Nicole drove to Seattle and met up with Lizzie so they could carpool to the airport together.
“I swear, you didn’t have to buy my ticket,” Lizzie said, grinning at Nicole as they checked in their luggage. “I was about to anyway.”
Nicole chuckled. “Right . . .” She didn’t worry about Lizzie paying her back—she always did. And if Lizzie didn’t, it wasn’t a big deal—they bought things for each other frequently.
Nicole waited until the plane had taken off before telling Lizzie about her conversation with Rebecca from the day before.
Lizzie’s eyebrows shot up. “Holy smokes, that’s horrible.”
Nicole nodded. “I know.”
“Did you tell Albert?”
“No, I couldn’t.” She felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes. “The poor man is so upset over everything that’s happened so far as it is.”
“I’ll bet. What’s he going to do for Thanksgiving Day?”
Nicole shrugged, feeling horrible again for leaving him there all alone. “He says he’s used to it, that it won’t be his first one by himself.”
“I don’t want to get old. It’s so lonely sounding.”
“I know.” Nicole leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. “Maybe by then, they’ll have invented something that will prevent aging.”
“Or maybe they’ll have fixed the problem keeping people from having lots of kids.”
The girls met eyes, and Nicole knew that Lizzie was trying to cheer her up, help her see the bigger picture, and she appreciated it. Even though it was depressing and frustrating, there were more important things than Albert’s loneliness and the Gardners’ health.
“Are you excited to see your mom?” Lizzie asked, interrupting Nicole’s thoughts.
Nicole snorted. “Not really. I haven’t talked to her since before Arches.”
“Wow. I had no idea it had been that long.”
“She’s probably nervous. I’ve never gone so long without communicating with her.” Nicole looked at Lizzie. “But what she did was awful. Uncalled for.”
“What exactly did she do? She never confessed to anything. And now that you know Rebecca, it’s not that big of a deal, right?”
“Hey, I’m not going to be forgetting those spiders any time soon. Or the fact that my mom manipulated my life—my decisions—by going behind my back.”
“Most kids would love it if their parents paid their rent.”
Nicole sighed. “I know. But not this one.”
“Wanna come see my family before you head home?”
Nicole felt her spirits lift at the prospect. “Heavens, yes. That would be wonderful. I could use some of your mom’s home cooking.”
Even though Lizzie’s relationship with her mom was strained sometimes—Brenda wanted Lizzie to be a dancer, and Lizzie hated dancing—they got along fairly well. Besides, what girl doesn’t sometimes argue with her mom? Nicole’s relationship with her mother was the weird one. Tiffany had always been controlling, demanding, and picky. She’d expected nothing but perfection from her children, especially Nicole.
Lizzie plugged in earbuds and Nicole decided to do some reading on her phone. She could use some entertainment.
Several hours later, the girls pulled up in a rental car in front of Lizzie’s house. It was a pretty, all-brick, two-story place with roses growing on either side of the sidewalk. Lizzie practically skipped to the door and rang the doorbell, turning and giving Nicole a mischievous grin.
Brenda answered, her brown hair in a messy bun and wearing an apron. She squealed, hands over her mouth. She didn’t give Lizzie a chance to say anything, though, before she’d yanked her daughter to herself in a big hug.
“Where on earth did you come from?” she shrieked.
“Do you want a technical answer to that?” Lizzie asked, her voice muffled.
Brenda chuckled. “No, thanks. Oh, Lizzie, I’m so glad you came.” She stepped around her daughter and opened her arms for Nicole. “So good to see you too, sweetie.”
“Same.”
“Have you stopped by your house yet?”
“No, I’ll be heading there soon.”
“What a shame. It’s fun having you around.” Brenda motioned for Nicole to enter. “Come have some pumpkin bread. It’s fresh.”
Nicole’s mouth watered as she caught a whiff of the spiced bread. She followed Brenda to the kitchen while Lizzie took her suitcase upstairs to her room.
Brenda cut a couple of slices and set them in front of Nicole on a paper plate, then got her a glass of milk. “Your mom still have a stick up her butt?”
Nicole’s jaw dropped. “Brenda! Wow. I can see you’ve been learning new vocabulary.”
Brenda waved her off. “Lizzie’s brother is home from college, you know.”
“Landen’s finally done?”
Brenda beamed. “No, he has another year. It’s Hugh. Hugh graduated.”
“What? How? Didn’t he just start a year and a half ago?”
A pair of muscular arms encircled Nicole’s shoulders from behind. “I sure did!” Hugh said. “You know I was taking college classes in high school.”
Nicole jumped up and gave him a big hug. “Congratulations! That’s fantastic. I’m so proud of you.”
Hugh’s freckled features turned red, matching his hair, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his feet. “Yeah, it’s really cool being able to say I’m a college grad now.” He glanced around. “Where’s my baby sister?”
“Upstairs, probably unpacking,” Brenda said.
“Okay! Gonna go say hi. Then I’ll be back.” He winked at Nicole and dashed off.
Nicole turned back to Brenda, grinning. “He’s still the same.”
“Ever the flirt? Yeah. He gets it from his dad.”
Nicole leveled a smile at Brenda. “And who does Lizzie get her flirting skills from?”
Brenda fanned her face. “Me, of course.”
The two laughed together and Nicole relaxed into her chair. It felt so good being back home. And yes, this place was home. Lizzie’s house had always felt more like that to Nicole than her own place. These people definitely were family.
“He’s getting married, you know,” Brenda said, sitting next to Nicole at the table. She ticked items off her fingers. “His goals—go to college, meet girl, graduate from college, marry girl. He only needs to marry her, and then he’ll be all set.”
“Congratulations to him!” Nicole finished one slice of bread and started the other. “What did he graduate in?”
“Agriculture. He’s going to take over his uncle’s farm.”
Nicole nodded. “I’m sure he’ll be a blessing to your brother.”
“Most definitely.” Brenda got up and refilled Nicole’s glass, then sat down again.
They continued chatting, Brenda getting Nicole caught up on who was doing what. Pretty soon, Hugh and Lizzie joined them, and Hugh told Nicole and Lizzie all about his fiancée, who would be arriving the following day.
After a while, Nicole pushed back from the table. “I’d better get going. I’ll be disowned from the family if I don’t let them know I’m home.”
“Tell Derek I’m still single,” Lizzie said, walking Nicole to the front door.
“Will do.” Nicole laughed. “I’ll text you later.”
***
Nicole hesitated before entering her house. She wished she could’ve warned her mother that she was coming home—Tiffany hated surprises. But no one answered the phone, and Tiffany never, ever read text messages.
Rather than go through the family entrance near the garages, Nicole let herself in through the double front doors. She shut them behind her and leaned against them, staring at the vast entryway. White marble floors, pillars, and staircases were dotted with red paintings, red rugs, and stained-glass windows.
It really was beautiful.
Unfortunately, Nicole had never been able to enjoy it. Not in the customary ways, anyway. Tiffany never allowed parties or friends over, and Dad’s business always made him bring work home. The saying “Children will be seen and not heard” was oft quoted, especially when he had a huge project to complete.
Taking a deep breath, Nicole decided to put her things in her bedroom first. She took the stairs on the right-hand side, then walked down the hall to the end door. She opened it and stepped inside, breathing a sigh of relief. Her room had been untouched.
Rather than go with the dashes of bright red amidst the crisp white and black decor, Nicole had chosen turquoise and tan accents. They relaxed her, made her feel more comfortable. As a result, Tiffany kept the door to Nicole’s room shut. That suited Nicole just fine.
After setting her luggage on the settee at the foot of her king-sized bed, Nicole took off her jacket and laid it across the comforter and removed her shoes, tucking them just under her bed. Then, steeling herself for the inevitable reunion, she padded out of her room and down the hall and stairs.
She checked Tiffany’s office first. Empty. Dad’s office was empty as well, which meant they were probably in the basement watching a movie.
That floor was vacant too, though, so Nicole decided to check her parents’ bedroom. It was at the opposite end of the house from hers. She hiked back up two flights of stairs and knocked on their door.
“Enter,” Tiffany sang out.
Nicole opened the door and stepped inside.
“Nicole!” Tiffany said, looking up from a couch in the sitting area of her room. “When did you arrive?”
“Just now.” Nicole didn’t move from the doorway. “Where’s Dad?”
“Shaving.”
Neither said anything for a moment. Finally, Tiffany set down her novel and stood, approaching Nicole.
“You look unwell. Starved. Thin. And there are dark circles under your eyes.” She grabbed Nicole’s chin, staring at her. “Aren’t you sleeping or eating?”
“Things have been pretty stressful, Mother.”
“I’ll have Emily put something together for you immediately.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Oh. Did you stop by Lizzie’s house, then?”
“Of course. Lizzie came home with me.”
“Very well.” Mother motioned for Nicole to follow her. “Come say hello to your father.”
Nicole followed Tiffany to the bathroom.
“Rough night, Dad?” Nicole asked once she’d stepped inside.
“Mmhmmm,” he said, wiping away the extra shaving cream.
The only time Nicole’s dad shaved in the middle of the day was when he’d been up all night, working over some corporate problem. He must’ve only been awake for an hour or two, even though it was five in the afternoon.
Dad washed his hands, then turned and gave Nicole a hug. “Good to see you, Cole.”
Nicole smiled at the nickname. Dad was the only one who called her that, and he had for as long as she could remember.
“Anyone else here yet?” Nicole asked.
Tiffany nodded. “Yes, but only Derek. Paul and his new wife will be coming soon.”
Paul and his “new wife” had been married for three years. Nicole decided not to bring up that point yet again. Tiffany would probably always call her the new wife. At least until someone else got married.
“How’s school?” Dad asked as he and Tiffany returned to the sitting room and took their places. Mother always sat in the loveseat with her feet tucked under her—funny how it was okay for her to sit that way, but not Nicole—and Dad sat in the overstuffed recliner that was directed toward the big-screen TV on the wall.
Nicole sat in the armchair near the couch and grabbed a throw blanket from the basket next to her chair, laying it over her lap.
“Well, I’m not enrolled right now.”
Tiffany gasped. “Why not? What happened? Did you flunk out?”
Nicole shook her head. “Of course not. Last time we talked, I told you I was going on an expedition. Well, I had to drop my classes for it.” She raised her hand, calming her mother’s coming outburst. “Don’t worry, the expedition was a credit-earning one. I haven’t jeopardized my schooling. Anyway, I’ll be in classes again the beginning of next year.”
“How was the expedition?” Dad asked, leafing through a stack of papers.
Nicole shrugged. “Exciting. Thrilling. Life-changing. Dangerous. All that a university-led expedition can be.”
“Good, good.” Dad peered at her over his reading glasses. “Have you chosen a major yet?” He hesitated. “It’s not going to be an . . . Arete-directed one, is it?”
Nicole sighed inwardly. “I’m hoping it will be, actually. But I’m still undecided. I plan to take general ed classes this year, then make some decisions during the summer.”
“Excellent.” He set down his papers. “Don’t forget that I could put in a good word for you over at McCombs.”
Nicole smiled. “I need a bachelor’s degree to apply to business school, Dad.”
He shrugged. “They might make an exception for me.”
Nicole got up and gave her dad another hug. “Thanks, but I’d like to finish up at Katon first. Then we can talk.”
He patted her arm and returned to his papers. Dad had always been friendly but never knew what was going on in Nicole’s life. He wasn’t as threatened by Nicole as Mother was, but he never backed her up when Tiffany went on one of her tirades.
“I’m going to find Derek,” Nicole said.
Tiffany didn’t look up from her novel. “He’s in the game room.”
Nicole thanked her, then left, finding Derek where Mother said he’d be. This was Nicole’s favorite room in the house, outside of the music room and her own bedroom. They had pool, foosball, and air hockey tables set up, along with several places where they could play games or eat or read or do whatever they wanted.
Derek was lounging in a recliner next to the fireplace, flipping through a graphic novel.
“Hey, Derek,” Nicole said, sitting across from him.
“Hey.”
He didn’t look up for several moments, and Nicole knew better than to interrupt him. By nature, he was very focused, and wouldn’t be able to concentrate on her until he’d finished what he was doing.
Finally, he set his book aside and got up to give her a hug. “I’ve missed you, sis.”
“Same. How’s law school?”
He shrugged. “I’m almost done now.”
“Still planning on going into adoptions and estate planning?”
“Definitely.”
“Tiffany and Dad still annoyed at you for that?”
Derek gave her a mischievous grin. “Of course—and I like keeping it that way.” He put a hand to his forehead and mimicked their mother. “Oh, Derek, how we wish you’d go into business. Or at least respectable law.”
Nicole laughed, then sobered up. “I wish you could come up and see me sometime.”
“I will, I promise. For now, though, I need to maintain my speed. I’ve only got a year left.” He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “Not to change the subject—I’m fine talking about law school—but between you and me, it’s been miserable being at home the past two days.”
“How come?”
“Tiffany. And even Dad. They’ve got something up their sleeves. Her especially.”
“Like what?”
“Tiffany’s been really weird. She’s talking a lot about ancestors and the duty of our family and all of that. Don’t be surprised if she pulls out some family history books.”
Nicole shrugged. “She’s always done that.”
“I know, but this time, it’s different. It’s weird.”
“Thanks for the heads-up—I appreciate it. Oh, and before I forget . . .” Nicole sent her brother a sly look. “Lizzie says she’s still single.”
Derek laughed out loud, slapping his knee. “Oh, that girl. Good ol’ Lizzie. Tell her I’m still single too . . .”
“She’ll be happy to hear that.”
“. . . but that my heart belongs to someone else right now . . .”
“What?”
“. . . though I’ll keep Lizzie in mind if things don’t work out.”
“Are you serious? You’re in a relationship?”
“Sure am!”
Derek grinned at Nicole and she felt her heart swell. He’d always been shy and introverted, and it had been a long time since he’d been in a relationship. Nicole really hoped it would work out. He got along well with Lizzie—partially because she was Nicole’s best friend—but their playful banter wouldn’t ever develop into anything more.
“Tell me about her.”
Derek settled back in his chair. “She’s smart. And beautiful. You’ll like her.”
“When do I get to meet her? This week?”
He shook his head. “She’s back east with her family.”
“Too bad.”
Just then, Tiffany popped her head in the door. “Paul and his new wife are here. Come upstairs and chat.”
Nicole met Derek’s gaze and they both sighed.
“Guess we’d better go,” Derek said.
“Guess so.”
Paul and Julia were the least like Derek and Nicole in the family. They brownnosed Nicole’s mother all the time and were very judgmental of anyone who wasn’t like them. Unfortunately for them, just because they sought Tiffany’s approval didn’t mean they got it. She was just as critical of them as she was of her other children.
Paul was removing Julia’s coat when Nicole and Derek got upstairs. Rather than approach them immediately, Nicole leaned against the wall and looked into the mud room, where they proceeded to take off their shoes while chatting with Dad about their flight in from Maine.
“When is Chase getting here?” Derek asked Nicole.
She shrugged. “Soon, I hope.”
Once Paul and Julia had finished, they strode past Nicole and into the family room that joined with the kitchen. Nicole and Derek followed slowly, taking seats.
Watching Paul and his wife talk to Tiffany and Dad had always been an eye-opening experience. Paul was so much like Mother, it made Nicole nervous. He was manipulative, a perfectionist, and critical. His wife didn’t seem to mind, but then, she had a really mean streak and could dish out her own variety of cruelty.
The doorbell rang and Mother got up to answer. Moments later, she returned, carrying several pizza boxes. Nicole raised her eyebrow. Tiffany ordered pizza? Since when?
Mother must have noticed more shocked expressions than just Nicole’s. “I let Emily have the night off. I thought we could all enjoy one another’s company.” She looked at her watch. “Chase should be here soon. We’ll eat when he arrives.”
Nicole pulled out her phone and texted Chase. He had a habit of arriving an hour or two late. His response came fast—he’d be there in five minutes.
“He’s almost here,” Nicole said.
Tiffany nodded. “Good. I did my math right. He said he’d be here an hour ago.”
Nicole couldn’t help but smile at that. She wasn’t the only one who’d learned to work around Chase’s frequent late arrivals.
Chase and Derek easily were Nicole’s favorite siblings, though Derek usually came out on top. Chase was easily distracted from everything, including relationships. But he was so easygoing and open, it was difficult not to care about him.
Dinner was a quiet, casual affair. Paul and Julia updated everyone on their goings on. Paul was applying for McCombs soon, and Julia was busy working toward her interior design degree.
Chase had another girlfriend—that wasn’t anything special, since he had a new one every few months—but Derek dating someone definitely caused heads to turn.
Paul snickered. “Finally, the eldest deigns to follow his younger brother’s example.”
Derek rolled his eyes. “Yes, Paul, my life’s goal is to be just like you.”
“It always has been.”
“Right. I love offending and insulting people every chance I get.”
“Yes, I—”
“Stop bickering, boys,” Tiffany said.
No one said anything for several minutes as they finished their pizza and tried to behave. Once they were done, they retreated to the family room again, continuing their “getting caught up” conversation.
Nicole didn’t mind these sorts of get-togethers. She was rarely the center of attention, even though she was the youngest and the only girl. She figured part of it was because she was so different from her mother, while another part was because she was an Arete. The latter especially set her off from the family.
The conversation lulled for a minute, and Julia turned to Nicole. Nicole steeled herself for whatever onslaught the girl would send this time.
“I heard you dropped out of school. Was it too hard?”
Nicole held back her eye roll. “No, Julia. I went on an expedition for the university. I had to compete against thousands of other students. Only three of us were chosen, and we had to drop classes to go. I’m still considered a full-time student.”
“That’s wonderful, Cole,” Dad said.
Derek and Chase nodded, but neither Paul nor Julia seemed impressed. Mother only watched her children with her arms folded, her expression blank.
“Can you do magic yet?” Julia asked. “You know, you’re the first Arete I’ve ever met who couldn’t do anything.”
Nicole suddenly saw she couldn’t escape this sort of attitude. Paul had given it to her before he’d married Julia, and as soon as Nicole went to Seattle, Judith Ann had dished it on her.
“I take it from your silence the answer is no, you haven’t finally learned something.”
Nicole hated it when Julia used the word “finally.” “Finally, you’re doing something with your life.” “When you finally make something useful of yourself.” Nicole couldn’t understand how someone so unrelated to her could come into the family and pick her out as the person to make fun of and ridicule.
“Give us a show,” Paul said. “Prove to us that you’re an Arete.”
Nicole looked to Derek for help, but he didn’t say anything. He only gave her a compassionate expression. She hadn’t really expected him to do anything about the situation—he usually clammed up in front of Julia. Being so shy and introverted, he’d never warmed up to her. Of course, her attitude and personality made it difficult for someone even as outgoing as Nicole to want to be around her.
“Here, I’ll go get my cello,” Paul said. He got up and left the room.
All of Nicole’s siblings played a stringed instrument. Paul and Nicole played the cello. Derek played the bass and Chase the viola. Mother used to play the violin. She hadn’t touched hers in years.
No one said anything while Paul was gone, and it took him several minutes to return.
“Had to dig it out of the closet in my old room.” He handed it to Nicole. “Go for it.”
Nicole took a deep breath and unzipped the case, then pulled out the cello. She took her time getting the instrument set up and tuned, and the others started talking.
She didn’t wait for them to stop before saying, “It takes me a minute to get warmed up. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to show anything.”
Nicole wanted the extra time to prepare herself for a possible failure. This would be the first time in a while that she would have tried Channeling with something other than Niko.
She didn’t want to tell them what her sub-ability was. Instead, she started playing quiet, background-type music that encouraged chatter. While the others talked, she tested the air around her, sensing for, discerning the magical flows of pulses. It didn’t take her long to find them, since hers were the only ones present.
Nicole eased into her powers, welcoming them to her.
She was surprised to find that they were ready and willing. Cool. She tilted her head, wondering when she’d be able to Channel without a cello. Probably really soon, given how her magic was reacting tonight.
Nicole didn’t know what everyone was talking about, but they’d paired off in their conversations—Mother with Dad, Paul with Julia, and Derek with Chase. Nicole hesitated, wondering who to silence first. She started with Paul’s wife. Let her have a taste of Nicole’s magic.
Julia coughed, putting a hand to her throat, and Nicole pulled away immediately, deciding she could do better than that.
She closed her eyes, adjusting her playing to something quiet and mellow, then reached out magically to everyone in the room. She’d silence them all at the same time. It would be simple, easy. She took a deep breath and pictured them in her mind, allowing her power to flow through her to them all.
At once, everyone stopped talking.
They turned to look at her. Nicole raised an eyebrow, staring at them.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
A flash of fear crossed Julia’s face. Tiffany was irritated.
Nicole sighed in exaggeration. “I could keep this up the entire time I’m here. It would be easy, you know.” She smiled. “But I won’t.”
Nicole stopped playing, then released her hold on them. For a second, she was distracted by the fact that pausing her playing didn’t release the hold—she had to do it mentally. Did that mean she was becoming independent of the cello? It had to!
No one said anything at first, but Nicole didn’t miss the grins that Derek and Chase exchanged.
“That was fantastic, sis,” Derek said, speaking in front of the group for the first time that evening.
Tiffany scolded him with her eyes before turning her disapproving expression to Nicole. “Oh, yes, it was so mature, Nicole. Very adult of you.”
Nicole sighed at her mother’s negativity. She realized she’d never win her approval.
No one else seemed to want to talk, and Tiffany finally stood and approached Nicole. “I need to speak with you.” She indicated for Nicole to follow.
Nicole got up and saw Derek giving her an expression that said, “Here it comes.” She smiled at him, wanting to show that she was ready for anything Tiffany might have to say.
They went upstairs to the sitting area in Tiffany’s bedroom. Mother asked Nicole to have a seat on the couch, then went to her shelf and got out a photo album. So, Derek was right. This was about family history stuff. Interesting.
Tiffany sat next to Nicole. “Did I ever tell you I had a twin sister?”
Nicole’s jaw dropped. “No, you didn’t.”
“Well, I did. She died in a car crash when we were ten.”
“Oh, wow. That’s horrible.” Nicole knew her mother hadn’t ever said anything about this. She’d always said she was an only child. This was huge! Why had she never brought it up before?
“That’s not all. Mother had two pregnancies before she conceived us.”
Nicole leaned back in the couch, realizing what her mother was saying. “You could have been an Arete.”
A fierce expression crossed Tiffany’s face. “I should have been an Arete.”
Nicole swallowed. She’d never seen this sort of behavior before. Tiffany hated Fourths. She disliked Nicole for being one. Was it possible she was jealous? But if that were the case, why had she almost never mentioned Aretes while Nicole was growing up? It was a taboo subject. Nicole hadn’t even been permitted to learn about them until she’d turned eighteen and was close to Restarting.
Tiffany got up and began pacing. “My parents doted on me a great deal, planning for my eventual Restart.” She whirled, facing Nicole. “How could they know it would be Susan who was the Arete, when she died at ten, eight years before a Restart was possible?”
Nicole nodded sympathetically, unsure of what else to do. She knew that the fourth child conceived was always the Arete—that when twins weren’t identical, one of them would almost always have been conceived before the other. But when the twins were identical, either had the exact same chance of being the magical one. People didn’t have a way to know which twin would end up being an Arete until one of them Restarted.
“I know you think you had it hard, Nicole, not Restarting right away. But imagine how it was for me. Not even knowing if I ever would—if it was possible. Even years after I turned eighteen, a part of me still wondered if it was coming.”
Nicole’s mind was reeling with these revelations. No wonder Mother was always bitter. To have that pressure put on her and then to find out so many years later that she wasn’t an Arete . . . and with some people not Restarting until well into their twenties . . . she must’ve been so very disappointed.
“I would have been chosen instead of you, Nicole.” Tiffany glared at her daughter. “There was never any question whether you would be an Arete. I didn’t have any miscarriages. You were the fourth child your father and I conceived.”
Nicole ignored the malice on her mother’s face. “Chosen?”
“You already know that I inherited a great deal of money when I was a child. They went back and forth between wanting to give it to me or Susan or wait until one of us Restarted. That decision was made easier when Susan died.” Tiffany continued pacing, not really talking to Nicole. “I never touched a dime of it, and I still haven’t.” She again turned to Nicole. “I know you think we’re rich because I inherited money, but everything we have now is thanks to your father and his genius with business.”
She took a deep breath and finally sat on the couch next to Nicole. “Because I never Restarted, the money is technically yours.”
Nicole frowned. “How? It was willed to you. They gave it to you, not me.”
“It was based on me being an Arete. Yes, I legally had access to it, but Grandfather mentioned that if I didn’t Restart, I should do my very best to give birth to an Arete and make sure they had access to the money.”
Nicole shook her head. “I can’t have it. I don’t want it.”
“You don’t have a choice, Nicole.”
Nicole put her hands on her legs and stared at Tiffany. “Mother, you’ve been tiptoeing around something all evening. Just come out and say it, okay? What do you mean ‘chosen’? Why was it important that an Arete inherit the money?”
Tiffany did something that surprised Nicole. She took her daughter’s hand, holding it with both of her own. “Depending on what you’ve already guessed from our conversation, this may or may not come as a surprise to you . . . but Captain Christopher Price is your great-great-grandfather.”
Nicole froze. “What . . . what did you say?”
“Christopher and Rebecca Price are your ancestors.”
Nicole’s thoughts catapulted through her mind so hard and fast, she got dizzy.
Rebecca . . . Rebecca was related to her. She was Nicole’s great-great-grandmother. The journal that had followed Nicole around belonged to her ancestor. Rebecca had said she cared for Nicole, that they knew about her. They’d watched her grow up.
Nicole’s head started hurting and she leaned forward, putting it in her hands.
“That money of Captain Price’s was always intended for an Arete descendent. I hoped so badly it would be me. But it wasn’t and so the money is for you.”
“What am I supposed to do with it?”
Tiffany hesitated. “Well, what have they told you?”
Nicole narrowed her eyes. “I don’t feel comfortable telling you.”
“Very well. Next time Rebecca visits you, let her know we’ve had this conversation. She’ll know what you can and can’t hear.”
“You . . . you’re aware that Rebecca has been visiting me?”
“Of course I am. After all, I’m the one who made sure you ended up in the apartment next to that possessed tree. She was unnaturally prolonging her life, living in special receptacles, and couldn’t go to you on her own. You had to be brought to her when you were mature enough to meet her.”
No wonder Rebecca had died as soon as the tree was cut down—it really had been giving her life. And no wonder she’d been so insistent that Nicole read the book. They wanted it to be their bloodline that carried out the important task of destroying the embryonic manipulator.
Nicole looked at Tiffany. “You know about the embryonic manipulator?”
“Yes, and it’s a wonderful invention. We’re very happy it’s still working.”
Nicole frowned. What was her mother playing at? Had she never read Captain Price’s journal? Did she really not know that he and Rebecca abhorred and regretted the invention, that they wanted to destroy it? Well, Nicole wasn’t about to tell her mother what was going on.
“Here, let me show you pictures of the Prices.” Mother got up and grabbed another album, and Nicole remembered what Derek had said earlier about the duty of their family. It was in their charge to undo what Rebecca had done. To fix the problem their family had created.
For a moment, Nicole felt a bit of awe over the fact that her ancestors had chosen her. They’d known it would be her all along and obviously never told Tiffany that she wasn’t an Arete. Nicole felt a bit of gratitude for that. It showed that they respected Nicole. At least, she felt it did.
The two spent the next hour looking over pictures and sketches of Rebecca and Christopher, along with letters they’d written. Apparently, one of their good friends was an artist who practiced on the Prices quite a lot. There was an overabundance of artwork that surrounded the couple.
Nicole searched through the letters, trying to find mention of the things she’d been taught in the journal, but only a couple of items popped up here and there—Rebecca inventing something that took many years to create, communicating with important beings, that they would be blessed with strong, dependable descendants.
Captain Price always had a smile on his face in the sketches. He looked like he truly enjoyed life. Rebecca was more somber, but Nicole saw one or two sketches where the woman was grinning at her husband. It was weird for a while, seeing Rebecca that much younger.
Mother put away the last book—there had been three—and glanced at Nicole. “I know you have some pretty difficult decisions coming up. I want you to know you can always come to me if you need support.”
Nicole took a breath. “Why is it that you’re finally offering that support to me now? Did it really take Christopher and Rebecca’s approval? Because that’s messed up. I’m your daughter. Your only daughter. You should have supported me regardless.” Nicole got to her feet and awkwardly put her hand on her mother’s shoulder. “Either way, thanks for the offer. I appreciate it. I’ll see you in the morning.”
What she’d really wanted to say, but couldn’t, was how frustrated she was that her mother finally approved of her when she saw that it could benefit her and get her more power.
Nicole couldn’t wait for Rebecca’s next visit. They had a lot to talk about.
***
The rest of Nicole’s stay was fairly pleasant. Paul and Julia left her alone—finally—and Chase and Derek entertained her. They watched movies most of the holiday while waiting for Emily to finish up the turkey. Nicole recognized how un-American it was to have a cook do the entire family meal, but that was how it always was at their house. Emily had brought her boyfriend over and seemed to enjoy herself.
The dinner went fairly well. There were no arguments or even awkward feelings, surprisingly. Tiffany didn’t nitpick, though Nicole could tell she had things on her mind.
After eating, Dad took Nicole to his gun room and showed her his newest Civil War-era gun. Nicole oohed and ahhed over it, as expected, then told him about the Smith and Wesson Model 1 Revolver that Coolidge had in his possession. Dad was as excited as she’d predicted he would be, and asked several questions. Then they spent an hour talking about the tests Nicole had to take to make it on the expedition.
Nicole actually found herself enjoying the time she spent at home. She hadn’t realized just how stressed she’d been. But even though she was having a good time, she couldn’t stop worrying about Albert and the Gardners.
Saturday morning’s flight out couldn’t come fast enough.