And they have taken my best friend’s mother. Everyone thinks Marco’s mother is dead. Only he and I know the truth: She, too, is one of them.
They are everywhere. They can be anyone. They tear lives apart. They do unspeakable things. And we stand against them alone. Only we know the threat. We six: five Animorphs and one Andalite.
Five human kids with the power to become any animal we can touch. And a kid from another planet who looks like some weird mix of deer, human, and scorpion.
The six of us against all the might of the Yeerks, and all the evil genius of their leader, Visser Three.
Which is why Rachel was worried about leaving, even for a weekend.
We were all together that Friday evening — Marco, Cassie, Tobias, Rachel, and me. Ax wasn’t there because he would have had to change into his human morph. He doesn’t like to become human. I think he feels naked without his deadly tail.
So it was just the five of us in Cassie’s barn, surrounded by all the chattering, snuffling, chirping, preening (and smelly) animals in their cages. The barn is also the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Cassie’s parents are veterinarians. They use their barn to take in sick or injured wild animals.
“It’s just this stupid, two-day gymnastics camp I signed up for a long time ago,” Rachel was saying. “It’s no big deal. It’s something I was going to do back … you know, before.”
“Rachel, you should go,” Cassie said. “Our entire lives cannot be about fighting the Yeerks. We have to try to be seminormal. I mean, it can’t all be danger and battle and fear, right? So go. But for now, help me lift up this crow’s cage. He’s going up on that shelf.”
Cassie was trying to get us to help clean up the barn. We used the barn to get together. It was one of the few places we could meet with Tobias. See, he can’t exactly go to the mall.
<Crows,> Tobias said, in thought-speak that we heard only in our minds. <I can’t believe you’re saving a crow. I hate crows. You know how he probably got that broken wing? Trying to mob a respectable hawk, that’s how. Crows are total punks.>
Tobias was perched high in the rafters of the barn. From up there he could fly in and out through the hayloft. Tobias is a red-tailed hawk. Actually, in his mind, in his soul, he’s human. But the power to morph has a terrifying downside. Stay in morph for more than two hours, and you stay forever. Tobias was trapped forever in a body with long, powerful wings, ripping, taloned feet, and fierce, angry eyes that stared at you around his hooked beak.
You would never guess that he had once been such a gentle guy. I guess he still is that guy. But he’s also a hawk.
<Yeah, I’m looking at you, crow,> Tobias said in mock threat. Obviously, the crow did not understand thought-speak.
Cassie smiled. “Tobias, I promise when we release this guy, we’ll take him far from your territory.”
“I already told Melissa Chapman I wasn’t going,” Rachel said, going back to her own topic. “She went up to the camp this afternoon, right after school.”
Marco, who had been lying back on a big bale of hay and staring at the ceiling, sat up. “Rachel doesn’t think we can survive without her for two days. After all, she’s the mighty. Xena: Warrior Princess.”
It was Marco’s teasing name for Rachel. Rachel has a tendency to be very bold. Anytime there’s something borderline-insane that needs to be done, Rachel is always the first volunteer.
“Marco? You have hay stuck in your hair,” Rachel said.
He ignored her remark. “Rachel thinks if she’s not here and we have trouble, we’ll all just run screaming and yammering like a bunch of scared little kids.” He put on a phony-serious expression. “All I want to know is this: Why don’t you dress like Xena? I mean, the whole leather and sword thing would really work for you.”
“Okay, shut up, I’ll go,” Rachel said. “I’ll go. I’m going. Just to get away from Marco for a couple days. I’ll catch the bus tomorrow morning.”
“Think of me when you’re on the uneven parallel bars,” Marco said.
But it wasn’t to Marco that Rachel looked. It was to Tobias. “You guys will stay out of trouble while I’m gone, won’t you?”
<We’ll be fine, Rachel,> Tobias said.
I saw Cassie smile, and my gaze met hers. She gave a slight nod. Cassie has a theory that Rachel and Tobias like each other. Not that Rachel has ever said anything, even though Rachel and Cassie are best friends. Cassie thinks it’s sweet and romantic. I just think it’s kind of sad. I mean, as far as we know, Tobias will never be fully human again.
“We should all just enjoy a nice, normal weekend,” I said. “Have normal fun. We’ve had plenty of danger and excitement.”
Marco sent me a sly, resentful look. “Some of us are going to have more fun than some others. Some of us are going to pool parties that some of us were not invited to.” He shook his fists melodramatically at the ceiling. “Why? Why? What does that girl have against me?”
I rolled my eyes. “Here we go again.”
Cassie rescued me. “I need someone strong to come outside with me, help me carry in some new cages from the truck. Marco?”
“Oh! My back!” Marco cried. “A sudden, shooting pain.”
“I’m coming, Cassie,” I said. I gave Marco a shove, pushing him back on his bale of hay. “You are so pathetic.”
“Don’t strain yourself,” Marco said with a cocky grin.
Outside, out of the golden glow of the barn’s lights, it was getting dark. A full moon had risen, and you could just see the first stars off to the
