The Ruby (The Hidden Gems Book 1)

by R. M. Getsee

  There was something about the book that intrigued me, almost calling to me, I wasn’t sure what it was, but this book was important, and I needed it.

  A security guard walked over to us. He was pretty cute, for a human, maybe a few years older than us, a little over six feet, with sandy brown hair and warm brown eyes.

  “Hey,” he said. “The stores closing for the night but you should come back tomorrow if you want it.”

  He nodded his head towards the book case in the window.

  I smiled. “Thanks, do you think it will still be here tomorrow?”

  The guy snorted. “Marty can’t get rid of the thing; some people are starting to think it’s cursed or something.”

  Emi raised her eyebrow, “So you want us to take the cursed book?”

  “No, it’s just a book that no one wants.” His denial was so vehement that the two of us started laughing so hard that it took us a few minutes to calm down.

  “Thanks, we’ll come back tomorrow.” I was still half laughing, and I had to gasp in a few breaths before I could speak.

  “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.” He went a little pink as he obviously heard the hopeful note in his voice as well.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Smiling, I turned to leave.

  “Hey,” he called out. “I’m Shane by the way.”

  “Alex,” I called back, giving him a small smile as I turned back to the exit.

  We walked towards the elevator that led to the underground parking. Emi was bouncing up and down in suppressed excitement.

  “Oh my god did you see how hot that guy was?” She burst out, as soon as they were out of earshot of Shane. “And did you see how much he was into you? The boy was pretty much drooling”

  I laughed again, “I think I caught on.” I was excited, but not quite satisfied.

  Shane seemed nice, but he wasn’t the kind of guy that would make me squeal the way Jared seemed to make Emi.

  My friend stopped dead and grabbed my arm. “Oh my god he was really into you!”

  “I know.” I said, confused at the sudden change in her tone.

  “No Alex, he was a human!”

  That thought stopped me cold. I had been so distracted by my need for that book I had forgotten that I was in a human store, which meant human staff.

  A vampire and a human dating was an unthinkable theory. A vamp that had any feelings other that friendship for a human was scorned by the clans and cast out of their homes.

  There was simply no future for human/vampire partnerships, and any children of both human and vampire decent, Dampier, had been shipped off somewhere abroad decades ago to be studied and observed.

  “I didn’t even think of that.” My eyes felt like they were wide with shock. “But it’s not like it’s a date, I’m just going to get the book and there’s a small chance that I’ll bump into him.”

  “But you guys were flirting.”

  I cringed. “I didn’t even make the connection that he was a human. But I know that he is now and that changes things.”

  Emi smiled sadly. “I’m sorry Alex; I want you to be happy. I just don’t want you to get hurt worse by breaking the rules.”

  “It’s OK.” When my friend looked at me with a doubtful expression I put a hand on her arm. “Honestly I’m fine. I just got distracted by the fact a guy was flirting with me. By the way, did you hear that someone has told everyone in school that they’re not allowed to make a move on me until he does.”

  There was a beat of dead silence.

  “WHAT?” I flinched back from the pitch of the scream that came from Emi. “That is a major withhold of extremely important detail. Explain yourself. Now.”

  I laughed as we stepped onto the elevator, glad the distraction worked and Emi was no longer thinking about Shane.

  I was still disappointed about not getting the book as I told Emi everything that had happened that day in class. I didn’t even notice the vampires that were sneaking up on the two of us until I heard a sickening thud, and Emi letting out a soft oof as she crumpled.

  I turned sharply to face our attackers but it was too late. I felt a sharp pain in the back of my skull and saw stars for a brief moment, until my knees buckled and I fell into darkness.

  Chapter Eleven

  I was standing in a bright, sunny field. I didn’t know how I had gotten here but I felt a peace like no other before. There were trees surrounding my and I realized that I was standing in the middle of a clearing.

  I had never seen such a beautiful place before and it brought tears to my eyes as I was able to witness this. I was also very relieved that I wasn’t bursting into flames, not having tested my sun-proof ability with my whole body.

  There was a rustling in the trees surrounding the clearing and a truly impressively sized wolf burst from them, making me gasp softly.

  A large lightning bolt suddenly struck the ground a few feet from me, making me jump back in shock and my vision to dance with its brilliant light.

  Squinting up at the clear sky and blinking quickly to clear my eyes, I waited to hear the roll of thunder that followed, but it didn’t come. There was silence in the clearing and as my vision cleared, I saw a man standing in the singed grass where the lightning had hit.

  I stared numbly as the wolf actually rolled its eyes and began to glow with a soft violet aura and its fur started to undulate and ripple. It took a blink of an eye and suddenly a man stood in the place of the wolf.

  My eyes riveted between the two men as three more entered the clearing. “Well,” One of the newcomer’s spoke. “It seems neither of you have lost your flair for making an entrance.”

  The group chuckled as the lightning guy took a theatrical bow.

  They all clasped each other’s hands in greeting and I managed to catch their names. The wolf man was Lucian, the irony was not lost on me and I snorted, remembering the old movies I used to watch about werewolves with names like that, and then I flinched, afraid the noise would draw their attention, but the men never looked in my direction.

  The first man to enter the clearing was called Tyrion; he was handsome with crimson red hair and bright green eyes that sparkled with mischief.

  The second man to follow him into the clearing was Angelus, though all of the men had an unearthly beauty he was by far the most exquisite looking of them all, albeit strange.

  He had such androgynous features that he could have been either a man or a woman. If it weren’t for his clothes I wouldn’t have been able to discern his gender.

  As I studied his clothes I was shocked at how old fashioned they were. All of the men in the clearing looked as if they were wearing period costumes or something.

  Then I remembered that the fifth element not only gave you the power of seeing the future, but also the past. I still shied away from what mind speak, whatever the hell that was, and the other supposed mental powers that I would get with the element.

  Okay, I thought to myself, coming to the conclusion that I was having some whacky vision of the past, I must be here for a reason, and I’m probably supposed to see something important.

  I forced myself to concentrate on the men and walked towards them as they joined together in a circle, then I passed straight through one of them as he shifted in front of me.

  I gasped in shock as I suddenly found myself in the middle of the circle of men; they all acted as if I weren’t there. Maybe I wasn’t really there at all.

  This was different from I previous visions, the ones I received before the fight Torah and I had been brief and jumbled, flashing in my mind and dissipating before I could register what was happening, the others in the darkness I had been trapped there, able to interact with the being in the shadows.

  In this one, it was like I was a ghost; I could see but not be seen.

  Testing my theory, I slowly raised my arm and reached out to the man in front of me. My hand went straight through him and I snatched my hand away. I patted myself, relieved that I, at least, could fe
el my own solidity.

  I focused on the men standing around me, trying not to get distracted by the fact that I was a creepy specter, unable to communicate with anyone here.

  Now that I was up close to the men I could feel the power through them, it was strong and felt oddly familiar to me.

  As I focused on what they were saying, I caught the last two names of the men; the lightning guy was called Orion and the last one was Osiris.

  He seemed to be the one in charge as he called the men to order.

  “We must do something.” He said. “If we keep letting our people fight each other, they will level the earth that we spent so long caring for.”

  “I agree” Tyrion nodded gravely. “We never should have abandoned our quest to find the stones.”

  “We gave up hope of finding them for a reason.” Angelus looked at him slightly arrogantly. “We have searched the earth for them and still we have found nothing.”

  Tyrion scoffed in his direction. “We gave up because we were tired. We fell to mortal indulgences, you should know, you have been indulging more than most.”

  “You have indulged yourself plenty.” Angelus advanced on him. “I seem to recall a hoard of Fae slaughtering a village filled with innocent Sirens.”

  “You mean when my children saved a group of mortals who were being fed upon by the Sirens, in a war party that had set up camp on Fae territory?”

  “Silence.” Osiris said the word quietly and calmly, and yet it was heard over of the arguing and shouting that was coming from the group. They were immediately quiet and turned to Osiris as he spoke.

  “We came here today, to the place where we were created, to broker a peace between our races, so the earth can heal and our children can grow in peace without the fear of death and war hovering over them. We did not come to squabble like the youngest of our kin.”

  The other men looked at each other, as if they were ashamed of their pettiness.

  “Osiris is right.” It was the first time that Lucian had spoken, and his voice was strong and clear, vibrating in Alex’s ears like a musical bell. “Our people have been at war with each other for far too long. We must find a solution to end their fight, before the world is in ruins and The First’s work undone.”

  Tyrion smiled sadly. “Perhaps this is why we were forbidden from being with the humans. They have but a fraction of our power, and our children all fight each other for more.”

  “As long as one of the races thinks that there is another with more power or reach in these lands, they will fight one another for it.” Lucian looked grim.

  “Then perhaps they should not know of each other.”

  They all turned and gave Osiris a questioning look.

  “We must wipe each of our races memories of each other. There will be no reason for war if there is no memory of the cause of their fight. We must spread our people so they do not stumble upon each other before it is time and they are ready to live in peace with each other.”

  “That might work, if it were no for the fact that it would take an exponential amount of power from us, which will most certainly destroy us.” Angelus did not look happy about that thought.

  “We failed The First in our failure to find the stones, we betrayed his decree that we would not taint power with the mortals, and this is what became of our selfish desires. This war is our fault. We must make the sacrifice to make amends for our selfish deeds.”

  Lucian nodded in agreement. “Then we shall.”

  “And what of the prophecy?” Tyrion looked nervous. “If everyone forgets, and we no longer exist, then who will find the stones of power and stop that thing from breaking free?”

  I stopped dead, afraid to so much as breathe. I knew exactly what they were talking about when he said that thing. It was the evil thing that lurked in the darkness my vision forced me to see. The men around me looked as worried as I felt at the prospects of it getting free.

  “We failed to find them ourselves, and the earth needs our sacrifice” Orion said evenly.

  “Then perhaps we must put it in the hands of the mortals.” Osiris looked calculatingly at the group. “If they are to find the stones and defeat it then they should remember.”

  “But if the humans remember then they will surely destroy our children out of fear of the next war.”

  “Then we shall tell only one.” Osiris raised his hands and a human materialized within the circle beside me, making me cry out in shock.

  “Roman?” I asked in disbelief.

  I looked closer and saw that I had been mistaken. Though the new man looked exactly like Roman, he was different. His hair was lighter and his eyes were a dark chocolate instead of the striking dark blue that Romans were.

  He looked around in shock at being brought here against his will, but as his eyes fell on the men in the circle he kneeled immediately and bowed deeply.

  “Ancient ones,” He said in a reverent voice that was also just like Romans rich voice, but without the lyrical melody that was held in it. “How may I be of service?”

  Ancient ones?

  I thought back remembering what that thing, the evil presence, whatever it was, had said to me, as in The Ancients?

  Were these the things that it had spoken of? I leaned in closer, desperate to hear more. This might just be the key to the answers that I had been looking for.

  “Rise” Orion said to him. As he stood I was once again struck by the resemblance between this mortal and Roman, though he lacked his blue eyes and jet black hair.

  Orion continued to speak. “As you know the war between the races have been hard fought, long and bloody and there has been many mortal casualties caught up in the crossfire. This war is seemingly endless and we have lost faith that it can ever be resolved as no race has any indication of winning or losing. The only thing that is certain is that many people will die as we wait for it to end. We cannot sit by and wait any longer.”

  The human looked between each of the five men in reverence, as if he were in the presence of gods.

  “My lords, that you will intervene to save the lives of humans is wonderful news, but forgive me, I fail to see what that has to do with me. I am but a simple man, what could I do to help such powerful beings as you?”

  “We need you to remember.” Lucian said simply.

  “Remember what?” The human looked confused as he waited for an explanation for the intimidating man’s cryptic words.

  “To stop the war we must wipe the memories of each of our kin. We will separate them from each other so they do not find out about one another until it is time once again to live in peace with each other.” Tyrion began.

  “And we will be sacrificing ourselves in the process,” Angelus continued the explanation, clearly displeased with the outcome.

  “But we ourselves had a mission, one we could not complete ourselves. Something will come for this world, something that is pure evil and darkness. We call him the Jet. The Jet killed our creator, the first being to roam this universe, damning himself to a plain where he is imprisoned until the day he can free himself.

  “With his final breath, our creator proclaimed that only five mortals, united, can stop him from swallowing the world with darkness when he rises.” Osiris had taken over the explanation now.

  All eyes, including mine, were locked on him as he continued. “We have failed in our mission, but perhaps you will succeed. As we take the memories of our brethren, you shall receive ours. We have chosen you, Helios, to become the vessel for our memories. These memories will be the key to finding the chosen five; they will be passed through your bloodline until the five are gathered and the Jet is vanquished. Do you accept the burden we would place upon you and your descendants?”

  Helios bowed his head and nodded.

  “I accept.”

  The Ancients looked to one another, a silent moment passing between them before they raised their arms up and I was thrown backwards suddenly, as a wave of power was released.

  The
re was a bright white light that blinded me and made my ears ring. When I could finally see again I was standing in the clearing and I was alone.

  I felt a pulling sensation as the vision faded and I was sucked from the clearing back into my own body.

  Trying to open my eyes I saw a white ceiling. I tried to look around but they were too heavy slammed shut again.

  “She’s waking up” I heard someone cry in the distance.

  I bolted upright as I was struck by a wave of nausea and heaved up my empty stomach before I flopped backwards into the bed underneath me and back into blessed unconsciousness.

  Chapter Twelve

  The painful jack hammer of yet another headache drew me out of the peaceful darkness that I was resting in. My eyes fluttered as I tried to open them, they were far too heavy and I fought with great difficulty to keep them open for more than a second at a time.

  I heard people talking around me but my mind was too mixed up to understand what they were saying, or make any sense of the jumbled conversation floating around me.

  I finally forced my eyes open and I tried to sit up, only to fall back as a wave of dizziness overcame me, breathing hard I fought the urge to throw up again.

  As people crowded round me I held out my hands in an attempt to ward them off as I tried to make sense of my surroundings.

  It looked like I was in a hospital and I thought back to the last thing I had been doing before I woke up here, I gasped, overwhelmed as I remembered.

  I had been in the parking garage with Emi and we had been attacked. The headache and wooziness made sense, I thought it they been a result of my latest vision but I now realized that it was from someone hitting me over the head with what felt like a large building and knocking me out.

  I reached up and winced in pain as my fingers probed the tender flesh where a sizable lump was forming on the base of my skull, I’m really getting sick of getting knocked out, I thought.