by Kristen Pham
“Hang on to me and think about ice when we jump in – I have an idea,” Kanti said, breathless.
They sped toward the Where-o-well, leaping over the unconscious guards and reaching the edge of the well just as the transparent Conjurors clashed with Gideon, Cam, and Chrome, trying to fight their way past them to get to Valerie.
“On three?” Kanti asked.
“Forget that. Let’s jump!” Valerie said. Then she grabbed Kanti’s hand, squeezed her eyes shut, and leapt.
Chapter Eighteen
For one thrilling moment, Valerie felt herself hurtling down, down into the well in a complete freefall into suffocating blackness. She was reminded of dark tunnels, thick forests from her nightmares, and the eerie corridor in the hospital where she first spoke to Zunya. Remembering what Kanti had said, Valerie forced herself to turn her thoughts away from darkness and think of ice, snow, anything cold. A strange sensation seized her entire frame. For a split second, she felt as if she was being tickled by warm bubbles and a sweet taste filled her mouth.
The sight of stone and dirt as she fell vanished as Valerie’s vision went blank, and she felt as if she was hovering alone in the middle of nothingness, suspended in time and space. She didn’t know if she was frozen there for a moment or a millennium, but suddenly time sped up, and a cold blast of air hit her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. Bright blue sky blinded her for a moment, and she felt herself fall several feet to the ground, tumbling into a tangled heap with Kanti.
“Yes! It worked!” Kanti exclaimed.
“What worked?” Valerie asked, rubbing a sore spot on her knee.
“We’re in Elsinore, in the woods right behind my house. We can hide out there while we try to figure out what to do next.”
“It’s freezing here!”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be inside soon,” Kanti said.
“I wonder if Cyrus and the others are okay. Do you think the plan worked and those transparent guys jumped in after us? There were way too many of them for Gideon and the wolves to fight off on their own,” Valerie said anxiously, wondering if she had made the right choice by running. She couldn’t help but feel that her place was by Gideon’s side, fighting like a warrior.
Suddenly, the sky flashed above their heads, and one of the transparent Conjurors who had attacked them in Messina fell from midair and landed in a pile snow that had fallen from a nearby tree. Instinctively, Valerie leapt into one of the defensive stances that Gideon had taught her, positioning herself between Kanti and their enemy and curling her hands into fists.
The Conjuror fell to the ground groaning. Valerie tensed, ready to fight, but the Conjuror yelled, “Wait, please, don’t hurt me! I don’t want to fight.”
“Yeah, right!” Kanti said, almost shouting.
“Why should we trust you? You ambushed us!” Valerie added.
“I didn’t have a choice! Zunya’s punishment for disobedience is worse than death,” he said, shuddering. “He ordered us to capture you, and I had no other choice than to obey.”
Valerie straightened from her crouch but didn’t let her fists relax. Her mind raced. “What happened to the others?”
“I don’t know – Zunya told us to jump in the well after you, so I did. I think the other warriors followed me, but I jumped in first, so I can’t be sure.”
“If you are so against Zunya, why did you join him in the first place? Who are you?” Valerie asked.
“And why shouldn’t Valerie kick your butt right now?” Kanti added.
“I’m Blake. I wish I never got into this whole mess. I wanted a power so badly, and Zunya said that he could take me to someone who could give me one. In return, I’d work for him for awhile. It was cool at first – I was given the power of invisibility. No one could track my magic and no one could see me. I thought I’d be the perfect spy and become really famous.”
“Wait a sec, wonder boy,” Kanti interrupted. “Magic always leaves a trail and we had experts following us 24/7. So cut the crap.”
“Oh yeah? Well I guess you’re not as smart as you thought you were because my friends and I followed you all the way from Arden to Messina, and you had no idea we were there – even those wolf trackers didn’t have a clue!” Blake grinned triumphantly until Kanti shot him a dangerous look and he shrank away from her.
Valerie ignored Blake’s comment, lost in her own thoughts. It seemed like Blake’s power defied the laws of magic, and even Azra and Gideon hadn’t known about this. She wondered if she would ever be safe, since someone like Blake could slip past any defense and ambush her when she least expected it. Even the most skilled guardians on the Globe hadn’t been able to stop them.
“But as you can see, the power is wearing off,” Blake continued, looking down woefully at his hand. It was true; Valerie could see that Blake already looked less transparent – more like a ghost than glass.
“And that’s not the worst part. The power had a side effect. I’ve become breakable,” he said, his eyes wide with horror. “I have to be careful all the time, or I’ll shatter. But Zunya keeps sending us out to fight, knowing what could happen to us,” Blake finished, showing them a shattered finger that looked like a strong breeze would blow apart.
“Who gave you your power?” Valerie asked.
“This foul vampyre with nasty red hair cast a spell. Someone was helping her, but I didn’t get a good look at the guy. I wish my power was to turn back time, so I could avoid this whole mess!”
Blake fell to his knees and started to sniffle, and Valerie couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for him. She knew that she could disable Blake with little more than a kick, but she didn’t have it in her heart to leave him crippled in the snow. Besides, he seemed more concerned with his broken finger than capturing Valerie now that Zunya wasn’t there to give him orders.
“All right, I guess I believe you. Go on your way,” Valerie said.
“But if you breathe one word to Zunya, we’ll tell him that you revealed his secrets,” Kanti warned.
“Thank you, oh thank you!” Blake said gratefully. “You can count on me not to say a word.”
Blake started to walk away, but Valerie called him back. “One last thing. If you, or anyone you know, needs a power, go to Azra next time. She’ll help you, no strings attached.”
He hung his head glumly. “I know. But I heard that it’s hard work developing a power with Azra. It takes time and training for her to bring it out in you. I thought this Zunya guy would hand it to me. I should have known there’d be a catch.”
After Blake had gone, Kanti turned to Valerie. “We better figure out our next step, quickly.”
“Yeah, I don’t trust Blake.”
“Me either. He’ll give us up in a second for the next person who threatens him,” Kanti replied.
“Then let’s move,” Valerie said with determination.
As Kanti led the way out of the woods, Valerie’s mind sped a million miles an hour over what had happened. Even the bitter cold, which her thin sweater did little to keep out, and her chattering teeth couldn’t distract her from her worries. Was everyone safe back in Messina? Where could she possibly hide so that Sanguina wouldn’t find her? How would she ever rescue Henry now?
Then, almost as if thinking his name triggered the connection, Valerie saw a flash of light and felt herself being pulled into Henry’s reality. “Kanti…” she tried to tell her friend what was about to happen, but before she could, the world around her vanished.
“What did Sanguina tell you earlier?” Venu said angrily to Henry, who was trying to back away in fear. Venu grabbed him roughly by the front of his shirt. “She said to do everything I said.”
“Please, I want to call my dad,” Henry said, his voice trembling with emotion. It broke Valerie’s heart to feel his worry mixed with terror.
“No calls! And no more warnings,” Venu said, his voice dangerously angry.
During the conversation, Valerie desperately tried to make sense of where th
ey were located. It seemed as if Venu had taken Henry somewhere busy. People bustled by purposefully, and Valerie saw a food court. Was it a mall? At that moment, Henry turned and Valerie saw through his eyes out a large window. Outside, airplanes taxied down a long runway. Valerie’s panic for Henry increased. Wherever Venu was taking him, it was far away.
‘Look at your ticket, give me a clue where you’re going, Henry, please!’ Valerie tried to shout her thought to Henry, hoping that somehow he might be able to sense her wish.
“Please, at least tell me where we’re going,” Henry said as Venu yanked him through the crowd. “I’m really sorry about the call. It won’t happen again.”
“Shut your trap. You know everything you need to know,” Venu replied, his fierce eyes boring into Henry’s.
Valerie could feel Henry’s fear consuming him. Then, finally, she caught a break. Venu gripped Henry by the arm and pulled him to a gate. As he handed the flight attendant two tickets, Valerie caught a glimpse of the final destination – Zambia.
‘It’s okay, Henry. I’m going to find a way to help you. I promise,’ Valerie said, and she felt his heartbeat slow a little. At least she knew where he was going now. But without the strength of his fear to connect them, Henry’s world dissolved before her eyes. She hoped that maybe she had comforted him a little.
Back on the Globe, Valerie realized that Kanti had propped her up against a tree. Kanti paced worriedly in front of her, and then knelt next to her when Valerie made eye contact. “What happened? Is Henry okay?” she asked anxiously.
“No. But at least I know where he’s going. Let’s get moving while I tell you everything. It’s freezing out here,” Valerie said through chattering teeth.
Kanti and Valerie began walking, and for the first time Valerie felt hopeful. She finally had a concrete clue as to how to find Henry. She then related everything she had seen to Kanti, who gnawed on her fingernails as she listened.
“Now I have to tell Thai where to find Henry,” Valerie concluded.
“The sooner the better!” Kanti agreed.
“I hate sending him after Venu with no protection. I wasn’t even able to create that charm to protect him from Sanguina and the Fractus.”
Kanti’s eyes lit up. “I have an idea. I know someone in town who sells the crystals with the charm already cast on it. They can be pretty pricey, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”
Valerie was about to protest, but at that moment they stepped out of the forest, and standing in front of her was an enormous castle that looked as if it were straight out of the pages of a fairy tale. It seemed to be entirely carved from ice, and it sparkled in the late afternoon sun. Other than a few stray groundskeepers sweeping snow off of immaculate stone paths, there was no one to witness their arrival.
“Ah, home sweet home,” Kanti said sarcastically.
“I remember you saying something about your house, but I had no idea…” Valerie drifted off.
“Yeah, I know. It’s a little bigger than you imagined,” Kanti said with a shake of her head.
Valerie had to smile at her understatement. “A tad.”
“Let’s just say my family’s motto is something along the lines of ‘the bigger and more expensive, the better.’ Trust me, it’s not as big a deal as you think. We’ll only be inside for a minute. I just have to grab something from my room that we’re gonna need to get the charm for Thai,” Kanti said, leading Valerie toward a small door at the back of the castle.
Kanti opened it and peeked in. She motioned Valerie to be quiet, and the two slipped inside. Valerie stared around her in amazement, feeling her body instantly begin to thaw as the warm air chased away the chill that had crept into her bones during their walk through the forest. All of the walls and furniture were carved out of ice, yet it wasn’t freezing inside the castle.
“Magic keeps the ice from melting, even with the heater turned on. The spell is a guarded family secret,” Kanti whispered, seeing Valerie staring at everything with amazement. “Now if we can sneak up to my room and out of here without anyone noticing–” she began.
“Kanti, darling! What a wonderful surprise!” A tall, beautiful woman with streaming hair descended lightly down a sweeping stairway of ice.
“No such luck,” Kanti muttered under her breath. Then she turned on a fake smile. “Hello, mom,” she said with forced cheerfulness. Kanti stood stiffly as her mother kissed the air beside each of her cheeks. “Mother, this is my friend, Valerie. Valerie, this is my dear mother, Pauline.”
“Nice to meet you,” Valerie said with a polite smile.
Kanti’s mom stared into Valerie’s eyes searchingly for a moment, and Valerie felt a slight hum of magic. Pauline’s eyes widened in surprise, and she gushed, “I like your new friend, darling! She’s powerful. She’ll fit in well here. At last, you’re making quality friends.”
Kanti rolled her eyes. “We’re friends because she’s cool, mom, not because she’s powerful.”
“Sweetheart, let’s not argue. Of course, Valerie’s lovely, I’m sure. I’m simply surprised to see you, that’s all. Is everything well?”
Kanti’s face softened a little. “Actually, we could really use your help. You see, what happened is–” she started to explain, but her mother interrupted her.
“This will be a long story, won’t it? Darling, I want to hear all about it, but right now I’m off to the duchess’ party. I really must be seen there before it’s too late. We’ll catch up later.” Kanti’s mother whisked herself away, leaving behind only the sickeningly sweet smell of her perfume.
For a moment, Kanti looked heartbroken, but she quickly recovered. Valerie looked at her sympathetically. “She seems, um, nice.”
“I can’t stay mad at her anymore. I can see now that she can’t help the way she is – like cotton candy – all sweet and no substance,” Kanti said with a sigh. “She and my dad are both so alike. They were so relieved when I moved far away where I can’t embarrass them. She seems to like you, though.”
“Yeah, what’s up with that?”
“Oh, my mom’s power is that she can sense how strong others’ powers are. She must have sensed that you have a lot of magic inside you. Around here, that counts for a lot.”
“Sounds like living here must be a lot of pressure.”
“You have no idea.”
Kanti led Valerie up the stairs and down a long hall. They turned so many corners that Valerie was certain she wouldn’t be able to find her way out on her own. Finally, Kanti stopped and entered a room in which the ice walls had been stained black and covered in posters of bands that Valerie recognized from Earth. Despite the many thoughts and worries spinning inside Valerie’s head, she smiled. No wonder Kanti felt so out of place here. Her room seemed like a piece of another world that was accidentally dropped into this storybook castle.
At that moment, Valerie heard the most beautiful singing coming from somewhere nearby. She went to the window and opened it. Looking out, she saw that an angelic-looking girl with golden hair who was a few years older than Kanti leaning her elbows on her windowsill and singing. Below, several handsome young men stared up at her adoringly.
Kanti stood next to Valerie and peeked out the window. Then she gave an exaggerated gag. “Peach. She’s the most musical of my sisters. She’s out there every day, rain or shine. She can’t get enough of the attention. Am I the only one who thinks she looks ridiculous?”
Valerie shook her head in disbelief. “I’m relieved it’s not only me who thinks that’s weird. No wonder you had to get out of this place. It’s like, the exact opposite of your personality.”
Kanti grabbed a small pouch from under her mattress and stuffed it into her pocket and then tossed Valerie a coat. “I know. Sometimes I wonder how my parents could have ever had a kid like me. But enough ranting about my family. Put that on and let’s get outta here.”
Valerie’s mind immediately snapped back to the task at hand, and suddenly the glittery surroundings and chir
ping princess seemed silly to her. She gratefully wrapped herself in Kanti’s coat and followed her out of the castle.
Elaborate mansions with sparkling snow-covered lawns lined the streets of Elsinore, making the city look like a wealthy winter wonderland. All of the buildings were ornately decorated, though none so much as Kanti’s ice castle. Everyone dressed lavishly. The styles were unfamiliar to Valerie, but she could see that the rich fabrics were covered in lace and sewn in golden thread. The sight of so much finery was dazzling as she rushed through the streets with Kanti, who wasn’t distracted in the least by the sights, even when a bird settled on her shoulder and started talking in her ear. “Princess Kanti, you’re back!” But Kanti shook the bird off, and the little creature flew away.
“What was that all about?” Valerie asked, wide-eyed.
“Bad news. Those birds carry gossip around the city. News of my return will circulate in a matter of minutes. We need to get that charm and get out of here. If Zunya and his crew didn’t know where we were before, they’ll find us now for sure.”
Finally, they stopped at a building that had four stone gargoyles on the roof, who stared down menacingly at any visitors. This foreboding manor seemed out of place with the opulent, sparkling houses they had passed by earlier. Kanti lifted a heavy knocker, and the boom was thunderous as it crashed against the door.
A few moments went by before the door was finally opened by a wizened old man with glasses as big as saucers. His gray eyes brightened when he saw Kanti, and he gave her a quick hug. Then he hurried them inside, glancing around the street before he shut the door.
The minute that the door closed, the air around the man blurred, and he morphed into a tall woman with long, dark hair that was streaked with silver. Valerie gaped, and the woman laughed deeply.
“Valerie, this is my Aunt Anigma.”
“Call me Ani, PLEASE. My, child, you look SO puzzled. Haven’t you ever seen a glamour disguise before?” Ani said. She spoke strangely, overemphasizing some of her words. It made everything she said sound SO dramatic.
