Knights of Light (The Conjurors Series Book 2) (13 page)

“We’re glad to have you
back, in any form,” Valerie said.

“I knew you wouldn’t be
weird about this,” Kanti said gratefully. Then her eyes turned wary as Henry
stepped closer to her.

He swallowed. “Um-yeah.
You’re the same as always.”

“BFFs forever?” Kanti
said, trying to warm him up.

“Of course,” he said. He
came over and slapped her lightly on the shoulder, like a buddy. It was
incredibly awkward, and Valerie cringed for him.

“We’ve got a party
that’s been waiting for you for days!” Dulcea said, sounding overly cheery.

“Sorry, I thought I’d
surprise you guys. Maybe that was a bad idea.”

“Whatever, you need to
lighten up,” Cyrus said. They had reached the dorm. They all went into the
cafeteria and Cyrus yelled “Party on the tenth floor!” The kids cheered.

“Let’s get up there and
turn on the music!” Dulcea said. “Come on, Henry, give me a hand. The rest of
you wait a few minutes before coming up.”

After they left, Kanti
was swarmed. At first everyone wanted to know who the “hot new girl” was in
their Guild. When they realized who it was, they flooded her with questions.
Several guys tried to flirt with her, and Kanti turned away, dismissing them.

Valerie tugged her away
from the crowd by her elbow. “See you guys later!”

“Thank you for rescuing
me. This is no way to live,” Kanti said miserably.

Cara made a sympathetic
noise, but Cyrus stared at her in disbelief. “What about this is bad? Isn’t it
every girl’s dream to wake up and discover she’s a beautiful princess?”

Valerie smacked him on
the arm, and Kanti gripped him by the shoulders and shook him. “Do you know me
at all? How could you think that I would want everyone to suddenly want to be
around me because of how I look? I’m the same freaking person. I don’t like frills,
pink, or people who are fake.”

“Sheesh, fine. Relax.
We’ll get you a glamour disguise if it’s that bad.”

“Or we could just cover
you in mud and dress you in a potato sack,” Valerie said.

Kanti gave a little
snort of amusement, and Valerie was relieved. The tension was temporarily
broken.

“Isn’t there a party in
your honor up there?” Cara asked.

“Let’s get this over
with,” Kanti said darkly.

“It’s a party, not a public execution,” Cyrus said. “Maybe
you’ll have fun.”

On the tenth floor,
Kanti’s favorite hip-hop was blaring. They opened the door to the hall and saw
that someone had used magic to turn the color of everything from the walls to
the ceilings to the furniture completely black—Kanti’s favorite color.

Already a good number of
kids from the dorm were dancing, and even though a few of the guys checked
Kanti out, she wasn’t swarmed again like she had been earlier. Henry wove his
way through the crowd.

“Like it?” he asked
Kanti.

“Love it,” she said and
beamed at him. It was the first time she had smiled since she had come back,
and the effect was breathtaking. Henry’s eyes widened, but he recovered.

“Glad your tastes
haven’t changed,” he said. “Come on, you haven’t even seen the real dance floor
yet.”

Henry led them all down
the hall and opened a door. Inside looked like a club on Earth, complete with
plush red furniture to sit on and dim lighting. In the corner, there was even a
DJ spinning records. He was so good that Valerie was sure he must be using
magic, but you couldn’t tell unless you really watched him.

“I thought you should
have the full Earth experience,” Henry explained.

“This is amazing,” Kanti
said, her eyes lighting up as she took in all the details.

Henry’s pleasure and
embarrassment pulsed through their mental connection. He must be really
flustered if he wasn’t shutting her out of his mind as he had been since their
last conversation about their father.

“Dulcea did all the
decorating. I just told her what it should look like,” he said.

“And don’t forget, I
brought Lance!” Cyrus chimed in, gesturing to the DJ.

“Who is he? He’s
amazing,” Valerie said.

“He’s a Master in the
Music Guild and a buddy of mine. He owed me a favor and I called it in.”

“You guys really pulled
out all the stops,” Kanti said, trying to hide that she was touched.

“Enough talking, more
dancing!” Dulcea said, and then led the way to the dance floor.

Finally, the gang was reunited—except
it was even better because now Henry was part of the group as well. Once Thai
and Tan were there, it would be complete. But for now, having her friends
together and happy was enough.

The next couple of hours
they spent dancing, eating mouthwatering desserts that Dulcea had whipped up especially
for Kanti, and when they were tired, relaxing on the couches and catching up.

Cyrus, Cara, and Valerie
were deep in a conversation about which guilds Cara should visit before she
left when Valerie saw Henry whispering in Kanti’s ear. At first, she was
smiling, but as he continued to speak, the warmth drained from her face.
Finally she pulled away from him.

“I expected this from my
parents and my sisters. Even the other Conjurors here in Arden. But not you,
Henry!”

“What do you mean?”

The conversations around
them stopped, and everyone listened to the fight.

“You see me differently
because I look different.”

“You’ve got it wrong—”
he tried to say, but Kanti interrupted him.

“You think you’re the
first to suddenly ‘discover’ you have feelings for me?” she said, raising her
voice.

Henry set his mouth in a
hard, angry line. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Valerie
was glad to see that instead of crumbling, he was standing up for himself.

“I do know! Everyone
disappoints me. It’s a lesson I learned when I was ten, and I guess this whole
thing happened to me so that I can learn it again. Everyone’s alone.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he
snapped.

Kanti stalked away, and
everyone stared after her. Even Lance had stopped spinning.

“Okay, the show’s over!”
Cyrus shouted to the crowd.

“Right!” Dulcea said,
but her usual good humor seemed false. “Music, please?”

Lance put on another
song, and people slowly resumed talking and dancing. Henry left the room
without another word.

“Do you mind if I get
out of here?” Valerie whispered to Dulcea.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll
shut the party down soon anyway.”

“I’ll come with you,”
Cyrus said.

“Thanks, but I’m going
to see if I can find Henry. Maybe you can help Cara find another bed to sleep
in tonight, in case Kanti’s still on the warpath.”

“You got it,” he said. “Tell
Henry—tell him I’m sorry. I have a pretty good idea how he feels right now and
it’s worse than having your powers ripped away by Zunya.” Cyrus swallowed once
before turning away from her.

She didn’t have time to
ask him about it. Instead, she followed the path her brother had taken. Outside
of the dorm, she didn’t see any sign of him or Kanti. She shut her eyes and
tried to see if she could connect to him mentally.

Without warning, she was
blasted with intense heartbreak. It was like being hit in the face with a fire hose
of pain and grief. She stumbled, almost losing her balance.

“Henry,” she whispered.
As abruptly as it started, the connection closed. He had found the strength to
close his mind to her again.

She suddenly was
incredibly angry at Kanti. She hurried over to a platform and went up to her
room on the eighth floor. But when she stepped inside, she stopped short. Kanti
was sitting on the edge of her bed with her head in her hands. Valerie couldn’t
bring herself to make her feel even more miserable than she already was.

“I was a total jerk,
wasn’t I?” Kanti asked.

Valerie didn’t say
anything.

“He told me that he
loves me and I threw it in his face.”

“Why would you do that
to him, Kanti? You know what he’s been through. At the very least you could
have let him down gently instead of publicly humiliating him.”

“You don’t understand. A
month ago, hearing him say those words would have meant everything to me. But
now I know it’s meaningless. He doesn’t love me—not like that. He just thinks
he does because of all this,” she said, gesturing at herself with disgust.

“You’re so wrong.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he was planning
to tell you he loved you before any of this happened. He’s practically been
going crazy without you. All those days by your bedside, saving your life—”

“What?!” Kanti’s shouted.

“Didn’t your parents
tell you that Ani tried to hurt you and Henry saved you? They forced him to
leave, or else he would have still been there when you woke up.”

“They never said…they
didn’t even tell me I had visitors. I am a first-class, Grade-A idiot.”

“And a jerk, don’t
forget,” Valerie teased.

“How will he ever
forgive me? I should have known. I totally underestimated him.”

“He’ll come around,” she
said gently.

Kanti laid her head on
Valerie’s shoulder. “I’m no better than my parents.”

“Yes you are. You’re one
of my favorite people, and I have amazing taste in friends, in case you didn’t
know.”

Kanti laughed weakly. “You
know what’s worse than all this looks stuff?”

“No, what could possibly
be worse than becoming stunningly beautiful?” Valerie asked.

Kanti held out her hands
and concentrated, and suddenly a shower of pink flower petals rained down on
both of them, covering their beds and the floor.

“Your power has
appeared!” Valerie said excitedly. “What is it, exactly?”

“I have no idea, except
that it’s useless,” Kanti said, rolling her eyes dramatically. “I’ve made
flowers grow in a garden, a rainbow appear, and turned some old woman’s hair
from gray back to its original color—red. It’s the shallowest power ever.”

Valerie couldn’t help
laughing. Kanti had turned into a princess that would have made Disney proud,
but she was the last person who would ever want that.

“It isn’t funny!” Kanti
said, but she was giggling, too.

“It’s hysterical,”
Valerie contradicted. “And you know who would appreciate the irony of this
better than me? Henry. Now go make my brother the happiest guy in the universe.”

Valerie fell asleep waiting for Kanti to
return, and again she had her terrible dream of Azra and Sanguina and the darkness
that wanted to claim her. She woke up with a pounding heart. When Kanti came
out of their bathroom, she would only say that Henry said he forgave her, but
he wanted some space.

Valerie worried about
her brother on her walk to her Guild. She didn’t want him to shut out Kanti the
way he was shutting her out. He needed someone who could pull him out of
himself and into the world.

She was so deep in
thought that she didn’t notice Azra and Gideon talking by the fountain in the
middle of The Horseshoe until she practically stumbled into them.

Valerie, good timing.
We were hoping to catch you before you began your training today.

“Is everything okay?”
she asked, noticing the tension in Gideon’s stance.

“It’s been decided that
a team is going to Dunsinane to search for the Black Castle,” he said.

“But how will we find it
without the guide from the prophecy?”

“Chrome believes that we
will find that guide only if we are looking for him. He can’t justify waiting
any longer for help to come when Jet and Kellen are missing.”

“What do you think?”
Valerie asked.

“We didn’t find anything
there when we searched before,” Gideon replied. “But there have been rumors
that the People of the Woods may have information that could help us. At the
very least, maybe we will find our guide there.”

Azra shook her head
doubtfully and pawed at the ground.
Something is wrong with this plan.

“You may be right, but
it’s been decided. The Knights are spoiling for a fight, and their need for
action cannot be repressed any longer.”

“How can I help?”
Valerie asked. She saw Azra and Gideon exchange a glance.

“I want you to come with
me and help me lead the mission,” Gideon said.

Her heart raced at his
words. Surely he, of all people, knew how inexperienced she was.

I have no doubts you
could do it,
Azra’s soft voice chimed
in her mind.
But I do not think you should. You are still a child, and you
have had too little time in your life to behave like one.

“She’ll never be like
other children. More and more, people ask for her guidance. I can only shield
her from it for so long. It is time for her to begin embracing the position
that has been thrust on her.”

Valerie’s heart pounded
uncomfortably. “I thought all that talk about me was dying down.”

Gideon shook his head. “Many
of the Knights watch you train. Even the doubters are starting to believe in
how powerful you are. And news of your selflessness during your test to become
an apprentice leaked out as well. Many believe that only you can keep us off of
a destructive path.”

“This is crazy,” she
said, taking a step backward. She wished she could run away.

“It is unfair to ask one
so young to put the needs of the whole above your own. But I believe your
unique qualities are necessary to guide us to the path of peace. Your choices
will reverberate around the Globe,” Gideon said.

Her stomach was in
knots, and she crossed her arms in front of herself defensively. Azra made a
small noise of sympathy.

There is time later
for her to evolve into the leader she is meant to be.

“I think we should let
her decide. Valerie, will you lead this trip to Dunsinane with me?” Gideon
asked, studying her intently.

“I-I can’t,” she said,
ashamed.

Gideon nodded gravely,
and she could see his disappointment settle into the grooves on his face.

There are other ways
to prepare her for leadership. She doesn’t have to be thrown into deep waters
to learn how to swim.
Azra gave
Gideon a stern glance, and he nodded absently.

“Of course,” he said,
but she could see that his mind was already miles away, planning the expedition
to Dunsinane.

While training is
suspended during the mission, I will introduce Valerie to the Grand Masters and
let her see the inner workings of Arden’s government. There is more than one
way to wage a battle against evil, and diplomacy is a powerful weapon.

“Best of luck to you
both,” Gideon said formally, and then he left them.

Valerie’s shoulders
slumped. “I hope he can forgive me.”

There is nothing to forgive, child. You have already
given so much, and I have no doubt you will help many more. Come to my office
tomorrow and we will begin.

Valerie skipped training
that day. She didn’t know if Gideon would be teaching, but she didn’t want to
take the chance of seeing his disappointment in her again.

Instead, she walked to
the Lake of Knowledge, hoping that maybe she would find answers in the still
waters that covered the world of Illyria, where all the universe’s knowledge
resided. But no matter how hard she concentrated, the glittering water remained
mute.

She gripped Thai’s
crystal and was next to him. He was lying down, pale and sweaty. His eyes
cracked open and he smiled.

“The separation is
starting; I know it,” he said.

The panic she had
experienced earlier at Gideon’s suggestion that she help him lead the mission
to Dunsinane was nothing to compared to the bottomless fear that consumed her now.

“I have to get back to
Earth!” she said, biting back curse words at her helplessness.

“It’s okay. It’s not
like it’s going to happen tomorrow. But soon.”

“It’s too soon!”

“It means I’ll get to be
with you even quicker,” Thai said. “Besides, Chisisi is coming to be with me.”

His words brought her a
measure of relief. “But it’s not the same as having me there. I never should
have left you.”

“You’re worrying too
much. This is supposed to happen. It’s a natural process.”

“So there’s no danger?”
Valerie asked, though she already knew the answer.

His eyes flickered away,
and Tan took over. He didn’t even grin. “I thought I told you to leave us
alone.”

“I can’t do that. I care
about you both too much.”

“You only care about
him.”

“That’s not true!” she
said.

“Yes it is. You disagree
with everything I think and you won’t help me do anything I want to do,” Tan
said, sounding for all the world like a spoiled brat.

“Exaggerate much?”
Valerie snapped. “I’m your friend. The fact that I won’t be your accomplice in
murdering Venu doesn’t change that.”

“Maybe you won’t leave
Thai alone, but at least leave me alone,” Tan replied.

There was nothing more
she could say, so she let her mind return to the Globe. She was shaking with
fear. The idea that Thai could be taken from her had never been as real as it was
at that moment.

It was physically painful to be away from Thai, but
she didn’t want to upset Tan more than she already had. What had happened to
the innocent, excited boy she had met at the Great Pyramid six months ago?
Would he ever be able to find his way back to being that person again?

To distract herself,
Valerie went searching for Cyrus. She found him in the dorm cafeteria, eating
lunch with his sister.

“Val, come join!” he
called to her. She made herself a heaping plate of goodies and sat down.

“I’m glad I found you. I
wanted to talk to you about your idea for finding Leo,” Valerie said.

His eyes lit up. “I’ve
been working on that. I think I have an idea about how to get a message to him,
but I need to test it out.”

“Why’s it so hard to
contact this guy?” Cara asked, interested.

“He lives in Illyria,
and they don’t exactly have cell phone reception there,” Cyrus said.

“Wait—who has cell
phones on the Globe?” Valerie asked, confused.

“Are you kidding?
They’ve been in Messina as long as they’ve been on Earth,” Cara said. “Probably
longer.”

She’d have to remember
to tell Henry about that. Maybe he’d be more comfortable on the Globe if he
visited Messina and saw that one small piece of it resembled the world he had
left behind.

“So how are we going to
test your idea, then?” Cara asked.

“We’ll need to go to the
Hotel Aquatic,” Cyrus said, naming the hotel where visiting Illyrians stayed
when they came to Arden. It was entirely filled with water to accommodate the
mermaids and mermen. Apparently it was palatial inside, though no two-legged Conjurors
could ever go any further than the lobby.

In spite of her worries,
a little bubble of excitement rose up inside of Valerie. “When can we go?”

“No time like the
present,” Cyrus said with a grin.

The three of them headed
over to the hotel. The building was made of glass, so you could see the flowing
hair and long, fish-like tails of the Illyrians as they swam past the windows.

On the bottom floor was
a door. “Is it safe to open?” Valerie asked doubtfully.

Cyrus laughed. “Of course.
This is how regular Conjurors come and visit.”

“But how do the
Illyrians get here in the first place?” she asked, mystified.

“All of the water on the
Globe is connected through underground aqueducts,” he explained. “This hotel
sits on top of one of them, so the Illyrians swim to an underground entrance.”

“Cool,” Cara breathed.
Valerie couldn’t agree more.

They opened the door to
a room that glowed blue from the light shining through the water on every side
of them. Standing behind a desk made of crystal was Juniper. It was strange to
see him outside of their training sessions at the Knights’ Guild.

“What are you doing
here?” Valerie asked her friend with surprise.

“My dad is the architect
of this hotel,” he said. “It’s his pride and joy. He makes all of us kids work
here until we’re eighteen to teach us work ethic.” He shrugged. “Parents,” he
said as if that explained it all.

Cyrus and Cara nodded in
agreement, and Valerie was hit with little flash of jealousy at their shared
experience with overbearing parents.

“We came because we
wanted to test out a theory,” Cyrus said. “Would it be okay if I tried to send
someone inside a message?”

“Sure, tell me their
name and I’ll make their room glow. They’ll come down if they’re here.”

“Actually, I wanted to
test sending a message another way,” Cyrus explained.

“Sure, man, whatever.
Long as you don’t break anything.”

Cyrus pressed his hands
against the glass walls of the lobby and concentrated. Light flowed out of his
hands and into the water on the other side of the glass. The light shimmered
and condensed into words, the way it had when he had sent the note to Dulcea in
Elsinore.

“Please come to the
lobby when you receive this message. Thank you,” Cara read the letters of light
that were suspended in the water. She looked at her brother in total
admiration.

The note whizzed away. “I
sent it two floors up,” Cyrus said. “Now we wait and see if it went to the
person I was aiming for.”

“Who do you know who’s
staying in this hotel?” Valerie asked.

“I’ve only met one
Illyrian in my life—Gabriel. He’s the Society of Imaginary Friends’ contact
when we urgently need answers from the Akashic Records. He doesn’t always help
us, but every now and then, he’ll share something important. He’s in town right
now for a meeting with the Guild Grand Masters later this week, and he agreed to
meet with Rastelli while he’s here.”

As he spoke, a merman
swam up. He had long, gray hair that rippled in the water, and a green tail.

“Cyrus, why did you send
for me?” Gabriel asked, his deep voice coming through the glass wall clearly.

“It worked!” Cyrus said
with glee. “The density of water was giving me trouble when I tried to send the
light through it, but I’ve got the hang of it, finally.”

Gabriel cleared his
throat. If he’d had a foot, he would have tapped it. “What is it, young man?”

“Oh, nothing, sorry. I
was testing my message system.”

“So you awakened me for
no reason at all?”

Cyrus began to tense up.
“Sorry, Gabriel. I wanted to—”

But before he could
finish, Gabriel swam away. Cyrus turned red.

“Who cares about that
guy? That was unbelievable!” Cara said, fairly glowing with pride. “How did you
do that?”

“Let’s get out of here
and I’ll show you.”

“Bye, Juniper!” Valerie
said as they headed out. He nodded in acknowledgment and his eyes followed them
longingly.

The three headed to The
Horseshoe and sat on the bright green grass in the middle.

“It’s easiest to show
you outside where there’s a lot of light to work with,” Cyrus explained to his
sister.