by Kristen Pham
Valerie wasn’t even remotely tempted to tell them the truth. She knew that Reaper’s threat was one he was prepared to execute. Normally, lying was something that lay heavy on her conscience, but guilt didn’t even enter the equation as she crafted her story.
“I’m so sorry for scaring you. It was only another of my nightmares.”
“The ones that are linked to your abilities as a vivicus?” Henry asked. “I thought those were gone. You helped Azra months ago.”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” she said. At least that was the truth. “I need to clear my head—alone.”
Henry nodded, and he gently tried to see inside her mind, but she kept it firmly locked against him. He seemed to respect her desire to keep him out, and the soft hum of magic from him stopped.
Out of sight of the house, Valerie broke into a flat-out run. She headed straight for the edge of the forest where she had met Zunya, unsure of how much time Reaper would consider “keeping him waiting” before someone died. Inside the tree line, she searched frantically for Reaper. The forest was still.
“Hello? I’m here!” she called out, trying to keep the desperation from her voice. Was this the wrong spot after all? Why hadn’t Reaper been more specific?
Something flickered at the edge of her vision and she spun to the left. She saw a tall man in a dark, heavy robe and a hood that entirely hid his face standing several yards from her. He held a weapon of some kind in one hand—a sickle. Her stomach turned. He was dressed like the grim reaper. She walked toward him, swallowing her fear. She had made it in time to save her friends, if not herself.
“Do you know who I am?” Reaper spread his arms, gesturing to his macabre costume.
“Death,” Valerie said, proud that her voice wasn’t shaking as hard as her knees were.
“More than death—justice. An impartial razing of the old to make way for the new. Do you understand?”
It was twisted logic, and her heart and mind rejected it. But she said nothing. He was a madman, and trading verbal jabs with him wouldn’t save Jet’s life.
“I’m here, as promised. Now where’s Jet?”
Reaper didn’t reply, but she didn’t really expect him to. What were promises to such a man? She drew Pathos slowly from its sheath. At the sight of her sword, Reaper narrowed his eyes.
“How did you come by your weapon?” he asked.
“It’s yours for Jet’s life,” she quickly offered.
He shook his head. “There will be no more trading today. You came as I asked. A bony, pale hand emerged from the folds of the robe. He extended one long finger and drew a circle in the air. Inside she glimpsed Jet in his cell.
“Come,” Reaper commanded.
Jet wearily raised his head and trotted through the opening.
“Jet!” Valerie couldn’t help shouting. “Run, you’re free! Get help!”
But Jet didn’t look at her. Instead he lay down at Reaper’s feet, like a dog obeying its master. He was alive, but he wasn’t whole anymore. He had been broken, maybe past repair.
“You want him? Come and get him,” Reaper said, and he made a vicious sound in the back of his throat. He raised his hand, and she heard a hum of magic just like she had when she’d been unconscious and he’d contacted her.
Before she knew what was happening, Jet began to whine, and his whine turned into the most terrible scream she had ever heard. Before her eyes, a spot in the middle of Jet’s torso began to dissolve.
“Stop,” Valerie shrieked. She ran to Reaper, ready to kill him even if it meant sacrificing her magic—or her life. The world was better off without this monster.
Reaper dropped his hand, but it was too late. A hole the size of her hand was in Jet’s chest, and he bled profusely.
“If you are all they say, then he isn’t lost yet.” Reaper’s tone was curious.
She suddenly knew why he’d brought her here. He wanted to see her power in action. The thought gave her hope. Jet couldn’t be past saving if Reaper wanted a display of her magic.
Her fear vanished; she knew exactly what to do. An immense amount of power rose in her, ready to rush forth into Jet. She barely registered that Reaper was beside her, gripping her shoulder.
“Incredible,” she thought she heard him murmur, but her mind was far away.
With all of her force, she unleashed her magic into Jet. It hit a brick wall. Mentally she hurled herself against it, increasing the flow of her magic impossibly higher, making the blood pound in her ears.
“Yes,” Reaper breathed.
With his last breath, Jet turned his head and his eyes connected with hers. An image of the last, dying flames of a fire being blown out by the wind swept through her mind. With it came the understanding that Jet was both the flickering fire and the wind—it was his choice to die now, with honor. To ignore his wish would leave him a slave to Reaper, and it could possibly kill her in the process. Her death would be a dishonor that he could never live with.
She let out a choking sob and stopped attacking Jet’s defenses. An image of a full moon and a long howl filled her mind—sweet freedom. Then she saw a bright image of Chrome that faded slowly, slowly, until it was gone, along with Jet’s life.
“You failed.” Reaper’s voice sounded strange, triumphant but underscored with disappointment. “But it was an impressive display. You’ll never be able to channel the power you possess—you’re too weak. But with the right mentor, perhaps…”
Valerie’s magic still sizzled inside her, begging to be unleashed. Her grief morphed into fury, and she lashed out with a punch that was so fast that it should have left Reaper unconscious. But the world seemed to turn on its axis—up was down, left was right. She was disoriented.
“I can see that before we can accomplish anything together, you will need to be broken. Only then can you be remade into something I can use,” Reaper said, unfazed by her attack.
Valerie regained her bearings and turned on her heel, preparing to execute a jump kick. But gravity seemed to suddenly increase, pinning her to the ground. Crushed by its invisible hand, she fell to her knees.
“Exactly where you belong,” Reaper said. The pain she had experienced when he came to her in her dream returned, a stinging burn that felt as if she was dissolving, like Jet, molecule by molecule.
She refused to let him see how much it hurt, gritting her teeth and struggling against the force that pinned her down. It had to be in her head—something psychic like Sanguina’s or Ani’s powers.
In the corner of her eye, she registered that someone was running toward them, someone with streaming white hair. Oberon hurled himself against Reaper. Valerie thought the groundskeeper had lost his mind, but then she realized that the window in the air Reaper had created to Jet’s cell was still open. The force of the impact sent both Reaper and Oberon toppling through the opening. How had he even seen it, blind as he was?
“Run!” Oberon yelled at her. Then the window vanished, and she was alone.
Valerie raced through the woods as Oberon had commanded. She burst from the trees and tripped on a rock, landing face-first onto the ground. The pain was minor, but she couldn’t stand. Instead she curled into a ball and let out a sob. She began to shake, realizing the enormity of what had happened. Jet was dead, and she couldn’t imagine Oberon surviving his encounter with Reaper.
The echoes of Jet’s scream wouldn’t leave her mind, and she began second-guessing herself. Why had she let him die? Chrome would never forgive her. She’d never thanked him, never said she was sorry for being too late to save him.
Valerie was unraveling, tempted to give in to the grief and pain. Pain was what she deserved, and in a way, it would be a relief to suffer for her mistakes. But she couldn’t fall apart yet. There was still a chance that she could save Darling—and maybe even Oberon—if she acted quickly.
She remembered the box that Gideon had shown her in her mind to hold her pain, the same way Dasan had boxed away her worry for a night. She imagined pour
ing all of her grief and guilt into that box and locking it tight. Once this was all over, she would let herself open it.
With a new resolve, she forced herself to stand and continue away from the forest. She had to find directions to Dunsinane. As she focused, she saw Sanguina hobbling toward her as fast as she could with her prosthetic leg, panting from the effort.
“Oberon made it in time,” Sanguina said, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath.
“You sent him?” Valerie asked in disbelief.
Sanguina lowered her eyes as if she were ashamed. “I know what you’re thinking—I should have confronted Reaper myself. But without my vampyre powers, without my leg, I knew I’d be no match and we’d both die. Oberon is the only friend I have left that I could ask this kind of favor.”
Valerie shook her head. “It’s not that. I never believed you would do anything to really help me.”
“I would do much more,” Sanguina replied.
“Oberon’s as good as dead, isn’t he?” Valerie asked, her voice wobbling.
Sanguina shook her head. “No. They were allies in the past, and Oberon’s magic is a force to be reckoned with. Reaper will try to regain his loyalty first. If that fails, he will break him. But Oberon is strong. We can save him.”
“We?”
“Yes. You’ll never find the Black Castle without me. I will be your guide.”
Valerie took a shuddering breath as she examined her old enemy. All she saw was sincerity in Sanguina’s eyes.
“Thank you,” Valerie said. “Let’s go. Point the way.”
“We’ll need help. Reaper has assembled an army. Most of them are scattered around the Globe on missions, but a core defense remains to protect the Black Castle. Even with all your power, we won’t even make it through the front door without a team to support us.”
It went against everything in her not to immediately set out to rescue Oberon and Darling, but she couldn’t deny the logic of Sanguina’s words. Was there any chance that this was a delay tactic? She had to decide right now whether she could trust Sanguina.
“We’ll gather the Knights,” she said.
Chapter 31
Valerie was tempted to skip the long explanations that she owed Henry, Midnight, Dulcea, Kanti, and Cyrus. She didn’t have time to waste. But it would be a betrayal to leave them in the dark now, when her reason for secrecy had ended with Jet’s life.
So she returned home first and sent Sanguina ahead of her to the Guardians and Knights. Midnight was already at her Guild, so Valerie brought Henry over to the Imaginary Friends’ dorm and told them everything.
“You have to understand, I couldn’t have lived with myself if I was the reason that Reaper murdered Jet,” Valerie choked a little on the words.
“It’s okay,” Henry said gently.
“You’re sorry and you’ve suffered more than you should ever have to,” Kanti agreed.
“You all need to keep me informed on what’s going on. It’s my job to keep you safe,” Dulcea added, her tone motherly.
“No more lying,” Cyrus said. It was the first time he had spoken since she began telling her story. “From now on we fight whatever’s coming as a team.”
“Okay,” Valerie said, and Kanti and Henry nodded.
Cyrus shook his head, not satisfied with their responses. “We have to swear it. You especially, Valerie. No more self-sacrifice without telling us first.”
“I swear.”
“Swear on Pathos,” Cyrus said.
Valerie couldn’t hide her surprise at his stubbornness. It wasn’t like him to be serious for long. But she drew Pathos out of its scabbard and gripped the hilt with the blade facing down.
“I swear on Pathos that we are a team and there will be no lies between us,” she said formally.
Cyrus nodded his approval and placed his hand over hers. “I swear, too.”
Kanti and Henry echoed his words and put their hands over hers as well. Dulcea smiled at the four friends indulgently, stepping back to let them make their pact. But her eyes widened with surprise when an unexpected hum of magic filled the room. It seemed to radiate from Pathos itself. Tendrils of light weaved out of the sword like threads, binding their hands together.
“Cy, are you doing this?” Valerie whispered. He shook his head. “I didn’t think so.”
The hum stopped and Cyrus, Henry, and Kanti pulled back.
“Look,” Valerie whispered, examining the blade.
Etched into the surface were words and symbols that hadn’t been there before, in a language as foreign as the hieroglyphics she’d seen in the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
“Does anyone know what this means?” Kanti asked. They all shook their heads.
Dulcea stepped closer and examined the blade. “It’s an old language—one of the original languages that has faded away over the centuries since Conjurors came to the Globe.”
“I bet Azra could read it,” Cyrus said.
Valerie sheathed Pathos.
“We keep hearing that something big is coming, but this is the first time I’ve really believed it,” Kanti said.
“A battle. And we’re going to be in it,” Henry agreed, his eyes a little glassy. His mind was open, and Valerie could feel his certainty in what he was saying—and his fear. She saw the face of the girl who had delivered his prophecy, but before she could make sense of the words tumbling from her lips into Henry’s ear, his mind abruptly closed to her. No lies, perhaps, but there were still secrets.
“You’re still kids. You belong in your Guilds, safe. Not on a battlefield,” Dulcea said, but it sounded more like a wish than a command.
“I don’t think we’re going to have a choice,” Valerie said.
“She’s right. Clearly the Globe needs a hero, and I’m ready,” Cyrus deadpanned. “Now that I have my trusty sidekicks, of course.”
His joke worked, breaking the tension as they laughed harder than the quip deserved.
“Let’s get to work,” Valerie said as their giggles subsided. Her battle with Reaper had put something in motion that wasn’t going to end any time soon.
Valerie stopped by Midnight’s office at the Guardians’ Guild next and confessed the truth about the morning. The Grand Master was utterly still as she listened to the story.
“And Reaper—whoever he truly is—works with Zunya? Then he must be a madman,” Midnight said.
“I’ve no doubt about that,” Valerie agreed. “But it’s time to fight back. Sanguina has agreed to take us to the Black Castle. We’re going to finish this. It’s the only way to stop the Excision anyway, like you always said.”
Midnight nodded slowly. “With the right group of Knights and a couple of key Grand Masters, this could be a chance to hit the Fractus hard. I’ll come with you, of course.”
Valerie couldn’t hide her relief. “Thank you.”
“I wish there was a way to convince you and your friends to stay behind, but I think my words would be wasted,” Midnight said, a spark of humor lighting her eyes briefly before vanishing just as quickly. “You’re too young to put your lives at stake.”
“There isn’t another way anymore,” Valerie said. Did it made her a coward that part of her wished that she could be a kid and let the adults handle everything?
But she knew that the time for stepping back had passed. She needed to accept that she was involved in—and maybe even leading—this charge. It was the heaviest responsibility she’d ever shouldered.
Valerie hurried to the Knights of Light, expecting to find the Guild in an uproar, but it was surprisingly calm when she arrived. She saw a few apprentices training in the courtyard, but no one seemed to be mobilizing for the mission at hand.
She hurried to Kellen’s office, keeping an eye out for Gideon and Chrome along the way. At the thought of Chrome, the box holding her grief and guilt threatened to open and overwhelm her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to think about tactics instead.
Kellen’s door was
shut, and she banged loudly on it.
“It’s open!” Kellen called out, clearly annoyed. She turned the handle and rushed in. “Well, what is it?”
“Haven’t you heard—didn’t Sanguina tell you?” Valerie stuttered.
Kellen’s eyes narrowed, and she had a sudden fear that Sanguina had betrayed her after all. “What do you know about Sanguina?”
“She helped save me from Reaper, and she’s willing to act as our guide to Dunsinane. We can finally storm the Black Castle and save Darling and Oberon! He’s there, too.”
Kellen flew close to her. He was much smaller than she, but he suddenly seemed very threatening. “Lies. We knew she had to have someone helping her spy on the Grand Masters. I never would have thought, after everything she did to you and your brother, that it would be you.”
“What are you saying?”
“Sanguina is under arrest for treason.”
Valerie stumbled back. “It can’t be…we need her to help us! We have to get to the Black Castle now, and she’s the only one who can guide us there.”
“I have reason to believe that Darling isn’t a captive in the castle at all, and the rest of her story—and yours—is a lie.”
“That isn’t true!”
“Relinquish your weapon,” Kellen commanded.
“No,” Valerie said, backing toward the door. She bumped into something solid. Gideon.
“Do as he says,” Gideon commanded.
Shock made her mind cloudy. “You don’t believe me?”
“Kellen is our Guild Grand Master and his word is final. Leave Pathos and come with me.”
“You heard him,” Kellen said in a superior tone.
Valerie wasn’t sure she could fight Kellen alone, never mind Kellen and Gideon. Would she have to go to Dunsinane weaponless with only her friends and no guide? Their mission would be doomed before it even began.
Her eyes connected with Gideon’s, and she saw a spark there that gave her hope. She did as he said and laid her weapon next to Kellen’s tiny desk. Gideon wordlessly escorted her out the door.
He didn’t speak until they had walked beneath the arches at the front of the Guild.
