Page 112 of The Tree of Spirits
“Savannah!” Kato shouted.
“Don’t give up!” Conner begged me.
They reached out to catch me, but they couldn’t fight this. None of us could. Despair like I’d never felt before crushed me into a tiny, helpless ball.
I watched the flames flicker along the fire cage. Heat drenched me. I could hardly breathe. I couldn’t even keep my eyes open.
Savannah!
The voice pierced my mind—unfamiliar and yet familiar all the same.
“Who are you?” I muttered.
Kato and Conner looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
Maybe they were right. I had swallowed a lot of smoke.
Don’t give up!
A pretty white snow fox appeared before me and poked me with her pretty white paw.
“Is that fox you?” I asked the voice.
Naturally.
“You’re a spirit.”
We can discuss this later. Right now, you need to escape the fire.
“There’s no way out. We’re trapped in a big fire cage. Even Conner and Kato don’t have enough magic to put out the flames.”
This isn’t about how much magic you use. It’s about using the right magic.
“I…don’t understand.”
That’s because you’ve inhaled too much smoke and aren’t thinking clearly.
“Sounds…about right.”
She poked me again with her paw.
“Ow,” I said dully.
Savannah, there is a way out of this. I’ll tell you how, but I really need you to focus. Ok?
“Ok,” I coughed.
She leaned in to whisper to me. Her words fluttered against my ear like little butterflies. I tried to drink them in, tried tofocus the best I could, even though it was really hard to think. My lungs were burning and my head felt like someone had hit it with a baseball bat.
Now get up!
I jumped up, limbs flailing, body unbalanced. I looked at the ground, where the boys had passed out. They were hardly moving. Barely breathing. I had to get us out of herenow.
The spirit’s words were still swirling around in my head, and they stuck to my skin, drenching my whole body. It was magic—flexible, pliable magic. I pulled at the layer of magic, extending it around the boys. It covered us like an icy sheet.
“Kato? Conner?” I tapped them with my finger—and, when that didn’t work, kicked them with the toe of my shoe.
“Ow,” Kato grumbled, stirring.
