by S. E. Akers
Startled, I jumped and whipped my head around. Sitting all sprawled out and swaying on our wooden porch swing was none other than “Mr. Evasive” himself, Tanner Grey.
I acknowledged his presence with a grunt, followed by a quick roll of my blue eyes. I didn’t say a word to him and went back to digging through my purse. As soon as I’d located my keys, I unlocked the door.
“That’s rude…No, ‘Hello’?” Tanner Grey remarked as he rose from his casual lounge.
Straightaway, I shot him a snarky look.
Tanner strolled towards me. “I’m picking up on something. Let’s see… There’s anger…a bit of frustration…and a whole lot of vengeance. That about right?” he scrutinized.
I threw open the door. Before I entered the house, I turned to him. “You knew it was Lazarus, didn’t you?” I snapped.
“Yes,” Tanner confirmed in a solemn tone.
Frustrated by his admission, I bolted into the house, slammed the front door, and forcefully secured all three locks. I let out a gruff grunt as I slammed my back against the front door. Within a few seconds, Tanner Grey came crawling into the house through the living room window.
“That’s breaking and entering,” I called out lackadaisically.
He looked back at the broken window and let out a laugh. “No. That’s just entering. Look’s like someone else did the breaking,” Tanner quipped as he raised one of his eyebrows, inquisitively. He walked into the foyer where I still remained propped against the door.
“Is that the real reason you didn’t want me to ‘go near’ or even ‘touch’ Lazarus?” I pouted.
“No, Shiloh. That was just an unfortunate consequence. I told you, not while your powers are strengthening. You’re still very vulnerable, especially to other Talismans. Oh, and by the way, Lazarus picked up on your energy at the funeral home…just so you know.” The handsome Talisman seemed slightly perturbed about it.
“It was an accident! Beatrix told me that he’d left! Did he know it was coming from me?” I probed in a panic. “I asked the golden topaz to keep him from seeing me.”
Tanner patted my shoulder. “Calm down, little girl… The boogey man’s not onto you yet.” I felt an instant rush of relief. Tanner continued, “When he arrived at the mine after the wake, I overheard him telling one of his guys that he sensed something powerful back at the funeral home, but he didn’t know where it was coming from or why. Lazarus started drinking and celebrating. He claimed it was a ‘good sign’ and that ‘he was close’.” Tanner hovered beside me and leaned into my ear. “He just didn’t realize how close he was,” his husky voice whispered.
While the delicate warm air from his words tickled my lobe, I turned to meet his smoldering gaze. Just being close to Tanner Grey was intoxicating. Whatever allowed him to wash away a person’s anxieties was like a drug. The fact that he was such delicious eye candy was simply a perk.
“Your eyes aren’t purple,” I remarked flatly, attempting to bottle up my churning emotions and cover the embarrassment I felt from my lingering stare. Tanner stepped back and removed his tiger’s-eye from around his neck.
“I suppose it’s safe…now. I can’t afford to go around advertising to Lazarus that he has a another Talisman working for him, trying to sabotage his plans, now can I?” I watched in amazement as his hazel eyes transformed into their dazzling purple hue as soon as the brown and gold swirly stone lost contact with his skin.
“How does this thing work…exactly?” I asked as I reached for his stone pendant. He flippantly jerked the magical stone out of my hand and held it between us.
“This tiger’s-eye,” Tanner corrected, “was given to me many years ago. It helps a Talisman hide his or her powers from all supernaturals, including other Talismans. Even though you can feel traces of its energy, only the Talisman to whom it was given may draw upon its concealment powers — so unfortunately, it won’t work on you. A tiger’s-eye is one of the few stones that must be directly bestowed to the wearer by the Talisman who reigns over it. Beatrix has one as well. Shiloh, your identity is sacred. You must keep it guarded at all times. Once your identity is compromised, death and despair will follow you. This is especially true for Talismans like Lazarus. They’ll not only seek to harm you to get what they want, but they’ll hurt anyone you love — just to get to you — which is why, and I repeat, you are to stay away from him.” Tanner topped his lecture off with a curt smile as he tucked the mystical pendant in the front pocket of his weathered jeans.
“Well then…where can I get one?”
Tanner rolled his eyes smugly and let out a laugh. “Well, you can’t run down to the local Star-Mart and pick one up. You can’t go just ANYWHERE and pick up one of these sought after stones. You have to earn it. The Talisman who reigns over the tiger’s-eye must feel you’re worthy of such a gift. In our world, it’s a monumental feat to receive one from Burnu. He doesn’t simply hand them out to anyone. And just because you lay claim the most revered stone of all, don’t think for one second that it gives you any entitlement to one of his tiger’s-eyes. So, until ‘your time’ comes, you can get that idea out of your head…even though it would help with your ‘identity problem’. But even it’s not an easy fix.”
“Where does this Burnu—”
“Not around here!” Tanner gruffly interrupted. “He’s thousands of miles away, so forget about it.” Tanner paced around the foyer. “Stubborn little girl,” he grumbled, over and over, shaking his head. I glared at him as I thought about how much I HATED that little “pet name” he liked to throw around.
“What are you doing here anyway?” I demanded.
Tanner ignored my question while he eyed the staircase with a suspicious grin. He propped his hand on one of the remaining spindles from the smashed banister (which he ended up breaking off) and then turned around.
“You’re coming with me,” Tanner finally answered as he tapped the spindle in his hand. “But first, I need you to go upstairs and change in to something a little more…comfortable.”
Now I was curious.
“Where are we going?”
“Out,” Tanner replied bluntly as he motioned me up the stairs.
Though I shook my head at him, I complied with an open mind. As I marched up the steps, I suspected I was in for an afternoon of strange requests and elusive answers. I eventually found myself standing in front of my dresser and rummaging through my drawers cluelessly.
“Can you at least be a little more specific about what kind of ‘comfortable clothes’ I should wear?” I called down from my bedroom.
“Something you don’t mind getting dirty, maybe even ripped,” Tanner replied. “You know, little girl…Play clothes.”
After hearing “it” again, I purposely stomped my foot on the floor, making sure it was loud enough for him to hear. I ran back out to the top of the stairs and pointed down at him.
“Stop calling me that!” I yelled down. He simply brushed off my request with a grin as I turned to head back into my room. I ended up pulling out some old jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and some worn out sneakers. I was changed and ready in no time. After my long locks were secure in my favorite ponytail holder, I headed for the door.
My cell phone started humming in my purse. I pulled it out to see several messages from Katie and Ty. They were worried and wanted to know “where I was”. I shot back a quick text to both of them.
I’m fine…Just need 2 B alone
Once the message had been sent, I turned off my cell and placed it back in my purse. I looked at 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?”
Is he kidding? “No,” I fired back assuredly.
“Then leave it,” Tanner advised.
After a shrug of my shoulders, I threw my purse on the bed and grabbed my jacket.
“Okay, can you at least tell me w
hat we’re going to be doing that warrants old clothes?” I asked as I trotted down the stairs.
Tanner pursed his perfect mauve lips and smiled. “We’re going to play catch.”
“What?” I cried out, confused. “Catch? It’s pouring rain and there’s lightning flying all around. You’re not serious, are you?”
Tanner opened the front door and looked out at the stormy sky, grinning from ear to ear.
“Oh, yeah,” he confirmed, sounding almost thrilled. “We couldn’t ask for a more perfect day.”
He’s crazy! I followed him down the porch steps, but I still felt the need to question his bizarre request.
“But the weather is horr—”
“Enough!” Tanner interrupted as he turned and stopped me on 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…painless as possible.” Tanner’s tone softened but he remained 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 time arguing with me about my methods or my reasoning…just trust me. Understand?”
“Okay,” I agreed. “I’ll trust you.”
“Excellent,” Tanner replied.
“Where’s your vehicle?” There wasn’t one parked out front, and I hadn’t seen any cars sitting on the side of the road on my drive home.
Tanner ignored my question. He raised his brow and then jumped off the steps, out into the pouring rain. He turned and winked back at me.
“Try to keep up.” The next thing I knew, he’d transformed into that spellbinding purple mist and took off through the woods in a flash. Though I was taken aback for a second, I hopped off the porch to follow him obediently.
I guess we’re RUNNING.
I trailed behind him through the woods at a normal pace. To my amazement, my stride quickened with every second that passed. I couldn’t believe the speed at which I was running. I’d never even driven a car this fast in my life. My spirit felt freer than it ever had. The wind whipped around my entire body, and I was totally drenched from the hard rain bombarding me, but I didn’t care. I felt so alive!
Though Tanner was always a good fifty yards ahead of me, I thought I was keeping good time. We had been running for almost twenty minutes when the purple mist stopped abruptly and morphed back into Tanner Grey’s human form.
I came to a screeching halt when I tried to brake in mid-run. I ended up sliding on some wet leaves and tripped on my own feet. My body crashed to the ground, hitting some rocks right beside him. He helped me up and looked down at my jeans. Sure enough, there was a long tear running down the right leg of my Levi’s, roughly a six-inches long.
“Yeah…Definitely ripped,” Tanner confirmed.
I dusted myself off and scanned the surrounding landscape curiously. We were still in the woods, but I’d been running so fast and concentrating on following him that I’d lost my bearings.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“I don’t know. You’re the local,” Tanner cracked as he started walking up a small hill, shaking his head.
I continued to survey 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 pushed through the trees and heavy brush of the forest. I would’ve liked to think he had some clue as to where we were going. I wasn’t keen on the idea of taking a “leisurely country stroll” in the pouring rain.
“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 rolled his eyes. “Well…I kept up,” I stated boldly.
“I slowed down,” Tanner countered. “Tell me, Shiloh…what other tricks have you found in your bag?”
“You already know I can hear people’s thoughts and feel their emotions. 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 feelings, and delve into 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 sly smile. He seemed to find something amusing. His grin quickly disappeared, and he confidently added, “Definitely not on the Onyx. Nothing affects him that’s of the psychic nature. As for other supernaturals…It depends on what kind your 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. No questions,” I acknowledged obediently. I 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.
“What about you?” I probed suspiciously.
That sly expression 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 Hell of a lot of desire, but he probably already knows that. Why embarrass myself by acknowledging it? “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, “I have a few psychic talents of my own. I’m sort of what you would call a medium or a channeler. That’s why you can’t hear my thoughts or feel any of my emotions. And I can only receive a person’s feelings, never their thoughts. Then I filter them back to them…purified and clear of any negative emotion. That’s why I’m able to take away the pain you’re feeling. That’s just one of my 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.
I thought about Chief Roberts and Officer 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 asked curiously. Then like a black belt, he threw his arm straight at me. With one sweeping blow to my chest, he managed to knock me several yards, up against a large maple tree. I heard the trunk of the massive tree crack when my back crashed into it and then I dropped to the ground like a brick.
“Maybe you’re not as strong as what you think?” Tanner posed. 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.”
His sneaky jab ticked me off. I could feel wet mud soaking the rear of my jeans.
Tanner walked over and extended his hand. “Here, I’ll be a gentleman.”
“A ‘gentleman’ wouldn’t have knocked me down,” I proclaimed as I sharpened my glare.
I felt an overwhelming urge to return the favor. Quickly, I tried to swing my leg around to sideswipe his lower limbs, so I could knock him off his feet. To my dismay, it was only an attempt. Tanner managed to jump out of the way. The next thing I knew, he had grabbed a hold of my arm and hurled me over his head. I crashed onto the ground. I was now lying flat on my back, feeling nothing but a slight sting from his attack and unfortunately, more mud that now caked my en
tire backside.
Tanner stood over me smirking. “I told you that I could sense emotions, Shiloh. Vengeance is pretty powerful. You need to learn to control that one.”
I propped myself up on my elbows and scowled at him. I was even angrier than before, and he sensed it too.
“Okay, since you obviously want to play,” Tanner announced confidently. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Good…I need to release some of my tension the good ’ole fashion way and not by letting him absolve me of it. I started to rise to my feet only to have Tanner spin around and drop kick 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.
I was going to have to be a lot quicker and clear my mind, but that was easier said than done. I sprang to my feet and snapped a hefty branch off a nearby oak. Tanner didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. I swung it at him several times, but he dodged every one of my strikes effortlessly. Suddenly, a loud “squawk” cried out around us. Tanner looked up to see the falcon swooping down on him. The fowl’s sneaky attack gave me a chance to swing the branch into the side of his abdomen. The force of the blow propelled him back several yards, where he crashed against the sidewall of a cliff. The impact caused the earth and rocks above his head to cascade around him.
The crafty falcon landed on bush beside me. “Thanks,” I replied and threw the bird an appreciative nod.
I looked back to the spot where Tanner had landed after I’d pummeled him, only to discover that he was gone. I heightened my guard, scanning the area for any signs of him. There wasn’t the slightest movement coming from any direction. I kept my branch raised and ready to strike. Another abrupt “squawk” shrieked through the forest like a warning shot. I’d just started to turn to around see what had alarmed my feathery cohort when I felt the branch being ripped out of my hands from behind. Tanner was transforming back into his human form as I completed my spin. He tossed the large branch off to the side and slammed me down on the ground. Granted, I was strong, but I couldn’t match his strength. I tried to wrestle out of his hold, but he had me helplessly pinned.