Page 61 of The Mist of Stars

“You wouldn’t dare.” Henry smirks. “You don’t have it in you, little foreseer.”

“And there it is.” I straighten my legs, standing up and grinning at Aislin.

She gives me a wide-eyed glance. “That was creepy, best friend. Like, for reals.”

I shrug, pretending to be more casual than I feel. The truth is that I’m freaking out inside, but I’m not about to reveal that. “At least it worked.”

“Did it?” Henry laughs hollowly. “What do you think you accomplished, my dear?”

“My dear?” I lift a brow.

“You definitely just aged yourself,” Aislin adds, standing beside me. “So, you might as well fess up and tell us what you are.”

He laughs again, and then his eyes darken. “You may have caught me off guard once, but it won’t happen again.” He bends his leg. “I’m far more powerful than you.”

“If that’s so, then why haven’t you done anything yet?” Aislin challenges haughtily, flipping her hair off her shoulder and giving him a smirk.

I bite back a laugh as Henry glares at her.

“In this body, I can’t access my powers.” He pushes to his feet and inches toward us. “But when I come out of it, I’ll come after you.”

“Thanks for the heads-up,” I quip. “For future record, when creating a diabolic plan, you should probably keep it to yourself. Surprise attacks are much better. Like what we did with you.”

His eyes flash bright red, and then he lunges at us. But he crashes against the invisible barrier and flies backward, slamming into the shower door with enough force that the glass shatters.

“Um, whoopsie.” I glance at Aislin, whose expression matches mine. “We may not have thought that part through.”

Aislin shrugs. “It’s a good thing my father is paying for this.”

“Isn’t it Alex?”

“Alex used cash from our dad.”

“Oh.” The idea that Stephan will be paying for this makes it not as bad.

“Funny you mention your father.” Henry stands back up and brushes fragments of glass from his hair. Glass crunches beneath his sneakers as he slowly walks back toward us. “He might not pay for these damages if he knows you have one of his warriors locked up in the bathroom.” At our confusion, a cocky grin consumes his face as he cocks his head to the side. “Aw, you don’t know Daddy Dearest is having me spy on you. Interesting.” He rubs his jawline.

Aislin balls her hands at her sides. “You’re lying.”

Me? I dither between denying that Aislin and Alex’s father could be part of this, but seeing as how the man who found me in the basement could … Well, they’re the same man, and the version of Stephan who found me in front of that machine could be part of some evil plot to …

I’m not sure yet.

“Am I?” he mocks, lowering his hand to his side.

“You know what?” I say to Aislin while keeping my gaze fixed on Henry. “I think you should blast him with a boils spell. That could be fun.”

Henry’s expression falls. “You’d hurt Henry, too, if you did that.”

I casually shrug. It’s all bravado. I’m just crossing my fingers he doesn’t call my bluff. “Why would I care about that?”

“Because you like him.” He says it like it’s so obvious.

“I mean, he’s an acquaintance, for sure, but like we learned in class, sometimes you’ve gotta make sacrifices for the greater good.” I raise my shoulders, like,what’re you gonna do?

“You accepted a date with him,” Henry stresses. “You have to like him.”

“I was being polite.” That part is true.

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