The Society of Imaginary Friends (The Conjurors Series)

by Kristen Pham

  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 him 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!” Blake said gratefully. “You can count on me not to say a word.”

  He 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, fast.”

  “Yeah, I don’t trust Blake.”

  “Me, either. He’ll give us up in a second to 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 was 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.

  As they spoke, Valerie desperately tried to make sense of where they were. It seemed as if Venu had taken Henry somewhere busy. People bustled by purposefully, and she saw a food court. Was it a mall? Henry turned, and she saw through his eyes out a large window. Outside, airplanes taxied down a long runway. Her 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, Africa.

  “It’s okay, Henry. I’m going to find a way to help you. I promise,” Valerie said, and his heartbeat slowed 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 was 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 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 carved entirely 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 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’s 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—”

  “Kanti, darling! What a wonderful surprise!” A tall, beautiful woman with streaming hair descended lightly down a sweeping staircase 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, and Valerie sensed 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 narrowed 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’s 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.
r />   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 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?”

  “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 was so out of place here. Her room seemed like a piece of another world that was accidentally dropped into this storybook castle.

  Valerie heard the most beautiful singing coming from somewhere nearby. She went to the window and opened it. Looking out, she saw 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 chirping princess seemed silly to her. She gratefully wrapped herself in Kanti’s coat and followed her out of the castle.

  Chapter 38

  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 that 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 wizened old man with glasses as big as saucers eventually opened the door. 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 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 Ani.”

  “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.

  “No, she’s from Messina. So it’s all pretty new,” Kanti jumped in. Then she explained to Valerie, “Ani bought a disguise from the Glamour Guild a few years ago so that she could go out and about in Elsinore without being recognized.”

  “It gets so DREADFULLY dull talking gossip and going to parties all day,” Ani said with a dramatic flourish of her hand. “But no one bothers me when I’m disguised as old Iago. SO much fun to see what people REALLY think. But unless I’m much mistaken, you’re here for MORE than a friendly visit.”

  “We need a protection charm for someone on Earth.”

  “More of your Imaginary Friends’ GUILD work, dear? Of course, those charms are very expensive, even for YOU.”

  Kanti hastily handed Ani the small pouch that she had taken from her bedroom. Valerie looked at it more closely and saw that it was moving, as if something was squirming around inside. Ani peeked in the pouch and raised her eyebrows.

  “I never needed to spend the allowance my parents gave me. There’s nothing here I ever want to buy, and there is no currency in Arden,” Kanti said.

  “What’s inside?” Valerie asked, a little worried. Whatever was in that bag churned like it wanted to get out.

  “It’s magic. That’s the currency around here,” Kanti explained. “The best kind—it can be used for any purpose.”

  “VERY rare,” Ani added. “I accept. Wait here.”

  Ani disappeared down the hall, and they heard her rummaging through some drawers. After a few minutes, she came back, blowing dust off of a crystal so pure that it was almost invisible. Only the light glinting off its surface indicated that it was a real, solid object. Ani dropped it into Kanti’s hand.

  “I DO hope you’ll stay for dinner, and overnight if you need.”

  “We’re as safe at Ani’s as anywhere in Elsinore,” Kanti whispered. “We’ll get outta here first thing tomorrow morning. Everyone sleeps late, so the streets will be deserted.”

  Valerie’s stomach was empty, and a warm bed sounded welcome. “Thank you, Ani,” she said, gratefully.

  Ani showed Valerie and Kanti to a room that was paneled in dark wood carved with roses. The bed was covered in heavy, red sheets. Once Ani disappeared to arrange dinner, Kanti handed Valerie the crystal.

  “Might as well go visit Thai now,” Kanti said.

  “How do I make the crystal protect Thai?” Valerie asked.

  “The spell is already inside. Go visit Thai, and before you leave, look at him through the crystal for a few seconds. When you come back to the Globe, there should be a little image of him inside. Then we’ll know it worked.”

  Valerie nodded. It sounded simple enough, even for her. As she settled down to concentrate on Thai, she realized how eager she was to see him. It felt like forever since they had last talked. She shut her eyes and pictured his smile.

  “At last!” Thai cried. Valerie opened her eyes. He was standing outside, and behind him was a magnificent view of the mountains. A little ways away, she saw his tent next to a small, smoldering fire.

  “Still in Yosemite?” she asked, enjoying the sight of his face and relieved that at least for Thai, she wasn’t too late to protect him.

  “Are you kidding? You’re really going to ask me about the view when I haven’t seen you for two days? What happened after you left the boat? I was freaking out!”

  As Valerie related her story, Thai’s face began to relax, until she reached the part about Zunya’s attack.

  “It seems like every time you disappear, my worst worries come true,” h
e said. Then his face changed, and his eyes turned gold.

  “H-he misses you. So do I,” Tan said. He looked sad.

  “I miss you, too. I promise, when all of this craziness is over, I’ll visit more often.”

  Tan’s face brightened, and then he blinked, and Thai’s dark eyes looked back at her. “He’s getting stronger. He takes over more easily now, and for longer periods of time,” Thai said, sounding proud.

  “That’s great!”

  “Great, but weird. I can’t always regain control of my body right away,” he said. “Anyway, finish your story.”

  “I’m in Kanti’s hometown now. When I got here, I had another vision of Henry, and I finally know where he is. Venu is taking him to Zambia, Africa. But I have no idea why.”

  “Me, either. But at least we finally have a clue. I’ll catch the bus out of here and take the first flight leaving Sacramento.”

  “Be careful, okay?”

  “Right back at you,” Thai said, softly, the worry returning to his eyes.

  “One last thing. I was finally able to get ahold of a crystal to make the charm that will protect you from being found by anyone on the Globe except for me. I swear I’ll keep this charm with me always and die before I part with it.”

  “No, Valerie, if it ever comes to that, give them the charm. I’d rather have you alive and be harassed by a crazy redhead than lose you.”

  She had an overwhelming urge to touch Thai’s hand, but knew she couldn’t. Before she left, she looked at him through the crystal as he warmed up his hands over the small fire. He looked up at her and flashed one of his rare smiles, and then she let herself be pulled back into her body on the Globe.

  Back on the Globe, Valerie looked down at her crystal and saw a tiny image of Thai inside, warming his hands on the fire.

  “It worked!” she said, and an enormous weight lifted from her heart. She didn’t realize how much she had worried about Thai being taken from her by Sanguina until now. She carefully slipped the crystal into her pocket next to the flower of light, which she always kept with her like a lucky charm.