by Kristen Pham
Galahad hung his head, sheepish. “I apologize. But you are so young…”
“My brother and I are 108,” Elle said.
Even Ceru was surprised. “I didn’t know any other creatures on the Globe had such longevity as the People of the Woods.”
Will glared at his sister. “It’s not something we discuss.”
Now it was Elle’s turn to look sheepish.
“Where’s Dasan?” Henry interrupted. The Grand Master was nowhere in sight. And neither was Juniper, Valerie realized, her heart speeding up.
“We ran into some trouble before we met with the People of the Woods,” Galahad explained. “The noble bird fought our attackers. We would have been lost without him, because they were able to rob us of our power.”
“Zunya,” Valerie said.
But Galahad shook his head. “Three of his minions, with a cone that mirrors his powers, but without the same force. Otherwise, we would have been doomed.”
“Is Dasan safe? And is Juniper with him?” Valerie asked, worried.
Will snorted. “They’re fine. Those louts didn’t stand a chance. By the time Dasan’s done with them, they’ll all be singing songs about peace and meditating on their purpose in life. And young Juniper proved himself a true Knight, using his binding magic to keep the enemies from moving once they come out of their trance.”
“But we couldn’t let them delay the mission, so Dasan and Juniper stayed behind,” Galahad said.
Valerie forced her face to remain impassive. The most powerful Conjuror on their team was missing, as well as a trusted friend. It was a major blow to her plan. To make things worse, everyone was looking at her. Her skin prickled uncomfortably, like she was wearing an itchy shirt.
She turned Gideon and asked softly, “What do we do? What do we say?”
But Elle overheard her. “What are you asking him for? We agreed to follow you, not that Knight.”
“Yeah, no offense, Gid, but you didn’t get the job done last time,” a girl with dark skin and short, spiky hair piped up. Then she turned to Valerie and shook her hand. “I’m Alex. I’ve heard good things about you.”
Valerie was taken aback, but she cleared her throat and tried to sound confident. “Thanks for taking such a huge risk to be a part of this.”
Henry raised his eyebrows at her. It was suddenly very quiet. The steadying presence of Chrome by her side comforted her, and he sent her an image of a rising sun—so must she rise to her new role.
“I’m new to this whole leadership thing, so speak up if you think I’m going in a wrong direction,” Valerie said. Disappointed eyes stared back at her. They obviously wanted a little more assurance. The least she could do was try to fake it.
“You got a plan or something?” Alex asked bluntly.
Valerie nodded. She had been giving it a lot of thought. “It doesn’t make sense to fight Reaper’s army in a head-on battle. They probably outnumber us, and if they know we’re coming they could sneak Darling and Oberon out before we make it inside, even if we were to defeat them all.”
Sanguina nodded. “Reaper will have a hundred Fractus at the castle at a minimum.”
“So here’s what I’m thinking…” Valerie launched into her strategy to rescue Darling and Oberon.
An hour later, the plan was hashed out and Valerie’s little team was looking at her with considerably more respect—and relief. As the group dispersed to set up camp for the night, Henry pulled her away by the elbow.
“Now don’t get mad,” he said. She immediately tensed up. “But I hate your plan.”
Her heart sank. “It’s full of holes, isn’t it? Tell me and I’ll fix it or scrap the whole thing. You probably have a better idea.”
He shook his head. “It’s not that. I don’t like that it involves trusting that woman so much,” he said, staring hatefully at Sanguina, who was again preparing to sleep on the ground.
“We don’t have another choice at this point,” Valerie insisted.
“Take me with you. Don’t go in alone,” Henry begged.
“I need you where you are,” she said, though that wasn’t entirely true. Elle and Will could probably handle the psychic weapons that she was counting on outside. But she didn’t think that Henry would be able to function inside the Black Castle. It was a horrible enough place for someone who hadn’t been mentally tortured for years.
“You’re protecting me,” he said with an accusatory tone.
She smiled. “So sue me.”
“I will if there’s a Lawyers’ Guild,” Henry said with a little grin. She was relieved that he didn’t seem truly angry. Maybe a part of him was hoping she wouldn’t let him test his own mental stability in this battle.
“There you are,” Kanti said, joining them and winding her arm through Henry’s. “Peach is flirting with one of the Knights, so let’s not waste the chance to go on what could be our last date if tomorrow doesn’t go well.”
“Don’t say that!” Valerie said, horrified, until she saw the twinkle in Kanti’s eye. “Get outta here.”
They walked away, and she was selfishly happy that her friends would be out of harm’s way the next day. She noticed that Cyrus was crouching by a sparkling pool in the middle of the Oasis. He’d been there awhile, and she started to worry that something was wrong.
“Come on, come on,” she heard him mutter as she came closer.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
Cyrus sighed. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up, but I had an idea when you were sharing your plan. I thought Leo might be able to help, so I sent him a message to hurry over here if he can.”
“What’s your idea?” Valerie asked curiously.
The water bubbled a little and Leo broke the surface. “I came as quickly as I could. Am I too late?”
“No, this is perfect,” Cyrus said, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “I had an idea. When Valerie was in the Black Castle last time, I infused her sword with light. She wouldn’t have won without it.”
Leo’s eyes widened. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. But that would be a powerful enchantment in a place so devoid of light and life. It would be effective against a number of enemies in that dark place.”
“That’s what I thought!” Cyrus said. “I remembered you said that you were the Grand Master in the Weapons Guild. Would it be possible to infuse other weapons with light as well, ones that aren’t as strong as Pathos?”
Leo considered the question. “I can’t say I know the answer, but if you test it on another weapon, I can examine it and tell you if the blade remains true.”
Cyrus drew a small dagger from a belt at his side and concentrated, pulling light that shone from the stars that were now above them. His hands moved quickly, almost as if he were knitting. There was a flash, and he handed the blade to Leo.
Leo weighed the knife then threw it at a nearby tree, where it embedded itself all the way to the handle. “The blade is sound. If anything, it’s lighter and faster than it was before. This will be an incredible advantage.”
Cyrus beamed. Valerie shook her head in amazement. “That was kinda brilliant, you know that?”
A smile lit up Cyrus’s face, but then he was all business. “Let’s collect all the weapons and I’ll get them ready for tomorrow.”
While Cyrus worked on the weapons and Leo tested them, Henry pulled Valerie aside.
“I want to see my dad tonight…just in case.”
“I swear I won’t let anything happen to you tomorrow.”
“I know we’ll all be fine. But things go wrong sometimes. The reason I’m telling you this is that I think you should come with me.”
She was a little surprised. “Of course, but don’t you want it to be private?”
“I think it’ll comfort him to know that you’re here. He’s so worried about me.”
“Say no more,” Valerie said, and they sent their minds to Joe’s home.
They wandered through his house, and she worried that he wa
sn’t home. But then she peered out the window and saw him working in the tiny garden at the front of the house. They joined him.
Up close, Joe’s movements were jerky with anxiety, even doing such a relaxing task. But when he saw them, he smiled. “I hoped you’d stop by and tell me how everything was going, but I knew you might be busy.”
“Never too busy for you, pops!” Henry said.
Joe smiled and the worry lines in his brow relaxed a little. “I know you two can accomplish anything together. I only wish I were there to help.”
“We miss you,” Valerie said softly.
“Maybe we’ll find a way to get you to the Globe, Dad,” Henry said wistfully. Valerie’s heart ached for him, knowing that soon the possibility of any more travel or contact might be cut off forever.
“I can’t complain. You’re visiting here all the time. And I like when you bring your girl around, too. That Kanti has spirit,” Joe said with a twinkle in his eye. “As long as I can be a part of your life, it will always be worth living.”
Valerie swallowed down a lump in her throat, and couldn’t think of a thing to say.
Henry was pale. “I’ll come see you after our mission is over and tell you everything.”
“Be careful, children. I’ll pray for you.”
“Love you,” Henry said.
Valerie sent her mind back to the Globe and stared at Henry, who was fighting back tears.
“You didn’t tell him about the Excision, did you?” she asked him.
Henry shook his head. “I can’t. I tried to tell myself that he’ll be okay, but sometimes I think it’ll kill him.”
She pulled her brother into a tight hug, which, after a surprised second, he returned.
“Maybe we can still find a way to stop it. After this is all over, there will still be time to get back to Arden before it happens. They have to see reason!”
Henry seemed to have regained his composure. “If we can beat back the Fractus, maybe the Grand Masters will be less afraid that they’ll make it to Earth, and give us more time.”
“We’ll have to convince them,” she said with a determination and confidence that she didn’t really feel.
With a new pressure pressing on her heart to succeed, Valerie pulled Gideon and Sanguina aside to go over every last detail of her plan. At some point, Peach, Kanti, and Henry joined them as well.
“You’ll have to cut your hair if this plan is going to work, Val,” Kanti said regretfully.
“What a shame,” Peach murmured, gripping her own shiny blonde locks as though someone might try to take her hair as well.
Valerie pulled her long, thick braid over her shoulder. It was silly, but the thought of cutting it tugged at her heart. It had been a constant through all her foster homes and all of the changes over the past year. It was also the only thing she thought was really beautiful about her appearance.
“It’s a tiny sacrifice for a big payoff,” she said. “And it’ll shave fifteen minutes off the time it takes me to get ready every day.”
Everyone except Kanti was convinced, but even she knew that there wasn’t another choice. She got a pair of scissors from the callbox. “Ready?”
Valerie closed her eyes. “As I’ll ever be. Let’s get this over with.”
Kanti worked quickly, and suddenly Valerie’s head was much lighter and a faint breeze tickled her neck.
After a few more snips, the scissors stopped. “Done,” Kanti said.
Valerie opened her eyes and saw the astonished faces of Peach, Gideon, Sanguina, and Henry.
“What is it?” she asked. Kanti walked her to the lake. She kneeled down and peered at her reflection. Kanti had done an incredible job of mimicking Henry’s haircut, and the resemblance between them was striking. For those who didn’t know them well, she could pass for her brother.
Now that her hair was cut short, the silver patch of hair near her neck was clearly visible. She touched it self-consciously. Maybe she’d dye it dark brown, like Henry had.
“You’ll have to change your clothes,” Kanti said.
“And bind your…um…chest,” Cyrus said.
She whirled around, not realizing he was there. Self-consciously, she touched her shorn hair. “What do you think?”
Cyrus reached out and took her hand. “I love it.”
Peach eyed her closely. “She’s a few inches shorter than Henry. And up close, her face is much more feminine.”
“And beautiful,” Cyrus added. Valerie blushed. “No offense, Henry.”
“None taken,” Henry replied, and a small grin briefly replaced the worried expression on his face.
“It’s true, no one would mistake them for each other if they knew them well,” Gideon said.
“So you think it won’t work after all?” Valerie asked with trepidation. If this plan was a dud, she was out of ideas.
“It will work,” Gideon said. Sanguina nodded slowly as well.
Valerie relaxed and tried to summon up some confidence for the group that had now gathered around them. “We will succeed tomorrow.”
It wasn’t Shakespeare, but her little army still cheered at her words.
Chapter 38
The next morning, Valerie was shaken awake by Henry. She was surprised that she had slept at all, but her body seemed to sense that she needed to be fully charged for the battle that was coming.
“It’s not too late to change the plan,” he said. She saw the circles under his eyes. Unlike her, he hadn’t slept at all.
“Yes it is,” she replied. “And it’s going to work.”
“Damn straight,” Kanti agreed. “Now let’s get your costume on.”
The girls walked behind a tree, and Valerie bound her chest and dressed in her brother’s clothes.
Kanti looked her up and down and shook her head with a little grin. “You’re even prettier than my boyfriend,” she said with a smile.
“Thanks. And may I say you are stunningly beautiful today, as usual,” Valerie shot back.
“Low blow, lady, low blow,” Kanti said, raising her hands in mock surrender. Then she turned serious. “You ready?”
Valerie nodded, and surprisingly, it was the truth. As anxious as she usually was, she noticed that, in crisis mode, her fear and self-doubt seemed to take a back seat to her focus on accomplishing her mission. Her power tingled in her fingers, ready to be unleashed. For the first time, she could see why Gideon thought she had leadership potential.
Gideon was talking to the rest of the group, making sure they understood exactly where they were supposed to be. Everyone was nodding seriously.
“Ready?” Sanguina asked, appearing at her elbow.
Valerie nodded. “I trust you.”
Sanguina’s breath caught in her throat. “I never thought I’d hear you say that. You honor me, and I won’t disappoint you.”
“I know,” she replied, glad that Sanguina couldn’t see Henry glaring at his oldest enemy with pure revulsion in his eyes. She couldn’t blame him, but she also couldn’t help seeing the good in Sanguina that lived next to the evil.
Valerie turned to the group. This time she’d thought about what to say, and she spoke carefully. “Yesterday, we were a group of people with a shared mission. But today, we are a team with a plan that will work. Things may go wrong, but I have faith in all of you. If you think that the plan needs to be altered because of a complication, I trust you to do it without waiting for permission.”
Gideon was thoughtful after her little speech, but he nodded at her with approval. Kanti gave her a subtle thumbs up as if she sensed that giving her a hug wouldn’t help her friend’s commander image. Henry was clearly worried, as if he regretted agreeing to her plan.
“Let’s do this!” Cyrus shouted, and everyone laughed. It was the perfect start to the mission.
Sanguina led a disguised Valerie to the Black Castle shackled in the magical ropes that had bound Sanguina when she was being taken to the Justice Guild. They no longer worked, but appear
ed convincing.
The castle looked different than Valerie remembered, because the structure was constantly changing, entire turrets and wings appearing and vanishing, like it couldn’t decide what it really was. The effect was ghostly and chilling, which was probably intended. She dreaded returning to the almost complete darkness of that horrible place.
She wished that she could grip Pathos’ hilt for reassurance, but it was safely in a callbox where she could get it when she needed it, and it wouldn’t be taken from her if she were searched.
The black drawbridge crashed down as they came closer. A hulking figure stood in the doorway beyond, and Valerie recognized the strange smell immediately—Venu’s poison.
Her heart beat in double-time. If they couldn’t make it past the first line of defense, the rest of the plan would fall apart.
Sanguina had a snarl on her face. “Let me by. I have a gift for Reaper.”
“What is it?” Venu asked, sounding bored.
Valerie tried to shrink deeper into the shadow of Henry’s hoodie as Sanguina stepped forward threateningly. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I managed to finish the job you failed. I’ve brought him Henry.”
Venu wasn’t able to hide his shock and choked on his words. He stepped closer, trying to stare at her, but Sanguina stood between them.
“I was told you weren’t to be trusted anymore,” Venu croaked.
Sanguina paused, then her arm shot forward, choking Venu’s throat. His hands scrabbled against her arm, covering it with poison, but she didn’t even flinch.
“Your poison can’t touch me, or didn’t they tell you? Now that I’m human again I’ve regained my power to repel attacks, and you aren’t even close to strong enough to overcome my magic. Perhaps they’re not telling you as much as you think they are,” Sanguina said, her tone cold and commanding.
Venu wasn’t the only one who was surprised. This was the first Valerie had heard of Sanguina’s power.
He wrenched himself away from Sanguina and stepped back. “Reaper isn’t here.” Valerie had to physically stop herself from sighing in profound relief. “But Zunya is.” Her heart dropped.
