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Dedication
FOR MICHAEL, MY WINGMAN
Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Prologue
Flames engulfed the boat, and my lungs ached as dark,…
One
First Day Blues
Two
Day Two
Three
The Equestrian Center
Four
Sailing Lessons
Five
Aftermath
Six
Dinner
Seven
Cork City
Eight
Halloween
Nine
Introductions
Ten
Origins
Eleven
The Order of the Mark
Twelve
Going Public
Thirteen
Training Begins
Fourteen
Training with Rían
Fifteen
Trinity
Sixteen
Revelations
Seventeen
Deliberations
Eighteen
Day Trip
Nineteen
Feelings
Twenty
Stranger
Twenty-One
The Hack
Twenty-Two
Found
Twenty-Three
Empowered
Acknowledgments
Copyright
About the Publisher
PROLOGUE
Suddenly a wall of water smashed through the cabin, dulling the flames.
Seizing my opportunity, I threw myself toward the wooden stairs, where the remains of the fire licked their way upward to freedom. I gritted my teeth and reached over to hook the cable binding my wrists on a jagged piece of scorched metal that I could see through the flames. Turning my face away from the searing heat, I tugged down sharply and felt the tie snap. I screamed as the flames burned my skin, but I didn’t have time to worry about the pain. I needed to get out, to warn the others. I had to make sure they were okay.
With my hands free, I released my ankles and scrambled up the still-burning stairs to the deck. Through the haze I could see a group of people on the shore. They stood motionless, staring at the ground. My eyes followed their horrified gazes to the body lying facedown on the water’s edge.
One
FIRST DAY BLUES
Four months earlier …
I scowled at my reflection and tugged at the elastic holding up my wavy brown hair. I seriously needed a little makeup—at the very least, some mascara and lip gloss—but the school had a strict no-makeup policy—a throwback to its convent roots.
Finally semisatisfied with my appearance, I went downstairs, where I found my dad in the kitchen playing on his laptop and mumbling about cables.
“Morning, Dad. Did you get that thing working?”
“Hey, Meg,” he answered, looking confused. “Yeah, it was working fine and then it just died on me.”
“It helps to plug the charger into the wall. That’s what actually charges the battery.” I walked over to the socket, plugged it in, and pressed the power button on the computer.
“It’s back!” he cried.
“The wonder of science,” I said over my shoulder as I popped two pieces of bread into the toaster. “So how do you like your new job?”
“It’s great. Why don’t you come down to the club after school? I’ll show you around. I have a feeling about this place, Megan. This could be the one.”
I hoped that was true. It would be nice to stay in one school for an entire year, even if it meant living in Kinsale.
“Sure, Dad,” I replied. “I’ll stop by after school.” My toast popped up and I buttered it quickly. “I should get going. I have to figure out where all my classes are.”
“Good
