by Kristen Pham
“My parents are horrified, even though I’m using my magic to save lives, not take them.”
“You’re doing the right thing,” Valerie said.
“I know. Someday they will, too, I hope,” Cara said. “In the meantime, I’m enjoying the fact that Arbor Aurum doesn’t have cell phone service. The only means to contact me are magical, so I haven’t heard from them since I left.”
Valerie turned back to Elden. “Any change in him?”
Cara put her hand against Elden’s chest, and Valerie watched light pulse from her hand into her patient, giving him a temporary glow. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but he seemed to breathe a little easier.
“Some days, he seems stronger,” Cara said. “Other days, it seems like his recovery has plateaued. We don’t know what the long-term effects of the Fractus’s weapons are. And Elden had a very strong exposure.”
Valerie was grateful that Cara didn’t try to hide her doubts. She barely recognized the girl she’d met three years ago. That angry kid had been replaced by someone who seemed to know her purpose better than Valerie did.
“How’s Cyrus?” Cara asked.
Valerie knew that she’d seen her brother earlier in the week, so she suspected that Cara was really asking how she and Cyrus were doing.
“There’s not a lot of time for romance in the middle of a war,” Valerie hedged.
“He loves you. If you don’t feel the same, you need to let him know,” Cara said, eyeing her critically.
“I love Cyrus!”
“You know what I mean,” Cara said, her tone brooking no nonsense.
Valerie deflated a little. “I would never string him along.”
Cara cocked her eyebrow at Valerie’s Earth expression, but she nodded. “No one dies of a broken heart in real life. People move on.”
“Okay,” Valerie said, since Cara was still staring at her.
Cara broke the tension with a smile and a welcome change of subject. “Tell Ceru to come visit me.”
Ceru was a journeyman at Cyrus’s old guild, The Society of Imaginary Friends. He was one of Cyrus’s good friends, and Valerie suspected that Cara had a crush on him.
“I’m not going to tell Cyrus you said that,” Valerie teased.
“Thanks. Ceru never sees me as anything other than a child, though,” Cara said, and her earlier maturity slipped away. “But I’m not!”
Valerie couldn’t help being reminded of when she’d first met Thai. She remembered his bossy attitude with bemused affection.
“Why are you grinning like that?” Cara asked.
“Thank you, Cara,” Valerie said.
“For what?”
“For giving me the first somewhat normal night I’ve had in a really, really long time.”
Chapter 3
Valerie didn’t need an alarm or a wakeup call to be up with the sun every morning. Her body seemed to know that it could only take the minimum amount of sleep it needed before sending her back to the endless string of tasks that awaited her every day.
As usual, she checked in with Chisisi first. She opened a drawer that had an ancient, handheld tape recorder and concentrated. Instantly, she was inside the outdated electronics shop in Japan where Chisisi was currently running the operations of the Guardians of the Boundary on Earth.
Thai was bent over a laptop with Chisisi, and the two were deep in discussion. Valerie cursed her traitorous heart for leaping at the sight of Thai’s broad shoulders.
“Any attacks over the night?” Valerie asked, deciding to get in and out as fast as possible.
Thai turned and flashed her a smile that made her cheeks heat up in spite of herself.
“It was calm, for a change,” Thai said.
Chisisi was still staring at the screen. “Your Thai has developed an interesting program to analyze the locations of the Fractus’s attacks. It is proving most helpful in identifying where they will strike next.”
“They’re searching for something pretty systematically,” Thai explained. “I think we can all guess what.”
“The charm that’s repressing magic on Earth, right?” Valerie asked.
“Young miss has the right of it,” Chisisi said, turning at last. His eyes were shadowed from fatigue. He’d been working tirelessly to stop the Fractus since the death of his brother, and it was taking a toll.
“It’s not going to be easy for us to find it before the Fractus do. There’s way more of them than us,” Thai said.
Valerie unconsciously rubbed her temples, where a headache was already forming. “At least when they’re searching, they’re less likely to be attacking humans.”
Chisisi’s phone rang, and he answered it.
“Yes,” he said, his tone clipped. He listened, his body absolutely still. “I am on hand to help if you need it.”
Chisisi hung up. “I’m going to Dubai. A battle is brewing there between the Fractus and my people.”
“Send me instead,” Valerie said.
“Send us,” Thai corrected. “You need sleep, Chisisi.”
He briefly touched the older man on his back, and Valerie could see the gentle affection in the gesture. Before Chisisi could respond, Valerie was blasted with a wave of pure panic from Henry’s mind. Henry so rarely completely opened himself to her anymore that Valerie stumbled, and would have fallen if Thai hadn’t caught her elbow.
“Henry needs help!” she said. Her vision cleared. “I’m sorry, Chisisi, but I have to go to him.”
“Go, young ones. I will see to the Fractus in Dubai.”
Thai gripped her hand, and they were back in Valerie’s garden.
“Not here. The Society of Imaginary Friends. I’ll meet you there,” Valerie said, and took off at full speed, letting her magic power her legs.
But Thai was still holding her hand, and somehow he kept up, even though she was running so fast that the trees were a blur in her peripheral vision.
They didn’t stop until they burst through the doors of the Guild. Standing in the middle of the playful, colorful center of the room was Zunya, surrounded by two-dozen of the boys from Jack’s old gang of friends whom he’d given the ability to absorb magic.
The boys’ white eyes and the black stitching on their throats were terrifying, and the Conjurors of the Guild, many of who were children, cowered away from the spectacle.
“I thought this would get your attention,” Zunya’s voice boomed across the room as his yellow eyes connected with Valerie’s. “You’re a difficult person to get ahold of now that people foolishly think you matter.”
“What do you want?” Valerie asked, keeping her voice steady. Zunya fed on fear, and he already had a feast. She wouldn’t add her own to the mix.
“I’m here to propose a treaty,” Zunya said.
“Sure you are,” she said, analyzing the possibility of getting to his side before he hurt someone.
“Reaper’s idea, not mine. I recommended slaughtering you all,” Zunya said. “Starting with these kids.”
The high-pitched screams that followed his words only made him smile wider, but Valerie saw that he wasn’t directing his power at anyone yet. He was here for something else, she suspected.
Her eyes flicked around the room to assess her advantages. Through her connection with Henry, she knew that he was watching from a platform thirty floors above with Dulcea. They were waiting for her signal to join in the fray.
A flash of light in a corner caught her attention, but she was careful not to direct her gaze in that direction. Cyrus was sending her a message that he was on hand, too. That was when she remembered what was happening in the Guild today. It was Dulcea’s inauguration ceremony as the new Grand Master of the Society of Imaginary Friends.
“What is your master proposing?” Valerie asked, knowing that her choice of words would irk Zunya.
His expression darkened. Score.
“I’m my own master. But Reaper wants to declare a peace so we can tend to our wounded for ten days.”
“He doesn’t care about his wounded. You’re all expendable to him. What’s this really about?”
“You’re right. We don’t have any wounded that we care to nurse to health. But you do. You can have this time for a small price.”
“I figured as much. What do you want?”
Valerie’s mind whirred, imagining the possibilities if she had ten whole days of peace. Aside from giving their wounded a few days of uninterrupted care, they could port in water and fresh food from neighboring cities; restock their weapons, which were running dangerously low; and sleep. What was all that worth to her?
“We want access to the tunnels in Plymouth for those ten days,” Zunya said, naming the underground city that was sealed against everyone aboveground.
“No way,” Valerie shot back. “I’m not letting you slaughter more people for whatever sick reasons you have.”
“No one in Plymouth will be harmed. We are using the tunnels for transportation of materials we need,” Zunya said.
“Like we’d ever trust your word!” Dulcea shouted down at him. Henry yanked her back before Zunya could see who’d spoken.
“I know you’re here, Henry,” Zunya said.
Henry’s mind was open to her, and Zunya’s words registered like a poisonous snake slithering up his spine. Goosebumps broke out on her arms from the volume of Henry’s terror.
But none of that fear was evident in his voice or stance when he jumped onto a platform that shot him to the ground. He stepped off and moved next to Valerie and Thai.
“Why doesn’t he bend space and create a portal? He can go wherever he wants,” Henry said.
“He has his reasons for wanting to go through Plymouth. But he promises that the people there will not be contacted or harmed in any way. And you of all people should know that Reaper keeps his word,” Zunya said. “Didn’t your daddy’s end prove that?”
Valerie wasn’t ready for the immensity of Henry’s power when he unleashed it. A blast of psychic power knocked Zunya off his feet and slammed him into the far wall so hard that it cracked.
The room exploded in movement as all of the Conjurors surged toward the exits at the windows and doors.
“It didn’t have to be this way. The offer was made in good faith. But Reaper’s wishes or not, now you all have to die,” Zunya said, rising to his feet.
The boys Zunya brought with him opened their mouths. The yawning caverns in their faces were like a void, and Valerie’s power started slipping away from her.
“Cyrus, get over here!” she shouted, and then turned to Henry and Thai. “We fight back to back.”
Pathos was already in her hand, and together, they moved as a pack toward the boys. The closer they got, the more her power was torn away, but she knew that they couldn’t run. There were too many children at risk if they didn’t eject Zunya and his gang right away.
They made it to the first boy, and Valerie had enough of her power left to knock him in the head with a spin kick. He fell to the ground, and the immensity of the attack on her magic ebbed by a tiny fraction.
At the same time, Cyrus reached them and sent a beam of light out of his hands. He was nearly knocked over by three kids aiming for an exit behind them, and Thai gripped his shoulder so he didn’t fall. The beam of light turned into a fireball that shot straight at Zunya.
Zunya released a yelp of pain as the flames engulfed him. But the fire set off some kind of magical sprinkler system, and soon water was shooting everywhere, soaking everyone and putting out the fire Cyrus had started. In the resulting chaos, Valerie, Henry, Thai, and Cyrus pressed their advantage, knocking two more boys out as they raced toward Zunya, who was charred and crumpled on the floor, but still breathing.
A heady excitement filled Valerie, seeing Zunya injured for the first time in her life. But before she could rejoice, he slammed his fist into the ground, and black veins of magic shot through the floor, spreading to the points around the room where each of the boys in his little army stood.
Before Valerie could react, she saw all of Zunya’s boys fall to the ground when the black line reached them. As one, they convulsed, and the lines in the ground swelled, pumping magic to Zunya.
Zunya inhaled deeply and stood. His eyes flicked from Valerie to Thai to Cyrus to Henry. Then he pulled a black dagger from his boot and threw it. There was a flash of darkness as it whipped through the air, and then embedded itself in the heart of a young Conjuror who was frozen against a wall, watching the scene.
Screams erupted as Valerie ran to the boy’s side. Zunya used the distraction to leap through the window with superhuman speed.
For Valerie, nothing mattered but the boy. She shoved her way to his side, pushed back his sweaty mass of dark curls, and unleashed her vivicus power into his little body. Her power flooded her with its pain and potential. This time, she seemed to know when his little spark of life blazed up. He’d live.
Valerie struggled to pull back her power, and Henry helped her lock it up inside of her again before it consumed her.
Dulcea had scooped the boy up, though he looked more scared than weak.
Valerie saw blackness at the edges of her vision, but she pushed it back.
“I’m going after Zunya. I can stop him, I know it,” Cyrus said, kneeling beside her.
“No,” Valerie said.
Cyrus started to go anyway, and Valerie held him back by his arm.
“As the leader of the Fist, I’m telling you that you’re too valuable to go after Zunya alone, and we can’t all go until we secure this location,” Valerie said.
She could see the struggle on his face. His eyes flicked toward the window Zunya had jumped out of, his body tense, and Valerie prepared herself to knock him out if she had to. But then, his eyes connected with hers, and she knew they were both remembering the last time he’d gone against her orders.
Cyrus jerked his arm away, but he nodded. “Fine, I’ll stay.”
Valerie summoned her strength, and Henry helped her stand. She put as much authority into her tone as she could to help calm the terrified children.
“Thai, go find Jack. These boys are his friends, and he might know whether they need a jail or a healer. Henry, help me get them somewhere secure in the meantime. Cyrus, get the kids out of here. They know you and trust you, and we don’t know whether or not the threat is over.”
Cyrus nodded, only a little grudgingly, but before he moved away, he paused and knelt by one of Zunya’s boys. He touched him and released a gentle pulse of light.
The boy gasped and sat up. His eyes were normal, brown, and full of life. He reached for his throat, touching the black stitches there.
“Are you okay?” Cyrus asked him.
The boy tried to speak, but no sound came out. But he also didn’t move to run or attack. Instead, he took a shuddering gulp of air, and his eyes filled with tears.
“I think you fixed him,” Valerie said to Cyrus, staring at him with awe.
The boy nodded.
“Score one for the good guys,” Thai said, and everyone, even Cyrus, grinned.
Chapter 4
After a long day of getting the Society of Imaginary Friends back in order, Henry forced Valerie to rest in Dulcea’s office, and she didn’t protest too much. She was used to the exhaustion that followed the release of her vivicus power, but this time, there was something else. As she turned the incident with Zunya over in her mind, the details kept escaping her. It was like her memory of what happened had eroded.
The thought made her shudder. Was her mind beginning to disintegrate, like Darling’s?
The day was almost over before the Guild was back in some sort of order, though almost everyone had been sent home. Valerie’s friends joined her in Dulcea’s office after Zunya’s boys had been transported to the Healer’s Guild and all of the apprentices of the Guild were safely in the dorm.
Not for the first time, Valerie wished that Kanti was with them. According to Henry and Kanti’s sister, Isabella, Ka
nti was busy with her duties as a princess in Elsinore. Aside from the fact that they could use her practical advice right now, Valerie missed the support of one of her closest friends. But they were all doing what they had to, and Kanti was hopefully raising an army in her home country that would give them an advantage against the Fractus.
“This guild is in one piece thanks to all of you,” Dulcea said, passing around a tray of her famous chocolates. “I’ve been Grand Master for five minutes, and already, it was nearly destroyed.”
“Strictly coincidence,” Jack said, kissing her cheek. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to this guild.”
Dulcea smiled as Cyrus, Valerie, Thai, and Henry all chimed in with their agreement.
“I know we’ve got business to talk about, but first, I want to toast Dulcea,” Valerie said. “In the middle of an awful time, you becoming Grand Master of this guild is a bright spark.”
“Now I’ll have a vote when the Grand Masters convene,” Dulcea said. “And you can bet I’ll be harassing the ones who are working with the Fractus to see the light and join the Fist.”
“I pity them, trying to resist your sweetness,” Jack said.
His exuberance was unmistakable, and Valerie could see that having his friends safely in Arden, away from Zunya at last and being treated by the Fist’s healers, had removed any dark clouds hanging over him. Now, he could enjoy being young and in love, even if they were in the middle of a war.
“Enough already,” Thai teased. “I’m on sugar overload watching you two.”
“I’m shocked that I have to be the voice of reason here, but can we talk about Zunya? I think I should go and finish him off once and for all. Did you see how I almost killed him?” Cyrus couldn’t keep the pride out of his voice.
“Whoa there, Super Mario. He’s not going to make that mistake twice,” Thai said.
Valerie and Henry released a surprised laugh at Thai’s reference, but everyone else looked puzzled.
“It’s an Earth-thing, from a video game,” Henry said. “Mario is this little plumber who can throw fireballs…”
Henry trailed off as Dulcea, Jack, and Cyrus stared at them in obvious bewilderment.