The Andalite's Gift-Megamorphs

Chapter FORTYTWO: CASSIE I fell. Almost blind, with roach's eyes, I fell.

I focused my mind on one thing: morphing. No time to wonder where the ocean surface was. No time to worry about the Veleek. Morph. Morph. Morph.

Hands. Legs. Arms. Eyes.

Eyes!

I could see! Below me, as far as I could see in every direction, water. Tiny white-peaked waves. Ripples that caught the sunlight. It was beautiful. Blue sky above. Blue water below. Water that would be as hard as concrete if I hit it too fast.

I could see Tobias circling above. And in the water below, the tiny pale-gray cylinders of Jake and Rachel and Marco.

And then, coming up to meet me like a tornado: the Veleek. It had sensed the morphing energy from my transformation back to human.

Was I fully human? Yes. I must be, because the exhaustion that hit me in a wave made my eyes flutter and my limbs go weak.

Too many morphs. Too quickly. And now . . .

Morph! Morph! Morph! I ordered myself. Focus! Concentrate! Believe!

But the changes were slow. So slow.

I focused my mind. But I was so tired. And it was so easy to just fall and fall and fall.

Morph, Cassie! Do it!

I felt changes. I felt myself growing . . .

And then, it was on me! The Veleek fired ropes of dust at me. They wrapped around me like the tentacles of an octopus. Wrapping around my hands that had become flippers.

Around my legs that were melting together.

Ignore it! Morph! It's the only hope.

I felt the Veleek taking my weight. My momentum was slowing, but we were still dropping, me and the Veleek together.

Through the dust storm I caught a glimpse of the ocean below me. The cigar shapes of my friends were too large. Too close!

Morph, Cassie. One more time. Morph.

But I didn't have the strength. I was beaten. And then ... at that moment, I felt the edge of the whale's brain brushing against mine. Its instincts, its DNA memories.

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