexpected break in my lifeless surroundings and shook my head when I realized I’d accidentally hit my car horn. But at least the creepy bird got the hint — and buzzed off!
I reached for Katie but instead, grabbed hold of the mirror and tilted it my way. My eyes locked themselves on the vision staring back at me like I was desperately searching for something. I didn’t know if I was looking at myself or if my reflection was staring at me. I saw the same girl who gazed back at me every single day. The same dark-blonde hair creeping forward out of my ponytail… The same fair skin that illuminated my face… Even the same clear blue eyes. Unfortunately what I didn’t see in them was a confident gleam. They weren’t even flashing with any erratic flares of white light like they usually did when my emotions were stirring. They just hung wearily below my furrowed brow. I couldn’t find a trace of relief in them. Tonight had finally arrived, but I may as well have been a million miles away in the future playing “damage control”, anticipating what would eventually come to pass.
After a quick but much-needed deep breath, I removed the party’s guest-of-honor from the rear-view mirror and swiftly locked her back in place, securely dangling around my neck.
“We’re here,” I announced. “But it looks like we’re the first to arrive.”
“What time did Beatrix and Gallia say they’d be coming?” Katie asked anxiously.
“They said 11 o’clock, but it’s only a quarter till.” I glanced down at my uniform. “They’ll be here soon, so I need to change,” I remarked and poked out of the car.
I hurled my loaner jacket on a nearby bush as I headed towards the rear of my car. Once I’d jimmied open its rusty trunk, I proceeded to change out of my uniform, after giving my surroundings another thorough check, of course. The last thing I needed was someone popping out of the bushes to catch me with my pants down — literally. Or worse, checking my email to find where I’d been sent a link to an unauthorized video of me posted on YouTube, stripping down to my bra and panties at a daggone cemetery! I could see the catchy headline now — “Shi of some clothes”, or even better, “Nippy-Nite at the Graveyard”! Embarrassing.
“Any sign of them?” Katie asked.
“Not yet,” I replied as I rummaged through my trunk for my sneakers.
“Crap! I wish they would hurry,” Katie confessed.
“They’ll be here. You know, the moon will be full for seven more hours. It’s not like your body is going to get tired of waiting and split because it has someplace else to be.”
“You’re right…Smart-ass,” Katie fired back playfully.
Suddenly, my ears alerted me to the faint sound of a vehicle approaching from the distance. I ducked down and hurried to wrestle on the rest of my clothes.
“It’s starting to go dark again. What’s wrong now?” Katie griped nervously.
“There’s a car about to drive by, and I don’t want them to see me half-naked!” I fussed as I buttoned my jeans.
“Maybe it’s Bea?”
“You’re right. The blind lady is driving,” I teased while I pulled my black tee over my head. “Anyway, she doesn’t have a car.”
“Maybe it’s Gallia?”
“Don’t you think that would look a little strange? A ten year-old behind the wheel?” I posed as I forced my feet into my already-tied shoes.
I crawled towards a bush and peeked through its branches to survey the scene. Sure enough, a vehicle came to a rolling stop right in front of the cemetery. But it wasn’t just any car. Oh no. It was a Welch City Police cruiser that was now parked by the main gate.
Aw, crap!
If I didn’t think it could get any worse, I was sadly mistaken. From out of the vehicle emerged Officer
Pete Ryan, aka Officer Asshole, in the flesh — so to speak. Granted he was the last party-crasher I expected or wanted to see, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for him — all 350 pounds of him (at last count). About a month ago, the good officer had heard through the grapevine about Beatrix killing a 12-foot rattlesnake that was about to have me for lunch. Our local handyman, Mr. Mayfield, was “supposed to dispose of it” for her, but he ended up taking the freakishly large serpent downtown to have it stuffed. As luck would have it, Officer Ryan just happened to be in the taxidermy shop when he brought in the carcass. After a harsh interrogation, he ended up at Bea’s house waving a $1000 citation for killing a protected snake. Little did the good officer know, he had just set the sweet old lady on the warpath. She paid the fine, but she had something else in mind — payback. I remembered Tanner Grey had revealed one of her golden topaz’s special perks — it helped regulate a person’s weight. But as any Talisman knows, whatever powers they can use to heal a person for the better, they can also burden them with the affliction as well.
At first, Officer Ryan gained 50 pounds in one week, sending the formerly tight and toned, steroid-pumping cop into a tizzy. He spent the next week on a crash-diet and practically lived at the local gym when he wasn’t on duty — only to pack on another 50 pounds! The week after that, he beat a frantic path to the hospital in search of an answer. After all the results were in, the physicians concluded that his body was functioning as fit as a fiddle and suggested trying a strict liquid regimen. Five cases of Golden Waist shakes and another week later — 50 more freaking pounds! I hinted the possible health risks of his sudden weight gain to Beatrix. She assured me the only thing in danger of damage was his ego and that she would lift him from his “load” when she saw fit. You’d think his uncontrollable, expanding waistline would have humbled him a little, but it didn’t. He was still an ass — he just had more of it to show.
“Is he gone yet?” Katie asked.
“No. I guess he’s checking the perimeter,” I assessed while tracking his every move. Something caught my attention. My eyes shot open as I turned my stare towards a nearby bush.
“Ooo, crap!” I grunted.
“What?” Katie cried.
“That biker jacket. He’s sure to see it. Ugh! Hang on a sec.” I summoned a quick invisibility spell from my golden topaz. With my body now veiled in a soft glow of golden light, I crept over to retrieve the evidence. No sooner than I’d laid my hands on it, the weighty jacket shifted. I cringed when several branches snapped, blaring like a whistle in the stillness of the night. With no time to lose, I whipped it on. My tacky loaner was now safely concealed along with my body, while I remained as still as a statue.
“Who’s there?!?” Officer Ryan yelled as he drew his gun and scanned the dense, shadowy landscape.
“Great,” I moaned.
Katie giggled. “Do I have to ask?”
“That’s all I need… A bloated, trigger-happy cop with a bad attitude,” I griped.
Still invisible but directly in his line of sight, I watched the wary officer edge closer. He seemed to be concentrating on the massive cluster of shrubs my Charger was hiding behind. Turning myself invisible or spelling something physically on me, like my hilt, was one thing, but using the golden topaz’s power to make something I wasn’t touching visibly vanish would be an impossible feat. Even if I dove towards it, I had never made anything that big disappear. A ‘69 Charger? Even if I could, he’s bound to accidently run into the daggone thing! Still tracking Officer Ryan’s movements like a hungry hawk, I kept up my guard and started to mentally justify having to compel him if need be.
Officer Ryan prowled closer, his finger still firmly on the trigger. I wasn’t worried so much about getting pierced by a bullet — not this time. I seriously doubted the City of Welch had blown their meager budget on any diamond-dusted rounds. The odds were in my favor that his Smith & Wesson’s chamber had been loaded with your standard issue copper-coated, run-of-the-mill lead ammo. However, even getting hit with one of those projectiles would still hurt. They kind of felt like really forceful bee stings, or “Bea-stings” as I liked to call them. Two weeks ago, Beatrix thought I needed to get used to “being shot”, since my first gun-slinging rodeo with one of Lazarus Xcavare’s henchmen, Karl, had left me feeling more than a tad gun-shy. She assured me that I could withstand any bullet, even another iron one, as long as it hadn’t been laced with diamonds. To prove her point, she took me out into the woods and asked me to stand against a towering oak tree. When I saw her loading a .44 Magnum with a medley of various metal bullets, naturally, I freaked. My magical mentor had to chase me down with a whirlwind of air that she used to pin me helplessly to the dang tree! Oh, she was right. Not one of them broke through my skin, but the propulsive force behind each shot sure did hurt — like a mother! She left out that need-to-know nugget!
“Shi, What are you doing?” Katie asked.
“Holding my breath,” I replied, foreseeing an inevitable blow. Sure enough, I’d no sooner locked every last one of my muscles firmly in place when a shot rang out, followed by a grueling jolt.
“UGHHHHH!” howled in my head.
“Where did he get you?” Katie asked with a restrained giggle.
“Grrrazed my rrright hip!” I growled, trying to remain still.
“Just zap what brain he has and get this over with. We don’t need Pete Ryan unloading all of his rounds at your impervious ass. That’s wasting the city’s hard-earned money,” she scolded.
Reading minds proved to be easy and I’ll admit, sometimes it was quite fun. But I avoided compelling someone if at all possible. In my mind, I had to label it as a “high-priority”. I still hadn’t mastered doing it to people I shared a strong emotional connection with. My conscience seemed to be my biggest hurdle. However in this case, I took the situation for what it was — me, mentally manipulating a jerk who had just used me for target practice and was about to encroach upon my plans for the evening. Just as I started to compel Officer Ryan, the pesky black bird that had landed on my car flew out of some bushes and perched itself on a nearby limb.
“Ha!” Officer Pete Ryan laughed. “Just an ugly old crow!”
Straightaway, the dark-colored fowl soared up into the sky, but not before buzzing the ample officer’s head and leaving him with a drippy donation. I knew at that precise moment — beyond a shadow of a doubt — exactly “who” the handout was from.
“Oh, Bea…” I mumbled quietly.
“Good. Bea’s here,” Katie commented casually, unaware of the sneaky Talisman’s latest antics.
Officer Ryan went straight to cursing the bird as he swung his arm around and fired a few retaliation shots in the air. Beatrix Sutherland’s golden topaz allowed her (and only her) to shift her form. However, she wasn’t blessed with the virtually impregnable body that I was (thanks to my gemstone), so I was more than relieved when he’d missed.
Though healing a few bullet wounds would give me a good practice run, I mused quietly, especially since Katie’s brain-bleed injury was looming at the top of my to-do list.
The scowling man-of-the-law wrestled his bulky frame back inside his police cruiser, huffing and puffing. After an over-exaggerated and angry crank of his engine, his tires went screeching onto the highway and were racing down the road like a bat out of Hell. As soon as I heard something land in a tree behind me, I spun around. Low and behold, there was the sweet little old lady right before my eyes, already changed back into her human form. She was sitting on a large branch with a proud grin on her face, swinging her legs and straightening some stray wisps of her silvery, pixie-length hair.
“Really? A crow?” I asked, eyes cocked.
“What?” Beatrix posed, taking exception to my tone. “I thought it would match the mood,” she announced with a sweeping wave of her arms, noting the eerie ambiance of our venue.
I nodded towards the road. “I’m curious. Has he had enough?”
“This from the young lady w
ho stood idly by while he was drugged against his will and then whisked off on a stretcher to be anally probed so she could avoid being arrested?” Beatrix stated in an accusatory and condemning manner. “And he just shot at you, dear. Not to mention, eh hem…moi!”
“Okay. You’ve got me on that one,” I conceded and strolled over to my car. After securing my hilt in my back pocket, I dug my precious loose stones out of my purse and commenced with a quick roll-call.
My golden topaz got a checkmark, seeing how it remained on my finger at all times, bound by a circle of gold. Then there was the last amethyst Tanner Grey had snuck around my neck. I didn’t need two necklaces. So, since Katie’s diamond pendant had top priority, I discarded its silver chain. But I always kept Tanner’s tumbled purple stone close at hand. Thinking about the sly way he had planted it on me forced a smile to surface and reminded me of another one of his surprises. Though I never counted it as an extra gemstone, I was also in possession of one Talisman-charged diamond that he had set into my Welch High School class ring. The gemstone was actually an original from Adamas, the diamond wand’s illustrious prior owner, but it meant more to me for another reason. It was the one Daddy wore around his neck to protect his human mind from any telepathic attack. I thought I’d lost it forever, but Tanner saved the day. He’d found it when he was cleaning up the bits and pieces of Lazarus’ body alongside the railroad tracks. Lucky for me. I didn’t need to “formally” wear it, because my diamond birth-stone allowed its energy to flow through me at all times, but I wanted to. It made me feel like my father was still with me in some form. I considered it an “unofficial” treasured mainstay. I brought Gallia’s serpentine strictly for communication purposes, predicting (more like hoping) that most snakes had already burrowed into their holes to hibernate during this time of year.