Page 41 of The Tree of Spirits (Paragons #2)

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF ILLUSIONS

K ato didn’t waste any time targeting the threat. He hit the Chameleon with earth, with fire, with an assortment of very hard, very heavy objects.

When none of that had any effect, he conjured a handheld cannon out of thin air and shot the monster—continuously. The balls of crackling, condensed magic metal didn’t even make a dent in the Chameleon’s scaled armor.

“It appears immune to everything,” Kato said calmly, setting the heavy cannon down on the ground.

He was as steady as a rock, as always. Nothing seemed to rattle him. Ever. He would face the impending end of the world with the same unflustered composure as he did every other problem.

If only I could do the same.

“It’s not invulnerable,” I said as the beast kicked its back legs against a stack of wooden crates, shattering them. “We defeated it before.”

“We?”

I quickly summarized my first encounter with the monster—and Capricorn.

“I have heard of the Zodiac Order,” Kato said when I’d finished. “But I’ve never seen one of them. This is the first time they’ve come to Gaia.”

“That’s because this place used to be boring,” Nixi said, materializing between us. Was she stalking me, or just really, really bored? “Yes, it was so very dull until you came to the Fortress, Savannah Winters.” She winked at me.

“Are you implying that I am somehow responsible for that ?” I pointed at the Chameleon, which was still busy destroying crates.

“Of course not,” the ghost intoned. “You came here for the same reason I did: because things finally got exciting.”

Actually, I’d come to the Fortress to become a Knight, but I didn’t argue with Nixi. It would only amuse her.

“The Chameleon is here for that .” She indicated the spellbook in my hands.

“Why? Does it want to learn some new spells?” I quipped.

“You’re silly, Savannah Winters.” Nixi let out a short titter, then her face went completely blank. “The book is letting off some very potent magic vibes.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “That is what drew the Chameleon to your realm.”

No wonder Mistress Meeta had been so eager to be rid of the spellbook. Before she’d sold us the book, the monster must have been hunting her. And now it was hunting us.

“Brother.”

The word had come from the Chameleon, but the creature wasn’t a beast anymore. No, it looked just like Conner. It sounded like Conner too. He stepped toward Kato, arms spread wide in brotherly greeting.

“We’ve been at odds for far too long,” Conner said with a half-smile. “We used to be friends. We used to tell each other everything. I miss that.”

Kato didn’t move. I could only imagine what his face looked like under that thick helmet.

“It’s not really Conner,” I told him. “The Chameleon can get inside your head. It reads your thoughts and emotions and then exploits them.”

“Silence, Apprentice.” The Chameleon was playing the General now.

“I did not give you permission to speak.” Disapproval dripped off his words like sweat on skin on a hot summer day.

He addressed Kato. “Just look at what she’s done now.

” The General indicated the toppled tents and broken crates.

“She wreaks havoc wherever she goes. She endangers everyone with her reckless actions. The book she holds is dangerous. You swore to protect the people of Gaia, Kato. Fulfill that duty now. Arrest her. And give me the book.” He held out his hand.

“That is not the General,” I said to Kato.

“I know.”

The words echoed deeply inside his helmet. He was trying to sound more confident than he was. The Chameleon had gotten to him. It had wormed its way into his head.

“He’s right, you know,” the Chameleon said, laughing lightly. It was wearing my face now, speaking in my voice. “I am trouble. So much trouble.” Fake-Savannah batted her eyelashes at Kato.

“I do not sound like that,” I protested. I glowered at the fake me. “And I don’t act like that either.”

“Keep telling yourself that, sister,” she chuckled, linking her arm in Kato’s. She glanced up at him, hitting him with a doting look. “Could you escort me home, Kato?” She was literally hanging on his arm. “There are monsters everywhere. I’m scared.” Her voice quivered.

“Oh, puh-lease,” I growled. Seeing that sappy look on my own face made me want to gag.

“Don’t worry,” Kato said, stepping back to bow to her. “I will help you.”

“I knew I could count on you, Kato,” she simpered.

Metal sang. Fast as lightning, he drew his sword.

Fire roared. Flames slid down his blade.

Kato swung, chopping off the monster’s head with his sword. And then both head and body exploded into tiny light particles and faded away, like they’d never been there at all. Soft, distant bells chimed on the wind, gentle and magical.

I gawked at him. “You just beheaded me.”

“I knew it wasn’t really you, Seven.” A slight chuckle tinted his words. “You’re far too stubborn to ask for help.”

I struggled not to laugh. “Very funny.”

He bowed his head in acknowledgement.

“Well, then,” I said. “What now?”

“Now we get rid of that.” He indicated the spellbook in my hands.

“Get rid of it?”

“Destroy it, preferably,” he clarified.

I clutched the book tightly to my chest, shaking my head. “No.”

“Be reasonable, Seven. That spellbook is a curse, a plague. It’s a magnet for monsters.”

“Just the one monster,” I argued. “And it’s gone now.” I swallowed.

“No, it’s not,” Nixi said. “Remember what I told you? It will be back.” She practically sang the last sentence.

Kato was just putting his sword away, but at the ghost’s words, he drew it again.

“If it’s any consolation, it will take the Chameleon a while to coalesce. And it will be even stronger next time,” Nixi said brightly.

“We need the Paragons’ spellbook,” I told Kato. “We need the secrets it contains. Remember?”

Kato stood facing me for a long, silent moment. “All right,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “I will not destroy the book. But if you’re going to hold on to it, we need to do something to mute it. Please, give it to me.”

I did as he asked, then he waved his hand over the book, muttering an incantation.

“It’s done,” he said, handing it back to me. “The book is no longer screaming out like a beacon to the monsters all across the Many Realms. But I must warn you that nothing can silence an object of such immense power. If the monsters get close enough, they will sense the book and go after it.”

“How exciting,” Nixi said, a slow smile drawing up her lips as she faded away.

I could have sworn I heard the echo of the book’s song, calling out to the monsters. Of course, I was probably just imagining things. If I hadn’t heard the book singing before Kato had muted it, I certainly couldn’t hear it now.

“Have you found anything?” Kato asked me a few minutes later.

We’d rushed the book out of the rain and into the mall. As soon as I’d put the torn page next to the book, it had reattached itself, like it yearned to be linked to the other pages.

“There’s so much in here,” I said, flipping through the book.

Some of the spells were short, just a few lines. Others were more like epic poems, many pages long. Those were the really crazy-powerful ones. But which spell would help us find the Templars?

My gaze snagged on a few short lines at the bottom of one of the pages. It was more like a footnote tucked beneath a very detailed picture of a tree, but that little bit of background info sparked a revelation in me.

“I know where the Templars are going,” I muttered. “And I know how they’re planning to escape.”