“With a bee?” asked Sky Dance.
“That bee’s been chasing Tiger Streak all morning!” said the queen.
“Let’s go!” Addie said, taking off after the two zigzagging insects. She could hear Clara’s footsteps right behind her.
Sky Dance and Shimmer Leaf flew straight as arrows up ahead, their wings beating fast.
Then, Addie heard a loud thump.
“Ow!” yelled Clara.
Addie skidded to a stop and saw Clara twenty feet behind her, facedown in a berry bramble. She ran to help her sister, grabbing her hand and pulling her up. Clara’s arms and legs were covered in scratches. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she bit her lip hard. Addie knew that meant Clara was trying her best not to cry.
“Are you okay?” asked Addie, brushing some berries off her sister’s shirt.
Clara just bit her lip harder and nodded.
Sky Dance and Shimmer Leaf circled back. Flit Flash and Rose Glow must have seen Clara fall, too, and flew quickly toward them. The Wishing Wing royal family landed, one by one, on a berry bush.
“We don’t want anyone getting hurt,” said Rose Glow. “What would you say to a quick little flight with Sky and Shimmer?”
Clara’s face lit up. She knew exactly what that meant. “I would say, yes please!”
Addie laughed. “I knew you’d get your chance!”
Yesterday, the Wishing Wings had turned Addie into a butterfly for a short time. Needless to say, it had been spectacular. Clara was desperately hoping for a turn.
By now, all the butterflies from the boulder had flown over to see what was happening. They were eager to watch some very special magic that only the Wishing Wing royal family could create.
Rose Glow and Sky Dance began flying around Clara, close to each other with their wings touching, while Flit Flash and Shimmer Leaf did the same with Addie. Each pair of butterflies left a shimmering ribbon of their combined colors in their wake. Each pair flew three times around the girls.
Addie closed her eyes and could still see the colors popping behind her eyelids. When they stopped, she opened them. Everything looked different because she was smaller. Butterfly-size. She turned her head to see her wings. They were the same ones as last time: magenta and powder blue, with heart patterns.
Next to her, there was another butterfly. Her wings were deep pink and orange, like a sunset, and patterned with flames.
Ha! thought Addie. That’s my sister, all right. She’s full of fire.
“Whoa!” shouted Clara, examining her butterfly-self.
When Addie had first been turned into a butterfly, it took her a few moments to get the hang of it—she had to really think about what it would feel like to fly. But Clara sailed instantly into the air, shouting with glee.
“Come on!” called Sky Dance. “We only have a few minutes to cover as much ground as we can!”
Sky Dance fluttered away, with Shimmer Leaf behind her. Addie looked at her sister and motioned for the two of them to follow.
As they took off, the queen, king, and other butterflies soared into the air, too. Addie caught a glimpse of them, flying together in a burst of beautiful color. All that fluttering made its own warm breeze, surrounding Addie and filling her with joy.
Addie and Clara flew side by side. Clara started laughing. “This is amazing!”
It was true. Addie had never felt more free . . . or more herself. It seemed completely natural that she was a butterfly, flapping her wings, feeling the air whoosh by her and even through her.
But they had work to do.
“Keep your eyes peeled for Tiger Streak!” shouted Sky Dance from up ahead.
“And your ears!” added Shimmer Leaf.
The four butterflies zoomed ahead of the group and through the grove, weaving in and out of the twisty branches of the giant Changing Tree. Sky Dance led them toward the creek. Addie could see the lemon-yellow crickets gathered on the bank, and even hear their music drifting up into the air.
“Addie and Clara, fly right along the creek!” called Sky Dance. “Shimmer and I will spread out in the trees on the other side. Send us a message if you see Tiger Streak!”
Sky Dance and Shimmer Leaf headed off in another direction, while Addie and Clara flew down the middle of the creek as if it were a road. Addie scanned one side, while Clara searched the other.
Addie knew they didn’t have much time as butterflies. Maybe only a few more seconds . . .
“Look!” yelled Clara. “Up ahead!”
Addie saw a fallen tree lying across the creek, and on that tree were two clusters of color. Black, yellow, orange.
“It’s them!” shouted Addie. “Come on!”
Addie and Clara flapped their wings as fast as they could, aiming for an expert landing next to Tiger Streak and the bee. They were almost there.
Then, colors filled Addie’s eyes again. Sparkles like on the Fourth of July.
“No!” she cried.
Splash.
Addie suddenly felt very wet and very cool, bubbles frothing around her.
She’d landed in the water. Her wings were gone, and she was big again. Her human hands and feet sank into the soft mud at the creek bottom . . . and she couldn’t pull them out.
She was completely stuck.
CHAPTER THREE
Wowie zowie!” muttered Clara, breathless. She’d plopped right into the creek, too.
“I think my hands and feet are trapped!” yelled Addie. She tugged harder, but the mud seemed to be tugging back.
Clara stood up and made her way to Addie. She wrapped her arms under her sister’s, then pulled her up. Addie’s hands broke free, then her feet.
“Thanks!” said Addie. “Are you okay?”
Clara nodded. Together, they made their way to the creek bank. The blue water swirled around their ankles, and Addie spied tiny pink fish just under the surface.
When they got to dry land, the girls sat on a rock and took off their sneakers, squeezing them out.
“Are Tiger Streak and the bee still there?” Addie whispered to Clara. “Can you see them?”
Clara craned her neck toward the fallen tree, then nodded. “They’re still there. Lucky they didn’t see us.”
“Okay, good. Why don’t you go talk to them? Move slowly. Let them know you’re a friend.”
“Just me?” asked Clara. “Shouldn’t we go together?” Addie could tell her sister was both surprised and annoyed. It was a look Addie called “surpannoyed.”
“Uh, well,” mumbled Addie, “I was thinking that maybe the sight of two humans might scare them.”
“And also, you’re afraid of bees,” teased Clara.
Addie felt her face flush. “That too.”
“Come on, Addie. Yesterday, you let gigantic wasps chase you! That bee is nothing in comparison!”
“True . . . ,” said Addie, but she wasn’t quite convinced.
“Oh no!” said Clara suddenly, pointing. “They’re flying away!”
Addie turned to look. Tiger Streak and the bee were in the air, but only briefly, before landing on a stone in the creek. It was a spot not far from where the girls had fallen. The two girls listened closely and could hear them talking.
“Bzzz!” said Tiger Streak. “I know I saw something over here! And heard something!”
“Don’t worry about that right now,” said the bee. “We have to get you back.”
“Yes! Back to the hive! They’ll notice two of their bees missing, for sure!”
Clara turned to look at Addie with wide eyes and whispered, “Tiger Streak thinks she’s a bee! That’s why she’s making that noise!”
“It must be the enchantment,” said Addie. “I’m sure that bee had something to do with it, too.”
Bzzz! Bzzz!
Now Tiger Streak and the bee were flying again, headed to the other side of the creek.
“Addie! Clara!” came Sky Dance’s voice. The girls turned to see their butterfly friends zipping toward them.
&n
bsp; “We just saw Tiger Streak,” said Clara.
“And we know where she’s going,” added Addie. She explained that Tiger Streak must have woken up thinking she was a bee, thanks to the enchantment, and was being led back to a hive.
Sky Dance and Shimmer Leaf exchanged a confused look. Their dark eyes grew extra wide. “That doesn’t make sense,” said Shimmer Leaf. “The bees have always been our friends.”
“All of them?” asked Addie. “Maybe these are a new group of bees.”
“That’s possible,” said Sky Dance. “Mother knows where all the hives are in these woods. We should go back and talk to her.”
Clara jumped up. “Oh!”
“What’s wrong?” asked Addie.
“I told Mom we were going for a walk, remember? She told us not to be gone long. But we totally have been! We were supposed to come back to eat!”
“It’s okay,” said Addie. “We’ll go now.” Addie hated to leave Wishing Wing Grove while there was still helping to do, but she also didn’t want her mother to worry. What if she came looking for them in the woods?
Sky Dance must have read her mind. “I’ll send a message as soon as I find out where all the nearby hives are,” she said to Addie. “Then we can visit each one.”
The butterflies led Addie and Clara out of Wishing Wing Grove, then through Silk Meadow. From there, Sky Dance and Shimmer Leaf flew off to find Rose Glow, and the girls rushed through the woods toward home. As they got closer, Addie heard Mom calling their names.
“We’re here!” shouted Addie as they ran into the yard.
Mom’s jaw dropped. “You were in the woods?”
“Yup,” said Addie.
“The woods you’re terrified of?”
“They’re not terrifying anymore!” said Clara. “They’re filled with—”
Addie kicked the back of Clara’s leg. She didn’t think Clara would blab about the butterflies, but she’d been known to spill the beans before. A reminder couldn’t hurt.
“They’re filled with really cool things to explore,” continued Addie.
“Told you so,” said Mom with a smile. “You girls ran out before breakfast. Have some lunch. You’ll need energy for more exploring.”
“Thanks, Mom!” said Addie.
She and Clara ran into the kitchen, grabbed a box of cereal and a carton of milk, then came back outside to sit on the steps of the deck. Addie ate straight from the cereal box with a spoon while Clara drank some milk. Then they switched.
“So,” said Addie. “We were butterflies for a few minutes.”
“It was incredible,” sighed Clara.
“Your wings were beautiful.”
Clara smiled. “So were yours.”
“With any luck, we’ll get to do that again soon.”
They were quiet for several moments, while Clara munched and Addie listened to the sounds of their neighborhood. Mom in the kitchen, running the sink faucet. An airplane flying somewhere overhead. The creak of a swing next door . . .
Next door!
Addie jumped up and ran to the tall bushes that divided their yard from Morgan’s. She peeked through a bare spot in the branches and saw Morgan pushing herself on the swing.
“What are you doing?” asked Clara, coming up behind Addie.
“That’s Morgan, our next-door neighbor,” said Addie. “I met her this morning. Then I was sort of . . . rude. But not on purpose! When we were talking, Sky Dance called and I had to come find you.”
“She still looks pretty upset. Maybe you should go apologize.”
“Tomorrow,” said Addie, feeling embarrassed about what happened. She began to walk back toward the house, but Clara grabbed her arm and pulled her through the bushes toward Morgan’s yard.
“Hi!” shouted Clara, waving to Morgan. “I’m Clara!”
Addie wriggled away from Clara, but it was too late. Morgan had seen her. She stopped swinging and stared at them.
“Hi, Clara,” said Morgan.
Clara walked toward Morgan. Nooo! thought Addie, but she had no choice but to follow her sister. Clara had always been better at meeting new people. Awkward situations didn’t seem to horrify her the way they did everyone else.
“That’s a cool swing set,” said Clara.
“Thanks,” said Morgan. “I have to stay out here until I’m ready to apologize to my brother for ruining his ball.”
Clara looked confused, so Addie decided to explain. “Morgan turned a soccer ball into a face. It was really awesome.”
Morgan glanced up at Addie and smiled for a second. Addie got the sense that Morgan didn’t usually get compliments on her “art.”
Then Addie took a deep breath and swallowed hard.
“Hey,” she said to Morgan. “I want to apologize about earlier. I didn’t mean to run off like that, but . . . well, I realized there was something important I had to do. I’d love to talk to you more and get the scoop on our neighborhood.”
Morgan smiled again. “That would be fun,” she said. “But right now I’m supposed to be feeling sorry about what I did. Maybe later?”
“Later is good,” said Addie.
The girls said goodbye to one another. Addie and Clara pushed their way back through the bushes to their own yard.
“She’s nice,” whispered Clara to Addie. “But she also seems kind of sad.”
Sad. Just like Clara had been, only a day before. When she’d really needed a wish.
“Clara!” said Addie. “Of course! Morgan is just the person we need! If we can get her to catch and release Tiger Streak, then Tiger Streak can grant her a wish! If only we knew where that buzzing butterfly was . . .”
“Well, that’s easy,” said Clara.
“What do you mean?” asked Addie.
Clara rolled her eyes and pointed. “Duh! Tiger Streak’s right over there.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Tiger Streak was hard to miss. She was resting on a tree. Her yellow-, orange-, and black-striped wings were so bright they seemed electric. They were like little colored lights flickering on the tree’s trunk.
It was also hard to miss the silly bzzz sound she was making.
Addie watched as the bee landed on the tree next to Tiger Streak. She pulled Clara around to the side of the house so they wouldn’t be spotted.
“If they start flying again, let’s follow them,” whispered Addie to Clara. “Maybe the hive is nearby.”
“It is!” shouted a familiar voice. Sky Dance landed on Addie’s arm.
“We must try to catch that bee before he can lead Tiger Streak there!” added Shimmer Leaf, settling onto what must be her favorite spot on Clara’s shoulder. “We think their plan is to keep her until sunset, when she loses her magic.”
“We found a girl who needs a wish,” said Addie. “She lives right next door.”
“Excellent!” said Sky Dance.
“But how do we catch a bee?” Addie asked. The thought of getting anywhere near it gave her the willies.
“Don’t humans have those thingamajigs?” asked Sky Dance. “On long sticks? We call them The Terrorizers.”
“Oh!” said Addie. “You mean butterfly nets!”
“That sounds even worse!” said Sky Dance.
“We don’t have any,” said Clara. “Where we used to live in the city, we didn’t go around catching butterflies for fun.”
“Normally, I’d be relieved to hear that,” said Shimmer Leaf, “if we didn’t need one right now.”
Sky Dance left Addie’s arm and joined Shimmer Leaf on Clara’s shoulder. “Shimmer?” she asked, putting her furry pink head close to her sister’s. “You know . . . we can, um, make one.”
Shimmer Leaf paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Silly me! Of course! I keep forgetting that I can do magic!”
“It’s okay,” said Sky Dance, tapping a reassuring wing to Shimmer’s. “You’re still getting used to being a Wishing Wing.” The butterfly turned to Addie and Clara. “Can you help? You know how our p
owers of metamorphosis work. We can change one thing into another, but it has to be . . .”
“Connected somehow,” finished Addie. “I get it.”
“Do we have any kind of net in the house?” asked Clara.
“I don’t think so,” replied Addie. She thought hard. What does a net do? It catches things, but lets other things through—like air or water. Surely they owned something that fit the bill . . .
Then a picture popped into her head.
“Be right back!” she exclaimed.
Addie ran into the house, opened a kitchen drawer, and started shuffling through. She hoped and hoped that her mother had already unpacked the item she was picturing. But it wasn’t there.
“Argh!” she shouted, frustrated. Any second, Tiger Streak and the bee would start flying again, and they had to be ready to chase them. She rushed to a stack of boxes in the corner of the kitchen. She opened the box on top and started rummaging through it. Finally, at the very bottom of the box, Addie found what she was looking for.
It was a small strainer with a handle. Basically, a net! Except metal, and with very small openings. Addie sometimes used it when she helped her mom boil eggs in water. They’d empty the whole pot into the strainer. The strainer “caught” the eggs, but let the water drain through. Once, in their old apartment, she’d seen her father trap a spider with it, then slide a piece of paper under the spider and bring it to the open windowsill, where they set it free.
Addie ran outside with the strainer and put it on the ground for Sky Dance, Shimmer Leaf, and Clara to see.
“Will this work?” asked Addie, breathless.
“Yes, indeed!” laughed Sky Dance. “I can see the connection!”
“Can I do it?” asked Shimmer Leaf. “I need the practice.”
Sky Dance nodded, and Shimmer Leaf began flying in a neat circle around the strainer. She left a shimmering trail of purple, peach, and mint green as she went. Once, twice, three times she flew in that circle. A cloud of colored dust rose up from the ground.
When that dust settled, there was a butterfly net in the strainer’s place. The whole thing was shiny silver that sparkled in the light.
Tiger Streak's Tale Page 2
