Edge of Pathos (The Conjurors Series Book 4) (19 page)

Sibyl sent Valerie
and her team back to Arden equipped with plenty of supplies, so the trek back
wasn’t arduous. Valerie and Cerise walked with Claremont and Mira to the edge
of Arden, where they would part ways.

“A word, Valerie,”
Mira said, pulling her a little away from the others. “The Knights in the Fractus
who wish to fight for the Fist are growing restless. When will you give your
order for them to turn against Reaper?”

“I think about
asking those Knights to join us every day,” Valerie said. “We are desperate for
soldiers. But my instincts are telling me that Reaper is planning something,
and with his discovery of Carne in Plymouth, he’s already at an advantage.
Knowing I have Knights acting as spies, ready to turn if he attacks, is the
only weapon in my arsenal that he doesn’t know about.”

Mira nodded slowly.
“I will tell the Knights to be patient, and to listen for whispers of Reaper’s
plans. They will be willing to wait a little longer, since it is you who asks
it.”

Then Claremont and
Mira returned the way they’d come, through Arden’s roller coaster system. Thai
went with them because it was the quickest way back to his guild.

Valerie and Cerise
returned to the cities in the trees so that Valerie could meet with leaders and
visit Elden.

The walk back was
quiet for a long time.

“Did you find what
you were looking for in the Roaming City?” Valerie finally asked.

She turned to
examine Cerise’s face, only noticing now how pale and withdrawn she was.

“I found an answer,
but it was not the one I sought,” Cerise said.

“What do you mean?”
Valerie asked, stopping in her tracks.

Cerise stopped
walking and turned to face her.

“The People of the
Woods have their own prophets, and one has foreseen my end,” Cerise said.

Valerie couldn’t
process what Cerise was saying.

“A prophecy says
you’re going to die? Those things never mean what you think they do,” Valerie
said, gripping Cerise’s shoulder.

“Our prophets are
not like the Oracles. They do not speak in riddles, and they are never wrong.
But to be sure, I went to the Roaming City to see if an Oracle could show me
another path, but the Oracle who had words for me offered no hope.”

“Maybe your prophet
thought you’d die by that weapon that Putrefus’s friend threw, and now you’re
safe,” Valerie argued.

Cerise shook her
head. “Death stalks the People of the Woods differently than other Conjurors.
We live many centuries, but when death makes up his mind to come for us, he is
relentless. I have lived longer than you could guess from my features. I would
not dodge my fate, but for Emin. To be gifted with a child so late in life, and
to leave him so soon… My heart cannot bear it.”

A silver tear fell
down Cerise’s cheek and onto the ground. A little bud popped out from where it
landed. Valerie watched in awe, and Cerise gave her a shaky smile.

“New life can be made
so easily, but just as easily it can be taken away. Thrice now death has aimed
his arrow at my heart, and thrice he has missed. The next time, he will not
fail. I must prepare my son.”

“I’ll watch over
him, Cerise,” Valerie said. “I know what it is to be an orphan, and it is true
that it can be lonely. But I will make sure Emin always has a family, in ties
of love if not blood.”

“Thank you,
vivicus,” Cerise whispered. “Emin is not completely accepted by my people
because his father, now dead, was human. I know his uncle would take him in as
a true son, but I do not know if Elden will ever recover, much less be able to
take on raising a young boy.”

For the rest of the
walk back to Arbor Aurum, Cerise and Valerie talked of Emin’s future,
personality, and how to help him through his grief if his mother fell. It was
the strangest conversation Valerie ever had.

When they parted,
Valerie forced herself to school her emotions, knowing that Cerise would not
appreciate her pity.

“I still don’t
believe this prophecy can’t be stopped,” Valerie said. “But if it’s true, you
have the chance to say goodbye to Emin, and that is something. I know from
experience.”

“There is a rising
storm of darkness hurtling toward me even now,” Cerise said, her eyes empty.

Whether
Cerise liked it or not, Valerie couldn’t help hugging her. A bit of warmth
returned to Cerise’s eyes, and Valerie decided that was how she’d remember her.

The chill of her
conversation with Cerise had unsettled Valerie, but when she returned to her
garden, the dread that had followed her eased.

“Clarabelle?” she
whispered.

The baby unicorn
emerged from behind the big tree in the garden. Everywhere her hooves touched,
flowers bloomed. Azra and Summer were a few paces behind.

We had to see you. Clarabelle
insisted, and her will overrules mine, I’m afraid.

“Children should
never rule the home,” Summer said with a sniff, but when she looked at
Clarabelle, it was clear that she was also in love with the tiny unicorn.

Clarabelle nuzzled
Valerie’s side until she gave in and dropped to her knees to cuddle her
properly.

“It’s not that I
don’t want to see you. But it’s more dangerous for you to be near me now than
ever,” Valerie said.

We will be brief,
though not because Clarabelle fears danger. She has found a role for herself in
the Fist.

“What? Promise me
you’re not anywhere near the fighting!” Valerie said, staring into Clarabelle’s
sky-blue eyes.

“I would never allow
it!” Summer said indignantly.

Little pinging
sounds of reassurance bounced around in Valerie’s mind from Clarabelle, and she
relaxed a little.

Some of Reaper’s
soldiers are leaving the Fractus. They wish to develop their powers, rather
than have any more of Reaper’s “gifts” of power from your brother. I am
coaching Clarabelle on how to help Conjurors call forth their latent magic.

“How did they find
you?” Valerie asked.

One of these
ex-Fractus, Blake, was searching for me. Clarabelle heard his call and found
him. He has brought others that we can trust.

“That makes me
nervous. Both times I met Blake, he tried to kill me,” Valerie said. But she
remembered her encounters with the breakable Fractus, and he had never seemed
truly evil.

I defer to my
daughter’s judgment.
Azra’s tone was affectionate, and she nuzzled Clarabelle.

“Blake has brought
no one who could defeat me in battle. I stand guard at every meeting with these
ex-Fractus, I assure you,” Summer said, and Valerie gave her a grateful smile.

“Could Clarabelle
help humans develop their magic, as well?” Valerie asked, her excitement rising.

Everyone has a spark
of magic within them that can be developed with time and effort. It would be
more work for humans, but in time, their magic would blossom.

“There’s
someone I want you all to meet.”

Valerie brought Dr.
Freeman to the Globe, rather than bringing Clarabelle, Azra, and Summer to his
home on Earth. Summer was dozing in the sun while Azra and Clarabelle gently
grazed in the grass.

Dr. Freeman stared
for a long time, drinking in the sight.

“I have no words,”
he said at last.

“I know what you
mean,” Valerie said, allowing the sunshine in her garden to warm up her heart.

Clarabelle
approached shyly, but soon, she was nuzzling Dr. Freeman like they were old
friends as Valerie explained his mission to Azra.

“Do you think you
and Clarabelle could help him? If he identifies people with more magic than the
average human, wouldn’t it be easier for them to develop their powers with
Clarabelle’s help?”

Clarabelle’s excited
noises pinged Valerie’s mind.

My daughter is
saying it would be our honor.

The rest of the day
was spent making plans, but it was the sweetest afternoon Valerie had enjoyed
in many months. When the day’s light disappeared from the Globe, Azra,
Clarabelle, and Summer returned to wherever they were hiding on Earth, and Dr.
Freeman went home.

Valerie didn’t
immediately check in with Chisisi, instead falling backward onto the grass to
stare up at the pattern of stars now blazing in the sky.

At
first, she bathed in the afterglow of peace that Clarabelle had left behind,
but then, her heart unaccountably began to pound, and her palms grew sweaty.
She barely registered that these sensations weren’t her own before she was
roughly yanked into Henry’s mind.

Henry’s fear and
guilt were a storm within him, robbing him of the strength to move. And he had
to move, because Reaper was standing next to him.

“If you accept what
I know to be true, then you can release all of your guilt. Your help arming the
Fractus is creating a better future for humans and Conjurors,” Reaper said, his
voice hypnotic.

Valerie recognized
the perfect reflection of the pool of water Henry was staring at. He was in
Babylon. She leaped to her feet and began running in his direction, but the
force pushing them apart was too strong.

“Don’t listen to
him, Henry,” she shouted, hoping he could hear her through their connection.

But though his mind
was open to her, she didn’t think her voice could penetrate the wall of his
pain.

“Leave me or kill
me,” Henry said, still staring out at the lake.

His voice was dull,
in contrast to the pain raging within him. Valerie doubted even Reaper guessed
at what was inside Henry.

“We had a deal and
you broke it,” Reaper said, changing tacks. “Your girlfriend lives, unharmed,
but your debt remains. I will come to collect.”

Valerie saw
what was in Henry’s mind then. If he was dead, Reaper would have no reason to
come after anyone he loved.

“No, Henry! That’s
an excuse you’re telling yourself,” Valerie screamed. “You want to escape all
that pain, and I understand. But we need you. I need you!”

Valerie
was running to the Healers’ Guild now. She couldn’t get to Henry herself, but
Thai would find him. She crashed into trees and shrubs as her vision flickered
between the forest she ran through and Babylon, where Henry stood on a
precipice with Reaper.

“Henry?” Reaper’s
tone had changed subtly, as if he knew he might have pushed him too far.

Valerie never
thought that her greatest enemy might help her, but now, she hoped he would do
anything other than kill Henry, or let Henry kill himself.

“There’s nothing
more for you here,” Henry said tonelessly.

“That’s not
completely true, is it?” Reaper asked. “There is one thing I still owe you.”

Henry turned to
Reaper, and Valerie saw his calculating smirk.

“What’s that?” Henry
asked.

“Zunya. Didn’t you
wish to kill him yourself?”

A flame ignited in
Henry. Valerie almost cried with relief that he was feeling something other
than self-loathing.

“It’s you I ought to
kill! Zunya’s your henchman. He was acting on your orders when he killed my
dad. And you killed Oberon yourself!”

Magic pulsed out of
Henry, and it hit Reaper squarely in his chest. He flew backward, slamming into
a loose stone. Reaper touched his forehead, shock replacing his usual smirk at
the sight of blood on his fingertips.

Then Reaper’s face
twisted, and Henry was upside-down, hanging in the air. He screamed as Reaper
began to dissolve him, starting with his back.

Valerie
shared his pain, but not his reaction to it. She was horrified, but Henry
embraced it as what he deserved. He was relieved that he would die in battle,
rather than by his own hand.

“Fight back! Henry,
you have to fight back!”

Valerie stumbled
into the Healers’ Guild.

“Thai! Someone find
Thai!” she shouted.

Footsteps
raced as Valerie collapsed in the entryway.

With a pulse of
power, Henry mentally shoved Reaper backward and dropped to the ground as
Reaper’s magical hold on him released. Now, Henry’s rage fueled his magic, and
Reaper struggled to move toward him. From where he crouched, Henry raised a
pebble in the air, and it shot through the space between him and his attacker.
It would have lodged in Reaper’s heart if Reaper hadn’t reoriented Henry’s
world at that moment, shifting his perspective by ninety degrees.

But the stone did
tear through Reaper’s flesh, ripping a hole in his arm.

“I killed the last
man who drew my blood,” Reaper seethed. “My father couldn’t stop me once I
embraced my magic, and neither can you.”

“Please run, Henry,”
Valerie said, but she was hopeless. She loved him so much, and she was terrified
that she was about to watch as Reaper killed the last blood tie she had in the
universe.