The Society of Imaginary Friends

The next day, after getting grudging permission from Dulcea, Valerie walked to the Guild of the Knights of Light while Cyrus and Kanti went to the Guardians to alert them to the fact that Zunya was projecting to Earth. After much discussion, they decided that they couldn’t tell anyone that Zunya might be after Valerie without revealing that she was from Earth.

For protection, Valerie carried her sword, Pathos, with her everywhere she went. She noticed people eyeing her warily as she carried the naked weapon around the streets of Silva. When she arrived at the Knights’ Guild, it was bustling as usual, full of Conjurors of all ages practicing their skills and taking lessons.

She wandered around and soon found Gideon teaching what looked like a karate class full of Knight apprentices a few years younger than she was. He nodded to acknowledge that she had arrived, and motioned her to join in. He said little, demonstrating graceful martial arts forms that the class mimicked.

She fell into a rhythm, and her body moved naturally through the forms. She experimented with allowing her power to supplement her strength, and then stopping the flow of magic so that she was relying only on her own body and mind.

All too soon, Gideon bowed to the class. “Excellent. You are all progressing well. Practice what you have learned each day, and I will see you next week,” he said in a soft, low voice.

As the class departed, Valerie approached him. “Thank you for letting me join your class today.”

“You have a talent for this,” he replied.

“Because of my power, you mean.”

“Not only your power. You have the spirit of a great warrior, one who uses physical strength as a last resort to solve problems.” She flushed, deeply flattered yet embarrassed by his compliment. “But you did not come here today to take this class. What would you like to ask me?”

“First, I wanted to tell you that yesterday I saw Zunya. I heard that he’s a wanted criminal, and I thought the Knights should know that he’s in Arden.”

Gideon’s face darkened. “This explains much. We have suspected that someone has been spying, watching the Knights’ every move. It may be that Zunya has been observing us undetected. I will tell Kellen what you have seen.” Then, seeing the expression on Valerie’s face, he said, “Is there something else?”

“Three days ago, my friends and I were attacked in the forest by Zunya’s gang. We were outnumbered, but as I fought them, my power rushed through me, and I thought I could take them all on and win—easily. But then, the leader brought out a power-eater. It didn’t even touch me, but when he turned it toward me, all of my magic vanished. It was scary. I was defenseless. I’m so vulnerable without my power, not only to Zunya and his gang, but to anyone or anything that could take my magic.”

“You are wise to realize this so young.”

“Could you teach me to fight both with and without my power? I want to know that I can defend myself, even if my power fails me. I wouldn’t take up too much of your time. Would you give me permission to participate in the classes you teach—even if I decide that I don’t want to become a Knight?”

“Yes. And my classes are open not only to you, but to anyone who wishes to learn combat for self-defense.”

“Thank you. I think my friends might come, too.”

“I will tell you this, because I can sense that your spirit is old, though your flesh is young: a battle is brewing. The Fractus attack us more frequently, and they even dare to attack us in the heart of Arden, not only on the borders. There will come a time when we will need everyone who is able to defend our land. It would be my honor to train you and your friends as warriors.”

She was excited that she would have the chance to train with a teacher as skilled as Gideon, because the thought of Sanguina and Zunya having such powerful allies was chilling.

She was determined to make the most of every day to build her fighting skills, so she lingered at the Guild until dinner so that she could attend Gideon’s afternoon class on swordplay. The class was made up of craftsmen who were older and more experienced than the apprentices in the class that she had attended in the morning. Gideon patiently taught her the basics of how to use her sword while the rest of the class sparred.

“Someday, you’ll have to tell me how you inherited the Edge of Pathos,” he said, nodding toward her sword. “Its last owner was a master of the craft. She was a fine warrior and an exceptional person.” Hearing the obvious emotion in his voice, she took a step closer, but before she could ask him about the sword’s history, he moved on to correct the way that another student held the hilt of his sword in his hand.

By the end of the class, Valerie’s shirt was soaked with sweat and her arm and leg muscles were knotted and tight. Gideon had given her a temporary sheath for Pathos, so that she wouldn’t accidentally hurt anyone when she carried it around. Having the elegant sword strapped to her side made her feel like a warrior, and dreams of rescuing Henry in a duel with Sanguina flashed through her mind. In her imagination, she fearlessly, effortlessly defeated her arch enemy, but she knew that the reality of fighting Sanguina would be much more difficult.

As Valerie headed back to the dorm, she remembered to pick some pink flowers from the edge of the forest for Dulcea. It wasn’t much, but she wanted her to know that she hadn’t forgotten what she had done. It was easy to apologize to someone, but it was much harder to truly earn forgiveness. Valerie didn’t want to be like the people who had disappointed her in the past, so she vowed to show Dulcea that she meant it when she said she was sorry.

Dulcea accepted her gift graciously, but after a quick dinner, she sternly reminded her three little fugitives that they had to clean the bathrooms before bed. Starting at the top, the three began the arduous process of disinfecting showers, toilets, and sinks.

“I knew Dulcea wasn’t one to cross, but I never imagined she’d make us do this,” Cyrus said disgustedly as he pulled a hairball out of a shower drain.

“I gotta admit, I never knew how spoiled I was until now,” Kanti said, scrubbing a toilet. “I never thought I’d see the day when I got this close to a stranger’s skid marks.”

Valerie was tempted to laugh. This was definitely not the nastiest bathroom she had ever cleaned. That honor went to the time she lived with four boys in a foster home that was so filthy that she waited to go to school to use the toilet. When her foster mother finally made her help clean the bathroom, she had almost gagged. Compared to that, these bathrooms were hardly dirty at all. On Valerie’s first day on the Globe, Kanti had explained to her that the bathrooms were completely sterilized by magic every three days, so she knew that not a lot of dirt and germs had accumulated yet.

“Guys, you don’t get it. Dulcea’s not only mad at us, she’s hurt. We really scared her. And with good reason—think about what happened to us. We weren’t gone for more than a few hours before Shade attacked,” Valerie said.

“I know. I thought about that. And I’m really sorry,” Cyrus said, repentant.

“Me, too. And this is definitely a punishment I’ll never forget,” Kanti added.

“I think that’s the point,” Valerie replied. “But let’s take our minds off the grime. I had an idea I wanted to ask you guys about.”

“What’s up?” Kanti asked.

“I hate the thought of waiting around while Azra looks for answers. So I was thinking that I could make Thai one of those protective charms so that no one from the Globe could find him except for me. At least I’d be doing something, not sitting around waiting for Azra to find a solution. And I don’t want Sanguina hunting Thai down like she hunted Henry,” Valerie said, her fingers clenching into a fist at the thought of her brother still being tortured by Sanguina, while she, his own sister, couldn’t do a thing to stop it.

“Sure, we can do that. There are some caves on the southern edge of the forest that have the crystals that are needed to make the charm. We can collect some tomorrow,” Cyrus said.

“I’ve got a class tomorrow morning that I can’t skip,” Kanti said, obviously disappointed to be missing out on the adventure. “You guys should wait till I’m done—strength in numbers, after all.”

“How will we ever survive without you to protect us?” Cyrus said sarcastically.

Kanti was about to snap back at him, but Valerie interjected, “I don’t want to delay this, even by half a day. If I wait too long, he could be lost to me, like Henry.”

Kanti’s expression softened. “I understand. Anyway, I can help after you find the crystal. I know someone back home who can help craft the charm for it,” she offered.

“Thanks, Kanti. It’s frustrating, after a lifetime of wishing for a family, to find out I have a brother, but I can’t help him, or even talk to him. I can’t wait until we find out where Sanguina is hiding so I can crush her and get the charm she made to block Henry from being found.”

“Now we have to convince Dulcea to let us go,” Cyrus said gloomily.

“I’ll talk to her. Maybe it’s time I shared my secret—I think after everything I put her through, she has a right to know.”

That night, after Valerie finished scrubbing the last bathroom, she went to Dulcea’s room and quietly knocked on the door. When Dulcea called her in, Valerie entered and breathed in the sweet smell that always clung to the room, a welcome scent after working in bathrooms for the past three hours.

Dulcea was busy in her kitchen, carefully painting a layer of chocolate onto plump, juicy cherries. When she saw that it was Valerie entering, she looked up at her with eyes that were no longer full of anger, but without the unquestioning trust that had been there when they first met.

“Good timing. The chocolate on these cherries needs to set,” Dulcea said, licking some off of her index finger. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to tell you a story—about me. I’ve been thinking a lot about how what we did must have scared you, and I want you to know why it was so important for us to go to Ephesus.”

Valerie described everything to Dulcea, from her lonely life on Earth to her trip to the Globe to what her prophecy revealed about Henry. Dulcea didn’t say a word, but her face was so expressive that Valerie could read her reactions as clearly as if she said what she was thinking.

“I should have told you all this from the beginning.”

“I’m glad you told me now,” Dulcea said, her voice full of an emotion that Valerie couldn’t name. “It will seem so strange to you, but I know how you feel. I lost my parents when I was a baby—they were hit by lightning while they were crossing the mountains in Dunsinane. After that, I was on my own, like you. I yearned for a family so much that it seemed to eat me up inside—until I became the dorm matron here, that is. Now this is my family, and you are all my little brothers and sisters. Being a part of this family finally filled up that hole inside of me. So when I thought I could lose one of you, it was more than I could bear.”

“Azra told me that we had a lot in common, but I had no idea that you were an orphan, too.”

Dulcea nodded thoughtfully. “I think she likes us to discover these things for ourselves.”

“That makes sense—it means more hearing your story from you.”

“So what’s next in your search for Henry? You must be desperate to do something to help him.”

“Yes, I’m going crazy with all this waiting. I know that technically we’re grounded, but I was hoping to create a charm for Thai to keep Sanguina from finding him. I can protect him, even if I can’t help Henry. Could Cy and I have your permission to search the caves for the crystals?”

“With the increase in attacks in Arden from the Fractus these days, I can’t send you alone.”

“I understand,” Valerie said, her face falling in disappointment.

“So I’ll have to come with you! I’ve had my share of experience getting out of sticky situations. I’ll make sure that we stay off the Fractus’s radar,” Dulcea said, bringing the tray of cherries over and giving one to Valerie.

“Thank you!” Valerie said, popping a cherry into her mouth. She shut her eyes as the chocolate melted on her tongue. It tasted rich and milky at the same time, making her tongue sing. “You make the best treats in the universe, without a doubt. And it’s nice that you included the cherry, too—it’s the first Earth-food I’ve had since I’ve been here.”

“Now that I know you’re from Earth, I’ll make sure we have some food you recognize at the dinner table.”

Valerie’s heart warmed at Dulcea’s thoughtfulness, and also with the knowledge that Dulcea viewed her as a little sister. Her dreams of having a family of her own were finally within reach.

“Not to be a party-pooper, but it’s time for lights out. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”

“I can’t wait. And Dulcea—thanks for everything.”

Valerie walked back to her room, relieved that the weight of her guilt wasn’t squeezing her heart. But before she could collapse into her bed, there was one more visit that she needed to make.

Quietly, so as not to wake Kanti, Valerie slipped into her bed and concentrated. In seconds, she was on a dark, deserted street on Earth, watching Thai peer around a corner.

“What’s going on?”

He whirled around, surprised, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Valerie had joined him. He motioned her to be quiet, and then hurried down an alley. It was strange to follow him, allowing her mind to effortlessly drift behind him without any effort required from her body.

“That stench is disgusting,” Thai said, making a face like he might gag. Valerie expanded her mind-to-mind connection with Thai, sharing his senses. She breathed in a nasty, familiar smell that filled her with dread.

“Venu. You have to get out of here!”

“Don’t you see? Sanguina might have sent him to find your brother. I have to stop him.”

“But if he sees you—”

“I can take care of myself. This time he won’t have the element of surprise.”

Valerie was about to argue when Thai tripped over a dark shape on the ground. A woman’s pained groan pierced the night. Thai rushed to her side and felt for her pulse. Yellowish-green slime dripped down her arm.

“I’ve got to get her to the hospital right away,” he said, squinting down the street to see if he could make out Venu’s enormous shoulders in the distance. Valerie could see nothing but shadows.

Thai dialed 9-1-1, and soon an ambulance rushed down the street, lights flashing. He turned to Valerie and said hurriedly, “You better get out of here. I have to explain to the paramedics that somehow she has poisonous frog venom in her system so they know how to treat her. The story is going to sound crazy—I don’t want to accidentally talk to you and have them think I’m nuts.”

“Okay,” she said reluctantly. “But when can I talk to you?”

“Come tomorrow night. Unless I find Venu’s trail, I’ll be in my tent at the Yosemite National Park. No one will be around to hear us talk.”

Then Thai turned to talk to the paramedics, who were rushing over with a stretcher, and Valerie let herself return to the Globe. Her heart was still thumping in her chest when she burrowed under the covers of her bed.