The Society of Imaginary Friends

Cyrus led Valerie further down the lighted path in front of The Horseshoe, and then stopped near one of the buildings. “This is the Society of Imaginary Friends,” he announced proudly.

Her jaw dropped. The building was every kid’s dream. Giant waterslides extended from some of the windows and splashed down into a moat. Valerie could hear screams of laughter peal from inside. “Those slides must be so much fun. I can’t believe you get to work in a real castle!”

“You should see the inside. There are secret passages, trampolines, a room made of candy—almost anything you can imagine. I’ll have to give you a tour soon. You know, this is sort of where your whole adventure began.”

“What do you mean?”

“If the Society hadn’t assigned me as your imaginary friend when you were seven, the Conjurors might never have known about your magic. I’m the one who figured it out, ya know.”

“How?” she asked, fascinated in spite of herself.

“There were lots of reasons. The first clue I had was how you’d get super strong when you went into panic mode. But then there was—”

She was so absorbed in Cyrus’s story that she didn’t see the man in front of her carefully sweeping the path. As a result, she tripped over him, falling to the ground. The man grunted in pain.

“Oh, sir, I’m so sorry,” she began her apology, but she choked on her words when he turned to her and stared into her eyes. His stormy eyes were blue-gray with flecks of gold in them, somehow reminding her of the sea during a storm. His wild brown hair was streaked with gray, and she doubted that he’d cut it in years.

“Watch where you tread!” the man snarled. Power hummed from him so intensely that it vibrated in her blood, like it had at Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid.

She couldn’t even open her mouth to finish her apology. He was still staring in her direction, but he didn’t quite meet her eyes. His gaze seemed unfocused. She suddenly understood—he couldn’t see her. He was blind.

Cyrus quickly helped her to her feet. He seemed nervous around the man, too. “Sorry, Oberon. We’ll get out of your way,” Cyrus said as he hurried her down the street.

“What’s his story?” she asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

“Oberon is one of the founders of the Globe, like Azra. He’s the one who set up the weather system. He has powers over the sun, weather, land, and sea. No one knows the specifics, but he is one of the most powerful Conjurors of all time.”

“What’s he doing sweeping the sidewalk, then?”

Cyrus’s face became very serious. “For years, he was a spy for the Fractus. He believed that Conjurors should be able to move back and forth between Earth and the Globe whenever they wanted. He gave the Fractus some pretty important information, supposedly. But then maybe his conscience bothered him or something, because he confessed everything. His punishment is that he can’t use his magic for one hundred years, and during that time, he has to serve the city as its groundskeeper.”

Once again engrossed in another of Cyrus’s stories, she hadn’t noticed that they had left The Horseshoe, and were now walking through the twisted streets of the city. But the strangeness of the buildings finally demanded her attention. Never on Earth would a cottage stand next door to an L-shaped skyscraper—especially when the skyscraper was completely filled with water and mermaids swam around inside. It reminded her of a giant aquarium.

Part of her wanted to stop to marvel at every new feat of architecture, but Cyrus pulled her along until they stopped at a building in the shape of a tall cylinder. Every floor was painted a different shade of blue, and a silver staircase spiraled up the side all the way to the roof.

“What do you think of the Imaginary Friends’ dorm?” Cyrus asked with a grin.

“I get to live here? No way!” Valerie exclaimed, thrilled. Then she glanced doubtfully at the long, winding staircase. “What floor am I on? This could be quite a climb at the end of every day.”

“Check it out,” Cyrus said, leading her to the base of the stairs. Suddenly, the floor beneath her rose, and without warning, she and Cyrus were swiftly gliding up the stairs on a small platform. She smiled as a breeze made her hair stream out behind her.

“These platforms are inside most buildings in Arden. You steer it with your mind, by thinking about where you want to go, like when you traveled to the Globe in the bubble,” Cyrus explained.

“Let me try,” Valerie said, and concentrated. She steered the little platform up and down the stairs effortlessly. “It’s so simple!”

“The best magic always is,” Cyrus announced authoritatively.

“Stop at the sixth floor so you can check in with Dulcea,” Cyrus said, and she was proud that they came to a smooth stop at a tall wood door with a giant brass “6” nailed to it.

The door opened automatically to a scene like a picture from a storybook come to life. At one end of the room was a giant bed with a pink canopy. The wallpaper that went around the entire circumference of the room was decorated with lollipops, cookies, and candies of every kind. The sweet smell of chocolate filled the room, making Valerie’s mouth water. Giant pillows were in the center of the room, and plopped right in the middle was a woman with golden ringlets who was popping candy in her mouth as she read a book.

As Cyrus and Valerie approached, the woman looked up with wide, innocent eyes. She reminded Valerie of a grown-up version of Goldilocks. “You must be Valerie! I’m Dulcea! Welcome!” she said in a happy, bubbly voice. “Have a chocolate.”

“Thanks,” she said, overwhelmed by Dulcea’s energy. She sank down on a pillow next to her.

“So, tell me about yourself, Valerie. I know the basics. You’re from Messina, and you’re a friend of Cyrus—which I won’t hold against you,” Dulcea said with a grin. “But what are your passions? What gets you up in the morning? Who do you want to be?”

Valerie had no idea what to say.

“Sheesh, take it easy on her! She’s had a big day,” Cyrus said to Dulcea. Then he turned to Valerie and explained, “Dulcea’s training to become a Master in the Society of Imaginary Friends, and she’s writing her thesis on finding your passion through imagination. She asks everyone these questions, and no one knows what to say!”

Valerie relaxed slightly. “Well, I know I want to help people. And go on adventures!”

“It’s so wonderful to see such enthusiasm!” Dulcea exclaimed. Then she quizzed Valerie on everything from her hobbies to her favorite color. Valerie found it dizzying trying to keep up with her as she jumped from topic to topic. Finally, Dulcea seemed to notice her exhaustion. “I was so interested in what you were saying, I didn’t notice the time. Cyrus will take you to your room. It’s all ready for you.”

“About time,” Cyrus said, finally getting a word in edgewise.

Dulcea handed Valerie a small book. “Here are the dorm rules. Curfew, dinner hour, that kind of thing. As long as you follow these few rules, things will be sweet for you here.”

“And if you break the rules, things can get really sour, really fast,” Cyrus muttered under his breath to Valerie.

“My door is always open. Come by any time to talk, and grab some candy on your way out!”

“Thanks, Dulcea.”

Finally escaping Dulcea’s sugary presence, Cyrus led Valerie up another two floors, where the platform paused. The door to the eighth floor opened automatically, and the platform glided down a hall of red carpet and stopped at a door at the very end. She could hear music that sounded a lot like American hip-hop blaring in the room.

Cyrus grinned. “You’re gonna love your roommate. With Kanti, you’ll never be bored.”

A muffled bass pounded through the closed door. He opened the door to reveal someone doing the most complex break dancing Valerie had ever seen in her life—clearly unaware that anyone was watching. The girl was graceful, and she moved faster than any human break-dancer that she had ever seen. Cyrus applauded mockingly, and she stopped dancing and collapsed on the floor laughing.

“Wow, you really love those Earth dance moves, don’t you? You’re pretty into it. I wish I had a picture of this for blackmail,” Cyrus joked.

The girl grinned and teased, “Whatever, Cy. I could tell your friend here some pretty entertaining stories involving you and your attempts to master the art of flying.”

“All right, you win. You keep that story to yourself, and I won’t tell the gang at the Society about your super cool dance moves,” Cyrus said, shaking his head and laughing. “Kanti, this is your new roomie, Valerie.”

At first glance, Kanti reminded Valerie of a wicked witch in a fairy tale. Her skin had a yellowish cast, and she had two huge warts on one of her cheeks. She had long greasy dark hair that fell above her shoulders and thick black eyebrows that were growing out of control. But her smile, which revealed her buckteeth, was so genuinely warm and friendly that it eased any awkward tension.

“It’s really nice of you to share your room with me.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve been waiting and waiting for a roommate. We’re gonna tear this town apart.”

“I’ll let you guys get to know each other. Val, I’ll come by tomorrow for the rest of your tour. Let her sleep, Kanti. She’s had a really long trip.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it, boss,” Kanti said as she shooed Cyrus out the door.

“Night, Cy.” Valerie felt very alone, more alone than the first time she stayed overnight at the hospital and no one came to visit her.

Kanti closed the door, and Valerie prowled around the room for the first time. She gasped when she saw that one side of the room was already decorated in her favorite color—green. Everything from the curtains to the bedspread on her side of the room was how she had always imagined her room would be one day when she had a place of her own.

“Who did this for me?”

Kanti laughed. “Dulcea. When she was asking you all those questions, she was figuring out what kind of room you would like. Then when you were on your way up, she used magic to decorate this half of the room for you!”

Valerie was touched by Dulcea’s kindness. It was the first time anyone had made a home with her preferences in mind. “So is that her power? Decorating?”

“No, her power is in creating the best candy you’ll ever taste! Couldn’t you tell from seeing her room?” Kanti asked.

Valerie laughed. “Of course, I should have guessed. But how did she create this room for me?”

“A couple of years ago, when she became the dorm matron here, she convinced her friend to use his magic to make the building read her mind. So now, just by thinking, she can decorate any room in the entire dorm. She redecorates all the time, so you’ll always find unexpected surprises around the dorm. And she filled your closet with clothes, too,” Kanti added as she sat down on her own bed, which was made up entirely in black.

Valerie opened the closet and saw every skirt, shirt, and dress she had ever dreamed of owning. Her heart was warm and full, and she made a mental note to find a way to thank Dulcea for her gift. It was strange to think that, for the first time in her life, she had more possessions than would fit in a backpack—especially now that she had her own sword. She shifted Pathos in her grip, testing its balance. It fit her hand so well that she’d almost forgotten that she was still carrying it. Gently, she slid it under her bed.

Kanti watched her with raised eyebrows, her mouth slightly open like she was about to say something, but instead, she turned up the music she was playing.

“Hey, is that Tupac you’re listening to?” Valerie asked.

“No way, you do not listen to Earth-music, too!”

“That’s the only thing I listen to.”

“Girl, fate made us roomies. I live for hip-hop. I’m always watching that Earth channel—MTV. We are going to have such crazy good times, I know it.”

Valerie had to smile at Kanti’s enthusiasm.

“But Cy’s right, that pain in the butt, you do need sleep. Tomorrow we’ll talk more.”

Valerie barely remembered Kanti showing her the bathroom, where a green toothbrush was waiting for her. She put her head on what must be the softest pillow in the universe. Just as she was drifting out of consciousness, she saw the door crack open and Dulcea peek in, checking on her. This little attention warmed her, and she fell asleep with a smile hovering on the corners of her lips.