the strongest, best voice of all the selkies in her father’s clan. It wasn’t just an honor; it was a weapon. As the best singer, Dylan was also the most infused with water-wielding magic.
When Dylan returned to her sisters, the pair squeezed her between them, as if they could shelter her.
Danger ! Murphy, another one of Dylan’s sisters, crooned as she swam towards them. She just made it behind the line of fighter selkies when the sea witch appeared.
The sea witch was human, of course, though her stark white skin made her look fearsome in the water. Her tattered, black dress spread around her, moving like octopus tentacles in the underwater currents. A steel bar was tied to her back, and her eyes glazed hot with anger when she saw the selkies waiting for her.
She tried to hurl a wave of water magic at Dylan, her sisters, and the fighters, but the water passed them without disturbing so much as a whisker.
The selkies chose to sacrifice the use of their own water magic to capture the witch in their seal form because of its one great advantage: they were immune to all kinds of water magic.
The witch swam for the ocean surface—moving as if riding a rolling wave—and turned her body towards land.
Dylan swam after her, and her sisters hurried to keep up.
The line of selkies waiting near the shore advanced, cutting off her escape route. Snarling, the sea witch dove back under water and slid the metal bar off her shoulder; she shook it, and Dylan could see the edge gleam. It was an edged weapon of some sort—some kind of hiltless sword.
No! Dylan barked, bursting forward.
Powerless under the threat of a steel blade, the selkies dodged the weapon, leaving a gaping hole through which the sea witch could escape.
The witch dove through it and swam for shore, the selkies on her heels.
Dylan burst forward with the speed of the sea lion, passing the pursuing selkies. The witch still beat her and clambered onto dry land, swiping her sword behind her to dissuade any followers.
You want to play rough? Fine! Dylan thought, as magic fizzed and flowed in her veins.
Dylan ! One of her sisters clicked.
Dylan burst from her sea lion body and expertly wrapped her pelt around her. She took in a great gasp of air before singing—her voice heavy with rage.
Dylan’s two water serpents surged from the ocean, screaming with rage as the water of their bodies cast dazzling patterns on the sand. They glided towards the sea witch, who was clawing her way up past the sandy dunes and toward the forest.
Dylan and her serpents chased after her, ignoring the distressed calls from her kinsmen as she slipped into the trees. She sang occasional notes to keep her water creations moving but spent most of her air running, closing in on the pale sea witch.
The sea witch shouted and cursed when one of Dylan’s serpents almost caught her, teasing a dark grin from Dylan.
“I’ve got you,” Dylan said. She jumped a fallen log and slithered into a meadow, inhaling to start a new song as the witch turned to face her.
The sea witch’s face tightened with terror.
Dylan extended a finger at the witch, her voice piercing the sky as she sang. Her water serpents rose higher and higher until they towered above the trees and stared down at the sea witch, mouths open and posed to strike.
“Don’t just stand there—knock her out! She’ll kill us all, you idiots!” the sea witch shouted.
Dylan noticed something out of the corner of her eye and turned to look. Something hit the back of her head, and she fell face first to the forest floor.
“No,” Dylan groaned. Darkness rushed her vision and stole her consciousness, cradling her in blackness.
When Dylan woke up, the first thing she realized was that she was missing her pelt. The fabric wrapped around her was not her soft, salt-crusted pelt. Instead, she wore a long, knee-length cotton shirt tucked into a belt. Dylan rocketed upright, her head screaming in pain. Her breath came in panicked
When Dylan returned to her sisters, the pair squeezed her between them, as if they could shelter her.
Danger ! Murphy, another one of Dylan’s sisters, crooned as she swam towards them. She just made it behind the line of fighter selkies when the sea witch appeared.
The sea witch was human, of course, though her stark white skin made her look fearsome in the water. Her tattered, black dress spread around her, moving like octopus tentacles in the underwater currents. A steel bar was tied to her back, and her eyes glazed hot with anger when she saw the selkies waiting for her.
She tried to hurl a wave of water magic at Dylan, her sisters, and the fighters, but the water passed them without disturbing so much as a whisker.
The selkies chose to sacrifice the use of their own water magic to capture the witch in their seal form because of its one great advantage: they were immune to all kinds of water magic.
The witch swam for the ocean surface—moving as if riding a rolling wave—and turned her body towards land.
Dylan swam after her, and her sisters hurried to keep up.
The line of selkies waiting near the shore advanced, cutting off her escape route. Snarling, the sea witch dove back under water and slid the metal bar off her shoulder; she shook it, and Dylan could see the edge gleam. It was an edged weapon of some sort—some kind of hiltless sword.
No! Dylan barked, bursting forward.
Powerless under the threat of a steel blade, the selkies dodged the weapon, leaving a gaping hole through which the sea witch could escape.
The witch dove through it and swam for shore, the selkies on her heels.
Dylan burst forward with the speed of the sea lion, passing the pursuing selkies. The witch still beat her and clambered onto dry land, swiping her sword behind her to dissuade any followers.
You want to play rough? Fine! Dylan thought, as magic fizzed and flowed in her veins.
Dylan ! One of her sisters clicked.
Dylan burst from her sea lion body and expertly wrapped her pelt around her. She took in a great gasp of air before singing—her voice heavy with rage.
Dylan’s two water serpents surged from the ocean, screaming with rage as the water of their bodies cast dazzling patterns on the sand. They glided towards the sea witch, who was clawing her way up past the sandy dunes and toward the forest.
Dylan and her serpents chased after her, ignoring the distressed calls from her kinsmen as she slipped into the trees. She sang occasional notes to keep her water creations moving but spent most of her air running, closing in on the pale sea witch.
The sea witch shouted and cursed when one of Dylan’s serpents almost caught her, teasing a dark grin from Dylan.
“I’ve got you,” Dylan said. She jumped a fallen log and slithered into a meadow, inhaling to start a new song as the witch turned to face her.
The sea witch’s face tightened with terror.
Dylan extended a finger at the witch, her voice piercing the sky as she sang. Her water serpents rose higher and higher until they towered above the trees and stared down at the sea witch, mouths open and posed to strike.
“Don’t just stand there—knock her out! She’ll kill us all, you idiots!” the sea witch shouted.
Dylan noticed something out of the corner of her eye and turned to look. Something hit the back of her head, and she fell face first to the forest floor.
“No,” Dylan groaned. Darkness rushed her vision and stole her consciousness, cradling her in blackness.
When Dylan woke up, the first thing she realized was that she was missing her pelt. The fabric wrapped around her was not her soft, salt-crusted pelt. Instead, she wore a long, knee-length cotton shirt tucked into a belt. Dylan rocketed upright, her head screaming in pain. Her breath came in panicked
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