Page 57 of The Tree of Spirits
“Everyone, get down!” I shouted over the deafening thumps.
And then the wall in front of us exploded.
CHAPTER 6
PLAYING HERO
This was the thieves’ escape route. And we were in their way.
Three people in black armor poured through the newly-blast opening in the wall. I’d seen that black armor before. It was the same armor worn by the Techno Knight at the Tournament.
The same armor worn by the guys who’d attacked the commandos in the Park two days ago.
The Apprentices around me paled, then started to back up. They’d obviously recognized those suits too.
“Stop,” one of the Techno Knights intoned. His voice sounded thick and scratchy, like he’d ingested way too much smoke.
The Apprentices froze in place.
“You are our prisoners.” When a second Techno Knight lifted both hands in the air, the jagged opening in the wall collapsed behind them. “If you try to escape, things will go very, very badly for you.” Even through the echo of the helmet, the voice was clearly female. “So do everyone a favor and just don’t.”
No one moved. No one could. A spell was holding us in place. I could feel the seams of the spell, like a piece of rough fabricrubbing against the tender rim of an open wound. I wondered if I pulled on the threads of that spell, would it unravel?
Suddenly, an agonizing headache split through my head. I tried to hold in the pain, but a small whimper escaped my mouth.
“I warned you not to try anything.” The female Techno Knight came to a stop in front of me. Her armored hand roughly grabbed my jaw. “You don’t listen very well.”
“I guess I don’t,” I spat.
I burst through the seams of her spell, then reached behind me and grabbed the screwdriver tucked into the waistband of my pants. In the same movement, I plunged the pointy end of the tool into a small opening in her armor, under her arm. The techno suit made a flat, dull, whining noise, then all its tiny lights went out.
That got the attention of all three Techno Knights.
“Yeah, I got a good, close look at your suits when you barged in here so rudely. And I know how to cut their power,” I told them, gripping my screwdriver.
“Stupid girl,” snapped the Techno Knight in the de-powered suit.
She made the same trilling noise Nevada had used earlier to direct the overflowing water into the drain. But when she did it, jets of water exploded out of the pipes and slammed into me, knocking me off my feet.
Armored boots clicked across the floor. An ominous black helmet stared down on me. “I don’t need the suit to do magic. Or to deal with you.”
Her hand swooped down and plucked me off the floor. Fingers squeezed around my neck, tighter. Tighter. Tighter. My breaths stuttered.
“Put her down,” snapped one of the other Techno Knights. “Hurting the Apprentices isn’t the plan.”
“You’re right.” My attacker tossed me to the ground like a discarded piece of trash. “This isn’t the plan.”
“Whatisthe plan?” I coughed out, clutching my throat as I rose to my feet.
None of the three Techno Knights answered. Instead, they turned to the other Apprentices and said in unison, “Move out.”
They herded us toward the stairs. I moved slowly, hugging the back of the line.
Nevada stayed close to me. “Are you all right?” she whispered.
“Yeah, I’ll be ok.” I rubbed my throat.
She watched me, frowning. “Thatwasn’t very convincing.”
