Shazi gave her a light punch in the shoulder. “That was great. Now let’s go find Cecily.”

The four of them took off down the street toward the shore. Dozens of Brutopods rampaged across the beach, and even more emerged from the waves. Much of the water was frothy with white foam—the weeping tide.

“Is Lochmordra coming?” Barclay asked, terrified.

“No,” Shazi answered. “The sailors we passed said he attacked a ship. This weeping tide is just left over.”

“I don’t like this,” Hasu said. “I don’t see Cecily anywhere.”

Suddenly, a dark shadow swept overhead, and Shazi and Viola skidded to a halt.

Barclay whipped around. “What are you doing? We need to—”

“I—I can’t move!” Viola stuttered. She scrunched up her face and wiggled her fingers, but other than that, she didn’t budge. Shazi let out a shout of frustration. She was frozen too.

Meanwhile, several Brutopods on the beach charged toward them.

“Look!” Hasu pointed behind Viola and Shazi, but Barclay didn’t see anything. “Look at their shadows! It’s Oudie!”

Barclay examined Viola’s and Shazi’s shadows, which were stretched out skinny and taut. At their ends, a different, twisted shadow grasped them and held them tight. Oudie flew overhead. His wings flapped strangely, like he was flailing about more than flying.

“Why would Oudie attack us?” Viola asked.

“I think he has Cecily, too,” Hasu said, pointing at a third shadow—this one without any person attached to it. “She can fade into darkness, but she must be stuck like that.”

“Um, guys?” Shazi said anxiously. “The Brutopods—”

“Light, Mitzi!” Viola shouted, and Mitzi appeared on her shoulder. Opening her mouth wide, Mitzi shot a beam of light on the cobblestones, making Viola’s and Shazi’s shadows snap back to their normal size… and making Oudie’s shadowy talon wrench away.

Finally free, Shazi lifted her swords just in time as a pincer smashed down over her head.

Shazi grinned at Viola. “Thanks.”

Viola tripped, clearly caught off guard from Shazi acting like her friend again. Then Viola smiled back. “Of course.”

Barclay summoned Root once more, and the two braced themselves in front of the second and third Brutopods. Barclay raised both arms out, and two strong winds tore across the beach. The Brutopods teetered over onto their backs.

When he turned around, Viola and Mitzi had freed Cecily, who gradually returned to solid form. She shouted at her Beast, “Oudie! Oudie, what’s wrong?”

Oudie only cawed in response. His shadow writhed this way and that.

Shazi elbowed Barclay in the side. She’d summoned Saif beside her, who waved his sharp tail like a sword of his own. “Let’s go take out the other Brutopods before they can get to town.”