Valentina Salazar Is Not a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Córdova

Author:Zoraida Córdova [Córdova, Zoraida]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2022-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

If you’ve ever fallen through an interdimensional portal, then you know the first thing that happens is, your ears pop. Since it was my first time, I wasn’t prepared to fall. I wasn’t prepared for the way my head spun. One minute I was there, and then the next I was somewhere else. I was surrounded by streaks of colorful light. The sound of a howling storm. And then, for a few seconds, when the wind was at my back and I was alone, there was nothing but black and pinpricks of stars in the distance. Everything that made my world my world was sucked out into a vacuum and replaced by Finisterra.

The landing wasn’t smooth. I wish I could say that I landed in a crouch, like a superhero, or even a cat. No, I, Valentina Salazar, landed on my tailbone.

Ouch.

I waited for a second before opening my eyes. I had to make sure I wasn’t going to throw up. I could hear how fast my heart was beating in my eardrums. Grass tickled the palms of my hands. At least, I hoped it was grass. I was afraid to look.

All my life, Finisterra had seemed like a place that was so far away. It was on the other side of the portal. I remembered asking my dad why we couldn’t go through the portal, and he always said, We don’t belong there, little bug. Promise me that a long time from now, when I’m old and gray and the Meridian falls to you, that you won’t try.

I promised. So did Rome and Lola and Andie.

That day came sooner than we thought, and now, I’d broken that promise.

I opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was the sky. It wasn’t the blue I was used to. It was lilac fading into pink. Mammoth clouds floated across a white sun, and just below that was a crescent moon. Both winked in the sky at the same time.

When I breathed deeply, my lungs ached, like they were stretching to fill with the sweetest air I’d ever smelled. I wanted to look at everything all at the same time. Giant hills rolled in one direction. Behind me was a rocky path that led to a forest made of black pine trees, and behind that a mountain sparkled and shined like it was made out of crystal. The grass was just a little bit greener, the yellow flowers just a little sunnier.

I spun around in circles, each time seeing something new. There was a path through the grass, like someone, or something, walked it enough to permanently leave their mark. To my right was a skinny river with shimmering fish that jumped out super high.

“Whoa.” I sighed.

After making sure none of my bones were broken, I looked around for Rome and Lola. I walked in a small diameter from where I’d fallen, but they were nowhere to be found.

Then it hit me. The Meridian. It must have fallen out of my hand when we fell.

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