Observe, Mosaic Chronicles Book Four Read online

  Another man started on Greg, inflicting the same cuts on him. They weren’t life-threatening. The Tarians obviously planned to torture their victims thoroughly before sacrificing them.

  The wood that had been brought out was tossed next to Greg and the girl. Nicole didn’t want to know what would happen with it.

  Just as Nicole finally got the phone out of her pocket, Austin and Coolidge showed up by her side.

  Nicole wasn’t surprised that no one had noticed them enter the field. Too many people were there now, screaming, chanting. The dignitaries were too busy “preparing” the victims for their sacrifices.

  Coolidge took charge. “Austin and Nicole, stay away from each other. What we’ll be doing will possibly override the blockers. We can’t risk drawing even more attention from the Great Ones.” He turned to Nicole. “When I give the word, control the wind. Start a storm. Have it build overhead before attacking. We want as much commotion as possible. Seek for wood sources and use it to create a windstorm, similar to what you did in Moses Lake.”

  Nicole nodded and Coolidge turned to Austin.

  “Destroy the field as soon as Nicole has started on everyone with her windstorm.”

  He glared at the dignitaries. “And I’ll control the fire, putting it out. Once that’s finished, I’ll help you, Austin, with the field.”

  “What about Greg and the girl?” Nicole asked, ducking as a random shoe was thrown in their direction. No one had noticed them yet, not even Tiffany, who was now screaming at the Arete girl.

  Coolidge glanced at Nicole. “We’ll grab them as soon as people start panicking. Nicole, you go that way.” He pointed toward the end of the stage closer to where the girl was staked. “Austin, you go the other direction.” He pointed toward Greg’s side. “Both of you, try to get the victims. I’ll stay in the middle. Ready? Let’s go.”

  Without waiting for another prompting, Nicole dashed to the left, scaling knocked-over chairs, dodging random articles of clothing that were being thrown onto the stage. She jumped down and ran around the blazing bonfire while at the same time, concentrating on her magic, bidding it to come to her, to gather.

  As soon as she could see the girl, Coolidge, and Austin, Nicole stood straight, controlling her breathing, requesting the magic around her to go to the skies and form massive clouds.

  There wasn’t a lot of water in the air, and Nicole didn’t have the ability just yet to control it, so she focused instead on forming pockets of pressure—wind blowing above and below the clouds.

  Once a massive amount of wind had built up, Nicole released it toward the stadium. It hit the makeshift stage with a roar, and the sound of screaming people nearly overwhelmed the sound of the rushing wind.

  Dirt and debris flew everywhere. Nicole continued building her whirlwind, concentrating on finding the wood in the stadium. There wasn’t a lot of it—most everything was built with plastic and metals. What she did find, she added to the whirlwind, careful not to touch the fires, since she couldn’t control that yet.

  Realizing she would be close to overexerting herself, Nicole stepped back magically, allowing Austin and Coolidge to do their thing.

  She watched in amazement as the dirt around her began shaking, quaking. More people screamed. It felt like an earthquake. The stage collapsed on itself, the stadium walls shivering and groaning. People rushed to get out, trampling each other in their drunken states.

  Nicole dashed forward, running to the girl’s side.

  Tiffany was there, her red eyes trained on her daughter.

  “Stop this at once, Nicole!” she shrieked.

  “Let her go!” Nicole said.

  “Never.”

  Quicker than Nicole thought possible, Tiffany sliced through the front of the woman’s neck.

  Nicole gasped, backing away, unable to stop herself from staring at the blood as it gushed to the dirt.

  Oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh. Nicole’s thoughts froze, repeating those words over and over again.

  Just then, the fires in the entire stadium went out. Acrid smoke filled the air and Nicole couldn’t see Tiffany anymore. She coughed, bending over to avoid inhaling so much smoke.

  Trusting that everyone else would be just as blinded as she was, she stretched out once more with her powers, seeking the other magical sources and finding them quickly. They were rushing in her direction. Coolidge had been right—their blockers seemed to be damaged.

  “Austin?” Nicole screamed over the chaos. “Coolidge?”

  The magical sources had nearly passed her when they suddenly stopped.

  “Nicole?” Austin yelled.

  “Here!”

  She felt someone grab her arm, recognizing the magical print that accompanied the person as Coolidge’s.

  “Did you get the girl?”

  “She’s dead.”

  He only paused for a moment. “Okay. Let’s go.”

  Nicole didn’t question. She could sense Greg’s very faint print next to Austin’s stronger one. They, at least, had been successful.

  Coolidge led the way through the mangled field, with chanting and screaming people surrounding them. Only a few of them tried to stop Nicole’s group—everyone was too drunk and disoriented. Nicole reached out with her magic again, asking the whirlwind to pelt the field one last time with debris and dirt.

  They rushed through the crowds, pushing their way until they burst out of the stadium.

  It took several precious minutes to get to Coolidge’s car. The lights in the parking lot flickered on and off, probably struggling with the strong winds that hadn’t fully died.

  Austin opened the front door for Nicole, then shoved Greg into the back and sat next to him. Coolidge peeled out of the parking lot, scraping the rental car against another in the process.

  Nicole glanced behind them—apparently, several Tarians had figured out what was going on and were chasing after the car. She wasn’t worried that they’d catch up, though. They were drunk and completely out of control.

  “My mother killed the girl,” she said into the silence of the car. “She slit her throat when I got there.”

  Coolidge’s lips set into a thin line. “I’m sorry you had to witness that.”

  Nicole didn’t respond. Austin and Greg were silent in the back—actually, Greg seemed to be unconscious. Nicole was worried that being this close to Austin would alert the Great Ones to his presence, but so far, nothing was happening. No nausea, no visions. Maybe it wouldn’t happen unless she touched him.

  “My mother isn’t going to let me return to the Tarians,” Nicole said. “She knows I was behind the chaos—even if only partially.”

  Coolidge nodded. “Let’s get your things from the hotel.”

  On the way there, they looked up a hospital for Greg.

  “Don’t think this changes anything for me, Nicole,” Greg mumbled, conscious now, his face marred by cuts. “I’ll forever be loyal to my parents.”

  Nicole turned in the seat, staring at him. “They just tried to sacrifice you, Greg. How can you ignore that?”

  He shook his head. “You don’t get it, do you? I’ve watched those events since I was a child. Do you really think them making me be the next sacrifice would change how I feel about them? That it would switch my loyalties? I’ve always known it could be me someday.”

  Nicole bit her tongue, not wanting to be offensive when it was apparent that Greg was in so much physical pain. “We’ll drop you off at the hospital. You’ll need to find your own way home.” They couldn’t have Greg knowing their plans, not when he was still a Tarian at heart.

  “Fine with me,” he whispered, his energy waning. He turned and looked out the window as Coolidge stopped the car outside the doors to the emergency room.

  Austin and Coolidge helped him inside, then they returned to the car, and Coolidge drove to Nicole’s hotel. Nicole gathered all her belongings, including the bugs she’d planted in her parents’ room. Then the three of them bought tickets for the first flight
out of Vegas they found, not wanting to wait until the next flight to Seattle would be available.

  They landed in Denver, then bought more tickets and flew to Seattle. Nicole shook her head, staring outside as the plane took off. There was no way the Tarians wouldn’t figure out where she’d gone—with all the connections they had, they’d find out pretty quickly.

  If only regular humans had a magical print like Aretes. She wouldn’t be able to protect herself from someone if she didn’t know they were coming.

  Once they arrived in Seattle, Coolidge told Nicole and Austin to go home and get some sleep. He’d have someone watch their apartments and alert them if anyone suspicious approached. It was now Sunday morning, and they had a lot to get finished in the coming week.

  As an aside, Coolidge said, “I’m expecting to hear from Steve Nielsen any time now about Anna Morse and her dimension.”

  “We’ll be ready,” Nicole said.

  Austin nodded.

  Nicole drove home, grateful to be in her own car again. She’d missed the sense of familiarity it brought—the comfort it gave her, no matter how shallow.

  She’d just entered an all-out war with her parents. Tiffany would never forgive Nicole’s actions at the closing ceremony.

  Chapter Eleven

  Nicole woke to the sound of her cell phone buzzing. She’d heard it ringing several times before and had ignored it, but this time, she couldn’t ignore someone who called five times in a row and probably planned to continue until she answered.

  She didn’t know what time it was, but judging by the sunlight outside her window, it was probably late morning. She picked up her phone and stared at the screen for several moments before it registered that Coolidge was calling.

  “Hello?” she said, trying not to sound like she’d just woken up.

  “Nicole, hurry, get ready. Steve called. He’s waiting for us to come.”

  Nicole sat up, trying to take in what he’d said. “Steve? Steve who?”

  “Professor Stephen Nielsen? Anna Morse? Ohio? Other dimensions?”

  Those definitely rang a bell, and Nicole got to her feet. “Okay. What do I need?”

  “Nothing, other than sturdy clothes and shoes. I’ve got everything else. Austin’s on his way to pick you up. He’s wearing a new blocker, so you should be good to go.”

  They ended the call and Nicole dashed around her room, grabbing hiking clothes and shoes and wondering if she had time for a quick shower.

  She left the front door unlocked, hoping Austin would try the knob and glad Coolidge had people watching the apartment.

  Nicole hopped in the shower and was out again in five minutes. She dried off and quickly threw her hair into a ponytail, then put on one of the sets of clothing she’d picked out.

  Austin was waiting on the couch. “You slept a long time,” he said, getting up and following her.

  She snorted, locking her apartment behind them. “You mean, like three hours?”

  “It’s Monday, Nicole.”

  Nicole halted, turning to him. “No, it’s not. It can’t be. I wasn’t that tired—we’d barely done anything at all!”

  He shrugged, motioning for her to keep walking. “The convention must have taken a lot more out of you than you thought it did.”

  Nicole followed him to the elevator. “Well, I didn’t get a lot of sleep this past week. And Saturday night was pretty stressful.”

  They stepped into the elevator and Austin punched the button for the first floor, then turned to her, his expression softening. “How are you doing?”

  Nicole leaned against the wall and sighed, looking up at him. “I’d be doing so much better if we could actually touch.”

  He nodded. “I know. It’s killing me.”

  His eyes searched her face, straying to her lips several times, and Nicole felt chills at his intense expression. Oh, how she wished they could be in each other’s arms!

  The doors opened and the two stepped out, walking to Austin’s car. Nicole sighed to herself. Would she and Austin ever be able to date again? To share feelings and caresses, touches and kisses? A familiar ache settled in her chest, and for the first time in a while, Nicole allowed herself to wallow in the accompanying misery.

  Austin seemed content to drive in silence, and Nicole stared out the window, hoping he wouldn’t see the occasional tear slip down her cheek. This situation had to change soon—she couldn’t handle being around the man she loved without being able to express that love. Especially knowing he shared the affection.

  They arrived at Coolidge’s house soon enough and met the other person Coolidge had arranged to be on the trip. Nicole recognized her immediately—she was a short girl named Lyla who had gone on the expedition to Arches.

  Lyla smiled at Nicole now, and stepped forward to shake her hand. “It’s good seeing you again, Nicole.”

  “You too.”

  They quickly got caught up on each other’s lives—Lyla had completed her PhD this past spring and was now working as a big-time engineer for a prominent company in Seattle. She controlled electrical pulses and wind, allowing her company to provide better service to their customers.

  “Your work sounds fascinating,” Nicole said as she helped the others put things into Coolidge’s SUV and Austin’s car.

  “Oh, the description is fascinating enough, but the everyday work can get pretty boring.”

  Nicole laughed. That sounded like pretty much every job she’d heard of.

  Coolidge’s equipment was a tad on the ridiculous side. He seemed to realize this because he apologized at one point, saying he didn’t know what they’d need. He’d brought rock-climbing things, spelunking equipment, and animal traps, along with scuba-diving gear.

  Even though she chuckled with Austin over Coolidge’s obsessiveness, Nicole recognized that their professor was right. They had no idea what they’d find when they tried to get to Anna Morse. For all they knew, the elderly woman was stuck under an ocean.

  After everything was packed in, they drove to the airport.

  Checking all the stuff into security took several hours, and Coolidge was forced to leave a few items behind. He didn’t seem too worried, and Nicole knew he could probably just buy anything necessary when they got to Hoglin, Ohio.

  Nicole got a text from Lizzie—Nicole’s parents had arrived in town and had come to see Lizzie almost immediately. Apparently, the visit hadn’t been a pleasant one.

  Nicole called her friend right away, but Lizzie didn’t answer. She sent a text saying that she was sorry, but she was driving to the airport and would see Nicole in Ohio.

  “Lizzie’s coming?” Nicole asked Coolidge as they and the others waited to board the plane.

  Coolidge chuckled. “I thought you could use another friend.”

  Nicole leaned back in her seat, resting her head against the wall behind her. “You’re right, I definitely could.” She looked at Coolidge. “But Lizzie isn’t very powerful. Will she be okay?”

  Coolidge shrugged. “I’m not worried about her—she’s strong in her own way, and has enough spunk to handle a lot more than others would. Besides, she’s the only native Fire Arete I know who actually creates fire. She’ll be helpful, I’m sure.”

  Nicole nodded, then opened her emails and scrolled through the messages she’d received since Saturday. Several were from her parents—no surprise there. They were fairly scathing, with lots of promises of bad things to come if Nicole didn’t turn away from her current course of action.

  One message was from Greg. It wasn’t friendly, but it also wasn’t the typical, “You’re going to marry me whether you like it or not” crap that she’d come to expect from him. Instead, he was warning her about the resourcefulness of the Tarian group—not to underestimate the things they’d do to bring about their purposes.

  Nicole didn’t need Greg to tell her that. She’d seen firsthand how dedicated and determined Tarians were.

  She sighed inwardly, thinking over the past two weeks and
her very short stint as the leader of the group. Would word have gotten out from her parents regarding her betrayal? Did Rebecca know by now?

  Nicole sat up, turning to Coolidge. “Rebecca. She hasn’t visited me since her speech at the closing ceremonies. What do we do if she suddenly shows up?”

  Coolidge shrugged. “She won’t be able to—I’m blocking her visits.” He pulled an old flip phone out of his pocket and showed it to Nicole.

  “How does it work?”

  “I had Lyla help me reorder the electrical energy of the phone to magically expel the type of energy that comes from dead people. We’ve been working on it since Austin told me a dead old woman was following you around. We’ll be able to tweak it until it blocks only Rebecca, then make one for you too.”

  Nicole smiled her thanks to Lyla, then glanced back at Coolidge. “How big of a range does it have?”

  “A couple of miles. We tested it on Elizabeth.”

  “Cool.” Nicole settled into her chair, realizing what all this meant. Rebecca would soon find out that her granddaughter was preventing her from coming. If they kept that blocker thing on constantly, would Nicole ever see the woman again? And did she even want to?

  The flight was long and boring. Nicole spent the time reading, listening to music, and watching a movie.

  Lizzie was waiting for them when they got off the plane. She gave Nicole a hug. “You’ve got a lot of updating to do, girl!”

  “I know! And you too, about my parents’ visit.”

  “Oh, it was nothing. A couple of threats and warnings—I already told you about them on the phone. My mom pretty much threw them out.”

  Nicole chuckled. “That’s something I would’ve loved to have seen.”

  “It was pretty epic. Mom has a lot of energy for someone her age.”

  “So, when did your flight land?”

  “About half an hour ago. I haven’t had to wait long.”

  Professor Nielsen and his wife were ready for the group in the passenger pickup area. They’d driven separately, and everyone who’d flown in fit into their two cars.