by H. K. Varian
Fiona forced herself to stop crying and took a deep, shuddering breath. She looked up, over Dad’s shoulder, toward the kitchen window, where she could see the ocean glittering under the morning sun. There was still one question, Fiona realized, that was troubling her more than all the others.
Mom, she thought. Why did you leave us?
Chapter 2
The Choice
Gabriella sat cross-legged on the bed, her phone perched precariously on her knee as she dried her long, thick hair. Normally, Gabriella wasn’t one of those people who was totally obsessed with her phone every moment, but Fiona’s text—all caps, with more exclamation marks than Gabriella had ever seen in her life—told her that the situation was urgent. Gabriella hadn’t wasted a moment canceling her usual Saturday morning practice with Tía Rosa, who was teaching Gabriella how to control her nahual powers.
Not too long ago, Gabriella had been on the brink of despair, certain that she was at risk of transforming into a jaguar when she least expected it. Thankfully, Gabriella had discovered that her favorite aunt wasn’t just a nahual—Tía Rosa was also the Emerald Wildcat, a real-life Changer superhero who had thwarted crimes in the nearby city of New Brighton. Tía Rosa had promised Gabriella that in time, she would be able to control her powers just as skillfully. At first, it was hard to believe, but after a few sessions with her aunt, Gabriella had started to suspect that Tía Rosa might be right.
Gabriella’s hair was still a little damp when the text she’d been waiting for finally arrived.
I’m here.
Gabriella shoved her phone into her pocket and zipped downstairs to let Fiona in. Fiona’s pale face looked even whiter than usual, making her freckles pop like bright sparks.
“Come in and tell me everything,” Gabriella said as she led Fiona to the kitchen. “Ma and Maritza are out for the day. They won’t be back until dinnertime. I told Tía Rosa I couldn’t do training today, but if you think we need her help . . .”
“No . . . not yet, anyway,” Fiona replied. Her eyes grew wide as she looked around the kitchen. “Wow! Everything is fixed. It looks amazing in here! You’d never know that the room was completely destroyed.”
“I know, right?” Gabriella exclaimed. “Ma always wanted a fancy new kitchen. . . . Too bad she’ll never know she has a pack of warlocks to thank for it!”
The truth was, the attack from the warlocks over Circe’s Compass, a powerful magical object that could be used to find any Changer in the world, had been seriously scary—but sometimes it helped to laugh about the Changers’ crazy exploits.
“So . . . what’s up? Your texts had me worried,” Gabriella said. Fiona followed Gabriella upstairs to her room, where the hair dryer was still lying on the floor. “Sorry,” Gabriella said as she kicked it under the bed, along with a pile of dirty clothes. “I’m kind of a slob.”
“You’re fine,” Fiona said in an absentminded way as she perched on the end of the bed.
There was an awkward silence.
“It’s okay,” Gabriella finally said. She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to say, but it felt right. “Whatever’s going on, you can trust me.”
“I know,” Fiona said quickly. “It’s just— I don’t really know where to begin. My dad found my selkie cloak.”
“He what?!” Gabriella cried. “Is he going to stop you from coming to Changers class? Is he—”
“No, no. And really, that’s not the crazy part.”
Gabriella gave Fiona a skeptical look. She wasn’t sure what could top Fiona’s dad finding out that she was a magical shape-shifter.
“He told me that my mom is still alive. And . . . she’s a selkie too.”
“What?!” Gabriella exclaimed, louder than she meant. “I mean, what?”
“Exactly!” Fiona said, throwing her arms into the air and flopping backward onto the bed. Suddenly, she wasn’t at a loss for words anymore—the story spilled out of her almost faster than Gabriella could keep up. As Fiona came to the end of her story, Gabriella whistled low.
“And you mean to tell me that the selkies were trying to split off from the Changers?” Gabriella asked incredulously. “Is that even possible?”
Fiona shrugged. “I’m not sure. After my mom disappeared, my dad didn’t get any more information,” she replied. “But my guess is that they did separate. After all, it would explain why I haven’t been able to find a selkie to mentor me—and why even the First Four can’t help.”
“I can’t believe it,” Gabriella said. “It’s so sad. I mean, Changers should always stick together.”
“I’m sure they had their reasons,” Fiona said. There was an unexpected edge to her voice that made Gabriella take a closer look at her friend.
“So . . . what are you going to do?” Gabriella asked carefully. “Do you think you’ll try to find your mom?”
“I . . . don’t know,” Fiona replied. “Even up until an hour ago, I thought my answer would be an automatic yes. But . . . how come my mom never came back for me? Why did she let me struggle without having a mom for so long? With being a selkie all by myself?”
This time, there was nothing Gabriella could say to fill the weighty silence. Gabriella’s dad had left her family when she was younger, too. She knew what it was like to deal with that kind of empty feeling.
“But she’s been watching over me,” Fiona continued, as if she were trying to convince herself. “And I need her to help me unlock the selkie songs—and my powers. I’ve been so useless.”
“Stop that—” Gabriella began, but Fiona cut her off.
“Of course I’ve been useless,” she said. “There’s no other word for it. Like when we were trying to save Darren from Auden’s henchman, Jasper. All I could do was stay out of the way. Maybe if I’d been able to access the selkie songs . . . Jasper wouldn’t have escaped with the Horn of Power.”
“Seriously, don’t talk like that,” Gabriella said firmly. “I’ve done that to myself before, and there’s no way to know how things could’ve been different. You just need a little extra help—we all do.”
Fiona tried to smile, but Gabriella could tell she wasn’t fully convinced.
“Trust me on this,” Gabriella added. “You remember what I was like before Tía Rosa started training me. I was a total disaster.”
Fiona opened her mouth in protest, but Gabriella stopped her. “But now, every week, I feel like my powers are getting easier to manage. And my transformations are almost completely under control! I know it’ll be the same for you, as soon as you have a selkie to guide you. And I can’t wait to see what your powers are like once you’ve unlocked them.”
This time, Fiona’s smile wasn’t a bit forced. “Thanks.” She paused, looking for the right words to say. “I know it sounds really cheesy, but I’m glad we’re friends.”
Gabriella blushed. She had to admit, she was glad to have Fiona as a friend, too. Before she’d found out she was a Changer, Gabriella had been one of the most popular girls in school, but it came at a cost. Gabriella could never really be herself; she always had to tease other kids or put herself down when she was with her popular friends. But these last few months, being a Changer with Fiona and Darren and Mack, she felt . . . free.
“It seems like a million years ago that I was hanging out with Lizbeth Harris and her dumb clique,” Gabriella said, making a face. “I have no idea what I was thinking. . . . I hated being mean like them.”
“You weren’t mean,” Fiona assured her. “Back then, I just figured that someone like you would never want to be friends with someone like me. You’ve always been so cool and strong.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to be friends with you, Fiona? You’re smart and interesting, and, well, nice. Which is more than I can say of Lizbeth.” Gabriella laughed.
Fiona was about to respond when the front door suddenly banged open.
“Gabriella! Mija! Where is your sweet self?” a voice called out from downstairs.
“It’s Tía Rosa,�
� Gabriella said to Fiona. She crossed the room and poked her head out the doorway. “Buenos dias, Tía Rosa!” she replied. “Didn’t you get my text?”
“I was halfway here already, so I decided to come, anyway,” Tía Rosa replied. She appeared at the base of the stairs and beamed up at Gabriella and Fiona. “Girls’ day! How fun! Why don’t you come down and I’ll fix you some xocolatl?”
“Awesome! We’ll be right there,” Gabriella replied.
“What’s xocolatl?” asked Fiona.
A sly smile crossed Gabriella’s face. “You’ll see,” she said mysteriously. “All I can tell you is that it’s a drink for Aztec warriors, from an old family recipe.”
A few minutes later the girls joined Tía Rosa in the kitchen as she ladled the steaming xocolatl into three mugs.
“Oh! It’s hot chocolate!” Fiona exclaimed as she took her mug. “I love cocoa.”
“Then you’ll love this,” Gabriella told her.
Fiona took a big gulp, and her pale face was suddenly flooded with color. “Spicy! So spicy!” she gasped, waving her hand in front of her mouth. Gabriella and Tía Rosa couldn’t help laughing.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it,” Gabriella said with a wink. She hopped off her stool and moved over to the sink to get Fiona a glass of water. “You are a warrior, even if—”
There came a sudden piercing shriek, so loud and sharp that Gabriella didn’t even notice when the glass slipped from her hand and shattered onto the floor. Everything around her faded to black. She stumbled, grasping for the counter, but there was nothing, nothing, nothing but that shriek. . . .
And then a silence that brought her to her knees, followed by a deep voice.
My brethren, I have returned to you.
Chapter 3
The Return
It is I, Auden Ironbound. I come to you now, revitalized, ready to usher in a new world order. No longer will non-magical beings rule over their betters. The time has come for Changers and magic to unite to create one supreme people; to declare an end to non-magical dominance by any means necessary.
For too long we have been confused, my brothers and sisters. We have been fighting the wrong enemy. We have been fighting one another instead of our true foe. And so I invite all magical beings to join me at dawn on the beach of Willow Cove in two days’ time. The corrupt reign of the First Four will come to a glorious end as we usher in a new age. Join me. Join us.
And if you don’t, you will regret your error. For I have the Horn of Power now, fully restored and ready to exert control over each and every individual who resists. Those who try to stand alone will fall together.
The time has come. The time is now.
Join me.
The voice faded from Mack’s mind; in stages the regular world returned to him: first light, then color, then sound. A sickening feeling of dread washed over Mack. “Jiichan,” he whispered to his grandfather, who was sitting, motionless, at the table.
Jiichan did not respond.
What if Auden Ironbound has cursed him? Mack worried.
But a closer look at Jiichan’s face, which appeared even more calm and peaceful than usual, helped Mack realize what was really going on. His grandfather, after all, was over a thousand years old, and perhaps the most powerful Changer of all time. As a nine-tailed kitsune, Jiichan had the ability to slip into a deep, meditative trance and locate any Changer or magic-user in the world—as long as they weren’t shrouded by enchantments.
Maybe Jiichan can find Auden Ironbound and put an end to this before it starts, Mack thought hopefully. Mack had already faced Auden Ironbound once before. He would never forget their battle on the beach as an army of Changers, hypnotized by the Horn of Power, bore down on Willow Cove. By drawing on all of their powers, Mack had been able to damage the Horn of Power and delay Auden Ironbound’s plans for conquest—but not for long. The warlock had gone to great and terrible lengths to repair the horn, even kidnapping Darren and four other young Changers. Now, Mack suspected, Auden would be even more determined to succeed.
Mack reached for his cell phone and sent a group text to Fiona, Gabriella, and Darren.
Did you hear that?
Their responses came flooding in.
Darren Smith Yeah. Glad it wasn’t just me.
Gabriella Rivera I heard it too. So he’s back?
Fiona Murphy Me too. What does your grandfather say, Mack?
Mack glanced up from his phone to see that Jiichan, no longer meditating, was watching him.
“Tell your friends to meet us at the gymnasium,” Jiichan said in an even voice. “There is no time to lose.”
When Mack and Jiichan arrived at the ancillary gym at school a few minutes later, everyone else was already there—not just Fiona, Gabriella, and Darren, but the rest of the First Four too: Yara Moreno, Sefu Badawi, and the kids’ independent study teacher, Ms. Dorina Therian. Yara and Sefu had their heads bent, deep in a private conversation, but Ms. Therian’s fury bubbled right under the surface of her steely exterior.
“A clever trick!” she raged, approaching Jiichan so swiftly that her long braid swung back and forth behind her. “If we go to the beach, Auden Ironbound will turn us on the younglings, just like last time. If we don’t go, we’re seen as cowards to our kind, hiding behind children. He won’t need to depose us; we would never be able to lead our people again!”
“There is but one thing to do,” Sefu announced gravely. “We must leave Willow Cove at once, go into hiding until we can come up with our own plan of attack.”
“You’re both blind,” came Yara’s voice. Everyone turned to look at her, but Yara was staring at Fiona, as if no one else was in the room. “Don’t you see? There is another way to prevent Auden’s rise, and it’s standing right in front of us.”
“Absolutely not,” Jiichan spoke for the first time since he had arrived.
“But—” Yara began.
“You know the treaty,” Jiichan said sternly. “You know who leads them. Would you have our entire arrangement crumble? Make no mistake, our peace is a fragile one. A single wrong move could bring us to the brink of war. No, Yara. We will find another way.”
Mack had no idea what Yara and Jiichan were arguing about, but in the silence that followed, he felt compelled to speak up. “Um, this might be a stupid question, but can’t I just face Auden Ironbound on the beach like last time?” he asked. “I was totally inexperienced back then, but I still beat him. I’ve learned so much since then. I know I could take him again.”
A troubled look settled over Jiichan’s lined face. “Makoto, we all admire your courage,” he began, “but no, I am afraid it would be unwise to assume you could re-create your triumph. Auden Ironbound is deviously clever. He would not invite a repeat performance of his last defeat unless he was certain he would prevail.”
Mack sighed. He hated to admit it, but he knew Jiichan was probably right. Before he could respond, though, Jiichan continued. “I would like to see how far you’ve all progressed in your training.”
Mack cracked a smile for about half a second before he changed into his kitsune form. He wasn’t the only one, either; there was a flurry of activity in the ancillary gym—
A gust of wind ruffled Mack’s fur as Darren transformed into an impundulu and beat his powerful, blue-feathered wings.
In her nahual form, Gabriella inched forward on inky black paws. Her golden eyes sparkled with determination.
And Fiona?
A single spin, her selkie cloak fluttering as she wrapped it across her shoulders, and Fiona was a seal.
Sefu stepped forward. A thick mist rose from the ground at his feet, spiraling upward until it formed a cloud over his head. Just as suddenly as it had formed, the cloud dissolved, pelting Sefu with raindrops that sizzled as they hit his ancient skin. When they were gone, a spotted hyena—a bultungin—stood in Sefu’s place.
The hyena growled—a low, threatening sound—and Mack understood right away that Sefu, their mentor, the
ir guide, was going to fight them. Sefu’s fur bristled as he bared his sharp teeth.
Mack was poised to attack when, to his surprise, Darren swooped in front of him. The great bird lifted his talons, which crackled with electrical current. Mack watched, awestruck, as Darren’s talons began to spark; then the sparks joined forces, forging a glowing web of electricity. Darren’s force field crackled, an unmistakable warning.
Sefu paced around the force field, growling. After three full loops he was finally satisfied that the force field was impenetrable; there wasn’t a single opening that he could find. Just in time, too. Mere moments after Sefu stepped back, Darren landed, transformed, and collapsed to the ground.
Mack lunged toward his friend.
He’s fine, Makoto, Jiichan’s voice rang through Mack’s head. Creating a force field like that is very tiring. He’ll feel better after a short rest.
Mack nodded in response as Sefu approached. His turn had come.
He felt the heat rising from his paws before the thought had even fully formed in his mind: fireballs. It was a skill he’d been practicing in private—Mack didn’t want anyone to see him fail again and again while he tried to get it right.
Mack’s copper fur blazed as yellow flames licked at his paws. He crouched forward, his head bowed low, almost as though he were about to pounce, and concentrated on building the flame. Patience . . . patience . . . , Mack counseled himself. Too many times he’d tried to throw a fireball before it was ready—only to watch it fizzle out into a puff of useless smoke.
This time, though, Mack’s self-control paid off. A ring of perfectly formed fireballs appeared in a circle around him, white-hot flames leaping into the air. His eyes never left Sefu as Mack took aim and hurled each fiery orb directly at one of the greatest Changers in the world. The last thing Mack wanted to do was hit Sefu, but he knew that the First Four expected nothing less than his best effort—no matter what the risk.