Guardians of the Boundary (The Conjurors Series Book 3) (24 page)

Reaper’s hand shot out and
caught Valerie’s in his grip, looking to an outsider as if he were shaking it. He
squeezed, and something pricked her palm. Then he released her hand and turned
away.

Valerie joined the group of a couple
dozen or so Knights, including Juniper and Gideon, who had the courage to
oppose the Fractus, rubbing her palm, which was bleeding.

Reaper turned to the Knights who
supported him. “I thank you all today for voting to make the hard choice, but
the right choice, to save the humans from themselves,” Reaper said. “As a show
of good faith, though your vote means that the entire Guild should follow in
the path chosen, I will excuse the dissenting Knights from joining the cause if
they wish.”

The Knights who had chosen to
follow the Fractus relaxed a little. This was proof that Reaper wasn’t a madman
and the day wasn’t going to devolve into a battle between comrades. Valerie
could practically see the hope emanating from them that they had made the right
choice.

Soon they would all realize the magnitude
of the horror that Reaper planned to visit upon Earth. By then, they would wish
that they had given their lives rather than witness so much bloodshed.

Valerie was still rubbing her
palm, and she looked down at it for the first time. The place where Reaper had
pricked her was no longer bleeding, but dark tentacles of some kind of poison
were spreading from the wound.

As soon as she registered the
injury, Valerie’s muscles turned to jelly and she could barely remain standing.
Only the knowledge that if she collapsed, the hope of the Knights who had
supported her would collapse with it, kept her standing.

“We will not delay in helping
the Fractus build the future,” Kellen said with authority. “The Knights will
trek to the Fractus’s stronghold at the Black Castle this very day. It will be
our headquarters until this mess is under control.”

The Knights were uneasy. Being
separated from their families and country was more than they had signed up for.
But Valerie doubted anyone would back out now.

The Knights began to scatter,
including those who had opposed the Fractus. Valerie knew she should rally those
who were brave enough to support her words, but her wound was sending burning
needles of pain into her palm that left behind something cold and empty in their
wake.

Juniper gently squeezed her
shoulder, and she knew he saw she was about to fall apart, even if he didn’t
know the reason. “Go ahead and leave,” he said. “I’ll get everyone’s names and ask
them if they are willing to join the Fist as part of your army.”

Valerie tried not to show the
depth of her relief. “Thank you. I know you’re only an apprentice, like me, but
would you take the lead in organizing the Knights who support us? I’m
appointing generals to help me on different fronts, and I think you’re the
right person for this.”

“Me?” Juniper asked. “What about
Gideon or Chrome?”

“Chrome’s on Earth now, and
Gideon will be pulled in too many directions to lead this,” Valerie said.

“How about Alex or Olwain?
They’re Knight Masters,” Juniper said.

“If you really don’t want to do
this, I’ll ask one of them,” Valerie said, trying to focus on Juniper’s face as
the edges of her vision went fuzzy. “But I think you’d do the best job, and I
also know you and trust you.”

Juniper stood a little
straighter at her words. “You can count on me.”

Valerie nodded and gave him her
best attempt at a smile before she left. She wanted to collapse out of sight of
the crowd. Reaper had left, and she tried to ready herself for an attack from
him now that she was weak.

Valerie began to tremble as she
walked away. She was barely out of sight when she braced herself against a tree
trunk. Pain radiated up her arm, but she had dealt with true physical agony,
and this didn’t compare. Whatever was coursing through her was weakening her,
making it difficult to focus or stand. She knew what the sensation reminded her
of—facing off with Zunya. Whatever Reaper had done to her was stripping her of
her magic. When it was done with her power, she knew it would take her life.

“You did not fail today,
Daughter,” Oberon’s voice was gentler than she’d ever heard it. “And Oleander
will not bother you again for a long time. I used a touch of electricity in her
mind, and she will be confused for some time.”

Valerie managed to turn to face
him and held up her palm, which was now turning black.

Oberon caught her before she
slipped to the ground.

“I think Reaper was testing his
new weapon today,” Valerie managed to whisper. “Get Cyrus.”

“I will. Then I will tear Reaper
apart with my bare hands,” he said, and Valerie could see that he meant those
words.

He rested her back against the
tree and raced away. She was alone as the knowledge of her colossal failure
settled into her bones.

It could have been a minute or
an hour that passed before Oberon returned with Gideon, Cyrus, and Leo. Valerie
was still conscious, though every breath she expelled released more of her power.
Some part of her mind also registered that Henry had sensed her distress and
was coming, too.

Oberon cradled her in his arms
on the ground, and Cyrus knelt beside them.

“Light,” she croaked, hoping
Cyrus understood her meaning. They’d be testing their theory that light was the
antidote to the Fractus’s weapon much sooner than they thought.

Leo leaned forward, his body
tense. “We haven’t even begun to test the possibilities. We need to get you to
a Healer who knows his craft.”

“The Healers’ Guild won’t admit
her,” Gideon said. “And Azra is in Messina, talking to the leaders there.”

“Call for Darling,” Cyrus urged
Valerie.

She shook her head, unable to
speak. She wouldn’t put Darling’s power to the test against such powerful new
magic. He could die trying to save her, pouring his power and himself into the
healing until Reaper’s weapon fed on him as well.

“Do what you can,” Henry told
Cyrus, sensing her thoughts, and Valerie was relieved that he had arrived. No
matter what happened, her family was with her now.

Determination replaced fear on
Cyrus’s face. He looked up at the light pouring through the trees and attracted
so much to himself that he glowed bright enough to make everyone squint.

He didn’t seem entirely aware of
what he was doing as he placed his hands on her chest. When Cyrus’s magic
poured into Valerie, she knew. Reaper’s magic left only emptiness in her soul.
Cyrus’s magic was like him—all warmth and joy.

It traveled into the core of her
being and spread out to her arms, legs, hands, and even her fingers. She was
lit from the inside out, and she wondered if that was how Cyrus felt every time
he used his power. The thought struck her silent with amazement.

Finally, Cyrus sat back, and
Valerie could see that he’d poured every bit of the magic he possessed into
her. The bright glow surrounding him had dimmed, but he gave her a tired smile
as she sat up on her own. She checked inside herself to see how much of her
magic Reaper’s weapon had taken, and even though it was almost all drained
away, like it was after she used her vivicus power, a spark remained, and she
knew it would grow again. Thanks to Cyrus, her magic hadn’t been torn from her
soul.

“You did it. You beat Reaper’s
weapon,” she said, her voice shaky.

“Never doubt the mastery of a
true hero at his craft,” Cyrus said.

Valerie pulled him into a hug
and kissed him hard, for once not the slightest bit embarrassed.

“I hope you’re keeping track of
how many times you save my life,” Valerie said. “I owe you big time.”

“You may have saved me, too,
once or twice,” Cyrus whispered, blinking rapidly as if he were fighting back
tears. “Thought I might lose you, and it would be all my fault.”

“Never,” she replied.

Cyrus pulled back and assumed
his brightest smile. “Now we know that light is an effective antidote against
the Fractus’s new weapon.”

But Leo’s mouth was set in a
grim line.

“The amount of power that was
required to eradicate the poison from Valerie’s system was immense,” Leo said.
“You may be the only Conjuror on the Globe who can do that. If Reaper uses his
weapon against many Conjurors at once, who will save them all?”

The smile fell from Cyrus’s
face.

“Does this mean that
light-infused weapons won’t work in battle against the Fractus’s weapon?”
Valerie asked. She didn’t think she could take any more bad news today.

Leo thought for a moment before
he replied. “If we can use the weapons of the People of the Woods, we may have
a chance. The magic in them will amplify the light, and may be a kind of shield
against minor injuries.”

“The People of the Woods have
begun the voting process on their course of action,” Gideon said.

“Then we need to get Valerie
there to talk to them,” Henry said. He turned to her. “Are you up for another
speech, sis?”

After her failure to convince
those in her own Guild, Valerie dreaded the prospect, but she forced herself to
nod. She couldn’t back down now from the role she’d accepted. Not when things
were at their worst.

“The voting is closed to anyone
not born of the People of the Woods,” Gideon interjected. “Even I am banned
from participating.”

It seemed cruel to Valerie that
Gideon was still an outsider to his own people simply because he didn’t share
their bloodline, but she kept her mouth shut.

“I wish Valerie could rest and
recover, but now is the time to rally our forces,” Oberon said, speaking for
the first time. Valerie was surprised that he wasn’t already herding her to
bed, but she was also proud of him that he was thinking about what was best for
the humans and Conjurors who needed them.

“Do you think Reaper will strike
now?” she asked him.

“Soon. Regardless of the outcome
of the People of the Woods’ vote, he will attack. If they mean to destroy the Byway,
he will attack them to recover it. If they keep it, he will try to take it
before they can hide it,” Oberon said.

Valerie considered his words. “That
must be why Reaper let Henry and me escape with the Byway. It’s the perfect
excuse to his followers why the Fractus must attack. They are rescuing the only
means of returning to Earth. He can start his war.”

“Knowing Elden, he must know
that’s what’s coming,” Henry said.

“The People of the Woods are
ready for battle,” Gideon said. “Elden told me that they had a foretelling that
nothing could prevent the Fractus from attacking.”

“Then we need to get to Arbor
Aurum right away,” Valerie said.

“No one, even the Fractus, can
penetrate the city when it has been sealed for voting. For now, they are safe,”
Gideon said.

“Dad’s right; we’ll need to use
this time to get everyone ready. Once the city is unsealed, the attack could
come at any time,” Valerie said.

Valerie began organizing
everyone. She charged Oberon with creating a signal that they could use to let
their allies know when it was time to gather at the Lake of Knowledge, where
they would then trek to locations in the woods that led to the cities in the
trees.

Cyrus would find Kanti, Dulcea,
and Jack, and ask them to leverage their guild relationships to let sympathetic
Conjurors in Arden and the Oracles know the signal and what it meant. Gideon
would work with Juniper to ready the Knights who supported Valerie. The Knights
would keep everyone organized and assign tasks when they gathered for battle.

Leo and Cyrus would continue
experimenting with the weapons they had until they could get word to Elden
after the voting.

Valerie and Henry
would go to the Relations Guild to speak to Skye. He and Calibro would make
sure the Grand Masters were on hand as well. The visit would also allow Henry
to check on the progress of the search for his dad.

Once everyone had scattered, Valerie
and Henry made their way to Skye’s Guild.

“Chrome’s close to finding him,”
Henry said, chewing on his thumbnail. “He’ll need help to overtake Zunya and
whoever he has with him.”

“Now that we know Conjurors can
safely return to Earth, we’ll send reinforcements. You know that means working
with Sanguina,” Valerie said.

“I’ll find her and beg her
myself if it will help my dad,” Henry said. All of his rage against the
ex-vampyre seemed to have disappeared.

“Skye already has ideas of who
to send, including two Grand Masters,” Valerie said.

“I need to be the one to go,”
Henry insisted.

Valerie nearly stumbled at his
words. The idea of facing an army of Fractus without her brother was
terrifying. Their united power was a formidable thing, but on her own, Valerie
had her doubts about how effective her magic would be, even if it weren’t
drained away. As a vivicus, she could only save one life at a time, and her
fighting ability would only get her so far, especially since she couldn’t kill
anyone without dying herself.

But Valerie didn’t voice any of
these thoughts. Instead, she said, “If that’s where you need to be, then we’ll
send you. We need powerful Conjurors on Earth, and you weren’t getting sick
while you were there. Maybe your magic is somewhat compatible with Earth’s
rules.”

“Thank you,” Henry said, and his
voice trembled a little. He couldn’t meet Valerie’s eyes. “I know I should be
here with you. That’s probably what Joe would want, too. But I can’t.”

“I know,” Valerie said. Through
her mental connection with her brother, she could see that for Henry, it wasn’t
really a choice.

Henry and Valerie arrived at the
Relations Guild at the same time as Sanguina, who moved to give Henry space
from her.

Henry took a deep breath and
turned to Sanguina. “I think I can forgive you. After all you’ve done, and all
you’re going to do to save my dad, I believe with enough time I can let go of
the past.”

Color infused Sanguina’s cheeks,
and she involuntarily put her hand briefly to her heart.

“It is far more than I deserve,”
she said. “I have nightmares of what I did to your father as a vampyre and
awaken screaming.”

Valerie was taken aback by
Sanguina’s stark words, and Henry seemed equally stunned.

“So do I,” he finally mumbled.
“But he survived, and he’s finding a way to be happy again.”

The three entered the Guild and
followed the carpet to Skye’s office. Sanguina immediately went inside, but not
before Valerie saw her quickly wipe tears from her eyes.

“Will you mentally project to
Earth when Sanguina sends me?” Henry asked before they followed Sanguina. “I
know you have a thousand things to do, but…”

“Yes. I’ll be by your side the
whole time,” Valerie said, not for the first time feeling much older than her
brother. She wondered who had been born first. She’d have to ask Oberon when
this was all over.

Skye greeted them when they
entered his office. Valerie brought him up-to-date on their plans, and then
they turned to the task at hand.

“Have you discussed who else to
send to Earth to help the Guardians fight Zunya?” Valerie asked.

Skye flicked his tail. “We
weren’t aware we needed to run every decision by you.”

Valerie reddened. “You don’t. I
told you to act as you saw fit.”

“Good, because we have. Sanguina
has sent the Grand Master from the Flora Guild, two Guardians on the Globe who
opposed Oleander, and several Knights recommended by Gideon,” Skye said.

“You did all that since
yesterday?” Valerie asked. Her eyes traveled to Sanguina, and now that she
looked closely she saw her exhaustion. Sending all of these Conjurors to Earth
had taken its toll on her.

“Yes. But this will be
Sanguina’s last send off for quite some time,” Skye said.

Valerie and Henry stared at
Skye, their confusion obvious.

“I’m sending myself this time,”
Sanguina answered the question in their eyes. “I know Zunya’s tricks and
weaknesses better than anyone.”

“Not before you send me,” Henry
said, his face hardening.

“That’s what Zunya and Reaper
are hoping for,” Sanguina said. “If you and Valerie will not support the
Fractus, then they want to separate you so you cannot unite your power against
them.”

“Aside from that, your magic is
not compatible with Earth’s rules,” Skye added.

“What are you talking about? I
was never sick,” Henry argued.

“The effect of the rules is
different depending on the Conjuror,” Sanguina explained. “Some suffer slowly,
like Valerie, and for others, if their power exceeds a certain threshold, they
are killed instantly. If you were to fight Zunya to save your father, I have no
doubt you’d exceed those limits.” Sanguina could see the frustration on Henry’s
face. “Trust me, these rules were drilled into me when I was a Guardian
apprentice.”

“I don’t care,” Henry said. “You
have to send me. If I stay here and he dies, my life is worthless, anyway. I
promise I’ll be careful on Earth. It’s better for you to remain on the Globe,
in case we need to send anyone else.”

“In a few days, we’ll have a
more reliable means of sending Conjurors to Earth,” Skye said, but he didn’t
elaborate on his meaning.

“That’s great, but it doesn’t
change the fact that I’m going to help my dad,” Henry said, his mouth set in a
stubborn line.

Sanguina met Valerie’s eyes, and
Valerie could see that they both knew nothing would change Henry’s mind.

“Do it now,” Henry said, his
eyes burning with determination.

Sanguina paused for a long
moment, and then nodded. She lay the scrying map on the floor and clutched the
two crystals—one that would anchor Henry to Earth, and the other that would
send him to Thai’s side.