Part 3 (2/2)

Valerie peeked inside her bag and saw that Thai wasnt kidding. Hed packed everything from a lightweight sleeping bag to what looked like an extremely fancy, technical pair of sungla.s.ses covered in b.u.t.tons and dials. She pulled the gla.s.ses out and started to try them on.

Put them away! And be careful, those night vision goggles were not easy to get.

Unbelievable. I cant wait until we get to use these! But how will I ever pay you back for all this?

Whatever, its a gift, he said gruffly. Oh, and youll need this, he added as he handed her a pa.s.sport.

How did you manage to get this?

Those Conjurors have a few tricks up their sleeves. And good thing, too, or wed never get out of here. Now lets go. Our flight to England is in two hours.

England. Thats where the launch site is? Valerie asked, feeling a little embarra.s.sed that she hadnt bothered to find out before.

Not exactly, Cyrus said, suddenly popping into view next to Thai, who jumped about a foot in surprise.

Dont do that! Thai growled.

Sorry, champ, Cyrus said with a smirk. Before Thai could reply, Cyrus turned to Valerie. The launch site is in Giza, inside the Great Pyramid.

Her eyes widened. Then whats in England, exactly?

You have to go there and take a test to prove your magic.

Her mind whirled, trying to take in so much new information at once. Prove my magic? What am I going to have to do? What if I dont pa.s.s the test? Will I have to go back to a foster home again?

Dont be such a worrier, Val. Youre bursting with magic, so Im sure youll pa.s.s with flying colors. When you do, youll get a message that will show you the next step to the launch room inside the Great Pyramid.

She didnt feel rea.s.sured. What if Cyrus was totally wrong about her and she failed the test? She still found it a little hard to believe that there could be anything magical inside of her. But shed come this far; there was no way she was turning back now.

Enough chit chat. You zap out of here, pal. Valerie and I have a flight to catch, Thai said to Cyrus, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.

Cyrus shot Thai an irritated glance and disappeared. Valerie stuffed the night vision goggles back into her new backpack and followed Thai to wait for the train. Her earlier jubilation at leaving the hospital was already starting to disappear as she worried about the hurdles ahead of her.

Suddenly, for no reason that she could explain, her worry transformed into a s.h.i.+ver of fear. For as long as she could remember, Valerie had always had a kind of sixth sense when danger was near, and now it lurked close by. Her eyes scanned the train station and fixated on a hulking figure standing in the shadows at the end of the platform.

His back was huge and muscular, and he was so tall that he would have dwarfed the people around him if it werent for the way he hunched over. His beady black eyes darted around the platform, and every few seconds, his Adams apple bulged in his throat, as if he was swallowing a huge bite of food.

Something about the man made her stomach churn, and Valerie had learned to trust her instincts about people. She felt as if all his attention was focused on her, and he would pounce on her if he could. But strangely, she couldnt put her finger on why she was so suspicious”he wasnt even looking at her.

She turned away, not wanting to stare, but Thai caught her gaze and followed it to the man in the shadows. His eyes narrowed. Ive seen him before. Thats not a face you forget. Stay close by. I want to make sure that we lose that creep.

Dont you think youre being a little paranoid? Valerie asked, but she was secretly glad that he was taking precautions.

Remember your promise and stay close, Thai commanded with a glare.

She nodded and kept her mouth shut. When the train arrived, Thai and Valerie stepped on board and stood near the door. The stranger boarded as well, several cars down.

But as the doors were closing, Thai yanked her out of the train with him. The doors almost shut on her backpack. Thai grinned, satisfied. He wont be catching up to us any time soon. That train isnt even going in our direction. See, I told you Id keep you safe. Thats why youve got to cooperate with me. No ha.s.sles.

Valerie wasnt entirely sure that shed needed protection in this case, but she decided not to say that, choosing a more diplomatic answer. Thanks”I do feel safe with you.

He nodded, satisfied. Good. You should.

A few minutes later, they boarded a train for the airport. One short train ride and quick bus trip later, Valerie stood for the first time in the bustling Oakland International Airport. Everything was new to her, from checking in for their flight using a touch screen computer to pa.s.sing through security. She almost laughed when they made her take off her shoes.

What do they think I could be hiding in my shoes? A killer case of athletes foot? she whispered to Thai. Instead of laughing, he glared at her again, making her feel like a silly kid.

Once they were past security, Thai hurried her through the terminal. Thai, slow down! Im missing everything!

With that, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along at top speed. By the time they reached the gate, their flight was already boarding.

Perfect timing, Thai said smugly as he and Valerie joined the long line of people waiting to board the plane.

I guess, she said breathlessly. But I wish there was time to look around a little. Its my first time in an airport.

Listen, kid. This is no Sat.u.r.day afternoon trip to the mall with your little friends, he hissed. I timed it this way on purpose. I dont want us hanging around anywhere for too long. You never know, the wrong people might notice us.

Get over yourself, Thai. Its not like youre escorting the president, she retorted.

Yeah? Well, one thing Ive learned is that you never know what can happen. I mean, would you have guessed a month ago that youd be taking a trip through the universe to a magic Thai stopped short and looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.

To you know where? he continued. Lifes full of surprises. Some are good, some are bad. Besides, I know for a fact that those evil Conjurors”the Fractus”like to mess with humans. Theyre causing a lot of problems on the Globe right now. I hear that they want to come back to Earth and take control of the whole planet. And youve got to know that if the Conjurors have people like me to help them out on Earth, the Fractus surely have people doing their evil bidding, too.

The smile vanished from Valeries face. But I dont think theyd be coming after me. Im n.o.body. But her words rang false, even to her. After all, why wouldnt Sanguina and Yellow-Eyes leave her alone?

You dont know that. You dont know what kind of magic youre capable of.

His comment startled her. He didnt seem to have any doubt that she had magic power. At last, they reached the front of the line, distracting Valerie from her thoughts. The flight attendant took their tickets with a smile. In minutes, they were on the plane searching for their seats. It was smaller than she had imagined, and her heart thumped a little harder at the thought of being stuck in there for hours. Sweat p.r.i.c.kled under her arms and she hoped that Thai didnt notice.

You take the window seat. Its pretty cool to look out when we take off, Thai said as he stuffed their bags into the overhead compartment. He tossed her a pair of headphones and a copy of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Its a long flight, and I thought you might want something to keep you busy.

I love this book! Maybe Ill pick up some tips for my trip to the Globe, Valerie said with a grin as she and Thai buckled themselves into their seats.

Its one of my favorites, too. Sometimes I feel like the hero in that book, Arthur Dent. Its like the entire universe is opening up before my eyes, but at the same time, its so sad because the world as I once knew it is gone.

She wanted to ask him what he meant, but a sudden rumbling beneath her distracted her, and then the plane catapulted forward. Unthinking, she grabbed Thais arm. It was warm and solid, and something about his nearness made her heart beat faster.

Dont worry. Youre safer here than you are in a car. Relax and enjoy the ride, Thai said, his voice gentle for the first time.

The plane sped down the runway, and the seat beneath her shuddered. Was that supposed to happen? Out the window, the airport sped past, a white blur against the blue sky. Unexpectedly, the shuddering stopped, and she realized that it was because the plane had lifted off the ground. They were airborne. The knowledge exhilarated her, and her fear vanished. It was incredible how this huge hunk of metal holding hundreds of people could fly seemingly weightless through the sky.

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