CHAPTER ONE

The cool wind pushed at Gabriel’s back, shoving him like a bully. Its force bounced off the tree-covered valley and swirled colorful leaves all around. Gabriel stumbled, unable to rip his eyes away from the black, beckoning shadow slithering toward him like murky fog.

Except it wasn’t a shadow for long.

The dark mass transformed into Dane—the man Gabriel wanted, needed to find. A mix of relief and fear rocketed through him. Gabriel had to tell Dane that the daughter he searched for, Tahlita, was in Gabriel’s home-town of Willow Creek. He wanted Dane and Tahlita to get back to their home in Valta. Then everything could really be normal—no more Zeverons or otherworldly creatures skulking around Willow Creek or neighboring cities. That stuff was just crazy. But Dane was also an old friend of the evil Duke Malgor. Who knew what mood he’d be in?

Dane’s tall, lean body towered over Gabriel, his face twisting into a half smirk as the blustery wind rattled his black bifocals. He held out one long, boney finger and curled it towards Gabriel twice. Dane opened his mouth to speak, but only a loud groan shot out.

Gabriel gulped. He knew it wasn’t really Dane. It had to be a dream of the shadows from Valta. Evil shadows just like these had swallowed his friend Brent whole when they were in there, and had transported Brent to Duke Malgor’s castle. Still, Gabriel couldn’t peel his gaze away from Dane’s bulging eyes.

What if it was Dane in front of him right now? Gabriel had been home from saving Valta a whole three weeks already. He needed to know where the portal was that Cedric had used to escape Valta. He couldn’t wait any longer for Cedric to cough up the information. He liked having that kind of power over Gabriel and his friends too much. It made the slimy worm feel big. If there was any possibility of the dude in front of him really being Dane, then Gabriel needed to tell him about Tahlita, reunite them, and get them blasted back to Valta where they belonged.

Gabriel stepped closer to Dane, ready to spill about Tahlita, when something wet slapped against the back of Gabriel’s neck, stinging him. “Ahh!” he hollered, thinking the shadowy form had finally gotten him with its acid-like tentacles.

I’m a goner.

Another zinger zapped Gabriel’s earlobe, just as Dane mouthed his name, “Gabriel.”

Gabriel dug his feet into the dirt, leaves swishing around his ankles. He tried to stay on the ground, but it felt like he was floating toward Dane. Something wet trickled down the side of Gabriel’s neck.

When the third zap struck him, Gabriel slapped his hand against the sting. Dane’s face twisted, contorted, and changed shape into … what?

Gabriel blinked as the sound of laughter filled his ears. He stared at the place where Dane once stood—and where his science teacher Mr. Roswell now blurred into place. Mr. Roswell shook his head in exasperation.

“Gabriel,” Mr. Roswell said. “Welcome back to the land of the living.” He held up a gloved finger oozing frog guts.

Another round of laughter followed.

Gabriel gave his head a shake, finally realizing where he really was—not back in the Valley of Shadows facing Dane. Nope. He was in the middle of sixth grade science class studying the anatomy of a frog.

Or he was supposed to be studying the anatomy of a frog. Instead, Gabriel was the mockery of the classroom.

Perfect. Just perfect.

“Sorry,” Gabriel mumbled, straightening himself up in his seat while trying to extinguish the burning in his cheeks. The laughing, and the swirl of freshly stewed frog guts in the air, made him feel like he was about to puke. Thankfully Mr. Roswell turned his attention back to the deceased frog.

Gabriel caught the eye of Piper, who pasted that pitying look across her face again. So what if he fell asleep in class for the second time this week? Wasn’t he still the hero who helped save the dying land of Valta, like, only three weeks ago?

Seriously. Gimme a break already.

He wondered where Brent was and hoped he’d throw out one of his usual one-liners to take the heat off of him, but Brent’s seat was empty. He’d probably taken a bathroom break, or more likely, a snack break considering Brent’s never-ending hunger issues.

As Gabriel lifted his gaze from Brent’s empty desk, his eyes locked onto Tahlita. She shoved a strand of her stringy, dark-brown hair behind one ear, freeing her hazel eyes from their usual hiding place, and narrowed them in on him.

Gabriel swallowed back the lump in his throat. Maybe she was like Princess Evangeline and could read thoughts. Did she see into his daydream? As awkward as that made Gabriel feel, maybe it would be a good thing. Maybe seeing her father, Dane, inside Gabriel’s dream would trigger a memory in her. When Gabriel, Piper, and Brent tried talking to Tahlita, the girl denied knowing anything. Said she had amnesia or whatever—not that Gabriel even believed her. Maybe she just wanted to get away from a crazy family life. Having Dane as a father might not be the best thing. Then again, Tahlita was about as prickly as a porcupine herself. Living with Dane couldn’t have been that bad.

With that thought, Tahlita rolled her eyes at him, shook her head, and twisted around to face the window where the wind rattled its hinges.

Strange.

Gabriel jolted in his seat as something small, sticky, and wet struck the back of his neck.

Again. Except this time he knew it wasn’t those stupid, menacing shadows.

He slapped his hand against his skin and pried free a foreign object clinging to him like dead weight. Peering down into his hands, he saw the culprit—a spitball!

Gabriel groaned. He knew exactly where to look to find the spitball-slinging offender. Twisting around in his seat, he shot a glare at Cedric. A few desks back, Cedric sat gnawing on the chewed-up shell of a hollowed-out pen. A sly smirk crossed Cedric’s face and he winked.

The creep actually winked.

Gabriel gritted his teeth and sighed. Yeah. Getting the crucial information about Dane and the hidden portal to Valta out of Cedric would be like Batman making friends with the Joker—not exactly an easy task.