Page 18 of The Tree of Spirits
A sharp laugh escaped my lips.
He winked at me.
“Thanks,” I chuckled.
His brows drew together. “For what?”
“For being the real you. That guy makes me laugh.”
He scratched his chin. “I’m trying to decide if I should be happy that you’re laughing at me.”
Oops.
“I’m laughingwithyou, notatyou,” I assured him, allowing the sincerity to shine through my eyes.
Conner cracked another smile. “I’m just messing with you, Red. Of course I love to make people laugh. It’s kind of my mission in life—well, that and saving the world.”
“Both worthy goals.”
He smirked at me, then blinked out of sight. Gripping Marlow’s hand, I turned the knob on the coin, and then we were invisible too.
“Ok, now let’s get out of here,” Conner said, opening the door.
“First, there’s something I have to do,” I told him.
We snuck back across the compound. But rather than heading directly to the gate, I took a small detour toward the power generator I’d seen earlier. I flipped all the fuses I could find.
All power to the base went out.
Annoyance bounced around the compound.
“Not again,” groaned one of the commandos.
“That’s the third time in two days that the power’s gone out.”
“I bet another fuse is fried.”
“We don’t have time for this. We need to get ready for our next operation asap.”
Next operation? What were they planning?
“Someone get Hermes on the walkie-talkies and tell him to make the Scavengers find us more spare fuses.”
Meanwhile, as the commandos planned world domination, our invisible party of three hurried toward the gate. But as Conner reached for the lock, a chorus of savage howls split across the grassy expanse, rattling the fence—and my nerves. The Cursed Ones were pacing back and forth, suddenly restless and agitated. Hunger burned in their crimson eyes.
An armada of black SUVs rumbled over the grassy expanse. They came to a smooth stop in front of the first gate.
“The Watchers are here!” someone in the compound shouted.
Watchers poured out of the vehicles, but their swift advance stuttered under a volley of explosions.
“This way!” Conner pulled me out of the path of falling debris.
I just barely managed to hold on to Marlow’s hand and bring him along with me. Now we were all crouched behind a tower of supply crates.
“What are the Watchers doing here?” I coughed. My lungs felt like I’d swallowed a desert. “How did they know about this compound?”
“I don’t know. They’re usually so dense.” Conner rubbed his head.
