Observe, Mosaic Chronicles Book Four

by Andrea Pearson

  “I still haven’t told her,” Rebecca was saying. “I’m not entirely sure how.”

  Tiffany sighed loudly. “You can’t put it off forever, Rebecca. She’s bound to find out on her own eventually.”

  “Yes, I know.” There was silence for a moment. “Are you sure these rooms are safe for conversations?”

  “Of course—we know the owners. You don’t need to worry.”

  Rebecca sighed loudly. “Good. I’m tired of shielding. If I can help it, I’d rather not waste the energy. It’s exhausting.”

  Nicole rolled her eyes. Yes, exhausting to deceive people. She was grateful, however, that Rebecca was talking in a way that transmitted over the bugs.

  “Where’s Charles gone?” Rebecca asked.

  “Out to get a drink. He’s tired of being cooped up so much.”

  Rebecca laughed. “With his line of business? Doesn’t he sit in an office all day?”

  “Pretty much.”

  They chuckled, then Rebecca asked a question.

  “Is this a conflict of interest, Tiffany? Your daughter being forced to sacrifice herself?”

  Tiffany scoffed. “You of all people should remember that I had Nicole for one reason, and one reason alone. To rid the earth of the Arete scum.”

  Nicole’s shoulders slumped. She’d always known her parents didn’t really hold a lot of love for her, but Tiffany’s tone of voice made it pretty clear how she felt about her daughter.

  “I still plan to use her body, though,” Rebecca said. “If that’s all right.”

  “Whatever you need is fine with us.”

  “Good. I’d better get going now. This convention is taking a lot out of me.”

  “How are your energy stores?”

  “Not doing so well. I’ll need to start conserving again in preparation for July.”

  They ended their conversation soon after that, and Nicole turned off her transmitter. She lay in bed for a long time, thinking about what she’d just heard. Rebecca planned to use her body? For what? Possession? So she could live again? Was that possible? Nicole would have to ask Coolidge.

  Sleep didn’t come easily, and she tossed and turned a great deal, finally falling asleep as the first rays of dawn stretched across the sky.

  An hour later, Tiffany was knocking on Nicole’s door, asking what was taking her so long. Nicole grudgingly got up and pulled her hair into a ponytail, then applied some mascara. The day was full of meetings with diplomats, and she had a lot of acting, conversing, leading, and generally being in charge to do. She wasn’t looking forward to it.

  In the last meeting of the day, Rebecca finally revealed the coordinates for the location of the embryonic manipulator. Inwardly, Nicole sighed in relief, glad to have finally learned what she’d come to find. But she was confused—Elizabeth had said there were two machines. When would Rebecca tell where the second one was located?

  Not long after that meeting, Nicole overheard another conversation between her mother and Rebecca.

  “You only mentioned one machine today,” Tiffany was saying.

  “I know. There are two. Nicole can only know about one. Call it a test—if she leaves now, using the coordinates I gave in the meeting, we’ll know if she’s truly loyal to me. Of course, if she does use the machine I gave her access to, she’ll end up destroying all Aretes.”

  “But isn’t that what we want her to do?”

  “Yes. But we’re serious about also stopping the embryonic manipulator. Once Aretes are no longer in the picture, there’s no reason why humans can’t have as many children as they want. And we need an Arete to do that too.”

  Tiffany laughed. “Oh, I knew I got my genius from you. You conniving old bat.”

  Rebecca joined Tiffany in laughing. “I’ve been quite successful in stringing Nicole along, haven’t I?”

  Nicole rolled her eyes. She’d only trusted Rebecca for a short while. Apparently, the woman hadn’t noticed. That showed just how intelligent she really was. Anyone else would’ve recognized that Nicole wasn’t fully on board.

  “I’m surprised at how gullible she is,” Tiffany said.

  “She craves the love of her family.”

  Tiffany sighed. “Yes, I know. But I never had room for love. Not when I’ve always planned—and looked forward—to destroying her. I’ve quite enjoyed the limelight she’s placed me in, though.”

  “I’ve noticed,” Rebecca said. “I have come to care for the child, though.”

  Nicole bristled at the word “child.” Sure, she’d just barely entered adulthood, but she had already seen and experienced far more than even a typical adult ever would.

  “Yes, it’s quite apparent. And yet, you still plan her death.”

  “Of course,” Rebecca said. “I’ve sacrificed pretty much everything else, haven’t I?”

  “There’s no doubt about that. I admire you for your strength of character. Most people would have lost sight of their original goals by this point.”

  Rebecca’s answer and the subsequent conversation showed that they weren’t going to be discussing anything else important, and Nicole turned off her transmitter.

  Chapter Ten

  Closing ceremonies would take place in the Sam Boyd Stadium. Nicole was looking forward to ending this ridiculous act, but her relief quickly turned to panic when Austin found her and gave her bad news just an hour before the event started, and only moments before Nicole and her parents were leaving for the stadium.

  He waited until her parents weren’t watching, then beckoned her to follow him into an empty room.

  “The closing ceremonies always include a sacrifice of two Aretes. One male, one female.”

  Nicole’s mouth popped open. “What? You can’t be serious.”

  “I am. I just barely found out—heard a few people talking about it, and after quietly asking around, I discovered that it’s been a tradition since the group formed.”

  “Does Coolidge know?”

  “He will soon. I had to warn you first, if possible, since you’d be leaving soonest and will be required to witness the sacrifices up close.”

  Nicole tasted bile at the back of her mouth. She cleared her throat and asked, “What do we do?”

  Austin shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m hoping Coolidge will be able to come up with a plan—we can’t just sit by while innocent people are murdered.”

  Nicole bit her lips, trying to understand this revelation. “But what are they being sacrificed to? A sacrifice is usually done for someone or something in particular.”

  “Again, I don’t know. Just be ready for anything. Don’t give yourself away until you absolutely have to, though.”

  Nicole nodded. “Thanks for the warning.”

  Austin’s eyes searched Nicole’s and she could sense his desire to hold her, to protect her. Oh, how she wished he could, just this once!

  Nicole tried to cover her shock and concern with a smile as she left the room and found her parents, but it was difficult. She couldn’t believe that the Tarians would be so barbaric! Wasn’t this something that happened during medieval times? Or by third-world tribes? And certainly not by people who were as educated as the Tarians she’d met seemed to be.

  Nicole and her parents got in their rental car and drove to the stadium. The entire way there, Nicole couldn’t stop thinking about what role her parents played in these sacrifices. How could they be okay with it?

  Then her thoughts turned in another direction. Who were the Aretes who would be killed? How were they chosen? She probably wouldn’t know them, unless the Tarians decided to target her university specifically. She shuddered, thinking about that possibility, hoping it wouldn’t be true.

  The ride was quiet—neither Tiffany nor Dad spoke much. That was fine with Nicole. She didn’t know what she’d say if one of them asked how the convention had gone or if they were interested in what she’d be saying in her closing remarks.

  Nicole glanced at the notes in her hand—what she’d prepa
red. The thanks she’d give. Should she stick to her plan, or should she do something to try to stop the sacrifices?

  No, she would do what she’d originally planned. Austin was right—she couldn’t give herself away so early.

  She pulled out the agenda for the evening, knowing she was expected to lead the meeting. How would she do that when she apparently didn’t know everything that was to happen?

  They pulled into the parking lot, then were ushered past the very long line and to the field.

  Instead of turf, the field was covered with what appeared to be several feet of dirt. Nicole turned to Tiffany. “Why dirt?” she asked as they crossed the field, careful not to sink into the stuff.

  “It’s less flammable than AstroTurf,” Tiffany said. She didn’t look at Nicole, but continued walking forward and Nicole followed, not speaking again. Why would it matter if the place was less flammable? Maybe the sacrifices would be carried out through fire. Awful.

  They took their seats on the makeshift stage and waited for the stadium to fill.

  Right at eight o’clock, Nicole approached the microphone. She welcomed everyone, then started off with her own thanks and congratulations for a successful convention. Then, glancing at the program, she announced what would follow, including speeches from several dignitaries, one from Rebecca, and a presentation by the Vegas chapter leaders. Nicole figured that was when the sacrifices would be made. Judging by the location of the sun now, it would be dark when that happened.

  She returned to her seat after turning the time over to the next speaker, and waited through several incredibly self-congratulatory speeches. The way these people were acting, they’d already won the war against humanity and Aretes. Nicole bristled inside while clapping and smiling on the outside. Little did they know, they were in for the war of their lives . . . once she, Coolidge, and Austin were able to gather the necessary Aretes and get caught up on the organizational side of things.

  Nicole’s spirits dropped. The Tarians were ready for war to happen pretty much immediately. Sure, they’d have delays in weapons and armor that weren’t supposed to be delivered for another month and a half, but at least they had solid plans in place and could take action now, if needed. The Aretes, on the other hand? They were very ill-prepared. She’d never heard of any of them getting together to figure out what to do about the Tarian threat.

  Nicole almost put her head in her hands in dismay, but caught herself in time, pretending to be tucking her hair behind an ear instead. She could never forget the cameras that were constantly on her during these meetings. Especially now that she was their official leader . . . even if Rebecca was the one pulling the strings.

  Speaking of Rebecca, her turn to offer thanks finally came. She didn’t say anything earth-shattering or big and needed to disappear halfway through as her strength waned. Nicole almost felt bad for the woman for how much energy she was going through for this convention. Almost.

  Then it was time for the presentations. The sun had gone down and it was fairly dark. The perfect setting for sacrifices. Nicole shuddered, despite the dry heat.

  The Vegas chapter president got to the mic and applauded all who had participated. He nodded to someone at the edge of the field, and just then, the stadium lights turned off. Weird music started playing—a mixture of Gregorian chants with several warbling voices accompanying it.

  A slow stream of people began entering the field from each end, all carrying lit torches. They wore blue capes with white sashes, their faces painted with blue and white stripes, illuminated by the light of their torches. They chanted as they walked, stopping on either side of the stage.

  As the Vegas chapter president talked about all of the Tarian achievements, more people stepped onto the field, also carrying torches. Soon, the sheer number of torches made it bright enough to see almost as well as when the stadium lights had been on.

  Nicole watched as massive amounts of branches, sticks, and logs were brought to the field. They were dumped into two big piles, one on each side of the stage.

  Many of the people tossed their torches into the piles of wood. Soon, huge bonfires flamed toward the sky, adding their light to the stadium.

  The smell of burning wood seared Nicole’s nose, and the heat grew to an almost unbearable level. Why did they pick Vegas for this sort of presentation?

  And where were the Arete sacrifices?

  Nicole’s last question was answered soon enough. From both ends of the stadium, a bound and gagged person was led out, one obviously a woman, and the other a man. Nicole kept her eyes trained on them as they neared. She didn’t recognize the woman—she was a brunette with big, almond-shaped eyes who looked terrified.

  Why wasn’t she doing anything to protect herself? She was an Arete, for crying out loud. And based on the magical pulse coming from her, she was powerful.

  Nicole found out quickly when the screen on the opposite end of the field lit up, showing a group of terrified people with guns and knives trained on them.

  “Remember your family, girl,” the chapter president said into the microphone. “Cameras on her!”

  Several cameras turned to the victim, and Nicole almost started crying when the girl’s family screamed for mercy and help.

  Her head swiveled when the chapter president motioned to the male victim on the opposite side of the field.

  Nicole gasped. “Greg?” she said, looking at Tiffany.

  Tiffany nodded, a smug expression on her face. “You pretty much sanctified his sacrifice by turning down his offer of marriage.”

  “What!” Nicole shrieked. “But Rebecca said we needed his help!”

  Tiffany ignored Nicole’s statement. “We didn’t feel it necessary to tell you. He knew all along, though, that if you refused him, he’d be tonight’s sacrifice.”

  “Mother, this is horrible! You can’t allow them to go through with it!”

  “Even if I wanted to stop it, there wouldn’t be anything I could do. Look around, Nicole. One person’s wishes wouldn’t even be heard.”

  Tiffany had a point—the stadium was alive with cheers and shouts of exhilaration. “But what about his family?”

  “It was their idea.”

  Nicole shook her head, despair making her think unclearly. “This is wrong, Mother.” She put her hands to her cheeks, unable to accept that she’d actually had a part in any of this. There was no way she’d given permission! To think they’d deceived her like that . . . but they’d deceived her in many ways. “Why isn’t he using his powers to stop them?” she asked.

  “Greg has never been a strong Arete, my dear. He probably tired himself out a long time ago.”

  Nicole squinted, trying to see Greg’s face better. If he really had maxed out on his powers already, would she be able to tell by how he acted?

  His eyes were wild. Clearly, he was panicked. Nicole knew he’d never subject himself to something like this, regardless of how much he agreed with his family on other matters.

  It wasn’t until this point that Nicole realized that pretty much all of the Tarian dignitaries had left their seats and were now dancing around the bonfires, her dad included. Only Tiffany remained next to Nicole, making Nicole recognize that she still wasn’t trusted.

  Those dancing began shedding their clothes until they were completely nude, not seeming to care that their actions were being televised to who knew where.

  Not long after, alcohol was introduced to the mix. The frenzied dancing and chanting went up several notches while the Vegas chapter president continued encouraging it from the microphone.

  Tiffany nodded her approval. “This is one of the better presentations I’ve seen,” she shouted over the tumult.

  Nicole raised an eyebrow in disbelief. This was base—it was vile. Not an ounce of skill had gone into its creation. Her stomach turned and she really had to fight the urge to throw up. She’d seriously underestimated the Tarians and the depths they were willing to put themselves. To think she was “leading” this
group! That their actions tonight would probably forever be a part of her history.

  The poor girl and Greg were led to an empty section of dirt just in front of the makeshift stage. They were thrown to the ground, their arms and legs spread eagle. Dignitaries tied ropes around their limbs, then staked the ropes to the ground.

  Greg’s muffled shouting barely reached Nicole. She kept her hands on her cheeks, trying to decide what to do. Not having seen one of these ceremonies before, she had no idea when the actual sacrifices would happen, nor how they would take place.

  The people in the stands were on their feet, chanting, screaming, throwing things onto the field. How on earth did the Tarians get permission to do something like this at the stadium? Did anyone even know what was going on, or had the Tarians infiltrated enough places for people to turn their heads?

  Soon, Nicole began recognizing words in what the people were chanting. Shoggoth. Agarch. Great Ones. Elder Things. They were worshipping the Great Ones? What had happened to these people? Were they insane?

  Several Tarians started picking up dirt clomps and throwing them at Greg and the girl. Most of the dirt landed in puffs near the victims.

  Then the people started throwing other things—discarded shoes, cell phones, wallets. Many of these hit their targets, and Nicole could tell it was hurting them. Oh, what could she do? How could she stop what was going on?

  And where were Austin and Coolidge?

  More wood was brought out, along with several knives. Nicole lunged to her feet, hand on her mouth as someone went after the girl with one of the knives.

  “No!” she screamed, watching as the man cut a line down the girl’s face. It didn’t look deep—only a trickle of blood escaped—but the girl’s expression and silent shriek said just how badly it hurt.

  No one paid Nicole any attention. She fumbled with her pocket, trying to pull out her phone. She had to get Austin down there! It wouldn’t be hard—people were streaming onto the field from the stadium seats. Even Tiffany abandoned her guard over Nicole, apparently unable to contain her excitement any longer.