by Kristen Pham
“But I’m out of suspects,” she complained to Thai that night. “I mean, Chrome has other ideas, but no one that I could approach without looking suspicious.”
“I’m not sure what to tell you,” he replied, and she saw that he was pale and his eyes lacked their usual energy. How could she not have noticed right away?
“Thai, what is it?”
He shook his head. “I’ve been getting these headaches. And I’m tired all the time. I’m sure it’s just part of the separation. I’ll be fine once it’s over.”
She bit her lip and sat down next to him. “I wish I were there for real.”
“I’m not used to being weak,” he confessed. “It’s embarrassing.”
“I remember how that felt,” she empathized. “But you aren’t going to stay like this forever.”
“Back to your problem. What are you going to do?” Thai said, clearly wanting to change the subject.
Valerie considered her options. “Maybe I’ll visit the Capitol building. It’s where all of the Guild Grand Masters get together to make big decisions. I can learn who the key players are and maybe someone will give me a bad vibe.”
He nodded approvingly. “I love how smart you are.”
She looked away, uncomfortable with the compliment but also glowing from it. He leaned toward her, and she closed her eyes for an almost kiss, when he touched his lips to hers. It wasn’t as good as the real thing, but it always left her tingling. His face contorted, and Tan was staring at her a little mischievously.
“Miss me?” he asked with a grin.
She smiled back, hiding her annoyance at his interruption. “I really do. I can’t wait to show you around the Globe once you two separate.”
He stood up and bounced on his feet with excitement. “Me, too. I’m already thinking about what guild I’ll apprentice to.”
“There are so many to choose from.”
“And I’ll finally be able to destroy Venu for what he did.”
She shook her head. “You’ve got to let go of that, Tan.”
His face darkened. It was unsettling how quickly his mood could change. “I don’t expect you to understand. You know, maybe you shouldn’t visit so often.”
“What?”
“Do you know that his headaches are always worse after you leave? I think you’re cruel.”
“Stop, you don’t mean that.”
“Just go,” he said, glaring at her. “Go!”
Valerie’s mind returned to the Globe, her hands cold and shaking. Was Tan telling the truth? Was she making things harder for Thai by visiting so often? Maybe she should let him have some space to live his life. But that wasn’t something she was going to decide for him. She’d ask him and trust him to tell her the truth.
Instead of obsessing about Tan’s words, she decided to put phase two of her plan to find the spy into action. With Cyrus gone and Henry preparing a welcome home party for Kanti, she was on her own for this adventure. But instead of being nervous, she was excited. She was confident that it was the right course of action.
Finding the Capitol building was easy—it was larger than all of the guild buildings and had a huge gold dome. But she didn’t want to walk in the front door and be questioned about her intentions for being there. So she circled the building and climbed through a window that led to a basement room filled with boxes of junk.
She chuckled as she peeked inside the boxes. If she had been on Earth, they would be filled with boring things like toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Instead they held old crystal balls, tarnished magic mirrors, and an assortment of other objects that had been deemed junk by the Conjurors.
Returning to the task at hand, she cautiously peeked out the door into a large hallway with a beautiful white marble floor. Sconces on the wall provided warm, rosy light. She could hear bustle at a distance, but no one was in the hall.
She started to second-guess her decision. What was she going to do, put her ear against doors? She walked slowly down the hall, passing elegant wooden doors with names engraved on them. She stopped short when she saw Chern’s name and knocked tentatively.
“W-who is it?” he asked, his voice quavering.
“It’s Valerie,” she said, and heard his sigh of relief.
“Come in.”
She entered his cluttered office, which had books piled haphazardly and a desk that was covered in papers. There was also a faint but nauseating smell that could only be described as dirty gym socks. It was exactly like she imagined it would be.
“How can I help you?” he asked.
She was acutely uncomfortable, and suddenly decided not to tell him her reason for being there. Knowing Chern, he’d accidentally tell someone she was there without meaning to.
“I was looking for Midnight’s office,” she said on the spur of the moment.
“She’s two floors up. Take the platform at the end of the hall and ride it up and then to the opposite side of the dome. But she isn’t usually here at this time of day.”
“Thanks, Chern,” she said, and then hurried away.
She found the platform he’d mentioned and decided to head to Midnight’s office after all. She instinctively trusted the Guardians’ Grand Master, and decided to see if she’d had any insights into who the spy could be since they last talked.
The building was eerily quiet and empty. An unsettling ticklish sensation skittered up her back, and she was suddenly certain she wasn’t alone. She stepped off the platform into a deserted hall. Without consciously calling for it, her magic suddenly leaped up inside of her, and she caught an invisible fist inches from her face.
The fist had the texture of glass, and she knew that it must be one of the men who had come after her in Messina. Then, they were only semi-transparent. Someone had improved their powers, because she couldn’t see a trace of her attacker this time.
She didn’t have time to analyze the situation for long, as a fist hit her like a battering ram in her back. She fell to her knees, a shot of pain flashing through her, making her gasp. But her adrenaline kicked in and the ache receded. She remembered what Gideon had taught her and channeled her pain and fear into anger. She pulled Pathos from the sheath at her side, thankful that he had insisted that she always keep her weapon with her.
To the right, the sound of something tapping the marble floor alerted her, and she rolled to the left. A blow glanced off her shoulder, but didn’t do any damage. She shut her eyes. Since she couldn’t see her attackers, it made no sense to rely on her vision.
She heard a snicker in front of her, and she hit the spot where the head was with the flat of her blade. With a crunch of glass, the snickering stopped and the man was suddenly visible. His form was milky and blurred at the edges, but she could distinctly see that he had fallen to the floor, unconscious. Their invisibility might have improved, but they were still breakable.
Silence again. Valerie concentrated. She smelled something gross, like body odor. It was coming from behind her, so in one swift move she executed a spin kick. Her attacker must have seen it coming, because he caught her foot and she crashed to the ground. The pain in her back flashed bright, and she grunted. Then a blow to her head left her woozy, and for the first time, she considered that this might be a fight that she lost.
In the corner of her vision, she saw a flash of purple racing toward her. Midnight. A high, piercing noise split the air, and she heard her attackers shriek. She heard a cracking, like a golf ball hitting a glass window, followed by one-two-three thuds.
Cool hands cupped her face, and she stared into Midnight’s violet eyes. A pleasant sensation tingled her mind as images from the fight raced through her consciousness. Midnight was inside her head, watching what happened like a movie.
“You have psychic powers—like Henry,” she remembered. Midnight nodded.
“Excuse my intrusion into your mind, but I had to see what happened. This isn’t the first attack we’ve had in these halls. I’m surprised no one warned you that the
building is closed to all visitors.”
“I’m okay,” Valerie said. “That’s the second time you’ve saved my life.”
Midnight had protected her from Zunya when she had come to the Globe the first time, even though fighting him had weakened the Grand Master immensely.
“I don’t know about that. Something tells me you would have rallied and taken those breakables down,” Midnight said. “It was impressive to watch you fight. I can see why everyone wants you to lead.”
Valerie groaned again.
“I’ll take you to the Healers’ Guild,” Midnight said, helping Valerie to her feet.
“No, I have to go home. My brother will know that something’s wrong and he’ll be frantic.”
Midnight’s eyes searched hers, and then she sighed. “It’s your decision.”
Footsteps raced down the hall and Valerie tensed for another attack.
“It’s only Oleander, a Master Guardian.”
“I heard a noise,” a low, musical voice said. A woman with long, pale hair that matched her gold eyes stood beside Midnight. Her appearance was alien at first, but also strikingly beautiful.
Oleander’s eyes widened at the sight of the four breakables lying on the ground, and her amazement only increased when she saw Valerie.
“You’re the vivicus,” she said breathlessly. “You took down one of these men on your own? You’re only a recruit!”
Valerie shrugged, and Midnight noticed her discomfort.
“Contact the Knights and have them apprehend these men right away,” Midnight commanded. “I’ll escort Valerie back to her dorm.”
Oleander nodded, and Midnight led Valerie toward a platform. They left the building, and she tried not to hobble from the pain in her back. Her head would have a nasty bruise as well.
“Thank you,” Valerie said shyly. It was the first time she had spoken to Midnight alone. She had no right to be taking up so much of her time. “I can get home from here.”
“I will see you to your dorm, if not the Healers’ Guild,” Midnight insisted with a protective note in her voice.
Valerie nodded. “Thank you.”
“Did you come here looking for me?”
“Yeah. It seems so silly now, but I was trying to get a sense for who the spy might be.”
“That’s not silly. Azra says you have a sense for people, and I am one who appreciates when someone takes initiative. Did you discover anything?”
“Not a thing. I don’t know where to start.”
“Perhaps the best idea would be for you to sit in on the next council meeting and meet a few of the Grand Masters.”
“I could do that?”
“With a special invitation, yes, it is permitted. Azra will be back soon. Let me talk to her for you.”
They stopped in front of her dorm, and she saw Henry and Dulcea frantically flying down the side of the building on one of the platforms. She gave them a little wave of assurance.
“Thank you,” she said to Midnight.
“My door is always open. But next time, come visit me at the Guild.”
“Bed rest? Is this some kind of punishment?” Valerie complained as Henry and Dulcea fussed over her.
“Of course not!” Dulcea said indignantly.
“The next time you have a crazy idea like that, bring me with you,” Henry insisted.
“I can take care of myself,” she said, grouchy.
“Obviously not,” he snapped back.
“Enough! We have decorations to finish,” Dulcea interrupted. “Valerie, why don’t you lie down and visit some friends on Earth or something.”
With that, she and Henry left, and Valerie slumped down in her bed. But after a minute, she sat up. There was someone she had been meaning to visit. She concentrated, and opened her eyes to see Ming’s room inside the Oakland Children’s Hospital. On the bed was a little blue suitcase. She smiled—she wasn’t too late to catch Ming before she left.
“You’re here! I thought I might never see you again,” Ming said, and ran to her for a hug. She covered her mouth with her hand when she went right through her. “More magic! I knew it!”
Valerie couldn’t help laughing. “Are you better now?”
“Much better, but no one would believe me. They made me have so many tests,” Ming said, sticking out her lower lip.
“But you’re going home now?” she asked, nodding toward the little suitcase.
Ming’s smile was dazzling. “Yup! Mom’s doing some boring stuff with papers and then I get to go home. She made me a cake!”
“Yum!”
“I wish you could come home with me.”
“I can visit, if you tell me your address. And I’ll tell you all about the place I live now,” Valerie said, wishing she could pull Ming onto her knee like she used to.
She and Ming chatted for a while, and Ming filled her in on everyone’s amazement and joy over her recovery. It was almost as good as getting to see it for herself.
“But what did Dr. Freeman think?” Valerie asked curiously, remembering their last meeting.
“I questioned how you knew,” his deep voice said from the doorway. She turned around in surprise and saw him standing with his arms folded.
“Are you angry that I ran away?”
“No, Ms. Diaz. I understood. But you haven’t answered my question.”
“I already told you! It was magic,” Ming interrupted. She stamped her little foot and turned to Valerie for help.
Valerie sighed. This wasn’t going to go over well. “It’s true, Dr. Freeman. And for that matter, I’m not sick. I have magic, too.”
“See!” Ming exclaimed triumphantly.
“Of course, you both want something to explain this incredible miracle. But there is a scientific answer, and if we can find it, who knows how many more children we can help?”
Despite his confident words, Valerie could see that Dr. Freeman was shaken. It was within her power to vanish before his eyes and prove that magic existed, but she didn’t want to upend his entire world. Logic and science were the masters of his universe, and it would be cruel to take them from him.
Ming’s mother came into the room and scooped her daughter up in her arms. She didn’t see Valerie in the corner of the room as she thanked Dr. Freeman profusely and gave him a hug, which he returned awkwardly.
Valerie gave Ming a little wave and put her finger to her lips. Then she slipped out the door into hall, and let her mind return to the Globe. She opened her eyes, and even though she still had a deep ache in her back, her bad mood was gone.
Chapter 13
The next day, Gideon insisted that she train despite her injury in order to learn how to fight when she was at a physical disadvantage to her attacker.
“Picture the pain in your mind—give it a shape and form,” he instructed.
She imagined that it was a bright glowing ball like a little sun that was burning her from the inside out. She nodded.
“In your mind you will find a box. Do you see it?”
She envisioned a steel trunk with a huge lock, and she nodded.
“Now take your pain and wrestle it into the box. It may be slippery and strong, but you are stronger.”
Gideon’s suggestion reminded her of how she’d learned to compartmentalize her pain after she’d been attacked when she lived on the streets, or a few times when she’d been beaten by her foster parents. She’d learned quickly that showing weakness only led to being a target more often, so she became an expert at masking her pain. Over time, it became more than faking stoicism. She learned to ignore that part of her mind when she really needed to.
She concentrated, trying to pick up the ball, but when she touched it, it burned her fingers. She was annoyed with herself. Why hadn’t she picked something simpler to be the embodiment of her pain? Frustrated, she kicked it, and it skittered toward the box. She threw open the lid and grabbed the ball, but she couldn’t lift it. It weighed a ton. She grunted and strained, getting sweaty in t
he process.
Someone laughed—it sounded like Claremont, the other recruit who was close to her and Juniper in age. She was seven feet tall and had a tendency to use her height to try to intimidate the other recruits. “What’s taking so long? Are you showing off?”
“Shut it, Monty,” Juniper said, using the nickname that Claremont couldn’t stand.
Annoyance flashed through her at Claremont’s comment, and she channeled it. She heaved her pain into the box and slammed it shut. Then she locked it. She opened her eyes, and saw that the recruits were all staring at her.
“I can still feel the pain, but I can move around it, somehow,” she said.
“Let’s see how tightly you’ve trapped it,” he said.
Without waiting for her to get her bearings, he drew a practice sword from the weapons rack and tossed it to her. Then he grabbed a second practice sword for himself and began to attack. Valerie’s magic pooled inside her and her response was automatic. She parried with Gideon, stopping his first blow an inch from her shoulder.
She was surprised that he was pushing her this hard, but she trusted that he had a reason, so she gave it her all. Her focus sharpened and her magic raced through her veins. Their practice swords flashed in the sunlight, moving so quickly that they were a blur.
Amazingly, she landed a light blow on Gideon’s stomach. He leaped backward, on the defensive now. She faltered. It was the first time she had ever hit him with her sword. Was he okay?
Her distraction cost her the fight. Her hesitation was all he needed to knock her sword to the ground, and she fell, her pain returning with a deep throb in her back. She stifled a groan.
Gideon stood, watching her, and then smiled proudly. “Well done, Valerie. You truly did trap your pain inside your mind. I have never seen it done on the first try before.”
He shook her hand, as he insisted that the recruits always do at the end of a sparring match. She could see that he was sweating as much as she was. She was still stunned that she had landed a blow, and when she turned around, she could see her surprise mirrored on the faces of the other recruits. Even Monty gave her a grudging nod of respect.