Conceal, Mosaic Chronicles Book Six

by Pearson, Andrea

  Nicole stepped around the guardian and entered Shonlin. The same rosy glow filled the room, brightening the swirls of dust that floated around.

  Instead of exploring, Nicole went straight to the corner of the room with the lantern. She picked it up, watching as the juncture of the walls disappeared and the misty forest appeared. She felt goose bumps as the fog swirled into the room, curling around her and coating her skin with moisture.

  She stepped fully into the forest, seeing the same pinpricks of hovering light in front of her. She waited for knowledge to enter her brain, for understanding to fall over her.

  Nothing happened.

  Confused, Nicole bit her lip, stepping forward cautiously. She again felt hundreds of eyes on her.

  “Hello? Do any of you know how I’m supposed to figure out where the talismans are?”

  Nicole wasn’t surprised when she didn’t get an answer. Realizing that standing around wasn’t working, she decided to explore for a bit. She followed the faint, nearly overgrown trail. She approached one of the hovering lights, inspecting it as she walked past. Was it a lightning bug? It was moving slightly, the light pulsating. It had to be a bug.

  She still didn’t know what she was supposed to do. With a sigh, she turned to ask the guardian again.

  The creature was waiting near the corner of the room. Nicole stepped back into the library and set down the lantern. The moment it wasn’t in her hand anymore, the forest disappeared, and she was surrounded again by the dusty library interior.

  “How does it work?” she asked. “I couldn’t figure it out.”

  The guardian didn’t respond at first. Then a sigh trickled in the breeze, floating by Nicole’s ears.

  “If you do not know, you must learn from the creator.”

  “Creator? Who’s that?”

  “A great magician of the past named Onyev.”

  “And how do I find this Onyev?” she asked.

  The guardian shifted position and Nicole wondered if he or she didn’t want to answer the question. Finally, the creature answered.

  “Onyev lived several hundred years before you were born. You will have to go back to meet him.”

  Nicole smiled, for once feeling positive about the situation. “Well, it’s a good thing I know a guy who can time travel.”

  ###

  http://katonuniversity.blogspot.com/

  Note from the Author

  Hi! I hope you’ve enjoyed Conceal, Mosaic Chronicles Book Six! There will be four KU books that complete this new story arc: Conceal, Obscure, Enshroud, and Withhold.

  Scroll down for a sneak peek at Obscure, Mosaic Chronicles Book Seven! But please note that it hasn’t yet been edited. The final version will be much prettier. :-) I’m including it for people who don’t want to wait to read about Nicole’s visit to Onyev. For those of you who prefer to read an edited version and want to wait until the book is available, you can pre-order Obscure from any of the main retailer websites.

  I look forward to taking this journey with you!

  - Andrea

  About the Author

  Andrea Pearson is an avid reader and outdoor enthusiast who plays several instruments, not including the banjo, and loves putting together musical arrangements. Her favorite sports are basketball and football, though several knee surgeries and incurably awful coordination prevent her from playing them.

  Andrea graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor of science degree in Communications Disorders. She is the author of many full-length novels (the Kilenya Series and Mosaic Chronicles), and several novellas. Writing is the chocolate of her life - it is, in fact, the only thing she ever craves. Being with her family and close friends is where she's happiest, and she loves thunderstorms, the ocean, hiking, public speaking, painting, and traveling.

  Connect with her Online:

  Facebook

  Facebook Fan Page

  Twitter

  Blog

  Website

  Join her email mailing list for news on upcoming releases

  (She values your privacy and doesn’t sell or misuse email addresses)

  Series by Andrea Pearson:

  Kilenya

  Kilenya Romances

  Kilenya Adventures

  Mosaic Chronicles

  Ranch City Academy

  Sneak Peek at Obscure, Mosaic Chronicles Book Seven

  (Please note that this is unedited. The final version will be much prettier. :-) I’m including it for people who don’t want to wait to read about Nicole’s visit to Onyev. For those of you who prefer to wait until the book is available, you can pre-order Obscure.)

  Chapter One

  Nicole looked at Jacob. “Are you sure it’s not going to hurt? Because that sounds horrible.”

  She and Jacob were standing in her apartment while Lizzie, Nicole’s best friend, watched from the couches. Jacob was about to take Nicole back to the past to visit a powerful magician. In order to do so, though, he had to magically heat up the skin of her hand which he now held.

  He shook his head. “No—I learned a long time ago how to do it without causing pain to other people. But let me tell you how bad I still feel for everyone who was my guinea pig.”

  Nicole cringed. “I don’t know how you did it. That would have been awful.”

  He shrugged. “We didn’t have a choice. It was either that or have everyone we loved die.”

  “The ultimate ultimatum,” Lizzie said.

  Nicole took a deep breath. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”

  “It’ll go fast—you’ll barely notice the warmth.”

  She nodded, not wanting to interrupt her concentration. Now would not be a good time to panic—especially with them traveling back several hundred years.

  “Here we go,” he said.

  There was a brief pause, then her hand heated by a few degrees. He was right—Nicole barely noticed it before their modern surroundings were replaced by tall trees with houses built right into them. The word “Gratitude” was etched into a sign with an arrow pointing at the tree city. Makalos—short, magical creatures that glowed blue—streamed in and out.

  Nicole struggled to notice anything more than that. She breathed deeply, trying to control the nervousness she felt about soon meeting a Makalo who was more powerful than anyone she’d ever met, and who somehow held a key to a very important part of her newly discovered identity.

  “I’ll lead you to Onyev’s place, but it’s very important he doesn’t see me himself.” Jacob glanced at her. “It should be a few years before I come to visit him, but I wanted to make sure we had a good buffer.”

  Nicole nodded, noticing that the Makalos wore brightly colored robes with patterns and designs on them that led the eye toward their left arms and hands. She remembered that Makalos used the left ring finger to control their powers.

  The Makalos looked at her and Jacob with interest. A few smiled and nodded. She returned the smiles as she followed Jacob into the city, forcing herself to relax and enjoy her surroundings.

  The city was beautiful. A canopy of brightly colored leaves showered multiple colors down on the small buildings. The sun gleamed through those leaves, giving the city a warm and pleasant feeling.

  The buildings themselves were amazing. They’d been constructed of stone and elaborate wood and were adorned with gold and silver vine-like trimming. Stairs circled around the outsides of the tree trunks, leading to more buildings above. The dwellings and massive trees were almost completely integrated with each other.

  Jacob led Nicole down a bricked street that wound around trunks and through a market area. They followed it until they reached a large house that circled upward around an equally large tree.

  Makalos entered and exited the house, and the guards stationed near the wood-and-gold doors didn’t seem to mind. Nicole wondered why they were guarding in the first place.

  “I’ll wait here for you,” Jacob whispered. “Go up the stairs until you reach a garden area.” He til
ted his head. “Actually, the garden might not be finished yet, but you’ll know Onyev when you see him—he looks like a leader. And if you get lost, just ask someone. They’re super helpful.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  She stepped toward the building and glanced at the guards.

  One of them smiled. “You’ll find Onyev in his leisure room,” he said.

  Nicole nodded and walked inside, not feeling brave enough to ask what a leisure room was.

  She started up the steps. After a couple of internal rotations, the stairs led her outside, and she paused for a moment to admire the view. It was absolutely breathtaking. Roots were visible through the dirt and the beautiful colors raining down from above continued casting that warm, rosy glow over everything. Nicole found herself envying the Makalos. If it weren’t for electricity and indoor plumbing, she’d want to live here.

  But then she remembered that Makalos controlled electricity and water. That meant they probably had everything they needed.

  Except the internet. She was sure they didn’t have the internet. And cell phones. And computers. She smiled to herself—there were still reasons to live back on earth in her time period.

  Nicole continued upward, wondering where this leisure room was, but she didn’t need to be concerned. Everything seemed to lead to the same place—a room built on top of a large branch that was at least ten feet across. The floor, made up of that branch, curved slightly and was knobby.

  The moment she stepped into the room, Onyev glanced up. Their eyes met. A feeling hit Nicole deep in the stomach that she’d met this Makalo before. But how? She’d obviously never traveled to the past and knew he’d never been to the future. She would have remembered meeting someone like him.

  Nevertheless, a feeling a great familiarity overwhelmed her. It was like seeing a sibling again after a year of separation.

  Nicole tilted her head when she saw what Onyev had been doing—digging a hole in soil that had been laid on the branch. Potted flowers dotted the room, ready to be planted. It made sense that his leisure room was a garden. Makalos loved living things.

  Onyev stood, brushing his hands off. “Everyone, please excuse me and my visitor.”

  The Makalos suddenly noticed that someone much taller than they was in their presence. They glanced back and forth between Nicole and Onyev curiously, but did as he asked without question.

  “Please have my guards stand outside the doors here,” Onyev said to a woman. “I don’t want to be bothered for the next couple of hours.”

  She nodded and left with the others.

  Nicole was enchanted with Onyev. His hair and beard were so silver, they glowed. The robe he wore was cream, gold, green, and intrinsically decorated with leaves, vines, and flower buds. His accent was musical and reminded her of Africa. She found herself drawn to this obviously powerful Makalo.

  Once everyone was gone, Onyev glanced at Nicole. “I’m glad you’ve come to see me, Nicole.”

  She gasped. “How do you know my name?”

  “I know all of the guardians of Shonlin.”

  Okay, she could go with that. She swallowed. “How?”

  “I approved them long ago, when I first created the room.” A shadow passed over his face and he bit his lips. Then, apparently brushing whatever he was feeling aside, he smiled at her. “I don’t know how you’ve come, but your visit is very welcome.” He motioned to a garden bench and they took a seat.

  Nicole glanced at him, trying not to pick at a loose thread in her jeans. “Sorry to interrupt you—you’re obviously very busy.”

  “We just moved in and we’re still putting in the final touches. But don’t worry about interrupting—I can sense you have a lot of important questions for me.”

  “I do, but I don’t know where to start. How am I a guardian? And why? What does it mean? How does Shonlin work?”

  Onyev nodded. “I’m sure those aren’t your only questions.” He sighed. “So, I’ll start at the beginning, when I created Shonlin as a way to protect magical items.”

  “Eklaron’s magical items?”

  He shook his head. “No. Everything magical ever created everywhere. I used to keep track of them in a book, but quickly realized that wouldn’t be sufficient, especially in case the book ever were to be stolen. Not only that, but I couldn’t keep up with the creation of the items. Once the great beings decided to grant a portion of their magic to others, people everywhere started testing and inventing.”

  “Great beings? Are you talking about the Great Ones?”

  Onyev peered at her, then his eyes glazed over for a moment, as if he were thinking over her question intensely. “Probably.”

  Nicole took a moment to digest this. She knew the Great Ones she’d interacted with during the previous summer had supposedly given Aretes their powers, and it made sense that if they were the original possessors of magic, they’d also have given it to others.

  “Shonlin has performed exactly as I intended it to—it protects and keeps sacred things sacred. With one exception, it has been the perfect resolution.”

  “What exception was that?”

  “We can discuss that later—it is not important for your present situation and questions. For now, let’s talk about how you became a guardian.”

  “Yes, I’d appreciate that.”

  “Your interactions with those great beings, and the choices you made while around them, have permanently printed your soul.”

  Nicole nodded—she’d heard that before. “But there have been many others who have interacted with the Great Ones who haven’t become a guardian. Why not? Why me?”

  “You don’t see the hearts of those others. You do not truly know their desires.” He lifted a hand as if to slow her thoughts down. “Before you automatically assume your friends are of impure intents, they didn’t interact directly with the Great Ones. A one-on-one interaction will have been required.”

  That made sense—Austin had been there with Nicole, but he hadn’t actually been conversing with them.

  Onyev briefly touched her arm. “It’s important for you to know that as a guardian of Shonlin, all magical items will respond to you.”

  Nicole tilted her head. “Really? Wow.” She hesitated. “But what does that mean? How does it affect me?”

  “It shouldn’t affect you much—if you remain pure. If you allow greed to overcome your intentions, your guardian status will be revoked.” He glanced at her. “Not immediately, mind you. A council is required.”

  “Has that ever happened?”

  “Not yet.” He continued. “You’ll be able to retrieve objects, transport them to Shonlin, and by your command, they will stay there permanently. Until another guardian might have a need for them, of course.”

  Onyev looked at her, his intelligent, dark eyes appraising her. “That doesn’t mean you are to find every single magical item and place it in Shonlin. Many objects are a great blessing to those for whom they were created, and my desire is not that everything should be hidden away. It is only when something becomes too dangerous that you should turn it over to the care of Shonlin.”

  “How do I know if it’s too dangerous?”

  “Most magical items don’t have much power—they can’t cause a lot of damage. Not permanent damage, anyway. But I personally have created several items that would create heartache if in the wrong hands. Once something starts down that path, it must be retrieved and hidden.”

  Nicole nodded. She knew that Jacob’s key had been created by Onyev, along with the talismans that she was now seeking. All of these things were really powerful, and she could easily see them needing to be returned to Shonlin. Especially the talismans, now that an evil human named Keitus was also seeking them.

  “Will I ever become a physical guardian of Shonlin?”

  He nodded. “Once you die, you’ll replace whomever is currently guarding the items.”

  “So, this is basically a job that extends beyond this life.”

  “Yes.” H
e looked at her. “I feel it important that you know you aren’t the only guardian of your time. There is another.”

  “Can I ask who it is?”

  “A Shiengol named Azuriah.”

  Nicole groaned inwardly. Naturally, it was someone she couldn’t stand. “But wait . . . that means Azuriah has also interacted with the Great Ones. How? And when?”

  Onyev didn’t respond for a moment. “It isn’t my story to share. If you meet him, which I sense you will, he’ll have to choose to tell you himself.”

  Nicole didn’t bother to let Onyev know she and Azuriah were already acquainted. She really didn’t want to talk about the cranky and judgmental Shiengol right then.

  She definitely was curious about what had happened between him and the Great Ones, though. That was an interesting tidbit.

  “Now, I think you want to talk about the talismans I created,” Onyev said.

  “Yes, that would be fantastic.”

  “They call to certain people who may take possession of them. Only you can permanently seal a talisman to a specific person.” He turned to her. “However, you need to exercise extreme caution when doing so. The talisman can’t be stolen, but that does not grant protection. Upon the death of an owner, the talisman may be taken. And I don’t think I need to tell you that there are many who would kill to possess powerful objects.”

  “Why did you create them?”

  He took in a deep breath. “For the same reason that I create most magical items—to save a life. If you visit again, I may tell you the story.”

  “How do I know where the other talismans are?”

  “Use Shonlin—it will tell you their location.”

  Nicole leaned forward, knowing instinctually what he was referring to. “The glowing lights?”

  He smiled, pleased. “Yes. Go to them and they’ll show you.” He held up a finger. “But be careful to seek only one type of item per visit—if you enter the forest without something specific in mind, Shonlin will kill or seriously harm you. There are simply too many things for your brain to keep track of at once.” He leaned forward. “If I’m not mistaken, when you enter now, you’re probably thinking about the talismans and you see four glowing lights, right?”