“You want me to do what?” Nicole asked.
Tess smiled patiently, still holding a wine glass toward Nicole. “Turn it into sand.”
“How?”
Tess didn’t respond, and Nicole sighed. She should have remembered Tess’s no-nonsense personality from the last set of exams she’d taken from the woman.
Nicole put the glass on the table in front of her. She settled in her seat, eyes closed. It didn’t take long to draw her magic to herself—she was getting really fast at that—and as soon as she had enough ready for the task, she directed it to the cup in front of her.
The wine glass broke into several pieces. Nicole sent a sheepish smile to Tess. “I’m going to assume that’s not good enough, right?”
Tess shook her head, her silver-black curls bouncing. “Each broken piece counts toward your overall goal, and the object is to turn it into sand in as few steps as possible.”
“Great. It’s not possible to start over, is it?”
“Of course it is—you didn’t know all the rules. I wanted to see how well you’d do without the added pressure to finish it quickly.”
Tess stared at the cup fragments and Nicole could sense her magical pulse increasing. The pieces rushed to each other, and with a glare of light, they fused together.
Nicole shook her head. “I can’t wait until I’m that fast.”
“You’re not far away, I promise.”
With the wine glass in one piece again, Nicole bit her lips, wondering how to do the task. Most of the time, understanding the physics behind the assignment helped, along with understanding the physical properties of the object. That way, she could tell the molecules to do what she needed them to do. But this time, she wasn’t entirely sure if it was even possible to turn glass back into sand—the molecules themselves went through a change to fuse together.
Fortunately, being an Arete meant that Nicole didn’t have to understand exactly how something worked. She just needed to trust that her magic understood and ask it to do what she needed.
Gathering her powers, she again directed them to the cup. The thing glowed for a moment before shattering, bits of glass exploding all over the table and pelting both Nicole and Tess.
Nicole looked around. Little shards glittered across the entire room. “Oops,” she said, brushing pieces off her arms. Neither woman had been cut, thank goodness, but this wouldn’t be fun to clean up. “Ummm . . . so I’m going to assume that’s not exactly what should have happened.”
Tess shook glass fragments out of her hair. “Nope. Ideally, it’ll disintegrate and drop into a pile of sand, rather than exploding. Continue with the process, please, and be careful to get everything, as I’m required to make sure every shard is on the table.”
Nicole nodded, coming to her feet. She closed her eyes, mentally reaching out to the individual pieces. There were too many of them, though, and she couldn’t help but wish she were being tested on wood again. That would have been so much easier.
Instead of trying to grab everything all at once, she started with one section of the room, pulling the glass toward herself and instructing it to pile on the table. After a few moments, she finally finished that first area and moved on to the next.
It took forty-five minutes to find each and every piece of glass and get it on the table.
Sweeping would have been much faster.
Too bad this was a test of her Earth abilities and not her housekeeping ones.
Nicole breathed a sigh of relief when Tess confirmed that she had indeed gotten everything. Now to get the glass to turn back into sand.
“Is it even possible?” Nicole asked.
“Of course it is.”
“Can I see a demonstration?”
“After you’re finished, yes. I can’t show you before, though.”
Nicole nodded. She understood why. Being an Arete meant she was able to follow other Aretes’ powers and see what they were doing to accomplish a task. She could easily have her magic do what Tess’s had done once she’d seen it performed.
Nicole turned her attention back to the pile on the table. She stared at it, concentrating. How could she bring it back to its former state?
Forgetting her grade and the fact that she’d probably be getting a C on this test for how long it was taking and for how many steps she’d already had to go through, Nicole took a deep breath and rested her chin on her forearms, keeping her gaze on the glass. She realized being at its level was stupid—if the glass exploded again, she’d probably end up blind—but she didn’t think another explosion would happen. She’d used too much power the first time. She needed to softly coax the glass back into sand.
And she’d need to do it in parts. Trying to turn the whole cup at the same time was still too advanced.
She started with a small section—barely a quarter of a teaspoon. She stared at it and gently pressed her magic toward the glass, asking it to change the shape of the molecules back to what they’d been previously.
The tiny section of glass glowed, then with a slight cracking sound, dissolved into light-brown sand.
Nicole leaned back in her seat and sent a grin to Tess. “I did it!”
“Great. Only fifty more quarter-teaspoons to go.”
Nicole laughed. Tess was right, though—she needed to try a bigger section. She took a half-teaspoon and did the same thing. This was a little tougher. Remembering her bracelet, she pulled it out of her pocket and turned it on, then strapped it to her wrist.
The electrical pulse immediately zapped her.
“Ouch,” she whispered.
That first zap of electrocution was always the worst. Nicole smiled at Tess’s raised eyebrow. “Helps me know if I’m pushing myself too far. If I stop feeling pain, it’s time to quit.”
“Ah,” Tess said, nodding. “Smart.” She looked at the bracelet. “Did Professor Coolidge get that for you?”
“Yes, he did.”
“I figured as much. It seems like something he’d have access to.” Tess motioned to the pile of sand. “Continue.”
So Nicole did, taking three-quarters of a teaspoon and focusing, willing it to change to sand.
This time, however, the pieces fused together.
The corner of Tess’s mouth twitched. “You’re going backwards now.”
Nicole pulled away, head tilted, and examined the lump. “You’re right.” And not only was she going backwards, but she also couldn’t feel the zap of the bracelet anymore.
“I think a half-teaspoon is the best I’m going to get right now,” she said, sending an apologetic smile to Tess. “I need to wait until I can feel the bracelet again.”
“Do you mind if I correct papers in the meantime?” Tess asked.
“Definitely not. It’ll take about twenty minutes.”
Tess settled into her seat at the other side of the table. She slid her finger across her tablet, occasionally making notes. Nicole slumped into her chair, head resting on the back, and stared at the ceiling above.
She had nearly fallen asleep when the zap returned, making her jump.
Tess chuckled. “Ready to start again?”
“Yes.”
Nicole leaned forward. Sticking with a quarter and occasionally half a teaspoon would take forever, but she didn’t care—brain damage was much worse than a bad grade.
Two hours later, Nicole exhaled, dropping her head to her forearms. “That was horrible.”
“It usually is, the first time.”
She looked at Tess. “How do you have patience for this?”
The woman shrugged. “Nearly every Arete does the task differently—it’s always fun to see which way someone will go.”
“There’s more than one way to change glass back into sand?”
Tess nodded. “Some Aretes take a lower grade in the beginning to get the cup into more manageable pieces. I’ve had a couple drop the glass on the floor first, which automatically equals a full grade lower.”
Nicole blinked. “That didn’t even occur to me.”
“That’s because you like doing things correctly the first time.”
Nicole nodded. “It’s true.” She glanced at the tablet in Tess’s hands. “So . . . how did I do?”
“Well, let’s just say there’s a lot of room for improvement. And hopefully, you’ll find that improvement before the end of the semester because I don’t think you’ll like the grade you got today.”
“What was it?”
Tess turned the tablet around, and Nicole gasped. “A D? Are you serious?”
“Most Aretes start at this point. If you dedicate yourself, though, by the end of the semester, you should be able to turn glass into sand in a couple of seconds.” Tess pulled out another wine glass. “Would you like that demonstration now?”
“Wouldn’t that be cheating, since I have to take the test again?”
Tess shook her head. “We use a different object each time to make sure you’re grasping the concept instead of just memorizing the process. Each one requires a different approach.”
Nicole nodded. That made sense. A wine glass was fragile, but a goblet or a bowl was sturdier and would probably need a firmer hand, so to speak.
Tess set the glass on the table, and before Nicole could even sense what was going on, the cup had dissolved into a pile of fine sand.
Nicole choked, then swallowed. “Uh, if you’d shown me before I took the test, I still wouldn’t have gotten anything better than a D. How’d you do it so fast? I couldn’t even tell what your magic was doing.”
Tess grinned. “You’ll get there too—your powers will know exactly what you want them to do the instant you think it, and you won’t have to direct them so much.”
Tess started cleaning up the room, and Nicole helped, her mind swirling with the mental exhaustion of the last three hours and the potential Tess seemed to think she had. What if she never got as fast as Tess? No—she couldn’t think that way. She’d get there. She’d already progressed much faster than most students, so she was well on her way.
The women said goodbye, and Nicole walked back to her car, head still swimming. The fresh air felt good on her skin and in her lungs, and she breathed deeply, turning her face to the sun that warmed her. Sun in Seattle—she definitely took advantage of that when it happened.
Lizzie and Austin were waiting for her when she arrived at her apartment.
“How’d it go?” Lizzie asked.
Nicole snorted. “I got a D. First one in my life.”
A concerned expression crossed Austin’s face, and he put his arms around her. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” She pecked him on the lips, then stepped away. “Let me freshen up so we can go.”
Once everyone was in Austin’s car, Nicole told them about the test.
“So,” Lizzie said, “that’s not your final grade, but more of a starting point?”
“Yes. The test was designed to see how far I’ve come with Earth properties.”
Austin glanced at her. “It hardly seems fair that you have to be tested on something I’ve never even worked with.”
Nicole raised her eyebrows. “You haven’t mastered glass?”
“It wasn’t required. I demonstrated a complete mastery of everything they put in front of me, and as they can’t possibly test on every aspect of every element, glass wasn’t one of the things I had to do. And I haven’t had to mess around with it at home, either.” He looked at her. “But don’t worry—I’m positive I’d be able to handle it.”
“Oh, really? You’re that confident?”
“Of course. Have you ever seen me fail at magic?”
Nicole scoffed. “You still can’t control a windstorm, so yes.”
Austin grinned at her. “Give me until the end of the semester, and I’ll be doing that too.”
“I doubt that very much. Wind is the element most foreign to you, and you’ve barely started.”
“I know. But my girlfriend is an exceptionally talented Wind Arete, and she’ll help me.”
Nicole sent Austin a teasing glance. “Who is this person you speak of? You’re not cheating on me, are you?”
He grabbed her hand, pulling it to his mouth and kissing her fingers. “You know I’d never do that.”
Nicole grinned, ignoring Lizzie’s groaning from the backseat. The fact that Austin even refused to joke about the matter made her heart happy. “I know.”
“So, will you help me?”
She gave him an incredulous look. “Let me get this straight. You want to start a contest with me, and you expect me to help you win?”
“Sounds about right.”
Nicole laughed. “Fine, fine, I’ll do it.” She mock-glared at him. “But only if you help me figure out how to work with glass.”
“It’s a deal.”
Nicole leaned back in her seat, satisfied. She couldn’t wait to begin studying with Austin, even if he did end up winning.
***
Jacob was waiting when Nicole and the others arrived at Coolidge’s place. “I’ve already taken Mr. Coolidge to the castle—wanted him to get settled in before the meeting started.”
Nicole nodded, grateful Jacob had done so.
“Ready?” he asked, and when the Aretes indicated that they were, he turned and created a link to Eklaron, the world where King Dmitri and Queen Arien ruled.
Nicole had been in other dimensions before, but she wasn’t sure if they were separate planets like Eklaron. At first, she expected to feel different, but she didn’t, and she was soon able to concentrate on her surroundings rather than the placement of her steps.
Jacob didn’t take them straight to the castle. Instead, they walked down a magnificent street into a beautiful city.
He turned to face them, walking backwards. “This is Maivoryl City,” he said, hands sweeping out on either side, his face glowing with excitement. “The town closest to the castle.”
“It’s gorgeous,” Nicole said, admiring the mature trees and flowers that lined the street. Tall red-brick structures with large ornate windows that gleamed in the sunlight rose on either side, and lush grass grew between the buildings.
Jacob grinned. “Agreed. It definitely didn’t look like this the first time I came, though.”
“What was it like?” Lizzie asked.
Jacob sobered. “I can’t even describe it—you would have to experience it yourself. Keitus used to live here, and he didn’t like sunshine, so he cast a permanent cloud over the place.”
“Sounds like Seattle,” Lizzie said.
“No,” Jacob replied. “I’ve been to Seattle several times. This cloud wasn’t anything like what you have there—it wasn’t healthy. It affected everyone’s emotions and even the color of the air.” He took a breath, then smiled. “But after a lot of work, you can’t tell a murderous dictator was in charge, can you?”
Nicole shook her head. The city was obviously thriving—townspeople bartered in stalls along the sides of the road, animals darted about with children laughing and following, and ornate gold-and-green flags waved from poles at the corner of each building. It looked and felt like royalty was nearby.
“Okay, we can go to the castle now,” Jacob said, pulling his key out of his pocket.
“Isn’t that what we’re already doing?” Austin asked.
A smile played at the corner of Jacob’s mouth. “Not exactly. I wanted you to see Maivoryl City first. The castle is about a mile away—it’ll be faster to key there.”
Lizzie rolled her eyes. “There he goes again. ‘Key’ is not a verb!”
Nicole laughed. She and the others followed Jacob through a door and into a spacious throne room, where Coolidge had been set up in a plush recliner. She abruptly stopped when she saw people who had to be the king and queen waiting at the other end. “Um . . . are we in the right place?”
Jacob chuckled. “They’re not typical royalty.”
“I can see that.”
King Dmitri wore jeans and a polo. He was almost completely bald, with only a fringe of dark hair remaining, and he wasn’t wearing a crown. Queen Arien, well-dressed in black pants and a deep blue top which set off her auburn hair nicely, looked more like the neighborhood soccer mom than a queen.
King Dmitri rose as his visitors approached. “Before any of you worry about greetings, please call me Dmitri. You’re not my subjects and I’d rather you view me as your equal.”
Queen Arien nodded. “The same goes for me.”
Once Nicole and the rest agreed, Dmitri clapped his hands, and a servant entered the room. Dmitri gave him instructions, and soon, the place was bustling as people brought in a large folding table and multiple folding chairs, which they set up near Coolidge and his recliner.
Lizzie glanced sidelong at Nicole and whispered, “Hard to act like he’s not a king when that happens. And isn’t that the same table we were looking at in Walmart the other day?”
Nicole grinned. “Looks like it.”
She and the others took seats around the table. They’d barely settled themselves when Jacob came through the door, leading an elderly man with crazy hair and an incredibly large woman. Nicole’s eyes widened. This woman was huge—well over six feet and probably five hundred pounds.
The woman laughed at the expressions before her. “Come on, people, this isn’t the first time you’ve seen a fat lady like me, is it? Oh, wait, of course it is.” She grinned, revealing pearly whites on the bottom and browned teeth on top. “Good ta meetcha.” She settled into a large chair that had obviously been brought for her, and the elderly man sat next to her, placing several books on the table.
Nicole swallowed, forcing herself to look away from the Fat Lady’s unkempt bun and disheveled clothing. This woman would be interesting to get to know.
Dmitri clasped his hands and leaned forward. “Arien and I were dismayed to find that Keitus is still around and is bent on causing problems.” He glanced at his wife. “We shouldn’t have been surprised, however.”
She nodded. “Keitus is definitely a one-of-a-kind individual.”
Dmitri motioned toward the Fat Lady and Aldo, the elderly man. “What have you found so far?”
“Jacob was right,” the Fat Lady said. “The talismans originated on Eklaron.”
Nicole saw Austin and Coolidge’s gazes meet. They looked surprised, but she wasn’t sure why—they’d been thrown a lot of surprises lately. It was hard to be shocked anymore.
The Fat Lady continued. “Together, the talismans create the crest for Kilenya’s kingdom.”
“Who’s Kilenya?” Lizzie asked.
“The princess my key was made for,” Jacob said.
Aldo nodded. “We need to go to the old kingdom library to find more information on the talismans. What they do, why they were created, et cetera. None of us even knew they were magical.”
Austin brightened at the mention of the library, and Nicole grinned to herself, happy the guy she was dating loved books and learning so much.
“This library,” he said. “How long has it been open?”
“For several hundred years—six or seven, probably,” Aldo replied.
Aldo glanced at the Fat Lady, who said, “But it’s not exactly accessible anymore.”
“Why not?” Coolidge asked.
Dmitri clasped his hands and nodded toward Arien. “The kingdom fell apart when our ancestors left.”
Jacob groaned. “You guys are related? Disgusting!”
Arien smiled at him. “Everyone is, sweetie, if you go back far enough.”
“So, what’s going on with the library now?” Austin asked.
The Fat Lady looked at him. “The land of Edana is overrun with creatures from Eklaron that are controlled by a tribe of people who don’t have much access to the outer world. It’s going to be fun, gaining access to the books.”
“Shouldn’t be difficult,” Jacob said. “I’ll just key us all there.”
Aldo shook his head. “You can’t.”
“Why not?”
“King Broalt was able to convince a Makalo to fashion a contraption that prevents the keys from opening links to that section of Eklaron. You’ll have to go on foot.”
Lizzie shook her head, raising her hands. “Hold on, hold on. You’re going too fast. Who’s King Broalt and what in the heck is a Makalo?”
“King Broalt is the guy who wanted to marry Kilenya,” Jacob said. “He wasn’t a good king. And a Makalo is a magical creature from Eklaron.”
The Fat Lady snorted. “Does Akeno know you call him a creature?”
Jacob reddened. “No—please don’t tell him I said that.” He looked at Nicole and the other people from the Arete dimension. “Makalos are intelligent and look like they could be human. There are a few differences, though.”
“Like what?” Lizzie asked.
“Well, they glow blue, for instance, and they don’t have eyelashes. They’re also really short, though that isn’t too weird.”
Austin glanced at Dmitri. “So why don’t we have Jacob create a link from here to the door nearest Edana?”
“The closest one is in Macaria,” Dmitri said. “So, yes, it’ll save you time, but you’ll still have to go on foot for several days, at least.”
“Any chance we’ll be able to classify this as a university expedition?” Nicole asked. She was only partially joking.
Coolidge laughed. “Probably not this time. We’ll have to leave Thursday after you get out of class, skip school on Friday and all of next week, and return Monday evening of the following week.”
“Austin and I are both going, I assume?” Nicole asked.
Dmitri nodded. “You, Akeno, Jacob, Austin, and Coolidge will make up the team.” He glanced at Lizzie. “Sorry—we need to keep the group small. Otherwise, you would be included.” His eyes got a faraway look in them. “And I’d love to go, for that matter. I’ve always wanted to visit my forefather’s home.”
Arien cleared her throat. “As would I, but we have a kingdom to run.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Dmitri said.
After discussing a few more particulars, he excused everyone, and Jacob took the Aretes back to Coolidge’s house.
In the car on the way home, Nicole looked back at Lizzie. “While doing my test, I think I performed a bit of Fire magic.”
She told them about turning the sand back into glass, which would have required heat—an aspect of Fire.
Lizzie’s jaw dropped. “Already?” she wailed. “I haven’t even done that much.”
“It doesn’t bother you, does it?” Nicole asked. “Last we talked—like, two days ago—you were still bent on becoming a nurse, not mastering your powers.”
Lizzie folded her arms. “I know. But it sucks, always being left out of things like this library trip. I’m positive I’d be included if I could use my magic better.”
“These sorts of things aren’t as awesome as they might sound,” Austin said, pulling onto the highway. “We usually get hurt.”
Nicole nodded. “Besides, you’ve been with us several times.”
“Yeah, and I appreciate that. It’s just . . . watching you and Austin work your stuff makes me wish I’d focused more on my own abilities.”
“You’re nineteen, sweetie. It’s not like you’ve lost your chance.”
Lizzie’s face brightened. “Will you help me?”
“Of course. It would be so much fun, especially after how much you’ve helped me.”
Nicole really hoped Lizzie would remember this new goal once the excitement wore off. It would be awesome to have her best friend up to speed on magic. They did pretty much everything else together—having Lizzie go on all these expeditions would be wonderful.
Austin dropped the girls off and headed to campus and his next class, and Nicole and Lizzie settled in to do homework.
Nicole knew the weekend would be difficult, but she still looked forward to it—being able to do something physical again, to go on a long trek, would be good for her. The trip to Anna Morse’s dimension had been like taking a casual walk to the store, thanks to how fast Jacob’s key worked.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Nicole got up to answer it and was surprised to see Sandy and Denise, their upstairs neighbors, on the other side. She opened the door wider, inviting them in.
“So, I heard you joined the Tarians,” Sandy said, tucking her salt-and-pepper hair behind her ear while Nicole gave Denise a hug.
Nicole rolled her eyes to herself. Sandy had always disliked Aretes, and even though she also disliked Tarians—the fascist group of regular humans who’d wanted to kill all Aretes—she was always trying to find fault in Nicole and other magical people.
“Yeah, she joined them,” Denise said. “And promptly kicked their butts!”
Nicole smiled. Denise always stood up for Aretes. Nicole appreciated that.
“Hey!” Lizzie said, walking over to join them. “Our favorite neighbors! What can we do for you?”
“Well . . .” Denise started, “Sam was here a little while ago and said he heard weird noises coming from your apartment.”
Sam was their landlord. Nicole and Lizzie looked at each other. “Weird noises?” Nicole asked. “What sort of weird noises?”
“You’d have to ask him,” Sandy said. “He’s the one who heard ’em. Denise has been watching from her window, waiting for you to come home.”
Denise nodded. “We wanted to make sure you kids were okay.”
“Thanks for checking in with us,” Nicole said.
“Yeah, we appreciate it.” Lizzie glanced at Nicole with a concerned expression. “Who do you think it was? Your parents?”
A sympathetic frown crossed Denise’s face. “I saw the news about your mom and dad. What a horrible thing to happen.”
Nicole exhaled, not really wanting to discuss it. “Yeah, it’s not every day your parents try to kill you.”
A couple of months earlier, when things had gone bad with the Tarians and Aretes, Nicole’s parents had paid her a visit in the middle of the night, along with a creepy guy Nicole knew. Tiffany, Nicole’s mom, had been a member of the Tarian group and wanted revenge for Nicole destroying her chances at leading a world organization. Instead, she’d shot Nicole in the leg and accidentally murdered the guy. It was horrible. Nicole would be okay with never thinking about the incident ever again.
She glanced at Lizzie. “Last I heard, Dad was on trial and Mom was still in jail, awaiting her next court appearance. It wasn’t them who made the noise, I’m sure of it.”
“Either way,” Denise said, “I think you need to have another guard stationed around the apartment.”
Sandy tilted her head, a sour expression on her face. “Only because you like flirting with them.”
Denise flushed, sputtering. “What . . . I . . . harmless. They’re so much younger.”
Nicole laughed. “It’s okay, Denise. Even I noticed that some of them were pretty hot.”
“Thank you,” Denise said, then glared at Sandy. “Well, anyway, let us know if we can do anything for you girls.”
Nicole and Lizzie agreed, then shut the door and turned to each other.
“I’ll call Sam,” Lizzie said.
“Good idea.”
While waiting for Lizzie’s conversation to end, Nicole did a quick inspection of the apartment. Nothing appeared out of place, and nothing was missing—at least, not that she could tell immediately.
Lizzie set her phone on the counter. “He said it sounded like something big was shuffling around.”
“Big? Was it human?”
“He wasn’t solid on that point. I think he’s been really weirded out by what happened in July.”
“I was weirded out by what happened in July.”
Lizzie giggled. “Yeah, next time we have otherworldly visitors, I plan to be far away.”
“Same,” Nicole said absentmindedly. “I’ll call Coolidge and ask him to arrange to have the place watched again. Then I need to get back to my homework. Too much to do before the weekend.”
“He’s resting now, but I’ll give him a call soon. You go ahead and get started.”
Nicole thanked her friend and settled in at the table to study. She struggled with concentrating at first, though, worrying about who or what had gained access to her apartment. It had been a long time since she’d felt unsafe there.
A couple of hours later, she pulled herself from her books with some effort, her stomach growling. Lizzie also took a break, and they cooked dinner together.
“What did Coolidge say about the guard?” Nicole asked.
Lizzie glanced up from the noodles she was straining. “He got one in place immediately.”
Oh, good. “How long should we keep them around this time?”
“He suggested at least a week out in the open, then three weeks undercover.”
“Great plan.” She hoped it would be long enough.
The two ate dinner, then finished studying. Nicole couldn’t wait until the weekend came—she really looked forward to exploring another world and taking a break from homework.
***
Nicole’s first impression of Akeno the Makalo was that yes, he was blue. Even though at first glance he looked human, he definitely wasn’t. The eyelash thing didn’t bother her, but the blue really was disconcerting, especially when she noticed that his left ring finger was very blue. Weird.
Other than that, he was completely adorable. He was skinny and very short, had thick black hair and beautiful eyes, and was kind, shy, and cuddly looking. She wanted to pick him up and squeeze him.
Jacob opened up a link to Macaria, the city Dmitri had mentioned, and led the way through. He turned, glancing back at Nicole, Austin, and Coolidge. “Too bad Gallus isn’t home—I’d love for you guys to meet him.”
“Who’s Gallus?” Nicole asked.
“The owner of Macaria’s store,” Coolidge said.
“Oh, that’s right, Mr. Coolidge—you’ve met him,” Jacob said. “I forgot.” He adjusted the knapsack he wore, then started down the dusty street.
Nicole gazed at the buildings as they passed. Most of them looked like they’d been blasted by bombs. And fairly recently—within the past couple of years. Instead of focusing on that, she decided to admire the pristine whiteness of the city. It was as if the entire place had been bleached.
“Gorgeous,” she murmured, slipping her hand into Austin’s.
“Who, me?” He sent her a smile.
Nicole chuckled. “No, the city. Though yes, you’re gorgeous as well.”
“Thank you.”
Austin squeezed her hand, and they continued in silence. Nicole could tell that the city had endured a lot—those bombings must have taken so many lives. The reverent, somber feeling that followed the people she saw cemented that impression.
She surveyed the vast green prairies and the white-capped mountain on the other side, grateful she was in good company. They had a lot of traveling to do.
***
It had been a while since Nicole had done so much walking, and by the end of the day, her feet ached. She couldn’t believe she’d actually been looking forward to this.
She was almost too tired to be surprised when Akeno put his left hand on the branch of a nearby tree and several little huts sprang up, formed by the trees and underbrush.
“Whoa,” Austin said, eyebrow raised. “What just happened?”
“Akeno controls plants,” Jacob said.
“I don’t actually control them,” Akeno said. “I ask them to do things for us, and they kindly oblige.”
“That’s convenient,” Nicole said, sitting against a tree and pulling off her shoes. She couldn’t wait to plunge her feet into the nearby stream.
The group was silent as they ate the dinner Akeno and Jacob prepared. Nicole enjoyed the scenery. They’d started ascending a mountain and had a fantastic view of the landscape they’d left behind. First were the prairies, then Macaria, gleaming in the fading sunlight, and a huge lake to the left of Macaria that graced the center of the beautiful valley. In the distance, on the other side of the lake, she could see Dmitri’s castle and Maivoryl City.
Jacob pointed out the mountains to the right of Macaria, telling them that was the way he’d entered the valley the first time he’d come to Eklaron.
Nicole and the others had set up camp in a small forest made of what Akeno called Kaede trees, but which Nicole swore were really maple trees. She decided not to pursue the topic and was the first to turn in for the night.
The next day went smoothly, even though Nicole’s feet and legs were screaming from the exertion of the day before.
By the fourth day of travel, her body adjusted, and she was able to enjoy walking—or at least tolerate it.
The last few days had presented them with mostly rugged, hilly terrain. They didn’t see any signs of civilization. Akeno’s map showed ruins of villages that had been destroyed when the Lorkon rose to power.
Around noon on the fourth day, she started seeing weird birds. They were beautiful—deep blue with bright red beaks, tails, eyes, and feet.
Jacob watched the birds suspiciously. “I think I know what these are,” he said, clutching his knapsack to his chest.
By this time, Nicole knew that he carried a small metal container in his bag where his Minya, Early, lived. He was understandably possessive and careful with Early. From what it sounded like, they’d been through a lot together.
“What are they?” Coolidge asked, looking up at the nearest bird. It was about three feet from head to tail, with a massive body.
Jacob squinted at them. “Azuriah told me about them. They’re blood suckers. Vampire birds.”
Nicole frowned. “Who’s Azuriah?”
He glanced at her. “A Shiengol—a creature who controls his magic through his eyes. He’s really intelligent and has helped us a lot. He’s also really cranky and doesn’t like people asking him questions—you should know that in case you meet him some day. But he’s usually right, and he said to avoid them if we saw any.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” Austin asked.
“I wasn’t sure—they were far enough away that I didn’t see the red.”
No one responded, but Nicole could feel the chill that descended over the group, despite the warm air. She stared up at the birds, wondering how they sucked blood but hoping she wouldn’t find out.
Suddenly, the nearest one opened its maw and sprayed Coolidge with green stuff. Coolidge’s eyes widened and he gasped. His body crumpled to the forest floor.
“Everyone, take cover!” Jacob shouted.
Nicole looked around—cover where? The forest was thin, the trees sparse. There wasn’t undergrowth where they could hide.
She and Austin glanced at each other, and instead of running, they jumped to each other, standing over Coolidge’s inert form.
“I’ll keep watch,” Austin said. “Check him out.”
Nicole dropped to her knees next to Coolidge. She shook his shoulder, careful not to touch the green stuff, then checked his pulse. “Professor? Are you okay?”
He didn’t respond. His eyes were glazed over, his pulse faint.
Nicole looked around, wondering where Jacob had gone.
She gasped when she saw a flock of the birds attacking him. He must have created one of his shields, because the birds were bouncing off the air around him. It looked like he was struggling to maintain his grip—his face was red, his arms shaking as he held them out. Nicole began gathering her magic, but what could she do? These birds looked strong enough to fly through any windstorm she created.
Just then, Austin dropped to the ground next to her, covered in green stuff.
Nicole panicked. The two strongest Aretes in their group were down. She quickly gathered more magic, but nothing happened when she pushed it toward the birds. What was going on?
“My magic isn’t working!” she yelled to Jacob. “What do we do?” She was not equipped to fight crazy birds without her powers!
A branch whizzed through the air, striking the largest bird. It fell to the ground near Nicole, either dead or unconscious.
With a frenzy, branches started flying around, knocking other birds from the air. It didn’t take long for the evil creatures to figure out what was going on and fly away, hovering out of reach of the trees.
“Make sure Austin and Mr. Coolidge are okay!” Akeno called to her from the nearest tree. He must have been controlling the branches.
Nicole turned her attention back to Austin and Coolidge. “What do I do? How do I know if they’re okay?”
“The stuff isn’t poisonous,” Jacob said, dropping near her. “It freezes them in place.”
“Paralyzes them?”
“Basically.”
“How long until it wears off?”
Jacob knitted his eyebrows. “It won’t ever wear off—they’ll be like this forever.”
What? That was awful! “How do we undo it?”
“We don’t.”
Nicole started. “What do you mean?”
“I need to check with Azuriah, but I think we’ll have to force one of the birds to bite them. Then we have to free them before the bird drains their blood.”
Nicole stared at him. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Let me double-check with Azuriah.”
Jacob brought out his Minya. She stood on his hand, her black curls billowing slightly around her.
“Go ask Azuriah about the vampire birds. Have him confirm what we need to do to get someone free from their sludge.”
She nodded, then disappeared in a burst of light.
Nicole turned her attention back to her boyfriend. “Are they in pain?”
Jacob shook his head. “I’m sorry—I don’t know.”
Nicole held Austin’s hand, rubbing it, hoping Jacob’s friend would deliver better news.
Early reappeared, a solemn expression on her tiny face. She held on to Jacob’s thumb. “Azuriah says to leave him alone—he’s already told you what you need to know about the birds.”
“Great,” Jacob muttered. “Tell him thanks for nothing. Wait.” He held up his hand. “Don’t do that. Just . . . let’s see if there’s something else we can do.” He looked at Akeno, whose hand was back on the tree, probably so he could knock the birds away again. “Do you think Kaede sap would help?”
Akeno shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Jacob glanced at Nicole, an apologetic expression on his face. “Early’s right—I do know what needs to be done. The bird’s bite is the only cure for their spray. It unparalyzes the person for a moment. Then, like I said, we have to move the person really fast before the bird drains them.”
Jacob bit his lip, not meeting her eyes. “Also, the bird uses magic to pull the blood to itself. It can do a lot of damage in only seconds.”
“This gets better and better.” Nicole swallowed, trying to keep tears from filling her eyes when she looked at Austin. “Tell me what to do.”
“Get your powers ready. I’ll have Akeno use the trees to pull a bird down to us, then I’ll have it bite Coolidge.”
Nicole shook her head. “I don’t think my magic would be any good against them. I tried it earlier, and nothing happened.”
Jacob nodded. “That makes sense. I wondered why neither of these two did anything to defend themselves.”
Nicole reached for her magic, then gasped when she couldn’t feel it. “Oh, my gosh. I can’t even sense my powers anymore—they’re completely gone.” What an awful feeling. She had never been completely stripped of her powers. Even before Restarting, she’d sensed the magic that swirled around her. She felt so helpless without it.
Jacob called instructions to Akeno, then handed Nicole a knife. “If you can’t use your powers, you’ll have to kill it with this instead.”
Nicole gripped the knife, her hand shaking. How much time would they have from when the bird first bit to when it sucked the men dry? She hoped they wouldn’t find out.
A ton of squawking above let her know that Akeno was trying to catch one. It took several tries before he succeeded, and then a bird was lowered to them, a small branch wrapped around its maw, probably to keep it from spraying anyone.
Jacob grabbed the bird, holding its wings tightly to its sides, and Nicole held the knife where the bird could see it, hoping the creature would recognize the threat.
Jacob placed the beak of the bird next to Coolidge’s arm. “Release its beak!” he shouted to Akeno.
With a sudden flurry of movement, the branch loosened, and Jacob swung the bird closer to Coolidge.
The bird must have sensed the blood in Coolidge’s arm because it immediately snapped onto him. Coolidge gasped.
Nicole finally sensed magic, but it originated from the bird. She raised the knife, thrusting it at the creature, but the bird swiveled out of Jacob’s grasp and away, its beak remaining around Coolidge’s arm. Nicole tried again, scrambling forward. Again, she missed.
Coolidge screamed out, his face turning white, his lips blue.
An arrow swooshed through the air and struck the bird. It fell over, beak open, revealing a long tongue with little bloody teeth on the end.
Coolidge gasped again, pulled his arm to himself, then passed out.
“Akeno!” Jacob called. “Come help!”
“What about the other birds?” the Makalo asked.
“Not a concern anymore.”
Nicole followed Jacob’s gaze. They were surrounded by half-naked men armed with bows and arrows. This must be the tribe Dmitri had mentioned. Several arrows flew through the air, and all the visible birds dropped to the ground.
“What now?” Nicole whispered to Jacob. He shrugged and Nicole turned to Akeno, but the Makalo looked as clueless. Why didn’t they have someone more experienced with them?
The natives jabbered to each other. Then a man with a bright red swatch of skin on one side of his face picked up a dead bird and brought it to Austin, warily watching Nicole and Jacob. Nicole couldn’t tell if the red was a birthmark or painted on. No, it had to be paint. It was still wet and dripping.
The man opened the mouth of the bird, exposing the long tongue. He placed the teeth on Austin’s arm and pressed down, puncturing the skin. Purple fluid dribbled to the forest floor. Austin coughed, pulling himself to a sitting position. The tribesman dropped the bird and retreated. He and the others backed away, eyes still on Nicole and her friends.
Austin got to his feet, inspecting his arm, and Nicole resisted the urge to hug him. He was okay! He wiped the excess purple ooze away and took off his shirt, possibly to keep the initial spray from re-infecting him. Nicole normally would have loved seeing her boyfriend shirtless, but at the moment, she was more concerned about the natives surrounding them.
Jacob gasped, his hand covering his mouth, staring at the people. “I know where they came from,” he whispered, turning to Akeno. “They’re Keitus’s test subjects. From back when he was trying to become a Lorkon.”
Akeno looked up from where he knelt next to Coolidge, mixing together powder and liquid. “How do you know?” he whispered. “Wasn’t that a long time ago?”
Jacob nodded. “Yes, but not long enough for all of them to have died off.” He nodded toward the man with the red paint. “That’s how a lot of them looked after Keitus injected them. The potion only worked partially. Besides, I wouldn’t be surprised if their lives were prolonged because of his tests.”
He glanced at Nicole and Austin. “Keitus’s potion, when done correctly, grants immortality.”
Nicole and Austin nodded, understanding. Nicole remembered that Keitus—as a Lorkon—had been immortal.
While waiting for Akeno to finish applying the mixture to Coolidge’s arm, Nicole kept her eyes on the men. They stood motionless, watching, waiting. But what were they waiting for? They didn’t seem to want to harm Nicole’s group, but they definitely made her uncomfortable.
“Done,” Akeno said.
“Good,” Nicole replied, eager to move beyond this area and its horrible birds and weird natives. “I’m totally ready to go.”
“We can’t leave—not until Mr. Coolidge wakes up. When someone is injured, Kaede Sap encourages sleep. And unless they sleep, it won’t heal them.”
Nicole bit the inside of her cheek. “How long until it works?”
Akeno shrugged. “Depends on how badly he was injured. Since he only lost blood and there’s no actual tissue to repair, apart from the bite, I don’t think it’ll take very long. But everyone is different. Expect at least an hour.”
Nicole groaned and sat. “Time for food, then?”
Akeno chuckled. “Definitely. I’ll make some potatoes.”
Nicole offered to help Akeno, but he turned her down, so she powered up her phone to read. She might as well do something productive while waiting.
She glanced one last time at the tribal men—they stared back in response—and leaned against a tree trunk while Austin stretched out next to her. Resting her phone on her thigh, she held his hand, struggling to immerse herself in her latest crime novel. She couldn’t believe how close she’d come to losing her boyfriend.
Sometime later, Akeno announced that the food was ready, and Nicole turned off her phone, tucking it away. She glanced around them in surprise. The men were still there. It didn’t look like they’d moved even a little bit. What was going on?
“Why aren’t they leaving?” she hissed to Akeno and Jacob.
“No clue,” Jacob said. He didn’t seem worried, but that was probably because he could create that shield thing if they tried to attack. Nicole wasn’t even able to use her magic . . . She hesitated. Wait. Her magic was there again. She could feel it on the edges of her senses. Why was it acting so weird? She hadn’t felt like this since before she’d learned to Channel properly. Maybe it had something to do with the birds.
Once everyone had finished eating, they settled in to wait for Coolidge to wake up, which he did about half an hour later. Nicole watched him closely, surprised to see that he really had healed completely.
During that entire time, none of the natives moved. Nicole couldn’t believe it. They hadn’t sat or shifted weight or anything. They must’ve had very strong leg muscles. And a lot of patience.
Finally, Coolidge indicated that he was ready, and the group packed up and went on their way.
The natives followed.
“I wish they’d just leave,” Nicole grumbled to Austin.
“I know,” he whispered back.
After another hour or so, Nicole noticed ruins of huge buildings in the distance. “Is that where we’re going?” she asked.
Jacob pulled out his phone, comparing pictures on it to what they were seeing. “Yes, I think so.”
The buildings were deteriorated a great deal compared to the images in the Fat Lady’s books. The ones still standing were tall with lacy arches and pillars—very elaborate. Both dead and living vines crawled over the grayish-purple stone of nearly half the city.
Nicole sensed a presence on the outskirts—something familiar, and yet foreign. Mist crawled along the forest floor, swirling around their legs as they walked. The fog became more and more dense, and Nicole was disturbed to notice it clinging to her but avoiding the others. What was going on?
“Guys, why is the fog more interested in me than it is you?”
Coolidge frowned, head tilted, and the others stared at her and the mist circling her.
“There’s a presence in the mist,” Coolidge said.
Nicole nodded. “Yeah, I know. Good or bad?”
“Hopefully good.”
Clouds began building up, covering the sky, casting shadows over the land. The sunlight darkened until Nicole could barely see the ruins or mists anymore, but she still felt the mists pressing against her.
Nicole’s feet left the ground and she was lifted upward until she was ten feet above her friends. What the crap? She twisted, looking to see who or what had picked her up, but nothing was there. Was it a Croent again? She’d been carried by one before, and it hadn’t ended well. This time, though, it didn’t hurt—nothing was pinching her.
“Nicole?” Austin called. “Nicole!”
“I’m fine,” she responded, trying to control her panic. “Can you see what’s holding me up?”
“All I can see is fog,” he said.
“It’s Lirone!” Jacob yelled. “Run for the ruins!”
“Not without Nicole,” Austin shouted back.
Nicole squirmed, trying to get free, but was powerless. Who was Lirone?
Austin jumped up to catch her, but she was jerked higher. He whirled to Jacob and Coolidge.
“Any ideas?”
“He’ll just pull her higher,” Jacob said. “He’s playing with her—teasing us. She’s in danger until we can get her down, but trying will only kill her.”
“Oh, that’s comforting!” Nicole said. “Any suggestions?”
“Don’t struggle, I guess,” Jacob said.
He guessed? Nicole tried to control her frustration while she bounced along through the air above the group. “But why me? Why not any of you?”
Coolidge nodded. “Yes, good thinking. Why her?”
“She’s the only girl?” Akeno asked.
Jacob shook his head. “No—I’ve seen him around girls before, and this hasn’t ever happened.”
“It has to do with magic,” Coolidge said. “She’s the only natural Wind Arete here. She probably intrigues him.”
Nicole raised an eyebrow. She didn’t see why that would make a difference, and stated as much.
“Because Lirone lives in the clouds. He’s a sky dweller—an ancient Eklaron race. Wind is the only thing that can damage him or force him to do something he doesn’t want to do.”
“Wind—and sunlight,” Jacob said. “Sunlight is how we got him to move last time.”
Coolidge nodded. “And since the sun is covered, we can’t use that.” He looked up at Nicole. “Test things out. Create a bit of wind—see what he does.”
She cleared her throat. “I’m not exactly comfortable doing that while I’m hanging fifteen feet above the ground.”
“I’ll catch you,” Austin said, sending her a teasing grin.
Nicole snorted. “Right.” How could he joke? She definitely didn’t see any humor in the situation.
Realizing she needed to be in better control of herself, Nicole closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Her magic was there! She concentrated on how her breath felt as it entered and exited her lungs. Then she started pulling in her powers.
Once she had plenty of magic around her, she tentatively pushed out, creating just enough pressure to move the air.
Nothing happened.
“You’ll have to push a lot harder than that,” Coolidge said.
“What I can’t understand is why he hasn’t shown us his face yet,” Jacob said.
Nicole opened her eyes. “What do you mean? Does he keep it hidden?”
“Not usually,” Akeno said. “When he comes, he puts on a big show, using the clouds to create arms, muscles, a face—all of that.”
“And he’s not throwing bombs,” Coolidge said.
Bombs? Nicole swallowed, losing her grasp on her magic. “Any chance he plans to throw me?”
“He would have done it already if he wanted to,” Jacob said. “I think he’s waiting to see what you’ll do.”
That only gave Nicole a little relief. “Okay, I’ll try again.”
Once more, she pulled her magic close. She built up as much pressure as possible, then forced the wind away from herself as hard as she could.
Nicole hadn’t created a windstorm in a long time, but she was much more powerful now than she’d been before. Not only that, but she’d never pushed wind directly from herself and really had no idea what to expect.
Her friends getting flattened on the ground below definitely wasn’t it.
A wind so strong, it pushed the trees over roared away from her in all directions. The fog thinned for a bit, but thickened again. Many faces appeared in it, formed by the fog itself, grinning at her. Hands made of vapor tossed her from face to face, and she screamed, her stomach roiling from the jolts. Each time she was thrown, it felt like she would slam to the ground below. Waves of dizziness flooded over her.
“Stop it!” she called. “Stop it now!”
Austin and Jacob jumped around, trying to follow her.
Nicole built up her magic again, knowing she was probably overexerting herself. Instead of creating Wind, she directed her power to the nearest tree and shredded the outer layer of bark. Then she pelted the clouds with the bark. Warmth spread across her scalp and down her back, telling her that she was on the brink of causing permanent damage to her brain. No more magic—she couldn’t risk it.
But what she’d done seemed to get the cloud’s attention long enough for it to release her. Nicole plummeted toward the ground, landing with a jerk in Jacob and Austin’s arms.
As they set her down, a roar thundered through the sky. A flash of lightning struck the tree Nicole had used, causing it to burst into flames.
“Run!” Jacob shrieked.
Austin grabbed Nicole’s hand, and together, they raced toward the ruins.
Bombs began falling from the sky, and Nicole ducked, screaming. She clenched Austin’s hand as tightly as she could and looked at him. He was just as freaked out about their situation.
How was the cloud creature making bombs?
They reached the edge of the ruins right as a huge explosion sounded behind them. Nicole was flung forward, slamming through a rotted door. Her head snapped against the metal knob, and she blacked out.