Fated

breath quickening, palms moistening, his words reverberating through me.
    “You know, the ones where you get all hot and steamy with my brother?” He laughs, flicks his tongue across his front teeth, grinning in a way that’s both lurid and obscene.
    “Is that it?” I cross my arms before me, trying to appear calm, cool, not the least bit disturbed, though I’m pretty sure he’s not fooled. His words have shaken me to the core. “Is that all you got?”
    “Hardly.” He smiles. “You and I are just getting started, you’ll see. But in the meantime, enjoy your time with my brother—you know, the Echo.” He laughs, pulling away from the curb just as I turn to see Dace peering around Paloma’s blue gate, looking for me.
    “We’re all heading for breakfast,” he calls the second he spots me. “Everyone’s coming, it won’t be just us. I hope that’s okay?”
    I rush toward him, eager to erase the energy of his brother and replace it with his. Barreling into his arms, I inhale his warm, earthy scent and say, “Sounds good to me. I’m starving.”
    He holds me tightly to his chest and looks past my shoulder, catching a glimpse of his brother’s truck. He pulls away and says, “Is that Cade?” He squints into the distance.
    I nod, hoping he doesn’t think something weird, because there’s no good way to explain the conversation we had.
    “What’d he want?” he asks, his voice as confused as his gaze.
    I sigh, picking my way over a bed of rocks as we head for the gate. “He wanted to warn me,” I say.
    “About me?” His brow slants with worry.
    “No. About him. He wanted me to know he’s the bad twin.” I take a deep breath, knowing it’s as close to the truth as I’m willing to get.
    Exhaling softly when he wraps an arm around me, and says, “He’s probably just upset about Lita. She broke up with him. He’s not exactly used to rejection. It’s a whole new experience for him.”
    “Sounds like Lita got her soul back,” I say, taking one last glance down the street, ensuring Cade’s gone—or at least for now anyway. Then I slip through the gate with Dace right beside me, the two of us heading into Paloma’s adobe where all our friends wait.

acknowledgments
    A big sparkly thanks goes to the following people who either knowingly, or unknowingly, contributed to the creation of this book:
    Alicia Gates, for guiding me on a wondrous journey to the Lowerworld.
    Daniel and Emily in Taos, for their willingness to share their stories and give me a glimpse into their lives.
    Javin in Santa Fe, who took time out from a busy schedule to talk about life on the reservation.
    The kind and generous staff at the amazing Inn of the Five Graces—if I could live there, I would!
    Mary Castillo, for the friendship, the laughs, and the book on Curanderas.
    Marlene Perez, Debby Garfinkle, and Stacia Deutsch—gifted writers and good friends, our “coffee talks” mean more than you know!
    The awesome people of St. Martin’s Press, including, but certainly not limited to Matthew Shear, Rose Hilliard, AnneMarie Tallberg, Rachel Ekstrom, Elsie Lyons, and everyone else who helps turn my manuscripts into books.
    My wonderful agent, Bill Contardi, and my wonderful foreign rights agent, Marianne Merola—you guys rock!
    My husband, Sandy, for pretty much everything.
    My family—you know who you are and you’re awesome!
    And, last but not least, my readers—thank you for allowing me to live this wonderful dream!

also by alyson noël
    Everlasting
    Night Star
    Dark Flame
    Shadowland
    Blue Moon
    Evermore
    Whisper
    Dreamland
    Shimmer
    Radiance
    Cruel Summer
    Saving Zoë
    Kiss & Blog
    Fly Me to the Moon
    Laguna Cove
    Art Geeks and Prom Queens
    Faking 19

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
    FATED . Copyright © 2012 by Alyson Noël, LLC. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
    www.stmartins.com
    Cover design by Elsie Lyons
    Cover photographs: girl © Bill Miles Photography; birds © blinkblink/Shutterstock; trees © andreiuc88/Shutterstock; texture © stock09/Shutterstock
    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
    ISBN 978-0-312-66485-5 (hardcover)
    eISBN 9781466802544
    First Edition: May 2012