Foretold (42 page)

“No, actually,” I retorted, trying to keep a smug smile off my face, “you said Dimitri would kill the Blood King. He didn’t. Mark did.”

“I said one who had walked the road of death would succeed,” she said. “Mark has faced death and survived.”

I opened my mouth to deny it, but she had a point. “Okay. But when Viktoria said Dimitri would do it, you didn’t deny it.”

“I didn’t confirm it either.”

I groaned. “This is ridiculous! That ‘prediction’ meant nothing! Hell, it could’ve applied to Ivan, since he nearly died because of the Blood King.”

“My prophecies see many things,” responded Yeva—which was really no response at all. “My next one is particularly interesting.”

“Uh-huh,” I said. “Let me guess. ‘A journey.’ That could mean me and Dimitri going home. Or Olena going to the grocery store.”

“Actually,” said Yeva, “I see a wedding in the future.”

Viktoria had been listening to the exchange with amusement and clapped her hands together. “Oh! Rose and Dimka!” Her sisters nodded excitedly.

I stared incredulously. “How can you even say that? That can mean anything too! Someone in town is probably getting married right now. Or maybe it’ll be Karolina—didn’t you say you’re getting serious with your boyfriend? If it is me and Dimitri, it’ll be years from now—which, of course, you’ll claim you foresaw since it was ‘the future.’ ”

No one was listening to me anymore, though. The Belikov women were already chattering excitedly about plans, speculating if the wedding would be here or in the U.S. and how nice it would be to see Dimitri “finally settle down.”

I groaned again and leaned against him. “Unbelievable.”

Dimitri smiled and put his arm around me. “Don’t you believe in fate, Roza?”

“Sure,” I said. “Just not in your grandmother’s crazy vague predictions.”

“Doesn’t sound that crazy to me,” he teased.

“You’re as crazy as her.”

He kissed the top of my head. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

HEATHER BREWER
was not your typical teen, and she’s certainly not your typical adult. Her love of the macabre inspired her
New York Times
bestselling series The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod and its spin-off, the Slayer Chronicles. She dresses in black, decorates her office with antique medical instruments, and loves the music of Green Day—in fact, “Misery” was inspired by one of their songs by the same name. Heather lives in St. Louis with her husband, two children, and three very spoiled cats. Visit her online at
HeatherBrewer.com
.

MEG CABOT
was born during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign, but learned at an early age that a good storyteller can always give herself a happy ending. Her books for adults, teens, and tweens have sold more than sixteen million copies worldwide and
included multiple number-one
New York Times
bestsellers. Her Princess Diaries series has been published in more than thirty-eight countries and was made into two hit films by Disney. Meg’s award-winning books include the Mediator series,
Insatiable, Abandon
, and the Heather Wells mystery series. Meg Cabot (her last name rhymes with
habit
, as in “her books can be habit-forming”) lives in Key West with two cats and her husband, who doesn’t know he married a fire horse. Please don’t tell him.

MATT DE LA PEÑA
is the author of four critically acclaimed young adult novels:
Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here
, and
I Will Save You
. He received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific, where he attended school on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. He teaches creative writing at NYU and speaks at high schools and colleges throughout the country. Matt de la Peña lives in Brooklyn, New York.

SIMONE ELKELES
is the
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of the award-winning series Perfect Chemistry, Leaving Paradise, and How to Ruin. Simone was named Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English and loves writing teen novels that appeal to both boys and girls. Find her at
SimoneElkeles.net
.

KAMI GARCIA
is the
New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly
, and internationally bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.
Beautiful Creatures
has been published in over forty countries and translated into over thirty languages and is in production as a major motion picture. Kami is also the author of
Unbreakable
, the first book in her solo series, the Legion, which is being developed as a major motion
picture by Mark Morgan, producer of the Twilight Saga and
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
. When she is not writing, Kami can usually be found watching disaster movies, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and daughter and their dogs, Spike and Oz (named after characters from
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
). Keep up with her at
KamiGarcia.com
.

MICHAEL GRANT
is the author or coauthor of more than 150 books, including the Animorphs series (with his wife, Katherine Applegate), the Gone series, and the BZRK series. He and Katherine are teaming up again for
Eve and Adam
. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

MALINDA LO
, a former entertainment reporter, is the author of several YA fantasy and science fiction novels, including most recently
Adaptation
. Her first novel,
Ash
, a lesbian retelling of the Cinderella story, was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award, the Andre Norton Award, and the Lambda Literary Award. She lives in Northern California with her partner and their dog. Visit her website at
MalindaLo.com
.

LISA MCMANN
is the
New York Times
bestselling author of the Wake trilogy,
Dead to You, Cryer’s Cross
, and the dystopian fantasy series The Unwanteds. She lives with her husband and their teenage son and daughter in Arizona. Visit her at
LisaMcMann.com
.

RICHELLE MEAD
is an internationally bestselling author of fantasy novels for adults and teens. Her Vampire Academy series has received honors from the American Library Association and was recently followed by Bloodlines, a spin-off series about a secret society keeping the vampire world hidden from humans. Richelle’s books have been translated into more than two dozen languages around the world and
transformed into graphic novels. A lifelong reader, Richelle loves mythology and wacky humor. When she’s not writing, she can be found spending time with her family in Seattle, buying dresses, and watching bad reality TV. For more information about Richelle, visit
RichelleMead.com
.

SAUNDRA MITCHELL
has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture deliverer, and a layout waxer. She has dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children, and makes paper for fun. She is the author of
Shadowed Summer, The Vespertine, The Springsweet
, and the forthcoming novels
The Elementals
and
Mistwalker
. She is also the editor of the upcoming YA anthology
Defy the Dark
. She always picks truth; dares are too easy. Visit her online at
SaundraMitchell.com
.

DIANA PETERFREUND
is the author of eight novels, including the Secret Society Girl series, the killer unicorn novels
Rampant
and
Ascendant
, and the postapocalyptic
For Darkness Shows the Stars
. Her work has been translated into twelve languages, and her short stories have appeared on
Locus
’s Best of the Year list and been included in
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year
, volume 5. Learn more about Diana at
DianaPeterfreund.com
.

CARRIE RYAN
is the
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves, The Dark and Hollow Places
, and the original ebook
Hare Moon
. She has contributed to multiple story collections, including most recently
Zombies vs. Unicorns, Kiss Me Deadly
, and
Enthralled
. Her work has been translated into over eighteen languages and her first novel is in production as a major motion picture. Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie is a
graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now writes full-time and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Visit her at
CarrieRyan.com
.

MARGARET STOHL
is the author of the forthcoming sci-fifantasy novel
Icons
and coauthor of the acclaimed Beautiful Creatures novels, which have sold over a million copies in over forty countries and are being adapted into a feature film. Margaret studied literature at Amherst College, Stanford, and Yale and creative writing at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. She lives with her husband, three daughters, and two bad beagles in Santa Monica, California. Visit her at
Margaret-Stohl.com
.

LAINI TAYLOR
is the author of five books, including
Lips Touch: Three Times
, which was a National Book Award finalist, and
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
, named one of Amazon’s Top Ten Books of 2011. She resides between raindrops in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their greatest collaboration, their daughter, Clementine. Visit Laini at
LainiTaylor.com
.