Praxis Novellas, Mosaic Chronicles Book Two Read online

  Nicole nodded, feeling a sense of pride that her instructor valued her opinion and abilities that much. “Just let me know,” she said, “And Professor, I think it’s time we open the cabinet. I . . . I need to face the book. It’s been calling to me the entire time I’ve been here.”

  “I was afraid of that—I could sense a small part of your magic drifting that way every time you played, and I wondered if subconsciously, you were trying to silence it.”

  Coolidge pulled up his calendar and studied it. “I’d like to be here when you read, but have to get some work done. I’ll have time tonight around seven, if you want to come then.” He glanced at Austin. “You should be present, just in case.”

  Austin agreed to come, but a line appeared between his eyebrows, and he excused himself.

  Nicole rushed to follow him, getting caught on a loose screw in Coolidge’s doorjamb on the way out, snagging her shirt. She groaned when she saw that it had ripped, but decided to deal with it later.

  “Austin, wait,” she said.

  Austin paused near the stairs and half turned to her, the line between his eyebrows deepening. “Nicole . . .”

  “Aren’t we . . .” She didn’t know how to ask without coming across as begging. “Aren’t we going to study together?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I kept my promise. I came. We’ll work with Pete and Toby, here in Coolidge’s office.”

  Without saying another word, he took the stairs two at a time up to the first floor.

  Nicole felt tears burning behind her eyes as she watched him leave. Stupid Austin. The jerk. Leading her on while in Arches, holding her hand, kissing her, looking at her like he adored her at Albert’s manor. He’d obviously chosen his ex-girlfriend, and for what reason? So he could break up with her for the umpteenth time?

  He was ridiculous. The whole situation was ridiculous. But Nicole was more ridiculous than anyone for hoping that something could develop between them.

  She couldn’t believe that the only reason he’d come today was to keep his promise to study with her. She’d rather be helped by Toby and Pete, thank you very much, than have him do it out of duty.

  Even while Nicole stormed outside and to her car, angry at Austin and the situation, she couldn’t deny the ache in her chest. The longing for a relationship with him that wasn’t going to happen. The sting from being rejected.

  But if Austin could be emotionless, so could she. She’d just turn off her feelings and ignore him. Well, ignore him as much as she could, anyway. She wished he’d just taken back his promise to help. It would be so much easier if they didn’t have to spend several hours together a week.

  Nicole got to her apartment and put Niko away, longing to practice herself into oblivion, but she was determined to keep her promise to Albert. Besides, she’d felt how strong her powers were—she didn’t want to risk letting too much flow out at once and possibly ruin the instrument.

  Deciding to change into comfy clothes and veg in front of a movie, Nicole went to her room and yanked on a pair of yoga pants. As she was pulling off her blouse, she remembered how it had snagged on Coolidge’s doorjamb as she’d been leaving his office. Worried that it had ruined her shirt, she straightened the garment and laid it on her bed, searching for signs of damage. Right next to a hole, she found a drop of blood. Blood? How had that gotten there?

  Nicole twisted to see her side where she’d brushed into the doorjamb. There was a small cut with crusted blood on it. Weird. She hadn’t felt pain.

  If that was the case, she’d obviously pushed herself too far. She sat on the bed next to her shirt and rubbed her face.

  Nicole had recently learned that when an Arete uses too much power, the pineal gland in his or her brain will begin to borrow energy from other areas of the brain. Each Arete lost a different sense. For Nicole, the ability to sense pain was targeted. Pushing herself too far was dangerous because she wouldn’t know if she’d been injured.

  Not knowing how long it would take for her body to regain that sense, she realized that a movie was the best idea she’d had all day.

  Chapter Three

  Nicole was still watching movies when Lizzie got home. She glanced at her watch, realizing she only had twenty minutes to get back to campus and Coolidge’s office.

  “Hey, girl,” Lizzie said, plopping next to Nicole on the couch. “How’d the study session go?”

  Where to start? Nicole sighed. “Austin picked Savannah.”

  “What? How do you know?”

  “He was super out of it. He acted annoyed to see me there, then after, he told me he wasn’t going to be studying with me one-on-one.”

  “What an idiot! He’s blind, Nicole. How could he pick her over you?”

  Nicole shrugged. She didn’t have anything against Savannah—she’d only met her once—but Austin had broken up with the girl several times. Why did he think this time would be any different?

  “Also,” Nicole said, “I pushed myself too far while working on my powers.” She showed Lizzie her Band-Aid. “Gotta be more careful.”

  “Yeah, seriously. I wish I could go to those sessions. I’d help you be nice to yourself, and I’d keep Austin from being a jerk. Protect you from him, you know.”

  Nicole smiled. “You might get your chance in about twenty minutes. Coolidge and Austin are meeting me at Coolidge’s office, and I’d really, really like you there. I’m going to read the book.”

  Lizzie bounced up and clapped. “Let’s go!” She hesitated. “Wait. You’re sure you’re ready?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Then bring Niko.”

  Nicole agreed, and the two packed the cello in Nicole’s car, then headed to campus.

  ***

  Coolidge looked at Nicole. “I’m opening it now, okay?”

  She held Niko in one hand and the bow in the other. “Okay, but I’m not sure how I’m going to play the cello and read the book at the same time.”

  “You won’t need to play,” Coolidge said. “Just keep your hand on the instrument, and you’ll be fine.”

  He turned to the cabinet. Lizzie stood on the other side and Nicole sat in a chair in the middle of the office. She’d been disappointed—though not surprised—that something had come up and Austin couldn’t be there.

  Coolidge pressed his right hand to the wood and muttered a few words, and Nicole heard a series of clicks and shifting gears on the inside of the cabinet. He put his left hand near the right and muttered again.

  The wood began vibrating as before, when he’d first sealed the book inside the cabinet. It glowed red, while the surface rippled like waves on a lake. The same strong turpentine and resin smell filled the office. Then the wood turned to a golden liquid, and Nicole watched as seams appeared in it.

  The moment Coolidge removed his hands, Nicole felt a blast of pulses from the book—it was like an overgrown puppy, wanting to jump into her lap and lick her face. A warm breeze flowed to her, billowing her hair around for a moment, then disappeared.

  She nodded at Coolidge to open the doors. He did so, revealing the leather-bound book on the shelf. He pulled it out and handed it to Nicole.

  Nicole . . .

  She recognized that voice. He’d spoken to her before.

  Nicole prepared to open it, then glanced up. “Are you guys ready?”

  She would have felt much more comfortable doing this if Austin had been there, but Coolidge was still incredibly powerful and very experienced. If anything was going to happen to her, he would be there to stop it.

  “Yes,” Lizzie and Coolidge said.

  Nicole opened to the first page. She jumped when the shadow that followed the book stirred, turning to look at her. It didn’t do anything, though, so she stared through it to the words underneath.

  But she couldn’t focus on them. She was able to pull out individual letters here and there, but for some reason, even if she saw the letters in the right order, she couldn’t figure out what words they created. What was w
rong? The shadow wasn’t in the way—it only made the page a little darker than it would have been otherwise. So why couldn’t she read?

  Just then, a spider climbed from the side of the book and over two of her fingers. She shook her hand and rubbed it on her pants, trying to rid herself of the creepy feeling.

  The old lady appeared, translucent. “They can’t see me,” she said, tucking a strand of long gray hair behind an ear. “And they won’t hear our conversation.” She didn’t wait for Nicole’s reaction before continuing. “You must read the book, but please do so away from others the first time. The book contains deep thoughts from someone dear to me who is rather sensitive and shy. He placed a spell on it that would prevent you from reading out loud to protect his privacy and his thoughts and feelings. So, this first time, read it alone.”

  Nicole snorted. “Like I’m going to do that.”

  The woman put her hand on Nicole’s shoulder, her body becoming more solid for a moment. “You won’t be harmed, Nicole. I give you my word.” She watched Nicole, her gray eyes serious, and Nicole found herself nodding, believing.

  “But why alone?”

  “You need to learn the truth away from outside influences. I can’t ask you to hide the information from others, but please use discretion when choosing with whom to share it. And also wait to say anything until you’ve read quite a bit.” She watched for Nicole’s confirmation that she’d been heard, then disappeared.

  Nicole shut the book. Coolidge and Lizzie hadn’t even noticed that she’d been distracted. She stood. “If it’s okay with you, I’m going to take this home and read there.”

  Coolidge tapped his chin. “I didn’t sense anything malicious—quite the opposite. The book is truly devoted to you—the being that controls it cares for you.”

  “It’s okay if I take it, then?”

  Coolidge chuckled. “Regardless of what I decide, we both know that unless I lock it up in the cabinet again, it’ll return to you anyway. Go ahead and keep it for a while. Just make sure you have my number on speed dial while you’re reading.”

  Nicole agreed, and she and Lizzie left.

  The book seemed to figure out she was no longer running from it because she didn’t see the shadow the entire way home, as she always had previously. What a relief.

  But now she was curious. What secrets did the book contain? Why did the old lady want her to read it so badly? Was she really safe or was that just a lie concocted by the woman to get her to release some unseen evil?

  Lizzie had homework to do, and Nicole went to her room. She plopped on her bed, leaning against the headboard, and opened the book.

  This time, the words flowed smoothly and easily. She had no problem reading.

  Dear Nicole,

  Nicole hesitated. It knew her name? Then she rolled her eyes. Of course it knew who she was—it had called her by name many times.

  My name is Captain Christopher Price. You’ve met my wife, Rebecca. She saw you in vision a few years ago, and we’ve followed your progress ever since. We’ve prepared for your coming for over a century, and have done our best to acquaint ourselves with your times and lifestyle. We know that you are blond, that you are an Arete born to parents who don’t appreciate or understand you. We know that the cello is your focus, but that it hasn’t come easily to you. We know other things about you and are prepared to teach you many more.

  But, before I continue, I need you to recognize and consider something. What you have been told by those you trust are lies. No, I don’t believe these people who care for you so dearly are willfully misleading you. They simply lack the ability to recognize the overall picture. It’s a naive innocence.

  Please, let go of all of your prejudices. I need you to do that. I need you to trust me, and I need to trust you. I recognize that by my opening up to you, you may well try to destroy me and my wife. This is a risk I must take.

  Nicole, the Tarians in your time are evil. I know they are because of what my wife has seen. But when she and I started their group, we had a different plan—a different vision. In our time, it is the Aretes who are evil. They’ve controlled the world—by force—for centuries. They murder those who oppose them, even their own people.

  We never thought the Tarians and Aretes would switch places—that the Tarians would become evil and the Aretes good. This is a problem because in order to create balance in the universe, my wife invented something that made it so fewer children would be born.

  You must understand how much we regret what we have done. Rebecca and I tried for years and years to find a way to reverse the effects of her invention, to unlock and destroy the contraption that stopped allowing humans to have children so easily.

  Finally, after so much searching and hard work, we have found an elixir that will end the curse we placed on the human race. But we need the help of an Arete—a powerful one—to get it for us and take it to the machine.

  The invention is safeguarded north of a small town called Salmon in the Rocky Mountains. It is inaccessible except on foot. I cannot tell you the exact location until I know that you are strong enough to approach it without it being killed.

  Please consider what I have said here, and as you are ready, I will instruct you further.

  With much love and hope,

  Captain Christopher Price

  Nicole set the book aside and stared at the wall in front of her. So many thoughts raced through her mind. Was it possible that there was an end to the childbirth dilemma? Could she possibly be the one to cure the problem? Her heartbeat sped up at the excitement of the thought, while her palms grew sweaty from nervousness. Did she want that kind of attention?

  Why would it require a powerful Arete? Would she be powerful enough? Would she let down Captain Price and Rebecca? Were they even to be trusted? And how would the captain know if she was ready?

  Nicole’s head reeled with these thoughts and questions. Rebecca was an Arete—Nicole knew that. But she was obviously an incredibly powerful one to have created something that would affect every person born on earth for over a hundred years.

  And Salmon. A city called Salmon in the Rocky Mountains.

  Nicole jumped off her bed and dashed to her laptop in the living room, opening it. First, she wanted to figure out where Salmon was.

  Making sure she was zoomed out far enough on the map, she started a search. There was a Salmon Creek in Washington, just north of Portland, but that wasn’t in the Rocky Mountains. She zoomed out a little farther and did the search again. This time, Salmon, Idaho, popped up. She searched again and couldn’t find another city named Salmon in the Rocky Mountains, so the Idaho one had to be the place.

  Nicole pulled up her calendar on her phone. Would she have time before school started next semester to take a trip? It all depended on how quickly she mastered her abilities and how soon Rebecca and Captain Price deemed her ready.

  Realizing there was nothing she could do but wait, Nicole returned to her room, got into her pajamas, and read through that entry several times.

  A spider dashed across her floor and Nicole jumped, then glanced around the room. The old woman stood near the window, watching her.

  “You’re Rebecca?” Nicole asked.

  Rebecca nodded. “You’ve started reading Christopher’s book.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you have any questions yet?”

  “Oh, heavens. Tons.”

  “I don’t have much time, but I wanted to stop by for a quick check-up on you. I can answer one, maybe two. We’ll get to the others next visit.”

  Nicole thought through everything she’d been wondering about, then decided she needed to know how secure her environment was. She pulled down her covers and got into her bed. “How is he—uh . . . Captain Price—going to know I’m ready? Can he read my mind?”

  Rebecca smiled. “No, he can’t. But we’ll know by your actions.”

  “How? Do you watch me all the time?”

  Rebecca sighed and sat on the edge of
Nicole’s bed. “I wish I could say otherwise—I so looked forward to the peace that would come with death—but I’m a busy woman, even now. You aren’t the only person I’m working with. I’d love to visit more than just occasionally.” She pointed at the spider that watched from the corner of the room. “But surely you’ve noticed that whenever I’m near, you see a spider? They come with me. They gently alert you to my presence before I visit.”

  “Gently?” Nicole snorted. “Spiders don’t gently do anything.”

  “Nevertheless, Nicole, I believe that in order for you to trust me, I must be completely transparent with you.” She chuckled, looking down at her see-through body. “And I’m not just talking about my physical appearance.”

  Nicole laughed at Rebecca’s joke, finding herself warming up to the woman. “You’re working with other people?”

  “Yes, several.”

  “Why? So that if things don’t work out with me, you’ll have someone else to take my place?”

  Rebecca shook her head and patted Nicole’s leg under the blanket. “No, child. The elixir must be gathered by you, and it must be you who destroys my embryonic manipulator.”

  “But why?”

  Rebecca tilted her head and looked away, as if she were observing or listening to someone Nicole couldn’t see or hear. “Things will make sense soon enough. I must go now. I am being called.”

  ***

  The next day, Nicole waited for Lizzie outside of Coolidge’s class. She hadn’t had the guts to go in, not when it was probably completely full. Besides, she’d only gotten—and asked for—permission to attend Whitman’s class.

  The bell rang, and students poured out of the auditorium. She caught herself looking around for Austin, but didn’t see him, and turned her attention to finding Lizzie. Pretty soon, Nicole caught sight of her best friend and, without announcing herself, linked arms with her.