“I can’t defend it on my own, not in my present state.” He motioned to his still-flickering body.
Nicole’s eyes narrowed, wondering if this was all a hoax of Keitus’s. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“Search your heart, Nicole. Am I being dishonest with you? The connection we share as guardians of Shonlin will guide you.”
Nicole closed her eyes, breathing deeply, reaching toward the connection he was talking about. She felt warmth, peace, calm. A sense of honesty and loyalty radiated from this being.
She could trust him.
She looked at him again. “Okay, tell me what to do.”
His gaze pierced into hers, making it impossible to look away. “Choose a companion. Come immediately.”
Nicole’s thoughts automatically flew to Austin, then Coolidge, but the guardian shook his head after each. “They’re not pure enough and will try to stop you—keep you from acting quickly.”
“Not pure enough?” What did he mean by that?
The guardian didn’t answer her question, and Nicole whispered, “What about Lizzie?” Please say no. As much as she wanted to spend time with her best friend, she didn’t think the girl was ready to fight.
But the guardian approved immediately. “Go to Mendon. Follow the path I’ll show you now.”
A vision appeared in Nicole’s mind, similar to what she saw when she approached the glowing lights in Shonlin. It took her to a canyon near a small town in Utah. She didn’t know how she knew it was Utah—she just did. A beautiful valley of sprawling farmland was near the town. A trail up the canyon was lit, and Nicole was surprised to see Makalos living in that canyon. Makalos on earth?
“Why do I have to go this way?”
“It’s the only link to Eklaron you’ll be able to traverse without Jacob’s help. The Makalos will assist you. Come, hurry—Shonlin needs you now.”
And with that, he faded away.
Nicole didn’t waste another moment. She sprang from her bed, tripping over her covers as they dropped to the floor.
Lizzie was sitting at the kitchen table, still doing homework. The poor girl looked exhausted.
“We have to go to Utah,” Nicole said. “Right now.”
“What? Utah? Why?”
“Go pack clothes for both of us—two days, at least. I’ll buy plane tickets and explain on the way.”
Lizzie jumped up, obviously sensing Nicole’s urgency, and rushed from the room. Nicole opened her laptop and drummed her fingers on the table, waiting as the laptop woke. It took five minutes to buy tickets. The plane left in only an hour. She hoped they’d make it to the airport on time.
Nicole had Lizzie drive so she could explain what had happened without distraction.
“Whoa, this is crazy,” Lizzie said once Nicole finished. “Did you know the guardian could appear to you?”
Nicole shook her head. “Onyev never said anything about it.”
“And you’re sure it was him?”
Nicole nodded. “Definitely.”
“How?”
Nicole shook her head again. “It’s hard to explain. I feel a connection with him—it’s still there. It makes me feel good. Calm, peaceful. I don’t know if it’s possible to be completely sure, but I know I can trust him.”
“Good enough for me,” Lizzie said, gripping the steering wheel. “What are you going to tell Austin?”
“Nothing.”
Lizzie’s mouth popped open and she looked at Nicole for a moment, a surprised expression on her face. “Are you sure?”
Nicole nodded.
“Why not? I mean, he could actually help us.”
“The guardian said he wasn’t pure—that he’d try to stop me.” Nicole frowned, still troubled by the guardian’s words. “I wish I knew what he meant.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Easy for you to say—he’s not your boyfriend.”
Lizzie grunted. “You have no idea what sort of pureness scale the guardian is going by. I mean, what if pure means someone who has interacted with the Great Ones?”
“You haven’t interacted with them, and the guardian approved you.”
“Okay, bad example,” Lizzie said. “But impure could mean he would be more concerned with how something affects him rather than how it affects humanity as a whole.”
Nicole didn’t respond. She could see that being a possibility, though. Austin wasn’t selfish, but he wasn’t as annoyed by the injustices that bothered Nicole.
“And he’ll always put your safety above anyone else’s.”
That definitely was true.
Lizzie glanced at Nicole. “Or ‘impure’ could be someone who listens to Coldplay.”
“Austin doesn’t listen to Coldplay.”
“My point exactly—not listening makes him impure.”
Nicole smiled. “Thanks for helping. I appreciate it. But you have to understand why it concerned me.” She wasn’t as bothered by Coolidge or Jacob being inappropriate options. She wasn’t in a relationship with them.
Lizzie glanced at Nicole. “You’re dating a good guy and you know it. Everyone knows it—he worships the ground you walk on.” A wistful expression crossed her face. “I want to find a guy like him—someone who loves me completely the way Austin loves you. Someone who’ll fight for me, take care of me, protect me.”
Nicole was tempted to tease her friend for showing signs of finally wanting to settle down, but knew now wasn’t the time. She really couldn’t believe how very lucky she was to have Austin in her life. “What about Chet?”
Lizzie snorted. “He’s a good guy—don’t get me wrong. I can’t help but wonder if we’re only dating out of convenience, though. He didn’t have to work very hard to get me.” Her gaze flitted to Nicole before she returned it to the road. “I don’t mean that I’m easy. You know me—I’m definitely not easy. But I approached him, I got his number, I called him, I asked him out first.”
“And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s working great for you.”
Lizzie shrugged and Nicole’s eyebrows rose as she realized something. “You’re not happy with him.”
Lizzie didn’t respond, but Nicole didn’t need her to. “Chet doesn’t complete you—he doesn’t fill that hole deep inside.”
Lizzie shook her head, her eyes moist looking in the fading sunlight.
Nicole reached over and grabbed Lizzie’s hand where it rested on her lap. “Oh, Lizzie—he’s out there somewhere. The guy who will be home to you. He’s waiting and searching for you.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Nicole touched her best friend’s shoulder when Lizzie lifted her hand to turn a corner. “I know I am.”
They were silent the rest of the way to the airport, where they parked in long-term parking. They rushed through security and to their gate, barely making it on time.
Nicole was too wound up to sleep on the flight. She couldn’t help but worry about her best friend while also hoping Austin wouldn’t think to check in with them until well into the next day. The more ground they covered before he realized they’d left, the better.
Course, there was still the issue with Jacob and his key . . . Once the others realized they were gone, Nicole was positive Jacob would just Time-See, then key to wherever she and Lizzie were when he found them.
Nicole could only hope they would be far enough away by then that keying to them would be impossible. At the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder what was so urgent about the situation that she couldn’t even tell her closest friends what was going on.
After landing, the girls arranged for a cab, grateful there was even one available that late. Then they settled in for the drive to Mendon.
Once they were near the town, Nicole jumped when the road before them started faintly glowing, showing her the path they needed to take. She felt the guardian’s presence in her mind and knew he was giving her the information.
She led the driver to an older, white-panele
d home. The porch light was on, but the rest of the house was dark. Nicole paid the driver, then she and Lizzie slowly approached the house, carrying their backpacks, pretending this was their destination.
Once the cab driver had turned around and pulled away, Nicole led Lizzie around the side of the house.
“Where are we going?” Lizzie whispered.
“Into the forest.”
Lizzie glanced at the trees to the right of them. “Are you serious? They’re creepy!”
“The link to Eklaron must be here—it’s the only way to get where we’re going without Jacob’s help.”
The path led them deep into the forest and straight to a huge bramble of bushes and trees.
“You’re sure we need to go through them?” Lizzie asked, pointing their only flashlight toward the mess.
“Yes.”
“How are we supposed to do that?”
“I’m not sure.” Nicole picked her way forward, gingerly untangling thorny branches from her clothes, wishing she had something to whack them away. “I swear, the bushes don’t want us to get there.”
“Maybe we should have asked Jacob for help,” Lizzie whispered.
The moment those words left her mouth, the branches lifted, clearing the way, and the path was illuminated, moonshine flooding down. Nicole and Lizzie met gazes, and Nicole could see the surprise she felt mirrored on her friend’s face.
They continued forward, cautiously, slowly.
The glowing path took them to a huge tree in the middle of a meadow. They slowly circled it, staring at the massive branches that twisted upward. The tree was scarred and no leaves graced it. Nicole could tell it had seen better days.
Her eyes narrowed when she spotted an open door in the trunk and an angry-looking Makalo leaning against the frame, a heavy beard on his face, no shirt, and cut-off jeans revealing a leg made of wood.
“Who are you?” he asked.
Nicole stepped a bit closer. “I’m Nicole and this is Lizzie. We’re Jacob’s friends.”
“How did you know the way here?”
“That’s a crazy story. Umm . . . well, a Shonlin guardian from Edana told me to come here. He said the Makalos would help us get to Edana.”
The Makalo’s dark expression lightened briefly before being replaced with a mask of calm. “I want to know the answer to your friend’s comment—why didn’t you ask Jacob for help?”
Nicole hesitated. Was it possible he’d heard her question? Yes . . . but how? And that must have been why the trees let them through. “Jacob knows my boyfriend. And if my boyfriend were here, he’d stop me from getting to Edana.”
The Makalo’s skeptical look returned.
“If we’d asked him, I’m sure he wouldn’t have let us go alone.”
“I won’t let you go alone. It’s dangerous out there—as you probably know, since it’s apparent you’re the magical human girl everyone has been talking about.” A sudden smile crossed his face and he stepped forward, reaching his hand to her. “I’m Sweet Pea. You’re Nicole, and that’s Lizzie, right?” He motioned to Nicole’s companion.
Nicole was stunned into silence. The magical human girl? That’s what she was called here? She blinked. And where had his gruff exterior gone? Wait. What was his name?
“Your name is Sweet Pea?” Lizzie asked, chortling. “What on earth was your mom thinking when she named you?”
Sweet Pea chuckled. “Well, considering the fact that we’re no longer on earth, she probably wasn’t thinking anything you’d be familiar with.” His eyes brightened and he rubbed his hands together. “You said you needed to get to Edana, right?”
Nicole nodded. “As soon as possible.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. We’ve got the best way to travel, and I’ve been dying to try it out.”
Nicole couldn’t help but smile at his sudden enthusiasm. “Is it safe?”
“And make the trip boring? Of course not!”
Lizzie laughed. “I can’t wait to see what you have in mind.”
“You’ll love it, I promise.” He glanced at Lizzie, then at Nicole. “I can tell you aren’t afraid of an adventure. This is going to be a wild ride. And I mean that literally.” His excitement dampened somewhat as something apparently occurred to him. “I don’t know how to get to Edana, though. Do you?”
“Do you know where Macaria is?” Nicole asked.
“Of course.”
“If you can get us that far, I can tell you how to go from there.”
“Good.” Sweet Pea glanced at a smart watch on his wrist. “My shift is almost over. You’ll need to hide until the next guy takes over. It’ll be best if we don’t tell anyone else just yet. Akeno’s dad is Patriarch, and he’ll want to ensure that what you’re doing is safe . . . and it’ll only slow you down.”
“Thanks, we appreciate it,” Nicole said. “Where should we hide?”
Sweet Pea jerked his thumb over his shoulder to the dark interior of the tree. “In here’s fine. The next guy likes to hang out in the marketplace for his shift.” Sweet Pea showed them inside, then said goodbye. “I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes.” A twinkle appeared in his eyes, visible in the bright moonlight. “Feel free to explore. Aloren used to live here, but now it’s back to acting as a library.”
“Who’s Aloren?” Lizzie asked.
“Jacob’s girlfriend,” Sweet Pea said. He stepped out of the tree and shut the door.
Nicole heard him whistle as he left. She turned to Lizzie, who’d trained her flashlight on the wall opposite the door.
“A fridge?” Lizzie asked. “There’s a fridge here?”
Nicole walked across the spongy flooring and opened the door. “Full of root beer and Sprite.”
“That’s amazing.” Lizzie’s light swept across the room, and the two girls were delighted to find a very modern-looking interior. Shelves, couches, rugs, and a small kitchenette completed the first floor. They saw a set of stairs leading up near the front door.
The girls glanced at each other, then dashed toward the stairs.
On the floor above, they found a room full of books, scrolls, and several items with faint magical pulses. The stairs continued upward to a floor with beds and dressers in it. The fourth level of the treehouse was a lookout-type room, complete with windows on all sides.
It was through one of these windows that Nicole saw Sweet Pea scaling down the side of a rocky canyon. He was incredibly adept and obviously secure with his wooden leg. She was impressed.
Once they realized he was heading back to the treehouse, the girls went down the stairs.
“Success,” Sweet Pea said. “He knows you’re here and he’s promised not to say anything.” He glanced at the girls. “Sorry I told him, but Makalos can sense living things. I realized belatedly that he would have found out you were here and might have called the alarm if I hadn’t warned him first.”
“Thanks for taking this seriously,” Nicole said.
“I love an adventure as much as the next Makalo,” Sweet Pea said. “Course, most Makalos don’t really like adventure . . .”
Nicole chuckled. Sweet Pea led them through a section of forest and on to fields and fields of gardens. A huge stone fortress overlooked the fields. Next to it was a small cabin. The fortress was imposing and dark with only slits for windows. It didn’t look very old—the stone was fresh and unmarked.
“The fortress is Azuriah’s,” Sweet Pea said. “The cabin used to be Aldo’s—he doesn’t live there anymore.” The Makalo puffed out his chest. “It’s mine now.”
“That’s cool,” Lizzie said.
Sweet Pea glanced at Nicole. “How much food and water did you guys bring?”
Nicole’s mouth opened, then closed. How had she completely forgotten food? That was stupid. “None, actually. It didn’t even occur to me.”
Lizzie’s troubled expression showed that supplies hadn’t entered her thoughts either. “I don’t normally eat at night,” she said. “I’m still not hungry fro
m the leftover lasagna I had.”
“Well, I have stuff we can bring,” Sweet Pea said. “Come on in. Help me get it.”
The three entered the cabin and Sweet Pea took them to a little kitchen where he started pulling food items from shelves. He pointed to a duffel bag near the front door and had Nicole and Lizzie put the food in it.
After stocking up on plenty of bottled water, jerky, cheese, fruits, and raw vegetables, they left Sweet Pea’s cabin.
“This is where the fun begins,” Sweet Pea said, moonlight glinting off his eyes. “Follow me.”
He led them around back and up a steep hill dotted with aspens.
“We have to be careful,” Sweet Pea said, huffing, “because of the Rogs. They’re not hibernating just yet. Unless you want your face ripped off, stay away from anything that looks like a bear.”
“I would anyway,” Lizzie said, gingerly picking her way over a fallen log.
“The Sindons easily scared, so don’t freak out when you see them,” Sweet Pea said.
“What’s a Sindon?” Nicole asked.
“Huge creatures that’ll carry us to Edana really quickly.”
He paused, eyes narrowed, staring through the forest that had thickened considerably. “There’s one. If it’s still trained, it should respond to a certain whistle.”
Sweet Pea puckered his lips and whistled a complicated tune. Nothing happened. Nicole still couldn’t see the Sindon.
“Just have to find the right tune,” Sweet Pea murmured.
He whistled again, and this time, a massive mound only twenty feet away shifted and stumbled to its feet. A huge, dinosaur-sized creature lumbered toward them.
Nicole held her breath, trying to control the panic bubbling in her stomach as she stared up at the thing that approached.
Chapter Five
The Sindon was freaky. Its head was like a hippo’s, but much, much bigger. Long, sharp teeth—at least four feet long—lined the upper and bottom jaws. Four thick legs carried it closer. Tons of huge, knobby things made up its broad chest. She was surprised to see a basket big enough to hold at least ten people perched on top of the massive back. The Sindon came to a stop in front of Sweet Pea.
Obscure, Mosaic Chronicles Book Seven Page 5