The man, still inside the Finer Diner, pushes the door open and holds it by stretching his arm against the door, his body turned sideways. Crimson smiles and thanks him as she walks by. As soon as she enters, I follow, only to run head first into the man in overalls, who moves to leave as soon as Crimson is through the doorway. The man stumbles, confused and puzzled, trying to figure out what happened.
Crimson says, It’s not as easy as you’d think, Calli. Here’s a hint: run through the door as if you’re trying not to be caught on camera, like at the convenience store the night before Justin reunited the shards.
Why didn’t you tell me that before I got steam-rolled by the farmer?
Let’s sit. Remain invisible.
The waitress, Edie, comes and stands by the table. “What can I get for you, ma’am?”
“A cup of tea, please.”
“Certainly.” Edie twirls away and heads to fill the order.
I ask, She didn’t see me, right?
Correct.
You can, right? You said earlier, when you told us about the Grecian Blue, that only other Blue Bearers can see one another.
Yes. In fact, at your track meet, both Maetha and I were there. We were able to speak mind- to-mind, like you and I are right now. Chris had already received his vision of you, and Harold Bates had the imposter diamond already, so the only remaining piece of the puzzle was you. Your running time had to be just right. Fast enough to be considered a Runner, slow enough to be placed on the delivery team.
So, how exactly did Maetha make me run fast?
She had placed an additive in your drinking water a couple days earlier that had saturated your body sufficiently. She was able to control the substance within your cells using her spell-casting abilities.
But she said magic doesn’t work on me.
She controlled the substance, not you. It was the easiest way to make your run believable and it worked.
I think for a second, then say, Maetha made my parents agree to let me go to Montana, didn’t she?
Yes. The Blue Diamond’s power of mind-control works on everyone, unless obsidian is present.
I remember she said magic doesn’t work on me when she explained everything after the Death Clan died. It wasn’t magic at all. She used the power within the Grecian Blue. Has she ever misused her power on me, like the way she misused it on Chris?
No. Let this be a lesson for you, Calli. Controlling your parents’ minds didn’t hurt them and didn’t hurt you. When Maetha controlled Chris’s mind, her actions definitely hurt him and almost brought about your death. The events that transpired in Alaska were a turning point for me. I learned Maetha had left the path of nature’s way. Maetha knew better than to rush the discovery of the yellow stone. Her lack of patience—or more likely her lack of powers because of the obsidian—caused her to act irresponsibly. You, on the other hand, have had more years of your life without the diamond. You are used to having to wait for results, used to using common sense to figure things out. If the situation were reversed, you wouldn’t have made the same decisions. Am I right?”
Edie arrives with the tray of tea and places it in front of Crimson.
“Thank you,” Crimson says politely.
“Sure you don’t want some biscuits or pie to go with the tea?”
“I’m sure. Thanks.”
Edie walks away to service another table.
I wouldn’t have made the same decisions as Maetha, I say, as if we were never interrupted.
Crimson selects an herbal variety of tea and opens the packet to remove the teabag. The lesson is, when you’re deciding who to control, consider the outcome. Will it harm the individual or anyone directly associated with the individual? Save your usage of Mind-control for the purpose of protecting others from harm and for maintaining invisibility. In saying that, I will tell you there are some minds out there you cannot control. She places the teabag in her cup and adds the hot water.
Really?
Other minds that can’t be manipulated are those of infants and children up to the age of about two. Usually they can’t speak well enough to identify you to others in the room. They may point or smile at what looks like empty space, though. You won’t be able to control mentally challenged individuals. As with infants, these individuals aren’t usually able to identify you either. Something else to keep in mind is that animals will still see you. You must be very careful around pets. They can give away your location faster than you’d think.
Interesting. I imagine a cat rubbing up against my ankle and intertwining itself between my feet, or a dog jumping up on me. Something like that would look extremely strange.
Calli, a customer is about to leave. I want you to slip out of the diner through the open door. Walk out of sight and then cease being invisible before walking back to the building. I want everything to look as though you are just arriving to meet with me.
Got it.
I follow her instructions and slip quickly out of the door, following closely behind the customer. I wait until no one is around and then abandon my invisible state . . . or should I say, I stop radiating Mind-control. Then I reenter the diner and walk over to Crimson.
“Good to see you, Calli,” she says sweetly.
I take my seat again and ask Edie to bring me some tea as well.
Crimson says, “We need to discuss tomorrow’s plan. I like to go into a situation knowing what the goal is. This way I can determine whether a decision will result in helping us reach the goal or not. We may be around some obsidian and may need to evacuate if our charged topaz wears off too quickly. The goal is to determine the effectiveness of the machine Chris and Travis spoke of.”
Edie brings me a cup, a spoon, and a fresh pot of hot water. I select a packet of chamomile tea and place the bag in my cup. “What if they aren’t using the machine tomorrow?”
Crimson pours hot water in my cup. “Well, that’s a possibility. We’ll need to return another day. Calli, you should prepare yourself emotionally. We may witness cruel acts, violence, or traitorous behavior by Chris. If you gasp or cough, you may be heard. I want you to understand completely that if you are detected, I will remain invisible.”
“I understand. I will do the same if you are discovered,” I half joke, half mean it.
“Good.”
I can tell she’s not joking at all.
* * *
As we return to the motel, Crimson speaks to my mind, letting me know Chris and Brand have been moved to one room and that Beth and I will be in another. Maetha and Crimson apparently won’t sleep, but will remain in our room.
I wonder if I can at least say goodnight to Chris. Crimson’s thoughts merge with mine, and she lets me know he already understands he won’t be able to see me till morning. She tells me that with my new mind-control power, my potential behavior around Chris might be too overbearing, and we simply don’t have time for any intimacy.
Maetha smiles at me when I enter the room and projects her thoughts. Of all the Bearers to receive the Blue Diamond, you are the one I would have chosen as well.
I feel extremely humbled, and respond respectfully, Thank you. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you remove the shard?
The same way it went in. She points to her chest.
I wonder why Crimson had me swallow the stone. My thoughts are answered by Maetha. She says, We suspected the diamond would enter the heart through the stomach wall, but we were not sure. If it didn’t, you’d still have the diamond inside you for a day or so, at which time Crimson would insert it into your heart the old-fashioned way.
Well, I’m glad it worked the first time. I smile at Maetha, then ask, Maetha, remember when I said I’d find a way to get rid of the Shadow Demons, and you said you didn’t see that in my future? What did you see?
I saw exactly what you accomplished; I just didn’t understand what you were using at that point. What I determined was that you didn’t kill the Demons, which is in fact true. You only altered them to a non-threatening state
. While you and Crimson were gone, the four of us went back out and altered more Demons. Now they are simply dead Healers, and I might add, I recognize many of them. Plus, I noticed some are so transparent they are almost non-existent.
Crimson’s thoughts merge with mine. Future visions are tricky things, wouldn’t you agree, Calli? We’ll need to keep that in mind concerning the vision you saw of Chris and his father. I know he wouldn’t betray us. He’d only give a diamond to his father if he had a damn good reason.
I agree.
* * *
The next morning, I pull my hair back into a ponytail and fasten hair clips at my temples to hold the loose tendrils out of my eyes. I change into a fresh running suit. I tell Beth, as per Crimson’s instructions, I’m going to ride with Crimson to take Chris to his father’s compound.
Chris and I climb into the backseat of Crimson’s car. She puts it in gear and leaves the motel parking lot.
Sitting next to Chris, I lean my head over and rest it on his shoulder. I read his mind.
I can’t wait for this to be over, Calli. Can you talk about the vision you had?
I answer back, You don’t die. Just do and say the things that come naturally.
I don’t suppose you can tell me what you and Crimson did last night?
It’s a secret, so don’t say anything to Brand or Beth. Crimson had Maetha remove the Grecian Blue shard, and Crimson gave it to me. Crimson and I are going to follow you inside the compound invisibly and observe.
What? Chris turns to face me. But . . . the obsidian . . . do you have an invisibility topaz?
Of course.
A quarter mile from the compound, Crimson stops the car and everyone gets out. Chris takes his position behind the wheel, and Crimson and I maintain our invisibility as we run behind his car, all the way to the compound. He parks in the parking lot, and we wait for him to climb out and close the door.
All right, let’s do this, he thinks.
Crimson and I walk two paces behind Chris, in time with his footsteps. He halts at the gate and waits to be buzzed in. The large iron gate sluggishly opens just wide enough for Chris and then begins to close. We are able to get through quickly enough.
We are now within range of the obsidian on the outside of the building, and I access my topaz for further invisibility. My heart pounds mercilessly in my chest, which in turn causes it to hurt because of the shard. Yet I don’t want to take any energy away from maintaining my disguise in order to heal my heart. Hopefully, I’ll be inside the building soon enough and can use my full powers once again.
“Hey Chris,” a male voice sounds from the left. A young man wearing a military uniform hurries to catch up with Chris.
“Hey Max. Have you held things together here while I was away?”
“Barely, Chris, just barely,” he chuckles. “Your dad will be happy to see you.”
“I bet.” Chris punches the security code into the number pad, and the door unlocks.
Max grabs the handle and pulls the metal door open. “After you,” he says as he waves his hand.
Chris hesitates for a microsecond. Crimson rushes in front of Chris, and I follow her.
I’m glad to be wearing a Runner’s suit because of its moisture-wicking properties. Surely I’ve lost a gallon of sweat out of pure nervousness.
Not nearly enough time has passed since I was in the compound. The tension and heightened security has definitely increased. Once the door closes, my powers rush back into my body because of the lack of obsidian. I switch back to using my diamond powers for invisibility and also to heal my heart pain. The back-and-forth maneuver reminds me of the backup generators at my father’s office during a power outage, only I need to make sure I don’t accidentally materialize in front of anyone.
Crimson speaks to my mind. I didn’t foresee the complications with your shard and being in the presence of obsidian. I was about to abort this mission out of fear you might die.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. I’m good now, though.
Chris speaks to Max. “Looks like my father is taking precautions.” He points to the security checkpoint directly in front of us. Chris’s thoughts enter my mind. Do you see Max’s aura, Calli?
Yes, I answer silently. He’s the same guy Justin was feeding information to, right?
Right.
Max says, “Yeah, your dad is a bit on the paranoid side, but you didn’t hear that from me.” Max turns his attention to a different guard who is standing behind a table. “Hey, Ethan,” he says, while emptying his pockets into a gray tub. Max then passes through the archway. Ethan pushes the tub through a small X-ray machine.
How are you two going to get through? Chris worries in his mind.
Crimson glances at me with concern. Our shared minds quickly assess the situation. We come to the conclusion there isn’t enough room to squeeze around the guard without touching him. We’ll have to go through the arch.
I say to Chris, We’ll walk through with you. If the alarm goes off, they’ll think it’s you and they’ll run you through again.
“Hello, Mr. Harding,” Ethan says, greeting Chris.
“Hello, Ethan. This is new,” Chris says, motioning to the detector.
“Yes sir, it is. Please empty your pockets and take off your necklace.”
Chris asks, “Why do I have to take off my necklace? It doesn’t have any metal.”
General Harding has instructed us not to allow any form of rock, crystal, or jewelry into the compound without his approval. Would you like me to call him for approval?”
“No, that’s all right.” Chris unties his necklace and lays it in the bin. Then he empties his pockets.
“Wait to step through the X-ray machine until I direct you,” Ethan says.
“It’s an X-ray? Not a metal detector?”
“It’s both, sir.”
Crap, crap, crap! I mentally exclaim.
Just stick close to him, Calli.
Chris stands at the ready, waiting for the guard to motion him to pass through the arch. We stand close together and take slow deliberate steps forward.
As anticipated, the alarm sounds and a bright blue light flashes on top of the arch. A different guard, who’s been standing by the wall, approaches Chris. Crimson and I quickly get out of the way.
“Sir, stop right there,” he orders.
Ethan views the screen with a puzzled expression. I look into his mind and view what he sees—a blurred mess. Ethan slams his palm to the side of the monitor. “Darn thing is still going haywire. Sorry, Mr. Harding, would you please step through again?”
“No problem.”
Chris complies and is given an all-clear. He scoops his belongings out of the tub and replaces them in his pockets.
We walk down the hall, straight to General Harding’s office. Chris knocks on the doorframe and waits to be invited in.
Chapter 11 - The General from Hell
General Harding stands next to a file cabinet with an open file in his hands. He wears green fatigues and laced-up ankle boots. His short hair shows his age, with silver dominating the brown. He looks up and motions for Chris to enter the room. The hardened creases on his face seem to stiffen a little more at the sight of his son.
I share my thoughts with Crimson as we stand behind Chris, observing the scene. Chris has such a strong ability to maintain his composure.
Yes, his life has been tough. Growing up with an army general for a father wasn’t easy for him, but it’s made him who he is today.
Chris stands straight and tall and waits for his father to invite him to sit down.
“Sit down, Chris,” General Harding orders, and Chris complies. “Why didn’t you bring the Diamond Bearer girl with you?”
“They think I’m collecting information today which I’ll take back to them tonight.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“The Diamond Bearer, the Repeater, and a Runner.”
“Where are they staying?”
>
“I don’t know for sure. They hadn’t selected a place to stay yet.”
“Then how will you know where to go?”
“They’ll be waiting for me down the road later tonight.”
“All right, I’ll get my snipers positioned. Tell me where they’ll be.”
“They didn’t give me exact coordinates. I’m supposed to drive down the road until I find them.”
General Harding lets out a disappointed grunt. “I want that diamond.”
“Did Deus Ex return?”
“Yes, she’s in the lab. You’ll work with her today. She’s sorting crystals and gemstones. We have a truckload of prisoners arriving in the next few hours. You and Deus will process them.”
“Yes, sir.” Chris stands and waits to be excused.
General Harding nods and then refocuses on the file in his hand.
We follow Chris out the door. He puts his thoughts on the edge of his mind. More clan members have been captured. We have to stop this!
That’s what we’re trying to do, Chris. You’re doing a phenomenal job. Keep in character, Crimson responds.
Chris pushes the door to the lab open and holds it as another lab worker exits. Crimson and I quickly enter the large room filled with tables, gemstones, and microscopes. Several floor-to-ceiling glass cabinets contain jars of colored liquids and stacks of Petri dishes. Four workers wearing white lab coats are hunched over, busily working, one of whom is Deus Ex.
She looks up from a table of assorted stones and crystals. She adjusts her oversized glasses and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “About time you arrived. Your daddy said you’ll be working with me.”
“Shut up,” Chris mutters.
I know Deus doesn’t need to wear glasses. Crimson shares my observation and adds, She always seems to play her role with a one-hundred percent conviction. She’s the ultimate actor.
The closer I examine Deus, the more I realize I can view her mind . . . well, the mess that is her mind. My eyes search for her necklace but find nothing. She must have had to take hers off too. Interesting.
Good eye, Calli, compliments Crimson.
Deus unconsciously reaches up and scratches her head. I guess no one’s ever told her an itchy head is a sign her mind is being read. She says to Chris, “I trust you put on a good show for which ever Diamond Bearer came and ‘saved’ you.”
The Diamond Bearers' Destiny Page 18