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

Chapter 29

Valerie didn't know how she would cope with her grief, stress, and guilt had she not been focused beyond the now, thinking about the next step in her battle plan. She checked Elden's seed in her pocket at least once an hour, but it remained dormant. Waiting for the battle to begin was starting to seem like an acute form of torture, giving Valerie time to see all the holes in her plan.

"But you've also had the time to fix those holes," Cyrus argued when she told him what she was thinking.

"That's probably a better way to think about it," Valerie admitted.

They were on their way to the Society of Imaginary Friends to talk with Dulcea about her efforts in organizing the Conjurors from the guilds in Arden who were not willing to support the Fractus. Valerie also hoped she'd find Jack, because she had some questions for him about the time he spent working for Zunya.

"Do you think Dulcea wants to see me?" Valerie asked anxiously. "If she wants you to be the go-between, that's okay with me."

"It's not okay," Cyrus said. "We can play out grudges after this is over. No one wants to live in a world ruled by the Fractus. You both need to get over yourselves until this battle is finished."

Valerie nodded uncertainly as they reached the doors of the Guild. Cyrus pushed them open confidently, and Valerie wondered if he'd broken the news to his friends at the Society yet that he'd be switching to the Weapons Guild.

"Is Cara safe?" Valerie asked, changing the subject. "She's banned from the voting, so why isn't she here?"

Cyrus gave her a half-grin. "She decided it was time to stop being a chicken and to talk to Mom and Dad. She's in Messina as we speak."

"You must be relieved that she won't be here for the battle."

"Her chances of survival might be higher if she was here," Cyrus joked, but Valerie could see beneath it that he was deeply relieved.

They weren't taking their usual path to Dulcea's office.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Dulcea's set up in the Grand Master's office now that Rastelli's in jail," Cyrus explained. "At first, she didn't want to move into his space, but when it didn't look like a replacement would be found any time soon, she finally agreed."

Cyrus led her to an enormous trampoline painted with the number "22."

"Do what I do," he said with a grin.

Cyrus jumped a couple of times and then shot upward, twenty-two stories and stepped lightly onto a waiting mat. Then he gestured to Valerie to follow.

She stepped onto the trampoline and jumped, air whipping through her hair and clothes as floor after floor whizzed by and she was shot almost to the top of the building. When she approached the twenty-second floor, she slowed down, and it was easy to step onto the mat that was waiting there. Cyrus also had his hand stretched out, and his eyes glinted a little.

"Come on, not even a smile?" he asked.

Valerie tried to force one, because she knew Cyrus was trying to cheer her up. He knew how much she loved thrilling new experiences, and he obviously wanted to give her a moment of fun in all of the craziness. He pulled her in for a quick hug.

"It will get better," he whispered in her ear before pulling her toward a door covered in kids' handprints in different colors.

"Rastelli had the door specially made, before he went nuts, of course," Cyrus said a little sadly. "All the novices get to put their handprints on the door when they become apprentices."