Knights of Light (Book 2 of The Conjurors Series)

Chapter 25

Keeping her encounter with Zunya from her friends was easier than Valerie thought it would be. She had spent the majority of her life fending for herself, and slipping back into her old habits was oddly comfortable. She still had the benefit of their company without worrying that she was dragging them into more danger. Knowing that she had a promise to keep to Reaper freed her to do what she would prefer to do anyway—keep her friends as far from danger as possible.

Waiting for Reaper's summons, on the other hand, was torture. She didn't know if he'd contact her in an hour or a month.

"Val! Glad I found ya," Cyrus said, surprising her on her way home to Midnight and Henry. She was so startled, she jumped a foot in the air.

"You scared me!"

Cyrus laughed at her. "Since when are you this jumpy?"

She punched him lightly on the shoulder and changed the subject. "What's up?"

The smile fell from his face. "It's Cara's last day. She's leaving tomorrow morning at dawn."

"Back to Messina?"

"I don't know. She's being very mysterious about it all. I guess she's on her own now. But I want to send her off in style, so I thought we could all surprise her with a little party."

"Absolutely. How can I help?"

"Everything's taken care of. It's at my Guild. I came to pick you up."

"You're lucky I didn't have plans!"

"You mean you wouldn't break them for your bestest friend in the universe?" he teased. "I didn't know she was leaving until this morning. Seriously, you don't have plans, do you?"

"None I wouldn't break for you, Cy," she said, bumping his shoulder with her own. His responding smile was dazzling.

They collected Henry and then met up with Kanti and Ceru at the entrance of the Society of Imaginary Friends.

"What's Cara been up to, anyway?" Kanti asked.

"She's been working with Dulcea. Some kid on Earth needed help with science, and we're really lucky she was here because it's not a subject we're strong in. You forget how much work everything is when you don't have magic."

"I'm surprised she agreed to do anything that involved magic," Valerie said.

"She's coming around to see the good that can be wrought with magic," Ceru said softly.

"You two have been spending time together, huh?" Cyrus said, narrowing his eyes. "You're 174 years old. Don't you think you're a little old for her?"

"That's like, seventeen years old for his people, and you know it!" Kanti jumped in.

"Seventeen is too old! She's a kid," Cyrus said, getting red in the face.

Ceru rested a hand on the top of Cyrus's head. "Don't worry, my friend. Cara is a child, as you say. I helped her to embrace magic for your sake as much as hers. I knew what losing her would mean to you."

Cyrus looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry, man. I should have known better."

They had arrived at the Guild, and Cyrus led them to a room that was filled with all of Cara's favorite foods that she had discovered since she had come to Arden. There were also a number of other Conjurors that Valerie recognized but didn't know well. She hadn't realized how many friends Cara had made during her short visit.

"Dulcea will bring her any minute," Cyrus said to the collected group, and turned out the lights. "Grab a pocketwork and be ready for when she steps through the door."