Page 124 of The Tribes of Magic
I stopped myself. A date was as good of a cover story as any. I certainly couldn’t tell anyone Kato and I were preparing to break into the General’s office at the Black Obelisk. There were cameras and spies everywhere.
Nevada looked past me, and her smile faded. “He certainly looks out of place.”
I turned to follow her gaze. The General had just entered the room. Not only had he brought along a large contingent of Watchers, armed and armored, the General himself hadn’t seen fit to change for the occasion. He was dressed in his uniform, which really made him stand out among the tuxedos and ballgowns. I supposestanding outwas just how he liked it.
“May I speak to you for a moment, Savannah?”
I turned toward Kato, who now held a long-stemmed red rose in his hands. He offered it to me.
My heart fluttered a little when I took it. “Of course.”
“I’ll just leave you two alone.” Nevada smiled at me, then joined a group of Apprentices that included Dante, Bronte, and Ansel. They were all staring at me and Kato. Dante even winked.
“So…” I cleared my throat, then looked at Kato. “The General made quite the entrance.”
“He’s watching us.”
“He doesn’t look happy,” I said. “He must think I used my magic to befuddle your mind and force you to escort me to the show.”
The doors to the performance space opened. People started moving toward them. Kato took my hand and led me to the side of the room, away from the streaming crowd.
Then he leaned forward to whisper into my ear, “The General and his soldiers have gone inside the hall. It will take another ten minutes for everyone to find their seats. Then another two hours before the show is over. That’s how long we have to get to the Black Obelisk, get into the General’s office, search it, and get back here.”
“Got it.”
We slipped out one of the side doors, stepping out into the slowly darkening evening. Then we ran down the outside stairs, circled around the rows of black SUVs parked on the empty street, and kept running. We didn’t stop running until we reached the rendezvous point: an old, gnarly tree.
“Nice rose.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin when Conner peeled out of the tree.
“Kato gave that to you?”
“Yes.”
A wide smile curled Conner’s lips. “Sorry, Red. I didn’t bring you anything but my charming personality.”
“Yes, we’ve had quite enough of your personality for one night,” Kato told him. “Is everything ready to go?”
“Almost. You two should get changed right away. Our rides should arrive very soon.”
“Rides?” I asked.
Conner grinned at me. “You’ll see in just a sec, Red. And trust me when I say you’re going to love them.”
CHAPTER 7
RAVENS AND RIVERS
Conner was right. I couldn’t imagine a better way to travel. I’d taken trains, cars, Spirit Trees, even teleported—but I’d never felt anything half as thrilling as flying. Flying on the back of an alicorn, the cool evening air kissing my face, was nothing short of magical.
My heart was racing, my soul singing, my skin electrified. Every part of me was one hundred percent alive. The euphoria was doing a good job of drowning out my feelings of impending doom. Breaking into the General’s office was necessary—we had to know if he’d sold out the Apprentices—but it was also highly risky.
Conner had rented one of the winged beauties for each of us. My alicorn had a body the color of midnight. Her mane and tail were a few shades lighter and tinged with magenta, and her horn shone like starlight. Her powerful wings beat sure and steady as she slowly lowered toward the tip of the Black Obelisk.
Conner’s and Kato’s alicorns had already dropped them off. The boys both stood perfectly balanced on the side of the building, with the agility of spiders. Conner waved me forward with an encouraging smile. I took a deep breath and tried not tolook too far down. I didn’t need to look down to know it was a very long drop to the bottom.
I took the plunge. My breath stalled as I dropped. Then I felt a strong, magnetic pull, the building pulling me in. My feet and hands hit black glass. I didn’t slide a millimeter. The spell Kato had cast was working. Like flies caught in a pool of honey, we were all firmly stuck to the building.
