Albert agreed. “We’ll limit our visits to five minutes or less each time.”
“Good idea.”
***
Nicole buried herself in her studies even more and soon was able to silence pretty much anything. It made her feel good, knowing that she’d perfected her sub-ability. She hoped the strength she gained from the portal would stick around after the portal left. In the meantime, she started doing a lot of reading up on other sub-abilities for Wind Aretes. Albert had a great collection of Arete books in his library, and she continued to spend several hours there each day.
Albert taught her how to use the food preserving machine, and they bought tons of fresh food from several different grocery stores, preserved most of it, then left cans and containers of food around the Gardners’ house—on the counters and tables—hoping that someone would eventually eat it.
Nicole loved the trips out to Moses Lake—it was nice to be back in her car again and see people who were, well, relatively normal. She could almost pretend that life was back to how it had been before.
The Gardners were going downhill. From what Albert and Nicole could tell, they weren’t eating anything except what they’d prepared from their own land. Nicole hated seeing the despair in Albert’s eyes every time they stopped by the house.
At least one good thing was happening—the land was finally turning gray. The colors were leaking from the trees and bushes, and the dirt no longer had a slight brown shade to it.
Nicole informed Rebecca about the change, and the woman said more instructions would be forthcoming. Nicole opened the journal several times, hoping for more to read, but nothing showed up.
At the beginning of November, Nicole decided to take a break from the situation in Moses Lake. She drove back to Seattle for the weekend to hang out with Lizzie. Sadly, Austin would be out of town with Coolidge, but at least Nicole would be able to see her best friend.
The moment she walked through the door of her apartment and saw Lizzie, she broke down, sobbing.
Lizzie ran to her and gave her a hug. “I had no idea how hard this has been on you.”
Nicole couldn’t respond for several moments. “It’s been awful. Lizzie, they’re dying. It’s slow and horrible to watch. None of them will listen to us. They won’t eat the food we’re bringing. They won’t drink anything but water from that stupid well.” She wiped her eyes. “And I miss my best friend.”
“Do you miss me too?” Austin asked, walking down the hall.
Nicole dropped her hold on Lizzie and dashed to Austin, throwing her arms around him. “Oh, you’re here. Lizzie told me you were gone with Coolidge!”
Austin chuckled, holding her tight. He buried his face in her neck. “She lied,” he said, his voice muffled.
Nicole laughed.
The three of them sat on the couches in the living room and talked, covering pretty much every topic from Whitman—who’d finally confessed to Coolidge about the crown—to the Gardners and Albert.
“How much longer will it be?” Lizzie asked.
Nicole shook her head. “I have no idea. I hope not much . . . that third sign is finally happening, but nothing new has appeared in the journal, and Rebecca hasn’t come in a week.”
Austin frowned. “Didn’t she say she’d visit every couple of days?”
“Yes. And she did, for the first month. But something is obviously going on, keeping her distracted.”
Austin pulled Nicole even closer. “I think it’s time for you and Albert to remove the Gardners from the situation, especially the kids.”
“I agree. But how? They’re so protective of each other. We tried to convince Prudence to stay at the manor, but she wouldn’t. And Winston is positive that if we take anyone away, they’ll die.”
“He’s so brainwashed,” Lizzie said.
Nicole and Austin both nodded.
“I know this is a horrible thing to say,” Nicole started, “but I hate being this involved with them. I don’t know how much more I can take, seeing them suffer so much.”
Lizzie put her hand on Nicole’s arm. “We both know that if it were me out there, I would’ve given up already and gone home. Rebecca did say they needed a strong Arete. Maybe they weren’t just referring to magical abilities, but also strength of character.”
“You are strong, though, Lizzie,” Nicole said. “You stand up for things I shy away from.”
“Ideals and theology type things, but not physical strain or mental competition. I’ve never been as intense as you.”
Austin rubbed Nicole’s back. “She’s got a point, Nicole. You tried out for—and made—the expedition. Thousands of other students also tried, and yet you were chosen and they weren’t. You’re made of tough stuff.”
Nicole looked at him. “And so are you. Why did the journal choose me? Why not you? You’re so much more powerful than I am.”
No one had an answer for that. Nicole hoped someday she’d know the reasons behind Rebecca and Captain Price’s decision, but she knew she’d probably be waiting a long time to hear it.
“I wish we could talk to Elizabeth,” she said.
Lizzie frowned, tilting her head. “Who?”
“The woman from Britnell Manor. You know, with the photograph Austin got.”
Austin stopped rubbing Nicole’s back for a moment. “Why do you want to talk to her?”
“She’s dead and Rebecca’s dead. Maybe they’ve run into each other, wherever dead people end up. I need to find out if I can trust Rebecca. I mean, I have been so far, but what if she has ulterior motives?”
“Nearly everyone does,” Lizzie said.
“But not all motives are evil. What if hers are?”
Lizzie shrugged. “You could always ask her.”
“I kind of have already. She told me to trust her.”
Lizzie knitted her eyebrows. “Then why don’t you?”
Nicole and Austin both chuckled.
“Because some people lie,” Austin said.
Lizzie swatted at him. “Yeah, I know.” She sobered up. “I trust people far too easily. Which is why they walk all over me sometimes.”
Nicole nodded. “But it’s also why you make so many friends. People love that characteristic about you.”
Lizzie smiled. “Thank you, Nicole.”
After a few more minutes, Lizzie stretched, said goodnight, then headed to bed.
Nicole asked Austin for an update on Professor Whitman. Apparently, Coolidge was taking every weekend to track down the person who’d sold Whitman the crown.
“He’s getting closer,” Austin said, then leaned his head on Nicole’s and was silent for several moments. “What are you going to do, once this is all over?”
“I hesitate to make any plans in case Rebecca needs me to do something with the elixir. And I’m pretty sure she will. They’ve hinted around it, but they need to see how well I handle this task first.” Nicole tucked her feet underneath her legs and looked up at Austin. “Is it bad that I hope they choose me? Without knowing the potential dangers? I really just want things to go back to how they were before Rebecca and Captain Price. And knowing that it’s possible . . . makes it even more important that it happens soon. They’ve been working with me for a while now and wouldn’t need to start over with someone else.”
Austin leaned over and kissed her, then traced a line with his lips to her ear and back again. “If you could choose, how many kids would you want?”
Nicole blinked at the question. Where had it come from? Was he wanting to know how many kids they’d end up having together, if they got married, or how many she wanted with any guy? She mentally kicked herself for automatically thinking about marriage when she and Austin had just started dating.
Realizing she’d gotten off topic and that Austin was still waiting for an answer, she said, “I always planned to try for four—everyone always does. And having an Arete would be so very neat. But if I weren’t limited, would I want more than that? I honestly don’t know. I thin
k four’s a good number . . . but maybe five? What about you?”
Austin smiled. “I want a big family. Plenty of kids to fill a large ranch.”
“What’s big?”
“Oh, eight or nine.”
Nicole raised her eyebrows. “That many? Really?”
Austin shrugged. “Why not? If it’s an option, I don’t see why I shouldn’t. Besides, the more Austinites there are in the world, the better the world would be.”
Nicole giggled. “You just called yourself an Austenite.” She knew the spelling was different, but the word was pretty much the same.
“So?”
“It’s what Jane Austen lovers call themselves.”
Austin mock rolled his eyes. “Oh, heavens. Can’t be associated with them, can I?”
“Not unless you want—”
Austin put his lips over Nicole’s, silencing her with a long, warm kiss, making her forget what she’d been about to say.
***
The visit was over far too quickly. Austin called Nicole on the way to Moses Lake, keeping her company until she reached the gate and her phone and car both died.
Albert was already there, waiting in the buggy. “Good trip?” he asked once Nicole was loaded up.
“Yes. It was nice to see my friends again.”
“Excellent. You up for a visit to the Gardners? I put off the one this morning, not wanting to go alone again.” He glanced sidelong at her. “They’re a lot different when it’s just me. I don’t know why, but they act weird. Like I make them more uncomfortable than you do.”
Nicole could tell it pained him to say that. “I’m sure this will all be over soon enough.”
Albert’s face brightened. “You really think so?”
“The last sign has been met—you yourself were commenting on how ugly the land is getting. It can’t be much longer now.”
Albert visibly relaxed. “I really hope so. I want my friends and my property back.”
After dropping Nicole’s things off at the manor, they continued on to the Gardners’ home. The buggy wasn’t uncomfortable, but after the long car ride, Nicole’s backside was tired of sitting for so long. She couldn’t wait to get back to the manor.
They pulled up to the white house. And even though Orson was playing in the dirt outside, not looking upset or shocked about anything, the moment Nicole and Albert neared, they could tell something was different.
Banging noises, originating from the stables, reached their ears, and someone there was screaming. Not wanting to just assume it was Iona, Nicole and Albert rushed into the house to check with Winston.
Prudence was scrubbing the same spot on the table over and over. Iona wasn’t in sight, and Winston was in a rocking chair, staring out the window.
“Milk tastes funny,” Winston said, not even waiting for his guests to shut the door. “Had to move the cows. The land is poisoned.”
Albert and Nicole met eyes. Nicole couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.
“I know,” Albert said. “Are you going to move away?”
“This is my ma’s house. I can’t take Iona away from it.” His eyes wandered heavenward. “She’s up there now.”
Albert gasped. “Iona died?”
Winston shook his head. “Nope. She’s in the attic. She sees somethin’ now.” His eyes went out of focus. “Somethin’ from the beyond.”
“Why is she in the attic?” Nicole asked, amazed at how lucid Winston was.
“Can’t have her down here—she upsets Orson too much.”
“Can we check on her?” Albert asked.
Winston shrugged. “Go right ahead. She won’t hurt you none.”
Albert nodded, then flinched when another loud noise drifted through the open window from the barn. “Okay. Then we’d like to ask what’s going on in the stables.”
“It’s just Sterling with them animals.”
Albert motioned for Nicole to go first, then changed his mind and had her follow him. Nicole appreciated the gesture. Even though Albert was getting old, he was still fairly strong and spry.
They headed up the stairs. The hair on Nicole’s arms rose as she sensed another presence. She looked around for a spider, but didn’t see one. Not wanting to freak Albert out, she decided not to mention what she’d felt. Moments later, it passed.
At the top of the stairs was a very narrow hallway with three doors leading off it—one at the back of the hall, and one on either side. Albert hesitated, glancing at Nicole, then tried the door on the left. The room was empty. He turned to the one on the right and opened it.
Iona was there on her hands and knees, crawling around the edges of the room. The moment she saw the open door, her bloodshot eyes widened, and she headed for freedom as fast as she could.
Albert and Nicole raced into the room and shut the door before she could get there. “Sorry, Iona, but I don’t think Winston wants you out right now.”
Iona narrowed her eyes and stared at him.
“How are you doing?” Nicole asked.
The woman didn’t respond. A drop of drool fell from her mouth, splattering on the scuffed wooden floor. Iona shuddered, looked away from them, then began crawling around the edges of the room again. She still didn’t say anything, and as she crawled past, Nicole was horrified to see that one of her feet was shriveled, and the other was grotesquely swollen.
Albert noticed it too and looked at Nicole, a sad expression on his face. He motioned to the door, and Nicole nodded. The two of them left Iona to her crawling and headed back downstairs.
Albert paused near the front door, staring at Winston. Nicole could tell that the old man wanted to say something, maybe to offer Winston some comfort, but was struggling with getting the words out. His mouth opened and closed several times.
Just then, the noise from the stable intensified, and Sterling called for help.
“Let’s go see what’s going on,” Albert said to Nicole and opened the door.
Winston jumped up from his rocking chair, startling Nicole. “I’m comin’.”
The three rushed toward the barn, gray leaves and grass crunching under foot. Nicole was astonished to notice that the walls were shaking.
Albert went to open the door, but Winston held him back. “No.” He motioned to Nicole. “Come here.” He pointed to the window high above.
Nicole nodded, then stepped into Winston’s hands when he clasped them together at knee height. Albert offered an arm to help steady Nicole, then Winston raised her up high enough to look through the narrow opening at the top of the wall.
Sterling was in the corner of the barn holding a shovel, trying to fend off several attacking horses.
“Put me down, put me down!” Nicole said.
Albert and Winston complied immediately, and Nicole rushed around to the doors, yanking them open.
“Stand back,” she said.
Albert and Winston flattened themselves against either wall right as the horses stampeded through.
Once the last of them had gone, Nicole ran into the barn and to Sterling, who was in a crumpled mess on the ground. He was bloodied and bruised.
She dropped to her knees next to him and felt his forehead. It was clammy. He was barely breathing. How had he been standing a moment earlier and now was in such bad shape? Maybe he realized help was coming and had given in to his exhaustion.
“Sterling, can you hear me?”
He moaned but didn’t open his eyes.
“We’ve got to get him out of here,” Nicole said, looking up at Albert and Winston.
“But how?” Winston asked, his bloodshot eyes wild.
Albert looked around the barn, his gaze landing on a wheelbarrow in a corner. “With that.”
He ran to it and brought it over, then the three of them grabbed Sterling, carefully lifting him into it. Sterling groaned again, his eyes opening. They landed on Nicole. He raised a hand toward her and smiled, then his head lolled to the side as he fell unconscious.
Albert p
ushed the wheelbarrow carefully out of the barn and toward the buggy.
The whole way there, Nicole and Albert tried to convince Winston to let them take Sterling to the hospital.
“Can’t you see, Winston?” Albert asked. “The boy’s in awful shape. He needs a doctor!”
“He ain’t gonna get one,” Winston said. “No one is leavin’ the house who belongs here.”
Sterling groaned, his eyes opening, as they stopped the wheelbarrow near the buggy. “Pa, I need to go. Please let me go.”
Nicole’s jaw dropped. This was the first time a member of the Gardner family had expressed an actual desire to leave. Had the horses knocked some sense into Sterling’s mind?
Winston fell to his knees by his oldest son. “No, Sterling, please, no. Your ma needs you here.”
Sterling winced. “Gotta go. Gotta . . .”
Winston glanced back up at Albert, biting his lips. “Fine. Take him. But if he dies, it’s on your hands.”
Albert glared at Winston. “No, friend. If he dies, it’s on you for not listening to me a long time ago.”
Winston looked away from Albert, seeming too ashamed to meet his eye. But he didn’t argue.
The three of them lifted Sterling and carefully sat him up on the bench of the buggy.
“Godspeed,” Winston said, shaking Albert’s hand.
Albert got up alongside Sterling, and Winston helped Nicole into the seat at the back of the buggy.
With a crack of the whip, Albert’s horse started forward so fast that Nicole nearly fell off. She grabbed the wooden seat and held on as tightly as she could during the wild ride.
Trees went past in a blur, and instead of the usual twenty minutes, it only took ten to reach the manor. Thank goodness the dirt road was in good condition.
Albert passed the manor and continued on down the driveway toward the gate. Once there, they half pulled, half pushed Sterling from the buggy, then walked him around to Nicole’s car, where they laid him across the backseat. Nicole hopped behind the wheel and revved the engine as Albert put on his seatbelt. She flipped the car around as quickly as possible.
Not caring if cops caught her speeding, Nicole zoomed down Wheeler Road and back into Moses Lake, where Albert showed her the way to the nearest ER. She pulled up at the doors and dashed out of the car to get a wheelchair. Then she and Albert helped Sterling into it.
Perceive, Mosaic Chronicles Book Three Page 10