Shapeshifting, underground explosions, a boy with kangaroo legs, and wolves that sleep on a New York City fire escape are just a few of the strange things in Sophia Violet's life.
Like most fourteen-year-old girls, she's just trying to fit in, but her purple eyes and the fact that she just discovered a mysterious world on the brink of extinction is making that a little hard.
Sophia quite literally has the fate of two worlds in her hands and is about to embark on dangerous adventures as she tries to save them.
Shapeshifting, underground explosions, a boy with kangaroo legs, and wolves that sleep on a New York City fire escape are just a few of the strange things in Sophia Violet's life.
Like most fourteen-year-old girls, she's just trying to fit in, but her purple eyes and the fact that she just discovered a mysterious world on the brink of extinction is making that a little hard.
Sophia quite literally has the fate of two worlds in her hands and is about to embark on dangerous adventures as she tries to save them.
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Her eyes were the first things Byrun noticed about the newborn daughter he was about to abandon. Two violet jewels set against pale skin, even in the dim light of the windowless room, they were clear and round, the hue of a moonlit sky in summer. He wouldnât meet her gaze. He couldnât bear to disappoint her so soon. She was looking for the faces that would act as her guides in this new world, ones that would ensure her survival. She wouldnât find them here. Those faces were down the hall in another room.
Her right hand was the second thing that caught his attention. Her third and fourth fingers were fused together by a thin web. âNothing to worry about,â the doctor assured him. âItâs a common anomaly that can be corrected later with surgery.â
He grabbed the suitcase thick with cash. âIt wonât affect the deal.â In exchange, he thrust an envelope into Byrunâs hand and scurried off into the night. Byrun watched a storm of indignation gather in his daughterâs eyes. She began to wail, the sound echoing off the steel walls of the morgue. He flinched at the sound. They were safe for the moment, deep in the bowels of the hospital, the walls thick, the halls dimly lit, but Byrun wouldnât relax until it was done.They had to move quickly. It was already well past midnight and the staff would start to stir soon. If they were caught now, it would be a disaster.
Byrunâs wife Sarah, still exhausted from the birth and her brow etched with sadness, sobbed quietly in her makeshift bed. Byrun didnât want to think about what else that bed had been used for. He squeezed her hand and gently whispered in her ear, âItâs time.â Tears spilled from her dark eyes. He held her close for a moment, his face cradled in her chestnut hair. Then he took a deep breath and stood.
âWe have to hurry,â he said. âItâs not safe here.â He helped her stand, guiding her gently by the elbow. She moved obediently, clutching the baby in her arms. They picked their way down the dark corridor, Byrun scanning around nervously for any signs of intruders. The baby cried louder. Sarah rocked her gently, the light catching the gold necklace they had placed around her neck. Suddenly, Sarah gasped and took a deep breath. She clutched Byrunâs arm.
âWhat is it?â he asked.
Sarah waved him off. âGive me a second,â she said, then caught her breath again. âItâs passing.â
âYou shouldnât be walking,â Byrun said. âWeâve got to get you to the safe house and back to bed.â The babyâs eyes were now the color of angry bruises. He didnât know what else to say except to keep repeating the plan, so he focused on the light coming from the waiting room at the end of the hall.
âI hear her crying!â a voice exclaimed from inside. The babyâs body shook with anger. Sarah squeezed her tighter, infuriating the infant. She blew hushes into the baby's ear as she marched forward. Byrunâs heart crumbled under the weight of his wifeâs sorrow, but another howl from his newborn daughter strengthened his resolve.
He blocked her way and reached for the baby. âStop,â he commanded. âStay here and rest. Iâll take her to them. You donât need to torture yourself this way.â
Sarah squeezed her daughter harder and stepped around him, her eyes fixed with purpose. âI have to deliver her. Itâs the least I can do.â
He followed her into the doorway. A short, round woman inside gasped when she saw the furious little face peering out from the blanket. The woman was older and heavier than Sarah, but her expression was kind. The lamp behind her head highlighted a few unruly wisps of hair around her head, like a halo. Unfazed by the crying, she reached her dimpled hands out to Sarah and nodded encouragingly.
Sarah hesitated. She lowered her face to the babyâs head and took a deep breath, then closed her eyes, letting the dewy smell of newborn skin wash over her. Still looking away, Byrunâs gaze fell into the shadows where a man sat in a wheelchair. His expression was one of sympathy. When his focus shifted to the baby, it changed to joy.
A small flame of relief warmed Byrunâs chest. He watched as Sarah kissed the angry lines in their daughterâs forehead and nuzzled her cheek. Then she straightened and handed the baby over to her new mother.
A strangled sob escaped her throat. âHer name is Sophia Violet,â she said. âI know I donât have any right to name her, butâŚâ
Tears filled the other womanâs eyes. âItâs a lovely name,â she said, tucking the baby against the folds of her chest. âI can never thank you enough for trusting us to raise her.â Her eyes were full of anguish. âWe plan on being honest about the adoption. Is there anything you want her to know? Maybe one day, you might be in a better position toââ
âNo!â Byrun cried, his voice hard. There was no room for compromise.âWe canât have any contact. Ever.â He handed her the birth certificate the doctor had given him. âWe want to remain unknown. Do you understand? You tell her whatever you like but keep us out of it.â
âWeâll honor your request,â the man in the wheelchair finally said. âYou have our word. But if you ever change your mindââ
Sarah turned away from them. âPlease take good care of her,â she said. She clutched Byrunâs arm and moved toward the door without a backward glance. Their babyâs rolling howls followed them down the dark hallway.
Byrun guided Sarah into the parking garage where their car was waiting. She stopped to catch her breath while he arranged the pillows in the passenger seat. His stomach churned to see she was sweating profusely and clutching her belly. He helped her climb inside the car and buckled her in. She started to sob again. Once she was home, she would be all right, he promised himself. The doctor had arranged for a nurse to care for her. He had assured Byrun that she could be trusted.
âWell, well,â a deep voice echoed across the empty garage. Byrun jumped at the sound. His hair stood on end.
âSo, itâs true,â the voice said. âImagine that. A baby.â The word was drawn out in mock delight.
Byrun spun around, closing the car door behind him. Sarah hadn't heard the voice. Her pain had subsided again and she was calm, though overcome with grief.
âWhat do you want, Rayson?â Byrun shouted into the air.
The hush of cushioned feet crossed the floor, but there was no answer.
âIs that the way youâre going to play it?â Byrun taunted. He positioned himself in front of the car window, shielding Sarah. âYouâre many things, Rayson, but Iâve never known you to be a coward. At least show yourself.â
An enormous panther slunk out of the shadows, its yellow eyes fixed on Sarah, who was now frozen in terror. âWe've been waiting nine months for this moment,â it said in Byrunâs head. It stretched and flicked its tail. âDid you really think we wouldnât find out?â
âHow did you find me?â Byrun asked.
A side door to the garage opened and two uniformed men appeared, their faces hard and expressionless. The panther yawned. âByrun, how dull you are. You know what I want and yet you refuse to hand it over. As for how I found you, it was the Genetitracer, of course. It really is a marvel.â He raised his eyebrows. âNow, for old time's sake, Iâm asking you one last time. Give me the Orb.â
âNever,â Byrun said, his eyes as cold as Raysonâs tone.
Rayson closed his eyes and sighed. âFoiled again. Good thing, it's not you that Iâm after anymore.â He circled Byrun, narrowing his eyes to focus on Sarah. He peered inside the window. âSarah, isnât it?â he purred. Still clutching her stomach, Sarah's eye widened. She retreated deeper into the car.
The panther licked its lips. âHer pregnancy is a fortunate turn of events indeed. Mother will be pleased.â
âEsmeray is not my mother,â Byrun spat. âAnd youâre not my brother. Even stepbrotheris too good a word for you.â
âTomato, Tomahto,â Rayson mocked him. He paced back and forth beside the car, his eyes on Sarah, who was again doubled over in pain. âBut enough of this chatter,â he said. âIt appears Iâve arrived just in time.â
âLeave her alone, Rayson,â Byrun said. âShe needs to rest.â Sarah cried out again. Byrun reached in the car to comfort her.
âSheâll be fine once the baby comes,â the panther said.
Rayson doesnât know the baby has already been born!
Byrun struggled to hide his relief at the sudden realization. âI told you, leave my family alone. Surely you know Iâll report this. You wonât get away with it.â
âDonât be silly, Byrrrrun,â the panther purred. âAs I said, we arefamily. Itâs heartening to see you're good for something, after all. Mother has been so anxious for a successor to the Orb Master line.â His mouth hardened. âOne that wonât betray the cause.â His whiskers twitched. âOf course, I donât know why you had to bring a Human into it. It definitely complicates things.â
âEsmeray will never touch my child,â Byrun spat.
How did this happen? We were so careful. Weâve been planning this for months!
âDid you really think youâd get away with it?â Rayson said dryly. âThe same goes for the Orb. Weâll find it. With or without you. As for reporting us to Council, you know Mother has no regard for that gang of fools.â
âWhy are you doing this?â Byrun cried. âYou know as well as I do that Esmeray doesnât care about Chiralis. Her true intentions are evil and selfish.â
Rayson flicked his tail. âYou know what they say. Blood is thicker than water. Besides, if youâre honest about it, you know sheâs right.â He gazed around the garage. âThis planet and the vermin that live here have no value other than their service to Chiralis. Your problem is that you sacrifice practicality for your pathetic principles. It clouds your reason.â
Byrunâs thoughts raced. Had his daughter and her new parents already left the hospital? Were they out of harmâs way?
Iâll have to stall Rayson as long as I can, to give them more time. But Iâve got to get Sarah to safety.
âI need to lie down,â Sarah groaned.
âDonât worry, my dear. The pain is perfectly normal. It means itâs almost time,â Rayson laughed. âLetâs get on with it,â he said to Byrun. âLadies,â he called. Three women in stiff nursesâ uniforms appeared out of nowhere and approached the car. Byrun blocked their way.
âDon't worry, weâll make sure they have the best care possible,â Rayson promised Byrun. âMother doesnât want anything happening to either of them.â He pounced and landed face to face with Byrun. âYou arenât going to give me any trouble, are you?â
Byrun shapeshifted into a jaguar. His eyes blazed.
Rayson snorted. âThere was a time you might have been a challenge for me. But now the new Orb Master is almost here, your power has already begun to fade.â He ran his tongue over his lip. âYour time is almost up. My strength, on the other hand, has grown.â
Rayson swiped at Byrunâs head, slicing the air with his deadly claws. Byrun ducked. Rayson sprang forward, poised to try again, but Byrun was faster. He lunged, seizing Rayson by the neck. They wrested, a roiling mass of claws and teeth.
Finally, Byrun flipped Rayson over and pinned him to the ground. His nail caught in Raysonâs fur and a simple gold chain snapped off the pantherâs neck. A purple crystal rolled across the floor. Raysonâs eyes widened. Byrun pounced on it. He snatched the stone up in his mouth and flung it against the wall. Hard. It slammed off the cement and across the floor. As it came to rest at Raysonâs feet, a large crack spread across its surface.
Rayson yowled. âThe Genetitracer,â he cried. âYou fool! It canât be repaired. Itâs the only one in existence.â He charged Byrun again, knocking his feet out from under him.
âGood,â Byrun panted. âNow Esmeray canât use it for her evil plans. This thing has no place in either world.â
The two wrestled again, Rayson now pinning Byrun against the wall. They slashed wildly at each other, both their coats streaked red. When Rayson paused to take a breath, Byrun slipped out from beneath him. He slashed Rayson in the throat. Rayson howled in pain and charged Byrun again. Byrun pitched backward and his head slammed against the cement wall. He lay there, crumpled on the floor, Rayson towering over him.
âGive me the Orb now,â Rayson demanded. âOr we'll take your child from you. Fourteen years is a mere blink of an eye in the ancient history of Chiralis. We can be patient.â
âNever,â Byrun spat. âYouâll never get your hands on that Orb, or my child,â he said, his head swimming. âI know what you and Esmeray have planned and it will never happen. Not as long as I'm Orb Master.â
Rayson chuckled and licked a paw. âFine. Itâs your funeral.â
The sound of squealing tires split the air. Byrun and Rayson turned to see Byrunâs car accelerating toward the garage exit. Sarah, having squeezed over into the driverâs seat, was attempting to flee. The car careened around the corner and crashed into a wall.
Byrunâs heart stopped. âSarah!â he shouted. His head swam as he tried to stand.
The nurses rushed to Sarahâs side. She lay unconscious, her body draped over the steering wheel. Rayson watched, wide-eyed, as Byrun tried to revive her.
âYou monster!â Byrun cried. âWhat have you done to her?â He rose and tried to launch himself at Rayson again. His legs collapsed beneath him. He shook his head, struggling to steady his thoughts. The world spun and went dark.
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***
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When he awoke, Byrun was stretched out on the cold cement floor. He rubbed the base of his neck and checked his hand for blood, relieved when he found none. His head ached. Both his car and the parking garage were empty and he was back in his human form. When he tried to stand, he found his ankles shackled together.
Oh, no! Shiftblockers. Thereâs no way out. Iâm doomed!
âSarah!â he cried, a wave of defeat washing over him. He had already lost so much. He couldnât lose Sarah too. He had to get to her. âRayson, let me go,â he cried, the sound echoing through the garage.
He struggled against his restraints. Nothing. He propelled his head forward in an attempt to change shift. He concentrated. His temples throbbed. Slowly, the shape of a snake began to emerge from the top of his head. Inch by inch, his body transformed. Black scales worked their way down his skin like falling dominoes, sleek and slick, like leather.
When they reached his ankles, they stopped, buckling into a pile. Just as if theyâd hit an impenetrable wall, they reversed their direction and paved a trail of skin back up his spine. âNo!â Byrun cried, his heart sinking as he felt the skin covering his tendons again. Shiftblockers. There was no use struggling. He knew from experience that escape was impossible. Rayson had won.
Suddenly, the sound of staccato footsteps echoed. Four black boots appeared at Byrunâs eye level; he looked up to find the armed guards standing over him.
âLet me go,â Byrun demanded, struggling to right himself. âYou donât understand. I have to stop Esmeray and Rayson from destroying everything.â Without a word, the two men pulled him to his feet. Each taking one of his legs, they flipped him into a tight somersault. A split second later, all three were gone.
Some odd things are going on in 14-year-old Sophia Violet Meriweather's life: wolves have been sleeping on the fire escape outside her bedroom window, she has an "imaginary" best friend named Luna who can transform into animals, and she's forced to hide her striking purple eyes behind dorky glasses that correct her color blindness. Not even to mention the fact that she's just moved to NYC and has to start at a new school--with the classic teen drama, involving a cool girl who wears fake tattoo sleeves named Darva and an insufferable popular girl named Margot. But the ultimate issue is this: Sophia--the main character in Evangeline Greene's YA Fantasy novel Sophia Violet and the Fiery Orb--is not entirely human.
At her new school, Sophia quickly learns that she's from the planet Chiralis: a twin planet to Earth, occupied by energy beings who feed off ultraviolet light. Unfortunately, with the depletion of Earth's ozone layer, humanity is taking in more ultraviolet light and destroying both planets. Chiralians used to remedy this situation through an Orb Master, who placed an Orb that stored ultraviolet light on Earth. However, the Orb is missing, and time is running out. A suspicious Chiralian named Esmeray, her son Rayson, and her grandson Cru are searching for the Orb, but their motives aren't entirely clear.
Sophia, with the help of her Chiralian classmates and school principal Mr. Herald, is shuttled off to a special summer camp for her kind, unbeknownst to her parents. Unlike her peers, Sophia just learned that she's Chiralian, and she grew up in a human family (for some mysterious reason). She soon realizes that she also has Luna's shapeshifting powers--Chiralians can change into animals and transmigrate to other locations at will. Sophia spends the rest of her time at camp uncovering her own powers and the truth about her family, as well as realizing her integral role in the hunt for the Orb.
While the book sometimes reveals expository information through awkward dialogue exchanges, Greene overall does a great job building a world with relatable and realistic teenage relationships. The fact that the narrative is overlaid with an important commentary on environmental themes is both smart and timely. If Sophia wants to save both Earth and Chiralis, she'll have to directly address issues associated with modern climate change and catastrophe--just like real teenagers Sophia's age are doing today.