Page 41 of The Princess of Portals

Nevada and I ducked behind a sofa. The Templar’s laughter bounced off the walls.

“You can’t hide from me, Savannah Winters,” he taunted me. “You should have figured that out by now.”

The sofa disappeared.

The Templar stared down at us, a sinister smile twisting his lips. “Got you.”

He aimed his staff at my head. I used telekinesis to flick his weapon away. It shot clear across the room, well out of his reach.

“So you’re not stupid after all. Good. I was afraid this was going to be boring.”

The Templar pulled out a set of throwing stars. I did not want to know what they were enchanted to do. I had to keep him talking, keep his attention on me, so Nevada could get away. I gave her a subtle nudge with my foot, a silent signal for her to get out of here.

But I kept my gaze firmly locked on to the Templar. “Why are you after me?”

He grunted in amusement. “You actually think you’re in any position to interrogate me? That’s cute.”

I pulled Ren’s truth serum out of my bag. I was going to get answers out of him, one way or another.

His gaze fell on the small bottle in my hand. “What’s this?” He waved his hand, and the bottle shattered. He laughed. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

I stared down in horror at the shattered glass and spilled potion on the floor. What was I supposed to do now? That truth serum was my whole plan. Well, half of my plan, actually. Conner and Kato were the other half. They were supposed to be here to help me.

Nevada still hadn’t made her escape. What was she waiting for?

You need to go, I told her.

I spoke into her mind, just as Kato had once done to me. Somehow, I just understood the spell. Because my magic was still connected to his and Conner’s, I realized. I could tap into their magic.

Get out of here, Nevada. I’ll hold him off.

I could hear Nevada’s thoughts too.

No! I’m not going to leave you alone with that monster!

Go. He’s only here for me.

I am not leaving you, Savi.

Nevada sang a few notes, and water shot out of the sink, punching the Templar hard in the chest. He spread his legs wider and dug in, holding steady against the torrent of water.

Nevada turned off the stream. She changed her song, and the water on the Templar’s armor turned to ice.

He slammed his hands together, and the frost shattered. He gave Nevada a bored look. “Charming.”

“What do you want with me?” I demanded.

“Me? Nothing. I think you’re a whiny, annoying little girl. I don’t want anything with you. But my employer does.”

His employer was someone in the Court. But who? He’d already refused to answer that question, so I tried another.

“Why does your employer want me?”

“Do you know what makes a good mercenary, little girl? Someone who just does the job without asking any questions. I don’t know why my employer wants you, and I don’t care.”

“Ok, so you broke into the Castle. Now what? How do you expect to escape?”

“Who’s going to stop me?”