Page 120 of Shared

Zach’s eyes opened, and they weren’t quite like mine, but they were definitely much bluer than I remembered them being. “Zaz,” he whispered.

“Stop talking and stop dying,” I demanded. “I’ve done too much for that shit.”

“We need more…” the diamonds told me. I saw Ryan and the witch suddenly clutch their ears from the strange piercing noise that rang through the room.

“More what?” I asked, already inherently knowing they needed more gemstones, more power.

“Who are you talking to?” the cat asked, then looked at the diamonds. “Were you talking to the diamonds?” he asked with interest. “Wendy! We got Gem-Spirits!” he announced, almost smiling with his long, yellow cat-teeth. He sounded like he had heard of something like this, which was something to really consider when my world didn’t feel like it was falling apart.

“Wake up Caspian,” I told the cat firmly. “I need him and Murtagh.”

The cat straightened. “Why me?” he asked with confusion.

“Because you’ll do the job quickly,” I assured him.

The cat sighed but then jumped off the bed and out into the hallway, muttering, “So many dollars. There will be so many.”

I sat with Zach. He was breathing so hard that it hurt to watch.

Ryan put his hand across my back. “Zazie…” he said, and I think he was about to assure me that it was time to let Zach go. You know, like he was a dog I needed to put down or something, and nothing he said was gonna cut it.

I looked at him. “Ryan, with all due respect, please shut your stupid hole.”

“OH MY GOD, EW! GET OFF ME!” I heard Caspian shriek from the other side of the house. “NO, NO, NO!” Then there was the sound of dry heaving.

“He’s up now,” Wendy assured, then reached forward and poked one of her fingernails against the diamond as if to see if it was real.

After a moment, Caspian and Murtagh were rushing into the bedroom, looking surprised to see me there. Or anywhere.

“Zazie, you’re—” Murtagh began, gesturing at my non-broken body.

“I need your rings. And necklaces. And any jewels you have on your person.”

Their expressions seemed suddenly muted, confused. “Why?”

I gave them a look that I hoped asked them if they were dead or stupid, or maybe my urgent desperation was written across my face.

Caspian took off his rings. Murtagh took off an amulet around his neck, and then his belt buckle. Caspian had gold chains around his neck and then random diamonds in his pocket.

As he was searching in his other pocket, after they’d piled it up on the bed in front of me, I saw that Murtagh was watching Caspian pull another group of gems—these being emeralds—out of yet another pocket.

“What?” he asked towards Murtagh’s judgmental look. “Shelf the look, I’ve had a bad day already,” he pouted.

I shook my head, ignoring their early-morning bickering, and started to place jewels all over Zach, finishing with my bracelet, which I placed over his heart.

My bracelet looked different now. It used to be full of sapphires and diamonds, but now it was as black as obsidian.

I pulled the bracelet away, pinching it between my fingers as I handed it to the witch, who put her hands out for it readily before sliding it onto her own wrist.

The diamonds all started to suddenly glow and vibrate. I could feel the pulsing everywhere, in every muscle of my body. My ears, my jaw, my groin, my fingers and toes, everywhere.

Zach gasped in a rattled breath, his hands pinned down towards the bed, looking like he was being flattened, or seeing something he didn’t like.

Ryan reached forward, but the witch put her hand out. “Don’t,” she directed. “She knows what to do. I heard of this. This is old magic, cher. Old as sand.”

The diamonds seemed to fade and fill with a red liquid, which then dissipated away, as if filled with wind.

And then the gems all pulsed one last time and faded.

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