The sky was overcast, the shadows light. Nicole turned away from the huge gray stone where she’d appeared.
She was alone on an island. At least, that’s what it looked like. Waves licked at a gray shore. What had she been doing before appearing here? It felt important. Something was pressing on her mind, urging her to remember. But even though she tried, it wouldn’t come back.
Nicole wandered to the beach—it wasn’t far away. She watched the waves for several moments before turning to survey the island.
It was like nothing she’d seen before. Sharp stones, obviously man-made, jutted out of the ocean. Everything had rough, square edges. Nothing was rounded or smooth.
Nicole followed the beach all the way around. The island wasn’t big—maybe half an acre. Even though she loved the ocean and wanted to watch the waves, her eyes were drawn to the weird stones. They were dense, thick. She couldn’t see through them to the beach on the other side. Should she explore? See what was in the center?
Something magical began pulsing on the middle of the island. She almost went to seek it out but decided not to when she felt it drawing nearer.
A dull ache at the base of her skull made her raise her hand. She hesitated at what she felt. Something was stuck to her head. Piercing through her skin. A worm . . . no, a tentacle. Large, slimy, with suckers on the underside.
Nicole gasped as she suddenly remembered what had happened, where she’d come from. She grabbed the tentacle, trying to pull it out. She hadn’t teleported until the thing had stuck itself inside her.
“I wouldn’t remove that,” someone with a gravelly voice said.
Nicole looked toward the source of the voice and saw a huge winged creature with a triangle-shaped head floating out from between two large stones. Its legs were curled up and the wings beat lazily. It must’ve been using magic to keep it in the air, since that amount of work wouldn’t do anything.
“You’re having a vision. Your body is still back in the farmhouse.”
“Who are you?”
“One of your messengers.”
Nicole gazed at the creature, trying to figure out where its voice was coming from. There wasn’t a visible mouth. In fact, as the thing drifted nearer, she could see that its face was completely void of anything she would have expected. No eyes, ears, or nose. The body was long and lean, ending with a powerful-looking tail. Horns protruded on either side of the head, coming to a point just above. The wings were hooked at the top. The creature didn’t have arms.
“What are you?”
“I’m a Nightgaunt.”
“I’ve heard that word before.” Nicole couldn’t remember where, though.
“We’re creations of the Great Ones. Everyone sees us a little differently.” The Nightgaunt floated closer.
“What do you want with me?” Nicole glanced where the arms should be, hoping to see the elixir somewhere. “Did you bring the elixir?”
“No.”
Nicole frowned, remembering what the creature had said earlier. “What do you mean, you’re one of my messengers? How many are there?”
The Nightgaunt didn’t respond, so Nicole decided to try a different question.
“Where am I?”
“You’re on a shrine to the Great Ones.”
Nicole stepped away from the Nightgaunt as it drifted a little too close. “Are you going to hurt me?”
“Not at this time. You lack education. I have been sent to instruct you.”
Nicole bristled for a moment before realizing the creature couldn’t possibly be talking about music or math or another school subject.
“Then start. The sooner we get through this, the better.”
One of the nightgaunt’s wings stretched to its farthest length—at least fifteen feet—then curled in and pointed to a rock near Nicole’s knees. She sat on it, realizing the creature was inviting her to settle herself.
“The thing you call a meteor was sent from my dimension. It brought hundreds of living spores. You’ve seen those spores—they take the form of ooze or pus, using your own words.
“Millions and millions of the little creatures combine their magic to create a portal, allowing beings to pass through. The meteor brought a start of them, but the spores needed to multiply and strengthen before they could create a portal. As you already know, they feed off the land and creatures around them.”
The Nightgaunt paused for a moment, then continued. “They will kill you, if given the chance, as they’ll spread until they consume every living creature on a planet. And yes, we’ve lost entire systems to them before.”
“Once I receive the elixir, will the spores be removed?”
“Possibly.”
Nicole swallowed. She didn’t like the way that sounded.
“You must protect the elixir. It will die if it leaves you for long. Unless it’s an absolute emergency, don’t allow anyone else to touch it, to hold it. Carry it close to your body at all times. The elixir will continue to feed off your power and will also feed your abilities, similar to what the portal did. In time, its magical pulse will be nearly indistinguishable from your own.”
The Nightgaunt shifted its wings, stretched them. One wing brushed Nicole’s face, startling her.
“I must warn you, Nicole, that the Great Ones don’t like competition. They don’t appreciate distracted anointed ones.”
Nicole frowned. “What does that mean?”
“You’ll find out when the Great Ones decide to show you. Their methods vary.”
Something behind the Nightgaunt shifted, drawing Nicole’s eyes. A sensation washed over her—a type of magical pulse.
The Nightgaunt turned. “It is time for you to return. They’re becoming aware of your presence.”
Nicole got to her feet. “Weren’t they always?”
A chortle-like sound came from the Nightgaunt. “No, Nicole, no. Pray it stays that way. Even when they’re helping you, the last thing you want is their full attention.”
“Where do I get the elixir?”
“It’s waiting for you back at the farmhouse.”
The Nightgaunt drifted away, toward the shadow. Nicole watched it go, about to ask what she was supposed to do, when a sudden sharp pain radiated from the back of her skull. She screamed, falling to her knees.
Everything turned black.
***
Nicole’s senses returned just as the tentacle was winding its way out of her head. She felt it pulling backward, sliding through her skull and skin. The tentacle slithered down her back again, unwinding itself as another one waved closer.
The second tentacle was curled around something. It prodded her arm until she realized what it wanted and opened her hand.
An old-fashioned-looking vial with thick, rose-colored glass landed in her palm. She tucked it into her pants pocket, then glanced around.
She was back in the farmhouse, standing at the edge of the pit. The others were frozen in place, expressions of horror on their faces, staring at her, reaching for her.
All the tentacles disappeared, unlatching themselves from Austin and Coolidge and withdrawing into the pit.
As soon as the last tentacle disappeared, the pit closed and Nicole’s friends unfroze.
They only had a moment to catch their breath before the ooze—the spores—exploded, splattering everything and everyone.
Nicole shrieked when the stuff began burning.
Austin shouted, grabbing at his chest, trying to wipe off the spores. Coolidge and Albert were doing the same thing. Nicole remembered what the Nightgaunt had said—the spores would kill if given the chance.
“It’s too strong,” Coolidge said. “We can’t get rid of it on our own—we have to combine our powers.”
Nicole grabbed Niko and started playing as Coolidge and Austin closed their eyes.
She sensed her magic immediately, strengthened immensely from the power of everything around her—the thing in her pocket, the spores, Coolidge and Austin’s abilities, all of it. Her powers were ready and waiting. She also felt Coolidge and Austin’s individual prints, and she directed her magic to join theirs.
The pressure in the room increased. The window shattered outward. Albert was knocked to the floor. Coolidge and Austin stepped closer to Nicole, and the three of them continued combining.
Suddenly, a huge wind crashed against the house, splintering the walls. With a massive shake and roar, the roof was sucked away. Sections of wall followed after. Flecks of ooze were sent spinning in the wind.
Nicole felt the wind approach her, felt it reach out to her, asking for direction. She recognized then that the storm was mostly her creation, that Austin and Coolidge had started from the inside of the house and Nicole the outside. She really needed to get in better control of her powers if she wasn’t aware of what she was creating.
Recognizing that the whirlwind waited for orders, Nicole directed its strength to the spores. “Send them home,” she whispered, “or destroy them all.”
The remaining walls sucked away, the rocking chair, even most of the floorboards. Albert was holding on to a leg of the couch with all his might.
Nicole’s hands went numb. The burning sensation from the spores disappeared. Was it because the storm was winning or because Nicole was draining her powers too fast?
She immediately knew it was the latter when an overwhelming sense of comfort and calm flooded her, warming every section of her body. Austin jumped to her side, pulling her hand away from Niko. She hadn’t realized she was still playing.
“Rest, Nicole,” Coolidge shouted over the din of the storm. “We’ll take over.”
Nicole struggled to remain conscious. She sensed Austin and Coolidge doubling their efforts and commanding the whirlwind. Its loyalties switched to them.
Albert waved to Nicole. “My cello,” he shouted.
She nodded. The two of them hovered over the instrument, protecting it from the whirlwind. There was no way Nicole was going to allow yet another cello to get destroyed.
Suddenly, the spores in the room exploded again, then converged on Austin and Coolidge. The men screamed, hands going to their faces. The whirlwind faltered.
There had to be something Nicole could do. She bit her lip, recognizing that her part wasn’t yet over. Realizing it was one of the stupidest things she’d ever done, she summoned her powers once more.
“Coolidge, Austin!” she screamed. “Focus!”
The men stumbled to her and grabbed her arms. The three of them concentrated their efforts.
With a rush, the whirlwind swamped down on the farmhouse, drowning everything with water. The spores released their hold on Nicole and the others to face this new onslaught.
Nicole sensed a presence and looked over to see Rebecca joining in the effort. The old woman’s powers nearly doubled what the three together could provide. She was fresh and much more experienced than anyone else present.
The wind roared through the meadow, swirling, pulsing, pushing, beckoning the spores to follow.
“Go, Nicole!” Rebecca shouted. “Get yourselves out!”
Nicole didn’t hesitate. She released her hold on the elements and yanked on Coolidge and Austin’s arms. “Time to leave!” Austin glared at her and Coolidge shook his head, pointing to his ears—he couldn’t hear when he overdid things magically, and Austin lost his ability to recognize faces. She’d been expecting both reactions.
Nicole made sure that Albert had the cello, then, when Austin and Coolidge saw what she was doing, the four of them rushed from the remains of the farmhouse and to the wagon.
The horse didn’t need any coaxing, and with a jerk, they pulled around and raced down the dirt road toward the manor.
Not eight minutes later, they pulled up at the manor and jumped down from the wagon.
“To the roof!” Albert shouted.
When Coolidge gave him a look of confusion, he pointed to the top of the house. Coolidge nodded in understanding. Austin frowned at Albert, but followed anyway as the old man led the way up several flights of stairs to a door that opened onto the roof.
The group ran to the edge and gazed toward the farmhouse. The whirlwind was clearly visible, even though it was far away. It brightened as more and more spores were picked up, illuminating the trees that surrounded the Gardners’ fields.
Nicole watched as glowing streams left the forests, bushes, and long grass, joining with the whirlwind, swirling faster and faster.
“She’s incredibly powerful,” Coolidge yelled next to Nicole, making her ears ring.
Nicole nodded, hiding her smile. When Coolidge overdid it magically, he lost his ability to hear. Which explained the shouting.
And Austin . . . Nicole glanced at her boyfriend. He’d stopped several feet away from the rest of the group and was looking toward the farmhouse with interest. When he overdid things, he stopped being able to recognize familiar faces and their roles in events. The first time Nicole had experienced this, she’d been pretty upset at how gruffly he’d treated her. But now, it amused her, and she knew better than to push him.
She turned her attention back to the whirlwind. It had never occurred to her that Rebecca would be able to use her powers now that she was dead. And Coolidge was right—the woman was very strong. She’d had a lot more practice than anyone Nicole had met, including Coolidge.
The storm thinned and lengthened, pointing up into the heavens. It sucked the last bit toward it, then exploded everything up into the sky. The spores left a trail of light for what looked like miles.
The sound of the explosion reached the manor, shaking the shingles on the sloped roof next to the group. They watched as pieces of the farmhouse fell back to the earth, lit by the starry night. Nothing glowing remained and none of the spores dropped back down. Was it possible they were gone?
Once things had been silent for several minutes, Nicole looked at Albert. They needed to check on the Gardners.
“Winston,” he breathed, seeming to know what was on her mind. The old man turned and rushed back to the door. Nicole followed, motioning for Austin and Coolidge to come as well. Coolidge would, but she wasn’t sure whether Austin would trust her enough or not.
He did. Either that, or he was curious as to why the people he was with were suddenly rushing away from him. The group left the roof, following Albert to the apartment over his garage.
The moment the door opened, a rush of spores blasted through, speeding past Nicole and the others and heading in the direction of the farmhouse.
Winston was slumped on the floor. His eyes were open, staring at the ceiling, his mouth moving. Ooze leaked out of his ears, eyes, and nose. It glowed brilliantly as it lifted into the air and followed after the rest of the spores.
Albert knelt next to his friend. “Winston?”
Winston looked at Albert, his eyes clear for the first time in weeks. “Forgive . . . me . . .”
“Oh, Winston, you know that’s not necessary.”
“My . . . children?”
“Will be well taken care of. I’ll see to it myself.”
Winston gave a barely perceptible nod. His body relaxed, then crumbled to the floor, breaking into pieces. Nicole closed her eyes, not wanting to remember him like this.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she jumped, then dug it out. It was working!
“Lizzie,” she said, answering.
“You have got to hear what just happened!”
“Where are you?” Nicole motioned for the others to follow her into the adjoining kitchen. She pushed speakerphone and set her cell on the counter. Austin folded his arms, leaning against the wall, and Coolidge and Albert both sat at the table.
“I’m at the hospital with the Gardner kids.” Lizzie was breathless. “What on earth is going on over there? The biggest magical pulse I’ve ever felt pounded against the hospital. Other Aretes here felt it too!” She didn’t wait for Nicole to answer before rushing on. “So, I get up, wanting to make sure things are gonna be okay, when I notice that Orson and Prudence are glowing. I mean, glowing! And all this ooze starts flowing into their catheters and backing up into their IVs. It was disgusting, Nicole. The nurses panic and freak out, and the kids begin convulsing until someone has the idea to slit open the catheters and IV bags.”
Lizzie made a gagging sound. “That was disgusting. Urine everywhere. Be glad you missed it. But the glowy stuff sprang into the air. It floated right out of the room and rushed down the hall!”
“How are the kids?”
Lizzie scoffed. “What? You’re not even shocked at my story?”
“We just watched it happen with Winston,” Nicole said, rubbing her face. “And it killed him. How are the kids?”
“They’re fine. They’re both awake, asking for their family.”
“That’s wonderful.” Nicole slumped onto a barstool, noticing a tugging sensation in her stomach. She’d have to inspect that later.
“What am I supposed to tell them?”
Nicole and Albert met eyes. “Nothing,” Nicole said. “We’ll be there soon.”
She ended the call, tucked her phone into her jeans pocket, and glanced at her boyfriend. “Recognize me yet?”
Austin scowled at her. “Should I?”
Nicole chuckled. “Guess that means no.” She motioned to Coolidge. “When his hearing returns, tell him you guys overdid it and that Albert and Nicole are heading to the hospital.”
Austin tilted his head. “Nicole . . .” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “She’s my girlfriend.”
“Yes, she is. And she loves you.” Nicole gave him a little wave, then turned to Albert. “Let’s take your car. If my phone is working again, I’ll bet other things are too.”
***
Albert’s car was working, and they sped through the streets to the hospital.
Nicole and Albert were both overjoyed at how healthy the kids looked. It was a bittersweet reunion—Albert being with the kids he cared for so much, but having to tell them about their older brother and parents. Many tears were shed, and not just by Prudence and Orson.
Halfway through the visit, Nicole’s ability to sense pain returned. She gasped, slumping to the floor, putting a hand to the back of her head. It came away with blood on it. Her stomach ached and her skull throbbed.
Lizzie jumped to Nicole’s side, then inspected her friend. “Oh, my gosh, Nicole! There’s a hole like, a quarter of an inch big in the back of your head! How on earth have you been walking around like this?” Lizzie motioned to a nurse. “Help her!”
The nurse didn’t need to be told twice. She disappeared, then returned seconds later with a gurney and several other nurses. Nicole insisted she could walk, but the moment she lifted her head, she was overcome by dizziness and pain. Not only that, but her abs ached and weren’t working correctly. She didn’t protest as the nurses lifted her to the gurney and wheeled her away.
Prudence’s doctor checked her out, then immediately requested an OR and neurologist. One of the nurses hooked Nicole up to an IV, and her vision started blurring as they wheeled her to the operating room. The neurologist entered the room just as Nicole blacked out, whether from pain or anesthesia, she didn’t know.
***
Nicole woke up still in pain. It radiated from her skull, weaving down her body and ending somewhere in her stomach. A nurse was hovering over the side of her bed, asking how bad the pain was, and when Nicole answered, she increased Nicole’s morphine.
Lizzie and Austin were there, and they both jumped forward when the nurse left to check on other patients.
“How are you feeling?” Lizzie asked as Austin took Nicole’s hand in his own.
“Groggy,” Nicole said. “What did they find in my head?”
“Nothing but a hole,” Lizzie said. “The neurologist said it looked like you’d had a type of arthroscopic surgery performed.”
Austin smiled at Lizzie. “Arthroscopic surgeries are for joints. Endoscopic is what the doc said this looked like.” He glanced at Nicole, a worried expression on his face. “The neurologist here doesn’t do that type of surgery, but he said it looked like the instruments used reached pretty deep into your brain.”
Nicole knitted her eyebrows. “It wasn’t an instrument. It was a tentacle.”
He nodded, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. “I saw. It was awful, not being able to do anything to help you or to stop that creature from attacking.”
“We have a lot to talk about,” Nicole said. She gasped. “Where’s the elixir?”
Austin smiled and patted his pocket. “Right here.” He pulled it and Mrs. Morse’s paper out, handing them over. “They were going to put them with the rest of your things. Lizzie figured you’d want both nearby, after everything you’d been through. It makes her sick to touch the elixir, though, so as soon as I got here, she gave it to me.”
“I’m supposed to keep it on my body all the time,” Nicole said. She closed her eyes, breathing through the pain that hit her in the stomach when she talked.
She hoped nothing had been ruined by having the elixir apart from her for however long the surgery had taken. Speaking of which . . . Nicole glanced at Austin again. “How long was I out?”
He motioned to Lizzie. “I’m not sure. She was here the whole time. I only remembered you were my girlfriend a while ago.”
“You had two surgeries,” Lizzie said. “While prepping you, they found a chunk of wood deep in your stomach. It barely missed your liver and right kidney.”
Nicole raised her eyebrows. “What?” No wonder her abs hurt so much.
Austin leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, still holding her hand. “It must have happened sometime while that whirlwind was going.” His dark eyes didn’t leave her face. “You almost bled to death on the operating table.”
Lizzie sat on the edge of Nicole’s bed. “They did have to remove several inches of intestine. And you’re probably going to be here for a few days at least.”
“What I don’t understand,” Austin said, “is how you got through the hospital without anyone noticing all that blood.”
Nicole sighed. “I was wearing dark clothes and lots of layers. My hoodie must have covered the hole in my neck and the stomach bleeding.” She stopped talking, trying to catch her breath. No use overdoing it—they’d have plenty of time to catch up later.
“Do you mind another visitor?” Lizzie asked. “Albert has really been wanting to see you. Same with Coolidge. And Prudence. And Orson.”
Nicole nodded. “But fast—I can’t stay awake much longer.”
As requested, the visits were quick. Albert came in first and gave her flowers. He kissed her cheek, told her he appreciated everything she’d done, then left, sending in Coolidge. Coolidge asked her to keep him updated and to let him know if she needed anything. Prudence and Orson both gave her brief hugs, tears in their eyes. She promised to visit them often at the manor, where they would be living with Albert.
Once everyone had said their goodbyes, Nicole allowed herself to drift off to sleep, her hand still in Austin’s.
***
The next few days passed in a blur of pain meds. Nicole was discharged with strict orders to take care of herself. She stayed in the manor and Prudence looked after her while Lizzie, Austin, and Coolidge returned to Seattle to take care of finals.
Albert brought Niko to Nicole’s room to show her the cello had made it through the experience without a scratch. That made Nicole happy.
Orson returned to school and Nicole did a lot of sleeping in between texting and talking to Austin and Lizzie on the phone. She kept the elixir with her at all times, feeling its unique magical print. It wasn’t like being around Aretes or the other magical sources she’d been exposed to. It felt weird—foreign—and she knew it would take a while for her to adjust to it.
***
Nicole jumped when a spider fell from her ceiling onto her knee. She flicked it off, then automatically looked around for Rebecca. The woman appeared, already sitting on Nicole’s bed.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come back earlier to thank you for getting the elixir.”
“It’s okay. You’re a busy woman.”
Rebecca nodded. “Normally, yes, but I was recovering from my exertion of last week. It took a lot out of me.”
“I didn’t even know you could still use your powers.”
“I can, but I have to let them build for a long time. It’s not the same as when you’re alive—they don’t exactly come to you. Someone else must start the magic flowing.”
“It’s a good thing you came—we would’ve died.”
“Yes. And everything would have been for naught.” Rebecca sighed, looking at the elixir on Nicole’s nightstand. “It’s really best if it’s in constant contact with you, you know.”
“I haven’t found a way to get it to stay in place while I’m sleeping. When I go to bed, I usually hold it in my hand, under my pillow. That way, if I let go of it, it’s still close to me, but in a place where it can’t get hurt.”
“I’m happy to see you taking this seriously.”
“It’s important. I really believe in what we’re doing.”
“So do I.” Rebecca put her hand on top of Nicole’s blanketed leg. “Captain Price and I are very proud of you. In fact, we’ve decided to make everything official. We’re preparing to introduce you as the new leader of the Tarians come summertime. There is a lot that needs to happen first, which is why it won’t take place until then.”
Nicole knitted her eyebrows. “You’ve seen the future. How does it turn out? Will we be successful?”
Rebecca sighed. “I can only see to a certain point. The moment that elixir was placed under your care, my visions have become confusing and clouded. I can barely see anything at all. It’s frustrating, and forces me to go by faith alone.”
Nicole chuckled. “Like the rest of us.”
“Yes, exactly.” Rebecca fingered a tassel on Nicole’s blanket. “In the meantime, before we introduce you to the Tarians, stay close to your parents. They’ll help ease the transition for you as a leader.”
Nicole felt her jaw drop. “My . . . my parents?”
Rebecca gave Nicole a sympathetic expression. “I’m sorry you have to learn about them from me. I’m sure they planned to tell you about their involvement in the Tarian group before long, but I got tired of waiting.”
“I—I can’t believe it. How long have they been members?”
“Their whole lives—well, your mother’s entire life. I don’t know about your father.”
“I’d never even heard of the Tarians before August. How did they keep it hidden from me?”
“You’ll have to ask them when you go home for Christmas.”
Nicole groaned. “Another holiday with the family. Great.”
Rebecca laughed. “It won’t be so bad now that they’ll feel like you’re on their side.” Her smile disappeared. “It’s time for you to learn to lie, Nicole. They can’t know anything that we’ve planned. Your parents love you, yes, but even they wouldn’t hesitate to destroy you if you tried to get in their way.”
Nicole swallowed. “What I wouldn’t give for a normal family.”
Rebecca leaned over and hugged Nicole. “You’ll do fine.”
The woman said goodbye, then faded away, leaving Nicole alone with her thoughts. Her parents were Tarians. She couldn’t believe it. And yet, it made sense. Their refusal to talk about Aretes while Nicole was growing up, even considering the fact that Tiffany had wanted to be one so badly. The fact that they feared and disliked her. Even having her in the first place. Sometimes Dad seemed to forget what Nicole was, but Tiffany never did.
Nicole rubbed her forehead, recognizing what Rebecca was asking her to do. Going against the wishes of the Tarian group would probably destroy her family, if they were as involved as Rebecca said they were. Was Nicole ready to do that?
Yes, she was. Especially when considering the alternative.