Talisman 2 - The Sapphire Talisman (25 page)

Chapter Twenty
-
Nine

“
W
here’s Cameron?” Sam asked, scanning the sparse lunchroom.

Never mind Cam, where’s
Scarlet
t?

I’d darted out of fourth period so fast, I didn’t look to see if she’d followed me to the cafeteria or not. The thought of her locked up in the science lab all weekend seemed funny.

“I don’t know, he was here earlier.” I skimmed across my classmate’s faces and under tables, catching Tyler’s quick glance to which he smiled, brimming with fondness for me. I blushed and returned the sentiment.

His heartache wrenched my gut as I watched him gaze quickly at Mandy who sat the f
a
rthest away she possibly could, her back to him—unknowingly paranoid and petrified. The scene made me vow to stop Katie from using intimidation and vampire seduction to break them up.

“Is that Todd over there?” I said, squinting purposefully in the direction where Tyler and Todd sat between a few cheerleaders.

“Yes.” Sam’s anxiety bounded forth and she tilted her head down, only glancing towards him beneath the glossy brown curtain of her hair. “Stop gawking at them, will you?”

“What’s the big deal? Aren’t you guys dating? Let’s motion for them to come sit with us,” I suggested playfully.

“Uh
.
” Sam’s agitation escalated. “No. That’s fine. He’s hanging with the team. I don’t want to intrude.”

“He’s only with Tyler.” I started to stand when Sam’s hand caught my arm.

“No, he’s busy. Let’s have lunch, just you and me today. Please?”

The fact Todd kept their relationship under the radar angered me, conveniently deciding when or if it was appropriate to be seen together.
“Doesn’t it bother you that he won’t eat with you, hold your hand, or even really talk to you while he’s at school?”

“Not really,” she lied. “He just doesn’t like public displays of affection.”

“Personally, I think it’s rude and he shouldn’t treat you like that. Either you are together and he’s proud to show people, or you’re not.”

I stood up and grabbed my tray of half-eaten food.

“Please, Jules. Don’t do this.” Sam pleaded with her eyes.

On a saving rampage, I waffled, wanting to walk over and tell Todd exactly what I thought of how he treated Sam. But for Sam’s dignity, I sat back down and let out an over
-
exaggerated sigh.

“I’m going to talk to him about it tonight actually,” Sam said, looking down at the table, her cheeks reddening more by the minute. Her bravery suddenly spiked. “But you’re one to talk. Look at you and Nicholas.”

“That’s different,” I said, speaking before thinking.

“Really?” Sam looked me dead in the eye. “Explain to me how hiding your boyfriend from everyone, including your family
,
is different.”

Unwilling to fight with my best friend, and frustrated I couldn’t tell her the truth, I caved. I needed to tell someone my heart-wrenching news.

“Doesn’t matter. We broke up.”

Sam gasped. “What? When?”

The tears bubbled from nowhere. My confession hit harder than I wanted. “Monday.”

“After your weekend?” Sam screwed up her face in horror and curiosity. “You didn’t
—
?”

“No. He’s a gentleman actually,” I breathed softly. “He’s going through some rough stuff right now. His mom, who left him at birth, magically showed up and wants him to move away with her.”
Among other things.

I pressed my eyelids shut to stop the tears. When a few slipped down my cheeks, I ducked my head and wiped them away with the sleeve of my shirt. The sympathy of a few neighboring girls wafted over to our table anyway.

“Oh
.
” Sam bit her lip. “Sorry.”

“It’s not like we kept things a secret because he’s embarrassed to be around me, it was for my protection because—” my mind fumbled to find the right words to define his dangerous ties, “—he’s a bounty hunter.”

Sam blinked back at me with huge awestruck eyes, suddenly enlightened. “No way,” she whispered. “As in, hunts down the bad guys and stuff?”

I nodded my head, thankful the rest of the exaggerated story flowed effortlessly. “Remember the Dirty Harry stuff in the newspaper? That was Nicholas actually. So, he had to keep me a secret to protect me from his enemies.”

“But he’s so young. How did he land a job doing that?”

I licked my lips. “He works with his
. . .
uncle and he’s been training him since he was young.”

A huge weight lifted off my chest even though I glossed over the
finer
details. After holding the vampire secret for over six months, I finally revealed to her a fraction of the truth, receiving some form of moral support for once.

Why hadn’t I thought to tell her this rendition before today?

“It sounds really dangerous.”

I nodded my head, wondering why
Scarlett
wasn’t interfering with my conversation. She’d be snapping if she knew I was revealing Nicholas’ past to Sam.

“Do you think he’s in contact with the cops and might know what’s going on with Katie?” Sam asked with tears brimming in her own eyes.

I gulped, forcing down my emotion
s
, and hid within a bubble away from everyone so I could keep it together. Any excuse I thought to make—joining a ruthless gang, getting kidnapped, or running away—all sounded unbelievable. We’d known Katie since the fourth grade and though she’d been doing crazy stuff lately, nothing but the truth would suffice in this situation.

“I don’t know anymore,” I said, putting my face in my hands as the tears flowed freely and my body trembled. I’d been the pillar of strength for so long and didn’t want to pretend I was fine any longer, even if I sobbed in the middle of the half-empty cafeteria.

Sam scooted closer and put her arm over my shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Julia.” She produced a tissue.

I wiped my nose as the grief, responsibility, and guilt poured from my being, raining down on me
and
drenching my soul. Sam’s concern became my umbrella.

“I’m
—
I’m so sorry.” I snuffled loudly. “Nicholas literally changed overnight and he stopped talking to me.”

“I know you cared for him a lot.”

I looked down, feeling like a dummy as everyone gawked. “I need to use the restroom.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

Just as I stood, the warning bell rang for fifth period.

“No.” I drug my finger under my eyelids to check if my mascara ran. “I’ll come in a minute.”

“Okay,” she said in hesitation.

I forced a smile and shooed her off, then made a beeline for the bathroom.

“I have to leave,”
Scarlett
said, her voice sounding rushed, interrupting my exit.

I skidded to a stop and looked around the room, still unable to find her black furry body.

“I’ll be back at the end of school. Stay in class and on campus until I return.”

“Wait. Where are you going? Is Nicholas okay?”

My question was followed with silence.

“Is he?”
I asked in earnest.

I stood at attention as the cafeteria emptied, tempted to run to the parking lot and look for him at the wooded tree line or even worse, text him.

I’d already learned from past experience that I couldn’t rely on anyone but myself to do what needed to be done. And now with
Scarlett
taking things into her own hands, leaving me wavering, I fought becoming completely irrational. Only I had the love Nicholas needed to recover and the bait to lure him in. I just needed a way to talk to him where I was protected and he couldn’t leave—like my car. If he crossed a threshold owned by me, and I uninvited him, he’d be frozen.

My jaw dropped at the thought. I’d formulated a plan. One I could control and with my new cell phone, I could call and entice him into the trap.

Scarlett
and Phil could work on converting Alora while I helped Nicholas. Perfect.

Chapter Thirty

S
chool couldn’t end fast enough. At the bell’s shrill
ring
, I headed directly for my car and drove straight home.
Scarlett
would have to catch up with me
. . .
if guarding me was still a high priority.

No one happened to be there when I arrived, which made my escape easier. I snagged a quick bite of string cheese and crackers, changed for work, and left Phil (and
Scarlett
, if she was curious) a note on my windowsill explaining when I’d be home. My shift ended at eight and I hoped, since it would be dark, Phil would come back looking for me with reports of what the coven was up to.

The little voice inside suggested I at least
needed to
let Phil know my plan for trapping Nicholas before moving forward. This
,
of course required the use of my car, but would be foolproof once Nicholas got inside. Timing would be of the essence to stay inconspicuous to Dad.

While driving to work, my heart skipped a beat as I thought about picking up my new phone and placing the dreaded call—our first conversation in days. Unsure of Nicholas’ reaction, I decide to call after my shift just in case. Drama or not, work needed all my focus tonight so my cash register would balance, or I’d be looking for a new job.

Memories flashed through my head as I walked inside the cell phone store, playing hula-hoop with my tummy. I feared with only a receipt they wouldn’t allow me to pick up my new phone without Nicholas with me. Luckily the guy who helped us on Monday was working today, allowing for a problem
-
free transaction. When he asked where Nicholas was, I cringed and forced a smile, letting him know Nicholas was out of town. He accepted my story without consequence. Little did he know though, I was on the verge of tears.

With the sleek little phone in my hand, I rushed out of the store across the parking lot to the deli, trying to keep myself together. Besides the acrid odor in the air of burned bread, because Vanessa set the ovens for the wrong time, my shift trundled along as expected. Like a zombie, I took the food orders while the electronic connection to Nicholas burned a hole in my pocket.

As the time drew closer to eight o’clock, my heart began to thump like a jack rabbit’s foot. Would Nicholas take the call? Would he be glad to hear from me? The anticipation clung to my bones and my hands trembled while I counted out my cash drawer. Thankfully, I balanced to the penny.

When I walked out of the store, I looked around, secretly hoping Phil would be outside to escort me home (giving me an opportunity to practice my “uninviting” trick)
,
but was only greeted with a brisk evening filled with stars. I bit my lip and rushed to my car, unable to appreciate the beauty.

In the safety of my front seat, the cold feeling
-
less air wafted over my damp fingers as I pressed each number deliberately. My throat thickened right before pressing send. I held the device to my ear as my heartbeats shook my body with each heavy thump.

“Hey,
Baby
,” a man purred on the other end after the first ring.

I sucked in a quick confused breath. “Sorry, I must have the wrong number.”

“Oh, but you don’t, Julia. Miss me?”

I hesitated. “Nicholas?”

“In the flesh and at your service.” His cockiness rubbed like sandpaper in my stomach.

“How
—
How’d you know it was me?”

“Caller ID, Love. I programmed this in the day we bought the phone. Remember?”

I thought back, only remembering the nervousness I’d felt instead, anxious for the vampire hunt together to begin. The one that blew up in my face.

“
A
nyhow, I’m so glad you called.”

“Don’t trust him, Parker,” I heard in the background.

“Shut
up you
piss ant
!”

I swallowed hard. The horrific scenario on the other end of the phone played out clearly through the wireless line. “Is Phil there?”

“Well, now that spoils my surprise,” Nicholas said sarcastically. “Yes, for now.”

“For now?” I asked, my palms growing slick under the phone.

“Did you know that my traitor brother is a follower of God these days? Seems a little ironic considering
. . .
anyway, he’s about to meet his maker for the first time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dead, caput, adios, gone
. . .
need I go on?”

My breath quickened, leaving me light headed. “You can’t. He’s invincible to you.”

“To me, yes. To the sun, I’m afraid not.”

“Don’t you dare come here, Parker,” Phil barked out, a tad muffled in his delivery.

Nicholas cackled. “Yeah,
don’t you dare come here
.”

The sickening swagger in Nicholas’ voice left me sick to my stomach.

“So what do you want?” I asked, trying to sound commanding, hearing my voice fall flat.

“You, of course.”

“Just me?”

“Well
. . .
among other things. Bring me my mother’s necklace and we’ll negotiate his release, preferably before sunrise
. . .
or else.” A hideous gurgling noise came from the back of his throat.

“And if I can’t make it, won’t Alora have an issue if you kill Phil?”

“Hmmm—”

“Yes!” Phil interjected.

“Cain did kill his brother,” Nicholas mused.

“You have higher favor than me, Nick, and you know it,” Phil argued. “Parker, don’t come—it’s a trap.”

“
It’s a trap
,” Nicholas said in a mocking falsetto.

“Where are you?” I interrupted. The constant bickering between the two put my nerves on edge, unable to use my powers to feel out the situation over the phone.

“At the same place you eluded me last time,” Nicholas said with a deep throaty voice.

My stomach pitched. “The storage place?”

“Bingo.”

“Can’t we just meet at Mr. Pickles?” I asked apprehensively.

“We could, but Phil’s unable to attend. He hasn’t paid his bail yet.”

I heard Phil cuss intermixed with metal clanging against metal in the background. “Let me out of here you coward.”

“See you later,
Babe
. Come alone.”

The phone went dead.

Without thinking, I revved the engine and sped out of the parking lot towards home.
Scarlett
would have to help me if we were going to get Phil out of this mess. Trap or not, I wouldn’t let him fry to death.

Luke’s Blazer was parked out front meaning he and, quite possibly, Dad were home, complicating matters a little. I’d already figured I’d need to sneak out later and get to the storage facility somehow, all without driving my car. How that would happen, I wasn’t sure. But the thought to
borrow
Luke’s keys came to mind.

Without checking in, I dashed through the door and tore upstairs, blowing past Dad in the process.

“Hi,” I called half-way up the stairs.

“You have a friend
. . .
”
Just as Dad spoke, I halted. Someone else was in the house. Someone filled with angst.

I turned, hoping to see the face of the stranger whose anxiety was billowing up the stairway. “Who?”

“Tyler? I think. Says you two have a project due tomorrow?” Dad’s face buffeted with confusion. “He’s been waiting.”

“Oh, ri
ght,” I forced my face to light
up
even
though we didn’t have a
ny
class
es
together. “Let me change. Tell him I’ll be right down.”

I ran to my room and slammed the door, leaning my back against it like I’d just run into the end zone. Dismay filled me as the note I’d written to Phil wafted from the window’s ledge onto the floor, unread.

“
Scarlett
,” I whispered, hoping I could send her ahead of me to free Phil. No one answered.

I pressed my hand against my forehead, unsure why Tyler would stop by, not to mention shocked he knew where I lived. His mysterious ill-timed arrival made making plans to save Phil difficult and
,
in my distracted state, I couldn’t begin to think about helping him with homework. I needed to get him out quickly and figure out a plan to hightail it to the beach.

I changed, brushed my teeth and darted back downstairs.

“Hey,” I said as I walked into the living room.

Tyler bounced off the couch, still wearing his practice jersey. His hair was matted down from excessive sweat, but his calm exterior came off as being confident. On the inside, he unraveled like a loose yarn on a cable knit sweater.

“Hey. Sorry I’m late
,
but I wanted to go over the
outline
we’re supposed to turn in
tomorrow
for
History
.” His pleading eyes begged me to go along with his story.

“Sure,” I said, my curiosity peaked. He had a doozy of a story to tell me and Katie was written all over it. “Let’s go to my room.”

“You can study in here,” my dad called from the kitchen, obviously eavesdropping.

“I’d rather go somewhere quiet, if you don’t mind,” I quipped back, feeling Tyler’s agitation double at Dad’s suggestion. “Come on.” I motioned to Tyler.

Tyler in tow, I took the stairs by twos, hastening our ascent to keep Dad from demanding we stay downstairs.

“Just keep your door open,” he called out.

“Geez,” I mumbled under my breath, feeling like I was ten again. “Oh-kay,” I sing-songed back.

Tyler followed me in, but moved to the back of my room, just within eyesight of the window. He nervously shifted his weigh from foot to foot and kept glancing outside.

“What’s really up?” I asked, sensing first to see if Dad was close by, then closed my door to a crack.

“I
—
I saw her again,” he said quickly, his attention on the window.

“When?”

“Just now. After practice. I left and she was there, by my car, looking really
good
. . .
and she started flirting with me and kinda put the vibe out there. And then she—”

He fidgeted some more and pressed his hand against his left forearm. He winced, radiating a twinge of discomfort.

I cocked my head, then walked over and pushed back his sleeve. Two semi-circular punctures lined the inside of his arm. I looked into Tyler’s eyes with concern. He only shrugged.

“I don’t know what happened, but I
really
liked it,” he said, feeling ashamed. “I think she bit me.”

“Geez,” I said, suddenly feeling the need to sit down, my butt finding the edge of my mattress.

I ran my hand through my bangs and contemplated how much to tell him.

“How come you’re not freaking out about this?” he asked, brimming with suspicion.

“Because I know stuff you don’t want to know,” I whispered, feeling just as ashamed. “That’s why I had to talk to you earlier. When I heard you’d seen her, I
was
worried she’d do something like this. You’ve been her obsession for quite some time now and I seriously think she’s behind breaking you and Mandy up.”

Tyler jerked his head back. “What?”

“I think she sent those texts. And she also rearranged her schedule and took college courses to graduate early with you. She’s even going to the same college.” I pressed my eyebrows together at his blank stare. “Dude, she’s been stalking you all year. You didn’t know?”

“Whoa, really?”

I rolled my eyes.
Stupid boys.

“But now that she’s all vampy
. . .
” I
paused and
looked into his eyes as they started to glaze over with information overload.

“Wow, this is weird.”

“Sorry,” I said, kind of glad he took the news better than I did when I found out vampires weren’t mythical beings. The last thing I needed was for him to go berserk with my dad downstairs. He looked at me, then the floor, then back again, slowly processing his new reality.

“How did she become a—what is she actually?” he finally asked.

“Vampire,” I stated frankly. “Luckily she didn’t infect you ‘cause she’s a different type of—” I avoided saying the V word again, hoping it would help him assimilate the details. “She’s sterile, I guess. Normally, a bite would be enough to change you into one. So, you’re cool.”

“Whoa,” he said and slumped to the floor. Katie must have drained a lot of blood earlier.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just
. . .
a little light headed.”