She immediately gagged, spitting the apple flesh out of her mouth, grabbing for her glass of lemonade, nearly knocking it over in her hurry to get it. She wasn’t the only one—all the others were gulping down their drinks, trying to remove the awful taste from their mouths. It was repulsive—like rotted worms that had died while eating pizza.
Nicole finished off her glass, but the flavors still burned on her tongue, making her eyes smart. Nothing she did helped.
Winston stood there, horrified, a look of shock on his face. Then he raced around, grabbing the apples from Albert and his visitors. “I’m sorry—so sorry,” he said over and over again. He and Prudy rushed from the room, carrying the basket.
They returned moments later with tall glasses of milk, which everyone accepted gratefully.
“I don’t know what happened to them apples,” Winston said. “They’re usually so good.”
Nicole downed the glass of milk, noticing that the taste of rot subsided. She leaned back in her chair, breathing deeply, rubbing her face and the tears from her eyes.
Austin coughed. “I don’t think I’ll have another apple, if that’s all right.”
Winston chuckled, then apologized again, but Albert stopped him. “It’s not your fault—these things happen.”
Winston nodded. “I know. I’m still sorry.”
Prudy took everyone’s now-empty glasses, and she and Winston left, obviously ashamed and embarrassed.
“How humiliating,” Nicole said. “They couldn’t possibly have known that would happen.”
Albert shook his head. “No, they couldn’t have.”
Wanting to wash her face, Nicole asked where the bathroom was, then excused herself. Following Albert’s directions, she passed through several rooms and down a hallway until she found the place. It had obviously once been a closet that was converted sometime after indoor plumbing was invented. The light was dim and the room smelled of old wood.
Nicole washed her face, relishing the feel of cool water, especially after that experience with the apple. She peered at herself in the mirror, noticing that all traces of makeup were now long gone.
“Stupid, disgusting apple,” she whispered.
She pulled mascara out of her purse and applied it, then noticed a spider crawling along the sink. “Oh, great,” she whispered, then glanced in the mirror, looking behind herself. The bathroom was still empty.
“I know you’re here,” Nicole said. “Just . . . just come out.”
A faint white outline appeared next to her, then strengthened in substance until the old woman Nicole knew to expect after seeing spiders stood next to her.
Nicole frowned. “I thought we had an agreement that I wouldn’t read the book until I’m ready to.” Nicole knew that wasn’t exactly the promise she’d made while in Arches, but she hoped the old woman wouldn’t remember.
“You must read it, Nicole.”
Nicole jumped, hand on her heart. “You can talk? Since when can you talk?”
The old woman shook her head, her long gray hair billowing around her. “Read the book.”
Nicole sighed in exasperation. “I’ll think about it.” She put her mascara in her purse and left the bathroom, heading through the manor to the instrument room.
“It’s time to go,” Coolidge said. He pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Albert. “You’ve already got my cell, but I’d like to get frequent updates on the situation with the meteor.” He pointed to the card. “That the number to my office, where I spend a lot of time. My cell doesn’t work there. Feel free to call me if you ever need help.”
Albert agreed to do so, then escorted the four out to Coolidge’s car, where he helped Austin and Coolidge remove his new contraption from the trunk. Once the food preserver was set up in the manor and the space was clear, Albert brought out the cello and gently placed it in the trunk, tucking blankets around the case to keep it from sliding.
When he’d finished, he glanced up at Nicole. “There are obviously much better ways to transport a cello of this worth. But seeing as how most cars can’t make it to the manor, this will have to do.”
Nicole was quiet the whole way home, thinking about the cello and the old woman. She didn’t look forward to being in the same room with that book again—the one the woman wanted her to read. At the start of school a couple of months earlier, she’d touched it and had awakened it, then for several weeks, it, and the creepy shadow that dwelled in it, had followed her everywhere. Coolidge had locked it away in a magical cabinet in his office, where it waited, gaining strength, calling to her.
Now that Nicole knew how to Channel and would be developing her powers, the time to read the book was upon her. She only hoped she’d be ready for whatever happened.
Chapter Two
Sunday evening, back in her apartment, Nicole received an email from Coolidge, asking if she wanted to continue her study sessions with him, Toby, and Pete. They met three times a week to focus on cello Wind Arete abilities, and the sessions had really helped her. She emailed him back saying yes, and he responded right away, letting her know that Austin would be joining them for tomorrow’s session.
Nicole leaned back on the couch, staring at her laptop.
Lizzie looked up from where she was doing homework on the other couch. “Something wrong?”
“I don’t know.” Nicole tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “Austin promised he’d help me learn to Channel . . . and I guess I expected him to contact me about it by now. It’s been a week since I got back from Ohio.”
“You didn’t have another cello until yesterday, though.”
“True . . . but Coolidge just told me that Austin is coming to our study session tomorrow. I don’t want to read too much into it, but does that mean he’s not wanting to study with me one-on-one? Or is this just for tomorrow?” Nicole looked up at her best friend. “Was I wrong about his feelings?”
Lizzie put down her pen. “No, you weren’t. Austin is crazy about you—it was so obvious yesterday. He still can’t keep his eyes off you. And besides, he did kiss you on the expedition.”
“All of that feels so trivial now without him actually calling or texting or contacting me in any way. And you know he didn’t talk to me at all while I was in Ohio.”
“It’ll work out. I know it will.”
Nicole nodded, then rested her head on the couch. “How are you and Nate?”
Nate was Austin’s roommate, and he and Lizzie had become good friends. They went to parties all the time and talked and studied together frequently.
“There’s no ‘me and Nate.’ I’m not interested in him. Not like that, anyway.”
Nicole’s jaw dropped. “You? Not interested in a member of the opposite sex? Is it possible?”
Lizzie chucked her pen at Nicole, grinning. “Knock it off, girl. He’s just a friend. And that would be way too weird—you dating Austin and me dating his roommate. Life never works out that way.”
“Sure it does.” Nicole tossed the pen back to Lizzie, then shut her laptop. “Besides, I’m not dating Austin.” She held up her hand, silencing Lizzie’s retort. “Not yet, anyway. We’ll see what happens.”
Lizzie pushed her books aside. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. You’re still going to be doing study sessions with Coolidge, even though you aren’t enrolled in classes. Do you want to come to classes with me? Mrs. Whitman’s, especially? She’d definitely let you audit, and there’s always room. That way, you can keep learning, and we’ll get to hang out more.”
Nicole nodded. “Sounds like a great idea. Next semester will be pretty difficult—if we want to be in the same classes, I’ll need to work really hard to catch up—so this will help.”
“And I’ll study with you. It’ll be fine.”
Nicole knew Lizzie would—it had been that way since they’d met in second grade. Lizzie, the outgoing, bubbly one, and Nicole the serious, contemplative one—they’d made a great team for many years.
***
Monday afternoon found Nicole standing outside Professor Coolidge’s office, where she would be working on Wind magic with Toby, Pete, Coolidge, and Austin. Butterflies in her stomach distracted her for a moment—she was about to see Austin again!—but she pushed those feelings aside. She wouldn’t let him know how excited and nervous she was to see him. Not yet, anyway—she needed to gauge his feelings first.
As soon as Nicole stepped into the room, she felt the pulsings that originated from the magical cabinet where Coolidge had locked up the old book. It was calling to her, wanting her to come to it, to free it. She glared at the cabinet, wishing she could tell the stupid book to leave her alone for just a while longer. She was almost ready.
Toby looked up from where he was playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and grinned. Nicole sent him a smile, then claimed one of the empty chairs, glancing around the room. Pete was there. He readjusted his glasses and waved, his curly hair spilling forward. Coolidge said hi from his desk, not looking up. Austin hadn’t come yet.
“How was Ohio?” Toby asked. His usually combed-to-the-side light brown hair had been gelled until it looked windblown. The new style complimented his high cheekbones, giving him a nice, fresh look. “And the expedition? It’s been a long time since you were here.”
Nicole bit the inside of her cheek, remembering the text he had sent her before she went to Arches. He’d wanted to take her on a date. He hadn’t texted her since, and she wondered if he was waiting for her to say something. Probably. But what? She had to see if things would progress with Austin first. Not that Toby was less attractive or desirable—she just hadn’t felt anything toward him yet. At least, not on the same level as what she’d felt toward Austin.
She still hesitated. “I’m not sure how to sum them up without taking an hour or two.”
“I heard about Arches . . . and the caverns caving in on you and killing almost everyone.”
Oh, yes. That was right—the government had decided to hide what really happened from the general populace. They’d made everyone who lived through the events practically sign their lives away until something was decided. Which meant nothing would be said for many years, if ever. But that wouldn’t stop the massive and dangerous creatures that had been found from returning.
“Yeah, it was pretty scary.”
Toby didn’t say anything else, and Nicole didn’t offer more information. She glanced at the clock, wondering if Austin was planning on showing up or not.
Nicole unzipped the cello case, then carefully undid the straps that supported the antique instrument. The moment her hand brushed it, she felt that now-familiar zing. Would that happen every time she touched it?
Coolidge’s door opened, and Austin entered. He nodded to Coolidge, then hesitated when he saw that the only empty chair left in the room was the one next to Nicole. He grumbled, yanked the chair away from the music stand, and plopped into it, pulling out a tablet. A sour expression was on his face.
Nicole’s stomach dropped to somewhere around her feet. Why was he upset?
“Hey, Austin,” she said after Toby and Pete had greeted him.
He didn’t respond, and he didn’t look up from his tablet.
She swallowed, then turned to the other guys. “So, I got a new cello.”
“Oooooh,” Pete said, his curly hair drifting into his eyes again as he leaned over to see. “What kind?”
“You’ll never guess.”
“It’s a Stradivarius,” Austin said, still not looking up. “And no, neither of you can touch it. Not even I can. Only Nicole has permission to use it.”
Nicole frowned, disappointed that Austin had spoiled her surprise. She pulled out the cello’s endpin and tightened her bow, then sat back in her chair, pretending not to be offended.
“Let’s get started,” Austin said. He motioned to his tablet, then to Nicole. He still didn’t make eye contact. “I’ll be monitoring what happens when you play. Now that we’ve found your true focus for Channeling, we have to figure out your sub-ability.”
“Sub-ability . . .” Nicole said, not wanting to look stupid for being unable to remember what that meant.
Austin grunted. “The aspect of Wind that allows you to control it. Lizzie works with Fire, but she can’t actually make it grow. She only creates the spark that starts it.”
Toby nodded. “And I’m able to pull moisture to myself, through the air. Pete here shuffles papers, if you’ll remember.”
Nicole did—they’d both given her demonstrations during her first study session with them.
“So,” she said, “we need to find mine.”
“Exactly,” Toby said. He pointed to Austin. “Well, that’s what he’ll be doing. Once you figure it out, we’ll be able to help you strengthen it.”
Austin glanced at Nicole, barely making eye contact before looking away. “Start playing. Clear your mind first, then concentrate on your breathing. Once that’s happened, you may begin allowing your powers to escape through your cello. Keep your eyes closed—it’ll be easier if you don’t see anything at first. I’ll watch for you.”
Nicole lifted her bow, then put it to her strings and started. She refused to think of Austin sitting next to her. What had changed? He was acting so odd, so abrupt.
Nicole turned her attention to her playing. Her immediate song of choice was Smetana’s Moldau, and she played it quietly, barely thinking about the notes as they flew from her fingers. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, then concentrated on her breathing. Once she felt like it was under control, Nicole reached out to the imaginary dam that held back her powers. Only, this time there was no dam—nothing was blocking it. The magic had already flowed through and was flooding around her, soaking her, making her gasp for breath.
“Keep your eyes shut,” Austin said, his voice hoarse.
Nicole hadn’t even noticed she’d opened them. Doing as she was told, she continued playing, letting the magic rush over her, watching in her mind’s eye as it became frothy and fizzy, teased by a wind that grew up and billowed over her.
“Austin—” Toby coughed to clear his throat. “Is anything even happening?”
Austin growled. “Shhh.”
Nicole kept going, enjoying the sensations of music blending with wind and magic, twirling and whipping. But after several moments of no one saying anything, she peeked at Austin. He had his hand on his chin, a scowl on his face. He’d abandoned his notes and was staring at her.
“You can stop now,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
Nicole lowered her bow, wondering why he was whispering. Had she done something wrong? “What’s going on?”
“Nothing’s going on.” He glanced at Coolidge, who was now watching. “I sensed her magic—it’s flowing freely. So what’s wrong?”
A small smile played at the corners of Coolidge’s lips. “Austin, you should have figured it out.” He looked at Nicole. “I’m not surprised that her natural ability is a rare one. Most Wind Aretes control wind, obviously. They carry things with it, create small storms, and dispel smoke and other pollutants. But the ability to silence sound at its origination doesn’t happen very often.”
Austin frowned. “If that were her sub-ability, I would have noticed it.”
“But it is, and you didn’t.” Coolidge got up and opened a drawer near the magical cabinet. He pulled out a music box, wound it up, and set it on his desk. A tinny melody played out, filling the office with its sound.
“Play again, Nicole, and focus on silencing this. You don’t need to close your eyes.”
Nicole raised her bow and began Ashokan Farewell, watching the music box and willing its sound to stop. It happened almost immediately. While Nicole played, the music box didn’t make a noise. It still turned—she could see the little handle on the side moving—but nothing came out.
She grinned, stopping, and the melody flowed again. “That’s awesome!”
Austin scowled. “Why didn’t I notice?”
“I think you did,” Coolidge said. He motioned to Toby. “You coughed and cleared your throat.” He pointed to Austin. “And you were whispering.”
Austin nodded.
Coolidge continued. “Living creatures are much more difficult to control than inanimate objects. An animal or human will fight to speak. Much of the time, they won’t even notice your ability, Nicole, unless you’re trying really hard.” His eyes sparkled as he sat back at his desk. “We’ll have fun with that, once she’s ready.” He returned to his papers. “In the meantime, have her focus on inanimate objects.”
Austin motioned for Nicole to begin, and they met eyes. She searched his for any sign of friendship, of warmth, but there was nothing there. She sighed inwardly and started playing again.
With Austin instructing her, Nicole practiced turning the music box on and off over and over again. Then he had Toby play a single, long note on his cello, and she practiced silencing that. At first, manipulating her magic was weird. She felt it flowing from her chest as it danced over to the source of the sound, tugging on her sternum. But after a few minutes, she adjusted, and no longer noticed the pull as much.
Her progress was fast, and even Austin seemed satisfied with how well she did.
While finishing up, Nicole caught sight of a spider moments before the old woman hovered into view. She didn’t even have time to react before the woman gave her message—“Nicole, please read the book”—and left. Nicole sat, stunned, for several moments, then frowned, realizing the woman wouldn’t be ignored any longer. The book needed to be read. And now that Nicole could control her powers even just a little bit, it was time to open that cabinet.
She had to wait until Toby and Pete were gone, though.
Austin finally called it quits, and Nicole, Toby, and Pete put their instruments away.
Coolidge asked Nicole and Austin to stick around, and once the other two had left, he said, “I’ve been researching on that meteor and have asked around to those who tested it. They haven’t discovered anything, and I might be heading back to Moses Lake to study its affects after finals week is over. I’ll probably want the two of you there with me.”
Praxis Novellas, Mosaic Chronicles Book Two Page 12