Talisman (66 page)

“I’ll be
damned
,” the Amethyst Talisman grunted.

Gallia g
iggled, “Well, not
yet
…Thanks to me and your friend,
Shiloh
.”

Tanner
propped himself up to glance back and forth between the two of us.  “Imagine that…
Me
, on the cusp of death and then brought back to life by none other than…
two little girls
,” he cracked and started to laugh uncontrollably.

I wasn’t s
ure if he was happy to be alive or if it was his wisecrack that he’d found so amusing, but he couldn’t stop laughing.  Not for a second.

I turned to Gallia. 
“Is he going to be
okay?
” I asked, needing some reassurance.  “Is all the poison gone?”

“
Oh, yes,” Gallia confirmed.  “Of course he’ll be weak…and a little intoxicated until he regains all of his strength.”

“So, basically…
he’s just
drunk?
” I inquired.

Gallia
smiled and nodded.

“
Good
,” I replied, absolutely relieved.

Though
I was thankful for her help and overjoyed knowing Tanner was going to be okay, I just couldn’t pass up this perfect opportunity.  My brow arched as I thought of the countless number of times he had played a little “too rough & dirty”, as well as the scare he’d just given me.  Swiftly, I swung my right fist around and punched him in face.  Needless to say, his medley of chuckles halted
immediately
.

Gallia looked at me and winked. 
“Nice one,” she confirmed.

“
Thanks
,” I replied with a mischievous grin.

Chapter  19  —  Thank Heaven for Little Girls

While Tanner lay
on the ground recovering from the snake venom (and my right hook), Gallia, the now confirmed Serpentine Talisman, filled me in on their history.

“I’ve known Tanner for
centuries
,” she revealed.

My eyes widened at her announcement.  She looked so young, and Tanner didn’t look old at all, more like slightly aged from his environment.  S
till stunned, my mind drifted for a moment.  I pondered quietly,
One thing’s for sure…I’ll save a fortune on anti-wrinkle creams
.  I refocused my attention back to the pint-sized Talisman.

“Usually, snake venom wouldn’t be that hard for Tanner to stave off its effects, but I think
your
presence increased the venom’s
potency
,” Gallia explained.

A
rush of guilt rolled over me like a thundercloud.  Gallia sensed it too.

“However, that being said…i
t was your presence that also intensified
my powers
, so my serpentine could neutralize the poison.  Rattlesnake venom is extremely potent and impossible for any Talisman to heal themselves from completely without
a little
intervention
, whether it comes from an earthly
or
supernatural creature.  Good thing I spotted him at the church…and
sensed
who
you
were.”

I had mixed emotions. 
Even though I was thrilled my powers were strengthening, it just made me more self-conscious. 
Am I becoming a walking advertisement for the wand?
  After all, I didn’t have a tiger’s-eye to fool my adversaries.

“Is it
that
obvious?” I groaned.

“I was curious about the lady who was in Tanner’s company, but I didn’t have a clue who you were until I
tapped you on the shoulder back at the church. A surge of energy flowed through me that I’d only experienced many years ago, whenever I was around Adamas.  I felt a hundred times more powerful.  Right now, it can only be detected by touching you, but that won’t last for long.  You’re almost at the zenith of your power. 
Then
, you’ll have to be
extremely
careful.”

I forced myself into a deceptively “relaxed” appearance and thought,
Great…I’m one big, flashing neon sign!

“You
know, Tanner’s a great warrior,” Gallia boasted with a smile.  “He even rivaled Adamas.”  I noticed a subtle discomfort when she mentioned the wand’s previous owner.  She looked deep in thought about something.

“You k
new Adamas, too?” I asked with an air of intrigue, knowing that the Talisman who was nothing more than a faceless name to me seemed to hold a great deal of influence over my future.

“Yes,”
Gallia replied as she lowered her head.  She looked up at me and added, “He would be
very
proud of you.”

What a peculiar thing to say
, I pondered curiously.  “What do you mean?”

Gallia paused. 
“
I mean
…that
you
were the one who claimed the wand and possess its powers,” she stated with a firm nod.  “If you don’t mind me asking, where did you find it?”

Though Tanner had warned me about divulging too much information to others, I didn’t see the harm in answering.  After all, she did just save his life.  I figured I could mark a check in the “friend” column.

“In Welch.  It was in an underground cave, not far from my house.”

Gallia laughed
, seeming surprised.  “All this time…It’s been
here
…in West Virginia!”  Her laughter heightened.  “Of course, I understand
why
.  These mountains are full of coal, and it would need a source of carbon.  He must have known West Virginia would be the
last place
anyone would look for it.  Adamas was exceptionally clever.”

Unimpressed with Adamas’ concealment skills, I announced, “Well, there’s a Talisman named Lazarus Xcavare, who blew into town last week.  He thinks it’s here, and the Onyx has roamed the ridge behind my house since I was a little girl trying to find it.”

“
THE
ONYX?”
Gallia shrieked.  “Are you
certain?
”

“One-hundred-p
ercent,” I answered as I glanced back at Mr. Estell’s shack and reflected on each time the Onyx had tried to kill me.

“
THAT’S HORRIBLE!
  Does he know that you’ve claimed the diamond’s powers?”

“Considering Mr. Estell was und
er the Onyx’s spell…
Yeah
.  I think
he knows
,” I replied and then tossed the recovered sardonyx to Gallia.  She let out a long whistle as she held the stone ring in the air.

“A s
ardonyx is the Onyx’s calling card.  He has quite a following that does his bidding for him.  If you ever see someone wearing one of these…
be mindful
.  It’s probably best not to trust them, just to be on the safe-side.  The more white hatches on the stone, the stronger the magic.  The Onyx will stop at nothing to get his hands on the wand.”

“
No kidding
,” I grumbled.  “Mr. Estell had a set of diamond dentures he shoved in his mouth, right before he traded his soul by looking into a mirror that turned him into a 25-foot rattler.”

Gallia
gasped.  “
A black obsidian mirror?
”  I confirmed her question by nodding vigorously.  Gallia’s look of surprise turned solemn.  “I can empathize with you, Shiloh.  I know what it’s like to be constantly looking over your shoulder.”  She took a deep breath and revealed, “I’m being hunted, too.”

I was beginning to think West Virginia was becoming a secluded hideaway for supernaturals.  The expression on G
allia’s face mirrored my fear.

“Who are
you
running from?” I probed.

Gal
lia’s face turned as white as a sheet.  “From
Lorelei
, that’s who!”  The mere mention of the name made the little Talisman twitchy.  “This area, being notorious for its snake-handling church, makes it a pretty obvious place for me to hang around.  Lorelei’s very shrewd. She probably thinks that I wouldn’t be dumb enough to come around here. She would
NEVER
want to waste her
‘PRECIOUS TIME’
looking for me where my anti-venom talents would be useful.”

“Who is she?”
I inquired. 
It’s a pretty name…How bad could she possibly be?

“I don’t think you want to know, but I have a feeling
that when she finds out someone has already claimed the Wand of Adamas, she’ll definitely want to know
all about you
.”

“
Why’s that?” I asked.

Gallia appeared to be dithering.  She
checked on Tanner, whose color had now almost returned to his face, and then quickly turned back to me.

“How much has Tanner told you about
…
our kind?
”

Disgusted, I rolled my eyes. 
“
Not much
.  He’s extremely secretive…Not to mention, evasive and
cocky
.  He claims it’s for
my
protection, but it’s really frustrating.”

“That’s
Tanner
,” Gallia confirmed with a laugh.  “But Shiloh, I’m
not
your mentor, the one who’s to guide you. 
He is
.  It’s not a good idea to reveal too much about our world…even to each other.  Every Talisman’s worst fear is that another one their kind will want to kill them for their powers.  Secrecy is our most powerful weapon.”

Disappointed that yet another Talisman was not very forthcoming with
any answers, I shook my head.

“I understand, but that doesn
’t make it any less frustrating,” I sighed.

The little Talisman
observed my raw displeasure as she fiddled with her pigtails.  “Well, there is one thing I
can
do,” Gallia grinned as she removed one of the serpentine stones from her bracelet.  “I can give you a
gift
.”

Gallia’s eyes fell to a close as she
cupped the stone in her hand.  Within seconds, small streams of a green-hued light flowed from under her grasp.  When the dazzling spectacle had finished, she placed the rough little wonder in my hand.

“
There
.  Now it will protect you from any earthly or supernatural snake and its venom, whether on land or at sea.  No matter how many
diamond fangs
it may have,” Gallia bragged with a resolute nod of her head.

I
was grateful for the gift, but it made me wonder,
Should I honestly have to worry about “this exact situation” happing again?

I felt awkward, like someone ha
d given me a Christmas present and didn’t have one for them in return.

“Would you…
like a
diamond?
” I asked.

Gallia’s eyes lit up.  “
REALLY?
Could I?
”

I was taken aback by he
r surprise and eagerness.  You would have thought I’d just told her that she’d won the Powerball Lottery. I nodded slowly, “
Yes
.  That’s the least I can do for all of your help and generosity.”

I bit my lip and
scraped my fingers down into my arm, carving out a small rough diamond —
painfully
. All things considered, I felt the need to charge the little diamond with both my psychic abilities, as well as my power-boosting capability.  I knew Tanner’s feelings about the latter one, but in this case, I went with my gut.  As soon as I had finished, I placed the glowing stone in her hand.  Needless to say, the little Serpentine Talisman was thrilled.

“O
H,
THANK YOU!
” Gallia cried out.  “This is really
too much!
  I just gave you a little ’ole serpentine, but this is something truly
powerful
.  I’m so honored you would trust me with this.”

Her reaction had me second-guessing my actions.  I knew it would make her powers stronger, but I wasn’t quite sure if I’d done the right thing.

Gallia’s eyes widened. “
Wait!
  There’s something else I can give you.”  She quickly plucked an opaque, muted blue stone off her bracelet.  “This is my last one, but
please
take it.  I think
you
need it more than
I do
,” she insisted.

I held up the intriguing milky-blue stone.
“What is it?”

“It’s a c
halcedony,” Gallia proudly informed me.  “There are several different kinds, and they’re extremely rare.  No one has seen Rodiam, the Chalcedony Talisman, for centuries.  Personally, I think he’s in hiding.  Both good and evil Talismans desire the magic his stones convey.  Most of them yield dark powers.  Talismans who bear an earth stone love to use their magic to torment their victims.  So, stay away from the white and pink ones.  However, the blue ones are very
special
.  They drive away evil.  What you do is, whenever you’re attacked, no matter by whom or what, you throw it at them.  The stone’s magic is released when it breaks open, and then they’ll be forced to flee.  I’ve been told they’re excruciatingly painful and quite maddening.  A blue chalcedony won’t kill your attacker, but it binds their powers and prevents them from doing you any harm, so they have nothing else to do but retreat.  I’ve only used one once before on Lorelei.”  Gallia donned a sly smile and let out a giggle.  “I heard through the grapevine that even after her powers returned several days later, she couldn’t get the screams out of her head for a week and her skin flaked off uncontrollably for an entire month!”  She added, “It’s too bad they can only be used one time.  Once their magic is released, they become nothing but dust.  Some stones are like that.”

I had to admit, I liked the sound of this stone. 
Surely this will come in handy
…
considering I seem to have a growing enemies list
.

“Thank you, Gallia.  But won’t you need it, in case you run into this Lorelei lady?”

“No, no.  Please take it.  I’ll just be extra careful the next time a full moon rolls around.”  Gallia looked regretful about her disclosure and swiftly pointed to me.  “Just forget I said that
last part
.”

Before my mind lingered too much on Gallia’s last token of information, Tanner’s voice rang out, “No gifts for me?”