The Emerald Mask

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  Prologue

  Run.

  It was the only thought on Gabriella Rivera’s mind; the thought that played again and again, over and over, as she darted down the soccer field.

  Run.

  Somewhere, deep down, Gabriella was probably aware of the world beyond the field: the golden autumn sun slicing through a clear, blue sky; the cheerleaders practicing a new routine on the track; the late buses rumbling in the parking lot, waiting to take everyone home from their after-school activities. But in the moment, all Gabriella cared about was:

  The goal at the end of the field.

  The tattered practice ball at the tip of her foot.

  And the pounding of her heart, strong and steady, as she ran at top speed.

  Run.

  Other players? What other players? Gabriella had left them all in the dust—except for Trisha, who was practicing her goalie skills across the field. A sudden alertness washed over Gabriella as she fixed her eyes on Trisha. Trisha was poised, ready to block any goal Gabriella tried to make. It was totally obvious that Trisha was trying to predict Gabriella’s next move. Gabriella could tell from the way Trisha’s shoulders were tensed; from the way her eyes followed Gabriella, watching for a sign, a tell . . .

  No way, T, Gabriella thought. Not this time.

  An extra burst of speed—Gabriella didn’t know exactly how she channeled it, but she had a pretty good idea . . .

  The thud of her foot making contact with the ball—

  Her toes reverberating inside her cleat—

  The solid leather ball sailed through the air as free and weightless as the fluff from a dandelion.

  I did that, Gabriella marveled. I did it.

  What choice did Trisha have but to drop to the ground, face-first in the grass? Better than a soccer ball to the face, there was no doubt about that.

  Time shifted, somehow, and the seconds between the ball tearing through the net and the piercing shriek of Coach Connors’s whistle slowed, stretched while Trisha lifted her head and locked eyes with Gabriella.

  Something in Trisha’s eyes made Gabriella flinch, and the spell was broken. Sound came rushing back: the whistle, the cheers from the rest of their teammates, the voices of kids heading to their buses. All the ordinary noises one would expect to hear at Willow Cove Middle School on a Tuesday afternoon.

  “Great work, girls. Excellent practice,” Coach Connors was saying. “You play like that on Saturday and the Middletown Marauders don’t stand a chance.”

  Trisha was already lifting herself out of the dirt, but Gabriella reached for her arm anyway.

  “Trisha, I am so sorry,” Gabriella said as she helped Trisha to her feet. “Are you okay?”

  “Sorry? Are you serious?” Trisha asked, ignoring Gabriella’s question. “What you did—that move—it was incredible! I’ve been playing goalie for years, and I have never seen anyone score like that. Ever. Coach is right. If you play even half that good on Saturday, we’re going to win for sure.”

  Gabriella grinned. “If we win on Saturday, it’s because you’ll be blocking the goal,” she replied. “The Marauders better get ready for a big zero on the scoreboard.”

  Secretly, Gabriella was relieved Trisha wasn’t angry with her. Last month Gabriella had finally cut ties with her popular friends, Daisy Park, Katie Adaire, and Lizbeth Harris. It was tough, and Gabriella still took a lot of flak from them, but the girls on the soccer team were quickly becoming Gabriella’s new friends. The best part was that her soccer friends didn’t put her down or pressure her to be mean, and that was like a breath of fresh air to Gabriella.

  Coach Connors approached them with the ball bag.

  “Blew another net, Coach,” Trisha reported.

  Coach Connors shook his head as he examined the ragged hole where the ball had blasted right through the net. “I can’t get mad,” he said. “We’ve never had so many consecutive wins before. The team is on fire this year. But, Gabriella, try to take it a little easy on the equipment, would you? I don’t know how I’m going to ask for replacements if this keeps up.”

  “Sorry, Coach,” Gabriella said. “I got a little carried away.”

  “I know,” Coach Connors replied. “But save it for Saturday, okay?”

  Then he tossed the ball bag toward Trisha; as team captain it was her responsibility to gather all the soccer balls that had been used for drills.

  “Here,” Gabriella said, reaching for the bag. “Let me help.”

  “Thanks,” Trisha replied. They split up for a while, crisscrossing the field as they gathered several soccer balls. Soon there was just one ball left—the one that Gabriella had kicked through the net. Only hitting the side of the school had stopped it.

  “You go,” Gabriella said to Trisha. “I know you have a bus to catch. I walk home, so I’m not in a rush.”

  Trisha glanced over her shoulder at the buses idling in the parking lot. “This is my responsibility,” she began.

  “And it’s my fault the ball is all the way over there,” Gabriella said, laughing easily in the sunshine. It felt good—so good—to be at the top of her game, to be unstoppable on the field, to have such good friends playing by her side. She couldn’t wait for Saturday’s game.

  Then Gabriella noticed she was laughing alone.

  “What?” she asked self-consciously as Trisha stared at her. “Is there grass in my hair or something?”

  “No,” Trisha said slowly. “It’s your eyes. They . . .”

  “What?” Gabriella repeated, anxiety quivering down her spine.

  “It’s just . . . They’re brown, right?” Trisha asked, peering at Gabriella. “They look brown now, I mean. But on the field . . .”

  Gabriella fought the urge to look down; to cover her eyes and sprint away from Trisha. Act normal, she ordered herself, which was easier said than done.

  “I thought they were yellow!” Trisha continued excitedly. “Like a cat or something! Isn’t that weird?”

  Gabriella forced herself to laugh. “So weird,” she said. “My eyes have always been brown. Maybe the sun was in them or something.”

  “Yeah,” Trisha said. “My mom always says that light plays tricks and stuff.”

  “Go,” Gabriella said. “Get your bus. I’ll bring all the equipment back to the gym.”

  “Thanks, Gabriella,” Trisha said. “You really are the best—on the field and off!”

  Gabriella kept a smile plastered on her face as Trisha jogged past her. She kept smiling as she grabbed the ball and shoved it into the bag with all the others. In the distance she could hear the afternoon buses starting to leave the parking lot. In just minutes the field had practically emptied. It was safe now, Gabriella knew, to drop the act.

  She placed her hand on the rough brick wall and exhaled deeply as she stared at the ground. What Trisha didn’t know—could never know—was that there had been no trick of the light. She hadn’t imagined those golden, glinting cat eyes in Gabriella’s face. The truth was that Gabriella was more than a seventh grader at Willow Cove Middle School; she was more than a star soccer player for the Willow Cove Clippers. She was a Changer—a shape-shifter, a nahual, a rare and powerful person who could transform from human to jaguar.

  And despite all of Gabriella’s best efforts to keep her nahual side a secret, it had showed itself o
n the field—in front of everyone.

  Chapter 1

  A New Threat

  The next day Fiona Murphy hoisted her heavy backpack over her shoulder and shuffled out of the cafeteria the moment the bell rang to end lunch. Most other kids were still eating and laughing, balling up their trash and trying to throw it into the garbage can while the cafeteria monitor’s back was turned. But Fiona’s next class was all the way across school, and she was not the kind of student who got tardies. Ever. And especially not when her first big homework assignment of the year, an oral and written report, was due.

  The report.

  A worried frown crossed Fiona’s face just thinking about it. This was the first time in her entire life that she knew, deep down, she was about to get a bad grade. Fiona studied hard for every quiz; she always had her homework neatly completed on time. This report, though, had been impossible. Fiona had done her best, of course. She always did. But even Fiona had to admit that this time, her best wasn’t good enough. And that was a very hard thing to face.

  It’s too late to do anything about it now, Fiona reminded herself. Better get it over with.

  Soon, Fiona reached the Ancillary Gym, the place where her life had changed forever on the first day of seventh grade. Along with three kids she barely knew—Gabriella Rivera, Darren Smith, and Mack Kimura—Fiona had discovered a secret about herself that even now, even after everything that had happened, was still kind of hard to believe. She was a Changer, part of a magical line of shapeshifters that history had forgotten. Changers hold incredible power and can transform into different creatures from mythology. Fiona had learned she was a selkie and could transform into a seal. Darren, an impundulu, could become a massive bird and shoot lightning bolts from his hands. Mack was a kitsune and could change into a magical fox, just like his grandfather. And Gabriella, a nahual, could transform into a powerful black jaguar. In addition to transformations, each one had special powers that they were still learning how to use. Their teacher, Ms. Dorina Therian, was a Changer too—a werewolf, to be precise—and guided them through their powers and intense training every day.

  Though Fiona had been the first one to leave the cafeteria, she was the last one to reach the Ancillary Gym. It was like her feet had dragged on purpose, doing everything to delay the moment when she had to give a less-than-perfect presentation. She took a look at the other students, but nobody else seemed even a little concerned. Gabriella and Darren were chatting together on the bench while Mack was sitting on the floor off to the side, furiously sketching in his notebook, surrounded by comic books.

  Just then, Gabriella waved her over. “How’s your report?” she asked. “I barely finished mine in time.”

  Fiona smiled—or tried to.

  “Too much stuff, right?” Darren asked knowingly. “I swear I could write a whole book about impundulus. What’s the coolest thing you learned about nahuals, Gabriella?”

  Gabriella looked thoughtful. “I guess I was surprised to learn that nahuals can use some of their powers, like superspeed and -strength, in human form,” she replied. “I didn’t think that was possible.”

  Darren grinned. “I doubt anybody who’s seen you run would be surprised.”

  The way Gabriella’s shoulders stiffened was barely perceptible, but Fiona noticed immediately. “What do you mean?” Gabriella asked.

  “Come on,” Darren teased Gabriella, oblivious to her discomfort. “You run like—like a wildcat! I mean, you are fierce out there. The Willow Cove Clippers were the losingest soccer team in state history until you joined.”

  “No—” Gabriella began.

  “It’s true,” Darren interrupted her. “Then you join the team, and . . . What, you guys have a perfect record now, right? Three and oh?”

  Gabriella stared at Darren and Fiona for a moment—long enough for Fiona to see a glint of gold flash through Gabriella’s eyes.

  “I thought . . . ,” Gabriella moaned, her voice muffled. “Is it really noticeable out there?” She buried her head in her hands.

  All of a sudden Darren realized just how upset Gabriella was. “Hey,” he said awkwardly. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not that obvious. I mean, I probably only noticed because I know you’re a nahual, right?”

  “Right,” Fiona cut in, trying to reassure Gabriella. “How about you, Darren?” she asked, trying to get the unwanted attention off Gabriella. “What did you learn about impundulus?”

  Darren flipped through his report—it was a lot longer than Fiona’s. “You won’t believe it,” he began. “Making lightning is just the beginning of an impundulu’s powers.”

  Fiona raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?” she asked. “What comes next?”

  “Impundulus can summon huge storms!” Darren continued excitedly. “I bet that’s why there was a hurricane surrounding the Changer army during the battle last month. I mean, when you think about it—all those Changers together, in one place . . . We’re lucky it wasn’t worse.”

  Fiona shivered. She knew she’d never forget what had happened. A power-hungry warlock, Auden Ironbound, had used an ancient magical horn—the Horn of Power—to bind hundreds of Changers to his will. He swept up the coast with his army under the cover of a hurricane, straight for Willow Cove! Even the First Four, some of the most powerful Changers to ever live, had fallen under Auden Ironbound’s spell. Luckily, Fiona, Darren, Mack, and Gabriella were too young to be affected by the horn. Somehow, they’d managed to beat Auden’s army, but Auden got away. Everyone knew the warlock would be back.

  “Hey, Mack!” Gabriella called.

  Mack looked up from his sketch, startled. “Sorry. What did you say?” he asked.

  “What are you doing?” Darren asked.

  “There’s a school-wide art show in a couple weeks,” replied Mack. “Everybody in Comics Club is creating a comic to submit.”

  “Can I see?” asked Gabriella.

  Mack shook his head. “Actually, mine is kind of terrible right now,” he told her. “Maybe after I figure out a few more panels.”

  Mack slammed his sketchbook shut, gathered his comics into a pile, and joined the rest of the class.

  “So what did you learn about kitsunes?” asked Gabriella.

  “Well, I learned a lot more about our tails,” Mack replied. “Every time a kitsune masters a rare power or accomplishes a heroic deed, he or she can earn a new tail, too. A kitsune with nine tails is basically the most powerful kitsune in the world.”

  “Dude,” Darren said. “Doesn’t your grandfather have nine tails? In his kitsune form, I mean?”

  “Exactly,” Mack said. “I can’t even begin to imagine all the things that Jiichan can do, or the things he accomplished to earn his tails. But get this—when nine-tailed kitsunes focus, they can actually see or hear anything in the entire world.”

  Darren let out a long, low whistle. “No way,” he said, clearly impressed.

  Mack nodded vigorously. “It’s true. They just have to know where to look . . . and it can’t be shrouded by magic, of course. That’s the catch.”

  “There’s always a catch,” Darren groaned. “Still, that’s an amazing power.”

  “Kind of a scary one,” Fiona spoke up. “I’m not sure I’d want to be able to do that.”

  Everyone turned to look at her.

  “How about you?” asked Mack. “What did you learn about selkies?”

  There was a pause before Fiona opened her mouth to reply. Then, just in time, the door opened.

  Ms. Therian had arrived.

  As she strode across the floor, her long black braid, streaked with silver, swayed behind her. “Your reports, please,” she announced, holding out her hand.

  Everyone scrambled to pull their reports out of their backpacks. Fiona placed a single piece of paper on top of the stack. Ms. Therian had to notice how much shorter it was than the others, but she didn’t say anything.

  “And now, for your presentations,” Ms. Therian continued. “Let’s start with you, Gabriell
a.”

  Normally, Fiona would be the first one with her hand in the air—but today, she was all too happy to let someone else go first. She listened attentively to Gabriella’s oral report and then Mack’s and then Darren’s. The facts they had learned about their Changer abilities were so fascinating that Fiona almost forgot the dread she was feeling about her own presentation.

  Almost.

  “Fiona?” Ms. Therian finally said. “Your turn.”

  Here goes nothing, Fiona thought as she stood up. She took a few steps forward and then turned to face the bench. Her classmates were smiling at her—not the sarcastic smiles she saw sometimes in her regular classes, but real, true, genuine smiles.

  “ ‘The Secrets of Selkies,’ ” Fiona began. “Selkies are Changers who take the shape of a seal. They originated in Ireland and Scotland, where tales of selkies have been passed down from generation to generation. Every selkie is born with a sealskin cloak that allows him or her to transform. Without it, a selkie is trapped in his or her human form, so selkies must guard their cloaks carefully.

  “Like all Changers, selkies have powerful abilities,” Fiona continued. “I wish I could tell you more about them, but I can’t. All those human stories about selkies are just that—stories—and mostly romances at that. What I can tell you is that selkie powers are contained within their songs, which cannot be recorded or captured in any way. The only way to learn a selkie song is to be taught by another selkie.”

  Fiona stopped speaking abruptly. There was more she wanted to say about that, but the words seemed stuck in her throat.

  “Have you seen another selkie before, Fiona?” Ms. Therian asked, filling the silence.

  Fiona nodded. “I think so,” she said. “During the battle at the beach, I could feel them—in the ocean, I mean. It’s like I somehow knew they were nearby.”

  “Of course,” replied Ms. Therian.

  “And there’s this one selkie—I think she’s a selkie—a beautiful one, with a copper-colored pelt,” Fiona continued. “I’ve seen her twice. From a distance.”