by Kristen Pham
“Who was that? I thought you were the last…” her voice trailed off. She didn’t want to be rude, but Azra was the only unicorn in the universe. Her race had died out long ago.
I am. My husband, Odysseus, made that as a gift for me on our two hundredth anniversary. It is only a memory of him, which he imbued with his essence. Sometimes it is a great comfort to me to see that echo of him.
“Other times it must be torture,” Valerie said softly, imagining how the loss of him must sting every time she stepped away. It would be like the pictures she used to keep of her friends in the hospital who had died. Seeing them was a sweet, sharp pain, and in her rage at the universe, she had thrown them all away. But now she wished she hadn’t, so that there was a piece of them left.
You see more deeply than most. It’s true, his echo cannot compare to the reality, and it can be a bitter reminder of what I’ve lost.
Valerie was embarrassed as tears of empathy tried to fight their way to the surface. Azra nose dipped. Her mane obscured her eyes, but not before Valerie saw the tears in them. But suddenly she lifted her head and her eyes were filled with an emotion that Valerie couldn’t name, but was infinitely beautiful.
She studied Azra carefully, and realized that she looked different. Her coat and mane were glossier, if that were possible, and her eyes sparkled with something hopeful. Something profound had happened to Azra, she suddenly knew with certainty. But it wasn’t her place to ask what it was.
Azra tossed her mane briskly. Let’s turn to more urgent matters. As you know, I believe there is a spy among the Grand Masters. Usually I can see into others’ hearts, but this time, the source of all the trouble is masked from me. Whoever it is wields powerful magic, which only strengthens my belief that it must be a Grand Master.
“It could be someone who a Grand Master confides in,” Valerie said thoughtfully, and Azra nodded. “Do you think that Reaper person Elden told us about and the spy are the same person?”
Perhaps. Or maybe as you say, it is an informer for Reaper.
“Why do you want me to help you? I don’t think my fighting abilities are going to be of much use here.”
You have a sense for people that you underestimate. And you will be in a unique position to meet the Grand Masters without arousing their suspicions.
“Why is that?”
Because you have been named my successor.
Valerie sank into a chair, lightheaded. Her hands shook uncontrollably. “It’s like everyone’s out of their minds except me. Don’t I get a say in all this?”
Of course you do. There will be time for you to formally refuse the position if you wish. In the meantime, if you play along, I will be training you in the management of the Guilds and the Globe. You will meet everyone who could be a suspect, and can ask any questions you like of them.
“So it would be like I’m undercover?” she asked, her heart calming down a little.
Azra’s laugh was like tinkling bells in her mind. Indeed. And it will also give you the chance to see if this role is something you might actually want.
Valerie shook her head doubtfully. “I’ll help you find your spy. I can’t make any promises about the rest.”
We will see.
“There’s something else I wanted to ask you about,” Valerie said, her face heating with embarrassment. She hated asking for favors. “I need a new place to live. Any corner will do. Rastelli doesn’t want Conjurors from other guilds taking up space, which I understand.”
Azra’s eyes flashed, first with anger and then compassion. You never need worry about a home, my dear. You could always stay with me in the woods, but I do not think that would be the most secure place for you. I will find you somewhere safe to live.
“Thank you,” Valerie whispered, and hurried away without meeting Azra’s eyes. Soon she’d find a way to fend for herself, so she’d never have to beg for a bed again.
The next few days were a blur for Valerie. She checked in on Thai several times a day, but he was usually resting or Tan was in control. Chisisi explained that Tan’s dominance was a natural part of the separation, but not being able to speak to Thai left her hollow. As much as it had been sweet torture to be separated by a universe, unable to touch, not being able to communicate with him at all was far worse.
She tried to talk to Henry about her new role at the Capitol, but he was so withdrawn that she didn’t want to burden him with her worries. Kanti wasn’t much help either. Trying to fend off her new admirers and win back Henry’s friendship left her grumpy at the end of the day.
Even Cyrus, usually her touchstone, wasn’t his typical enthusiastic self.
“Azra’s successor, wow,” he said, but his smile was forced. “I hope you’ll remember the rest of us once you’re in with all of the Grand Masters.”
“Are you kidding? The last thing I would ever do is put myself in Azra’s position. I’m undercover to help her right now, but as soon as we smoke out this Reaper guy, I’m outta there.”
Cyrus relaxed a little. “Sorry, Val. I know you’re not one to get a big head. If you have some time later today, I thought we could try to send Leo the message.”
“Yes! How about tonight after dinner? We could send it from the Lake of Knowledge.”
“Exactly the spot I was thinking of. Great minds think alike. Hey, maybe I should be Azra’s successor,” he joked.
She spent the rest of the day studying a book that Azra had given her with pictures and some information about each of the Grand Masters. There were over five hundred guilds, so there were too many Conjurors for her to memorize each one. But a core group of seven formed an inner circle called the Council that organized votes and finalized decisions. Azra was sure that the spy was part of this group.
Most of the Council members were known to her—Midnight, Kellen, and Azra were all members. Chern was recently elected to join the group, though Valerie was a little mystified as to why the History Guild would be so essential to running Arden.
The remaining three she had never met. Skye represented the Relations Guild that managed diplomatic interactions between Arden and the other countries on the Globe, Al was from the Stewardship Guild that made sure the planet’s weather and physical systems were functioning as they should, and Calibro was the Grand Master of the Justice Guild.
She would meet them all the next day when they interviewed Gabriel about what he had found in the Akashic Records. She was intensely nervous about her new role, so she was glad that tonight, she would have something to take her mind off of what was coming.
She gladly tossed aside her book a few hours later to meet her friends for dinner. She hurried down to the cafeteria and smacked into a boy that she didn’t recognize at first.
“Well? Let’s have it,” Henry said. She shut her mouth. His hair, which had been streaked with gray, was now entirely dark brown.
“I like it,” she said. “You look more like...you.”
It must have been the right thing to say, because Henry gave her the first smile she’d seen from him in days. “I don’t want to be reminded of Sanguina and Zunya every time I look in the mirror. And I don’t have to dye it or anything. The Glamour Guild changed the color permanently for me.”
“That would be worth a fortune on Earth,” she said, as they grabbed a table.
“Yeah,” Henry said, but he wasn’t paying attention. He was staring across the cafeteria at Kanti, who had two guys fighting over who would carry her tray.
“Are you talking to her yet?” Valerie asked tentatively.
“I was never not talking to her,” he replied.
“You know what I mean.”
He sighed. “I can’t compete with all these guys.”
“You don’t have to—she wants to be with you.”
“Maybe before she had all these options. But now she has the opportunity to see if she can do better. Which she can.”
“Glad to see I didn’t miss the pity party,” Cyrus said, dropping into the chair next
to Valerie. “Nice glamour on the hair, man.”
“Thanks,” Henry said, fighting back a pleased smile. “Get me out of my own head. What’s going on with you guys?”
Valerie and Cyrus exchanged a glance.
“We’re sending a message to someone in Illyria who might be our dad,” she said. She waited for him to shut down the conversation, but instead he nodded. Valerie hoped he was starting to adjust to the idea.
“Let me know what happens.”
Kanti walked toward their table with the two guys from earlier still in tow. She turned around and snapped, “A little space would be great. Thanks.” She glared at them, but it didn’t have the same effect that it would have before she was beautiful. The guys grinned and shuffled off.
“I need one of those things they have on Earth that shocks people,” she said grumpily.
“You mean a Taser?” Henry said.
“Yes! Ingenious,” she said, and smiled when he laughed. She reached up, like she was going to touch his hair, but then pulled back. “I like it.”
“Thanks,” Henry said lightly, trying and failing to seem as if he didn’t care.
Kanti changed the subject. “Are you getting any closer to picking your guild?”
“I toured the Empathy Collective. It’s very new-age hippie,” he said. Cyrus and Kanti stared at them, a little baffled at the Earth cultural reference. “They’re a little spaced out, but the way they channel their mental powers is pretty cool.”
“What’s your next step?” Kanti asked.
“Their process is to have you go through an orientation and then commune with nature for a few days before you make your final decision.”
“Do you have to pass a test?” Cyrus asked curiously.
“No, they accept anyone who really wants to join. But they’re very interested in me because of my abilities. They say I have a ‘powerful psychic connection with the universe’—whatever that means.”
“That reminds me, would you come to the Knights’ Guild with me to talk to Chrome, the wolf I told you about?” Valerie asked. “I thought you might be able to use your psychic powers to help with finding Jet.”
“I don’t see how, but I’m happy to try.”
“Thanks, bro,” she said. A deep measure of relief filled her. He seemed to be finding his equilibrium again.
That night, at the Lake of Knowledge when she and Cyrus sent his message of light for Leo into the water, it was like she was sending a wish into the universe. There were so many things to hope for, and to fear for. As she watched the light steal away into the depths of the lake, she said a little prayer for her brother, her friends, her father, and Thai. Without saying a word, Cyrus held her hand and squeezed.
Chapter 17
When Valerie got dressed to meet with the Guild Masters, she was relieved that this time Kanti was there to provide her input.
“Just because I’ve changed on the outside doesn’t mean I care about fashion all of a sudden,” Kanti said defensively.
“You have got to relax. I’m asking because you’ve lived on the Globe your whole life. This is about me, not you,” Valerie said, half teasing.
“Thanks for that refreshing dose of honesty,” Kanti said, her lips quirking in a rare smile. But she seemed to snap out of her bad mood, and started searching through Valerie’s closet. “The Globe government is different than what I remember about your government, where everyone dresses in suits and stuff. The Grand Masters are into creative expression, so you need to wear something that feels like you.”
“Jeans and a T-shirt it is then,” Valerie said.
“I think maybe a little nicer than that,” Kanti said, and pulled out a dress from the back of the closet. It was simple and beautiful. Dulcea had sent it up when she first designed Valerie’s half of the room, and though Valerie admired it, she couldn’t imagine wearing something so nice.
Kanti saw the doubt on her face. “If there was ever a time to dress up, this would be it. I’m not putting you in a ball gown.”
Valerie nodded and put the dress on. It was light blue and fell to her knees. She took out the elastic that held her hair in its usual braid and shook it loose.
“Wow,” Kanti said. “If only Thai could see you now.”
She turned away from the mirror quickly. “Done. Thanks, Kanti.”
Her friend gave her a quick hug. “You’re going to blow them all away, I know it.”
“I don’t care about that. I’m trying to find the spy, that’s all.”
“If you say so. But in the spirit of honesty, I think you were born to be Azra’s successor.”
Valerie shrugged so that Kanti would change the subject, but inside, she was touched.
At the Capitol, Azra escorted Valerie to a chamber in the center of the building where all the Grand Masters met.
I will introduce you to the group, and then there are a few matters up for a vote. Afterward, we’ll join the Council for our meeting with Gabriel.
As they approached large double doors that were ornately decorated in a geometric gold design, Valerie’s stomach clenched. But she steeled herself. This was no time to fall apart. She had a part to play, and people were counting on her.
Azra touched the doors with her horn, and they slowly swung open, revealing an enormous room filled with hundreds of bubbles. Inside each one was a Grand Master. The sight was chaotic and beautiful as the bubbles whizzed around the room and their opalescent colors flashed.
She barely had time to register the scene when she and Azra began to rise in a bubble of their own. It was perfectly steady, and from the inside, she could see that the surface of the bubble had words and pictures on it detailing different issues that were being discussed.
If you have any questions about who a certain Grand Master is or details about a bill that’s being voted on, touch the edge of the bubble and think about your question. The answer will appear soon if it is available.
“How come some of the bubbles have more than one person inside?”
Whenever two people join in conversation their bubbles combine. And if you want to move around on your own, steer the bubble with your mind, and we will separate.
“I think I’ll stick with you,” Valerie said quickly.
Perhaps that is best. Azra steered their bubble to a center point in the room. Once they were there, it glowed, like a spotlight was shining on it.
Shall we begin? Azra’s voice seemed a little amplified in her mind, because the unicorn was talking to everyone. Like a concert, the bubbles quickly organized into neat circles around the center of the room.
As our first order of business, I would like to introduce you to Valerie Diaz, a Knight of Light and the Grand Chair Elect.
She hadn’t anticipated the response. Cheers rang in her bubble and seemed to echo and bounce around inside. On the walls, messages of welcome and congratulations flowed so quickly she could barely absorb any of the words.
You might want to say a few words, Azra said softly in her mind.
She expected to be completely overwhelmed by all of the attention directed on her, but instead, a thrilling buzz of the combined energy and magic in the room filled her.
“Thank you all for your kind welcome,” she said. “I’m here to learn, so please tell me if I’m making mistakes, or if there’s something important you think I should know. I want to get to know you all, and I appreciate the faith you’ve put in me. I’ll try to be worthy of it, and I promise to only accept this position if I think I’m the right person for it.”
The cheering resumed, leaving her with a pleasant feeling of hope. But before she could fully process what had happened, she heard a strange clicking sound, and suddenly she was falling down, through the bubble. She registered the horror in Azra’s eyes before she was hurtling through space, bracing herself for the inevitable crash into the ground.
But instead of a hard surface, her descent suddenly slowed, and she was deposited gently on her feet.
Run. The Gr
and Master of the Empathy Collective used his telekinesis to slow your fall, but I don’t know who released you from the bubble or how they accomplished it. Go to the valley in my office. You will be safe there until I return.
Valerie was already racing away before the first syllable had reached her mind. She could sense the danger hovering over her, and she knew that whoever had tried to hurt her wasn’t finished.
She inwardly cursed herself for allowing Kanti to convince her to wear nice shoes, because her sneakers would have been far more effective at getting her away as fast as possible. She kicked off her shoes and bolted out of the double doors barefoot, leaving the roar of confusion behind her, and ran down the hall toward Azra’s office. She was less than halfway there when she saw Sanguina.
Her magic surged inside her, ready for battle. Sanguina was talking to someone—Oberon. Everything inside her screamed that danger was near.
Instead of running toward them, she ducked into a side hallway.
“Wait!” Sanguina called after her. “Not that way!”
It was too late. Zunya was there, and she slammed into him. When they made contact, she collapsed in agony. Her magic evaporated like a plug had been pulled inside of her, and intense pain brought her to her knees.
The only thing that saved her from being captured was that Zunya looked as surprised to see her as she was to see him. By the time he regained his composure, she had rolled to the side, out of his immediate grasp. The next instant, Sanguina led Oberon as they barreled down the hall.
Oberon’s face was dark with rage, and lightning crackled between his fingers. Behind him, Midnight’s violet eyes blazed, and Zunya flinched as her magic hit his brain with a high note of pain.
“What are you doing?” Zunya hissed to Sanguina. “Get rid of them so I can finish with the girl.”
“No,” Sanguina said, and whispered something to Oberon. Then she ducked, and over her head, a giant bolt of lightning flew from Oberon’s hands straight at Zunya’s head. It hurtled toward him, and he held out his hands, straining to grasp Oberon’s power and rip it from him the way he had done to Valerie.
