by S.E. Akers
Just as soon as the graveside service had concluded, the crowd of attendees began tromping swift and muddy paths to their vehicles, relieved to be finally getting out of the inclement weather. Most of them were probably heading over to the Welch Annex where a luncheon was being held for family and friends, graciously planned and paid for by the Riverside Pocahontas Coal Mine. I’d already lost my appetite and had absolutely no desire to engage in any more small talk or the will to endure any more sorrowful condolences. And the thought of standing around watching folks shovel lasagna onto their paper plates while unfamiliar faces scrounged for the last deviled egg made my stomach turn. So instead, I decided to head back home where I could pine for my father in silence and mull over what to do about Lazarus Xcavare. Now that’s what I craved.
The rain was still coming down in sheets, which made my drive home take much longer than what I’d hoped. I debated about parking my car and waiting it out several times. And that thought had come about after almost hydroplaning twice and upon the realization that my bumping wipers had seen much better days. But the rain would always subside just as soon as I veered off the road and then returned like clockwork when I pulled back onto it, pounding at full force. I eventually surrendered and just carried on down the highway at a slow and steady pace, hunched over the steering wheel with my face merely a few intimate inches away from kissing the windshield.
I tuned the radio to J104.5 FM and caught the tail end of the Black-Eyed Pea’s latest song. One of their DJ’s started rattling off some news and local events. When his barrage of general announcements had concluded, he shifted his report to the weather. One notification was of significant interest.
He broadcasted, “Hate to be you guys down in McDowell County. There’s a stationary low-pressure system that’s been churning over your area since yesterday morning, and it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, anytime soon. Y’all sure have had some freaky weather down there over the past few days, what with that record-breaking snowstorm Saturday Night. Totals have been coming in around ten to twelve inches that fell in less than an hour. But here’s the real kicker . . . Welch was the only town to get it . . . Like I said, FREAKY! Don’t forget your umbrellas today. Y’all are gonna need ’em.”
That snowstorm was pretty freaky, I reflected. Though nowhere near as FREAKY as the rest of the night.
My thoughts remained fixed on the weather a little longer. All the snow from Saturday night had melted. The heavy rains had seen to that. Though unfortunately, not only was the abysmal precipitation making the driving conditions extremely hazardous, it wasn’t doing anything to help my horrible mood. I felt just as dreary and dismal as the rain. Surely it couldn’t rain forever? It has to stop sometime. The sooner, the better, I affirmed with a desperate nod.
The old farmhouse appeared particularly cold and desolate as I pulled onto our gravel drive. I suspected it would feel even worse once I was inside. With my purse slung over my shoulder and my bound umbrella in hand, I made a mad dash for the porch. I saw no need to raise it. I was home and could dry off inside.
Cautiously, I trotted up the slick porch steps as I trawled through my purse for my keys. As I stood in front of the door, still searching for them, a voice abruptly called out from the left side of the porch, “Home so soon?”
Startled, I jumped and whipped my head around. Sitting all sprawled out and swaying on our wooden porch swing was none other than Mr. Evasive himself, Tanner Grey.
I acknowledged his presence with a grunt, followed by a quick roll of my downhearted baby-blues, and then went right back to digging through my purse. As soon as I’d located my keys, I unlocked the door.
“That’s rude. No, ‘Hello’?” Tanner Grey remarked as he rose from his casual lounge.
I turned my head straightaway and shot him a testy look.
Tanner swaggered towards me with his scrutinizing stare leading the way. “I’m picking up on something. Let’s see . . . There’s anger . . . a bit of frustration . . . and a whole lot of vengeance. Does that sound about right?” he posed.
I threw open the door but stopped before I entered the house. “You knew it was Lazarus, didn’t you?” I muttered, my eyes focusing only on the threshold at my feet.
“Yes,” Tanner confirmed solemnly.
Frustrated by his delayed admission, I bolted into the house, slammed the front door, and started forcefully securing all three locks like I was battening the hatches on a submerging submarine. I popped off a gruff grunt as I slammed my back against the oak slab. Within a few seconds, Tanner Grey came crawling into the house through the living room window.
“That’s breaking and entering,” I called out lackadaisically.
Tanner glanced back at the broken window, arching one of his eyebrows inquisitively. “No. That’s just entering. Look’s like someone else did the breaking,” he countered with a confident laugh and then walked into the foyer where I remained propped against the front door.
“Is that the real reason you didn’t want me to go near or even touch Lazarus?” I pouted.
“No, Shiloh. That was just an unfortunate consequence. I told you, not while your powers are strengthening. You’re still very vulnerable, especially to other Talismans. Oh, and by the way, Lazarus picked up on your energy at the funeral home — just so you know,” the handsome Talisman added, seeming noticeably perturbed about it.
“It was an accident! Beatrix told me that he’d left! Did he know it was coming from me?” I probed in a panic. “I asked the golden topaz to keep him from seeing me.”
Tanner patted my shoulder. “Calm down, little girl. The Boogey Man’s not onto you yet.”
I felt an instant rush of relief, despite his ominous hint suggesting that the murderous bastard would find out eventually.
Tanner continued, “When he arrived at the mine after the wake, I overheard him telling one of his men that he sensed something powerful back at the funeral home, but he didn’t know where it was coming from or why. Lazarus started drinking and celebrating. He claimed it was a ‘good sign’ and that ‘he was close’.” Tanner hovered beside me and leaned into my ear. “He just didn’t realize how close he was,” his husky voice whispered.
With the delicate warm air from his words still tickling my lobe, I turned to meet his smoldering gaze. Just being close to Tanner Grey was intoxicating. Whatever allowed him to wash away a person’s anxieties had all the makings of the most irresistibly addictive drug. The fact that he was such delicious eye candy was simply a perk…just like the sweetest red cherry topping a sundae that gave your already whet appetite an extra push.
“Your eyes aren’t purple,” I remarked flatly, attempting to bottle my churning emotions and cover up the embarrassment I felt from my overindulgent stare.
Tanner stepped back and removed his tiger’s-eye from around his neck. “I suppose it’s safe — now. I can’t afford to go around advertising to Lazarus that he has another Talisman working for him, trying to sabotage his plans, now can I?” I watched in amazement as his hazel eyes transformed into their dazzling purple hue just as soon as the brown and gold swirly stone lost contact with his skin.
“So how does this thing work, exactly?” I asked as I reached for his pendant, only to watch him jerk it away from my hand.
Tanner held up the curious little magical stone, dangling it directly between us. “This tiger’s-eye,” he corrected, “was given to me many years ago. It helps a Talisman hide his or her powers from all supernaturals, including other Talismans. Even though you can feel traces of its energy, only the Talisman to whom it was given may draw upon its concealment powers . . . So with that being the case, I’m afraid its magic won’t work on you. A tiger’s-eye is one of the few stones that must be directly bestowed to the wearer by the Talisman who reigns over it. Beatrix has one as well. Shiloh, your identity is sacred. You must keep it guarded at all times. Once your identity is compromised, death and despai
r will follow you. This is especially true for Talismans like Lazarus. They’ll not only seek to harm you to get what they want, but they’ll hurt anyone you love just to get to you . . . which is why, and I repeat, you are to stay away from him.” Tanner topped his lecture off with a curt smile as he tucked the mystical pendant in the front pocket of his weathered jeans.
“Well then, where can I get one?”
Tanner let out a dry laugh. “Well, you can’t simply run down to a store and pick up one of these sought after stones . . . or anywhere else for that matter. You have to earn it,” he stressed. “The Talisman who reigns over the tiger’s-eye must feel you’re worthy of such a gift. In our world, it’s a monumental feat to receive one from Burnu. He doesn’t make a habit of handing them out to anyone. And don’t think for one second that just because you presently lay claim to the most revered stone of all that it gives you any special entitlement to one of his tiger’s-eyes. So until your time comes, you can get that idea out of your head . . . even though it would help with your little identity problem. But even it’s not an easy fix, considering your magic-wielding inexperience.”
I couldn’t argue with him about that one. “Well, where does this Burnu—”
“Not around here,” Tanner interrupted with a curt clip. “He’s thousands of miles away, so forget about it.” The Amethyst Talisman paced around the foyer. “Stubborn little girl,” he grumbled, shaking his head repeatedly.
I glared at him as I thought about how much I HATED that little pet name he seemed to like throwing around on my behalf — my now eighteen-year-old behalf, to be exact.
I braced my hands on my waist with a firm clench. “So what are you doing here anyway?” I demanded.
Tanner ignored my question while he inspected the busted staircase with a suspicious grin. He propped his hand on one of the remaining spindles from the banister (which he ended up breaking off) and then turned around with it still in his hand.
“You’re coming with me,” Tanner finally answered as he tapped the spindle against his palm. “But first, I need you to go upstairs and change into something a little more comfortable.”
Now I was curious. “Where are we going?”
“Out,” Tanner replied bluntly as he motioned me up the stairs.
Though my head was intent on voicing its disapproval by way of several drawn-out shakes, I eventually complied with an open mind and started marching up the steps a few seconds later. The closer I came to reaching the upstairs landing, the more my head whirled with suspicions that I was in for an afternoon filled with a plethora of strange requests, followed by a heap of vague explanations given as valid reasons for each and every one them. I eventually found myself in my bedroom, standing in front of my dresser and rummaging through its drawers cluelessly.
“Can you at least be a little more specific about what kind of ‘comfortable clothes’ I should wear?” I called down from my room.
“Something you don’t mind getting dirty, maybe even ripped,” Tanner replied. “You know, little girl — Play clothes.”
After hearing “it” again, I purposely stomped my foot on the floor, making sure it was loud enough to hear. I ran back out to the top of the stairs and pointed down at him.
“Stop calling me THAT!” I yelled. He simply brushed off my request with a grin as I turned to head back into my room. I ended up pulling out some old jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and some worn out sneakers. I was changed and ready in no time. After securing my long dark-blonde locks in my favorite ponytail holder, I headed straight for the door.
My cell phone started humming in my purse. I pulled it out to see several messages from Katie and Ty, both of them wanting to know where I was. Hoping to allay a little of their worry, I shot them each back the same quick & simple text.