Symphony

By Ani Moon

From the author of A Dog's Life comes a thrilling debut novel about friendship, magic, and the power of choosing your own destiny. Filled with humor, mystery, and adventure, this enchanting book is perfect for middle-grade readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ani Moon
• Release date: Dec 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781088081181

Ani Moon

Ani Moon is a 11-year-old 6th-grader who is completely addicted to books, knitting, and writing. She lives in Washington with her sister, parents, and cute poodle-dog, Honey.

Book preview

Part One

In Which I Am a Wolfling in a Magical City, Two Years Later

One

When The Door We Stole Blew Up Randomly

Light on my feet, I padded around the dark shapes that I made out to be crates in the dim moonlight shining through the night. I was almost invisible in the darkness, due to a lifetime of practicing. Two years of hiding.

As I looked up, motion startled me. A figure flashed through my vision.

Startled, I nearly gasped, but clamped a fingerless gloved hand over my mouth. My other hand gripped the corner of the crate I was up against, and I slid down until I was sitting on the concrete, pressing into the shadows.

What was that?

A girl. Emerging from the next crate’s shadow, coming to sit next to me. I relaxed as soon as the moonlight illuminated her face, letting the hair I had been winding around my finger fall back over my shoulder. Luna’s light blond hair and brown eyes cut through the dim light. The only familiar thing from Before.

From the time of two years ago.

Luna. What. Are. You. Doing. Here? I hissed when I realized who she was. She was supposed to be back home. Or at least kind-of-almost-a-substitute-for-home. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! I thought you were feeding Honey! I was supposed to be the one out here, do you remember? I went over this last week!"

Luna raised her eyebrows. I have feet, Symphie-puppy, (yes, she calls me that) "I’m not made of stone. I have the right to move."

I sighed. Sometimes Luna can’t talk without making a sarcastic remark. I pulled a couple of coins from my pocket that I had managed to nab from a few Forestalians. I got these. Please tell me, if you were sneaking around suspiciously at night, that you at least got something?

Luna bit her lip, then pulled out an acorn. I gave her a seriously? look, and she shrugged unashamedly. I was thinking.

Dangerous habit, I informed her. About what?

Luna glanced around. No one was there. I’ll tell you when we get back.

Then Luna turned into a wolf and padded off.

We were Wolflings, human-wolf hybrids from the Wildlands of Azora, our world. That gave us the ability to swap between human and wolf form. Which was why Luna was randomly turning into a wolf in the middle of the night.

Back then, we lived with the rest of the Wolflings in the giant den we shared. Two years ago, a storm passed through the den, destroying it, and we were the only ones left. Two years ago, we had a home.

Not anymore.

Then, we hid in the places with many towns, the places with too much food and supplies. Aetheria, the country that took up half the land on the continent of Stormwhirl was the main part of that. At that point, we were in Forestalia, the Earth Kingdom of Aetheria, in some random city called Cherrywood. It honestly was not the best place for a Wolfling to be. So, we lived off the market, stealing coins or food in wolf form before dashing back to the den. Hunting was made pretty much impossible by the simple fact that we had never learned how, being too young to train at that time. We were trapped there, since we snuck onto a ride overseas from the Wildlands to Aetheria. With no way to get back.

Staring at the spot Luna had been, I pressed my hand to my lifestone hanging around my neck and turned into a wolf. The lifestone was kind of a lifeline, linked to the life of the owner. The careless people—Aetherians, mages, etcetera—didn't pay much attention to it. But if I hadn’t been wearing mine and left it in a random place in the den, I could have been dead.

I padded after Luna, shoving those thoughts away. Now, we were both 11 (technically, as it was August 18th, my eleventh birthday), when Wolflings were supposed to start training, aka hunting, fighting, that kind of thing. That would never happen.

The forest was silent as we weaved around the trees, through the premature scarlet leaves dotting the ground, startling me with the occasional crunch! Soon enough, we made it to the small half-broken-down house we had found and repaired.

Home sweet home.

After we shifted and entered through the door (we’d had to steal a new one, due to the state of the rotted old door), the silence was broken by our overenthusiastic greeting.

WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF! That was the sound we heard every day. It meant that the dog was still alive. Honey, our one-almost-two-year-old poodle, jumped up to us and continued barking, then sniffed us up and down, as if to say did you bring food?

We had found Honey a year ago. Actually, I had found him. He was only a few weeks old and way too cute to be left wandering around in the forest. So, I had brought him back to our house and Luna had reluctantly let us keep him.

Calm down, Honey! Luna yelled over the cacophony. As expected, Honey ignored her. Luna turned to me with a slightly apologetic look. Can you calm him down? she asked.

I rolled my eyes and told the dog to sit. He sat. Continued barking. At least until I sat down in front of him and stroked his ears and petted his head.

After reminding Honey he had already eaten at 4, I followed Luna to the rug where she was putting out our food and two slightly dented water bottles.

I warned the dog not to take the little bit of chicken we had, then I left Honey, laying down and drooling, until finally Luna went over and wiped his chin.

Honey turned his head so he could still look at the chicken and drooled some more.

We each ended up with a small bit of chicken, some stale bread from the market, and a couple vegetable scraps. It wasn’t much, but three meals like this was enough to survive. Honey laid down on his bed and sulked—until Luna and me gave him the chicken bones.

Honey dropped them, crunched on them, and dropped them again while Luna and I played Never-Ending Tic-Tac-Toe on the sand (Luna had 2829 points and I had 2797) for a few hours (when Luna ended up with 2936 and I had 2917).

Were you going to tell me something? I asked Luna with a frown, looking up at her as I scratched an O into the sand.

Oh. Yes. Luna didn’t sound like she’d forgotten, more like she was trying not to bring it up, as she scored a diagonal three-in-a-row and won the game. I was thinking... about the collapse.

She meant the death of every Wolfling alive. Except us. And maybe, just maybe, one more wolf cub...

I shook those thoughts away, allowing myself no hope Thunder could have survived the collapse. Focusing on Luna again, I stiffened slightly. The collapse of the den was a kind-of-sore spot, so much so that we made a pact never to talk about it again unless necessary. Like, going-to-die necessary.

And... She took a deep breath. We both remember what happened, right? She meant when I screamed and some kind of thread appeared, and it destroyed the remaining part of the den. Even though Luna hadn’t been there, I told her about everything afterwards. Except about hiding Thunder. I crossed my arms, refusing to dignify the statement with a reply.

Symphie. I think you’re an Echo.

What’s an Echo? I asked, frowning.

Luna rolled her eyes at me, in her why-don't-you-know-this-obviously-simple-fact face/sigh. An Echo is— she glanced at me quickly— an Enchanted skill—

I frowned and held up a hand for her to stop. Enchanted? Like Enchanteds? Like, dark-Magical-creature-hybrid-Enchanteds? Like, Wolflings-worst-enemy-except-for-Magic-Enchanteds? Like, you-have-to-be-an-Enchanted-for-this-power-to-work-Enchanteds?

Uh... yes, yes, yes, I don’t know how many questions you asked but yes to all of them?

Then how am I an Echo?

Why don’t you let me finish talking before you ask me things. It wasn’t really a question. Good. An Echo is a witch or Enchanted that can control Magic with their voice. Like how you destroyed that rockslide.

And the remaining part of the den, I mumbled.

No different than how I set it on fi— she turned pale. Nothing.

Wait. The fire? That was you? I recalled the dancing indigo flames that had torn across the stone. Luna looked down sheepishly.

Anyways, she said after a moment of silence. The Enchanteds and Witches have a marking ceremony for Echoes.

So? I tilted my head. Luna bit her lip.

Roll up your sleeve.

Why?

Luna rolled her eyes at me. Just do it.

I shrugged and rolled up my sleeves. Beneath them was... nothing different. Skin. Fingers. Two identical, blackened scars that were like rings—one on each arm. I’d had those two scars as far back as I could remember.

You’ve been Marked. Luna explained.

As an Echo? I stared at her. How?

Luna traced her finger over one of my scars. I shivered slightly when I felt the same sensation I always did when something touched one of my scars—a weird burning, but also cold, and sharp sensation that traveled all the way around my arm, in the same ring that the scar stretched.

But I don’t remember anything! I protested. That wasn’t exactly true. When I was younger, before the collapse, I thought the burning feel of the scars might have been a memory. And yet, there were no images or sounds to connect with it.

Luna gave me a look until I admitted that my memory wasn’t all-powerful.

So... what does this mean? I asked after a couple moments.

I think... Luna paused. "If you’re an Echo, and a Wolfling, I think there’s only one way to take this.

Symphie, I think this means Magic.

I was afraid. She knew I was afraid. And yet, I broke into a fit of hysterical giggles. I didn’t want to believe her. Luna crossed her arms and stared at me until I finally stopped laughing and looked at her. You’re serious.

Yes, I’m— But she didn’t get another word out, because at that very moment, in a giant plume of wood and dust, the stolen door to our den exploded.

Two

Why You Never Listen to Magic-People, Even if They Convince You You’re Going to Go Insane

All Luna and I could do was cover our faces to shield ourselves from the dust.

Slowly it cleared, settling onto everything like a blanket sitting down. The dust coated sleeping Honey’s fur, and he jumped up and started barking (Luna got ahold of him and tried to calm him down unsuccessfully.) As we stared around, looking for the source of the explosion, two figures drifted into view.

Um... hi, the first offered. She was a willowy (though not very tall) girl with two waist-length, pink-ribboned braids.

Who are you? asked the second, rather suspiciously; he had short black hair and green eyes that felt like they were drilling a hole through me.

Don’t you have any manners? the first hissed at the second. Then, brightly, she said, I’m Lucy, and this here, she pointed at the boy. Is Felix.

I’m Luna, she’s Symphony, and what are you doing here? Luna asked while I tried to disappear.

Felix looked at us even more suspiciously. Lucy, are you sure about this? I mean, Paws said they were Wolflings, he hissed under his breath to her. Unfortunately for him, Wolflings have great hearing, even in human form.

Yes, we are Wolflings, I snapped. Got a problem with that?

Er, no, Lucy said quickly, shooting a glare at Felix. Then she turned to him: Don’t you remember what Paws said? Take it slow! (Felix rolled his eyes.)

What are you doing in our den? I demanded. And how and why did you explode the door?

Magic, Felix said kind of snootily (No, Felix. You did. Yes, you did. Stop glaring at me.) I half-glared, half-tried-to-kill-him-with-my-eyes (which are mostly the same thing.)

What about Magic? Luna asked, standing protectively by me. What about Magic was a little bit tame. Wolflings and Magicals were enemies since 200 years ago, when a Magical kidnapped a Wolfling and unwillingly stole Wolflings’ only real power. Enchanteds were only brought into the rivalry later.

Well, Lucy said. What Felix is trying, (And failing, I mumbled.) To say, she continued, shooting me a slightly reproachful glance. Is that we belong to Foxwood Academy, and, well, our principal Paws heard about what happened to the Wolflings, and, um, wanted to, er, ‘build a bridge over centuries of hatred.’

I tried to think of a polite way to say, get out of our den, you idiots, but nothing seemed nice enough for them to actually listen.

Um, who’s Paws? Luna asked. And also, we’re not Magic. You got the wrong Wol—er, um, den.

That’s where you’re wrong, Lucy said, with a glint in her eye that looked like bad news. Every living thing has some sort of Magic, so unless you’re a rock, you are Magic.

I kind of wished I was a rock at that point.

Oh, and also, Paws is Merlin’s dog. Lucy looked like she might explode with laughter at the looks on our faces.

So, what does Paws want with us? I asked. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the right way to say whatever it is, I don’t want it, but I just had to ask.

He wants to invite you to Foxwood. We really should have stolen that no soliciting sign I saw at the market yesterday.

"No offense—if you’re trying to recruit us to a Magical school, please get out of our den." Luna said.

I know you both are the last Wolflings in Azora, Lucy began, but—

Wait. I interrupted. "The last Wolflings in all of Azora?"

Lucy shrugged. As far as we know.

I stared at her, but my brain was whirling. The main thing my thoughts were screaming was WHAT??? I knew we were the last in the Willow Pack, but I’d no clue that was the only pack left in the world...

Well, except the boring human world. Earth, do they call it? That had no chance of hiding any Wolflings.

So, what if we don’t have any type of Magic? I was pretty sure Lucy had just answered that, but I (a) wanted to be stubborn, and (b) forgot.... and not to mention (c) that was all I had been taught for the last 11 years.

Everyone fell silent and stared at me. Luna looked at me too, just not in the how stupid can you get way, because for once, she didn’t know any more than I did.

You could do with a couple brain cells. said Felix.

Lucy promptly stepped on his foot, keeping a giant, fake smile plastered on her face.

By the looks of it, Lucy said, removing her foot, "You do have Magic, and strong Magic at that. Take a look at this."

She snapped her fingers, and light flashed around us. I blinked a few times for my vision to clear, and when I looked up, there was a literal inch of light around me, shining silver, and I flailed, panicked, and tried to claw it off before I realized (a) everyone was staring at me, (b) everyone else was glowing, too, and (c)