Into the Dark (The Conjurors) (17 page)

“Shut up, Kanti. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m really tired – yesterday was a long day.”

Kanti rolled her eyes.
    “You wanted to join the Knights?” Valerie asked, surprised.

“Not really. I checked out a few guilds a couple years ago. I wanted to make sure that I was making the right decision to stay with the Imaginary Friends. But the Knights weren’t right for me,” Cyrus explained.

“Plus, you didn’t make the cut,” Kanti added.

“I said, shut up!”

“No worries, he’ll tell me if he wants to,” Valerie said, feeling uncomfortable with the angry turn that her friends constant teasing had taken.

But Kanti continued. “Why beat around the bush? What’s there to be ashamed of? You are who you are. You can’t be good at everything. Heck, I’ll admit that I was turned down from every guild I applied to except for the Imaginary Friends. I would have loved to be in the Players – that’s the drama guild here. They told me I didn’t have the right ‘look.’ But it’s for the best, because I’m right where I belong, and so is Cyrus. I’m not going to indulge his giant ego.”

The rest of the walk to the guild of the Contego was very quiet, and Valerie wished she had never asked Cyrus why he had wanted to join the Knights. But her worries were temporarily forgotten when she saw the building that housed the Round Table Knights Guild. It looked like a tall, white cathedral reaching toward the sky. Giant silver doors etched with pictures of rearing horses, flashing swords, and powerful men and women opened to the main room, where stained glass windows let in a muted light.

It was so quiet and peaceful inside that Valerie was startled when an exceptionally tall woman with dark skin and deep purple hair appeared suddenly, as if she had stepped out of thin air. Something about her quiet authority almost made Valerie want to bow, as ridiculous as that idea was. She smiled pleasantly at the three visitors. “Cyrus, Kanti, welcome. Are you here to report a Sighting?”

“No, nothing like that. Actually, it’s Valerie who’s here to see you. She’s new to the city and she’s checking out the guilds.”

“Welcome, Valerie. I am Midnight.”

“Hi,” Valerie said shyly. She felt tongue-tied staring into the depths of Midnight’s violet eyes, which were one shade lighter than her hair. Midnight’s name sounded familiar, and Valerie remembered that she was the Conjuror whom Thai had mentioned when he had told her about Tan. Valerie wished that she could ask her about Thai, but she remembered that her arrival on the Globe was a secret. Instead, she asked, “What’s a Sighting?”

Midnight smiled. “We like to see curiosity in our new recruits,” she said with approval. “A Sighting occurs when a Conjuror discovers that one of the Fractus has been seen projecting to Earth for a dark purpose. Sometimes it turns out to be mischief-makers looking to have fun at the expense of humans, but we have had some situations where the Fractus have been terrifying a human to the point of mental torture.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Even when it’s young Conjurors thinking it’s funny to jump out from under children’s beds, they don’t realize the psychological scar it can leave on a child. It’s always busiest here around Halloween, so we’ve been receiving many reports of Sightings over the past few weeks.”

“As if all the parties and tricks happening on the Globe for Halloween aren’t enough to keep them happy! They think it’s fun scaring some poor kid.” Kanti said, disgusted.

 “We partner closely with the Imaginary Friends guild,” Midnight explained to Valerie. “Often they’re the best eyes and ears for what’s happening down on Earth. In fact, information from Cyrus has led to the capture of 12 troublemakers over the years, as well as three members of the Fractus.”

At this remark, the gloom surrounding Cyrus finally lifted. He whispered to Valerie, “I found most of them when I was your imaginary friend, Val. You were like, some kind of monster magnet.”

Valerie remembered that she and Cyrus had fought many foes together over the years, but she had always thought they were imaginary. “Those monsters were real?”

“On the Globe they were, sure. But they couldn’t hurt you on Earth. So I turned it in to kind of a game, so you wouldn’t be afraid.”

She shuddered. “I can’t believe someone would do that to a kid.”

Midnight overheard Valerie’s last sentence. “Yes, it’s disturbing how some troublemakers see nothing wrong with frightening innocent children. That’s part of the reason why what we do here is so important. Let me call someone to give you a tour. If you’re interested in joining the Contego, they will set you up for testing,” Midnight said.

But before she could call anyone, the door burst open and a big, beefy man wearing a long blue robe and tall, pointy hat hurried in. He was so focused that he didn’t notice the group at first.

“Chern? Everything okay?” Midnight asked.

The man let out a high pitched shriek, and his eyes filled with terror. “Oh, you scared me!”

Midnight purposefully spoke in a soft and soothing voice. “Nothing to frighten you in here, Chern. All is safe.”

“Yes, yes, I know. You startled me.” His face turned very red. “I’m here to report that one of the Fractus is after me! I’m convinced of it!”

“What happened?”
    “Well, first, when I opened my front door this morning, right there on my porch was a black shoe print. And I know it’s not from my shoe – it was much too small. Then, I discovered that one of my robes was missing from my closet! I’m sure, simply positive, that this is the work of the member of the Fractus that I heard about in the news – the one who was haunting that young family in India! He’s disguising himself in my robe. You must find him before he comes back for more of my things!” Chern’s voice reached a higher and higher pitch as he told his story, until by the end it sounded more like a squeak.

Valerie had to use all her concentration not to burst out laughing. She made a point not to look at Cyrus, because she knew that one glance and they would both be on the floor.

“We’ll send someone over right away,” Midnight said seriously. Then she turned to Valerie. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll send someone to give you your tour in a moment,” she said, and then whisked Chern through one of the doors in the back of the room.

The minute that the door closed behind them, Kanti, Cyrus, and Valerie burst into laughter. “That guy brings new meaning to being paranoid!”

“He’s a grand master at the History guild. He’s always running to the Round Table Knights or the Contego with these kinds of stories. He even comes to the Imaginary Friends guild on a regular basis swearing that he knows where the Fractus are hiding! He’s become a running joke around town,” Cyrus said between giggles.

The rest of their visit was uneventful. The guide showed Valerie, Cyrus, and Kanti around the guild, explaining some of the details about how they protected the barrier between Earth and the Globe, and the history behind the guild.

Valerie felt very drawn to the Contego, and learning more about the guild deepened her interest. After all, she had more firsthand experience in crossing between worlds than almost anyone else on the Globe. In fact, compared to the Conjurors, Valerie was an expert on everything about Earth – from its culture to its geography – in a way that only having lived there could give. She could really make a difference as one of the Contego, and she liked the idea of protecting her old home from the Fractus.

Still, she had held the dream of being a Knight for so long that it would be difficult to let go. It was one of the most important decisions she’d ever make, and she knew that there was someone on Earth whom she wanted to talk to before she made her choice.

After finishing the tour of the gothic Contego guild, which was filled with secret passages, dark hallways, and tall, arched ceilings, the three left the horseshoe of guilds so that Valerie could see the rest of the city.

Kanti had to leave to teach a class for apprentices on popular culture on Earth, and Cyrus seemed more relaxed after she left. He and Valerie wandered around Silva for hours, peering into strange shops and exploring the winding streets. Valerie insisted on stopping by every shop that sold sweets. Since she wasn’t sure how to barter her power yet, Cyrus volunteered to leave small objects made of light in return for the candy. She gobbled the candy up, though none tasted as good as Dulcea’s pastries.

“Dr. Freeman would freak out if he knew how much junk I’m eating! But maybe not. Maybe he doesn’t have time to think about me.”

“Why do you always do that?”

“What?”

“Assume no one thinks or cares about you. Trust me; you’re not the kind of person people forget.” Valerie felt a piece of her heart that she didn’t know was frozen thaw a little. “Anyway, it’s almost dinner time, and Dulcea doesn’t like it when anyone comes late.”

They burst into the dorm cafeteria in the nick of time, and Dulcea was waiting at the door, watch in hand. “Right on time. Valerie, how are you liking Silva?”

“It’s wonderful here. There’s so much to see!”

“Excellent!”

“And thank you so much for my room. I love it.”

“Of course! That’s what I’m here for. Now, you two go fill your plates and make sure you leave room for dessert!”

A long buffet full of strange dishes stood in the middle of the room. On either side of the buffet were round tables filled with other young Conjurors of different ages studying at the Imaginary Friends’ guild. In the group of around 100, Valerie spotted several fairies, two giant people who towered 5 feet over everyone else, and five boys with bright red hair who were completely identical. Valerie wondered if they were brothers, or if one was an amoebiate, like Thai, and they were all clones.

Valerie put a little bit of everything on her plate, and then she and Cyrus sat alone at a table in the corner. This time, Valerie didn’t hesitate to taste everything, no matter how strange it looked. She was in ecstasy, and she practically inhaled everything in sight. It was as if a part of her couldn’t believe that she was finally going to have as much to eat as she wanted, so she had to fill up before it all disappeared.

“Cy, you have got to try this purple lumpy thing, it’s the perfect amount of salty and sweet! It’s like mashed potatoes with a little hint of sugar.”

“It’s muddleberry pudding. It’s really popular in Elsinore, where Kanti’s from. She’s always eating that stuff.”

Once Valerie had her fill and topped it off with a chocolate filled with a sweet cream, she sat back, content.

“Finally! I’ve been waiting to give something to you,” Cyrus said. From under his shirt, he pulled out a long chain that he was wearing around his neck. On the end of the chain was a clear sphere. He pulled it over his head and handed it to her.

She took it, looking curiously at the image that was flickering inside of the sphere. At first, she couldn’t make it out, but then the image shifted, and she realized what she was seeing. Inside the sphere was a moving picture of Valerie when she was little, playing with a dollhouse that she recognized from when she was six years old. It was one of her first trips to the hospital, and it had been her favorite toy. “It’s me in there,” she said in confusion.

“Yeah. This was made for you. It’s your protective charm, so that when you were on Earth, no one could find you except for me.”

“Like the charm Venu has that stopped you from finding him?”

“Yes. For the past few years, the Imaginary Friends guild has been issuing these charms for all kids with imaginary friends so that they can’t be found by the Fractus.”

Valerie put it around her own neck. “Thanks, Cy. For keeping me safe. Not only with this, but also from all those monsters. You made it fun to fight those guys, so I was never really afraid. I don’t know what I would have done without you all those years.”

“I never took it off, even after you stopped believing in imaginary friends. I wanted to make sure that nothing bad would ever happen to you.”