Fire of Wolves ~ Thank you so much!!! And I'll be keeping this story, so I'll update. ;)

Insane Angel Author ~ Thanks! *beams and bows to the audience*

AuriellaStella, Queen of Magic ~ Thank u for reviewing every chapter! U rock!

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A/n: Is it just me, or do pplz on other book sites review a lot more? I mean, pplz in this section don't review much, do they? Just wondering *scratches head, deep in thought* Lots of fics are pretty good but don't have many reviews. Like WarriorofAvalon, 4 example. Ok, I'll stop ranting and let u read.

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Lena emerged from the bushes, shaken after what she had seen. She had believed that no mages existed besides her and Aquene and Orenda.

Obviously, she was wrong.

There were other mages, here in Stonehill.

What should she do now? Lena considered her options. She could tell the mages that she also had the magic, or she could continue to keep it a secret, or . . . she couldn't think of another option.

I'll tell later, she decided. She had to find out more about these . . . Stonehill mages first.

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"More emails!" Emily said cheerily from her seat in front of the large computer in Ravenswood Manor's library.

"That's nice." Kara said absentmindedly. She was busy typing IMs to her friends, Molly, Tiffany, and Heather.

Kstar: So what's going on?

Credhed: Hey, Kstar, just chillin' out

Beachbunny: Where are u Kara?

Goodgollymolly: U missed dance!

Kara's fingers flickered over the keyboard on her pink computer.

Kstar: I'm @ Ravenswood

Goodgollymolly: Again? How much time do u spend with those girls? (

Credhed: Yea, u've been ignoring us L8ly!

Kstar: I g2g, L8rz all!

Before Kara could sign off, another IM pinged on her screen. She clicked on it.

Soccerplayer42: hey Kara, mom & dad r gonna b home soon. Get back ASAP

Kstar: Kyle! Tell them I'm @ Ravenswood, organizing something

Soccerplayer42: k. btw, some person left a weirdo message for u

Kstar: What? Who?

But Kyle had already signed off. Kara sighed, frustrated. Who would leave a weird message for her?

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"Hello? Anyone home?" Adriane asked, waving her hand in front of Kara's face. Kara snapped out of her thoughts. "What?"

Adriane put her hands on her hips. "What is with you, Barbie? You've been thinking a lot lately."

"It's a talent, being able to think," Kara retorted.

"About what?" Emily called over from the computer console.

"Nothing. Hey, are we done here? I've got to get home."

"Yeah, and I've got to go too." Emily added. "Mom's making lasagna."

"Lasagna . . . yum!" Ozzie contributed.

Lyra purred. "Let's go, Kara."

"Okay. See you all around!" Kara slung her pink backpack over her shoulder and bounced out of the library. Outside Ravenswood Manor, however, she stopped. A prickling sensation crept up her spine.

"Do you feel something, Lyra?" she whispered.

Lyra growled. "I sense a presence." She sniffed the air. "But . . . it's gone now."

"Is it bad?" Kara asked. She inched closer to the spotted leopard, leaning into Lyra's warm presence. It gave her a feeling of security.

"It's gone. I can't tell." Lyra answered.

"Let's hurry up." Kara said. She began walking fast, wanting to get as far away from the mysterious presence as possible.

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When Kara got home, the first thing she heard was music. Rock music blasted from Kyle's room, echoing through the house.

Kara deposited her backpack in her room, and then stormed towards her brother's room. Opening the door, she had to yell to be heard. "KYLE! Turn down the volume!"

Her brother smirked and turned the volume lower. "What?"

"I can't hear anything." Kara muttered. "Where's mom and dad? You said they'd be home."

"I was wrong." Kyle said. "They called again to say they had a conference right after."

"You called me back from Ravenswood for NOTHING?!" Kara demanded.

"Hey, you were at Ravenswood?" spoke up a voice. For the first time, Kara noticed Joey and Marcus in the background.

"Where'd you guys come from?" she asked, frowning.

"From school." Marcus grinned at her.

For the first time ever, Kara didn't feel the warm, tingly sensation that usually flowed through her whenever he smiled at her. What did that mean?

"Joey wants to know where Adriane is." Kyle said, smirking at his friend.

Kara frowned again. "At Ravenswood."

"Joey wants to ask her out." Marcus added teasingly.

Joey blushed. "So?"

Kara glared at the boys. "Don't ask Adriane," she told Joey.

For some reason, she didn't think Adriane and Joey would go well together. She was convinced that Zach and Adriane would make a much better couple.

All the boys stared at her. "Why not?" Kyle demanded.

"Because . . . because . . ." Kara couldn't find a good enough reason. Because Zach knew magic? Because Zach loved Adriane? Because Joey and Adriane just didn't clash?

"I don't think I will anyway," Joey muttered, blushing deep red.

Kara spun around and left.

She went and listened to the message on her answering machine. Whoever it was hadn't left a name. "Kara. I know you're a mage and that you can open portals to Aldenmor. I'm leaving a message because I know you're at Ravenswood. Don't worry, I'm not stalking you, and I just want you to know that your secret is safe with me." Then, there was a click. Whoever it was had hung up.

Kara leaned back, puzzled. Who was that? Who would leave such a strange message? She felt a fear sweep through her. Lyra growled by her side. The person hadn't even spoken a name! And the voice sounded . . . odd, like no one she knew. She couldn't even tell through the phone whether it was a girl or boy.

What was is supposed to mean?

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"What was that supposed to mean?"

Kara looked up as someone echoed her thoughts. Kyle was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, glaring at her.

Kara gulped. Had Kyle heard the message? Did he know what it meant? Thoughts and questions tumbled through her head. But Kara knew that one thing was going to be inevitable: she was in trouble.

"Why did you tell Joey that?" Kyle said, still staring at her.

"What?" Kara didn't get it for a moment. When she finally realized it, the relief swept through her. Kyle hadn't heard the message!

"Why. Did. You. Say. That. To. Joey." Kyle said slowly, as if she were dumb.

"Oh – I . . . uh . . . thought that Adriane might, like, I don't know, turn him down, so I told him not to ask her," Kara said, feeling rather disoriented.

Kyle looked at her, and then spun around and stomped off to his room.

Kara sank down on her bed, and breathed more easily. So far, Kyle didn't know anything about the mages – yet.

"Hey, Kara!" Kyle yelled from his room. "I DID hear that message, you know!"

Kara bolted up so fast from her bed that she tumbled to the floor. "What?!" she shrieked at him.

"Just what I said." Kyle said, appearing again at her doorway and smirking at her. "I heard that message."

Kara felt queasy all of a sudden. "It was a prank call," she said quickly.

"Yeah, sure." Kyle scoffed. He left.

Kara sank down onto the floor of her room. What was going on? What was the dark magic the animals felt? Who had left the message? How did they know they were mages? How did he/she know that Kara was at Ravenswood? What did Kyle know? And what wasn't he telling her?

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