The Onyx Talisman (2 page)

I refocused my attention back to Betsy Ross when I felt it. A storm of rage sped towards Nicholas’ house and whomever the feelings belonged to, they weren’t about to let a door stand in their way from getting inside. I stood up, eyes glued to the sunlight-blocking barrier as I held my breath, hoping that someone was Nicholas.

“Parker, what’s wrong?” Phil asked before Scarlett’s warning screamed in our minds.

“Hide!”

The sudden movement of vampires escaping the scene launched my notes into the air like confetti, leaving Tyler and me alone to deal with whoever was about to come through the door.

Chapter Two

Heart filled with hope, I sprinted to the door and threw it open. My feet skidded to a halt and I squinted up into a shadowed face, the silhouette shorter than I expected. My eyes took a moment to adjust in the full light of the sun.

“Julia?”

My brother’s voice crumbled my anticipation into a ball. “Luke? What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” He sneered and looked past me into the darkened living room, then grimaced once he spotted Tyler.

“Hey.” Tyler stood and plunged his hands into his pockets. The guilt painted on his face didn’t help matters.

“I’ll be right back, Tyler.” I shooed Luke off the porch before shutting the door.

We faced off for a moment as I slowed my rapid breathing. Luke’s angry brown eyes bored holes into me.

“Dad knows I’m here. What’s the big deal?”

“I called and you didn’t answer.”

I pulled my phone out to prove he didn’t call. The missed call warning stared back at me.

“Oh. I didn’t get it.”

“Who’s
that
guy?”

Suspicion ebbed off him in small bursts, infusing my anger with pity.

“Tyler?” I laughed. “He’s just a friend. We’re waiting for the others to come at any moment for a study group.”

“Study group? Here? Whose house is this anyway?”

I propped my hands on my hips. “It’s a friend’s cabin. Really, it’s no big deal.”

Luke’s anger hovered on the surface. He kept glancing at the house, shooting big brother lasers into the siding with his eyes.

I touched his arm. “Luke, you don’t have to worry. Nothing’s going on. I’m not like that.”

His cheeks flushed at my correct assumption. He shuffled his feet against the dirt walkway. I wasn’t sure if I should be hurt or flattered he cared about my honor, but I couldn’t entirely be upset. Dad must have put him up to checking on me. I wanted to tell them both to chill and stop being all parental. In just a few short weeks, I’d be a senior in high school and practically an adult. I could handle myself.

“Last time your phone didn’t work, you did need help . . . or have you forgotten already?”

I bit my lip. He was right. In September, I’d run out of gas after work and almost fell off a cliff walking home in the woods. My phone had become a casualty in the mishap. But of course, I’d left out the small detail when explaining the story of how I’d sprained my ankle. That a vampire stalked me and Nicholas came to my rescue.

“Since you’ve fixed my gas gauge, everything’s been great. And I haven’t been in the forest since that happened. . .”
and I wear a vampire warding talisman,
“. . . so.”

Luke tilted his head. “Still.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, well. As you can see I’m fine and if it makes you feel any better, I’ll turn on my ringer so I don’t miss your call. Can I go now?”

He squinted, pausing for effect. “I guess.”

“You guess?” I playfully stuck out my tongue.

Luke still remained firm though my answers should have lessened his worry. I pulled out the big guns and pushed some peace his way to loosen him up. He finally produced a smile.

“You should open the blinds in there and let in the sun. What are you trying to do? Become vampires or something?” He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out his keys.

“Ha. Right.” An unnaturally high pitched chuckle trilled from my lips as I punched him in the arm. “Will do. I’ll be home later.”

He rubbed his arm with a crease in his brow and spun on his heels. I waited until he drove his Blazer down the gravel driveway out of sight. Dad was seriously going to get a lecture for siccing Luke on me when he should have been the one calling if he was worried.

“I’m opening the door,” I called out as a warning in case Phil or Katie were within reach of the sunlight I’d let in.

“What was that about?” Katie asked after peeking around the corner once I’d locked the door behind me. “Big brother’s watching you. Dun, dun, dunnnnn.”

“Nothing.” I collected my papers from the carpet and rearranged my workspace on the dining room table behind the couch.

“Hmmm… Seems Luke needs something to do.”

I ignored her and tapped my pencil on the paper, trying to pull together my thoughts.

Scarlett, who had shape-shifted into cat form at the sign of danger, curled up in the corner and gave herself a bath. Tyler started the movie again and the general curiosity died down, except for Katie.

She hung over the back of the couch, her face in her hands. “How did he know you were here?”

I glared at her inquiring eyes and bit my tongue. Years of unexpressed frustration from her rudeness bubbled to the surface. “It’s no big deal, okay? He needed something.”

“And he couldn’t call you?”

I cocked my head to the side. “My phone was on silent, as if that’s any of your business.”

“Must have been important for him to drive all the way here.” Her brow arched.

“It was.”

“And?” Her big dark eyes bore holes into me while I remained tight-lipped. When I didn’t cave, she pulled a face and slithered down the leather into Tyler’s lap. “Well excuse me for asking.”

Her catty tone sent a hurricane roaring through my stomach. She didn’t care about me or Luke, or if something bad might have happened. She only asked because she feared being discovered. But the audacity for her to question me, especially after I’d secured her a hideout and protected
the secret
with my life was unconscionable. With shaking hands, I began to throw my things into my backpack.

“Wait.” Phil appeared at my side and took my wrist. “Are you leaving?”

“I can’t be in the same room as her right now,” I whispered, noticing she didn’t even care I was upset.

“She didn’t mean anything. Please. Don’t go.”

His rich buttery voice tasted dreamy to my ears. But I couldn’t stay. Her churning curiosity told me she had more crap to vent and my patience was growing thin.

“The movie is distracting me from studying. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Phil took ahold of my bag and led me into the kitchen instead of the front door. I only put up a partial fight, enamored by his tenacity to keep me there. He stopped and gave me his spine-tingling grin for extra measure.

“Parker,” he said, smoothing aside my bangs. “We’ll figure out something with Nick. Don’t let it consume you.”

“It’s not that.”
Well, it is, actually, among everything else.
I looked away, wishing I could say what I wanted to out loud.

His dark satiny eyes grabbed my attention and I almost accepted the invitation to enjoy his delectable kiss when Nicholas came to mind
. If only I were single.
I backed away quickly, realizing my emotional roller coaster made fighting him off a struggle today. I had to leave before I did something I’d regret later.

“I’m doing my best. See you tomorrow.” I placed a quick peck on his cheek and stole my bag from his shoulder.

My hair moved away from my neck and his lips grazed my ear lobe for a second. “Bye, Parker. Miss me.”

I cracked a smile.

When I opened the door, he was gone—far away from the sunlight.

The drive home left me worse off than I’d hoped. All the things I should have said to Katie came to mind, including the confrontation I’d wanted to deliver for years. What if Tyler knew the truth about all her pre-vampire failed manipulation attempts to gain his attention? It was only after her sexy vamp-makeover did he finally notice her.

But I couldn’t let Katie take the brunt of my anger. Alora was to blame for all of this. She’d acquired the venom serum and turned Katie in an attempt to lure me into her coven. When that failed, she captured and converted my half-vampire boyfriend—her long lost son—over to the dark side by force feeding him blood.

I clutched the talisman Nicholas gave to protect me. It was all she’d ever wanted. Well, that and her son. This whole time he’d thought she’d died after his birth. Preston had lied about the fact he’d changed her into a vampire and when she wouldn’t agree to remain bloodless, Preston kidnapped Nicholas as a baby and ran.

How could, after all that drama, they become one big happy vampire family? Something else had to be preventing him from coming home. But what was it? I feared the worst. Did he not care for me anymore?

Pulling in front of my house, I stomped unnecessarily hard on the brake and slammed the transmission into park. The uncertainty was driving me crazy. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long.

I picked up my phone and texted Sam.

- Totally can’t wait till Disneyland! Summer is HERE! Need to get out of this town!

I waited, hoping she’d call me back, instead of texting. The phone remained silent in my hand. After no reply, I pocketed it, grabbed my backpack, and hauled myself inside. She must have been with Todd, like always.

I’d learned my lesson the last time I’d called. Todd did everything in his power to distract her from talking to me. She’d promised to call back and forgot. If Nicholas were here, I wouldn’t have minded and would be distracted myself. Without him, I’d become a third wheel.

But our adventure to Disneyland was going to be the two of us. We’d drive down and stay at her aunt and uncle’s who lived in Anaheim. And sometime, during the four-day trip, I’d steal away to Beverly Hills and visit Nicholas. One more week. I couldn’t wait.

As I entered the house, my phone buzzed with a return text.

- Me neither!!! Whoot!

I closed my eyes and smiled as my heart fluttered in anticipation.

Inside, Luke watched TV, apparently over his bout of parental protection. The aroma of chili wafted from a pot on the stove—one he’d expect I’d wash later. But chili didn’t tempt my taste buds. After the painful afternoon with Katie,
Ben and Jerry’s brownie batter
ice cream was far more appetizing. I grabbed the half-eaten pint from the freezer and headed upstairs.

In my room, I sprawled on the floor and pulled out a leather journal from between my mattress and box spring. I trailed my fingers over the embossed cross-shaped dagger on the cover—the same emblem Nicholas had tattooed on his bicep. I closed my eyes and inhaled the rich leather, transported to the comfort of his arms wrapped tightly around my body while I nuzzled his coat. I imagined my fingers tangling in his soft dark locks. The pages flipped open to the middle, my fingers dancing over the words he’d written last fall.

September 13

Today was a disaster. In my attempt to trail Lavin, I put Julia in harm’s way. She’d run out of gas and her phone must have died, so she walked home through the forest. Her courage astounds me sometimes. Anyway, somehow she knew to run when Lavin found her. But she fell off the cliff. If she had died today, I would have snapped. I was just in time to catch her.

But to see her and hold her. God, it took everything in my power to keep from kissing her. She’s just so beautiful. It’s so wrong. But it feels so right when I’m with her. Of course she asked a million questions. I don’t know if telling her I killed a mountain lion was such a good idea.

But luckily she’s okay. I agreed to see her again, but now I know I can’t.

This is going to kill me.

September 14

She‘s waiting for me right now and I can’t go to her. It’s driving me crazy. I know it’s the right thing to do, but I can’t stand it. I can’t help thinking she probably hates me and never wants to see me again. I can’t stand hurting her, but it’s for the best. If any vamp were to know I care for her like I do, they’ll torture her to torture me for all the slayings I’ve done. I could never live with myself if anything ever happened. AnneMarie’s death nearly killed me. Julia will move on. She’ll find another guy. And when she does, I’ll make sure he’s worthy of her, and if he isn’t, I’ll rip his arms off.

It’s better this way. It has to be. It needs to be. It will be. I just need to stay focused so I don’t do something stupid.

DAMN IT! I need to hunt something. Now!

September 16

Kill all vamps, Nicholas. That’s your rule. And because you’ve broken it and decided to keep Lavin alive so he’d lead you to the coven, Julia knows you exist. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You had to be short with her, not only because you were worried the bloodsuckers would get away, but because you can’t have her harboring feelings for you. She’ll recover and so will you. When you allow yourself to get attached, you get sloppy. You hesitated to spare her feelings and then you lost their scent—AGAIN.

That’s why you have rules. Stop messing around, otherwise you’re going to have bigger problems on your hands.

I held the journal to my chest, remembering back to those first days together. If only I’d known the truth. He’d felt just as horribly as I had. Our connection was so much deeper than just one mission of mercy, no wonder I couldn’t let him go. But it was all right there. Every encounter, every heroic deed the last eleven years of my life since he’d vowed to be my guardian when Mom died. He was trying to do the right thing every time.

I tucked the journal away and pulled out my school notes instead. Though his words made me feel better, the longing never stopped. I snuggled up on my bed and rested my head on my arm. So much to do, so little time before finals next week.