by S. E. Akers
“What was she like?” I posed, needing to confirm my suspicions.
The rumble that followed my question rivaled the growls of a daggone bear. “Gaia was personally responsible for amping up the magic in some of your century’s favorite ‘recreational plants’, increasing my detox-load tenfold,” he phrased coolly. “Does that answer your question?”
“Sounds like job security to me,” I teased, knowing his stance on the abuses of drugs and alcohol.
“Lucky me,” he mumbled with a dry roll and motioned my attention away from the statue and back to the stone marker.
The totems depicting the earth stones lay beneath her, merely inches from her crafty hands — three inside the medallion, just like all the others, along with the trio Gaia had beseeched fate for specifically, so the evil that haunted human souls could be expelled and disposed of properly. With the exception of the little Serpentine Talisman, I really couldn’t say I was a big fan of earth stones, especially any of these. Well, that wasn’t fair. But they each contributed to a majority of my troubles in some way. A lifeless turquoise glaring at me that felt so stark and unattainable… Emeralds that seemed to always foretell looming tragedies… And a tiger’s-eye that I needed desperately, like a sailor without the first star to help them navigate angriest of seas… I was grateful for my identity-blocking gris-gris, but somehow it wasn’t the same as a tiny brown & gold marbled stone that could act as my beacon of light to keep the rocky repercussions of my identity from being discovered at bay. Plus, I had to keep my witchy bag on my person at all times for its magic to work. That was bothersome enough. I just hoped the daggone thing’s batteries didn’t wear out. Ms. Lá Léo was dead, and I hadn’t heard from Padimae. And I seriously doubted Tanner would want me rounding up another voodooist to barter with for another one.
“If wishes were stones,” Tanner mused aloud, knowing I was practically salivating as I stared at the tiger’s-eye.
“You said it,” I confirmed.
“Especially since your purse can’t hide the golden topaz’s vibe.”
I covertly averted my stare as my eyes flared in one reflective blink. Son-of-a-bitch, I thought quietly, thankful that Tanner couldn’t see the panic glazing them. I knew Malachi had seemed suspicious about something the other day. I’d just assumed it was the ruby cuff Kamya had given me. I’d naively thought a shiny hunk of bling from a supernatural goldsmith was piquing his intrigue, just like the angelite watch had on the ship that evening. Now it made much more sense. The golden topaz’s vibe could have been ringing to him like a wake-up bell. Damn.
“Can you sense it?” I probed.
“Yes, but it’s subtle,” Tanner confirmed. “I can sense it because I’m very familiar with the aura it puts off.”
“I really need a tiger’s-eye,” I sighed.
“Yes, for the diamond mostly and another for the lapis lazuli,” Tanner agreed, “but you have one to conceal the golden topaz’s vibe. Bea’s . . . It’s ownership passed to you along with her stone. I’m kind of surprised you’re not wearing it.”
I practically spit out enough air to knock over the stone pedestal. “Really?”
Tanner nodded curiously. “Is something wrong?”
“No, no,” I lied, not wanting to breathe a word about the Malachi-thing. “Just really, really relieved.” Despite my current relaxed front, I swore I thought I’d heard a monster somewhere in The Darklands bellowing out a questionable “burp”.
The turquoise lay as inert as the cold stone it was resting upon. And despite my earlier reservations about asking, “When do you think a new Talisman will be decreed?” was out of my mouth before I could stop myself.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Tanner assured. He motioned back towards the lifeless totems that randomly speckled the walls. “A good number of these stones have gone unawarded for centuries.”
“Centuries?” I parroted, needing to ring out my ears.
Tanner pointed to one spot in particular. “Need I remind you of the fire opal?”
I eyed the dim stone mindfully. “No,” I replied. “I’m well aware of that fact.” Boy was I ever…
“But whenever fate does render its decision, this totem will glow, whether they have officially claimed it or not.” Tanner gave the lifeless turquoise a quick swipe. “We’ll send whoever it is a stream of messages instructing them with a place to meet. They’ll heed their call . . . eventually.”
“Or think they’re going crazy,” I remarked. Hearing a strange voice in my formerly all-human head that was ordering me to specifically “go somewhere” and not having the slightest idea of what supernatural surprises were out there would sure send my disbelieving butt over the edge.
Tanner looked suspiciously amused. “I won’t say it hasn’t happened before.”
“If I supposedly need it, then why doesn’t fate go ahead and bestow it to me?” Less steps, I rationalized.
“That’s a good question, but I can’t answer it. Only fate can.”
“I just hope whoever claims it isn’t evil,” I added. Now that one I was seriously pulling for.
“Fate is indifferent to emotion, Shiloh. Our souls may power its force within The Veil, but the magic that stems from our emotions are sent to their respective areas within the realm. That’s why Talismans who ended up with sinister intentions were even granted a stone in the first place. It’s also why the red chalcedony saved your hide. It’s taken me a while, but even I truly recognize the role it plays. Everything is a means to an end, and all of it is simply a part of fate’s master plan. The Veil steers the universe with or without a break in its borders. It will always exist, despite what happens here or in The Darklands. Every piece on the board has been set, and every move has been made, but The Veil is the only force that knows how it’s going to play out. That’s actually where premonitions and presentiment visions come from, whether they are brought forth with the aid of a stone’s random access, the manipulation of Padimae’s cards, or a flashing thought from a mere human whose mind has the fortune of penetrating its bounds. All of them can dip inside The Veil and brush with fate. It will allow any force within its plan access, but The Veil will never fully show its hand.”
Even I knew what he’d said was true, but that was unsettling. Until recently, I’d always viewed destiny as this “hopeful thing” hanging out there in the universe. The thought of it lacking even an ounce of sympathy seemed so callous and oddly just as merciless as any creature The Darklands could spit out. I wasn’t naïve. I knew rose petals weren’t lining everyone’s path, but seriously — where was the freaking HOPE? And in the end, who was it rooting for to win? Hell, did destiny even care if The Veil would always exist?
I could feel myself growing sicker with each passing second, no thanks to my current conundrum pinballing my cranium. My stare inadvertently fell to the three special stones Gaia had crafted, arcing just below the other earth totems. The physical embodiment of their presence didn’t halt the metal ball pounding my head one little bit. “The Past”, “the Present”, and “the Future” is what they each represented, but all I saw was “Lies”, “Death”, and a never-ending list of “What ifs”. Three different times, some form of a chalcedony had cropped up in regards to my destiny: a blue one had stopped the Onyx’s attack no sooner than I was out of the Talisman starting-gate, a red one had halted Lorelei’s hands from skewering me with my own diamond wand, and a couple of white ones had taken two people that I cared for deeply away from me. If destiny actually shapes a person, then this one stone fit my bill — a rock that represented all the horrors my destiny potentially held. After all, the chalcedony was the only stone with an absolute and unclouded connection to fate — hence their fateful punch. They say people attract things into their life whether they realize it or not. Some love butterflies and see them constantly fluttering around no matter what the season may be. Others could draw people to themselves that they hadn’t spoken with in years with passing reflections that materialized in th
e form of surprising run-ins or out of the blue phone calls. An awfully eerie feeling plagued me about my magnetic occurrences with this one stone. The stickiness of its web branched from all the harrowing reasons behind the whens & wheres that would suddenly cause one of its colors to drop in like a hungry spider — and my aching tuffet was wearily aware of them too.
The bloodstone totem was the next one to capture my gaze, almost with the saw-toothed bite of a bear trap. The red splotches splattering the midnight-green totem stung my eyes like someone had just slung mud in my face, furthering my aggravation. I felt compelled to give my woundless neck a rub strictly to ease my unrest.
Every single one of my memories, I fumed silently. Like his own twisted Life & Times of Shiloh Wallace DVD. As much blood as what Damiec had drained to borrow my powers, the bastard’s reach probably stretched all the way back to my potty-training. Ugh… He had to know I’d unknowingly placed Katie’s parents memories inside the amethyst he’d found. I bet he was still having a good laugh over that one. His crack on the beach about that crazy dream made me even more livid. How or why I’d had it still bothered me. I was pulling for some crazy cosmic glitch sent via karma to screw with my head for lying to Katie for months. I couldn’t have clairvoyant visions on my own—facts were facts—which I considered a heavy sigh of relief. All I wanted from him was my amethyst back, end of story. As far as I was concerned, that memory-laced purple stone was the only link the bloodsucking son-of-a-bitch and I shared with respect to this ole gal’s destiny!
“Gaia felt these were necessary, not just for humanity, but for The Veil as well.” Tanner pointed to the bloodstone. “Forgiveness was bestowed to the evilest souls seeking redemption. The bloodstone granted its recipient complete absolution. Human nature has proved time and time again that the most difficult part of healing is forgiving oneself. This one stone discharged them of all their sins. The bond was formed as soon as their blood struck the stone.” He shifted his stare to the onyx. “Then after the sacrifice, all the wickedness was extracted from their souls and placed inside a white onyx. That way, they couldn’t be haunted by the blackness of their past. A lingering reminder would only serve to churn more evil thoughts, so their minds were purged of their memories. The more heinous the acts that a soul had committed, the darker the stone would turn. Gaia insisted it had to go somewhere, anywhere but into The Darklands. Dunamis’ onyx kept the evil trapped, unable to be absorbed by any creature. His stone is the only one that can. It’s also the only one with direct access into this vile land. Gaia charged him with ensuring that none of the evil he purged from the souls of humans could ever feed the first creature. Knowing he alone has the power to communicate with these beings is bad enough, but claiming the diamond and controlling the entire flow of both worlds would drive them all to surrender to his every command.”
Tanner went on to explain the significance of the chalcedony and the gift of a “brighter future” it represented for all the souls who’d been cleansed. I tried to focus on his words, but my eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from the onyx. My gaze deepened the longer I stared at the murky totem. At first, it felt like I was trying to dissect its wickedness—layer by darker layer—until I realized it was anger keeping my gaze from breaking. I could say anything I wanted to him, just like I was standing in front of my own PA system with an extra-long range microphone. I could vent every ounce of my rage about having to end Bea because of him, but that would just feed the bastard with pleasant dreams. I really hoped he was still stuck in that cave Helio had thrown his butt in. Regardless of where my nemesis was currently lying in wait, he knew I now held the sunstone. Just one down and three to go. My body began to grow feverishly warm, like someone was turning up the dial on a stove. Even though this totem only sent verbal messages “out”, it felt like a beady-black eyeball of evil staring at me, wanting me dead and crafting its next despicable plan of attack.
“Thinking about making a call?” Tanner questioned.
I shook my head. “I’m sure I’ll hear from him.”
“Not while you’re here,” he swore with a measured step closer. “This house and its surrounding grounds are warded. That’s one less thing you have to worry about this summer.”
The heat streaming from his promise sparked my insides. Though I was relieved to scratch that one thing off my list, it seemed I had a lot more piling up on my plate than I’d originally thought. The knowledge held in this room alone was enough of a testament to that encyclopedia-filling fact. My orientation had barely begun, and my sunny plans were starting to cloud. I forced down my swelling worries with a subtle gulp, hoping they didn’t end up churning out a named ocean storm by the close of the day.
Hurricane Shiloh…
The bewitching lights from all the glowing totems floated around us. The next thing I knew, my mind was being lulled into a sweet daze as I watched them dance fluidly across the Amethyst Talisman’s handsome face. I couldn’t tear myself from the way they made his eyes sparkle, not for the life of me. I could actually feel myself starting to turn into a freaking young-adult cliché.
Why is no one ever around when you need a good slap?
Tanner pulled me out of my trance with a clearing of his throat. “And those are all the Guild’s stones . . . the ones the Guardians crafted specifically for the warriors destined to carry on the earth’s fight. That’s why our abilities are fiercer, our strengths much greater, and our elemental sway surpasses all others like us. The greatest advantages were bestowed to the ones chosen to hunt down these creatures so they could be returned to their realm.”
I scrutinized each of the stone figures, somewhat confused. “Aren’t there totems to talk to the Guardians?” I asked.
“They’re hidden,” Tanner revealed. “Check their eyes.”
With a delicate sweep, I glided the tip of my index finger across one of Helio’s eyes first. All of a sudden, the marble peeled away and two gleaming orbs that resembled his yellow sunstone appeared, shining just as lively and bright.
I turned to Tanner. “I think I do remember someone telling me they were ‘the window to one’s soul’.”
“That’s truer than you know,” he remarked with a shady grin that looked just as confident as it did painfully suspicious.
Oookay, I pondered as I maneuvered beside the figure of Nerina, eager to check her peepers. Two pools of the most tranquil blue emerged when I did. Fascinated, I watched the white bands within her blue agate stone as they swayed back and forth like a foamy tide rolling towards a shore. There was one thing I did find slightly strange about her sacred water stone: its glow was nowhere near as bright as Helio’s or any of the others illuminating the chamber. I really didn’t know what to make of that.
My next mark was Erion and his labradorite. I ran my finger across his left socket and waited…and waited, but nothing happened. By all rights, a muddy gray stone should have come forth emitting iridescent bursts of colors that mimicked the lights of the Aurora Borealis, but it remained a sheath of smooth white marble, sadly.
I turned to Tanner, confused. “Where’s his stone?” The only thing worse than not seeing it was the light-hearted shrug my mentor offered along with his silence. That sent my bottom lip sagging past the curtain of hair circling the Air Guardian’s mouth. I should have known my mentor’s forthcoming-front wouldn’t last long.
“Check Gaia’s,” Tanner instructed.
I exchanged several disbelieving glances with the tight-lipped Amethyst Talisman before reaching the Earth Guardian’s statue. Beatrix had described Gaia’s namesake stone only once, but she’d particularly stressed that its hue contained a stunning collection of all the varied and vast greens found throughout nature. She’d also claimed that when they blended together, the dewy and seductive color combination was unlike any shade I would ever see on earth. So knowing that, imagine my disappointment when I stroked Gaia’s orbital orifices and neither of them ignited the first sign of her mystical green gaia stone.
Wi
th an even lower hanging brow, I turned to Tanner. “Do I have to ask again?” I mumbled, fearing some really crappy news.
“There’s only one reason a Guardian’s totem doesn’t glow,” Tanner submitted.
Eyes wide and alert, I waited for his response. His silence was starting to grate on me worse than a May full of TV show cliffhangers. “And that is…?” I prompted.
“The connection to their stone is broken,” the Amethyst Talisman reiterated. Tanner pointed to the sunstone. “Helio’s essence is safe and inside his stone, which is here in our world and in your secure possession. He can materialize his form in either realm.” He then pointed to the Water Guardian. “Nerina is still here on earth . . . in her human form. She’s keeping her location a secret because her powers have grown weak. That’s why her totem doesn’t shine as brightly as all the others. When she feels the time is right and you’re ready, she will release her stone to you.” His gaze turned to the Air Guardian. “Erion’s labradorite was stolen centuries ago. Without it, he can’t leave the borders of The Veil. The only thing that can allow him passage is his stone.”
“Do you know who took it?” I asked, mentally clenching my hands.
“I’ve got my suspicions,” he breathed, “though nothing’s panned out.”
My shoulders practically plunged to the floor. Crap.
“But Gaia’s stone wasn’t stolen or even lost, like when Helio’s was hidden away by Padimae,” Tanner assured.
Finally… Some good news. My destiny had decreed that I was to collect all four of the Guardian stones. I had the sunstone, Nerina was bonded with hers, so I only had one stone to find. Definitely music to my ears.
“So where is it?” I asked, almost like I expected him to whip it out of his pocket.
“She destroyed it,” Tanner revealed with a cavalier cock of his head.
My mouth had to be stretching the width of a barn door, ripped open by his blasé bomb. “WHY?” finally shrieked out, no sooner than my muscles could form a coherent syllable. That sounded as crazy as a bride flushing her three-karat pride & joy down a toilet on her wedding day. “Why would she destroy it?”