Nicole left feeling a familiar sense of discouragement. She found Jacob pacing the first floor of the library.
“It’s not there,” Nicole said. “Hasn’t been for a long time, according to the guardian.”
Jacob led the way out of the library. “I’ll see if I can find it by Time-Seeing,” he said.
Nicole nodded, feeling a bit bad for him. The poor guy had so much to do—was he even able to attend school anymore?
Jacob closed his eyes and leaned against the rough stone of the library’s exterior wall. Nicole settled in to wait for a while, but it didn’t take him long to return, and she jumped when he started talking.
“Keitus had it last,” he said.
Nicole frowned. “Great.”
“Yeah, I checked him first—no sense wasting time when we know he’s our suspect.”
Nicole agreed with that. “How did you find it when he’s been duping you for the past few months?”
Jacob started walking, and Nicole quickened her pace to keep up. They had a lot of ground to cover before they got to the Maivoryl City castle.
“He had it years and years ago—before he was even a Lorkon, when he was still a regular king.” He glanced at Nicole. “He’s known about the talismans since he was alive, apparently. He must have known there was a chance we’d defeat him while he was a Lorkon, so he came up with a backup plan.”
“What happened with the book?”
“It was destroyed. He destroyed it.”
“So, Onyev’s given us a dead end to follow.”
“No, there’s still the chance we could prevent Keitus from concocting the amulet.”
Nicole glanced at Jacob. “Wouldn’t he have created it years ago?”
“I would have seen it. At least, I think I would have. He never mentioned it to me in all the conversations we’ve had, and I’ve never seen him do anything that would lead me to believe he had an amulet of this sort. I think he put together a backup plan and set it aside so he could focus on becoming a Lorkon. Once he was a Lorkon, he didn’t need to do anything with the talismans and amulet—he was already immortal and powerful.”
Nicole didn’t respond to that. What Jacob said made sense. “So, what happens now?”
“We need to find out what the recipe in the book was,” Jacob said.
Nicole frowned. Didn’t he just say the book had been destroyed? “How?”
“Easy—I take you back in the past so you can infiltrate Keitus’s castle and copy the recipe. If we know what the ingredients are, we might be able to stop him from putting it together.”
Nicole snorted. “Easy? How is that easy?”
Jacob stepped across a fallen log. “I’ve already done it once.”
“Then why don’t you do it again?” Nicole asked as she also crossed the log.
Jacob waited for Nicole to catch up before talking again. “Because he’d recognize me—pretty much anyone in the castle would. I was there long enough to gain friends and enemies. Plus, my magic would probably prevent me from going, since I was there at so many different times.” He rubbed his hands together, a sparkle in his eye. “Oh, I can’t wait for you to go! You may even run into me there. I was visiting during the time the book was in Keitus’s possession.”
Nicole concentrated on her feet for a few moments, not wanting to stumble on the jagged roots poking up through the road. “So, what needs to happen first?”
“We have to get you contact lenses.”
Nicole frowned, staring at him as he pulled branches out of their way. “Why? I have good eyesight.”
“When traveling in the past, if you meet someone who knows the future you, it pulls you back to your present. Kind of convoluted, I know. But doing it can cause heart attacks for me, since it’s using my magic. It’s really dangerous. It will ruin everything, because we’d then need to find another place and time for you to appear at the castle. Contact lenses fix all of this. We figured out that they prevent others from recognizing you.”
“Just contact lenses? That’s not much of a disguise.”
“It’s not really a disguise—the contacts are special. Aldo invented them.”
Nicole still had questions about the lenses, but instead asked, “How long do you think I’ll need to be in the past?”
“A couple of days, if not less. Long enough to get a job in the castle and then stalk Keitus and the book.”
“Get a job? In the castle?” Nicole’s stomach turned. This plan was sounding more and more complicated. Not to mention dangerous.
Jacob nodded. “There’s no way you’d be able to wander the place aimlessly without working there.”
“And how am I going to get a job? I have no experience acting like a medieval person.”
“You’ve never role-played?”
Nicole stared at him, an eyebrow lifted, and he chuckled. “Didn’t think so—you’re not the type. But Hayla can help. She used to work there. Actually, that’s how I met her.”
Nicole still couldn’t believe that Professor Coolidge’s wife wasn’t from earth. She was from a completely different planet.
Nicole looked at Jacob, noticing the smile on his face. “What’s going on?”
Jacob glanced at her. “Nothing. What do you mean?”
“You’re smiling.” Nicole gasped. “And blushing!”
He shrugged. “When I went in the past, Hayla was about my age. And she was . . . well, hot.”
Nicole gasped. “You’re kidding. You had a crush on her! What happened?” She grabbed him. “Spill!”
He laughed, holding his free hand up. Nicole released his arm and he said, “Nothing. She flirted with all the footmen. It ended up being a bit awkward in the end, actually.” His eyes glazed over as he thought about the past. “She wasn’t in a great situation when I found her later. She’d gotten stuck in a Lorkon trap, and it took a long time to get her to come around.”
“She’s definitely happy now, though,” Nicole said.
He grinned. “And I’m so glad about that.”
They didn’t talk much the rest of the way. Nicole knew Jacob was probably curious about her visit with Onyev, but she wanted to wait until she was with the others before talking about it.
As soon as they were back in the castle, she sat down with Dmitri, Jacob, and Arien to discuss the Fire Pulser.
“Her name is Lasia,” Nicole said, “and she’s been corrupted by Keitus.”
Dmitri and Jacob looked at each other with incredulous expressions.
“Lasia?” Jacob said. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, of course.”
Jacob shook his head. “I don’t believe it,” he said, his lip curled. “Onyev must have told you the wrong name.”
“How? And why? He knows all of his guardians. He appointed them.”
“I’m sure what Onyev said was correct,” Dmitri said, “but I’m astounded he chose her. She’s definitely not pure.”
Nicole was surprised to find herself getting irritated. “It’s not like the persons he appoints are righteous or virtuous—they only need to be strong enough to withstand temptation when going up against the Great Ones.”
Arien put her hand on her husband’s arm. “She’s right—we don’t know anything about Lasia, other than the fact that Keitus has used and abused her a great deal from the very beginning.” She leveled a glance at Jacob, then Dmitri. “And we all know what Keitus is like when he’s trying to persuade someone. He may have threatened her and her loved ones extensively.”
Jacob muttered something about Lasia not having anyone who loved her, but he didn’t argue with his mom.
Dmitri pinched the bridge of his nose, studying Nicole. “Onyev gave you more than usual to do this time.”
Nicole nodded. “Tell me about it. Find the ancient book, read it, figure out where the Kioma Amulet ingredients are, fight Lasia, free Shonlin. Not to mention the fact that I still need to figure out where the last talisman is.”
“At least we have an idea,” Dmi
tri said. “Keitus has a long walk ahead of him.”
“And thank goodness for that,” Arien said.
After discussing a few more less-important topics, Dmitri closed the meeting. Nicole was under strict orders to go home and get some rest before she went back in the past.
Jacob keyed Nicole to her apartment. As soon as she was there, she dumped her things on the kitchen counter, then flopped on her bed. She couldn’t believe how tired she still was from the week’s activities.
Lizzie wasn’t home—she was most likely in class—so Nicole turned on a movie and vegged in front of it for an hour before calling Hayla and arranging to meet with her.
When the time came, Nicole grabbed her things and headed to Coolidge’s house.
***
Hayla opened her front door as soon as Nicole knocked. She was pale, and her bloodshot eyes had dark rings under them. She looked absolutely exhausted.
“Are you sure this is a good time?” Nicole asked.
Hayla nodded. “I’m just under the weather. I’m not contagious or anything, so don’t worry.”
“I’m more worried about you. You should be in bed if you’re not feeling well.”
Hayla sighed. “Believe me, I’ve tried everything. Nothing really helps.”
“What do you have?”
Hayla hesitated for a moment. “We should get through what you need first, while I have enough energy. Then we can chit-chat after.”
Nicole nodded, following Hayla inside. She watched the woman sway before entering the front room. Nicole shook her head. What was going on? And if it was serious, why had she and Coolidge decided not to tell anyone? What purpose would that serve? Unless they’d just barely found out . . . but not telling their friends would only lead to them feeling secluded and unsupported.
The two women took seats on the plush white couches. Hayla offered Nicole water, but Nicole turned her down, not wanting to cause the woman any more physical discomfort than was necessary.
“So, you want to go back in the past?” Hayla asked. “To the Troosinal castle?”
Nicole nodded. “Is that what it’s called? If that’s where Keitus was about twenty-five years ago, then yes, that’s where I need to go.”
Hayla adjusted her position on the couch, then her hand fluttered to her mouth. She breathed deeply for a moment before responding. “It’ll be difficult . . . but I think you could get in through me.”
“And that won’t be a problem?” Nicole asked.
Hayla shook her head. “As long as it’s a very short and temporary stay, I won’t even remember. That’s the key—if I could remember meeting you in the past, it wouldn’t have happened. Jacob’s powers don’t allow that sort of thing.”
“That’s what he was saying.”
Hayla leaned forward, her light brown hair falling over her face. She tucked it away, eyeing Nicole. “I’m thinking a position as one of the maids who delivered meals would be best, though there’s a certain amount of trust that would need to go into such a position.”
Nicole nodded. “And I don’t know that I’ll have that much time. We need to get the information as soon as possible.”
Hayla waved her hand. “Don’t worry about that—once you gain my trust, I’ll be able to get a referral for you.”
“How?”
“It’s what I used to do. Help people infiltrate the castle. And I wasn’t the only one—most of King Ramantus’s subjects hated and feared him.”
At the confused expression on Nicole’s face, Hayla rushed to explain. “Keitus is the name he chose when he became a Lorkon. I’m surprised Jacob and his parents are still calling him that, now that he’s no longer a Lorkon.” She glanced away, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Maybe ‘Ramantus’ is too painful for them.” She looked back at Nicole. “Anyway, I just need to make sure I remember the code words correctly. That should be simple, since they only changed once.”
“Maybe you should teach me both,” Nicole said.
For a moment, Hayla looked shocked that Nicole would suggest such a thing. Then she relaxed. “You’re right—it’s not like the information is valuable anymore. And having you know both won’t hurt my situation in the past.”
Hayla got up slowly, fingers lightly touching her lips again, and left the room. She returned moments later with a pad and a pen.
“Here. Write down the words exactly as I say them.”
Nicole took the pen and paper, setting the pad on her lap and looking up at Hayla expectantly.
“‘My bird is an aria we sing,’” Halya said. She nodded to the paper, and Nicole wrote it down. “The second code is this. ‘We walk, we talk, we laugh as we walk and talk.’”
She smiled. “I’m not a poet, if you can’t tell. But the phrases aren’t so weird that my followers wouldn’t remember them, nor are they things that would easily be repeated, especially as a conversation starter.”
“You had followers?”
She nodded. “Of course. I alluded to it earlier, but half of us wanted to get rid of the king, and the other half wanted to back him up. It was all very political. I helped many, many young women infiltrate the place.”
Nicole stared at the words she’d written, trying to memorize them. “What about clothing?”
“Oh, that’s easy. I’ve got costumes I’ve worn several times for Halloween that should work.”
Nicole chuckled. “Dressing up like a servant for fun when you used to do it for real?”
“I play the part very well, believe me.” The twinkle in Hayla’s eye made Nicole’s smile deepen. She was surprised at how easily Hayla joked about her former life as a servant under an evil dictator.
The twinkle disappeared, and Hayla’s fingers found their way to her lips again. She didn’t say anything for several moments. Nicole waited, doing her best not to fidget in the awkward silence. She wondered for a moment if Hayla might be pregnant. That would be amazing.
But what if it was something more serious? Like cancer? If chemo was causing Hayla’s discomfort, wouldn’t she say something? She tried not to stare, but was Hayla’s hair thinning? She couldn’t tell. What were the other symptoms of radiation treatment? Hayla had the gaunt look, the rings under the eyes, the nausea. Nicole almost blurted out her question, wanting to know if it was leukemia or pregnancy or something else, but she held her tongue.
Finally, Hayla breathed again, motioning to a pack of mint gum on the end table next to Nicole. “Would you toss me a piece?”
Nicole did so, then accepted Hayla’s offer of a piece for herself.
“I’ll get the costumes in a bit,” Hayla said, “but I need to take a breather first.”
“Oh, please don’t worry about it. Tell me where they are, and I’ll go get them.”
Hayla nodded. “Thanks. They’re laid across my bed. The master bedroom is on the other side of the kitchen.”
Nicole headed down the long hallway, past the open area with a piano in it and the informal sitting room where she’d spent time chatting with her Arches National Park expedition team, and into the kitchen. She smiled when her eyes landed on the apron sink. One of her favorite memories of Austin involved that sink, a cut on her hand, and how frustratingly attractive he’d been.
She stepped into a hallway with several doors leading off it. After a moment’s hesitation, she chose the last door. She was right—it led to a master bedroom with a massive king-sized bed and matching furniture.
Nicole hesitated, her eyes roving the room. Professor Coolidge’s house never ceased to surprise her. She’d expected dark furniture like his office upstairs, or at least all white like his basement office. Instead, she found a seaside theme—tans, sea greens, and sky blues. She knew immediately which side of the bed was Coolidge’s. A bunch of dirty clothes—obviously his—were scattered across the floor. The decorative pillows were shoved in a corner by the nightstand, and the comforter was rumpled at the foot of the bed.
Hayla’s side of the bed also wasn’t made, but th
e floor was clear. Several packs of mint gum were scattered across the nightstand. Nicole started to worry that cancer might really be what was going on. She’d read somewhere that chemo left a bad taste in patients’ mouths. Was Hayla covering it up with gum?
Nicole’s eyes returned to the bed and the costumes laying across it. She gathered them up and carried them back to Hayla.
Hayla had her try on several of the dresses before choosing one that fit and matched Nicole’s adopted situation the best. She picked out an apron and shawl. “These clothes will make you look upper lower class. We can’t have you looking wealthier than a servant should, but you do need to have a little more standing than a mere kitchen maid if you’ll be around the royal family.”
She glanced at Nicole. “Do you know yet what time in the past Jacob will be taking you to?”
Nicole shook her head. “We haven’t talked much about it.”
“I started working against the king at a very young age, so you should be okay as long as it isn’t very far in time from when Jacob was there.”
She sat down, obviously exhausted from the effort of helping Nicole button the dresses.
“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do for you?” Nicole asked, picking up the gowns she wouldn’t be using.
Hayla sighed. “Give me more gum?”
Nicole couldn’t help but smile at that—the gum the woman already had was probably still fresh. She hesitated, then finally blurted out, “What is it you have?”
Hayla glanced at Nicole, obviously contemplating telling her. “Not the flu, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Nicole held her breath, not wanting to ask if what she suspected was true.
Hayla sighed. “We haven’t told anyone yet . . . but I’m pregnant.”
Nicole dropped the dresses. “What? You’re serious? That’s wonderful!”
Hayla nodded, beaming. She was obviously very excited. “Yes, it is. I just hate this morning sickness business.” She slumped into the couch, all pretext of formality gone now that her secret had been told. “And ginger only makes it worse. Mint’s the only thing that helps.”
“Hence the gum I’m seeing all over the place.”
Enshroud, Mosaic Chronicles Book Eight Page 4
