by Kristen Pham
She was intensely uncomfortable under their scrutiny until Gideon changed the subject.
“Tonight is the ceremony where you will all officially become apprentices to the Knights. Go home and get cleaned up, and be back here at your appointed time.”
The ceremony was secret, so none of the recruits knew what was going to happen. They all had to pass some kind of test, and then they would officially be a part of the Guild of the Knights of Light. If they failed, they could test to join another guild, or go on a quest to prove their worth.
She hadn’t let herself overthink it. She was prepared that she might fail, since she had only been on the Globe and using her magic for less than a year. She hoped that whatever quest they gave her, if that happened, would be one she could succeed at.
The Laurel Circle was cold and dark on her finger again.
“Don’t let your fear be your master,” Gideon said quietly to her. She twisted the ring as she watched him walk away. If only she could put her fear in a box with her pain. But somehow, she didn’t think there was a container in the universe that was big enough for it.
“I don’t know what to wear!” she complained to Henry back at her dorm room.
“Don’t ask me,” he said. “I’m still wrapping my head around what a guild is, never mind what the dress code might be.”
“I wish Kanti were here. She’d know.”
“Me, too. But her parents won’t let her leave. She’s going stir crazy. And I’m going crazy waiting for her to get back so I can finally tell her that I’m in love with her,” Henry said, chewing his thumbnail again.
“I guess I’ll go with jeans and a nice top. My hands are starting to sweat,” she said.
“You’re going to ace it.”
“You have to say that. You’re my brother.”
Henry left, and she walked over to the Guild, gripping Pathos’ hilt tightly. She hoped they would let her keep it during the test.
When she reached the arch at the entrance to the Guild, she looked around, confused. It was completely deserted. She knocked on several of the doors that led inside from the courtyard, but there was no answer. Was this a part of the test, or did she miss an instruction that she was supposed to go somewhere else?
“All dressed up but no place to go.” Zunya’s voice made her spin around. His yellow eyes were slits, and he stared at her with a triumphant grin.
He stood several yards away, and her magic vanished like water down a drain. She knew that if he touched her, it would be agony. Her best hope was to outrun him. She had barely formed the thought when she saw Claremont lying on the ground behind him, unconscious. Running wasn’t an option.
Once she decided to stay and fight, her fear receded a little and instinct took over. She drew Pathos. Zunya laughed.
“Even Azra can’t touch me,” he said. “What makes you think that you’ll make it through my shield? Here’s the deal. You come with me quietly, and she can stay here.” He gestured to Claremont. “Fight me, and you’ll both suffer.”
She knew that the minute he had her away from Arden, her chances of getting away were microscopic. Choosing not to run was tantamount to a death sentence.
“Let’s go,” Valerie said, refusing to let her voice shake.
“Drop your sword first,” he commanded, and she did as she was told.
He gestured toward the tree line behind the Guild, and she walked behind him. He didn’t even check to see if she was following. When they were about half a mile away, Valerie considered her options. Claremont was safe. But there was no one to save her other than herself.
She could follow Zunya to the Black Castle and hope that they had a reason to keep her alive, or she could take her chances and fight him now, without magic or her weapon. The inevitability of losing hit her like a hammer blow. She wasn’t strong enough to fight him or smart enough to outwit him. She gripped the crystal hanging around her neck and her mind returned to Earth.
Thai dropped the book he was holding in surprise. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking your test?”
“I only have a few seconds. But I wanted you to know why I was never coming to see you again.”
His face rapidly drained of color. “What’s happening?”
“Zunya’s taken me prisoner and we’re going to the Black Castle. Once we’re there, they’ll take this charm, so I’m going to drop it along the way so they can’t find you. If they don’t kill me, I’ll visit you if I possibly can.”
“No! You have to fight.”
“If I fight him, he’ll beat me. I don’t have my magic or my weapon.”
“You’re giving up? Why have you been training all these months without magic? For times like this!”
Thai’s confidence blazed like an aura. He believed she could do it. Before she could reply, she was yanked back to the Globe as her head hit the ground. Zunya had backhanded her.
She unleashed her anger. It washed away her fear, and she let herself be carried away with it. From the ground, she swept her leg under his feet, knocking him to the dirt. She jumped up and stood in a defensive stance, ready for his attack. He got up more slowly than she expected, but immediately threw a right hook, hard. She ducked and the punch missed.
She grabbed his wrist as it whizzed by and twisted. He howled in pain. She expertly head-butted him, and he dropped to the ground. The air around him shimmered, and his shape changed.
Instead of Zunya, she saw a little brown creature with big ears and beady eyes. He grinned at her.
“You pack quite a punch. And you also passed,” he said, and reached out to shake her hand.
She took a step back. “W-what?” It felt like the ground was tilting.
“Sorry. I’m Mira. I’m a shapeshifter. Every recruit has to fight me in the form of their most feared enemy. You passed the first part with flying colors when you didn’t abandon Claremont. But it was touch and go there for awhile when you were following me to your doom. Another half a mile and you would have failed.”
“Why?”
“It’s one thing to find courage to defend others. But you also need confidence in yourself when it’s your safety at stake. We can’t afford for our Knights to act like martyrs.”
“But my magic disappeared, like it always does when Zunya’s around. Did you do that?”
He shook his head. “You did it to yourself. Your magic was with you the whole time. Sometimes your most powerful enemy is your own insecurity. What finally made you fight back?”
“My soul mate,” she said, and then gripped Thai’s crystal and was by his side in an instant.
He had his eyes closed and his hands clasped, almost as if he was praying.
“It was part of the test. Zunya wasn’t real. I passed.”
He made a noise that almost sounded like a sob of relief and stepped toward her. She could see the longing on his face to hold her.
“I thought I lost you,” he said.
“You’re my anchor. You’ll never lose me.”
Mira led Valerie back to the Guild, which was now swarming with Conjurors.
“You were the last recruit to be tested,” he explained. “Now for the fun part.”
Valerie saw Gideon, Midnight, and Azra standing at the front of the crowd. All of the recruits from her class were there, glowing. They had made it.
Henry and Dulcea grabbed her as she headed over and both gave her hugs.
“Told you that you’d kill it, dummy,” Henry said.
“Congratulations, sweetie. I know Cyrus and Kanti will be so proud to hear about your success.” Dulcea said.
“Thank you. This is unreal.”
Gideon raised a hand, and the crowd fell silent. “Today we welcome sixteen new apprentices to the Knights.” The crowd burst into applause and whistling. Gideon turned to the recruits. “Do you pledge to follow the values of the Knights? To use your Power to protect, Courage in the face of danger, and Mercy to your greatest enemies?” he asked them, stating the three tenets of the Guild.
“We do,” the new apprentices chorused.
Cannons stationed around the courtyard shot out glittering confetti. It flew through the air, sparkling, and when some landed on Valerie, she tasted a flash of sweetness in her mouth that made her whole body buzz with magic.
“Augury cannons,” Juniper breathed in awe.
Before she could ask him what that was, a scene flashed through her mind. She was kneeling next to Henry, who was lying on his back on soft, green grass. She knew he was talking to her, because his lips were moving, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. She squeezed his hand, and a low boom echoed in her ears. A wave of light burst from them both and made the ground ripple like still water that was hit by a pebble. They both gasped at the same time, and she fell to the ground beside her brother. All of her energy and magic were depleted. She had just enough strength to turn her head to the left to look at her brother. He stared back at her, smiling. Then his eyes closed, and she couldn’t sense his presence in her mind, or anywhere. Somehow she knew he was gone forever.
The real world returned in a rush, and Valerie blinked, trying to get her bearings. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Azra was by her side. You should have been warned about the augury cannons, but it is the way of this Guild to initiate you without telling you what will happen. I won’t ask you what you saw, but know that the magic that touched you showed you what could be, not what must be.
Azra nudged her gently in the shoulder with her nose, and Valerie let her tears fall into her mane. Then she stood straighter.
“I’ll take it as a warning and make sure it never happens,” she said. Her brother approached with curiosity in his eyes.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine. They hit us with some powerful magic that took me by surprise, that’s all,” she said. His mind touched hers, and she pushed him out, suddenly understanding how he had done the same thing to her in Ephesus and again when she had told him about her father.
Henry opened his mouth to argue, but before he could say anything, Midnight lightly gripped Valerie’s shoulder. “I can see now that you were meant to be a Knight, though I would have counted our Guild lucky to have you as a Guardian.”
Valerie saw that Midnight’s eyes were shining with pride, and she was surprised to see a less reserved side of the usually formal Grand Master.
“I dreamed of being one of King Arthur’s knights when I was little, but this is even better,” Valerie said.
“To pass the test, you only must offer to protect someone who you do not consider a friend. But you were willing to give your life. That is rare,” Midnight said, blinking back tears.
“How do you know that?” Henry asked curiously.
Azra made a soft noise and stepped closer to Midnight.
“I remember the last Knight recruit who passed the test by offering her own life to save one she considered an enemy. She was special,” Midnight replied.
“What happened?” Valerie asked softly.
“Aurora died shortly before she would have been named a Master Knight,” Midnight said shortly, and passed a hand over her face so quickly that Valerie couldn’t be sure whether or not she had seen a tear on her cheek. “She would have been a great leader in this Guild. You remind me of her.”
I have had the same thought. They are sisters in spirit. Azra’s words brought a wobbly smile to Midnight’s face, which then resumed its usual calm.
Valerie sensed that Midnight didn’t want to delve into painful memories, so she turned the subject to one that had been blazing brightly in her mind. “I found out from a prophecy that my father is alive. He’s a Conjuror on the Globe. Do you know who he could be?” she asked Azra, unable to keep a thread of excitement out of her voice.
Azra released a startled snort. I never even suspected, or I would have told you, of course. I will do all I can to help you find him.
Henry wasn’t listening. Their conversation was interrupted as loud music began to play. It sounded different from anything she had heard on Earth, powerful and deep. It pounded in her bones as well as her ears. It caught the crowd up in a kind of trance, and people began to dance.
Juniper grabbed her hands, and she joined the rest of the new apprentices who were bobbing to the beat. Joy rose up inside of her. She was a Knight of Light, just like King Arthur or Lancelot. Now she would protect the innocent, starting with her family.
Chapter 14
After the festivities were over, Valerie, Dulcea, and Henry walked home, still giddy from dancing and eating too many sugary desserts.
But as they walked, Dulcea’s smile slipped. “There’s something I have to tell you. Rastelli, our Guild’s Grand Master, made a new rule that only members or potential members of the Society of Imaginary Friends can live in our dorm.”
“And now that I’m an official apprentice of the Knights of Light, I’m out,” Valerie said, her joy replaced by something harder. It wasn’t the first time she’d been homeless, but her room with Kanti had somehow seemed more permanent than anywhere else she’d lived.
Dulcea impulsively pulled her into a fierce hug. “Never. You will always have a home with us. I’m only telling you because we’ll have to be a little sneaky so Rastelli doesn’t find out.”
Valerie and Henry exchanged glances.
“Couldn’t that get you into a lot of trouble?” Henry asked Dulcea.
“That’s not something for either of you to worry about. I don’t understand what’s going on with Rastelli. He has always been the warmest person you’d ever meet, but lately something seems off. He’ll come to his senses about this and thank me for not sending you away,” Dulcea said.
But Valerie knew that Dulcea was in the final weeks before she became a Guild Master, and she refused to jeopardize that.
“I’m sure the Knights have a dorm, too,” Valerie said lightly. “I’ll sleep there, but I’ll visit you all the time.” The thought of being away from her friends, and especially her brother, hurt.
Dulcea bit her lip. “The Knights of Light is one of the most popular guilds on the Globe. If you want housing, you have to apply years in advance.”
“I’ll find somewhere to live, don’t worry. I’ll be out within the week,” Valerie said with a practiced ease that she hadn’t used since her days in foster care.
“You don’t have to do that. Your home is with us,” Dulcea said, but Valerie could detect a note of relief in her voice, confirming her suspicions that Dulcea could get in serious trouble if Valerie stayed.
Their conversation was interrupted by the silhouette of a young girl standing in the middle of The Horseshoe. She was turning around in a circle, staring at the buildings with her mouth open.
They came closer to the girl, and Valerie saw her face. “Cara? Is that you?”
“Valerie? This is Arden? It’s amazing. Cyrus didn’t do this place justice when he told me about it. Not that my parents would let him say much.”
“You’re Cyrus’s sister! The Where-o-Well sent you here!” Dulcea exclaimed. “Welcome! I’m Dulcea, Master-in-training at the Society of Imaginary Friends.”
“Nice to meet you,” Cara said. Valerie gave her a quick hug, which Cara returned awkwardly.
“Now that you’re here, we’ll show you around properly,” Dulcea said, already hovering over Cara like a mother hen. “You can stay tonight with Valerie, since it’s too late for you to be going anywhere. Tomorrow I’ll show you the guilds, starting with Cyrus’s and mine.”
They began walking toward the dorm. When Cara stepped on the path that wound around the guilds, each flagstone glowed in a different color when it was stepped on. Cara stared, amazed. “Did Cyrus really do that? He said something about it once, but I didn’t understand.”
“He really did it,” Valerie said, smiling. She wished he were there to see his sister’s first impression.
“It’s beautiful. Who knew he had it in him?” Cara said to herself.
The next
day, Cara was up and showered by the time Valerie opened her eyes.
“It’s barely dawn,” Valerie said sleepily. “You okay?”
“I’m so excited to see it all. I don’t want to miss anything. This will be my one and only chance to see something of the world before I go back to Messina.”
“If you go back,” she corrected.
“Leave? Like Cyrus? I could never do that. There are rules,” Cara insisted.
“Don’t let someone else decide your life for you. Make up your own mind.”
Cara nodded uneasily and then hurried Valerie out of bed. She quickly got ready and showed Cara around the streets of Silva before breakfast. They met up with Dulcea and Henry in the cafeteria as Cara was stuffing herself full of the delicious food and groaning.
“They don’t have anything like this in Messina. Surely they can make an exception to the no-magic rule for these puff things,” she said, her eyes closed as she devoured a little pink cake.
Dulcea laughed. “The adventure is just beginning. Are you ready to tour the Society of Imaginary Friends?”
“Not without me,” Cyrus said, joining the table and ruffling Cara’s hair. She threw her arms around him.
“You’re here already!”
“I knew you’d land here, so I came straight back. It’s where you belong.”
“I’m coming on the tour, too,” Henry chimed in. “I’ve narrowed down the guilds I’m considering to Imaginary Friends or the Empathy Collective.”
“Count me in,” Valerie added. “I’ve been dying to see inside ever since I first laid eyes on the Guild waterslides.”
As they headed over, Valerie walked beside Henry. “What’s the Empathy Collective, anyway?”
“It’s sort of like counseling, but using magical tools to help people heal from trauma. A lot of people with psychic powers join the Empathy Collective. The Conjurors in it are really nice, but it’s kind of touchy-feely, so I’m not sure if I’ll fit in.”
“I had no idea you were researching all the guilds. I’m impressed,” she said.
“What did you think I was doing while you were training with the Knights?” he asked.