The Power Within by H. K. Varian

sorts, with built-in bookshelves that held thousands of books. The books weren’t the strange part, though. No, it was the tall pedestal in the center of the room—marble streaked with steely gray veins—that made Darren feel cold all over, despite the roaring fire in the fireplace.
    Now, move your arms, the voice inside told him. Move your legs.
    Darren tried. Failed.
    What . . . , he wondered as the power of thought slowly returned to him. He looked down, and that’s when he realized that he was tied up. Heavy ropes as thick as his wrist had him bound to a wooden chair.
    No way, Darren thought as that spark inside him flared, bolder and brighter this time. He strained against the ropes, but they wouldn’t budge. That wasn’t a problem, though. He would just transform, or blast his way out with a blazing bolt of lightning.
    But nothing happened.
    Darren tried—again and again and again—but it was almost as if his powers were gone. Completely, totally, and utterly gone.
    A thin film of sweat formed across Darren’s forehead as he glanced around the room. That’s when he noticed at least three other chairs arranged in a circle around the pedestal. Each chair had a motionless kid tied to it. Perhaps most disturbing, the kids were all breathing with the same slow, steady motion: in and out , in and out , as if even that was being controlled for them.
    â€œPssst.”
    The whisper was so faint that at first Darren wondered if he had imagined it. He turned his head to the left and noticed that another boy next to him was awake—and he was staring at Darren.
    â€œHey!” Darren said. “What— Who—”
    â€œDon’t struggle. It’ll just make things worse.”
    â€œWhere are we? Who are you?”
    â€œI don’t know—I woke up here too. I’m Jai,” the boy said.
    Jai.
    Darren sucked in his breath sharply. He’d found Jai! He had no idea how he’d done it. Actually, he had no idea how a lot of things had come to pass. But here was Jai, the missing boy whom they’d been searching for.
    Darren’s entire body went rigid with tension.
    Jai. The missing boy.
    If Darren was with him , did that mean that he was missing too?
    Darren’s mouth was very dry, but he finally managed to ask, “What’s going on?”
    â€œI’m not sure,” Jai whispered back. “But I think it’s for a spell.”
    â€œA spell?” Darren repeated, trying to understand. If only his brain didn’t feel so foggy and cluttered.
    â€œWe’re all Changers,” Jai whispered back. “I mean, you are one, right?”
    â€œYeah,” replied Darren.
    â€œI think they needed to gather all the elements,” Jai said. “That much I could figure out. See, I’m water, and that girl on my other side is a phoenix, so she has fire. The other girl—she’s been knocked out for a while—but the phoenix said she’s a púca , so earth. And that guy across from you?He’s a tengu , a bird with power over wind. What are you?”
    â€œLightning,” Darren said, feeling a little sick.
    Jai nodded knowingly. “Of course. Energy to bring the elements together.”
    â€œBut what do they want from us?” Darren asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” Jai replied. “Every time I start asking questions, they knock me out again.”
    â€œIs that what happened to them?” Darren said, nodding toward the other kids, who were all still breathing in perfect, unsettling unison.
    Jai shook his head. “No. It was worse. They tried to escape.”
    Suddenly, Jai’s shoulders stiffened, and even in the dimly lit room, Darren could see the fear flash through his eyes. “They’re coming,” he murmured. “Be careful!”
    Darren sat very still. Then he heard it too: steady, even footsteps, growing louder. Coming closer.
    Five witches and warlocks