The Sapphire Talisman

by Brenda Pandos

  “Argh,” she grunted with disdain. “Men sometimes!”

  I let go of my bubble to experience—for a second—the lasciviousness of the man meandering into the street behind us.

  “Hey, Baby,” he called in a slur. “Why don’t you two come over here for a little fun?” His mind obviously raced with things he wanted to do to us—exciting to him, but bent towards evil.

  My mind raced as well. I knew Scarlett could kick this guy’s ass in a heartbeat, but if there were more like him close by, how would we get away? I suddenly wished for Phil’s magic carpet ride.

  “Don’t worry. This will only take a second.”

  She turned and raised her chin, lifting out her arms. Suddenly, the man screamed and wilted to the ground, sobbing like a baby.

  “I’m sorry . . . So sorry,” he whimpered over and over. “I’ll never do it again. Please . . . spare me.”

  My mouth gaped. Scarlett felt nothing of malice, or anger. She only radiated something ethereal in nature, holy even.

  She smiled at her handy work then her maternal glance swept across my wide-eyes. “Ready to go?”

  I glanced at the man who cowered prostrate on the ground in a growing puddle of liquid. “What did you do to him?”

  The corner of her lip curled ever so slightly. “Introduced him to his maker.”

  “His what?”

  “His worst fear. I probed his mind and found he’s deathly afraid of God—well, actually His wrath. He fears the judgment he’s going to receive for all the evil things he’s done.”

  “How did you figure that out?”

  Scarlett looked back at the pathetic man and clucked her tongue. “The inebriated are the easiest to control. They’ll tell you anything you want to know . . . if you know how to ask.” Her eye twinkled with satisfaction.

  I stood, speechless.

  “I was able to change my appearance through his thoughts. I saw the picture of what he believes God to look like and amplified it, projecting the image through his eyes onto myself, like an illusion.”

  The man remained on the ground, begging for forgiveness and mercy. For a second, I felt sorry for him.

  “This vermin does not deserve your sympathy, Julia. He’s a horrible man who needed a good fright to change his ways.” Scarlett tugged at my arm. “Let’s go.”

  I let her lead me away from the scene, my eyes unable to stop gawking at the change the man undertook. One minute he was a sexual predator, the next, a repentant naked soul. My mind began to swirl with the potential of Scarlett’s gifts, gathering courage in her abilities. “Why haven’t you done that to Alora? Probed her mind and scared her into submission with her greatest fear?”

  “I can’t snoop into her mind without her knowledge like I can humans. Plus, I can only read the current thoughts, not the past. Strong minds are often difficult to manipulate.”

  I fastened my mind within a nearby sleeping street-person so I could really ponder on what I’d witnessed. Every time Scarlett danced on the fibers of my thoughts, I knew she was there. Before, the talisman gave me complete protection which meant I could let my guard down. Without it working properly, my only alternative was to tirelessly jump from aura to aura to elude her.

  “So that’s it? You’re giving up?” I asked aloud, tired of mind talking.

  Scarlett sighed with apathy. “There’s nothing to hold onto. It’s a losing battle. I’ve accepted it and the sooner you do the same, the better off you’ll be.”

  “Killing Alora is not an option,” I stated, almost rhetorically.

  “Because of Phil?”

  “Yes! You may want to live a death sentence, but I will not let you send him back to Hell prematurely. How can you even pretend to be his friend?” I folded my arms over my chest and wished I didn’t need her protection, wanting to scream Phil’s name for him to find me.

  She shook her head in frustration as displeasure wafted out in shallow bursts. “Answer me this. As we wait, how many more will die or be changed under her leadership? Innocents pulled into the fight? Those exactly like Phil?”

  “Then we must capture her.”

  “And then what?”

  “Keep her.” I cringed at how ridiculous my suggestion sounded, wanting to take it back.

  Scarlett sniggered. “That is neither a reasonable nor humane option, Julia.”

  “Then we present our problem to Harry . . . to Preston.” I wouldn’t accept this outcome blindly. Vampires were innately evil, but apparently could be swayed for good with the right motivation.

  “Even still, you’re future is to bring all of this to an end. Forever. That means that all vampires die, period.”

  “For Nicholas and Phil’s sakes and even yours, I don’t accept that. There has to be another way.”

  “There isn’t and fighting against your fate is only going to prolong the inevitable.”

  I screamed in my head, once again upset I’d lowered my guard and let her inside, blackmailing me with a stupid prediction.

  Regardless of what she believed, I would not accept it. There had to be another way. I’d sacrifice myself before I’d let Nicholas die at my hand.

  “Then why pretend? Why not just go kamikaze and take out those around you and just get it over with?”

  Scarlett puckered her lips, emitting disappointment. “Because I care for Phil, like you do. And . . .” Admiration and longing trickled out.

  My cheeks burned. I hated that she knew my struggle to keep my feelings for Phil under control.

  Scarlett straightened up and turned her head. Her long flowing black hair shimmered like a dark waterfall in the moonlight. “Murdering innocents is no better than what they do. I’m only here to help the prophecy come to fruition. Your destiny.”

  I huffed and folded my arms over my chest. “Nice. I get to do the dirty work.” Whatever.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  We walked for several hours, dodging headlights and the freaky nightlife. Scarlett—most of the time—mentally created distractions or blended our figures into the surroundings, keeping out of the watchful eyes of the local riff-raff. The few she toyed with did give me a healthy dose of satisfaction until one guy shamelessly cried for his mother.

  Every block or so, I’d successfully found a lifeless soul to hide within to keep Scarlett from intruding on my thoughts. Each jump required intense focus in order to keep balanced on the high wire of their psyche. One wrong thought of sympathy for them would topple me into their never ending pit of sorrow and despair. My feet and back were another story. They ached something fierce from my illness.

  “Are we there yet?” I asked again, perplexed that with all the power she encompassed, she still couldn’t notify Phil and give him our location. Or seduce a taxi driver and have him drive us there.

  “I do have limitations. Walk faster,” she said in my mind.

  “Are you serious? I just got over the flu and it’s two in the morning. I wasn’t prepared to walk ten miles tonight. I am human.” I balled up my fists. “Give me a flipping break.”

  “He’ll catch our trail . . .”

  “Catch our trail? You mean he’s not waiting for us somewhere?”

  “We must keep moving.”

  I threw my hands up into the air and laughed. “This is the plan? And if we don’t meet up, then what? Because I have to be home before morning or I won’t be saving anyone from anything. Do you realize that my father will kill me if he finds I’ve left without permission?”

  “I’m quite aware of the situation, Julia. There’s no need for theatrical drama,” she said bluntly out loud.

  “Really? Really! Because the only people who seem to be picking up our trail are the perverts and drug dealers who think we’re hookers.”

  “Which you’ve thoroughly enjoyed, watching them get what they deserve.”

  I pressed my eyelids shut, refusing to agree. “I want to take a hot shower and crawl into bed—my bed—at home. I can’t believe I let Phil talk me into this. Harry i
sn’t even here and I’m stuck in L.A.—with you—and the clock is ticking. I bet my dad has already called the National Guard by now.”

  “Teenagers.”

  “I heard that.”

  Scarlett quickly exhaled. “I could carry you on my back.”

  I whistled. Oh whoopi-do. “I’ll pass, Wonder Woman.”

  “Pride cometh before the fall . . .” The words echoed slightly in the back of my thoughts, provoking my anger because they were not my own.

  “Knock it off!” I twisted my eyes into slits and glowered at her innocent expression. “You should talk.” I folded my arms across my chest, refusing to speak as we continued to walk down the semi-deserted street.

  We finally rounded the corner between two abandoned buildings and I hoped we’d finally reunite with Phil, when Scarlett sent out another twinge of frustration and disappointment.

  “Let me guess,” I said with contempt. “This is the place.”

  She hesitated in slight confusion. I let out a sharp exhale and turned my eyes toward the night sky, hoping my gift deceived me and his black silhouette would magically show up at any moment.

  “He’ll come. I’m sure he’s just . . .” She didn’t finish. Instead, the dust swirled up around her morphing ankles as her skin grew a coat of black fur.

  “What are you doing—?” I didn’t finish either.

  I turned to face the deluge of oncoming gluttony as my blood ripped through my veins. My voice froze within my windpipe.

  “I needed to change to hide,” she whispered.

  “What about me?” I asked in fear, trying to sound brave as I backed against the wall. “Aren’t you going to hide me too?”

  “They’ve seen you—they sense you. Just do what I tell you. I’ll do the rest.”

  This time, I didn’t argue. Whether I liked it or not, I had to trust her. She clearly had some plan, though I couldn’t confirm her confidence, unable to read her aura any longer. I just hoped the plan didn’t involve abandoning me.

  “I wouldn’t think of leaving you, Julia.”

  “Okay,” I squeezed out, relieved for this one time she could read my thoughts.

  My hands shook as I watched the dark archway, knowing at any moment they’d be revealing themselves in the moonlit corridor. For a second, I kicked myself for not taking a stake or two when I was with Hung earlier but recanted that thought once remembering my feeble human abilities. Without the power of the talisman, my aim would only put the weapon into my enemy’s hands.

  Like before, they appeared in a V formation. Slide, Blondie, Goth Boy, and Emo Girl were all present and accompanied by two new additions. My eyes drifted to check out the newbies: disheveled Biker Dude, who reminded me of a hyena, nervously fidgeted and cackled every couple of minutes, and Hulk-Man who wore a black do-rag on his head and sported an insanely ripped body. Even his muscles had muscles. They anxiously paced, hungrily licking their chops. Their combined lust for blood hit me like a wall of fire.

  The six pairs of black viperous eyes locked onto me, a lowly mouse searching for a crack to escape into. Every cell in my body screamed to run, screamed for Nicholas to come save me.

  “You’re awful brave to be roaming this part of town alone, young lady,” Blondie said, tilting her head to the side. Her birdlike movements reminded me of the velociraptors Phil and I just read about.

  I swallowed hard and tried to keep a stony exterior. “Who says I’m alone?” My voice shook more than I wanted it to.

  “With your gnat of a friend gone, I’d say you are . . . unless your cat does tricks.”

  I worked hard to control my smile from forming into a smirk. Little do you know.

  “Phil has eluded them . . . Keep talking,” Scarlett interjected.

  “He’ll be back,” I said with more confidence.

  “Will he?” Slide asked. Hyena dude snorted behind him, his laugh eerily tainting the ambiance.

  I shifted my weight to my left foot, reminding myself to keep breathing and not lock my knees. “I know you didn’t kill him.”

  “If that’s true then where is he?” Blondie pressed her lips outward into a pucker, then tisked her tongue. “You know what I think? I think he ran home to Mommy and you’ve run out of luck.”

  Again, more creepy laughter permeated the air, sending shivers across the back of my legs.

  “He’s not the one you need to worry about—”

  “Go with it,” Scarlett confirmed, pushing me to continue with my bluff.

  “My boyfriend—Nicholas—won’t like the way I’ve been treated here in his absence.

  “Really?” Slide stepped forward, the name ringing familiarity but no real concern. “He should know better than to allow his girlfriend to roam freely in our town.”

  More snickers bounced off the building walls.

  “Yes, but if I don’t return safely, he’ll find you . . .”

  “Let him,” I heard Hulk say with a Spanish accent, radiating contempt. Emo Girl and Goth Boy felt a little bit more reverence and shushed him in unison.

  “He’ll hunt each and every one of you down. He doesn’t abide by the rules you know,” I said with growing bravado.

  “Pity,” Blondie said apathetically. “Neither do we.”

  The bass from the growl that ripped from Hulk’s lips reverberated in my chest, spiking my heart rate to a dangerous level.

  “Scarlett!” I said inside with a timid voice. “Do something.”

  “You’re doing great,” she interrupted, her voice now brimming with excitement. “Keep it up.”

  Doing great? Holy freaking crap!

  I looked each vampire in the eye, knowing my mad-dog stare taunted them. “Why take the chance? Why waste it on me?”

  A burst of wind blew alongside me just as Blondie disappeared. She pressed up behind me, arm draped around my shoulder, lips up against my ear. “You must be extra special to be spared by our kind.”

  My knees locked. “Scarlett!” I screamed in my head. “Help me!”

  Jealousy spiked from Emo girl, compelled to kick the crap out of someone, possibly me.

  “Duck!”

  Without a thought, I obeyed and folded my legs, curling into a ball on my heels. Behind me, a thunderous crash sounded, followed by cursing. I spun around, still keeping low, to see both girls sprawled out on the ground, arms flailing in the air in a cat fight. Slide started laughing hysterically while Hyena dude asked for bets on the winner. Goth boy, completely unamused and furious, poised himself—ready to jump in to save his girl.

  “You never care how your actions affect the rest of us,” Emo Girl hissed, taking a swipe, her nails nicking Blondie’s cheek. “I’m sick of you always running the show.”

  Blondie kicked the girl in the stomach with her boot, pushing her across the ground to the other side of the corridor. “Good lord, Adry. Get control of yourself.”

  Blondie ran her fingertips across her face to find blood. She smiled then licked it off. I withheld my gasp as the scratch healed before my eyes.

  “You control yourself. You’re not my mother,” Adry spat.

  Goth Boy instantly showed up at her side, helping Adry stand. She grew annoyed with him as well, too embarrassed to accept his assistance, and pushed him off her arm.

  “Close enough,” Blondie muttered, picking herself up and locking eyes with me.

  My heart sprinted at the confrontation until her eyes drifted to my chest. From my peripheral vision, I caught the hint of phosphorescent blue, growing brighter and brighter. The talisman was suddenly awake with color, radiated vibrantly, illuminating my neck.

  Hope instantly rushed into my body like a wild fire and I puffed my chest outward taking the change as a sign. Nicholas had to be nearby and back to his normal self, choosing me instead of the dark side. The talisman was now free to do its job of protecting me again.

  “Come and get me, Witch,” I growled, combing my fingers toward my body, provoking her forward, not quite brave enough to call her what
I really wanted to.

  Blondie’s anger surged before something brushed my neck and within seconds, she was wailing on the ground in pain. Though nothing visibly showed on her hand, she kept screaming her fingers burned. I watched, perplexed for a second, noticing the talisman hadn’t changed temperature like it had in the past. The display made me smile though.

  I stepped forward with my chin jutted outwards, feeling ten-feet tall. “Who’s next?”

  Slide’s eyes danced between me and his cowering girlfriend, drenched in confusion.

  “She burned me,” Blondie screeched, eyes beseeching for an explanation, for sympathy.

  The other three, suddenly very possessive and enraged, poised themselves for an attack. I swallowed hard and prepared for the assault. As if my body were a flaming trampoline, three more bodies reverberated off of me only to end up sprawled on the ground. In unison they screamed obscenities in pain between Slide’s feet and mine. I pressed my lips to suppress my giggle, adrenaline coursing liquid courage throughout my body.

  Slide’s fear snaked out, but was quickly replaced with outrage. He didn’t plan a surprise attack, only walked forward and stood inches from me. I looked up into his lined, yet beautiful face, both of us clenching our jaws at one another.

  “Don’t touch her,” Blondie cried out in concern. “She’s a demon!”

  But he’d already hoisted me up by my jaw, only my tip-toes touching the ground.

  A tag-team gasp escaped internally between me and Scarlett, crumbling my belief the talisman protected me from all vampires.

  “You’ll die now,” he seethed; our eyes level with one another.

  “Nicholas!” I cried in my mind, unable to speak as Slide tightened his hand around my jaw.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I struggled to breathe, hanging onto his gigantic bicep while my vision blurred and eyes bulged from their sockets. With all my might I kicked his torso but his body—a cement wall—reflected my futile attempts. Eventually I fell limp from the lack of oxygen. He could care less if I suffered as he radiated pleasure, like a child torturing a defenseless spider. Any second I worried he’d get bored and snap my neck with a flick of his wrist. Any future possibility of a vampire life-style, saving the world, or fulfilling the stupid prophecy would be gone. And Scarlett was going to sit back and allow it to happen.