P.J. Smith - Just Jewell

The Royal Gemstone Book 1

PJ Smith

Copyright 2019 by PJ Smith

All rights reserved

Distributed by Smashwords

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For Patrick

because you never stopped believing in me

CONTENTS

Where is she? he demanded the moment he burstthrough the door, startling the two others sitting in the room.Where is she? he desperately shouted this time, gasping forbreath as panic and dread started to consume him.

Thomas, shes fine. Shes sleeping

Where is she? he demanded again. I have tosee her!

He spun around, doing a quick scan of theroom. Spotting the long, narrow hallway, Thomas raced forward, notlistening to the others advising him to rest for a moment. For him,there would be no resting. Not until he could see her. See with hisown eyes that she was safe.

The hallway consisted of three doors, one onthe right and two on the left. The first door on the left was open,and a quick glance confirmed it was only a bathroom. Thomas pausedin front of the closed door on the right, threw it open and shortof taking in the surroundings, confirmed she was not there. Withoutclosing the door, he swiftly moved on to the last door on the left,which was open slightly. Thomas paused. He could feel her.

Through the narrow space between the door andthe frame, Thomas could see the room was softly lit. He placed hishand on the door and leaned his head against the frame, closing hiseyes. Deep breath. Shes here. Shes safe.

His clothes were tattered from the recentbattle, and his body was covered in dried sweat, dirt and bloodfrom wounds long since healed. The palms of his hands ached fromthe explosions of Fire he wielded throughout the battle, and he wasexhausted, barely able to stand on trembling legs that threatenedto give out at any moment. But he knew he couldnt rest until hesaw themor rather, saw her. After the battle, he rushed to gethere, not pausing to rest or clean up. It was a ten-hour drive buthe didnt care; he knew he couldnt rest until he saw her and madesure she was safe. Right now, she was all that mattered.

With a deep breath, he quietly pushed openthe bedroom door and took a step into the room. The soft glow camefrom the night-light next to the bed where the children slept.

Thomas slowly let out the breath he washolding as he watched the little girl sleeping peacefully in thearms of her young warrior. She was holding a teddy bear close toher heart as the boy held her close to his, protectively, as if shewere a precious gem the world was fighting over. The boy had alwaysbeen like that with her, though, never realizing he really washolding a gem. He was still too young to fully understand. To him,she was his playmatehis best friend. He spent every minute ofevery day with her. From the minute he was awake until the time hehad to go home and to bed he was with her: playing with her,watching her, protecting her. Most nights his parents had to draghim away from her kicking and screamingand cryingTheyd both cry.Neither of them realized the connection they had to each other, orat least the connection Thomas suspected they had.

Thomas closed his eyes and rubbed histemples. He was exhausted and a headache was starting to set in.Corey, his healer, was already spent, he knew, from healing hiswounds during the long ride down. He looked across the room againand stared at the precious girl. She was only four years old,barely four years old, and the little warrior holding her was onlyfive. It wasnt supposed to happen at such a young age. It wasntsupposed to happen until they were olderold enough to understandhow to control their powers. For her, old enough to understand theconnection she would have with others like this boythe pull toalways be together. The little warrior had yet to learn thingsabout himself as welland he needed training. Hed be sent away forthat, and Thomas frowned at the thought, knowing how the separationwas going to devastate her. That was one reason it never happenedthis young, the bond Thomas was certain they shared and would sharefor life: they needed to grow up first and discover things aboutthemselves, understand their purpose. The bond shouldnt happen formany years, and yet Thomas knew in his heart it had. It was onlyobvious to him because hed been through it himself many, manyyears ago. That connectionthat pull

Quietly Thomas backed out of the room,careful not to kick over the blocks that were stacked so neatly,the foundation for a ramp obviously being built for the little carsscattered on the floor nearby. He closed the door.

How is she? Corey asked in a voice barelyabove a whisper.

She was still so beautiful, even after allthese years. She wore her hair short these days, but it was stillfull and thickand soft. Even after the battle theyd justsurvived, her hair was perfect, though shed probably argueotherwise. To Thomas, she was just as perfect as she had been theday they met when they were children, not much older than the twosleeping in the next room. He and Corey didnt realize theconnection they had then, not until they were older.

Shes sleeping soundly, Thomas replied.

When Corey slipped an arm around his waist,he pushed his hand through her hair, pulling her head in tight tohis chest, and leaned over to rest his head on her shoulder. Hecouldnt help but inhale deeply; she smelled so goodlikevanillashe always smelled so good.

Jack and Suzanne said he hasnt let her gosince she arrived.

Thomas looked up and smiled warmly as Olliejoined them in the hall. He was tall, and like Corey, he now worehis hair short. There was a time when he wore it long like Thomasstill wore his, back when they were children, but they werentfriends back thennot yet at least. That time was so long ago, andThomas barely remembered what it felt like not to have Ollie in hislife. Almost as if hed read that thought in Thomass mind, Olliereached out with his long strong arms and put one around Thomas andone around Corey, and the three of them held each other in a lovingembrace. It was the embrace of lifelong friends and companions andthe love they felt for each other was deep and connectedand now sovery broken and incomplete.

Once again Thomas felt tears well up in hiseyes. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to stop them fromspilling over, but the effort was wasted when the tears fellanyway. The pain he felt right now was unlike any pain he had everfelt in his entire life. How was he going to get through this? Howwould he live another day? But he had livedthree days now. Threedays since it all beganthree days since

Thomas let out a long deep sigh. He, Coreyand Ollie had survived three sunrises and sunsetsthe last one nottoo long ago as they raced across Wyoming to get heresilently,each lost in their own thoughts. Yet as incomplete and empty asthey felt now, they had survived. The three of them hadsurvived.

Barely.

Slowly they loosened the hold they had oneach other. Thomas looked at the faces of his dear friends. Theydbeen together so long. They were a part of each other but theywould never be whole again; they would never be as complete as theyhad once been.

Thomas removed his arm from around Coreyswaist and looked at the gold band on his wrist where two emeraldsnow sat. Ollie and Corey looked down at the band as well, andneither of them tried to mask the tears that fell from their eyes.Corey reached out and ran her fingers lovingly over theemeralds.