As she was getting ready for bed that evening, Nicole’s phone beeped, telling her she’d received a text message. How did it get through, when practically nothing in the house worked? She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and peered at it.
It was from Austin. He’d tried to call, but it wouldn’t connect. He and Lizzie were hanging out with Nate. They wanted to talk to her, see how she was doing.
Shoving her feet in slippers, Nicole wandered through her large bedroom, watching the service bars on her phone. Nothing. She tried the bathroom, the walk-in closet, then the adjoining sitting room. In the corner farthest from her bed, she finally had enough service to call Austin. And miraculously enough, her phone worked.
Austin answered on the first ring. “Nicole,” he said. “How are you?”
The sound of his voice made her insides turn to goo. Oh, how she missed him. Was it possible she’d seen him just that morning? “It’s good to hear your voice.”
Austin chuckled. “Same. But seriously . . . how are things going?”
“I’m fine. I’ve got a lot to tell you guys.”
There was rustling on the other end. Austin said something to another person, then came back. “Nicole, Nate’s going into his room, and I’m putting you on speakerphone so Lizzie can hear you too.”
Nicole waited until Austin gave her the go ahead, then she told them about her day, including the uneventful trip to Moses Lake, Prudence showing her around the manor, and her room. She finished by telling them about dinner with the Gardner family.
“And then the weirdest thing ever happened. They suddenly stopped talking and froze. They acted like they were waiting for something to happen or someone to come. They didn’t even realize I was there. It’s like they’re actually aware of the portal, of other beings, even though I don’t think anyone has—” Nicole stopped, mouth hanging open. She just recognized she’d never told them about the portal or elixir. Had she really been that out of it?
“Portal?” Lizzie asked. “What do you mean? Austin, do you know what she’s talking about?”
“Nope.”
The line went silent and Nicole realized they were waiting for her.
“I can’t believe I didn’t say anything.”
“About what?” Austin asked.
Nicole took a deep breath. If she couldn’t trust her boyfriend and best friend, who could she trust? “I’m going to tell you something that is really, really sensitive. Private. You have to know, it could really jeopardize things if you go around talking about this to anyone, even Coolidge. At least until I say it’s fine. Okay?”
After both promised their silence, Nicole told them about the journal, Captain Price, and Rebecca. She told them about the portal and the elixir and the embryonic manipulator.
Lizzie gasped. “The whole issue with babies can be reversed? Oh, my gosh, Nicole, this is huge! What do you need us to do? We’re willing to do whatever, right, Austin?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Don’t do anything right now,” Nicole said. “Just keep tabs on me. If I don’t call every night, try to get in touch with me somehow—by letter, if necessary. And I’ll do my best to stay in contact with you.” She sank to the floor, leaning against the wall. “I wish so bad you were both here.”
“Same,” Austin said, and Lizzie agreed.
“How long until the portal opens?” Lizzie asked.
“The journal mentioned signs to watch for. Plants overgrowing and tasting bitter. That’s already happened, as you both know. The foliage turning gray and life draining from the soil.” Nicole glanced out the small window. All she could see were stars. “That hasn’t happened yet, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to any time soon. There will be other signs after that. I’ll tell you what they are when I find out.”
“Be careful,” Austin said.
“We love you,” Lizzie said. “We’ll talk soon.”
They ended the call, and it wasn’t until Nicole was in bed that she realized Austin hadn’t contradicted Lizzie’s statement of love. But would he have, if it weren’t true? That could have come across as rude. What if he did love her? Thinking about that made Nicole’s heart warm. She fell asleep content and happy.
***
Nicole spent hours every day reading and exploring the books in Albert’s huge library or practicing the cello with him. Most of the time, he read old newspapers or tinkered with inventions he’d bought or traded for over the years. Occasionally, he would listen appreciatively to her playing or give feedback on a certain technique.
His suggestions were never intrusive and always welcome, especially when Nicole recognized he was almost always right. He wasn’t an Arete, but he’d worked with them his entire life. Apparently, he’d picked up a lot of their tricks and tactics over the years.
Nicole felt herself getting stronger and stronger. She knew it was mostly because of the portal that fed her as she fed it, but she also hoped part of it was because she was diligent and was working hard.
After only a week, she was able to silence Albert completely. Prudence took another couple of days. Albert said it was because she was younger—her vocal chords were stronger.
Albert had Nicole start trying to Channel without her cello, but that was much harder. It was still so far outside of her grasp of understanding and ability. She needed input from another Arete who could do it too.
Prudence became withdrawn, reticent. She came late every day, sometimes by an hour or more. The sparkle in her eyes disappeared, and her hair turned dull. Her skin was a sickly shade of gray. She always did what she was supposed to, but Nicole worried about her a great deal. She asked Albert about it, and the man said he’d noticed, but wasn’t sure they could do anything.
Once, Nicole tried to convince Prudence to stay at the manor, sure she needed space, but the girl became very upset at the suggestion. She begged Nicole not to make her leave her family and home.
Nicole didn’t know what to do to help. She took to pacing when she was alone, trying to think of ways to make life at the Gardner house more tolerable and healthy.
Nothing new appeared in the journal for Nicole to read, but Rebecca came to visit regularly—usually every two or three days. Nicole could tell that the woman was eager to hear about new signs and Nicole’s thoughts on those signs. Nicole never let on that she’d told Austin and Lizzie about the journal, and Rebecca never asked if anyone else knew. Maybe it just wasn’t important after all.
At one point, Nicole questioned Rebecca about the Gardner family, if they would be okay. Rebecca refused to give a straight answer, so Nicole instead asked about the portal, wanting to know how much longer until it opened. Rebecca could only guess that it had to be soon.
But Nicole kept an eye on the land surrounding the Gardners’ home during the frequent trips she took there with Albert. Nothing was changing.
Two weeks after Nicole arrived, Albert invited the Gardners to his manor for a mini concert. He told Nicole about Sterling’s skills on a guitar he’d bought for the young man. Prudence apparently had a beautiful singing voice, while Winston’s cowboy poetry couldn’t be beat.
The mini concert was set for the following Saturday night, giving Nicole three days to prepare. Albert told her she’d be last on the program. Nicole wanted to choose a song that would express her love and concern for the Gardners. She chose a piece from the eighteen hundreds, hoping that the rich and powerful emotions would sway the family. She planned to ask them afterwards to move into the manor until everything with the portal blew over.
Saturday night came quickly, and Nicole excitedly threw open the doors when the Gardners arrived.
“Come in, come in!” Albert said, standing next to Nicole.
Nicole immediately realized that the family wasn’t feeling well. They were thin, and so very sickly looking. She and Albert met eyes, her concern mirrored in his expression. What could they do for this family? Would asking—begging—them to move be enough? How could they not see their own situation?
Albert showed the family to a theater room that was two floors beneath Nicole’s bedroom. Everyone took seats and prepared themselves. Nicole couldn’t wait for the concert to begin. She tuned, rosined her bow, and pulled out her endpin, setting her cello aside when Albert took the stage.
“It’s my pleasure to start our concert with a reading of something I wrote years ago.” He put on a pair of glasses and peered down at the yellowed sheet of paper he held, then began.
It was an essay on the importance of taking care of family and loved ones, and it made Nicole tear up. This wonderful man was just as concerned for the Gardners as she was, and more so. He’d known them his entire life, after all.
Albert finished and took a bow. Nicole glanced at the Gardners, trying to gauge their reactions. Their eyes were glassed over, their pale faces blank. Had they even heard a word of what he’d said?
Orson was up next. He lumbered to the stage, struggling to pull himself onto it. He didn’t even notice the steps just to his left until Albert placed him in front of them. Nicole’s heart broke, watching.
But that wasn’t the only thing Orson struggled with. Once on the stage, he stumbled around, disoriented. Not knowing what the boy had chosen to do for his talent, Albert wasn’t sure how to help. And Orson’s parents obviously wouldn’t be of assistance. They weren’t even watching their son. Iona stared at the lights over the stage, and Winston was chewing his thumb, looking somewhere past Orson.
Finally, Albert helped Orson down, then motioned to Prudence.
Prudence took the stage a bit more gracefully than her younger brother, but her performance, if it could be called that, was nearly as absent as Orson’s. She began a song, but stopped mid-verse. The words were strange and guttural, the tune horrible. Nicole couldn’t even tell what language they were in. Nearly as soon as Prudence started, she bowed and returned to her seat.
Sterling’s eyes found Nicole’s once he was on stage, but instead of the flirting and quick smile she’d expected, his blue eyes were milky white and vacant. A confused expression crossed his face, and he sat in the middle of the stage. He refused to leave until Iona went to replace him.
Iona and Winston were worse than their children—they didn’t even make it up to the stage. Nicole ached for them, and ached even more as she watched Albert. The old man was so upset. Tears streaked down his cheeks. He turned to Nicole.
“Please, sweetie, play something. Help them come back.”
Nicole nodded and picked up Niko. She knew better than to try to use her Arete powers, especially while she was so emotional, but found it hard not to something to catch the Gardners’ attention.
The moment she began playing, however, they noticed. In fact, all of them began screaming or shrieking. They clapped their hands over their ears, begging her to stop, rocking back and forth. Nicole dropped her bow in her rush to stop.
She saw that for the first time that night, the Gardners were coherent and aware of what was going on around them. At first, Nicole wanted to celebrate until she realized they weren’t happy. In fact, they were livid.
Winston shook for a moment, veins popping out on his forehead, before lunging to his feet, pointing his finger at Albert. “You! You old bat! We’re leaving. And none of us is comin’ back, includin’ Prudy.”
“Please, Winston,” Albert said. “Listen to me. You and your family aren’t safe at home anymore. You need to leave that place. Come, stay here with us. There’s plenty of room.”
Winston glared at him, grabbing Orson’s arm and pulling him toward the door. “We ain’t never leavin’ our house, Albert. You can stop your conniving to get the place.”
Albert and Nicole followed the Gardners to the front door, begging and pleading them the whole way to reconsider, to make the necessary change. But they were met only with hostility as Winston flung some choice words at them before loading his family into the wagon and driving off.
Albert shut the door and leaned his forehead against it. “What do we do?” he asked.
Nicole shook her head. She had no idea. “We need to stage another intervention—a more direct one.”
“How, when I don’t even know what’s going on?”
Nicole took a breath, deciding she needed to tell Albert what she knew. “The meteor that landed brought magic with it. It’s slowly overpowering the land surrounding the crater, and I’d assume it’s severely affecting the Gardners too.”
Albert looked at Nicole. “How do you know this?”
“It’s all in a journal that’s been in my possession for a few weeks now.”
“May I see it?”
“Of course. I’ll go get it.”
They parted ways and met back up in Albert’s library where, after Nicole had looked around to make sure there weren’t any spiders present, she handed him the book. Albert flipped through it, shaking his head. “There’s nothing here but information on magical items.”
Nicole slumped to the chair next to him. “I forgot. It only works for me, when I’m alone. I’ll have to tell you about it instead.”
So she did. Albert’s eyes widened, especially when Nicole told him about the embryonic manipulator and the portal that was feeding off her magic.
“It’s also giving me strength,” she said. “Helping me prepare for contact with the messenger.”
“You have to take the elixir?”
Nicole nodded. “And I don’t know when it’ll come. But I do know that we have to help the Gardners.”
“Absolutely.” Albert sighed heavily. “They probably won’t be very happy to see us, but we need to visit them in the morning.”
“Yes, I agree. I’ll apologize to them for playing . . . though I have no idea why it upset them so much.”
“I don’t either.”
Neither said anything for several moments.
Finally, Albert glanced at Nicole. “I know I’m an independent old man, but I need you to know how grateful I am that you’re here, that I’m not witnessing this alone.”
Nicole looked down. “Even though I’m the reason all of this is happening?”
“Even though.”
He got to his feet, handed her the journal, then patted her head as he walked past. “I’ll see you in the morning. We’ll leave at eight thirty.”
***
Nicole and Albert were both ready at eight twenty and decided to leave immediately.
Albert took Nicole to a barn out back that she hadn’t been inside yet. She helped him hitch up the horse and buggy, glad she’d had plenty of experience with horses back home. Then they drove to the Gardners’ place.
The twenty-minute ride was quiet. When they stopped in front of the house, Winston was pulling water out of the well. He glanced at them, then turned back to his work, but Nicole could tell Albert took courage from the fact that he didn’t yell at them or tell them to go away.
“We came to apologize for last night,” Albert said.
Winston gave a short nod. His body language was more relaxed than the night before, thank goodness. He still had a weird expression on his face and a strange demeanor around him that Nicole didn’t like, but at least he recognized his friend.
“Nothin’ to apologize for,” Winston said. He transferred the water to another bucket, shouldered it, then motioned for Nicole and Albert to follow him inside.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” he said, taking the bucket to the kitchen.
The house was silent, and Nicole guessed that Orson was at school and Sterling was working the fields. But where was Prudence? By this time, she was usually at the manor.
Winston returned, carrying three cups of water, two of which he handed to Nicole and Albert. “Best water around,” he said, tipping his cup back and downing its contents in a couple of gulps.
Nicole held the cup up to her nose and took a sniff. It didn’t smell weird. She and Albert looked at each other, then both took a sip at the same time. Nicole spit hers back into the cup the moment it hit her mouth. She noticed Albert doing the same thing. They both thanked Winston for the water, then set their cups aside. Nicole hoped Winston wouldn’t notice they didn’t drink it. It tasted rancid, like something had fallen into the well and died.
“How’s the house without Prudy there?” Winston asked.
Albert leaned forward, arms on his knees. “It hasn’t been a day yet, but we miss her already.”
Nicole nodded. “Will she be returning soon?” She hoped Winston would have forgotten the events of the night before. But when Winston shook his head, she knew he hadn’t.
“I just don’t see that as a good idea right now. I need to keep my family close, especially with—”
Just then, someone in another room screamed. It was shrill, high-pitched, and sounded like the person was being stabbed.
Winston didn’t make a move to investigate. In fact, when Albert rose, he motioned him back down. When the screaming ended, he picked at his fingernails. “Ever since last night, Iona’s been havin’ screamin’ fits.” He glanced at Nicole. “Don’t play your instrument for her ever again.”
“I won’t. I’m sorry.” Nicole didn’t know what else to say.
Prudence wandered into the room just then, smiling dazedly. She didn’t see Nicole and Albert at first. She sashayed slowly, humming to herself, seeming very content.
“Prudy, it’s good to see you,” Albert said.
Prudence slowly turned, a blank expression on her face. She gazed at Albert for several moments, not seeming to recognize him. Then her eyes shifted to Nicole’s, and a bit of recognition flashed there. As quickly as it had come, though, it disappeared. She drifted to the window and stared outside before meandering out of the room.
Albert looked crushed at her rejection. Prudence was the granddaughter he’d never had. This family was his family. How would he take it if something happened to them? He and Nicole had to do something to help the Gardners.
“Winston, have you ever had bottled water?” Nicole asked.
Winston stared at her for a moment. “Bottled water?”
“It’s very delicious. It might even be better than your well water, which is also fantastic.”
Winston snorted. “There ain’t no water better than mine.”
Nicole shrugged. “We’ll bring you some later, and you can try for yourself.”
Albert nodded, obviously catching onto Nicole’s plan. “We’ll bring you a ton of it. You’ll never need water again.”
Nicole noticed he didn’t mention the well, and she figured that was a good idea. Trying to take it away from Winston probably wouldn’t work.
“You can bring in your fancy stuff, but without that well, we would all die from dehydration.”
Nicole leaned forward. “Not if you’ve got another source of liquid. Bottled water is just as hydrating—”
“No, no, no.” Winston slashed his hands through the air. “I don’t wanna die. I don’t want my family to die.”
Nicole frowned, glancing at Albert. How was it possible to converse with someone who was lucid one moment, then almost completely insane the next?
Iona started another screaming fit in the back room, but this time, she didn’t stay there. Her screams increased in volume until she’d rushed into the front room, holding her arms around middle, shrieking.
“They’s comin’,” she said. “They’s already here. Leachin’, suckin’, stealin’. My soul, oh, my soul—it’s gone!”
She started shaking so violently, Nicole jumped to her feet to steady the woman. Iona didn’t seem to notice Nicole at her side, but her shaking slowed.
“The walls—they’s helping it. It’s tainted, all of it.”
Iona slumped into a chair near the window and stared outside. Nicole could only guess what was on the woman’s mind. She found herself breathing a prayer that this would all be over soon. How much longer could it go on? How much longer could this family last?
The trip back went fairly quickly as Albert and Nicole brainstormed things they could do.
“Iona’s simply in the house too much,” Albert said. “The place is too close to where that meteor landed, and it’s poisoning her. I know Winston doesn’t agree, but I won’t stand by and watch.”
“Seriously. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
“It’s a good thing most of them have been away from the house so much. I worry about Prudy now, but Iona is definitely getting the brunt of it.”
They decided to take turns driving into Moses Lake to buy fresh produce and meat. They weren’t sure how to get the Gardners to eat it, but they had to start somewhere. They’d also visit the family twice a day instead of just once.
“But we need to be careful not to infect ourselves,” Nicole said as they pulled up to the barn at the manor. “I have a feeling that even being exposed to the air there is a bad idea, not just eating the food and drinking the water.”
Albert agreed. “We’ll limit our visits to five minutes or less each time.”
“Good idea.”
***
Nicole buried herself in her studies even more and soon was able to silence pretty much anything. It made her feel good, knowing that she’d perfected her sub-ability. She hoped the strength she gained from the portal would stick around after the portal left. In the meantime, she started doing a lot of reading up on other sub-abilities for Wind Aretes. Albert had a great collection of Arete books in his library, and she continued to spend several hours there each day.
Albert taught her how to use the food preserving machine, and they bought tons of fresh food from several different grocery stores, preserved most of it, then left cans and containers of food around the Gardners’ house—on the counters and tables—hoping that someone would eventually eat it.
Nicole loved the trips out to Moses Lake—it was nice to be back in her car again and see people who were, well, relatively normal. She could almost pretend that life was back to how it had been before.
The Gardners were going downhill. From what Albert and Nicole could tell, they weren’t eating anything except what they’d prepared from their own land. Nicole hated seeing the despair in Albert’s eyes every time they stopped by the house.
At least one good thing was happening—the land was finally turning gray. The colors were leaking from the trees and bushes, and the dirt no longer had a slight brown shade to it.
Nicole informed Rebecca about the change, and the woman said more instructions would be forthcoming. Nicole opened the journal several times, hoping for more to read, but nothing showed up.
At the beginning of November, Nicole decided to take a break from the situation in Moses Lake. She drove back to Seattle for the weekend to hang out with Lizzie. Sadly, Austin would be out of town with Coolidge, but at least Nicole would be able to see her best friend.
The moment she walked through the door of her apartment and saw Lizzie, she broke down, sobbing.
Lizzie ran to her and gave her a hug. “I had no idea how hard this has been on you.”
Nicole couldn’t respond for several moments. “It’s been awful. Lizzie, they’re dying. It’s slow and horrible to watch. None of them will listen to us. They won’t eat the food we’re bringing. They won’t drink anything but water from that stupid well.” She wiped her eyes. “And I miss my best friend.”
“Do you miss me too?” Austin asked, walking down the hall.
Nicole dropped her hold on Lizzie and dashed to Austin, throwing her arms around him. “Oh, you’re here. Lizzie told me you were gone with Coolidge!”
Austin chuckled, holding her tight. He buried his face in her neck. “She lied,” he said, his voice muffled.
Nicole laughed.
The three of them sat on the couches in the living room and talked, covering pretty much every topic from Whitman—who’d finally confessed to Coolidge about the crown—to the Gardners and Albert.
“How much longer will it be?” Lizzie asked.
Nicole shook her head. “I have no idea. I hope not much . . . that third sign is finally happening, but nothing new has appeared in the journal, and Rebecca hasn’t come in a week.”
Austin frowned. “Didn’t she say she’d visit every couple of days?”
“Yes. And she did, for the first month. But something is obviously going on, keeping her distracted.”
Austin pulled Nicole even closer. “I think it’s time for you and Albert to remove the Gardners from the situation, especially the kids.”
“I agree. But how? They’re so protective of each other. We tried to convince Prudence to stay at the manor, but she wouldn’t. And Winston is positive that if we take anyone away, they’ll die.”
“He’s so brainwashed,” Lizzie said.
Nicole and Austin both nodded.
“I know this is a horrible thing to say,” Nicole started, “but I hate being this involved with them. I don’t know how much more I can take, seeing them suffer so much.”
Lizzie put her hand on Nicole’s arm. “We both know that if it were me out there, I would’ve given up already and gone home. Rebecca did say they needed a strong Arete. Maybe they weren’t just referring to magical abilities, but also strength of character.”
“You are strong, though, Lizzie,” Nicole said. “You stand up for things I shy away from.”
“Ideals and theology type things, but not physical strain or mental competition. I’ve never been as intense as you.”
Austin rubbed Nicole’s back. “She’s got a point, Nicole. You tried out for—and made—the expedition. Thousands of other students also tried, and yet you were chosen and they weren’t. You’re made of tough stuff.”
Nicole looked at him. “And so are you. Why did the journal choose me? Why not you? You’re so much more powerful than I am.”
No one had an answer for that. Nicole hoped someday she’d know the reasons behind Rebecca and Captain Price’s decision, but she knew she’d probably be waiting a long time to hear it.
“I wish we could talk to Elizabeth,” she said.
Lizzie frowned, tilting her head. “Who?”
“The woman from Britnell Manor. You know, with the photograph Austin got.”
Austin stopped rubbing Nicole’s back for a moment. “Why do you want to talk to her?”
“She’s dead and Rebecca’s dead. Maybe they’ve run into each other, wherever dead people end up. I need to find out if I can trust Rebecca. I mean, I have been so far, but what if she has ulterior motives?”
“Nearly everyone does,” Lizzie said.
“But not all motives are evil. What if hers are?”
Lizzie shrugged. “You could always ask her.”
“I kind of have already. She told me to trust her.”
Lizzie knitted her eyebrows. “Then why don’t you?”
Nicole and Austin both chuckled.
“Because some people lie,” Austin said.
Lizzie swatted at him. “Yeah, I know.” She sobered up. “I trust people far too easily. Which is why they walk all over me sometimes.”
Nicole nodded. “But it’s also why you make so many friends. People love that characteristic about you.”
Lizzie smiled. “Thank you, Nicole.”
After a few more minutes, Lizzie stretched, said goodnight, then headed to bed.
Nicole asked Austin for an update on Professor Whitman. Apparently, Coolidge was taking every weekend to track down the person who’d sold Whitman the crown.
“He’s getting closer,” Austin said, then leaned his head on Nicole’s and was silent for several moments. “What are you going to do, once this is all over?”
“I hesitate to make any plans in case Rebecca needs me to do something with the elixir. And I’m pretty sure she will. They’ve hinted around it, but they need to see how well I handle this task first.” Nicole tucked her feet underneath her legs and looked up at Austin. “Is it bad that I hope they choose me? Without knowing the potential dangers? I really just want things to go back to how they were before Rebecca and Captain Price. And knowing that it’s possible . . . makes it even more important that it happens soon. They’ve been working with me for a while now and wouldn’t need to start over with someone else.”
Austin leaned over and kissed her, then traced a line with his lips to her ear and back again. “If you could choose, how many kids would you want?”
Nicole blinked at the question. Where had it come from? Was he wanting to know how many kids they’d end up having together, if they got married, or how many she wanted with any guy? She mentally kicked herself for automatically thinking about marriage when she and Austin had just started dating.
Realizing she’d gotten off topic and that Austin was still waiting for an answer, she said, “I always planned to try for four—everyone always does. And having an Arete would be so very neat. But if I weren’t limited, would I want more than that? I honestly don’t know. I think four’s a good number . . . but maybe five? What about you?”
Austin smiled. “I want a big family. Plenty of kids to fill a large ranch.”
“What’s big?”
“Oh, eight or nine.”
Nicole raised her eyebrows. “That many? Really?”
Austin shrugged. “Why not? If it’s an option, I don’t see why I shouldn’t. Besides, the more Austinites there are in the world, the better the world would be.”
Nicole giggled. “You just called yourself an Austenite.” She knew the spelling was different, but the word was pretty much the same.
“So?”
“It’s what Jane Austen lovers call themselves.”
Austin mock rolled his eyes. “Oh, heavens. Can’t be associated with them, can I?”
“Not unless you want—”
Austin put his lips over Nicole’s, silencing her with a long, warm kiss, making her forget what she’d been about to say.
***
The visit was over far too quickly. Austin called Nicole on the way to Moses Lake, keeping her company until she reached the gate and her phone and car both died.
Albert was already there, waiting in the buggy. “Good trip?” he asked once Nicole was loaded up.
“Yes. It was nice to see my friends again.”
“Excellent. You up for a visit to the Gardners? I put off the one this morning, not wanting to go alone again.” He glanced sidelong at her. “They’re a lot different when it’s just me. I don’t know why, but they act weird. Like I make them more uncomfortable than you do.”
Nicole could tell it pained him to say that. “I’m sure this will all be over soon enough.”
Albert’s face brightened. “You really think so?”
“The last sign has been met—you yourself were commenting on how ugly the land is getting. It can’t be much longer now.”
Albert visibly relaxed. “I really hope so. I want my friends and my property back.”
After dropping Nicole’s things off at the manor, they continued on to the Gardners’ home. The buggy wasn’t uncomfortable, but after the long car ride, Nicole’s backside was tired of sitting for so long. She couldn’t wait to get back to the manor.
They pulled up to the white house. And even though Orson was playing in the dirt outside, not looking upset or shocked about anything, the moment Nicole and Albert neared, they could tell something was different.
Banging noises, originating from the stables, reached their ears, and someone there was screaming. Not wanting to just assume it was Iona, Nicole and Albert rushed into the house to check with Winston.
Prudence was scrubbing the same spot on the table over and over. Iona wasn’t in sight, and Winston was in a rocking chair, staring out the window.
“Milk tastes funny,” Winston said, not even waiting for his guests to shut the door. “Had to move the cows. The land is poisoned.”
Albert and Nicole met eyes. Nicole couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.
“I know,” Albert said. “Are you going to move away?”
“This is my ma’s house. I can’t take Iona away from it.” His eyes wandered heavenward. “She’s up there now.”
Albert gasped. “Iona died?”
Winston shook his head. “Nope. She’s in the attic. She sees somethin’ now.” His eyes went out of focus. “Somethin’ from the beyond.”
“Why is she in the attic?” Nicole asked, amazed at how lucid Winston was.
“Can’t have her down here—she upsets Orson too much.”
“Can we check on her?” Albert asked.
Winston shrugged. “Go right ahead. She won’t hurt you none.”
Albert nodded, then flinched when another loud noise drifted through the open window from the barn. “Okay. Then we’d like to ask what’s going on in the stables.”
“It’s just Sterling with them animals.”
Albert motioned for Nicole to go first, then changed his mind and had her follow him. Nicole appreciated the gesture. Even though Albert was getting old, he was still fairly strong and spry.
They headed up the stairs. The hair on Nicole’s arms rose as she sensed another presence. She looked around for a spider, but didn’t see one. Not wanting to freak Albert out, she decided not to mention what she’d felt. Moments later, it passed.
At the top of the stairs was a very narrow hallway with three doors leading off it—one at the back of the hall, and one on either side. Albert hesitated, glancing at Nicole, then tried the door on the left. The room was empty. He turned to the one on the right and opened it.
Iona was there on her hands and knees, crawling around the edges of the room. The moment she saw the open door, her bloodshot eyes widened, and she headed for freedom as fast as she could.
Albert and Nicole raced into the room and shut the door before she could get there. “Sorry, Iona, but I don’t think Winston wants you out right now.”
Iona narrowed her eyes and stared at him.
“How are you doing?” Nicole asked.
The woman didn’t respond. A drop of drool fell from her mouth, splattering on the scuffed wooden floor. Iona shuddered, looked away from them, then began crawling around the edges of the room again. She still didn’t say anything, and as she crawled past, Nicole was horrified to see that one of her feet was shriveled, and the other was grotesquely swollen.
Albert noticed it too and looked at Nicole, a sad expression on his face. He motioned to the door, and Nicole nodded. The two of them left Iona to her crawling and headed back downstairs.
Albert paused near the front door, staring at Winston. Nicole could tell that the old man wanted to say something, maybe to offer Winston some comfort, but was struggling with getting the words out. His mouth opened and closed several times.
Just then, the noise from the stable intensified, and Sterling called for help.
“Let’s go see what’s going on,” Albert said to Nicole and opened the door.
Winston jumped up from his rocking chair, startling Nicole. “I’m comin’.”
The three rushed toward the barn, gray leaves and grass crunching under foot. Nicole was astonished to notice that the walls were shaking.
Albert went to open the door, but Winston held him back. “No.” He motioned to Nicole. “Come here.” He pointed to the window high above.
Nicole nodded, then stepped into Winston’s hands when he clasped them together at knee height. Albert offered an arm to help steady Nicole, then Winston raised her up high enough to look through the narrow opening at the top of the wall.
Sterling was in the corner of the barn holding a shovel, trying to fend off several attacking horses.
“Put me down, put me down!” Nicole said.
Albert and Winston complied immediately, and Nicole rushed around to the doors, yanking them open.
“Stand back,” she said.
Albert and Winston flattened themselves against either wall right as the horses stampeded through.
Once the last of them had gone, Nicole ran into the barn and to Sterling, who was in a crumpled mess on the ground. He was bloodied and bruised.
She dropped to her knees next to him and felt his forehead. It was clammy. He was barely breathing. How had he been standing a moment earlier and now was in such bad shape? Maybe he realized help was coming and had given in to his exhaustion.
“Sterling, can you hear me?”
He moaned but didn’t open his eyes.
“We’ve got to get him out of here,” Nicole said, looking up at Albert and Winston.
“But how?” Winston asked, his bloodshot eyes wild.
Albert looked around the barn, his gaze landing on a wheelbarrow in a corner. “With that.”
He ran to it and brought it over, then the three of them grabbed Sterling, carefully lifting him into it. Sterling groaned again, his eyes opening. They landed on Nicole. He raised a hand toward her and smiled, then his head lolled to the side as he fell unconscious.
Albert pushed the wheelbarrow carefully out of the barn and toward the buggy.
The whole way there, Nicole and Albert tried to convince Winston to let them take Sterling to the hospital.
“Can’t you see, Winston?” Albert asked. “The boy’s in awful shape. He needs a doctor!”
“He ain’t gonna get one,” Winston said. “No one is leavin’ the house who belongs here.”
Sterling groaned, his eyes opening, as they stopped the wheelbarrow near the buggy. “Pa, I need to go. Please let me go.”
Nicole’s jaw dropped. This was the first time a member of the Gardner family had expressed an actual desire to leave. Had the horses knocked some sense into Sterling’s mind?
Winston fell to his knees by his oldest son. “No, Sterling, please, no. Your ma needs you here.”
Sterling winced. “Gotta go. Gotta . . .”
Winston glanced back up at Albert, biting his lips. “Fine. Take him. But if he dies, it’s on your hands.”
Albert glared at Winston. “No, friend. If he dies, it’s on you for not listening to me a long time ago.”
Winston looked away from Albert, seeming too ashamed to meet his eye. But he didn’t argue.
The three of them lifted Sterling and carefully sat him up on the bench of the buggy.
“Godspeed,” Winston said, shaking Albert’s hand.
Albert got up alongside Sterling, and Winston helped Nicole into the seat at the back of the buggy.
With a crack of the whip, Albert’s horse started forward so fast that Nicole nearly fell off. She grabbed the wooden seat and held on as tightly as she could during the wild ride.
Trees went past in a blur, and instead of the usual twenty minutes, it only took ten to reach the manor. Thank goodness the dirt road was in good condition.
Albert passed the manor and continued on down the driveway toward the gate. Once there, they half pulled, half pushed Sterling from the buggy, then walked him around to Nicole’s car, where they laid him across the backseat. Nicole hopped behind the wheel and revved the engine as Albert put on his seatbelt. She flipped the car around as quickly as possible.
Not caring if cops caught her speeding, Nicole zoomed down Wheeler Road and back into Moses Lake, where Albert showed her the way to the nearest ER. She pulled up at the doors and dashed out of the car to get a wheelchair. Then she and Albert helped Sterling into it.
Albert rolled Sterling through the doors while Nicole parked. It took her a couple of minutes to find a stall, and by the time she got into the hospital, Sterling had already been taken back.
Albert was pacing in the waiting room, running a hand over his thinning hair. “They say he’s in really bad condition.”
Nicole nodded. She didn’t need a doctor’s opinion to know that.
A nurse came out just then and stepped over to Albert. “Your grandson needs surgery immediately.” She handed him a clipboard. “Sign these.”
Albert did so, then handed back the papers. He saw Nicole’s shocked expression.
“Grandson?”
“Not technically. But many years ago, Winston gave me power of attorney for him and his whole family. He didn’t know what it meant when I asked, and I’ve never abused it. It’s come in handy a few times when someone in his family has gotten sick. Iona, for example, nearly died giving birth to Orson. I was able to get her to the hospital, then make the necessary decisions that ultimately saved both her and Orson.”
Nicole slumped into a seat and leaned her head against the wall, not caring how dirty it was. “So, now we wait?”
Albert sat next to her. “You don’t need to stay. I can call you when they give me news.”
Nicole laughed without humor. “Where would I go? Certainly not back to the manor, where my phone doesn’t always work. Besides, regardless of what I do, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate. I’m too worried.”
Albert nodded. “I’m worried too.”
And so they fell into silence, waiting together.