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“But easy to displease?” I suggested.

“Yes,” she agreed. “Very.”

“I guess he figured he couldn’t afford to lose a potential Knight.”

“The Government is wary about wasting any Gaian with a single drop of magic,” Eris said. “But be careful, Savannah. Try not to do anything like this again. Whatever miracle saved you from expulsion today, don’t count on it to save you next time.”

“I know,” I replied. “And I’ll try my best.”

“Though it’s too bad. This was by far the most entertaining War Games Quest the Castle has ever seen!” Eris laughed as we moved toward the gates. “The mentors got a good look at the action, what with all the cameras everywhere.”

I cringed a little at the thought ofallthe cameraseverywhere.

“You should have seen the look on the Watchers’ faces when you stole that SUV right out from under their noses!”

I shrugged. “They really should be more careful not to leave the keys in their vehicle.”

“Indeed,” she agreed.

“So, out of curiosity, what exactly was in that treasure box we brought the General?” I asked her.

“A peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.”

“Wait, what?” I laughed. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, the mentors got to pick what went in the treasure box, and we thought it would be hilarious to send the General a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.” Eris pushed open a side door in the gate. “Well, see you bright and early tomorrow morning for your next Quest.”

“What kind of Quest?” I asked her, passing through the open gate.

“You’ll just have to wait and find out,” she said with a wink, then closed the door behind me.

EPISODE 4

THE MAGIC EMPORIUM

CHAPTER1

COMPETITION

When I left my cottage in the morning, Mrs. Edwards was in the foyer of her house, gathering supplies for a day of gardening.

“Good morning, Savannah,” she said brightly. “I heard you had some trouble yesterday.”

Wow. My host really was well-connected.

“Yes, but it turned out all right, all things considered,” I replied. “I could tell the General really wanted to kick me out of the Apprentice Program.”

Mrs. Edwards followed me outside. The air was heavy and hot. And it smelled of sun-dried leaves—with a sweet, minty hint of eucalyptus.

“The Iron Wolf is such an unpleasant man.” Her lips pinched together when she used the General’s notorious nickname. “He never smiles.”

“Yeah, I think that’s on purpose,” I said. “If he let people see him smile, they might forget to be afraid of him.”

Her nose wrinkled. “Just promise me you’ll watch your back around him, Savannah.”

Mrs. Edwards seemed to genuinely care about me. She was kind of like the grandmother I’d never had.

“I promise,” I told her.