Discern (Mosaic Chronicles Book 1)

by Andrea Pearson

  Nicole glanced at the other alcoves. There were twenty of them, each as tall as her and as wide as her arm span, all containing a shriveled being.

  Others trickled into the room, each having a similar reaction to Nicole’s. They erupted into questions when Coolidge and Howard arrived.

  Howard ignored them all, rushing to the first alcove where Judith Ann stood.

  He gazed at the thing, his mouth opening and closing several times. “Agarch,” he breathed. “Coolidge, I believe your theories were correct.” He turned greedy eyes to his colleague. “Let’s take a few samples upstairs. I’ll call in a team to dissect. We’ll get started right away. Can you imagine what we’ll learn?”

  Coolidge shook his head. “No, Stan. We’d better not disturb them.”

  Howard snorted, motioning to the Agarch. “They’re obviously dead—”

  Austin cleared his throat. “Judging by the slight magical pulses radiating from them, they might not be.”

  Howard scowled. “What pulses? You’re imagining things.” He laughed. “You’re not talking about the blast we felt moments ago, are you? No. These did not create that. We’re safe with the Agarchs.”

  Coolidge stepped forward. “If Austin senses something, we’d better listen. And I repeat—we’re not touching the creatures.”

  Howard laughed. “You mean you’re not touching them.” He motioned several of his students forward. “Take this beauty and three others to the surface. We’ve got work to do.”

  The lines between Coolidge’s eyebrows deepened considerably, but any further arguments were rejected.

  Howard’s students were skittish at first, but they eventually calmed down enough to get to work. Soon, the first alcove was empty and four students were carrying the thing out of the building, careful not to let roots and antennas drag.

  Nicole looked at Austin and shivered at the dark expression on his face.

  “Howard’s a complete idiot,” he whispered.

  Nicole nodded. She took a breath and bit her lip. “Agarchs? What about the Shoggoths?”

  Austin turned back to the empty alcove, holding his hand into it. He closed his eyes. “They must be nearby, because Howard was right about something. That pulse wasn’t created by these creatures.”

  He looked back at her. “We’d better get above ground. I don’t want to be a part of this.”

  Nicole agreed with that, and the two of them hurried past the city and through the cavern. She wasn’t surprised to see many others, including Judith Ann, doing the same.

  ***

  The sun was about to set as the rest of the Agarchs were brought above ground.

  No matter how excited Howard and his students were, Nicole couldn’t shake the hollow, sick feeling in her stomach. Despite Coolidge’s warnings, she’d expected dangerous criminals—Aretes with a history—and even wild animals. But not things from legends. And it seemed many shared Nicole’s feelings of apprehension. Especially Judith Ann, who was pacing, muttering to herself.

  Nicole stopped Coolidge as he walked past. “You’re actually letting him do it?” she asked.

  “I don’t have a choice.”

  “But you’re heading the expedition!”

  Coolidge frowned at her. “Sometimes the only way to maintain order and peace is to allow someone a bit of rein to do what they want.”

  For the first time, Nicole found herself disagreeing with Coolidge. Maybe in some cases what he said was correct, but not this time.

  “You’re sending us all to our graves,” Judith Ann said. “I know you sensed the pulses around those things!”

  Coolidge stared at her. “Yes. There’s danger. How many times have I tried to warn everyone about that?”

  “He’s inviting problems—creating danger.”

  Coolidge passed a hand across his face. “I agree, Judith Ann,” he said quietly.

  “Then do something. Complain to someone!”

  He folded his arms. “And who would I complain to? The government? They’d come in, shut us down, kick us out, and finish what Howard has started. No, I must do what I can to protect the location and the students. Including Howard’s students.”

  Judith Ann flipped her hair back. “Well, you’re on your own. I’m not waiting to get killed.”

  She stormed off to her tent, yanked the door open, and disappeared inside. Moments later, she emerged, carrying her unfolded sleeping bag over one shoulder and her duffel over the other.

  “Who’s taking me back to town?” she demanded.

  One of the Jeep drivers got to his feet and unlocked a door for her. They left quickly, a cloud of dust billowing out in their wake.

  No one said anything for several minutes. Was Judith Ann right? Should Nicole go too?

  She wasn’t sure what the right answer was and needed to talk it out with someone.

  Nicole turned, looking around. Austin skulked by the shed that was still full of Judith Ann’s things. She almost went to him, but still wasn’t comfortable enough to do that just yet. She spotted Jason and waited until the others had resumed their activities before approaching him.

  “Judith Ann might be right,” he said after she voiced her concerns. “I can’t help but wonder how intelligent we’re being by taking on this sort of project without knowing what we’re up against, without even knowing what those things are, aside from legends that have been passed down for generations. Legends that probably contain a lot of untruths.”

  He scowled at Howard, who was walking by just then, talking to a student about needing help with “these beauties.”

  After several moments, it became apparent that Jason was finished talking. Nicole thanked him, even though he hadn’t made her feel better, and retreated to the shed to play her cello.

  ***

  The next morning, five people arrived to help with the dissecting. They were from the anatomy department at Armitage and had been sworn to secrecy. Nicole noticed right away that they were frazzled and nervous, but also excited to be involved in something so incredibly big.

  Coolidge called his students together and explained yet again that he didn’t agree with what Howard was doing.

  “I’m going to ask that my students stay away from the dissections, just in case. At least until we know more about the city and the Agarchs. We’ll be working extra hard to understand the magical objects. Once we have a satisfactory answer for both the pulses and the disappearances, we’ll leave as soon as we can.”

  A Jeep pulled up while Coolidge was talking, and Judith Ann flounced out.

  “I thought she was gone,” Sylvia murmured.

  Everyone watched as the girl approached.

  “Change your mind?” Coolidge asked when Judith Ann joined them.

  She shook her head. “Of course not. But I knew I couldn’t trust any of you with my father’s things. I’ll just stay in a hotel for the remainder of the expedition so you can continue to enjoy my family’s hospitality.” Her eyes narrowed. “But don’t expect me to help with anything. I’m no longer taking part in this atrocity you call university credit.”

  Coolidge raised an eyebrow, but didn’t respond. He dismissed the group, telling them to meet up in forty minutes. Sylvia caught Nicole’s eye, and the two walked together to their tent.

  “Have you seen Jason lately?” Sylvia asked.

  “Not since talking to him last night.”

  Sylvia sighed. “I bet he pulled a Judith Ann—he was getting a bit jumpy.”

  Nicole nodded. Jason had expressed concern, but leaving without saying something was odd.

  The girls watched as Judith Ann made a show of investigating the air-conditioned shed. Apparently satisfied, she and “her” driver left the campsite, dust billowing up behind their Jeep.

  “The more I get to know her,” Sylvia said, “the more I wish murder wasn’t illegal.”

  Nicole snickered and unzipped their tent. “Believe me, I understand.”

  They retrieved their things and headed back to the ki
tchen area.

  As they were talking, a disgusting stench, like burned sewage mixed with rotted algae, wafted through the air. It didn’t take long to figure out where the odor originated.

  The dissections had begun.

  “Odd that something so shriveled and old could stink so badly,” Nicole said to Sylvia, who nodded in response.

  Sylvia walked away and Nicole, who’d been ready since before Coolidge’s meeting, wandered the camp, staying as far away from the dissections as possible. Her clothes were starting to stink.

  She decided to practice and made her way to the shed. But apparently the filter on the air conditioner was dirty or the shed was too close to the dissections because it stank nearly as badly there.

  Nicole didn’t even bother getting out her cello. She left the shed, locked up, and hesitated, wondering where to try next. The sun beat down on the dirt, increasing the “baked” smell of the Agarchs. She glanced around camp, letting her eyes settle on the old pioneer homestead. No one ever went inside it, even though it wasn’t in bad condition. It was probably far enough away that the smell would be greatly diffused there.

  Nicole crossed camp and hiked the slight incline to the homestead, tucking her hair back into her ponytail. She swung the heavy wooden door open and stepped inside. It was slightly cooler and much darker there than outside.

  Already, the smell was fading, and once she shut the door behind her, the difference was noticeable.

  “Thank goodness,” she mumbled.

  It didn’t take long for her eyes to adjust. Light filtered in through the smashed windows, landing on a broken table with only two legs propped up against the cabin wall. She stepped across the floor and ran a finger along the table’s edge, surprised there was any furniture left at all. A pile of garbage in the corner of the room was evidence that someone had camped out there at some point.

  At first, she thought she was alone, but something heavy dropped in the back of the house, followed by the shuffling of fabric.

  “Hello?”

  Everything went quiet. She froze, still by the table, staring down the hall. It was then that she noticed a trail of dark liquid on the hard-packed dirt floor leading from the middle of the room and into the hall.

  The shuffling sound began again.

  Nicole tried to swallow, but her throat was too dry.

  Could she sneak out of the cabin without drawing more attention to herself?

  Just then, the door swung open, making her jump.

  “Whoa!” Austin said. “Calm down. I saw you—”

  She put a finger to her lips. “Someone’s in the cabin,” she whispered. She pointed at the streaks in the dirt. Her heart beat twice its normal speed, but at least Austin was with her. He was powerful enough to protect both of them.

  Austin placed a hand on her arm and nodded, showing he understood, then knelt and hovered his hand over the smears. “Human blood,” he murmured quietly. “A few hours old.”

  He got to his feet and reached out. An earthen pot Nicole hadn’t seen sailed from a corner of the room, landing silently in his palm. He walked quietly down the hall, holding up the pot, looking ready to attack. Nicole followed, staying as close to him as possible.

  They peered into the first room, and Nicole gasped.

  Jason’s head lay on the ground, facing the door. His body was crumpled in a mess on the other side of the room, under the window. His clothing was torn, the flesh on his arms and legs chewed and mangled.

  A shadow passed over Nicole from the hall and she shrieked, jumping into Austin.

  Austin pushed Nicole into the room and flung the pottery. It hit its target with a thump and crash. Something growled.

  Austin was yanked through the doorway. The only thing Nicole saw was a beefy human arm. She heard scuffling and thuds. She scrambled to her feet, wanting—needing—to help Austin.

  She sprang into the hall and raced into the back room. Austin was on the floor. Nicole got a brief glimpse of a man’s back as their attacker jumped through the window.

  She rushed to Austin and helped him to his feet.

  “It’s gone,” he said.

  “It? You mean, he?” Nicole asked.

  “I don’t know. It . . . he . . . didn’t fight normally. He didn’t punch or anything—it was like he was feral, like he wanted to get his teeth into me. And after the Agarchs . . . I don’t know what to think.”

  Nicole’s stomach turned as she thought of the bite marks on Jason’s arms and legs. She put a hand to her mouth. Oh, Jason.

  She took several deep breaths, trying to get past her sudden nausea. “You didn’t sense any magic around the guy?”

  Austin motioned for her to follow him back down the hall, and they entered the other room. “No—there wasn’t anything to sense. He’s a regular guy, if he’s human.”

  “Poor Jason,” Nicole said, trying not to look at the mess of his remains.

  Austin didn’t respond at first. He leaned against the doorframe and rubbed his eyes. “I know.” He dropped his arm. “Let’s go get Coolidge.”

  Coolidge was just exiting his tent when they arrived at the campsite.

  “Jason’s dead,” Nicole whispered.

  “His body is in the homestead,” Austin said. “It’s mangled pretty badly.”

  Coolidge paled. “Show me.” He strode toward the old house, Nicole and Austin trailing. “How do you know he’s dead? Did you check for a pulse?”

  Nicole and Austin met eyes.

  “Um . . . we didn’t need to,” Nicole said.

  Coolidge glanced at her, but didn’t say anything.

  He only looked at Jason briefly before turning back to the hall and vomiting. He wiped his mouth. “Sorry. Never got over a weak stomach.” He pulled out a satellite phone. “Austin, guard the body. Nicole, come with me. Neither of you say anything about this until the authorities get here.”

  He walked through the front door, Nicole on his heels, dialing as he stepped to the side of the homestead opposite the campsite. He quickly reported the body, frequently pausing to ask Nicole questions, relaying her answers to the person on the other end. While he was finishing up the call, she stared at the ramp, wondering what—or who— had killed Jason.

  Something moved at the mouth of the ramp and she took a step forward, squinting. A man. A man was staring at her, peering over the rocks. He scampered down the ramp on all fours when he noticed her watching.

  Nicole rubbed her arms, feeling a chill despite the blazing heat.

  Coolidge ended his call. “They’re on their way.” He shook his head. “If this doesn’t convince Howard to stop dissecting, I don’t know what will.”

  He had Nicole explain again what happened. She told him everything she could remember, including seeing the man just now.

  “We need guards and weapons. Have to keep this place as safe as possible.” Coolidge looked at her. “Go talk to Austin—see if he remembers anything new. I’ll bring the authorities when they arrive.” He grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. “Don’t tell anyone. We’ll let the cops take care of that—can’t risk Jason’s family learning things secondhand.”

  Nicole found Austin pacing the front room of the cabin.

  He rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head. “The more I think of it, the more I’m sure it was a man,” he said. He turned to her, stopping. “But Nicole, I’m serious—he didn’t respond normally. If he’s really human, there’s something totally wrong with him.”

  “Maybe he’s disabled?”

  At his questioning expression, she told him what she’d just seen—how he’d scampered instead of run. “I’m really getting the creeps now,” she said.

  “I know.”

  “Do you think he killed Jason?”

  Austin shrugged, shaking his head. “It’s possible. Probable, even.”

  A wave of exhaustion flooded over Nicole and tears pricked the back of her eyes. She sank to the packed dirt, leaning against the cabin wall, and buried her face in
her hands. “I can’t believe it—he’s gone. Dead.” She looked up. “I mean, I’ve been assigned to work with him several times. He and Sylvia are the only ones who’ve talked to me this whole time, until yesterday.” Her voice started shaking. She cleared her throat, trying to make the wobble go away. “And he’s been brutally . . . horribly murdered.”

  Austin looked at her sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”

  Suddenly, Nicole wanted nothing to do with the homestead or Jason. She couldn’t be there any longer. She jumped to her feet. “I have to go.”

  Nicole rushed out of the cabin and through the campsite, ignoring the curious stares. She quickly unlocked the shed and shut the door behind her, then got out her cello and practiced angrily until her fingertips burned.

  What was she doing here? Someone had died! Someone she knew had been killed.

  The adrenaline from running and playing left her system, exposing her raw emotions. She put down her cello and sat on the floor against the wall of the shed, tucking her knees up. She rested her head on them and cried.

  A moment later, a soft knock on the shed door made her jump. Nicole frantically wiped the tears off her face, cringing when her hand came away black. Great. Her “waterproof” mascara had smeared. Typical.

  The door opened and Austin stepped in, an expression of concern on his face. “Coolidge is with Jason’s body. How are you doing?”

  She shrugged. “As well as can be expected, I guess.”

  He nodded and sat next to her.

  “How about you?” she asked.

  “Same.” He stared at the wall across from them and swallowed a few times, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I’ve seen something like this before, though.”

  Nicole cocked her head, frowning. “You have? When?”

  Austin leaned back, resting his head on the hard plastic behind them. “Two of my older siblings.”

  Whoa. His siblings? How horrible! “I’m sorry. What happened?”

  He took a breath. “It’s a long story.”

  Did that mean he didn’t want to tell her, or was that an invitation for her to ask?

  She hesitated for a moment, then put her hand on his arm. “Are you comfortable talking about it, or will that just make things worse?”