Page 2 of The Princess of Portals

“Effective immediately, I am appointing Senator Gaines as the temporary head of the Castle,” Governor Meyer said on TV. “Senator Gaines will have command of the Knights until further notice.”

The mass of reporters at the Governor’s press conference exploded with questions.

“Why select a senator to lead a military organization?”

“When do you expect General Lynch to return?”

“Do you expect him to return at all?”

“How will the General’s detention impact his other duties, namely commanding the Black Obelisk?”

“Senator Gaines is a close ally of yours, Governor Meyer. How would you counter accusations that this move is politically motivated?”

Melanie Meyer raised her hands in the air, silencing them. “Senator Gaines has my complete confidence. And the Government’s as well. They voted in favor of appointing him as interim head of the Castle. That will be all.”

“Governor Meyer! Governor Meyer!”

She turned and left, ignoring the reporters’ calls for her attention. Then the TV switched to an advertisement for unicorn shampoo, and my mind drifted to thoughts of my favorite unicorn.

“It’s so crazy.”

Nevada stood opposite me, her eyes wide, her hands idle. The pile of crates we were supposed to be loading into the SUVs stood to the side, completely forgotten.

“Yeah, it really is,” I agreed. “And the craziest part of all is this: the General is too smart to let himself get dragged into an interrogation like this. He’d never give up control of the Castle without a fight.”

“Because he loves teenagers?” Nevada chuckled.

“Because he loves power,” I replied. “No, this isn’t like him at all. Something else is going on here. The interrogation, the General’s inquisition…it must all be part of his plan.”

“His plan for what?”

I frowned. Yeah, that there was, as my mom liked to say, the million-dollar question.

“I’m not sure what he’s planning,” I admitted. “But he’s definitely planning something. The General is always planning something. Whatever is going down right now, it must help him…somehow.”

“But how does it help him to be tied up in questioning?” Nevada asked. “It’s not like being called into the Governor’s office gives him access to buildings he usually doesn’t have access to. He has the highest Government clearance.”

“I don’t know. Maybe he let himself get caught in order to draw everyone’s attention to him—and away from whatever move he, and presumably, the Order of Kings is making next.”

Nevada went pale. “You really think he’s working with those people, Savannah?”

“I can’t be sure, at least not until I’ve found evidence. And I’d better work quickly, before whatever he has planned happens.”

“Ok, you can do that. It is, after all, what you do best. But first—and don’t fight me on this—you need to pick out a dress for the Ball. A bunch of the Apprentices are going shopping at Mystique’s this afternoon.”

“I really can’t obsess over dresses or dates or balls right now.”

“I know. You’re…well, you, Savannah. You always have to fix things that are broken or don’t make sense. And you know what doesn’t make any sense at all? A Knight having absolutely nothing appropriate to wear when she’s initiated into her Tribe.”

“Sneaky, sneaky, Nevada,” I chuckled.

“This isn’t just a ball. It’s a right of passage. It’s important.”

“I know it is. It’s just hard to focus on those kinds of things right now. I can’t do that when there are missing Apprentices out there. I have to work on getting my magic up to snuff, so I can find them and save them. That’s way more important than balls and dresses.”

“You won’t be a teenager forever, Savannah. You should enjoy these things. Grab these bright moments whenever you can because they don’t come around that often. What’s the point of fighting for this life if you never truly get to live it? If you never get to enjoy it?”

“I can’t stop thinking about those Apprentices, out there, scared and alone. They certainly aren’t living life to its fullest. I have to help them, Nevada. I have to get them home safely.”