Page 114 of The Tree of Spirits
I grabbed a fallen sword off the ground. One of the Techno Knights must have dropped it during their battle with Conner and Kato.
“That won’t work. You can’t stop this,” Elandra told me.
Her voice was steady, but I knew she was lying. Somehow I knew.
The sword was heavy and long. I gripped it tightly in both hands, pumping magic into it as I drew it back. I swung.
“Savannah, no!” Elandra screamed.
The blade sliced through the blackened, dying branch, severing it from the Spirit Tree.
Elandra stumbled toward the poison bottle, grasping for it. But Kato and Conner grabbed her first, binding her wrists and ankles.
“You’ve ruined everything!” Elandra snarled at me.
“No,” I told her. “I’ve saved everything.”
I dropped the sword, shaking out my arms. Painful vibrations shot up and down them, a souvenir from the tree surgery. I glanced at the gigantic Spirit Tree, cringing when I saw how lopsided it now looked. The poisoned branch I’d cut off was enormous.
“It will recover,” Conner promised me. “And grow stronger than ever before.”
Kato waved his fire staff, and flames consumed the poisoned branch on the ground, turning it to ash. Behind him and Conner, the four Techno Knights were disarmed and bound. And the fire cage was no more. I stared down at the ground. A ring of earth was scorched black, all that remained of the wall of flames.
“I’m glad the tree will be ok,” I said. “But things arenotok. The hate that sparked this, the hate that poisoned humanity, is still out there.” My gaze panned across Elandra and her followers. “And as long as the Government continues to mistreat the people of Gaia, that hate will not die.”
Using his magic, Conner quickly spun the branches and twigs together into a cage and shoved Elandra and her four Techno Knights inside. With their armor broken, they wouldn’t be able to break free.
“I’ve told the Knights and Watchers where to find them,” Kato said, putting away his phone.
“Then I guess I should make myself scarce before they arrive,” Conner said.
“I wouldn’t mind making myself scarce too,” I told him. “The Watchers give me the creeps.”
We both looked at Kato.
“All right. Fine.” He looked at the Brothers. “I suppose they aren’t going anywhere.”
Conner tapped his helmet, and Elandra and the Techno Knights fell asleep inside their cage.
The boys and I walked through the woods, the shade providing little comfort from the scorching summer sun. We’d been fighting for so long that the sun had come up.
Last night’s rain clouds had melted to steam, smothering us in a thick layer of hot, sticky fog. I felt bad for the boys in their full-body armor, but most especially their helmets. They must have been baking in this heat.
“It’s really hot. Maybe you guys want to take off your helmets?” I suggested.
“Knights wear helmets.”
Kato repeated the words he’d told me the day I’d met him. It felt like months had passed since then, but it had only been a few days.
“She’s right.” Conner pulled off his helmet, revealing a mess of blond hair that stuck up in every direction. “It’s hot.”
Kato sighed deeply, then took off his helmet too. His hair was just as messy as Conner’s.
I grinned at both of them, so disheveled and unKnightly. So human.
“Well, I guess my work here is done. Until next time, Red.” Conner winked at me. “Try to stay out of trouble.”
Kato rolled his eyes. “She’s not you, Conner. She can behave herself.”
