Settling into her new normal where shape-shifters, fairy witches, and magic are real, 17-year-old Sarah D’Antonio must navigate between being a beacon for the supernatural and a junior in high school. Turns out, having a shape-shifting boyfriend brings perks but can also create problems, especially preparing for the All Soul’s Day Gala. And, as she travels the wild astral plane, Sarah must learn who to trust to help her loved ones survive.

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Available: June 8, 2026
Teen

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Chapter One

A crackling came over the loudspeaker of OHS stadium, followed by an enthusiastic, “Do you believe in miracles?”

The stadium erupted in cheers, and I couldn’t help but smile. Even though Oceanbrook High’s homecoming was two weeks ago, tonight felt like my own personal homecoming. Being here at the football stadium on a Friday night in October and earning my spot back on the cheerleading team was still so surreal. I’m not sure if I believed in miracles, but after everything that had happened over the summer to where I stood now, I certainly believed in magic.

I turned my attention back to the field. Oceanbrook had not won a home game in years. If we could hold possession of the ball for just a few plays, our quarterback, Robbie, could take a knee, and a victory would be secured. The sense of excitement from our side of the stadium was palpable. Our cheerleader co-captains, Amanda and Allison, sensed it too. They nodded at each other and turned toward the rest of the squad, signaling us to grab our poms.

With our blue and white poms secured in ready position, we lined up single-file next to the players on the sidelines just behind the cones. It felt so good to be part of this moment until I felt a malicious poke on my side. I spun around, knowing exactly who it was.

“Why did you have to poke me so hard?” I whispered calmly, but I was fuming on the inside.

Tammy’s hazel eyes rolled back into her head with aggravation. Being much taller than me, she bent her head down and spoke in a low voice. “Listen, if we win, we’re probably stunting. I want to make sure you’re paying attention, and don’t mess this up. Cameras are everywhere, and we can’t have the squad looking like shit because of you.”

She was unbelievable. I felt like such an idiot. After everything we had been through over the summer, I thought that things might be different now. I thought that maybe, just maybe, we could be friends again. Apparently, I thought wrong. Half angry and half hurt, I glared up at her.

“Yeah, thanks. I got it. How about you worry about yourself and get in line. Allison is staring at you, and you don’t want to make Cap angry.” She scrunched her face in disgust as I spoke because it was probably killing her to see that I was right.

Instead of moving to the end of the line like a respectable person and teammate, she elbowed her way in next to me. “What are you doing?” I asked angrily.

“I don’t want to make Cap mad so shush. Push over, and smile,” she demanded through gritted teeth and a fake grin.

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes, watching her get what she wanted yet again. Luckily, Kaly was on my other side, giving my pom a tap to distract me. She pointed to Robbie and the rest of the O-line on the field. “This might actually be happening,” she whispered excitedly. I watched her eyes scan all around us.

I followed her gaze into the stands and turned to face the crowd. The whole stadium was now silent. Hopeful. Waiting. Even the marching band stopped playing music. I turned back around toward the field. Kaly was right. It was happening. Oceanbrook looked like they were heading into a victory formation.

Allison and Amanda waved us over to the end zone where we met up with Coach.

“Okay, quickly now. Let’s get into stunting groups,” Coach instructed as she unrolled the mat she had been holding.

“We never roll the mats out during games. Why are we doing this now?” asked Tammy, and then she looked right over at me. The whole squad did.

Coach adjusted her cap, flattening out her already straight hair. She took a breath and fired right back, “Because look at this turf. It’s been in rough shape for a while. We want to be the safest we can be. And Tammy, when it comes to making sure you all are safe, don’t question me again.”

Tammy dropped her chin to her chest in shame for being called out in front of everyone. “Yes, Coach,” she replied meekly.

I wish I could say that I felt bad for her, but considering she did that to me on a constant basis without a care in the world, I really didn’t feel bad at all. Not even a little bit. I caught Coach’s eye. She gave me a sympathetic smile and then faced the squad. “Alright, everyone, as soon as you see that knee go down, basket tosses! Get into position,” she instructed.

We all nodded and scrambled into our stunting groups to get ready. I had never been more thankful that Tammy and I were in different groups than I was today. As a base, I made sure my left hand was grasping my right wrist tightly while my right hand held onto Kaly’s wrist just as tight. She gave me a reassuring squeeze as Hilary, our flyer, got into position onto our basket, which was more like a four-hand springboard. I maintained eye contact with Kaly as Hilary placed her hands onto our shoulders along with most of her weight.

“Okay,” I said while nodding to Kaly that I was set. Next, I looked up at Hilary as her right foot put more weight down onto our hands, getting ready to be launched into the air. “You good Hil?” I asked.

“All set, Sarah,” Hilary replied.

Constance, our back spotter, nodded and placed her hand on Hilary’s right ankle. “Ready? Hold. Hold. Okay, Robbie’s knee is down!” Constance shouted as cheers roared throughout the stadium. Raising her voice even louder so we could hear her over the crowd, Constance yelled, “One...two...three,” grabbing Hilary’s other ankle as Hilary’s left foot met her right foot onto our hands, Constance yelled, “Throw!”

We worked as a unit. Then I gave it everything I had. We all did. Hilary flew at least eight to ten feet in the air before hitting her toe touch. Within seconds, she landed into our arms. Caught in a perfect cradle position.

It had all happened so fast. I didn’t even have time to worry that I wouldn’t catch her correctly. Or that I would mess up our whole stunt in some way, making Tammy’s assumptions about my abilities come true. To my shock, it was an all-around perfect basket toss. Nothing could have gone better. Relief washed over me.

Kaly, Constance, and Hilary were all smiles. “It’s really great to have you back,” Hilary said, giving my shoulder a squeeze as I set her back down.

“Thanks. It’s great to be back,” I said. I actually had to stop myself from crying as she, Kaly, and Constance walked ahead of me and onto the field to join the celebration.

Whether it was happy tears or sad tears, I hated crying in front of anyone. Luckily, the girls were way in front of me. There was also a lot of commotion on the field, so I didn’t think anyone noticed. At least, I hoped they didn’t. Before I could feel too sorry for myself, I made my way to join the others to pose for pictures.

It was so chaotic, but in the best way. It seemed like a never-ending stream of fans descending from the stadium. Some of them even tried to rush the field but were stopped at the fence. It was actually nice to see the town come together for something fun for once. I would take fans rushing the field, or being hounded by photographers, any day over the stupid ‘remembrance’ baseball game for my cousin.

It was hard to believe that it had only been a few months ago that the whole town thought Lena had died. Even though Lena’s story had hit local news stations, thanks to my mom’s herbal tea and the magical help of Skylla and Kharbydis, we were able to persuade everyone that nothing had happened at all. That Lena had never gone missing and thought to be dead, that shape-shifters didn’t walk among the townspeople and that Tammy’s mom wasn’t an absolute megalomaniac drunk off power, both in the physical and supernatural realms. In fact, we convinced the town that Mrs. Fusco was away on a long-term business trip. I never really asked what Skylla or Kharbdyis did with Mrs. Fusco. Not directly anyway. I couldn’t imagine what that must feel like to be her daughter. Knowing what your mom did. How many people she hurt. Then, having a father who cared more about preaching family values as Town Council President then actually practicing what being a dad truly meant.

I looked over at Tammy now, smiling for any and all photo opportunities. My disdain for her transformed into pity. We used to be close friends and went through a trauma together, but it didn’t seem to break her from her selfishness. When she wasn’t trying to one-up me, she gave me the cold shoulder. I couldn’t personally trust her. However, she did help save my best friend, Anita, along with Carlo who was like a brother to me, and Oceanbrook by telling me what her mother was up to. Although she never said it directly, it was evident that we weren’t friends anymore. Tammy had made that quite clear by her comments earlier. But we shared friends, not to mention Oceanbrook’s supernatural secrets.

I looked down at my blue and white uniform and back over at Tammy dressed in the same colors. We were also teammates. Which meant that we didn’t need to be friends. We didn’t need to like each other. But we did need to coexist and occasionally work together. Sighing, I made my way over toward Tammy and the rest of our squad for our team picture.

If I thought it looked chaotic a few minutes ago, it was nothing compared to the absolute chaos I observed when I got closer to the center of the field. The opposing team was just leaving, but our side was relishing in our victory. There was laughing, crying, and so many people engaged in lively conversations. Both townies and professional photographers were snapping photos. I tried looking for my parents and Anita and Carlo, but there was no way I was going to find them in this crowd. I hadn’t seen this many people at a game in my whole life.

I continued moving through the clusters of fans trying to get to my team, but it was proving to be more difficult than I thought. Camera flashes were coming at me from all sides. With each flash and each step I took across the turf, I became more and more disoriented. The white lights looked like the beginning of my recent trips daywalking in the astral plane.

Traveling in the astral plane was just fine, but daywalking was a whole other story. It was dangerous and something I needed to avoid. Which would be fine if I actually had control over when it happened. I felt my body tense up and a panic attack coming on.

I closed my eyes and shook my head to clear the images rushing through it. I was not going to let this happen. I was not about to have a panic attack on the fifty-yard line in front of the whole town. Especially not in front of Tammy who I could feel staring at me even though there were so many people around.

Inhaling deeply and expanding my lungs as much as they allowed, I took in the crisp autumn air. I could smell hints of salt coming off the breeze since OHS stadium was so close to the water. The scents that followed were the quintessential smells of fall. I detected the faint aromas of cinnamon and pumpkin spice. I loved October. It grounded me back down to Earth.

When I felt grounded, I could think more clearly. Exhaling my stress away and having my full thought process back online, I couldn’t believe I was about to panic. It was called ‘day’ walking for a reason. I couldn’t possibly daywalk when the moon was up, and it was nighttime. All the tension I was carrying immediately left my body. I was just about to open my eyes when I felt a warm presence behind me. No way, it couldn’t be!

“V, is that you?” I squealed, turning around in delight.

He scooped me up into his arms, lifting me off the ground. After he swung me around in a half-circle, V looked deep into my eyes as he gently set me back down. He cupped my chin with his hand, tilting my head slightly upward. “I’ve missed you, Sarah,” he said softly as our lips met.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I said as I slightly pulled away to look at him. Wondering if I was half imagining it.

“I’m always going to support you, Sarah,” he responded, still holding me close.

He was seriously the best and as much as I loved being with V, I couldn’t let him waste any time away from his responsibilities as a prince. “But you have a huge All Soul’s Day party to plan with your brother and a million and one meetings with other shape-shifters and fairy witches, don’t you?” I asked.

V scrunched his eyebrows together, causing a few distinguished wrinkles to reveal themselves on his forehead. He ran a hand through his long, wavy hair. Then, taking my hands in his, he sighed. “Yes, I have those responsibilities, but I will always find time for you, Sarah D’Antonio.”

I melted. “Silvestro Vincent, you really are the sweetest. You know that?”

“Hey, what did I tell you about using my formal name? Friends and family,” he paused, wrapping his arms around my waist, “but especially my girlfriend, call me V, and I’ll do anything for the girl I love,” he said, pulling me in even closer for a kiss. Then in a serious tone, he continued, “I can’t take all the credit though, seeing as your good friend and head of the fairy witches, Deena, is helping out a lot so that I could sneak away for a bit.”

I took a step back both excited and surprised. “You promoted her? That’s wonderful!”

V smiled. “She deserved it, and we’ll give her a special toast at the gala, but for now,” he paused, looking over my shoulder, “you better get back to your team. Looks like Tammy is watching your every move. Make sure you tell her I say hello, and I’ll be waiting in the parking lot for you when you’re ready. Okay?"

“Oh, I will be sure to do that, don't you worry,” I said sarcastically. I gave V a quick kiss and headed over to the rest of the team.

It looked like there were a few other stragglers, but we managed to get everyone together for pictures on the fifty-yard line in front of the Oceanbrook mascot and in front of the goalposts.

“Alright, everyone, what a win! Great stunting today. Be safe out there, and see you for practice on Tuesday,” Coach said. Then she turned toward me and Tammy. “Ladies, do you mind helping roll up the mat and bring it back inside?”

She had to be kidding me. I just wanted to meet V and get something to eat. But it wasn’t a secret that Tammy and I would be up for co-captains next year as seniors, and this was a test.

“Sure thing, Coach. Sarah and I would be more than happy to help,” Tammy said ever-so-sweetly. She inched closer toward me with a stern gaze. “Wouldn’t we, Sarah?”

I tried to hold back my giggles at Tammy’s performance, but I choked my urge to laugh down. I couldn’t lose my composure in front of Coach. Now that I was back on the team and after my stunt group just ate that basket toss, I actually could see myself as captain. Even if that meant having to share the title with an ex-friend. I smiled back and nodded. Turning to Coach, I said, “Of course, we’d love to help.”

Coach’s face softened. “That’s what I like to hear. Great teamwork, girls. You can roll it up and carry it over to the gym doors, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

The stands had cleared out, and most of the cars were already lining up to leave the school parking lot. I texted my parents that V would be taking me home because I didn’t want them to have to wait for me.

“Uh hmm,” Coach cleared her throat. I hadn’t realized she stayed to observe us. Tammy had her phone out too. We caught each other’s eye, quickly put our phones away, and began tackling our task.

We worked in silence. An unspoken agreement between us to ensure there would be no arguing. We both had a lot to gain from attempting to get along and work together.

It only took us a few minutes, and Coach seemed pleased as we set the mat down in front of the gym doors. “Thank you, girls. I’ll see you for practice on Tuesday. Get home safe.”

“Bye, Coach!” Tammy and I said in unison, and then I noticed Tammy looking at me strangely.

“What?” I asked.

Tammy tilted her head to the side with that stupid ‘gotcha’ smirk on her face so I asked again. “What? What is the problem?” I couldn’t wait to hear what dirt she thought she had on me.

“I saw you acting all panicky with the camera flashes,” Tammy said, raising an eyebrow.

She was totally baiting me to lose my temper, knowing full well that there was a potential that Coach could see. She was trying to ruin my chances of becoming captain next year. I wasn’t about to let her get anything else that she wanted today. Crossing my arms to try to contain my temper, I looked her dead in the eyes. “Okay, and?”

The disappointment of me not crashing out was all over her face. So, she tried again. “And with the stadium lights earlier,” Tammy continued.

“So?” I asked.

Tammy moved in closer. Leaning in, she asked, “You’ve been daywalking, haven’t you?” in the most accusatory tone possible.

I had to admit I was a little surprised. I really didn’t expect her to come right out and ask me point blank like that. I paused, not sure how to react. Since the events over the summer, I made a promise to never keep secrets. I do plan on telling V and everyone else, but not yet. I just wanted us to have a moment where we could take a breath and not have the weight or the fate of the world on our shoulders.

V and Alessandro were just starting to get into their groove ruling as princes. The All Soul’s Day party before actual All Soul’s Day on November 2nd was a big deal. A really, really big deal. They were meeting with all of the supernatural beings that lived in the area and surrounding towns, including the Council of Witches in Salem. Like a ‘State of the Union’ address with a gala and I didn’t want to distract them from their duties. I would never want to worry them on purpose.

“It’s really none of your business if I am or not,” I finally answered. It wasn’t a secret, and it wasn’t a lie. It really wasn’t any of Tammy’s business.

She glared at me. Then her face changed to validation, and her eyes looked like two huge emerald saucers. “You are, aren't you?” she gasped. “I’ll prove it, and I’m going to tell V. He’ll certainly want to know about this. My God, Sarah, what if someone sees you and reports back to him at the gala? You’ll destroy his credibility,” she said. It looked like she was going to say something else, but she paused instead. A mischievous grin spread across her face. “Actually, I may just let it lie. See how things unfold. You’re a big girl after all. Regardless, none of this looks good for you, just sayin’, hun. Not a good look at all from the girlfriend of our shape-shifting prince or potential cheer captain.” She flicked her long, dark brown ponytail in my face. Making sure it brushed the tip of my nose as she turned away from me and in the direction of her car. Her perfectly manicured nails cascaded in a goodbye.

I pursed my lips in rage as I watched her walk away. I was furious. I hated when she called me ‘hun’. I hated how obnoxious and mean she could be. But the thing I hated most at this moment was the fact that Tammy Fusco might be right.

 

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