by Kailin Gow
I’m fucking hot for you, too. Not because you’re new here,
but because you and I…there’s something there.”
His thumb traced my lips before he licked it, sending
both heat and chills through me. “For now just tasting your
lips on my finger is a start.”
I wanted to say yes to his date, but then Varun had
told me about Jana and kissed me. And confused the hell out
of me with what he said. Now my head was spinning, and I
wanted to be out on my own to clear it.
The promise of exploration was an attractive one,
and although I wasn't sure I wanted Brandon as my tour
guide as attractive as he was this morning, I definitely
wanted to see the island. A good night's sleep had invigorated
me, and the memory of Varun's kiss on my lips kept me
strong.
But he had said something strange to me last night –
what was it? “I've missed you, Mac.” What did it mean? Had
98
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
he just missed me since that day at school – but that seemed
like a strange thing for anyone to say. And I certainly hadn't
been to Aeros Island before. Perhaps I'd misheard him –
perhaps he was talking about kissing me, not missing me.
After all, I was so intoxicated by his presence, by the kiss,
by the sheer beauty of the island, that I could very easily have
gotten mixed up.
Still, there was something strange about Varun, as
there was about Chance. Evidently the Cutter family had
plenty of mysteries still to be discovered.
The note on the refrigerator made it clear that I was
on my own. “Out Early For Wedding Planning. Danish in
Fridge. Take Off Plastic Before Putting in Microwave. Love
Mom.”
Appetizing, I thought grimly. I decided to skip
breakfast and head over to the hotel. Perhaps Varun would
be around – perhaps he'd be one for hiking. In any case,
sneaking grub from the hotel buffet sounded like a better
prospect than day-old refrigerated Danish.
I quickly changed into sneakers and shorts, picking
out a silky floral blouse whose patterns – flowers and coral
99
KAILIN GOW
– reminded me of last night's garden, and then headed off to
the hotel.
Brandon and Varun were nowhere to be found, but
Sally, the girl I knew from the party, was manning reception.
“I like this a lot better than kids' parties,” she said.
“But last night was an emergency.” She smiled at me.
“Looking for your mom?”
“Actually, I'm looking for Varun.”
“Just missed him.” She laughed. “It's a Saturday
morning. You won't find Varun if you get here after eight. He
leaves to go surfing with Brandon every Saturday, seven
a.m., on the dot. You could try going to the beach, but I
wouldn't be too hopeful. Sometimes they take Brandon's
dad's boat and go around the island.”
“Brandon and Varun seem close,” I said.
“Yeah,” Sally said, “Like brothers. Been best friends
since kids. Those two… all the girls have crushes on them.
Probably been through most of them, too. Not me. They’re
fun and all, but they’re just not my type. Plus, they spend
most of their time in the ocean. They can’t get enough of it.
That’s where they are now.”
100
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
“Shame,” I admitted. “I was hoping they'd take me
hiking. They told me that this island had great hiking trails.
Brandon told me that there was a place I could go to find
these gorgeous colored stones – I collect stones, you know.”
Ever since I was a baby, I had been fascinated by pieces of
colored rock, tiny almost-gemstones I could hold in the palm
of my hand and imagine were pieces of a vanished magic
universe.
“You'll have a lot of luck around here,” Sally said.
“The place is coming down with them. Stones, plants, leaves
– birdwatchers like to collect feathers sometime. I lead
hiking tours on Sunday afternoons if you're interested –
Antonio likes to keep his staff busy! Kids' parties, the
reception desk, hiking tours – it's definitely not your
ordinary hotel.” She smiled at me. “But I can give you a trail
map if you want to go alone today. It's not dangerous as long
as you stay on the track. They're all pretty clearly marked.”
She gave me a look that made it clear she knew what I was
thinking – who needs maps?
“And take water and food in case you get lost.” She
brought out a bottle of water and a chocolate bar from behind
101
KAILIN GOW
the desk. “Staff treats,” she said, sliding them across the
desk. “Another one of Antonio's innovation. Keeps up
morale!” She handed me the map. “Now, since you're new, I
recommend the basic Trail One. That's the one with the blue
arrows. It leads you around this gorgeous cliff by the sea with
nice views, and then to a waterfall about two miles inland.
You can have a swim at the waterfall and then head back
along the beach if the tide's right. If not, go back the way you
came.”
I took the map gratefully, along with the snacks. I
had, after all, forgotten to get breakfast. But my hunger was
soon forgotten as I found myself in the midst of the most
beautiful scenery I had ever seen. Vines twisted and turned
down steep cliffs; flowers let off intoxicating scents as they
dangled from trees and shrubs. Butterflies with enormous
decorated wings flitted from petal to petal, as if in time to
the calls of birds. And through everything I could see the sea,
hear its noble roar, as I caught glimpses of green-tinted blue
from between the vines.
I followed the blue arrows at first, as Sally had said,
and reached the waterfall in a couple of hours. I made my
102
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
way down to the beach for the return but found, as Sally had
warned, that the tide was not favorable, and I couldn't walk
back without getting my shorts and backpack seriously wet.
She had advised going back the way I came, but my desire
for exploration and adventure made me rail against the
suggestion. I'd find my own way back, I told myself – maybe
find a shortcut. Go somewhere the tourists didn't ordinarily
go.
I left the blue arrows behind and made my way into
the brambles. The vines trailed down around me, caressing
my shoulders. I pressed my face into the flowers, smelling
their sweet, honey-tinted, scent. Soon I was far from the
path, letting my feet take me deeper into the midst of this
beauty. A flame-colored monarch butterfly flew past me,
fluttering in a up and down pattern. Since the Erosion,
butterflies were rare, and a monarch butterfly was even more
rare. I brought a sketch pad with me…perhaps I could sketch
it, capture its beauty. I followed it further.
Go further. And once again I felt that strange calling
I had felt when approaching the flames the other night at the
bonfire – the sense that I was being summoned, that I was
103
KAILIN GOW
wanted somewhere. Go deeper.
Like a sleepwalker, I listened to the voice, allowing
my feet to guide me. The monarch butterfly flew along
besides me, fluttering up and down, like a small torchlight. I
was deep within jungle now – the sun was high in the noon
sky and I climbed up the ridges to the top of one of the
mountains. My mind was overcome by the beauty, by the
smell of the flowers. I could focus on only one phrase,
repeated over and over again like the drumbeat in my mind.
Go further, Mac. Go deeper.
The sun had started to set before I realized what had
happened. It was the silence that made me realize it first.
There was no sound of the sea where I was – and I could not
see its blue waves in the distance. I had gone so far inland
that I could hear nothing at all.
My heart began beating faster as my senses came
back to me. What had I done? I looked around wildly. Where
was I? The monarch butterfly was gone. Had I imagined it?
I started running back downhill the way I came, but suddenly
the terrain seemed all unfamiliar to me. The paths twisted
and tangled, and each way was equally strange. I didn't
104
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
belong here, I knew, as my blood began to prickle and burn
with fear. I shouldn't be here.
And yet that calling – it had been so convincing, so
strong...
I needed to find my way back, I knew. I made my
way a bit further down the hill, trying desperately to make
out the direction of the sea. I looked down at my map, but it
was no use – I had long since vanished off its borders, into
the uncharted territories of white space. I started to panic as
my feet collided with a tangle of brush – one knotted so deep
that I couldn't manage to pry my way through. I heard the
sound of footsteps and looked up, my body flooding with
relief. So, somebody was there after all! Somebody was
coming to save me!
But as I looked up, my eyes following the shadow
that had been cast over the glade, I gasped with terror. The
footsteps were not of a person at all, but of a boar, its blood-
stained horns glistening in the evening sky. My heart began
to pound harder.”
“Nice boar,” I whispered. “Good boar...”
It stamped its feet into the ground. Its pale yellow
105
KAILIN GOW
eyes leered at me as it blew forth gusts of air from its nose.
Its horns looked even sharper up close.
I knew that look. It was going to charge.
In an instant I was on my feet, running faster, faster,
as fast as I could to get out of there. I coughed and spluttered,
agony flooding my body as my muscles started to produce
acid. But the boar was hot on my trail. It had decided I was
a threat, now; it had decided to gore me through. No matter
how fast I ran, the boar was at my heels, sniffing and
groaning from its great throat.
My legs were getting tired; there was no way I could
outrun it. “Help me!” I cried, my voice catching in my throat.
“Somebody help me, please!”
It was so close that I could feel its breath on my
shoulders – it was ready to strike.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the stab, waiting for the
pain...
And then I felt nothing. I only heard the rustling of
leaves, a groan of pain followed by a short, sharp thud.
I turned around to see the boar's body splayed out on
top of the leaves, its head clearly severed, staring up at me
106
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
with glassy eyes.
I screamed, then clapped a hand over my mouth.
If the boar was killed, then that meant only one thing.
There was someone else in the woods.
107
KAILIN GOW
Chapter 9
I looked around wildly for the killer of the boar, but
he were nowhere to be found. There was no sound – not even
a rustling of the leaves. “Hello?” I called out softly, unsure
if this mysterious figure was friend or foe.
At last I heard footsteps in among the leaves – human
footsteps, this time. A figure stepped out from the shadows
– and then another, and another, and another. A group of six
or seven men, their faces hidden beneath layers of paint,
stepped forth, spears held tightly in their hands. They wore
the traditional garb of Aeros – garb I had seen only in history
books.
In a flash, I remembered what my textbook had said:
The original indigenous people of Aeros Island intermarried
in the late first century AD with settlers from the Roman
Empire. The children of these marriages were known as the
Veteri , the Old People, for from then on each successive
108
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
wave of settlers brought new changes to the island. The
Veteri came to be identified by their distinctive face-paint
markings, a flame on one side of the cheek and an ocean
scroll on the other, to symbolize their twin origins: the fires
of the island volcano and the seas that brought the Romans
to them.
The Veteri died out in the late 10th century AD, when
the island was conquered by Vikings from Finland and most
Veteri abandoned their nomadic ways to reside in the
growing towns and cities of the island.
Evidently the history books were wrong, I thought
grimly, spying the distinctive flame and wave on the mens'
faces. Yet, beneath the paint, their eyes flashed dark with
anger. It was clear that I had intruded upon their space – that
I was not wanted here.
“I'm sorry...” I whispered. “I didn't meant to disturb
you,” I said quickly. “I just got lost. If you could just show
me the way back to the beach.”
They seemed to grip their spears tighter in response;
I shivered. “Look, if you'll just let me find my way back...”
I made as if to leave, but one of the men from behind, stepped
109
KAILIN GOW
straight across my path, his expression stern and implacable.
He clearly wasn't about to let me step out.
“Well, if it isn't Miss Evers!”
I gasped as a familiar face made its way through the
crowd. Chance was strolling nonchalantly through the group
of men, his body clad in black jeans and a black t-shirt. His
hair was so black, shiny, and thick, it glistened in the light.
Again, the mere sight of him took my breath away for a
second before I remembered how much of a jerk he could be
with me. But at this moment, his familiar face was the most
welcome sight I’ve seen all day.
“Chance!” I exclaimed in shock. “What are you
doing here?”
“
The same thing I imagine you're doing, Miss Evers.
Out for a bit of a walk. I take it you've lost your way.” He
spoke cheerily, but I could feel the sarcasm in his soft but
gentle low voice.
“No, I decided it would be a spot of fun to sleep
rough tonight.” My stomach rumbled loudly, exposing the
falsity of my bravado. “What do you think?”
“I thought perhaps you just liked the scenery.”
110
Princes of Paradise (M.A.G.E. #1 )
“Would you just stop...” My cheeks blazed.
He took a step closer to me and whispered. “Don't
look angry. They don't trust anyone they think can't control
their emotions.” He gave a furtive nod to the men. “Cool it.
You want them to trust you, or you're not getting out of here
alive.” He took another step towards me, and I could feel my
body once again growing weak – already so tired from the
run and the fear – as he fixed his shimmering blue eyes on
me. I looked into his eyes with my green ones, trying to
understand this infuriating man, trying to…
He kissed me. Roughly, passionately, all at once – as
I had dreamed, against myself, that he would do – pulling me
towards him, as if he wanted to pull me within his very soul.
His kiss was searing, breaking all the fear and uncertainty I
had about him, unleashing the desire I had for him even
before I realized it. I staggered back and then kissed him
back, unable to resist twining my arms around his head. My
heart beat to the same old dance – the dance of the fire, the
dance where we had both been surrounded, almost engulfed,
by flames. This was the kiss we both held back from that
night at the fire dance with the flames surrounding us.
111
KAILIN GOW