The Prophecy Read online

  At the same time, the air shimmered, undulating into a hazy apparition, and Vanessa materialized, wearing a low-slung skirt with side slits and carrying a newspaper rolled in one hand.

  "Give it up, Vanessa." Catty fell back on her pillow. "I'm not going to school today." But as she yanked the covers over her head, she glimpsed her clock radio. It read eleven o'clock. She sprang up, jarring the headboard, and swung her legs over the side of the bed, a sheet tangled around her ankle. "It's fourth period. Why aren't you at school?"

  "I skipped." Vanessa's face flushed. "Read this!" She thrust the paper at Catty. "I saw it on Mr. Darston's desk."

  "You stole his paper?" Catty opened The L.A. Times, impressed. Vanessa never broke the rules.

  "He won't miss it." Vanessa brushed her trembling hands through her hair. "Someone stole the Scroll last night."

  "Do they mention us?" Catty didn't wait for an answer but started reading.

  "Like the guards would ever admit what they saw us do." Vanessa flung herself onto the bed and kicked off her ankle boots, her toenails flashing ruby colors.

  "But the police must have seen us on the surveillance tapes." Catty imagined a fuzzy, black and-white image of her face broadcast on the nightly news.

  "I know." Vanessa ran a finger over the print, the stone on her mood ring black. "But it says the police have no clues. Exploding glass destroyed the cameras in the exhibit room, and the images on the videotapes were too blurred for identification."

  Catty felt giddy with relief, but then she thought about the missing manuscript, and her chest tightened. "Regulators must have taken it."

  "That's what I figured, too."

  "They must have been following us." Catty stared at the ceiling, trying to concentrate on recovering the Scroll, but her thoughts kept turning to Kyle. She sighed. "I'm becoming obsessed."

  "What?" Vanessa rolled closer to her, "'Fess up. What haven't you been telling me?"

  A blush warmed Catty's face.

  "What?" Vanessa demanded. "You can't say something like that and not give me the details."

  "Do you remember Kyle Ormond?" Catty asked.

  "'That lo—"Vanessa stopped, her lips frozen in a pucker.

  Catty walked over to her desk, picked up a sketch pad and pencil, and began drawing Vanessa, trying to capture the way the light fell on her face. "You were going to say loser," Catty said at last.

  "All right. I was," Vanessa answered, trying to remain still for Catty. "He's got to-die-for looks, but his reputation—"

  "I know, but I'm crushing on him, anyway." Catty made quick pencil strokes across the paper and slowly began to tell Vanessa about meeting Kyle.

  By the time she had finished, the portrait was done, and the sun had disappeared behind an oak tree. A pattern of leaves and branches shadowed the bedroom.

  "Maybe you just miss Chris," Vanessa suggested.

  "I do miss Chris, but what I feel for Kyle is different . . . it's like my emotions are raw." She paused, wishing she could explain the way her insides went on a rampage every time she saw Kyle. She tossed her sketch pad aside. "How can I lust after this guy when we have to get the Scroll back? I can't get him out of my mind."

  "Nothing stops me from thinking about Michael," Vanessa said, her eyes dreamy.

  "But, I mean, I'm thinking about . . . you know?" Catty patted her cheeks, trying to keep the heat from rising to them.

  "Of course I think about that." Vanessa stood and grabbed the blue fingernail polish from Catty's dresser. "Let's forget about the Scroll for now and pretend we're just normal girls with regular problems."

  Catty chewed on the end of her pencil. "I wish it were that simple."

  "Me, too," Vanessa said, shaking a bottle of nail polish. "You're going to Planet Bang tonight, aren't you? I'm going to sing with Michael's band tonight."

  "I don't know," Catty said. "If I go there, I'll probably run into Kyle."

  Vanessa grabbed Catty's hand and started brushing polish over her nails. The acetone smell filled the air. "That's a good reason for going."

  That night, Catty stared at her reflection in her dressing-table mirror and carefully placed stick-on crystals around her ears, one above the other, then slipped dangling drop earrings into the holes in her lobes.

  She took a metallic-blue eyeliner and drew delicate, swirling designs on her hands and a matching motif around her belly button. Next, she dusted sparkling powder over her skin to set the makeup, then eased into a low-cut mini and a cropped top the color of the sky. She wanted to look totally goddess tonight.

  When Catty arrived at Planet Bang, Vanessa was on stage singing, the smoky mists roiling around her and flashing with laser lights. Catty could feel the sadness in the lyrics. She searched the crowd looking for her other friends.

  Tianna danced with Derek, her hands lifted over her head. Her hips moved sensuously under the drape of her clinging skirt. Derek had wrapped his hands around her waist, and when she lifted her head, he kissed her cheek.

  Sudden, burning jealousy overpowered Catty. She wished she were dancing with Kyle. She glanced toward the back, hoping to see him, but instead saw Serena, standing next to Jimena, in a lacy halter top and hot-pink flares, her bare back glimmering with glitter.

  Catty jostled through the dancers and joined them.

  "I tried to call you earlier." Silvery white shadow lined Serena's eyes, and her hair fell in sexy spirals. "Did you see the paper?"

  Catty nodded.

  "What about the paper?" Jimena wore an off-the-shoulder satin top, her hip bones jutting over the low-cut waist of her sparkling, purple slacks. She seemed to have forgotten her anger of the previous night.

  Before Catty could answer, Ollie asked Jimena to dance. He played in the school orchestra. He towered over her. His movements were awkward, but Jimena didn't mind. She laughed when he stepped on her foot.

  "Where's Collin?" Catty asked Serena.

  "Hawaii again. He's so into surfing. I don't know how Jimena can put up with it."

  Then Serena changed the subject. "Should I ask Stanton what he knows about the Scroll?"

  Catty bit her lip.

  "Don't bother to say it." Serena folded her arms across her chest. "I caught your thoughts."

  "It's just that we can't—"

  "Trust him?" Serena finished the sentence, but then she hung her arm around Catty, and her tone softened. "I like Stanton in spite of what you think of him. The same way you like Kyle in spite of his bad-boy reputation. So, maybe you'd like Stanton if you took the time to know him."

  "How did you find out about Kyle?" Catty asked, giving her a look. "You know I hate it when you snoop around my mind."

  "It's not like I was prying," Serena answered. "Kyle's name is practically written on your brain. You lo-o-ove him!" she teased.

  "I don't even like him," Catty snapped.

  Serena smirked. "I guess I know your feelings better than you do."

  "Besides," Catty went on. "There's a big difference between Kyle and Stanton. Stanton—"

  "And I can feel him calling me. See you later." Serena left Catty and hurried to the back of the room.

  An unnatural shadow formed in the corner, whirling into a gauzy vapor before becoming a swaying, black shape. Serena stepped into the velvet darkness, and Stanton formed beside her, embracing her. His spiky, blond hair made him look like any other high school guy. He kissed Serena's temple, and she leaned against him, caressing his hands; then they dissolved into a misty silhouette and disappeared.

  The song ended, and the drummer took up a slow tempo. Michael started playing the guitar, his fingers running up and down the neck. The energy in the room changed, and Vanessa began to sing a soulful melody for lovers. The haunting sound filled Catty with yearning.

  Couples took to the dance floor, snuggling against each other. Catty watched, remembering how long it had been since she had danced with a guy she really liked.

  Jimena joined her. "¿Que te pasa? You look like you need a
friend."

  "I think I'm going to barf." Catty's stomach cramped with bitter envy. She studied Jimena, wondering how she had gotten over her anger so easily.

  "This place is dead." Jimena grabbed Catty's wrist. "Let's go to a real party."

  "Where?" Catty asked, shoving her way around a guy and girl making out.

  "Rockout."

  "Is it still open?" Catty asked, hoping it was. Rockout was an after-hours club where kids from Turney High hung out. She'd heard about it but had never gone.

  "Yeah, but you've got to know someone to know where it reopened," Jimena answered.

  "Cool." Catty followed Jimena outside. "Maybe the night's not going to be a total bust."

  Jimena's car was parked in front. Neon lights outside Planet Bang flashed across the hood.

  Catty buckled herself in as Jimena turned the ignition key. Music blasted from every side, making the dashboard shudder, as the car rolled away.

  Twenty minutes later, they rode down a street filled with parked cars. Jimena came to a stop, and they climbed out. Catty looked around the deserted lot. Broken glass sparkled in the moon light. The smells of dust and brackish water filled the cold air. A breeze eased around them, bringing with it the whooshing sounds of traffic from a nearby freeway.

  "Come on." Jimena started walking toward a small, cinder-block building, her heels clicking nicely on the pavement.

  Catty followed beside her. They had gone only a little way when an odd vibration shimmied through the ground and traveled up Catty's legs. She looked at Jimena. "It's under us?"

  "Los Angeles is filled with storm drains. Some of them are huge; they were set up as air raid shelters back in the fifties." Jimena opened the door, and hard-hitting rock music rushed up a steep stairwell.

  Ready for some real partying?" Jimena tossed Catty a sly look and started down the steps. Catty entered behind her and closed the door. Darkness surrounded her. Cautiously, she headed after Jimena, her fingers brushing along the damp, concrete walls.

  "Vamp it up," Jimena yelled as they neared the security guards standing in dim light at the bottom of the stairs.

  The guard with the short curly black hair smiled as if he recognized Jimena and waved them through without collecting admission.

  Catty stepped into a vast, underground room. Kids danced wildly, swirling glow sticks, making purple, blue, and gold squiggles in the air. Only a few looked cranked up. Then Catty saw Kyle, sandwiched between two girls, and she caught her breath. She turned back, but Jimena had left her and was talking to two guys near a corner roped off with Christmas garlands and glow sticks.

  "Want to dance?" someone shouted from behind her.

  Catty spun around and stared up at Kyle. She tilted her head and tried to smile, but seeing him made her too nervous to flirt. What was there about him that caused her to feel so good, yet so uncomfortable?

  "You look hot tonight," he said above the music. "You always do."

  She licked her thumb, pressed it on her hip and made a hissing sound. She immediately felt stupid for the move and was glad it was too dark for him to see her blush.

  The DJ put on another song, and the music thumped through her. Suddenly, she didn't care how embarrassed she felt. She started dancing. Kyle's eyes lingered on her, but instead of feeling upset by his boldness, she was filled with fiery anticipation. She closed her eyes and let herself become lost in the song, enjoying the feel of her body moving so close to his.

  The music changed to a faster beat, and everyone sang along. Catty opened her eyes. Kyle brushed back her hair; then his hand slid around her, pulling her deeper into the crowd, glow sticks whirling around them.

  She stared at him, loving the way he looked back at her.

  Without warning, the music stopped, and kids shoved passed them, heading for the portable toilets.

  "You're an incredible dancer," Catty said.

  He put his hands on her waist and eased her closer to him. "I love to dance."

  "So why do you always hang out in the back at Planet Bang?" Catty asked.

  A slow sultry smile stretched across his face. "Do you watch me there?"

  She felt her cheeks turn crimson.

  "It's okay. I watch you," he whispered, his breath warm and inviting. "Can I kiss you?"

  She swallowed, her throat catching, and couldn't find her voice.

  He laughed at her struggle. "I didn't think you'd have such a hard time saying yes after the way you attacked me yesterday."

  "I didn't." she started to protest, but his fingers closed her lips.

  "I'm teasing." He took her hands and clasped them around his neck, then drew her tight against him.

  Her eyes closed; the wait was unbearable. At last, his lips touched hers; the kiss was sweet and brief.

  Abruptly, Kyle pulled away. "I have to leave."

  "You want to come over tomorrow after school?" Catty said. "We can order a pizza and watch a movie."

  "Maybe." He turned and rushed away.

  Her heart sank. Had she done something to upset him? Or was she that bad a kisser? She whirled around and bumped into Jimena, who was staring at her oddly.

  "I like Kyle," Catty said defensively. "So what's wrong with that?"

  "Nada," Jimena answered. Clearly, something else was on her mind. "Let's go."

  They drove back to Catty's house with music blaring, but when they pulled up to the curb, Jimena turned off the ignition, and silence fell around them.

  "Are you planning a trip to some exotic place?" Jimena asked, a perplexed look on her face.

  Catty shook her head. "Why?"

  "I just got a feeling." Jimena rubbed her stomach as if she had a sudden pain. "Don't go."

  "But I'm not planning to go anyplace," Catty said.

  Jimena nodded. "You will be, but don't."

  A shiver rushed through Catty. What was Jimena seeing this time? She wished she could tell her the truth about what she had once been. "Okay, if something comes up, I won't go."

  "Good." Jimena frowned and stared through the windshield as if she were seeing something visible only to her.

  "I'll see you tomorrow." Catty climbed from the car.

  Jimena waved and drove off, the roar of the car engine fading as she turned the corner.

  Catty hurried up to the front porch and pulled the key from under the mat. She unlocked the door as a breeze stirred the wind chimes, and slipped inside. She grabbed a handful of chocolate-chip cookies from the kitchen, then hurried up the stairs to her bedroom.

  Moonlight fell across her bed, and in the milky light she saw the Scroll, its gold borders shimmering. A sudden wind brushed branches against her window, and the scratching sound made her turn with a start. At the same moment, she became aware of someone standing in the dark behind her, and the cookies fell from her hand.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  "KY L E ? " C A T T Y A S K E D , her mind rushing for an explanation. "You stole the manuscript?"

  He walked toward her, his steps slow and easy. "Last night at the museum, I found it in the stairwell.''

  "You broke into the museum?" She plopped down on the edge of her bed and brushed her hands through her hair. When Vanessa had dropped the Scroll, Catty had thought one of the guards had picked it up, but now she saw that it could have been Kyle. The light had been dim in the stairwell, and she had been panicked, trying to pull Vanessa away.

  "I just walked in," Kyle continued. "Alarms were going off, and it was chaos inside."

  "But why would you bring the manuscript to me?" Catty asked. Then she glanced at Kyle, and her heart sank. "You were playing me, weren't you?"

  "I wasn't." He sat next to her, his fingers caressing her shoulder. "Why would you think that?"

  She jerked her arm away. "You knew I was totally crushing on you, and now you expect me to hide the Scroll for you until you can sell it. I won't. I'm not one of those girls who'll do any thing for a guy."

  A flirty smile crossed his face. "Are you sure?"

&
nbsp; She stood, rage pushing her other emotions aside. "There's no way I'm going to spend the rest of my life in jail because I like some loser."

  "Loser?" The smile fell from his face. "Why are you calling me a loser?"

  Catty sighed. "I can't believe that's what you're concerned about after you've stolen something this valuable. Aren't you scared of being arrested?"

  She grabbed the Scroll and stood still for a moment, cringing at the strange feel of the parchment vibrating beneath her fingers. The tremor raced up her arms. The calligraphy shone with a cold light as if greeting her and urging her to read it. She felt gripped by its beauty and unable to pull her eyes away.

  "What's wrong?" Kyle asked, breaking the Scroll's hold on her.

  "I'm taking the Scroll back to the museum." Immediately her goddess power stormed through her. Her skin tingled and twitched with energy as a lustrous aura encircled her. She didn't care if Kyle did see her fall into the tunnel. It wasn't as though he were going to remember, and even if he did, so what?

  But before the air split open, Kyle grabbed her wrist. "I know what you are, Catty."

  Her energy jammed itself back inside her, and she clenched her teeth against the sudden pain. "What? A fool?"

  "You're a Goddess," he whispered. "A Daughter of the Moon."

  A dry whistle escaped her lips and her body filled with sudden fear. It ricocheted through her, quickly turning to terror. "You're a Follower?"

  "No." He looked sad. "Something much worse."

  Catty took her moon amulet in her hands, but it wasn't shining in warning. Still, she took slow, cautious steps away from him, her muscles tensing; she was ready to run.

  "I've been sent to take you to your father."

  "My father?" Catty felt dazed. The parchment seemed to sense her turmoil and thrummed beneath her fingers with more intensity than before. She set it on her desk.

  "He said I'd have to show you the Scroll to convince you that I was telling the truth."

  Catty leaned against the wall, considering what Kyle was saying.