by S. E. Akers
“I’ll try,” I stated doubtfully.
“I’ll contact Tanner. He’ll want to know what happened,” she remarked as she glanced at the spot where the plant scrap lay. “And you mustn’t tell Katie,” Beatrix implored.
“Why?” I asked, baffled by her request.
“Because…Gallia’s bracelet is gone, along with all of her prized stones, including the rare fire opal we needed. That means our chance to bring your friend back is nixed until we’re fortunate to locate another one. Gallia’s murderer must have it in their possession. Do you see the need for discretion now?” Beatrix posed frankly. “I’m sure she’s already upset enough. Who knows how devastated she’ll be over this recent development?”
“This can’t be happening,” I groaned, feeling even more crestfallen. “But…I promised I wouldn’t lie to her. I can’t do it,” I rejected, shaking my head.
“Yes, you can,” Beatrix announced as she reached into my pocket and pulled out my amethyst. She placed it in the palm of my hand and guided my fingers to a close. “You must, Shiloh,” she appealed calmly as she laid her arms on my shoulders. “If Katie loses hope, there’s a chance her soul may be trapped inside the diamond forever, confined in a state of eternal purgatory,” Beatrix warned and drove her point home with a firm squeeze before releasing me. “That’s why the conjuration wasn’t successful before. Without hope, my dear, all is lost.”
“Oh no,” I gasped.
The next thing I knew, Beatrix had already transformed into her traditional falcon-form and was soaring into the sky. I was now alone with Katie, left to wrestle with my guilt. A lie was a lie — even if it was justified. I stomped my foot on the ground. Can this get any worse?
Frustrated, I let out a sigh as I bent down to collect Gallia’s things. The strange weed lying nearby was searing my retinas from out of the corner of my eye. I reached for it instead. The more I ran my fingers along its veiny branches and reflected on Beatrix’s less-than-stellar performance, the more my gut swelled. On a burning hunch, I picked up the plant specimen. I needed answers and there was only one person I could think of who might be able to steer me in the right direction. With the evidence now shoved into my pocket, I grabbed Gallia’s effects and raced across the graveyard.
As soon as I’d arrived at the gate, I pulled out Katie’s diamond pendant and locked it in place. After a much-needed deep breath, I called out to Katie.
“Finally,” Katie answered wearily. “What time is it? Is it morning?”
“Yeah,” I replied as I tightened my grip around the magical purple stone. “I’m out of the cave and standing by the main gate.”
“Did you find out what happened?”
“No,” I answered flatly as I reached through the wrought-iron bars and placed the Serpentine Talisman’s pristinely folded things on the other side. “Gallia was already gone,” I remarked, knowing that would be the last of any truthful answers.
“Do you know where she is?” Katie asked.
At that moment, I had two lies to choose from. An evasive “no” would appease her curiosity for a while, but she would inevitably hound me with questions about “why we couldn’t reach her”. That route would ultimately raise her suspicions. The other “considerately-constructed” fabrication seemed like the easiest and quickest fix, but way more damning. Like a coward, I opted for “Number Two”.
“Gallia told Bea that she was fine. She thought she heard something and jumped the gun when she spelled the entrance. She said to tell you that she was sorry for everything (I figured that couldn’t hurt) and made us promise to contact her as soon as we located your body.” That, I added for good measure.
“You’re saying that it was just a…big mistake?”
“It seems so,” I lied, while wishing everything I’d said was true.
“So what do we do now?” Katie asked.
“Now I have to hightail it to school.”
“No! I mean about my body! Does Bea have any leads?”
“She just left a few minutes ago. She’s going to talk to Tanner. Maybe he can help?” I assured her as I placed my amethyst back in my pocket and whipped out my gloves. Once they were securely on, I began climbing the wretched iron fence.
“I guess that will have to do — for now,” Katie grumbled. “How was your night?”
“Long and grueling.” I threw my leg over the top of the main gate. “All that waiting felt like an eternity,” I commented in a weary tone as I hopped down onto the ground.
“Don’t complain to me about waiting,” Katie shot back. “Trust me. You don’t know what real waiting is!”
Realizing my thoughtless gripe made me sound like an insensitive little bitch, I chastised myself every step of the way as I headed to the patch of bushes where I’d stashed my car.
How freakin’ inconsiderate? You tell a lie to tiptoe around her feelings, only to step on them with a whiny crack? Real smooth!
“Shi, are you sure nothing’s wrong?” Katie asked when I reached my vehicle. My little purple emotion-blocker was in my pocket, so Katie picked up on my distress. I needed to answer her quickly, but a strange sensation distracted me as I opened the car door. Something felt amiss inside my Charger. My purse was lying in the passenger-seat, not tucked underneath it where I’d hidden it last night. Swiftly, I snatched it up to see if anything was missing. After a thorough check, I found everything still in there. Nothing was gone. However, my wallet looked disheveled (well, more than usual), and my driver’s license was now oddly facing me upside down from behind its plastic shield.
Someone’s definitely been in here rummaging through my things. Crap! But who wouldn’t steal my cash if they were ballsy enough to break into my car and go through my purse? That’s what had me stumped.
“What’s wrong, Shi? You promised, remember?”
“Someone broke into my car last night,” I revealed as I shoved the hilt inside my bag, along with the mysterious plant scrap.
“You’re kidding! What’d they steal? Your purse?” Katie asked.
“No. That’s just it. They didn’t take anything. Everything is still here. All they did was turn my driver’s license around.”
“Maybe it was Officer Ryan? I bet he came back last night and found your car. He probably slim-jimmed your door and flipped your license around to mess with you for trespassing.”
“I don’t think so. He would have towed it,” I assured her, letting her know I was fully aware of the good officer’s hatred of me.
“Just be glad they didn’t steal anything. You can hold your head up high knowing your precious diamond hide is still worth thirty-four dollars and fifty-three cents,” Katie teased.
“I guess,” I replied as I cranked my engine. “But for the record, its worth a two hundred thirty-four fifty-three. My debit card is in there,” I corrected as I pulled onto the highway and made a mad dash for Welch High School.
Thankfully, racing to school served as a slight distraction. If Katie picked up on any distress, she would assume the extra drama was because I didn’t want to be late. I couldn’t have cared less about that. My mind kept recreating the image of Gallia’s petrified body crumbling right before my eyes.
What kind of magic could’ve turned her into a statue like that? Did it come from a gemstone? Beatrix had just started teaching me about all the earth’s stones and what powers they possessed. I’d barely scratched their surface. But seeing something as nightmarish as a friend turned into a creepy hunk of yard-art made me want to cruise through a crash-course or at least hit the web for some CliffsNotes!
In just a few hours, everything sure has turned to shit, I reflected after I’d pulled into a spot in the school’s lower lot. No body… No Gallia… No fire opal… No freakin’ way!
I dashed up the steep hill and arrived at Mrs. Thompson’s class just as the bell rang. I ignored the “hobo” looks I got from several students (all of them in fact). I knew I was somewhat soiled from last night’s tunneling adventure, but I didn’t r
ealize how filthy until I glanced down at my clothes under the classroom’s harsh fluorescent lights. I cringed as I slid down into my seat, knowing my countdown-clock-to-clean had four lengthy hours on it.
Now I REALLY feel scuzzy…
Soon our principal began rattling off his medley of morning announcements, which I half-listened to. Hearing how great our band had sounded this past weekend at Welch’s annual Christmas Parade or how festive-looking all the floats our various clubs had entered was the last thing I wanted to listen to. I desperately needed something other than trivial accolades and useless information to distract me. Something compelling to stop the highlight reel of the past ten hours and all its dismal events that were running a constant loop in my head. Anything to take my mind off Gallia and stifle the panic I felt over the unknown whereabouts of Katie’s body and the missing fire opal. But mostly, whatever would be stimulating enough to keep my tuckered out ’ole butt awake!
Mr. Harless announced, “And finally, the following students are to report to Ms. Fitzpatrick’s classroom during lunch… Michael Riverside… Anna Cooper… Ethan Blake… Tammy Bache…”
As my heavy lids drooped to a close, my arm, which I was using as a prop, slid along the surface of my desktop until it had found a comfy spot. Utterly exhausted and mentally drained, I was now well on my way to snoozeville while the rest of the names rolled through my brain.
“Heath Parker… Olivia Dawson… Tyler Smith… and Shiloh Wallace,” Mr. Harless concluded.
As soon as the circuits in my brain registered my name, I threw my hand up and accidently let out a loud snort. “Here!” I shouted, now wide-eyed but far from mentally present. The howling laughter that erupted throughout the classroom was just the embarrassing wake-up jolt I needed. The only positive note was that I didn’t have drool dripping down my flushed face.
“Shi, the principal called your name to meet in Ms. Fitz’s room at lunch. It’s not a roll call,” Katie giggled.
I slumped down in my seat. “Oh.”
“Again, these students are to report to Ms. Fitzpatrick’s classroom during lunch. Thank you,” Mr. Harless concluded.
“I wonder what that’s about?” I posed to Katie.
“Don’t ask me. I’m not supposed to get too chatty during school hours. Unless you’re lifting your ‘emergency only during class’ ban?” Seeing the strange looks still lingering on the faces of my classmates was enough of a deciding factor for me.
“Nope,” I replied as I read a few students minds. “That embargo still stands.”
“Thought so,” Katie confirmed.
My bout with sleep deprivation carried on throughout the rest of the morning. Katie tried to help by acting as my personal alarm clock and buzzed a few “wake-ups” in my ear. I supposed that keeping me conscious was kind of an emergency, but to cry out, “Look! It’s the Onyx,” when she couldn’t revive me during Government was a bit much. Good thing I realized where I was before I reached down to pull the hilt out of my purse. I stayed awake after that one. Normally during Ms. Fitz’s Geology class, I’d alternate my stares between the blackboard and Ty Smith, but not today. I didn’t even look his way. All I could think about was getting through this class and then the mysterious lunchtime meeting so I could hit the gym for an invigorating shower.
Not too much longer now, I assured myself as the lunch bell rang.
While the rest of the class made a break for the door, I, along with several others whose presence had been requested, remained at our desks. The only ones left to arrive were Ethan, Tammy, and Heath. For some strange reason, Mike Riverside and Ms. Fitzpatrick were extremely chatty. Their exchange struck me as more than odd. Mostly because they both seemed pleasantly engaged with whatever the other had to say. There wasn’t the slightest hint of a scowl on either of their faces. The only time the school’s star quarterback even spoke to a teacher was if he was in trouble over his behavior or his grades.
Sensing my struggle to stay awake, Katie began to hum the countdown ditty from Jeopardy. Her attempt backfired this time. The only thing I roused was a smile before her rhythmic notes lulled me to sleep.
My eyes eventually fluttered back open, but in a rather strange turn, none of my classmates were seated around me. I wasn’t even in Ms. Fitz’s classroom anymore. I was alone and somewhere else. Somewhere familiar.
The room was exactly as I’d remembered from my dream before. The same massive columns supporting an endless chain of arches that swept majestically around the room stood before me. The same airy and ancient windowless openings that allowed the drapes flanking them to dance fluidly in the wind still outlined the perimeter of the room. The same mosaic tiles that glistened like gemstones randomly iced the walls and floor. I hadn’t had many visions to surface. The count stood at two. But the quantity didn’t matter. Every glimpse into the diamond’s past left me nothing less than wonderstruck.
Curiously seeking out clues, my eyes inspected every inch of the mystical chamber. Other than its overall architectural style, I hadn’t paid too much attention to its details before. Adamas was usually present. But he wasn’t here this time. I was all by myself. I spied the empty table where I’d seen the diamond wand sitting, when I’d first laid eyes on its elusive hilt. My gaze traveled around the room and made its way down to the floor. Now there was something I hadn’t noticed before, the way in which the mosaic floor tiles were arranged. A sweeping circle outlined the center of the room, making a distinct break in the rest of the floor’s pattern. Four medallions, each crafted in a specific hue and bearing a different design, divided the large bordering band that flowed around the room. Forged in the middle of the emblem was something I recognized instantly, an outline of a cross-like shape that bore a striking resemblance to the hilt. It even had the same intertwined circular motif in its center. These meticulously crafted symbols had to be more than just ornamentation.
From out of nowhere, a crack of lightning exploded into the chamber through one of the openings and landed in the center of the room. Once the smoke had cleared, Adamas stepped out of the cloudy haze, looking just as imposing as ever. He removed a torch from off the wall and walked over to one of the medallions on the floor. Without any regard for the flames, he lowered the torch to the strange symbol. Like lighting a campfire, blazing flames roared up and out of the tiles. Strangely, the fiery spectacle seemed to be contained to that particular spot. With the torch now back on the wall, the original Diamond Talisman paced for a moment, anxiously staring at the ignited spot on the floor. Not a second later, sparks that would put our town’s Fourth-of-July fireworks to shame burst out of the fiery, tiled medallion. As the flames dwindled, a stranger took form. Soon the fire had vanished, right along with Adamas’ cross demeanor.
“I see you received my message, Helio. I only wish I had more to reveal,” Adamas informed the willowy, white-haired man, his words laced with regret.
“You are certain of what you saw?” Helio posed.
Adamas nodded. “But it is what I couldn’t see that vexes me. I saw the others… Solomon and then Damiec… Why can I not see MY GREATEST THREAT?!?” Adamas charged in a rage as he hurled a bolt of lightning my way.
I’d only had two other vivid dreams like this. The first one, I was merely an invisible bystander, but the other one, Adamas had spoken to me directly. I’d even felt the warmth of his touch. Considering I wasn’t exactly sure how the mechanics of these visions worked, I allowed my reflexes to have their way and dove out of the white-hot electricity’s path, leaving it to crash into a stone wall behind me. I landed on the exact spot from where Helio had appeared. Oddly, it was cool to the touch.
“Control your aggression, my son,” Helio warned Adamas. “It will only serve to fuel your doubts. Delusion will dull your wits. This is not the time for that. You must keep them as sharp as the diamond’s blade you wield.”
“Forgive me,” Adamas pleaded to Helio with a humble bow.
Before Helio could respond, a loud “bang” echoed t
hrough the room. A pair of wooden doors had slammed open, and to my delight, a familiar face rushed towards the two men standing in the center of the room.
Gallia.
My heart raced wildly, but it slowed as soon as my subconscious reminded me that this was nothing more than a glimpse from the past. As much as I wanted her to be alive, so I could tease the pint-sized Talisman about her long blonde locks that she’d fashioned into a crown-like braid encircling her head, tragically, she wasn’t.
“Oh…Helio,” Gallia remarked with a bow. “My apologies. I did not mean to interrupt.”
“That quite all right, my child,” Helio assured her.
“Padimae is waiting outside,” Gallia informed them.
Adamas held out his hand and presented the little Serpentine Talisman with a midnight-green stone. “Here,” Adamas said. “She cannot cross the seal without it.” Gallia nodded and swiftly left the chamber.
Adamas turned to Helio. “And you are certain of this,” he asked warily.
“It is time, my son,” Helio replied with a soulful resolve. He pulled a dark, rugged stone from out of his cloak and handed it to Adamas. “It is the only way.”
“So mote it be,” Adamas announced as he took possession of the lackluster stone and straightened his stance. Gallia returned to the room, accompanied by someone — a woman with skin as dark and rich as coffee beans and piercing copper eyes that could haunt your dreams. Scores of rope-like platinum braids, twisting every which way, spilled from the top of her head. Though she’d chosen not to adorn the spiraling strands with any beads, her wrists and neck were layered in thick gobs of them. Amidst the heap of colorful necklaces that coated her neck, one was most predominant — a savage collection of bones that trailed down to a miniature skull resting on its end. The tiny body of a repulsive serpent had been woven through its hollow sockets and its ghastly head was hanging out of the skull’s mouth. And it was moving too.
Pretty.
The eclectic woman’s vain stride came to a halt, just shy of crossing the intricately crafted seal on the floor. Gallia placed the mysterious midnight green stone in the woman’s hand and then reached for her other one. Swiftly, the Serpentine Talisman pulled out a gleaming dagger and dragged the tip across the woman’s hand. The woman never flinched. Gallia squeezed her hand until blood began to run down her wrist. She then positioned the trickling red stream over the strange stone. Red droplets now splattered its surface. Straightaway, Gallia walked towards the center medallion of intertwined circles and then smashed it on the floor. A black haze drifted out of the broken stone. The sound of alarming screams, twisted cackles, and faint whimpers floated out of the murky cloud.