Chapter 8

Chapter 8 MAYBE BENDING THE RULES IS LESS MESSY THAN BREAKING THEM. Jodi was outnumbered. Her only hope was to make it back to the portal she'd come through. She looked down at her feet. Uh-oh. "Um…," she said. "Any of you notice some seeds lying around here anywhere?" The figures bleated and grumbled in reply. They shuffled closer, raising their axes. "I guess it's a fight, then." Jodi drew her bow. "But would you mind standing very still? You know, to even the odds a little?"

An arrow whizzed by her head. It came from behind her. She was sure that meant she was surrounded. But the arrow struck one of her enemies, and Po's voice rang out: "SHE'S OVER HERE!" Jodi's heart soared as her friends came leaping out from behind the trees. Now it was a fair fight! Swords clashed against axes, axes clashed against shields, and arrows flew from both sides of the battle. Jodi kept moving and focused on her aim. "These illagers are no match for us," Ash said as her foe fell back, defeated.

Illagers. That was a new one to Jodi. But Ash was right. Working together, the team made short work of their enemies. As the last illager vanished in a puff of smoke, Jodi beamed at her brother. "I'm sure glad to see you!" Morgan did not return her smile. "What were you thinking?" he said. "You could have gotten hurt. You could have gotten lost!" Jodi waved his words away. "I'm fine. I left that trail of seeds for you." She'd been overjoyed to see her friends in her moment of need. But now that they were here—and now that Morgan was lecturing her—she started to feel something else. "Besides, you're the ones who canceled," Jodi said. "I'm the one who stuck to the plan."

"We couldn't help it," Morgan said. "THINGS JUST…CAME UP." "Then how are you all here now?" Jodi said. "Did you all finish your plans at the exact same moment?" "IT'S LUCKY FOR YOU WE GOT HERE WHEN WE DID," Morgan argued. Ash, Harper, and Po were all silent. They'd clearly decided not to get between the siblings this time. "I was worried sick," Morgan said.

"Well, I'm sorry I worried you," Jodi said. "I didn't mean to." In the silence that followed, Jodi felt a rush of

guilt. She really hadn't meant to worry him. But part of her didn't believe his story about having detention. Or that he'd had a make-up quiz the other day. Part of her felt like the old Morgan was back. The Morgan who didn't want to spend time with his baby sister. "We're all here now," Ash said. "WE MIGHT AS WELL EXPLORE A LITTLE BIT MORE. Right?" Jodi felt relieved to have something else to talk about. Morgan seemed relieved, too. "Right," he said. "We didn't have time for sightseeing while we were rushing after you, Jodi," said Po. "Did you notice anything interesting?" "ANY CLUES ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON?" Harper added. "Nothing that made sense to me," said Jodi. "I'm sure you noticed that the portals go back and forth between the Nether and the Overworld. Almost like the Evoker King is using the Nether as a shortcut to access different areas."