I shake my head. “That sounds too simple.”
“Duncan taught you to mentally decide what you do and don’t want others to know—which is one way to block your mind—but that isn’t working with you. I’d like to build upon the checkers example because you were able to master that one while the diamond was in the pouch. Are you placing your mental game pieces in place like a barricade?”
“Yes, I’m imagining that.”
“All right. Chris, try to read her mind.”
Chris says, “I can’t. Good job, Calli.”
I open my eyes, feeling quite proud of myself.
“Wait.” Chris holds his hand up. “Now I can.”
A frustrated grunt escapes my throat.
Crimson tilts her head to the side and smiles sympathetically, giving me the impression she understands how hard it is to master this ability. “Jonas,” Crimson says, “do the same exercise and let Mary test your walls. I want a report from Mary that you’ve mastered the blocking ability. Now, you two, go.”
Jonas and Mary bow their heads and vanish.
“Calli, when you’re thinking to yourself, or sending your thoughts to Chris, you’re an open book to the others. This is not a good situation, especially because I want to control who knows you carry the blue diamond. I have carefully monitored and protected the information bleeding from your thoughts.”
“You’ve had to babysit my thoughts?”
“Don’t think of it like that, Calli.” Crimson straightens her back and says, “Keeping the transfer secret for now will give us both the opportunity to root out the dissenters of the group. If we don’t discover and replace these individuals, then the future doesn’t look as optimistic. The Bearers need to feel confident enough around you to slip up and expose themselves. The sooner you learn how to block your mind from the others, the better.”
“Okay.” I exhale and look down.
Chris says to me, “Try building a virtual wall in your mind.”
“Okay.” I close my eyes and imagine the seven-foot-tall brick privacy wall in my parent’s back yard. Tall trees on both sides of the wall create the illusion the wall is taller than it is.
Crimson says, “Try to read her mind again, Chris.”
“Her mind is blocked.”
“Open your eyes, Calli.” Crimson’s voice is gentle.
I look at Chris, expecting him to say he can access my mind. Waiting for him to say so. He doesn’t.
“Very good, Calli,” Crimson praises. “Now think about something you and Chris have done together like delivering the diamond together, or healing his legs. But think of something other than those two examples to see if Chris can read your mind.
I think about the day I first saw Chris walk into Clara Winter’s office, and the look on his face when he realized I was sitting on the couch as a Runner, not a Healer. I don’t know why that is the first thing that comes to mind.
Chris stares at me with his smoldering, steel-blue eyes. I return his stare, cherishing the opportunity to just look and gaze. I daydream about looking into his eyes for endless years to come.
He says, “I can’t get through her wall, but she’s pro-jecting her thoughts into my mind.”
“What? I am?”
Crimson asks, “Are you purposefully communicating with Chris?”
“No. I mean, I don’t think I am.”
“Calli, think of another time you and Chris were together, but this time I want you to move that thought behind your virtual wall. Mentally place your thoughts behind it.”
I do as she says and think about the day at Cave Falls when I accidentally read his mind and found he’d been shown a vision of me. I remember feeling incredibly shocked. I hadn’t expected to find that in his brain.
Chris shakes his head.
“What? Really? I’m still projecting?”
“No, you’re not. That’s why I shook my head.”
Relieved, I rub my temples.
Crimson says, “I want you to continue these exercises, Calli. And Chris, I want you to let her know when you’re able to read her mind or if she’s unknowingly projecting her thoughts.”
“Why is it so important I close my mind off to Chris?”
“Because when you’re sending him your thoughts, other Bearers can hear them too, if they’re nearby, and if they’re trying to hear. If you’ve protected the conversation by using the Blue Diamond, that’s different, but otherwise, your thoughts are open. I don’t want the other Bearers to know what you know, what you’re going to learn, and what you’re going to do. You overheard thoughts of others at the gathering who do not understand everything, some of whom may never understand my reasoning. The next year is going to be enlightening and I want you to be as safe as possible by protecting your mind.”
I can’t even form a proper question for the ambiguous things she’s just said. What in the world is she talking about?
Crimson continues. “You and Chris need to use the diamond’s Seer powers so you can be aware of your surroundings to protect your lives. I do not want you taking public transportation. Taxis are okay, but planes, buses, trains, are out—unless it’s Maetha’s plane. Never put yourself in a position where you are not in control of your future. And remember Diamond Bearers can die in other ways besides decapitation and having their hearts blown out. If the body is injured severely, like from a plane crash, you won’t be able to heal yourself. Get caught next to a bomb, well, I don’t need to explain that’s deadly. These types of deaths haven’t occurred yet because Bearers have avoided trouble of that kind. Maetha risks her life when she puts it in the hands of Rodger Rutherfield, but sometimes there are no other options. Rodger is a capable pilot, but even the best can find themselves in situations out of their control.”
I ask, “What about all the flying we’ve done lately?”
“I’ve been watching the future for incidences concerning Maetha’s plane. Make no mistake, I don’t like my Bearers flying, but sometimes there’s no other way to get from point A to point B quickly.”
Chris asks, “How do we look for our futures? I’ve been struggling with how to do this.”
“The diamond is new to you, Chris, as is the familiarity of the Seer power. Try asking yourself if you’re going to die today.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Crimson,” I say, “why didn’t anyone ever teach me to protect myself? In fact, why was I taught to not look for my future?”
“If you’d looked to your future you might not have been strong enough to handle viewing the events that still needed to happen for you to get the full diamond. The other Bearers who received their diamonds in a similar fashion were instructed to avoid looking for their futures too. Chris, on the other hand, has a whole stone in the pouch, and Calli, you have a whole diamond now. You both need to care for your lives by becoming aware of potentially deadly situations. However, I don’t want you to confuse looking for danger with looking for answers.”
Chris asks, “What do you mean?”
“Think of dwelling on the future, or looking for answers, like snooping at a Christmas present. If you sneak a peek at a present before Christmas morning, the magic will be gone when you open it because you already know what’s in the box. Some things in life are one-shot deals. The magic and excitement surrounding these moments are what infuse us with happiness. Don’t deprive yourself of the happiness in the here-and-now by dwelling on future events that may or may not happen. That’s my job. You two should only look for your immediate death or injury. Or the black fog of obsidian. You already know your long-range future and what it can be.”
Chris asks, “How will I know if I’m looking too far or for answers? I mean, how far do I look for my death?”
Crimson glances back and forth between us as if she’s considering something. Then she says, “If you were to look far enough for your death, Chris, you’ll find it happens when Calli inserts the diamond into your chest at some point in the future.”
“What? I
’ll die?” he cries out.
I’m just as shocked to hear the news as he is.
She puts her hand up to calm him. “Right now, that is the moment when your heart will stop beating . . . when you’ll die. I don’t want you searching out that moment, Chris. Look only for today or tomorrow. Ask yourself if you’ll die soon. If you still see events playing out in your mind, you’ll know you’re not going to die right away.”
“But you’re saying my heart will stop when I get the diamond inserted?”
“Yes. If Calli doesn’t start your heart again, you’ll remain dead.”
I try to reassure him. “Don’t worry, I’ll heal you. Just like I did with Jonas.”
“But Jonas didn’t die,” Chris asserts. “He was still breathing.”
Crimson says, “That’s because Calli’s quantum entanglement with that particular diamond prevented him from dying. She was healing him without even knowing how she was doing so.”
“But you’re saying I’ll be completely dead. Has Calli brought someone back to life whose heart has stopped?”
I look at him and reach out with my hand and take his. “You restarted my heart after I drowned, Chris. I won’t let you die.”
Crimson says, “Try not to stress out about this, Chris. Wait until you’re ready . . . and if that day never comes, well, that’s your choice too.”
My eyes shoot over to Crimson. Does she know some-thing we don’t?
Chapter 3 – Wise Healers
Crimson reaches into one of her bags. “I’m going to give the four of you some money to go across the street and purchase some nice clothing for the funeral tomorrow. Dressing appropriately shows respect to those who are mourning.”
Chris accepts the money. Once we’re out in the hall-way, he stops and says, “Calli, I know you’ll start my heart. I didn’t mean to sound like I doubt you. I guess my mind did a couple flips when she said I’d die when I receive my diamond.”
“I wasn’t offended, Chris,” I say as I reach up and give him a hug, just wanting to feel his body and his strength.
When I pull back and look up into his appreciative eyes, he says, “Thanks, Calli.” His mouth descends the short distance to mine, emphasizing his words in a most agreeable way. I really like the way I feel around him—fiery, impulsive, and tingly all over.
Some distant nudging thought reminds me we’re standing in a hotel hallway―hardly a private spot. Not really wanting to, I break away from his kiss. I whisper, “We’d better get Brand and Beth.”
“Yeah,” he says, resting his forehead on mine.
* * *
The four of us go across the road to the nearby shopping center. Chris gives Brand half of the money. Beth promptly snatches the money from Brand and stuffs it in her pocket, which I find interesting. They take off and go their own way.
Chris takes me by the hand.
“I don’t like shopping,” I say, volunteering my thoughts. “I wish I could just pick up some of my clothes from the dorm. My friend, Pamela, helped me load my closet recently.”
“How many pairs of shoes do you own?” Chris asks.
Strange question, I must admit. “I don’t know, like three. No wait, five, if you include the two pairs Pamela picked out.”
“You are so different than most girls, Calli.”
“Bad different?”
“No.” He pulls me in the direction of the women’s section. “At least I won’t have to work a night job to support your shopping habit.”
“So, I’m different because I don’t like to shop or have a lot of shoes?”
“Yes, and because you’re not self-absorbed or artificial.” He raises our clasped hands to his warm lips and kisses the back of my hand.
“Thanks. All right then, let’s get this done.” My mind continues to consider that owning several pairs of shoes or liking to shop doesn’t make someone self-absorbed or artificial. I think a person could be self-absorbed with only one pair of shoes.
We shuffle through the racks and find a few things to try on in the dressing rooms. My choices of dresses look horrid, so I don’t step out of the dressing room to show Chris.
“Come on, how bad could they be? Anything would look good on your body,” he compliments, or at least he tries to.
“I’ll keep looking for a dress. Try your clothes on. If you like them, come show me.”
I don’t expect I’ll see him, so I continue scanning the dress section. After a few minutes, I’ve selected two more dresses. My attention is grabbed as Chris walks out of the dressing room.
He looks amazing in his dress slacks and button-up shirt. The deep blue of his shirt emphasizes his eyes and enhances his blond hair. I find it hard to take my eyes off him. I’m reminded of when he entered the room with the rest of the Runners just before we began the delivery journey. My memory of that is movie-like: slow motion, mystical mist, spotlight shining down on him. Oh yeah, he looks great!
“What do you think?”
“You have to ask?” I fan my face with my hand.
He looks at what I’m holding. “The green one will work perfectly. Put the other one back.”
“What?”
“I’ve seen you in this dress already.”
“Like a vision?”
“Yes.”
“Well, why didn’t you tell me that earlier? We could have saved time.”
“The vision just happened.”
“Oh? What happened after that?” This feels strange for me to be on the other end of vision-receiving, wondering what he saw.
“I’ll let you know when it happens. Let’s find some shoes.”
We purchase our outfits after choosing appropriate shoes and then take a seat at the small eatery just off the main walkway.
“Now I own six pairs of shoes . . . probably more than I’ve ever owned at one time in my life.”
Chris seems a bit preoccupied. Nodding his head in the direction of the food vendor, he says, “Are you hungry, Calli?”
“A little.”
“What would you like?”
“I could sure go for a burger, fries and a Coke. It’s been a long time.”
He gets up and takes his place in line. I think about the last time I had a good burger and realize it’s only been a little over a month. Of course, that’s how long I’ve been back in Chris’s company. I could swear it’s been longer than that.
I see a couple girls close to my age, sitting across the way at a table. They’re ogling Chris as he stands in line. He doesn’t notice, naturally. He seems to be oblivious to his own appearance. Kind of like Clara Winter, when I was in her company. I speak to his mind, You know you’re gorgeous, right?
Do you?
Yes, I know you are.
He turns and glances at me. That’s not what I meant.
I don’t have Runner’s genetics like you. You are the only Runner in, like, a mile. You kind of stick out like a sore thumb. I, on the other hand, blend in with the locals.
Just then, Beth and Brand join Chris in line.
Correction, you’re the only male Runner in a mile.
I look over at the girls who now have sour, disappointed expressions. I read their minds just to confirm what I already suspect. They view Beth’s beauty and body dimensions as a threat. What is it with girls? Why do we berate ourselves so quickly, I wonder?
Maybe it’s because in the normal world I’ve grown up in, certain people seem to end up together: popular with popular, rich with rich, middle-class with middle-class, beauty with beauty. The girls at the table automatically figure Beth is Chris’s girl based on her appearance. Why is that?
I get that her looks are on the same level as his, and that’s why the girls quickly discount themselves. Perhaps this is part of the evolution of mankind and the primitive need to mate, as Maetha would put it. Maybe females are attracted to individuals who they feel are strong enough to protect them, and that this isn’t about attractiveness at all. I know I’ve read something like this before in
all my studies. It’s one thing to read about. It’s another to witness the behavior. The question is, why are girls so quick to discount themselves around a female who, in their opinion, outranks them? Those girls don’t even know Beth and Brand are together. They assume Beth is with Chris because he’s the taller, better-looking guy. Hmm, interesting. This makes me wonder as well. Why is Beth attracted to Brand? Well, aside from his dimples and superpower?
My eyes are still on the girls when Chris sits down next to me and kisses my cheek. The girls’ expressions change to shock for a moment, then back to sour. I guess I’m glad to see they view me as a threat instead of a non-threat.
“What are you looking at?” Chris asks.
“Nothing. I like watching people and their behaviors.” I look around for Brand and Beth. “Where did they go?”
“They’re heading back to the hotel. It will be dark soon.”
“Are they still afraid of the Demons even though they’re not dangerous anymore?”
“I am, and I don’t have any reason to be anymore. They have good reason, even though all the Demons have been transformed.”
“I bet you’re happy you don’t have to worry anymore.”
“Among other things.”
The cashier calls out a number and Chris leaves to grab our food.
I remember how excited Chris was to be able to walk into the dark after our experiments with obsidian and the Demons. The Pulse Emitters I designed were useful for a little while, and I’m glad I researched and had them made, but now the Demons are no longer a threat and I’m kind of stuck with the credit card bill. I’m sure Maetha or Crimson would take care of it if I asked them to, but I can’t bring myself to doing that.
Chris returns with our tray and sits across from me this time. He’s ordered the same meal deal as mine, which astonishes me.
“Is your system going to be able to handle this?” I point to his food.
“Well, I am a Healer now.” He grabs a couple fries with his fingers and slides them in his mouth.
I take a bundle of fries and bite into them. Mmm. Crunchy, salty goodness. My eyes are drawn to an older woman entering the store. She’s hunched over a bit and walks as if she’s in pain. I feel sorry for her and decide to use my Healing power to look inside her body for ailments. I find she has arthritis.
The Diamond Bearer's Secret Page 4