Page 2 of The Tree of Spirits
Dante squared his shoulders and stood up taller, like he was proud of that amazing accomplishment, which, knowing my brother, he totally was. “So, what’s your assignment today?”
“Waiting around doing absolutely nothing while Bronte sorts out a bunch of misbehaving Summit vendors.”
“If you let her do all the work, she’ll get all the credit,” he warned me.
I shrugged. “If I try to help, she’ll just scold me. And she gets this really freaky crinkle between her eyes. So I figured I’d just get out of her way and let her do what she does best.”
“See, Sav, this is why you’re at the bottom of the Scoreboard.”
“Actually, I’m not at the total bottom of the Scoreboard anymore.”
All thanks to a timely intervention from my Knight in shining armor.
“But, in any case,” I continued, “I’m pretty sure I’m near the bottom of the Scoreboard because the General thinks I’m the personification of anarchy.”
He snorted. “That too. But you should at least try to dosomethingto earn points.”
“Na, motive is more important than merit.”
His brows squeezed together. “Cute. Where did you pick up that new nugget of wisdom?”
I shook my head. “Nowhere. Never mind.”
Kato and Conner had both said those words to me. It was no wonder if they were best friends. But if I told my brother that I’d been…well, hanging out with two Knights—twoboyKnights—the teasing would never end. And I really didn’t need that kind of drama in my life right now.
“Fancy meeting you two here!”
Dante and I turned toward our mom, who was grinning at us like it was the best day of her life.
“My two amazing children, working so hard to become Knights!” Mom hit us with the sappiest look I’d ever seen on her face. “I’m so proud of you!”
“She does realize we’re basically just standing here goofing off, right?” Dante said to me.
I gave him my most innocent smile. “That wouldn’t be anything new for you.”
“Hey, I have goals and ambition and stuff!” he protested.
“Such as?”
Dante actually had to think about that for a moment. “Running a marathon in under two hours,” he finally decided.
“Oh, right. I remember last year when you were running a lot, trying to make that goal.”
“And I remember you tagging along.”
“I didn’t make it nearly as far as you did,” I sighed.
“You made it far enough to get bloody feet.”
I winced. “Yeah, that was awful.”
“What was awful was how Mom totally freaked out when you went through our entire yearly supply of bandages in only a month,” he told me.
“I forgot all about that,” Mom said.
“Well, I didn’t. You gave me one incredibly unforgettable lecture. Like it wasmyfault that Savannah had gotten her feet all bloody and blistered,” he said with a long, slow roll of his eyes.
Mom frowned. “That’s not why I lectured you, Dante, and you know it.”
