Guardians of the Boundary (Book 3 of The Conjurors Series)

Chapter 27

Valerie fell asleep on her old bed in Kanti's room, waking up when the light in the window fell across her eyes. Kanti and Henry slept next to each other, forehead to forehead. Even in his sleep, Henry's face was tense, but Valerie could see that his initial horror had faded a little.

The events of the day before crowded Valerie's mind, and the knowledge that she had given the Fractus an advantage by failing to convince the Knights to fight them added to the emptiness within her from Joe's death. The possibility of succeeding in driving back the Fractus had never seemed more remote.

At the softest of knocks on the door, Valerie ran her hands through her messy hair and got up. Cyrus stood at the threshold and released a breath of relief when he saw her.

"Even Oberon wasn't sure where you and Henry had gone," Cyrus said.

Valerie stepped into the hall so she wouldn't wake her brother.

"I'm sorry. It was a long, horrible day," she said.

"I thought you might need me after what happened," Cyrus said, but his voice held no accusation, only a kind of resigned sadness. "But maybe you needed someone else."

Valerie didn't respond, knowing that if she admitted that she'd seen Thai after Joe's death, it would only hurt Cyrus. It wasn't as if she'd gone to him for comfort. Had she?

"I'm sorry I worried you. Henry's grief was so absorbing that I lost track of myself," she said.

Cyrus pulled her into his arms, and she laid her head on his shoulder. Valerie let herself rest, absorbing the warmth and familiar comfort that was purely Cyrus. Then, remembering the duties that awaited her, she abruptly pulled away.

"The People of the Woods' voting... It must be done by now!" Valerie said, and began hastily strapping on Pathos.

"They've been known to take weeks to vote on important matters," Cyrus reassured her.

Valerie nodded and forced her scrambled mind into a semblance of order.

"I'm glad they're still safe, but I hope this doesn't take weeks. Even without an army on Earth, Reaper and Zunya are capable of causing some major damage. We need the People of the Woods' weapons so we can take on the Fractus," she said.

"About that," Cyrus said. "Elden left Arbor Aurum this morning to find you, which is another reason why I'm sure that the voting isn't done yet."

"I thought the cities were sealed during voting," Valerie said, confused.

"To everyone else. But the People of the Woods can freely come and go," Cyrus explained.

"What message was so important that Elden came to find you?" she asked.

"He wasn't looking for us, he was trying to find you. When you weren't at your home, he came to Leo and me."

"What's so urgent?" Valerie asked.

"He says he'll only talk to you about it," Cyrus said, his mouth pursed in annoyance.

They left the dorm and quickly wove through the streets of Silva and into The Horseshoe. She guessed where they were heading before they arrived. The Weapons Guild was the second largest building next to the Capitol building. The lawn was adorned with massive statues of warriors, and the doors stood twenty feet tall.

Cyrus led Valerie around the side to a smaller, less imposing door. The inside of the Guild resembled a medieval castle, with torches mounted on stone walls that cast strange shadows through the corridors.