Page 81 of The Tree of Spirits
CHAPTER 7
SNEAKING AND ENTERING
Iwas still a wanted fugitive. I couldn’t just stroll around town in broad daylight. So I used the invisibility token Conner had given me, and the two of us broke into my cottage. Ok, maybebroke inwas too strong of a phrase. There was no breaking. Conner used a cool spell to make us phase right through the wall.
“So this explains how you snuck into my cottage before,” I commented, flipping the invisibility token to off mode. If I used it too long, my ears started buzzing.
Conner’s blue eyes twinkled. “I know my ways in and out of all kinds of places. How else do you think I broke into the Black Obelisk last week?”
“Care to teach me that phasing trick?”
A smile lit up his whole face. “Why, Red, you wouldn’t be planning any clandestine delinquent behavior, now would you?”
“Yeah, you know me. Such a rebel,” I said drily. “At least according to the General.”
He chuckled. “The General would call someone a rebel for stacking their paper the wrong way.”
“There’s a wrong way to stack paper?”
“According to the General, there is.” Conner’s gaze panned across the room. “Now, where’s that celestial globe?”
“I hid it in my sock drawer.” I took a step toward my walk-in closet, but froze when I heard a knock on my front door. “Who is it?” I blurted out, then clamped my hands over my mouth.
Conner buried his face in his hands.
Yeah, I was an idiot. So much for being stealthy.
“It’s Santa Claus!” my brother’s voice replied from the other side of my door. “Open up!”
“Just a minute!” I grabbed Conner’s hand and pulled him over to my walk-in closet. “Get in,” I whispered.
“Are you seriously trying to hide mein your closet?” he whispered back.
“No, of course not. I thought I’d introduce the leader of the Rebels to all my friends,” I replied, rolling my eyes.
“What a fantastic idea.” He started walking toward the front door.
I caught his hand, hissing, “Are you out of your mind? I’m already in enough hot water with the General as it is. Do you have any idea what he would do to me if he found out you were here with mein my house?”
“But it’s not the General. It’s Santa Claus,” he pointed out with a mischievous grin. “You heard him say so himself.”
Conner tried to duck under my arm to reach the door, but I blocked him. He wasn’t trying very hard. He was much faster and stronger than I was and could have easily made it past me if he’d wanted to. He was just tormenting me.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not Santa Claus, and you know it.”
He pretended to scowl at me. “Have you always been such a spoilsport, or did joining the Apprentice Program simply drain you of all capacity for fun?”
“This isn’t fun. You are a rogue and a rebel and really, really not supposed to be here.”
“Oh, I see.” He gave me a knowing smile. “You’re afraid people will find out aboutus.”
“Us?” I said weakly, blushing.
“You know, that we’re working together.” A smirk took over his face. “Or did you think I meant?—”
“Most of the time, Conner, I haven’t the slightest clue what you mean about anything.”
I took his hand again and led him back toward my closet. This time, he didn’t even pretend to resist.
