As Valerie, Henry, and Kanti left the Empathy Collective, they saw a huge group of Grand Masters leaving the Capitol building. Their voices carried over The Horseshoe, many shouting. Valerie spotted Skye and made her way through the throng to his side.
"What happened?" she asked him.
Skye gave her a warning glance and led her away from the bustle toward the streets of Silva.
"The Grand Masters have elected Oleander to temporarily replace Azra," he said gravely. "It's understood that this means the Grand Masters are also supporting the Fractus."
The knowledge that one of the accomplices in Midnight's murder was now the most powerful Conjuror in Arden made Valerie clench her fists.
"The vote was close," Skye said. Then he lowered his voice. "There is already a group of Grand Masters that opposes the new leadership and direction. We will have to operate in secrecy, because Oleander will punish those who do not follow her direction."
"You work fast," Valerie said, impressed, and secretly a little relieved that Skye was taking the lead in organizing the Grand Masters.
But her relief was short-lived.
"Those of us who denounce Oleander and the Fractus are meeting in a week in Calibro's home in Elsinore," Skye said. "You need to be there. They will all expect you to provide direction."
"Me?" Valerie asked, hoping she'd misunderstood. "You're the most powerful Conjurors on the Globe. Don't you want to elect your own leader?"
"We did, and we decided on you. We're calling ourselves the Fist, because we are your weapon to use to fight the Fractus," Skye said.
Valerie's head spun. She tried not to let her panic show on her face, but Skye's shrewd eyes assessed the rising color in her cheeks, and he pawed the ground with one hoof and gave a snort of impatience.
"You are the general in this battle, the only one with close ties to Earth and the Globe. We don't have your knowledge. We can advise, but ultimately you must set the path. The group will trust no one else."
Valerie bit back any further comments and nodded. "I'll be there. I'll bring my team with me."
Skye's eyes brightened with approval. "Many say you are too young for this, but I judge others by the age of their souls. Yours is ancient."
Before Valerie could ask what he meant, Skye trotted away. It was for the best, because she was supposed to meet Gideon for training in the woods behind her home.
By the time she got there, quite a little crowd had gathered for the lesson. In addition to Henry and Tan, Kanti and Cyrus had joined, as well. When Gideon arrived, he had Juniper with him, and Valerie considered the group with mounting hope. It was good to know that her friends were learning how to protect themselves. Even Oberon worked in the garden, pretending not to be watching what was happening.
Gideon began the lesson, demonstrating how to use the prepotent crystal to test each other's mental defenses. Valerie dreaded her turn. But when Gideon reached her side, he didn't immediately attack her as he had in the past.
"I never got to thank you," Valerie said awkwardly. "Not only for saving me. You also returned Pathos to my side."
"It was my honor," he said, and his voice was more tender than Valerie had ever heard it. She wondered if Gideon was thinking of her mother as his eyes traveled over Pathos's hilt.
"I'm ready to get to work," Valerie said, trying to focus on the task before her.
"There may be some leftover fairy dust in your blood from Kellen's overdose. You must rest your mind a while longer," Gideon said.
Valerie refused to give in to such a tempting option. "The enemy won't care if I'm weakened by fairy dust. Go ahead and attack."
"Gideon is right, Daughter," Oberon said, brushing dirt from his hands. "You must rebuild your reserves of magic, not deplete them."
"In a battle, knowing when to fall back is even more important than knowing when to advance," Gideon said.
Oberon's eyes flicked over Gideon sharply, but he nodded in approval. "I've seen the truth of those words in action. They are wise."
"All right," Valerie said, letting herself relax.
"Have you learned what happened to Ani, Rastelli, and Kellen?" she asked Gideon.
"Rastelli is in jail in the Justice Guild," Gideon said. "He confessed, and the trial will be soon. Kellen has been disciplined in fairy court, but they were lenient. They clipped his wings and set him free."
Valerie shuddered. "Clipping his wings actually sounds pretty awful. Will he survive?"
"Fairies' wings are broken and torn all the time by accident, Val," Cyrus piped in. "They grow back in a few months."
"Until then, he won't have access to fairy dust," Gideon said.
"It's a temporary reprieve," Oberon added. "Though I would be willing to make it permanent if you so wish."
Valerie squirmed a little under her father's blazing eyes. "Um, thanks. But let's not tear anyone apart just yet."
"Vengeance will not lead to a better world," Gideon said, and Valerie saw his jaw tighten. She knew he was thinking of her mother.
But Oberon's expression was faraway, not angry. "You sound like Adelita. You were always like two buds from the same plant."
Valerie saw a spasm of pain cross Gideon's features before he turned away.
"And yet she chose to be with you," Gideon said, his words so soft that Valerie almost missed them.
Several hours later, everyone was sweaty and drooping. After Gideon's lessons, Oberon had drilled them on the best techniques to collect and harvest their magic. Ever since Valerie had been attacked in the woods, the sense that a storm was about to burst had hovered over her. Seeing her friends working so hard on their magic made her realize that they shared her premonition.
Oberon used his power to call forth a bonfire as night fell. Azra and Summer joined them, bringing strange, ripe fruit that they roasted in the flames and ate. Tan sat next to Valerie and, after devouring a purple fruit the size of his head, turned to her, wiping the juice from his mouth with his sleeve.
"So what's the grand plan, Captain?" Tan asked.
His words made her smile as she remembered Thai calling her Captain earlier that day.
Tan raised an eyebrow. "I know you're thinking of Thai when you get that look. Don't let Romeo see."
Tan glanced at Cyrus, but he wasn't paying attention to their conversation. Still, Valerie could have smacked him.
"You don't know anything," she said.
"Sure I don't. But I do have a right to know what your battle plan is, if I'm going to risk my life for you, right?" Tan asked.
His words took her aback, and she remembered what Gideon had said to her. "Don't fight for me. Fight because you believe it's the right thing to do."
"Stop avoiding the question. You don't have a plan, do you?" he persisted.
Valerie opened her mouth to contradict him, and then shut it. "You're right. I've got all of these goals—find the Byways, rescue Joe, keep the guilds from supporting the Fractus, get the Fractus off of Earth—but that isn't really a strategy, is it?"
"Don't beat yourself up. I wouldn't know what to do, either," Tan said with a little smile.
"You're right, though, Tan. I have to make a plan and execute it. If I don't, the Fractus will destroy us because everyone who opposes them is scattered," Valerie said.
"You need to build your army," Oberon said, and Tan jumped.
"This is a private conversation," Tan said, his eyes narrowing.
"No it isn't," Valerie said, confused at Tan's sudden change in demeanor. "What do you mean, Dad?"
"The problem isn't that you have so many variables to control. It is that you need to build a group of people whom you can call upon when the need arises. The Fractus will make a stand on Earth and the Globe against those they consider a threat. Like you collect your magic inside of you, ready for battle, so, too, must you gather your allies to your cause, where you can call upon them when you need them."
She nodded slowly. "I have to convince the People of the Woods, the Grand Masters who oppose the Fractus, and any other Conjurors who don't want to see two worlds plunged into the dark ages to be ready if we need them to fight."
"Your army needs a proper name," Oberon said.
Valerie smiled. "Skye told me that the Grand Masters who oppose the Fractus are calling themselves the Fist. As in, my fist to use against the enemy."
"It is a worthy banner under which to unite your allies," Oberon said with approval. Then his face changed, and the lines in his face were deeper than usual in the shadows. "I have seen too many battles in my lifetime, but I hoped my children would never experience any," he said.
"Maybe we can make that a reality for your grandchildren," Valerie said, and then blushed when she saw that Cyrus was listening.
Before she could interpret his expression, the flames in the fire flew higher, and Oberon yanked her backward so that sparks wouldn't land on their clothes.
"What the hell?" Tan said, moving to stand behind Valerie.
"It's a message from an Oracle," Oberon said. "They use fire and water as a channel when they need to contact those outside of Ephesus."
"It's like I'm always saying, cell phones," Henry grumbled. "No crazy magic required."
The flames danced, and as they did, they formed the slight figure of a long-haired fairy that Valerie thought she recognized.
"Sibyl?" she asked tentatively.
Two eyes of flame connected with hers. "Yes, Valerie. At last, I've found you. You have to come to the Roaming City right away."
"What's happened?" Valerie asked.
Fire Sibyl glanced behind her for a moment, her hair streaming. Her words were rushed as she spoke.
"The split in the prophecies has caused a rift among the Oracles. Fighting has broken out on the streets, and Putrefus and his friends have seized the major buildings in the city. They are refusing to let those who do not follow their rules to prophesize. Worse, they're turning away Conjurors in need who cannot pay the price they demand."
Putrefus was one of the most powerful Oracles in Ephesus, and Valerie had met him several times. He'd always been obnoxious—and greedy, but it was hard to imagine him leading a revolt.
"Is he working with the Fractus?" Valerie asked.
"I'm not sure. I'm hiding with others who won't bow down to Putrefus, and it's difficult to understand what is happening. There is no one else I can ask for help in this." Sibyl's form grew fuzzy in the fire. "Come. Hurry."
The fire dimmed, and her form vanished.
"I guess we're packing," Cyrus said after they were sure that Sibyl was gone.
"This is the right move for a lot of reasons," Henry said, his jaw set. "Maybe the Oracles can help me narrow down where in Japan my dad is being held."
"They might be able to give us a clue to the Byways," Kanti added. "Every day that goes by that we don't find them is another chance for the Fractus to beat us there."
Valerie was barely listening to her friends as they spoke. "I'm certain that the trouble in Ephesus is at Reaper's instigation. He wants to control the prophecies that the Oracles deliver."
The last time Valerie had seen Sibyl, the young Oracle told her of a split in the prophecies. Some led to a path of peace, and others to war. Reaper had been with her when she'd learned of this, and she knew which path he would want to encourage.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go," Henry said.
"We can't rush into this. It's our chance to strike out against the Fractus when they won't see it coming," Valerie said.
"Explain what you mean, Daughter," Oberon said.
"Reaper doesn't know that we've heard from Sibyl. He's letting Putrefus and his little gang cause trouble, trusting that, given enough time, they'll be able to steer the prophecies toward war on Earth and the Globe. But if we bring some serious manpower with us, we can crush Putrefus's little rebellion, and I doubt Reaper and his army will be there to stop us."
"Maybe we can turn the tide so that the Oracles deliver the prophecies of peace. We'll control the message," Kanti said, her eyes sparkling.
But Valerie shook her head. "I don't want to force the Oracles to prophesize one way or the other. Then we're no better than the Fractus. We need to create room for both sides to have a voice."
"Are you sure this is the right path?" Oberon asked, examining her like a general instead of his daughter. "In my experience, crushing the enemy so there is no chance of resurgence is the most effective technique."
"But perhaps not the world we all wish to live in," Gideon said, speaking for the first time.
"He's right, Dad," Valerie said, her eyes connecting with Oberon's. She thought he might be annoyed that she wasn't taking his side, but instead he nodded.
"You are your mother's daughter," he said instead.
"Let's gather as much help as we can in the next twenty-four hours," Valerie said. "Then we'll advance to the Roaming City and overthrow Putrefus."
Theconversation turned to tactics, and Valerie barely noticed Tan slip away fromthe warmth of the fire and vanish into the woods.