Page 39 of The Tribes of Magic (Paragons #3)
TREACHERY AND LIES
S ometime later, someone shook me awake.
I blinked, sitting up. The SUV slowed to a stop at a tall metal gate, topped with spikes.
Armed soldiers were everywhere. We’d reached the first checkpoint, the entrance to the Fortress.
Kato rolled down his window and handed a folder to the guard in the booth.
The Watcher opened the folder, paused… To read it, I guess. I couldn’t see his eyes through that black helmet… Then he passed the folder back to Kato. The gates parted, and he waved us on through. Not once did he glance in Conner’s direction, which was fortunate given he wasn’t supposed to be here.
“Your invisibility spell held up,” Kato said.
We were moving again, and I was glad. The sooner we got back, the sooner I could eat. I was famished. No eating plus really big spells equaled unhappy Savannah.
“Of course my spell held up.” Conner was still invisible, so his chuckles seemed to come out of nowhere. “My spells always hold up.”
“The General installed magic detectors at every checkpoint.”
“Then it’s fortunate the great and powerful White Knight is here to throw off all their readings.”
“You’re not taking this seriously, Conner.”
“No worries. You’re taking it seriously enough for the both of us.”
Kato’s helmet hid his expression, but not his sigh.
“Is it hard to drive while wearing a helmet?” I asked him.
“Of course not, Red,” Conner answered for him, then intoned a serious, “Knights wear helmets.”
I suppressed a laugh. I didn’t want to encourage him. So I turned back to Kato. “How did you get this car? It belongs to the Watchers. You didn’t steal it, did you?”
I thought back to Conner’s plan to steal one of the Watchers’ SUVs earlier. But Kato wouldn’t do that. Would he?
“I told the General I required a vehicle in order to chase down a lead on the Rebels.” Kato glanced at the seat currently occupied by our invisible friend. “The General granted my request.”
“Yes, he really wants to catch me.”
“That’s good. Not the part where the General wants to catch you, Conner,” I added quickly. “I meant it’s good he gave you the car. I was not looking forward to the long walk back. Thanks for coming to get us, Kato.” I smiled at him.
Kato sighed again. That had to be some kind of record for him. “I had to cover for you, Seven. Again. Why did you abandon your training group to hang out with Conner?”
“We weren’t ‘hanging out’. We were working.”
“Working?”
“Yes, working. And what we accomplished today was so much more important than waiting around to see which Apprentice Altair would poison.”
“She has a point, Kato, you know.”
“Of course you agree with her. This whole unsanctioned Quest was all your idea.”
“Naturally.” Conner didn’t sound ashamed or contrite. He sounded proud.
“I don’t like lying,” Kato said.
“I think you like it even less that Savannah was hanging out with me.”
Kato ignored him. “Not to mention the General is currently in a very bad mood. After what happened to Queen Seriana and Prince Fenris, the Court appears to be turning against Gaia. Quite a few of the delegates are adamant that Gaia should not join the Court. The growing anti-Gaian movement is led by Princess Lyssa.”
“The vampire princess?” I asked.
Kato nodded. “She blames Gaia for what happened to her mother and brother.”
“But it wasn’t us! I proved that!”
“There’s the truth, Seven. And then there’s what people do with it.”
That wasn’t a very cheery outlook on life. Kato was undoubtedly right, but I’d hoped for a little more optimism and encouragement.
“Speaking of problems piling up,” Conner said, “there’s something we need to tell you, Kato.”
So we did. We told him about the Templars. How they were the soldiers for the Order of Kings, some super-secret, super-creepy supernatural organization. How the Order of Kings were behind all the Apprentice kidnappings. And how someone in the Gaian Government was working with them.
When we were done, Kato was silent for a while, as he processed everything we’d told him. Finally, he spoke. “That’s where the mysterious supplies are coming from. The Order gave them to the Government as payment.”
Even through the echo of Kato’s helmet, his disgust was crystal clear.
“I think this goes deeper than just a few supplies,” I said.
“There’s a spy in the Government—or perhaps even several spies—working for this super-shady Order of Kings organization.
The supplies are useful, sure, but no one in the Government would risk their career, their freedom, and their life for just a few supplies.
Anyone that devious must know the supplies aren’t going to make the difference between revival and ruin.
Everything, Gaia’s entire future, rests on the Summit.
If the delegates accept our application to join the Court, Gaia will flourish.
The Government spy must believe the Order of Kings can give them this.
That is why they let them have the Apprentices. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“You realize what this means, don’t you, Seven?”
I nodded. “I do. It means the people holding the Apprentices captive have enough power and prestige to give Gaia a place on the Many Realms Court. It means some of the delegates currently rubbing elbows with our Government’s officials are members of the Order of Kings.”
“It means more than that,” Conner said. “The Summit is where the Government and the Court meet. The spy has to be a member of Gaia’s delegation, someone with power and influence in our Government. Someone who would do anything, sacrifice anyone to get ahead. Does that sound like anyone we know?”
“Wait, you can’t mean…”
“Yes, Red. I believe the General is the one who’s made a deal with the Order, and I’m going to prove it.”