by H. K. Varian
“Disappeared,” Darren blurted out. Joel’s words hit Darren like a punch in the gut. Mack had told him about the comic book he was illustrating with Joel for the fair. It was a project Mack hadn’t been able to see through to the end.
But there was no time for crying about Mack. No time for Darren to pretend he was a normal kid planning a normal summer vacation of video games, hanging out at the community pool, or meeting his buddies for lunch at the Willow Cove Café. Instead, Darren devoted all of his time to helping the First Four in their war against Sakura.
When Mack first disappeared, they searched for him nonstop. They raided Changer base after Changer base. But every time they found one, Sakura and her forces had just abandoned it. The Shadow Fox seemed to be always one step ahead of them.
The First Four suspected that she was planning to try to get her claws into Darren next. Fiona had learned the magical selkie Queen’s Song, and that would keep her safe from any attempts at mind control, including memory eating. Gabriella had an ancient Aztec artifact, the Ring of Tezcatlipoca, which did the same thing. But Darren had no such protection, and that left him vulnerable to Sakura’s magic.
So, finally, Mr. Kimura assigned another team to the hunt for Mack while the First Four focused on finding protection for Darren. Protection from Sakura’s memory eating.
Darren knew finding protection was important, but at the same time the search felt like a frustrating waste of time. Each day spent hunting for a talisman for Darren was another day that wasn’t devoted to finding Mack.
What if we run out of time? Darren wondered.
Every time a kitsune mastered a rare power or accomplished a heroic deed, he or she earned a new tail. Mack had two tails before Sakura got her claws into him. After their encounter, he gained a shadowy third tail. They guessed that Sakura was putting her new apprentice through intense training to earn a fourth. If Mack earned one more tail by dark magic, it would be impossible to reverse the hold Sakura had on him. He’d be a villain forever, just like Sakura.
We’re wasting time searching for protection for me, Darren thought. Finding Mack is more important. Maybe I should offer to go into hiding so that the others can concentrate on Mack instead of worrying about me. I’m nothing more than a burden to them right now.
Darren was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear Ray, who was home from college for the summer, knock on his bedroom door. He jumped when Ray patted him on the shoulder.
“You left your phone downstairs,” Ray said, handing Darren his cell. “A Professor Zwane from Wyndemere Academy called.”
Darren tried to keep his face neutral as he took the phone. “Thanks, bro.”
“So now that you might be going to a fancy boarding school, are you going to make me answer all your calls?” Ray teased. “Do you need a secretary?”
Darren laughed. “If I manage to get into a fancy boarding school, I’ll probably need a tutor,” he said. “But unfortunately, I’m not related to anyone smart enough. Except Mom, I guess.”
Ray summoned a look of mock outrage and managed to squeak out, “Doth mine ears deceive me? You’ll be lucky if I don’t school you on endothermic reactions just to embarrass you in front of the boarding school girls.”
“Well, now after you’ve said that, you’re definitely not hired,” Darren said with a grin. “Embarrassment is cause for an immediate ‘you’re fired.’ Now let me call this guy back, or they’ll change their minds about me before I even go for a tour.”
“Of course, grand pooh-bah.” Ray laughed and bowed before leaving the room.
As soon as he did, Darren returned Professor Zwane’s call. Professor Zwane was a Changer and a teacher at the only high school in America just for Changers. If he was calling, there had to be news.
About the Author
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.
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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.
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This Simon Spotlight edition March 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 978-1-4814-8085-7 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4814-8084-0 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4814-8086-4 (eBook)
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2016939210
