Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve in...Mecha-Mole Mayhem! Page 13

  “I’ve been curious about how techniques work,” Darcy said to Gertie. “Can’t any kid just follow the steps and be able to cast the same powerful spell as an adult ninja?”

  Gertie took a seat on the ceiling, closed her eyes, and slowly opened them. “While most of us start out very weak, our techniques get stronger over time. If you and I both used the spell of angry rumble-bees, I would summon more bees.”

  “And what’s the cost?”

  “Most adult ninjas can only manage about six techniques per day. It’s like this well of power that’s inside of you and sleeping is what replenishes it. Some of us, however, have more power than others. Ninja Gretel was said to be able to do over fifty. She even invented a famous technique that would get you out of the woods if you were lost. Sadly, the steps to performing that one were forgotten over time.”

  Gertie signaled that it was time to leave the ceiling. She and Darcy bowed to each other.

  “Enjoy your afternoon, Marcy,” said Gertie, and she left.

  Darcy had an hour until she was meeting Ninja Steve. They couldn’t go to Fro-Zen, because it had been damaged in the war and was being rebuilt. Instead, they were getting drinks and snacks at Throwing Star Buck’s.

  She stood in her room in Gertie and Morris’s basement, looking through her closet. They had taken her out to get her more ninja-styled clothes and accessories, including a black flower crown that many of the ninja girls around town were wearing. Following the war, the lead singer of Kaiju and the Battle Rangers had worn a black flower crown at the victory celebration concert.

  Darcy had overheard a group of younger ninja girls saying that Kaiju was the new Shinobi-Onsay.

  She looked at herself in the mirror that hung in her closet and she put on the flower crown. It made her happy, even though she knew it was just a decoration that lots of other girls had. She wondered if Steve would like it.

  All of Ninjastoria was focused on rebuilding. Darcy passed by Kickin’ Cake, where a crew of ninjas was repairing the roof and putting in a new display window. The movie theater, which had been busted up by a drill missile, was being surveyed by the reconstruction team.

  The businesses that had made it through unharmed were opening late and closing early so that more people could pitch in and help out in other places. School was cancelled for a full eight weeks. The teachers were organizing the students into groups that would distribute supplies or assist in construction projects. Darcy was in a group with Ninja Arjun and Ninja Kelly. Ever since Darcy had saved Kelly from falling in Swords R Us, she had been much more pleasant. In fact, she had stopped hanging out with Ninja Steph entirely.

  Darcy was a block away from Throwing Star Buck’s, thinking about getting a green tea latte.

  “There’s something I’ve been thinking about,” said Toran, and Darcy jumped.

  “Did you have to scare me like that?” Darcy asked in her head.

  Toran ignored her question. “It was said that the samurai had a spiritual master who lived at the bottom of the ocean. She mastered the sword to the point where it bored her. She began to develop what she called ‘the blade of the mind’ and aimed to hone her magical prowess until she could use it like a sword.”

  “I don’t like where this is going,” Darcy thought.

  Toran went on. “Three thousand years ago, Bushido Gardens was invaded by Darkwalkers. They are ghosts of a—”

  Darcy had heard enough. “I know what Darkwalkers are. They’re from a book series. They look like humans, but they turn into dark silhouettes at night, and possess people. They’re monsters, Toran. Well, except for Allison, because—”

  “I assure you, Darkwalkers are very real,” said Toran. “But that is not the point of telling you this story.”

  “Why, then?”

  “The samurai’s blade of the mind was able to cut the Darkwalkers away from those who were possessed. Without her, Bushido Gardens would have fallen. There was a small group of samurai who stuck with her after that and learned her art.”

  Darcy saw exactly where Toran was headed. “You think that if we go to Bushido Gardens, we might be able to find a samurai who can separate us.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Why would I want to set you loose?” asked Darcy. “I know that the ninjas sealed you away for a reason.”

  “Yes, they did,” said Toran. “They were clever about it, too. They waited until my battle with the other ghosts crossed over into Ninjastoria. It wasn’t really about saving Ninjastoria, though.”

  “What was it about, then?”

  “President Ninja wanted me sealed away for a very different reason. He somehow figured out that I could track down the Nexus keys,” said Toran.

  Upon hearing “Nexus keys,” Darcy immediately thought of her parents.

  Toran continued, “If we can get the samurai to set me free, I will help you find the Nexus keys, Darcy.”

  She shivered. “You’ll run off the moment you’re free. Or you’ll destroy me. Or you’ll set out to free the other captured ghosts. Why would I ever trust you on this?”

  “Because,” Toran said, “there’s something in the Nexus that I want, too. And it requires the help of a human to get it.”

  THE END

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

  Thank you for reading Mecha-Mole Mayhem! I hope you had fun joining Darcy and Steve in their latest adventure.

  I’d like to ask you for a small favor. Can you please write a review of this book on Amazon? Even if it’s one or two sentences, every Amazon review that gets posted helps more readers discover Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve.

  And, finally, my fans are my favorite people, and I love hearing from them. You can always contact me through my website, and while you’re there, you can check out the latest blog posts or sign up for the Ninja Newsletter to get special updates on Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Where to begin?

  Thank you to all of my beta readers. You saw this book before it was this book and gave me all kinds of new ideas to consider.

  My editor, Shannon A. Thompson, knocked it out of the park on this one. I felt like the draft I sent to her was—to use teacher terms here—an 85%. Her insight, suggestions, and willingness to challenge my writing skills have transformed this novel into something I am 100% proud to present to you.

  Cover artist master, Tristan George, has delivered yet another five-star portrayal of Darcy and Steve. He’s also offered up the very first glimpse of Ninjastoria and I love it.

  I’m looking forward to bringing the team back together when book four takes shape. See you then!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Grant Goodman teaches middle school English in Montgomery County, Maryland.

  He is fueled by Over the Garden Wall, homemade chicken broth, and the occasional round of Sushi Go Party!

  You can follow him on Instagram:

  @grantgoodmanauthor