Part 12 (1/2)

I want to say goodbye, since I wont see my parents and my brothers and sisters for a while. Ive missed them. I wish I could tell them whats going on.

Maybe someday, you will. Obviously, theres magic in your family. Maybe theyll understand.

Thais face darkened. I hope this doesnt happen to any of them. I want them to have normal lives.

She watched his mouth tense with worry, and wished that she could touch his face and smooth the worry away. Its so good to see you.

Thais face softened. I know. Its not the same without you. No one to get me into trouble.

Ill be back soon. Tell Chisisi I said good-bye.

Bye, Valerie, Thai said.

She concentrated and let her mind be pulled back to the Globe. It wasnt until she sat on her own bed that she realized she had forgotten to ask him what he thought about choosing between the Guardians and the Knights. Shed have to visit him again tomorrow, she thought with a sleepy smile.

That night, she didnt fall asleep as soon as she lay down. She loved the Globe, and she knew that this was where she finally belonged, but something was missing. She wondered if she would always feel like a piece of her was still on Earth, at Thais side.

Chapter 20.

In the middle of the night, for no apparent reason, Valerie suddenly awoke from a deep sleep. It was almost as if a fire alarm inside her head had gone off. A feeling of panic seared through her like a flash of lightning, and she sat up straight in her bed, ready for an emergency. She wondered what in the world had woken her. Everything was as it should be in her room, and there was no sound other than Kantis soft, even breathing.

Then, without warning, the room faded before her eyes, and she saw the white walls of a strange closet, where she was curled in a ball, shaking. Instantly, she knew that she was in one of her visions like the ones she had on Earth when she was unconscious. But this time was different”she hadnt fainted, and she was still awake and conscious. If she concentrated, she could even feel her soft sheets clutched in her hands. This knowledge grounded her and allowed her to watch the scene unfold more objectively than she ever witnessed it before.

She heard Sanguinas voice, low and threatening. Where are you? Hiding? She popped into view, her face inches away. Valerie screamed.

You swore that you would stay away after I helped you last time!

You know by now that I will never let you go, Henry, Sanguina said, shaking her head as if she was disappointed. Im always here. And like always, I wont leave until you give me what I want.

No! Get away from me! Go!

Valerie was confused. Why was Sanguina calling her Henry? She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror that was hanging on the door of the closet. But instead of her own face, she saw the face of a boy about her age. His black hair was oddly streaked with gray. His eyes were wide with fear, and his entire body was quaking with dread. He was terrified of what Sanguina would do to him, Valerie thought.

We need another monster, and youre the only one who can give it to us. And if you dont”

Valerie, wake up! Kanti was shaking her, and Valeries vision faded away. For the first time, she didnt feel weak and helpless, drained by her vision as she did on Earth. She was as strong as ever, and she had the power to save Henry.

It wasnt me! All along, in my visions, it wasnt me that Sanguina was after! I was seeing through the eyes of Henry. Thats why Sanguina didnt understand when I asked her why she haunted my dreams. But what does she want with Henry? she wondered.

What are you talking about? Are you even awake? Kanti asked, and then started to shake her again.

Valerie snapped back to the present, where Kanti watched her with genuine concern, and made a decision. Maybe it was important for her past to be a secret from almost everyone, but Kanti had shown Valerie nothing but kindness and deserved to know the truth about where she was from. Besides, she needed to talk about this right now. She was so close to solving this puzzle; she couldn't let it slip away.

Im awake, Kanti. I need to tell you something. And youre gonna want to sit down for this, Valerie said.

Kanti sat, and Valerie told her story from the beginning. Kanti listened without interrupting, her jaw dropping further and further with every new detail. At the end, Valerie told her about her vision.

So it means that all along, my visions were real! And now theres a boy on Earth being terrorized by Sanguina. Its awful, Kanti. Hes my age, but his hair is already turning gray! It must be from Sanguina and her monsters terrorizing him every night.

Upon hearing this last detail, Kanti, who until now had been quietly absorbing everything Valerie told her, began to tremble violently.

It cant be! No, hes not my Henry! My Henry is dead.

Thats a pretty common name on Earth.

Yes, it was what you said about his hair”my Henrys hair was turning gray, too, from the time he was three and his mother died.

Shock reverberated through Valerie. But what were the odds?

No matter who he is, we have to find him and save him, she said, realizing for the first time the impact of what she had discovered. All of the horror that she had experienced when she was unconscious, Henry dealt with all the time. Its a miracle that he didnt die from the strain of being so terrified all the time. I dont think I could have survived it. The visions of Sanguina alone almost killed me. We have to find her. If she had to search every corner of the Globe, she would find Sanguina and stop her.

I have to go to the Guild and tell them about this right away. Theyll know what to do, Kanti said, already changing into her jeans.

Will anyone be there in the middle of the night?

Sure. Kids call on their imaginary friends at all hours, so theres always a supervisor on duty in case an apprentice needs help, Kanti replied. Want to come with me?

Valerie slowly shook her head. I want to try to remember more about my visions. Maybe it will give us clues to where Henry is, or where we can find Sanguina. Until tonight, I didnt know that it wasnt me experiencing those things. All that time, I was being pulled into Henrys mind. But why me?

Kanti shook her head. Before she left, she gave Valerie a quick hug. Thank you for telling me, for trusting me.

After Kanti left, Valerie decided that she didnt want to stay in her bed any longer. The s.p.a.cious room suddenly seemed stifling. She needed fresh air to clear her head.

She wandered the winding streets, not paying attention to where her feet led her. She was lost in her thoughts, trying to remember what Sanguina had said to her in the past. It always seemed as if she was coming to get something from her”from Henry, she corrected herself. What could that hag possibly want from a child?

She had reached the edge of town, and the shadowy forest loomed up in front of her. Somewhere deep in the trees, moonlight glinted on water. The mesmerizing sight seemed to call to her, slowly drawing her in. Without thinking, she made her way through the woods.

The water was farther away than she thought, and she walked for a long time before the trees opened up to reveal a clearing with a sparkling lake in the middle. She knelt at the waters edge and drank deeply. The water glittered in her hands, as if there were sparkles inside.

Satisfied, she looked up. She saw the white form of a unicorn against the trees. Azra nodded at her solemnly, her horn glinting in the moonlight.

I know what has happened, Valerie. The boy in your visions is real, and he is in great danger. Sanguina is in league with the Fractus, maybe even leading them. For some reason, they need Henry. For what, Im afraid to ask, Azra said, and the depth of her concern flooded through Valeries mind.

How do you know all this?

The water in this lake connects to the endless ocean of Illyria, and is therefore extraordinary. Have you ever heard of the Akas.h.i.+c Records?

Valerie shook her head.

It is all of the knowledge of the universe. Every thought, every feeling, every event that has ever happened has been recorded for all eternity in the depths of Illyria. And as time progresses, more and more of the story of the universe is written.

Like a giant underwater library, Valerie said, leaning forward so that she could stare into the water.