Conceal, Mosaic Chronicles Book Six Read online

  Jacob paused, an expression of awe on his face. “My ancestors roamed these floors. This is so freakin’ cool!”

  Nicole couldn’t blame him for his excitement. Her own heritage was from England. She’d been there multiple times, but it wasn’t anything like this. At least, not the areas her family was from—they were small areas with quaint and beautiful cottages. Nothing grand and impressive.

  The group paused near the stairs at the back of the dark room. The only windows in the building were in the front, surrounding the doors, and they were coated with years of grime. Nicole suspected the place was so intact because it didn’t have as many windows as other buildings in the city.

  “According to the Fat Lady,” Jacob said, “the second floor should have some sort of directory. Let’s look for that.”

  Nicole immediately envisioned rows and rows of computers, but that obviously was not what they’d find.

  The second story was like the first—tables and chairs everywhere—but there were also many rooms full of shelves.

  All the shelves were filled with antique books, scrolls, pottery, and all sorts of other fascinating things. She longed to explore on her own.

  They found the directory in its own room near the front of the building. A large wooden table held the biggest book Nicole had ever seen. It was two feet tall and at least four feet wide. When opened, it spread to eight feet.

  Neat handwriting lined the pages, and Nicole quickly saw why the book had to be so large. Each entry was written in what looked like three different languages, and, according to Jacob, included a short description along with an exact location, telling which room, bookcase, shelf, and even the side of the shelf where the book would be found.

  “What’s the name of the book?” Austin asked.

  “It’s in another language,” Jacob said. He showed the title in the Fat Lady’s book to the Aretes. It was written in beautiful, loopy handwriting.

  “What language?”

  “The language of the Shiengols,” Jacob said. “I’ve been trying to learn it, but it’s complicated and difficult to memorize.” He glanced at the book. “I know enough about their alphabet to find what we’re looking for.” He showed everyone the first letter in the title. “This is the fourteenth letter in their alphabet. That gives me an idea of where to start.”

  “How many letters do they have?” Coolidge asked.

  “Thirty-six,” Jacob said.

  “Do you know if they’re all used equally, or are there some that are more frequent than others?”

  Jacob shrugged. “I’ve noticed that some are used a lot, but whether that’s because they’re easier for me to notice or because they really are used more often, I’m not sure. I guess we’d be okay to start after the first quarter of the directory and go from there.” He motioned to the pages. “Help me lift them.”

  Austin and Nicole stepped forward. “Shouldn’t we be wearing gloves or something?” Nicole asked. “This book is really old.”

  “Oh, yes,” Akeno said. He pulled several pairs from the knapsack he carried. “Aldo gave these to me before we left.” He passed them around.

  Once everyone had their hands covered, Nicole and Austin started lifting each page while Jacob and the others scanned the entries, trying to find the letter Jacob had them looking for.

  Once they found it, they started searching for the next letter.

  It took half an hour to narrow the search down to several titles that looked exactly like the original.

  Jacob scratched his head. “We’ll need to look at all of them.”

  The others agreed. The book had been written in several languages, but not English, and it took several minutes to figure out how to read the map. Once that was done, they separated.

  The book Nicole searched for was on the top floor of the library. Coolidge headed to the basement and Austin to some wing on the opposite side, which was apparently at least half a mile away. Jacob and Akeno both headed to the third floor.

  Nicole pulled out her flashlight. She quickly realized how much Akeno’s light had helped. Her little LED was pathetic in comparison. She’d have to be careful.

  She continued up. Her steps echoed in the silent edifice, and her legs started burning as she reached the fifth floor—these stories were much taller than any at home.

  The top floor was darker than the others, if that was possible. The muted light from the windows didn’t reach up here, and Nicole slowed. The floor didn’t feel stable.

  A slight breeze tousled her hair, and she froze. The last time a random bit of wind had done that, the results had ended up being horrifying and life-changing.

  The breeze turned into a sigh that caressed her arms and legs. She turned, expecting to see something or someone, but no one was there.

  “Hello?” she whispered, afraid to speak any louder.

  The silence was heavy, like nothing had stirred this air for hundreds of years.

  Nicole pulled her magic to herself, just in case.

  She retrieved her phone and glanced at the pictures she’d taken of the location of the book, then shoved her phone back in her pocket, momentarily blinded by the brightness. She only had a little farther to go—the room was tucked in a corner, well away from the balcony.

  Nicole’s eyes adjusted and she shrieked. A creature stood before her, hands at its sides. It was angular and tall—taller than her by at least a foot. She couldn’t tell if it was male or female. The thing’s eyes were closed.

  “Who enters?” Though the creature’s lips moved, the sound didn’t originate there. It wisped around her in the breeze.

  She swallowed. “Nicole Williams.”

  “What are you?” It still didn’t open its eyes.

  “What am . . .? Huma—”

  “Do not lie.”

  “Arete. I’m an Arete.”

  “Your powers are not allowed in Shonlin.”

  And just like that, Nicole felt her magic removed from her. The slight pulse that always surrounded her was stilled for the second time that day. And also for the second time, Nicole felt helpless. Naked.

  “What if I need to defend myself?”

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  Nicole wasn’t so sure. The thing still hadn’t opened its eyes, and she couldn’t tell if it was friendly.

  “Proceed, but do so with caution. Do not remove anything from Shonlin. You will not be warned again.”

  Nicole nodded, wondering how she was going to be able to take the book. This creature wasn’t something to be messed with, especially if it had the power to take her magic away with apparently no effort on its part.

  Nicole swallowed, focusing her LED light forward. She took a step. The being did so as well, staying exactly three feet to the side of her, facing her, eyes still shut as she approached the right room. Creepy. At least she didn’t feel like she was being watched, per se, as the eyes weren’t trained on her.

  She suspected, though, that the creature didn’t need eyesight to see her.

  Nicole stumbled a couple of times across heavy beams that had fallen from the ceiling, and finally, she reached the room. Something made her pause at the doorway—she wasn’t sure what. An overwhelming feeling of wonder poured over her when she looked inside. A rose window let in a small amount of light, and lazy puffs of dust floated through the air. The room glowed warmly, even with such little light. The temperature here was at least five degrees warmer than the rest of the library, if not more, and Nicole found herself relaxing.

  She took a step inside and again, that feeling of wonder cascaded over her.

  This room was special, sacred.

  Forgetting her assignment, Nicole slowly wandered through, gazing at the objects around her. Old paintings adorned the walls, vases with intricate designs stood on tables, and several rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves greeted her. In the corner of the room farthest from the door, an ancient lantern sat on a small antique table, a candle already burning inside.

  Nicole
had an overwhelming desire to pick up the lantern. She glanced at the being that followed, but he or she didn’t seem worried.

  Nicole lifted the handle, hefting the lantern. It was surprisingly heavy.

  The moment she’d completely lifted it, the corner of the room dissolved into haze. Nicole blinked, trying to see if the haze was in her eyes or the room itself. As the air before her cleared, she gasped, hand to her mouth. Instead of the walls of the room, a misty forest waited.

  Her feet stepped, unbidden, toward the trees. She hesitated at the edge of the cement floor.

  Fog rolled into the library room, enveloping her. It was cool and humid. It coated her, making the fine hairs on her face and arms tingle.

  The scene before her was dusky and rosy, and she saw several glowing points of light. The closest seemed to be only a few feet away.

  A calm feeling enveloped Nicole as she stepped onto the springy forest floor. Ferns shifted around her legs, granting access. A sense of belonging overcame her. Tears sprang into her eyes, and for the first time in a long while, she felt at home.

  She breathed deeply, allowing the pleasant sensations to relax her and calm the stress she’d been experiencing. Then she walked toward the closest little floating light. The feeling that she was being watched flooded over her. She looked around, but didn’t see anyone, not even the creature that had been following.

  “Hello?” Nicole whispered.

  Her voice was quickly dampened in the fog.

  No one responded.

  Goose bumps sprang up on her arm.

  Realizing she’d gotten hugely distracted, Nicole turned and stepped quickly back into the library room, grateful it was still there. She had no idea where she’d gone, and exploring at this moment—alone—was a bad idea. Especially when that forest wasn’t natural—it was too peaceful, felt too perfect. It made her nervous.

  The creature waited inside the library room. Nicole set down the lantern, watching the creature to see what it would do, and the forest disappeared. Nothing else happened. She breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t felt like she was intruding—quite the opposite. She’d felt like she belonged in that forest. But still, she hadn’t been invited and didn’t want to trespass, regardless of how it made her feel.

  Getting her bearings, Nicole again opened up the image of the location of the book. She kept it in front of her to compare with the volumes on the shelves.

  It took half an hour to find what she was looking for, and the thing was massive. Nicole glanced at the creature, then picked up the book, lugging it to one of the tables. She carefully opened it, then had an idea. She’d take pictures of the pages. That would help her and the others know if this was what they needed, and if it was, they could make plans to remove it from the room.

  Nicole was only able to take twenty pictures before her phone died. She frowned, not sure what had happened—her battery had been at seventy-five percent when she’d entered the room.

  “What’s going on?” she whispered to herself.

  “No magic . . .” the creature whispered in response.

  “But it’s not magic—it’s technology.”

  Realizing arguing was pointless, Nicole tucked her phone into her pocket. That would have to do. She replaced the book and sent one last glance around the room before heading out.

  The creature accompanied her to the stairs. She wished it would leave her alone, but she didn’t dare ask it to go.

  Not until she got to the second floor did her magic return. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  The others were there already, pacing, restless, with worried expressions on their faces.

  Austin rushed to her and threw his arms around her. He pulled back to look at her face. “You’re okay?”

  She raised an eyebrow, surveying him, surprised at his worry. “I’m fine.”

  “We couldn’t find you—we searched all over the fifth floor, screaming your name.”

  Nicole frowned. “That’s weird. I was up there the whole time and didn’t hear anyone.”

  “We’ll talk about it on the way home,” Coolidge said. “Akeno found the book. We need to head out.”

  The group exited the library, using magic to push the doors shut, and Nicole told the others about the room and forest.

  “So that’s why we didn’t feel your pulse,” Coolidge said.

  Austin sent her a quick glance, his expression showing he was still worried. “We thought something happened to you.”

  Nicole gave him a one-armed hug as they walked. “I’m okay,” she said. “And I’m definitely glad to have my magic back again. It didn’t return until right before I reached you guys.”

  “So weird,” Jacob said.

  Apparently, everyone else had reached their assigned locations within ten minutes. Austin nearly fell through the floor on his way to his area, but Coolidge’s experience down in the basement was the creepiest.

  “The whole floor was wet—dank, dark,” he said. “Very moldy. Everything was ruined from the moisture.”

  “Good thing that’s not where the book was,” Nicole said.

  Ironically enough, Akeno’s experience was the least freaky. He’d had no problem finding the book, which was now tucked into Jacob’s backpack.

  The return to Maivoryl City went smoothly, and they didn’t see the natives, Lirone, or the vampiric birds again. Nicole wished she could find out more about the room she’d visited, but speculating with Coolidge, Jacob, and Akeno, who knew the most about Eklaron, didn’t give any answers.

  Once they reached Dmitri’s throne room, the king had Jacob get Aldo and the Fat Lady so they could have a brief meeting regarding the trip.

  Aldo and the Fat Lady were very curious about Nicole’s experience. They kept looking at each other while she related what happened.

  “Do either of you know what she’s talking about?” Dmitri asked.

  The Fat Lady nodded. “I believe so . . . but I didn’t realize that room still existed. It’s called Shonlin. Legend says that only a few were ever granted access, and those few had to reach a certain status in life first. They also had to have good intentions and couldn’t have ever caused the death of someone innocent. Other restrictions were placed on the room. No one knows exactly what they are, and as a result, only a very few have ever gained access.”

  Aldo cleared his throat. “Not only that, but the people who are allowed to enter leave with a permanent print on their souls.” He glanced at Nicole. “I’m very curious about your history, sis.”

  Nicole couldn’t help but grin at his use of the word “sis.” She’d never been called that before, let alone by someone who wasn’t even from earth. Then she hesitated. “What do you mean, a permanent print on my soul? Is that bad? Does it change anything?”

  Aldo shrugged. “We’re not sure, honestly. I only know of four other people who have ever entered that room, and the last one did so ages ago. We really have no idea what’s in store for you or why you earned your access.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing I found the room. Otherwise, I would have been searching for the book for a very long time.”

  “Speaking of the book,” Queen Arien said. “You found it, then?”

  Jacob nodded, pulling it out of his backpack and setting it in front of Aldo and the Fat Lady.

  The Fat Lady raised an eyebrow. “What are we supposed to do with this? It’s written in Shiengol. That’s your thing, not mine.”

  Jacob blushed, taking the book back. “Does that mean I’ve got a lot of homework to do?”

  Dmitri shook his head. “No. We’ll have Azuriah translate it.”

  Jacob scoffed, surprising Nicole. “Let me know if you need me to do any arm twisting.”

  “Thanks,” Dmitri said sarcastically.

  Nicole met eyes with Austin, seeing that he was as confused. Why the sarcasm?

  The meeting ended, and Dmitri promised to keep them updated on the translation, since nothing could happen until it was finished.

&nbs
p; ***

  Nicole slumped against the couch after telling Lizzie about her experience on Eklaron. She had finished all her homework while waiting for Lizzie to get back from school and work, and the two cooked dinner, then relaxed in front of the TV for an hour before Nicole was refreshed enough to tell about the weird and uncomfortable things that had happened while she was gone.

  “Not to burst your bubble, but you’re not done with unpleasant experiences,” Lizzie said.

  Nicole opened her eyes. “Did you find out who or what was snooping around in our apartment?”

  Lizzie shook her head. “Nope. But I did get the mail.”

  Nicole groaned. “Great. Just what I need.”

  “You know, you don’t have to read everything you get—fan mail or otherwise.”

  “Yes, I do. Some of the threats might actually be real. We need to be prepared.”

  “That’s why we should hire a hit man—it’s not a bad idea.”

  Nicole chuckled. “Right. Totally legal.”

  Lizzie put her hands up. “If politicians can do it, so can we.” She turned thoughtful. “We should at least consider hiring someone to read it for us.”

  “Some of it’s too personal—I’d feel weird having a stranger read it.”

  Nicole retrieved the mail from the entryway table and sifted through it. Apart from a couple of bills, the rest of the letters were for her. She dropped onto the couch again.

  “Want me to help?”

  Nicole glanced at Lizzie. “Are you sure? You usually get madder than I do.”

  “I’ll control myself this time.”

  Nicole smiled, then handed over half the stack. She started with the first letter in her pile, unsurprised to find that someone somewhere blamed her for the death of their neighbor’s mom’s sister who had been a Tarian. Never mind that Tarians had tried to kill all Aretes, including Nicole. These people were ridiculous. At least this lady wasn’t threatening to kill her or dismember her family and friends. For that, Nicole was grateful.

  None of the letters were out of the ordinary—most thanked her for her service, and the rest told her she needed to die, but didn’t deliver any specific threats. She could deal with that.