The Tale of the Blood Diamond
THE TALE OF THE BLOOD DIAMOND
Written by
TIANA LAVEEN
Copyright © 2013 by Tiana Laveen
All rights reserved.
Published by Tiana Laveen
Book cover design by Travis Pennington
Edited by Natalie G. Owens
KINDLE EDITION
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Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE
Dedication
THE TALE OF THE BLOOD DIAMOND
Prelude
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Book Club Questions
Author’s Biography
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to all the new and old romantic-sci-fi lovers. This book is the sequel to, “Addicted In Cold Blood.” It is a glimpse into the love of an alien and his mate, an Earthling woman who has staked her claim to his heart. It is a tale about love, honor, and loyalty. It is a tale about differences, the ‘alien’ natures in all of us, and facing our fears as well as transcending our own wildest expectations. So to all of the people that like a little ‘alien kinkiness with a spaceship to boot and some good ol’ urban flair’, this is for you.
THE TALE OF THE BLOOD DIAMOND
PRELUDE
The floor was gooey with the one-hour old blood scent of dead bodies. In the midst of this shined the fragmented shards of Earth’s most prized possession: a hard, glorious light retractor, a rare gemstone indeed — the diamond. This particular feast for the eyes arrived from a continent called Africa, from a region claimed as South Africa. Jatorn had been indulging in these rare gems for quite some time, helping to spawn an epidemic, which one could only describe as complete euphoria. Once heated with a special white flame, the diamonds turned into a surreal liquid — their beauty almost more glorious than the addictive affects once ingested.
Jatorn, ruler of the Yuledrakes, slid onto his knees, blood dripping off of his hands and foot long fangs as he placed the white jagged rock against the hot fire. With twitchy anticipation, he watched and waited as his gemstone queen transformed into a molten viper. A small group of his friends entered the domed, elaborate banquet hall, their eyes glassy with desire and wonder. Within seconds, the crowd was huddled together, drinking the delicious nectar from the glorious gem. Oh, how fleeting…
It was gone before it had begun…and he needed more than one hit of diamond dust. He was tired of sending small troops to Earth to obtain the jewels, when he realized a golden opportunity was being missed. They were simply scavengers. Why continue to hunt for such a meager prize, when they could obtain the entire planet and have the bulk at their own disposal?
He smiled to himself as he lay back, watching his Yuledrake family revel in the blood of five humans abducted, tortured and killed, all in the name of a good time and science. Yes, science. One must know their enemy in and out. He’d taken the humans apart, studying them up close and personal. They were nothing special, nor were they very bright. He’d had his eye on Earth for quite some time after realizing the humans, being bumbling, imbecilic organisms, were sitting on more wealth than they’d even imagined or knew what to do with. Upon his discoveries, however, something came to him; intelligence that disturbed him to his core. One of his greatest adversaries dwelled on the planet, and for the life of him, he could not make rhyme or reason as to why. He’d waited for him to leave, and yet, the bastard remained…
Xzion…
They had a treacherous history and he was certain, no matter the reason the Zarkstormian warrior dwelled there, he’d make Jatorn’s claim of Earth that much harder. Jatorn didn’t want any interruptions, no wrinkles in the fabric of his plans. He needed the man removed from the equation but that, within itself, would be a tricky task. He mulled over the possibilities as he worked out a blueprint, a fine-tuned strategy, and realized this would take much longer than he’d anticipated.
Nevertheless, he was dedicated to the cause. Earth could be all his, their diamonds all in his possession — a never ending supply of the intoxicant he’d come to love and depend upon. Best of all, he had the wherewithal to pull it off. The excitement of the venture gave him renewed life. Yes, new ideas were born and heating up.
Out the corner of his eye, he saw a fresh white flame light up. It sparked so, as his best friend and chief diplomat, Sahee, cackled loudly. His high, that lovely buzz was only moments away. The flame danced along the man’s face and his straight white hair flowed down his back, blowing ever so lightly from an open window’s breeze. Sahee placed the liquid to lips turned up in a twisted grin. Jatorn nodded in his friend’s direction, then turned away, diving headfirst back into his own thoughts.
This was simply child’s play. Their foraging days would soon be over. Oh yes, things were going to change. The best was yet to come…
CHAPTER ONE
Xzion dipped his finger into the congealing blood of the blonde haired woman who lay face down in her own gore. Bending low from his waist, he examined her carefully. The ends of her hair were sticky and now dyed cerise, her gray, overcast eyes open, and her pallid lips cracked ever so slightly. He tilted his head to the side and stood erect for a spell, checking out the nearby surroundings.
Damn it…
He bent lower and moved aside clumped strands of hair wound loosely around her slashed and torn neck tissue. Casually brushing his index finger along his scruffy chin, curls of cool air escaped from between his lips as he crouched even lower in the dark, brick-walled alleyway coated in the pungent stench of animal feces and vomit.
This is definitely their work.
He rose to his black booted feet, his eyes still focused on the lifeless woman as he made a call to Zarkstorm.
“It’s them…”
Aton’s voice came through the small computer embedded in his wrist. The man sighed loudly and Xzion could envision him twirling around slowly in his clear seat with the white, glowing armrests.
“Then, we have a problem on our hands.”
“Affirmative. They’ve started sooner than I thought.” Xzion groaned and glanced over his shoulder. He darted his eyes around the damned area, scanning it proficiently before returning his sights to the corpse. “This means they are here, checking out the inventory.” Xzion removed a folded napkin from his pants pocket and wiped the side of his face. The sweat beads were accumulating, despite the blustery cold o
f another typical D.C. winter. It wasn’t due to overheating; his nerves were actually getting the best of him. He had much less time to plan and prepare for the Yuledrakes’ attacks, and that made him a bit skittish.
“We need to have an emergency meeting as soon as possible. What is the soonest you can be here, Xzion?” Aton questioned as Xzion made his way out of the alleyway. He stood directly under a flapping awning when snow began to billow from all directions, partially veiling his sight. He placed his hand over his eyes and squinted, looking to and fro in the desolate part of town, near the Patapsco River.
“Allow me to go home and speak to my mate, and I can see you approximately eight hours from now.”
“Sufficient. I will ensure that everyone is prepared for your arrival.”
The call went dead.
Xzion sighed heavily and reached for his cell phone. It rang a couple of times, and soon, he heard his wife’s voice, and an announcement over her police car radio.
“We have a 207A on Edmondson Avenue. Suspect is described as 5’7, African American with short hair and black leather coat. He is driving a green, older model Honda.”
“Baby,” Xzion broke through the static-filled announcement as he waited for her to greet him on the other end.
“I got it.” Jayme responded to the dispatcher, her words crashing and burning his terms of endearment. He heard the car picking up speed. He was no longer sure Jayme even realized she’d answered his call.
“Baby?” he repeated.
“Oh, hi honey. I’m sorry. There is so much goin’ on.” He could hear the smile in her voice, though she sounded weary nevertheless.
“Look, that kidnapping attempt may have to take a back burner.”
She laughed lightly. “How’d you know what a 207A is?”
“Do you really have to ask?”
She laughed louder and exhaled. “Now, what do you have to tell me that is so important?”
“I just walked away from a dead woman.”
He looked back towards the alleyway and unzipped the gray hoodie under his jacket. His body heat was getting the best of him. “She’s been there approximately three hours and twenty-six minutes. She was killed elsewhere and dumped here. You may want to call your guys to let them know.”
“Xzion, is this — ”
“No. Of course this isn’t my handiwork. I told you that my current assignment would give me no provocation to engage in Earth-bound homicidal activities. If and when that changes, you will be alerted. As it stands, someone else did this, Jayme, and I doubt it will be the last.”
She sighed again. “This is just fantastic. What am I supposed to say, Xzion? I can’t very well leave her there… I’m on my way to another call and they’ll wonder how I even knew about this. Give me a second to think this through. Damn!”
“Are you curious to know how I stumbled upon her?”
“Of course I am, but I know full well it has to do with this new assignment of yours; and right now, I just need to focus on getting that woman out of there and seeing what the hell is going on over here… What the? Jesus! What the hell is this?!”
Her sirens blared as she turned them on; he could hear her panting and a ruckus around her. It sounded like a crowd of people clustered near on the cold, Thursday evening. Before he could get in another word, the sound amplified — she must have rolled her window down — piercing his sensitive hearing. His eardrums reverberated from the sudden loudness, but he stayed the course through the boisterous banter.
“There’s five-o, wave ’em down!” someone yelled.
“Hey, that’s Jayme. Officer Knight, wait!” someone else called out.
Xzion grimaced, but held his possessiveness at bay. He hated it when people still referred to her by her maiden last name.
Another person spoke over the others in a loud, nasally voice, “Hey! That son of a bitch tried to take that little girl! He went dattaway! He in uh green car… I just spoke to 911.”
“Hey, Xzion, let me call you right back!”
And just like Aton, he was left with a dial tone while the snow fell rapidly around him. In the near distance, the dead body only grew colder and stiffer, a deadly present wrapped in bloody warning tape from the Yuledrakes.
“Motherfuckers…” Xzion worked diligently inside his own skull, trying to figure out his next move. He stood there for a moment, his thoughts swirling like the cool air from between his separated lips.
The Yuledrakes knew he was there, and purposefully chose Baltimore to begin their misdeeds. The Zarkstormians and Yuledrakes had a long history. The Zarkstormian warriors had run into the Yuledrakes during a time of terrestrial upheaval. A rise in fluctuating temperatures had also created havoc for the human-like, tall and willowy, pale beasts. Their stark white skin, cloudy blue, deep set eyes and practically nonexistent lips made them unusual, but not quite startling. Two slithers of thin flesh framed a dark crease of an opening of their wide mouths, allowing the pinkish hue of a short tongue to be exposed, along with two elongated, glistening white retractable fangs, should one have the displeasure to view them in action. However, they were particularly crafty, ruthless and perilous.
They’d tried to take the land of Zarkstorm several centuries ago, but were finally physically beaten into submission with over half of their population wiped out, while the Zarkstormians had lost less than five percent of their Warrior fleet. That was their history, and they worked hard to stay mindful of it looking forward. Zarkstorm was one of the few planets they’d attempted to heist, yet were not successful inhabiting it. Now, the special force field that protected the planet from invaders made it virtually impossible for any unwanted visitors to trespass.
The Yuledrakes considered themselves terrestrial elites, and by many standards, the self-appointed title was befitting. However, they were more like scavengers; well-dressed vultures who enjoyed collecting tragedies and calamities, then displaying them on a grand, golden curio shelf for all the universal worlds to see. They were best known for taking over planets and making the inhabitants toil the land until they drew their last, miserable breath.
The Yuledrakes hunted power and riches until they wheezed out of breath. Through these Olympic mad dashes, they found the Zarkstormians, the Warriors as well as the Intellects, worthy opponents. The conflict became a game of sorts to them, regardless of their low batting averages. The Zarkstormians were some of the few beings that the Yuledrakes were not able to sucker into backwards, unfair deals, trades and the like. To the others that had fallen prey, the formula was simple.
They shone glittery things as enticements, playing on the weakest link of a bunch and declaring victory after slaying the ones who refused to fall in line. Then, they made the ones that did comply regret the day they laid eyes on their ghostly faces. Jatorn, their ruler, was fully aware of Xzion and his abilities, and it irked him to his murky core. When news spread that they had a cure for their overheating, the tyrant immediately tried to make peace, wanting to get his hands on the mysterious elixir, simply to declare he had a new-fangled, coveted possession.
Xzion encouraged Aton to share the wealth, knowing full well it wouldn’t work on Yuledrakes should Jatorn attempt to sample the delicacy. They’d suffered the same ailment of overheating, but not to the extent of the Zarkstormians since their brains were not made quite the same way. They were different entities altogether and their systems were nothing like their human counterparts, excepting the physical shared similarities. Though after a bloody feast, they resembled the walking dead, a human zombie in its most grotesque form.
“Ugly fucking bastards…” Xzion spat as he continued to brainstorm and race through his cob-web covered thoughts. Contrary to popular belief, Zarkstormians were not immune to gossip. They’d titled it, ‘data investigation’, when many times it was nothing more than catty banter. Still, this pipeline of information served them well, especially when it came to Jatorn and his reaction to, and impression of, Xzion.
Xzion had played a cr
uel joke on Jatorn, but worse of all, he’d had somehow gotten wind of the Yuledrakes’ plans to take over Earth. Jatorn probably didn’t understand why Xzion nor his people even gave a damn, but Xzion had no doubt nothing would stop their enemies from moving forward, business as usual, despite the obvious threat and the understanding that Zarkstormians only played to win.
Jatorn had called Xzion to congratulate him on his detective work, but also to remind him that neither he nor anyone else would be able to stop the invasion and live. The Earth had essential resources and riches, things of beauty and value. Diamonds, gold, silver and rare, colorful gems… The diamonds were particularly of interest. They gave a drug-like sense of euphoria when consumed by many terrestrial beings, this was nothing new — but there was not a dependency upon them. The Yuledrakes had taken it to an entirely different level. Xzion had seen voluminous ‘diamond farms’, but it was more than obvious that the Earth had the ‘premium’ stock after several were brought back from other beings as souvenirs and the like.
The Yuledrakes would chase down these treasures, until the occasional purchase, or straight-out theft of the possessions, apparently was no longer enough. Being the wasteful collectors they were, they wanted to get their long, pasty fingers on these prizes, call them their own. Earthly Diamonds were the ‘Mollys’ of their worlds, and it fed a sickness — one built on fantasy, historically wild parties and incredible lies. This paled in comparison to the reality, once the diamond dust cleared…
The Yuledrakes’ planet, Draknard, had a horrific history of discriminating indentured servitude and slavery. A torrid chronicle that was well-known. African Americans, Jews, Native Americans, yes, the filthy list was long and tattered in America and abroad, but still legible, written in the blood of others and still wet to the damned touch. The Yuledrakes could respect this, understand it, for they did the same. It was a way of life. This surely appealed to the Yuledrakes; it would make ‘training’ the inept human all the easier. After all, it wasn’t their first rodeo at pimping each other out…