The Society of Imaginary Friends (The Conjurors Series)

by Kristen Pham

  “Go with jeans, you’ll want to be comfortable since we’ll be walking all over the place,” Kanti advised. Valerie gave her a grateful smile and quickly changed. She brushed her long hair to get the knots out and swept it up into a ponytail. Minutes later, they glided up two floors to bang on Cyrus’s door.

  “I’m up, don’t rush me. You’d think the Fractus were attacking!” Cyrus said, opening the door while still towel-drying his hair.

  It was strange to be able to hang out with Cyrus for real. Valerie never had a lot of guy friends her own age before, and in the last two weeks, she now had two—which reminded her of something.

  “Will you teach me how to project myself to Earth today? I want to check on Chisisi and Thai.”

  “No problem, Val. But first, let’s go to The Horseshoe. I want to show you the lay of the land out here.”

  “Count me in, too,” Kanti added.

  Before they left, they stopped by Dulcea’s room for some breakfast. She wasn’t there, but she left a warm plate of fluffy, neon-colored pastries with a note saying that anyone who stopped by should help themselves. The weird appearance of the pastries made Valerie hesitant to eat one, but her stomach grumbled. She cautiously nibbled on a corner, and groaned in delight as the sugary sweetness melted on her tongue.

  “Dulcea’s pastries are made to adapt to your unique taste buds,” Cyrus explained, wiping a crumb off of her face. “You’re such a little kid sometimes, you know that?” She shut her eyes and ignored him, her mouth still crammed with a neon green piece of heaven.

  On Earth, she almost never had a chance to eat treats. In the hospital, they made sure the kids all ate healthy food, and in her foster homes, her parents had rarely spent money on such luxuries. She could definitely get used to eating such delicious food, for free, no less!

  The three took a roundabout route to The Horseshoe, which was the heart of Silva, as well as the center of Arden. Kanti and Cyrus answered all of Valerie’s questions about the strange buildings that she saw. The giant aquarium skyscraper was a hotel for visiting guests from Illyria, the underwater city on Arden’s southeastern border. That way, when the Illyrian mer-Conjurors sent representatives to Global meetings to discuss issues affecting the planet, they had a place to stay.

  Kanti also pointed out Enchantz, a nightclub for underage Conjurors to cut loose and show off their dance moves.

  “If you ask me, that club is on its way out. I’d skip it,” Cyrus said.

  “Says the guy who has two left feet,” Kanti retorted. “Valerie, you have to see Cyrus try to dance. It’s hilarious.” Cyrus reddened, but Valerie pretended not to notice, staring at a building that looked like a giant mushroom.

  When they reached The Horseshoe, Cyrus led the way to an empty grassy area in the middle. Then he cleared his throat. “So you were wondering about my power. Prepare to be amazed,” he joked.

  Cyrus held out his hands, and a glow began to surround them. Valerie noticed that light seemed to be attracted to him, as if drawn to him like a magnet. He moved his hands so quickly that she couldn’t see what he was doing, but it almost looked as if he were molding and shaping the light with his hands.

  There was a bright flash, and then he held out his hand to her. He was holding a delicate flower that was made completely of light from the petals to the leaves. Valerie didn’t even dare to exhale, afraid that her breath might blow it apart.

  “Take it, Val, it’s yours.” Carefully, Valerie reached into the palm of his hand. The flower was infinitely soft, like the warm down of a baby animal. “It won’t break, ever. I made this flower to recharge itself, so it will always glow for you.”

  “Oh, Cy,” she said softly. “It’s the most amazing gift that anyone has ever given me.” Cyrus beamed with pride. Valerie twisted it into her hair.

  “Very impressive, Romeo,” Kanti said, wiggling her eyebrows dramatically. “Bet the ladies love that trick.” Cyrus glared back at her.

  Valerie interrupted their sparring. “Can you make anything out of light?”

  “Small objects are the easiest. Right now, I’m practicing how to give the light different textures. Making it hard, like metal, is really difficult. I can also make objects that already exist glow, like the stones on The Horseshoe path.”

  “That is such an incredible power!”

  Cyrus tried to hide the grin tugging at the corners of his lips, but Valerie could tell that he was pleased that he had awed her. “It’s cool. And I’m the only Conjuror on the Globe who uses this power. The last practicing lightweaver died over a century ago,” he added.

  “How did you discover your power? I don’t remember you having it when we knew each other back on Messina.”

  “I think it runs in my family—I’m just the only one who uses my magic. You remember, Val, that my parents are the keepers of the lighthouse on Messina. It’s an important job when you live on a tiny island in the middle of that huge ocean. One night when I was really little, I couldn’t sleep, so I went to the top of the lighthouse, which was my favorite place in the whole world. As I sat there, staring into the light, I was hypnotized. It was as if every time I breathed, the light was pouring down my throat. It was warm and tingly. I looked down, and my hands were glowing. Then, there was a bright flash, and I was holding a tiny ship made of light in my hands.”

  “No way!”

  Cyrus’s face darkened. “I looked up and saw my mom watching me, all worried. She told me that it was wrong for me to use my powers. She wasn’t angry, but I didn’t understand her reasoning. I still don’t. She thinks magic is evil, and that Conjurors will abuse their powers and end up destroying the Globe. But magic does so much good, too, and I don’t want to live the rest of my life hiding who I really am.”

  “I never heard you talk about that before,” Kanti said, looking at Cyrus with interest. “I know what it’s like to have parents who wish you were different.”

  Valerie was a little irritated with them both. Didn’t they know how lucky they were to have parents who cared about them? Maybe his parents weren’t perfect, but at least Cyrus was loved.

  “Do you know what kind of magic you have yet, Valerie?” Kanti asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “All I know is that a couple of times when I was threatened, I was suddenly able to fight a guy who was a lot bigger than me. It’s weird, because I’ve never taken lessons in martial arts or anything.”

  “My roomie has fighting powers? I suddenly feel so safe,” Kanti teased.

  “What about you, Kanti? Your magic must have to do with dance, right?”

  To Valerie’s surprise, Kanti blushed. “Um, thanks. No, I don’t have any magic. That’s from practicing.”

  “None? I thought everyone here had some kind of power.”

  “Nope. There are a few Conjurors on the Globe who have magic in their blood, but it never develops into a power. It’s kind of rare, though. All of my family has powers except for me,” Kanti explained.

  “Does your family live around here?”

  “No, they live up north in Elsinore. It’s really cold up there, and it doesn’t help that my house is made of ice. Sure, it looks cool, but I’m always freezing my butt off! At least it’s a good excuse not to go home too often. My family drives me nuts, and they’re always embarrassed when the ugly daughter with no magic returns.”

  “Azra says you do have magic, Kanti, it just hasn’t manifested yet,” Cyrus corrected her.

  Kanti narrowed her eyes. “She’s wrong. This is who I am, and I’m fine with that.”

  “Azra’s never wrong about that kind of stuff.”

  “What do you mean, Cy?” Valerie asked.

  “Azra can sense the magical powers inside of people. She says everyone has magic of some kind inside them, and she can help bring out that power if they want her to. Even a regular human on Earth would have a power with Azra’s help.”

  “Can all unicorns do that?”

  Cyrus’s and Kanti’s faces suddenly turned ser
ious. “She’s the last of her kind,” Kanti said softly. Valerie understood why she must have instantly connected with Azra—she knew what it was to be truly alone.

  Something of what Valerie was thinking must have shown on her face, because Kanti changed the subject, pointing out all of the different guilds that she could join. There were hundreds, ranging from the Inspiration Guild, which consisted of muses that inspired artists all over the universe, to the Glamour Guild, where Conjurors created fantastic illusions and disguises, to the Illuminators’ Guild, which put on brilliant light shows all around the Globe.

  Despite how exciting all of the options sounded, Valerie quickly narrowed her choices down to two: the Guild of the Knights of Light, that policed all of Arden to keep its citizens safe, and the Guardians of the Boundary Guild, that protected the barrier between the Earth and the Globe, to make sure no Conjuror was able to travel back to Earth in person. They also made sure that no one projected to Earth for evil purposes—like haunting people or jumping out from under kids’ beds to scare them.

  Kanti and Cyrus had both finished their apprenticeships at the Society of Imaginary Friends and were now craftsmen. They taught the young apprentices the basics about how to be a good imaginary friend to their companions on Earth.

  “Why did you guys stop being imaginary friends and decide to teach?”

  “Well, I was getting a little old for it,” Cyrus said. “Mainly apprentices work as imaginary friends, because the younger Conjurors relate to kids better.”

  Valerie noticed that Kanti seemed far away, her eyes looking a little glassy.

  “I don’t like to talk about my years as an imaginary friend,” Kanti said. “But since we’re going to be friends, you should know. When I was an apprentice, I was the imaginary friend of a kid named Henry. We had so much fun together—he had such a huge imagination!” Her voice cracked, and she stopped talking.

  Cyrus surprised Valerie by putting his hand on Kanti’s shoulder. “It’s okay,” he said gently.

  Kanti seemed to draw some strength from Cyrus’s gesture, and she continued. “One day, I couldn’t find him when I projected to Earth. I couldn’t sense him anywhere. So I projected to his house. His father was there, dressed all in black, and he was crying. Then I looked around, and I saw a coffin standing at the end of the room. I realized that the reason I couldn’t sense him anywhere was because Henry was gone—forever.”

  Valerie put her arm around Kanti, who had tears in her eyes. “I never even found out what happened,” she said in such a soft whisper that Valerie had to lean close to hear her. With visible effort, Kanti pulled herself together. “It took a long time, but I’ve accepted that there’s nothing I can do to bring him back.”

  “I know. The pain never really goes away, but you learn to live your life around it,” Valerie said, empathizing with Kanti’s misery. Hearing her tone, Kanti looked up at her with surprise, and saw the understanding in her eyes. They’d both lost people they loved. Valerie knew that she would have at least one more friend on the Globe.

  Chapter 18

  In part to distract Kanti, Cyrus suggested that they take Valerie to visit the guilds that she was considering. First, they headed toward the Guild of the Knights of Light. The building was shaped like a ring. The trio walked through a tall arch that was etched with the words “Power, Courage, Mercy.” The words glowed gold against the gray stone. Once they passed through, they entered the middle of the ring, which was outdoors. Valerie could see Conjurors practicing their combat techniques with different types of weapons that ranged from swords to long jagged spears that shot lightning.

  Immediately, a tiny fairy the size of Valerie’s hand flew over to greet them. “Hello! I’m Kellen. Are you all potential new recruits?” he asked in a voice that was surprisingly loud and deep for someone so tiny.

  “Only me—I’m new. I arrived yesterday from Messina. I’ve always dreamed of being a knight, so I thought this might be a good fit for me,” Valerie explained.

  “Raised on tales of King Arthur and chivalry, no doubt,” Kellen replied. “You know, it’s not all glory and rescuing damsels in distress. We do serious work here. Not to mention, it’s no place for you if you don’t have a stomach for paperwork.”

  Valerie nodded. “I’ve always wanted to be able to protect those who need it,” she said, remembering all the foster kids like her in situations where they couldn’t defend themselves. Even now, Daniel could be in another dangerous situation. She forced herself to shake off the thought.

  “Her power is expressing itself as combat skills,” Kanti added.

  “Let’s see what you can do,” Kellen said, and then called to a tall, wiry man. “Gideon! Spar with this girl.” Gideon strode over and seemed to size Valerie up in a single glance.

  “I’m not ready! I thought I could take a look around,” she said nervously.

  “Trouble never waits for you to be ready. Now, spar!” Kellen shouted.

  Valerie reached out to shake Gideon’s hand. Without saying a word, he grasped her hand, and seconds later, she was flat on her back. She had no idea how it had happened.

  She jumped to her feet, feeling adrenaline gush through her system along with something else—something pure and brilliant. For the first time, she could release her magic without struggling against the bonds on Earth, and the immensity of it almost overwhelmed her senses. Which might have been why Gideon landed several firm but not painful blows before she even had her bearings.

  She decided to let this incredible power take over. She didn’t have to be afraid of unleashing it anymore. She was on the Globe now, and she could embrace the potential that had been trapped inside her for so long. The next time that Gideon reached out to hit her, Valerie blocked his lightning-fast punch. She countered with a kick of her own, which Gideon dodged.

  Kanti, Cyrus, and Kellen watched as the sparring continued. Valerie managed to land a few blows, but she spent most of her time barely fending off Gideon’s swift, efficient attacks, even with her power at full blast.

  Finally, Kellen nodded. “Acceptable. You may apprentice here if you wish.”

  “Thank you,” Valerie said to Kellen and Gideon.

  Gideon turned to her and nodded his head briefly, respect in his eyes. Then he disappeared through one of the many doors that led to the inner rooms of the Guild. She realized that she had never once heard his voice.

  “Frankly, we need every new recruit,” Kellen admitted. “The Fractus have been ambushing my Knights. They have some new creatures working with them who are almost impossible to beat. All of the Knights have a strong power, but these creatures seem born to defeat them.”

  “What do you mean, sir?” Valerie asked.

  “One of my best Knights was a great fighter who also had the gift of invisibility. He was unstoppable. Until a pack of animals, deranged bears, by all accounts, found him. They could see through his invisibility, and they ripped him to shreds. He didn’t stand a chance against thirty of those creatures.”

  “That’s awful!”

  “Yes, and unusual. No such creature has ever been reported on the Globe before. Strange times we live in,” Kellen said with a shake of his head. “I’m not trying to scare you, but I want you to understand what you’re signing up for. The Fractus are up to something, and you can bet that the Knights will be on the front lines of the battle that’s brewing. It’s only a matter of time before the Fractus try to attack key Guilds like the Guardians to learn their secrets. When that time comes, it will be up to the Knights to defend them and all of Arden.”

  Kellen departed, leaving Valerie deep in thought. Could Sanguina somehow be involved in the increased attacks by the Fractus? Valerie’s gut told her that Sanguina was hungry for power, and controlling the Guilds would give her the authority over the Globe that she craved. But why would she consider Valerie a threat to her plans? She shuddered as she imagined what Sanguina would do if she ever found her.

  Kanti interrupted her thoughts. “T
hat was killer! Do you know who you were fighting? Gideon is second in command of the Knights of Light. Most people don’t last a single minute with him.”

  Valerie blushed. “Let’s check out the Guardians. I want to keep my options open.”

  Cyrus was oddly quiet as they walked down the path toward the Guardians of the Boundary Guild.

  “What is it? Something’s bothering you, I can tell,” Valerie said, worried.

  “He doesn’t like it that you’ll be better at protecting him than he will be at protecting you. Gideon left him unconscious in thirty seconds flat when they sparred,” Kanti said with a loud laugh.

  “Shut up, Kanti. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m really tired—yesterday was a long day.”

  “You wanted to join the Knights?” Valerie asked, surprised.

  “Not really. I checked out a few guilds a couple years ago. I wanted to make sure that I was making the right decision to stay with the Society of Imaginary Friends. But the Knights weren’t right for me,” Cyrus explained.

  “Plus, you didn’t make the cut,” Kanti added.

  “I said, shut up!”

  “No worries, he’ll tell me if he wants to,” Valerie said, feeling uncomfortable with the angry turn that her friends’ constant teasing had taken.

  But Kanti continued. “Why beat around the bush? What’s there to be ashamed of? You are who you are. You can’t be good at everything. Heck, I’ll admit that I was turned down from every guild I applied to except for the Society of Imaginary Friends. I would have loved to be in the Players—that’s the drama guild here. They told me I didn’t have the right ‘look.’ But it’s for the best, because I’m right where I belong, and so is Cyrus. I’m not going to indulge his giant ego.”

  The rest of the walk to the next Guild was very quiet, and Valerie wished she had never asked Cyrus why he had wanted to join the Knights. But her worries were temporarily forgotten when she saw the building that housed the Guardians. It looked like a tall, white cathedral reaching toward the sky. Giant silver doors etched with pictures of rearing horses, flashing swords, and powerful men and women opened to the main room, where stained-glass windows let in a muted light.