Edge of Pathos (The Conjurors Series Book 4)

by Kristen Pham

  Before their eyes, eight new branches grew from the tree, joining hundreds that already existed on it.

  “Today, you join a family. We have our roots in knowledge, magic, and intense study. We share the trunk of common values, to save lives and ease pain. Each of you is a branch shooting from this tree, and the leaves are the lives you will save.”

  The hum of magic grew louder, rattling the structure of the building until an explosion of leaves burst from the tree, showering everyone in the room before vanishing when they hit the floor. When the leaves were gone, so were all of the aches, bruises, and scratches Valerie had sustained during her many battles. She was grateful for the unexpected gift.

  “Welcome, apprentices, to the Healers’ Guild!” Nightingale said, and the room erupted in cheers.

  Thai turned to her then, and she could see even from where she stood the open joy on his face. It reminded her of the thrill of becoming a Knight when she joined her own guild.

  The tree faded back into an etching on the wall, and Valerie knew she’d never look at it the same way again.

  Thai threaded his way through the crowd until he found her and swept her up in a hug that lifted her off her feet.

  “Can you believe how lucky we are?” Thai said when he put her down.

  “I can’t imagine life before magic,” she replied.

  She wished that everyone on Earth could have magic humming in their veins and know the thrill of its possibilities.

  “The apprentices have some kind of top-secret after-ceremony tradition. I’m sorry for bringing you all this way and then ditching you,” he said.

  “Don’t be! Go embrace your magic. Heal things. Do… whatever you guys do. I’m proud of you, Thai. And so grateful you’re here, fighting this battle with me. But tonight, go live it up, apprentice.”

  He hugged her one last time and took off. The other apprentices whooped when he joined them, and they all ran off into the recesses of the Guild.

  Valerie turned to leave, but Nightingale pulled her aside.

  “I will turn no one aside who needs healing, as I did to you, again. Fractus and Fist are both welcome here,” he said.

  She wasn’t sure she could trust the offer, but if it was genuine, she also didn’t want to offend a Grand Master with the potential to help her army.

  “I’ll remember your words,” she said.

  Outside, Valerie didn’t head home immediately. Instead, she walked along the path between the guilds, watching the stones glow each time she stepped on one.

  “Valerie!” Willa’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

  Willa was sitting on the steps of her guild. Her long hair was tied up with three pencils in a messy bun, and she had piles of books around her.

  “Do you have news? Did Al agree to leave the Fractus?” Valerie asked eagerly.

  Willa waved her hand dismissively. “That old fool did little more than whine and give excuses, as I knew he would.”

  Valerie slumped.

  “But I promised you a solution, and I have found one,” Willa continued. “Magic is wonderful for many things, but one downside is that we have forgotten the old, non-magical ways of getting things done.”

  “What are you saying?” Valerie asked.

  “I’ve been studying some scientific texts on farming in areas of low rainfall on Earth,” Willa said, gesturing to the books around her. “With the help of the Architecture and Glamour Guilds, which are both allied with the Fist, and the People of the Woods, I believe we can quickly construct some irrigation canals and hide them from the view of the Fractus.”

  “Irrigation canals…” Valerie’s brain tried to wrap itself around what Willa was proposing.

  Willa huffed in exasperation, but the hint of a smile hovered on the corners of her mouth. “I’m saying that we can end this drought without Al’s help. We can save Silva from falling into the Fractus’s hands.”

  Chapter 11

  Willa wanted to put her plan into action that very night, but Valerie convinced her to wait until morning to begin knocking on doors. She knew from experience that ideas were rarely well received when people were pulled out of bed.

  She raced home, hoping this would be one of the nights that Henry was home. He was the perfect person to manage the project and make sure that Willa didn’t ruffle any feathers.

  In the kitchen, she found Henry and Gideon talking with Henry’s Empath friends, Elle and Will. Their grim expressions stopped her from sharing her news right away.

  “We were about to go looking for you,” Henry said.

  “The Illyrians are announcing a formal alliance with the Fractus,” Gideon said.

  “We knew that they were leaning that way. Is this a major blow for us?” Valerie asked.

  “The Akashic Records have provided key intel in weapons development and strategy, among other things,” Gideon said. “The loss of Illyrian contacts will be missed.”

  “Is there anything we can do?”

  Elle and Will glanced at each other, and then Elle spoke up. “We don’t tell very many people this, but our parents were Illyrian.”

  “I didn’t know the Illyrians were allowed to have kids. Ignorant of me, I guess,” Valerie said.

  “No, you were right,” Will said. “It’s against Illyrian law, and our parents were both cast out forever when the authorities found out. They couldn’t survive on land for long.”

  She remembered Leo saying that when Illyrians who had lived beneath the waves for a long time returned to land, they had trouble remembering how to function with human needs, and many perished.

  “You must miss them so much,” Valerie said softly. The pain of her own loss overcame her so fast, she didn’t see it coming, and she had to bite her cheek to contain her tears.

  Elle cleared her throat as if to shake off the painful memories. “Before they were cast out, we lived in Illyria for over a century. It’s not very long in the way that Illyrians measure time, but we do know more than anyone else on land about the world beneath the waves.”

  “We don’t think that you should accept the Illyrian alliance with the Fractus without visiting the people yourself and seeing if you can change their minds,” Will said.

  ”Or maybe convince a few to disagree and stall an official agreement,” Elle said.

  “If a formal alliance with the Fractus is declared, a spell will be placed on the waters so that only Fractus can contact Illyrians,” Gideon explained.

  “How do I talk to them? It’s not like I can swim there and meet them in person,” Valerie said.

  “In fact, you can,” Elle said. “Technically, Will and I couldn’t be kicked out of Illyria because we hadn’t broken any laws. We chose not to return because of what they did to our parents.”

  “We can both return whenever we want—and Illyrians are allowed to bring guests under special circumstances,” Will said.

  “In this case, as the leader of the Fist, we could bring you to Illyria to plead your case,” Elle said.

  “You want me to swim to Illyria as a merperson?” Valerie asked, simultaneously thrilled and terrified. “I only learned to swim a few years ago.”

  Elle and Will chuckled.

  “It’s all different when you have a tail. It’s as natural as breathing,” Elle said.

  “When do we leave?” Valerie asked.

  “No time to lose. The alliance could be formalized at any time,” Henry said.

  “We dive at dawn,” Elle said.

  After filling Henry and Gideon in on her plans with Willa, Valerie tried to sleep. But the idea of being deep underwater, with leagues of ocean pressing on her, led to her old nightmares of confinement.

  She awoke in a sweat, and decided not to try to rest any longer. Instead, she jogged to the Lake of Knowledge, where she’d agreed to meet the twins. When she arrived, she saw someone sitting by the shore.

  Valerie would recognize the bend of that head anywhere in the universe. At the sound of her approach, Thai jerked awa
ke from what must have been a deep sleep.

  “Didn’t think you’d be here so early,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

  “It’s a bit of a long story,” Valerie said. “How was your night with the Healers?”

  “The other apprentices are kind of intense. I think the Healers’ Guild attracts that type of person.”

  “I can see why you’d fit right in,” Valerie teased.

  Thai tugged her hand, so she sat next to him and leaned into his warmth as she told him where she was headed.

  “For some reason, the thought of you so far away makes me nervous,” he said, his grip on her tightening. “Dumb, I know, since it wasn’t that long ago that we were a universe apart.”

  “At least, if anything happens, you’ll know the best person to heal me,” she said, and Thai shuddered.

  “Don’t even joke. Can you bring someone with you?”

  “She’ll have me,” Elle said, and Valerie turned to see her emerging from the trees.

  “Where’s Will?” Valerie asked.

  “He went ahead of us to scout out the city we’ll be visiting,” Elle explained. “Getting to Gabriel won’t be simple.”

  “Gabriel?” Valerie asked.

  She’d met the Illyrian when he’d visited Arden as an ambassador, and he’d been distant and difficult. Negotiating with him wouldn’t be easy.

  “Officially, Illyrians don’t have Grand Masters or kings or anything, because everyone is considered ethical and in charge of self-policing. But unofficially, Gabriel is one of the oldest Illyrians, and a lot of people listen to him. He’s one of the most skilled readers of the Akashic Records.”

  “The Illyrians value integrity, right?” Thai asked.

  “Yes, that’s an essential trait to be considered for immortality,” Elle confirmed. “Though I don’t know if I agree, since they kicked my parents out and basically handed them a death sentence for falling in love and having kids.”

  “If even just some of them value true integrity, then I know they’ll listen to you, Valerie,” Thai said. “If they believe in what is good and pure, they’ll believe in you.”

  Thai was giving her the intense stare that she remembered from the first time she’d seen him. His faith in her was a powerful thing.

  Elle moved toward the water’s edge. “Let’s go, Valerie. It’s a long swim to Alexandria, the city where we’re going.”

  Valerie joined her in the water after a last look at Thai. Elle placed her palms on the flat surface of the water and began to hum a strange tune. A gold ribbon of light swirled through the water. Valerie watched it in fascination.

  A sharp tug pulled her beneath the surface, and Valerie gasped, expecting to pull in a lungful of water. Instead, the water passed through her system as naturally as air, and she didn’t choke.

  Her eyes adjusted to the underwater world. From above, the water’s surface glittered. But once beneath the surface, she could see a complex series of pathways on the floor of the lake.

  She saw Elle elegantly slicing through the water with powerful flicks of her tail. Valerie admired her own tail, which shone with green scales. She’d wondered if having a tail would be like trying to walk with her legs tied together, but it was nothing like that. Her tail was a natural extension of her body, and propelling herself forward was as easy as taking a step on land. Easier, even.

  “Come,” Elle said, her voice sounding a little hollow, but reaching Valerie’s ears with no difficulty.

  Valerie swam after her into a dark tunnel in the corner of the lake that quickly gave way to open ocean. Her tail was more powerful than she imagined it would be, and as they sped through the water, it strangely reminded Valerie of when she’d flown through a wind tunnel years ago from Elsinore to Dunsinane. She was weightless. Water rushed past her skin, exhilarating her.

  The deeper they went, the cooler the water became, but it wasn’t dark. The water was lit by thousands of little sparks, like underwater fireflies. The effect was a surreal blue-green world highlighted in gold.

  Unless Elle or Valerie spoke, it was also a silent world, and Valerie found it peaceful. She could understand how decades might pass down here without the Illyrians noticing.

  The first sign of the city of Alexandria was a giant, spiraling conch shell with light shooting from each of its points. As they swam closer, she saw hundreds of other shells surrounding the main conch, like homes surrounding a palace.

  “I can see why people don’t want to leave,” Valerie said, taking in the ethereal world.

  Merpeople jetted between structures and off into the wider ocean. Next to Valerie, Elle surveyed the scene with a strange expression on her face, her hair a gold cloud around her head.

  “It still feels like home after so many years away. I wasn’t sure if it would,” she said.

  Elle swam toward one of the shells a good distance away from the giant conch. Up close, it was as big as Valerie’s home on land. There was no door, only a small opening where they could swim inside.

  Will was waiting for them, turning over strange silver triangles in his hands.

  “Mom and Dad’s tools are still here. The whole place is exactly like we left it,” he said.

  “Except everything’s covered in algae,” Elle said.

  “Remember how we’d race to see who could find a bit of trivia in the records the fastest?” Will said, still fingering the triangles.

  “The winner would get to choose the story we read that night,” Elle said, her voice more childlike than Valerie had ever heard it.

  The twins seemed to snap out of their memories at the same time, and they turned to Valerie.

  “Gabriel’s here for the rest of the day. We made it in time,” Will said. “He didn’t recognize me, and he definitely won’t be expecting Valerie. We should go now and not waste the element of surprise.”

  “Are you ready?” Elle asked Valerie.

  She nodded, and then followed the twins to the conch shell. When they swam in the opening, Valerie immediately noticed a change in the temperature of the water. It was warmer, and filled with bubbles. The extra oxygen when to her head, making her a little dizzy.

  The inside of the shell was pearlescent, lit by even more of the underwater lights. It was a giant room with grooves in the walls where Illyrians gathered in pockets. At the very top was a small crowd.

  “His majesty is on his throne,” Will said, and Valerie couldn’t miss the bitterness in his tone.

  “The last time we were here was when Gabriel sent Mom and Dad to the surface. He took their immortality right here in this room. They almost drowned before they made it to the surface,” Elle explained.

  “He sounds like a hard man,” Valerie said.

  They swam closer to Gabriel’s group.

  “What if there are pockets of knowledge in the seas on Earth that we don’t know about?” Gabriel asked the group, who listened eagerly. “The Fractus will give us the chance to explore those depths. The Fist will shut us off from that knowledge forever.”

  “Not true,” Valerie said, not waiting to be invited to join the conversation. “As leader of the Fist, I don’t wish for a future where connection between the worlds is closed. But we need to do it responsibly, in a way that is safe for those without magic.”

  Gabriel hid his surprise well, but his brows drew down in obvious displeasure at her presence. His quick eyes took in Elle and Will, and his frown deepened.

  “The child-leader of the Fist has come to our depths. What an honor,” Gabriel said, not bothering to hide his condescension.

  Some of the other Illyrians were more excited, muttering to each other and taking the chance to examine her more closely. Valerie could see merpeople from around the conch swimming closer.

  She raised her voice so she would be heard. “You were all chosen to guard the knowledge of the universe because you are the best among us. You chose paths of integrity. I ask you, is it right to use violence to force a world order upon the humans?”

&nb
sp; “You said nothing of this, Gabriel,” an Illyrian woman said with a flick of her tail.

  “She exaggerates. There will be conflict, but the Fractus’s goal is to save lives, not end them. The humans are irresponsible and need to be reined in,” Gabriel explained.

  “Is it ethical to decide what’s best for them? True, the Fractus may stop some of the evil people on Earth, but how many good people will be quashed in the process, because they do not possess magic?” Valerie said.

  “Perhaps the answer to this problem exists in the seas on Earth,” Gabriel said. “We’ll never know if we don’t have the chance to explore them.”

  “I want to find a safe way for travel between worlds. Someday,” Valerie promised.

  “The promises of a child who has no idea how she would achieve such a thing. Do you have a plan to unite our worlds?” Gabriel spat.

  “Not yet,” Valerie said.

  “She has been elevated to a position of power because she is a vivicus, but she will never lead us back to Earth. She doesn’t even know that her own brother is helping the armies of the Fractus to defeat the Fist!”

  Valerie was too shocked to hide her reaction. She didn’t doubt Gabriel’s words were true, and the revelation almost shut down her mind, making it impossible to find the words she needed to win the hearts of the Illyrians. Next to her, Elle and Will drew back in shock.

  “You can see that I’m right. No doubt her heart is in the right place, but she is not special. She is not a true leader, but a vivicus whose mind will soon be stripped of its consciousness by her power. Is it wise to chart a course with her?” Gabriel said, his eyes flashing with triumph as he stared Valerie down.

  “We will find a way to stop the Fractus, with or without you. And when we do, there will be time to investigate how to open up relations between the worlds. All those who come in peace will be welcome,” she said, but her words were lost in the roar of chatter that followed Gabriel’s speech.

  She had already been dismissed by the Illyrians. Silently, Elle and Will led her away from the conch.

  “You need to hurry to the surface,” Elle said. “Gabriel could take away your temporary immortality at any time.”