forever. It made him think of the two Zax, those Dr. Seuss characters who refused to move to let each other pass while a city rose up around them.
Quick as a blink, Keal shot his knee out. Taksidian moved his leg and blocked it.
“Now what?” Taksidian said.
Keal tried twisting Taksidian’s arm to aim the dagger away from him. Taksidian resisted, held firm.
The guy’s stronger than he looks , Keal thought. And he looks strong .
Taksidian threw his head forward, targeting Keal’s face. Most combatants tried to counter the move by stiffening their necks and bracing themselves for the impact. That simply gave the attacker something solid to hit. The right response was what Keal did now. He leaned away and let his head fall back. Taksidian’s forehead tapped Keal’s chin. It helped that Keal had expected it.
“You’re good,” Taksidian said.
“You’re bad,” Keal said. “Guess that’s why we’re here.”
The intensity of Taksidian’s eyes showed that he was calcu-lating, calculating . . . figuring out a move that would surprise and end Keal.
The portal door burst open, and water sprayed in.
In the half second that Keal flinched and looked, Taksidian released the spear and punched him. Keal flew back, but refused to release Taksidian’s knife hand. Taksidian elbowed Keal’s nose, and that was it: Keal sailed against the wall and dropped to the floor.
Through a haze of pain and watery eyes, Keal watched Taksidian swing his dagger back, preparing to dart in for the kill.
But David propelled out of the portal, smacking into Taksidian. Water exploded from the collision like fire. The dagger flew out of Taksidian’s hand and clattered to the floor beside Keal.
David landed on his feet and staggered back, shock making his eyes big and unhinging his jaw.
Taksidian spun, saw David, and registered just as much shock. He raised his foot and kicked David in the chest, send-ing him back into the portal. The door slammed shut.
CHAPTER
seventeen
F RIDAY , 1:31 P.M .
Shoved backwards, David went through the shimmering portal, turning Taksidian’s image into a wavering, blurry fig-ure. David spun around, and he was in the cave. It was gone in a blink, flooded by water crashing in from all sides. He rammed into something both hard and soft, felt arms and legs tangling around him. Xander’s face flashed by, and together they broke the surface of the river. Shot out of the portal like pieces of rotten food from a mouth, they flew, arms and legs pinwheeling, back toward the path. They slammed into Phemus, and all three of them hit the ground.
Phemus grunted and waved his hands around, trying to grab them, as if swatting at flies. David kicked him in the head, rolled away, and stood. Xander pushed himself out of the way of Phemus’s flailing arms, scooting backward along the path.
“Xander!” David said.
His brother saw the fighting men moving in on him, a crowd of people right behind. One of the bare-chested brawlers swung a fist at him. He ducked and spun away.
“Follow me!” David yelled and leaped over the boulders into the river.
••••••••••
David spilled out of the portal on a wave of water. He som-ersaulted and coasted into the hallway door. Keal was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, staring at him. Blood fanned out from his nostrils, coating his lips and chin.
“Are you all ri—“ David started.
Xander flew in horizontally, arms stretched out over his head, like the Man of Steel coming for a visit. He appeared to stall in midflight and belly flopped to the floor. He moaned and rolled over, holding his stomach. His eyes snapped opened. “He’s coming!” he said. He rose and leaped to the portal door. He swung it around, but just before it closed, water sprayed in and something crashed into the other side. The door jarred open a foot, knocking Xander off his feet. Lying on the floor, he pushed his hands against the door. “Help me!”
Keal bolted up,
Quick as a blink, Keal shot his knee out. Taksidian moved his leg and blocked it.
“Now what?” Taksidian said.
Keal tried twisting Taksidian’s arm to aim the dagger away from him. Taksidian resisted, held firm.
The guy’s stronger than he looks , Keal thought. And he looks strong .
Taksidian threw his head forward, targeting Keal’s face. Most combatants tried to counter the move by stiffening their necks and bracing themselves for the impact. That simply gave the attacker something solid to hit. The right response was what Keal did now. He leaned away and let his head fall back. Taksidian’s forehead tapped Keal’s chin. It helped that Keal had expected it.
“You’re good,” Taksidian said.
“You’re bad,” Keal said. “Guess that’s why we’re here.”
The intensity of Taksidian’s eyes showed that he was calcu-lating, calculating . . . figuring out a move that would surprise and end Keal.
The portal door burst open, and water sprayed in.
In the half second that Keal flinched and looked, Taksidian released the spear and punched him. Keal flew back, but refused to release Taksidian’s knife hand. Taksidian elbowed Keal’s nose, and that was it: Keal sailed against the wall and dropped to the floor.
Through a haze of pain and watery eyes, Keal watched Taksidian swing his dagger back, preparing to dart in for the kill.
But David propelled out of the portal, smacking into Taksidian. Water exploded from the collision like fire. The dagger flew out of Taksidian’s hand and clattered to the floor beside Keal.
David landed on his feet and staggered back, shock making his eyes big and unhinging his jaw.
Taksidian spun, saw David, and registered just as much shock. He raised his foot and kicked David in the chest, send-ing him back into the portal. The door slammed shut.
CHAPTER
seventeen
F RIDAY , 1:31 P.M .
Shoved backwards, David went through the shimmering portal, turning Taksidian’s image into a wavering, blurry fig-ure. David spun around, and he was in the cave. It was gone in a blink, flooded by water crashing in from all sides. He rammed into something both hard and soft, felt arms and legs tangling around him. Xander’s face flashed by, and together they broke the surface of the river. Shot out of the portal like pieces of rotten food from a mouth, they flew, arms and legs pinwheeling, back toward the path. They slammed into Phemus, and all three of them hit the ground.
Phemus grunted and waved his hands around, trying to grab them, as if swatting at flies. David kicked him in the head, rolled away, and stood. Xander pushed himself out of the way of Phemus’s flailing arms, scooting backward along the path.
“Xander!” David said.
His brother saw the fighting men moving in on him, a crowd of people right behind. One of the bare-chested brawlers swung a fist at him. He ducked and spun away.
“Follow me!” David yelled and leaped over the boulders into the river.
••••••••••
David spilled out of the portal on a wave of water. He som-ersaulted and coasted into the hallway door. Keal was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, staring at him. Blood fanned out from his nostrils, coating his lips and chin.
“Are you all ri—“ David started.
Xander flew in horizontally, arms stretched out over his head, like the Man of Steel coming for a visit. He appeared to stall in midflight and belly flopped to the floor. He moaned and rolled over, holding his stomach. His eyes snapped opened. “He’s coming!” he said. He rose and leaped to the portal door. He swung it around, but just before it closed, water sprayed in and something crashed into the other side. The door jarred open a foot, knocking Xander off his feet. Lying on the floor, he pushed his hands against the door. “Help me!”
Keal bolted up,
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