Knights of Light (The Conjurors Series Book 2) (28 page)

The Empaths wore
identical expressions of curiosity in their fluorescent green eyes. They both
had skin that was covered in gold scales, and gills were embedded in their
cheeks. Elle had long, gold hair and Will’s was cut short, but otherwise it
would be hard to tell them apart.

“Fascinating. Her mind
is much like yours,” Elle said, her voice gruff.

“She should join the
Empaths,” her brother agreed. “The mind is the most powerful weapon of all.”

“I’m glad you’re here,”
Henry said, saving Valerie from awkwardly explaining why she wasn’t going to
switch guilds. “Dasan promised to join us!”

Hope flared inside her.
They were a true force to be reckoned with now. “I’m so grateful.”

“What were you here for?”
he asked her.

“I need your help
finding Chrome. I have to talk to him, and I thought we could sense him
together.”

Henry nodded and his
friends left without being asked, clearly intuiting that their presence would
be a distraction. Valerie opened her mind to him, and they sent out a thread of
magic into the atmosphere that quickly found its target. He wasn’t far, racing
through the woods near the Lake of Knowledge. When their minds touched
Chrome’s, Henry recoiled, pulling back.

“So much pain,” he
gasped. “How can he live?”

Valerie’s eyes were
filled with tears. “I don’t know. But at least I can go to him now.”

Henry nodded, but his
eyes were troubled. “Be careful. I know you’ve got your own box of pain locked
away. Don’t let yourself open it yet—we have to get through this mission first.”

She was surprised that
Henry had sensed so much. He must be getting stronger in his abilities since
joining the Empaths.

“I’ll be careful.”

After glimpsing Chrome’s pain, Valerie
found herself first jogging, then running to the Lake of Knowledge. As she came
closer, images exploded in her mind of two wolf pups rolling in the grass, a
battle where Jet saved Chrome’s life, and a sweet, private ceremony of
promising to be true for life.

Chrome wasn’t sending
the images specifically to her. He was broadcasting them into the universe,
clearly not in control of his mind. Anyone who came near enough would see the
images and know the depth of his longing for his lost mate.

“Chrome, it’s me. Please
talk to me.” She called, but there was only silence. “I’m sorry!” Still she
heard nothing, but there was a stillness now, as if he was listening to her. “His
last thought was of you!”

The gray wolf emerged
from the trees. He’d aged ten years in the months since he’d gone missing. His
coat was streaked with white, reminding Valerie of how Jet’s coat had turned
completely white during his time with Reaper. Chrome seemed to droop, and Valerie
suspected it had been a long time since he’d eaten.

In her mind, she saw a
campfire surrounded by a pack of wolves. Story time, she understood, and
allowed herself to crack open the box of pain wide enough to let her last
memories of Jet escape.

“His last thought was of
your face. It was so bright in his mind, and his love was so powerful…” she trailed
off, trying to slow the tears that slid out of her eyes one after the other. “Before
that, he thought how sweet it was to be free, and that I had set him free by
letting him choose an honorable death. Was I wrong? I could have forced him to
live, I know I could have!”

The exact image Jet had
shown her of himself howling at the moon filled her mind, and she gasped. “Yes!
That was what he showed me.”

This time, she could see
that it was not only a cry of freedom, but also one of thanks and farewell.
Chrome showed her an image of himself running by her side through a battle. He
would have her back for all his days to come. He was thanking her for letting Jet
go and honoring his wish.

His thanks broke down Valerie’s
defenses and she fell to her knees. Chrome nuzzled his head into her shoulder,
and both of their bodies shook from the force of their sobs. She let go of the bitterest
part of her guilt and grief, and it was replaced by an overwhelming gratitude
that Chrome didn’t hate her for her role in his mate’s death.

It was a long time before Chrome pulled away. His eyes
were no longer dull and lifeless. They were filled with a furious light. An
image of Chrome tearing out the throat of a cloaked man filled her mind. He
wouldn’t rest until Jet was avenged. The depth of his rage would have
frightened her if she didn’t also know how righteous it was. But she hoped
someday he could find peace. She hoped they both would.

Valerie was exhausted as
she trudged home. She was empty, but lighter. The box in her mind had burst
open, and it was more of a relief than she had expected. Her focus had
sharpened, and for the first time she considered the possibility of ending the
Fractus’s threat for good.

But a warm bed wasn’t in
store for her yet. Midnight’s mind gently touched hers, conveying a muted wave
of urgency. She turned her feet in the direction of the Guardians of the
Boundary Guild and began to run. The closer she got, the more certain she was
that the news wouldn’t be good.

She burst into Midnight’s
office and found her surrounded by a group of Grand Masters, including Skye,
Chern, Calibro, Kellen, and a few others she hadn’t been introduced to.

“The vote was final! Are
you defying the decision?” Skye said, stomping a hoof in frustration. His hand
was on the hilt of the sword sheathed at his side. “Even Kellen, who was
against the Excision, is willing to enforce the law.”

“Rein yourself in,”
Midnight commanded, her violet eyes almost sparking with repressed anger.

“Everyone’s replaceable,”
a Grand Master with long, red hair said snidely.

“Perhaps you should
replace me then. My second in command is Oleander. I wish her luck finalizing a
spell with so many complications.”

“Midnight is the only
one who can do it,” Oleander said, wearing an expression like she had tasted a
lemon. The room fell silent.

“Are you saying you will
defy the democracy?” Calibro spoke up, her grave voice never seeming more
inconsistent with her young age. “The implications are anarchy, chaos. How can
we spread the values of Arden throughout the Globe if we refuse to follow our
own rules?”

Some of the fight left
Midnight’s eyes. “I never said I wouldn’t perform the Excision. I’m only asking
for time. There are two boys on Earth who need to be brought to the Globe
first.”

“This isn’t reversible,”
Valerie said, and everyone turned to the door of the room, startled by her
presence. Kellen clenched his tiny fists like he’d love to strangle her, and
she knew that he was already aware that Pathos had been taken.

“Why should we listen to
this little girl? I’ve heard she’s a lying, stealing—”

“What basis do you have
for such accusations?” Midnight interrupted sharply.

Kellen practically
snarled, and he flew closer to Valerie. She stood tall, refusing to step back. If
he admitted that an apprentice had managed to steal from him, he’d appear weak.
And now that she thought about it, he couldn’t want the news about the hair he
was accumulating getting out either.

“Yes, Kellen, what were
you going to say? I had a few things I was confused about, too, that I wouldn’t
mind clearing up,” Valerie challenged him.

He retreated, and his
anger seemed to fizzle. “She’s only an apprentice. She shouldn’t even be here.”

“Let’s hear what she has
to say,” Calibro said. “Both sides should have a chance to speak.”

“We’re talking about
denying any humans the ability to travel to the Globe for any reason, including
two boys we already know about. This is a huge decision,” Valerie said. “Give
Midnight time, that’s all I ask.”

“Gabriel said the
Fractus already have the power to return to Earth. Time is something we can’t
afford,” Skye said. “These two humans won’t die from their type of magic, and
many humans might if we don’t stop the Fractus while we still can.”

A murmur of agreement
followed his words.

“It’s not only the two
humans who will suffer, but also one Conjuror,” Valerie said. “Have you
forgotten that Darling is trapped in the Black Castle? The Fractus must be
using him in some way to help them return to Earth. Once there’s no way to
return, he’ll be useless to them. The Fractus will never let him live.”

Chern shuddered
dramatically. “Horrible creatures. I’m sure the girl is right. But Darling is
only one person. We should save the many.”

The mood of the room had
changed, and angry rumblings followed Chern’s words.

“Darling is a Conjuror,
not another human,” the red-haired man said. “He deserves better treatment.”

It was on the tip of
Valerie’s tongue to condemn the hypocrisy of how quickly the Grand Masters
would dismiss the lives of two humans while the thought of doing the same to a
Conjuror was much less acceptable. But Midnight gave her a warning glance. The
tide was turning in their favor, and she shouldn’t interfere.

Even Skye pawed the
ground, shaken. “Darling saved the life of a dear niece.”

“There are few whose
lives he hasn’t touched,” Midnight added.

Arguing broke out then
as the Conjurors debated the best plan.

Skye turned to Valerie.
He bent down and whispered in her ear, his dark hair brushing against her
cheek. “Is it true that another effort is underway to return to Dunsinane?” She
nodded slightly. “Will this effort succeed?”

She looked straight into
his eyes. “Yes.”

Skye stamped his hoof,
and the sound echoed through the room.

“Enough,” Midnight said.
“I will perform the Excision, even though I disagree with it. But I will give
Darling a little more time to escape. You all know his abilities, and I trust
that he is finding a way out of the Black Castle even now.”

“One week,” Skye said
with troubled eyes. “No more. Darling would understand.”

The Grand Masters
muttered their agreement and left. Once the door closed behind them, Valerie
saw Midnight’s shoulders relax slightly.

“I’ll hold them off as
long as I can,” Midnight promised.

Valerie nodded. “We’re
going to the Black Castle soon, maybe even tomorrow.”

Midnight’s violet eyes
pierced Valerie’s. “It won’t be enough to simply save Darling. Before he became
a pure vivicus, his power was that he could travel wherever he willed,
including back to Earth. It was never a problem, because the Guardians always
knew that he only used his powers for good.”

Valerie’s stomach
churned. “But now Reaper has him.”

Midnight nodded. “His magic
is in his fur. They can strip him of it and use the strands to travel to Earth
if they know how. Even if you rescue him, by now they’ve likely collected
thousands of those strands.”

“So it isn’t enough to
rescue Darling. I have to find the hair that they’ve taken as well.”

Midnight nodded. “They
will also need an object to scry with—a way to view a true reflection of Earth.
Like this,” she said, gesturing to the slowly spinning globe on her desk.

Valerie swallowed, her
mouth dry. “Azra has a map that works that way, too.”

“Yes, it could take many
different forms. I could easily identify it,” Midnight said.

Valerie shook her head. “They’re
watching you too closely for you to join us. I don’t want to tip off Reaper
that we’re coming.”

“I should be by your
side. You’re fixing a problem that the Grand Masters ought to be solving,”
Midnight said, her lips pursed in frustration.

“We’ve got help. We’re
going to succeed,” Valerie promised, hoping that saying the words aloud would
make them more likely to come true.

Midnight smiled. “You do
inspire my faith, Valerie Diaz. I look forward to a thorough account of your
adventure when you return.”

Midnight pulled Valerie
into a quick, tight hug. Valerie didn’t think she’d ever seen the Grand Master
so affectionate before, but the maternal warmth sparkling in her eyes was
undeniable.

“Thank you,” Valerie whispered, not fully trusting her
voice.

Valerie stumbled home
through the darkness, her mind reeling at the implications of what had happened.
Thai might never make it to the Globe now that the Excision was happening so
soon. She thought she had begun to wrap her mind around the possibility that he
might choose to stay on Earth, but she realized now that she had always
believed that eventually, if she waited long enough, he would come to the Globe.

She leaned against the
side of The Palace Hotel to catch her breath, and she gripped Thai’s charm,
unable to wait until she made it home. The twisting streets of Silva were
replaced by a huge, manicured lawn with imposing stone buildings.

Valerie tried to make
sense of where she was, but she was distracted by a glint of blonde hair and a
familiar tinkling laugh. Logan. Then she saw Thai. He was holding Logan’s hand,
their fingers laced together. They were sitting on a pink picnic blanket and a
feast was laid out before them.

Thai saw her and pulled
away from Logan.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Valerie’s
heart was still beating, so she knew that it hadn’t really been smashed into a
million pieces.

Logan whipped around,
triumph in her eyes. “Oh hi, sweetie. Good to see you. Want to join us? We’d
love you to crash our first date.”

Thai winced at Logan’s
words, but when she firmly reached out to hold his hand again, he let her. “Um,
we should talk,” Thai said, not quite meeting her eyes.

“Yeah,” Valerie said,
her voice hoarse but not hysterical, like the one inside her mind screaming at
him. “I have to tell you something important, but it can wait till
you’re…alone.”

Pain greater than any
she had ever known seized her, and she quickly let her mind return to the
Globe. But before Thai’s face vanished, he must have seen a flash of her
heartbreak, because his eyes filled with tears.

Back on the Globe, Valerie
reached for the wall of the hotel behind her. It was real and strong and not
going anywhere. She leaned against it and slid to the ground. There was a
buzzing in her mind that was shielding her from the full impact of Thai’s betrayal.
She sensed it was Henry in her mind doing this, but she let him, unable to
summon the strength to shut him out.

She heard his footsteps
running down the street, and he was by her side. He didn’t say anything, but
helped her to her feet. They walked home, and by the time she reached their
door, she had begun shivering.

Kanti was sitting on
their stoop, probably waiting to see Henry. But when she saw Valerie’s face,
she immediately put a supporting arm around her. “What is it?”