Talisman (96 page)

“A stone that made you feel better,
ridded your body from toxins, let you talk telepathically…
and
let you text.  Now
that
would be impressive,” I teased.

As our laughter dwindled down, we found ourselves in the midst of an awkward haze of silence.  Tanner’s eyes popped open abruptly, and then h
e reached into the pocket of his black leather jacket.

“I have so
mething for you,” he announced with a crafty gleam in his eye.

My smile widened, utterly intrigued.

“Close your eyes and hold out your right hand,” Tanner instructed as his hand remained inside his jacket.

I hesitated.

“Come on, come on.  All
little girls
like surprises.”

“Not when you put it like
that
they don’t,” I snapped as I caved to his request.  I waited with my eyes closed and my hand extended.  Unexpectedly, he flipped my right hand around.  The next thing I knew, something was being slid onto my ring finger
.
  It had a strange, but familiar feel to it.

“Open them up,”
Tanner said softly.

Dumbfounded, I opened my eyes to find my
Welch High School class ring that I thought I’d misplaced.  But something about it struck me as odd.  For some reason, the clear acrylic stone looked
different
.  Curiously, I rubbed my finger over its face. A vibrant light began to dance within the stone.  It even emitted the same raw and robust energy as the diamond wand.  Tanner had replaced my fake gem with a
real one
— a charged diamond.  I was
speechless
.

“I saw it l
ying on your nightstand when I carried you home from the cave that night.  I couldn’t stomach the thought of a Talisman walking around with a tacky hunk of synthetic crap on their finger.  I hope you don’t mind.  I started to use the diamond you gave me, but then I found that one when I went back to clean up your mess on the railroad tracks last night.  I couldn’t resist.  You must have dropped it.  I cut and polished it myself.  It was a diamond from Adamas, himself.  The one Caiden wore around his neck.  It was your
father’s
.”

I remained silent, still awestruck. 
I thought I’d lost it forever
.

“Shiloh, what’s wrong?” Tanner inquired.  “
Isn’t it
big enough?
”

His jab about the
diamond’s size snapped me out of my daze. “No, no.  I’m just…
floored
, that’s all.”  Not only was I bowled over by the grandeur of the gift, I was equally impressed with the thoughtfulness behind it.  I forced back a tear that was starting to form.  I smiled and gently squeezed his hand.

“Thank you, Tanner.  It’s
perfect
.”

My touch must ha
ve triggered his emotional radar again.  His normally cocky and playful demeanor took a serious turn as he held on to my hand.

“I know you’ve made your choice, but it’s normal to struggle with your destiny.  It takes time for anyone to accept something wholeheartedly, especially when its been thrust upon them.  With every day that passes, you’ll come to terms with what the future ho
lds.  I have faith in you,” he vowed.

My ears welcomed his words, however it still prompted
the same old nagging question.

“Tanner, I still don’t know,
why me?
  And, I’m not sure why the moonstone Talisman turned her eyes on me last night.  I’m nothing to her.  I’m just getting used to the diamond’s powers and now I have a lapis lazuli to deal with —
that I didn’t want
, and a moonstone from a strange Talisman who saved my life — oh, and not to mention, constantly having to worry about other Talismans out there trying to kill me.  Quite frankly,
it’s overwhelming
…especially not knowing when a horrible memory will pop out of them,” I added fearfully as I thought about my new lapis lazuli.  “I know I accepted this gift into my life, but I hope I have
some control
over how it unfolds.  I’m worried that instead of these stones being a part of my life, they’ll force me to become a pawn in theirs.”

“Yes.  When you claim another Talisman’s stone, their memories are a part you can’t
fully control, but you must accept them.  But they’re not always a burden, Shiloh.  You can learn from them.  They only reveal their memories when they sense you’re ready. Stones are like life…They never throw anything that you can’t handle, no matter how unbearable it may seem at the time.  As far as the wand goes, just remember to trust its wisdom and above all, respect it.  When the time is right, it will lead you on your path.  But Shiloh, you won’t ever be alone on your journey.  The Onyx will
always
be watching you.  Now that he knows you reign over the wand completely, and that Seraphina has given you a moonstone, his attempts will be less frequent…but far more calculated I’m afraid.  The Onyx has many faithful followers who will do his bidding, so you must always be cautious.  And don’t forget…Ferrol is still out there somewhere with a hunger and taste for your scent.  Always remember that
trouble is but a stone’s throw away
.”

I gave Tanner a firm nod.  I
heard and understood everything he’d said, loud and clear.

“Now, listen to me and do exactly what I’m about to say.  Keep your wand on you at all times.  Do you have it on you?” Tanner questioned
skeptically.

I turned around to flaunt the base of the wand’s hilt
that was sticking out of the back pocket of my jeans and gave my rear a firm pat.

“
Nice
…” he replied playfully.

I wasn’t
quite sure if he was referring to the clever place I’d stashed it or my ass?

“Only draw the wand when you’re prepared to use it.  Its sole purpose for protecting the diamond’s power is to
kill
— not to intimidate — and it should only be used as a last resort.  As long as you claim its power, you’re the only one who can summon the wand to emerge from its hilt.  It’s imperative that you protect the wand from your enemies.”  Tanner stressed, “Always be on guard and keep your identity a
secret
.  As you’ve unfortunately already witnessed, it will end up complicating matters and could be detrimental to your existence.”  Tanner added adamantly, “And don’t hand out your diamonds to just
anybody
.”  He pointed his finger sternly. “And
never, ever
SELL THEM!
  You can’t afford for them to indirectly fall into the wrong hands.  Your enemies would
love
to get their hands on them.  Then you would become your own worst threat.”

The thought of selling them had never popped into my mind until he’d just m
entioned it.  However, what he said rang true.  It was out of the question.

“I
understand,
” I pledged whole-heartedly.

“I hope you
do
,” he stated with a firm nod of his head.  Tanner opened one of his saddlebags and pulled out what appeared to be a folder of some sort.

“There’s something else,”
Tanner announced as he handed me the ivy green folder.  There was an elaborate, golden embossed design on its cover that framed a cursive, capital “Y”.  “Here.  Sign this,” he ordered.

“What is it?” I asked as I opened the folder.

“Your application to
Yardley
.”

My mouth fell open, left speechless once again.

“Really, Shiloh.  I would think someone who’s smart enough to be accepted into Yardley could’ve figured
that out
just by looking at the cover.”

Elat
ed, I ignored his comment and flipped through the pages rather quickly.  Unfortunately, reality hit (as soon as the price tag went
“cha-ching”
in my head) and pulled me back down to earth.

“Tanner, I told you,
I
can’t
afford this…Not unless you don’t mind me selling any of my diamonds’,” I jabbed.

“There won’t be any need for that.  You’ve got a
full
academic scholarship…as long as you major in
Geology
, of course.”

I looked at the diamond gemstone in my class ring.  “
Of course
,” I acknowledged slyly.  I quickly located the form I was to sign in the folder and cleared my throat.  “Pen, please?”

Tanner pulled a black
Mont Blanc pen out from the inside pocket of his leather jacket.  I noticed it had been customized with a tiny amethyst on the tip of its cap.

“Imagine that,” I
quipped and quickly signed
my
college application without batting an eye.

“Here you are,” I announced gleefully as
I handed him back the folder with a flick of my wrist, adding a touch of dramatic flair.  I couldn’t contain my excitement.  Even though my life had taken a different path, I was still being allowed to fulfill one of my dreams. 
College
.  And not just any college either — the country’s best and finest.

Tanner opened the folder and glanced at the form with an intrigued look on his face.  He pulled out the application and waved it in the air. 
“What happened to your
‘y’?
”

Shiloh Wallace

That’s strange
, I thought as I looked at my signature.  It wasn’t there.  I didn’t even think about the
“y”
.  I’d just signed it.  I guessed the frightened little girl deep down inside had put that childhood fear to rest, once and for all.

“Well, that
is
my name,
isn’t it?
” I answered fearlessly.

Tanner squinted his violet eyes and then gave
my head a swift and playful smack with the folder before he put it away.

“I guess that’s
that
,” Tanner stated.  “I need to be heading off now.”

My heart sank slightly in
my chest.  I didn’t want him to go. I was really going to miss him.  So many important people in my life had disappeared.  Yet again, I was faced with the loss of another one, even if it was only temporary.  My mind grappled with what a proper “send-off” should be.  I didn’t want to appear too sappy, and I certainly didn’t want any more tears to fall.  I’d had enough of those lately to last a lifetime.  I thought to myself,
Just suck it up
.  After last night’s attempt to hug him was thwarted awkwardly, I decided a formal handshake would be best.

Hesitantly, I extended my hand.  He took it and appeased m
e with a few firm shakes.  Then to my surprise, Tanner pulled me into a warm embrace.

“Oh, believe it or not…I’m going to miss you, too,
” he confessed.

I closed my eyes and let myself become lost in his euphori
c aura one more time.  Within seconds, all my heartache over Daddy, Katie, and Ty had been magically washed away and replaced with an indescribable, heavenly bliss.  I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I sensed a few jubilant waves flowing from him as well.

That’s odd
. 
Tanner had never exuded any
feelings
of his own.  I started to focus in on them when he quickly pulled away.

He dusted off his jacket and po
inted to me.  “That’s enough.”  He seemed slightly flustered, but managed to compose himself rather quickly.

“Shiloh, try not
consume yourself with so much grief.  The world keeps turning, whether you’re present or not.  Caiden wouldn’t have wanted that for you.  The ones you love are always with you, but unfortunately so is the pain.  Time is the only thing that can heal those wounds.”

“I know. 
I’ll try
.  I was just coming to terms with Daddy’s death, and now I have to deal with Katie’s.  I’m going to miss her so much, Tanner.  She’s always had a special place in my heart.  I felt like it was ripped out of me last night.”

Tanner patted my bac
k. “Well, don’t worry.  She’s still a part of you…
More than you know
,” he said with a wink.

Tanner started to pull something out of his jacket, but
he paused at the sound of a loud engine approaching.  The closer it came, the more recognizable it was.

Mike’s Camaro
.

In no time,
Mike’s red muscle car was pulling into the driveway.  We watched him maneuver out of the low-sitting car painfully, grimacing from his injuries and holding his ribs.

Chloe heard him pull in as well.
She was still upstairs, but she raised her bedroom window.  “Hey, Mike.  I’m getting dressed.  I’ll be down in a sec.  What a nice surprise!” she yelled down.