Lizzie had barely knocked when Denise threw the door open and invited them in with a hug. “Welcome!”
The girls helped themselves to food after dropping off the brownies they’d made. They strolled through the apartment, following as Denise introduced them to her friends and other people in their building.
After they’d met everyone, Denise settled in a couch near Nicole and Lizzie. “So, how is your Channeling going?” she asked Nicole.
“It seems to be better, though I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to practice since you helped me.”
Sandy grunted, interrupting Denise’s response. “That shadow still following you around?”
Nicole mock glared at Lizzie, folding her arms. “Can’t have any secrets with Lizzie around, eh?”
Lizzie’s mouth popped open. “Hey, you were gone for a long time. Who else was I supposed to talk to?”
Nicole patted her friend on the knee and grinned. “It’s fine, Lizzie.” She glanced at Sandy. “The shadow leaves me alone now.” She hesitated, wondering how to ask her question. “Um . . . do either of you know anything about the Tarians?”
Sandy paled, her jaw dropping, looking like she’d been slapped. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you anything. There are things you shouldn’t know or even talk about.”
Denise rolled her eyes. “Sandy’s son is one.”
“That’s none of their business.”
“It’s not like people don’t already know.” Denise put her hand to her mouth and said in a stage whisper, “Practically everyone knows how much he hates Aretes.”
Sandy harrumphed, then turned to Nicole, obviously wanting to explain the situation. “Tarians aren’t good people. I love my son, but I don’t love what they’ve made him become.”
Lizzie tilted her head. “I don’t get it—wouldn’t you agree with their ideas? Forgive me for saying it, but you haven’t exactly hidden your dislike for Aretes.”
“I don’t like the Tarian methods. They’re dangerous—flying off the handle. Not only that, but things are getting even worse now. My son says something huge is about to happen. Someone important is coming to take over, to lead them against the Aretes. Someone who has been in hiding.”
Nicole narrowed her eyes. Hopefully, that wouldn’t happen before she, Rebecca, and Captain Price could stop the Tarians. “Did they say who it would be?”
“No. The higher-ups, if they know anything, are pretty hush-hush about the matter. But speculation is that it’s a wealthy man living in Germany. From what my son has said, the man is amassing large numbers of supporters in Europe.” Sandy sniffed. “Now, if you would excuse me, I need to check on my punch.”
Nicole tucked away Sandy’s information, hoping she’d get the chance to talk it over with Rebecca soon.
The rest of the party went well. Though she longed for Austin’s presence, Nicole had a lot of fun. When it was over, she and Lizzie returned to their apartment, tired and ready to sleep.
Austin got back from his father’s ranch the next day and came over to her apartment almost immediately. He gave her a hug, then they settled in to do homework together. At first, Nicole had a hard time concentrating—he still hadn’t kissed her yet. Maybe he was waiting for her to do something first? She couldn’t imagine what because she hadn’t exactly shied away from him.
Austin seemed to notice her distraction, so Nicole pushed her thoughts away and put her attention fully on their homework.
It didn’t surprise her that Austin wasn’t struggling in most of his classes—he seemed to excel in every subject. Only music seemed just outside his grasp, but Nicole had enough experience there to help him fill the holes for the section of his humanity class that covered famous compositions.
Once they’d finished Austin’s assignments, Nicole got out her cello to practice. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said. “Albert wants the cello back on Wednesday. That only gives me a few days to master Channeling.”
“Didn’t he say you could stay there and continue learning?”
Nicole shrugged. “Yes, but that wouldn’t be an ideal situation. I mean, he’s a single old man and I’m a single young woman.”
Austin nodded. “I’d be terrified of being alone with him too. He’s so strong and foreboding.”
Nicole laughed. “Tease!” She playfully whacked him with her bow. “Seriously, though. If roles were reversed, would you be comfortable?”
“Probably not. And no, it’s not ideal. I’d much rather have you here where I can see you and work with you. But still, you actually need Niko to practice. The next nearest antique cello is in San Diego. And while we may be able to arrange for you to go down there to practice, who’s to say it would be any safer than working with someone Coolidge has known and trusted for years?”
Nicole didn’t respond. She saw Austin’s point and realized the chances of her going to Moses Lake were pretty high. After all, that was where the anti-Tarian elixir would be sent. But she still hoped something miraculous would happen before Wednesday.
***
Something miraculous didn’t happen before Wednesday. In fact, what happened wasn’t marvelous or awe-inspiring in the least, but freaky.
On Tuesday, Nicole attended Professor Whitman’s class with Austin and Lizzie. Austin sat next to Nicole, holding her hand, gazing at her frequently as if wanting to be sure she really was there. And when Nicole smiled back, she couldn’t help but see Judith Ann at the end of their row. Her surprise and annoyance made Nicole chuckle.
Whitman came to class late and started lecturing immediately. Oddly enough, she wore a heavy tiara that was clunky, with metal and wood entwined around what looked like a metallic core. A slight magical pulse emanated from it.
Nicole tilted her head as Whitman began talking. Her speech was slurred, her movements abrupt. Her eyes were glazed over. A weird, chemical smell followed her around the classroom.
“She’s totally stoned,” Lizzie whispered after class had been going for several minutes.
Austin glanced around the room, then stiffened, gasping. “Professor Whitman, throw that crown out the door. Right now!”
Whitman put her hands over the thing. “What? No way. It’s growing my powers.”
Just then, Lizzie threw up all over the girl in front of her. To Nicole’s surprise, the girl didn’t even react, and Nicole saw quickly why—she’d fainted in her seat.
Lizzie wasn’t the only sick person. Soon, the sounds of people vomiting filled the air. Those who didn’t vomit fainted.
Nicole’s stomach turned.
Austin jumped out of his seat and propelled himself over the two rows in front of them. He grabbed Whitman’s arm, shielding himself from the tiara. “Where did you get it?”
“EBay!” Whitman shrieked, struggling to undo the pins that held it in place. “Help me take it off!” The woman began sobbing. “I don’t know . . . I didn’t know . . . I’m so sorry . . .”
Nicole rushed out of her row and down the two steps, joining Austin and Whitman. She raised her hands to help, but Austin yanked her away.
“Don’t touch it,” he said. Instead, he grabbed Whitman’s purse and thrust it at Nicole. “Search for a handkerchief or a tissue or something.”
Nicole slammed the purse on the table and rummaged through it, setting aside keys, receipts, pens, gum, and a wallet. Finally, she found a silk scarf crumpled at the bottom of the purse and tossed it to Austin, who was doing his best to keep Whitman from flinging herself out of the classroom.
Using the scarf like a glove, Austin pulled out the pins and wrapped the tiara in the silk fabric.
Drawn by the chaos, the halls had filled with students. Many of them were sticking their heads in the door, their noses wrinkled.
“Call 911,” Austin said, pointing at one of the students. He glanced at Nicole. “Come on.”
Nicole motioned to Lizzie. “I need to stay with her.”
He shook his head. “You need to come with me as backup in
case this thing does something to me. We can’t take chances.” He jerked his head to the students in the hall. “They’ll help her.”
Nicole shot one last glance at Lizzie, who offered her a nod and a weak smile, then jumped to follow Austin, not asking where they were going. It soon became clear as they neared the science museum that they were going to Coolidge’s office.
Austin pounded on the door until Coolidge opened up, a sandwich in his hand. Without waiting to be invited in, Austin rushed past and set the tiara on the desk.
Coolidge stood near the door, frozen. “Where did you get that?”
“Whitman wore it to class today. Students started passing out and throwing up.”
“Did she say where she got it?”
“EBay.”
Coolidge closed his eyes and shook his head. “The lengths that woman goes to . . .”
Austin scowled. “What is it?”
Coolidge shrugged, finally approaching his desk. “Obviously something evil. And I’m not going to touch it without knowing where it came from.” He looked up at Austin and Nicole. “I need to talk to Whitman about this. Alone. She’s not likely to open up in the presence of students. Go home. If I need further help, I’ll contact you.”
Austin nodded, then he and Nicole left Coolidge’s office, Nicole leading the way up the stairs. They exited the building, pulling up their hoodies against the rain that had just started. Sirens blazed in the distance. The two jogged back to Whitman’s class.
The smell of vomit was so strong that the moment they entered the classroom, Nicole began to dry heave. The girl in front of Lizzie who’d fainted was trying to wipe Lizzie’s puke from her hair while Lizzie helped from behind, using paper towels from the bathroom. Lizzie looked a little green and she wasn’t the only one. Those who had fainted were awake now, but no one looked well.
Judith Ann sat on the stairs against the wall, head between her knees. She looked better than most everyone else, but still sick.
Being careful not to step into anything, Nicole went to Lizzie. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, now that the crown is gone.” Lizzie pulled out another tissue and continued cleaning the girl’s hair. The girl had tears rolling down her face, but she didn’t seem upset at Lizzie. She wordlessly watched the paramedics arrive and start helping people. Austin met the paramedics and explained the situation.
“What can I do to help?” Nicole asked Lizzie.
“We’re pretty much done here,” Lizzie said. “Would you mind giving me a ride home?”
“Sure. As long as they don’t want you at the hospital.”
Lizzie groaned. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
Austin finished with the paramedics and joined Nicole. “This is insane.”
“Why didn’t it make us sick?” Nicole asked him. “Why everyone else, and not us?”
Austin shook his head. “I don’t know.”
It didn’t take long for the paramedics to figure out that no one was deathly ill, but they still requested that everyone who had been affected get checked out at the hospital. Lizzie’s trip there, with Nicole driving, was a short one, and only an hour after she got there, the doctors sent her home to rest.
That night, after Lizzie had gone to bed, Rebecca visited Nicole. As soon as Nicole spotted the spider, she began pacing in her room.
“What has you so agitated?” Rebecca asked, appearing by the door.
“Just . . . things. I’m supposed to return the cello I’ve been using tomorrow. My friend got really sick today . . . and I still don’t know if I can trust you.”
Rebecca sat on Nicole’s bed, her eyebrows knitted. “What have I done to lose your trust, my dear?”
“The question should actually be, what have you done to gain my trust? I mean, you lived in a possessed tree, Rebecca. And people died when the tree and spiders attacked them.”
“That was only a temporary location for me, a place to prolong my life. Like other things I’ve lived in, it was already evil when I got there.” Rebecca’s transparent look solidified, and she reached for Nicole as she paced past, setting her hand on Nicole’s arm, stopping her. “I didn’t kill anyone, sweetie. The tree used those bodies to strengthen itself.”
Nicole gave a quick nod. “Which, in turn, strengthened you.”
“Well, yes. Of course.”
Nicole sighed. “What do you want from me?”
“It is time for you to go to Moses Lake. The portal will only get strong enough to deliver the elixir when you are near it.”
Nicole snorted. “Moses Lake—it’s so convenient. I’m heading that way tomorrow.”
Rebecca smiled. “Yes, I know. I chose that location for a reason. The portal needed a secure and secluded spot. I already knew you’d end up in Moses Lake eventually, and the forest there provided the right amount of magic to allow the transition.”
Rebecca patted the bed next to her, indicating for Nicole to sit, which she did. “Christopher told you about my embryonic manipulator, correct? The machine we created that stopped people from having very many children? We need to right that wrong. We need to restore things. Please help us, Nicole.”
“How will the elixir fix what’s happened?”
“The vessel—meteor, as you and others have called it—was sent from another dimension of earth. A dimension where great and powerful beings rule—creatures who have far superior intellect and understanding. These beings helped us create the embryonic manipulator, and with sufficient pleading and begging on my part, they’ve agreed to help us destroy it.”
“Why would they flop sides like that? And why do they care either way?”
Rebecca shrugged. “Curiosity. They look at us like ants—easy to squash, but kind of funny in the meantime. They’re entertained by our actions. It is important that we continue having them look on us in this fashion. Draw their attention the wrong way, and their curiosity and humor will turn to irritation. Then they’ll kill us.”
Nicole thought about the monsters she’d encountered in Arches. “Do they have any relation to Shoggoths and Agarchs?”
“Shoggoths are creations of the Agarchs. And Agarchs are servants to these Great Ones. Nicole, the Shoggoths and Agarchs are small in comparison, where magic, size, intellect, and ability are concerned.”
Nicole shook her head. “This is ridiculous. What you’re asking me to do is ridiculous. Those beasts were smart and strong—we barely got them to leave us alone.”
“I’ve really only asked you to do one thing so far, honey. Stay at Moses Lake for a few weeks, allowing the portal to grow from your powers. And then, once the portal has grown sufficiently, accept the elixir. What happens beyond that is entirely up to you. We won’t even discuss it until you’re comfortable. And as a side note, having the portal feed off your powers won’t disrupt your life in any way.”
“Will it be dangerous for me or anyone else?”
Rebecca glanced at Nicole. “Any interaction with the Great Ones is dangerous. I’ll do my best to help you navigate safely. As for others, sometimes sacrifices must be made.”
“And that’s the sort of opinion that makes me wonder about you, Rebecca.”
Rebecca smiled. “You’ll come to understand things from my point of view eventually.” She sighed. “I must leave now. Good luck, my dear. You may not know it, but Captain Price and I care for you deeply. We don’t want any unnecessary harm to come to you and will prevent it at all costs.” She put her hand on Nicole’s arm. “Will you help us?”
Nicole nodded. “Yes. But don’t send me to Moses Lake and then leave me there stranded. I expect frequent visits from you.”
“Of course.”
Rebecca’s solidified form became translucent until she disappeared completely, and Nicole grabbed her phone and called Austin. He picked up on the first ring.
“Is it common to see ghosts?”
Austin chuckled. “Hello to you too.”
“Seriously—I’ve been seeing one.”
>
“We saw Elizabeth when we went to Britnell Manor,” he said.
Nicole nodded, remembering their experience with the changing photograph. That wasn’t something she wanted to repeat.
“Tell me about this ghost.”
“Her name is Rebecca. She used to live in the tree outside our apartment that attacked us.”
“Excuse me? And she’s visiting you now?”
“I know it sounds stupid and dangerous . . . but she’s trying to help.” Nicole wasn’t sure how much she could tell Austin. She wanted Rebecca and Captain Price to trust her, and they had told her some very private things. But Austin was her boyfriend. Nicole tilted her head. Was he? She’d just assumed . . . he’d said he’d be the most loyal boyfriend she’d ever had . . . but did that mean they were now dating? Should she ask him? Was it time or too soon? Or would they have that conversation at some later point?
“Hello? Are you there?” Austin asked.
“Oh, yes, sorry. Just in my own world.”
“I’m coming to see you off tomorrow morning. I wish I could go with you to Moses Lake.”
“Me too. But I doubt your professors would let you skip so much school.”
“I know.” Austin’s voice went faint, then came back strong. “It’s late—you and I both need to get to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Chapter Five
The next morning, Nicole made sure she’d tucked a four-inch piece of laminated scrap paper in her pocket before leaving her room. She didn’t always carry it with her anymore, but being away from it for what might end up being a long time just felt wrong.
The paper had originally belonged to Mrs. Morse back in Ohio. The woman had spent some of her last minutes on earth writing a note to Nicole on the full-size sheet of paper the scrap had come from. When things had gone wrong in Mrs. Morse’s apartment, Nicole had attempted to save the paper, but only the corner she now possessed had survived. Nicole knew it was silly, but she felt closer to the woman when she had that with her.
She had carried it so much at first that it had started to wear on the edges. She’d had it laminated, hoping that would help it keep for a while longer. Mrs. Morse’s scraggily writing was still visible, and Nicole swore it changed periodically, which was why she’d carried it around so much.
Perceive, Mosaic Chronicles Book Three Page 6