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the shelf behind Ciatlllait. Aowyn rammed her shoulder into the woman. Ciatlllait tumbled backwards. Aowyn stood in the middle of Choróin’s room staring at the open window as black feathers floated down around it. Ciatlllait laughed. Aowyn rounded on her. “What have you done with Choróin?”
    Ciatlllait’s laughter grew maniacal.
    Before Aowyn could stop herself, the back of her hand left its mark on Ciatlllait’s cheek. Aowyn’s chest heaved.
    Ciatlllait raised her hand to her offended cheek and glared up at the girl. She screamed.
    Aowyn backed toward the door. Eagnaí was the first to the scene. He seemed just as startled as Aowyn. A shock of blue light shot forth from Ciatlllait’s hand. Eagnaí crumpled to the floor, writhing. Aowyn faced Ciatlllait. The woman’s nostrils flared and her eyes flashed, filled with crazed intensity.
    “What have you done?” Aowyn cried.
    Stór emerged in the hall rubbing his eyes sleepily. “What’s going on?”
    Another bolt of blue burst from Ciatlllait’s hand.
    Stór fell to the floor.
    “Stór!” Aowyn yelled. She glanced back to Eagnaí who began to change. He howled as his arm twisted behind him. White feathers sprouted from his skin. Ciatlllait cackled. Stór squeaked weakly from the floor. Aowyn turned and watched in horror. Stór shrank as he wept in pain. Soft gray down covered his body. Aowyn ran and scooped up his limp, fuzzy body. His neck twisted and lengthened. His face contorted. All humanity left him as a small beak protruded. Aowyn turned to Eagnaí who lay still on the floor. Ciatlllait towered over him. Eagnaí had grown wings and a similar beak. Ciatlllait chanted under her breath. “Twist the neck and break the back… twist the neck and break the back.”
    The shriek that Eagnaí released came out as a Honk!
    Aowyn clutched the transformed Stór close to her heart and charged toward Eagnaí. She barreled into Ciatlllait, knocking her back. Aowyn reached for Eagnaí to help him up as his transformation completed. “Get up!”
    Ciatlllait huffed and got to her feet as the children bolted down the hall. Eagnaí banged and bashed against the walls clumsily, honking with disorientation. Their elder brothers, Lorgaire and Rógaire, entered in the hallway with bewildered expressions. Aowyn blew past them. “ Run! ”
    A shock of blue darted toward them.
    Lorgaire was thrown through the air as the bolt made contact with his heart. Aowyn and Rógaire grabbed him and tossed him to his feet, even as his arms began to form into wings. Ciatlllait stomped after them, her magic shooting and whizzing every which way through the castle. It pummeled its way into Rógaire just as Lorgaire found his webbed feet. Eagnaí gained speed and began flapping his wings. They bounded through the kitchen into the open yard. Second-born Aodh Caoin Croí sat outside strumming a Celtic harp. Ciatlllait aimed for him. He reeled back in a heap of black feathers. Eagnaí took flight into the vast darkness overhead, followed soon after by Lorgaire and Rógaire. Tears formed on Aowyn’s cheeks as she ran. Stór peeped softly in her arms.
    Caoin Croí came-to and began waddling quickly after his sister, honking helplessly.
    “Run!” Aowyn cried, “run!”
    Caoin Croí honked and picked up speed. His black neck stretched out. His wings spread. He began flapping until the wind slid under him and carried him skyward. Aowyn glanced behind her. Near the castle doors, Ciatlllait squared her shoulders triumphantly. Aowyn bounded over the green hills and through wide fields, around dell and into glade. She ran with little Stór to the one place she thought they and their brothers could find safety.
     
    An Cuan Áille came into sight and spread before them. Five swans dove from the sky, crashing into the still waters. Two black swans and three white ones slowly came to the surface. They bumped into each other in a whirlwind of feathers and awkward new body parts. Stór began to squirm in