by H. K. Varian
Mack let out a low whistle. “So what does that mean for you?” he asked, blunt as always. “You just have to, like, wait? Even though you can’t learn any selkie songs or powers without them?”
A wry smile crossed Fiona’s lips. “Trust me, I’m not just waiting around,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Mack asked, a little too eagerly—and a little too loudly.
“I have some leads I’m investigating on my own,” she began.
But before Fiona could say more, someone down the hall caught her eye. “Look—it’s Darren,” she said. She waved her hand awkwardly from beneath her stack of books and called out, “Darren! Hey!”
Darren, though, stared straight ahead as he shuffled down the hall. It was like he couldn’t even hear her.
“That’s weird,” Mack said, scrunching his face into a frown. Darren was nearly about to pass them when Mack reached out and grabbed his arm, jolting Darren out of his thoughts. At the same time, the lights flickered ominously overhead. The usual morning chatter that filled the halls of Willow Cove Middle School went silent as everyone stared upward.
Then, as if nothing had happened, the lights went on again, and the students continued getting ready for homeroom.
“Dude,” Mack said in a hushed whisper to Darren, “was that you?”
“Oh—that?” Darren asked, squinting at the lights. “I don’t know. Probably. My powers have been acting up a little, but it’s no big deal.”
“Are you sure?” Mack replied. “I mean, you’re making power surges happen just by walking down the hall.”
Darren glanced again at the fluorescent lights, which were buzzing steadily once more. “They’re fine now,” he said, a hint of defensiveness in his voice. “Maybe it wasn’t me. Maybe it’s just that this dumb school is old and broken.”
Fiona and Mack exchanged a glance. That wasn’t like Darren, who was one of the most popular kids in school and known for his calm, cool demeanor. But before either could speak, Darren shifted his backpack from one arm to the other. “I’ve gotta go,” he muttered, looking embarrassed. “I don’t want to be late for homeroom.”
“Of course,” Fiona said, stepping aside quickly. Darren’s homeroom teacher was superstrict and loved to start the day by giving out a detention or two.
“I’ll see you guys later,” Darren said. Then he turned and disappeared into the crowd of kids making their way down the hall.
“Well, that was weird,” Mack said as soon as Darren was out of earshot.
“Something must be bothering him,” Fiona agreed.
“But what?” asked Mack. “Our last Changers mission was a success. We didn’t even get in trouble. Well—not that much trouble, anyway. And it seems like he’s having a great football season. The team won their last two games.”
“I don’t know,” Fiona said. “But I hope he tells us soon.”
Chapter 2
Disappearances
At lunchtime Fiona searched the cafeteria for Darren, but he was nowhere to be found—which was unusual, since he had so many friends that he was usually right in the middle of a big group of people. Did he go home sick? she wondered. He didn’t seem sick, though that would explain their strange interaction that morning. Perhaps it was as simple as that.
But when Fiona arrived at the ancillary gym for Changers class that afternoon, she found Mack and Gabriella already transformed into their fox and jaguar forms, respectively, racing on the track—and Darren sitting on the bench, staring into space. Darren was so lost in thought that he didn’t even seem to notice when Fiona sat next to him, so close that she could see a blue glow beneath his fingernails.
No sparks, though, she thought. That’s a good sign.
“Hey,” Fiona said, pulling her backpack onto her lap and wrapping her arms around it. “How’s everything?”
Darren shrugged, still staring at the far side of the gym. “Fine, I guess,” he replied. Then he nodded his head toward the First Four, who were huddled together near the door to the locker rooms. “I forgot they were coming today.”
Seriously? Fiona wondered. It’s all Mack’s been talking about— How could he forget something like that? But what she said was, “Mack thinks we’re going to get a new mission.”
That will have to cheer him up, Fiona thought, watching Darren’s face carefully for his reaction.
But Darren didn’t respond at all. “As long as they don’t want to yell at us,” he muttered.
“They weren’t that upset about the compass,” Fiona said. “Besides, we kind of deserved it.”
“That’s true,” admitted Darren. “I’m just sick of people being angry all the time.”
“What do you—” Fiona started.
Just then, Ms. Therian clapped her hands loudly; the sound echoed through the ancillary gym. “Everyone, please, gather by the bench; we don’t have any time to waste today,” she announced.
In a flash Gabriella and Mack changed into their human forms and joined Fiona and Darren on the bench as the First Four crossed the room.
Fiona looked at each one of the First Four—tiny Yara Moreno, an encantado, or dolphin Changer, whose face wrinkled up like a walnut as she beamed at the kids. Then there was stern Ms. Therian, a werewolf, whose tough exterior was betrayed by her kind eyes. Sefu Badawi, a bultungin, or hyena Changer, looked older than the rest as he leaned heavily on his walking stick. Then, of course, there was Mack’s grandfather, Mr. Kimura, a nine-tailed kitsune, or fox, Changer. Nine-tailed kitsunes were the most powerful of their kind and had incredible abilities. He noticed Fiona looking at him and nodded his head, just once. There was a smile on his face, but something in his eyes—Fiona couldn’t quite put her finger on it—gave her pause.
A warning, she thought suddenly, then shook her head.
“Before we commence with training today,” Ms. Therian said, “we have some urgent information to share with—”
“Don’t be alarmed,” Yara cut in. “We’re not trying to scare you.”
As the students exchanged a glance, Ms. Therian shot Yara a look of annoyance.
“Are we in danger?” asked Gabriella.
“If everyone would kindly let me finish,” Ms. Therian said pointedly. “Several young Changers in our region have vanished over the last two weeks.”
A prickling chill crawled down Fiona’s spine as she processed Ms. Therian’s words. Vanished like kidnapped? she wondered. Or vanished like disappeared?
“We believe that the same culprit is responsible for all the abductions,” Mr. Kimura spoke up, staring straight at Fiona as though he had read her thoughts.
“ ‘Believe,’ ” Sefu muttered darkly, “because the truth is, we know nothing for certain.”
“Yet!” Yara added, sounding almost chipper. “But that won’t last long. We’ll get our younglings back, safe and sound. I’m sure of it.”
For a moment Sefu looked like he wanted to argue—but then thought better of it. Instead, a heavy sigh escaped his lips. “Four younglings so far have disappeared from this region—roughly a hundred-mile radius.”
“Wait,” Fiona cut in. “There are that many young Changers so close to us?”
“I thought Changers were pretty rare,” Mack added.
“Unless they have special assignments that take them elsewhere,” Sefu began again. “Changers typically live within one hundred miles of a Changer base—in this region, Willow Cove is that base—so there are more of us clustered here.”
“Are there Changers classes at other schools, then?” Mack asked. “Can we take a field trip and meet them? Honestly, I’d love to get some inspiration for my comic. . . .”
“There are a few other classes such as ours,” Ms. Therian said. “But seeing as there are less than fifteen younglings in the region, and most of them don’t attend the same schools, they are usually trained by their families—with the exception of you four, of course. That was the case with most of the kids who have gone missing thus far.”
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p; “So . . . are we in danger?” Gabriella asked, drumming her fingers anxiously on the side of the bench.
“We don’t know,” Ms. Therian said honestly. “Your guard should be at its highest.”
“You must be ever vigilant,” Mr. Kimura spoke up.
“Cautious—but not afraid!” Yara added.
Is it just me, or are the First Four totally out of sync today? Fiona thought. She glanced toward Darren, trying to catch his eye. But he was still in his own world.
“We are not telling you this just as a warning,” continued Ms. Therian. “Rather, we want to enlist your help in our investigations.”
“Yes!” Mack said with a quick fist pump into the air. “So, where do we start?”
“Make no mistake, these will be our investigations,” Sefu said firmly. “Or to be more precise, Dorina and Akira’s investigations. You will be assisting them in their endeavors—assisting.”
Mack’s face fell—but only for a moment. When Yara winked at him and whispered, “Don’t mind Sefu. He’s just cranky because he missed his nap,” the sparkle returned to his eyes.
“The truth is, we know very little about these unusual disappearances,” Ms. Therian continued. “The most recent boy to be taken is named Jai. He disappeared last Thursday. He lives with his father in Middletown, and he’s a naga.”
Fiona’s hand flew into the air. “What’s a naga?” she asked. In all her late nights poring over The Compendium, an enchanted book all about Changers, she hadn’t heard of that type before.
“A serpent Changer,” explained Mr. Kimura. “They’re originally from India, and only a handful of naga live in our region. Jai and his father are two of them.”
“Tomorrow after school, Darren and Gabriella will accompany me to Fisherman’s Bay National Park,” Ms. Therian said.
“I actually have soccer practice tomorrow,” Gabriella said. “Coach Connors won’t be particularly happy if I skip. I could get a note, though.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Ms. Therian. “I’d rather not attract any attention for out-of-the-ordinary behavior. We’ll leave directly after your practice and drive to the park—that’s where Jai was last seen. Then we can search for any clues that the abductors might have left behind.”
“Like footprints? Or, uh, broken branches?” Mack asked, sounding a little wistful. It was obvious that he wanted to go on the mission, too.
“Yes—and also traces of magic,” Ms. Therian said. “It’s a rare warlock who can use magic without leaving at least some sign of it behind. Too subtle for human senses, of course, but that’s where our abilities will be of great use. It also helps to know where to look, so I’ll teach you the signs to watch for, as well.”
Mack could barely contain his disappointment, but under his grandfather’s steady gaze, he didn’t complain. Fiona understood how he felt. She kind of wished that she had been chosen for the trip to Fisherman’s Bay too. I guess there’s not much a seal can do in the forest, she thought, but being practical about it didn’t make her feel any better.
“On Wednesday, Mack and Fiona will join me for a trip to Middletown,” Mr. Kimura said.
Mack and Fiona exchanged a grin.
“Cool!” Mack cheered. “What will we be investigating?”
“Interviewing,” Mr. Kimura corrected him. “We will speak with Jai’s father, Ankur. He is deeply distraught about his son’s disappearance. This mission is no less important than the other.”
Fiona nodded and then looked at Mack. If he was disappointed, he didn’t show it.
Ms. Therian turned to the other members of the First Four. “Thank you,” she said. “We are always honored to have you join us for class.” Then, after Sefu, Yara, and Mr. Kimura left, she addressed the students.
“Now, let’s start our drills,” Ms. Therian continued. “Fiona, you’ll be practicing your underwater breathing exercises. I’d like you to manage thirty minutes underwater by the end of the month, so you’ve got a lot of work to do. Gabriella and Mack—hurdles for you.”
“Hurdles?” Mack asked, perking up immediately. “That’s different.”
Ms. Therian didn’t smile, but Fiona definitely caught a twinkle in her dark eyes. “As I believe your grandfather sometimes says, Mack, life’s not all about the race.”
Then Ms. Therian turned to Darren. “And for you, Darren . . . target practice.”
She gestured to the far side of the ancillary gym, where targets of various sizes had been carefully arranged. “Your goal is perfect accuracy, which shouldn’t be hard given the impundulu’s extraordinarily keen eyesight. Since today is your first time, though, I’ll settle for your best.”
Ms. Therian glanced at Fiona, Mack, Gabriella, and Darren, one by one. Then she nodded her head. That was their cue, Fiona knew, to transform. As she bent over to unzip her backpack for her selkie cloak, she missed the rapid flashes as her friends changed into their animal forms.
With the soft, gray selkie cloak in her hands, Fiona hurried over to the saltwater pool. She slipped the cloak over her shoulders; though it was almost weightless in her hands, she felt a familiar heaviness settle over her. Then Fiona twirled, just once . . .
It was as easy as that.
In her sleek seal form, Fiona plunged into the saltwater pool. She flicked her tail and zipped through the water, almost laughing with delight. It wasn’t like swimming in the ocean—nothing could be that glorious, that wild and free—but it was a pretty good substitute. In the water, Fiona could lose herself, becoming a seal so fully that she forgot about everything else around her.
Not today, though.
Even underwater, where sound and light were distorted, Fiona was aware of a commotion in the ancillary gym. Focus, she reminded herself, picturing the oxygen in her lungs lasting longer than ever before as the seconds stretched into minutes. She’d love to break her record from last week, when she’d somehow managed to spend almost twenty-seven minutes submerged.
But those voices—they were getting louder. Fiona tilted her head, hoping to hear more clearly; it was so odd that she could hear sounds underwater from miles away, but noise from above was just a jumble. At last, Fiona’s curiosity got the better of her, and she propelled herself up to the surface of the water . . . in time to see one of Darren’s lightning bolts hit a massive windowpane near the ceiling. It shattered in an explosion of sparks and glittering glass, and shards rained down into the far end of the pool, pelting the water like hard pieces of hail.
The gym was very quiet—almost unbearably still—for about half a second.
Then a blast from Ms. Therian’s whistle pierced the air.
Uh-oh, Fiona thought. Ms. Therian only used her whistle like that when things were bad.
And from the look on her face, they were about to get worse.
“Get out of the pool, Fiona,” Ms. Therian barked.
Fiona scrambled out of her cloak and up the ladder. When Ms. Therian sounded like that, she wasn’t messing around. What’s going on? Fiona wondered, blinking her dark blue eyes. She hoped practice wasn’t about to be cut short. The chance to change into her selkie form was the highlight of her day, and Fiona didn’t want to miss a minute of it.
“Darren to the bench!” Ms. Therian yelled as she strode across the floor.
The great bird soared down to the floor; a moment later, Darren was back in his human form. He hung his head in shame as he braced himself for Ms. Therian’s lecture.
“I’m terribly confused,” she began, her voice like ice. “Your powers at our last meeting were finely tuned, yet today, you have missed every target. The only thing left to conclude is that you are either distracted or careless. And a Changer’s carelessness can bear terrible consequences. I don’t think I need to tell you that the pool is right below the window you shattered. We are lucky Fiona was training at the other end.”
“I know,” Darren said miserably. “I’m sorry. It just—it just got away from me.”
“But it cannot get away f
rom you—ever,” Ms. Therian said. “That is why we meet here each day. So that you can master your powers. So that you can control them.”
Darren, too upset to speak, simply nodded.
“There are ten more minutes until the bell,” Ms. Therian said with a sigh. “Darren, I want you on the bench for the rest of the class—try to meditate, and bring that focus to practice tomorrow. You too, Fiona. The pool is off-limits until it’s been cleaned.”
Fiona tried to stifle her disappointment as she reached for a towel. At least now I can go talk to Darren, she thought. Whatever was bothering him was clearly still on his mind. And it was obvious that Fiona wasn’t the only one who was concerned. Over by the track, Gabriella’s gold nahual eyes glimmered with sympathy as she watched Darren trudge over to the bench. She must know how he feels, Fiona realized. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that Gabriella’s transformations had been unpredictable too.
After Fiona dried off, she joined Darren on the bench. “Hey,” she began.
“I’m really sorry,” he said, his voice strangely flat. “You have to know that was a complete accident.”
“Of course I know that,” Fiona replied at once.
“And I ruined your Changers class, too,” he continued, his head in his hands. “I’m ruining everything.”
“No,” Fiona said. “Don’t say that. It was just one mistake.”
“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Darren said. “I just want . . .”
Darren’s voice trailed off as his phone started to buzz. He rummaged around in his backpack until he found it. Fiona glanced over her shoulder nervously at Ms. Therian, who was coaching Mack and Gabriella through their last drill. If Darren was caught on his phone—even at the end of class—he’d be in more trouble.
“My brother texted me,” he said.
Fiona watched his face as Darren read the text. Somehow, he looked even more upset when he finished it. “What happened? What’s wrong?” she asked. “Is Ray okay?”
Darren shook his head. “I—I have to go,” he said, standing so abruptly that he knocked his backpack off the bench. At the same moment the lights in the ancillary gym blazed brighter than the sun. There was a sudden, earsplitting pop—