“Wow, but why didn’t
you
take the diamond to the Death Clan from the get go?”
“They would have thought I was
attempting to wipe them out like the last clan who sought after ultimate power.
Besides, their death needed to be mixed with the selfless sacrifice of an
Unaltered. You. I had to prompt the Grand Master to the presence of the stone
on one of the trio. He put two and two together and came up with you.”
“He didn’t know I had the diamond?”
“No, dear. I used my telepathy to
tell Marcus you knew where it was after he realized the first stone was a fake,
but he became determined to eliminate the entire clan so I prompted the Grand
Master.”
I took a long deep breath, “How
were the Healers able to fix my injuries? You said they can’t heal an
Unaltered.”
“I helped them.”
“How did you cast spells on me at
the gem cutters office if I’m so immune?”
“I didn’t need to protect you, you’re
an Unaltered. I cast protection spells on the diamond.”
“What about at the track meet? Didn’t
you enchant me to run fast?”
“My dear, magic doesn’t work on
you. My powers and abilities have nothing to do with magic. You will learn some
day what I’m talking about.”
“Why are my powers so much more
powerful than any others?”
“Because several thousands of years
ago when the stone was created, pollution and space debris didn’t exist and the
powers were stronger then. In today’s day and age, the cosmic energy waves
collide with so much rubbish before ever reaching the embryo that the intensity
is diminished. Runners used to be faster, along with all the other abilities
having been stronger in the past. Over thousands of years, the histories of the
clans’ abilities were lost and the clans of today are unaware of how intense their
powers might have been.”
“Mr. Bates said the diamond was
found following an explosion of some kind. Was that untrue?”
“It was a half truth. Now is not
the time to explain the origins of the diamond.”
“Oh, alright. Is it my mother’s or
father’s side which is Unaltered?”
“Your mother’s, from her father,
and he from his mother. It’s a bloodline trait. You will pass the same on to
your child someday. Something about the makeup of your body is immune to the
waves.”
“So, are there other Unaltereds?”
“Yes, but they do not understand
their potential the way you do.”
“How do you tell who is and who
isn’t?”
“Your family is easy because I
followed them through history. Others stand out due to their aura. The color is
unique, almost iridescent. Harold Bates is an Unaltered also; I’m sure you
already figured that one out.”
“Right, because he could hold the
stone. Beth spotted my aura on the first day. She even referred to it being a sign
of a human. Chris was drawn to my aura right off the bat. Can I learn to
visualize auras?”
“Yes, I’ll train you how on a later
date. Chris didn’t comprehend what he saw, only that you were very special. Beth,
on the other hand, is extraordinary. Not many individuals can detect an
Unaltered’s aura. I’m guessing she has seen several Unaltered humans in her
lifetime.”
“Chris views me as his ‘one and
only.’ He had a vision.”
“I gave him the vision as a
necessity to fulfill the destiny of the diamond.”
“
You
did? So, him and I
aren’t
—
”
She cut me off, “Visions of the
future are not manufactured, Calli. They are windows into what can be. Certain
aspects can be altered, but not by much. In your case, you were only able to do
what you did because you carried the diamond. Regular Seers do not possess the
ability to alter so many possible outcomes in so short of time.”
“Is the future between Chris and I
any different now because I altered the delivery?”
“Calli, your mind and ability to
comprehend isn’t ready to hear the answer just yet. I will say this: the future
I foresaw before you received the diamond is now.”
“You knew I’d end up with a shard
in my heart? Couldn’t you have prevented that?”
“Yes, I knew how this would end;
and no, I would not have prevented it. Everything has to play out as nature
intends.”
“Unless I alter it.”
“The destiny of the diamond cannot
be altered. The process will complete itself all on its own. This is why I took
great care in selecting you; making sure everything was in line before you were
given the diamond. Your mother was a candidate at one time, but all the pieces
were not in place to effectively use her. I will give you a stern warning
concerning looking for your own future through others’ minds; don’t. Can you
imagine what you would have thought if you’d known from the onset you’d have to
sacrifice yourself in the end? By not knowing the end at the beginning, you
were able to come to the proper conclusion of self sacrifice which was the only
ending for this journey. Do not search for your own future; and remember, no
one can alter the destiny of the diamond once the splintering has taken place. Not
even me.”
“You’re right, I’m not ready for
this yet. You said you’ll train me later. When?”
“I’ve asked Mrs. Winter to send you
back home.”
“What? Why?”
“I cannot train you at the
compound. I explained to the clans what happened today and why the Death Clan
was destroyed. However, what I told you and what I told them is two different
things. I would recommend you keep most of what I’ve told you to yourself,
especially the part about having a shard in your heart and being an Unaltered. Only
a small handful of people know about the shard in your heart. Everyone else
believes you died from the explosion. As far as your training, I will come to
you at a later time and train you in other things. I cannot give you a date or
time when it will happen; just don’t get yourself in trouble in the meantime, alright?”
“Alright.”
“Oh, and Calli, I am going to block
your Mind Extraction ability. As you’ve probably noticed, that ability no
longer exists in the world. Back when it did, it was seen as an evil force and
likened to devilry. All those who possessed the power were hunted down and
killed. Eventually, the power stopped altogether. Even though it’s unlikely
you’d be able to perform Extraction without the whole diamond, I’m not going to
take any chances. Some of your other abilities will disappear or lessen
significantly.”
“Maetha, how long have you been
alive?”
“Many thousands of years. I was
once like you, an Unaltered human.”
My head spun with confusion. “You
were Unaltered, then became a witch?”
“I’m not a witch. I let people
think I am. It’s easier that way.”
“Then, where did you get your
powers?”
“My dear that is a story for
another day.”
“Wait. Doesn’t it go against nature
for you to live so long?”
Maetha stared at me with a pleasant
smile on her face. She wasn’t going to answer my question. “Do you have any
other questions before I go?”
“Not a question, but a request; I
want to try to heal Jonas. He has cancer.”
“Calli, I want you to understand
something about healing. Your ability to heal life threatening conditions comes
with two responsibilities: one; the decision of whether you should or
shouldn’t. The balance of nature won’t be thrown off by saving one person or a
whole family of persons within the normal age range and it’s alright to do so,
just use discretion wisely. And two; asking permission to heal. After all,
shouldn’t it be Jonas’ decision whether or not he is healed?”
I hadn’t even thought about Jonas. I
simply wanted to heal him without regard to his own wishes.
“Calli, the power to heal cases
like Jonas comes at a high cost. The physical toll on your own body is
enormous; not fatal, but debilitating. You yourself are not in any condition at
this time to attempt to heal him; however, if Jonas wants this, I will cure
him.”
“Well, let’s ask Jonas then.”
For the life of me, I cannot
understand why someone would decline help in a situation such as this, but
that’s exactly what happened. Jonas said no. They brought him into my tent and
explained the situation to him. I wasn’t the only one impressed with how he
maturely handled the biggest bombshell of his life. He didn’t freak out or melt
into a puddle of tears.
“You say my future cannot be seen? Then
it is nature’s way that I die. I accept this as my fate. Thank you for thinking
of me, Calli. I’m honored I was able to go on this assignment and be a part of
such a monumental feat and to be so near you and your multiple abilities. It
was a once in a lifetime adventure I was able to experience. Thank you, again.”
He turned to the other leaders in
the tent and requested he be allowed to go home to his mother for the remainder
of his days.
Chapter 15
New Beginnings
The next few days were a blur with
my eyes constantly peeled for Chris. I needed to explain everything to him, I
needed to apologize to him, but he was nowhere to be found. I learned he’d left
for the compound on his own taking one of the Hunter’s packs with the enchanted
tent.
I traveled with Mrs. Winter back to
the compound. On the way, she informed me I would be going home. Only a few
days prior I’d been spotted at a track meet and whisked away to Montana with
Olympic dreams. My parents would be told I’d had an accident and wouldn’t be
able to run in the Olympics.
I was met with an overwhelming
applause when we arrived at the compound. Runners of all ages greeted me with
congratulatory remarks and well wishes and Beth attached herself to my arm in a
bodyguard-type fashion. She helped me wade through the sea of curious admirers
and escorted me to our room.
Once inside, we both breathed sighs
of relief.
“Thanks for that, Beth.”
“No problem, you are our own
celebrity! Someone needs to look out for you now, ‘cause you certainly watched
over us. I would have never guessed you had all those powers because of
carrying the real diamond. Are they gone now?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“What can you still do?”
“I can read minds a bit. That one
is my least favorite.”
“Can you still heal?”
“Maetha told me if I concentrate on
that power, I might be able to keep it.” I downplayed my abilities.
“I’m so jealous, Calli.”
“Don’t be. What I went through in
the last few days was hell. Have you seen Chris?”
“No. Sorry. Will you come visit
us?”
“Probably not, but you can always
email me. I need to find Chris.”
“Good luck. If you ask me, he’s
trying not to be found.”
“He must hate me for lying and
deceiving.”
“Why? I don’t. Clearly, you’d been
ordered to keep quiet. The stone did its job and you lived, so what’s the problem?”
“I just need to explain everything
to him, in my own words. If you find him before I leave, will you tell him I
want to speak with him?”
“Sure.”
Later that night I wandered the
halls of the compound looking for Chris. He hadn’t been at dinner, not
surprisingly, and no one had seen him. I walked around a corner only to
discover Justin at the end of the hall talking with some boys. He caught a
glimpse of me out the corner of his eye. I thought for sure he’d run the other
way, but instead he excused himself from the others and started walking toward
me.
My mind reading abilities are so
advanced now I only need to be in someone’s mind for a second, and that tiny
moment in Justin’s head was all I needed to get the information I wanted
concerning Chris.
“Hey, Calli, remember when we ran
into each other on your first night and I called you a muck?”
“Vividly. Do you know where I can
find Chris?”
“Funny thing though, you weren’t
even a muck. You were just a plain human who doesn’t belong in our world. How
does it feel to have it all, then lose it?” he sneered.
One thing I could count on through
the whole ordeal would be Justin remaining a jackass. “Hey, remember when you
and I sat outside Harold Bates’ office after Chris entered? The secretary had
the real diamond and tried to give it to you, but you wouldn’t take it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That’s when I received the
diamond, right in front of you, because you were too scared. When she handed me
the stone your mouth hung open, sort of like it is right now. She put a spell
on your mind to forget the whole thing and when we passed the fake stone around
inside the office, I already had the real one in my pocket. Up until then I
believed myself to be the slowest Runner, a muck, but I learned I am merely a human.
And that’s fine. Have you seen Chris?”
He laughed at me, “Yeah. What’s the
matter? Can’t you read minds anymore? You’re pathetic.” He walked away
laughing.
No way was I going to tell him I
still had all my powers. I will admit, I was quite tempted to make him run to
the bathroom again, but I restrained myself. I left the hall and walked toward
the front foyer. Justin’s mind showed Chris’s location; the Healer’s cabin.
The darkness outside brought me
comfort knowing I would be alone on my walk to the cabins along the edge of the
property. The floodlights shone brightly and pushed away the deadly Shadows. As
I neared the gathered Demons which lingered beyond the adequate lighting I
noticed new forms; white snakes. I wondered if a way to eliminate the Shadow
Demons had been thought of before. If so, something would have been done by
now, I supposed.
The Healer’s cabin had ill-fitting
curtains in the windows which allowed me a clear line of vision to Chris. I
wasn’t sure whether or not to knock and make my presence known. He wouldn’t be
able to run and would be forced to talk with me; however, I knew he didn’t want
to, so I remained unseen. I peered through the window and noted right away the
sadness in his stormy blue eyes. His hair was disheveled from the many times
he’d run his hand through. I wondered what he was thinking. Instead of reading his
thoughts, I read his lips.