Fire Stones (The Fire Wars #2) (6 page)

            I had gone to my locker before Literary Responses to the Erosion in order to switch out my textbooks when I heard a familiar female voice behind me. “Hey, Mac.”

            I whirled around. It was Haven, standing with her customary coterie, Cassie and Leia. All three had been far nicer to me ever since I joined the swim team, but I still couldn't help but be suspicious. Girls like Haven – perfect, popular, without a single hair out of place – were very good at convincing you that they were your best friend. That is, until they stabbed you in the back.

            “You come shopping with us?” The invitation seemed innocuous enough, and Haven even managed a small smile.

            “I don't know...” I began. I'd been hoping to see Chance after school.

            “We're all getting dresses for Haven's birthday,” Cassie added. “Nothing in my closet's good enough.”

            “It's going to be really fancy,” Leia added. “We're having it at the Cutter Imperial.”

            Haven said nothing, but only smiled brightly.
Damn
, I thought. I knew exactly what I was going to be wearing to that party: a white apron and uniform slacks. I'd already promised Brandon I'd work the party shift with him. But something stopped me from admitting this to Haven and her friends; a blush rose in my cheek. “Sure,” I said at last.

            “You
are
coming to the party, aren't you?” said Haven. She hadn't of course invited me earlier, but it seemed that Haven naturally assumed that I, along with everyone else at Aeros Academy, would have been waiting for bated breath for an invitation.

            “I guess so,” I said. “Sure. Sounds good. Looking forward to it.”

            After school, Haven's shiny pink convertible pulled up to the school steps. She had somehow managed to change into painfully fashionable (and dress-code-breaking) day clothes only moments after the last class-bell rang.
How does she do it?
I knew she was a Siren – Varun had told me that much – but even Sirens had to deal with the line at the girls' locker room.

            “Mac gets to sit up front,” Haven announced, opening the car door for me. Looking slightly astonished and more than a little envious, Cassie and Leia clambered into the back seat.

            To my surprise, I found myself enjoying our impromptu trip to the mall. Haven, Cassie, Leia and I made conversation – first about swim team practice, then about our classwork, gossip, and other idle pursuits. We enjoyed trying on clothes in the many shops lining the mall, and even indulged in a few slices of chocolate cake from the food court. After the pressure and the stress of the last few weeks, not to mention the male attention, it was nice to spend some time far away from the men in my life, firmly and solidly in the company of women. I didn't have to worry about Vesta; I didn't have to worry about stones or sharks or my own possibly-impending death. I could just gobble down chocolate cake, discuss the merits of strapless dresses, and laugh about Mr. Henderson's habit of breaking chalk every time he tried to write something on the board.

            I may not have trusted Haven, but I was starting to like her. She might have been a bit abrasive at the beginning, but it was clear to me that Haven – however she treated her acquaintances – was good to her friends. She spent plenty of time listening to Cassie's latest romantic trials and tribulations, offering gentle but firm advice to “dump him, now,” and helped Leia find a black dress that perfectly flattered her rounded figure.

            Soon Cassie and Leia had both found their perfect matches, outfit-wise, leaving me and Haven to find our own attire. I caught sight of a glimmering dandelion-gold dress on the rack – its lace trim elegant without being overly formal. But when I reached for the hangar, I looked up in surprise. Haven had reached for the dress at the same time!

            We laughed as we picked up the dress together. “Go on,” I said. “It's your birthday.”

            “Looks like we have the same taste, Mac,” said Haven. “You can take it if you want – I have something similar at home.”

            I handed it to her. “Birthday girl.”

            “Well, great minds think alike, I guess.” Haven smiled. “Cassie always goes for brighter colors – Leia for monochrome. Nobody here shares my taste.” She sighed, and her eyes grew sad. “Except Jana, of course. She and I used to “hanger-jinx” each other all the time, always reaching for the same outfit.” She looked up at me, her expression serious. “You know, you really do remind me of her. Not just physically, but...this whole thing, with you and Chance and Varun...”

           
So, Brandon had gossiped about what he saw.
I looked up at Haven, watching her face for any sign of potential betrayal, but she seemed serious, if curious about the “real story” of my relationship with both of them.

            “It's complicated,” I admitted, not wanting to give too much away. I wasn't even sure if Haven knew about Chance's real identity, let alone mine or Varun’s.

            “You know,” said Haven, “I'd keep away from Chance if I were you. He's nothing but trouble.” Her voice grew cold. “And if Jana had done the same, and stayed with Varun, who really loved her, then she'd be alive today.”

            I looked up at Haven, dumbstruck by her forward words. “I'm not Jana,” I said, looking braver than I felt.

            “But you sure acted the same way, didn't you?” Haven's voice grew dark, almost threatening. I couldn't tell if she was angry with me – or with Chance. “Five minutes into getting into Aeros and you were already dating Varun, now you're with Chance. It's a love triangle I'm not unfamiliar with. Jana had the exact same problem. She was with Varun for a whole year, happy, in love. Then suddenly, Chance came to town, and she didn't know what hit her. I'm just trying to be a friend, Mac. Those two boys are dangerous together; you don't want to get in the middle of whatever drama they have going on.”

            “Whatever happened to Jana,” I said, “Isn't going to happen to me. Don't worry.” But I wasn't so sure. What made me so different from Jana? From what everyone said, we were more similar than I'd have liked to think.

            “It's not just you I'm worried about,” said Haven. “What about Varun? He's a great guy – you know, he seemed to really like you. I don't know if you broke up or whatever, but that was an awfully short-lived relationship...unless you're still involved with him?”

           
So that's why Haven asked me to the mall.
I should have known there was an ulterior motive. Haven evidently wanted to know where I stood with Varun.

            “I'm dating Chance now, Haven. Varun and I went on a couple of dates but...it just didn't work out. If you want to ask him out, you know, he's totally free.”

            Haven smiled and laughed, her cheeks turning pink. “Oh, no,” she said. “It's not like that with us. I mean, I'm not saying I haven't thought about it, but it's not like that with us, Mac. We're childhood friends. Since we were kids. I care about him, but he's too wrapped up in his quest to notice me. He thinks there's this woman from his past – like, a past life. And that he has to find her again. This Vesta person he's so obsessed with.” Haven frowned as she said Vesta's name. I felt a sudden urge to tell her everything, to explain, but caution held me back.

            “What do you know about Vesta?” I asked.

            “Not a lot,” admitted Haven. “I know that in some past existence, Varun says, he used to live with her, used to be so in love with her that he would have given everything up to be with her. But in the end, they came from two different worlds. And she left him, high and dry. And alone. Left him for her old life, her old world. Some other love she was convinced she was supposed to be with. And it broke Varun's heart.”

           
So Vesta had broken two men's hearts.

            “
And Varun thought Jana was Vesta, you think?” I was treading as carefully as I could.

            Haven nodded, and then shrugged. “Maybe,” she said. “But it wasn't just like that. Varun loved Jana for herself, too. He's big-hearted, you know. Like a big teddy bear. He just falls for someone real quick and then – bam – he's in love. He falls in love easily.” She gave me a significant look, and I knew that Haven was talking about me as much as Vesta.

            “So, do you think she's real, then?” I asked Haven. “This Vesta”

            Haven sighed. “I don't know,” she said. “Whoever she is – I hope she stays hidden for good. I'm glad Jana wasn't Vesta – whatever Chance brainwashed her to think. Vesta sounds like a real piece of work to me. If I ever met the real Vesta,” she said darkly, “I'd kill her. For what she did to Varun.”

            I colored and stammered out some excuse about a stomachache, looking for any reason to end the conversation. “Do you mind dropping me back at the hotel? Their on-site nurse supplies me with aspirin – we're all out back home.

            Haven agreed, looking a little confused at my sudden about-face, but – as far as I could tell – not suspicious.
I'd kill her
, she had said. Did she mean it? Haven might have been only joking, but after my attack in the locker room, I wasn't so sure.

            Once I arrived at the hotel, I asked around for  Chance. Was he around?

            “I think I saw him in the gardens,” the receptionist told me. “He usually does his homework out there.”

            It was getting late. The moon was visible in the sky; the dusk spread its shadows across the gardens. The torches had all been lit; the dark-blooming flowers were illuminated by their fire. It was a beautiful night. My heart ached for Chance.

            I felt a drop of water. I looked up, another raindrop falling squarely on my face. I reached for my hood but it was too late. The skies had opened up at all once – a thunderstorm pouring out of the sky.

            “No!” My shopping was still in my bag – and it was about to get terribly soaked. Within seconds, my clothes were sopping. I rushed into the hotel, in search of a linen closet stocked with towels.

            Instead, I found myself bumping into a wall. A warm, muscular wall.

            I looked up.

            “Varun?”

Chapter
7

           
I
t was indeed Varun – in the flesh.
And plenty of flesh.
Varun's shirt was wide open, revealing his taut, tanned chest. He was drenched far worse than I was; his long blonde hair dripped water onto the hotel carpet, and his shirt was see-through, his trousers tight with moisture. “Sorry,” I muttered, flushing. I wasn't interested in conversation – I couldn't let myself look at him again. Would he try to tempt me once more? I thought back to what Haven had said about him – how much he'd lost, how much he'd suffered. Was I really to be so surprised that he was trying so hard to regain his Vesta in me? If she really had left him high and dry, broken his heart, then no wonder he was so insistent on getting her back.

           
Come on, Varun,
I thought.
Was Vesta really worth it?
I couldn't imagine leaving either Chance
or
Varun – how could she have left them both?

            “Mac,” Varun smiled at me. “I've been hoping to see you.”

            “Swimming?” I looked Varun up and down. Water from his trousers was pooling on the floor.

            “No,” Varun shrugged. “I got caught in the storm. I was helping serve cake at the party outside when the storm came, and I had to salvage the cake before getting inside. The garden and the chairs are soaked through – but the cake is free. Our priorities are in order, at least. Can't say that I mind, though. I like the water, as you no doubt have figured out by now. And sweet old Mrs. Sonderheim can eat her 80
^th
birthday cake.” He grinned at me, and I couldn't help smiling back at him. This was the old Varun, the one I remembered – the one who made a trade out of helping sweet old grannies and awkward new girls like me. This was the Varun I had first been attracted to, so many weeks ago. Not the insistent, frightening Varun I had seen on the beach. This was the Varun who had been my first friend, taking me under his wing when even Haven and the other girls had been wary. The Varun who took time out of my schedule to help my mother when times got busy at the hotel.

            “Well, you're a hero, then,” I said, patting Varun on the shoulder. “Only problem is – you're also sopping wet. I've been looking for a towel – I thought the linen closet might have a few of those.”

            “There's a closet at the end of this hall,” said Varun, leading me down to an empty room lined with closets. “There's a spare of at least one of everything in here.” He removed two towels from the cabinet, handing me one as he used the other to dry himself. He looked up at me, and the teddy bear look of sadness in his eyes was more than I could take. Haven was right, I realized. Varun really was like a big bear – prone to sudden fits of love and sadness, eager to please, eager to love. I could see in his eyes that he was slightly awkward around me now, afraid to approach me.

            After all, I had pushed him away quite violently. But as I looked in his eyes, I saw my old friend once again. The friend I trusted – the friend I missed. I had been so busy worrying about Varun as a romantic rival for Chance that I had forgotten what mattered most: that before Varun and I were a couple, we were friends. And that was worth holding on to.