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

Chapter 13

Valerie knew what her next step should be, and she was glad that Henry was distracted by his activities at the Empathy Collective. He was talking to the Grand Master of his Guild, Dasan, about psychic tactics that could be used to locate his dad.

Kanti and Cyrus were in their dorm cafeteria, poring over maps of Arden's woods, when Valerie found them.

"We've been over this ground a dozen times. Babylon isn't there," Kanti said, flashing a brief but dazzling smile when Valerie approached.

"It's time to talk to someone who can break whatever spell must be cast over Babylon to hide it," Cyrus said. "I have some contacts in the Charm Guild I'll talk to next."

Cyrus pulled Valerie close to his side and buried his face in her neck, breathing deeply. He still had an extra glow about him, as if being touched by a vivicus had increased how much light he attracted.

"Missed you," he said. "Please tell me you came here for a break and we're all going to the beach. Messina has some great ones."

"Better. I'm here because I need to do some breaking and entering, and I don't want to do it alone," Valerie said, grinning as Cyrus's face lit up.

"Anything that gets us away from these maps," Kanti agreed. "Whose privacy are we violating?"

"Oleander's," Valerie said. "Well, the Guardians of the Boundary, really."

"I like this plan already," Kanti said.

"Azra said that Oleander can't get into Midnight's office to learn the location of the Byways due to magic that only allows those with unselfish motives to enter," Valerie explained.

"It's more complicated than that," Cyrus interrupted. "Midnight told me once that the person also has to have the potential to be a true Guardian Grand Master. We're as locked out as Oleander."

"We have to try," Valerie said. "Even if we can't get into Midnight's office, maybe we'll learn more of Oleander's plan to get the guilds to support the Fractus."

"Less talking, more walking," Kanti said, rolling up the maps and heading out the door.

Cyrus led them around the back of the guild buildings that faced the forest of Arden, rather than straight through The Horseshoe, so that they were less likely to be spotted.

From the back, the Guardians of the Boundary Guild was even more gothic than it appeared from the front. An enormous stained-glass window depicting Earth and the Globe connected by a thread took up a huge portion of the back wall.

"That must be beautiful from the inside when the sunlight pours in," Kanti said. "But only Guardians are allowed far enough into the building to see it."

"Any thoughts on how to get in undetected?" Valerie asked. "It's not really breaking and entering if we walk through the front door."

Cyrus was examining the building closely, his eyes flicking over the surface of the walls.

"Do you guys see how the light refracts differently on the lowest pane of the stained glass?" he asked.

Valerie squinted, but nothing looked out of place to her.

"There," Cyrus pointed, and a beam of light shot out of his finger to a spot on a large, red pane of glass.

Valerie's eyes widened. She'd seen Cyrus do amazing things with light, but it had never burst out of him before.

Cyrus turned his hand over, staring at it like he'd never seen it before. "I thought my powers had stopped growing years ago."

Kanti glanced at Valerie. "Maybe this has to do with... recent events."