Page 80 of The Princess of Portals

“I will figure out how to do that,” he replied. He never took his eyes off the Masked Metamorph.

The mysterious man had just gotten even more mysterious. He’d overpowered six Zodiac Order agents in the span of a few seconds, and he didn’t even look winded. Who was this guy?

He’d reached the Monolith. The weird defense barrier was slithering up the building like ripples on a lake, but the moment he got too close, the ripples changed direction, shooting down toward him. He thrust both hands forward, quick as lightning, catching the tendrils of magic. Sparks flew. Flames erupted. The defense barrier roared with rage.

The Masked Metamorph held on.

“How is he still standing?” Capricorn said. “That barrier is designed to keep out armies.”

The Masked Metamorph’s massive arms shook. His muscles bulged under the strain. He kept holding on. Cracks formed in the defense barrier.

Conner watched him, his eyes wide with shock, his words echoing my thoughts. “Who is this guy?”

The barrier let out a final, thunderous protest, then it shattered to pieces. Multicolored shards of magic fell to the ground like broken glass.

Scorpio stood there looking stunned, like his whole world view had shattered too. “That is impossible. No one can breach the Monolith’s defenses.”

“Luckily for us, that guy can,” Conner told him.

The Masked Metamorph set his hand on the building. A door-sized opening formed in the smooth white surface. He passed through it and entered the Monolith.

“I wonder what he wants inside the Monolith,” Kato said.

“Yeah,” said Conner. “First, he goes after Zenik on Gaia. And now he attacks the Monolith. What is his endgame?”

“Something nefarious. No doubt we’ll find out what he wants soon enough.” I couldn’t think of any scenario that didn’t end in our fighting the Masked Metamorph. “Come on, he left a big hole in the Monolith’s defenses. Let’s hurry inside before the Zodiac Order closes that hole.”

We charged toward the building. Spells and arrows fired down on us. Kato jumped in front of me, taking the arrow that would have hit me.

“Kato!” I tried to catch him before he fell, but he was too heavy in all that armor.

Conner moved fast, catching Kato’s other side. Thank goodness for team work. I couldn’t support his weight alone.

“Hurry, we have to get inside!” I told the others.

“That might prove to be a problem,” Conner said.

I saw them: Zodiac Order agents pouring out of the opening in the Monolith, heading straight for us.

CHAPTER 4

NEXT-LEVEL MAGIC

Capricorn and Scorpio surged forward to meet the agents, clearing the way. Conner and I pulled Kato inside the Monolith.

“It won’t hold. We need to keep moving.” Scorpio had closed the door and spelled it to stay closed, but he was right. That wouldn’t keep the agents out for long. A rapid fire of spells pounded on the closed door like hundreds of hammers. “And even if it does hold, more agents are already on their way here.”

“Scorpio’s right,” Capricorn said. “We’re outnumbered, and we’re about to find ourselves surrounded.”

Conner leaned Kato against the wall. He made sure Kato was supported, then he turned to tell off his best friend. “What were you thinking, throwing yourself in front of that arrow! How could you be so reckless?”

Kato met his eyes, his mouth cracking a pained smile. “Rich words…coming from you.”

“You are not me. I thought we’d been over this already, Kato. I am the reckless, rebellious Knight. You are the perfect, boring, rule-abiding, snooze-fest Knight. Stop trying to steal my thunder.”

Kato tried to laugh, but he started coughing instead. He pressed a handkerchief to his lips, and it came back stained with drops of blood. Conner and I exchanged worried looks.

“Ok, Kato, I’m just going to…” Conner’s hand closed around the shaft of the arrow protruding from Kato’s side. He yanked it out.