Nicole snorted. “Oh, has he? And when was he going to tell me?”
Tiffany put her hand on Nicole’s arm. “You are going to do it.”
“Who died and made him king?”
Greg sat down next to Nicole and turned a flirtatious grin on her. “Oh, I’m not royalty. I don’t need to be to get what I want.” He trailed a finger down her arm. “I’m positive it’ll work out because Rebecca decided it.”
Nicole’s jaw dropped, and for a moment, she couldn’t recover from her shock. “Rebecca . . . I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, she’ll tell you eventually,” Greg said. He put his arm across the back of her chair. “But you might as well get used to it. Tarian headquarters has already approved. That means we’re pretty much married already.” He reached over and draped his arms around her, nibbling on her earlobe. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a blond . . . let alone a blond Arete. I look forward to consummating our . . . marriage.”
Nicole pushed his face away, revulsion swelling up in her throat. “Let me go.”
He laughed and tickled her, then tightened his hands around her waist. “I will . . . eventually.”
Nicole squirmed, trying to get away, and then looked at Dad for support, her eyes begging him to help.
“All right, Greg,” Dad said. “You’ve had your fun. Let her go.”
Greg raised an eyebrow, but did as he was asked, releasing his hold on her. “Yes, sir.”
Nicole pushed away from the table. “I’m going home.”
“Did I come on too strong?” Greg asked. “If so, I apologize.”
He winked at Nicole and she glared at him before turning to her parents. “I’m serious. I’m going home now. I refuse to be in the same room with him anymore.”
Tiffany glanced at Dad. “I suppose it’s fine if we leave now, right, dear?”
Dad sighed. “Yes.” He looked across the table at Sally. “Tell Walter we took Cole home and will try to return later.”
Nicole kept her head high as she strode out of the ballroom, up the stairs, and through the front doors.
She didn’t wait long after they’d gotten in the car before starting on her parents. “What was that all about? There’s no way I’m marrying him! And why do I need to, anyway? We all know what’s going to happen when Rebecca gives word! He and I will be gone and a stupid marriage to a stupid creep will be pointless!”
“We don’t know all of Rebecca’s plans,” Tiffany said. She glared at Nicole. “That was an embarrassing show of emotion back there. What is going on with you?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Possibly the fact that my parents are planning my marriage to a freak, and actually want me to be okay with it after he spent the entire evening groping me.”
“You’re being melodramatic, Nicole,” Tiffany said. “He’d only been with you for maybe half an hour.”
“Ridiculous,” Nicole said, staring out the window. Rebecca had better show up soon or there’d be some serious consequences. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“He’s not all bad,” Dad said. “Just get to know him.”
Nicole didn’t respond and her parents took the hint. The rest of the drive home was quiet, and she was grateful to find Rebecca waiting in her room when she got there.
Nicole didn’t say anything—she had a hard time even looking at the older woman as she prepared for bed.
“You’re mad at me,” Rebecca said. “What happened at the party?”
Nicole took a breath, undoing the clasp on her necklace. “Why couldn’t you have warned me about the creep? And that you’ve promised me to him?”
“Creep?” Rebecca’s expression showed confusion.
“Greg Huff.”
“Oh, him.” Rebecca laughed, getting to her feet. “There must be a misunderstanding.”
“Really? Do explain.”
“All right. I told Greg that if he agreed to work with you, you might become open to the idea of marrying him.” She rushed on. “But let me assure you, I have no intention of ever allowing him to do that.”
“Because we’ll both be dead?”
Rebecca’s face paled and she hesitated, then rushed to comfort Nicole. “Dear, of course not. You already know my plans, and they don’t require you to die—or any other Arete. He doesn’t know everything, though. He’s in a spiral of self destruction, and I’ve been doing as much as I can to get him out of it. He’s the only other Arete in the Tarian organization, so you’ll need to work together to destroy the embryonic manipulator.”
“So, I do have to spend time with him.”
“Yes, and I’m sorry about that. It’s obvious he disgusts you.”
“More than you can possibly know.” Nicole finished getting into her pajamas and climbed on her bed. “So, I don’t have to marry him?”
“No, but you may have to play along. Just a bit.”
“There’s no way I’m giving him any part of me—he’ll take everything he can get.”
“Yes, he will. Guard yourself around him. And I have to warn you, once he sets his sights on a girl, he rarely gives up until he’s broken her.”
Nicole moaned. “Why do I need his help?”
“Because the task will be incredibly difficult as it is, but it will be impossible without help. Not only that, but the elixir must be poured into the machine by two hands from separate Aretes. The elixir needs you, but the task can’t be completed without Greg.”
“Without the help of another Arete, you mean.”
“Yes.”
“Then why can’t I pick someone else? Why can’t my boyfriend do it?”
Rebecca hesitated. “How are things going with Austin, anyway?”
The way she asked caught Nicole’s attention. She obviously knew something was up.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering.” Her eyes flitted to Nicole, then away. “Umm . . . if something hasn’t happened, then expect it to shortly.”
“You mean, like seeing disgusting creatures while kissing him?”
Rebecca turned to Nicole. “Yes. And headaches, intense nausea, sneezing.”
“I haven’t sneezed yet. Why are the Great Ones doing this to me?”
“They don’t like distracted anointed ones. And . . . I hate to say this, but it’s probably permanent. It’ll get worse and worse until you’re completely unable to even hear his name mentioned without experiencing violent physical reactions.”
Nicole felt the blood drain out of her face, and she slumped back against her headboard. “Per . . . permanent? Why?”
“I don’t know all their plans, but there’s a strong chance they’ll want you to do more for them once you complete the task I’ve asked of you.”
“What do you mean? I’m not doing anything else! I’m already tired of being a guinea pig.” She sat upright. “And why didn’t you tell me any of this sooner?”
“I was worried it would make you back out.”
“Really? Well, you’re right! I’m about ready to back out now! Don’t think I’m too far into this project that I won’t.”
Rebecca sighed. “I understand why this upsets you so much. You’ve had it rough lately. I’ll see if I can get a message to them to lighten up after all this is over. In the meantime, focus on other people.”
Nicole felt tears pricking her eyes, but she refused to cry in front of the older woman. “I’d like to be alone now.”
“All right. I love you, dear.”
Nicole nodded but didn’t respond.
Rebecca disappeared. Still, Nicole struggled with letting her emotions spill out. She loved Austin, and as far as she was concerned, she always would. He was the first guy she’d felt like this about—this burning happiness that didn’t disappear when they weren’t in the same room.
Nicole turned off her lights and curled up in her bed. She’d have to talk to Austin soon.
She dreaded that conversation.
Chapter Three
Nicole’s flight back to Seattle was long and exhausting. She knew Lizzie was dying to hear how her visit home had gone, but she couldn’t muster the energy to fill in her best friend just yet.
The girls unpacked in their apartment in silence, then slumped together on the couch, preparing to watch movies all day.
After they’d finished the first one, Nicole finally talked to Lizzie about everything that had happened. Lizzie’s reaction to the Greg situation was similar to Nicole’s—complete disgust.
“And he’s already called once and emailed three times since Christmas Eve.” Nicole put a pillow over her face. “I can’t stand him, Lizzie. And with the problems Austin and I are having, I don’t know how much more of anything I can take.”
“What problems?”
“Remember when I saw things while he was kissing me? Well, apparently that’s going to be permanent.” Nicole groaned. “If what Rebecca said is true, I’m going to have to break up with him.” She told Lizzie about her conversation with Rebecca.
Lizzie made a sympathetic sound. “I’m so sorry. He’ll understand, I’m sure.”
“I know he will. And that’s what sucks. Any other guy would freak out and never forgive me.” She moaned, then attempted to push aside her depression. “Next movie?”
The girls watched two more before Nicole finally got up the courage to call Austin and invite him over. There was no way she’d break up with him over the phone.
The moment Austin entered the apartment, Nicole’s nausea struck, and she had to run to the bathroom.
Austin waited for her in the living room. “Still hasn’t gone away?”
She shook her head, then stared at her feet, sitting on the opposite end of the couch from him. “And it’s not going to,” she whispered. “I . . . They aren’t going to allow me to date you anymore.”
Austin didn’t respond for a moment, and Nicole finally looked up at him. His eyes glistened, but the expression on his face was compassionate. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”
Nicole nodded. “Me too.” Her heart broke as she watched the emotions of sadness, anger, hurt, disbelief, and finally acceptance play across his face.
“How long will it last?”
“Rebecca says the Great Ones want me to be free from you forever. She’s going to see if they’ll lighten up after the elixir thing has been resolved.”
“We probably won’t even be able to be in the same room anymore.”
“I don’t see any alternatives,” Nicole said. “Just being with you now makes me want to throw up again.”
Austin chuckled humorlessly. “I’ve never had that kind of rejection before.”
Nicole didn’t respond at first. She blinked back her tears. “I want to keep in touch with you as long as I can.” Thinking about losing him—about not being able to study with him, hug him, kiss him—made her heart ache all over again. She’d finally won him over. Picturing him with another girl made her breath catch in her throat. She forced that image away—she wouldn’t do that to herself.
“We can try, but it might become problematic.” Austin reached for Nicole, then dropped his hand. “Can you date other people?”
“I don’t know. Rebecca didn’t say.”
“Then I suggest you try it. I don’t want you to be alone.”
Nicole closed her eyes, trying to ignore the headache that had just come. “I don’t want you alone either.” She looked up at him earnestly. “Let’s promise to try again in a year.”
“And date other people in the meantime?”
“Yes.”
Austin rubbed his face. “Okay.”
Nicole decided not to tell him about Greg. It would only upset him and make him feel helpless. There wasn’t anything he could do to fix that situation.
Austin got to his feet. “I guess I should go now.”
Nicole nodded, unable to speak due to the bile rising in the back of her throat.
Austin hesitated, then placed a quick kiss on her cheek and stepped back, but not before the visions opened up again.
This time, they didn’t stop until he left the apartment.
***
Austin sent Nicole a text the next day, saying he’d gone to visit Albert, Prudence, and Orson in Moses Lake. They were happy, healthy, and missing Nicole. They asked her to come visit them sometime.
Nicole wasn’t able to respond. Even reading the message made her puke. She had Lizzie send a text from her phone, telling him how much Nicole appreciated the update. Austin replied to Lizzie, saying he’d text her with any updates from Elizabeth, who was spying on Rebecca. She hadn’t come to him with information yet, but he was sure it would happen soon.
Nicole signed up for classes, deciding to repeat the ones from the last semester since she’d been unable to finish any of them. She breathed a sigh of relief when she learned that none of her courses overlapped Lizzie’s schedule, as her friend and Austin were taking many of the same classes. Nicole wouldn’t accidentally run into him.
Two weeks later, after her first class with Coolidge, Nicole approached her teacher to make an appointment. She wanted to update him on everything that had happened over Christmas break.
Coolidge had an opening right then, so they walked together to his office, conversing about the events at Albert’s manor. Apparently, Albert had decided to flood the land where the farmhouse used to be and put a lake there, since he could still see glowing things at night. He wanted as much separation between him and the stuff as he could get.
Nicole couldn’t blame him. The spores that had been delivered by the meteor had nearly killed her and her friends. Not only that, but if they multiplied enough, they could create portals to other dimensions. She knew there had to be links between dimensions in many places around the world, but having even one less possibility felt good.
“He believes the water will keep the spores from growing,” Coolidge said.
Nicole nodded, taking a seat across his desk from him. “Understandable. It wasn’t until the well was emptied that they really started spreading.”
“Exactly.”
“How’s the land surrounding the meteor site?”
“It hasn’t overcome anything or grown healthy again, if that’s what you mean. Yet another reason why Albert plans to put in a lake.”
“I’d do the same.”
Coolidge leaned forward, steepling his fingers. “How was your visit with your family?”
Nicole groaned. “Disastrous. My parents are horrible. They had me go meet their Tarian friends, along with a disgusting, flirtatious guy they think I should marry. He ruined my evening.”
“But you’re dating Austin.”
Nicole shook her head sadly. “Not anymore.” She took a breath, then quickly filled in her professor on what had happened where Austin was concerned.
“I’m sorry to hear this.” Coolidge folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “And yet, there are plenty of worthy young men on campus. I’m sure you’ll find someone eventually.”
“That’s the thing. Why are the Great Ones so opposed to me dating—or even being near—Austin? My guess is that they’ll react the same way as soon as I create strong emotional ties with anyone else.”
“What about Lizzie?”
Nicole shrugged. “I don’t know—I don’t understand. I’m just as close to her as I am to Austin. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Love seems to change a lot of things. Perhaps Lizzie isn’t as strong a threat as Austin.” He tapped his lips. “Austin is also a very powerful Arete. And if their goal is to destroy Aretes, they’d naturally want you to stay away from someone who could so easily sway you.”
“But Rebecca says their goal is to destroy the embryonic manipulator, not Aretes. The Tarians want to get rid of Aretes.”
“And the Great Ones at some time were in agreement with the Tarians on that subject.”
“Yes. Good point.”
Nicole dropped into her thoughts for a bit. She only trusted Rebecca
because the woman had asked her to and she’d been right about so many other things so far. But what if she was lying to Nicole?
Nicole shook herself. That was a bridge she couldn’t cross until she’d learned the truth. And Elizabeth was the only one who could learn what that truth was. Who knew how long it would take for the woman to find enough information?
Nicole glanced up at Coolidge. “I wanted to see you for another reason.”
“What’s that?”
“I need to meet local Tarians. My parents had a list of all the Tarian groups around the world, but no address for any of them, other than the city and zip code.” Nicole pulled a folded sheet of paper from her pocket, putting it on Coolidge’s desk and sliding it toward him. “Here’s that information. Would you be able to figure out where they meet?”
Coolidge glanced at the sheet. “Possibly. It’s in the neighboring zip code from here.” His eyes fell to a slip of laminated paper that had fallen out of the folded one. “You’re still carrying that around?”
Nicole nodded. “I can’t help it—I want to figure out what happened to her.”
“She’s probably dead, Nicole.”
“I know.”
The person they referred to was named Anna Morse. She was an elderly woman Nicole had played the cello with while she was in Ohio learning to Channel her powers. The woman—or her apartment building—had been possessed, and Mrs. Morse had spent nearly an hour writing an account of what had happened to make it that way. This bit of paper was all that remained, and Nicole carried it everywhere with her.
Coolidge sighed. “I’ll do my best with this,” he said, indicating the folded sheet. He met Nicole’s gaze. “And about your situation with Austin. Make sure not to drop by my office without an appointment. As long as you always have one, I’ll be able to ensure he’s not around when you come.”
Nicole nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” She got up to go, then remembered one other item she’d planned to discuss with him. “I want to learn all of the Wind sub-abilities.”
“Lofty goal—there are hundreds of them.”
“I know. But I want to master my powers before anything happens with the elixir.”
Observe, Mosaic Chronicles Book Four Page 3