Page 34 of The Tree of Spirits (Paragons #2)

SNEAKING AND ENTERING

I was still a wanted fugitive. I couldn’t just stroll around town in broad daylight.

So I used the invisibility token Conner had given me, and the two of us broke into my cottage.

Ok, maybe broke in was too strong of a phrase.

There was no breaking. Conner used a cool spell to make us phase right through the wall.

“So this explains how you snuck into my cottage before,” I commented, flipping the invisibility token to off mode. If I used it too long, my ears started buzzing.

Conner’s blue eyes twinkled. “I know my ways in and out of all kinds of places. How else do you think I broke into the Black Obelisk last week?”

“Care to teach me that phasing trick?”

A smile lit up his whole face. “Why, Red, you wouldn’t be planning any clandestine delinquent behavior, now would you?”

“Yeah, you know me. Such a rebel,” I said drily. “At least according to the General.”

He chuckled. “The General would call someone a rebel for stacking their paper the wrong way.”

“There’s a wrong way to stack paper?”

“According to the General, there is.” Conner’s gaze panned across the room. “Now, where’s that celestial globe?”

“I hid it in my sock drawer.” I took a step toward my walk-in closet, but froze when I heard a knock on my front door. “Who is it?” I blurted out, then clamped my hands over my mouth.

Conner buried his face in his hands.

Yeah, I was an idiot. So much for being stealthy.

“It’s Santa Claus!” my brother’s voice replied from the other side of my door. “Open up!”

“Just a minute!” I grabbed Conner’s hand and pulled him over to my walk-in closet. “Get in,” I whispered.

“Are you seriously trying to hide me in your closet ?” he whispered back.

“No, of course not. I thought I’d introduce the leader of the Rebels to all my friends,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“What a fantastic idea.” He started walking toward the front door.

I caught his hand, hissing, “Are you out of your mind? I’m already in enough hot water with the General as it is. Do you have any idea what he would do to me if he found out you were here with me in my house ?”

“But it’s not the General. It’s Santa Claus,” he pointed out with a mischievous grin. “You heard him say so himself.”

Conner tried to duck under my arm to reach the door, but I blocked him. He wasn’t trying very hard. He was much faster and stronger than I was and could have easily made it past me if he’d wanted to. He was just tormenting me.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not Santa Claus, and you know it.”

He pretended to scowl at me. “Have you always been such a spoilsport, or did joining the Apprentice Program simply drain you of all capacity for fun?”

“This isn’t fun. You are a rogue and a rebel and really, really not supposed to be here.”

“Oh, I see.” He gave me a knowing smile. “You’re afraid people will find out about us .”

“Us?” I said weakly, blushing.

“You know, that we’re working together.” A smirk took over his face. “Or did you think I meant?—”

“Most of the time, Conner, I haven’t the slightest clue what you mean about anything.”

I took his hand again and led him back toward my closet. This time, he didn’t even pretend to resist.

“No one can know that I’m helping you because you’re a Rebel and hanging out with you will get me into big trouble, ok?” I told him. “No one can know. Not even my brother.”

He brightened. “That’s your brother at the door? Oh, no way you’re keeping me from meeting him.” He made another run for the door.

I cut him off. “ Yes way. You aren’t going anywhere near him.” I glared at him to let him know I meant business. “I don’t want him to get in trouble either.”

Conner considered my face, my posture. “Very scary,” he decided with an approving nod. “Look, your hand is even on fire.”

I looked and saw he was right. Unfortunately, I was too worried right now to celebrate my new powers.

“Hey, Savannah!” Dante called out from behind my closed door. “What’s going on in there? Open up!”

“Just a minute. I’m just dealing with…lady issues.”

“Uh…ok.” Dante’s tone told me he wanted absolutely nothing to do with that. “Take your time.”

Meanwhile, Conner was shaking with suppressed laughter.

And my hand wasn’t the only thing on fire. My face was burning.

“Get in the closet, or I will make you get in the closet,” I hissed at Conner.

Little flames danced across my skin. Fire flaked off, hitting him.

He calmly brushed the flames off his shoulders. “Ok, ok.” He waved his hand at the curtains I’d accidentally, kind of set on fire. “No need to get so testy.”

He blew me a kiss and disappeared into the closet, closing the door behind him.

I put out the flames, checked that the sliding door was shut all the way, then walked over to my front door. I opened it to find Dante standing on my doormat, trying to look casual.

“Ok, come in.” I waved him inside. “Shut the door behind you.”

He did as I asked. “So, are you done with…” His gaze locked on to me. “Hey, you little liar!”

I felt my heart thump in panic. He was on to me!

“You aren’t dealing with ‘lady issues’. You’ve been practicing magic!”

I looked down at my inflamed hand. “Oh, sorry.” I shook my fingers, and the flames went out.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were practicing magic?” Dante looked around the room like he was expecting to find something exciting.

I tried really hard not to look at the closet where Conner was hiding. “Oh, well, I…”

His eyes darted to my curtains’ frayed edges. They were still smoking a little.

“Oh.” He chuckled. “I see.”

“I’ll get better at it eventually.”

“I hope so. It would be a shame if you burnt down the house.”

I knew he was only teasing me, but his words only reminded me of how far I still had to go before I gained any semblance of control over my magic.

He must have sensed my gloom because he quickly added, “Hey, don’t pay any attention to me. You know I’m only messing with you.”

“I know. But you’re right. I need to get better control over my magic before I destroy something…or someone gets hurt,” I sighed.

“This is about what Rhett and his idiot friends said to you after dinner yesterday, isn’t it? You’re not a freak, Savi.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Don’t let those Victory losers get to you.

They’re just jealous that you have the powers of all six Tribes.

Everyone’s jealous. Hey, even I’m a little jealous.

I wish I could set things on fire. The curtains in my house are even uglier than these.

” He rubbed the frayed ends of my curtains between his fingers.

I smiled. I appreciated that he was trying to cheer me up, even if he was only half-succeeding.

“Don’t sweat it, sis. You’ll totally get control over your powers before you blow up the planet. I’m at least sixty percent sure of it.”

I laughed and punched him in the arm.

“Ok, ok. Seventy percent sure. But only because you punch like a wrecking ball.” He rubbed his arm.

“So, I take it you didn’t just stop by to cheer me on as I set all the furniture on fire?”

“No.” His eyes lit up. “But I’m absolutely up for that if you are.”

I snorted.

“Actually, I stopped by to check that you’re all right. Nevada told me the Watchers showed up here this morning to bring you to the Black Obelisk for questioning.” He gave me a look that invited me to elaborate on that.

I cringed to think of what kinds of rumors were making the rounds through the Apprentice Village right now.

“I’m fine,” I assured Dante. “The General just wanted to grill me on the Rebels. He thinks I helped them steal techno armor so they could kidnap Kylie and the others.”

“Then he doesn’t know you at all.”

I shrugged. “The whole thing was just a big show to intimidate me anyway. He wants me to lie and tell everyone that the Rebels are the kidnappers. He wants to use me as a tool to turn the public against them.”

Dante made a derisive noise. “Ignore him. Seriously. The guy hates teenagers. That’s why he tries to make our lives miserable.

He can’t stand it that the spirits gave us magic—and that Gaia needs us more than it needs him and his soldiers.

Tell him you’re not his puppet. Our mentors will back you up.

And so will your boyfriends.” He winked at me.

“And just when I thought we could make it through a whole conversation without your using the b-word,” I sighed.

He reached out to give my shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Hey, don’t worry. Everything will be all right. A bunch of the Apprentices are going to the beach later. Come with us. Have fun. Show the General that you won’t allow him to ruin your day.”

“It’s too late for that, sadly.”

“Why does that sound so ominous?”

“Oh, trust me. It’s much worse than it sounds.” I collapsed onto my sofa.

Dante took a seat next to me. “Tell me.”

I turned toward him, criss-crossing my legs. “So after I refused the General’s offer, he locked me in the interrogation room and said he wouldn’t let me out until I cooperated.”

Dante’s brows lifted. “Ok, so then how are you here?”

“The Rebels kind of, well, kidnapped me from the Black Obelisk. Though they were just trying to save me. And now the General is scouring the city for me. Oh, and he thinks I made most of his Watchers disappear.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask this, Sav,” he said, clearing his throat, “but did you?”

“No! Of course not. It was the Templars, the same people who kidnapped the Apprentices. It’s all part of their plan to escape Gaia.

I’m working on stopping them—and bringing back the Watchers—but I need a little time.

” I gave him a small, hopeful smile. “And I really need to keep the General off my back so he doesn’t interfere and wreck everything.

So could you maybe not tell anyone that you saw me here? ”

“I’ve got your back, sis. I won’t tell a soul.” He slapped me on the back. “But you really should find somewhere better to hide. This is the first place the General will look for you.”

“I know. I’m just here to pick up something I need to get all of this sorted, then I’m out of here.”

Dante jumped to his feet. “Ok, so if anyone asks, I’ll tell them that you went for a hike because you needed to recharge your batteries after setting the General’s office on fire.”

I planted my hands on my hips and scowled at him. “You will tell them no such thing.”

“Oh, I most certainly will tell them that.” He winked to let me know he was kidding. “Fine, I’ll just tell them you needed to calm down after setting your bedroom curtains on fire.”

“Why do you have to talk about my setting anything on fire?”

This time, his shoulder squeeze was more of a shoulder punch. “You have a legend to build, Sav, and I’m going to help you build it.”

“A legend for setting the curtains on fire?”

“We need to start small and work our way up.” He grinned at me and then ducked out of my cottage.

I closed the door behind him. Then I leaned against the wall, taking a few breaths to collect my thoughts before I let the crazy Rebel out of my closet.

“Now, that was interesting,” Conner said behind me.

I jumped at the sound of his voice.

“Don’t scare people like that.” I turned around to face him.

Conner ran his hand through his sunshine-blond hair. “I like your brother. He sounds like the sort of person who knows how to have fun.” He followed up his words with a hard, judgmental look.

“I know how to have fun,” I insisted.

He snorted.

“I do.”

“Ok, ok, You know how to have fun.” He lifted his hands up in the air in surrender. “Now please don’t set the curtains on fire again.” His mouth twitched.

I glared at him. “You’re not as funny as you think you are.”

“Then why are you smiling?”

I frowned when I realized he was right. I had smiled.

“Don’t you have better things to do than annoy me?” I asked him.

“Nope. While I was stuck in your closet, I made use of the time to locate the celestial globe.” Conner tossed the glass sphere up in the air, then caught it. “Which means now I’m all yours.” He wrapped his arm around me.

I peeled his hand off my shoulder.

Which seemed to amuse him even more.

“So, how do we get the location history off of that?” I indicated the celestial globe in his hand.

“Don’t worry, Red. That part will be easy. After all, I am the most powerful Knight in all the Many Realms.” The easy smile on his face made it impossible for me to doubt him.

But I could still tease him. “I thought that honor belongs to Kato.”

His expression soured. “Very funny.”

“I was serious.”

“Oh, really? I couldn’t tell. Your serious face and your funny face are so much alike.”

I grabbed a pillow off the sofa and threw it at his head.

He caught it easily. “Much as I enjoy a good pillow fight, we really need to skedaddle before the Watchers show up.”

“Right. Of course.” The seriousness of the situation settled on my shoulders, and boy did they suddenly feel really heavy. “Let’s go.”