Several hours later, Valerie entered Thai's tent and collapsed on the floor next to him. Henry had finally relaxed enough to fall asleep, and Kanti was still there, watching over him. Valerie and Thai stared up through the open flap on the top of his tent at the tiny patch of stars that had become so familiar to them over the past few months in the hours they had spent talking every night.
"Henry told me everything that happened to him, but I didn't understand how messed up he is from it until tonight," she confided to Thai.
"He's getting stronger. I can see a difference in him every week."
"I hope this doesn't set him back. It seemed like he was finally starting to heal."
"My biggest worry has always been his father," Thai said. "From what Henry's said, he seems really fragile, and I worry that he might get depressed again without Henry to take care of him. And if something happened to him, Henry would never forgive himself."
She shuddered. "I don't think he would recover if he lost his dad after everything that's happened. He blames himself for everything the Fractus put his dad through. He says it never would have happened if they hadn't been after him to begin with."
"What did the Fractus do?"
"Henry says they convinced his dad that he killed his wife. Sanguina pretended to be her ghost, blaming him for what happened. He was so broken by his grief and guilt that he believed it."
"He's in a safe place now, away from us. We have to make sure that the Fractus can never find him again. It will be easier once Henry is on the Globe and can visit him all the time in person. I'm sure learning all this stuff about magic is pretty crazy for him."
"It's still nuts to me, and I've been living with it for half a year," Valerie said, only half kidding.
Their eyes met and they both smiled. The tension finally drained out of her. Together, she and Thai would plan their next move, and it would all be okay. He was sitting close enough that a piece of her long, dark hair rested on his arm. He picked it up and fiddled with the end, clearly trying to decide whether he should say something.
Finally, he sighed. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there when you needed me the most."
"We were never in any real danger."
"This time, true. But next time...I just wish you could count on me."
She sat up. "I do count on you. More than you know. And Tan's getting more mature. He can help in a crisis, too," she said, though she wasn't certain if that was really true.
"He is getting stronger. I think that we're going to separate sooner than Midnight told me we would."
"But that's a good thing, right?" Valerie asked.
"It will be nice to have my body back. But he doesn't seem ready to be on his own yet."
"Tan's reaction to Venu today was kinda weird. He seemed so angry—way more than you are."
"I know. It all started when Venu touched him with his poison at the falls. Something's wrong, but I have no idea how to fix it, or if I even can," Thai said, his face tense with worry.
"Well, he shares your genes, so something tells me that he'll work through what's bothering him and come out of this stronger for it."
"I hope you're right."
"I'm always right," Valerie joked. Thai smacked her legs with a pillow and she laughed. But then he turned serious.
"So what's next? Think we should run?"
"No. Zunya and whoever he's working for are keeping tabs on us, I'm sure of it."
"Sanguina?"
She shrugged. Thinking of the woman she had almost killed, whose life she had ultimately saved with a power that still confounded her, left her with mixed feelings. Despite the fact that, logically, she knew Sanguina was likely still a threat, she didn't have the alarm bells going off in her mind like she used to. Still, she hoped that Sanguina would never bother her again. She could never forgive her for the way she had forced Henry to use his magic for her own evil devices.
"For now, let's wait for Chisisi to get here to guide us. If we leave, it will be hard to get back in touch, and right now, he's our best bet for getting you and Henry back to the Globe, where you'll be safer," Thai said.
He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. The contact left Valerie's heart pounding. She thought she saw her longing reflected in Thai's eyes, but he quickly let go of her hand. She knew that he'd never look at her like she looked at him. To him, she was a buddy, a kid. He'd probably had girls much prettier and more charming throwing themselves at him all the time before Tan had entered the picture. Somehow, that thought darkened her mood in a way that even Zunya and Venu hadn't been able to.
That night, Valerie's dreams were full of the Globe. She wandered the winding streets of Silva and walked around The Horseshoe, marveling at the elegant white guild buildings where Conjurors learned their trades.
"Took you long enough. I thought you were never gonna fall asleep," Cyrus said, and she saw that he was walking next to her as if he had been there the whole time, like he always did as her imaginary friend years ago.
"Why didn't you visit me while I was awake instead?"
"All our best memories are here on the Globe. Besides, I have something fun in mind."
Cyrus pulled her down a narrow alley between two strange buildings—one that glittered as if the walls were studded with tiny diamonds, and one that was carved out of the giant trunk of a tree. But, before she could take the time to examine them, they burst through the alley to an open courtyard. It was empty and dark.
"What are we here for?"
"Just wait and let me concentrate. I want to remember this right for you. Look up."
She stared into the night sky and gasped as a flood of multi-colored lights exploded above her head with a low bang, like fireworks. Beautiful designs were etched into the night sky, far more complex than anything she had seen on the Fourth of July on Earth.
A unicorn galloped across the sky, mane flowing behind her—clearly a tribute to the oldest Conjuror and a founder of the Globe, Azra. Scenes from the Globe's history flashed in the darkness, blending seamlessly—babies born, castles built, and wars fought. It was a living, glowing tapestry.
At the end of the display, the night sky flashed with a hundred colors at once, and then the light seemed to fall to the ground like rain. When it hit her, it was soft, like dozens of petals against her skin.
Valerie was mesmerized, and she turned to Cyrus to see if his awe matched her own.
He grinned at the expression on her face. "Pretty amazing, huh? That was the Illuminator Guild's showcase this year. It's one of the biggest holidays on the Globe, and I've been waiting for years to take you to it. I wish you'd been here to see it in person."
"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life."
"Happy Birthday, Val."
"Thank you, Cy. I really do miss this place. Even though I wasn't here long, it was home."
"It is your home. Everything's waiting for you, just like you left it. I'm taking care of all your stuff for you."
She nodded. "Thanks for keeping my sword safe."
"You'll be wearing it yourself soon enough."
She smiled, but she didn't say anything. Her new desire to stay on Earth awhile longer were too complex to explain yet, even to her best friend. Her vision faded to black as her mind drifted into a deeper sleep.
The next morning, Valerie woke to the loud sounds of breakfast being made, and she knew that Tan must be up. He was the only one who ever got up before she did.
"Eggs and toast!" Tan said triumphantly when Valerie and Henry left their tents. "My birthday present to you!"
"Tan, this is so thoughtful, thank you," she said, and gave him a squeeze.
"We all gotta eat lots of protein and stay strong so we can kill Venu when we get to the Globe," Tan said cheerfully.
Valerie and Henry froze, staring at him. He whistled as he continued to cook, as if he hadn't said anything strange at all.
"Nobody's killing anybody," she managed to choke out. "That's not the way we deal with our enemies."
Tan dropped the pan he was holding with a clatter and turned to face her. He was scowling, and his cheeks flushed an ugly red. He took a step toward her, and she could have sworn he was half ready to fight her. But before the thought could fully register, Tan started to shudder.
"Not now!" he said as Thai regained control.
"I-I'm sorry," Thai said. Then he turned and jogged toward the beach.
She started to follow him, but Henry put his hand on her shoulder. "Give him space and time to make sure that Tan's really out of his system. Remember, you don't have your magic to protect you if he goes nuts."
"Tan would never hurt me."
"No, Thai would never hurt you. Stay away from Tan."
"He's just emotional from everything that's happened to him. He'll come around with time."
Henry raised his eyebrows, but he didn't say anything.
"The queen of awkward timing has arrived!" Kanti announced, popping into view next to Henry. It broke the tension.
Henry's face softened into a smile. "I thought you'd still be sleeping. If you're here to check on me, I'm fine, you know. You gotta take care of yourself, too."
"Um, Henry, I hate to break it to you, but not everything's about you," Kanti teased. Valerie loved how she was able to turn her brother's insecurities around on him. No one was able to get him to let down his guard the way Kanti could. Maybe it was because she had been his imaginary friend as a child, but Valerie suspected it was more than that. The two seemed like kindred spirits.
"Actually, I come bearing news for our girl Val here. Cy and I bumped into Azra, and Cy gave her your crystal so she can come visit you wherever you are. She needs to talk to you about something important."
Valerie hadn't yet mentioned the crystals to Henry, as was evident by the confused expression on his face. So she quickly explained that, on the Globe, the crystals were special charms that allowed only the person holding one to immediately find the person it was linked to. Anyone else, like the Fractus, had to find them the old-fashioned way—by hunting them down like Zunya did. She told him that usually Cyrus kept hers and Kanti kept his. Thai's crystal hung from a chain around Valerie's neck, but on Earth it was cold and dead, without magic to power it.
Valerie finished her cold eggs and soggy toast. She could never let food go to waste, given how many times she hadn't had enough of it. Thinking of her past reminded her of the friends she had left behind at the hospital when her adventure began.
What had become of Dr. Freeman, her personal physician, or sweet Ming who was struggling with cancer, or Jeremiah who she took under her wing at the hospital? What had become of them while she traveled to the center of a black hole and embraced her magic? She had the sudden, overpowering urge to see them one last time before she left Earth again, this time for good.
While she was lost in her thoughts, Henry and Kanti became absorbed in a discussion about what was more important to a great song, rhythm or lyrics.
"I'm going for a walk," Valerie said.
"Later, debater," Kanti and Henry said at the same time, and then they grinned at each other.
"I made that up, originally, you know," Kanti announced.
"No way!" Henry protested.
Valerie shook her head, listening to their fading voices as she headed toward the beach in the opposite direction that Thai had taken.
As she walked, she twisted the ring on her thumb, bringing to mind her mentor on the Globe, Gideon, who had given it to her. He'd called it the Laurel Circle. Like Thai's crystal, on Earth it had no power, but it was still beautiful and reminded her to overcome her fear and trust herself and her instincts.
What her instincts were screaming right now was that it was impossible to imagine leaving Earth without Thai, but she knew he and Tan couldn't come to the Globe until they separated. What would Henry say if she told him that she was going to wait for Thai? What would Cyrus think?
I had almost forgotten how beautiful a true dawn on Earth is, Azra's musical voice entered Valerie's mind, reminding her of bells. The beautiful unicorn gracefully trotted beside her, her iridescent mane rippling in the breeze as if she was really next to her on the beach.
Valerie's worries receded in her mind. Azra always exuded peace, even when she was projecting from the Globe.
"It's good to see you again," Valerie said. "Is everything okay? Kanti said you needed to see me about something."
Azra turned her dark eyes to Valerie's, and they stopped walking. Our allies on Earth will be with you soon, and I wanted to speak with you before you returned to the Globe. Things have changed here since you left. We had hoped after you changed Sanguina that the attacks of the Fractus on the Globe and their appearances on Earth would slow. But the opposite has happened.
"Sanguina's still attacking people, even now?"
I don't think it's Sanguina, Azra said, and Valerie could sense her worry. I have always thought she was a lost soul, not capable of organizing a true attack against the Conjurors. It is someone else, and I fear that person is getting ready to start a war.
"But why? To return to Earth?"
Azra nodded grimly. There is more, Valerie. The Conjurors on the Globe are very scared, and they need a leader. News of your power, and how you saved Sanguina, has amazed everyone. A new vivicus has not been seen since Conjurors roamed Earth. They expect you to guide them.
"Me? I'm just a kid!"
You are special, Valerie. But I do agree that this responsibility is too heavy for your young shoulders. Gideon and I, along with several others, are committed to developing your inner leader when you return to the Globe.
"Maybe I should wait to come back, then," Valerie blurted. "An extra year, and all this will die down."
That only you can decide, Azra said, but she didn't seem surprised. How long had Azra suspected that she was considering staying on Earth with Thai? Remember, you will grow increasingly weaker on Earth. Staying too long could be fatal. But when you are ready, your magic and your life on the Globe will be waiting for you.
And so would her responsibilities, Valerie knew, and an invisible weight settled on her shoulders.
~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you're continuing to enjoy the story. If you are, please vote!
Also, I've had a few comments about what Valerie Diaz looks like. Before I share my idea, any thoughts from you? I'm happy to post fan art or pics at the front of the next chapter.