The Dark Diamond: Stories of the Solomon Stone, #2

By Christine Sandgren

"Of course it's a good plan. All my plans are good."

 

Ruby Callahan can't deny that life since finding her family—part of her family—has been an epic roller coaster. But she won't slow down until she locates her long-missing parents, even if it means putting herself and everyone around her in danger. But Ruby's focus shifts when the new girl in her apartment building threatens her friendship with her only true friend.

 

Distracted and disillusioned by Winston's fickle friendship, she sets out alone on increasingly reckless missions to find the Dark Diamond—and important clues.

When Ruby warns Winston that the new girl isn't what she seems, his angry response puts them both in danger.

 

Can they save themselves or will they, along with the Dark Diamond, be lost to history?A heart-pounding adventure with a touch of magic, this continuation of The Solomon Stone is perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and The 39 Clues. Grab your copy today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fawkes Press
• Release date: Dec 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781957529004

Book preview

Ruby stood perfectly still, pressing her cold hands against the sun-warmed granite and matching her breath to the wind. Freezing wet New York City air chilled the tops of her fingers and the inside of her nose. It’s so cold, she whined to Winston, who stood just a few inches away, a pair of binoculars pinned to his tight, angular face.

I told you to bring a proper coat, he said, not removing the binoculars. This isn’t Hawaii.

Ruby smiled. He was right. This wasn’t Hawaii, and she was glad. From their vantage point atop Belvedere Castle, Ruby could see the brownish-green turf of Central Park sprawling out beneath the sky—slate gray like everything else in New York this time of year.

And I told you that I didn’t want to go bird looking.

"Bird watching, Winston corrected. And you said it sounded fun."

I thought we were going to do something cool with the birds.

Like what?

I dunno, she shrugged. Catch them or eat them or something.

Winston’s cheeks blanched and he lowered the binoculars. Eat them? We’re looking for Pale Male, Winston said, fishing a pencil and a small notebook from his backpack.

You said that bird was super old and probably dead.

"But if he’s not dead, and we see him, we’re not going to eat him." He started writing in his notebook.

Why are you even writing the birds down? You’re a Sapient. You have perfect recall.

One of Winston’s eyes drifted up from his work to squint at her. A good ornithologist always keeps a field journal.

You could just take a picture, Ruby muttered, turning her attention to her own Sight ability—the Lines of energy that crisscrossed the emptiness of Central Park, mapping and connecting all its creatures and objects and whispering to her how their positions and movements were connected.

Winston sighed and rubbed his eyes, which were drooping and bloodshot. He glanced at the time on his phone and yawned.

Ruby sucked a strand of her hair and looked over her shoulder at the small lake that lapped at the edges of the castle, just thirty feet below where they were standing, ominous and black, its reflection masking its depths. She felt the Lines as they skittered around it. The stray Lines that did venture into the water disappeared completely, as if they’d been swallowed into a watery black hole. Ruby shivered and turned away.

This is stupid, she said. Thanks to the Lines, she already knew where all the birds were. There’s a bird there, two in that tree, one in that bush, Ruby said quickly, pointing to each of the spots. One on the top of—

Shhhh! Stop! Winston hissed.

I’m helping! The sooner you find them, the sooner we can leave.

I told you, it’s cheating to use your… he said, pausing to look carefully over each shoulder. "…Sight," he whispered.

You’re just making a list of birds. How can you cheat in a game that you’re playing by yourself?

I’m not supposed to be playing by myself. You’re supposed to be doing it with me.

Great. We’ll finish fast because I already know where all the birds are.

Winston looked flustered. I meant only write down the ones you see with your normal vision.

"My Lines are my normal vision, Ruby said, her voice rising. I can’t just turn off being a Levant."

SHHHHHH! Winston looked over both shoulders so fast that he was flirting with whiplash.

No one’s here, Ruby muttered.

Just— Winston pressed his lips together. Just be careful. Please.

You’re paranoid, Ruby scoffed. Bad guys aren’t just, like, waiting in the bushes to grab us.

Winston gaped at her. "Two weeks ago you were literally kidnapped."

Ruby frowned. She hated when he was right. That was one time.

You were shot.

Ruby’s thigh twitched as she remembered the searing pain and the blood oozing all over her pants. Stupid Dr. Pierce and his stupid gun. It wasn’t that bad. She swallowed hard. Besides, Pierce is in a coma now. Worst teacher ever, Ruby added.

He wasn’t a teacher at all! Winston said in exasperation. He was an Azarian!

I know, Ruby said, shifting, not wanting to think about the ancient shadowy order obsessed with capturing a Levant like her. I’m just messing with you.

It’s not funny.

Everything’s funny eventually, she quipped, though the breezy words did little to ease the heavy menace that came whenever she considered the Azarians.

Winston sighed and checked the time on his phone again.

Why do you keep checking the time?

I’m not. Winston clicked his teeth as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

Seriously. Does your mom want you home by a certain time?

No.

Fine. Ruby pursed her lips. She did not like being lied to, but she didn’t push him. She didn’t need to. As a Levant, she had other options. Pierce might have been an epically bad teacher, but she had learned one valuable skill from her encounter with him.

Inhaling deeply, Ruby tried to remember what had happened when she’d accidentally stepped inside Pierce’s mind and read his thoughts. She had only Rendered him a few times, and it had not been easy. But Rendering Winston would be different. His mind wouldn’t be dark and scary like Pierce’s had been.

Silently, she slipped her hand under her jacket and wrapped her fingers around the Solomon Stone, the diamond that hung around her neck on a long chain. Ruby inhaled as the diamond’s pure carbon bonded to the carbon in her skin and then radiated out, pushing energy through the Lines, which brightened and buzzed in response.

She looked at Winston’s right hand, where he wore his grandfather’s Alexander Academy ring with a diamond embedded in the band. Ruby knew that if she held the Solomon Stone and touched Winston’s diamond, it would create a carbon-energy circuit, and she would be able to see his thoughts. Then she would know why her best friend was lying to her.

Ruby exhaled. Lemme have a turn. She reached for his binoculars and casually touched the diamond in his ring.

There was a sudden rushing, tugging sensation inside Ruby’s head. Her stomach felt like it was being yanked by an iron fist. Pain split through her skull, and her gut wrenched. Ruby gasped in surprise. This was way worse than Rendering Pierce.

Ruby got a lightning-quick glimpse of Winston’s mind. It was blurry and cluttered and soaked with a sour stench of fear. Ruby felt like she was on a mountain of loose papers that were shifting rapidly beneath her. Through the murky haze, she saw an image of herself, looking terrified, perched on the ledge. Then everything went dark and she felt like she was dropping into a nightmare.

Someone called her name, but she could barely hear it. Then something grabbed her tight around the waist and her whole body jerked to a halt. Ruby’s eyes flew open, and she saw the dark lake water directly below her, hungry as death. Ruby screamed and realized that she was dangling head first over the balustrade, with only Winston’s scrawny arms keeping her from falling into the deadly, dark water.

Ruby’s heart raced as she scrambled backwards, clawing her way back from the castle’s edge. She shifted her weight so quickly that she tumbled into Winston, her momentum knocking both of them onto the stone floor where they lay on their backs, panting.

You okay? Winston asked her once he’d caught his breath.

Ruby checked. Her stomach hurt so badly that she had curled around it as if that position would comfort her insides. Echoes of a headache still throbbed through her head, and her arms and legs trembled with aftershocks of fear. But she was dry.

Yeah, she finally answered, rolling her head to look at him. Can we go home now?

Yeah.

Ten minutes later, Ruby smiled as they stepped inside their building and were enveloped by a wall of warm air. It wasn’t even winter yet in New York City, and she was already wondering how she would survive the cold.

They stepped into the elevator and Winston pushed the button for the parking garage.

Wrong floor, Ruby said.

Oops, he shrugged, fighting down a smile.

When the doors opened, Ruby reached for the close door button but stopped when she saw that all of the cars were gone.

Then a chorus of voices shouted, SURPRISE!!!

Ruby startled and peered into the garage, baffled. Why was her Uncle Miles there, standing next to her friends from school? With no cars blocking the windows, light flooded the space and Ruby saw there were balloons and streamers everywhere. And everyone, even her grandmother Alice, was smiling.

What the— Ruby stuttered.

Happy Birthday! they cheered.

Ruby’s mouth dropped open. Today’s my birthday?

Everyone’s smiles stiffened as a thick awkwardness spread through the garage. Ruby’s Uncle Miles put an arm around Alice, who looked even more shocked than Ruby felt.

Ruby flushed, instantly aware of how crazy she sounded. Her jaw tightened. It wasn’t her fault. When her parents had abandoned her on Pan’wei, a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, they hadn’t exactly left a birth certificate. She hadn’t even known her last name until Miles found her six months ago.

It is. Miles smiled gently, easing the tension. November twelfth, 5:36 PM. You were too young to remember, but we do. Relieved laughter rippled through the cavernous space.

Ruby’s eyes darted to Alice, whose face was tight and pale, like it always was whenever anyone discussed Ruby’s unusual past.

Where are all the cars? Ruby asked, desperate to change the subject.

The parking garage beneath their apartment building spanned an entire city block and was usually stuffed with fancy cars. It was probably nicer than most garages, with high ceilings, inlaid brick winding around on the ground, and sunken well windows letting in natural light. But today there was a maze of tires and cones spread out around the garage, and the cement columns were covered with bright blue padding.

Alice asked if she could use the space for a few hours, Chloe, Miles’s girlfriend, said, stepping forward. Her calm, casual voice helped Ruby ignore the painful facts lurking beneath the cheerful balloons and streamers hanging from the ceiling. You okay? she asked in a low voice.

Maybe a surprise party wasn’t the right call for this one, Miles said apologetically.

It’s okay, Ruby said, eager to push past the awkwardness before it ruined what looked like a fun party. She smiled and waved at her friends—James, Harrison, and her other five classmates from the Truncant section of the Academy. They were real Truncs—UnSighted children born to Sighted parents—not pretenders like she and Winston were. There were even two Sape kids—Winston’s older brother, Charlie, and Sterling, the high-schooler who’d been Ruby’s tutor for the past six months. A warmth enfolded Ruby, chasing away the last wisps of discomfort. Ruby actually had friends now. Real friends.

So… my birthday party is in a garage? Ruby tried not to sound confused. Maybe everyone in New York had their birthday parties in garages.

We… Chloe’s voice held a note of anticipation that drew Ruby’s interest. We thought you might like to do some go-karting.

Ruby’s eyes widened. Go-karting? She wasn’t sure exactly what that was, but it sounded promising. Here? Her Lines, which had gone slack in the familiar space, buzzed to life.

Chloe smiled and guided Ruby toward the south end of the garage, where twelve kid-sized race cars were lined up against the wall. Ruby’s breath caught. Five men in matching jumpsuits stood nearby.

It took forever to get all the kids buckled, helmeted, and safety-lectured. Ruby’s feet twitched on the pedals as one of the men slowly explained the race course. Her heart throbbed as the Lines whizzed through the turns and straightaways, analyzing the fastest path through.

Finally, one of the men came over and yanked the pull-start on Ruby’s car. She felt the motor rumble to life beneath her as the garage filled with the smell of gasoline and the purring of combustion engines. The steering wheel vibrated in her hands as if the go-kart were just as eager to race as she was.

The second she heard the word go, Ruby slammed her foot on the gas and yanked the car onto the track. The go-kart rattled as it accelerated, and Ruby’s whole body shook. It took a minute for her to get used to the steering and acceleration, but soon she felt like she’d been born driving it.

The air whooshed past her face as she pulled the wheel and rounded a turn. Her Lines moved so fast and precisely that Ruby felt like she was driving on pre-set tracks. Her body and mind were synced with the track and devoted to the goal of maximum speed.

Ruby waved at the adults as she whipped through her first lap. Their faces were blurry, but she thought she saw Alice’s hand covering her mouth. It was pretty amazing that Chloe had managed to talk Alice into go-karts. A few months ago, she wouldn’t even let Ruby play soccer because it was too dangerous.

Ruby’s friends were all at various stages on the track, and most were just a few turns behind her. Some, like Winston, were going slower and were about halfway through their first lap. Ruby’s Lines attached to each of the other drivers, calculating the quickest way around them.

Ruby slowed when she caught up to Winston, pulling up beside him. Race ya! she yelled over the engine noise.

Winston looked at her with narrowed eyes, then shot ahead. Ruby laughed, leaning forward as she pursued him through the next two turns, pulling beside him and bumping up against his go-kart, then falling back. Winston’s hands were white as they gripped the wheel, but he somehow managed to negotiate two more tight turns at high speed. Ruby plotted the best spot to pass him, picking the long turn at the farthest end of the course.

It was a deceptively tricky corner, and Ruby figured Winston would take it too fast and then have to brake, giving her a chance to dart ahead on the inside track. Winston did go into the turn fast, but he didn’t brake. His arms strained as he tried to hold onto the turn, but the centrifugal force was too much and the kart skidded, flipped up onto two wheels, and then slammed back onto the track at a dead stop.

Ruby smashed her brakes and pivoted her go-kart around 180 degrees, pulling to a sharp stop beside him. Are you okay? she called, jumping out.

Winston just stared at the steering wheel, his face white, his round eyes blinking.

Are you okay? Ruby repeated, scanning his body. He should be okay. It wasn’t even a crash. But… Winston!

He finally turned and snapped to attention. Whoa, he managed.

You’re okay, she told him. Right? This part of the track was behind the elevator bank and none of the adults could see them.

I— He slowly exhaled and looked around. Charlie zipped by, making a taunting face, and Winston flushed deep red. Gutterball.

You looked awesome! Ruby assured him. You took that turn so fast that two of your wheels came off the ground.

Really?

It was pretty cool.

Winston smiled and turned his attention back to the track. He pressed the gas pedal and turned the steering wheel, but nothing happened.

Hold on. Ruby checked behind the driver’s seat where the little engine was attached to the frame. Your motor died.

Died? Winston said, his voice pitching up an octave.

Ruby smiled. It just turned off. You probably triggered a sensor or something while you were hot-rodding.

Winston looked wildly around the garage, his face falling when he saw that there were no adults in sight. He slumped down in his seat as another go-kart passed. Can you go get help?

"Winston, I’m help," Ruby said, inspecting the engine more closely. It was pretty straightforward, like the four-wheelers and golf carts she’d driven when she’d worked as a guide for Hawaiian Hunting Holidays on Pan’wei. She yanked the pull-start, but nothing happened. She tried twice more and still nothing.

Maybe it really is dead, Winston fretted as he cranked himself around in his seat.

Ruby stopped, worried she might release too much fuel into the engine and flood the pistons. She found the choke lever and pulled it.

What’s that? Winston yelled over the noise of the running go-karts.

It changes the oxygen-to-gas ratio in the piston so that it’s easier for the fuel to ignite.

Huh?

It’s… like a magic lever that makes it start, Ruby yelled back. She yanked the pull-start again, and this time the engine rumbled to life. Ruby listened for the sputtering to smooth itself out. When the engine was running clean, she released the choke and tapped Winston on the helmet.

You’re good, she yelled.

Winston smiled, his eyes full of gratitude and some amazement. Thanks.

Ruby shrugged and hoisted herself into her own go-kart as Winston edged back onto the track. Ruby calibrated her Lines, waited for another go-kart to spin through the turn, then pumped the gas and opened up the throttle, smiling as the cold November air blasted her face.

Well, Alice sighed as she sank into a chair at the kitchen table, looking at Ruby, Chloe, and Miles with a tired smile. Elena, the housekeeper, was putting candles into a bright round yellow cake that was already making Ruby’s mouth water. That was—

The best birthday party anyone has ever had in the whole history of the world, Ruby interrupted. It was so good her ears were still ringing and her arm muscles ached from steering.

Alice’s face softened into a smile and she stroked Ruby’s tangled blonde hair. Then I’m glad I had no idea what a go-kart was when I agreed to it.

I knew she would love it, Chloe said a little sheepishly.

They’re just so fast! Alice said.

They’re completely safe, Miles said. Ruby could tell that