No matter how far or how long Valerie ran, she couldn't outpace her tortured memories. Ever since she'd witnessed Midnight being torn apart cell by cell by Reaper, constant movement had been the only thing that had kept her from breaking down.
She sprinted through the winding streets of Silva, not realizing where she was headed until she was within sight of Midnight's cottage, which had once been her own home, too. With no one in sight, Valerie collapsed on the doorstep, gasping for air and releasing the dry sob that had been in her throat all morning.
A light flicked on inside the dark house, and Valerie almost jumped in surprise. Midnight had no living family. Who could be in her house? She stormed inside and stopped short at the sight of Oleander, Midnight's betrayer.
Without thinking, Valerie was flooded with magic. Instantly, she was across the room, slamming her fist into Oleander's perfect little nose, breaking it. But Oleander was a Master in the Guardians of the Boundary Guild, and she wasn't easily taken down.
A pulse of electricity zinged through Valerie's body when Oleander gripped Valerie's wrist, and she shook as if she'd been shocked by a Taser. When she was released, Valerie dropped to the ground. Oleander stared down at her with a satisfied smile. But the smile vanished when Valerie kicked the Master Guardian's knees with enough force to topple her over.
Valerie straddled Oleander, pinning her wrists with one hand so that she couldn't shock her again and slamming her other fist into Oleander's face. She would have kept fighting, but two strong arms dragged her away.
"You see? She's a maniac! She ought to be locked up," Oleander said, holding her hand over her bloody nose. Even bruised, Oleander was beautiful, her long blonde hair shining as if she'd just come from filming a shampoo commercial instead of taking a savage beating.
"Valerie, control yourself," Skye said sternly. Valerie recognized the centaur from her meetings with the Council, a powerful group of Grand Masters who were very influential in Arden's government.
"Do you know what she did? She helped Reaper kill Midnight!" Valerie said, struggling to break free from his grasp.
Oleander rolled her eyes. "Midnight and I were like sisters. I would never hurt her."
"She's lying!" Valerie yelled, still straining against Skye's grasp. She was surprised he was strong enough to hold her, flooded with magic as she was.
Skye's eyes were troubled. "There's no proof that Midnight is dead. She's missing. That's why we're here, looking for clues. We intend to stop at nothing to rescue her."
Valerie's energy vanished as quickly as it came. "She's gone. I saw her die."
Skye paled, and his eyes pierced Oleander's. "I know this girl, and she has always been an honorable young woman."
Oleander shifted uncomfortably on her feet, but her voice remained strong. "I won't listen to this. This girl ought to be taken to the Justice Guild for what she's done today."
Before Skye or Valerie could reply, Oleander stormed out of Midnight's house, practically running away.
"She left quickly for one who claims to be innocent of your charges," Skye said, releasing Valerie and folding his arms. "And you strike me as being in charge of your wits, though I had my doubts with your foolish attack."
"She deserved worse," Valerie said, a bit of her rage resurfacing.
"Perhaps. That's why I'm investigating her. I decided I could learn more if Oleander didn't know of my suspicions. I thought we might find evidence here of whatever happened to Midnight."
"You won't. Reaper turned Midnight to dust before my eyes in her Guild office," Valerie said, forcing her eyes to remain dry for once.
But Skye's eyes filled with tears that he quickly blinked away. "I believe you. We have lost a good Conjuror and a friend. She will be avenged."
"I hope so. But I think things are going to get worse before that happens," Valerie said, dull certainty like lead in her stomach.
"Then I hope we have someone who can drive out the evil ones among us for good and lead us back to the way of light," Skye said, his tone loaded with meaning. He ducked his tall form under the low doorframe and before leaving, turned back to face Valerie. "That person will have my unwavering support, should she require it."
Valerie knew she should be galvanized that a Guild Grand Master as powerful and influential as Skye thought she might lead the Conjurors to defeat Reaper and the Fractus who followed him. Instead she felt as if the weight of the universe was on her shoulders, and she couldn't help but bow under it.
At breakfast the next morning with her father and brother, Valerie decided not to share what had happened. Their meals were awkward enough as they all tried to get to know each other without adding her latest drama to the mix.
She picked at the pancakes that Oberon had cooked up, ignoring the rubbery texture and the faint flavor of fish. It had been a nice thought on her father's part, and she tried not to think about the last person who had made her pancakes. Midnight had somehow gotten them just right.
"What did you learn at the Empathy Guild yesterday, son?" Oberon asked Henry.
Henry dropped his fork with a clatter and glared at Oberon.
"You don't get to call me son," Henry said through gritted teeth. His expression softened a fraction as he turned to Valerie. "I tried. But I can't do this. I'm betraying my real dad. The one who raised me and loved me my entire life."
He threw down his napkin and left the table, and, a little later, Valerie heard the front door shut quietly, as if Henry was already trying to make up for his outburst.
"He doesn't mean it, Dad," Valerie said.
Oberon reached across the table and gripped her hand tightly. "Having the chance to know you and Henry is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Any relationship Henry is willing to bestow, I am grateful for."
"You have me, Dad," Valerie whispered, so her voice wouldn't crack.
"I am the luckiest of fathers."
After helping clean up breakfast, Valerie headed to the Knights of Light, the Guild she apprenticed to the year before, for personal training with her mentor, Gideon.
She walked beneath the arches at the entrance of the Guild and immediately spotted Gideon in the back corner of the courtyard. Some of the tension in her body eased.
He was practicing blocks, punches, and thrusts with an imaginary opponent, like a dancer without a partner. It was too early for anyone else to be out yet, so they had the space to themselves.
Valerie waited at a respectful distance until Gideon turned to her. He was tall and wiry, and every movement bespoke his strength. He had decided not to develop his magical potential, choosing instead to become one of the most powerful Conjurors on the Globe through intense mental and physical exercises.
Gideon's eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. "Are you ready to train?"
"I don't know," Valerie replied. There was no point in lying to Gideon. Since Midnight's death, there were still mornings she still had trouble getting out of bed, never mind training with her mentor.
"It is better to start now, while your grief is fresh and your defenses are vulnerable. If you can train your mind to focus when it is at its weakest, you will be unstoppable when you are strong," Gideon said.
She'd always been weak when it came to mental attacks, and Gideon promised to help her guard her mind.
"All right. How do we start?"
Gideon pulled a crystal from his pocket and handed it to Valerie.
"This is a prepotent crystal," he explained. "It will allow me to use my will to command yours. It is a tool we frequently use when training Knights, though usually we wait until they are ready to become Masters in the Guild."
"So it has the power to turn me into your puppet?" Valerie asked dubiously.
"Only if you let me," Gideon said. "It is no different than when Sanguina manipulated your thoughts or Ani used her siren song to bend you to her will. Magic that attempts to control your mind finds your weaknesses and fears and uses them to distract you."
"But what if my enemy's magic is too strong?"
"Anyone can fend off an attack on their mind. Though I choose not to use my innate magic, my mind cannot easily be touched. Even a Grand Master like Kellen may kill my body, but my mind will always remain my own," Gideon said gravely.
She swallowed her nerves. "Tell me what to do."
"You need to find a locus for your thoughts. Something that you find unshakably strong and utterly peaceful. Hold that thought in your mind, and it will be the peaceful eye in the hurricane of magic. You can stay safe within it no matter what blows around you," Gideon explained.
Valerie's mind was a blank. She tried to think of something in her life that was a constant for her, but everything seemed so fragile. Even her family could be ripped away by Reaper, who was determined to bring the Fractus to Earth and would kill anyone who tried to stop him.
"What do you use as a locus?" Valerie asked Gideon.
He flashed a rare smile, one that made him seem younger than the gray hair at his temples would suggest. "A tree from my childhood. In my town, lovers carve their names on it for luck. Many times, angry young Conjurors have tried to burn it down after a terrible breakup, but somehow, the tree always survives. I myself once tried to cut it down, but it bent the blade of my axe. It still grows to this day."
"Why'd you try to cut it down?" Valerie asked.
The smile disappeared from Gideon's face, replaced by the stern expression she recognized from his lessons to her as an apprentice over the past year. "Focus, Valerie."
Without warning, a spasm of pain circled her head, and she knew that Gideon's attack on her mind with the prepotent crystal had begun.
She frantically searched for a locus, but nothing came to mind. Flashes of horrible scenes from her foster homes; Jet's last moments alive before she let him die; and finally, Midnight being tortured by Reaper all ripped through her mind. She was blinded by grief and fear as Gideon's crystal exploited the cracks in her mind that had been formed by years of loneliness and grief.
The pressure on her head increased, and she forced herself to open her eyes. She was on her knees. Gideon was in complete control of her mind.
"Think of something you trust, that makes you feel safe, and push back," Gideon commanded.
"Stop," she moaned, and Gideon released his hold.
"I was using only the mildest pulse of power from the crystal. What was your locus?" he asked her.
"I don't have one," she admitted. Valerie gripped the hilt of Pathos for security, like she often did when she felt threatened. The touch of the metal against her skin let her regain a measure of peace, and it hit her that maybe she did have a locus after all. She met Gideon's eyes.
"Ready?" he asked her.
"Go," Valerie said, and braced herself for the onslaught of magic, an image of Pathos firmly in her mind.
Three hours later, Valerie was sweating and exhausted, and she had only fended off a few of Gideon's attacks.
"Again," she said, her voice hoarse. Gideon had been making her recite rhymes when he controlled her mind, and her throat was scratchy.
"Enough for today," Gideon said.
Valerie couldn't read his expression, but her gut told her that he was disappointed. "I can handle more," she insisted.
"Take a break and say hi to an old friend?" a familiar voice cut through Valerie's concentration.
For a split second, she thought she was seeing Thai, her first love, standing in front of her, and a rush of excitement made her want to tackle him with a hug, in spite of how he'd broken her heart. But the boy quirked an eyebrow, and she realized that it was Tan, Thai's clone.
"Tan, what are you doing here?" Valerie asked with wary amazement. Tan hadn't always been her biggest fan, and the last she heard, he was living on Earth with Thai.
"I had to leave big bro behind and strike out on my own," Tan said, killing any hope Valerie had that Thai might be on the Globe as well.
Gideon gently patted Valerie's shoulder, and she knew he was making his escape. "I'll leave you and your friend to catch up. I'll see you tomorrow."
Gideon left without giving Valerie a chance to protest.
"I'm hoping you can let bygones be bygones. I know I said some awful things to you on Earth," Tan said. "But now that I'm here, I could really use a friend, and you're the first person I thought of."
"I'm excited you're here," Valerie replied, trying to shrug off the prickling sensation in her mind that something wasn't right. "What does Thai think about all this?"
"He understands. It makes sense for me to be on this world, where my weird past won't make me a total freak," Tan said. "You promised once that you'd show me around if I ever came to the Globe. Does that offer still stand?"
Valeriegave him a small smile. "Of course. What do you want to see first?"