The Society of Imaginary Friends (Book 1 of The Conjurors Series)

Chapter 42

Valerie's body was thrown on the stone floor. She hit the ground hard, but despite how disoriented she was from her vision and her whirlwind visit to Thai, she had the sense to immediately leap to her feet and assume a fighting stance, though she doubted that she could take on all of the guards in addition to Sanguina.

It didn't help that she couldn't even guess how many people were surrounding her. She was in total darkness. Not even one of the dim balls of light was near to give her a sense of the layout of the room and the location of her enemies. She was defenseless without the use of her sight. How could she possibly fight Sanguina when she couldn't even see where she was standing?

"Glad you've come out to play," Zunya's voice slithered through the darkness. Valerie's power dipped, and a hopeless fear gripped her heart. She would be completely defenseless in the battle to come with Zunya present to subdue her power.

"Leave us," Sanguina's raspy voice commanded. Valerie heard the light tread of the guards' footsteps as they left the room. "You, too, Zunya. I don't need your help with this."

"I should stay, in case—" he started to say, clearly annoyed at her order.

"Get out—NOW!" Sanguina's voice exploded. Zunya opened the door to leave, looking back once at Valerie with his vicious yellow eyes.

Then the door slammed closed, and she was alone with Sanguina and completely blind. She took a few practice kicks, preparing herself for Sanguina's attack. But the onslaught of blows never came.

"I didn't bring you here to fight me. I've already proven that I could kill you without making much of an effort," Sanguina whispered in Valerie's ear, the threat of violence in her voice. Valerie's chest tightened as the fear that she couldn't hold back gushed through her.

"Then why am I here?" she asked. She was ashamed of how childlike her voice sounded in the darkness. The Laurel Circle was freezing, reminding her that it was only her fear holding her back now—not her skills. She forced herself to breathe more slowly and fight back against her terror.

"To answer some questions for me. If I like the answers, maybe your little lightweaver friend will see his family again. And if I don't..." One of Sanguina's long, sharp fingernails raked across Valerie's arm, cutting into her skin. She cried out in pain and a thin trickle of blood dripped down her arm where Sanguina had sliced her.

Valerie punched the air wildly, but in the darkness she could make contact with nothing. "What do you want to know?" she asked, desperate.

"What did you mean when you asked me about haunting your dreams?" Sanguina shouted from somewhere nearby. "It means something; I know it. And you're going to tell me."

"I don't know!"

"Liar!" Without warning, Sanguina landed a fierce punch across her left cheek. Sanguina's fist was a rock, and Valerie's brain rattled in her skull and the skin on her cheek split open. Her ears rang from the blow and her head throbbed, but she managed to stay on her feet. She was already losing her tentative hold on her magic. She knew that if Sanguina tried to control her mind right now, she wouldn't be able to fight her off.

"I saw you in a dream or a vision, and you were always really angry, that's all," she relented, knowing she had to give some kind of answer.

There was a short pause, as if Sanguina didn't know what to make of her answer. Switching tactics, she said, "How do you know the boy, Henry?"

"Henry? Never heard of—" Valerie broke off in a scream as Sanguina threw her to the ground by her hair.

"You'll tell me everything you know about Henry, or I swear I will kill that boy in the dungeon!"