Talisman 2 - The Sapphire Talisman (28 page)

“I knew it,” I heard Nicholas spit. “I knew you cared more for him than me.”

“No,” I turned and met Nicholas’ hateful eyes again. All the progress we’d made dissolved to nothing. Luckily, he was still handcuffed. “Stop messing with him, you freaking
—
” I stopped myself, forgetting the evil instigated
and fed on negative energy.

“You what?”

“Forget it.” My body swayed. Any second, I knew I was going to collapse trying to fight the torture
Scarlett
was putting us all through.

Then, the insanity stopped.

I inhaled like I’d finally broken the surface after being held underwater and looked to see why. Over by the building, Katie stood in horror as something similar to a Tasmanian devil screamed and ferociously clawed its way out of what looked like a suede jacket on the ground. The worst part was Tyler stood, dumbfounded and zoned-out behind her.

Chapter Thirty
-
Two

“
F
reaking cat,” I heard Katie screech, followed by a sickening sound of bones crunching as she punted
Scarlett
, who was
still in cat form
,
into the woods nearby.

I cringed with the realization she’d somehow covered
Scarlett
up with her jacket, stopping the trance. And
Scarlett
, probably jolted from her deep concentration, destroyed the leather coat in order to get out, angering Katie.

“
Scarlett
?
Scarlett
!”
I mentally yelled, with no response.

“Stupid cat,” she bellowed, holding up the shredded pile of leather threads. “This was my favorite coat!”

The need to get up and try to find
Scarlett
added a surge of adrenaline my body already surfed upon, and I panicked when I noticed Alora begin to stir.

“Come on, Phil,” I begged as I pulled at his shirt and avoided his injured arm.

Blood oozed out from where Alora had hooked her nails into his skin during the meld. My voice had no effect and Phil continued to lay limp on the ground, taking in shallow breaths. My heart pounded harder as Alora groaned and rolled over, recovering much faster. I got to my feet and pulled his good arm towards the cage door.

“Now, Phil,” I urged. “We have to go
now
.”

Cold fingers wrapped around my foot and twisted. I yelped as fiery pain shot up from my ankle, forcing my body to the ground. I landed on my side with a thump.

“Where is it?” Alora seethed, slowly crawling towards my torso. “I know you have it.”

“Check her pockets,” Nicholas said from behind me.

“No.” I scooted away from her on my hands and feet, but was forced to stop once I bumped into Phil’s still body.

Alora greedily closed the space between us, vanity piercing behind her eyes. I watched the future unfold in slow motion. If I didn’t do something quickly, this would be it.

My head turned to study Nicholas’ evil grin. His good side was my only ally right now, but no good to me trapped under the vile obsession that now had hold of him. My secret talent—the ability to impart emotion on others—would have to free him now. I held out my arm and with all my strength willed goodness in his direction. He exhaled loudly and arched his chest outward, like the very breath was being stolen from his body, and groaned.

“Tell her the talisman belongs to me,” I demanded. “If there’s any shred of decency left within you, make
me
the owner. I
know
you still love me. Look deep into your soul; you’ll feel it. Please?” I begged, feeling almost as if electricity was shooting from my hand towards his body, infusing it with healing warmth.

Nicholas’ evil writhed, the fight inside him evident. The slap across my face, though, stopped the beautiful connection. I turned away from Alora’s hand and spit out the blood that poured from a dislodged tooth in my mouth.

Alora inhaled the scent. “Ah,” she said and her hunger grew immensely. “This may work out after all.”

Before I could stop her, she snatched the necklace out of my pocket. For a second, she looked perplexed at the black stone; I’m sure because it lay dormant in her hand. Then she whooped in glee.

“I finally have it!” she exclaimed, bringing the necklace to her heart.

She rose to her feet, her hands shaking as she studied her freedom, the reflection of the talisman glittering in her eyes. Tears of joy trickled down her cheeks.

“No,” I instinctively said and grasped the side of her pant leg.

Annoyed, she kicked my body away, landing her heel right into my side. I wailed, doubling over from the excruciating pain. All that mattered suddenly was the strained need to breathe, only able to swallow tiny sips of air.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Nicholas said in the background.

“This little wench has been a thorn in my flesh this entire time. She deserves it,” Alora said, using the heel of her boot to crush my hand as she exited the cage.

I yelped in agony again, my head swimming in pain, unsure which way was up.

“Stop,” Nicholas said emphatically “And get me out of these cuffs.”

I heard keys jingle and then Nicholas exhaled in satisfaction, finally free.

“Are you telling me you want this
. . .
thing
?” Alora asked, obviously referring to me.

“You don’t need to torture her. You got what you wanted,” he said matter-of-factly, though pity wasn’t the emotion I wanted to feel radiating from his being.

In the darkness beneath my eyelids, I wallowed in pain and confusion. How was Nicholas able to be good to me now? The moment Alora injured my bad ankle and left me with a few broken ribs, and a fractured hand, my positive feelings
’
tank emptied. Yet he cared enough to stop his mother from hurting me further, but that was all.

“Give it to me,” Alora begged. “Come on. Just say ‘I give you the talisman.’”

Frozen on the ground in agony, I waited for Nicholas to repeat the dreadful words, wishing death would follow shortly thereafter. I couldn’t live in a world where this woman would reign over all. How would I warn my family?

“I give the talisman to
. . .
”

The ringing in my ears made the silent pause seem deafening. Maybe because I knew the shriek of delight would be coming next.

I opened my eyes a crack to see Nicholas pensively staring at the necklace Alora held in the palm of her outstretched hand. Delight and anticipation flashed across her aura as she waited. But Nicholas was all over the place on the inside. He apparently hadn’t totally committed to whom he wanted the necklace to go to. I held my breath and prayed for a miracle.

For a brief second, his eyes fell upon me and a stream of warmth briefly flooded out.

“Julia.”

The piercing scream of pain and acrid smell of burning flesh hit me before the truth registered through my pain. I opened my eyes to see Alora on her knees, holding her smoldering hand with the other, the chain barely peeking out of the sand where she’d dropped it. In the center of her palm was a hole the size of the stone, burned cleanly through.

“How could you,” she hissed and swiped at his leg.

Nicholas got out of the way, his motions too quick for me to follow. The next thing I knew, he was clasping the chain around my neck. The warm glow against my skin gave me some sort of hope all would be well as I fought to stay lucid.

“I’m sorry,” he said, petting my hair, his body up against mine. Grief flowed around us like a gentle breeze.

I tried to talk, or at least thank him, but Alora’s anger started to bowl over us and her body was suddenly behind his. I wanted to warn him, but she was so fast. I couldn’t react quick
ly
enough. Utterly helpless, I watched her grab Nicholas by the shoulders and chuck him across the sand into the storage building. He hit the metal wall and his body pierced the siding, disappearing inside. I cringed, listening to him moan in pain.

“
No
,” I whispered inside and flinched, thinking about what she’d planned to do to me next until I realized she couldn’t hurt me.

She knelt beside me and whispered in my ear anyway. “I’m going to kill him if you don’t give me the necklace,” she breathed.

I lay broken and battered, unable to fight. If I knew the madness would stop if I gave her the necklace, I would have. But I’d been around her long enough to know her loyalty was only there if you did her bidding. No one was safe from her wrath, not even her own flesh and blood. Suddenly, I realized this was the clandestine moment when he’d die and I’d want revenge—just like I imagined would happen to fulfill the
prophecy
. My destiny.

“I know,” I mouthed, trying my hardest to stay strong for the greater good.

“Fine.”

In a flash she was gone. Nicholas groaned as his mother dragged him out of the building and threw him onto the sand. Bleeding cuts covered his body. I moaned softly, hoping she wouldn’t kill him in front of me, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Her fingers formed around his neck and squeezed. Katie and Tyler stood by and watched in horror, frozen like a picture in time.

“You’ve become nothing but a disappointment to me,” she said nostalgically. “I dreamed of us ruling together someday but you chose a human girl over me, your mother. And for that, I can’t forgive you.”

He made a gurgling noise and his hands wrapped up around her wrists, trying to make her stop.

“Okay,” I yelped. “You win.”

Her head spun to meet my terrified eyes. She smiled malevolently and let him go. Nicholas rolled over and gasped for air, damaged far beyond his physical injuries. I closed my eyes and felt her coming for me, wishing for a miracle when someone new entered the scene.

“Enough,” the man bellowed with a hint of a Southern drawl, leveling the tension with his voice. Alora stopped in her tracks.

“Preston,” she seethed in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“You disgust me, Alora. You would kill your own son for invincibility? Isn’t immortality enough? The necklace was only intended for human protection from
us
.”

I opened my eyes just enough to see Alora cower in Preston’s presence, ashamed before her husband. The man she apparently
still
loved.

“I
f it weren’t for other consequences, I’d remove you from this earth at once.”

“As if you could,” she said, hurt and filled with defiance.

“I absolutely could and though I still love you, don’t doubt that I wouldn’t.” He let his threat float in the air, allowing Alora to grasp the depth of his anger and disappointment.

Unable to keep my eyes open, I closed them
,
then heard the click of something metal. “What?” she bellowed, suddenly closer and rattling the bars next to me. “No. You can’t do this to me, Preston.” She growled in frustration, obviously trapped. “And who’s
this
blind human freak?”

“That’s Mr. Freak to you, you leach. And if it weren’t for Preston’s wishes, you’d be a pile of ash right now. I guarantee it,” a raspy voice spoke.

“
Harry
,” I sang in my mind. “
Oh, Harry. You’re alive
.”

“As if, old man,” Alora spat. “Come closer.” I heard the sound of teeth snapping shut.

No longer in control, all Alora’s false sweet pretenses went by the wayside. Her true character revealed in full light.

I opened my eyes again to catch a glimpse of the scene. Harry flipped a stake in the air just a few feet from Alora, catching it with the precision of a sighted person. She watched him like a tiger, ready to dart out of the way, only
cast
ing
out
a little bit of fear. Preston was kneeling over his son, placing his hands on his body. Nicholas’ pain began to vanish.

“That’s enough, Alora. Harry, please attend to Nicholas for a moment. I need to assist Julia.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said, turning towards Nicholas. “Hold still there, Cowboy, you ain’t goin
’
anywhere.”

Filled with weakness, my eyes rolled back into my head. Sweetness and slight guilt wafted in my direction as Preston approached. I wanted to open my eyes and greet him, but the pain was too great.

“Dear thing, what did she do?” Preston clucked his tongue and put his hands on my hand and ribs. He mumbled under his breath. With a crack and a jolt of warm electricity from his hands, the pain in my body stopped. My lung expanded from my involuntary deep breath.

“Praise, Jesus,” Preston said, helping me rise to my feet.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and the tears burst forth. “Oh, Mr. Kendrick. Thank you.”

“No
thank you
needed, darling. I’m sorry my wife did this to you. It’s my fault.” He bathed me with sympathy. “I’m just glad you don’t have to suffer anymore.”

“But how did you get here? How did you know?” The words tumbled from my mouth before I had a chance to think. My breath caught in my throat as I looked into Preston’s face—it was like looking at Nicholas’ twin.

“My dear girl, Nicholas is my son,” he said unabashedly. “I normally don’t interfere with his decisions, but with this—” he swept his hand towards his son. “—I couldn’t
sit
idly by.”

I pushed past Preston and stumbled forward towards Nicholas. He lay on the sand, handcuffed and hissing.

“Don’t touch me,” Nicholas spat to Harry, somewhat struggling to get to his feet. “I’m fine. Leave me alone.”

“Quiet,” Harry quipped, pulling Nicholas by his arm to a standing position. “You’re far from fine, Son.”

“Wait,” Preston said, catching my arm. “You need to stay back, Sweetheart.”