“What’s wrong?” Austin asked.
“Sudden upset stomach.”
“Do you have a fever?” He placed the back of his hand against her forehead. “You feel fine.”
“I am fine. It’s nothing.” She put on a cheerful face. “It’s going away already. Shall we eat?”
He shrugged, then grinned. “I’m starving.”
“Good.”
Lizzie joined them and the three set the table and loaded their plates. The filet mignon was a little dry and the potatoes a little salty, but in all, it wasn’t a failure. Nicole would definitely be tweaking, then cooking this one again.
After dinner, Lizzie went to her room to check email, and Nicole and Austin sat on the couch to talk. Austin slid his arm around Nicole, and she nestled into him, enjoying the peaceful tiredness that comes after eating a good meal.
“About Channeling without a focus. You’re really close to doing it already.”
She nodded. “I hope so—I feel like I am.”
“It’s a lot like Channeling with the wrong focus—which you’ve kind of done already, with your brother’s cello over Thanksgiving break.”
“So, it feels a little muddled, basically?”
“Yes. And you have to concentrate harder to get your magic to come to you. You’ll need to practice a lot of breathing techniques—the sooner you get in control of your body, the sooner the magic obeys you.”
“Breathing, concentration.” She sighed. “I wish it wasn’t so abstract.”
“I know. You’ll be fine, though. After your breathing is mastered, very slowly open up your mind to your magic. Don’t invite it all in at once—you don’t want to overdo it. For some people, Channeling without a focus can happen in a huge rush, causing permanent damage. We won’t know if that’s you until you start trying, so it’s better to be hesitant at first.
“Also, it sometimes helps to imagine yourself playing your cello. Try that, if the magic doesn’t come quickly. After a while, you’ll be able to pull the right amount of power to yourself, without needing to use proper breathing techniques or without having to imagine anything.
“Once you’ve mastered calling your powers, simply ask them to do your bidding.” A grin colored his voice as he said, “And that’s when the fun begins.”
She smiled, leaning against him. “I’ve got a question about what happened back at the farmhouse. How could I control the whirlwind when my sub-ability is to silence things?”
“People’s sub-abilities are usually where things start, but you’ve sort of skipped that step a few times. Once you’ve mastered it, you’ll be able to do more magic without hurting yourself.” He rubbed her cheek with his nose. “I recommend learning about the other sub-abilities of Wind Aretes and figuring out how to do those. That’ll give you access to the entire element.”
Nicole giggled as he began kissing her jaw, starting at her ear and going toward her mouth. He brushed back and forth several times, almost getting to her lips, but moving away at the last second.
Nicole sighed, shivering from his contact and teasing. Finally, tired of waiting for him to get there, she turned toward him and pulled him into her arms, placing her lips on his.
As soon as she started kissing him, the nausea returned, but she ignored it, not wanting the moment to be interrupted. A headache soon followed, but she pushed it away.
Suddenly, Nicole’s eyes opened without her bidding. What she saw made her scream, jumping away, trying to pull Austin with her. A huge worm—a foot around and at least five feet long—floated in the air toward her, landing on the back of the couch. Millipede-like legs sprouted from its sides, and it crept toward her.
The worm wasn’t the only thing that had entered the apartment.
Tentacles reached toward her from underneath and around the couch. One brushed against her leg, grabbing at her jeans. A horned being with red eyes raised itself into view, more tentacles appearing.
Nicole screamed again.
“What’s going on?” Austin asked.
“You can’t see them?” She pointed to the worm on the couch, watching as it sprang into the air and floated in her direction.
He shook his head, letting go of her hand and stepping toward the couch to inspect it.
“No, Austin!”
But the minute he was no longer touching her, the creatures disappeared.
Nicole hesitated. “They’re . . . gone.”
Austin looked back, his expression confused. “I never saw them.” He approached her. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
She shook her head. Austin reached up and touched her forehead.
Nicole gasped when the creatures reappeared, the worm nearly coming in contact with her cheek. A splitting headache crashed down over her skull and spine. “Stop! Don’t touch me!” She was yelling at the worm, but Austin must have thought the command was directed at him because he stepped back.
And again, the moment he was no longer touching her, the beasts disappeared. Her headache also went away.
Nicole sat on the other couch, putting her face in her hands. “I don’t understand!” she wailed.
Austin waited a moment before sitting too. He didn’t make contact with her. “What’s going on?”
She sniffed. “The minute we started kissing, my eyes popped open, and I saw horrible creatures reaching for me, coming at me. Then, when we weren’t touching anymore, they disappeared.”
“And when I touched you again, they came back?”
Nicole nodded. “Why’s this happening?”
Austin knitted his forehead. “I wish I knew, babe.”
Nicole looked at him, wanting to reach out for him, hug him. “Maybe we should call it quits for the night. Talk again tomorrow.”
“My flight for Missoula leaves at six.”
Her shoulders slumped. She’d forgotten that. “Well, give me a call.”
Austin promised he would, then raised his hand as if to cradle her cheek, thought better of it, and dropped it. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
***
It took Nicole hours to fall asleep that night. Even talking about what had happened with Lizzie—who’d had her earbuds in and hadn’t heard Nicole screaming—didn’t help her relax.
She wished Rebecca would come. Surely, the woman would have an answer for the situation. But no spider appeared and Nicole finally gave up, forcing herself to let go.
The next day, Lizzie and Nicole flew to Texas for Christmas break.
Nicole only stopped by Lizzie’s place in Dallas for a couple of minutes before heading home. She was still discouraged and upset about the events of the night before and didn’t want to be social. The minute she walked into her bedroom, she filled her tub and took a long bath, then lounged in her room until Derek, her oldest brother, came knocking on her door.
“Nicole?” he said, his voice muffled. “You okay?”
She opened up and invited him in. “Yeah, I’m fine. But . . . I need to warn you about something.”
Derek sat on her settee at the foot of her bed. “What’s going on?”
Nicole sat next to him and put her face in her hands. Where to start? “Oh, Derek, tons.” She peeked through her fingers at him. “My boyfriend and I had something scary and freaky happen last night, I’m not getting a lot of sleep, I carry something with me that has its own power source . . . Oh, and did you know that Mom and Dad are Tarians?”
His eyes bugged. “No, I didn’t. How’d you find out?”
“Long story.” Nicole still wasn’t sure what she could share with other people, and she didn’t want to get into it if she didn’t have to. “But . . . weird things are happening now, and I need at least one of my siblings to know what’s going on. If only some of it.”
“Okay . . .” He watched her, waiting for her to continue.
“I’ll be doing stuff over the next while that will totally be going against my character. You’ll think I’ve lost my mind. Chase won’t n
otice, and Paul and Julia will be overjoyed. That should tell you enough.” She groaned, then turned to face him. “But know that it’s all for a reason. I can’t tell you what that is yet, but if I come to you, needing support and a hug, just give it without question.” She glanced at her hands. “If that’s all right, of course.”
Derek shrugged. “Sure. No problem. I’m here for you.”
Nicole smiled at him. She loved how uncomplicated he made things. No questions, just acceptance. “I could use a hug now. I have to go talk to Tiffany and pretend to be on her side.”
They stood and Derek enveloped her in a huge hug. “Good luck, sis.”
“Where is she?”
“In her office. Oh, and dinner’s going to be ready in an hour. That’s why I came to find you. Give you a heads up.”
“All right.”
They left her room together. Once outside Tiffany’s office, Nicole took a deep breath. She squared her shoulders and prepared to enter. “This is where it begins, Nicole,” she whispered.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Tiffany was at her laptop. She didn’t look up at first. Nicole knew better than to interrupt. She stood near the door, waiting to be acknowledged.
Finally, Tiffany shut her laptop. Her eyes scanned Nicole’s appearance, then landed on her daughter’s face. “You’ve changed.”
Nicole shrugged.
“Don’t shrug, Nicole. Act like an adult.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say. Yes, I’ve changed.”
“Have a seat.” Tiffany steepled her fingers over her laptop, elbows resting on top.
Nicole sat across from her mother, then waited. Tiffany’s eyes searched Nicole’s face.
“You’ve given thought to our conversation, I can tell.”
Nicole nodded. “Yes, I have.” The conversation Tiffany was referring to had happened over Thanksgiving break when Nicole had learned that Rebecca and Captain Christopher Price were her great-great-grandparents. And that a huge sum of money had been saved for their next Arete descendant, who happened to be Nicole.
“Well?”
“I’ve also talked to Rebecca about it. I know what her plans are.”
“And you’re okay with it?”
Nicole took a breath. “I’m getting used to the idea. I understand why she wants to do it, though I think she’s oversimplifying things.”
“Destroying all Aretes would solve a lot of problems in the world.”
“But not all Aretes are bad or evil.”
“They did nothing to earn their powers. Abilities like that should be earned, not left to chance.”
Nicole knew that arguing with her mother would defeat the purpose of trying to get her to believe that Nicole was having a change of heart. So she only nodded in response. “And you’re okay with it?”
“With what?”
“Having me destroyed too.”
Tiffany hesitated. “Not really. You are my daughter, after all. But as I keep my eye on the ultimate goal—fairness and equality for all—it’s easier to push aside my feelings.”
Nicole blinked. That was the closest Tiffany had ever come to expressing affection for her child.
“I’m willing to not get married—to not have kids—if it means staying alive. I’ve barely started living, Mother. I’m not ready to die yet.” The lies and half-truths rolled off her tongue much easier than she thought they would. Rebecca had been right—as long as Nicole told as much truth as possible, the lies would be easier to disguise.
“I understand. I’m sure Rebecca and her group will listen to your plea.”
“Rebecca said that you and Dad are members of the Tarian group.”
Tiffany tilted her head. “I’m surprised she told you.”
“So, it’s true?”
“Of course.”
“She said I’d find out soon enough.”
“She’s right.” Tiffany grabbed a calendar, pulling it near. “In fact, you would have found out next Wednesday at the annual Christmas Eve party.”
Nicole raised an eyebrow. “It’s weird to me that the Tarians celebrate Christmas.”
Tiffany waved that off with a flick of her hand. “It shouldn’t be. Christmas has been a part of the culture here much longer than Tarian groups have existed.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell us?”
“Tell you what?”
“That you and Dad are Tarians.”
“It wasn’t important.”
“What? Yes, it—” Nicole closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She couldn’t afford to lose her patience now. Not when things seemed to be going so well. Time for another lie. “Okay, we’ll discuss that later. For now, I’d like to learn more about their philosophy.”
“That can be arranged. We were planning on presenting you to our local chapter at the party.”
“On Christmas Eve.”
Tiffany nodded. “Yes. In the meantime . . .” She unlocked a cabinet next to her and pulled out a file. “Go through this. Acquaint yourself with the members of our group. You’ll want to know their names and positions before Wednesday night.”
Nicole took the folder, laying it in her lap. She wanted to open it then, but decided that doing it in the privacy of her own room would be better. “Can I take it?”
“As long as you don’t lose it or get it dirty.”
Nicole held back an eye roll. “Thanks.”
Tiffany opened her laptop, signaling the end of the conversation, and Nicole got to her feet and exited the room, shutting the door behind her. She checked the time on her phone—thirty minutes before dinner would be served—and returned to her room to examine the file.
The first sheet of paper had a list of board members. The next several pages went into detail about those members—pictures, contact information, family, known Arete relatives, and prior activity in the group.
Dad wasn’t on the board, but Nicole was unsurprised to see that Tiffany was the secretary. She’d always been good at keeping things organized, including her emotions for her children, which she kept securely tucked away.
The last few pages gave information about all the other Tarian groups around the world. Only an address was given for each. Nicole took a picture with her cell of the information on the Seattle group, noticing that the address was incomplete. In fact, all of them were—only a city, state, and zip code were included. In a big city like Seattle, a zip code would help narrow things down, but not enough.
There were groups on every continent. Most were in Europe and North America, with South America and Africa coming in next. Asia and Central America had the least number of groups. Nicole wondered about that. Asia made sense—a lot of it was led by communist governments that would probably prohibit a group like the Tarians. But why Central America? Maybe they were humbler and nicer and actually appreciated their Aretes.
Nicole flipped back to the information on the board members. She noticed that one other couple had given birth to an Arete—a boy named Greg who was a couple years older than Nicole. Did he know his family was involved? She’d find out eventually, if not at the meeting next Wednesday.
End of sneak peak.
Perceive, Mosaic Chronicles Book Three Page 21