Austin glanced at her, and she was surprised to see tears in his eyes. He blinked them away.
“My parents are very pro-Arete, so you would think their children would be as well. That wasn’t the case with my two oldest siblings. They were bitter they didn’t have powers, and when I was fourteen, they left us to join the Tarians.”
Nicole nodded.
“This happened around the time when a special group of them were charged with conducting human testing. Sarah and Josh badly wanted to be Aretes, and the Tarians badly wanted to breed their own magical people.
“Unfortunately, the tests didn’t work, and the Tarians realized it. They became desperate as many test subjects deserted, so they increased the weekly injections and upped the contents. When Sarah—a scientist—found out what she and Josh had been given, it wasn’t difficult for her to convince him that they also needed to desert. But by then, they were heavily addicted to the concoctions.
“When the Tarians found out that Sarah and Josh wanted to leave, they imprisoned them. After a year, Sarah was able to get a message to my parents, who immediately planned a rescue. They brought me. At that point, even though I’d just barely Restarted, I could already control more than an Arete University graduate could. My parents were desperate for my help and didn’t think of how things would affect me if it all went bad.”
He closed his eyes. “And things did go bad. The Tarians found out about Sarah’s betrayal. They were ready for us when we got there.”
He looked at Nicole. “I believe that if my parents had been better prepared, we would’ve destroyed their entire group. But the three of us were the only Aretes there, and using Josh as bait, the Tarians were able to capture my parents and me. They tortured Sarah and Josh while we watched and beheaded them both.”
Nicole gasped. “That’s horrible!”
“Yes.” He took a breath. “Well, as you’ve learned, when an Arete is incredibly emotional, their powers tend to respond better. Due to what we’d seen and been through, we were able to distract the Tarians long enough to escape.
“My siblings’ bodies are rumored to have been preserved and put on display as encouragement for the Tarians.”
Nicole squeezed his arm. “I’m so sorry you had to experience that.”
“It definitely forced me to grow up.”
She nodded. “I can imagine.”
At least she understood part of why he was bitter. She’d been so sheltered by comparison, even considering that she had parents who hated what she was.
Nicole sighed, getting to her feet. He followed, and she looked up at him. “Thanks for checking on me. I appreciate it.”
Austin nodded, and for several moments, he gazed at her. Nicole hesitated, almost wanting to look away from his intense expression, but she was unable to do so. The same feeling she’d enjoyed back in Coolidge’s kitchen flooded over her, heating every inch of her body. His eyes were warm as he soaked her in, searching her face.
She sensed a vulnerability in him. They’d experienced something devastating together—something so horrible, it was life-changing. He’d opened up to her for the first time, had shared a bit of his heart with her. Nicole found herself wanting to encourage him to share more, to trust her. She wanted to soak him up, to delve into his soul and find whatever it was that made him him.
Austin reached for her, hesitated, and then tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and rested his hand on the crook of her neck and shoulder. Chills raced outward from where his touch lingered, dancing down her skin, and Nicole’s breathing paused, her eyes widening.
The horrors of the day, of finding Jason, of the Agarchs, and of everything else melted away as Nicole lost herself in Austin’s gaze. She longed for the comfort his touch would bring—was bringing.
Nicole recognized his determined expression as his other arm encircled her waist, pulling her toward him. She stepped forward willingly.
Austin lowered his head, his lips meeting hers. The kiss was tender and gentle at first—almost questioning. Then Nicole shivered and reached both arms around him. He tightened his hold on her, eagerly, hungrily exploring her face with his lips.
He worked his way back to her mouth, dropping his arm from her shoulder to clasp his hands behind her back. He brushed his lips across hers, kissed one corner of her mouth, then brushed to the other side and nibbled along her jaw, making her shiver once more. Then he let his lips find hers again.
Nicole relaxed into his embrace, releasing the stress that had accumulated during the last few weeks, marveling at the change she’d witnessed in Austin since their first conversation.
Finally, he turned and rested his cheek on top of her head. They remained like that for a while, Nicole listening as the beating of his heart slowed, his breathing becoming more even.
“We should think about going,” she said after a few silent moments. “The police will probably be getting here soon.” She cringed inwardly as the memories of the day flooded back, ruining the peace and comfort they’d shared.
Would they regret their actions and vulnerability later? Would she feel embarrassed as she looked back on this day? She really hoped not.
Austin pulled away and gazed into her eyes. He cradled her cheek with one hand, then wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her again.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for that,” he whispered.
So had Nicole, and she understood that now.
Chapter Eleven
The police arrived half an hour later, and Nicole and Austin spent forty-five minutes describing what they’d seen. One of the cops was an Arete. He volunteered to stay at the campsite and help guard while the others investigated Jason’s death.
“It should help having a cop around who can sense magic,” he said.
Nicole couldn’t agree more.
“We’ll need to search the caverns for the murderer,” the lead officer told Coolidge after he’d finished questioning Nicole.
“Go right ahead,” Coolidge said, watching as Jason’s body was removed. “I’d certainly feel better if the suspect wasn’t running around our research site.”
The officer shook Coolidge’s hand. “I’ll let you know when the family has been informed. You might want to give them a call.”
Coolidge nodded.
Not long after the officers left to search the caverns, Nicole finally got the chance to talk to Lizzie. The second she heard Lizzie’s voice, she started crying again.
It took some time, but eventually she calmed down enough to tell Lizzie what had happened.
“He’s dead?” Lizzie asked. “But . . . but we were just talking about him!”
“I know.” Nicole shook her head. “I’m having the hardest time believing it. Oh, Lizzie, I wish you were here so much.”
“Yeah? Well, I don’t. I wish you were here.”
Nicole agreed with her. Then she sighed, wanting to talk about something else. “Austin kissed me.”
She had to hold her phone away from her ear when Lizzie squealed. “You’re serious? He actually kissed you?”
Nicole smiled, hesitant to enjoy Lizzie’s excitement after everything that had happened. “Yeah. He did. It was good.”
Lizzie peppered her with questions, and they talked until Nicole was comfortable with hanging up. She was so grateful Coolidge had suggested she buy a satellite phone. She couldn’t imagine not being able to contact her best friend while she was away, and not for the first time, she was envious of people who could talk to a close parent or sibling whenever they needed it. She’d never experienced that.
The cops finished with the caverns. They didn’t even find evidence that someone other than those on the expedition had been there in the past several hundred years.
The rest of the day flew by as Nicole and the others returned to the caverns and the underground city.
Coolidge had them comb every inch, looking for the trigger of the current of magic they’d all felt the day before. He was positive there was
a hidden room somewhere that contained a powerful item that could somehow be responsible for the disappearances and the pulses.
While examining the city, Nicole found another spider crawling on her body. She flicked it off and shuddered, then gasped when she saw the ghost of the old woman, standing near a stone wall. She stared at Nicole, her expression somber, then disappeared.
Nicole trembled with frustration, wishing she could strike out, scream, hit the apparition. Instead, she waited until the other students had left the area, then began to whisper.
“I can’t see you anymore, but I know you’re there and that you’ve followed me here, woman. I know what you want. But I need more time—I need to finish what I’ve started here. Please, just leave me alone for a while longer. And I promise you this—I will read that book.”
Nicole glanced around, half expecting the woman to show up again. Instead, she saw the spider slinking off around a corner.
A slight breeze brushed Nicole’s cheek—similar to the wind that always seemed to accompany the book, but different. With it came the feeling of agreement. Of compromise.
The woman would bide her time—she would give Nicole space.
For now.
Nicole knew it was the best she’d get. But she wouldn’t put off reading the book for too long after returning home.
***
Nicole had nightmare after nightmare about Jason, the old woman, and spiders that night and woke frequently. The next morning, whispers outside the tent roused her. She raised herself to her elbows, exchanging glances with Sylvia and Camille. The whispers obviously belonged to Howard and Coolidge, and Coolidge was again trying to convince Howard to stop the dissecting.
“It’s not why we’re here,” Coolidge hissed.
Howard laughed. “It’s why I’m here, and this conversation is wasting my time. I’ve got things to attend to.”
“Stop! We have to discuss this.”
“Why now?”
“One of your team members is missing!”
For a second, Nicole thought Coolidge was referring to Jason. But Jason wasn’t from Howard’s group. She glanced at Camille. The girl’s eyes were huge.
“An unfortunate accident, if anything,” Howard whispered.
“What about the Agarch’s body? It couldn’t have walked off on its own.”
“We’ll just get more.”
Coolidge growled. “Howard! Can’t you hear yourself? What is going on with you?”
“Unlike you, I don’t have things made for me. I struggle to get my research projects approved while you barely have to lift a finger.” Howard’s voice got quieter, as if he’d turned away. “And I’m not letting you ruin this for me.”
That was apparently the end of their conversation, and Nicole listened as they stormed off in separate directions. “What is Howard doing?” she asked Sylvia.
“Trying to sabotage our expedition, apparently.” Sylvia grabbed her things, not looking at Camille. “Let’s hurry and finish our work here before he gets us all killed.”
She left the tent, and Nicole tried to appear busy sorting through her duffel, looking for something to wear. She didn’t want to talk to Camille because she didn’t want to know if the girl agreed with Howard.
“I’m sorry,” Camille whispered. “I really am.”
Nicole took a breath, released it, and sat back on her heels. “You can’t control Professor Howard any easier than Professor Coolidge can.”
Camille nodded. “I know.” She sighed. “At least it is an exciting discovery.”
Nicole hesitated. “It was—before I found Jason’s body. I don’t know what I expected, but that wasn’t it.”
She changed her clothes, thinking about the reason why she’d wanted to go on the expedition in the first place. To prove herself. And what was she doing? Definitely not that. At least, not in the magical sense. She still hadn’t produced any magic since the third test. In fact, the only thing that had happened that was close to magical was kissing Austin.
Camille left the tent, and Nicole slumped onto her sleeping bag. Hopefully, they’d find the source of the magical vibrations. Hopefully, it would be an incredibly awesome object that might be the cure for cancer.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t be something that would kill them all.
Professor Coolidge called for his students, and Nicole put on her shoes and joined the others.
Coolidge paced in front of them. “Our focus today is to start exploring the tunnels behind the city. Form groups of three. Each group must include at least one man and one gun.”
He glanced out over the students, probably waiting for a Judith Ann-esque reaction. Apparently, the shock of Jason’s murder had sunk in because several people were nodding and no one looked appalled.
Coolidge continued. “Before I assign your group a gun, every person must participate in a lesson on safety. I don’t care if you’ve won awards for marksmanship. I personally need to make sure you know how to handle a gun properly and safely, and that you know what to do in emergency situations.”
Coolidge paused, making eye contact with his students again. “Do not separate yourselves from your groups. Keep in touch with me—let me know where you are and what you’re doing at all times, using these.” He motioned to a box of walkie-talkies. “All right, go ahead—find your partners.”
Nicole met eyes with Sylvia, and the girls gravitated toward each other. Austin joined them a moment later, and Nicole felt her skin tingle as he stood next to her. She resisted the urge to look at him, wondering what he was thinking. Was he remembering the feel of her lips against his? The comfort and escape that came from being in each other’s arms?
Maybe he was. Just then, Austin put a hand on the small of her back. She glanced up. He gave her a little half smile, then folded his arms and turned to watch as Coolidge started assigning guns to each group.
“Have any of you handled a gun before?” he asked when he reached their group.
All three of them nodded, which seemed to surprise Coolidge. “I know Sylvia’s background, but where are you two from?”
“I’m technically from Billings, Montana,” Austin said. “But my dad’s ranch is in grizzly country. I’ve known how to use a gun since I was six.”
Coolidge looked at Nicole. “Dallas, Texas.” She cleared her throat. “We don’t need them to protect ourselves from wild animals—my dad just really likes guns. He collects antiques and rare ones. But he made sure my brothers and I knew how to handle them.”
She and Austin looked at Sylvia, who smiled and waved. “Yeah, I’m from Richland, Washington. I’ve only shot a gun twice, so I’ll definitely be okay if you two take over in that arena.”
“Even so,” Coolidge said, “you still need to be comfortable with the mechanics.”
Coolidge assigned their group a 9mm Kahr and showed them how to use the safety, how to load and unload it, and how to carry and handle it properly.
Once satisfied, he moved on to the next group.
Sylvia tilted her head, looking at Austin. “Have you had to shoot a grizzly before?”
He grunted, but didn’t answer.
Nicole half smiled. Apparently, Austin’s moody temperament was back. It was a good question, though, and she couldn’t tell if his grunt was a yes or a no. It was probably more of a “none of your business.”
Everyone donned their spelunking gear, and Coolidge came back around, handing out little battery-operated LED lights. They were to be used like bread crumbs—a way to show the groups how to get back to camp.
“Stick them into the tunnel walls,” he said, indicating the pointy end opposite the light. “You can thank Judith Ann’s dad for these—he supplied thousands upon thousands of them.”
After double-checking that each group had a gun, a set of walkie-talkies, and a packet of lights, Coolidge gave the go-ahead for everyone to start down the ramp.
No one spoke the entire way through the cavern. When they reached the huge tunnel behind the cit
y, they switched on their lamps and headed in. Sylvia was in charge of the LED lights and Austin the gun, using a shoulder holster that Coolidge had provided. Nicole carried a small cooler of food and was responsible for making notes of where they’d gone.
The huge tunnel was dark and damp. It smelled slightly like the Agarchs—like burned sewage and rotted algae.
After a while with nothing happening, Nicole relaxed and got into a good system for taking notes.
At first, the tunnels were marked with many LED lights as the groups crisscrossed their way through. The farther Nicole and the others got, though, the more the tunnels branched off, and the less they saw of other people until theirs were the only LED lights illuminating the way.
The tunnel they chose led them through caverns with sunlight streaming in from above. Many caverns even held evidence that people once had populated them—smoke scars on the ceilings and fire marks burned into the rock floor. None of the cities were as big as the first, though.
For an entire hour, they didn’t find anything, and they rarely spoke. The eerie coolness made Nicole shiver repeatedly, especially when a draft blew past them. Twice, she felt as if they were being watched. The first time, she gasped, stopping the others.
Austin had closed his eyes, trying to sense if something was out there, but he couldn’t, and neither could Sylvia nor Nicole. They continued onward. The second time Nicole felt it, she didn’t say anything, but kept a careful lookout.
After a long while, they started finding small, magically charged objects. They were simple things—vases, bowls, pots, ragged articles of clothing, and even an old-fashioned pair of glasses. They took everything, packing them into a bag Austin strapped to his back.
At noon, they took a break for lunch, pulling out beef jerky, drinks, and sandwiches from a mini cooler that Nicole carried.
While eating, they discussed what they’d found and seen, which wasn’t much. The conversation eventually died off, and they packed up and continued forward. Remembering the kiss Nicole had shared with Austin made little slivers of happiness cross her thoughts. She wanted to get to know him better, but felt weird asking him questions. He’d made it clear he wasn’t comfortable with that sort of directness. Plus, having Sylvia there made it awkward.
Discern (Mosaic Chronicles Book 1) Page 19