Discern (Mosaic Chronicles Book 1)

by Andrea Pearson

  “You say it like it’s so easy.” Nicole stopped talking. If Sylvia was right, she needed to be positive. Or at least not negative. “Should I play a different song?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think it matters. Just repeat this one. Follow the steps I’ve already given you. Go ahead and start.”

  Nicole did so, concentrating on each step long enough to get through the song an entire time before moving on to the next one. Breathing in and out. Imagining the wind rushing into her cello. Watching in her mind as it then rushed out.

  “Keep going,” Coolidge said. “Now concentrate on the pulses of campus. Tell me when you sense them.”

  Why hadn’t he been doing this with her all along?

  Nicole continued with the breathing technique and tentatively reached out for the pulses of campus. There they were—fainter here, but tangible. She approached them mentally, feeling her way around their edges. “Got them.”

  “Good. The pulses that belong to you aren’t so different. They’ll be calling to you—listen for them. Catch their feel and release them.”

  Nicole nodded. After making sure her concentration was strong, she turned an inner eye toward herself, searching for pulses that were similar to those of campus. She sensed the magic coming from Coolidge and Sylvia, swirling and mingling with the ones from the university. She compared the three sources. Coolidge’s and Sylvia’s were softer edged than the campus’s pulses. Hers would feel the same, right?

  Breathe in, breathe out. Imagining autumn leaves blowing into the cello, out of the cello.

  The pulses from the other two were strong—too strong. Nicole pushed back from them momentarily.

  Then she sensed something else. For a moment, her mind flitted to the book, nearly ruining her concentration. Was that what she’d felt?

  No, this was different.

  She pushed thoughts of the book away and again sensed that other magical source. It was muffled, soft, faint. She tried to reach the edges of it, wanting to test its size and depth, recognizing with chagrin that she’d played through Ashokan Farewell multiple times. Coolidge and Sylvia had to be bored out of their minds. Still, she kept going, eyes closed. It no longer mattered what the others thought as they whispered to each other occasionally. This was too important—more important even than the expedition.

  While probing, Nicole realized something. The power she felt was separated from her by what she could only describe as an incredible wall or ocean of water.

  She knew she needed to break through it before she could release her powers.

  Nicole wasn’t sure when she started playing Stravinsky, but after several minutes, she became aware of an uncomfortable silence in the room and nearly stopped. But she refused to allow herself to be further distracted. She kept her eyes closed and continued.

  It took a couple moments for her to regain her concentration, but once she had, she sensed a sliver of a crack in the ocean wall. She attacked that with a vengeance, her bow and fingers following with excitement, matching her enthusiasm.

  With one more rush of playing, Nicole felt a small, tiny, barely there wisp of magical energy pulse through that crack. She opened her eyes. A tendril of red-colored air wafted out of her cello’s F holes. She slumped back in her chair, letting her instrument drop against her.

  Coolidge leaned forward and grinned. “Well done, Nicole.” He beamed at her, showing more pride for her in that moment than her parents ever had. “Very well done.”

  “Will it always be this difficult?” she asked.

  “Hopefully not,” he said, then frowned. “I’ve been thinking a great deal about something that we should discuss. My usual techniques for helping students unlock their powers haven’t worked with you. What I had you do today was something I haven’t needed to introduce in years.”

  “It seems like something that should be tried first,” Nicole said. She didn’t want her frustrations with him to leak through, but she couldn’t help it. “I wish you’d had me do that a long time ago.”

  He shook his head. “No, I’ve only had a couple of students need it out of tens of thousands. Besides, the circumstances have to be perfect. All of them did it in a moment of stress. I couldn’t have you try the breathing technique in my comfortable office with two nice, supportive guys helping.” He grabbed his briefcase from the small table behind him. “As I was saying, I want to talk to you about something important.” He pulled out a business card and handed it to her.

  Nicole read the name on it out loud. “Professor Stephen Nielsen.” She looked up at Coolidge. “Who is this?”

  “A cello Wind Arete who teaches in Ohio. I want you study with him next semester for a few weeks.”

  She frowned. “What about Katon? If I go on the expedition, I’ll already be missing this semester.”

  Sylvia shook her head. “Working with Professor Nielsen won’t set you back academically. Like the expedition, it’s considered a credit-earning internship. Everything you do there will transfer here.”

  Coolidge nodded. “Professor Nielsen is excellent at what he does. He’s a good friend, and I believe he’ll help you a lot.”

  Nicole looked down at the card. “But I just produced magic. Don’t I simply need to practice more?”

  “No,” Coolidge said. “I’m sure you sensed that something is blocking your way. That something is still there, and I can only help you so far with the cello. Steve will have a lot more assistance to give. So, after the expedition is over, I want you to go work with him. Depending on how long we take in Arches, you might even be able to do it before Christmas.”

  Nicole grinned. “I’m going to Arches?”

  He nodded. “As long as you pass the fourth test, yes.”

  She set her bow and cello down and jumped to her feet. “Awesome! Yes! I can’t wait to tell Lizzie!”

  He laughed, pulled something else from his briefcase, and handed it to her. “I need you to sign this.”

  Nicole looked at the sheet. It was a release form stating she wouldn’t sue if anything happened to her both during the fourth test and while on the expedition. She cleared her throat and glanced at Coolidge. “Even the test is dangerous?”

  He nodded. “I can’t tell you much more about it than that—it needs to be a surprise for you. Otherwise, part of it won’t work.”

  Nicole pulled out a pen and stared at the release form for a moment. Was this something she really wanted to do? Was it so important?

  For a moment, she nearly changed her mind. But when she thought of where she was now versus where she wanted to be at graduation, she didn’t. It would only be through experiences like this that she could possibly grow and nurture her Arete abilities.

  Nicole signed her name and handed the sheet back to Coolidge.

  “Good.” He folded the paper and tucked it into his briefcase. “I’m assigning you to the four o’clock slot for the test. Be prepared for it to take several hours—at least three.” He told her to meet him outside of the museum at that time, then nodded at Sylvia. “Go ahead and get another student ready. I’ll be in the next room.”

  Coolidge left, and Sylvia turned to Nicole. “Well done. I hope you do get to come. It would be nice to have another woman on the trip.”

  “You’re the only one?”

  “I don’t know about those from Armitage, but out of the Katon students, yes. From what Coolidge has said, the rest probably wouldn’t work with those he’s already chosen.”

  Sylvia got to her feet and Nicole started putting away her instrument. She couldn’t help but wonder about Judith Ann. Maybe she’d done perfectly on the first three tests, but if Coolidge didn’t think she’d get along with the others, it would make sense that she wouldn’t be going.

  Nicole practically danced out of the room, pulling out her phone to call Lizzie, and promptly collided with Austin. She dropped her phone in her scramble to stay upright.

  “Austin, hi,” she said, grabbing her cello before it also fell.

 
“Hi.” He retrieved her phone and held it out to her, an expression on his face that she couldn’t read. For once, though, it wasn’t dark or angry.

  Austin cleared his throat, looking away. “Good job in there.”

  “You knew what was happening?”

  “Yes. Even heavily insulated walls don’t keep me from sensing powerful magic.”

  Nicole swallowed. “Powerful?”

  He nodded, meeting her gaze. “It was impressive. Well done.”

  Nicole sensed a happy feeling that floated into her chest at his praise, but then a negative thought popped into her mind. She flung her hand toward the room. “But it was just a trickle! I barely did anything.”

  Austin’s eyes dropped to her lips, and he hesitated long enough for Nicole to wonder if Lizzie had been right all along. Was he attracted to her? She couldn’t believe it was possible. Not with how abruptly he treated her.

  “It doesn’t matter. The power waiting to be unlocked is much stronger than what most Aretes have.”

  Austin brushed past her, entering the room she’d just vacated. What was he doing?

  Nicole wondered only briefly before he stuck his head into the hall, spotted Coolidge who was already out of the other room, and spoke.

  “The room is ready. Send in the next student.”

  So, he was helping Coolidge. It made sense, being the new teacher’s pet, and for some reason, it didn’t bother her. He’d actually complimented her. Weird.

  Nicole decided to tuck the exchange away for the time being as she stepped out of the building and made her call to Lizzie. As soon as Lizzie answered, Nicole shrieked, “I’m going on the expedition!”

  “That’s wonderful! I thought it would take all day—I’ve been on pins and needles waiting to hear.”

  “Well, I still have to take the fourth test, but Coolidge pretty much told me I’ve already made it.”

  Lizzie didn’t respond at first. Then she cleared her throat and said, “Isn’t that test supposed to see how well you handle fear? Think about it, Nicole. He’s not going to go easy on you just because you passed the third test.”

  Nicole hesitated. She was right.

  Lizzie suddenly squealed. “Hey! You must have produced magic! You couldn’t have passed the third test any other way.”

  “You bet I did!” Nicole told Lizzie what happened, finishing by mentioning Coolidge’s Ohio suggestion. “I’m positive my parents would be okay with me doing it. And I really do want to get to the bottom of all this.”

  “I totally agree. When’s the next test?”

  “In about forty-five minutes.” Nicole sighed, hoping the time would pass quickly. She wanted to get the test over with as soon as possible. “And it’s going to take several hours. He said at least three.”

  “Three hours?” Lizzie said. “What could he possibly make you do for three hours?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m nervous and excited and can’t wait to be done.”

  ***

  Nicole met Professor Coolidge and one of his doctorate students, whom Coolidge introduced as Jason, just outside of the museum. Nicole noticed right away that Jason’s hair was already turning gray. It was at the stage where the amount of gray versus the amount of original hair made it nearly impossible to tell if he’d been blond or light brown. That was kind of cool.

  “Jason is very experienced with spelunking and knows the Seattle Underground very well, which is why he’s helping me out today. Oh, and he’ll also be on the expedition.”

  “The Seattle Underground?” Nicole asked, following Coolidge and Jason toward the parking lot. “That’s where we’re going?”

  “Yes,” Coolidge said, his eyes sparkling.

  “Okay . . . Should your reaction make me even more nervous?”

  He shrugged. “Depends on what scares you.”

  Nicole didn’t respond. She didn’t want to give him any ideas.

  Coolidge drove them to an empty warehouse. He and Jason grabbed boxes from the trunk and carried them inside, indicating for Nicole to follow. They took her downstairs and into the basement, where a set of doors led to what used to be a ground-level street in Seattle. Nicole knew the history behind the Underground—a fire had destroyed over thirty blocks, and rather than rebuild what had been burned, the city decided to build above it. Totally fascinating, and she couldn’t help the excitement that lightened her step.

  Nicole turned to Coolidge, a grin on her face. “Are we going to explore the tunnels?”

  He half smiled. “Yes. But not in the way you think.”

  “All right. Just tell me what to do.”

  Coolidge handed her a box. “Open it.”

  She did so, then held it away from her and looked up at him, wrinkling her nose. “A dead rat?”

  “Pick it up.”

  “You can’t possibly be seri—” She cut herself off. Of course he was serious. Time for her to show her true Texas grit.

  Biting back a grimace, Nicole put her hand into the box, hoping the rat wasn’t still warm. Luckily, it wasn’t. But the flesh had deteriorated enough to where it was spongy and slightly gooey. She ignored the fluid that dripped off her hand as she lifted the creature.

  As soon as the rat was out of the box, it moved. Nicole jumped, nearly dropping the dead thing. She barely stopped herself in time, but couldn’t help shrieking when it curled itself around her hand, its belly resting in her palm.

  Coolidge turned on a flashlight and shone it at the rat. “It was dead for forty-eight hours before an Arete turned it magical. The spell required that it be dead that long.”

  Nicole nodded, doing her best to control the spasms that fled up her arm and down her back. The rat’s eyes were sunken in, its face turning leathery. The liquid still dripped, and Nicole felt bile rise in the back of her throat.

  “Why is it leaking?”

  “The state it was in when turned magical will forever be perpetuated. The liquid replenishes itself from moisture in the air. Lovely, huh?”

  Nicole frowned and lowered her hand slightly. “What does it do?”

  “It measures the amount of sweat on your palm and, well, changes your experience accordingly.” Coolidge started walking toward the set of double doors, Jason following, carrying a couple of the boxes.

  Coolidge opened the door for Nicole and motioned for her to go ahead. She turned back to him.

  “Should I have brought anything? A flashlight? A gun?”

  “No. Jason and I have everything and will protect all of us if necessary.” He waited for Jason to close the doors, then turned back to Nicole. “I need to reiterate what I said before—don’t expect this not to be dangerous. The rat will conjure up things that will be real and could possibly cause harm.”

  “And you’re doing this how many times?” Nicole swallowed, trying to rid her mouth of the bitter taste that now filled it.

  “I’m not the only one conducting these tests—my doctorate and master’s students are with undergrads too.”

  Nicole squared her shoulders. “Tell me where to go.”

  “Just follow me for now—we’ll be walking for quite some time.”

  Coolidge started off into the dark tunnel and Nicole fell into step behind him, with Jason bringing up the rear.

  Nearly as soon as they started walking, Nicole’s eyes blurred. She blinked several times to clear them and was astonished to see that the walls were coming closer. Water dripped down them and into puddles that the group splashed through. More than once, Nicole saw rats racing by.

  Coolidge led her through several switchbacks and occasionally through buildings. They went down stairs and up stairs and once had to climb over sunken cement.

  Nicole tried to hold her hand up to keep the rat from falling off, but her arm tired quickly and she dropped it. The rat stayed attached to her hand, allowing her to focus only on keeping its liquid from dripping onto her shoes. Gross.

  Conversation was stilted—Coolidge and Jason only grunted in response when she trie
d to talk with them. After a while, Nicole needed the extra energy just to continue.

  She kept expecting something to jump out at them, but after an uneventful hour of walking, she relaxed.

  Half an hour or so later, Coolidge stopped. He turned to her. “Now the test begins. Guide us back to the warehouse.”

  Nicole felt her breath shorten. She hadn’t been paying attention that closely. “Um . . . Okay.”

  Coolidge handed her a flashlight. She turned in the direction they’d just come and started forward, praying that she could remember—that her internal compass wouldn’t fail them.

  After walking for nearly thirty minutes, her flashlight died.

  “Professor Coolidge? Do you have another one of these?”

  No answer. She could hear the men behind her, so she knew they were there. Why hadn’t he responded?

  She turned to face them, but couldn’t see anything. “Hello?”

  Was this part of the test? Did they totally ditch her? Or was the rat changing her perception of things?

  Nicole walked quickly forward again, noting that the sounds of the men continued as well. Then a new sound entered the tunnel—heavy, loud breathing. It echoed off the stone and wood walls. Nicole glanced back.

  Something cold brushed against her hand and she shied away. Two faint, ashen-faced men floated toward her, feet dragging on the tunnel ground. Their eyes were closed, their expressions blank.

  Had Coolidge and Jason turned into ghosts? She couldn’t be sure. If they hadn’t, where were they?

  Nicole backed against the wall of the tunnel, feeling the rotted boards of an old storefront behind her.

  The ghost-like figures floated past and she slumped in relief. But one of them stopped suddenly and turned to face her, eyes opened.

  The wall behind Nicole moved, shook. It pushed her forward, closer to the apparition. Nicole couldn’t see anything but the ghost, and when a drop of water landed on her face, she jumped.

  “I’m just going to keep walking.” Her voice cracked. She wanted to tell herself that Coolidge wouldn’t put her in any danger, but she had signed a release form stating that she realized this would be dangerous. “Oh, please, oh, please, just don’t kill me,” she whispered, passing the ghosts.