Chapter 6
FIRE, SMOKE, AND DESTRUCTION
Kato and I headed to the Castle’s rec room. I drank the tonic slowly, just as Killjoy had told me to do. It made me hungry. Luckily, there were sliced mangos in the rec room’s snack corner.
“Mmm, so good.” I took another bite. “They’re so fresh.”
“Those mangos come from the trees growing on the Castle’s grounds.” Conner popped into sight in front of me, and I nearly jumped out of my shoes.
Kato didn’t even flinch. “How did you get in here?”
“Through the door. Just like everyone else.” Conner winked at him.
“Everyone isn’t allowed into the Castle,” Kato replied.
“Ok, so I snuck in.”
“You can’t sneak into the Castle. There are security measures in place.”
Conner laughed. “You say it like that’s supposed to keep me out. It never has before. Really, I’m offended you don’t have more faith in my abilities, Kato.”
“Security’s been upgraded. Before the General left, he tasked the Alchemist Knights with adding layers of magical wards around the Castle. Those wards are strong enough to keep out even you, Conner.”
“Apparently not.”
“How did you get past the wards?”
“Nah, I don’t think I’m going to tell you.” Conner’s eyes twinkled with mischief when they met Kato’s glacial ones. Sapphires versus blue diamonds, chaos versus order.
“Did you have any luck catching the Templar?” I asked Conner.
The playful spark in his eyes hardened, like lava cooling, turning to stone. “No. He got away.”
“Perhaps we can find him again,” I said. “We could use magic to track him.”
Conner shook his head. “I tried that already, Red. He’s using something—some kind of magic powder—to mask his trail. Whatever it is, it’s powerful. Very powerful. I couldn’t break the spell.”
“You alone couldn’t break the spell,” I said. “But maybe together, the three of us can.”
“You, me, and Kato? Combine magic?” Conner said. “Is that even possible?”
“Well, I’ve combined magic with you. And I’ve combined magic with Kato. So why not combine magic with both of you at once? The magic of three Polymages…we’d be pretty powerful, don’t you think?”
Kato and Conner both spoke at once, but neither one answered my question.
“You combined magic with Conner?”
“You combined magic with Kato?”
“Yes,” I said.
The exact same expression was on both of their faces, but I couldn’t read it. They were definitely surprised, but there was more to it. Were they happy? Upset? Embarrassed? I just didn’t know.
“This will work, guys,” I told them. “I’ve linked with each of you before, so I know I can do it.
Together, we should have enough magic to break through the Templar’s spell and find him.
I even have a piece of his armor.” I pulled a chunk of metal out of my bag.
“That should make it easier to track him, right?”
Kato took the chunk of broken armor from me. “It will definitely help. Ok, let’s do it.” He looked at Conner.
“Take the lead, Red. We trust you.”
Conner’s words reassured me, but they also kind of terrified me. I was supposed to take the lead. I, who was, out of the three of us, the least experienced magic user. It was a lot of responsibility, and I hated failing.
“Ok.” I drew in a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
We formed a tight circle, holding hands.
Then I closed my eyes. I pictured my magic sliding down my arms, my hands, my fingertips—until it found their magic.
Kato’s magic was cool confidence, powerful but subdued, smooth and precise, an orchestra of parts beautifully balanced, complex in nature but perfectly in sync.
Conner’s magic was playful and explosive, pulsing with dramatic notes and mischievous melodies.
It tickled and danced and chuckled. Their magics felt so different—and yet so alike.
My magic blended easily with theirs, like it remembered them well, like it was reliving a fond memory.
“Your magic blends well together.” I opened my eyes and smiled at both of them, triumphant. “It’s because you’re such good friends.”
“I told you that Conner and I get along better with you here.”
Conner looked at Kato in surprise. “You told her that?” The surprise faded from his face, and he nodded. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
“Ok,” I said, smiling. “Let’s find the Templar.”
I tugged back on the bowstring of our combined magic, preparing to launch a spell into the Fortress.
“If he is still here, we will find him,” I said.
A phone rang. Kato’s hand disengaged from mine. I opened my eyes. He tapped his finger to his arm, releasing his ringing phone from the armor.
“Yes?”
Eris’s voice came out of the phone speaker. “There’s a battle in the Emporium, Kato. It’s between two fighters: the Templar you’ve been looking for and a masked man in a cloak.”
“I’ll be right there,” Kato told her, then reattached his phone to his armor. Magic rippled across the metal plates on his arm, and they absorbed the phone.
I followed him to the door.
Kato watched me. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“With you.”
“You can’t come with me, Seven. That’s exactly what the Templar wants. Why do you think he allowed himself to be seen? He’s trying to lure you to him, so he can finish what he started.”
“He knows where the kidnapped Apprentices are, Kato. You can’t expect me to sit this one out.”
“That’s exactly what I expect. You need to stay here in the Castle where it’s safe. The Knights will take care of the Templar.”
“But—”
“We’ll defeat him, capture him, and make him lead us to the missing Apprentices.”
“He’s very powerful, Kato,” I warned him.
A dark, ominous shadow fell over his face. “So am I.”
Conner slipped past me, joining Kato at the door. “I’ll come with you.”
“Are you sure?”
Conner gave him a flat look. “The missing Apprentices are my friends too, Kato. I am not sitting this one out.”
“If you’re seen, you will be arrested.”
“Then I’d better make sure that I’m not seen.” Conner turned invisible. “Come on. There’s no time to waste.”
But before Kato left, he turned to me. “Promise me you will stay here.”
I crossed my arms roughly over my chest and frowned at him, just in case he didn’t realize how much I hated this plan. “Fine.”
Kato nodded sharply, then walked away. I stood there, listening to his footsteps going down the hall until I couldn’t hear them anymore. Then I went over to the window, sat down, and drank some more of Killjoy’s tonic.
I sat there, waiting and worrying. Time stood still. Five minutes felt like five hours. I turned on the TV to check the news, but the only news was there was still a lot of fighting in the Magic Emporium. Fire and smoke and destruction, but the culprit was still at large.
Minutes or maybe hours later, Nevada came into the rec room.
I jumped to my feet. “Any news?”
“When the attack started, the Apprentices were all called back here to the Castle to keep us safe.”
It made sense. Just a few weeks ago, people in techno suits had attacked the Magic Emporium and tried to abduct my entire Apprentice group.
“Kato and Conner went to stop the Templar and the Masked Metamorph before they blow up the whole Magic Emporium.”
We watched the scenes of fire, smoke, and destruction play out on the TV. There was a lot of fire. A lot of explosions. And a lot of stress-eating. It was a good thing there were so many mangoes.
“I wish I could be there,” I said.
“In the middle of the battle?” Nevada chuckled. “Of course you do. But it’s not safe for you out there, Savannah. The Templar is hunting you.”
“Yeah, I know. Kato made the very same argument. He said I need to stay all safe and cozy in this impenetrable fortress.”
“It’s not a fortress. It’s a cage.”
Dread cut down my spine, cold and sharp. A man in a suit of techno armor appeared in the middle of the room. The Templar. He’d found me.