Chapter 12

Chapter 12 MEANWHILE: STEALTH SQUAD IS GO! Jodi gripped her trident tightly and hoped that her brother was safe. She knew he was risking his neck so she and Harper and Theo—the real Theo—had a chance at ending this fight once and for all. "THIS PLAN IS BANANAS," said Theo. "Yeah," agreed Jodi. "That's why it's brilliant. The Evoker King will never see it coming!" "And what's the signal?" Theo asked. "WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE WAITING FOR?" "We should know it when we see it," said

Harper. The three of them were crouching behind a low wall on the far side of the tower. While they stayed out of view, Morgan and Ash and Po were uphill, standing out in the open and making a lot of noise. They had to draw out the Evoker King. But would it work? There was an explosion at the top of the

tower. Jodi almost yelped in surprise, but she stopped herself. Stealth mode, she reminded herself. But she almost yelped again when she saw the Evoker King. He was standing in the gaping hole he'd just made in the side of his own tower. She watched as he stepped through the hole and slowly floated down toward Morgan and the others. Even at this distance, she could tell he was angry. "That's our cue," Harper said. "GO! GO! GO!" "Finally," Jodi said. "Do you know how long it's been since I got to fly?" Jodi hurled her trident in the air, and it pulled her along for the ride, lifting her right off the ground and sending her hurtling across the sky. "WAHOO!" cried Harper beside her. "This is amazing!" "And sort of terrifying!" yelled Theo. Jodi had flown all the time back when she played Minecraft in Creative mode. It wasn't quite so simple here. They had gotten lucky with the weather. According to Morgan, this trick was only possible

underwater…or in the rain. With Theo's help, Harper had enchanted three tridents with a magical riptide effect. The effect basically allowed them to swim through the wet air. It would get them to the top of the tower quickly. And right now, every minute counted. So it was nice that the Evoker King had made an opening for them. "IN HERE!" said Jodi, and she flew through the hole the Evoker King had left. Harper and Theo touched down close behind her. Jodi had expected more of the purpur

blocks they'd seen downstairs. Or perhaps a lush sanctuary—tapestries and artworks and a four-poster bed fit for a king. But there was none of that. Instead, the room was a cold and sterile box. Four plain white walls met a plain white ceiling and a plain white floor. The only thing in the room was a pale- colored chair set against the back wall. The Evoker King had made himself a throne, but nothing else. "What material is this?" asked Harper, stomping her foot. "It looks almost like glass, but not quite." "It's nothing that exists naturally in the game," Theo said. "HE'S LEACHED THE COLOR AND TEXTURE OUT OF EVERYTHING."

"It looks like something an emotionless computer program would make," Jodi said. "No color, no joy…no personal touches of chaos." She shuddered. "I bet he'd like to do this to the whole world." "WE WON'T LET HIM," Theo said confidently. "We just have to find the Foundation Stone before he comes back." Harper held up a pickaxe. "Then let's get digging—and hope that he keeps it close!" Jodi figured Harper had the right idea. If there was a hidden vault around here, it would be on the other side of a wall or floor. They all took up pickaxes. As long as they stayed near Theo, they were able to break as many bricks as they wanted. They made a mess of the place, busting holes in every surface. They didn't find any hidden passages or trapdoors, only more of the strange white blocks. The walls and floor were thick but otherwise unremarkable. "I don't know where else to look," said Harper. "I was sure he'd keep it by his seat of power." "SEAT…OF POWER?" echoed Jodi.