The Society of Imaginary Friends (Book 1 of The Conjurors Series)

Chapter 31

While Jet and Chrome scouted ahead, Gideon led Valerie, Cyrus, and Kanti to the middle of The Horseshoe, where an enormous fountain of oversized, gem-cut flowers and stone fish spouting interlocking streams of water made a fantastic display. Gideon muttered a strange word, and the air around them became blurry.

"We have only a minute before the spell that is preventing people from seeing us wears off," he said.

"Most people don't ever learn the entrance to the Shortcut," Kanti whispered excitedly in Valerie's ear.

Before she could ask any questions, Gideon pulled on the stem of a beautiful giant rose that must have been cut from a single ruby. Then she heard a grinding sound, and the middle of the fountain swung aside, revealing steps that led down into darkness.

It was with a certain amount of trepidation that Valerie approached the entrance to the Shortcut. Imagining the small space and close walls that were waiting for her below, her fear swelled, threatening to upset her stomach. But before she became overwhelmed, she forced herself to get a grip. The last thing she wanted was for Gideon to think she was too weak to be a Knight.

When Valerie reached the bottom of the stairs, the sight that met her was a surprise. The steps opened up to a platform that looked over an enormous, glittering underground city a few hundred feet below them. Lights twinkled inside of little buildings made of granite, and Conjurors traveled down the streets in shallow, round buckets that whirred quietly as they swiftly took their passengers to their destinations. It was like entering another world.

"The Stone City," Cyrus said breathlessly. "It's real."

"Its true name is Plymouth. And of course it's real. What are they teaching you in school these days?" Gideon asked.

Valerie, confused, nudged Cyrus. He explained, "Plymouth is the name of the first city created on the Globe, before Conjurors created the weather system and all of the land masses you see today above ground. I was taught that the city had disappeared over the ages, but here it is."

"These Conjurors—the Groundlings—chose to stay and live beneath the surface. They asked to be sealed off from the struggles for power in the world above. In return for hiding the entrances and exits to their city, they allow Guild Masters to use these tunnels to travel in times of great emergencies," Gideon explained, gesturing to the network of clear tubes above their heads.

As spectacular as the underground city appeared, Valerie cringed at the thought of always living below the surface, never seeing the light of day. She noticed that she wasn't the only one who was more uncomfortable than impressed with Plymouth. Jet's and Chrome's eyes darted around, and their ears lay flat against their heads. Images of the rock ceiling crumbling, crushing them all and trapping them underground forever, flashed from the wolves minds to Valerie's, and she shuddered.

Noticing their discomfort, Gideon led the group to a circular platform like the ones the Groundlings were traveling on in the city below. The vehicle was several feet deep and filled with bright red cushions. They climbed in, and the platform immediately began to speed through the clear tubes as if it knew exactly where it was going.

Valerie, Cyrus, and Kanti huddled together, peering over the edge to admire the city whizzing by. They marveled at the underground world built entirely of stone. For hours, they pointed out different landmarks to each other that they could make out as they sped along, like a life-size rainbow made of gemstones and a castle cut out of the side of a sparkly pink and black granite mountain. But after awhile, the stone buildings began to blur, and Valerie sank back against the cushions, yearning to be above ground.

Jet and Chrome dozed on the floor, and images from their dreams occasionally flickered in her mind. The gentle rhythm of their breathing eventually put Cyrus and Kanti to sleep also. But not Valerie. She was restless. The image of Sanguina hovering over her, in complete control of her every move, kept her awake.