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Back The Copycat Save as PDF
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Chapter One
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Chapter Two
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Chapter Three
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Chapter Four
  19. Twelve
  20. Thirteen
  21. Fourteen
  22. Chapter Five
  23. Fifteen
  24. Sixteen
  25. Chapter Six
  26. Seventeen
  27. Eighteen
  28. Nineteen
  29. Chapter Seven
  30. Twenty
  31. Twenty-One
  32. Twenty-Two
  33. Chapter Eight
  34. Twenty-Three
  35. Twenty-Four
  36. Twenty-Five
  37. Chapter Nine
  38. Twenty-Six
  39. Twenty-Seven
  40. Chapter Ten
  41. Twenty-Eight
  42. Twenty-Nine
  43. Thirty
  44. Thirty-One
  45. Chapter Eleven
  46. Thirty-Two
  47. Thirty-Three
  48. Thirty-Four
  49. Thirty-Five
  50. Chapter Twelve
  51. Thirty-Six
  52. Thirty-Seven
  53. Thirty-Eight
  54. Chapter Thirteen
  55. Thirty-Nine
  56. Forty
  57. Forty-One
  58. Forty-Two
  59. Chapter Fourteen
  60. Forty-Three
  61. Forty-Four
  62. Forty-Five
  63. Forty-Six
  64. Forty-Seven
  65. Chapter Fifteen
  66. The Following Summer
  67. About the Author
  68. About the Publisher

“What I know about the history of the Sloane Copycats comes from Uncle Percy. Remember? He was the one who wrote the book about the fog I lent to you. He was an amazing storyteller.”

The dull book filled with useless fog facts. Uncle Percy was not a good storyteller.

ALI’S RULES FOR MAKING SENSE OF THINGS

  1. There is always a logical, scientific reason to explain why things happen.
  2. There is no such thing as magic.
  3. But if there IS magic, it requires rules too.

“How or why Euphemia came to have her powers, I can’t answer. Maybe the shock of seeing that wee body tossed into the ocean made them spring to life. Some think that moisture in the air has something to do with it. Most Copycats live near the coast and favor foggy locales. And I have no idea how many of us there are in this world.” She stopped. “Perhaps the fog triggered your abilities. Uncle Percy always said Copycats love the fog; it allows them to change in public if it’s thick enough.”

Ali slumped back against the pillow. Euphemia’s story was interesting, but it raised more questions than it answered—the most important of which was why Copycats could change at all. Despite that lack of clarity, there was one thing Ali knew for sure: the world was governed by scientific laws. That meant Copycats were, too. She just needed to find out what they were.

Eighteen

Ali was exhausted the next morning. She’d struggled to fall asleep, thanks in equal measure to her exhilaration about her new abilities and her dread about what would happen at school the next day. When she did sleep, her dreams were filled with dilapidated schooners and dead bodies. In the middle of the night, when Gigi’s grandfather clock chimed four times, Ali woke in terror, tangled in her bedsheets, certain she was about to be tossed overboard. It was impossible to sleep after that, so she spent the rest of the night trying to figure out how to convince her parents to let her stay home from school.

Digger was immune to her pleas. “You’ll have to face Cassie sometime,” he pointed out. “You might as well get it over with.”

“What am I supposed to say to her?” demanded Ali, nibbling at the piece of cold toast she’d nursed for the past half hour. “Do you expect me to lie?”

“Not lie,” said Digger. “Respond with creativity.”

Which, as far as Ali could see, was the same as a lie.

“Besides, aren’t you supposed to go to Emily’s after school today to work on your project?”

Ali had forgotten about her commitment to Emily. “Fine, I’ll go. But remember: if they arrest me at school, it’s all your fault.”

“Duly noted.”