Talisman (67 page)

“That’s funny,” Gallia scoffed.  “I think Shiloh and I gave you one…
just a few minutes ago
.”

Tanner scooped Gallia up and gave her an endearing hug.  Their actions suggested they were genuinely fond of each other, like long-lost friends reuni
ted after years of separation. Gallia scanned both of his wrists.

“Where’s your serpentine?
” she questioned.  “The one I gave you ages ago?”

“Misplaced?”
Tanner replied.

“H
umph! 
Lost
is more like it, I’m sure,” she scolded.  Tanner lowered his head and tried to flash his best “forgive me” smile.  Gallia turned to me.  “That’s makes
three
of my stones he’s ‘misplaced’,” she revealed, wiggling her fingers in the air.

I couldn’t help but shake my head at him for having the nerve to tell Beatrix that she was
“forbidden” to give me another golden topaz and questioning “my responsibility”.

“Do you still have the amethyst that you tricked me into giving you?”  Tanner crossed his arms and shot the little Talisma
n a curious glare.

Gallia’s
eyes narrowed.  “I didn’t
trick
you into anything.  As I recall, you lost that bet fair and square. 
But
, as a matter of fact —
I do
,” Gallia replied as she flashed her bracelet, which held a small amethyst, and shook it in the air purposely.  “
I
know how to hold on to things!”

I felt somew
hat awkward, like a third-wheel as I watched Tanner and Gallia’s playful reunion.  As soon as Tanner’s laughter had subsided, he gave Gallia a scrutinizing look.

“
So?
  Have you been corrupting my protégée?” he asked.  I wasn’t sure how much of our conversation Tanner had been privy to, but Gallia was clearly offended.

“I didn’t tell her
anything
I wasn’t supposed to,” Gallia insisted.

Tanner’s brow rose when he
noticed the small diamond now in her possession.  “But you managed to persuade Shiloh into giving you one of her diamonds, I see.”  Before I could even come to her defense, Tanner admonished, “Shiloh, something you don’t know is that your stones not only allow other Talisman’s powers to strengthen, but if they fall into the hands of the wrong person, they can be used as a dangerous weapon against you.  Hence the importance of trusting the Talisman you give one to.  Any diamond will sever your skin, of course…but a diamond spawn from
your flesh
is an extension of the wand — and its powers.  It can be particularly hazardous for you. Enough of them can even be
deadly
.  If you think cutting that little snippet out was painful, you haven’t felt anything like it being thrust back in.”

My
heart skipped a beat — actually several of them.  Now I understood why Gallia seemed so surprised by my offering. 
This is why he shouldn’t be so damn evasive
, I ranted to myself.

“That makes them extremely valuable,” Tanner declared.  “I wouldn’t be passing them around to just anyone.”  He turned to Gallia and winked. 
“
However
, with that said…you couldn’t have picked a more deserving recipient or
trustworthy
, might I add.”  Gallia began to beam at the sound of Tanner’s accolades until he wittingly jabbed, “Considering she claims an
earth
stone.”  Gallia glared at him and gave his shoulder a firm whack.

“Shiloh, you don’t have to worry about that.  I would never,
ever
bestow harm on…”  Gallia hesitated, almost as if she seemed to be weighing her words.  She softly smiled and continued, “…the diamond wand’s
new owner
.  I promise.”

For some unexplained reason, I believed her.  Maybe it was because I felt a genuine sense of comfort in the Ta
lisman’s presence, or I could have been trying to convince myself that her intentions were pure.  Especially after rushing to hand the diamond over to her in such an ignorant manner. 
Heck…It isn’t a piece of daggone chewing gum…

Gallia patted Tanner’s back.  “Well, Tanner…now that you’re
back to your
charming self
…Oh, and you’re welcome,
by the way
.  I’ll be heading back to the church now.  I need to hurry.  You know…
damage control
.”  She gave Tanner one last hug and walked towards me.

“Shiloh, it was a pleasure to meet you and thank you for the gift.  Don’t be
a stranger,” Gallia beamed.

I squeezed her hand.  “I won’t.  Bye, Gallia and thank you.”

Gallia took her foot and imposed a circle on the ground in front of her.  “I have to hurry,” the little Serpentine Talisman announced as she straightened her pink dress and gave the sides of it a quick fluff.  She looked reluctant.  “
What a shame
.  This is one of my favorite dresses.”

Tanner let out a less than subtle cough.  Gallia
shook her head as she tapped her foot on the ground and then let out a grunt.  She yanked a serpentine off her bracelet, charged it in her hands, and then tossed it over to him.

“
Try
to hold on to this one,” Gallia advised him with a curt smirk.

Tanner caught the greenish-gray stone
and threw the little Talisman an assertive “I knew you would cave” smile.  With that, Gallia nodded and began to spin vigorously as she disappeared down into the ground.  I jumped back when I noticed a streak of shifting dirt plowing just underneath the surface, headed in the direction of the church.  Every Talisman I’d encountered never ceased in leaving me speechless.  We watched the trail of displaced earth as it faded into the distance.

“And
you
complain about
water
,” Tanner quipped sarcastically.

Straightaway, we
trekked back to the spot where Tanner had stashed his Harley.  After pulling out a bottle of sea-salt & water from one of his leather saddlebags, he doused my arm with a stream of the healing mixture and then removed his shirt to tend to his own wounds. I had to scold myself (
again
), especially when he handed me the bottle and had me put some on his bare, muscular back. 
That took some serious
restraint. 
However
, as soon as he started reprimanding me for not having some of the medicinal elixir “on me”, I found it easier to put a lid on my desires.  With his shirt back on and his chastising lecture complete, we hopped on his bike and zoomed off down the road, headed back to Welch.

The drive was awkwardly quiet.  I couldn’t get a read off Tanner.  He was understandably hushed for someone who’d almost died, but there was something else to his demeanor
that I couldn’t quite figure out.

I felt sort of responsible for the severity of his injuries.  I couldn’t stand the thought of witnessing the loss of someone else
—
this soon
— and for some reason, especially him.  Evidently, my feelings for Tanner had evolved into more than
just
an acquaintance.  My heart almost pounded right out of my chest while I sat there helplessly watching him suffer from the poison that had flooded his body.  And I knew it wasn’t because I would have been stranded either.  This guy had found a way into my heart.  There was definite bond there, at least for me there was.  I couldn’t imagine losing him no sooner than he’d come into my life. 
Then again, I did sneak a fast one by him with that punch.
 
Talk about kicking someone when they’re down
.  I hoped he wasn’t
too mad
about it.  My nerves were frazzled from his little “initiation”, and I didn’t have a clue as to what sort of danger we’d be in when I’d climbed onto the back of his bike.

What did he expect?
I rationalized.  I knew he was trying to give me a taste of what my future would hold, but did it have to be “that intense”, “
this soon”?

Before
long, we were pulling into the parking lot outside the Heritage Inn.  I looked at my watch and caught a glimpse of the time as we passed under a light post. 
Almost 10:30
.

Tanner parked
and in a gentlemanly fashion, helped me off the vintage motorcycle.  He scratched his head and ordered, “Go home and get some rest, Shiloh.  Go to school tomorrow — be a
normal
teenager.”

WHAT? 
This is a strange turn of events
, I thought as I watched him walk away, headed towards the motel.

“That’s
it?
” I asked, astonished.  “That’s
all
you have to say?”  He never turned around.  Tanner ignored me and kept walking. 
“Fine,”
I huffed childishly as I stomped off, mumbling a few choice words under my breath.  I was so flustered I dropped my keys on the ground after I’d yanked them out of my purse.  When I rose up, Tanner was standing there, blocking my driver-side door.

“
Move
,
Tanner! 
Go inside and reflect on what a
disappointment
your protégé was this evening.  Think long and hard about how I almost got you killed.  Sorry to have
let you down
,” I snapped as I shoved all my weight into him, hoping to push him out of my way.  He didn’t budge.  Not even an inch.

Tanner grabbed
my arms and hurled me around against the car door.  His grip was firm, and his eyes were the most blazing shade of violet I’d seen yet.

“Is
that
what you think?  That
I’m
disappointed in
you?
”  Tanner let out a laugh as he tilted his head towards the sky. “No, Shiloh.  I’m
not
disappointed in
you
.”  He took a deep breath and exhaled.  “I’m angry at myself for not realizing how bad things could have gotten tonight.  I underestimated a mere human pawn of the Onyx, and just how far he’ll go in his quest to obtain the wand’s powers.  But Shiloh…your actions more than exceeded my expectations.  Tonight wasn’t about being untouchable.  It was about
fear
.  You, confronting your fears head on, without any reservations about death, especially in regards to your own.  You have to resolve them.  Even the wand senses you have them.”

My muscles relaxed as I observed the confident, always poised Talisman convey a humanly air of concern.  Once Tanner realized I wasn’t going to put up any more of a struggle, he freed my arms and lifted my chin.

“At no time this evening, were you frightened by the thought of your own death.  That’s something a Talisman,
especially you
, must live with day in and day out.  This is your life…for now and forever.  I couldn’t have been prouder of you tonight, even if you had been the one to rip that bastard’s head off with your own two hands.
I KNOW
you’re ready for what awaits you.”

After hearing his encouraging words,
I reached for his hand and clutched it firmly.

“Thank you, Tanner.”  I was
more than relieved to find out he wasn’t disappointed and amazed that I’d actually managed to impress him.

“Granted, you’re still
very green
and have a lot to learn, but that’s one less thing I have to worry about.”  He flashed a brassy smile and gave my hand an assertive squeeze.

I playfully batted my eyes.  “
So
, you were
worried
about me?”

He leaned against my Charger and shook his head.
“Don’t push it, Shiloh,” Tanner stated with a knowing grin. “And don’t think for one second I’ve forgotten about that right hook of yours…
I owe you one
.”

“What
right hook?
” I teased. “I think you were hallucinating.  You were pretty out of it.”

Tanner leaned in and whispered, “Don’t play with me,
little girl
.”

My eyes blazed instantly
as I raised my fist.  “Would you like
another?
”

Tanner stared into my eyes for a moment,
while his teeth gently bit into his lower lip.  “
No
,” he announced abruptly.  “I would
prefer
to get some rest, and I think you need some as well…So go home.  Tomorrow, you need to take a break and be a
normal
teenager.  I know you didn’t ask for any of this, but you can’t keep your destiny waiting.  Enjoy one more day of high school with your friends,
without complications
…because once your powers have climaxed, life as you’ve known it will cease to exist.  Tonight was only a taste of what awaits you.”