Page 113 of The Tree of Spirits
Conner was moving too. “Did you really have to kick us?”
“Yes.” I pulled them to their feet.
Conner patted himself down. “I can breathe again.” He flipped back the visor of his helmet. “What did you do?”
“I brought us out of our dimension, just like you did earlier.”
“I…should have thought of that.”
“It’s the smoke. It makes it hard to think.”
Kato had his helmet visor open too. He waved his hand in front of his face, then peered over it at the slightly whirly fire wall. “The flames can’t touch us.” He sounded very groggy. “They can’t hurt us.”
“But it won’t last forever,” I said. “My power is already starting to fade.”
“Mine’s pretty tapped out too right now, at least for a big spell like this,” Conner said.
“So let’s get moving while we still can,” I declared. “Let’s go save the Many Realms!”
Then the three of us linked hands, and we passed through the wall of fire. The flames crackled and flickered, but they didn’ttouch us. They didn’t burn our skin or smother our lungs. They just slid right off of us, like we weren’t even there.
Once we were clear, I felt a slight tug, like tissue paper brushing against my skin. My spell dissolved into nothingness.
“We’re back in phase,” Conner said.
Elandra scowled at us. “How did you do that?”
“We did it with magic.” I flashed her a smile that had no warmth. “Magic, your favorite scapegoat.”
She only clutched the bottle in her hand harder. It looked like a bottle from one of my mom’s weedkillers. Elandra must have modified the poison to work on the magical tree.
“Can you guys take care of the fire and the Techno Knights?” I asked the boys, but kept my gaze locked on Elandra.
“We’re on it,” Conner said as he and Kato hurried off.
I heard a swoosh, then a gust of wind smashed into the Techno Knights, pulling them away, toward the boys. Now nothing stood between me and Elandra—and the Spirit Tree that I had to save. It was up to me to stop her.
“You like to blame magic for all the evil in the world, but that’s not fair, is it?” I said, creeping forward. “Magic isn’t responsible for attacking innocent people at the Tournament. Or for trying to burn people alive.Youdid all of that.” I shook my head. “Poor Kylie. She would be so ashamed of you!”
“I’m doing this for her. For all of us.” Her throat tightened. “I am doing it to save the Earth.” She popped off the lid of the poison bottle. “I’m done talking. This is the right choice, even if you don’t realize it now. You will thank me for it later, you’ll see.”
She prepared to drench the Spirit Tree in poison. I rushed forward, knocking her away. I grabbed the bottle out of her hand before she could make another attempt.
“You’re too late,” Elandra growled.
I turned, staring wide-eyed as poison dripped down one of the Spirit Tree’s thick branches. The white bark blackened, and the leaves crumbled to dust.
CHAPTER 4
SURVIVE
Ipushed Elandra aside, rushing toward the Spirit Tree. I had to save it. This couldn’t be the end.
“Stop fighting, Savannah. Stop looking for a way out of this,” Elandra said behind me. “See? The poison is already spreading. Very soon it will completely consume the tree. There’s nothing you can do to stop it. This is the end of magic on Earth. Accept it. Embrace it.”
“I will never embrace the end of the world,” I growled. “And I willnevergive up.”
It will survive.The memory of Rane’s words looped in my head, from the first time I’d met her.I have to cut away the rot to save it.
