Talisman (53 page)

I could feel the rain subsiding
throughout Tanner’s tender touch, but as soon as our physical connection broke, the fickle clouds above resumed their steady, dismal drenching.

Weird.  I’m going to have to figure out some way to deal with my feelings on my own.  Talk about wearing your emotions on your sleeve!

“I think we’ll end your lesson here for the day, Shiloh.”

I agreed,
and we took off, just as swiftly as we’d come.  This time the distance between us narrowed.  I couldn’t tell if it was because I was running faster or if Tanner, out of consideration for my current emotional state, had slowed down.  Either way, I found his companionship comforting.  Not just because he had the power to make me feel better, but I felt more connected to him and sensed a bond forming between us.  Mine with my father had been taken from me.

Maybe I need
that?

We came to a stop at the edge of my gravel drive.  Charlotte’s car wasn’t there. 
They aren’t back yet
, I noted and breathed a sigh of relief.

“I think you can find your way from here,” Tanner
teased.

As I walked to the house, a question popped in
to my mind, regarding something Tanner had mentioned earlier.

“Hey, I have one more
question,” I called back to him.

“You’re kidding. 
YOU
have a
question,
” Tanner mocked.

My eyes narrowed as I shook my head. 
“You said that it was
almost
impossible to sever my skin, right?”

“That’s correct
…
Almost
impossible,” Tanner confirmed.

“
Well
…Don’t you think I need to know?” I demanded impatiently.  “What can cut my skin?”

Tanner transformed
into his misty form and was by my side in a flash.  After a brazen wink, the Amethyst Talisman forcefully held down my left arm while he grabbed my right hand.  He took it and dug my fingernails down deep into the skin on my left arm. 
I SCREAMED!
The pain he was forcing me to inflict on myself was
excruciating!
  I couldn’t believe he would do something like this to me —
ON PURPOSE!
  I broke free from his grasp and looked over at my arm.  There was a small, deep gash that was pouring out blood.

Before the first profanity spewed from my mouth, Tanner
extended his hand and replied, “A
diamond
, of course.”

There
in the palm of his hand lay a tiny raw diamond.  I looked at the hole in my arm and redirected my eyes back to the little rough stone. 
IMPOSSIBLE!

Tanner tossed the
diamond over to me and started to walk off.

“Bring that with you tomorrow
. 
Bright and early, Shiloh
.  Oh, and soak that arm in some sea-salt & water tonight.  It’ll heal in no time.”

“But I have sch
ool…Where are we going?”

Tanner never answered.  He was already gone.  All I saw was a haze of purple fading in the distance.  I held the little stone in the air to admire i
t once more.  My arm hurt like Hell, but all I could do was stare and marvel at the rough diamond gemstone.

Amazing…
Absolutely AMAZING!

Chapter  16  —  The Long Way Down

I
bolted out of bed as soon as my alarm rang.  I had no idea what the day had in store for me, but I was looking forward to the distraction.  This was exactly what I
needed
.  Something to ease the fresh, painful ache I felt from my broken heart…Something to numb me, so I couldn’t feel the multitude of emotions tormenting my soul…But most of all,
anything
that could sidetrack my mind to keep me from dwelling on haunting past moments with my father that I would
never
experience again.  This “distraction” was a blessing — even if it was only masking my pain.

I slipped my left arm out of my pajamas.  Tanner was right. 
The cut had completely healed.  There wasn’t even a scar. 
Amazing
.  I wasn’t sure exactly how much sea-salt I should use when I’d drawn my bath, so I just dumped in what was left from the container Katie had brought over the other night.

I’ll have to pick
up some more at the grocery store later
. 
Something tells me that I’m going to need it
.

I grabbed Da
ddy’s crumpled shirt off my bed and hid it in the back of my closet. 
There… Nice and safe
.  I’d pulled it out last night.  After all, I didn’t have Tanner Grey here to filter my emotions.  I needed
something
to comfort my head and my heart.  The subtle scent of musk and spearmint from Daddy’s shirt helped, but it in no way did it compare to blissful effects of Professor “Prozac” Grey.

I hurried through my morning routine and was ready in a flash.  I placed the rough diamond (that I’d been
forced
to carve out of my skin) into the front pocket of my jacket.  I’d left the golden topaz on my finger last night.  Beatrix had said that it wouldn’t be of much use until it basked in the light of the next full moon (which wasn’t until this coming Friday), but I thought a dip in the salty water during my bath wouldn’t hurt. 
It certainly didn’t help
.  It remained a shiny but disappointingly, dormant bauble.

A
rush of brisk fall air whirled around my body when I stepped outside, instantly energizing me with its lively touch.  Fresh fallen leaves danced around my feet as I trotted down the porch steps.  The rising sun was bright, and the clouds were few and far between.  It was going to be a gorgeous fall day in the mountains of West Virginia.

Good.  No more rain
.

Despite
Tanner not revealing any specific details last night, I had a pretty good idea as to “where” we were to rendezvous.  For fun, I arched my back and lowered myself into a track runner’s stance, just as they would before the gun fired to signal the start of their race. 
Ready, set, go
.  My strides were as swift as the wind.  I barreled across Shiloh Ridge with breakneck speed.  It only took me a matter of seconds to reach the cave’s secret entrance.  I arrived feeling a bit disappointed. I was having fun with my newfound skill for speed, and just like a ride at a carnival, I hated it had ended too soon.

The s
ide of the ridge was once again nothing but dirt.  I placed my hands firmly on its craggy surface.  Just as it had before, the opening began to reveal itself.  The earth shifted and the rocks crumbled away to unveil the cavern’s mystical entrance.  I followed the stone spiral staircase down to the bottom where (as I’d predicted) I found Tanner Grey sitting on the ground.

Tanner’s eyes were closed.  He seemed to be concentrating on something intensely.  He wasn’t chanting, not out loud at least, but he was absorbed in some sort of thought as he
sat there holding a small stone in his cupped hands. Patiently, I stood aside in silence and watched with utmost intrigue.  All of a sudden, the mysterious stone started to cast a vibrant purple glow.  The streams of light swirling out of its core and flowing all around his hands were absolutely mesmerizing.  After a few more seconds, the brilliant and hypnotic spectacle waned and the Amethyst Talisman opened his eyes.

“You’re
late
,” Tanner announced.

“You didn’t give me a
specific
time,” I cracked back.

Tanner rose to his feet and started tossing the ston
e back and forth in his hands.  “I didn’t give you a
place
either, but you managed to figure that out.”

I r
olled my eyes at him —
again
.  If he didn’t lighten up on the wisecracks, my eyes were going to pop right out of their sockets.

“W
hat were you doing?” I asked, curious about the little purple stone that he was now using for his own personal game of catch.

Tanner
extended his hand to reveal a small tumbled amethyst, roughly the size of a quarter.  He raised one of brows and grinned.

“Ch
arging one of my stones for you,” he replied.  “It’s a
gift
.”  I extended my hand, only to have him yank the amethyst back playfully and well out of my reach.  “But now I’m thinking you may not need it…Seeing how that gray sky is blue again.”

“
No
.  I want it,” I insisted as I tried to snatch it away from him.  He started to laugh.  I pretended to pout by crossing my hands and tapping my foot repeatedly on the cavern’s rocky floor.  Tanner let out a grunt and tossed me the stone.

“I can’t hav
e you throwing a temper tantrum now can I,
little
—”

With
out hesitation, I cut him off.  “
DON’T
say it!”  I knew exactly what was going to roll off the tongue of the charming, but cheeky Tanner Grey.  He noted my displeasure with a grin as he approached me.

I held up the stone. 
“What will this amethyst
do
exactly?”

“Just like your
golden topaz, you’ll be able to draw its energy and wield some of the powers that the stone grants.  I thought it would be of some comfort to you during this time…to help with your grief.”

I smiled appreciatively and lowered my head.  Professor
Grey was even more charming when he allowed his sensitive side to come through that rugged, cocky exterior of his.

“Thank you,” I replied in a gentle and sincere voice. 
Straightaway, I clutched the amethyst tightly in my hand.  I could feel myself being overrun with joyful feelings. 
He should bottle this stuff and sell it
.  Tanner noted my instant change in emotions and smiled.

“You’re
welcome
.  Oh, and the stone will only work when it’s touching your skin,” he advised.  “It needs to make a connection to you, remember?”

I nodded as I slipped my little present into
the front pocket of my jeans.

“
So
…how do you ‘charge’ a stone?” I asked.

“Do you have the diamond from last night?” Tanner inquired.

“Right here,” I replied as I pulled the raw stone out of my pocket.

Tanner stepped cl
oser and gently took a hold of my hands.

“Okay…Hold the stone in your
hands and close your eyes.”  I followed his instructions.  “Good.  Now, in order for a Talisman to share their power, you need to infuse the stone with a small amount of your energy.  You do that by concentrating on what ability you want the person to have.  I gave your amethyst my powers of tranquility and bliss, as well as my ability to alleviate the effects of various toxins.  That will come in handy.  Even though your body is now ‘invincible’, per se, you can still be taken down if one were accidentally ingested or entered your skin through an open wound.”

Yes…That’s a must
.

Tanner continued, “You only want to give the person what they
need
— never any more.  Since you’re the only Talisman who reigns in the house of The Storm, you
can’t
pass along any of your body’s
invincibility
to the stone.  It won’t allow you to do so.  Even the diamond knows how much of a detriment that would be.  You can however, infuse it with your psychic skills, which will not only extend your telepathic powers to them, but it will protect their mind, as well as their soul.  Caiden had one he wore…to protect himself from being possessed by the Onyx.”

Daddy’s strange little crystal necklace
…
It wasn’t a crystal at all
. 
That’s why he had it on the other day — for protection.  No wonder it hadn’t helped.  The bastard poisoned him.  I wonder what happened to it?
   Tanner was still lecturing, so I redirected my full attention back to his valuable words of wisdom.

Tanner’s voice shifted into a serious tone.  “
Also
, if you trust the Talisman completely, you can share your ability to magnify their own powers,
but ONLY if you trust them
.  I can’t stress that enough.  You don’t ever want them to become addicted to the stone.  Even though their powers will get a boost, it’s only a fraction of what they experience when they’re around you.  A Talisman’s power will increase one-hundred-fold just by being in your presence.  In a sense, that’s your
greatest disadvantage
.  A constant reminder of the strength they could possess if they killed you would only fuel their cravings for the diamond wand…
if
they didn’t have the will or desire to fight them off.”

As I listened to Tanner Grey’s instructions, I thought about how I was a trusting person by nature.  Trust was one of my most precious virtues (even though it had left me vulnerable when dealing with Charlotte and Chloe all these years).  Now, I had to shelve that notion entirely and be
one-hundred-percent skeptical of people from the get-go.  That made an uncomfortable feeling of paranoia surface.

I suppose
around the wrong person, like Lazarus, just walking down the street in front of him would be like waving crack in front of an addict
.  Obviously, being a Talisman wasn’t just going to alter my body and mind, but my soul as well.

“So, only another Talisman can draw a stone’s energy and use its powers?”

Tanner shook his head.  “
Not exactly
.  Talismans and other supernaturals can receive a stone’s
full power
.  A typical human can only feel a
minute trace
of its energy…and they can only benefit from some of the stone’s healing abilities and protections. 
Never
any of its supernatural powers.”

“I’d always thought a ‘talism
an’ was actually a stone itself…A ‘thing’,
not a person
,” I admitted openly.  I realized I still had a lot to learn about the inner workings and mystique that surrounded this unfamiliar clique.

Tanner postured himself.  “Shiloh, many, many years ago, Talismans weren’t such a secret.  We didn’t have to be.  The world wasn’t as hostile as it is today.  Sure there were
plenty of wars and a lot of fighting, but that’s simply in man’s nature.  There was still compassion for others, and greed wasn’t as prevalent.  The world around us today is cold and callous.  Everyone is out for themselves, with no regard for the genuine well being of those around them.”

“That’s true,”
I acknowledged.

“Talismans helped balance the world
, Shiloh.  Unfortunately, our powers were very seductive to those with sinister intentions, whether they were supernaturals or not, so we went underground centuries ago.  Not only for our protection, but for man’s as well.  The legends and lure surrounding the magic of our stones is still out there, but with every year that passes, they become more myth than truth…And that’s exactly the way we want to keep it…
a secret
.”

“So, that’s why most people don’t believe crystals and gemstones work?” I quizzed.

Tanner displayed a proud smile.  “
Exactly
.  They
don’t
…
if
they haven’t been
‘charged’
.  Now, enough with the questions.  Close your eyes and charge that stone of yours.  Oh, and keep in mind…you’ll be giving that one to
me
.”

I cocked my head and looked ove
r at him with one brow raised.  “I’m not sure if I can
trust
you
,” I quipped.

Tanner tilted
his head back and let out an unamused laugh.  “
Little girl
…You can’t afford
not to
.”

I turned a deaf ear
as I knelt down.  I closed my eyes, cupped the rough little diamond in my hands, and did precisely what he’d said. Though I wasn’t exactly sure “what” I should be doing specifically, my general pleas for all the powers that I’d experienced, as well as the ones Tanner had described, swirled in my head and served to guide a newfound raw energy I felt radiating inside me.  I immediately sensed a bright, warm light streaming from the diamond, and could actually feel a part of myself fusing with the stone.  Thankfully, it didn’t hurt like it had when I’d cut it out of my arm last night.  It just tingled.  Once the magical phenomena had ended and I knew the ritual was complete, I rose from the ground and tossed the freshly charged diamond over to Tanner.