The Emerald Mask (14 page)

With trembling hands, Gabriella opened the compass. The arrow was spinning in wild circles, casting a sparkling rainbow light across her face as Gabriella watched. Then, suddenly, the arrow stopped, quivering as it pointed to the kitchen.

I knew it!
Gabriella thought joyfully. Her mother—her own
mother
—was the Emerald Wildcat! A wide smile spread across Gabriella's face, even as she rubbed her tickly nose. There was
xocolatl
simmering on the stove, no doubt about that; the heady mixture of chocolate and spice filled the air. Somehow Ma had known, just like she always did, that Gabriella needed her. Maybe that was part of
her nahual
powers.

A family recipe,
Gabriella remembered.
A drink for warriors.

Gabriella burst into the kitchen. “Ma, I need—” she began.

But that wasn't Ma at the stove.

It was Tía Rosa.

Rosa turned around, spoon in hand, with a smile that vanished the minute she saw Gabriella's face.

“
Chica valerosa
,” she whispered as she held out her arms. “
Such
a brave girl. Come here,
mija
.”

Brave?
Gabriella thought numbly. She didn't feel very brave as she stood there, staring with disbelief at her aunt. She felt muddled and mixed-up, confused and, well,
wrong.
In her uncertainty, Gabriella's tail flicked involuntarily, brushing against her legs.

If
Ma's
not the Emerald Wildcat,
Gabriella thought,
then . . .

Tía Rosa crossed the kitchen and wrapped Gabriella in a strong hug. “Everything's going to be okay,” she whispered near her ear. “You've been strong for so long,
mija
, but you don't have to be strong by yourself anymore. I'm here.”

Gabriella started to cry again—but this time, the tears that cascaded down her face were from relief. Tía Rosa patted Gabriella's hand as she led her over to the kitchen table. She poured each of them a steaming mug of
xocolatl
and then sat across from Gabriella.

“Ask me anything,” Tía Rosa declared, holding her hands palms-up. “I'm an open book. Your mother and Maritza won't be home until suppertime. It's just you and me.”

“So
you're
the Emerald Wildcat?” Gabriella blurted out.

A sly smile crept across Tía Rosa's face. “I was,” she said. “But that's a story for another time.”

“I've been trying to figure out the Emerald Wildcat's real identity,” Gabriella said as she showed Circe's Compass to her aunt. “I thought she was the only one who could help me. I—I found the mask. In the attic. So I thought it was Ma. But . . . I guess I was wrong.”

“I really need to get the rest of my junk out of your attic,” Tía Rosa said. She touched Circe's Compass with the tip of her finger. “I'm sorry,
mija
. You shouldn't have needed this to find me. I should've reached out to you sooner.”

Gabriella paused to sip the spicy, bitter
xocolatl
. “Is Ma a
nahual
too? Like us?” she finally asked, not wanting to give up that last shred of hope.

Tía Rosa shook her head. “I'm afraid not. But you—I always had a funny feeling about you. And when I saw you playing soccer on Saturday, well, it was clear that you'd come into your powers.”

“Come into my powers?” Gabriella repeated. “I can't even control them.” She flexed her fingers to extend her claws. “What am I going to do?”

To Gabriella's surprise, Tía Rosa didn't look even a little concerned. “This? This is nothing,” she scoffed, laughing in a friendly way that immediately made Gabriella feel better. “When I was thirteen, I had whiskers for a
week
! A whole week! Your
abuelita—
yes, she's a
nahual
too—couldn't stop laughing. I didn't leave my room for
days
!”

Gabriella tried to picture Tía Rosa as a teenager with long cat whiskers—and just the thought made her start laughing too.

“It's so common for young
nahuals
to have trouble with their transformations,” Tía Rosa continued. “But you
will
master it,
mija.
I promise.”

“You really think so?” Gabriella asked, daring to hope.

“I know so,” Tía Rosa replied, tapping her chest. “In my heart. Besides, all that extra effort I put in to mastering my transformations really paid off in the end. That's how I could become the Emerald Wildcat, with
the ability to channel my
nahual
powers while still in my human form. A little coaching from me, and you'll be the same. I'm sure of it.”

“A crime-fighting superhero?” Gabriella asked.

“A girl in control of her powers—and her destiny,” Tía Rosa corrected. “But for now, let's focus on getting you back into your own skin.”

“I'll do anything you say,” Gabriella said. “I've tried everything I could think of. Even counting doesn't work.”

“Sit back and relax,” Tía Rosa said. “Let go of all the stress, all the worries. All the fear. Let it melt away. Good. That's good. Already your face looks more relaxed,
mija
. Now, focus on your breathing. Slow and steady. Good girl.”

The soothing sound of Tía Rosa's voice, calm and familiar, washed over Gabriella. In moments, she felt calmer than she had since school started.

“I want you to concentrate on the tips of your toes,” Tía Rosa continued. “Flex and release—flex and release. Then your heels . . . your ankles . . . your knees . . . one part at a time, until you reach the top of your head. And this time, I'll do the counting. Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . .”

When Tía Rosa reached “one,” Gabriella exhaled. She knew without even checking that her transformation was complete.

And she was right.

“Good girl,” Tía Rosa said proudly. “I knew you could do it.”

“It was easy with your help,” Gabriella said. “But how will I do it when I'm on my own?”

“Practice,” Tía Rosa replied. “Practice, practice, practice. You'll get it. And until you do, I'll be here to help.”

Gabriella smiled at her aunt.
It really is going to be okay,
she told herself—and at last, she believed it.

BANG!

At that moment, the back door flew open so hard that the glass window in it shattered.

The three warlocks from the forest stood in the doorway. The one in the red hat had a nasty sneer on his face, but it was his eyes that really unsettled Gabriella: dark, hollow, empty.

“Just give us the compass,” he said with a snicker. “And nobody has to get hurt.”

Tía Rosa and Gabriella were on their feet in an instant. “Get out of here, Gabriella,” Tía Rosa ordered.

“No,” Gabriella argued. “I can fight.”

The three magic-users had a good laugh at that, which filled Gabriella with rage.
Hold on to the anger,
she reminded herself as her power surged.
Use it.

“You'll stay out of the way—and stay safe!” Tía Rosa shot back. And those were her last words to Gabriella before she spun and landed on the table in a crouching position. Gabriella pressed herself against the wall and watched in astonishment. She'd never seen anything like it—here was her aunt, her beloved
tía
Rosa whom
she'd known all her life, still very much in her human skin—but moving, growling,
thinking
like a
nahual
.

She's not Tía Rosa anymore,
Gabriella suddenly realized.
She's the Emerald Wildcat.

And what a wonder it was to see the Emerald Wildcat in action; all that
nahual
power so masterfully contained in one human body. She moved with unspeakable grace as she leaped through the air, knocking out one of the guys with a sharp kick to the jaw.  Then Gabriella caught a glimpse of a tail, and when Tía Rosa reared back and lifted her arms, Gabriella noticed thick sharp claws jutting from her fingertips.

Swipe!

Tía Rosa's claws flashed through the air, leaving four long, red streaks on the other guy's face. He fell to his knees, howling in pain as he clutched his cheek, then disappeared in a gust of smoke.

Two down in less than a minute,
Gabriella marveled.

But the third warlock, Evan, was ready to fight back. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath as a flash of red lit up his eyes. A harsh tremor passed through the kitchen, rattling every cup and plate in the cupboards. Even the
xocolatl
mugs tipped over, spilling onto the floor.

“Kid stuff,” Tía Rosa scoffed, her voice a half growl.

“I've heard about you,” he replied. “The Emerald Wildcat. The humans sure thought you were something special . . . but I'm not impressed.”

“You think I care?” Tía Rosa asked as she bounded to the top of the cupboard. Her long tail flicked back and forth, like a warning. “You punks come into my
sister's
house, threaten my
niece
? You won't be leaving here without a pretty pair of magical chains.”

Red light blazed in the boy's eyes. “You're washed up,” he said, but Gabriella could hear the panic in his voice. “You're nothing!”

“You made a mistake siding with Auden Ironbound, but it's not too late to make it right,” Tía Rosa continued. “You seem like a smart kid. Now, let me tell you how this works. You're gonna sit down, nice and slow, tell me why you trashed my sister's house and what you want from my niece. Then—”

There was no warning.

A boom.

A blinding flash.

A shimmering bubble, glowing with cold light,
enveloped Tía Rosa. She stood motionless inside it, her face contorted in an expression of pain.

“No!” Gabriella tried to scream, but she was frozen too. She could only watch in horror as Evan lunged for Circe's Compass—sitting on the table, out in the open . . .

All of a sudden, Gabriella broke the spell with a cry of rage. She knew what to do: transform at once, just like she'd tried to do before Tía Rosa had stopped her. In her
nahual
form, Gabriella could take on anyone.

She lunged forward, blocking the magic-user as he reached for Circe's Compass. Then Gabriella threw back her head and roared so loud that all the windows shattered in a glittering explosion of broken glass—and the bubble holding Tía Rosa captive burst.

Tía Rosa fell to the floor into a crumpled heap . . . and didn't move.

The sight of Tía Rosa lying there, so still, so pale . . .

And it was all
his
fault . . .

With one swift, seamless leap, Gabriella had the warlock cornered. To his credit, he had the sense to look scared as she roared again.

Gabriella. Stop,
Mack's voice rang through her head.

A half-glance over her shoulder revealed a
kitsune
in the doorway. Mack. And behind him she saw Darren and Fiona, Ms. Therian and Mr. Kimura.

Gabriella shook her head and then leaned closer to the magic-user.

Come on, Gabriella,
Mack urged her.

Gabriella hesitated; the anger was so hard to rein in. . . .

“She's not backing down, Akira.” Ms. Therian's voice floated through the room.

“I don't think she can,” he replied.

In a flash, Ms. Therian had crossed the room and locked the other unconscious warlock in glowing bonds that kept his wrists held tight. Mr. Kimura, in his
kitsune
form, leaped between Gabriella and the one who had hurt her aunt.

“Gabriella!”

That voice got her attention.

With a ferocious snarl, Gabriella backed away. Her golden cat's eyes never left the warlock's face.

Gabriella turned her head to see Tía Rosa gingerly pulling herself up.

“Gabriella.
Mija
,” Tía Rosa repeated.

Gabriella slowly blinked her cat's eyes, the pupils
dilating and constricting as she tried to focus on her aunt.

“Come back to us, brave girl. Come back.”

Her transformation back to her human form had never been easier.

“Tía Rosa!” Gabriella cried as she rushed across the room to embrace her aunt. “Are you all right?”

“I will be,” Tía Rosa said. “Once I get over the humiliation of that little punk warlock getting the best of me. I've never been more ashamed!”

“Forget him,” Gabriella said as she helped her aunt over to a chair. “You were
amazing
!”

Tía Rosa cracked a smile. “Maybe I've still got it.”

Yara and Sefu arrived then, stepping delicately over the mounds of broken glass strewn about the floor.