Page 7 of The Tree of Spirits (Paragons #2)

Neither of which we had right now.

“We need to get moving now. Use the invisibility token,” Conner said to me. “As long as you’re holding his hand, the spell will envelop both of you.”

I reached for Marlow’s hand. “How many people can the token hide at once?”

“It’s supposed to be for one person, but in your case, it should be strong enough for the two of you.”

“In our case?”

“Since you’re so petite.” Conner’s eyes twinkled at me.

“Yeah, I’ve never heard that one before.” I rolled my eyes.

Conner had the decency to look sorry. “All teasing aside, yes, you are small. Magic isn’t all that different from science, Red. Mass matters. And that works to our advantage here. Be happy you’re smaller than other people. It’s the only reason this is going to work.”

“You’re right.” I inhaled slowly. “I am happy this will work.” I relaxed my shoulders. “Sorry. I’m just a little sensitive about my size, you know? People are always commenting on it, and it’s kind of frustrating that’s all they see when they look at me.” I slid him a tentative glance.

“Believe it or not, I get it.”

“You?” I said in surprise.

“Of course. Do you think anyone is able to see the real me? Do you think anyone can look beyond my awesome hair and rockstar good looks?”

A sharp laugh escaped my lips.

He winked at me.

“Thanks,” I chuckled.

His brows drew together. “For what?”

“For being the real you. That guy makes me laugh.”

He scratched his chin. “I’m trying to decide if I should be happy that you’re laughing at me.”

Oops.

“I’m laughing with you, not at you,” I assured him, allowing the sincerity to shine through my eyes.

Conner cracked another smile. “I’m just messing with you, Red. Of course I love to make people laugh. It’s kind of my mission in life—well, that and saving the world.”

“Both worthy goals.”

He smirked at me, then blinked out of sight. Gripping Marlow’s hand, I turned the knob on the coin, and then we were invisible too.

“Ok, now let’s get out of here,” Conner said, opening the door.

“First, there’s something I have to do,” I told him.

We snuck back across the compound. But rather than heading directly to the gate, I took a small detour toward the power generator I’d seen earlier. I flipped all the fuses I could find.

All power to the base went out.

Annoyance bounced around the compound.

“Not again,” groaned one of the commandos.

“That’s the third time in two days that the power’s gone out.”

“I bet another fuse is fried.”

“We don’t have time for this. We need to get ready for our next operation asap.”

Next operation? What were they planning?

“Someone get Hermes on the walkie-talkies and tell him to make the Scavengers find us more spare fuses.”

Meanwhile, as the commandos planned world domination, our invisible party of three hurried toward the gate.

But as Conner reached for the lock, a chorus of savage howls split across the grassy expanse, rattling the fence—and my nerves.

The Cursed Ones were pacing back and forth, suddenly restless and agitated. Hunger burned in their crimson eyes.

An armada of black SUVs rumbled over the grassy expanse. They came to a smooth stop in front of the first gate.

“The Watchers are here!” someone in the compound shouted.

Watchers poured out of the vehicles, but their swift advance stuttered under a volley of explosions.

“This way!” Conner pulled me out of the path of falling debris.

I just barely managed to hold on to Marlow’s hand and bring him along with me. Now we were all crouched behind a tower of supply crates.

“What are the Watchers doing here?” I coughed. My lungs felt like I’d swallowed a desert. “How did they know about this compound?”

“I don’t know. They’re usually so dense.” Conner rubbed his head.

“You’re bleeding!” I gaped at the gash on his forehead.

“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine.”

“None of us will be fine if we stay here for much longer,” Marlow commented as another round of explosions went off, showering us with dust and ash.

“This is all my fault.” I coughed and spat, trying to get that horrible burning metal taste out of my mouth. “Two guards stopped me at the Park’s gate. I told them who I was. I bet they called it in, and then the General sent the Watchers after his favorite anarchist.”

“You’re not an anarchist,” Conner told me as another explosion went off.

“How can you say that? Look around!” This time, the explosion was closer, inside the compound. That one must have come from the Watchers. “The Watchers are here because of me. This place is a war zone because of me!”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, it doesn’t look like this will be a war zone for much longer,” Marlow said, wheezing way too much for it to be good for him.

We were all going to suffocate on debris. That was, if we weren’t crushed under it first.

“What do you mean by that? Why won’t this be a war zone for much longer?” I asked Marlow.

“Because soon there won’t be any Watchers left to fight. Those explosions are taking them out fast,” he replied.

Conner peered over the crates, then ducked back down just before another explosion went off. “He’s right. The Watchers won’t last much longer.”

Marlow looked at him.

“What?” Conner asked.

Marlow plopped his butt down on the ground, folded his legs criss-cross, one hand on his knee, the other holding to mine. “Just waiting for you to march into battle and save us.”

“Oh, you are, are you?”

“Sure. You’re a Knight, aren’t you? You have magic, don’t you?” One eyebrow cranked upward.

“I’m sorry, did I forget to wear my ‘I’m not bombproof’ t-shirt today?” Conner’s laugh was less confident than usual.

Marlow’s brows drooped. And so did his mouth. “So you can’t get us out of here?”

“I can. Just give me a moment to figure out how to do it without getting you—and myself—killed.” Conner looked like he was about to start pacing to work out that problem.

I caught his hand, holding it—and his gaze. And it was a good thing too because another explosion went off.

He shot me an appreciative look. “Thanks, Red,” he whispered in my ear.

“No problem,” I whispered back because I knew he didn’t want Marlow to realize how rattled and vulnerable he was feeling right now. “I’ll help you, whatever you need. You’re not alone. We’re in this together.”

“Yeah, we are.” His confident smile returned. “And don’t think I don’t notice what you’re doing here, Red.”

“What am I doing?”

“Using this explosive situation as an excuse to hold my hand.” He winked at me.

I dropped his hand like a hot potato. “I know you must be feeling better if you’re back to your usual charming self,” I said drily.

He opened his mouth, but the next explosion drowned out whatever he said next. Then I heard a snap, followed by the screech of bending metal. Then lots and lots of shouting. It was coming from inside the compound.

And when I took a peek over the crates, I saw three people in black armor and thick battle helmets sprinting straight up and over the compound’s gate, as though gravity didn’t even apply to them.

“The Rebels are here,” I told my companions.

The Rebels were fighting the commandos. And they were winning.

“ He is also here.” Dread saturated Marlow’s voice.

I followed his gaze. He was staring at a dark figure at the edge of the woods.

“The Techno Knight.” Panic clenched down on my throat like an iron fist. “How did he get out of the Watchers’ prison?”

“I don’t think he did.” Conner pointed out the other two armored behemoths who’d just emerged from the trees.

I gasped as they took up position on either side of the first. “There are more of them. More Techno Knights.” I sucked in air, but it didn’t help. I still could hardly breathe. “It took seven Knights to take down one of these guys. The commandos and Techno Knights are going to win.”

“Actually, I don’t think they’re working together,” Conner said. “The Techno Knights are firing at the base too.”

So much for my theory about those armored fiends working for the Brotherhood.

Conner shielded us as one of the Techno Knights set off an explosion inside the base.

“What are we going to do?” I coughed out. “We have to get out of here.”

“The Rebels are going after the Techno Knights,” Marlow said.

Sure enough, the Rebels were trying to surround the three Techno Knights.

One of the Rebels lifted his armored hands in the air.

A tornado slammed into the compound’s two fences, ripping the posts out of the ground, hurling the metal mesh into the swirling funnel, which swallowed it up with a satisfied belch.

Everything dissolved into pandemonium. The Cursed Ones spun around. They sprinted toward the commandos who’d held them captive for so many days. The commandos shot at them—then, when that failed to slow them down, fled the other way.

So the Cursed Ones turned their red eyes on the Techno Knights. The wind-wielding Rebel flicked his wrist, and the funnel of fence debris slammed into the ground behind the Techno Knights, cutting off their escape. And freeing ours.

One of the Rebels was turned toward us, like he could see us, even though we were invisible.

“How did the Rebels know?” I watched the horrific clash of Watchers, Rebels, commandos, and Techno Knights. “How did they know we were here? How can they see us?”

“Run now, think later.” Conner snatched my free hand, pulling me and Marlow to our feet.

I saw a glowing object on the ground. It looked magical, so I snatched it, then the three of us ran as fast as we could from the battlefield.