Conceal, Mosaic Chronicles Book Six Read online

  Coolidge screamed out, his face turning white, his lips blue.

  An arrow swooshed through the air and struck the bird. It fell over, beak open, revealing a long tongue with little bloody teeth on the end.

  Coolidge gasped again, pulled his arm to himself, then passed out.

  “Akeno!” Jacob called. “Come help!”

  “What about the other birds?” the Makalo asked.

  “Not a concern anymore.”

  Nicole followed Jacob’s gaze. They were surrounded by half-naked men armed with bows and arrows. This must be the tribe Dmitri had mentioned. Several arrows flew through the air, and all the visible birds dropped to the ground.

  “What now?” Nicole whispered to Jacob. He shrugged and Nicole turned to Akeno, but the Makalo looked as clueless. Why didn’t they have someone more experienced with them?

  The natives jabbered to each other. Then a man with a bright red swatch of skin on one side of his face picked up a dead bird and brought it to Austin, warily watching Nicole and Jacob. Nicole couldn’t tell if the red was a birthmark or painted on. No, it had to be paint. It was still wet and dripping.

  The man opened the mouth of the bird, exposing the long tongue. He placed the teeth on Austin’s arm and pressed down, puncturing the skin. Purple fluid dribbled to the forest floor. Austin coughed, pulling himself to a sitting position. The tribesman dropped the bird and retreated. He and the others backed away, eyes still on Nicole and her friends.

  Austin got to his feet, inspecting his arm, and Nicole resisted the urge to hug him. He was okay! He wiped the excess purple ooze away and took off his shirt, possibly to keep the initial spray from re-infecting him. Nicole normally would have loved seeing her boyfriend shirtless, but at the moment, she was more concerned about the natives surrounding them.

  Jacob gasped, his hand covering his mouth, staring at the people. “I know where they came from,” he whispered, turning to Akeno. “They’re Keitus’s test subjects. From back when he was trying to become a Lorkon.”

  Akeno looked up from where he knelt next to Coolidge, mixing together powder and liquid. “How do you know?” he whispered. “Wasn’t that a long time ago?”

  Jacob nodded. “Yes, but not long enough for all of them to have died off.” He nodded toward the man with the red paint. “That’s how a lot of them looked after Keitus injected them. The potion only worked partially. Besides, I wouldn’t be surprised if their lives were prolonged because of his tests.”

  He glanced at Nicole and Austin. “Keitus’s potion, when done correctly, grants immortality.”

  Nicole and Austin nodded, understanding. Nicole remembered that Keitus—as a Lorkon—had been immortal.

  While waiting for Akeno to finish applying the mixture to Coolidge’s arm, Nicole kept her eyes on the men. They stood motionless, watching, waiting. But what were they waiting for? They didn’t seem to want to harm Nicole’s group, but they definitely made her uncomfortable.

  “Done,” Akeno said.

  “Good,” Nicole replied, eager to move beyond this area and its horrible birds and weird natives. “I’m totally ready to go.”

  “We can’t leave—not until Mr. Coolidge wakes up. When someone is injured, Kaede Sap encourages sleep. And unless they sleep, it won’t heal them.”

  Nicole bit the inside of her cheek. “How long until it works?”

  Akeno shrugged. “Depends on how badly he was injured. Since he only lost blood and there’s no actual tissue to repair, apart from the bite, I don’t think it’ll take very long. But everyone is different. Expect at least an hour.”

  Nicole groaned and sat. “Time for food, then?”

  Akeno chuckled. “Definitely. I’ll make some potatoes.”

  Nicole offered to help Akeno, but he turned her down, so she powered up her phone to read. She might as well do something productive while waiting.

  She glanced one last time at the tribal men—they stared back in response—and leaned against a tree trunk while Austin stretched out next to her. Resting her phone on her thigh, she held his hand, struggling to immerse herself in her latest crime novel. She couldn’t believe how close she’d come to losing her boyfriend.

  Sometime later, Akeno announced that the food was ready, and Nicole turned off her phone, tucking it away. She glanced around them in surprise. The men were still there. It didn’t look like they’d moved even a little bit. What was going on?

  “Why aren’t they leaving?” she hissed to Akeno and Jacob.

  “No clue,” Jacob said. He didn’t seem worried, but that was probably because he could create that shield thing if they tried to attack. Nicole wasn’t even able to use her magic . . . She hesitated. Wait. Her magic was there again. She could feel it on the edges of her senses. Why was it acting so weird? She hadn’t felt like this since before she’d learned to Channel properly. Maybe it had something to do with the birds.

  Once everyone had finished eating, they settled in to wait for Coolidge to wake up, which he did about half an hour later. Nicole watched him closely, surprised to see that he really had healed completely.

  During that entire time, none of the natives moved. Nicole couldn’t believe it. They hadn’t sat or shifted weight or anything. They must’ve had very strong leg muscles. And a lot of patience.

  Finally, Coolidge indicated that he was ready, and the group packed up and went on their way.

  The natives followed.

  “I wish they’d just leave,” Nicole grumbled to Austin.

  “I know,” he whispered back.

  After another hour or so, Nicole noticed ruins of huge buildings in the distance. “Is that where we’re going?” she asked.

  Jacob pulled out his phone, comparing pictures on it to what they were seeing. “Yes, I think so.”

  The buildings were deteriorated a great deal compared to the images in the Fat Lady’s books. The ones still standing were tall with lacy arches and pillars—very elaborate. Both dead and living vines crawled over the grayish-purple stone of nearly half the city.

  Nicole sensed a presence on the outskirts—something familiar, and yet foreign. Mist crawled along the forest floor, swirling around their legs as they walked. The fog became more and more dense, and Nicole was disturbed to notice it clinging to her but avoiding the others. What was going on?

  “Guys, why is the fog more interested in me than it is you?”

  Coolidge frowned, head tilted, and the others stared at her and the mist circling her.

  “There’s a presence in the mist,” Coolidge said.

  Nicole nodded. “Yeah, I know. Good or bad?”

  “Hopefully good.”

  Clouds began building up, covering the sky, casting shadows over the land. The sunlight darkened until Nicole could barely see the ruins or mists anymore, but she still felt the mists pressing against her.

  Nicole’s feet left the ground and she was lifted upward until she was ten feet above her friends. What the crap? She twisted, looking to see who or what had picked her up, but nothing was there. Was it a Croent again? She’d been carried by one before, and it hadn’t ended well. This time, though, it didn’t hurt—nothing was pinching her.

  “Nicole?” Austin called. “Nicole!”

  “I’m fine,” she responded, trying to control her panic. “Can you see what’s holding me up?”

  “All I can see is fog,” he said.

  “It’s Lirone!” Jacob yelled. “Run for the ruins!”

  “Not without Nicole,” Austin shouted back.

  Nicole squirmed, trying to get free, but was powerless. Who was Lirone?

  Austin jumped up to catch her, but she was jerked higher. He whirled to Jacob and Coolidge.

  “Any ideas?”

  “He’ll just pull her higher,” Jacob said. “He’s playing with her—teasing us. She’s in danger until we can get her down, but trying will only kill her.”

  “Oh, that’s comforting!” Nicole said. “Any suggestions?”

  “Don’t st
ruggle, I guess,” Jacob said.

  He guessed? Nicole tried to control her frustration while she bounced along through the air above the group. “But why me? Why not any of you?”

  Coolidge nodded. “Yes, good thinking. Why her?”

  “She’s the only girl?” Akeno asked.

  Jacob shook his head. “No—I’ve seen him around girls before, and this hasn’t ever happened.”

  “It has to do with magic,” Coolidge said. “She’s the only natural Wind Arete here. She probably intrigues him.”

  Nicole raised an eyebrow. She didn’t see why that would make a difference, and stated as much.

  “Because Lirone lives in the clouds. He’s a sky dweller—an ancient Eklaron race. Wind is the only thing that can damage him or force him to do something he doesn’t want to do.”

  “Wind—and sunlight,” Jacob said. “Sunlight is how we got him to move last time.”

  Coolidge nodded. “And since the sun is covered, we can’t use that.” He looked up at Nicole. “Test things out. Create a bit of wind—see what he does.”

  She cleared her throat. “I’m not exactly comfortable doing that while I’m hanging fifteen feet above the ground.”

  “I’ll catch you,” Austin said, sending her a teasing grin.

  Nicole snorted. “Right.” How could he joke? She definitely didn’t see any humor in the situation.

  Realizing she needed to be in better control of herself, Nicole closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Her magic was there! She concentrated on how her breath felt as it entered and exited her lungs. Then she started pulling in her powers.

  Once she had plenty of magic around her, she tentatively pushed out, creating just enough pressure to move the air.

  Nothing happened.

  “You’ll have to push a lot harder than that,” Coolidge said.

  “What I can’t understand is why he hasn’t shown us his face yet,” Jacob said.

  Nicole opened her eyes. “What do you mean? Does he keep it hidden?”

  “Not usually,” Akeno said. “When he comes, he puts on a big show, using the clouds to create arms, muscles, a face—all of that.”

  “And he’s not throwing bombs,” Coolidge said.

  Bombs? Nicole swallowed, losing her grasp on her magic. “Any chance he plans to throw me?”

  “He would have done it already if he wanted to,” Jacob said. “I think he’s waiting to see what you’ll do.”

  That only gave Nicole a little relief. “Okay, I’ll try again.”

  Once more, she pulled her magic close. She built up as much pressure as possible, then forced the wind away from herself as hard as she could.

  Nicole hadn’t created a windstorm in a long time, but she was much more powerful now than she’d been before. Not only that, but she’d never pushed wind directly from herself and really had no idea what to expect.

  Her friends getting flattened on the ground below definitely wasn’t it.

  A wind so strong, it pushed the trees over roared away from her in all directions. The fog thinned for a bit, but thickened again. Many faces appeared in it, formed by the fog itself, grinning at her. Hands made of vapor tossed her from face to face, and she screamed, her stomach roiling from the jolts. Each time she was thrown, it felt like she would slam to the ground below. Waves of dizziness flooded over her.

  “Stop it!” she called. “Stop it now!”

  Austin and Jacob jumped around, trying to follow her.

  Nicole built up her magic again, knowing she was probably overexerting herself. Instead of creating Wind, she directed her power to the nearest tree and shredded the outer layer of bark. Then she pelted the clouds with the bark. Warmth spread across her scalp and down her back, telling her that she was on the brink of causing permanent damage to her brain. No more magic—she couldn’t risk it.

  But what she’d done seemed to get the cloud’s attention long enough for it to release her. Nicole plummeted toward the ground, landing with a jerk in Jacob and Austin’s arms.

  As they set her down, a roar thundered through the sky. A flash of lightning struck the tree Nicole had used, causing it to burst into flames.

  “Run!” Jacob shrieked.

  Austin grabbed Nicole’s hand, and together, they raced toward the ruins.

  Bombs began falling from the sky, and Nicole ducked, screaming. She clenched Austin’s hand as tightly as she could and looked at him. He was just as freaked out about their situation.

  How was the cloud creature making bombs?

  They reached the edge of the ruins right as a huge explosion sounded behind them. Nicole was flung forward, slamming through a rotted door. Her head snapped against the metal knob, and she blacked out.

  Chapter Four

  Nicole woke to Austin’s face, his hand on the side of her cheek. He mouthed the words, “Are you okay?”

  She struggled to get up, but Austin kept her down. “I’m fine,” she said, then gasped. She couldn’t hear.

  Austin pointed to his ears, then at hers. Nicole’s hand fluttered to her mouth—Austin had blood trickling down the sides of his face. His eardrums had burst! Judging by the wetness she felt on her cheeks and neck, hers had done the same, and they were killing her.

  After making sure she was okay, he helped her to her feet. She winced at the multitude of pains that throbbed across her body. He sent her a concerned expression as he helped her limp to the rest of the group.

  Jacob and Akeno were both unconscious, and Coolidge was on his knees next to them. Early flitted in the air around him, apparently teaching him how to put together the healing salve made from Kaede sap. Nicole wished she could hear what the Minya was saying. Then she realized Coolidge was deaf too—Early was using exaggerated hand motions.

  Coolidge finished applying the salve and leaned back against a wall, exhausted. He’d had a rough week. At least the bombs had stopped. Nicole looked up to see a round, angry face with large cheeks in the sky staring down at her. Something kept it from attacking because he definitely looked mad enough to kill everyone in their group.

  Austin helped her to the ground and joined Coolidge. Ruins surrounded them. The ceilings of all the visible buildings had caved in. Moss covered nearly half of the surfaces, and vines crawled up almost all of the walls. It was creepy and beautiful at the same time. Nicole found herself wanting to learn about the people who’d lived there.

  Speaking of people . . . Nicole hadn’t seen the natives since the fog appeared. She’d been so distracted, she hadn’t noticed them leave. They must’ve known what was coming and been smart enough to go.

  After two hours with Nicole unable to hear anything, Akeno and Jacob woke from their Kaede sap-induced nap and applied the salve to the others’ ears and took a turn, standing guard. Nicole tried to fight the exhaustion that swept over her, but at the Makalo’s insistence, she allowed herself to drift off.

  ***

  Nicole awoke at the same time as Austin and Coolidge. She blinked—it was bright and sunny. Apparently, the sky monster had left.

  “So what was that again?” she asked no one in particular.

  “Lirone, the sky monster,” Jacob said.

  “And Jacob, you’ve dealt with him before,” Austin said.

  Jacob nodded. “Oh, yeah. We got off easy this time.” He glanced at Akeno. “Not sure why he isn’t attacking here, but I’m glad all the same.”

  Akeno also looked perplexed but didn’t say anything.

  Once everyone had packed up their things, they started searching for the library. Akeno had a map of the city, but it was difficult to follow. Many of the streets had been destroyed—buildings had toppled over into them and trees grew through, breaking up the cobblestone roads. The natives had cleared their own roads through the chaos.

  Nicole couldn’t stop staring. It must have been glorious at some point. The buildings were tall—taller even than the ones in Maivoryl City. She could tell from the rotted flags and banners that littered the ruins that the co
lors of the city were emerald and deep purple.

  It took two hours to find the library. Nicole couldn’t help but smile at the expression on Austin’s face when he saw the structure. He totally lit up, and she didn’t blame him. It was pretty impressive.

  The library was almost completely intact—only one section of the roof had caved in. The massive wooden front doors were three stories tall and rounded at the top. Huge brass rings adorned the places where knobs would have been back on earth.

  Coolidge and Austin each took one of the rings and heaved. The doors didn’t budge. The two pulled again with little result—just some creaking from the large, rusted hinges.

  Coolidge glanced at Nicole and the others. “Any ideas before we resort to magic?”

  No one had anything for him, and he nodded at Nicole. “You’re good with this aspect of Earth—come help.”

  The three of them faced the door. Nicole felt the others gathering their powers, and she did as well, directing them to the wood. The door began glowing brilliantly. Nicole gently coaxed it outward, sensing Austin and Coolidge doing the same.

  With a massive groan, the doors finally began moving, revealing a darkened, gaping hall on the other side.

  “No wonder you guys weren’t able to open them on your own,” Jacob said, stepping forward and staring at the doors. “They’re a full foot thick.”

  He turned to Akeno. “Light the way?”

  Akeno nodded, joining Jacob and the Aretes. He held his left hand in the air, and Nicole gasped when his ring finger began glowing intensely. She shielded her eyes, unable to look directly at it.

  “Whoa,” she said. “Impressive.”

  Jacob grinned and motioned for Akeno to lead them inside.

  Nicole stared up at the great hall. Five stories towered on either side, with balconies, ledges, and shelves everywhere. A huge set of stone stairs at the other end of the hall beckoned them forward. Inches of dust coated everything. The main level appeared to be a meeting place—chairs and tables were on either side of the great hall, and this part of the library did not appear to hold books.