Crystal (Silver Hills #2) (6 page)

Chapter Seven

Lava Face

"Why would Nuum want your engagement ring?" Zircon asked as he stroked a strand of my hair.  I shivered, counting each breath as inhaled.  My heart was slowing down and was finally able to think clearly.  I glimpsed back at the giant hole that had collapsed beneath my feet.  Dangling from that rock had felt worse than the time I had to get a
n enormous
shot at the doct
or's office.  At least there
I knew I'd be able to walk out the door breathing.
  "It's an animal trap
," Z hastily explained.  "
F
or catching wild boars.
"

"
I can't believe I gave him Grandma Nettie's ring," I sighed.  I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand.  "I'm such an idiot."

"You had no choice," Z added.  His fists clenched as he glanced around the clearing.  "How were you supposed to know he wouldn't help you?"

"He's a weirdo," I muttered.  "I should have known.  I guess I'm stuck here."  I
held back tears as I imagined
the look on my parents face when they woke up to an empty bedroom.  And my little
sister Jade - she would
be an only child. 
I wouldn't be there to
see
her
grow up, and I wouldn't be there when she needed boy advice.  Not that I was an expert at it.  Alexa had been right all along.  I should've moved on - left this Brett thing behind.  What kind of guy suddenly stops talking to you after being best friends for years?  I should have told him what I thought a long time ago.
  Zircon studied my face.  His white pupils softened as his hand reached for mine.  My chest drummed at the sight of our intertwined fingers.
  Why didn't guys with bronze hair and fancy speech exist in Silver Hills?

"You are not stuck," he said in a low voice.  "I will take you to Sard."

"What about your kingdom?" I asked.  "Your
parents
will be looking for you."

"Ah,
let my father
look."  He shook his head.  "I doubt he's looking very hard."

"
And what about your mom?" I continued.  "Won't she be worried sick?"  Zircon looked down at the bright forest floor of swirling fire.  The light glowed against his head of shiny hair.

"She knows I'm okay," he solemnly sighed.
  "I apologize for opposing this earlier.  You were right.  To return to Dotti's kingdom would mean your end.  You can never go back."

"How far is Sard from here?"

"There's a tele-tree not too far," he replied, eyeing every tree around us.  "We should go now.  The pathways will all be monitored by morning."  He pulled me up.  I automatically brushed the white fabric of my outfit, surprised when I looked down to see that it was spotless.  I still expected dirt to form stains all around my
backside, but there was none
.  "Here."  Z handed me my pocket knife.  A weapon that could have come in handy earlier if I hadn't so foolishly left to follow a man I barely knew.

"Thanks."  As I looked around for a pocket, the fabric reformed.  A tiny pocket was created at the side of my hip.  It was the perfect size for my knife.

"This way," Zircon directed.  Our hands were still locked together.  We jogged back into the cover of trees.  Our footsteps were almost nonexistent as we took giant strides across the faded orange floor.  "And keep your head down.  If we pass anyone on the way, they cannot see your eyes."

"I'll be better at that this time," I promised.

I could feel
bruises
forming
underneath my clothes as we ran.  My fingers felt like they were locked in place and my palms still hadn't stopped sweating.  Zircon suddenly stopped in front of a tree with enormous branches that hung so heav
il
y, they almost touched the ground.  The light brown curls of bark reminded me of an oak tree but who knew what they called it here.  Zircon placed his hand on a knot and stood back as a rounded door formed.

My mouth dropped open as the trunk of the tree formed into a door, much like the secret door in Dotti's closet.  My eyes widened so much they started to water.

"Come on," he whispered, unimpressed by what we'd just witn
essed.  He peered
inside, pulling me by the hand behind him.
  We entered a dark foyer
that felt much like a cave.  The air was moist and t
he walls were carved out
of
rock.  An empty desk sat in the center of the room surrounded by rows of dark tunnels behind.  The tunnels even ran up the walls in stacks. 

Zircon quietly walked towards the empty desk.  Our footsteps echoed, making the foyer seem as if it were busy with customers.  I gulped as Z opened the antique book on the desk and flipped through its pages.

"Sabu," he muttered under his breath.  "Safi . . . There it is.  Sard."  He stared at the page for a few seconds closing his eyes and repeating a few sayings to hims
elf.  "Over here."  He pulled me
towards a rectangular platform that looked like it
was
part of the stone floor.  "Stand here and don't move."

"
Okay.
"

Zircon knelt down as shiny keypad with symbols I didn't recognize popped out of the rectangle.  I kept my feet rooted in place as
he muttered a few sayings and
punched in a code.  The rectangle immediately moved, rising up the wall and coming to a halt at one of the various tunnels.  My arms flailed out for balance but my body hardly jumped.  Zi
rcon stood casually
beside me, staring down the black tunnel that was now in front of us.

"This is the one," he said, squeezing my hand.
  My chest felt heavy as I looked into the black entrance.  It reminded me of the black beneath my dangling feet as I gripped the rock above me.  My heart raced, but I had to do this.

"How long," I gulped, not happy about the fact that I'd have to confidently walk into the dark.

"A few minutes," he replied.  "It'll be over before you know it.  Are you ready?"

"For spouts of running poison and rivers flowing with bubbling lava, as you put it?
"  I forced a half smile that Zircon returned.
  "No."

"
We shall see if I was right."

*          *          *

The two of us stood in front of molding wooden
gate.  Zircon cringed as he eyed
a chunk of cloudy metal that looked like it was plopped on top to scare off visitors.  He took a deep breath before kicking the gate open.  He jumped back as the chunks of metal attached to the wooden
gate jingled.  A stone path leading to
a
mountain made of red rocks
made me anxious to continue.

"A
re you sure you wish to go on
?" Zircon asked, hopeful that I might change my mind.  I took a step forward, letting the soles of my shoes touch the bottom of the stone path.

"Yeah," I replied.  "I'm sure."
  My forehead immediately started sweating as the moist humidity from the tele-tree left my lungs.  It was replaced by dry and sweaty skin.  The red mountain in front of us had a flat top that oozed red goo.  I could feel
Zircon's muscles tense as he wiped a bead of sweat from his face.

"What do we do once we're inside?" Z muttered.  I looked down at the empty spot on my finger, remembering my brief conversation with Nuum.  I had no idea.

"Improvise?" I suggested.  Zircon frowned but held tight to my hand as if he were responsible for my safety.
  It was comforting to know I didn't have to do this on my own.

"When Nuum talked about this place," he began.  "What exactly did he say?"

"Something about a spell," I replied.  He nodded, glancing over his shoulder every thirty seconds.

"Well," he said in a hushed voice.  "You've come to the right place."
  As we approached the base of the mountain there was a loud pounding
in
my ears - the sound of crashing water.
  Zircon gulped as his eyes fixated on a wild waterfall on the side of the red mountain.  I followed his gaze, smiling.  It reminded me of home.

"Beautiful waterfall," I
breathed.

"You cannot be serious," Z protested.  "The mist from that poison makes my skin crawl."  I nearly choked on my spit. 
Spouts of running poison.

"Water?" I laughed.  "Water isn't poison."

"Maybe not where you're from."

"
Water is everywhere where I'm from," I responded.  We quickly walked out of earshot of the wild waterfall.  "I drink it every day."  Zircon's black eyes went wide.
  He looked me up and down, probably expecting to see patches of dying skin or bleeding sores.

"You are joking," he said narrowing his eyes.

"Nope," I answered.  "I drink that stuff all the time and nothing's wrong with me."
  My face felt hotter the closer we got.  I looked down at my feet, counting my steps as my heart pumped rapidly.
  It beat even faster as Zircon's hand gripped onto mine.  I looked up as he suddenly stopped.

A line of peculiar creatures marched towards us.  Their skin looked like smoothed charcoal and I gasped, n
oticing
their blood red eyes -
eyes I'd seen before.
  I was in the right place.  Zircon jumped in front of me, instructing me to pull out my pocket knife.  He drew a rocklike dagger from his belt - a weapon I hadn't even noticed him carrying.
  He stepped in front of me as one of the creatures said something in a harsh, raspy voice.

"Intruders!"  The line of dark soldiers broke into a sprint, grabbing the two of us before we even had time to think.  Zircon threw a punch with the handle of his dagger, knocking out his attacker and grabbing me around the waist.  He pulled me back towards the wooden gate.

Another charcoal soldier pressed his shoulder into Zircon's side.  We both fell to the ground.  My arms throbbed as they slammed against the stone pathway.  Two soldiers appeared immediately behind us and tightly gripped our arms.  The both of us tried to yank away but I could
feel
the creature's sharp fingernails piercing the skin on my forearm.  I looked up as
a man with charred-looking skin
approached us.  His blood red eyes dripped with crimson liquid - snaking down his face like a river of lava.  He put up his hand when he saw me.

"Easy," he commanded.  His raspy voice jolted my organs from their secure resting spots.

"You," I responded, surprised by my own gall.  "
This is
your
fault."  Looking into those horrifying eyes reminded me of the burning pain that
had
seared through my entire body, forcing me to hyperventilate as screaming cries we
re trapped inside my frozen skin
.  "Send me back!"
  The man curiously studied my face, resting his gaze on my eyes.

"You," he said, ignoring my outburst.  "You are not from here."

"Duh!" I yelled.  "What gave it away?" 
I tried to yank away from my captor again but he dug his nails even deeper.  I winced as I felt the warm moisture of my own blood leak from the side of my arm.

"Control your temper," the man said calmly.  But his raspy voice made him sound defensive.

"You let us go," Zircon's voice
thundered.  "Let us go or -
"

"Or your father's army will burst through our gates?" the man laughed.  "You your
self could barely stand the sight of
them."

"Then let HER GO."  Zircon looked to me, but the man laughed again.  He raised his chin and waved his ragged, black hand.

"Bring them inside."

Chapter Eight

The Keeper

"You're not supposed to be here," the
charcoal-skinned man said as he
stared at the whites in my eyes.

"
Who are you?" Zircon hissed.  His soothing hand brushed the skin around the slit in my arm.  The two of us sat in a darkened room in the heart of the red mountain.  The man with blood red eyes that dripped down his cheeks sat in front of us.  A line of silent soldiers stood still on both sides of him.

"I am Rimar," the man replied.  His forced speech through his raspy throat reminded me of Grandma Nettie's friend from quilting class.  Her name was Ruth
ie
and she was a chain smoker.

"So," I gulped, forcing myself to look into the bloody goo of Rimar's frightening eyes.  "This
isn't
a dream."  Rimar looked down at the wound on my arm.

"I think you know the ans
wer to that," he responded.  I
winced from the pain and the throbbing from my fall during the marriage ceremony
still pulsed through my body every time I bent a hinge.  "What is your home called?"
  I looked to Zircon.  His chest heaved as his white pupils eyed the lines of my face.

"Silver Hills," I said quietly.

"In which quadrant is that?" Rimar asked looking curious.

"Quadrant?" I questioned.  "It's in the United States."  Rimar still looked puzzled.  "Earth?"  His head perked up.  My chest pounded as his bloody eyes widened even further.

"Oh zite," he murmured.  "This is not good."

"Look," I responded.  "
I never wanted to this to happen and I have no idea how it did.  It was a mistake and it wasn't my fault."

"You must return home immediately," Rimar's voice boomed.  "Time flows differently where you're from.  There's no telling how
long
you have been absent."

"Fine," I
said impatiently.  "Send me back."  His oozing eyes studied every fold of my outfit.

"You must have a transport stone to travel between realms," he stated.  "Where is your transport stone?"  I shrugged.  I'd never touched a stone or even laid eyes on one.

"What are you talking about?" I answered.  "I don't have a stone."

"You MUST have," Rimar boomed, banging a hand on the edge of his chair.  My heart jumped from its resting place underneath my skin.

"This stone," Zircon chimed in.  "Is it small?"  Rimar nodded.  Z
ircon turned to me - his thumb
lightly caressed the empty spot on my finger.
  "The engagement ring."

"You mean Grandma Nettie's ring?" I corrected him.  Zircon looked Rimar in the eye.  This time his face was expressionless without any hint of fear.

"We did have a stone," he loudly responded.  "It was stolen."
  Rimar glanced down at the stone floors beneath his high-back armchair.

"Without it."  Rimar looked at me.  "I can't send you back."

"Why not?"  I shook my head.  My breathing quickened as I thought of what it might be like to stay in Sard forever.  I had to go home.  Rimar sighed.  His
red eyes narrowed as he carefully stood and began pacing.

"The stones are intertwined together," he began.  "They form passageways between worlds.  This is how the balance is kept.  Every planet is assigned a Keeper - a Sardian soldier.  Each Keeper is tasked with keeping their stones hidden, and warding off curious citize
ns.  There are three stones on E
arth guarded by a Keeper called Quar."

"Why was I not aware of this?" Zircon inquired.  "I
have been learning
about our planet since I was a boy."  Rimar stopped.  He stared at Zircon like an upset father stares at his thieving son.

"
Because."  Rimar's raspy voice became heated again.  "There are fools on every planet.  The planet Geme is no exception."  He shot Zircon a
scolding look.

"I AM NOT SOME LOWLY CHIL
D THAT YOU CAN CONTROL
," Zircon thundered.  His voice blasted through my ears, almost forcing me to fall o
f
f my chair.
  As he jumped out of his seat, a huddle of soldiers stepped forward with weapons drawn.

"LOOK WHAT HAS HAPPENED!" Rimar yelled back.  The blood red goo in his eyes bubbled until they finally burst into flames. 
Definitely a hot head.
  "
A transport stone has been discovered and look what has happened!"  I grabbed the edge of Zircon's sleeve and tried to pull him back to his seat.  Yelling would get us nowhere.  Alexa
had
taught me that.
  Mostly because ye
lling, screaming, and crying were
her solution
s
for everything and nothing ever got resolved.

"Sit down," I said through my teeth.  With a red face, Zircon slow
ly sat down.  He kept his stare
directed at Rimar.

"The stones must be returned," Rimar said, calming himself down.
  "The stone that brought you here belon
gs on earth.  We
must get it back."

"How?" I replied.  I knew nothing about Zircon's planet, let alone the crazy things that went on in Nuum's head.

"That is what we train for," Rimar said as he looked the soldiers on both sides of him.
  "You must be returned home immediately or the consequences could be atrocious."

"What do you need to
do to
send her back?" Zircon asked.  His voice was still loud and defensive but his cheeks were tan again.

"The stone of course," Rimar replied, looking a little confused.  "I thought that was clear."

"No," Zircon interrupted.  "What else besides the stone?"

"You must read a verse from the book of galaxies," he answered.  "But the spell would be useless without a stone." 
My stomach churned as I
remembered my last moments on E
arth - the pain, the green smoke, the
blood red eyes.  The Keeper of E
arth must have been the last person I'd seen before waking up in Dotti's bed.  Nuum had mentioned a spell.  Tha
t had to be what pulled me off E
arth.  My lungs felt tight as I thought about going home.  Would I experience the same fit of pain again?

"Don't worry about the stone," Zircon finally said.  Rimar tilted his charcoal head.

"My boy, the stone is
all
that matters."

"The stone that was stolen was a gift," he continued.  Zircon briefly glan
ced in my direction.  "It was a
ring that belonged to my mother."

"And Nuum stole it," I interrupted.  "I know.  That was
my
fault."  Zircon put a finger to my lips, hushing me before I could continue.

"Mother had more than just the one ring," Zircon said.  "
Two
were made
,
and I know where we can find the other."

*          *          *

I walked along a hallway with gurgling sounds echoing from every corner.  Rimar was at my side.  In a few minutes, Zircon and
I
would be taking a trip - a trip to see his mom.  As soon as we had a stone, I'd be able recite a verse and return home.  I was looking forward to it.  Rimar had given us a plate of food before our journey.  It was basically a heavy plate of colored rocks that were hard to chew and tasted much like sugared sand.  I guess Mom
was
a good cook.

"Before you go," Rimar's raspy voice said quietly.  "There are a few things I must ask of you."

"Like what?"  I smoothed the white fabric
of my outfit, feeling my
knife secure in its pocket.

"First," he sighed.  "You must promise to keep the details
of your journey
to yourself.  No one must know what you've seen and heard here today."

"I promise," I nodded.  I was slowly growing accustomed to the oozing liquid in his eyes and the rough edges of his skin.  And his raspy voice didn't make me cringe
anymore
.

"
I was troubled by the last report I received from Quar," he said in almost a wh
isper.  "When he was placed on E
arth, he hid three stones in a darkened pit in the heart of a giant, white mountain.
  The stones were safe for some time until great forces broke the rock and men began to explore deeper."

"Miners," I muttered.

"Quar did what he could to scare them away," Rimar went on shaking his head.  "But two stones were taken by a man called Theodore."  He mouthed the name like it was the strangest word he'd ever uttered.
  "Only one stone remains with Quar.  But as you know, it only takes one stone to cause chaos."

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.  What could I possibly do to help that Quar couldn't himself?
  Rimar's eyes went wide as he looked around the empty hallway.

"The three stone
s
must NEVER be brought together," he whispered.  The words sent ch
ills down my spine.  "You CANNOT
let another human learn of the stone's powers."

"That shouldn't be hard," I replied.  "Nobody really believes in that stuff where I'm from.  They'd be labeled a loon for life."

"Return the stones to Quar," he instructed.  "That balance CANNOT be broken."

"I'll do what I can," I re
sponded.  "But I'm not exactly X
ena Warrior Princess."  Rimar gave me a curious look.  He took a heavy breath, looking at me with concern in his eyes.

"You have seen what men will do to attain power," he said quietly.  "You have seen how different worlds can be.  One does not belong in the world of another.  You know the
heartache that accompanies
mistakes
such
as these."  I looked down at the stone floor.  He was right.  I did feel out of place, and it did wrench my heart to think o
f what my parents must be
going through.  I couldn't even get them a message that I was okay.

"And," I breathed.

"
You
are the only human that truly understands," Rimar said solemnly.  "And I see great strength in your heart."

"
Maybe," I muttered.  "But you only met me an hour ago."  Rimar smirked.

"I select Keepers based on the strength I see in them," he chuckled.  "I've been doing it
for
a
millennia.  Trust me, child. 
You should not doubt yourself.  You have what it takes
succeed."

"I guess I'll find out," I mumbled.  I was the girl who never talked back (out loud).  I couldn't even muster the courage to talk to Brett until
I'd endured
two years of silence.
I couldn't imagine myself
doing
anything of any use to anyone
.

"Do you promise me that you will help Quar in any way you can?"

"I guess," I sighed.

"Not 'I guess'," Rimar protested.  "You must promise."  He reached out his charcoal hand.  I hesita
ted but as my heavy chest rose
with anticipation, I knew it was the right thing to do.  Nuum was a psycho.  For all I knew he could've transported himself anywhere in the galaxy by now.

"
Yes," I said, shaking his rough hand.  "I promise."

"Then it is time for you to go home," he smiled.  The two of
us
turned and started walking back the way we came.

"I do have a question though," I said as a sudden thought occurred to me.  "
The verse that will transport me, does anyone else have access to it?"

"Only me
and the Keeper
s I have chosen," Rimar stated.  I thought about my conversation with Nuum.  He'd acquired the spell somehow.  He had to have.

"Then I suggest you use caution," I replied, scanning the ling hall for anyone listeners.  "You have a double agent in your organization."

"Double agent?" he repeated.

"Someone has been passing secret information without your knowledge.  You have a mole."