Talisman

by S.E. Akers

  Within a matter of minutes, the three of us had arrived at the hospital’s main entrance and were passing through its automatic double-doors. I’d shoved the platinum hilt inside the front pocket of my jeans, however, it was still sticking out at the top. While we waited impatiently for the attendant at the main desk, I removed my jacket and tied it around my waist, tucking my weapon securely out of sight.

  “What’s he doing here anyway?” I asked Beatrix.

  “Oh, that old Mr. Mayfield stopped by right after it happened. The idiot called 9-1-1 before I could stop him. I rode along in the ambulance.” Beatrix shook her head. “There’s nothing they can do for him here,” she breathed heavily. “I placed a golden topaz around his neck to keep the lethal effects at bay, temporarily . . . But as soon as he hit the ER, the twits removed it!” She leaned in closer and whispered, “I had to turn invisible and sneak another one on him. You wouldn’t believe where I had to put it.”

  My brow furrowed with suspicion when a particularly personal & private orifice popped into my mind. I passed Beatrix a furrowed look.

  “Not THERE!” Beatrix shook her head, her eyes as wide as saucers. “I put it in his ear,” she replied with a slight giggle.

  The attendant still hadn’t shown up and time was of the essence. Just then, I spotted Beverly Rhodes bouncing down the hall and waved her over. As soon as she got a look at the Amethyst Talisman, her pace picked up real quick. I was even questioning if I could summon a bolt any faster. Beverly sidled up beside him—breasts blazing, bless her horny heart—and grabbed his arm like the last cookie in the jar.

  “Who’s your friend, Shiloh?” Beverly asked as she batted her eyes at Tanner.

  I ignored her question, right along with her obvious sexual assault. “Beverly, where’s Tyler Smith?” I asked.

  Now, it was her turn to ignore me. She stood there, just as every other red-blooded female trapped in Tanner’s seductive web, staring at him doe-eyed and dreamily. Needless to say, my patience had left the building. I snapped my fingers directly in her face and raised my voice.

  “Beverly! Tyler Smith’s room? Where is it?” I demanded.

  Beverly looked at me for only a moment and then directed her stare back to Tanner.

  “They moved him to a room in the ICU wing. He’s still critical. No one but immediate family members are allowed in there. Absolutely no other visitors,” she declared.

  Before I could say a word, Tanner rubbed his hand on her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes. “Are you sure we can’t see him?” he asked suggestively.

  Without hesitation, Beverly jerked Tanner’s arm. “Come with me, handsome.”

  I gave my head an irksome shake and then followed them down the hall.

  Beatrix cleared her throat straightaway. “Don’t forget, dear . . . You need to take my hand.”

  Curiously, I walked back towards her.

  “I’m supposed to be blind, remember?” Beatrix reminded me under her breath.

  “Oh,” I gasped. I’d been around her so much over the past week that I’d forgotten about her deceptive “around town” charade. I took hold of her hand and pretty much dragged her down the hall, rushing to keep up with Beverly’s lead. Several stares from some of the hospital staff gave me a good idea of how insensitive my assistance must have looked. One male nurse detained us briefly and asked if he could get Beatrix a cane or help her around himself. I didn’t care how offensive my actions appeared. I was in a hurry and kept thinking, If y’all only knew…

  The ICU wing was swarming with nurses and techs. Luckily, they were all females. Beverly motioned us over to a door bearing a small placard that read, “IC – 301”. A chart hanging on the wall beside it had the name, “SMITH, T.” scribbled diagonally across its cover in bold black letters. That was all the confirmation I needed.

  I hurried over to a large window that looked into his room. Every nerve in my body cringed at the disturbing sight of the handsome jock lying there unconscious, buried under a mass of tubes and wires that were hooked up to numerous flashing monitors.

  I turned to Tanner and pointed over to the nurses’ station. “Okay. Go do what you do best.”

  Tanner let out a dry laugh. “Are you trying to pimp me out?” he asked, amused.

  I smacked him on the back. “I sure am, man-whore,” I confirmed affectionately.

  Tanner’s brow rose. “If that’s what the little girl wants,” he replied and then casually strolled over to a group of nurses who’d already started swarming like flies around the main station to ogle him, giggling and whispering amongst themselves.

  With no one presently looking (nor caring), Beatrix and I snuck into Ty’s room and closed the blinds. I stood over Ty nervously while Beatrix pulled a chair closer to his bedside. Still dazed from the sight of Ty’s pasty and frail appearance, she took my hand and lowered me down into the seat.

  “Are you ready for this?” Beatrix asked.

  I snapped out of my stupor. “Yes. What do I need to do?”

  “The same thing you did to Tanner the other night. The diamond’s healing power will guide you. You have the lapis lazuli that will reverse the effects of the poison. The diamond will also magnify the stone’s strength. Just relax and let the diamond’s energy flow freely.” Beatrix’s voice trailed off as she added, “The actual healing is the easy part. I’m going to wait outside so I can keep an eye out for Tyler’s parents.”

  Beatrix removed the little golden topaz from his left ear and slipped it into her pocket. I moved closer to Ty and laid my hands on his chest, just like I’d done to Tanner the other night outside Mr. Estell’s shack.

  “No, no. Not there,” Beatrix corrected as she lifted my trembling hands off his chest and gave them an encouraging squeeze. “When you’re dealing with a poison like this, you have to do it at the toxin’s point of entry.” She pointed her finger towards his mouth and then headed for the door.

  “You mean I have to stick my hands in his mouth?” I blurted.

  Beatrix threw me a frank look. “You can put whatever you want to in there, dear — I won’t tell,” she added with a wink of her third-eye as she exited the room, donning a sly grin.

  As the door came to a close, the sound of its heavy metal bolt locking sharply rang through the room like a shot out of a starter’s pistol and I jumped. I couldn’t have been more nervous if Beatrix had stayed in the room to call out, “On your mark… Get set… Go!” I was about to kiss Tyler Smith. I’d fantasized about this moment a thousand times over the years, and I’d had several opportunities to do it the right way over the past week — even today. But now, this first kiss meant a whole lot more than just a significant milestone or a lasting memory in my life. It meant his mortality.

  I pulled the plastic tubing out of his mouth. Gently, I stroked the side of his pallid face and let my fingers brush across his peaked lips. Slowly, I leaned in and hovered over him for a moment. My eyelids drifted to a close as I pressed my lips against his, softly. While I could feel the lapis lazuli and diamond’s energy guiding me, my mind only lingered with thoughts of us dancing that night. The longer I dwelled on that memory, the more my restrained healing touch turned into an arousing, passionate kiss.

  Almost uncontrollably, I found myself now on top of him, for the most part, my hands flowing freely through his silky tousled locks and around the curves of his tender face. Suddenly I felt his pulse quicken, and his lips started to warm. Finding it hard to stop, I finally drew back from him, only to see if what I’d felt was genuine.

  Amazed, I watched as the color began to return to his face and then to his entire body. I placed my fingers up to his mouth where I could now feel the moist, warm air from his breaths. They were becoming more frequent and steady. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched his muscles starting to contract while he lay there. I glanced at the lapis lazuli ring. The sight of it still made me sick. Even though it was necessary to save
his life, it was ultimately responsible for trying to take it.

  Ty’s going to be fine and that’s all that matters…

  I slipped outside of his room. Tanner was still charming the nurses, who were clueless to the fact that Ty’s monitors had been beeping non-stop, and Beatrix was coming up the hall with Ty’s parents, Dennis and Olivia Smith, playing her blind act to a T. I gave the Golden Topaz Talisman a subtle nod, assuring her that my “intervention” had worked. She was beaming, as was I.

  It wasn’t hard to see where Ty got his good looks. He was the spitting image of his father, right down to the small cleft in his chin. His mother, Olivia, was no stranger in that department either. Her hair was dark-blonde, similar to mine. I’d never noticed that before. She was wearing her navy framed glasses, as always. I never could tell though if her eyes were more blue or green. They seemed to change colors like a chameleon. Right now, the only color they appeared to be was red.

  Within a few minutes, the door to Ty’s room opened. He stepped out into the hallway, still somewhat weak. Immediately, his parents rushed over to his side and began hugging and kissing all over him. I couldn’t stop staring at the emotional scene. It mirrored how I felt inside, but out of respect for his family, I shied away from displaying any feelings at that moment.

  Tanner abandoned his harem to join us. Several of the nurses hurried over to check on Ty and insisted he get back into bed. I listened as Ty assured them that he felt fine.

  “How did I get here?” Ty asked groggily as he rubbed his head.

  “The doctor said they think it was some sort of food poisoning,” his dad replied. “We’ve been so worried about you. They told us that nothing they’d given you had worked. Not even pumpin’ your stomach. The doctors had never seen anything like it. They weren’t sure if you would make it, but you proved ’em wrong. That’s my boy!” Ty’s dad gave him a firm hug and several pats on his back.

  You could tell by the look on Ty’s face that the news about his condition being touch-and-go was quite alarming. His mother wrapped her arms around his neck, practically choking him.

  “Oh sweetheart, we weren’t the only one’s worried about you. Ms. Sutherland rode in the ambulance and stayed here most of the evening. But someone else stopped by. Someone dear to you that I know you’ll want to see,” Olivia Smith announced as she motioned back our way.

  Upon hearing that endearing declaration from Ty’s mother, I looked over at Bea and smiled. Strangely, her eyes stayed fixed on Ty. I took a deep breath and slowly started to walk towards them, only to be shoved out of the way by Kara Leighton zooming past me. Stunned by her brazen move, I stood back and watched wide-eyed as she wrapped her arms around Ty and gave him an embarrassingly long kiss.

  But what had me absolutely floored was that he kissed back!

  I felt Beatrix’s hand squeezing my arm tightly as I stood there, desperately trying to make sense of Kara and Ty’s actions.

  What the…?

  His mother interrupted my thought with a casual, “Oh, and I see another one of your friends from school is here . . . Shiloh Wallace.” Olivia Smith barely nodded her head in my direction, clearly too focused on her son and the affectionate spectacle transpiring in the middle of the hospital hallway.

  Ty’s blue eyes fell upon me, but something about their gaze didn’t feel quite right. The sparkle I’d seen in them over the past week was gone.

  “Who? Um . . . Who is that?” I heard him whisper to Kara and his mother as he shifted around, scratching his head.

  My whole body went numb instantly. My ears were unresponsive to any other sounds around me because they were too busy bouncing the words, “Who is that” back and forth between my head and my heart like a vicious tennis match. I actually felt my heart stop beating for a moment and questioned whether or not it was still inside my chest. It sure as shit felt like someone had just ripped it right out of there. My vision seemed to be the only one of my senses still functioning. My eyes tracked every subtle movement Ty made—every shift of his body, every blink of his eye—and regrettably, they alerted my heart to every second he held Kara is his arms. I, the Talisman who had the invincibility of the Wand of Adamas, stood there basically paralyzed in the middle of the hall, feeling emotionally naked and wretchedly vulnerable.

  Kara was rightfully stunned as well, but she quickly used his newfound amnesia to her advantage.

  “Oh, you know, Shiloh . . . She works at the Drive-In with me, but she’s more of a classmate than a friend. You really don’t remember her . . . sweetie?” Kara probed eagerly (and I could tell, bursting with hope).

  Ty seemed embarrassed. “Um . . . No. No, I don’t.” He looked at me directly. “I’m real sorry, but I don’t. Maybe it’s the medication? But thanks for stoppin’ by.” The handsome jock smiled graciously and then headed back to his room. Kara managed to flash me a victorious, shitty grin before she hurried to catch up with him. I was honestly surprised the conniving little pom-pom waving bitch didn’t cartwheel down the freaking hall.

  Beatrix was still standing beside me. She tightened her grip and slowly turned me around. The next thing I knew, my two Talisman cohorts were guiding my dazed body towards the elevators. They had to — I was practically a flippin’ catatonic zombie!

  I finally recovered my ability to speak while we stood there waiting for the elevator to arrive. “What was THAT?”

  Neither one of them answered me or even cast the slightest glance my way. I looked back and forth at them.

  “You knew this would happen,” Tanner replied casually.

  I whipped my head around and probed, “What was that you said?”

  Tanner turned and looked me dead in the eyes. “I said, ‘YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN’,” he repeated somewhat harshly. Tanner placed his arms on my shoulders as I stared at him cluelessly. “The memory loss? From healing anyone other than a supernatural? Remember the man outside the café the other day?”

  Blindsided, I jerked away from his grasp. The color began to drain from my face as I recalled the incident, now in painfully perfect detail. I’d completely forgotten about the little defense mechanism to guard against a Talisman’s identity after healing a human. That’s why the man hadn’t thanked Tanner. He couldn’t.

  My back crashed against the back wall. “You’ve gotta be kiddin’!” I huffed under my breath. Then I hastily turned to Beatrix, grasping at any cosmic straw that could in hopes of proving everything about this mess wrong. “Bea, you mean he won’t rem—”

  Gently, Beatrix interrupted my question with a swift hug. “Not a thing, dear. I’m so sorry. Like I said, the healing is the easy part.”

  Still locked in her compassionate embrace, my eyes drifted over to Tanner.

  “Shiloh, it’s for the best . . . really. The fewer people who know about us, the better. You should understand that,” the Amethyst Talisman declared rather boldly.

  I could feel my blood starting to boil after hearing his words, which were so bitterly cavalier. Eyes flaring, I pulled away from Beatrix.

  “Yes, Tanner! I understand it, but that doesn’t mean I have to LIKE IT!” I yelled and then stomped off down the hall.

  I couldn’t stand to look at him—NOT RIGHT NOW—not when I was still reeling from the harsh sting of Ty’s memory loss. I stormed around the corner thinking, I bet he’s tickled that he doesn’t have to worry about Ty knowing what I am anymore. I’m surprised his damn eyes didn’t shift from purple to pink!

  When I’d finally stopped raging, I found myself close to Samuel’s room. I walked over to his door and knocked, but there was no answer. I quietly pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside. There he was, sleeping like a baby and resting comfortably. At the sound of the door’s “creak”, I spun around to see Beverly Rhodes entering his room.

  “He’s been out all evening, Shiloh. But he’s not in a bit of pain,” Beverly vowed. “They’ve got him so loaded up with
meds, honey, I wouldn’t be surprised if he slept all night and right through the doctor resetting his bones in the morning. I’m sorry he’s not awake.”

  “Oh, that’s okay. I just wanted to peek in on him. I’ll come back by tomorrow afternoon to visit,” I replied. “Do you mind if I just stay here for a second? I won’t be long.”

  Beverly flashed me a sympathetic smile. “Take all the time you need. He’s not going anywhere,” she joked and then closed the door.

  I walked over to Samuel’s bedside and sat down in the same chair from earlier. It was still right where I’d left it. Strangely, as I looked around at all the monitors and medical paraphernalia, I found myself feeling thankful.

  How awful would that have been? To heal Samuel, only for him to forget all about me? I could barely stomach the thought. And there I was feeling guilty about not doing it. Uriah coming along was a blessing in disguise.

  As I rose from the chair, I gently eased open the drawer of the bedside table where I’d placed the magical rough diamond. Still there. I closed the drawer, gave Samuel a soft peck on his forehead, and headed out the door.

  The harsh fluorescent lights hit my eyes as soon as I stepped out into the hallway. I reached into the pocket of my jacket for Daddy’s pendant, the one I’d retrieved from Karl, but it wasn’t there. Frantically, I untied the arms and turned it inside-out searching for my treasured keepsake.

  IT’S GONE! Who knows where it fell out? The cave? The woods? The railroad tracks? I knew I would probably never see it again. I slammed my foot down on the floor. Can this day get ANY shittier?

  Listlessly, I wandered back to the elevators to find Beatrix and Tanner exactly where I’d left them. I arrived just as the stainless-steel doors were opening. My luck sure is on the crappy side, but at least my timing’s improving.

  Without saying a word, Beatrix extended her hand and then led me into the elevator. And that was exactly what I needed right now—absolute silence—especially when I could feel the weight of Tanner’s stare the entire ride down.

  As soon as the doors opened, I stepped out and spun around on my heels.

  “WHAT?” I snapped at him.

  Tanner’s eyes may have been locked fervently on mine, but he never said a single word.

  No sooner than I’d turned back around, I caught the backsides of two people directly in front of me, hugged up and about to exit through the main doors. The tall brunette woman, who towered over her gray-headed partner, looked strangely familiar to me.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Stowell?” I called out.

  Sure enough, Ron and Julia Stowell turned around, both looking disoriented and misty-eyed. An unsettling feeling came over me when I noticed a listless and shaky teeter to their gait. Julia Stowell said nothing. I’d never seen her like this before. She was always chatty, just like Katie, and the epitome of perky. But tonight she simply stared at me through a set of weary eyes stained with the streaked remnants of harsh mascara-tinted tears. Mrs. Stowell extended her arms once I was within reach and then yanked me into a solid embrace, squeezing me tightly. Even though I knew my bones couldn’t break, I wasn’t willing to make any bets at that moment.

  Before either of them could say a word, erratic waves of sadness and twinges of heartache engulfed me. Julia Stowell was in so much pain, she wasn’t thinking straight. I couldn’t get a clear image to connect with her emotions.

  “Mrs. Stowell? What’s WRONG?” I asked as I pulled back from her.

  Julia Stowell covered her mouth and stepped away wailing. Ron Stowell walked over and wrapped his arm around me. No sooner than his hand had landed on my back, a tear shot out of my eye and raced down my cheek. His feelings were evident as well, however unlike his wife, his images were crystal clear.

  Katie…

  Frantically, I hurried over to Mrs. Stowell.

  “WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?!?” I waited for her response, but every time she opened her mouth, the only thing that came out were steady streams of teary sobs fueled by pain and sorrow.

  I turned to Ron Stowell. “NO! I don’t understand! HOW?” I demanded hysterically. My brain repeated, This CAN’T be true! IT ISN’T TRUE, over and over.

  This time, it was Ron Stowell’s turn to lose control. He rushed over and wrapped his arms around us, but he couldn’t speak either.

  Julia Stowell mustered some strength and spoke first. “We found her when we . . . got home.” The soft-spoken mother of my best friend got choked up again and struggled to continue. “She’d had an accident,” Mrs. Stowell moaned, her voice broken-hearted and reeling with sheer disbelief.

  My brow furrowed. “What kind of accident?”

  Julia Stowell couldn’t continue, so her husband interjected. “Shiloh,” Ron Stowell began, “she must have tripped and fell. She hit her head on the corner of my desk . . . down at the store. The doctors said she had an acute subdural hematoma. They said it was pretty massive. There was too much blood that had pooled. The doctor pro—pronounced her as soon as she arrived in the ER.” Ron Stowell’s efforts to reveal the horrific details were just as shaky as his wife’s.

  “A freak accident took MY BABY! My only child!” Julia Stowell cried out angrily and slid down to the floor. “We should have been there!”

  I knelt beside her. The more I rocked her in my arms, the more unsettling the nature of Katie’s accident felt, especially knowing who’d been knocking on the door when I’d left her. Then those same words echoed harshly in my head.

  When “I” had left “HER”…

  I looked over at Tanner. Even he had an apprehensive look about him.

  “Where is she?” I begged. “I have to see her, Mrs. Stowell.”

  Julia Stowell couldn’t answer. She tried to catch her breath as she wiped her tear-stained amber eyes. I couldn’t help but think sadly as I looked into them, Katie’s eyes.

  “They have her in a room near the ER,” Ron Stowell replied. “They put her in there for us to say our . . . our good-byes. I’ll take you back there if you want.”

  I sprang up from the floor. “Yes,” I announced as I looked over at Beatrix and Tanner, who both had a rigid look of “NO” flaring in their eyes.

  Julia Stowell stood up and grabbed my arm. “Ron, you take her back. I just can’t do it.” He nodded to his wife. Julia reached for my hand and placed a small velvet pouch in it. “Katie would have wanted you to have this. She knew you were fond of it and always wanted one of your own. Please take it, for Katie . . . and for me.”

  I knew what it was before I opened the pouch. I peeked inside and quickly closed it. Her diamond pendant.

  I hugged Julia. “I CAN’T. I just can’t,” I objected.

  “Please,” she pleaded, “for Katie . . . You were like a sister to her, Shiloh. Please, do it for her.”

  Reluctantly, I took the gift and gave her a firm kiss on the cheek. Ron Stowell took my arm and led me down to the room where Katie’s body lay. Tanner and Beatrix followed behind us. Once Mr. Stowell had cleared our visit with the nurses, he gave me a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek (just like I’d seen him give Katie a million times) and then left to comfort his wife.

  As soon as he was out of sight, I turned to face the door and grabbed hold of its cold metal lever. A fleeting memory of Katie sleeping peacefully in her bed during one of our countless sleepovers throughout the years shot through my mind. And I was really praying that’s what I would find when I opened the door. With my muscles firmly locked, I took a deep breath as I pressed down on the handle and flew inside.

  There lay Katie — lifeless. The sight was so alarming and surreal that every muscle in my body went instantly limp. Nothing could have prepared me for this frigid scene. She looked freakishly pale — almost as white as the sheets wrapped around her body. Her mouth had hardened into an unnatural gaping pose, and her head was cocked to the side. Though her eyes were closed, I could feel the hollowness th
at had set in them. Just like Daddy’s, there was another set of eyes I would never gaze upon again, never see their sparkle or feel them warm my soul. As I approached her, all I could think was, A best friend isn’t supposed to leave you. Not like this… Not this young… Not this way…

  Tanner and Beatrix entered and shut the door. I laid the small pouch bedside her hand and went to frantically searching all over her body.

  “What are you doing?” Tanner asked nervously.

  “What do you think?” I snapped. “I’m looking for blue marks on her.” My suspicions had me tied up in knots. I kept searching, but I couldn’t find any.

  Beatrix chimed in. “Shiloh, what good will that do?”

  “Bea, I have to know. I have to know if this was a ‘freak accident’, or if it was because . . .” I tried to fight back my tears and continued, “because she tried to help me! I HAVE TO KNOW!”

  Beatrix and Tanner threw each other several curious looks. I noticed Beatrix’s eyes were fixated on the finger where my new lapis lazuli stone rested. Immediately, I realized how I was going to find out — for sure.

  They both knew exactly what I was thinking and demanded, “NO,” almost in unison.

  There was a small bathroom inside the room, just a few feet from where I stood. I discreetly glanced at the gray steel bolt recessed in the side of the half-opened door. Good… No brass. Swiftly, I darted into the washroom, slammed the door shut, and locked it behind me.

  Tanner banged on the sturdy wood door. “Don’t do it, Shiloh! When you pull a memory from a stone, you might not like what you see! You can’t undo it! The image will haunt you! I SWEAR IT WILL! Unlock this damn door!” he demanded.

  I sat down on the seat of the toilet and tuned out the rattling of the knob, as well as his battery of annoying pounds on the door. My eyes fell to a close as I stroked the ring. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, so I did the most logical thing. I pictured Katie’s parents store and Lazarus. As soon as I sensed a telling warm glow radiating from the stone’s core, the rest fell magically into place.

  I found myself in a hypnotic trance. It was like I had a front row seat in a theater, waiting to watch a show unfold. I was there in the store with the three of them: Katie, Ferrol, and Lazarus. They had pretty much forced their way in, well Ferrol did. Katie kept telling them that the store was closed. Ferrol ignored her as he charged past, headed straight for the back room. Katie followed, then Lazarus. Lazarus asked her if she knew me, to which Katie replied, “Yes”, but that she hadn’t seen me since yesterday, because I’d been suspended. Lazarus doubted her, so he delved into her mind and asked her again. Katie repeated the same story, word for word. When Lazarus saw the cut and polished diamond pendant around her neck, he knew instantly it wasn’t one born from a Talisman. He believed she was telling the truth and told Ferrol that it was time for them to go.

  Maybe it was a freak accident after all?

  I started to pull out of the vision when my attention became focused on Ferrol, who was holding something. My bloody shirt. He flashed it to Lazarus behind Katie’s back. I could feel Lazarus’ pulse quicken as he watched the diamond residue glistening under the lights. He nodded to Ferrol and turned to leave. In a very business-like and callous voice, he looked back and said, “Don’t keep me waiting . . . too long.” Ferrol immediately grabbed Katie and slammed her head down against the sharp corner of the hardwood desk.

  I pulled out of the vision and sprang to my feet, crying violently. I screamed and pounded my hands down on the wall-hung sink so hard it crashed to the floor. Water from the now busted, exposed pipes was shooting out everywhere. I unlocked the door and yanked it open.

  “It was ALL my fault! MY DOING!” I cried out tearfully as I charged back into the room. I started pacing uncontrollably and ranting, “I NEVER should’ve left her! What in the hell was I thinking? I never should’ve let her try to help me . . . But she was so damn insistent, and I was so desperate to get out of there! Every bit of it — MY FAULT!”

  Beatrix tried to console me. “Shiloh, she wanted to help you. Did you tell her how dangerous they were?”

  “Of course I did, but she didn’t listen . . . or didn’t care?” I replied.

  Beatrix lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. “She was your best friend, dear. Katie took the risk because she loved you, because she knew you would do the same for her, selflessly. Shiloh, Talismans make those decisions every day, but for a human to do it means so much more. Please don’t blame yourself. If anyone is to blame, it’s Lazarus, not you.”

  I rolled my eyes vehemently. “It wasn’t just Lazarus. He ordered it, but Ferrol did it.”

  Tanner, who was now standing quietly by the window with his back to us, whipped around and broke in. “What? HE killed her?”

  “Yes,” I snapped and added, “The one that GOT AWAY did it!” I could tell I’d hit a nerve with that bombshell — but I didn’t care.

  I noticed that he’d taken Katie’s diamond pendant out of its pouch and was holding it up, looking at it in the moonlight. The horrible shame and regret I felt when I saw it was unbearable. I ran over and snatched it out of his hands.

  “Give me THAT!” I barked and dropped it back in its velvety pouch.

  Tanner started to speak, but I cut him off.

  “NO! I don’t want to hear ANYTHING from you, because I know what you’re going to say!” I started mocking, “It’s for the best . . . The fewer people who know about us, THE BETTER!” I smacked my hands against my legs. “You should be OVERJOYED . . . Sorry if I’m NOT!”

  Tanner grabbed my arms. “That’s NOT what I was going to say!” he raged insistently. “Hell, that’s not even how I FEEL! What I was going to say was—”

  I pointed my fingers at his lips. “NOTHING!” I ordered. “You weren’t going to say a thing! I CHOSE THIS! I GET THAT! This is my mistake! My burden to bear! I’ll deal with it, but I don’t need nor want any lectures from YOU!”

  Tanner’s eyes softened. At first I thought he was taking me seriously, until I felt a distinct wave of bliss starting to overcome me. I knocked his hands away and threw him a dirty look.

  As I charged out of the room, I yelled back to him, “I want to feel these emotions, not hide from them. Every damn one of them!” and then slammed the door.

  I rushed through the hallways of the hospital, headed for the main doors. I just need some air and a swift run to release some of my rage, I thought as I stepped outside.

  Standing beside the fountain was Kara talking on her cell phone. Curious about why she wasn’t upstairs in Ty’s room playing “girlfriend”, I decided to try out the lithium trick. I focused on the energy radiating from the tiny traces of metal in her phone. Her voice came through as clear as a bell. She was leaving Mike a message for him to call her, begging him really, insisting that she could sneak out tonight and come over to his house if he needed any “consoling”.

  Ugh! You know, the stars sure have a sick sense of humor, I grumbled as I swiftly turned invisible and buzzed past her — knocking her intentionally over into the chilly waters of the three-tiered fountain as I headed for my gravel drive.

  Chapter 28