more. Whether it is you or not I do not know. But I can tell
by reading you that whatever you are, you are no human. But
you're not reading pure, either...not like the others.”
“Like Jana, you mean?”
“Oh, Jana,” Misty sighed. “Yes...”
“How did she read?”
“Jana was no human, child.”
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“Was she a goddess?”
“She had hubris, child. She wanted to be Vesta – to rise
above her station in life. But no, Mac – Jana wasn't human
at all.”
“And me?” I looked eagerly at Misty. “What am I?
Chance thinks...”
“You can see beyond my glamoured form,” said
Misty. “That means you are more than human. But I cannot
tell you more than that. Even an oracle, a truthsayer like
myself – the true identity of the Fire goddess is hidden. She
cannot be recognized easily – she can prove her nature only
by passing a test.”
“A test?”
“A test that has killed many women already. But that
was how they did it in the ancient days. Vesta and her lover
Mars worked out an arrangement. For long ago, in the most
ancient days, they were lovers. They were happy. But the
goddess Vesta, though pure, was tempted. Another wooed
her away from the Fire God.”
“Who?”
“The legends are unclear. But Vesta feared the wrath
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of the lover she spurned, the lover she'd hurt...”
“She ran away from Mars? From Chance? ” He
hadn't mentioned to me that Vesta had tried to get away from
him.
“The passion of a spurned lover is a dangerous
thing,” said Misty. “And for one so unused to resistance as
the Fire God, it was worse still. Vesta knew she and her love
would be in danger if she was found out. And so she
disguised herself in a mortal body, embodying herself in
each successive generation, trying to hide from the Fire God.
But despite having fallen in love with the other, she cannot
deny her pull, her connection to her twin. Vesta and Mars are
like two halves of a coin. They cannot exist without each
other. It's all written down in the book, you know...”
“The book!” I had almost forgotten. “But it's gone.
Those people – they stole it...” I cursed myself for not having
read the book earlier. Now it was gone – along with the
information it contained – and it was all my fault.
We were interrupted by Coach Matthews and Dr.
Newton rushing through the door. Dr. Newton came first.
“They're decent, Coach,” she called back, and Coach
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Matthews followed her.
“Is, uh, everything ok?” Coach Matthews looked
around. “I heard some commotion but didn't want to come
in without, uh, female company. In case what was going on
was just girl stuff.”
“Someone came in here,” I said. “Attacked me –
stole my...” I hesitated. “Stuff.”
“Attacked you?” A voice came from the doorway. It
was Antonio Cutter, leaning blithely against the door. “Did
you recognize them? Mind if I come in?”
I looked up in surprise. What was Antonio doing
here?
“No,” I shook my head. “They were wearing masks.
Three of them.”
“We should probably call the police...” Coach
Matthews looked nervous.
“Now, now,” Antonio said. “Do you really want
word getting out that some attacker got past campus
security?” He raised an eyebrow. “We wouldn't want that,
would we?”
“No,” Dr. Newton grumbled.
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“Listen, I'll notify the police chief – on the downlow.
He's an old friend of mine – dines at the hotel every week.”
“You're right,” Dr. Newton sighed.
“Listen – I'll take Mackenzy to the chief myself and
she can make a statement off-the-record. And then I'll get her
straight home before her mother starts to worry. I'm a parent
myself, Dr. Newton – I know what it's like to worry.”
Dr. Newton agreed, and with that – before I could
protest – Antonio Cutter led me straight away.
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Chapter 19
“Thanks for bringing me home,” I said to Antonio
as he escorted me into his shiny new convertible. “And – uh
– tell Chance I said ‘hi’. I didn't see him today at school. Is
he sick?”
“Heck, no!” Antonio was blithely unconcerned. “He
skipped today. Although he's been attending class more often
than I would have guessed. Perhaps you're a good influence
on him after all, Mackenzy.”
I looked up in surprise as I noticed that we were
parked in front of the hotel. Hadn't Antonio said that he was
going to bring me to the police office?
“Your mom can pick you up here,” Antonio said
quickly. “Since she's on duty.” We entered his office and
Antonio bade me sit in one of the elegant leather chairs
pushed up against the wall. He closed the door behind us.
“So, Miss Evers,” Antonio said, in a voice so like
Chance's that it made me sit up straight. “Tell me more about
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