Into the Dark (The Conjurors) (24 page)

When Azra had finished, one of the Oracles who had held Pythia’s platform began to speak, telling a story about how Pythia had comforted her when she first came to the Roaming City as a novice. One after another, the Conjurors shared stories about Pythia, some profound, some funny, all showing what a loving and ethical person she was. It was many hours later when the last person shared her story. Then quiet fell over the group.

After a long pause, Sibyl spoke. “My mother was ready to leave. She had taught us all she knew about prophesying, and she left us with her code of honor to guide us in our future. We honor her memory by keeping that code alive.” Then she fluttered over to her mother and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Farewell, dear mother.”

The crowd began to hum softly, and Valerie felt herself join in. The platform holding Pythia began to rise higher and higher in the sky. When it reached the top of the pillars, it paused for a moment. Valerie felt the tears in her eyes spill over.

She looked up, and the twinkling stars seemed to welcome Pythia. She was leaving the Globe, but her journey wasn’t over. And then, Valerie let her go. The platform vanished.

To her surprise, Valerie was able to sleep that night. She woke up the next morning feeling emotionally exhausted, but without the despair of the day before that had made her feel so hollow inside.

Kanti was still sleeping, so Valerie left the tent as quietly as possible. Outside, Cyrus was watching the sunrise. She sat beside him. After a long moment, he spoke.

“You said yesterday to Azra that you drive everyone away. But that’s not true. You never drove me away, and there is nothing you could ever do to make me stop being your friend. I thought you knew that.”

“But I did drive you away, by not believing in you. Even at the hospital, I thought you were imaginary and told you to leave me alone. It’s my fault that we weren’t friends for all those years.”

“I didn’t leave because of anything you did wrong. I left because I had to. There is a guild rule about when human children can no longer see their imaginary friends. Otherwise the child might be perceived as mentally unbalanced. Do you know how heartbreaking it was to leave you? You called for me all the time. I would have broken the rule and visited you anyway, but they threatened to take the charm that protected you. Then I could never have visited you again.”

Valerie listened intently, and she had the strangest feeling in her chest, like her heart was expanding. Cyrus hadn’t abandoned her after all, like all of those foster parents who had promised that they would come to see her but, after a visit or two, had disappeared from her life. He had always been her friend, even though she hadn’t known he was there.

“I really missed you,” Valerie murmured.

“Me too. That’s why I used to visit you in your dreams sometimes, and we’d go on adventures, like the old days.”

“No wonder those dreams always felt so real!”

A shadow flickered on the sand, and Valerie saw that Sibyl was approaching them with Azra by her side. She carried something in her arms. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said hesitantly.

“No, of course not,” Valerie said, and she felt some of her guilt return. “I-I’m so sorry for what happened.”

But Sibyl shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault. It was her time to leave us. Anyway, I brought you this.”

Sibyl unrolled a scroll that she was carrying. Written in beautiful calligraphy was the prophecy that Pythia had delivered to Valerie. The words were written in gold, and the edges of the scroll were decorated with pictures.

Valerie realized that she hadn’t thought about the life-changing knowledge that she had learned the day before at all since Pythia’s death. Remembering that somewhere out there, a piece of her family was still alive, warmed her heart.

“Oh Sibyl, thank you.”

“What will happen here, now that she’s gone?” Kanti asked, stepping quietly out of the tent.

Sibyl sighed. “A new leader will be elected. I hoped for a period of mourning, but Putrefus is campaigning already.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Kanti snorted in disgust. Valerie shook her head.

“He is very gifted in prophesying. Maybe he would be the best leader. But everyone will have a chance to weigh in. We have many choices before us. I believe the days ahead will be very busy, between prophesying for our visitors and selecting a new leader.”

“Good luck,” Valerie said, and she reached out to squeeze Sibyl’s hand. But Sibyl pulled her into a hug, whispering, “You are not to blame. I am grateful to you.” Then she released her and said, “I have a feeling I will see you three again.”
    “Well, you are an Oracle, so if you have that feeling, I’m guessing we’ll see you soon,” Cyrus quipped.

Kanti breathed a sigh of relief when Azra told them of a quicker way back to Silva - one which didn't require the use of the Arden rollercoaster system. Azra led Valerie, Cyrus and Kanti into the desert, and no sooner had they left the outer boundaries of the Roaming City than it disappeared behind them. Valerie glanced over her shoulder for one last look at the city that had changed her life, and it had vanished. She wondered if she would ever return.

After walking a short distance, they reached a place where a rectangular patch of air, about the size of a door, flickered. It looked strangely out of place against the monotonous sand and sky that stretched as far as they could see. When they drew closer, Valerie could see through the flickering door into what looked like the blurry inside of a room with stone walls.

    Azra stepped confidently through the door, and Cyrus and Kanti followed her as if crossing through a place where space had been bent was the most natural thing in the world. But Valerie paused before stepping through. Was there any chance that she could get caught in there, trapped between two places? It was too late to ask Azra now.

    “Come on, Val!” Cyrus called through the window, his voice sounding muffled.

    Valerie held her breath and stepped through. For a moment, she felt as if she was being pulled in two directions at once, and her vision swam. But seconds later she stepped into a room with vaulted ceilings and walls were adorned with maps of the Globe.

    The tension left Valerie’s muscles as she realized that she made it through safely. Azra noticed, and her eyes became apologetic.
I should have explained to you that this was the door Chern created for me so that I could travel to the Roaming City so quickly. It must have been rather nerve-wracking to step through without any warning. But you are safe in my office now, so you can relax.

    “I’m sure it’s completely safe,” Valerie said as her eyes adjusted to the room. She noticed that in addition to Azra, Cyrus and Kanti, Chern also stood behind the desk, gnawing at his fingernails and looking even more anxious than he had when she first met him in the Contego guild.

    “Well, that’s not precisely true. There’s always a chance that the threshold will collapse on itself with someone inside. The person would literally be torn to pieces,” Chern said.

    Valerie felt her stomach flip and decided she was glad that she hadn’t learned that piece of information until it was too late.

   
One-in-a-billion chance of that happening, though,
Azra added.
It’s one of the safest ways to travel, though Chern here is the only living Conjuror who has the ability to bend space.
Chern blushed at the compliment.

Still, Valerie hoped she would never have to travel that way again, especially since Chern was the one bending space. He was so shaky that he might accidentally make a wrong movement and trap her inside. He clapped his hands, and the flickering window disappeared with a loud crack that startled everyone, including himself. Valerie couldn’t help grinning – she had never met anyone so jumpy.

   
Thank you for your help, Chern. I will not soon forget it.

    He bowed low to Azra. “Always at your service.” Then he hesitated, adding, “However, helping you may make me a target to the Fractus. In fact, they could be on their way to my house now.” Valerie noticed that his hands started to quiver from fear.

   
I will call one of the Round Table Knights to guard you until we are certain that you are safe,
Azra promised. Then she turned to Valerie and her friends.
Now, you three had better return to your dorm. Dulcea was frantic when she discovered your note. You should let her know that you’re safe as soon as possible. We will talk about what you learned in the Roaming City when you have had a chance to rest and I return from a trip to see a friend who may have some of the answers that we seek.

    Valerie saw Azra glance at Chern, and for a moment she sensed that Azra didn’t want to speak of what had happened in his presence. It made sense, Valerie reasoned, because Chern might let something important slip in a moment of panic and the wrong person could overhear. So she repressed all of her burning questions for Azra about the prophecy for now, but she hoped she wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

    Valerie, Cyrus and Kanti trudged back to the dorm, exhausted from everything that they had been through and dreading Dulcea’s scolding.

    “The real question is, what do we do now?” Valerie asked, as much to herself as to her friends. “Waiting around for Azra to get back is not going to help Henry.”

    “I’m outta ideas,” Cyrus sighed. “That’s the problem with prophecies. They’re never straightforward. For once, how about a simple ‘Henry’s living at 222 First Street, Oakland, California’?”

    “I still can’t believe he’s your brother!” Kanti exclaimed.

    Hearing Kanti call Henry her brother brought the joy of the discovery rushing back to Valerie's heart – she really had a brother, joined to her by DNA. She felt almost dazed by the news. “For so long, I’ve thought I’d never have a family. Now I have a brother! I wonder if he’s older or younger than me.”

    A strange look passed over Kanti’s face. “I wonder…Valerie, when’s your birthday?”

    “April 5, why?”

    Kanti turned pale, and her eyes filled with a strange glitter. “Your Henry and my Henry are the same after all! His birthday was April 5 too.”

    “Twins,” Cyrus said, awe in his voice.

    They had reached the outside of their dorm, and Valerie gripped the railing on the staircase. She and Henry had shared a womb. A piece of a puzzle fit into place. Not having a family had always made Valerie feel so torn apart inside, as if a part of herself was missing. With Henry in her life, maybe she would finally feel whole.

Before Valerie could respond to Kanti’s revelation, a thin man with hollow cheeks and sunken eyes who was walking down the empty street stopped in his tracks. He paused for a moment, and then looked straight into Valerie’s eyes. Her heart seemed to slow down, and she clutched her chest, unable to breathe. Yellow-eyes had found her. Again.

“Val? What’s wrong?” Cyrus said, trying to shake her out of her trance.

She tried to tell him, but her breath hitched as she struggled for air. Yellow-eyes smiled slowly at her, and said, “Found you.”

    “We need to get inside, NOW,” Kanti said, yanking Valerie into the dorm. Valerie couldn’t stop staring into his yellow eyes until the door slammed closed.

    Cyrus hurried to the window. “He’s gone. Who is that guy? Do you two know him?”

 “He’s been following me around for years. He’s after me,” Valerie said, still stunned.

Kanti began to tremble.

“Do you know something, Kanti?” Cyrus asked.

 “His name is Zunya, and he’s a wanted criminal in Arden,” Kanti replied. “I met him once, when he visited my family. He kidnapped a girl who worked for my mother, and then disappeared. We found out later that he’s one of the Fractus. And not just any member – a vampyre.”