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
Epilogue
Books by Andrea Pearson
About the Author
Chapter One
Reclaim
Mosaic Chronicles Book Three
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: In this installment of the Mosaic Chronicles, dangers intensify as Nicole and her friends prepare for the arrival of horrifying creatures from another dimension—beasts that seek to bring the demise of earth and all its inhabitants.
To protect themselves, Nicole and Austin wear devices that prevent these monsters from detecting them. But in a weak moment, Austin's is destroyed. Nicole seeks restitution by traveling to Romania to obtain an important metal needed to repair his device. While there, she finds that the Tarians have planned something bigger than killing all Aretes, something far more dangerous, with much greater consequences.
Will she have time to stop the corrupt Tarians before the evil beings arrive, or will she and those she loves be destroyed by their otherworldy visitors?
http://katonuniversity.blogspot.com/
Dedication
To Schaara Bradley
For being one of the best friends I’ve ever had and for suffering with me through some not-so-fun pregnancies. I love you! :-)
Chapter One
Nicole always kept the contraption with her that prevented Rebecca from visiting.
Well, almost always.
And, of course, the one time she forgot was the time when Rebecca chose to visit.
Nicole saw the spider waltzing across the dashboard of her car and didn’t think twice before squishing it with a napkin.
“What did he ever do to you?” Rebecca asked, appearing in the seat next to Nicole.
Nicole shrieked, nearly driving off the road. She righted the car before turning to her guest. “My gosh, Rebecca! You freaked me out.”
“I’ve been trying to visit you for quite some time, young lady.”
Nicole wasn’t sure how to take that or how to respond. Maybe Rebecca wouldn’t know that Nicole had prevented her from coming on purpose.
“If my visits were starting to annoy you, you should have told me. You can’t even imagine how worried I’ve been.” Rebecca turned to Nicole, a dark expression on her face. “Have you had a change of mind?”
“Kind of.”
“Don’t give me partial answers. I expect to know the truth about why you’ve been avoiding me.”
Nicole forced herself to relax, hoping Rebecca wouldn’t notice how tightly she gripped the steering wheel. “A deceased woman told me you’ve been lying to me.”
“And you believed her?”
Nicole glanced at the elderly woman. “I didn’t have a reason not to. There are too many loose ends in your story—too many things you weren’t explaining.”
Rebecca glared, folding her arms. “I don’t understand why you don’t trust me—you used to.”
“I’ve never fully trusted you, not really. And no one has given me a reason to do so.”
“What about your grandfather?”
Nicole scoffed. “Your husband? Someone who has always been loyal to you?”
“Yes, well.” Rebecca didn’t say anything for a moment, then, “What else did the woman tell you?”
“That . . . that you plan to use my body.”
“And again, I question—you believed her?”
“I heard you talking to my mother about it too.”
Rebecca growled, probably recognizing she couldn’t talk her way out of this. “Your body belongs to me, Nicole. I bought it. You wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for me. And besides, you have two billion dollars because of what I’ve done for you.” She glared at Nicole. “Which your mother reports is completely inaccessible to anyone but you. You obviously aren’t to be trusted any longer.”
Nicole raised an eyebrow. “I’m not to be trusted? No, Rebecca. You’re the one who should never be trusted—not even by your precious Tarians.”
Rebecca snarled, lunging across the space between them. Her left hand dug into Nicole’s right arm, fingernails breaking the skin. She tried to grasp Nicole around the neck with her other hand.
The car jerked, barely missing a light pole. Nicole slammed on the brakes, heedless of the honking cars that swerved around her, and tried to push the woman back. Nicole choked against the tight grasp. She twisted her arm, finally breaking away from the older woman’s hold. With both arms free, she lunged against Rebecca, pushing her into the door.
Suddenly, Rebecca turned translucent. Nicole’s hands swiped through the woman’s body.
Rebecca cackled. “Can’t harm a dead person who doesn’t want to be harmed.”
Nicole undid her seatbelt and opened the door.
“Oh, and where do you plan to go? I’ll find you, Nicole. I always will.”
Nicole whirled, glaring. “If you ever come back, I’ll destroy the elixir.”
Rebecca must have sensed the honesty behind Nicole’s threat because the grin disappeared from her face. “Suit yourself.”
She disappeared.
Nicole slumped in her seat, breathing heavily. She rested her head against the steering wheel for several minutes, not wanting to drive until the shakiness went away. A man approached the car, asking if she was all right. Nicole nodded and thanked him. Then, not even caring that she’d be late for the meeting she’d been headed to, she buckled up, shut her door, and turned the car around, waving another thanks to the man as she drove back to her apartment.
She would never forget to block Rebecca again.
***
The meeting she was going to be late for was with Coolidge, Austin, and the dean of the Arete department at Katon University. While driving, Nicole heard her phone beep several times, but she didn’t have time to answer calls or respond to texts.
The meeting had been arranged by Coolidge and was supposed to help Nicole and Austin graduate earlier by allowing them to pass several required Arete classes that dealt with themes they’d encountered outside of the classroom over the past eight months.
Still ignoring her phone, Nicole dashed into her room and grabbed th
e blocker from where it lay next to her alarm clock. It was an old cell phone that Coolidge had converted into a device that detected Rebecca’s particular energy wave and prevented it from coming close. She strapped it around her waist, pulling her shirt down over it.
While doing so, she noticed that a letter had been written for her from Mrs. Morse on the old paper propped against her lamp. Weird—the woman typically mentioned new letters on the smaller slip of laminated paper Nicole always carried.
Nicole pulled the slip out of her pocket and saw that Mrs. Morse had given the usual notice. Obviously, Nicole had been very distracted while getting ready that morning. She sighed, knowing she couldn’t blame it all on Rebecca. The events of the past few weeks had been trying, and she’d been distracted.
Nicole picked up the larger sheet of paper and read Mrs. Morse’s letter.
Nicole, I hope this letter finds you well. Jack has received more information regarding the upcoming war. Tarians are reaching out to creatures from all dimensions—you and yours need to expect lesser demons and monsters to come through the link along with the Great Ones.
Nicole shook her head. She couldn’t believe it. Not only did the Tarians have the upper hand in weaponry and armor, but now they were seeking help from monsters? Couldn’t they just be content with their illegal and stolen warheads? Stupid people.
The note continued.
Tarians will be attacking main cities around the world. Jack is trying to figure out which cities those might be. Only a small contingent of Tarians plans to head to Salmon, Idaho, to worship the Great Ones when they arrive.
Please be careful. We will be in touch again with more information.
Nicole returned the fragile paper to her nightstand, then, making sure the Rebecca Blocker was in place, rushed back to her car and to campus. She dashed down the hall to the dean’s office.
Austin and Coolidge were waiting outside the room. The door was closed.
Nicole slumped, slowing to a walk. “Am I too late?”
“Where have you been?” Coolidge asked. “It’s not like you to miss such an important meeting.”
“We’ve missed it?”
“Professor Smith is trying to find another time to fit us in. It might be weeks before we’re able to meet again.”
Austin stepped closer to Nicole, his eyes narrowed. “What happened to your neck? It’s bruised.”
“Rebecca came to visit,” Nicole said, showing them her arm as well. “It wasn’t exactly pleasant.”
Austin growled. “I need to stay with you all the time with my own Rebecca Blocker just to make sure you’re not vulnerable again.”
Nicole shook her head. “It was a stupid mistake. I left in a rush and wasn’t thinking. Don’t worry—I’ll never do it again.” She took a breath. “That’s why I’m late—she attacked me while I was driving. I turned around and got the blocker immediately.”
“Good thinking,” Coolidge said.
Nicole sat on a chair outside the office, and the two men took seats next to her. “But maybe it’s best that I went back. I found another note from Anna Morse.”
She proceeded to tell them what the woman had reported.
Coolidge shook his head. “Austin, contact Elizabeth. Have her start gathering as many Aretes who’ve passed on as possible. Have them start storing power. We’re going to need their help.”
Austin agreed, and Coolidge pulled papers out of his briefcase.
“We probably won’t be able to meet with Professor Smith today, but we should still take the opportunity to review.” He handed them each a single sheet of paper. “This is how it’ll go. I’ll present my reasoning. Nicole will go next.” He glanced at her. “Talk about the times when you’ve had to use your magic—the stadium, Arches, all of it. Austin, you too.” He motioned to the paper. “Here’s the class information I emailed you, in case you need to look it over again.”
Nicole was grateful for the review material, even though she’d already prepared what she’d say. Her plan was to take it one class at a time, explaining why she believed what she’d been through would cover the credit requirements.
She looked at Coolidge. “What about organizing a university expedition to Idaho?”
“We’ll handle that after we get this approved.”
“Good idea.”
Austin was staring at her arm. “You might need stitches—you’re still bleeding.”
“Oh, I forgot.” The cuts no longer hurt, and Nicole had washed them off at home, not knowing if a dead woman could pass on bacteria or not. “It’s fine. It’s a slow bleed and I brought Band-Aids.” She pulled the bandages from her purse and applied them, noticing how much her arm was bruising around the holes Rebecca’s fingernails had made. She winced, wondering how bad her neck looked.
Just then, the door opened, and Professor Smith himself stepped out. He was wearing a silver pin-striped suit that perfectly matched his silver hair. “Ms. Williams has finally arrived? Good. I canceled my next two meetings for you. Your professor seemed to think our appointment was important enough.” His eyes strayed to her neck and Nicole felt a blush creep across her cheeks. “You obviously have a good reason for being late.”
Nicole groaned inwardly. The guy probably thought she’d been attacked by a boyfriend or something. She glanced at Austin. Nope. Austin couldn’t even touch her, let alone attack her. And right then, an attack from such a hot guy would do wonders for her spirits.
Speaking of Austin, Nicole noticed something different about him. She nearly opened her mouth to mention it, but the dean was inviting them into his office, and she decided not to say anything just yet.
Her boyfriend’s hair was much grayer than before. A feeling of sadness overcame Nicole for a moment before being replaced with a fierce pride. Austin’s dark hair was beautiful—it framed his tan face and warm brown eyes perfectly, and she hated seeing it go. But the fact that his hair was turning silver was proof of how hard he was working on becoming a better, more powerful Arete. She loved how devoted he was to his talents and abilities.
Professor Smith had them take seats across from his desk. He folded his arms, leaning back in his chair. He looked at Coolidge, one eyebrow raised.
Nicole mentally kicked herself again for forgetting to block Rebecca. Professor Smith was obviously annoyed that the meeting was starting so late. Not a good way to begin such an important appointment.
Coolidge pulled out another copy of the same sheet of paper he’d given Nicole and Austin. “My students would like to be given credits for these classes. Each of them will explain why they feel they deserve this.” He turned to Nicole.
She leaned forward and pointed to the first class. It was Intro to Arete Magic 101. The course description had been printed underneath it. “Over the past several months, through university expeditions and other activities, I’ve been exposed to all of the major elements and many of their sub-abilities. I’ve mastered Wind magic and nearly all of Earth. I’ve had to use both powers several times to defend myself. Because Intro to Arete Magic 101 isn’t an in-depth class, but more of an overview, I’d like the opportunity to test out of it.”
She continued down the piece of paper, highlighting all the topics she’d had experience with. Now that she’d mastered Wind powers, she didn’t see any point in going to those classes. Of course, she didn’t say exactly that to Professor Smith, as she didn’t want to offend him or make him think she believed those classes would be a waste of her time, but she did show him how the material taught in would be easy for her to pass.
Austin went next, doing pretty much the same thing as Nicole. If their wish was granted, Austin would be able to test out of many more courses than Nicole.
When he had finished his portion, Nicole spoke again. “The classes we’ll still need to take are in other areas—English, biology, math, et cetera. But by allowing us to test out of the classes we’ve mentioned, the university will have room for two other students to take them, which means more resour
ces for the department.”
“Why do you want to graduate earlier?” Professor Smith asked.
Nicole shook her head. “It’s not graduating earlier that interests me. It’s proving that I already have a sound knowledge of the material that would be presented in these classes, allowing me the opportunity to make the most of my college years—to focus my time and attention on things that might be more difficult for me to grasp. I look forward to delving into the more advanced classes this department has to offer.”
She leaned forward. “I’m a good student. I have a perfect record from high school, and my grades last semester were excellent. I promise I’m not trying to get out of these classes because I’m lazy or wanting a break. I’d like the opportunity to test out of them so I can push myself harder and be a more valuable citizen.”
She glanced at Coolidge, and he nodded.
“I have full confidence in both of these students. Austin has been using his Arete abilities since he was fifteen, and Nicole has very quickly caught up and surpassed most of the undergraduate students.”
Professor Smith nodded. “I’ve heard of Austin already and would nearly be compelled to pass him now based on reputation alone. But out of fairness to the other students, I believe he and Nicole should both be tested. One test per class.”
Nicole held her breath. That sounded like a yes! “Would it be possible to take all the tests on the same day?”
“I think we could arrange that.” Professor Smith glanced at his watch. “I’ll have an advisor contact you, possibly through Professor Coolidge.”
The dean got to his feet and the others followed suit.
“Thank you for your time,” Coolidge said, shaking the man’s hand.
Professor Smith smiled. “You already know I’ll do pretty much whatever it takes to keep you here, Coolidge.”
Nicole glanced at her professor. She remembered him saying that the dean had bribed him for several years to continue teaching at Katon University. It was obviously his respect for Coolidge that had gotten them this meeting. Nicole was grateful for the opportunity, and she hoped she’d do well on the tests.
Reclaim, Mosaic Chronicles Book Five Page 1
