by Kristen Pham
“But then how do you know who’s the most important?” Amaryllis asked, her large eyes clouded with confusion.
Henry tried to suppress his laughter and it came out as a snort.
“It’s different here. Position doesn’t matter as much. People share,” Kanti explained.
It was her father’s turn to snort. “Sounds great until all the freeloaders out there take advantage of the system and it crumbles.”
“It hasn’t so far!” Kanti said indignantly. Valerie and Henry stared hard at their plates, hoping the conversation would turn to something more pleasant.
“Arden only abolished currency a few decades ago. Give it another hundred years and we’ll talk,” George insisted.
Valerie saw Henry squeeze Kanti’s hand under the table, and Kanti took a deep breath, like she was counting to ten.
“Tell me about your lives,” Valerie interjected, turning to Kanti’s sisters. “Here we spend our time working in our Guilds. What do you do in Elsinore?”
“Oh, party, flirt with boys, shop,” Amaryllis said carelessly.
“That’s not all,” Pauline said primly. “My daughters are all magically gifted in the arts—Peach sings, Isabelle paints, and Amaryllis is an exquisite dancer.”
“The boys love it,” Amaryllis said with a smile. “Speaking of which, where are you hiding all the cute boys?”
“You have a one-track mind,” Kanti said, but she tugged one of her sister’s curls affectionately. It was clear that Amaryllis, for all of her shallowness, was her favorite sister.
Pauline slumped in her chair, and George leaned close to his wife and held her hand. “What is it, darling?” She looked very pale.
“Mom?” Kanti asked, her mask of sarcasm wiped away by worry.
“So much power in one room. It’s more than I’ve ever…” she trailed off and fainted into her husband’s arms.
“Help her!” Kanti said, jumping up and knocking over her glass of water.
Valerie was ready to jump into action, but George waved at her to sit down. He cradled his wife’s head in his arms and began to sing quietly. The gentle hum of George’s magic gradually returned the color to Pauline’s face.
“He heals through his music,” Henry whispered to her as Valerie watched the scene, transfixed. Kanti’s parents weren’t perfect, but there was so much love between them. They couldn’t be all bad.
Pauline’s eyes fluttered open and she sat up. “I’ve made a scene. My apologies.”
George squeezed her hand. “No one noticed. Shall we leave?”
“Soon. I’ve blocked it out now.”
“We have to get her to a healer,” Kanti said urgently.
“It happens to her all the time, and she’s fine. You’d know that if you were ever around,” Isabelle said resentfully.
“Are you really okay?” Kanti asked her mother, and her voice sounded young and a little scared.
“Darling, don’t worry your head about me. It’s embarrassing, but nothing to trouble yourself about. This kind of magic always has this effect on me, but it’s nothing your father can’t cure.”
“What do you mean, this kind of magic?” Valerie asked curiously.
“Well you and your brother are quite powerful, as well as my own dear family, of course. But this is a different sort of magic.”
“Different how?” Henry asked, interested.
Pauline’s forehead crinkled as she tried to put it into words. “There’s something—wrong—about it. The magic is powerful but twisted. And I must say, this is by far the greatest amount of it that I’ve ever sensed.”
“Who could it be?” Valerie asked, and she had the unaccountable feeling that Reaper was near.
“I’d love to know,” Pauline said, a sparkle in her eye. “Such power—imagine what a powerful connection that would be.”
“But you said that it’s magic gone wrong!” Kanti said.
“Power is power, dear,” George said patiently, as though he was explaining a simple concept to a small child.
Kanti was ready to explode, so Henry quickly jumped in. “Thanks for such a great meal. Kanti really should get back to her dorm before Dulcea starts to worry.”
“Who is Dulcea?” Pauline asked.
“She’s been a mother to me when you couldn’t be,” Kanti shot at her. Pauline and George wore identical masks of shock at their daughter’s words. Kanti shook her head and left, pulling Henry with her.
“Nice to see you again,” Valerie said, and followed Kanti and Henry out.
Outside the restaurant, Kanti was shaking. Henry held her in his arms, and Valerie gave her friend a quick squeeze before leaving them alone.
She’d only be a third wheel now, and this was her chance to see if she could discover who Reaper was. Her gut told her that the spy and Reaper were one and the same person, and Gideon had encouraged her to trust her instincts. All that power that had overwhelmed Pauline had come from someone who was living in their midst, deceiving them.
She mentally ran through her suspects. What was striking was who hadn’t been there—Sanguina, Oberon, Rastelli—and it was good to be able to eliminate a few Conjurors from the growing list. She saw that there was a back entrance to the restaurant, probably where the members of the Cooking Guild entered to create the fabulous meals at the restaurant.
She slipped into the back, expecting to find a bustling kitchen like she would on Earth. Instead everything was calm and orderly, and two Conjurors were working with strange foods so quickly, getting plate after plate ready, that it was impossible to see how they were cooking the food. Once each dish was ready, apprentices whisked it away to be served.
Valerie couldn’t help but be fascinated by it all, but she turned her mind to the task at hand. That was when she noticed that she wasn’t the only uninvited guest in the kitchen. Ani was hovering by the doorway that led out to the main restaurant, scanning the patrons.
Valerie quickly ducked behind a tall cabinet before she was spotted. Cautiously she peeked out, ready to tackle Ani if she made a wrong move. She noticed that there was a satchel the size of a soccer ball clutched in her left hand. The bag seemed to wriggle and squirm, and she knew what it was—pure magic, the currency of Elsinore.
The magic was special, because it could be manipulated for any purpose. What was Ani doing with so much of it? Somehow Valerie doubted it was for anything good.
She hesitated, trying to decide her next move. Ani drew out a long, pointy knife made of crystal—or ice, she thought, remembering Kanti’s castle, which was entirely made of ice but charmed so that it never melted.
She dipped the knife into the bag and muttered something under her breath. Then she brought the tip of the knife to her mouth and blew gently. A black fog began to pour into the room.
Valerie cursed herself for not acting sooner. Her rage at Ani for all she had done to Kanti and Henry made it easy for her to seize her magic. She catapulted over a countertop, startling one of the Cooks, who let out a high-pitched yell that alerted Ani to her presence.
Ani turned and her eyes narrowed. She dipped her knife into the bag again, but before she could do anything with it, Valerie executed a quick spin kick that knocked it out of her hands and sent it skittering across the floor.
Ani’s face seemed to turn to marble. A hum filled the room, more power than Valerie would have guessed that Ani possessed. Valerie drew Pathos and braced herself for some kind of physical attack, but instead, Ani opened her mouth and the most beautiful sound Valerie had ever heard in her life poured out of it. The sweetness was almost unbearable, filling her soul with a longing that made her fall to her knees. Pathos clattered to the ground next to her.
She was dimly aware that the Cooks in the kitchen were mesmerized as well. Ani slowly walked closer to her. There was a tiny part of Valerie’s mind that knew this was all wrong. That part of her struggled through the fog, demanding that she pick up Pathos and stop her. Ani’s song reached its crescendo, taking her breath away
with its beauty.
“What the hell is going on here?” Kanti’s voice cut through the song like a razor. Valerie struggled to her feet and lifted her sword shakily. Ani’s song continued, but it seemed muted. Next to her, Henry held Kanti’s hand, and the hum of their combined power was formidable. Henry slammed Ani into the wall with the power of his mind, and she fell to the ground, unconscious.
“What was going on? Why weren’t you fighting her?” Henry said, turning to Valerie.
“I don’t know. It was like I was paralyzed by her voice.”
“You were,” Kanti said grimly. “She’s a siren, like Peach. Well, Peach would never hurt anyone. Manipulate them, maybe, but not kill them. I hope.”
“I wouldn’t,” Peach said softly, walking through the doorway from the restaurant with her parents and sisters behind her. She tucked a strand of her long, shiny blonde hair behind one ear. “I heard the call of a siren sister and came right away with Mother and Father. So it’s true—Aunt Ani really did try to kill you.”
Kanti nodded. “It’s not the first time she’s betrayed me.”
“Oh my,” Peach said, noticing the writhing bag of magic that Ani had dropped on the ground. “I’ve never seen half this much magic in my entire life. What could she be doing with it all?”
“There was this black fog that she made,” Valerie said. She peered into the restaurant, but it seemed to have dissipated. “I’m not sure what it was for. Poison?”
“The lights dimmed,” Peach said. “It was probably a simple darkness spell—that usually starts with fog.”
Pauline and George drew back, shocked.
“Oh, Kanti, I’ve been so blind. I’m sorry,” Pauline said, her hand fluttering to her heart.
“I am as well,” George said stiffly. He walked to his daughter and grasped her hand.
“Thanks.” Kanti’s voice wobbled a little, and she cleared her throat.
“This family has made quite enough of a display of itself for one day,” Isabelle said.
“That’s enough, Isabelle,” Pauline said, but without force.
“We should get Ani to the carriage before she awakes,” George said. “She’ll need to be tried and held in Elsinore.”
Kanti started to protest. “No way am I letting her out of my sight!”
“I must insist,” George said. “I won’t give her the chance to hurt you again. Even Valerie was no match for her, and I understand that her fighting prowess is considerable.”
Valerie flushed. It wasn’t the first time that she had been mentally overpowered by an opponent. Sanguina had seized control of her mind in the past as well. Her physical strength seemed untouchable, but what good was it if she crumbled against enemies with psychic powers?
“Promise you won’t let Ani out of your sight,” Kanti said.
“I promise,” Pauline said, her voice shaky. “Your father and I will never let that woman near you again. I only hope you can forgive us for doubting you.”
George walked over to Ani and hefted her over his shoulder with ease. Outside, a beautiful, sparkling carriage made of ice and drawn by pure white horses stood waiting.
“Figures,” Kanti said under her breath. “They couldn’t resist showing off.”
Henry shushed her. “It was nice to meet all of you,” he said to Kanti’s family.
“I do hope we’ll be seeing more of you,” George said a little stiffly. “Kanti, your home will always be waiting for you, if you ever decide to return.”
“And we love you, darling,” Pauline added, tears filling her beautiful eyes as she squeezed her daughter’s hand.
A smile escaped at the corner of Kanti’s mouth. Amaryllis threw her arms around her sister, and then Peach gave her a timid hug. Isabelle only huffed a little and went into the carriage.
Kanti, Henry, and Valerie watched them drive off until the carriage was a glittering speck in the distance.
“I hope you don’t blast me with rainbow powers or something, but I actually kinda liked them,” Henry said cautiously.
“Me, too,” Valerie added. “Except Ani, of course.”
“Even Isabelle? Bleh,” Kanti said dismissively.
“She’s jealous. She’ll get over it,” Henry said.
Kanti’s jaw dropped at his words. “Isabelle, jealous of me? But she’s always been the daughter with the most promise.”
“Until now,” Valerie said. “It’ll be good for her to see that the Globe doesn’t revolve around her.”
“There’s a new force to be reckoned with, and she’s more than a pretty face,” Henry said, giving Kanti a peck on her cheek.
That night, Valerie couldn’t resist visiting Thai. Seeing the love between Kanti and Henry made Valerie’s heart ache for him. Before she could touch the charm that connected her to Thai, the mirror lying next to her bed was suddenly filled with Juniper’s face.
“Did you get my message?” she asked eagerly.
He nodded. “We were running in circles, and your message was the confirmation. We’re already back now. I guess we’re back to the drawing board on how to get to the Black Castle, unless you think Shade will be able to help us.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think he’ll be able to help anyone for awhile. There has to be another way.”
Juniper yawned. “Let’s figure it out tomorrow. Tonight I want to sleep in my own bed with no one snoring next to me.”
His image disappeared, and she snuggled into her own bed. She squeezed the charm around her neck and shut her eyes.
When she opened them, she was in a room filled with bunk beds—probably a youth hostel, she guessed. Most of the bunks were empty, and she quickly spotted Thai and Tan. Even though they were identical, she immediately knew that Thai was resting on the bottom bunk. She recognized the way he slept, on his side with one hand tucked under his cheek.
“Valerie,” he breathed. “Don’t leave me.”
At first she thought he was awake, but his eyes were closed. He was talking in his sleep. He had done it before—she’d heard him when they were camping—but never anything that made sense. A tremendous weight left her shoulders. Worrying that she was losing her soul mate had haunted her for weeks, but now it was all going to be okay.
She waited for a long time to see if he would awaken on his own, but his sleep seemed to deepen, and she decided she’d come again the next day.
“I love you,” she whispered into his ear.
Her mind returned to the Globe, and peace settled on her heart. It was almost like what Dasan had given to her, but better. But the feeling abruptly splintered. Something was very wrong.
She sat up and opened her eyes, but all she saw was darkness.
“Henry!” she shouted, but she heard nothing, not even the sound of her own voice. The silence was as thick as the darkness, and as impenetrable.
She might as well have been floating in a void of nothing. But then the emptiness was shaken by the low rumble of a deep well of magic. It quietly rattled her bones. It was the dialed down magic of an immensely powerful Conjuror.
The vibrating increased, making her teeth rattle. An intense pain radiated all over her skin, as if it were being burned. She was dissolving, she suddenly knew with certainty. This magic had the power to make her disappear into thin air, dust in the void. She tried to scream, but like in a nightmare, her voice made no sound. If it weren’t for the pain, she wouldn’t even know if she existed.
This wasn’t the magic of a Conjuror. This was the indomitable, dark power of the Fractus.
Chapter 30
Valerie’s panic was total. Her magic was locked and buried inside of her, untouchable because of the depth of her fear. She couldn’t fight this. Thai, Cyrus, Henry, Kanti—she would never see them again, never have the chance to say goodbye.
No.
The word was like a pinprick of light in the darkness. She wasn’t going down without a fight. Whatever—or whoever—was doing this wouldn’t stop with her. Everyone she loved would b
e next.
The dam holding back her magic burst, and it flooded her to her fingertips. It had been right there all along, held back by a wall of her own making. She reached out for Henry’s mind. She shouted with all her power and was surprised by how close he was, as if he was standing next to her.
His power flowed into her. She breathed it in, and with every exhale, the darkness receded a little more. A dim light entered her vision, and she heard shouting, though it sounded like it was at a very great distance. She knew she was returning to life.
But before the void vanished altogether, she heard a voice that echoed inside her mind, as if someone was whispering in her ear.
“Get rid of your friends and come to the edge of the forest. Keep me waiting, and they’ll all die.”
Reaper, she knew with certainty.
Her vision and hearing came back the rest of the way in a rush, and everything was chaos. She couldn’t make sense of the colors and sounds at first. Then she recognized that Henry was sitting next to her, gripping her shoulders so tightly they ached.
“Come back! I’m here!” he shouted at her.
“Is she breathing?” Midnight asked, her usually soothing voice high with fear.
“Yes, but what’s happening to her?” Henry asked as he leaned down to examine his sister with terrified eyes.
“I’m okay,” Valerie croaked. “I’m back.”
“Let’s give her some room,” Midnight commanded. Henry sat back, and Valerie struggled to sit up.
“What happened to me?” she asked.
“Henry and I found you like this an hour ago. At first, it seemed like you were in a deep sleep, and nothing could wake you,” Midnight explained.
“And you screamed and screamed…” Henry broke off, his voice cracking.
“I’m sorry,” Valerie said, Henry’s palpable terror blasted through their mental connection.
“I couldn’t see anything in your mind but darkness, but I knew you were reaching for me, needing me. I thought I was going to lose you,” Henry said softly.
“Tell us who did this to you,” Midnight said, her voice calm but with an undercurrent of rage. “They will be punished.”