by H. K. Varian
Then, suddenly, like the sun burning away a stubborn fog, the paralysis spell lifted. Mack tried to take a deep breath but ended up coughing and choking uncontrollably.
He wasn’t the only one. Around him, Gabriella and Darren and Fiona were struggling too. The fight for breath was almost worse than the paralysis. Before, at least, it had been out of his control. But now? He was trying as hard as he could . . . and failing.
“Breathe,” Miles commanded them as he came running back to the clearing. “Breathe deeply. You’ll all be fine—but breathe, now, do it! Even if it’s hard. Even if it hurts. Breathe.”
Mack focused on Miles’s voice until, little by little, his lungs stopped seizing and relaxed into slow and steady respiration. Breathe in. Breathe out, he told himself. Breathe in. Breathe out. Soon he felt strong enough to sit up—and start asking questions.
Miles held out his hand for Mack. “What was that?” Miles asked fervently, his eyes blazing. “Those guys—and that lady—where did they go? And the— Was that really . . .”
Mack held up his hand. “I’m afraid that’s classified,” he said. Somewhere behind him he heard Darren snort.
Miles raised an eyebrow. “Is everyone all right?”
“Yes,” Darren and Fiona said at the same time.
“Gabriella?” Mack asked. The nahual nodded and then padded across the clearing on broad paws. She dropped the compass’s case near the others and transformed back into her human form.
“Looks like everyone’s fine,” Mack said, picking up the case. “Let’s check it out!”
The kids crowded around Mack while he opened the compass’s case. If its gold metal had glowed before, it blazed now, emitting beams of light in a wild spectrum of color. Mack didn’t know much about precious jewels, but he had a feeling that those were real rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires studding the surface of the compass.
Everyone watched as the compass’s arrow moved in a slow, purposeful circle, pointing first at Miles, then Mack to Fiona to Darren, and finally to Gabriella.
“Awesome,” Mack whispered, his face beaming.
“It’s beautiful,” Fiona marveled. “I mean, I was impressed when I saw it underwater—but this is about a million times more amazing.”
Darren pointed at the compass’s surface. “What’s wrong with the arrow?” he asked. “It’s stuck.”
Fiona frowned. “Perhaps it’s picking up on a stronger signal from a nearby Changer,” she mused.
Everyone tensed at once, remembering the unknown Changer. The betrayer. Was she still near—lying in wait—ready to attack?
But when Mack and the others looked warily in the direction that the arrow was pointing, all they saw was Gabriella.
Well, no.
Not exactly Gabriella.
Who they saw there—or what they saw there—was not really Gabriella at all.
Part girl, part nahual, her golden cat’s eyes glimmered with panic as she stared at her human hands, from which cruel, unforgiving claws protruded. Two plush, velvety cat ears stuck up comically from her head, and a long, furry tail snaked behind her in the dirt.
“Oh no,” Mack whispered before he could stop himself.
“I—I’m stuck,” Gabriella said miserably, her voice choked and halting. “I—I—I—”
Miles rubbed his temples. “Okay. Okay,” he said. “Look, Gabriella, um, stay calm. This happened to a guy I know when we were in training. You’re going to be fine.”
“Do your counting thing!” Fiona suggested.
“Okay,” Gabriella said as she took a deep breath. The clearing was completely still except for Gabriella’s small voice as she dutifully counted backward. By the time she reached five, Mack realized that he was holding his breath. And by the time she reached one . . .
Nothing happened.
“Do it again,” Miles said, so firmly that Mack realized—for the first time—that he was worried. Really worried.
Still nothing.
“I have an idea,” Darren spoke up. “Why don’t you transform fully into a jaguar and then back into your human form? Maybe it will be like pushing a reset button.”
“Okay,” Gabriella said eagerly, nodding her head. “Okay. I’ll try it.”
Seconds later, the jet-black nahual stared at them and then blinked her golden eyes.
After Gabriella tried to transform back, those golden eyes were still staring.
“It didn’t work!” Gabriella cried.
“That’s it,” Miles said. “I’m going to call your grandfather, Mack.”
“No!” Mack exclaimed. “We can handle this. Gabriella, why don’t you try counting backward again—”
“Come on, man,” Miles said, not unkindly. “Secret mission or no, this has gone too far. Those warlocks meant business, and there’s no way we can take Gabriella back to the marina like this. If somebody saw her—”
“Miles is right, Mack,” Fiona spoke up. She put her hand on Gabriella’s shoulder. “It’s okay to ask for help when we need it—and right now, we definitely need it.”
“Stay here,” Miles told them, holding his cell phone in the air trying to get reception. “I mean it. Nobody leave. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
There was a heavy silence as Miles walked away from the clearing. Then Gabriella burst into loud, choking sobs.
“What am I going to do?” she wept. “What if I stay this way—forever? I can’t go home like this.”
No one knew how to comfort their friend, who was suffering so deeply.
“I’m being punished,” Gabriella said. “For using my powers in soccer, for being a cheater and a liar, for all those wins that were unfairly won. I’m not human—not like this. At best I can be an animal, I guess. And at worst—a freak!”
“Don’t say that!” Fiona exclaimed. “You’re not a freak. None of us are.”
“And you’re not a cheater,” Darren said firmly. “Your abilities are natural! You were born with them!”
“They’re part of who you are,” added Mack. “It would be lying to cover them up. What would your teammates think if they knew you were holding back? Wouldn’t that be worse?”
“Nothing could be worse than this,” Gabriella replied, holding up her claws for all to see.
“You just need help,” Darren told her.
“What if no one can help me?” Gabriella shot back. “What then?”
That gave Mack an idea. He held up Circe’s Compass and dangled it before Gabriella’s face. “Then maybe,” he began, “you’ll need to help yourself.”
It was all Mack had to say; Darren and Fiona looked confused, but Gabriella understood perfectly.
“You think—” she began.
“I know,” Mack interrupted her. “Go. Find the Emerald Wildcat. You’ve said all along she could help you. Now give her the chance.”
“Hold on a second,” Darren spoke up. “What if those magic jerks are still out there? Or that dolphin lady?”
“You think they’re a match for Gabriella?” Mack scoffed. “Even if they ganged up on her, Gabriella could escape and leave them all in the dust. Nobody’s faster.”
“That’s true,” Fiona said. She reached out and squeezed Gabriella’s arm. “You be safe out there, okay?”
“She’ll be fine,” Mack declared. “Besides, we all know she’s the best fighter in the group.”
“Thank you,” Gabriella whispered. Without another word, she took Circe’s Compass and hung it around her neck. It dangled there, gleaming and winking as if it had a secret.
Then Gabriella transformed, fully, into her nahual form and charged away from the clearing.
Chapter 12
The Emerald Wildcat
It wasn’t luck that allowed Gabriella to race home to Willow Cove as a jaguar without being seen. In her nahual form, Gabriella was able to run miles in minutes, so fast that she was a blur.
Gabriella ducked into her house and transformed silently as soon as the door closed behind her. A
quick glance in the entryway mirror told her that she was still partially changed—Oh, those ears! she thought in dismay. She couldn’t even bear to think about her tail. . . .
Gabriella forced herself to take a deep breath. You’re home now, she reminded herself. Safe. The smell of chocolate was heavy in the air, and someone in the kitchen was singing in Spanish. A thrill of hope spiraled inside Gabriella, making her dizzy. Ma, she thought, placing her hand on the doorframe to steady herself. This was it: the moment of truth. Circe’s Compass would reveal everything that Gabriella had longed to know.
With trembling hands, Gabriella opened the compass. The arrow was spinning in wild circles, casting a sparkling rainbow light across her face as Gabriella watched. Then, suddenly, the arrow stopped, quivering as it pointed to the kitchen.
I knew it! Gabriella thought joyfully. Her mother—her own mother—was the Emerald Wildcat! A wide smile spread across Gabriella’s face, even as she rubbed her tickly nose. There was xocolatl simmering on the stove, no doubt about that; the heady mixture of chocolate and spice filled the air. Somehow Ma had known, just like she always did, that Gabriella needed her. Maybe that was part of her nahual powers.
A family recipe, Gabriella remembered. A drink for warriors.
Gabriella burst into the kitchen. “Ma, I need—” she began.
But that wasn’t Ma at the stove.
It was Tía Rosa.
Rosa turned around, spoon in hand, with a smile that vanished the minute she saw Gabriella’s face.
“Chica valerosa,” she whispered as she held out her arms. “Such a brave girl. Come here, mija.”
Brave? Gabriella thought numbly. She didn’t feel very brave as she stood there, staring with disbelief at her aunt. She felt muddled and mixed-up, confused and, well, wrong. In her uncertainty, Gabriella’s tail flicked involuntarily, brushing against her legs.
If Ma’s not the Emerald Wildcat, Gabriella thought, then . . .
Tía Rosa crossed the kitchen and wrapped Gabriella in a strong hug. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she whispered near her ear. “You’ve been strong for so long, mija, but you don’t have to be strong by yourself anymore. I’m here.”
Gabriella started to cry again—but this time, the tears that cascaded down her face were from relief. Tía Rosa patted Gabriella’s hand as she led her over to the kitchen table. She poured each of them a steaming mug of xocolatl and then sat across from Gabriella.
“Ask me anything,” Tía Rosa declared, holding her hands palms-up. “I’m an open book. Your mother and Maritza won’t be home until suppertime. It’s just you and me.”
“So you’re the Emerald Wildcat?” Gabriella blurted out.
A sly smile crept across Tía Rosa’s face. “I was,” she said. “But that’s a story for another time.”
“I’ve been trying to figure out the Emerald Wildcat’s real identity,” Gabriella said as she showed Circe’s Compass to her aunt. “I thought she was the only one who could help me. I—I found the mask. In the attic. So I thought it was Ma. But . . . I guess I was wrong.”
“I really need to get the rest of my junk out of your attic,” Tía Rosa said. She touched Circe’s Compass with the tip of her finger. “I’m sorry, mija. You shouldn’t have needed this to find me. I should’ve reached out to you sooner.”
Gabriella paused to sip the spicy, bitter xocolatl. “Is Ma a nahual too? Like us?” she finally asked, not wanting to give up that last shred of hope.
Tía Rosa shook her head. “I’m afraid not. But you—I always had a funny feeling about you. And when I saw you playing soccer on Saturday, well, it was clear that you’d come into your powers.”
“Come into my powers?” Gabriella repeated. “I can’t even control them.” She flexed her fingers to extend her claws. “What am I going to do?”
To Gabriella’s surprise, Tía Rosa didn’t look even a little concerned. “This? This is nothing,” she scoffed, laughing in a friendly way that immediately made Gabriella feel better. “When I was thirteen, I had whiskers for a week! A whole week! Your abuelita—yes, she’s a nahual too—couldn’t stop laughing. I didn’t leave my room for days!”
Gabriella tried to picture Tía Rosa as a teenager with long cat whiskers—and just the thought made her start laughing too.
“It’s so common for young nahuals to have trouble with their transformations,” Tía Rosa continued. “But you will master it, mija. I promise.”
“You really think so?” Gabriella asked, daring to hope.
“I know so,” Tía Rosa replied, tapping her chest. “In my heart. Besides, all that extra effort I put in to mastering my transformations really paid off in the end. That’s how I could become the Emerald Wildcat, with the ability to channel my nahual powers while still in my human form. A little coaching from me, and you’ll be the same. I’m sure of it.”
“A crime-fighting superhero?” Gabriella asked.
“A girl in control of her powers—and her destiny,” Tía Rosa corrected. “But for now, let’s focus on getting you back into your own skin.”
“I’ll do anything you say,” Gabriella said. “I’ve tried everything I could think of. Even counting doesn’t work.”
“Sit back and relax,” Tía Rosa said. “Let go of all the stress, all the worries. All the fear. Let it melt away. Good. That’s good. Already your face looks more relaxed, mija. Now, focus on your breathing. Slow and steady. Good girl.”
The soothing sound of Tía Rosa’s voice, calm and familiar, washed over Gabriella. In moments, she felt calmer than she had since school started.
“I want you to concentrate on the tips of your toes,” Tía Rosa continued. “Flex and release—flex and release. Then your heels . . . your ankles . . . your knees . . . one part at a time, until you reach the top of your head. And this time, I’ll do the counting. Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . .”
When Tía Rosa reached “one,” Gabriella exhaled. She knew without even checking that her transformation was complete.
And she was right.
“Good girl,” Tía Rosa said proudly. “I knew you could do it.”
“It was easy with your help,” Gabriella said. “But how will I do it when I’m on my own?”
“Practice,” Tía Rosa replied. “Practice, practice, practice. You’ll get it. And until you do, I’ll be here to help.”
Gabriella smiled at her aunt. It really is going to be okay, she told herself—and at last, she believed it.
BANG!
At that moment, the back door flew open so hard that the glass window in it shattered.
The three warlocks from the forest stood in the doorway. The one in the red hat had a nasty sneer on his face, but it was his eyes that really unsettled Gabriella: dark, hollow, empty.
“Just give us the compass,” he said with a snicker. “And nobody has to get hurt.”
Chapter 13
fight or flight
Tía Rosa and Gabriella were on their feet in an instant. “Get out of here, Gabriella,” Tía Rosa ordered.
“No,” Gabriella argued. “I can fight.”
The three magic-users had a good laugh at that, which filled Gabriella with rage. Hold on to the anger, she reminded herself as her power surged. Use it.
“You’ll stay out of the way—and stay safe!” Tía Rosa shot back. And those were her last words to Gabriella before she spun and landed on the table in a crouching position. Gabriella pressed herself against the wall and watched in astonishment. She’d never seen anything like it—here was her aunt, her beloved tía Rosa whom she’d known all her life, still very much in her human skin—but moving, growling, thinking like a nahual.
She’s not Tía Rosa anymore, Gabriella suddenly realized. She’s the Emerald Wildcat.
And what a wonder it was to see the Emerald Wildcat in action; all that nahual power so masterfully contained in one human body. She moved with unspeakable grace as she leaped through the air, knocking out one of the guys with a sharp kick to the jaw.
Then Gabriella caught a glimpse of a tail, and when Tía Rosa reared back and lifted her arms, Gabriella noticed thick sharp claws jutting from her fingertips.
Swipe!
Tía Rosa’s claws flashed through the air, leaving four long, red streaks on the other guy’s face. He fell to his knees, howling in pain as he clutched his cheek, then disappeared in a gust of smoke.
Two down in less than a minute, Gabriella marveled.
But the third warlock, Evan, was ready to fight back. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath as a flash of red lit up his eyes. A harsh tremor passed through the kitchen, rattling every cup and plate in the cupboards. Even the xocolatl mugs tipped over, spilling onto the floor.
“Kid stuff,” Tía Rosa scoffed, her voice a half growl.
“I’ve heard about you,” he replied. “The Emerald Wildcat. The humans sure thought you were something special . . . but I’m not impressed.”
“You think I care?” Tía Rosa asked as she bounded to the top of the cupboard. Her long tail flicked back and forth, like a warning. “You punks come into my sister’s house, threaten my niece? You won’t be leaving here without a pretty pair of magical chains.”
Red light blazed in the boy’s eyes. “You’re washed up,” he said, but Gabriella could hear the panic in his voice. “You’re nothing!”
“You made a mistake siding with Auden Ironbound, but it’s not too late to make it right,” Tía Rosa continued. “You seem like a smart kid. Now, let me tell you how this works. You’re gonna sit down, nice and slow, tell me why you trashed my sister’s house and what you want from my niece. Then—”
There was no warning.
A boom.
A blinding flash.
A shimmering bubble, glowing with cold light, enveloped Tía Rosa. She stood motionless inside it, her face contorted in an expression of pain.
“No!” Gabriella tried to scream, but she was frozen too. She could only watch in horror as Evan lunged for Circe’s Compass—sitting on the table, out in the open . . .