Nicole shrugged. “Good. I just got back from a trip to Pennsylvania.”
Rebecca raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Did it go okay?”
“It was fine,” Nicole said, changing into her pajamas. “And I know you’re too polite to ask why I went, but it was for my initiation into the local Tarian chapter.”
Rebecca’s jaw dropped. “Your . . . initiation?”
“I figured I’d start getting to know people in the group. Find ways I can assist without telling them why or what my purpose will eventually be.”
A large grin spread across Rebecca’s face. “You took initiative. This is fantastic, Nicole. I’m so proud of you.”
Nicole got onto her bed. “I really do want to be as helpful as possible. And I want these people to care for me, to want to follow me when the time comes.”
“They will.” Rebecca also sat on Nicole’s bed. “In fact, I came to talk to you about the upcoming world convention for Tarians. I’ll introduce you there as the new leader I’ve been preparing them for.”
“When is it happening?”
“The end of May.”
Nicole glanced at her phone’s calendar. “A month and a half.” She took a deep breath. “Wow. This is going fast.”
Rebecca patted her knee. “I know, dear, and I’ll be here to help as much as possible. But I’ll do more than just offer moral support. You need to know everything the Tarians are currently working on. I’m having Tiffany prepare a report that she’ll give you after your final exams have ended. Study it, memorize it. The more capable you look, the easier it’ll be for the Tarians to follow you.”
Nicole agreed. Neither said anything for a moment, and Nicole glanced at her grandmother. “So, I’ve been wanting to ask something for a while. How is it that you’re able to touch me if you’re dead?”
“Technically, I’m not able to. Doing so requires me to use a small amount of my Arete powers. I have to command the molecules that make up my essence to change enough to come into contact with you.”
Nicole raised her eyebrows. “That sounds hard. Why go to all the effort just for simple contact?”
A wistful expression crossed Rebecca’s face. “I want to have a healthy relationship with you. I want to be able to hug my granddaughter as often as I need to. I save a bit of my energy every day just so I have enough to make these simple gestures.”
“I would never have known. Is it hard?”
“Well, let’s put it this way—I’m dead, so I can actually control my own molecules. But it requires enough power that I have to leave soon after and sleep for several hours.”
“I do appreciate it. It makes a difference.” Nicole leaned against her headboard and stared at the wall opposite the bed. “When will we tell the Tarians that I’m destroying the embryonic manipulator?”
“Not until after it has happened.”
“I still don’t understand why I need to lead them only to practically desert them later.”
“It’s a last-gasp chance for me to reclaim my group and put them back to rights. I’ll forever regret their choices these past several years. Please allow me this one chance, Nicole. And if it doesn’t work, I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.”
Nicole nodded. She wasn’t positive how reassuring that was, but she still had no reason not to do as the elderly woman requested. How much longer until Austin heard back from Elizabeth?
“I sense you’ve got a lot on your mind. I’ll let you rest now.”
“Thanks—I have to get up really early.” Nicole glanced at her clock. “In three hours, in fact.”
“Oh, goodness, child! I’ll be going now. Sleep well.”
Nicole said goodbye, then got under her covers and drifted off soon after Rebecca left.
***
Once school ended the next day, Nicole met with Andrew and Shana in the same hotel as before to give them the Alerter.
Nicole pulled the device—now wrapped in a scarf—from her purse and handed it to Andrew.
His eyes rounded and he looked up at Nicole in awe. “You really did get it.”
“Of course.”
Andrew pulled the scarf away, returning it to Nicole, and he and Shana stared at the Alerter with reverent expressions on their faces. Nicole had to hide her eye roll at how ridiculous they were acting. If she didn’t know otherwise, she would suspect them of idol worship.
“It works,” Andrew said, indicating the small red light that had appeared on one side of the sphere at the top.
“What does that mean?” Nicole asked.
“That you’re an Arete,” Shana answered. She pointed at Nicole’s stomach. “See? It’s marking you.”
Nicole looked down, surprised to see a laser point on her shirt. “Wow. What’s its maximum distance?”
“Why do you want to know?” Andrew asked.
Nicole shrugged. “Just curious. It didn’t work for me.”
“Of course it didn’t—it only works for regular humans. And we don’t know what its range is. Could be only twenty feet—could be a few miles.”
Shana sent Andrew a withering glance. “It wouldn’t possibly have a range of that distance—there are more Aretes than just Nicole within a few miles of us.”
“Oh, yes. You’re right, dear.” Andrew tucked the Alerter into his briefcase, then glanced at Nicole. “I’ll let you know about each meeting ahead of time.”
“So, I’ve made it into the group?”
Both of them looked surprised. “Of course you have,” Shana said. “You’ve definitely earned it.”
Andrew rested his briefcase on his lap. “Was your friend interested in the device?”
Nicole thought for a moment, trying to decide on the best answer. “Not as much as I’d thought he would be. He did mention liking the decorations on the outside, though.”
“Good.” Andrew shook Nicole’s hand, then helped his wife to her feet. “We’ll be in touch,” he said.
***
Toby picked Nicole up that Saturday right at six. She had spent extra time getting ready—she really wanted to look good for him. It surprised her how much fun she had doing her hair and makeup. It’d been a while since she’d prettied up.
They chatted comfortably the entire way to the Italian restaurant where they were meeting the other couple. Once they’d exited the car, Nicole took Toby’s offered hand, and they entered the restaurant.
The owner of the restaurant greeted them, asking how many were in their party.
“We’re here meeting a group,” Toby said. “Under the name of Jackson.”
“Molto bene, molto bene.” The man nodded to a brunette with long, fake eyelashes, and the girl beamed at Nicole and Toby.
“Right this way,” she said.
They followed her down the narrow aisles between tables. She paused, waiting for a few servers to finish carrying trays of food past them and a busboy to move a huge platter of dirty plates.
Just then, Toby grabbed Nicole’s arm. “Oh, Nicole . . . I’m really sorry.”
“For what?” She glanced at him.
He shook his head, chewing his lip. “I didn’t have anything to do with it—she didn’t say anything. Please believe me.”
“Okay . . .” She looked past him, trying to see what he was talking about. Then her eyes widened when she spotted Judith Ann sitting across from a dark-headed guy whose back was toward her. “Jackson?” she said to Toby. “Judith Ann Jackson is your friend?”
“Sort of friend. And you know her?”
“Of course I do.”
“She said she didn’t recognize your name.”
“Oh, of course she didn’t.”
“Um . . . well, you know her date too.”
Nicole’s eyes shifted back to the guy, and she realized she recognized that head. She gasped, a hand fluttering to her mouth. It was Austin. Her stomach dropped to the region of her feet, and her heartbeat increased exponentially.
Austin finished talking to the waiter and glanced back,
probably wondering where the other couple was. His eyes met Nicole’s and his eyebrows shot up as he took in her comfortable position standing next to Toby, their hands entwined. Pain, confusion, then frustration registered in turn on his face before it was all replaced with a blank expression.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Toby said, giving Nicole another apologetic look.
She nodded, but couldn’t find any words to reply. The busboy and servers had long since moved, and the woman was impatiently waiting for Nicole and Toby to follow.
Nicole chose the seat across from Judith Ann, realizing she couldn’t possibly sit across from Austin.
Weird that she wasn’t nauseated yet. In fact, she felt completely fine. Hadn’t the Great Ones figured out who this guy was?
Or . . . and the thought made Nicole’s heart hurt. Was she over Austin enough for the Great Ones not to care anymore?
That couldn’t be possible. She still mourned him occasionally. But maybe she’d moved on enough for it not to alert them to his presence. The thought pained her heart a little.
The only thing she could do with the situation was to put on a smile and pretend that Judith Ann’s horrible, spiteful actions didn’t hurt. Realizing she hadn’t yet said hi to Judith Ann, Nicole turned a patronizing smile to the girl. “I’m so glad Toby and I were able to help you out with this situation. We wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable on your first date.”
Judith Ann’s mouth popped open and she glanced at Toby with a betrayed expression before glaring at Nicole. “Yes, well, some of us recognize good meat when we’re near it. We don’t drop it and walk away.”
Oh, you believe what you want to believe, Judith Ann. You will never know the truth. “I’ll bet Austin loves being referred to as meat. How are your therapy sessions going?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“You’re right about that.” Nicole spread her napkin across her lap before turning as the waiter arrived, giving him her full attention. The group ordered and the waiter left to get drinks.
Nicole realized she was procrastinating looking at Austin. She didn’t know why . . . maybe because she didn’t want to see what might be there. Would she be able to tell if he’d moved on completely? That he didn’t love her anymore?
Toby cleared his throat. “So, Austin, how are classes treating you?”
“Fine.”
Austin didn’t expound and not for the first time, Nicole wished he were a wordier person. Someone needed to fill the awkward silences, and it couldn’t be her. She would end up saying more vitriolic things to Judith Ann that she’d regret later.
After at least ten minutes of awkward small talk, the atmosphere at the table finally relaxed enough for Nicole to take a breath and find something appropriate to say.
“Mrs. Whitman doesn’t seem worse for the wear after her experience last year.”
Nicole allowed herself to seek out Austin’s eyes at the same time that he glanced at her. They locked gazes and Nicole felt a surge of energy between the two of them. Her entire body warmed. With that one exchange, Nicole knew that Austin was still in love with her. His eyes said more than any word ever could about the longing he felt for her, the desire he had to hold her, touch her.
She ripped her gaze away and focused on Judith Ann. “I don’t suppose you heard what happened.” Obviously Judith Ann had, since she’d been there.
“Uh . . .” Judith Ann looked like she was trying to figure out why Nicole was asking.
“I’m talking about last semester, when she made most of her class puke or pass out.”
Judith Ann nodded. “Yeah, I know. That was a lot of fun.”
Nicole’s eyes wandered to Austin. “Yes. Lots.”
Toby cleared his throat, then took a drink. “I hadn’t heard about it. Would you fill me in?”
So Nicole told him about the crown Whitman bought off eBay, trying to turn herself into an Arete. Instead, it had made her high, and the Aretes in her class sick.
Toby grinned. “Awesome. She’s definitely had that coming for a while. What happened to the crown?”
“Coolidge took it,” Austin said. “Made the man return her money.”
“Where is it now?” Judith Ann asked.
Nicole and Austin both shrugged, and they smiled at each other at their common response.
“Only Coolidge knows,” Nicole said. “And it actually never occurred to me to ask.”
Their food was brought and Nicole dug in, grateful that she still wasn’t feeling nauseated. She couldn’t believe her luck—Austin was only a few feet away, but it wasn’t affecting her negatively yet. Maybe the Great Ones had given up.
And what if they had? Would she break up with Toby and return to Austin immediately?
Thoughts of doing so sobered Nicole. She cared for Toby and didn’t want to hurt him. But she was still in love with Austin. Curse Judith Ann for forcing them to be in the same room!
Nicole looked up mid-bite when she felt Austin’s gaze on her. His expression was questioning and Nicole could tell he was asking how she felt. She half smiled, lifting one shoulder.
It was then that she recognized that Toby was talking about his plans now that he was out of college. It had never occurred to her to ask him what he was going to do. She felt guilt stab her in the stomach. She was the worst girlfriend ever—for him. She and Austin had talked plenty of times about their future plans. But she and Toby? She never thought beyond that day or that week.
“Once I take—and pass—the bar exam, I’ll start applying for positions at law offices all over Seattle.” Toby’s eyes rested on Nicole. “I’d like to stay in the area, if possible.”
She could sense the intent behind those few words—wanting to date her, maybe even marry her. See where things would go. She wasn’t ready for that sort of commitment. She couldn’t concentrate on the idea of being with Toby forever, not when Austin was so close right now.
“I’m sure you’ll do well on the bar,” Nicole said. “You’re intelligent.”
“Oh, I know I will—I’ve always been good at tests. My concern is how competitive this area is right now. It’s like, everyone within a twenty- mile radius who’s ever been interested in becoming a lawyer has just passed the bar and is rushing to find work. I’ve been sending out feelers for weeks now without results.”
Nicole put her hand on Toby’s arm. “Cross the position-finding bridge when you get to it. For now, let’s focus on getting you through the exam.”
Toby gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
Nicole took a bite of food, feeling Austin and Judith Ann staring at her. She’d felt awkward reassuring Toby, like she was doing someone else’s job.
The feeling that she was cheating on both Austin and Toby nearly overwhelmed her. What a mess she was in!
Finally, after plenty of awkward small talk and several exchanged glances with Austin, everyone finished dinner. By unspoken agreement, no one ordered dessert, and pretty soon, Toby was paying the check and excusing himself—probably to go to the little boys’ room.
“How are you doing?” Austin asked Nicole the moment Toby was gone, ignoring Judith Ann.
She shrugged. “As well as can be expected.”
“Sorry about tonight.” He sent a glare to Judith Ann, whose jaw dropped. “I definitely didn’t have a hand in planning it. In fact, I wasn’t even told about any of it until she showed up on my doorstep, begging for help in changing a car tire.”
“It really is flat,” Judith Ann said.
“Yes. Flattened right outside the restaurant where you’d planned our double date.”
“I had to get you to come somehow,” she said, folding her arms. “You’re not even dating her anymore, but you act like you are.”
Austin’s eyes sought Nicole’s, searching her face. “I’ll always be unavailable to others so long as Nicole is alive.”
Nicole smiled at him, butterflies she hadn’t felt in her stomach for a long time coming to life. T
he urge to reach across the table and yank his lips to hers nearly overwhelmed her.
Austin turned back to Judith Ann. “And don’t get any ideas about making her sick or something.”
She sniffed. “I wouldn’t stoop that low.”
“Somehow, I doubt that.”
Toby returned just then. “Ready?” he asked Nicole without returning to his seat.
She nodded and got to her feet, hesitating before following him.
As Nicole was passing Austin, he grabbed her hand. “No visions?”
“No.”
She gasped as a sudden bout of nausea slammed into her. She pulled her hand away, gave him an apologetic look, then hurried to catch up with Toby. Apparently, Austin’s touch was enough to alert the Great Ones to his presence. She couldn’t help but wish he hadn’t stopped her. How much time could they have spent together before those beings found out what was going on? Or would her emotional attachment, which was growing once again, clue them in?
She wouldn’t ever know. And the expression on Toby’s face as they walked to his car said just how much he regretted the evening.
He drove her home in silence, with Nicole wondering what to say—whether she should reassure him or even possibly break up with him. Why did dating have to be so hard?
No, that wasn’t a fair question. Most girls didn’t need to worry about horrible visions opening up to them, massive migraines striking, or bouts of nausea making them throw up when the guy of their dreams was around.
Why did dating have to be so hard for Nicole?
“I’ll call you tomorrow?” Toby asked when he dropped her off at her doorstep.
Nicole nodded. “Yes, I’d like that.”
“Then . . . you aren’t upset about tonight?”
“Of course I am. But it wasn’t your fault and I’m not going to blame you for Judith Ann’s despicableness.” Nicole took a breath, realizing something then and there. “And I’m definitely not going to break up with you over it.”
Toby’s relief was obvious, especially when he leaned his head against her shoulder. “I can’t even tell you how glad I am to hear that. I was positive our relationship was ending the moment I saw who Judith Ann had brought.”
Observe, Mosaic Chronicles Book Four Page 9
