Forsake

by Andrea Pearson

  He looked at Nicole. “Take care of your best friend—there are many things in store for her.” His eyes narrowed. “Just as importantly, take care of yourself. You have a magnificent future ahead of you.”

  Nicole frowned, fidgeting with the containers in her hands. “What if I fail? What if something happens and I don’t end up doing what everyone thinks I will?”

  “You always have a choice. If you choose to do things that you shouldn’t do—if you don’t face the Great Ones and come back unscathed, thereby not becoming a guardian—everything we’ve done this evening, everything you’ve had a hand in, will be undone. I hope for everyone’s sake that doesn’t happen.”

  “That’s awful!” Nicole wailed. “We can’t leave it to chance. Shouldn’t I retain my memories? Isn’t it dangerous for me to forget and risk me making stupid decisions?”

  Chuck and Alexander met eyes, Chuck asking Alexander the same question. Alexander shook his head.

  He turned to Nicole. “Unfortunately, not all the hounds are chasing Lizzie. I’ve already explained to you that when an evil hound senses that someone knows too much about them, that hound will hunt that person down and devour them. Even with this warning, if I allow you to retain your memory, you will eventually come to a point where you’ll feel safe researching the hounds. With the knowledge you have of them now, you’re already drawing their attention. Even thinking about what has happened will draw their attention even more. And how will you absolutely refrain from thinking about them? How is it possible for you not to dwell on the events of this last week? There are far too many hounds not currently hunting Lizzie, and only the ones who came to the castle know well enough to chase the effigy.”

  Nicole nodded. He was right. “Okay, I understand.” She shook Chuck’s hand. “It’s been a pleasure meeting and working with you. I hope someday I’ll remember it.”

  “Oh, you will.” He smiled at her, clasping her hand in both of his. Then he stepped up to the pentagram and pressed his thumb into it. He dissolved into the same substance that had first appeared. It puddled on the ground underneath the pentagram, with a strand that had originally been his thumb, hand, and arm leading up to the pentagram, still attached to it.

  Nicole, Chuck, and the guard watched as the puddle slowly crept up the wall, disappearing into the etching.

  “Why does it have to be so gross?” Nicole asked.

  “Don’t know,” Alexander said. “At least it’s not boring, right?”

  He turned to Nicole and the guard. “Are you ready?”

  “In the future, I’ll have to remember all this. The hounds will know about me. What will happen then? What will protect me?”

  “You’ll have Lizzie to protect you,” Alexander said. “And she is more than capable.”

  They checked to make sure they had everything they’d brought, then said goodbye to the guard and left. As they were heading down the road, they passed the replacement guard. He smiled at them, not seeming too concerned about their presence. Maybe people occasionally walked around the castle in the morning.

  Alexander and Nicole got into the car, and she glanced at him while putting on her seatbelt. “Let’s wait until I’m at least at the airport because you’re going to have to erase my memory of you, too.”

  Alexander nodded. “Good point. Let me work on everyone else, though.” He put a hand inside the bag and closed his eyes. A slight pressure built up around him, power pulsing through the air. The bag slowly deflated, and Nicole felt trails of magic leaving, snaking away in every direction. Eventually, the bag was nearly empty, and Alexander opened his eyes.

  “It’s done.”

  “Will they all forget?”

  “Most everyone. Some, of necessity, must remember. But they don’t know enough about the hounds or what transpired to be in danger.”

  “What happens with the ones who’ve forgotten? How does it work?”

  “Everyone is different. Basically, they have to fall asleep for the spell to work. The urge to sleep will be overpowering. Those who are unaware of their memory loss will give in to that urge almost immediately, but those who are aware will fight as long as they can.” He sent a gaze to Nicole. “Don’t put it off for too long—eventually, it will become so overwhelming that it’ll be dangerous for you not to sleep.”

  Nicole felt butterflies tickling her stomach. She didn’t like the thought that her mind would be messed with. “What will replace the memories? I mean, I’ve been gone almost a whole week. I’ve missed school. What sort of excuse will I have for the days that are gone?”

  Alexander shrugged. “I don’t really control what takes the place of missing memories. The mind is an amazing thing, though. It will sense that something is wrong, and especially because magic caused the memories to go away, the brain will fill in the blanks.”

  Alexander was about to start the car and pull away when the guard they’d been working with all evening tapped on his window.

  Alexander rolled the window down. “Yes?”

  “Can I help you with anything?”

  For a second, Nicole wondered if the spell hadn’t worked. She froze, watching Alexander, waiting for him to do something.

  “When does the castle open for visitors?” Alexander asked.

  The guard glanced at his watch. “It’s been open for about twenty minutes now. You can go ahead and get started on your tour, if you wish. There are brochures for you to read about the events that have taken place in this castle. I hope you enjoy your visit—it’s a wonderful location.”

  Nicole relaxed. He didn’t remember them.

  The guard gave a small wave, then walked away, his hands behind his back, whistling as he strolled down the hill. Nicole figured he must live in the village nearby.

  “Did he already sleep?” she asked.

  “He must have,” Alexander said. “Some people only require a power nap. Others—most likely you—need quite a bit of sleep before things are rectified.”

  They drove to Frankfurt, neither saying anything, content to enjoy the silence that filled the car. When they got to Frankfurt, they ate breakfast at a small restaurant. Nicole relaxed in her seat, staring out the window, feeling safer than she had in days.

  Frankfurt was a beautiful city. The restaurant was next to a river, and tall, modern buildings were visible in the distance, still lit up in some places despite the rising sun. Nearby, very European-looking buildings—Nicole wasn’t sure what they were called—glowed red in that sunrise, their narrow windows glinting and gleaming. They were surrounded with planters of flowers and small shrubbery.

  Nicole and Alexander finished their meal and drove to the airport. They decided it would be best for Nicole to take a commercial flight home from Germany. It would be difficult for her to figure out why she was on a private flight, and they wanted to make things as easy as possible.

  She gave him a hug across the console, then nodded at him.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Alexander put his hand in the bag, and Nicole felt a slight tickle behind her nose. A sudden urge to sleep flooded over her.

  “Is that it?” she asked.

  Alexander nodded. She was surprised to see that his eyes were glistening. Was he going to cry?

  “Will I see you again?” she asked, resisting the urge to lean against the headrest.

  Alexander looked at her tenderly, his eyes warm and his expression open. “Yes, Nicole. I’ll be the one to pull your memories to the surface when the time is right—when Lizzie is ready to know more about herself. It’ll be a couple of years, but my promise to you now is that I’ll be watching over you during that time. You’re like a granddaughter to me.” He chuckled. “Well, like a great-great-great-great-great-great—”

  Nicole laughed. “I get the point—you’re extremely old.”

  “No, the point was that you’re extremely young.”

  She rubbed her eyes and smiled. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you. Not so much the reason behind it, of course.�
�

  “I understand.” He leaned back in his seat, staring out the windshield. “Enjoy yourself. Focus on developing your powers—your future is bright. And protect Lizzie as much as you can.”

  Nicole frowned. “I won’t remember any of this.”

  “Your body will—I can’t make the individual cells forget, just your mind. It’ll be natural for you.”

  Nicole hoped he was right. She hugged him again, waved goodbye, then entered the airport and purchased her ticket home, pushing the need for sleep away. The pain she felt from running and having her magic borrowed had all dissipated. The exhaustion her legs and body felt from overexertion increased, and a warmth spread across her back, head, and neck, inviting her to relax, to sit down and sleep for hours.

  She fought the exhaustion for as long as she could, but eventually, she realized it was better not to. They were somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean when she slipped into a deep sleep.

  ***

  Nicole woke as the plane touched down in Dallas. She stretched, enjoying the pops as she worked the kinks out of her neck and back. Thank goodness she’d been able to take a break for the week. School had been so stressful lately, especially her Restart and resulting breakup with that jerk of a boyfriend. Tiffany and Dad hadn’t been so glad about her jet setting out of the country, but as usual, they didn’t try to stop her.

  Her memories were a little fuzzy—something about castles and impressive manors and lots of airplanes, but with all the jet lag she was experiencing, she was too tired to pull much to the front of her brain. She hoped she took plenty of pictures.

  Nicole almost decided to search for her car in the parking lot, but couldn’t remember where she parked it and didn’t want to wander aimlessly. She vaguely remembered someone driving her around—had that been here or in Europe? She took a cab home, checked that her car was in the garage—it was—then plugged in her phone, which had died completely. Her laptop and luggage were already waiting for her on the bed.

  The ticket on the luggage said England. She frowned. She vaguely remembered getting separated from it between there and Frankfurt. Thank goodness it had made it home.

  Nicole’s eyes landed on the music box sitting on her nightstand. Why was it there? She hadn’t seen it out of its protective Tupperware container in years. She picked it up, opening it, smiling as the familiar tune filled the air.

  “You’re finally home,” Tiffany said from the doorway. “You’ve got a lot to pay your father back for. Blood everywhere, your little jaunt to Europe, abandoning your car. Completely reckless, Nicole. And don’t think we won’t forget exactly how much money you ‘borrowed’ from Dad.” She glared at Nicole for a moment, then pointed at the music box. “If I weren’t bound, I would have tossed that out the window or thrown it in the trash.”

  Nicole frowned. “Grandma gave it to me!” She rubbed her forehead, trying to remember what Tiffany was talking about. “And the money—I’ll pay him back soon. I’ve probably got enough in the bank to cover whatever I borrowed.”

  “Fine. Well, do something about that music box. I’ll keep my end of the bargain, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be the one to hide the thing.”

  Nicole shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

  Tiffany glared at her before storming from the room. Fully confused but realizing she couldn’t force Tiffany to open up, Nicole pulled down the Tupperware container where she usually kept her music box. She gently tucked the box away, making sure it was well wrapped. Then she returned the container to its spot on the top shelf. It had been there for at least eight years, if not nine.

  Nicole turned to her phone, glad to see the speed charger had already charged it to twenty-five percent. She turned it on, leaving it plugged in. It beeped over and over again as she received texts and missed phone call notifications.

  Most of them were from Lizzie. Rather than opening them all, Nicole gave her best friend a call.

  “Hey, glad you finally got back to me,” Lizzie said, then she rushed onward, her words spilling out of her mouth in a tangle. “I seriously need a haircut and pedicure. And gosh, Nicole, I’m not going to make you paint my toenails. I’m not sure why you were going to do it anyway. Can you remember? I mean, if you’re dead set on doing it, I guess you can and I’ll definitely appreciate it, but we’ve never given each other pedicures before. Do we want to start now, or would you rather go to a salon and have someone else do our toes at the same time so we can relax?”

  Nicole chuckled to herself. She sure loved Lizzie, and couldn’t think of a better way to get over her jet lag. “You want to meet here? Or should I head over there?”

  Lizzie chuckled. “Come here, please. I’d like to take a break from running into your mom. The fitting was enough.”

  Nicole grinned. Not caring that her phone was far from being charged, she unplugged it and tucked it and her charger into her purse, then grabbed her keys from her nightstand. She couldn’t wait to spend the rest of the day with her best friend.

  ###

  http://andreapearsonbooks.com/

  Note from the author:

  Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed Forsake, my companion novel to the Mosaic Chronicles. A little tidbit of info: the names “Conor” and “Alexander” are hints to their personalities. Conor is an Irish name that means “hound lover,” and Alexander means “protector of humans.” I had a lot of fun picking their names. :-)

  The Mosaic Chronicles tell how Nicole becomes a guardian of magical items. That entire nine-book series has been finished and is available for download.

  The Shade Amulet, Koven Chronicles Book One, will be available for download soon. While Forsake is a prequel novel to the Mosaic Chronicles, as you can tell, it mainly focuses on setting up Lizzie’s adventures, which I can’t wait to dig into. :-)

  Below you’ll find a teaser from Discern, the first book in the Mosaic Chronicles, for those who would like to continue Nicole’s story and find out how she becomes a guardian of magical items. You’ll find a teaser below from the book, even if you don’t want to continue Nicole’s story. ;-) :-) Also, learn how you can receive several stories of mine for free here. (Including Discern, Austin’s Perception, and Praxis. :-))

  Much love!

  Andrea

  P.S. Every time a reader leaves a review, Lizzie moves just a little bit farther away from those hounds. Would you please post one on Forsake? I’d so appreciate it.

  Discern Teaser

  Nicole put her stuff down, not wanting anything to be in her hands when she picked up the disgusting book. She reached for it, but hesitated. Already, she could sense warmth coming from the leather cover, and she wasn’t even touching it. Its magical pulses were different from the other items—they seemed to drip off the book like sweat.

  Nicole hesitated, but wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t as if something bad would happen, right? She took a deep breath and placed her hands on the book. It shivered under her touch and she cringed, pulling back. The sensation of warm leather made her flesh crawl, and she rubbed her hands and arms on her jeans, trying to get the feeling to go away.

  Come on, Nicole. Don’t wimp out.

  Without letting herself think about it, she picked up the book and lifted the cover.

  A wind rushed over her, blowing her hair back, roaring in her ears. She caught a brief whiff of tobacco smoke before the surge of air reversed and sucked the breath out of her lungs, making her gasp.

  The floor under her quaked. The book vibrated. The leather on the cover moved, muscles beneath it flexing. Nicole tried to drop the book, but couldn’t. She was unable to control her hands or fingers. They clenched so tightly, they ached. A shadow covered the pages of the book, preventing her from reading.

  What was going on? She gasped again, trying to breathe against the strong wind. She felt someone touch her shoulder, but she couldn’t move. Her fingers still clung to the book. The shadow on the pages shifted, roiled, and turned toward her, the brief outline of a face visible. It
watched her for several moments.

  Nicole . . .

  The voice was soft, deep. A strange yearning inside her made her want to read the book, to understand. To join the owner of the voice, though she didn’t know where or what he was.

  The wind slowed to a gentle and familiar caress across her cheek. Familiar?

  Then suddenly, it all stopped. The book fell from her hands and slammed itself shut. She backed away, her arms, legs—everything—shaking.

  “What happened?” Professor Coolidge asked next to her, making her jump.

  “I—I don’t know.” Nicole tried to smooth her hair, but her hands shook too much. She tucked them under her arms. “It said my name . . . and there was a shadow. In-inside it.”

  Coolidge lifted the leather book. His mouth popped open in surprise. “You’ve activated a force within it—something alive.” He looked at her, fear and worry on his face. “How did you do that?”

  Nicole shook her head. “I don’t know,” she repeated.

  Professor Coolidge put the book back on the table. “I’m not sure what to say, other than the book is much more powerful than it used to be.” He peered at her, scrutinizing her. “And I’d love to know why it called to you, why you woke it up, when so many others have not.”

  Disappearances at a popular national park... Monsters from another dimension... And Nicole can't use her magic. What could possibly go wrong?

  Find out today in Discern!

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  About the Author

  USA Today bestselling author Andrea Pearson is an avid reader and outdoor enthusiast who plays several instruments, not including the banjo, and loves putting together musical arrangements. Her favorite sports are basketball and football, though several knee surgeries and incurably awful coordination prevent her from playing them.