Observe, Mosaic Chronicles Book Four Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Books by Andrea Pearson

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Observe

  Mosaic Chronicles Book Four

  Andrea Pearson

  Copyright © 2015 Andrea Pearson

  Book design and layout copyright © 2015 Andrea Pearson

  Cover copyright © 2015 Andrea Pearson and Pearson Photography

  Series by Andrea Pearson:

  Kilenya

  Kilenya Romances

  Kilenya Adventures

  Mosaic Chronicles

  Ranch City Academy

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction, and the views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author. Likewise, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are represented fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Summary: Nicole Williams is the sole protector of an elixir that will end a curse on the human race. But while the elixir strengthens her, it also forces her to abandon the love of the person most important to her—her boyfriend, Austin.

  Determined to prove her loyalty and to distract herself from heartache, Nicole attacks her assignments with zeal, along with her goal to master Wind powers as quickly as possible. While she is getting stronger as an Arete, the group that wants to destroy all magical people is also growing in numbers and strength. Their new world leader is about to be revealed—an individual they believe is powerful enough to bring them victory against Aretes everywhere.

  In the meantime, Nicole receives a plea for help from an elderly woman she met while studying in Ohio who may have information about the upcoming war. Nicole must now choose to continue her work or abandon everything she’s striven to achieve in the past few months to save the woman. If she chooses to come to Anna Morse’s rescue, she’ll need Austin’s assistance. Will they be able to put aside their feelings and find Nicole’s friend or will they lose control and doom humanity to be forever cursed?

  http://katonuniversity.blogspot.com/

  Dedication

  To Kati Loveless

  Because I just couldn’t bring myself to put you in the book, only to kill your character later. Sorry.

  I hope this works instead. :-)

  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 purchased 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.

  “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 notice, 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.”

  Nico
le 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.”