Once the meeting concluded, Jonathan took the paper from Nicole, and Andrew shook her hand, telling her he’d be in contact with her.
She left feeling almost like she hadn’t really accomplished anything. But she knew that was silly—first impressions were important, and hopefully, she’d left a good one.
Her thoughts turned to the initiation she’d be asked to perform. Would they want her to kill an Arete? Turn in a friend? Destroy some powerful Arete treasure? She hoped whatever it was would be something her conscience would allow her to do. Otherwise, she and Rebecca would need to have a chat.
Chapter Four
Nicole shut her book for Professor Whitman’s class over two hours after she’d opened it. She couldn’t believe how much reading that woman required. The quizzes were insane—they seemed much harder than the ones Lizzie had taken the previous semester. Perhaps Whitman felt she had something to prove after she’d bought a poisoned crown off eBay several months earlier which made half her class faint and the other half throw up.
Nicole recognized how important it was that she pass this class. It was easily the most difficult of the required courses she was taking. Professor Coolidge’s was hard too, but it wasn’t ridiculously hard. Nothing he assigned felt like busy work, unlike most of the projects in Professor Whitman’s class.
Rubbing her eyes, Nicole rested her elbows on the desk in the library, realizing her brain had had it and she wouldn’t be able to finish her homework that day. At least not for the next few hours.
“Nicole?”
She turned, glancing at the speaker. “Toby!” Nicole got to her feet and, after he’d set down a pile of books, gave him a hug. “How are you doing? Long time, no see!” It had been four or five months, actually, since their last study session. Before her trip to Moses Lake.
“I’m doing great. How about you?”
Nicole shrugged. She really didn’t want to delve into everything and hoped he’d be okay with a short answer. “Fine. How’s school?”
“I graduated in December.” His eyes twinkled with excitement. “It’s been great. No homework.”
Nicole laughed. “Boy, wouldn’t that be awesome.” She tilted her head. “So, what are you doing here, then?”
Toby indicated the books. “Returning leftover books. I’ll probably have a huge fine, but I just couldn’t bring myself to come once finals ended. I really needed a break from being here.”
Nicole laughed again. “I understand.”
“How are things going with Austin?”
She glanced away, lifting one shoulder. “We’re not dating anymore.”
“Oh. Sorry about that.”
Nicole sighed. “It’s how it goes sometimes.”
Toby cleared his throat, tucking a hand into his jeans pocket. His gaze stayed on her face, and for the first time ever, she noticed his eyes. They were brown—not as dark as Austin’s, but a pretty shade. She recalled that her initial reaction to him had been that he was cute. She found that still held true.
Toby took a breath. “So, um . . . this might be horrible timing . . . Actually, I know it’s horrible timing, but . . . would you want to go get ice cream with me?” He motioned to her closed books. “If you’re done here, that is.”
Nicole smiled at him, remembering how he’d asked her out before, but neither of them had followed through with it. “I’d like that. And yes, I’m done. Just finished reading for Professor Whitman’s class. My brain could use a break from her brand of busywork.”
“Oh, man, I can’t tell you how nice it is not to be in that woman’s classes anymore.” Toby’s face split into a grin that Nicole knew didn’t entirely have to do with his relief over being away from Whitman.
He returned his books while she packed up her things, then they left the library together, chatting easily about his graduation.
Toby took Nicole to an ice cream parlor in an area of Seattle she’d never been to before. The parlor was quaint, quiet, and the ice cream good. She promised herself she’d return someday, possibly with Austin and Lizzie. Well, with Lizzie for sure. Remembering Austin made her ache just a little, but she recognized it was time to move on. At least, as best as she could. She was on a date with another guy, after all.
“How did things go in Moses Lake?” Toby asked.
Nicole shook her head. “Wow. Where to begin . . .”
“You don’t need to talk about it if you’re not comfortable.”
“It’s fine. It was just really insane. What have you heard already?”
“Well, Coolidge talked about a meteor. I heard something about a family nearby getting sick. And that’s about it.”
“Yes, the Gardners. They got very sick. Some of them died before we were able to do anything.”
“That’s awful. How were you able to help the others?”
Nicole decided a shortened answer would be best, leaving out key details she wasn’t ready to share yet. “We used our Arete powers. It turns out that the meteor brought some sort of living creatures with it—spores—that grew and multiplied. We got the remaining family members away and destroyed the spores. I’ve heard that Albert, the man who owns the property, is putting in a lake to cover the place where the meteor landed.”
“I don’t blame him. Was he close to the family?”
“Very. He took it pretty hard. The parents and oldest child died. Only their seventeen-year-old girl and a ten-year-old son survived.”
Toby whistled. “And you were there for all this?”
Nicole nodded. It took her a moment to speak past the lump in her throat. “Yes. It was awful, watching the family go downhill and being pretty much unable to do anything at first. They refused to leave, even as they were deteriorating.” She took a deep breath. “But we were finally able to convince the father that his kids needed to get away. Not before Sterling, the oldest son, died, though.”
Toby shook his head. “That’s so crazy.”
“Tell me about it.”
They finished their ice cream and chatted as they left the store. Nicole actually was enjoying her time with Toby. She found herself looking into his light-brown eyes on more than one occasion. They were serious, only brightened by the occasional smile. Relaxing around him was easy. He was so open and honest about himself and his life and family. He didn’t get frustrated when she asked him questions, and he even asked her questions in return.
He was so different from Austin.
Toby really wanted to get to know her. And because of their study sessions the year before, they weren’t having that awkward first-date feeling.
“Where’s the necklace from?” Toby asked as they were walking to his car.
“I can’t really talk about it,” Nicole said, giving him an apologetic smile.
“You seem possessive of it. You hold and touch it a lot.”
Nicole nodded. “It’s pretty important.”
Toby glanced sidelong at her. “Is it a source of magic? I swear I’m not imagining pulses coming from it.”
“You’re not—it does have its own magic source.” Nicole rushed on when she saw the expression of disappointment on his face. “I don’t wear it to be stronger, I promise. It actually borrows powers from me.” She paused. “Sorry, I’ve said too much. Can we talk about something else? The person who entrusted me with it asked me to keep it private.”
“As long as it’s not dangerous or hurting you in any way. He unlocked her door, then turned to her. “You’ve changed a lot, Nicole. You’re more serious now, more somber. I hope eventually you’ll feel comfortable telling me why.”
“Me too.” And Nicole was surprised to find that was the truth.
They got in the car and neither said anything as Toby drove back to campus. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, Nicole hadn’t been uncomfortable at all the entire time they’d been together.
She directed him to her car, and when Toby pulled up alongside it, he glanced at her. “I enjoyed myself. I’d like to see you again, if th
at’s all right with you.”
“Yeah,” she said. “That would be nice.”
They made sure their numbers were still in each other’s phones, then Nicole got out of the car and waved as Toby pulled away.
She didn’t start her car immediately, even though it was fairly chilly outside. She stared out the windshield, thinking over the date and how it had made her feel.
Toby definitely wasn’t Austin. He didn’t stir in her the same feelings of passion that Austin did.
She sighed. Maybe that would change. She knew, though, that she was still holding on to hope that the end of the elixir would also mean the end of this ridiculous situation with the only guy she’d really loved.
***
Nicole received an email from Andrew, the president of the local Tarian chapter, that evening. He needed her to meet him and his wife as soon as possible. He’d be waiting to hear from her.
Nicole immediately sent him a reply, and Andrew responded just as quickly with the address of where they were. He was giving her half an hour.
Deciding it wouldn’t be smart to leave without at least someone knowing where she’d gone, Nicole forwarded his email to both Coolidge and Lizzie, knowing they’d read through the entire thread without her having to ask them. Then she packed up her things and left.
Andrew wanted to meet in the lobby of one of the four-star hotels in downtown Seattle. Nicole gave her keys to the valet and walked inside, glancing around for the couple. She spotted them immediately and approached them at their couch near the fireplace.
They both rose to their feet and shook Nicole’s hand. Andrew motioned to the couch opposite them, then, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, he leaned forward, clasping his hands and looking at Nicole intently.
“The presidency has discussed the initiation we’ll be asking you to perform.”
Shana also leaned forward. “It’s not so much of an initiation—more of a task that we haven’t been able to perform ourselves.”
Andrew nodded. “It requires the help of an Arete. And we haven’t had an Arete volunteer in years.”
“Many, many years,” Shana said.
Nicole could totally understand why Aretes wouldn’t want to join the Tarians. They weren’t exactly known for their compassion toward the more powerful beings.
“A long time ago,” Andrew said, “an instrument was gifted anonymously to the Tarian group. It’s a powerful device, one that alerts our kind to the approach of an Arete. In order to do this, it has to be in physical contact with the skin of a regular human. Well, an Arete stole it from us many years ago and has kept it in his basement in Pennsylvania. We need you to fly out there, retrieve it, and bring it back to us.”
Nicole nodded. “Why does an Arete have to do it?”
Shana sniffed. “Because of the spells used to keep it in place. Only an Arete will be able to break them.”
“Trust me, we’ve tried,” Andrew said.
Nicole hesitated for a moment, trying to see if there were any traps in this “initiation.” She couldn’t see anything, though, and decided to say yes. “Okay, I’ll do it. But first, I need you to get me as much info on this guy as possible. I can’t go there not knowing what to expect.”
A relieved expression crossed Andrew’s face. “We will, definitely. And we’ll give you a floor plan of his house, along with the location of the item and every trap leading to it. It’s called the Alerter, by the way.”
“Why is he holding on to it so tightly?”
“Because he knows how important it is to us—if we have it, no Arete can approach without us knowing.”
Shana nodded, watching her husband. She turned to Nicole. “And, as you probably have figured out, we’ll also be able to enter places knowing exactly how many Aretes are present.”
“Yes, that had occurred to me,” Nicole said. “The fact that this thing is in Pennsylvania means it might be something all Tarians would want. I mean, if it were here in Seattle, it might pertain to only this group.”
“Yes, correct,” Andrew said. “Once you bring it back, it will belong to me. Many others have tried to get it, but have failed. There’s an unspoken rule that whoever is successful will become the next owner of the Alerter.”
“Why do you think I’ll succeed? I haven’t even finished my first semester at Katon University.”
“Because you’re an Arete,” Shana said.
Nicole bit her lip. For a group that hated Aretes so much, Tarians definitely had a lot of faith in her kind. “Do I have to do it alone? Or could someone help me?”
The president narrowed his eyes. “Why would you want that?”
“I’m surprised you need to ask. As I already told you, I’m still in my first year. I Restarted late and don’t have nearly as much experience as other Aretes. I know it’s an initiation, but for the first time in many years, you have an Arete knocking at your doors, wanting to be admitted to your group. It makes sense that you’d allow them the best chance of success possible.”
Nicole’s voice became earnest. “I wouldn’t have to tell the person what they were doing. I mean, I could even tell them that the guy is testing his security. I have a friend who would take something like that very seriously. He would try his hardest to find any weaknesses in the traps.”
The president half smiled. “Any way this guy would consider changing sides?”
Nicole snorted. “Not a chance. He’s very much in love with being an Arete.”
“As long as he doesn’t suspect anything, go ahead and let him help.” Andrew leaned forward. “But I need to tell you—take this initiation seriously. If you aren’t successful, there won’t be any second chances.”
He nodded at Shana, who pulled a phone out of her purse and started a video before handing the device to Nicole. “Here’s our customary way of dealing with failures.”
Nicole watched the video. She recognized Andrew, Jonathan, and Shana smiling and laughing with a man whom they addressed as Richard. The tone was light, the atmosphere upbeat.
“How do you feel you did, Richard?” Andrew said, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder.
Richard shrugged. “Well, it could have gone better.” He turned pleading eyes to Andrew. “But I promise, I’ll get it done next time.”
Andrew shook his head, making a sympathetic sound. “I’m sure you would have.”
Richard’s face paled. “But . . . I . . .”
Andrew suddenly punched the man in the face. Blood spurted from his nose and he bent over, holding it. Jonathan hit him from behind, and after several more punches from Andrew and Jonathan, Richard was on the floor in the fetal position.
They kicked him repeatedly until it was obvious the man was unconscious. Then Shana pulled a gun from her purse and shot Richard in the chest four times and in the head once.
Nicole’s stomach clenched as she watched several others join the presidency. A few of them kicked the corpse over and over again. Finally, Andrew said it was done. They bagged and lifted the body. The video went shaky as the person recording followed the group out of wherever they’d been to a river. Nicole watched as they tossed Richard’s body into the turbulent waters.
The screen went blank. Nicole stared at it for several moments before handing the phone back to Shana. “So, no second chances.”
Andrew smiled warmly at her. “You won’t need one. You’ll succeed on your first try.”
Despite the friendliness in his tone, Nicole sensed the threat behind his words. “Fine. But I decide when I’ve finished the task successfully. I’ll stay in Pennsylvania as long as it takes to get that Alerter.” She stared Andrew and Shana in the eyes. “Not until I leave Pennsylvania will we consider ourselves done. The same goes for a failure. Deal?”
Andrew’s gaze never wavered. “Deal.”
Yeah. Nicole couldn’t trust these people. She would do whatever it took to make sure Coolidge was the Arete who accompanied her.
Andrew and Shana got to their feet
.
“We look forward to working with you,” Shana said, her blue eyes clear of malice. “Personally, my vote’s with you.”
“Thank you,” Nicole said. “I appreciate that.”
“I’ll get the information to you as soon as possible,” Andrew said. “You’ll need to pay your way to and from Pennsylvania, as well as for any equipment you might need.”
“Fine.” Nicole realized this was what that money Rebecca and Christopher Price had been saving was for. Time to figure out just how much she had access to.
Andrew pulled up a calendar on his phone. “Plan on leaving in two weeks. Take as much time as you need.”
They said goodbye, then Andrew shook Nicole’s hand and Shana gave her a hug.
Nicole waited until she was nearly home before calling Coolidge. “I’m going to need your help,” she said.
She wished she could include Austin too.
***
It took several hours and many phone calls to get the correct bank account information from Tiffany and to sign in to the bank online. But once Nicole saw the total amount of money in the account, she slumped in her chair, staring at the screen.
“Holy cow,” she whispered. She couldn’t believe it. Not even her parents had access to this kind of money. Well, they did. She couldn’t believe the amount of self-control Tiffany and Dad must have exhibited not to touch this money. It definitely showed their devotion to the Tarian cause.
Rebecca and Captain Price had managed to invest fifty thousand dollars over one hundred years ago. Aside from the period during the Great Depression, the account had been blessed with many, many years of good returns, and the total now sat at just over two billion dollars.
Two billion dollars.
Nicole rubbed her eyes. Nothing would be outside her reach with this money. The things she could do with it—destroy the embryonic manipulator, easy. Buy the land underneath the contraption, definitely.
She bit her lips, thinking about all the costs that would be involved with this task. She didn’t feel guilty using the money for anything Tarian related, including the trip to Pennsylvania—and Rebecca had already instructed her to use it for living expenses she’d incur.
Observe, Mosaic Chronicles Book Four Page 5
