by Kristen Pham
“Emin, want to come to Arbor Aurum with me today and see some of your old friends?” Valerie asked, peeking into her bedroom, where Emin was reading a book, eggs untouched.
“Maybe Uncle Elden woke up?” Emin asked.
“I don’t think so,” Valerie said, hating to put out the light in his eyes. “But there are lots of people who miss you.”
Valerie hoped her words were true. She couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting to see Emin, even if he was half-human. But the People’s culture wasn’t one she knew well.
“Okay,” he said.
They started out, but Emin stopped when they were only a couple of minutes from her house.
“There’s an entrance the other way that’s a lot closer,” he said.
“Really? You’re helping me already,” Valerie said, and was rewarded with a little smile.
“Mom says I’m the best boy for helping,” Emin said, marching off the path and into a part of the woods Valerie had never been in before.
They’d been walking for a half an hour when Valerie began to think Emin was lost. But before she could craft a way to ask him without stomping on his pride, he stopped before a spindly tree.
“Do we climb it?” Valerie asked, uncertain that the skinny branches would hold even Emin’s slight weight.
“No,” scoffed Emin. “Don’t you know?”
He hummed a tune that reminded Valerie of things growing in the sun. The leaves of the tree rustled in response to Emin’s magic, and an enormous gold leaf fluttered to the ground.
“Come on,” he said, holding out his little hand.
Valerie gripped his sticky fingers, and together, they stepped on the leaf. It rose, swiftly enough that she gripped Emin to her side tightly so he wouldn’t fall. Emin laughed, and the sound was as sweet as Clarabelle pinging in her mind.
“You can’t fall!” he said, still giggling.
“Magic, right,” she said. “What would I do without you?”
“Get lost, probably,” Emin said, serious now.
They burst through a clump of leaves and were deposited on the wooden platform that connected all of the trees in Arden. The spot where they landed was devoid of the bustle in Arbor Aurum, but Emin turned as if he knew where he was headed, and Valerie followed.
“That’s where Mom and I stayed when we were caught in a rainstorm once,” Emin said, pointing to a nook in one of the trees. “She sang to me until I fell asleep, and then I woke her up in the morning with a song. It was an even trade.”
“She was lucky to have you as her partner, and now I’m the lucky one,” Valerie said.
“That’s where I stepped off the platform and got lost,” Emin said, not listening to Valerie. “Mom was so mad when she found me. She made me weed gardens for three years.”
Valerie turned to him, about to question the term of his punishment, and then remembered that he was older than she was in years, if not in maturity, because of how the People of the Woods aged.
“Even if it was only so she could yell at me again, I wish I could see her one more time,” Emin said. “I’m never going to stop missing her.”
“You’re right,” she said. “I miss my dad every day, sometimes so much that it’s hard to think about anything else. But knowing that I’m fighting for what’s right and keeping on living and loving would make him happy.”
Emin was quiet for so long, Valerie wasn’t sure if he’d been listening. “I think Mom would want the same thing.”
When they arrived in Arbor Aurum, their first stop was the hospital. It was as full as ever, a reminder that the People of the Woods were on the front lines of the war with the Fractus on Earth and the Globe.
Elden lay silent in his bed, and Emin sat next to him, squeezing his hand.
“He’s got more color in his cheeks,” Valerie said.
“Uncle, wake up,” Emin said, giving Elden a good shake.
Valerie pulled him back.
“Let’s be gentle with your uncle. He’s still healing,” Valerie said.
“Emin will not hurt him,” a low voice made Valerie turn.
The woman who’d spoken was ancient, as gnarled as the trees that made up Arbor Aurum. But she stood straight, and something about her understated grace made Valerie suspect she was powerful.
“Grandmother North,” Emin said, and bowed. The woman touched his little head once, like a blessing, but she didn’t enfold him in a hug, as Valerie expected.
“You’re Cerise’s mother?” Valerie asked.
“And Elden’s. These are dark days for my family since you came among us, vivicus.”
Valerie was surprised that something stronger than guilt rose in her at the words. “I did not create the darkness that we fight against. I only offer an alternative for those that want one.”
North held up a hand that was gilded with gold, like Elden’s. “You didn’t make this war, you inherited it. The seeds were planted before you were born. But you are not here for a philosophical discussion.”
“Emin wanted to see his uncle,” Valerie said.
“And you are seeking something from my people.”
Valerie explained her mission to find an object strong enough to hold a spell that would bind Earth’s magic, and North’s face was still as she listened.
“My people will create what you seek. But you must find a Conjuror with the ability to bind magic. None among my people hold this power.”
“How long will it take you to make it?” Valerie asked.
North stared up at the sky, as if she was calculating the time in her head. “A moonspan. We will need to use Earth’s soil to grow what we need.”
“A month is too long,” Valerie said. “Reaper might have found a way to use the magic left over from the flame by then.”
“Even magic cannot change the tides, or the waxing and waning of the moon.”
Valerie swallowed her impatience and turned to Emin who was sitting on Elden’s bed, quietly playing with polished stones and whispering to his uncle all the while.
“Do you want to say anything to him?” Valerie asked the woman.
North watched her grandson, but her face gave away nothing. “Perhaps I’m growing softer, for I once swore that Cerise and her abomination would never be welcome in my nest.”
“Then leave,” Valerie said, stepping in front of Emin as if she could shield him with her body from his grandmother’s words.
But North pushed her aside and moved to stand next to Emin. Emin looked up at her, mouth open.
“Your only home isn’t with that vivicus. You have one with me, too, if you wish it,” she said.
Valerie let out a breath, relieved.
“But Mom said you’re very busy, and that’s why we never see you,” Emin said. “You have time now?”
The furrow in North’s brow deepened, and when she spoke, her voice was softer. “Yes, Emin, I have time now.”
“Do I have to decide now?” he asked.
“No, little sapling. It is my turn to wait for you,” she said.
North swished out of the room, but not before Valerie saw the tears she was struggling to hide.
Emin bounded home with more energy than Valerie had seen in him since he’d come to live with her. Thai greeted them at the door, Emin leaping into his arms with enough force that Thai almost toppled over.
“Good trip?” he asked, laughing.
“You promised to let me try your dagger today!” Emin said, racing to Thai’s room to grab the weapon.
Thai saw Valerie’s look. “I’ll be careful. But he needs to know how to defend himself. We don’t know what’s coming.”
Valerie sighed. “I guess you know how to heal him if anything goes wrong.”
Henry joined them in the hall, wiping his hands on his pants.
“Val, can you let us talk alone?” Henry asked.
Valerie looked at Thai and he just shrugged. “Sure,” she said, then went into the kitchen.
She was aware that she should
visit Chisisi or Skye, but instead, she wanted to hear what Henry had to say.
“I’ve been avoiding you,” Henry said, his voice muffled by the door.
“I could tell. I figured you’d tell me why when you were ready. Is it because I got mad at your sister?”
Henry let out a surprised laugh. “No, I’m sure you’ve got good reasons. It’s because I couldn’t face you without guilt swallowing me up. I killed Tan.”
Thai’s voice sounded farther away when he replied. “I know in a way it wasn’t really you. You were lost.”
Valerie peeked around the corner and saw that they’d moved to the bench by the front window. Thai stared outside.
Henry’s voice shook. “I wake up at night dreaming about the sound his body made when it hit the ground. I didn’t even know I killed him. I didn’t tell him I was sorry, or try to save him.”
“Kanti said he was probably dead as soon as he hit his head. Even Valerie couldn’t save him.”
Valerie hadn’t known that Thai had talked to Kanti about what had happened to Tan. Since she’d told him about what happened to his brother, they hadn’t spoken of it again. She’d been a coward, afraid that talking about Thai’s grief would unlock her own, and they’d both drown. So she’d let him wade through it on his own.
“I’m sorry. I know what it is to hate the person who killed someone you love, your family. After this war is over, if you and Val want a life that doesn’t involve me, I’ll honor that.”
“Henry, you’ve got it wrong. I don’t think of you as the person who killed Tan. Venu, Reaper, fate, maybe. But the best part of him was long gone before he died.”
“But now, we’ll never know if we could have brought him back.” Henry’s voice was a whisper.
“I know. That’s the thought that keeps me awake at night. Maybe we all should have tried harder to tear him away from the Fractus. But we were fighting a war, saving lives. I can’t think of a moment when we were just sitting around watching soap operas when we could have gone to the Black Castle to save Tan. So I’m trying to forgive myself. And for what it’s worth, I forgave you already, Henry.”
“How?” Henry’s voice cracked on the word.
“Because you’re my brother, too.”
Valerie was sitting on the floor in the kitchen, her head resting against the wall. In the next room, it was quiet.
“Val, I know you’re there. Your mind is wide open,” Henry said.
His words broke the tension, and she heard Thai chuckle. “She’s been an eavesdropper since the first week I knew her.”
Valerie burst into the room. “Real nice, Thai.”
She grinned at him and wished that her mind were whole. If it had been, she’d have kissed him right then.
“Mind’s still open, Val,” Henry said, and she blushed.
“So is yours. Why are you going to Elsinore? To make up with Kanti, finally?”
Henry fidgeted with the cushion of the bench he was sitting on. “I hope so, but the main reason is that I think I’m ready to use my power for the Fist.”
“Why use the soldiers in Elsinore for that?” Thai asked.
“My power works best on Conjurors who haven’t tapped into their magic. Kanti says there are a lot of Conjurors in her army who hadn’t had the chance to work with Clarabelle to develop their powers. They’ll dedicate their lives to the Fist if I give them a cool power.”
Valerie shamelessly searched Henry’s mind to assess if he was really ready to tap into the power that Reaper had wrested from him for so many years. She could see his fear and guilt, but underneath was a vein of pure certainty that this was the right thing, that it would help him atone for his mistakes.
Her eyes connected with his, and she gave him a little nod of approval. “What were you thinking of gifting them with?”
“It doesn’t work that way, exactly,” Henry said. “I’ll show you in person when it’s time.”
“I’m glad you’re ready to do this now. Summer bought us some time by wounding Reaper, but he could seize the power left over from the flame burning out at any time.”
“If he does, he’s going to have a bigger fight on his hands than he thought he would,” Thai said.
A little of Henry and Thai’s hope rubbed off on Valerie. “And we’re only getting started.”
Chapter 34
Skye had moved the soldiers of the Fist who remained on the Globe to the foothills of Dunsinane. It was strange to visit the barren purple mountains that she associated with Reaper and find her own people.
The camp was unlike any that Valerie had seen on Earth. There were houseplants that grew into luxurious beds, and the aromas of food cooking smelled like what you’d find in a fancy restaurant instead of the stew you might expect when roughing it outside.
There were even some solid buildings that had popped up, courtesy of the Architecture Guild. They were simple, but elegant, with lots of light.
The organized bustle of the camp slowed when she approached. Soldiers paused to shake her hand or stare at her. It didn’t make her uncomfortable anymore. These people were her extended family, and they’d all die for each other.
Skye trotted out of one of the buildings, and under his stern glare, Conjurors returned to their activities.
“We weren’t expecting you today.”
“I’m here to talk to Juniper, but you should listen, too,” Valerie said.
Skye nodded in the direction of a group of soldiers practicing blocks with their weapons. Juniper was among them, correcting stances and giving instructions. He didn’t hide the stump where his hand had been, or wear any kind of prosthesis. Valerie couldn’t help staring at the physical reminder of the toll this war was taking on them all.
But Juniper was entirely at ease with himself and his role. “Remember that the light in your weapon is the only thing that keeps the Fractus’s black weapons from absorbing your magic. Keep your weapon in front of you, blazing, at all times.”
“What if those black-eyed Fractus are around? Our weapons are useless then,” said a woman who was no taller than Valerie’s waist and had a pair of wings sprouting from her back.
“Wyld is right,” Juniper said to the group. “Not all of the Fist’s weapons are imbued with the new magic that protects you from the darkness. But more of these weapons arrive every day, so call out the code word, and someone will come to help you. We don’t send any team into battle without at least a few of the new light weapons.”
Juniper saw Valerie and gave her a nod.
“Continue sparring with each other until the lunch bell,” he said before walking over to join her.
“Let’s talk inside,” Skye said, and the three went into one of the buildings.
Inside, it was a workshop of some kind, and it was empty.
Skye noticed Valerie scanning the room. “The lightweavers from the People of the Woods work here, creating more powerful weapons. Cyrus himself visits regularly to oversee their progress. But it will be months before we have all the weapons we need.”
“We won’t have that long before our next key battle,” Valerie said.
She explained what she’d learned about binding magic on Earth, and how Reaper would try to use the magic from the flame for his own ends.
“Before that happens, we need to attack, on Earth and the Globe. I’m hoping that by challenging Reaper here, it will divert some of the Fractus from Earth and minimize human casualties.”
“We’ll have our soldiers as ready as they can be when it’s time to fight Reaper,” Skye said. “We all yearn to take back Arden. Living in our enemy’s abandoned home is a blasphemy.”
Valerie turned to Juniper. “That’s not the only reason I’m here.”
Her friend cocked his head. “What? You’re looking at me like you’re about to throw me into a volcano, and you feel really bad about it.”
He’d been joking, but he wasn’t far from the truth.
“Putting the rules limiting magic on Earth back in pl
ace requires a Conjuror with the ability to bind magic,” Valerie said.
Juniper was shaking his head, and he took a step backward. “You can’t mean me.”
“You’re the only Conjuror I know with that power. Is there anyone else?”
“My brothers…but they’re all younger than me. We inherited our power from my mom, but her powers were much weaker.”
Skye pawed at the ground. “It is an unusual power. And, like your mother, most with binding magic have only a weak manifestation of it.”
Juniper sat down on a stool, his gaze faraway. “I don’t know if this is terrifying or amazing.”
Valerie watched him closely. “Maybe it’s both.”
“When I became a Knight, I wanted to be a hero. But even then, I never dreamed I’d be doing something this big. I’m not even sure I know how.”
“I’m hoping the People of the Woods can help you. They’re creating the object that will contain the spell when it’s time,” Valerie said.
Skye flicked his tail. “I do not doubt that Juniper can do this. But is it the best solution? An object that binds magic on Earth has failed us once. What if Reaper destroys it again?”
“It’s the only idea we have for now, but I share your worry. I want more for Earth and the Globe than for things to go back to the way they were,” Valerie said.
Skye nodded. “We all do.”
“For now, I’m glad we have you, Juniper. Are you up for saving the universe?”
Juniper grinned, which was her goal, but he was tapping the fingers of his good hand against the table with nervous energy. “I’m in.”
Valerie was walking through the cities in the trees when she was hit by a wave of joy from Henry. She had a brief flash of Kanti’s shining face before Henry leaned in and started kissing her like the sun would stop shining if he didn’t.
“Oh, ew. Please block me, Henry,” she said. “Not that I’m not happy for you and all.”
There was another flash of Henry’s happiness, and an echo of his laughter, before he shut her out of his mind and she didn’t have to listen to any more wandering thoughts about how good Kanti’s dress looked on her.