The Shadow Fox Read online

  Dorina Therian, their primary coach and another member of the First Four, greeted Gabriella and the others. She was the one who had given Gabriella the news that she was a nahual the first day of class and then demonstrated her own Changer transformation—into a werewolf.

  The other two members of the First Four, Sefu Badawi (a bultungin, or hyena Changer) and Yara Moreno (an encantado, or dolphin Changer) also waited. They smiled reassuringly at Gabriella and her friends.

  Mack and his grandfather finished their talk and joined the group.

  “Ready to get this over with?” Mack asked with a queasy smile. “Let’s make sure I haven’t sprouted a new head or grown an extra row of teeth or . . . lost my powers.”

  “It’s going to be fine,” Fiona said. “You’re going to be fine.”

  “Of course you are,” Gabriella added, giving him a quick hug.

  “Yeah, we’re here for you no matter what,” Darren said.

  Mack’s queasy smile returned, but he said nothing.

  They waited for the First Four to clue them in on what was about to happen.

  “I don’t want any of you to be frightened,” Mr. Kimura said. “Chances are that this is all for nothing, and Makoto will be able to transform without issue. It’s important we’re together though.”

  While he was speaking, the other members of the First Four formed a kind of square around Mack. Ms. Therian motioned for Gabriella, Darren, and Fiona to stand a bit farther back, filling in the gaps between their elders.

  “Darren, if you would, a force field around all of us for protection might be helpful,” Mr. Kimura said.

  Darren nodded. Soon, the tips of his fingers were crackling with electricity, forming sparks. While Gabriella watched, those sparks joined together, creating a glowing web. Moments later, the force field encircled all eight of them.

  Why would we need a force field if this is just about Mack transforming? Gabriella wondered. Is Mr. Kimura keeping others out of the circle or making sure Mack can’t escape?

  “I’m going to count down, Makoto,” Mr. Kimura said. “When I reach one, you can transform.”

  Mack nodded, his expression grim.

  Gabriella’s shoulders tightened as Mr. Kimura began to count from ten to one. Even without thinking she was on the balls of her feet, ready to transform and spring into action if she needed to.

  But I won’t need to, she thought. This is only about Mack’s transformation.

  Still, she felt her own tension increase with each number. She couldn’t imagine what Mack was thinking and feeling. She stared into his face, but his eyes were clouded. With worry? Fear? Anger? She couldn’t tell.

  “Three, two, one,” Mr. Kimura said. He nodded at his grandson.

  Gabriella held her breath. Mack transformed, just like she had seen him do so many times before, and he was . . .

  Mack! The same as always.

  Gabriella exhaled when she saw that her friend had transformed into a fox with sandy-red fur—just like he always had. Orange and yellow flames licked at his paws. Gabriella smiled at him, and Mack seemed to smile back. But then she saw confusion on the faces of Ms. Therian, Fiona, and Sefu, who were standing behind him.

  Mack looked over his shoulder, and when he did, Gabriella saw the cause of their confusion.

  Mack had gained a third tail.

  H. K. VARIAN has always loved reading about ancient mythology, ruins, and magic. Though H. K. once dreamed of having awesome powers like in the Hidden World of Changers series, writing became kind of like magic in and of itself. Today H. K. lives, writes, and has adventures in both North Carolina and New York City, though most of them don’t involve battling warlocks, storming castles, or retrieving enchanted objects.

  SIMON SPOTLIGHT • Simon & Schuster, New York

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

  SIMON SPOTLIGHT

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  This Simon Spotlight hardcover edition January 2017

  Copyright © 2017 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Text by Laurie Calkhoven

  Illustrations by Tony Foti

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  Designed by Nick Sciacca

  The text of this book was set in Celestia Antiqua.

  ISBN 978-1-4814-8082-6 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-8081-9 (pbk)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-8083-3 (eBook)

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2016939209