Conceal, Mosaic Chronicles Book Six Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  About the Author

  Sneak Peek at Obscure, Mosaic Chronicles Book Seven

  Chapter One

  Conceal

  Mosaic Chronicles Book Six

  Andrea Pearson

  Copyright © Andrea Pearson 2016

  Series by Andrea Pearson:

  Kilenya

  Kilenya Romances

  Kilenya Adventures

  Mosaic Chronicles

  Ranch City Academy

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction, and the views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author. Likewise, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are represented fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Summary: Nicole is in a race to find a powerful talisman before an evil being capable of destroying worlds finds it first.

  An ancient enemy has returned, and Nicole Williams and Jacob Clark must team up to stop him. With Jacob's talents and his magical Key of Kilenya, and Nicole's ability to control the elements, they have a lot on their side.

  But so does Keitus. He has knowledge. He has experience. He has power. And he knows just how to squeeze and manipulate people until they give him what he wants.

  Will Nicole, Jacob, and their friends figure out Keitus's plans before he gains control over earth? Find out today by downloading this captivating, edge-of-your-seat fantasy!

  http://katonuniversity.blogspot.com/

  Dedication:

  To Candace Bouska

  One of my favorite readers. I love hearing from you and always look forward to your emails. :-)

  Also to Jordyn, Ana, and Brooke.

  If it weren’t for you, this book (literally) wouldn’t have been written.

  Chapter One

  Nicole tucked a wayward strand of blond hair behind her ear for the umpteenth time, then wrapped her arms around herself. She’d learned over the last year that Seattle tended to be chilly a lot—even in August. Today was extra cold and extra windy. She should have brought a back-up bobby pin, but had forgotten in her hurry to get to class this morning.

  She raised her eyebrow, staring at her boyfriend as they walked across the campus of Katon University. “You’re serious? This kid can see other people’s emotions?”

  Austin nodded, smiling at her disbelief. “Yes. Basically, he can see anything someone is feeling at any given point. You can’t hide it from Jacob.”

  They were headed to an appointment with one of their instructors, Professor Coolidge, and were discussing a young man they’d be meeting. Apparently, Jacob was from a different dimension of earth—one without any magic, except for his own. Nicole still had a hard time envisioning a world like that. It would be so boring.

  “What else did Coolidge say about him?” She blinked when that strand of hair blew in her face again. “The only thing he told me was that the kid uses his eyes for his powers. And how does he see emotions? I can’t even picture that.”

  “They’re represented by colors that swirl in the air around everyone. Each emotion has a different color.”

  A stiff breeze tousled Nicole’s hair and she growled in frustration. “That’s it,” she said. She pulled some of her magic to herself, commanding a tendril of it to constantly blow the strand of hair out of her eyes so she wouldn’t have to move her hand again. She grinned in triumph at the incredulous expression on Austin’s face.

  “Feel better?” he asked.

  “Definitely.” She sighed, turning her thoughts back to Jacob. “It just doesn’t seem fair. Not like I’m big into secrets, but I don’t think I’ll enjoy having my emotions revealed that easily.”

  While being able to read emotions would be sort of cool, she preferred her own Arete magic—the ability to control Wind. She had nearly mastered Earth and was still working on Water and Fire.

  Being an Arete—the fourth child in a family—was a lot of fun. It meant she was born with magical abilities that coincided with her hair color and manifested themselves around the age of eighteen. Her hair was blond, making her a Wind Arete. Brown and black hair brought Earth powers, light brown or dirty blond hair brought Water, and red was Fire. All Aretes, if they chose to, could branch into other areas of magic through study and practice. Nicole had definitely chosen to do so.

  She absolutely loved being an Arete.

  “He can also tell when someone is lying,” Austin said. “Not sure how, since it doesn’t always have to do with emotions, but he’s never been wrong, according to Coolidge.”

  “What else?”

  Austin shrugged. “Nothing much. Except for being able to see and travel into the past.”

  “And that’s ‘nothing much’? How’d he end up with so many abilities?”

  “I’m not sure. We’ll have to ask him.”

  Nicole nodded. They’d reached the correct building, and Austin held the door open for her. Together, they descended the stairs to the basement where Coolidge spent most of his time.

  They’d just reached Coolidge’s office when Austin hesitated. It didn’t take Nicole long to sense what made him pause.

  “That’s . . . familiar,” she said, cocking her head. A magical pulse emanated from beyond the door. Familiar, yes, but definitely not Coolidge’s personal pulse. “What do you think’s causing it?”

  “Maybe he got a new gadget?”

  Possible, since most everything in Coolidge’s possession was magical and emitted its own pulse. But this seemed a lot stronger than anything the professor owned.

  Austin put his hand on the doorknob but still didn’t enter. His eyes met Nicole’s. “Let’s just be really careful.” He pushed the door open. Only he was on good enough terms with the professor to enter without knocking.

  The two peered inside. Coolidge was bent over his desk, digging through a drawer, only his dark hair visible. He tossed several files onto the floor, reaching as far into the drawer as he could.

  No one else was in the room. The two college students paused, then entered the office.

  “Professor?” Nicole said. “Can we help you find something?”

  Coolidge startled, glancing up at them. “No. It’s here—gotta get it. Gotta hurry.”

  “What’s the big rush?” Austin asked, looking around. “And where’s the kid?”

  Coolidge didn’t respond. He pulled the next drawer completely out of the desk, upending it on the threadbare carpet, then rummaged through the items, again throwing things aside.

  Nicole stared at the office—the small space was a complete wreck. All the shelves had been emptied, their contents strewn on the floor. Drawers and cupboards hung open, papers and books everywhere.

  Neither student sat. They glanced at each other—Nicole could sense the confusion Austin felt. It didn’t take her long to notice that the new magical pulse was coming from Coolidge, not an object in the room. Coolidge’s usual pulse wasn
’t there.

  Nicole knew immediately what that meant.

  She looked at Austin again and mouthed the words, “It’s not him.” It couldn’t possibly be.

  “I know,” Austin mouthed back, a grim expression on his face. He turned to the Coolidge impersonator. “We’re going to have to stop you—whoever you are.”

  The man glanced up at them and sneered, something clenched in his fist, white light glowing through his fingers. “Go ahead and try.”

  Suddenly, he jumped across the desk, landing between the couple. He lunged for the door, but Austin grabbed his arm, yanking him back. Austin tried to pry the object from the man’s hand, but the impersonator turned on him.

  “Release me!”

  Austin growled in response. “Not until you give that back . . . and tell us who you are.”

  The man took a breath, his chest swelling until it was twice its usual size, then he released the air, and Austin was flung across the small office. The guy’s face contorted, changing shape and color, and severe burn marks erupted all over his skin.

  Nicole gasped. It wasn’t skin—underneath the burns, his face was covered in ridges, dips, spikes, and scales.

  Austin jumped up, but the creature head-butted him back down.

  Nicole started gathering her magic, directing it to the nearest wooden object—an antique cabinet—intending to pull it apart to use as a weapon. The moment her powers reached the cabinet, however, they were catapulted back at her.

  The beast laughed as Nicole toppled to the floor, stunned. What had happened? She’d never had wood reject her like that.

  The creature dashed from the room just as the real Coolidge entered.

  Austin and Nicole sprang to their feet. “Have to stop it,” Nicole flung at the professor.

  The two dashed into the hall, passing a teenage boy whom Nicole assumed was Jacob, and ran up the stairs after the monster. They burst through the museum doors only to find that class had let out and the place was teeming with students.

  Nicole stood on tiptoe, trying to locate the creature. She couldn’t see it anywhere.

  Just then, a girl screamed, her cry followed by shouts of students as they rushed to move away from a spot about a hundred yards away.

  Nicole and Austin fought through the crowds, finally reaching the screaming girl.

  She was on her knees, holding the hand of a guy who lay motionless on the moist grass.

  “What happened?” Austin asked, dropping next to her.

  Nicole also sank down, immediately seeing that the guy was dead. His open eyes had sunk back into their sockets, his skin was gray, his body frail and brittle. The moment Nicole saw multiple holes in the guy’s neck, she knew what was going on. Nausea turned her stomach.

  “The thing was choking him!” the girl said. “I don’t know why—it just grabbed his neck. Then Scott fell and he’s not answering me!”

  “Call 911,” Nicole shouted at the nearest student, trying to ignore her pounding heart. She and Austin looked at each other, then she turned to the girl. “We’ll stay until the paramedics arrive. Are you okay—did it hurt you?”

  She shook her head, sobbing. “He’s dead—he’s dead!”

  Nicole bit her lip, not knowing what to do. Telling the girl it would be all right seemed cruel, especially when she already knew Scott had not survived. She noticed the rings on their left hands. This was the woman’s husband. So heartbreaking.

  Things could have gone similarly for Nicole the last time she’d come across this kind of creature.

  It was a Croent—a being capable of replicating loved ones. It used the relationship to get close to someone so it could drain their blood with the mosquito-like beaks on the ends of its fingers. Feasting on blood rendered the species invisible. It would be impossible to find now.

  The paramedics and police arrived and took over. Nicole and Austin both issued statements, then, realizing there wasn’t anything else they could do, returned to Coolidge’s office, silent the entire way. Nicole couldn’t stop thinking about the poor girl and her husband—how he had looked. She’d been so close to ending up that way herself.

  Professor Coolidge and Jacob were finishing up with cleaning the office. Coolidge sat at his desk and looked up when Austin and Nicole walked in. He motioned to the teenager who sat in a chair against the wall. “Jacob saw what happened—my replica got away.”

  “It was a Croent,” Austin said.

  Coolidge nodded. “That’s what I was guessing, based on Jacob’s description.”

  “It was awful,” Jacob said. “He sucked the guy’s blood—so horrible.”

  Everyone was silent for a moment. Nicole would never get over how horrifying Croents were.

  She took a deep breath, then turned to Coolidge. “It stole something from you.”

  Coolidge frowned. “Yes, I know. And it’s definitely not a good thing to be missing.” He glanced at Nicole. “And you tried to tear my cabinet apart.”

  Nicole flushed. “It was the nearest wooden object. It didn’t seem to like the idea of me using it as a weapon.”

  Coolidge half-smiled. “Well, I’m glad it stopped you. As you know, it’s one of my favorite possessions. Only advanced Aretes can command it—you’d have to be a Silver, pretty much. And even then, you wouldn’t be able to dismantle it.”

  Nicole fingered a strand of her blond hair, bits of gray visible in it. “Hey,” she complained. “I’m not that far from going gray.”

  Jacob raised his eyebrows. “And that doesn’t bother you?”

  Nicole looked at him, distracted by the fact that his eyes were the most stunning shade of the lightest blue she’d ever seen. She mentally shook herself, going back to his question and realizing he didn’t have a frame of reference to go by.

  “In this dimension of earth,” she said, “when you master the magic behind all of the elements, your hair turns silver. It’s pretty much a sign of success. Most Aretes strive to lose their natural color as soon as possible.” She glanced at Coolidge, smiling. “Take Professor Coolidge. He’s been one for a very long time. He dyes his hair the color it is now.”

  Coolidge rolled his eyes. “Hayla likes my hair dark.”

  Jacob shook his head. “So does my little sister. Don’t tell her I told you, but she definitely has a crush on you.”

  Coolidge laughed, then sobered. “We need to figure out why the Croent stole my talisman.”

  Austin and Nicole sat down across from the desk, and Austin leaned forward. “What does it do? I sensed magic coming from it when I tried to take it back.”

  Nicole nodded. “Not to mention the glowing light.”

  “It’s a powerful item from India that I barely got my hands on. I can’t even begin to say what I had to do to get it—it took years. As to how it works, it doesn’t do a lot by itself, but when combined with all of the talismans, it permanently binds things. Makes them stronger. And it grants the owner visions of all times and dimensions. Without the others, it isn’t nearly as powerful.”

  “How many of them are there?” Austin asked.

  Coolidge shook his head. “I have no idea. The owners generally keep themselves hidden. When someone new comes into possession of a talisman, he or she takes an oath to keep it separate from the others and their owners.”

  Jacob frowned. “Are you going to get in trouble for it being stolen?”

  “I’m not sure. There isn’t really a group that governs them—it would be too easy to infiltrate and learn the location of all of the talismans.” Coolidge rubbed his temples in a circular motion. “We have to find it, have to understand why it was taken. And not just because of how much I gave up to get it.”

  Jacob leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and looked earnestly at Coolidge. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Yes, actually. Time-See to right before we got here. Follow the Croent into the past and find out where it came from. We should know if it’s working on its own or if it was hired.” />
  Jacob nodded and relaxed in his seat. Nicole and Austin also leaned back and waited, Nicole trying not to stare at the teenager.

  The boy was probably seventeen, give or take a year. He had dark hair—as dark as Coolidge’s and Austin’s—and was fairly tan and athletic-looking. He had a shy attitude, but Nicole suspected he probably encouraged others to see that persona as a way to hide his true self—his powers.

  As they watched, Jacob’s eyes went out of focus. Then the weirdest thing—there’d been no magical feeling around him the entire time they’d been in the same room. He’d felt like a regular human. But the moment his eyes glazed over, Nicole sensed his power.

  It had a foreign print to it, a different feeling from anything she’d ever sensed. The closest thing she could use to describe it was a band of faintly visible light particles drifting through the air like a river, flowing from his eyes.

  “What can you see?” Nicole asked.

  “He doesn’t normally respond while he’s doing this,” Coolidge said. “He kind of goes into a trance and doesn’t hear anyone.”

  Austin glanced at their professor. “How long will it take?”

  “Depends on how far back he has to go.”

  “Well,” Nicole started, “while waiting, how about telling us how you met him?”

  “Good idea,” Coolidge said. “Several years ago, when I first discovered the link to his dimension and sensed a small portion of his magic, I wrangled my way into a job teaching math at his high school. I needed to find out more about him—where he got his powers, why he was the only one on that version of earth with magical abilities. Eventually, I made sure he took my class, then I became his private tutor, and finally, his father hired me to work as an independent contractor, teaching English. As I got to know Jacob’s family better, I quickly realized that I didn’t want to lose track of his talents.”

  Nicole tilted her head. “How did you do all that while teaching here and running random expeditions?”