superheroes! I don’t believe any of this! It can’t be true! It can’t!”
“Calm down, Shadow Girl,” a voice said from the doorway behind me. “You have to toss away your old life and accept the new.”
I spun around. “Aunt Janet!” I cried. “What are you doing here?”
24
“This is our special hideout,” Aunt Janet said, closing the door behind her. She wore a long black coat over black leggings. Her dark eyes sparkled in the dim light. “Your uncle Will doesn’t know anything about this part of our lives.”
I gaped at her. “You too?”
She nodded. “I was the Gray Avenger—until I retired.”
My aunt stepped to the far wall and pulled open a cabinet door. She lifted out a large book, bigger than an encyclopedia. The cover was black leather. It appeared to be heavy. She had to hold it in both hands.
“We couldn’t reveal anything to you until tonight—a night without a moon. The night of shadows. So it is written in the Book of Fates . Has Red Raven told you about the book?” Aunt Janet asked.
“Not yet,” Jada said. “Selena has been fighting me. She refuses to understand—”
“This is all insane!” I blurted out.
Holding it in two hands, Aunt Janet raised the book in front of her. And as she lifted it, it began to glow. A yellow-red glow, like fire.
“It isn’t crazy, Selena,” she said softly. “This is the Book of Fates . Your future is written in this book.”
I stared at the glowing book as if hypnotized. Bright yellow and red sparks flew off the cover and circled my aunt until she glowed too.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Could all this really be true?
“I—I don’t understand,” I murmured.
Jada pulled two folding chairs from against the wall. Pushing her cape aside, she sat in one of them. She motioned for me to take the other.
Aunt Janet stood in front of us, glowing in the light of the huge book in her hands.
“We come from another world,” she said in a whisper. “Our fate is different from those we live with. We have a job—to protect the innocent. To protect people who don’t even know we exist.”
“But my mom—” I blurted out.
“Your mom had to cut herself off from you,” Aunt Janet said. “She cannot be involved. The Book of Fates decreed it. Your mother cannot be involved in your training. Your friends had to be instructed to stay away too.”
I swallowed. “You mean Beth—?”
Aunt Janet nodded. “Your future is to becomeShadow Girl. It is written in the Book of Fates . But you must discover your own powers. You must test yourself and discover your own courage.”
Jada snickered. “ What courage?” she muttered. “She’s a total wimp.”
“It will take time,” Aunt Janet said softly. The sparks flew around her. “We have tested you, Shadow Girl. So far, you have not done well.”
“Tested me?” I asked. “You mean—”
“Cindy,” Jada said. “Her story about being robbed—it was a fake. You were supposed to show some courage. Instead, you turned green and nearly lost your lunch.”
I jumped to my feet. “But—I don’t want to do this!” I cried. “I’m not brave. I—I—I don’t want to do what it says in that book!”
Aunt Janet raised the glowing book higher. “You cannot go against the Book of Fates ,” she said. “Even if it is not what you would choose.”
Jada jumped up too and spun me around to face her. “I didn’t choose to be Red Raven!” she cried. “It was decreed in the book. My whole life, I wanted to be Shadow Girl. I didn’t choose to be your enemy—but I am!”
Aunt Janet let out a long sigh. She returned the book to the cabinet. The room grew darker.
“Yes, our family is now divided,” she said sadly. “Shadow Girl and Red Raven are enemies forever.” Her voice broke. She turned away. “So unfair. Sounfair…But we have no choice. We must obey the book.”
She strode quickly to the door.
“Aunt Janet?” I started toward her. But Jada pulled me
“Calm down, Shadow Girl,” a voice said from the doorway behind me. “You have to toss away your old life and accept the new.”
I spun around. “Aunt Janet!” I cried. “What are you doing here?”
24
“This is our special hideout,” Aunt Janet said, closing the door behind her. She wore a long black coat over black leggings. Her dark eyes sparkled in the dim light. “Your uncle Will doesn’t know anything about this part of our lives.”
I gaped at her. “You too?”
She nodded. “I was the Gray Avenger—until I retired.”
My aunt stepped to the far wall and pulled open a cabinet door. She lifted out a large book, bigger than an encyclopedia. The cover was black leather. It appeared to be heavy. She had to hold it in both hands.
“We couldn’t reveal anything to you until tonight—a night without a moon. The night of shadows. So it is written in the Book of Fates . Has Red Raven told you about the book?” Aunt Janet asked.
“Not yet,” Jada said. “Selena has been fighting me. She refuses to understand—”
“This is all insane!” I blurted out.
Holding it in two hands, Aunt Janet raised the book in front of her. And as she lifted it, it began to glow. A yellow-red glow, like fire.
“It isn’t crazy, Selena,” she said softly. “This is the Book of Fates . Your future is written in this book.”
I stared at the glowing book as if hypnotized. Bright yellow and red sparks flew off the cover and circled my aunt until she glowed too.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Could all this really be true?
“I—I don’t understand,” I murmured.
Jada pulled two folding chairs from against the wall. Pushing her cape aside, she sat in one of them. She motioned for me to take the other.
Aunt Janet stood in front of us, glowing in the light of the huge book in her hands.
“We come from another world,” she said in a whisper. “Our fate is different from those we live with. We have a job—to protect the innocent. To protect people who don’t even know we exist.”
“But my mom—” I blurted out.
“Your mom had to cut herself off from you,” Aunt Janet said. “She cannot be involved. The Book of Fates decreed it. Your mother cannot be involved in your training. Your friends had to be instructed to stay away too.”
I swallowed. “You mean Beth—?”
Aunt Janet nodded. “Your future is to becomeShadow Girl. It is written in the Book of Fates . But you must discover your own powers. You must test yourself and discover your own courage.”
Jada snickered. “ What courage?” she muttered. “She’s a total wimp.”
“It will take time,” Aunt Janet said softly. The sparks flew around her. “We have tested you, Shadow Girl. So far, you have not done well.”
“Tested me?” I asked. “You mean—”
“Cindy,” Jada said. “Her story about being robbed—it was a fake. You were supposed to show some courage. Instead, you turned green and nearly lost your lunch.”
I jumped to my feet. “But—I don’t want to do this!” I cried. “I’m not brave. I—I—I don’t want to do what it says in that book!”
Aunt Janet raised the glowing book higher. “You cannot go against the Book of Fates ,” she said. “Even if it is not what you would choose.”
Jada jumped up too and spun me around to face her. “I didn’t choose to be Red Raven!” she cried. “It was decreed in the book. My whole life, I wanted to be Shadow Girl. I didn’t choose to be your enemy—but I am!”
Aunt Janet let out a long sigh. She returned the book to the cabinet. The room grew darker.
“Yes, our family is now divided,” she said sadly. “Shadow Girl and Red Raven are enemies forever.” Her voice broke. She turned away. “So unfair. Sounfair…But we have no choice. We must obey the book.”
She strode quickly to the door.
“Aunt Janet?” I started toward her. But Jada pulled me
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