by Kristen Pham
Before Ming could say anything else, she and her mother were ushered into an exam room. Wanting to see Dr. Freeman, Valerie followed, choosing not to let herself be seen by anyone.
There was a kind of comfort in seeing Dr. Freeman’s face. He had taken care of her for many years, and even though he rarely let her see past his professional demeanor, she believed he cared about her.
She was about to project to Chisisi to check in with him when the door to the exam room burst open so hard that it slammed into the wall, chipping the plaster. Standing in the doorframe were Logan and a familiar woman with dark hair and green eyes. Valerie examined her. It was the woman who killed Chisisi’s brother, Zaki.
Valerie let herself be visible, and Ming’s mother and Dr. Freeman jerked back with surprise.
“Get Ming out of here and run!” she commanded.
“You never could see where you weren’t wanted,” Logan shot at Valerie before slinging a kicking Ming over her shoulder and barreling down the hall. The dark-haired woman punched Ming’s mother in her chest, followed by a swift kick to the temple, leaving her crumpled on the ground.
Dr. Freeman was faster, and he chose to race after Ming when he saw that the dark-haired woman wasn’t going to kill Ming’s mother.
“I’ll get help!” Valerie said to him. “Don’t let Ming out of your sight.”
Frantically, Valerie let her mind return to the Globe, where she grabbed Thai’s charm. Instantly, she was by his side in his dorm room.
“Tell me what you need,” Thai said when her eyes met his.
“Call Chisisi and go to the Oakland Children’s Hospital. The Fractus are trying to kidnap Ming,” she said.
Thai was on the phone before she finished her sentence. Valerie quickly projected back to the hospital, not wanting to lose sight of Dr. Freeman and Ming.
To her surprise, Logan was sprawled on the sidewalk outside of the hospital, unconscious, and Ming was running back inside. Valerie saw a needle in Logan’s arm and guessed that Dr. Freeman must have managed to inject her with something to knock her out. She was impressed by his quick thinking.
But Dr. Freeman’s troubles weren’t over. The dark-haired woman had caught up to them, and he grunted when she landed a sharp elbow to his gut. In rapid succession, the woman struck him in his face, chest, and legs. But Dr. Freeman remained standing, as if he refused to give in to the pain.
Helpless to provide any support, Valerie could only watch and wring her hands.
To Valerie’s astonishment, Dr. Freeman’s determination seemed to grow during the attack. He was watching how the woman moved, and managed to dodge first a punch, then a knee to his groin. Valerie sensed that he was waiting for the opportunity to strike.
In a motion so quick that Valerie almost missed it, Dr. Freeman hit the woman in a spot on her head with one hard punch, and she dropped soundlessly to the ground.
Out of breath and sweating from exertion, Dr. Freeman turned around and faced Valerie.
“Ms. Diaz. It’s time for us to talk,” he said between breaths.
“This may be hard for you to hear, because I know you don’t believe in magic,” Valerie began.
“Last time we met, that was true. Today, I’m willing to listen.”
An hour later, Ming’s mother, Leila, and Dr. Freeman were patched up. Chisisi brought a team to take Logan and her accomplice to a secure location, but Logan had already left. Valerie had to tell Leila, as well as Dr. Freeman, the whole story about Ming’s miraculous recovery from Darling’s magic and why she was now at risk of being taken by the Fractus. Ming sat on her mother’s lap through the entire story, her eyes round.
“Chisisi said he’ll post guards at your house for as long as you want,” Valerie said at the end. “I’m sorry you were dragged into my mess.”
To her surprise, Leila gave her a shaky smile. “Without you, a monster more deadly than even these Fractus you told us of would have stolen away her life.”
“Cancer,” Ming whispered, squeezing her mother tightly.
For the first time since she’d found out that Joe had been kidnapped, Valerie allowed herself to relax. She’d been in time to save Ming.
Chisisi came through the door then and spoke to Leila. “Your safety is secured. A trusted friend will take you home.”
Leila and Ming left, and Valerie noticed that Dr. Freeman was sitting with his head in his hands. She’d had the chance to tell him about her magic before, but she had hesitated because she worried his scientific brain would break under the strain of all this new information.
“I wish you never had to get involved with this. I’m sure it’s more than you ever wanted to know,” she said.
But Dr. Freeman’s eyes were bright with curiosity and something more—hope. “The possibilities of magic could mean that thousands… millions of lives could be saved. I might never have to see the light leave another child’s eyes.”
Valerie could see a hint of a smile on Chisisi’s face, and her own heart glowed at the doctor’s words. “So you’re not sorry to learn about magic, even though you were almost killed today?”
Dr. Freeman shook his head. “It sounds like these Fractus need to be eliminated if we want to bring magic back to Earth.”
“There’s a battle ahead,” Valerie said.
“Count me in.”
Chapter 11
Valerie left Dr. Freeman with Chisisi so he could ask all of his questions while she used her charm to return to Thai. She found him outside of Ming’s house, his eyes scanning the street.
“Chisisi chose you to guard Ming?” she asked him in surprise.
“I volunteered,” Thai said. “There’s a few of us, and we’ll be taking turns. I know everyone on the team, and I promise she’ll be safe.”
“Thank you,” Valerie said, touched by the gesture.
“It’s nothing you wouldn’t do for me. I’d stand guard 24/7, except that Chisisi has me heading up the mission to find Joe,” Thai said.
“Any leads?” Valerie asked, but without hope.
Thai shook his head. “Not yet. But we’re tracking all of the locations where there have been attacks that sound magical. We’ve found a few places where they’re clustered. We think the Fractus must be building strongholds in those places, and it makes sense that they’d take Joe there.”
“What’s next?” she asked.
“Right now, our network is watching the cities with the most magical action to see what they can find. When we hear of any sightings of Zunya, I’ll be on the next plane,” Thai said, the intensity in his eyes reminding Valerie why she’d fallen for him.
“I’m grateful,” Valerie said. “Knowing that someone I trust is taking care of Joe means a lot.”
Thai nodded. He reached out his hand toward her cheek, and Valerie’s face tingled as if he had really touched her.
“Who hurt you?” he asked, his voice gravelly.
She touched her face, remembering the bruises that Rastelli had left. “Long story. Everyone’s okay, and the guy who did it is in custody.”
“I bet he looks worse than you,” Thai said with a little grin.
Valerie swallowed, wishing she could banish her comfort from the warmth in Thai’s eyes. She had no right to yearn for that now that she was with Cyrus.
Valerie slept better that night, and she didn’t want to admit to herself that part of the reason was because Thai was leading the search for Joe. Some instinctive part of her still trusted him, and she knew that he was Joe’s best hope.
She told Henry everything as they walked to their morning training with Gideon, and he seemed comforted by the news, too.
“It’s killing me to be doing nothing. If I could at least be on Earth, searching, it would be something,” Henry said, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.
“You are searching. You can travel much farther and faster by mentally projecting, remember?” Valerie reminded him.
“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Sometimes
, I think I should go to Reaper and do what he asks,” Henry said. He met Valerie’s eyes. “Don’t panic. I’m not going to do it.”
“Of course he won’t,” Tan piped up. “You’re one of the good ones, Henry.”
Valerie wasn’t surprised to see Tan at their morning training. He’d shown up to her trainings with Gideon ever since he’d arrived on the Globe. She also saw him at the Knights of Light and knew that he was considered a promising novice.
“Thanks, man,” Henry said to Tan.
“Remember, your dad told you not to give in to the Fractus. And we can both guess what they want from you—to help build an army on the Globe by giving them new powers. If you did that, a lot of people would die,” Valerie said.
“I know,” Henry said. He started to bite his thumbnail but stopped, since there was nothing left of it now.
“Yup, our boy Henry is all that stands between us and oblivion,” Tan said, managing to make Valerie sound like she was being dramatic.
Valerie was relieved to see Gideon waiting for them at The Horseshoe, effectively ending the conversation.
“Before we begin, you should know that Kellen has chosen not to charge Rastelli. He’ll be released today,” Gideon said.
Henry clenched his fists. “He tried to murder Cyrus and Valerie!”
“Kellen has chosen to dismiss the testimony because of a lack of reliable witnesses,” Gideon said.
“Why are we surprised?” Valerie asked. “Kellen’s Fractus, and Reaper admitted that he sent Rastelli to hurt us. But maybe it’s not the worst thing. I think Rastelli needs a Healer, not a jail.”
“Your thoughts echo my own,” Gideon agreed. “For now, let us turn to the task at hand.”
Without any further discussion, Gideon used the prepotent crystal to attack Valerie’s mind. In the weeks since they’d begun, she had continued to struggle for a locus that would protect her mind more effectively. Time and again, Gideon was able to control her.
Henry was much more skilled at shielding his mind from Gideon’s attacks, especially since Joe had been kidnapped. He used his rage as a locus, and it worked for him. But when Valerie tried it, it was less effective than even Pathos had been for her.
“You’re more distracted than usual today,” Gideon said after he broke into her mind with little effort for the third time. “Has there been new activity by the Fractus? Or word from Joe?”
Henry and Tan were partnering a few yards away, practicing shielding their minds from each other, and Valerie stepped closer to her mentor so they wouldn’t hear her.
“It’s killing me to interact with my father every day, knowing what he did to Dulcea’s parents. But he’s my father, and I love him.”
“Have you talked to Dulcea about this?” Gideon asked her.
“No,” Valerie admitted. “I’m scared of hurting her.”
“And of hurting your friendship with her,” Gideon added, and Valerie nodded. “Guilt is one of the demons that holds you back from finding a locus for your mind. It is a constant distraction for you, and one you must eliminate.”
“So you’re saying I need to tell Dulcea the truth,” Valerie said.
“Make the decision you think is right, and it will be one less pull on your mind,” Gideon said.
They were interrupted by Tan’s shout of triumph.
“Even Henry can’t get into my head!” Tan said.
“You’re doing great,” Henry agreed.
Tan never volunteered what he used as a locus, but whatever it was had to be powerful, because neither Henry nor Gideon had managed to bend him to their will. It didn’t surprise Valerie, since Tan shared DNA with Thai, who was one of the most stubborn people she knew.
“You have a gifted mind,” Gideon said to Tan. “There is no more I can teach you. Perhaps Kellen could show you more, but consider carefully before you allow him to try to breach your mind.”
Tan glowed at Gideon’s compliment, struggling to hide his grin of superiority.
“You guys will catch on soon. I’m sure of it,” Tan said to Henry and Valerie, trying and failing to look modest.
Henry shook his head, but Valerie welcomed the glimpse of Tan’s childish side. In many ways, he was still maturing, and it was a relief to see him act like a kid for once.
After their training, Valerie headed to the Society of Imaginary Friends to check in with Cyrus and Kanti, who were now leading the search for the Garden of Babylon and the Byway.
Cyrus met her on the Guild steps, pulling her into a tight hug.
“Any luck?” she asked him.
“None. It’s like it vanished off the map. A powerful Conjuror must be hiding its location,” Cyrus said.
“It doesn’t make sense that you, Dulcea, and I tripped over it when we didn’t even mean to,” Valerie said, turning the puzzle over in her mind. “Have you talked to Dulcea? Maybe she’ll have an idea why the garden might have revealed itself to us that day.”
“She came with us to help look a few times, but she didn’t have any idea how we found it, either,” Cyrus said.
“Maybe I’ll check in with her anyway,” Valerie said. She knew in her gut that she’d been delaying the inevitable. She needed to talk to Dulcea about more than finding Babylon.
“Are you finally going to tell her about Oberon?” Cyrus asked, and Valerie nodded.
“Just tell her and be done with it. Like ripping off a Band-Aid,” Cyrus said, making Valerie grin at his use of an Earth cliché, which was probably his intention.
Cyrus let her through the doors of his Guild and dropped her off at Dulcea’s office. When Valerie peered in, she saw that Dulcea and Kanti were in a strained conversation with Rastelli, who was gesturing wildly.
Valerie tensed, ready to run, thankful that Cyrus was out of harm’s way. She leaned toward a crack in the door to listen before she barged in.
“Don’t ask me how I know, I simply do! I can feel the truth in my bones. Valerie must be hunted down and killed,” Rastelli said.
“Don’t be crazy,” Kanti said with her usual abruptness.
“I’m not crazy!” Rastelli shouted.
Dulcea met Valerie’s eyes. She gave Valerie a warning glance, and Valerie stepped back into the shadows.
“Promise me you’ll stay away from the Guild,” Dulcea said. “Whatever you think about Valerie, I know you never meant to hurt Cyrus. If you get angry again, you won’t be able to forgive yourself if someone gets hurt.”
“I know, I know! I wasn’t myself,” Rastelli said, standing up to pace the room.
“You’ll find your way back to yourself again,” Dulcea said gently, her blue eyes full of faith. “But until then, keep the children safe.”
“Keep the children safe,” Rastelli echoed. “Yes, yes…”
“Kanti is going to take you home,” Dulcea said.
“A babysitter,” Rastelli said, but he sighed, his energy expended. “It can’t hurt.”
Kanti led Rastelli out the door and down the hall, and Valerie slipped into Dulcea’s office.
“Did you mean what you said? That Rastelli can heal himself?” Valerie asked.
Dulcea slumped. “I don’t know. I noticed something was off about him last year, but compared to now, that was nothing. It’s like his mind is unspooling. I hope you don’t mind that we’re going to try to help him, since we know this is Reaper’s fault.”
“I’m glad you’re helping him,” Valerie said. “Beneath the damage Reaper has done to his mind, he’s a good person. He refused to join the Fractus, and this is the result.”
Dulcea gave Valerie one of her homemade candies. “I knew you would understand. You always see beyond yourself to what’s right. That’s why everyone trusts you, I think.”
The guilt on Valerie’s heart threatened to crush her. “I have to tell you something that may change your mind about that. I found out something about your parents.”
Dulcea sat down. “Mom and Dad? How? They’ve been gone so long.”
“I’ve known for a little while now, but I’ve been selfish, and I didn’t tell you. Oberon… my father, sent the storm that killed your parents,” Valerie said, her heart hammering as she watched Dulcea’s face crumple.
“Why? What did they ever do?” she asked.
“He did it because the Fractus threatened my mom’s life if he didn’t do as they asked. It was the price they asked for her safety,” Valerie said. “She never would have wanted him to do it, and neither would I. In the end, it didn’t matter. Mom’s dead anyway.”
“They died for nothing,” Dulcea whispered. Grief made Dulcea look younger, as she clutched her body tightly with her arms.
Valerie moved closer to her friend, but Dulcea pulled herself back. Her eyes, which had been shadowed by her grief, flashed with something else.
“How long have you known about this?” Dulcea asked.
“Since I visited the People of the Woods,” Valerie said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“That long? I thought we were friends. You should have told me as soon as you found out. You owed me that much!”
Tears sprang to Valerie’s eyes, but she struggled to hold them back, knowing that she didn’t deserve the relief of spilling them. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I was scared to tell you. I knew there was a possibility that I’d lose your friendship, and you are my family.”
Dulcea didn’t seem to hear Valerie’s words. She drew herself up, dashing away her tears with her hand. “I know this isn’t your fault. You’re not your father. But I can’t stand to be near you right now.”
“I know what it’s like to live without your parents. I can’t believe the father I’ve longed to find all these years is the man that did that to you.” Valerie’s voice trembled.
“All this time, I thought it was an accident. Fate. But it was murder,” Dulcea said, her face in her hands. She raked her fingers through her hair.
Valerie tentatively reached for her friend’s shoulder, but Dulcea jerked away as if her touch stung.
“Please leave me alone. Go!” Dulcea shouted.
Valerie turned and fled from the room as fast as she could, sprinting down the halls and out the front doors.