Page 25 of The Princess of Portals

“Savannah?”

I looked at Nevada. “The man in the cloak is a Metamorph.”

“How do you know?”

“His magic. There’s something about it. And that.” I indicated the enormous bow the man carried. “It would take supernatural strength to fire an arrow from that bow. Strength, speed, precision.”

Three more exploding arrows hit the Templar’s armor. There wasn’t much of it left anymore. The Templar must have read the writing on the wall. He dove through the hole in the shop, rolled, and jumped to his feet, taking off running down the street. The Masked Metamorph ran after him.

“Well, that was…weird.” I rubbed my aching arms.

“Who were those people?” Nevada asked.

I bent down and picked up a chunk of armor our assailant had left behind. “I think the first guy was a Templar. As for the second…” I shook my head. “I have no idea.”

Whoever the Masked Metamorph was, he was clearly hunting the Templar. And he knew how to deal with the techno armor. Maybe if I talked to the Masked Metamorph, I could convince him to work with me. And then, maybe, just maybe, I could follow the Templar’s trail back to Kylie and the other missing Apprentices.

CHAPTER 3

DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS

After cheating death, I hurried back to my cottage in the Apprentice Village. I’d survived the battle, but my clothes hadn’t. My shorts were ripped, and there was blood on my t-shirt. Huh. Where had that come from?

“I heard what happened in the Emporium.”

I glanced at Kato and smiled. “Well, I survived at least.”

He looked me up and down, but there wasn’t anything to see. I’d already changed my outfit. No blood. No tears. No burn marks from nearby exploding arrows.

“I’m fine.”

“I should have been there to protect you, Seven.”

“Protecting me is like a full-time job.”

It was supposed to be a joke, but Kato clearly didn’t find it funny. “I wish you would stay out of trouble,” he sighed.

“That’s not me. I don’t run from trouble.”

“No, you embrace it.” He allowed himself a small chuckle. “And don’t I know it. I saw that for myself on the very first day we met. You shot the Cursed Ones with water from a garden hose.”

“Good times,” I laughed. “Ow.”

Wincing, I clutched my stomach, right where the Templar had magic-punched me across the room. Maybe laughing wasn’t the smartest idea right now.

“Are you all right?” Kato asked.

“I will be. Once I get back out there,” I said, determined.

“You can’t possibly be thinking of⁠—”

“Tracking down that Templar and making him lead me to Kylie and the other Apprentices? Yep. That’s the plan.”

Kato sighed. “Don’t do that.”

“I have to. I need to find out where the Order of Kings is holding the Apprentices they took.”

Kato sighed again. I seemed to make him do that a lot.