Page 71 of The Knights of Gaia

“You don’t get along with the Metamorph Knights, do you?”

“They’re ok.Mostof the time,” Eris added. “But Nymphs don’t have much in common with Metamorphs. It’s hard to find common ground with people who consider things like armwrestling and pushup contests to be the definition of a good time.”

Bronte and Kylie nodded in agreement. The boys looked less convinced. Maybe they liked pushups and armwrestling.

Eris turned toward me. “I’m surprised you could see past the Metamorphs’ beast forms to the men inside.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Asher told her. “Everyone knows Winters is a freak.” He flashed me a lopsided grin. “That’s why we like her so much. Right, guys?”

My teammates all nodded—except for Dutch. His body was stiff and his lips pressed tightly together.

“Dude, you’re missing out on some serious team love here.” Asher grabbed him and pushed him up close to me, so close that we nearly bumped heads. “Come on. Tell Winters you love her.”

Dutch tried to push him away, but Asher was quite wily. He held him in place. Eventually, Dutch gave up on escape and stopped struggling.

“I wish her score wasn’t dragging down the team average.” Dutch pointedly looked away from me when he said that, which surprised me. Usually, he was so direct. “At this rate, we’re never going to beat Team Victory.”

“Team Victory?” I asked.

“That’s Rhett’s team.”

Of course it was.

“I wish…”

“What do you wish?” I asked him.

Dutch finally met my eyes. “I wish we’d gotten your brother instead of you.”

Bronte sighed. “So do I.” As soon as she said the words, her hands jumped to her mouth, covering it. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

Eris waved her armored hand in front of her helmet. “There’s something in the air. Some kind of magic. It’s bringing out the truth in people. Come on, we should get moving. In the wrong hands, the truth can be a dangerous weapon.”

“How right you are, young Knight,” said a rough, deep voice.

There was a flash of magic, and then a sword was suddenly in Eris’s hand, the blade’s tip just millimeters from a man’s throat.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The man’s face was obscured beneath a helmet that looked like some kind of gas mask. “If you hurt me, then I hurt them.”

More people in gas masks were scattered throughout the mall’s entrance hall. Fifteen of them that I could see. I could hear even more of them, deeper inside the mall. The masked strangers blocked the doors, the windows, the stairs. And they had already taken hostages.

Eris lowered her sword. “What do you want?” she growled.

The masked assailant reached toward her and popped the release to her helmet’s visor, revealing her flushed face. “Oh, it’s quite simple, actually. You’re going to hand over all your pretty magic weapons, armor, and other knickknacks.” He flicked his armored hand against her shoulder guard. “Or I’m going to start hurting people.”

CHAPTER3

THE REBELS

Iwasn’t sure if Eris was planning to acquiesce to the bandits, and I never found out. Because the next moment, three armored fighters swooped down from the mall’s upper levels, bows drawn back. Despite all the armor, they moved with inhuman grace, like angels dancing on air.

“The Knights are here!” Asher said, grinning.

“Those aren’t Knights,” Bronte told him. “Knights don’t wear black.”

Whoever these people were, they made quick work of the bandits. Arrows sliced through the air. Ropes burst out of those arrows, pinning the bandits to pillars, walls, and even the floor. Eris shook her sword, and it transformed into a huge fishing net, floating above our heads. She inhaled deeply. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she directed the net toward a trio of fleeing bandits. It gobbled them up and dropped them into a very large crate of used coffee capsules.

Then she spun around to face the armored angel walking toward her. “What in the spirits’ name are you doing here?” she sighed.

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