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staring at me. Oh, hell !
    Suddenly Isabel’s reaction pales into insignificance. I’ve just made a huge mistake, and it’s really going to cost me.
    I’ve just broken a vital code – never to reveal one’s powers in public.

Chapter Four
    Isabel
    He rushes out of class so quickly I have to run to keep up, struggling not to lose him through the narrow corridors and students changing classrooms. He runs right to the front gates and goes straight through without even stopping for breath.
    ‘Hey, wait!’
    He turns around, looking surprised. He didn’t even know I’d been pursuing him for the last five minutes. ‘Isabel? What are you doing here?’
    I try to stop panting long enough to explain, secretly pleased that he knew my name, but still feeling like the world’s biggest fool. ‘Ah, I was just … sort of wondering, that’s all.’
    ‘Wondering what?’
    ‘Where you were going. I mean, you’re leaving school grounds and it’s only third period.’
    He walks the few steps back to where I stopped at the front gates. ‘There’s someone important I have to talk to and it can’t wait till the end of the day.’
    ‘Oh. Who is it?’
    He doesn’t say, just kicks a stone. Obviously it’s noneof my business. Why would he tell me anyway? We haven’t spoken before today for two whole years. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.’
    His hands come down on either side of mine on the iron railing. Suddenly I have to concentrate hard to force my breathing to sound normal. Feelings I thought were long dead, or at least deeply buried, claw their way back to life again.
    ‘Look, I want to tell you, but I’d have to start at the beginning and I don’t have time right now.’
    ‘What beginning? You’re not making any sense.’
    ‘Yeah, well, I just did something I shouldn’t have.’
    ‘That thing with the pen?’
    His eyes roll. ‘Yeah. I have this habit sometimes of doing stuff and not thinking through to their consequences.’
    ‘You know when I said you weren’t making any sense?’ He cocks an eyebrow. ‘You’re doing it again.’
    He starts to laugh and his weirdness reduces slightly. ‘Why did you chase after me?’
    My pulse starts racing, but what happened with the pen made me think of my magically healing finger. Matt didn’t believe me. ‘Well, you see, something weird happened to me this morning, a bit like your rotating pen.’
    ‘Really?’
    I have his undivided attention and for the first time I realise just how deeply blue his eyes are.
    ‘What was it?’
    I take a step back, his presence overwhelming me for an instant. It could be because I’m about to say something that could make me appear a complete psycho case. ‘I was—’ I start and stop quickly. ‘Um, well …’
    He nods at my hand. ‘Has it got to do with yourfinger?’
    This takes me by surprise. ‘How did you know?’
    ‘I saw you examining it this morning as if it had suddenly grown a ten-centimetre nail or something.’
    His words relax me for a minute. ‘I cut my finger.’
    ‘Yeah, and?’
    I flick a quick look around to make sure no one is within hearing distance, then hold up my hand. ‘A few seconds after I screamed at it to heal itself, well, it did.’ He stares at me for a second, his eyes narrowing slightly. ‘It healed itself,’ I repeat clearly in case he didn’t get it the first time around.
    ‘Well, well, Arkarian wasn’t exaggerating, was he?’
    ‘Excuse me?’
    ‘Nothing. Look, you must be so confused.’
    So he doesn’t believe me either. ‘You guys are all the same, aren’t you?’
    ‘What?’
    ‘I told Matt, and he had the same reaction as you – total disbelief.’
    ‘Oh, wait a minute, Isabel, don’t get me wrong. I do believe you.’
    His words shut me up fast. ‘You do?’
    ‘Yeah, I do, but I haven’t the time to explain anything right now. I have this problem I’ve just created for myself. But don’t worry, I’ll be back. I promise. Can your curiosity hang on a couple