Page 104 of The Tribes of Magic
“Get in the car.” He waved his hand, and the other doors opened.
The SUV was so high, there was a step platform beneath the doors. I used it to climb up into the back seat.
“I’m so exhausted,” I yawned. “I could use a nap.”
“Me too.” Conner yawned.
Kato moved into his path before he could follow me into the back. “No, you’re sitting up front with me. We need to have a little chat.”
“As you wish.”
Conner walked around to the other side of the car and took his designated seat with a smile. He hardly looked tired at all.Except his eyes. His eyes looked very tired. And so did the part of his magic that was still connected to mine. The lingering strand of our connection tingled my fingers. Kato looked at Conner. At me. At Conner again. He frowned.
But he didn’t say anything. He started the SUV’s engine. After a quick turning maneuver, we were off and away, racing down the road.
“If you hold that frown too long, your face will freeze like that,” Conner teased him.
Kato remained silent.
“Then again, maybe it already has.”
“How can you be so glib, Conner? Savannah had an important task to do today, and you dragged her away from it.”
I didn’t catch Conner’s response. I’d already dozed off to the soothing rumble of the engine.
CHAPTER 8
TREACHERY AND LIES
Sometime later, someone shook me awake. I blinked, sitting up. The SUV slowed to a stop at a tall metal gate, topped with spikes. Armed soldiers were everywhere. We’d reached the first checkpoint, the entrance to the Fortress. Kato rolled down his window and handed a folder to the guard in the booth.
The Watcher opened the folder, paused… To read it, I guess. I couldn’t see his eyes through that black helmet… Then he passed the folder back to Kato. The gates parted, and he waved us on through. Not once did he glance in Conner’s direction, which was fortunate given he wasn’t supposed to be here.
“Your invisibility spell held up,” Kato said.
We were moving again, and I was glad. The sooner we got back, the sooner I could eat. I was famished. No eating plus really big spells equaled unhappy Savannah.
“Of course my spell held up.” Conner was still invisible, so his chuckles seemed to come out of nowhere. “My spells always hold up.”
“The General installed magic detectors at every checkpoint.”
“Then it’s fortunate the great and powerful White Knight is here to throw off all their readings.”
“You’re not taking this seriously, Conner.”
“No worries. You’re taking it seriously enough for the both of us.”
Kato’s helmet hid his expression, but not his sigh.
“Is it hard to drive while wearing a helmet?” I asked him.
“Of course not, Red,” Conner answered for him, then intoned a serious, “Knights wear helmets.”
I suppressed a laugh. I didn’t want to encourage him. So I turned back to Kato. “How did you get this car? It belongs to the Watchers. You didn’t steal it, did you?”
I thought back to Conner’s plan to steal one of the Watchers’ SUVs earlier. But Kato wouldn’t do that. Would he?
“I told the General I required a vehicle in order to chase down a lead on the Rebels.” Kato glanced at the seat currently occupied by our invisible friend. “The General granted my request.”
