The Great Ones were the most powerful beings anywhere—Nicole could see that. They’d created all of the other monsters, had given them abilities, had used them as slaves. But those creations had turned on them and were now seeking to destroy the Great Ones.
Nicole recognized Shoggoths and Agarchs in Rebecca’s memories, along with a few Croents and Nightgaunts. It quickly became obvious that Rebecca had started gathering supporters long before she’d passed away.
Rebecca seemed to see the precarious position she was in. She put her hands forward, supplicating the Great Ones. “I promise, none of that is true. Those memories were planted in my head by Agarchs. I have no desire to remove you from your positions!”
If only we believed that, the loud Great One said.
Nicole was surprised at the complete void of feelings from the beings. Why weren’t they upset? Angry? Were they separating their feelings from her? Or was she simply too far below them, intellectually, to follow? She figured the latter was probably more correct as she caught a brief snippet of intense hatred and anger. Their level of emotions ran deep—far deeper than she could sense.
Do we destroy her now? the soft-voiced one said. Or banish her to earth?
We can’t leave her outside our gaze, the loud-voiced being responded. She’ll continue her plans until she succeeds.
Rebecca’s jaw dropped. “No, I won’t! I promise! I’ve learned my lesson. Please, listen, please, trust me.”
The Great Ones chuckled.
Trust? the soft-voiced Great One said. You ask us to trust after you’ve lied so many times?
We’ll take her and the others with us, the softer Great One said, thoughts going out to the Tarians on the field. We haven’t had . . . help . . . in many eons.
And perhaps we’ll fuse a few of them together.
We’ll continue the process we’ve started here.
Nicole shivered as she felt all the Great Ones turn their attention to her. She no longer could tell who was saying what, the conversation bits were coming so quickly.
Let us find someone who won’t require purification.
But we’ve already started the process with little one.
It’ll still take time for her heart to be ready.
We should punish them further for disobeying.
Yes, we should. But not today. She was instrumental in discovering a plot to destroy us. We’ll leave her be for now.
The bindings holding Nicole’s arms and legs released and Nicole sat up, rubbing her wrists and trying to ignore the throbbing in her side.
Rebecca glared at Nicole. “I won’t forget this.”
Fear not, old woman, the soft-voiced Great One said to Rebecca. Soon, you’ll be living with us and all will be right again.
“I don’t understand. You’ll allow me to dwell with you even—even after everything I’ve done?”
So she does admit to lying.
Of course she would.
Yes, the loud one said to Rebecca. Even after everything.
Rebecca hesitated. “It’s that easy?”
Of course it is. We choose to uncomplicate matters by allowing you to join our other slaves.
Rebecca’s mouth opened and closed. “Slaves? Slaves? No! I’m supposed to rule with you! It’s my birthright—it’s the reason I was born!”
No one rules with us. Have we not established this already? And you’ve said that wasn’t your intention anyway. Are you now taking back what you said earlier?
Rebecca looked down, anger radiating from her face, her fisted hands shaking. “No, no, I’m not.”
Nicole was impressed with the woman’s self-control. She walked on a precarious surface and recognized it, even though she wanted to scream and threaten the Great Ones.
Very well. Prepare yourselves. We must transform you and the others before you can join us.
Suddenly, the Tarians who filled the field started getting up, brushing themselves off. They’d obviously been released and allowed to move of their own will.
When they realized who was standing around them, the men and women raised their faces and arms, loudly cheering the Great Ones, then bent down, worshiping them.
Nicole gasped when the massive legs that surrounded her lifted, stepping repeatedly on the Tarians, crushing them. She couldn’t bear to see the carnage when the legs pulled back, but there wasn’t any. Instead, she was surprised to see the Tarians get up and shake themselves off.
How was it possible?
Cling to us, the loud Great One commanded. You first, the beast said to Rebecca.
Rebecca and her Tarians obeyed. In hordes, the hundreds of them who were still living, and even hundreds more who had died, followed Rebecca to the leg.
Rebecca was the first to climb. Using the vines, she pulled herself up into the thick growth that covered the leg. She latched herself to the living ropes, glancing down as her Tarians climbed up after. Nicole smiled at the anger and bitterness on her grandmother’s face. Good riddance.
All but one of the Great Ones left through the link. Nicole expected their steps to shake the earth, but she felt nothing.
The last Great One turned its attention to Nicole. Nicole . . . may we never meet again. Dread the day it happens. Learn from your grandmother.
Nicole gave her word. She knew she’d never seek more power—she had so much to learn still. Even if she stopped progressing, she was happy with where she’d gotten. And she definitely didn’t hunger for prestige—all she wanted were Austin and her friends.
“Austin,” she whispered, suddenly realizing her physical senses had returned at some point. She was back in the farmhouse, lying on the floor, looking out the large window. As she watched, the link shrank in on itself, the tentacles that were holding it open pulling inward.
“Is it over?” Lizzie whispered.
Nicole carefully rolled to a sitting position, grimacing at the pain from her multiple wounds, and glanced over the rest of the room. Austin was unconscious near his parents, who were still knocked out. Lizzie, Coolidge, and Joe were stirring.
At first, no one responded, then Coolidge cleared his throat. “It would seem so.”
Nicole looked at her side, where her shirt was still pulled up. A small incision, about a quarter-inch long, was there. Her side throbbed, but the incision wasn’t bleeding anymore—the blood had clotted.
All of that had actually happened. Whoa. She couldn’t believe she’d nearly lost a kidney.
Nicole straightened her shirt, covering the cut, just as Austin crawled to her side, obviously awake now. Tears streaked down his face, his eyes showing the agony he still felt. Nicole pulled him toward herself, holding him close, shushing him. “It’s all right, Austin. I’m fine—we’re both fine.” She felt her own tears start to fall as she realized how close she’d come to having her boyfriend gut her alive.
“What’s going on?” Coolidge asked, hobbling to his feet, hesitating, his hand stretched toward Nicole and Austin. He seemed confused—wanting to comfort them, but not sure why they needed comfort.
Nicole met his gaze. “Rebecca nearly got her wish.”
“Which one?”
Nicole glanced down at Austin’s face as he looked into her eyes. She pushed the hair off his forehead, running her fingers through it, trying to show him that she didn’t harbor ill feelings toward him. “The one where my organs were supposed to be joined with hers.”
Lizzie jumped to her feet, bounding across the room and falling to her knees next to Nicole and Austin. “Are you serious? You’re okay? What happened?”
Nicole took a deep breath, then filled the others in on the attempted operation and the discussion with the Great Ones. “I was hoping none of it had really happened, but . . .” She pulled up her shirt again, showing them the cut on her side. “Even if it didn’t occur, it was real to Austin and me.”
Austin had calmed down by then and was sitting up, tightly holding Nicole’s left hand, his other arm around her shoulders. Nicole knew he woul
d have a hard time letting her go again—a feeling she shared. They’d experienced more together than probably any other living couple.
“None of you saw what happened?” she asked.
Lizzie sheepishly raised her hand. “I saw a bit. I couldn’t help it—I looked out the window after you did, Nicole. You and Austin were blocked from view . . . but plenty of other things happened. Did you see the Tarians all get killed? I’m betting that’s when the Great Ones said they had to be transformed.”
Nicole frowned, tilting her head. “No, I didn’t. I only noticed the Great Ones stepping on them, then they all got up and left together.”
Lizzie shook her head. “That’s not what happened. The Great One’s foot crushed them all. They didn’t get up again after that—there’s no way they would’ve been able to.”
Austin stood and went to his parents while Nicole stepped to the window. She gasped. Lizzie was right—the field was a mess of broken bodies. She slowly shook her head. “But . . . why did I see something totally different?”
“You were seeing things through a different set of eyes,” Austin said from where he knelt, checking his mother’s pulse.
Coolidge sat on the couch, leaning back and closing his eyes. “I’m worried about that, actually. Nicole obviously has a connection to the Great Ones that none of us have. It’s been there for quite some time too—since before the elixir.”
Nicole frowned. “You’re referring to when I played my cello in Arches?”
He nodded. “It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the Great Ones keep occasional tabs on all their creations—they probably know your print through those beasts.”
“That’s a happy thought,” Elyse murmured, her head rolling to face Nicole. She was pale and gaunt. The day had required a lot of her and her husband. Dave was also stirring.
Coolidge got up from the couch and pulled his phone from his pocket. “Well, let’s hope Nicole’s tie to the Great Ones was severed when they left.” He stepped out of the room, talking on his phone.
No one said anything. It was a sobering thought, and Nicole hoped she wouldn’t forever be tied to those cruel beings.
“What I find hilarious,” Lizzie said, “is that the Tarians had to die in order to get what they wanted.”
Nicole smiled. She wouldn’t describe it as hilarious. More like ironic. Then her smile disappeared and she sank into the couch, putting her face in her hands. “I didn’t get everyone killed. I didn’t fail.” She bit her lips, trying to swallow the sobs that wanted to be released.
Lizzie sat on one side of her and Austin the other. Austin’s hand sought hers. “You were excellent,” he whispered.
Lizzie pointed to the Band-Aids on Nicole’s thighs and arms. “So, you didn’t explain how you got those injuries.”
Nicole had nearly forgotten about those wounds with everything that had happened since. She told them about her little showdown with Rebecca and the monsters.
“You suffocated them?” Lizzie said, grimacing. “Genius, but . . . wow. I hope I never get on your bad side.”
Nicole playfully elbowed Lizzie. “Like I’d do that to you.”
Coolidge stepped back into the room. “We’re calling in the National Guard to help with all the bodies.” He motioned to Joe, who had been sitting silent in a rocking chair the whole time. “You won’t need to worry about any of them.”
Joe nodded. “Thank you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Can’t believe it happened on my property.”
Coolidge motioned to him and the others. “Let’s go outside and help get the injured people to the shade around the farmhouse.” He eyed Nicole’s wounds. “You stay here. You’re bleeding again. Austin, help her with that.”
Nicole swore she could see a glimmer of teasing in her professor’s eyes. She smiled to herself. He knew they would love some alone time.
Everyone but Nicole and Austin left. Nicole relaxed back against the couch while Austin replaced a couple of bandages and reglued a few parts that hadn’t been put together very well. He also found another cut on the back of her arm and fixed it up, then inspected the incision on her side, adding a bit of glue to it.
When he was satisfied, he set the first aid kit aside and nestled next to Nicole, gingerly taking her in his arms. He brushed his face against her neck, breathing deeply. “I know you don’t blame me . . . but I’m so sorry for what happened out there.”
Nicole turned her head and kissed him. His lips were gentle, soft. “The expression, the pain in your eyes will haunt me forever,” she whispered.
Austin grimaced. “I think that’s what they wanted.”
Nicole nodded, resting against him.
Her body ached everywhere. Her cheek and thighs throbbed, her arms, side, and stomach stung. But she was in Austin’s arms. She vowed she’d never leave them again if she didn’t have to.
Chapter Twelve
As Coolidge said they would, the National Guard showed up and helped sort through the bodies. Buses were called back and several took wounded people to the closest medical centers. People were spread from Missoula down through Salmon and on to Idaho Falls.
Then the process of identifying those who’d died started. It was a long ordeal, and Nicole was grateful she wasn’t in charge of it. She did, however, insist on taking care of Jack’s body. She knew they wouldn’t find any family in this dimension, and she wanted to reunite Jack with Anna.
The National Guard carted away the bodies of the beasts that had come through the link. Nicole didn’t know where they were going, and she didn’t care.
Not surprisingly, most of the dead were Tarians, though several Aretes had also passed away. Nicole was saddened to learn that Robert was one of them.
While they were taking care of the Tarians in this location, reports started coming in to Coolidge from Professor Nielsen and other Silvers around the world. Apparently, someone had filmed the entire event that had taken place on Joe’s fields, and once the Tarians saw the Great Ones kill other Tarians so quickly and easily, they surrendered.
That video ended up in the hands of the government, but Nicole knew copies of it would be surfacing all over.
She also heard from Esteban—the Tarians still hadn’t successfully broken into the lab, and their attacks had slowed to a trickle until finally coming to a stop after the disaster with the Great Ones occurred.
Esteban had explored Headquarters and found a year’s supply of food, along with a lot more morphine. He and the others were quite happy to stay there for the rest of their short lives. He refused to tell Nicole how they were doing physically, not wanting her to be even more upset.
He reassured her, however, that they were happy, relaxing, playing card games, and enjoying controlled doses of morphine. They were in a much better place now, thanks to Nicole and Lizzie.
***
Nicole, Austin, Coolidge, and Lizzie accompanied Jack’s body to Ohio, where they met Professor Nielsen. A week had passed since the Great Ones had visited this dimension, and it had taken that long before the link in Ohio was open again.
During that time, Nicole had spent several days in the hospital getting stitched up and pumped full of antibiotics. Not surprisingly, she’d gotten an infection from the “surgery” on the field. It cleared up after a few days and she was discharged with only scars and memories.
Nicole had arranged with Trevor to meet them on the other side of Anna Morse’s apartment in that dimension. He and several Aretes would accompany them to Anna Morse’s burial spot, where a place had been chosen for Jack.
The group was quiet as they walked the windy street up to the crooked building. The elderly people who lived on that street avoided making eye contact, as usual. So did the building superintendent.
As he promised, Trevor was waiting for Nicole and the rest. What surprised her was to find Robert there as well. His reunion with Coolidge was a happy one. After exchanging quick hugs and stories, they turned their attention to matters at hand.
&nbs
p; Trevor updated them on the situation this side of the link. “We’ve never seen such calm here. The beasts know they were whipped. The Great Ones have ordered them not to bother earth for a long time.”
“Have you heard from Elizabeth? Or any of the other Aretes who fought?”
He smiled. “Everyone has resumed their usual activities without fanfare or expecting gratitude. They were fighting for themselves—their own powers. And Elizabeth decided to reside in another dimension—one that is difficult to reach. She’s done helping, as you can probably imagine.”
Nicole could. She wished, though, that they could have given the woman a final thanks.
After an hour of walking with the men carrying the coffin, they finally reached Anna Morse’s grave. Nicole’s wounds throbbed. She couldn’t wait to get back home.
Mrs. Morse been encased in a tomb constructed completely of bones. It was a little creepy, but obviously, it was the norm. All of the tombs around Anna’s were the same. And since that was the most easy-to-acquire material in the entire dimension, it made sense.
After a brief burial service, Austin and Coolidge pushed the coffin in next to Anna’s. Trevor and Robert shut the door, making sure it was firmly in place, then shook hands with all the living Aretes.
“Until next time,” Robert said, directing his comments to Coolidge. “Let me know what you decide.”
Coolidge nodded, a knowing expression on his face. He glanced at Nicole and Austin, then back to Robert. “I’ll keep you updated.”
Nicole was too tired to press for information right then. Besides, she knew Coolidge would say something eventually.
***
Nicole and Lizzie opened their apartment door, letting it slam against the wall. They stood on the threshold for several moments before Austin, who waited behind them, cleared his throat.
“I kind of would like to put these down.”
Nicole sighed. “Okay.” But she still didn’t move. Though she knew it wasn’t quite accurate, she felt like this apartment had started everything. It was here that Rebecca first made contact with Nicole. The leather journal had followed her here many times. She’d experienced her first horrible vision of other dimensions here. She’d practiced her powers here more than anywhere else.
Reclaim, Mosaic Chronicles Book Five Page 19
