Ireland's President without causing an international crisis.
Life continued strangely calmly over the next few
days. I started going to swim practice regularly, eyeing
Haven with just a bit more suspicion now that I knew she too
could be an Olympian. As for Chance, we did not repeat our
kiss by the temple – I saw him only rarely, for he seemed to
be avoiding school – and although his manner towards me
was no longer full of contempt, he seemed far more
restrained. When he looked at me, though, his eyes were
naked with desire, I felt a shudder pass through me. He
wanted me, I could tell. And yet he was holding back.
Perhaps he too felt the fear I felt – that it could be a mistake,
that I could turn out not to be the one, that his love could cost
me my life.
That afternoon after swim practice, I was the last to
finish dressing. The locker room was damp and empty, and
202
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
when I heard the door swing open, I assumed it was one of
the other girls from the team come back to fetch a forgotten
swimsuit.
And then I felt the blow.
Someone hit me from behind, sending me crashing
forward into a locker. Blood streamed from a gash in my
forehead as I staggered back, trying to turn around, to see my
attacker…
But my assailant was stronger than I was. As I
screamed for help, the figure put a gloved hand over my
mouth, picking me up by the hair with the other hand, and
threw me to the hard marble floor. I felt something – a foot,
probably – collide with my ribcage, and I screamed as my
bones cracked with the impact.
I rolled over onto my back and tried to catch a
glimpse of my attacker. I gasped in horror as I looked up at
three masked faces.
“No you don't!”
I turned in the direction of the voice. There was
Misty, her electric-blue hair sopping wet.
“Misty – run!” I spat out blood as I cried out.
203
KAILIN GOW
But Misty had no intention of running. Instead, she
made her way towards the attackers, kneeing one – a broad-
shouldered man firmly in the groin as her elbow came down
onto the other's chest. But the third attacker, a smaller figure,
pushed Misty off, sending Misty reeling. Her head crashed
into the locker and she slumped down to the ground.
The smaller assailant then made his way towards me,
pinning me effortlessly to the ground as I tried to fight back.
Another of the attackers made his way to my bag. It was then
that I realized what they wanted.
“No!” I shouted – but it was no use. The man grabbed
my bag and vanished into the shadows. I heard a thud as he
dropped the bag behind.
“Come on, let's go!” The second attacker called in a
husky voice, and the others swiftly followed, leaving me
bleeding on the floor. I leaped to my feet and ran to my bag,
my heart sinking. As I suspected, the bag was gone.
I turned to Misty, who was staggering to her feet.
“Misty! Are you okay?”
But Misty didn't look at me. Instead, she was
muttering something – words in a language I didn't
204
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
understand. As she spoke, she began to shimmer, her whole
body morphing in a weird blue light.
“What the...”
As Misty stepped forth towards me, she was no
longer the young, attractive girl I had fought on the wrestling
mat. She was an old crone, thousands of wrinkles crossing
her withered face, a single bright blue eye the only reminder
of the lovely girl she had once been.
I stepped back in shock, only to fall over onto the
bench behind me.
Misty gave a twisted laugh. “So I take it you can see
my true form, child,” she said. “That's a good sign. A good
sign indeed. It means Chance was right about you. You have
potential.”
“Chance?” I looked up at her in confusion. So
Chance trusted her? “Who are you?”
“I'm certainly not Chance's pretty young piece on the
side, as you so enviously thought.” She laughed. “No, I have
never dreamed of such an honor – all the other girls he's
loved have burned up and died. But me, I've survived for
centuries. His stalwart friend. No rival to you, my dear.
205
KAILIN GOW
Better a long life than a fiery death for me, pretty.”
“What are you? You're not human...”
“Neither are most of the students at Aeros, child –
and most likely neither are you – if you react with such fear
at every non-human you come across, you'll never make it
through your first class. I am a truthsayer, Mackenzy Evers.
A seer. An oracle. One of Vesta's line.”
The truthsayer. Now I understood why Chance and
Misty had been so close.
“The seer?” My fear abated. If Chance trusted Misty,
that meant that I had to, too. “Then you know if I'm Vesta or
not!”
“Ah, that's beyond my powers, my dear child. You
see, I told Chance that I
