Chapter Twelve
The phone behind the counter was already ringing as Niko shut off the alarm. He shuffled past the cases and managed to reach it on the fifth ring.
“Tavoularis Jeweler, how can I help you?” He tried to make the words as happy as he could as he wandered back to the front to finish shutting down the alarms.
“Niko, please.”
“Speaking.”
“Good morning, Niko, this is Mike Winterthur from Canada Diamonds. I apologize if I’m calling too early.”
“No, no. Not at all. Just running a few minutes behind.” Niko took a drag off his coffee, not even remotely regretting his late night. At the same time, he was trying to figure out why Canadian Diamonds was calling him. He didn’t remember ordering anything from them lately.
“Good, good. Well, I’m calling on an... odd situation. And I’m not a hundred percent I’ve reached the right person. Have you ever heard of Speaking Stones?”
Niko choked on his coffee. The question was unexpected and he’d had no idea that Winterthur was a dragon—and he’d been dealing with the guy for years.
“Well. I didn’t expect that. Yes. I have heard of Speaking Stones.” Grabbing a wad of napkins, he blotted up the coffee he couldn’t rein in.
“Oh, good, I was afraid this was a pointless call. I have one here, and it’s been telling me to call you in that weird way they do.”
Niko was rendered speechless. “You have one for me?”
“Well…” Winterthur’s voice trailed off. “It’s a big one. Four point eight carat, emerald cut flawless, perfect white clarity. I think it may be a mating stone.”
This time, Niko staggered back against the counter, coffee dropping and tipping over. His dragon sat up and took notice, too. “Ma… mating stone?”
“I haven’t come across many Speaking Stones, Mister Tavoularis, so I can’t be sure. But this one is definitely hers, from you.”
“Holy hell…” His mind was reeling. Someone had a speaking stone that was meant to be a mating stone. Mating stones only appeared when a dragon had met their mate. And since this one showed up less than a month after meeting Betsy…
“Could you repeat the Cs?” Niko finally managed.
“Cut, emerald. Clarity, D-E. Color, pure white. Carat, four point eight.”
The dragon was nodding vigorously inside his head. With no regard to the fact that they would have to tap the hoard to pay for this fucking massive diamond.
I have a mating stone.
“What’s the price, Mister Winterthur?” He swallowed hard.
“Two hundred-twenty thousand, five hundred. Plus shipping insurance.”
In all his life, he’d never bought a stone that expensive for any reason at all. Most people balked at anything over five thousand. This was close to forty-five times that cost. And for a thief he couldn’t be sure was going to stay on Pine Valley with him.
Niko only paused a moment. “A bank transfer will do?”
“Far better than anything else.”
“Give me a day to deposit, and set it up.”
“Through the usual account?”
“Yes. No reason to be secretive. I’ve moved more, but never for just one stone.”
“I totally understand. I’ll send the invoice in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, Mister Winterthur.”
“My pleasure. And congratulations.”
Niko twisted his lip with a grimace, but managed to be polite and thank him. He disconnected the call and stared at the handset only a moment before dialing a different number.
“Kalispéra!”
“Éla, Pappoús.”
“Nikomedes?” His grandfather’s voice was shocked and spun into perfect English. “It’s good to hear from you. What’s up? Anything wrong?”
“I wouldn’t say wrong, Pappoús. Just... moving fast and confusing me.”
“Eh hey, girl trouble.”
“Naí, exactly.”
“How can I help? You might say I’m a little out of the dating scene.”
That got a laugh out of Niko. “For how many centuries?”
“Eh, who knows. I’m older than Christ and sliced bread.” His grandfather chuckled at his own joke. “So, what’s on your mind?”
“I just got a call from Canadian Diamonds. Did you know James Winterthur was a dragon?”
“Sure did. I bought your father’s birthing stone from him. A nice guy. Has a real way with gems.”
“I just bought a mating stone from him.”
The line was dead silent. It was quiet so long, Niko was sure they’d lost the connection. Finally, though, Pappoús’s voice came through again.
“A mating stone?”
“Naí.”
“Are you seeing someone?”
“Yes, but this is insanely complicated, Pappoús. He called me and told me the stone was a Speaking Stone. It told him it was hers, from me.”
“Agías tou Christoú.” The words were mumbled, but Niko heard them. “How long have you been seeing her?”
“Three weeks.”
“Nikomedes, this is not a small matter.”
“Neither was the sum.”
“Gamó ton Día kai o chrysós!”
Fuck Zeus and the gold!
The words stopped Niko dead. His grandfather never swore, never mind dropping a gamma-bomb in Greek and invoking Zeus. There was more to this than a Speaking Stone. “Grandfather?”
A deep, resonant sigh came though the phone. “It is the beginning of a prophecy. A legend. A tall tale. I’m not sure how much is true anymore, and how much is twenty centuries of time playing with my mind. But there was a tale, in the time of the old gods, that a new world beyond Atlantis would need a fifth element to balance our four. A time when things were in great upheaval. It’s not just our kind that will be affected, either. Your friends in Pine Valley will as well, until the Spirit is found and balanced. Your mating stone, once given, will begin the cycle. The power of earth will shake the world, realign the ley lines. A new omphalos will appear, and since you are there with the mating stone, I expect the new naval of our reborn world will be there in Pine Valley.”
Niko thumped his head back against the wall. “Fabulous.”
“This isn’t all bad, Nikomedes. It’s just that we have to weather it. Your Speaking Stone for your mate is just the signal for the start.”
“It’s not that, Pappoús. It’s... her.”
There was a snort on the other end. “She’s a thief.”
“Naí, but how did you know?”
“Because the prophecy said it will be her choice if the new era begins. She can literally start a new world or snuff it out before it begins.”
Niko stood up a little straighter. “That’s why Max senses something different about her, but not necessarily magical.”
“Yes, anyone who can sense magic would know she’s not magical, but the fate of magic rests in that mating stone. You bought it?”
“How could I not?”
“Good man.” Grandfather was honestly pleased. “Is she pretty?”
“Gorgeous, Pappoús.”
“Does she have a name?”
“Erzabet. Betsy.”
“Niko. This is not something you can force on her. This is not a decision you can press her into. It must be of her own free will. I don’t know the whole story, grandson. I’m sure you will tell me when the deed is done. But it’s not in our hands.”
Niko shook his head sadly. “I know exactly how to handle this. Don’t worry about that.”
“Do you love her?”
“Three weeks, grandfather.”
“You’re a shifter, grandson.”
The laugh escaped. “Well, I lust after her. I do enjoy her company. And I think she’s a sweet person. Love follows later.”
“Smart boy. You’ll be careful?”
“Of course.”
“And did your ancient grandfather help you with this?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Would you mind remaining on the line for a short, optional survey?”
“Pappoús!”
“Call me more often, Nikomedes. Not just when prophecies and fate rear their ugly head. Yes?”
“Yes, Pappoús, I promise.”
His grandfather closed the conversation and they said goodbye. Niko stared at the phone in his hand a moment more. He was going to enjoy the next few days with Betsy, before that stone arrived. Because there was a good chance once it did, and he gave her the choices, revealed her as the town thief, she was never going to speak to him again.
* * *
Betsy lay on the bed, naked, staring at the ceiling. She’d showered and had to be at Krieg’s market in half an hour for her first day. The first job she’d had where she didn’t want to steal anything, pocket shit left and right and try to make Wyatt happy.
She hated her life at that moment. She wanted to go back and listen to her mother and best friend about how shitty Wyatt was. How he would drag her down.
Her. She of the full scholarship. The girl who could read a book in a day. The one who loved science and literature. The girl who planned to double major and teach high school.
Now, naked and absolutely hating everything about her life. Missing everything she had been—and fearing all the things she never could be.
The phone was in her hand, and she found her fingers dialing a number she hadn’t realized she still remembered. It was ringing before she could chicken out.
“Hello?”
Her voice froze in her throat.
“Hello? Anyone there?”
Managing to clear her throat, Betsy still couldn’t get the words out.
“Hello. I’m going to hang up.”
She forced the words out on a whisper. “...Amy?”
The gasp and gripping silence on the other end told Betsy the other person had heard her. The quiet hung in the air for a moment more, and then the other person spoke. “Bets, is that you?”
“Yeah. Yeah, it’s me.”
“Where the hell are you? I don’t know the area code.”
“I can’t tell you, Amy. You know that.”
She paused. “You really did rob that truck with Wyatt, didn’t you?”
“Yeah…”
“Jesus, Betsy. Come home. I work with your dad’s law firm. Turn yourself in, turn state’s evidence. We can get this down to minimal jail time—”
“I am just as guilty as Wyatt, Amy. I can’t come home. I don’t know if I want to.”
“You need to. Turn state’s evidence—”
“On what? Myself?”
“Oh, sweetie. You don’t know?”
Betsy sat up. “Know what?”
“Have you been on Wyatt’s Grand Theft Auto sprees? Where he hoists all those cars?”
“We’ve stolen a few here and there…”
“No, the luxury runs, with the Beemer and the Benz and the Maseratis?”
A hard, cold chill ran up her spine. “Those are his and his brother’s runs. I never go. Ever. The worst I ever did was that armored truck.”
A very deep, relieved sigh came from the other end. “Sweetie, your prince not-so-charming has been running a car racket with his criminal professional brother. We need state’s evidence, even if it’s just character witnesses.”
“What the hell, Amy?”
“Wyatt and Wayne have killed four guards and done millions upon millions of dollars in damage. They get caught, they’re going to prison for life, no parole. Unarmed security guards, Bets. Four of them. Two in Atlanta, one in Detroit, and one in Houston.”
Betty ran to the bathroom and threw up. She wretched as she burst into tears, and it took her a few minutes to regain herself and grab the phone out of the sink where she’d tossed it.
“He’s murdered people?”
“Yes. You okay?”
“Not really, but thanks for asking.”
“Come home, Betsy. Your dad and I will help you. You’re not safe there right now.”
“I have to stay, Amy. There’s…”
The pause gave it away. “A guy? Someone who doesn’t know about your criminal past? Someone you think you can be normal with?”
A laugh escaped. “There’s nothing normal about any of this.”
“You are in danger. Wyatt is dangerous. It’s only time until he turns on you. Help us bring him and Wayne to justice.”
Leaning over the sink and staring at herself in mirror, Betsy knew this was her chance. Her chance to get out of this life. To get away from Wyatt and have a chance with Niko—if he’d even look at her after this.
“One month, Amy. Give me one month. I will help you—I’ll hand you the fucking bastard and his brother on a silver platter. But I need the month. I have a chance at a life here afterward. I need that chance.”
“You know—”
“I know you can trace this call. I know you can triangulate where I am. But please, as your best friend—former best friend, give me the month. If I don’t call you, find me.”
A pause came down the line, then Amy answered, “There’s nothing former about our friendship. This is a shit space to be in right now, but you’re still my bestie. You think with law school I had time to make friends?”
Betsy giggled. “Okay. Good deal. One month, fair?”
“Fair. Betsy…”
“Yes?”
“I love you, sweetie. Come back to us soon.”
“As soon as I get this straightened.”
The connection clicked closed and Betsy heaved a sigh. Wyatt was going to go down. And all it was going to take was admitting she was a thief to her dragon.