“I’m sorry I didn’t come back earlier to thank you for getting the elixir.”
“It’s okay. You’re a busy woman.”
Rebecca nodded. “Normally, yes, but I was recovering from my exertion of last week. It took a lot out of me.”
“I didn’t even know you could still use your powers.”
“I can, but I have to let them build for a long time. It’s not the same as when you’re alive—they don’t exactly come to you. Someone else must start the magic flowing.”
“It’s a good thing you came—we would’ve died.”
“Yes. And everything would have been for naught.” Rebecca sighed, looking at the elixir on Nicole’s nightstand. “It’s really best if it’s in constant contact with you, you know.”
“I haven’t found a way to get it to stay in place while I’m sleeping. When I go to bed, I usually hold it in my hand, under my pillow. That way, if I let go of it, it’s still close to me, but in a place where it can’t get hurt.”
“I’m happy to see you taking this seriously.”
“It’s important. I really believe in what we’re doing.”
“So do I.” Rebecca put her hand on top of Nicole’s blanketed leg. “Captain Price and I are very proud of you. In fact, we’ve decided to make everything official. We’re preparing to introduce you as the new leader of the Tarians come summertime. There is a lot that needs to happen first, which is why it won’t take place until then.”
Nicole knitted her eyebrows. “You’ve seen the future. How does it turn out? Will we be successful?”
Rebecca sighed. “I can only see to a certain point. The moment that elixir was placed under your care, my visions have become confusing and clouded. I can barely see anything at all. It’s frustrating, and forces me to go by faith alone.”
Nicole chuckled. “Like the rest of us.”
“Yes, exactly.” Rebecca fingered a tassel on Nicole’s blanket. “In the meantime, before we introduce you to the Tarians, stay close to your parents. They’ll help ease the transition for you as a leader.”
Nicole felt her jaw drop. “My . . . my parents?”
Rebecca gave Nicole a sympathetic expression. “I’m sorry you have to learn about them from me. I’m sure they planned to tell you about their involvement in the Tarian group before long, but I got tired of waiting.”
“I—I can’t believe it. How long have they been members?”
“Their whole lives—well, your mother’s entire life. I don’t know about your father.”
“I’d never even heard of the Tarians before August. How did they keep it hidden from me?”
“You’ll have to ask them when you go home for Christmas.”
Nicole groaned. “Another holiday with the family. Great.”
Rebecca laughed. “It won’t be so bad now that they’ll feel like you’re on their side.” Her smile disappeared. “It’s time for you to learn to lie, Nicole. They can’t know anything that we’ve planned. Your parents love you, yes, but even they wouldn’t hesitate to destroy you if you tried to get in their way.”
Nicole swallowed. “What I wouldn’t give for a normal family.”
Rebecca leaned over and hugged Nicole. “You’ll do fine.”
The woman said goodbye, then faded away, leaving Nicole alone with her thoughts. Her parents were Tarians. She couldn’t believe it. And yet, it made sense. Their refusal to talk about Aretes while Nicole was growing up, even considering the fact that Tiffany had wanted to be one so badly. The fact that they feared and disliked her. Even having her in the first place. Sometimes Dad seemed to forget what Nicole was, but Tiffany never did.
Nicole rubbed her forehead, recognizing what Rebecca was asking her to do. Going against the wishes of the Tarian group would probably destroy her family, if they were as involved as Rebecca said they were. Was Nicole ready to do that?
Yes, she was. Especially when considering the alternative.
Epilogue
Austin picked up the old photograph he’d placed facedown on his desk several months earlier. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.
Nicole placed a kiss on his cheek. “Of course. I need to know if I can trust Rebecca. I mean, she’s asking me to do some pretty crazy things.”
He nodded. “Let’s go, then.”
They walked out of Austin’s room and down the hall to where Coolidge and Lizzie waited in the living room.
“Got it?” Coolidge asked, a little too eagerly.
Austin handed him the picture and Coolidge stared at it. “How often do the changes happen?”
“Every few hours,” Austin said. “But only when the person hasn’t looked at it in a while.” He put on his jacket, zipping it up. “We’re not going to wait for the process to complete—I think having you look at it is enough to get things started, and I want to catch her when she’s first digging herself out of her grave.”
“This is going to be creepy,” Lizzie said.
Nicole couldn’t agree more. Several months earlier, Austin’s older brother, Will, had given him an old photograph. It had turned out to be enchanted. Or possessed, depending on how you looked at it. Elizabeth was a dead woman who was tied to the photograph.
The plan was, they would talk to her and ask her to spy on Rebecca. Figure out if Rebecca was trustworthy. Honest.
Nicole put her hand in her pocket and fingered the elixir. She’d asked herself many times if she would still go through with Rebecca’s plan if she found out the woman was lying. The answer was always yes. Destroying the embryonic manipulator was just too important.
The four piled into Austin’s car and headed toward Britnell Manor, Elizabeth’s resting spot. It was cold enough for a light snow to be falling, and Nicole shivered, pulling her coat closer.
It didn’t take long for them to find where Elizabeth had been buried—the dirt had already been pushed away from her grave.
“Digging her way out already?” Coolidge asked.
“It’s the first part of the process,” Austin said. “I wasn’t sure if what we did previously changed anything, but it’s a relief to know that even this much is still happening.”
Coolidge took the photograph from Austin and looked at it. “No changes yet.”
“She’s here, then,” Austin said.
The four stepped closer to the grave, and Austin held his hand over it.
“Elizabeth,” he said in a commanding tone. “We need to talk to you.”
Nicole held back a smile. She’d seen enough séances to know that this wasn’t the way they were typically done. But Austin never did anything the traditional way.
The snow stopped falling and the breeze died. Nicole felt a presence, and for a moment, she panicked, thinking it was Rebecca. But a quick glance around didn’t show any spiders. It did reveal that the others were probably sensing the presence too, though. No one but Nicole had ever felt or seen Rebecca.
“She’s here,” Austin said. He rolled his eyes. “Elizabeth, show yourself to us. It’s not like we haven’t seen you before.”
“The fourth one is new,” a woman said.
Coolidge looked around. “I know about you, and I don’t mean any disrespect by coming.”
The woman laughed. “You’re all looking in the wrong place. I’m down here.”
Elizabeth had materialized in her grave. Nicole swallowed, trying to hide the revulsion from her face. The woman had chosen to take her decomposing form—part skeleton, part flesh. Only a chunk of hair on the top of her decaying scalp still existed, and her clothes were rotting off her corpse. She raised a hand.
“Help me out, Austin.”
Austin nodded. Without hesitation, he got to his knees and grabbed her moldering hand with his own. Nicole half expected Elizabeth to drag him into the grave with her, but the woman allowed him to heave her out.
The corpse flopped on the grass next to the grave and chuckled, getting to her feet. One eye had fallen back into her head and the other was froze
n in place.
Elizabeth turned to Austin. “You are disgusted by my appearance. How would you like me to look?”
Austin shrugged. “Whatever is most comfortable for you is fine with us.”
Nicole couldn’t believe how well he maintained his composure. The guy was fantastic!
“That’s the right answer.” Elizabeth shimmered, and her rotting flesh gave way to healthy skin. The hair that was still stuck to her skull became fuller, lusher.
After only a few seconds, a stunning redhead in a black dress stood before them, one hand on her hip and an infant in the other arm. She bent and kissed the baby, then glanced at Nicole.
“You want something from me, Nicole.”
Did everyone who died know everything? That wasn’t fair. “I do.”
“Feel free to ask it, but I make no guarantees.”
Nicole nodded. “Do you know a Rebecca Price?”
Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I know of her. Why?”
“She’s my great-great-grandmother.”
“And?”
“She’s asked me to do a very difficult task.”
“So?”
Nicole tried to hold back an eye roll. “I want to know if she’s lying or manipulating me.”
Elizabeth threw back her head and laughed, her hair cascading past her shoulders. “And you expect me to tell you? How petty! Was I this ridiculous when I was still living? I must have been. Oh, this is rich.” She stared at Nicole. “You want me to spy on your grandmother, someone you should trust without question, just so you can possibly prevent yourself from doing something difficult? How have Aretes become so lazy and turned into such wimps?”
“It’s not a simple task. And it affects every living person on the planet right now.” Nicole pulled the elixir from her pocket and held it in her hand. “It involves this gift from the Great Ones.”
A shadow crossed Elizabeth’s face and she snarled. “Why do you have that?”
“It’s part of Rebecca’s plan.”
Elizabeth hesitated, then finally nodded. “Fine.” She shifted the baby to her other arm. “But I don’t work for free. It will take time and resources—access to the right people so as not to make Rebecca suspicious. She and I don’t exactly walk in the same circles.”
“What sort of payment do you want?” Austin asked.
Elizabeth glanced at him. “What could you possibly have that would be of interest to me? Your money is useless and powers aren’t transferrable.”
A smile played at the corners of Austin’s mouth. “I have something that might work.”
She scoffed. “And what is that?”
Austin shrugged. “Nothing big.” All his playfulness disappeared, and he held her gaze. “Just your husband’s journal.”
Elizabeth stared at him for several moments, and Nicole held her breath, praying the woman would take the bait.
A smile crossed Elizabeth’s face. “I’ll do it.”
###
Would you like to know what was on Austin’s mind when he first met Nicole—why he was so upset when she talked to him? Austin’s Perception, a short story, is available only to members of Andrea’s readers group. Receive it for free when you join. Enjoy!
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Note from the author:
Thank you for reading Perceive! I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, would you consider writing a review about it so other readers can enjoy it too? Just a couple of sentences. It would mean a lot to me.
Also, if you’d like to know when I release more books, consider joining my email newsletter list by clicking the link above.
Thanks!
- Andrea
Books by Andrea Pearson:
The Kilenya Series:
The Key of Kilenya
The Ember Gods, Kilenya Series Book Two
August Fortress, Kilenya Series Book Three
Rise of Keitus, Kilenya Series Book Four
Eyes of the Sun, Kilenya Series Book Five
The Golden Symbol, Kilenya Series Book Six
The Key of Kilenya: Special Edition with Illustrations
Grail Bestiary Volume I: Creatures of Grail and Kilenya
Kilenya Romances:
Samara, A Kilenya Romance
Midian, A Kilenya Romance
Shirley, A Kilenya Romance
Kilenya Adventures:
Dmitri, A Kilenya Adventure
Mosaic Chronicles:
Discern, Mosaic Chronicles Book One
Praxis Novellas, Mosaic Chronicles Book Two
Perceive, Mosaic Chronicles Book Three
Observe, Mosaic Chronicles Book Four
Reclaim, Mosaic Chronicles Book Five
Ranch City Academy:
Bezza’s Book of Enchantments
About the Author
Andrea Pearson, author of several series including the Kilenya Series, Kilenya Romances, and the Mosaic Chronicles series, lives with her husband and daughter in a small valley framed with hills. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor of science degree in Communications Disorders.
Andrea spends as much time with her husband and daughter as possible. Favorite activities include painting, watching movies, collecting and listening to music, and discussing books and authors. She and her husband are expecting their second child in the fall of 2015.
Connect with her Online:
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Facebook Fan Page
Twitter
Blog
Website
Join her email mailing list for news on upcoming releases
(She values your privacy and doesn’t sell or misuse email addresses)
Sneak peak at Observe, Mosaic Chronicles Book Four:
Chapter One
Nicole grasped her necklace and peered up at the heavy clouds before hopping out of her car. She wasn’t sure what would happen if the necklace got wet, and she wasn’t in the mood to find out. It housed the elixir that had been entrusted to her care a few days earlier, an elixir that literally meant life and death for Aretes like her. She’d originally carried the vial in her pocket, but it had slipped out multiple times, making her panic that it would be ruined. The necklace worked much better.
The rain let up enough for Nicole to jump out of her car. She kept her fingers tight around the elixir, her other hand clutching her purse, and ran toward her apartment building. Just as she reached the main doors, her boyfriend, Austin, called.
“Hey, babe,” she said, stepping inside and shaking the rain out of her hair. They had a date that night, and she’d been looking forward to it for a while. It would be the last time they’d see each other until after Christmas break.
“I’m on my way,” he said. “Sorry it’s taking so long.”
“No worries. I just got back.”
“So . . .” Austin paused. “We need to talk.”
“That sounds serious.” Nicole took the elevator to her floor.
He chuckled. “Not about us—about you. And Channeling without a focus.”
“There’s no rush—we can get to it whenever.”
“I . . .” He hesitated again. “I guess you’re right. But I’d feel better knowing you’re as prepared to defend yourself as possible.”
Nicole stopped outside her apartment and pulled her key out of her purse. “All right, let’s go over the essentials tonight, then.”
“Sounds great. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
They ended the call and Nicole unlocked the door and entered the apartment. Lizzie, her roommate and best friend, still sat on the couch, watching TV.
“You didn’t move once while I was gone, did you?” Nicole asked.
Lizzie grinned up at Nicole, her eyes bloodshot. “You’ve got a lot to catch up on. Some of the episodes are freaky, but don’t worry, a lot of them are super cheesy.”
“Cheesy is good.”
On a dare from Austin’s roommate, Nate, the girls had purchase
d all of the X-Files DVDs a couple of weeks earlier. Neither of them had seen a full episode before—they’d been too chicken—and it had been fun to figure out what the rest of TV land had experienced several years earlier.
“Austin’s on his way. You sure you don’t want to invite someone over?”
Lizzie shrugged. “Nope. Being between boyfriends isn’t a horrible thing, you know.”
Nicole snorted. “Like it’ll last long. It never does, with you.”
Lizzie chuckled, then turned back to the episode.
Nicole put the finishing touches on dinner—flame-broiled filet mignon, sautéed onions, mushrooms, green beans, and a side of mashed potatoes. She couldn’t wait to dig in. The apartment had smelled heavenly all day. Her mom had employed a cook the entire time Nicole had been growing up, and this was the first time she’d prepared mashed potatoes, let alone something as extravagant as flame-broiled filet mignon. She hoped it turned out well.
Austin knocked at the door before letting himself in and entering the kitchen. Nicole smiled at him. She still couldn’t believe she was lucky enough to be his girlfriend. Not only was he talented and smart, but he was attractive, too, and excellent at making desserts.
He set a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the counter, then approached Nicole with his arms open, enveloping her in a bear hug.
Nicole breathed deeply, pleased that he’d worn her favorite cologne. She held on tightly. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Same,” he mumbled, his face pressed into her neck. He back up a little, letting his lips find hers.
Nicole sighed inwardly, enjoying the sensation of butterflies flipping in her stomach. She rested her arms on his shoulders and melted into him.
Suddenly, the butterflies began twisting violently, and Nicole gagged, breaking away from him. She tasted bile at the back of her mouth. Nausea did not mix with kissing.
Perceive, Mosaic Chronicles Book Three Page 20