The Ruby

by R. M. Getsee

  The vampire doctor that we had met when we first arrived came out to talk to us.

  “She’s out of surgery,” She had started, but there was a grave look on her face that twisted my stomach into acidic knots. “She is stable now, but I’m afraid that here injuries were extensive. She is still unconscious, and I can’t tell you when she will wake up, it could be hours or months. I’m sorry.”

  The doctor looked at me, her deep blue eyes shining with sadness. “I can’t tell you how much I regret that this happened to you, I know that Roman will blame himself.”

  I looked at her in shock, crashing out of the haze that was slowly drowning me. “You know Roman?” I asked the doctor. I looked into the shocking blue of the vamps eyes and I felt a strange sense of familiarity.

  “Yes.” she replied. “I’m Elena, his mother.”

  I could only blink in shock. Elena took my hand and squeezed. “I’m sorry, but I have to go, Roman told me everything, I know that you’re mad at him now, but he cares for you, please try to forgive him eventually.”

  And then Elena turned walked back through the doors she came through.

  I ransacked the dresser drawers for a bag to contain my stuff, eventually straightening and walking to my closet and rooting around until I came across a soft canvas bag that had been stuffed in the back corner.

  I picked up the bag and heard a soft thud as something that had been resting on it fell to the ground.

  I looked down and saw it the scroll that I had dropped when Jared startled me that day, what felt like so long ago when Emi and I had been searching for the truth, before all of the horror had happened.

  I almost wished that I had never found the answers, or even tried to look for them in the first place, it felt like I had lost a piece of myself in the process.

  There was a knock on the door and my mother poked her head around it.

  I paused in my attempts to stuff everything into the small bag, not trying to hide what I was doing.

  “So you’re leaving then?” My mom asked, she didn’t look as if she was going to try and stop me, just sad and resigned to the fact.

  “I have to,” I told her, trying to stop the tremor in my voice as I wiped away the wet trails my tears had left down my cheek. “I think you know why.”

  My mom had tears in her dark eyes as she nodded, letting out a slight chuckle. “The Ruby has a destiny to follow; I just wish it didn’t have to be yours.”

  “I know mom, I know. But I won’t be alone; I have my grandfather watching out for me.”

  Nyssa let out a small gasp of shock. “How did you….”

  “I saw him in a vision; I talked to him. He’s still here, watching over us, he just can’t make it to birthdays or Christmas.” I said, trying to use a little humor as a shield. “Why didn’t you tell me mom?”

  “Would you have believed me?” She asked, raising her perfectly manicured eyebrow, I was slightly shocked that even in my mental state I was able to feel envious of her perfection.

  “I didn’t know that you would become the Ruby until the dance, and if I had told you that eventually one of our lineage would become tied to an ancient apocalyptic prophecy, what would you have said to me?”

  “Good point.” I chuckled.

  “Well, I’ll let you finish,” Nyssa said, tears breaking the surface and sliding silently down her face. “And you have a visitor.”

  As my mom left I resumed me packing, not even bothering to look up in acknowledgement as I felt Roman enter.

  “You almost ready?” he asked quietly. “Do you need a hand with anything?”

  “I’m fine.” I snapped. I softened a little as I noticed the sag of his shoulders in my peripheral vision. “Look I know you’re sorry and you were only trying to protect me, but what you did was wrong, when you found me you should have told me, we could have found the other by now and no one would have gotten hurt.”

  “Alex I’m sorry.” He started, but I held my hand up to cut him off.

  “I know, but you lied to me, you earned my trust and betrayed me, because of you my best friend is lying in a hospital bed in a coma, and you could have stopped it if you had just told me the truth sooner.”

  I took a deep breath, willing myself not to start crying again as I grabbed the last thing I would take.

  The two knifes that had almost taken two lives, it marked the betrayal of my sister, and reminded me of the power that I had to somehow stop. I gently placed them on the top of the bag, glad I had cleaned both Emi and my blood off before I had started packing.

  “I know, I’m just sorry,” he said quietly, defeated.

  “I’m only going with you because both of us working together we will find the other four sooner, and hopefully have time to prepare before we have to fight.”

  “We need to work out which direction to travel first, and try and map out where the other girls could be,” Roman said looking relieved, obviously glad of the change of subject.

  I reached for the scroll.

  I had already packed the book of prophecy, and I did not know whether any of the papers that Mr. Carlisle had given me were of any use, but something about it made me want to bring it along.

  As soon as my fingers grazed the old paper I was transported.

  I was back at the crossroads where I first travelled down the path of the Ruby, and saw someone standing there, in the sapphire light, the girl I had seen when Drake had attacked me, she smiled and disappeared, and suddenly I saw the image of a sign on a road.

  I blinked as I found myself standing in my room once more, and grabbing my phone I typed the name that I just saw.

  “We need to travel west,” I said to Roman as I stuffed the scroll unceremoniously into the bag. “I know where the next one is.”

  Roman just nodded without question and walked out the door, with my newly sharpened senses I heard him as he walked down the stairs and out the door to the car, starting it up as he waited for me.

  I was grateful that he knew I needed a minute alone as I paused to look at my bedroom, as I memorised every detail as if it were the last time I would see it I silently said good bye to Jared, to Emi, to all the friends I had made and the family I would be leaving behind.

  Then I said one final silent good bye.

  I knew that if I ever made it back here, to this room, I would not be the same girl, so I said good bye to myself.

  As I walked through the threshold for what might be the last time I heard a sound echo in my mind, a sound all too familiar by now, of rattling, and the loud clattering of another chain being broken.

  Epilogue

  The shadows drifted along the sky as it gradually lightened. They had failed; the girl was far stronger that they had thought, she had actually expelled them from their hosts.

  The vampire’s they had been residing in were not able for possession any more, the force of the power that she had blasted out when she had healed had ripped their consciousness from them and they were just meat suits now.

  It did not matter, they only wanted them so they could get close to the Ruby and strike her down, but their plan had failed so the shadows no longer needed them anyway. But they had failed.

  The Jet would not be pleased.

  They slowly drifted, reluctantly being pulled back through the rift that they had entered through, back to the master that would not be pleased with them.

  They shuddered at the thought of what waited for them in the dark plane; The Jet’s wrath was nothing to look forward to.

  Darkness engulfed them as they were drawn into the dark plain.

  “Master.” The shadow whispered slithering towards the figure that was lurking in the shadow.

  “Did you do it?” The ice cold voice was both quiet and booming as the shadow shrank back.

  “Master, I am sorry, we have failed you.” The shadow whispered with terror in his voice.

  “So she lives?” There was a rattle as the figure moved and a pale hand shot forward, reaching out for
his minion.

  “Yes.”

  The figure suddenly lurched forward grabbing the shadow before it could writhe away.

  With a roar it was pulled back again by a chain that was clasped at his neck.

  The dull black-grey metal glinted in the darkness as the Jet slowly started squeezing the life force out of his minion.

  The Jet continued to pull forward and with a great clang the chain around his wrist broke.

  “Never mind her.” He said with venom in his voice as he surveyed his newly freed hand. More shadows surrounded him as he spoke. “There are others who have not come into their power yet, but they will soon awaken. We have work to do.”

  The shadow relaxed as the Jets hands slowly started to release from its position, relieved that it was getting another chance to prove itself to its master and be spared his anger.

  Suddenly the Jet clenched his fists, draining the last of the shadows energy. It turned into a whisper of smoke, curling through the air, slowly dissipating as the last of its life force was drained.

  “Shadows come.” The Jet demanded. The shadows edged towards him, afraid to meet the same fate as their predecessor. “Now it is time to find the Sapphire.”

  Read on for an exclusive excerpt from book two of

  The Hidden Gems series.

  The Sapphire, book two in the Hidden Gems Series.

  Coming soon.

  I yawned loudly, shoving my thick hair back off of my face as I leaned against the counter to keep myself propped up.

  I hadn’t slept well again last night, and I could only pump coffee into myself as I watched the clock ticking slowly in the corner near the door, counting down the minutes until I was free so that I could flop back into my bed and hopefully get some uninterrupted sleep before my dreams were once again clouded by the recurring nightmares I had been having.

  My eyelids drooped and I slumped slightly against the wood of the countertop.

  The loud chime of the bell of the door jarred me awake and I quickly straightened, subtly trying to make myself look presentable as I straightened my shirt and wiped the corner of my mouth, cringing slightly as I felt the drool that had been collecting there. I cleared my throat softly and looked towards the customer that had just entered.

  “Welcome to Underworld Comics, how can I help you?” I said cheerfully, and then I focused on the woman standing before me, and then I felt my face harden as I recognised her.

  It was her. Rage flooded through me as I remembered the events that had come to pass. The long dark hair and swirling grey eyes had lost their effect on me now; I would not be taken in by that unnaturally beautiful face anymore.

  I chided myself internally for still using that terminology, even in my own mind. I had to remember what she had done, and what she was. This girl was trouble and I had to stay away from her no matter what.

  “Get out.” I said angrily, the space between my shoulder blades humming again as my anger filled me.

  I tried to calm myself; I couldn’t let it happen again, especially here. The girl just stood there, looking at me with an unreadable expression.

  I came around to her side of the counter, my hands balling into fists. “I said leave.”

  Still she did not move. Barely realizing what I was doing, I drew back my clenched fist and swung with all of my might at the other girl’s face. There was a sickening thud of flesh meeting flesh and I gasped as pain radiated though my hand.

  The girl barely even recoiled from the blow, and returned to her position, seemingly unfazed as I glared at her, nursing my now swelling hand.

  The girl finally moved, facing me directly with a desperate pleading look in her eyes as she looked at me, her eyes boring into mine with an intensity that made my head spin dizzily.

  “Cassie,” she said, her voice matching her expression. “I need your help.”

  Authors Note

  Well you made it to the end!

  Thank you all for coming with me on Alex’s journey, I really hope you enjoyed the ride. I apologise for conflicting language patterns as I’m Irish trying to sound American.

  Cassie’s story will be coming soon in the second installation of the Hidden Gems series, The Sapphire.

  This story was a long time coming for me and I’m happy that I could share it with you all. I hope I kept you entertained.

  Please visit my social media pages for updates on upcoming releases and bonus material that will be coming soon.

  Acknowledgements

  To my mum Claire.

  For constantly supporting my creativity and respecting my decisions. For being my creative inspiration and dealing with me when I’m frustrating or annoying. For teaching me everything I know and for the thousands of cups of tea you have made me.

  To my sisters Rosalia and Loretta.

  For getting me into literature and driving me crazy with spoilers. For giving me a beautiful nephew and always being there when I need you.

  For teaching me how to put on makeup and showing me true sibling rivalry, without you I would not be who I am today, and neither would Rhea or Torah.

  To my best friends, Tara, Ciara and Lauren.

  For being there for me, for accepting me and helping me to embrace my weirdness. For showing me how to be myself no matter what. I love you all like sisters.

  To my dad Bruno.

  For supporting me in my endeavours, this wouldn’t have happened without your help.

  To all my brothers (cause there’s too many to name).

  For helping me to understand myself and filling my time with my lovely nieces, for showing me how to overcome obstacles and fight for what I want in the world.

  To the theatre crew at MYT.

  For giving me confidence to show my stuff. For being my favourite my creative outlet and helping me to remember how much I love writing. And for just being the amazing people you are.

  Y’all are like family.