The Maplethorn Gambit (Book 2, The Maplethorn Series)

To The World

A long and heavy sigh escaped Cam's lips. "Of course it's you."

"Are you surprised?" Tober asked from the driver's seat.

"Weirdly, no," Cam climbed inside, pulling the door shut behind himself. "But, uh, can you drive?"

"I got us here," Tober Sunderland answered proudly. "Plus, Mason's leg is still broken, so he can't work the pedals."

"Thanks again for that," Mason Connelly added from the passenger's seat.

Ignoring Mason's dig, Cam laid his skateboard on the leather armrest and buckled himself in. "I had no idea cop cars were this nice on the inside," he observed. "Or are you making it extra fancy for us?"

"Think about it," Mason groaned. "Does it make sense for me to change the inside of the car or the outside?"

"Oh. Right. Obviously," Cam stammered. "Whose car is it then?"

Tober tapped the accelerator, easing them into the maze of the school's parking lot. "Maybe, possibly, Mrs. Dr. Bensen's," he drawled.

"I'm filing that under classic!" Cam said through a fit of laughter. "But hold up, we need to go back for Prita."

"Because jumping out of a cop car to collect your girlfriend won't look suspicious at all?" Mason sighed.

Cam pressed his face to the tinted window. While most of the school was watching them drive away, Prita had disappeared—presumably back inside. "I just need to tell her what's going on."

"Get out now, and you're not getting back in," Mason pointed toward the windshield. "Look."

Cam peered around Tober's head and saw the police car that blocked the exit, its lights flashing. "Is it safe to assume that is a real cop?"

"It's not me," Mason confirmed.

"Can you get rid of him?" Cam asked.

"If you can think of an illusion that'll make the cop move his car, I can make it happen," Mason answered.

"What if our car was invisible?" Cam suggested. "I think there's enough space for us to squeeze past."

"That's easy enough," Mason said. "But the car will be invisible to us too. The seats, the steering wheel, everything. Sunderland, can you—"

"Can I get around when I'm invisible?" Tober asked with a grin. "Why yes, I do believe I can do that."

"Okay, but what's the cop gonna do when our car disappears?" Cam leaned forward as far as the seatbelt would allow. "Or is he seeing Mrs. Dr. Bensen's car? Which, I guess, would also be weird if it disappeared."

"Right now, he thinks we're another cop car," Mason answered.

"Hmmm."

"If you've got any ideas, Drexler, now's the time."

Cam gripped the edges of Tober's seat. "Stop for a sec, Tobe."

"Yes, sir." Tober pressed the brake pedal to the floor but left the car in gear.

"You did some pretty kick-ass illusions back at the pier, Connelly," Cam said. "Like when you made people think you were driving a bulldozer and made them think the rollercoaster was collapsing at the same time."

"Yeah. And?"

"And could you make it look like we pulled over and parked while you were also making us invisible? You know? So it looks like we're still parked while we're really driving away?"

"Yes," Mason answered without hesitating. "But eventually, we're gonna get too far away, and I won't be able to hold the illusion of the parked car."