ARKAYNA, PIPER, AND Zarya zoomed through the air on their griffins, Dreadbane’s army close behind them. He’d figured out the riddle as fast as they had. Now Dreadbane, Tazma, and an army of skeleton warriors were all on their bone vultures, racing toward the last Codex piece. The Mysticons dodged blasts from the villainous army chasing them and tried to stay in the air.
Piper flung a hoop, knocking a skeleton warrior off his flying vulture. He fell onto the street below. Zarya shot two arrows, blasting skeleton warriors apart. “How much longer do we have to keep these boneheads busy?” Zarya asked.
“Till Em gets her Codex piece,” Arkayna said. She fended off a pack of skeleton warriors coming at her from the side.
Piper hooped two more skeletons off their vultures, as Zarya and Arkayna circled the Royal Tower. There, on the tall, thin spiral at its top, was Em. She shimmied her way up to the highest point. She’d nearly reached it.
“Above a place of queens and kings,” she said, repeating the riddle, “celestial-powered justice springs.”
She took a deep breath and raised her sword, hoping she was pointing it at the right place. There was some sort of secret portal above the Royal Tower, and in it was her piece of the Codex. She just had to make sure her aim was exactly right.…
“Okay, here goes nothing,” she said. She fired a stream of magic into the air. It exploded and opened a small hole. The purple Codex piece appeared, hovering in the air. “By the Hammer of Harmon!” Em cried. “It’s—OW!!”
The Codex piece fell, bonking her on the head. She caught it just before it could tumble to the ground. As soon as she opened the book, energy surged through her. It formed a gorgeous purple bracer on her arm.
“My unicorn bracer!” she said. “Woo-hoo!”
She leapt from the tower and whistled. In seconds Topaz swooped underneath to catch her. They soared through the sky and joined the other Mysticons in battle. Arkayna, Piper, and Zarya were still holding off Dreadbane’s army. When they saw that Em had the bracer, they turned to go.
“Mysticons, on me!” Arkayna called as she swooped down a street.
“Don’t let them escape!” Dreadbane roared.
He and his army pursued the Mysticons closely. They followed the girls down narrow streets winding through Drake City. One of Dreadbane’s blasts knocked Zarya off her griffin. She landed on a rooftop with a grunt.
“Say good-bye, Mysticon Ranger!” Dreadbane shouted.
“Why?” Arkayna asked. “You’re the one who’s leaving!”
Arkayna, Piper, and Em had turned to face him, and they were all holding their bracers up. “Unleash the Dragon!” Arkayna yelled.
“Fly, Phoenix, fly!” Piper said.
“Battle Unicorn, charge!” Em ordered, loving the way the power felt. For the first time in her life, she knew she could do anything.
The Phoenix, Unicorn, and Dragon shot out from the three Mysticons’ bracers. The energy beings rushed Dreadbane’s army, blasting them back. A huge explosion of green, purple, and gold dust filled the air. Dreadbane spun around on his vulture and flew as fast as he could in the other direction.
“Retreat! Retreat!” he ordered his army.
As Em landed to check on Zarya, she felt the energy surging through her arm. It had only been a few moments since she’d gotten her bracer, but she was amazed with how her powers already combined with the other Mysticons’. The Mysticons were stronger now than they ever were before. They’d found the fourth Codex piece—her Codex piece—and defeated Dreadbane. Now they just had to get Zarya’s piece back, and the quest for the Codex would be complete.…