Knights of Light (The Conjurors Series Book 2) (18 page)

The next day, she
decided to visit the Knights’ Guild to see if there was any news about the
mission to rescue Jet and Kellen. When she arrived, the Guild was in an uproar.

Kellen was surrounded by
Knights who wanted to welcome him back. He flushed as if he were pleased by the
warm reception. She noticed Gideon across the courtyard and headed over to him.

“You did it! I knew you
didn’t need me,” she said. But then she noticed Chrome at Gideon’s side. His breathing
was labored, and he flooded her mind with images. She saw their desperate
search in Dunsinane, where they were attacked multiple times by the invisible
men, Zunya and his team, and figures in hoods that wielded lightning. Four Knights
were killed. But among all of the images he showed, there was no trace of Jet.

“He wasn’t with Kellen?”
she asked, reeling from the knowledge that so many Knights had given their
lives. If she had been there, could even one have been saved?

Chrome showed her how
they found Kellen, beaten, tied and gagged, behind a rock.

“So he never even saw Jet?”

Gideon shook his head. “He
has no memory of how he was taken. It is likely they used sleeping sand on him
to keep him unconscious. It only works on fairies, and very few even know it
exists. He doesn’t know why he was taken.”

An image flashed through
her mind of Chrome examining Kellen, and the image was tinged with suspicion.
She almost exclaimed out loud, but she sensed that Chrome wanted that to be
something private that he shared only with her.

“We’re going to continue
our search for Jet, now that Kellen has been escorted home,” Gideon added.

“This time, I’m coming
with you,” she said.

“It is time,” Gideon
agreed, and a pang of Chrome’s relief and gratitude washed through her.

“But not as a leader,”
she quickly added. “I’ll just help the best I can.”

Gideon nodded. “Know
that while you may not consider yourself leading the Knights, they may view you
that way whether you wish it or not. You must prepare yourself.”

Kellen had fluttered
over to the group and caught their last words. “I won’t have you rushing off
without a plan.”

Chrome’s rage was
instant, and an image of Jet’s broken body filled her mind, the image laced
with his intense fear that any time lost could make that image a reality. But
Kellen’s face was stone. “We can’t throw away the lives of more Knights on a
wild goose chase. We’ll send another search party when we have a more solid
lead. He must be in the Black Castle, and we’re not getting in without an
escort.”

Chrome raced away from
them into the woods. She watched him leave, imagining how she would feel if
Thai had been taken. Or Cyrus, Kanti, Henry, or Dulcea, for that matter.

“I have an idea that
might give us some direction,” she offered tentatively.

Kellen eyed her sharply.
“Go on.”

“My brother has powerful
psychic abilities, and I knew Jet. I thought if we joined our minds, we might
be able to sense him somewhere. At least it would give us a hint of where he
is.”

“Have you ever done that
before?” Kellen asked her.

She shook her head. “We’re
only beginning to understand how his powers work. But he’s willing to try.”

“It can only help,”
Gideon agreed.

Kellen nodded. “Bring him to the Guild in a week. I
need to get a few things in order, and I want to be present when you do this.”

The next day, Valerie
went to visit Azra to tell her that she would be helping with the search for Jet.

Perhaps that’s best.
Her voice in Valerie’s mind sounded weary.
Soon we
must decide what course of action to take about the Excision, but until we do,
you will be safer outside the Capitol building. But don’t travel alone—always
have a friend with you.

“I will,” she said.

There is another
piece of information I have wanted to tell you. You are beginning to understand
the expectations that come with being a vivicus. But there is a responsibility
that you don’t know of, one that I had forgotten myself until I searched the
Akashic Records.

Her heart speeded up
with dread. “What is it?”

A vivicus cannot take
a life without sacrificing her own.

She sighed with relief. “I
wouldn’t want to kill anyone. Look what happened when I fought Sanguina.”

For yourself, I know
you that is true. But when defending your friends, you will do well to remember
it. Henry would not thank you if you sacrificed your life to save his.

“But I would, in a
heartbeat.”

Azra’s eyes were
troubled, and she bent her head, hiding in her mane.
You must learn that you
are precious, too. Protect and love yourself as you would your friends.

She nodded, but she
wasn’t sure that she agreed. It seemed wrong, selfish somehow. And she knew
from experience that without friends and family, her life didn’t have the same
value.

That is not the only
price that your vivicus power will exact from you. There is something else.

“Something worse?”

Azra flicked her tail
uncomfortably.
You are not the only vivicus on the Globe.

“But I thought you said
there hasn’t been a new vivicus since the Globe was created.”

That is true. But one
came with us, and still lives. You know him well.

She was perplexed, but
then it dawned on her. There was only one other creature who could bring
someone from the brink of the grave. “Darling,” she breathed. “But what could
be bad about that?”

Darling wasn’t always
the creature he is now. He was a wise and eloquent leader of our people for
decades. But each time he used his power, he lost a piece of himself, his
intellect. Now he is a creature acting purely with his heart, saving life after
life with no concept of self. He is goodness incarnate, but he is no longer the
friend I once cherished.

Valerie shook her head,
refusing to absorb the meaning of what Azra was telling her.

Every time you save a
life with your power, you trade a piece of yourself. Eventually nothing will be
left except your power.

All Valerie’s breath
left her body. She couldn’t imagine her mind turning childlike, as Darling’s
had. Would she even recognize her friends, her family? And what about Thai? How
could he ever love her romantically when there was nothing left of her other
than her power?

“Something was being
ripped from me when I used my power, but I didn’t understand what it was. But I
wouldn’t change the choices I made. How can I let someone die when I can save
them?”

The choice is yours. And know that it took many years
for Darling’s mind to dissolve away and leave only his beautiful beating heart.

As Valerie left the
Capitol building, she tried to process what Azra had told her, but she couldn’t
wrap her mind around it. She was grateful to sense someone rushing after her,
welcoming the distraction. She automatically assumed a defensive stance as she
turned in case it was an enemy, but relaxed when she saw that it was only Chern.

“Dear me, would you mind
escorting me home? I was so afraid that I would have to go alone, but now that
you’re here, and with your fighting power, I’m sure you wouldn’t hesitate, that
is…”

“Of course, Chern. Lead
the way.”

They left The Horseshoe and
walked through the winding streets. “Have you come to any conclusions about who
the spy might be?” he asked her abruptly after an awkward silence.

“You know about that?”
she asked in surprise.

“Of course,” he said, with
a sniff. “I’m on the Council. Not much escapes my notice.”

“Well then, who do you
think it might be?”

He leaned toward her
conspiratorially. “My money’s on the crazy Conjuror leading the Society of
Imaginary Friends.”

“Rastelli?” she said
with a laugh. “He’s so scattered. And he’s not even a member of the Council.”

“But he’s good friends
with young Calibro—his daughter is her best friend. Who knows what he might
have overheard?”

She nodded thoughtfully,
remembering Dulcea’s discomfort with the Grand Master. “Thanks, Chern. I’ll
check it out. Do you know anything about what Sanguina’s been up to these days?”

He shuddered
dramatically. “I give her a wide berth. They say she’s reformed but I doubt it.
I’m just waiting for her to find me alone in a dark alley.” He was working
himself up.

“No, surely even if she
isn’t reformed, she has bigger fish to fry,” she said soothingly. But anger
flashed across his features before he could hide it. “Not that you’re not
important!” she added lamely.

“N-no, I’m sure you’re
right. Though you’d be surprised how often I find signs that I’m being followed.
It’s important work, keeping the Globe’s history.”

“Absolutely,” she said,
hoping her enthusiasm would soothe his wounded ego.

They arrived at an
unassuming cottage with a small garden and a white picket fence. It was the
American dream come to life.

“Home sweet home,” he
announced cheerily. “Come in for a cup of tea.”

“I’m afraid I need to
get home before my brother worries,” she said.

His face hardened, and
she feared she had offended him. “Surely, you have a few minutes. You could
make sure no one has been messing with my things.”

A prickle of discomfort
made her back away. “Maybe another time.”

He turned on his heel
and walked away in a huff, without saying goodbye. Typical. Cyrus was right,
there was something very self-serving about Chern.

The rest of the week went by quickly, as
Valerie spent her time strategizing with Gideon and Chrome on their next move
and putting renewed effort into her training.

Finally, the day rolled
around when she brought Henry to her Guild so that they could use his psychic
power to search for Jet.

“I don’t know what
everyone’s expecting,” he said nervously.

“You can only help. The
worst case is that we find nothing.”

“I hope Chrome’s hopes
aren’t up,” Henry said.

Valerie involuntarily
winced at his words. “Maybe a little.”

Chrome’s hopes were sky
high, because without new information there wasn’t much more they could try.

“He thinks I’m the
answer, doesn’t he?” Henry said, chewing on his already ragged thumbnail.

She nodded. “I know it’s
a lot of pressure. Thank you for doing this.”

His face relaxed a
little. “Of course, sis. You know I’ll do everything I can.”

Kellen, Gideon, and
Chrome were all waiting for them in the courtyard. As usual, Chrome was pacing
restlessly, and his eyes lit up at their approach.

“Why don’t we do this in
my office, away from prying eyes?” Kellen asked.

They followed the fairy
to his corner office. It was large and beautiful, with tinted windows that let
in a gentle light. Inside was a tiny desk on a pedestal that was clearly where
Kellen did his work. There were also a number of chairs in all shapes and
sizes. Henry and Valerie pulled two of the larger chairs together, facing each
other. Kellen and Chrome hovered nearby.

“Tell us if you need anything,”
Gideon said.

“A little space would be
great,” Henry said, and Kellen and Chrome reluctantly moved back.

Valerie gripped Henry’s
hands and fully opened her mind to him. She showed him what Jet looked like—black
and sleek, racing through the forest as he tracked invisible magic trails that
only he and Chrome could sense. She also remembered what his personality was
like, courageous, smart, and loyal. He was a little less serious than Chrome,
and knew how to make her smile.

She could see Henry
absorbing the information. “Ready?” he asked, and she nodded.

He opened his mind to
her, and for the first time in weeks, the connection returned in full force.
All of his worry, self-doubt, and sadness flooded through her. She had no idea
how much he had been holding in—the grief over missing his father, his rage at whoever
had attacked her, insecurity about Kanti, and an overriding terror that
Sanguina and Zunya would find him again.

Before she could react,
he turned his thoughts toward the problem at hand, and she tried to help him
focus. Together, they concentrated on Jet. At first, it was forced, almost
silly. Henry was pushing outward, as if there was a wall in his mind that he
could knock down.

Suddenly a vibration of
magic hummed through her, and his mind seemed to expand, sweeping across the
Globe. They watched in amazement as rivers, valleys, and forests rushed through
their minds. She was in awe at her brother’s power, but she guided his mind
toward the purple mountains of Dunsinane.

He homed in on Jet like
he was a beacon of light in the darkness. Henry’s mind saw the Black Castle and
rushed toward it, inside it, through the dark halls and into a room with a
blood red throne that she recognized. It was where she had fought Sanguina.

A figure stood by the
throne with his back turned. In the dim light, she could barely see his tall
form, but his dizzying, dark power was unmistakable.

“I’m done with him,” Reaper
said, his voice laced with disgust. For the first time, she saw Jet, lying on
his side, breathing shallowly. His coat was no longer black. Whatever Reaper
had done to him had turned it entirely white. If she had stumbled upon him, she
wouldn’t have recognized him.

Henry gently probed the
wolf’s mind. He almost immediately recoiled at what he found. There were broken
visions of a tall, robed man sending excruciating waves of pain through his
body.

“I’ll take it from here,”
Zunya said, stepping into Jet’s line of sight. The wolf didn’t even have the
energy to move away as Zunya reached out and touched his fur. It would have seemed
like a gentle pat if she hadn’t known that he was ripping away the remaining
shreds of Jet’s magic.

Henry forced himself to
reenter Jet’s mind as his very life force was ripped away. When Zunya finally
pulled back, Jet was unconscious and barely alive. She doubted his magic would
ever return. Valerie forced herself to keep her horror in check so that she
didn’t accidentally sever Henry’s mental connection with the wolf.

“Boy, take him to his
cell,” Zunya commanded. A boy about her age stepped from the shadows. It was
Shade, one of the crew who attacked Conjurors and stole their magic. She
suddenly remembered that Chern had said he had come looking for her, and a wave
of guilt washed over her. Maybe he’d been trying to help her, like he had in
the Black Castle with Sanguina. She should have tried to find him sooner.

She could see the fear
and pity in Shade’s eyes at the sight of the wolf. He and another boy gently
picked up his body and headed down to the cells in the dungeon.

She had a burst of
inspiration. They had to send Shade a message. Henry immediately caught her
intent and approached Shade’s mind.

They sent an offer of
immunity if he would come to Arden and help them. She swore that he and his
gang would be taken care of, given food, shelter, and help developing their
magic if they wanted it.

He seemed stunned, and
stumbled. “Valerie?” he whispered. There was hope in his voice. “We’ll come.”

They saw him carefully,
almost tenderly lay Jet on the ground. In the adjacent cell, a whimper caught
their attention. Her mind reeled at the sight of Darling curled up piteously.
He was in chains.

Her shock severed
Henry’s connection with Jet, and abruptly they were back in Kellen’s office. Henry
slumped back in his chair, exhausted.

Chrome ran over to her
and put his front paws on her knees. He stared into her eyes, waiting for
answers.

“Jet’s alive,” she said,
and Chrome’s eyes lit up. “But he’s hurt. He’s in the Black Castle. And Darling
is trapped there with him.”

She registered the alarm
on Gideon’s face, but noticed that Kellen seemed distracted.

“So we’re no better off
than we were before,” Kellen fluttered nervously around Valerie’s chair.

“Not necessarily. Along
the way, we met an old—friend,” Valerie said, stumbling on the word. But she
realized that Shade—Jack—had been a friend to her. She didn’t know what
happened in his life that drove him to follow Zunya, but she would try to
suspend her judgment. He had proven that the good in him outweighed the bad.

Kellen narrowed his eyes.
“What are you saying?”

“She’s saying that you
will finally have your guide to the Black Castle,” Henry said. His voice
sounded weary, but she also sensed his underlying satisfaction that he had been
able to help.

A cascade of disconnected images raced through her
mind from Chrome—the morning sun on fresh green leaves, wind tickling gray fur,
and Jet leaping over a smoldering fire. Chrome was sending her thanks—they had
given him hope.

“Do you think it was
wrong that we didn’t give them all the details?” Valerie asked Thai. He was
himself for the first time in days.

“No, it would only make
Chrome insane. That’s how I’d feel in his shoes.”

“Me, too,” Valerie
agreed. Picturing Thai being tortured by Reaper and Zunya made her flesh crawl.

“Do you think—” she
started to ask him another question when suddenly Thai began to shiver.

“What is it?” she asked.

Beads of sweat popped
out on his forehead and he groaned. Then he fell back against his pillows.

“Chisisi!” She screamed,
searching for him in every room of the house. She found him in Joe’s tiny
greenhouse. He took one look at her face and raced to Thai’s bedroom, where he was
thrashing on the bed, mumbling.

“The crisis has come. It
is time,” Chisisi said.

“What can I do? I have
to help!”

He turned to her with
sympathetic eyes. “There is not much either of us can do, young miss. But stay
with him. The sight of your face can only comfort him now.”

Thai screamed in pain. “Please
make it stop!”

“Let me die!” Though the
voice was similar, there was a childlike quality to it that made her selfishly
hope that it was Tan who had spoken.

Valerie fell to her
knees beside Thai’s bed, frozen on the outside, and burned alive on the inside.
She had never felt so helpless in her life—not when Zunya robbed her of her
powers, or Sanguina controlled her mind, or when she had been brutally punished
by her foster parents.

“You have to do
something,” she begged Chisisi.

Henry’s dad poked his
head in the doorway and tentatively entered. He had a bowl of water and a
washcloth.

“Thank you,” Chisisi
said.

“Yes, thank you, Joe,” Valerie
said, but couldn’t tear her eyes away from Thai.

“I’ve been researching
teas that can help with the pain. I’ll brew him one,” Joe said. He left, quietly
closing the door behind him.

Thai was shaking so hard
that he was almost a blur. Chisisi added herbs from Zaki’s pouch to the water
Joe had brought. Gently, he brought the bowl to Thai’s lips, and he sipped the
liquid. He sputtered at the taste, but Chisisi firmly kept pouring the drink
down his throat. The shaking stopped, and Thai stared at Valerie intensely.

“Don’t leave me—if this
is the end, yours is the last face I want to see,” he said.

His eyes flashed gold,
and Tan snarled at her. Then they rapidly changed between dark brown and gold,
flickering like strobe lights. The shaking resumed. Thai opened his mouth in a
wide, silent scream that tore her heart in half.

Even more frightening,
his mouth seemed to open even more, yawning wider like a scene from a horror
movie. She almost backed away at the sight, but forced herself to bend closer
so he could see that she was still there.

She heard a ripping
sound and saw that it was his clothes. Then the air around him shimmered. She
heard a high-pitched keening that was even worse than his screams. The
shimmering stopped, and a body fell off the bed and onto the floor. She
crouched beside the figure and stared into his dark brown eyes.

“I’m still here,” she
whispered. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

He reached for her, and
she reached back. But they touched nothing but air. Chisisi covered him with a
blanket, and Thai fell backward onto the ground.

“No!” she screamed.

Chisisi made a soft
hushing sound and checked his pulse. “He is alive. It is typical that both Thai
and Tan will be unconscious as they recover. It may be a few days before they
awake. But his heart beats strongly. He will fight his way back to you.”

Then they both turned to
the form on the bed. Tan’s eyes were closed, and his dark hair was matted
against his forehead. Chisisi touched his wrist and nodded.

“He will live,” he said,
and Valerie slumped with relief.

“It’s over?” she asked,
her voice sounding small and shaky.

Chisisi nodded and bowed
his head in prayer.

Tan turned his head to
the other side, and Valerie gasped. Now visible on his neck was a black
handprint. Radiating out from it were lines that could be blood poisoning.

Chisisi’s mouth was set
in a grim line. “This is not from the separation. This is something else.”

“It’s where Venu touched
him with his poison,” Valerie whispered. “Will he die?”

Chisisi shook his head. “I
don’t think so. But I do not know what this means. Zaki didn’t speak of this.”

The reminder of Zaki,
dead in the service of saving her, on top of everything she had seen that day, completely
broke Valerie down. She sobbed. Chisisi’s lips were compressed tightly, as if
he, too, was barely keeping his grief in check.

Against her will,
Valerie’s mind was drawn back to the Globe because of the intensity of her
emotions. Henry and Midnight were beside her.

“What happened?” Henry
asked.

“It-it’s okay. Thai and
Tan separated, but they’re going to live,” Valerie replied.

“So these are tears of
happiness?” he asked, chewing on his thumbnail.

She blew her nose. “Thai’s
unconscious and something’s wrong with Tan and Jet might die and they’ve taken
Darling, and poor Zaki…”

He nodded and squeezed
her hand. “It’ll be okay.”

“I’m sorry. I’m a mess.
I’ll get myself under control in a second.”

He shook his head. “Better
out than in. That’s what Dad always says about tears.”

“Your father is right,”
Midnight agreed, her voice soft. “I know from experience.”