Kristi Cook - Haven

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events,
real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters,
places, and incidents are the product of the authors imagination,
and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons,
living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

SIMON PULSE
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Simon Pulse hardcover edition February 2011
Copyright 2011 by Kristina Cook Hart
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction
in whole or in part in any form.
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Designed by Mike Rosamilia
The text of this book was set in Berling LT Std.
Manufactured in the United States of America
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cook, Kristi.
Haven / by Kristi Cook. 1st Simon Pulse hardcover ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Violet McKennas life started falling apart when
a premonition of her fathers murder came true, but at a new school,
Winterhaven, she finds friends with psychic gifts and an alluring boy whose
destiny is entwined with hers in a criticaland deadlyway.
ISBN 978-1-4424-0760-2 (hardcover)
[1. Psychic abilityFiction. 2. SupernaturalFiction. 3. Boarding schoolsFiction.
4. SchoolsFiction. 5. OrphansFiction. 6. New York (State)Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.C76984Hav 2011 [Fic]dc22 2010021803
ISBN 978-1-4424-0762-6 (eBook)

For Vivian and Eleanor,
the coolest kids ever.
Seriously.

I ll never forget that first glimpse of Winterhaven as we pulled up the long, curving drivegray stones bathed in the lavender haze of dusk, looking like an old European university, all flying buttresses and stone spires reaching toward the sky. Leaves in every shade of the autumn spectrumred, yellow, orange, brownlittered the ground at my feet, crunching beneath my boots as I stepped out of the car and looked around. This was itmy new home, my new life.

Typically, I had just been dumped there as unceremoniously as had the luggage at my feet. My mom hadnt even bothered to come along for the ride. Okay, technically Patsy is my stepmother, but since my real mom died when I was four and my dad married Patsy about, oh, two seconds later, shes all Ive got. She was always clear about her priorities, thoughmy dad, and her career, in that order. I think I made the list somewhere between the Junior League and Jimmy Choo shoes.

To give Patsy credit, though, she had made an effort to spend more time with me after my dad died. I thought we were making progress when she took an entire Saturday afternoon off and invited me out to lunch. But thats when she dropped the bombshed been offered a job in New York, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she called it. So less than a month into my junior year, Patsy gave me a choice: stay in Atlanta with Gran, or move to New York with her.

There were no other options, no one else to foist me off on. No living relatives except for Gran, my real moms mother. And as much as I adore Gran, I just wasnt sure that she was up to having me move in with her and Lupe, her companion/housekeeper. After all, Gran was old, set in her ways. I didnt want to be a burden.

And, okay... Ill admit that there was more to it than that. Way more. I cant really explain it, but once I saw that Winter-haven brochure in the pile that Patsy had dumped in my lap, I somehow knew that this was the place for me. Id been so sure of it that Id actually refused to apply anywhere else.

And so... here I was. Time to see if my instincts had been correct. I made my way up the stairs toward the largest of the buildings, the one marked ADMINISTRATION . Taking a deep breath, I pushed open a set of double doors at the top of the stairs and stepped inside, looking around a huge rotunda. On either side of me, two staircases curved up, like a swans wings. Up above was a stained-glass-tiled dome, a huge chandelier hanging from its center. Directly below it stood a bronze statue cordoned off by red velvet ropes. WASHINGTON IRVING , the plaque read. The schools founder. Which, I had to admit, was pretty cool.

Letting out a low whistle of appreciation, I turned in slow circles, admiring the view. Wow. The glossy brochure hadnt done this place justice. I hoped it was costing Patsy a fortune.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, I froze, my heart thumping loudly against my ribs. A tall woman with graying auburn hair came into view, smiling as she hurried toward me, her high heels clicking noisily against the black-and-white checkerboard marble tiles.

You must be Miss McKenna, she called out. Welcome to Winterhaven, chrie. Im Nicole Girard. Are these all of your belongings? She nodded toward the two trunks the driver had left at my side before disappearing without a word.

Thats it, I answered, my voice a bit rusty. I had the rest of my stuff shipped.

Very good. Just leave them there, and Ill take you right up to the headmasters office. Dr. Blackwell is looking forward to welcoming you.

Great. I tried to sound enthusiastic. Glancing back one last time at my trunks, I followed Mrs. Girard up the stairs on my left and down a long hall lined with portraits of stern-looking old men in suits. Former headmasters, I guessed.

Finally we stopped in front of a large, arched wooden door that looked like it belonged in a medieval castle. Mrs. Girard knocked three times before turning the brass handle. Dr. Blackwell? she called out, stepping inside with me trailing behind. The new student has arrived.

A leather chair swiveled around, startling me so badly that I took a step back and nearly tripped over my own feet. A man sat behind the massive desk, watching me. His hair was totally silver, but his skin was surprisingly smooth except for crinkles at the corners of his eyeseyes as silver as his hair. With his wire-rimmed spectacles and a pipe between his teeth, he looked just like I imagined a headmaster should.

Welcome, Miss McKenna. What a pleasure to meet you.

Th-thank you, sir, I stammered.

And how was your journey?

I think I slept through most of it, I answered truthfully.

I do hope you were able to explore the city a bit before coming here. I told your stepmother there was no rush.

I did, thanks. I had spent two weeks helping Patsy settle into her new apartment on the Upper East Side.

Very good. He nodded. Thank you, Nicole. Ill ring the bell when Im ready for you to show Miss McKenna to her room.

Very well, sir, the woman replied, then took her leave with one last smile in my direction.

Dr. Blackwell motioned for me to take a seat opposite him, so I settled myself into the chair across from his desk.

Well, then, he said, laying down his pipe and shuffling a stack of papers. I have your transcripts right here. Quite impressive. Windsor Day School, advanced classes, honor roll. A fencer. He took off his glasses and looked up at me. Hmm, on the state championship team, it says.