Page 9 of The Tribes of Magic
“You’re doing it again,” Bronte said as we stepped off the escalator and entered the north side of the Magic Emporium,the city’s mega shopping district for all things magical and mundane. It was as busy as always, buzzing with people from all over the Many Realms. “You’re closing yourself off, Savannah.”
“I guess I have to work on that.”
“Weallneed to work together,” she said. “Only together can we hope to win.”
Dutch fell into step beside us. Our brawny teammate towered over us. I used to think Dutch was just a big, mean brute, but I’d come to realize he was way more complicated than the person he tried to be.
“Bronte is right, Savannah,” Dutch said. “We’re one team. Much as I hate to say it, we all sink or swim together.”
“Fine words for someone who, not so long ago, wanted to trade me off the team and replace me with my brother,” I laughed.
Dutch’s cheeks went red. “I’d just inhaled magical gas when I said that.”
“A truth-telling gas.”
“Yeah, well, I’m still sorry I said it. You don’t perform well on the Scoreboard, Savannah, but you’ve stepped in to protect the rest of us more times than I can count. For better or for worse, I’m proud to call you my teammate.” He extended his hand to me.
I shook it, my vision going cloudy. “Thanks, Dutch.”
He patted me hard on the shoulder. It hurt—and I was pretty sure it was supposed to.
“You’re welcome, Savannah. But how about you thank me by letting me and Bronte give you tips to improve your ranking on the Scoreboard?”
Bronte nodded along to his words.
I chuckled, wiping my teary eyes. “Ok. It sounds like a plan.”
A loud, annoying siren cut through our touching team-bonding moment. Everyone turned toward the noise. It wascoming from the big, black SUV roaring down the street. One of the Watchers’ vehicles.
The SUV didn’t slow down as it turned left at the defunct stoplight. Its wheels skimmed the outer edge of a curbside puddle, transforming it into a mini tidal wave that thoroughly splashed all of us with muddy rain water.
“Nice,” I grumbled, glaring at the Watchers’ ugly SUV as it drove off.
Suddenly, the whole ceremony I’d gone through this morning, squeezing out my snow-soaked clothes and replacing them with dry ones, well, it seemed kind of pointless.
“Watch out, Savannah!”
Bronte caught my hand and pulled me back. She was just in time. A second SUV screeched around the corner, kicking up another tidal wave. Thanks to Bronte, we evaded that one.
Dutch’s eyes followed a third SUV as it came around the corner and roared down the Emporium’s main shopping street. “The General’s soldiers are sure in a hurry today. They’re hunting something.”
“Or someone,” I said.
Six Watchers came running around the corner of the mall, their steps perfectly in sync, even at that speed. The General wouldn’t have accepted anything less than perfect order from his soldiers.
“Stop him!” One of the Watchers pointed at a man in a dark hoodie, who’d taken off running at the sight of them.
The Watchers closed in smoothly and efficiently, trapping the man against a tall chain-link fence.
“Nowhere to run now, Brother.”
“You’re not my brother,” the man chuckled.
He flipped back his hoodie, revealing a young face, not much older than a teenager. He winked at the Watchers, slithered out of their grip, then ran straight up the fence, scaling it easily.
Dutch gasped at him, his eyes wide with awe. “Whoa, I didn’t realize the Brothers knew parkour!”
“Whose side are you on, anyway? The Brothers are vicious criminals who hurt a lot of people!” Bronte nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.
