Between HeVan and Hell by Lucy Kelly Page A

are Beleti Grace. But we are trying to
use only English words now that we’ve come down to the planet so we
will call you both ‘Lady.’ Now, will you go to the Diamond District
with us to find rings? We have also brought some loose stones in
case you’d rather have a ring made. We know you need a ring for
your assignment.”
    Great. Addie’s guys want
to buy her a ring and marry her in the church, and she was getting
a fake assignment ring.
    For once, Grace was struck speechless.
So she just went along with Jalen and Jett into the Diamond
District. She’d completely forgotten that they might have
followers. Jalen and Jett, however, did not.
     

Chapter
Four

    They were able to get a parking space
in the Diamond District. They went to one of the larger stores
first and walked up to the counter.
    Jalen spoke to the woman behind the
counter.
    “Good afternoon, Madam. We would like
to look at your engagement rings, please,” said Jalen.
    The lady looked them over and then
showed them to a counter on the left. Grace noticed that the rings
at this counter weren’t as nice as the ones at the other counter.
The saleslady had taken one look at their undercover clothes and
summed them up as cheapskates. Jalen looked closely at the stones
in the case.
    “Would you bring out that tray?” he
asked.
    The saleslady looked up at the three
of them. “If you have a particular ring you’d like to look at, I’ll
pull it for you. But it’s against store policy to pull out the
entire tray.”
    Grace looked pointedly at the other
counter where the salesman had pulled out two trays for the perusal
of the couple standing in front of him.
    “Jalen, honey, I think I would prefer
to go to another store.”
    “Of course, Grace.”
    “Excuse us, Madam,” he
said.
    They walked out the door. Before Grace
could get steamed, Jett pointed to a store across the
way.
    “Let’s try over there.”
    So they all trooped over to the other
store.
    “Welcome, come in. How may I assist
you today?” asked the salesman behind the counter.
    “We’re looking for engagement rings,”
said Jalen.
    “Wonderful. If you’ll come right over
here, I’ll be happy to show you what I have. Feel free to look at
the settings separately from the stones. We have an assortment of
loose stones as well.”
    “Thank you,” said Jalen. “I have also
brought some loose stones with me. Will you take on work that uses
both your stones and mine?”
    “Well, I’d have to see your stones
first,” said the salesman.
    Jalen reached into his pocket and
pulled out a silk pouch. From the pouch he took out a small
briefke, a paper folded to hold loose stones often carried by gem
merchants. He opened it to reveal small red and black
stones.
    “Hmm...well, I might be able to do
something with the rubies. Obsidian is rather overdone these days,
and is rarely used in engagement rings,” he said with a
smile.
    “Thank you for your help. I think
we’ll try another store,” said Jalen, as he folded the briefke back
up.
    At the salesman’s shocked look, he
added, “They are red and black diamonds.”
    The three of them walked back out onto
the street. Grace turned to them and said, “My turn to pick a
store. You two are lousy at it. Follow me.”
    She concentrated on finding the
perfect store for them and jacked up her super-girl power, then
started down the sidewalk looking into stores on the left and
right. She came to a small hole-in-the-wall establishment. The
store was small, only about twelve feet wide. Just inside the door
there was a round wooden kitchen table and chairs. Behind the table
was one low counter where an old lady sat knitting. She turned to
them at the sound of the bell.
    “Come in, welcome. Oh, what a handsome
couple you make! And you,” she said grinning at Grace, “you will
never go hungry, yes?” and she winked.
    Before they could say anything, she
cried out, “Marta, we have customers. They want to see the
rings.”
    Grace stepped forward