Part 18 (1/2)

I wonder why we found it now, Cyrus mused.

Valerie noticed that between the flowers, a set of stairs wound their way up to the top tier. Despite the urgency of her mission, she had to see where they led. She quickly ascended the steps, and the sight when she reached the top made the detour worth it. An enormous waterfall rushed down into a pool surrounded by trees with leaves in every color imaginable. The leaves were reflected in the pool, turning the water into a liquid mix of colors.

Valerie heard Cyrus shout, and then he came running past her and cannonballed into the water below. Seconds later, he bobbed to the surface, laughing. Its warm, like bathwater! You guys have to jump in!

You dont have to ask me twice! Dulcea said, following him into the water with a splash.

I guess youve found your inner child, Valerie laughed.

Come on, Val!

I cant swim, she said. But then she spotted a small dirt path that wound down the side of the waterfall to the bottom, and she hurried down it. When she was almost at the bottom, she saw that behind the rus.h.i.+ng waterfall was a small cavern. Carefully, she inched closer, and slid past the waterfall without falling in, getting thoroughly drenched with spray in the process.

Inside, the cavern was dim, the only light coming through the pounding water that rushed past. At first, she thought it was empty, but then she noticed someone standing at the back. Her heart pounded.

Hi, Im Valerie. Sorry to bother you.

The person didnt move a muscle. She stepped closer and realized that it wasnt a person, but a statue of a female warrior, looking as if she was about to draw her sword from the sheath that hung at her side. Looking closer, Valerie noticed that the sheath was empty, and the womans hand was closing around air. Had the statues sword been stolen? The womans face had a fierce expression, her eyes narrowed and her body tense, ready to fight.

Valerie wondered why someone would put such an intricate statue behind a waterfall where no one would see it. She touched the statues hand, and a strange feeling ran through her, reminding her of when she had touched the face at Stonehenge and the Sphinxs paw. Did this statue guard a secret, too?

Valerie, where are you? Dulcea called, worry in her voice.

She hurried out from behind the waterfall. In the bright suns.h.i.+ne, she recalled her goal for the day, and was ashamed of being so distracted from her quest. Every day that went by was another chance for Sanguina to find Thai and tell Venu where he was. Or worse, Sanguina could create a charm of her own and she would never see Thai again.

Hey, guys, we should go find the caves. Didnt you say it could take days to find the right kind of crystal, Cyrus?

Yeah, Cyrus said, reluctantly getting out of the water and wringing out his clothes. But when we come back here, Im teaching you to swim.

It was only after they were tramping through the woods that Valerie thought of the statue behind the waterfall. But neither Cyrus nor Dulcea had heard anything about any statues or art in Babylon. Something about the woman tugged at her mind, and she promised herself that after this was all over, she would go back and discover what secrets the statue guarded.

When they reached the caves, tucked inside of a rocky hill, Cyrus and Dulcea explained what kind of crystal they needed to make the charm. It had to be at least the size of a walnut, and perfectly clear, without a single speck or deformity that could twist the spell to make it do something that it shouldnt.

Inside, the caves were dark and damp. Valerie had imagined that they would be beautiful, covered wall to wall with glittering crystals, but instead, they were eerie inside, the crystals sending light slanting in strange ways, sometimes blinding her. The work was tedious. They had to gently wipe away a layer of muck on top of each crystal to see if it looked promising. If it seemed to be clear from deformities, they gently pried it free with their fingers and took it outside to examine it more closely.

After hours of searching, they still hadnt found any perfect crystals, and they decided to split up, each taking a different cave. The caves were close enough that they could call to each other if they ran into trouble.

Valerie worked quickly and methodically in the mouth of the caves. The repet.i.tive nature of the task allowed her mind to finally relax for the first time since she had heard her prophecy from Pythia. Without realizing why, she wandered out of the cave into the woods. At first, she didnt think about where she was going, but after she had walked for several minutes, a part of her mind pestered her, questioning where she was going and insisting that she shouldnt leave without telling Dulcea and Cyrus.

She knew she had to turn back, but somehow she couldnt make her body obey her directions. It was as if someone had seized control of her mind and was forcing her to body to do things that she didnt want it to. Panic rose inside of her as she struggled to regain control of herself. Her breathing became rapid, and she started to shake. Something was very wrong.

Her feet led her farther and farther away from her friends, and she worried that they would never find her now. Finally, her body slowed down, stopping at the entrance to a crystal cave much like the one she had left. Dread made her stomach sink, and she struggled with all of her mental might to stop herself from entering the cave. But it was a fight she lost, as her body entered the shadowy cave against her will. As she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, she fell to her knees.

You were warned what would happen if you came here, Sanguina said, advancing closer and glaring down at Valerie, her face filled with contempt. You dared to suggest when we last met that I was afraid of you. But I could never fear someone so pathetic and weak. You cant even protect yourself, much less your friends.

Anger flared up in Valerie, giving her a burst of energy that enabled her to break free of the mental restraint that had stopped her from controlling her own body and stand before her tormentor. Youre wrong! she shouted, surprising Sanguina by hitting her squarely in the knees with a sweep kick, sending her cras.h.i.+ng to the ground.

But Sanguina moved even faster than Gideon, and before Valerie could make another move, she attacked, her punches and kicks coming so rapidly that Valerie couldnt stop some of her blows from coming into painful contact with her neck, arm, and finally her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

It was different from any fight that Valerie had ever had”even though she was using her power to its fullest, she was hopelessly out of her league. Sanguina was stronger and faster, and she couldnt even defend herself, much less go on the offense. No sooner had Valerie realized this than Sanguina grabbed hold of her mind and she was unable to control her body again. Sanguina forced her to fall to her knees.

Really? Thats all there is to your magic? Sanguina sneered. Now its time for you to feel the full force of my power. I will make you crawl, grovel, and beg for me to end your life. Sanguina smacked Valerie across the face so hard that her ears rang and blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth. She didnt even have enough power over her own body to wipe the blood away.

The horror that she experienced was beyond anything that she had ever known before. She was broken inside, completely at Sanguinas mercy. She had failed them all”Henry, Thai, Cyrus, Azra. She was no match for Sanguina. How could she have ever wanted to fight her? Somewhere deep inside, hadnt she known that defeat was inevitable? She was n.o.body, just a little girl that no one wanted, and for good reason. She brought nothing to those she loved except misery.

Never. Cross. Me. After each word, Sanguina hit Valerie across the face again and again. The last of Valeries mental defenses crumbled, and her hold on her consciousness started to slip. She looked forward to the oblivion that pa.s.sing out would bring.

But before she succ.u.mbed, the cave filled with a bright light that reflected off of all the crystals. Through her blurry eyes, Valerie saw Sanguinas shriveled lips open wide as she shrieked and retreated into the dark depths of the cave.

Val, are you okay? Cyrus asked, his voice seeming very far away.

Grab her and lets get out of here! Dulcea said, and Valerie was lifted into Cyruss arms before she gave in to the blackness tugging on her mind.

Chapter 29.

Is she awake yet? Valerie heard Cyrus ask.

Not yet, Dulcea said, sounding worried and exhausted. But I think shes stirring.

Not yet ready to face the waking world, Valerie reached for unconsciousness, hoping for the relief of oblivion for a little longer. But no such luck. With every pa.s.sing second, she became more and more awake as the pain radiating through her body refused to let her slip away. She struggled to open her eyes, which were swollen. Her entire face must be twice its normal size.

When she opened her eyes part way, the world looked hazy, as if everything was slightly out of focus. She was in a long room filled with beds, reminding her of the Oakland Childrens Hospital, but without the insistent beeping of machines. She had never been so tired and beaten down in her life. This was even worse than the many times she had awakened, weak and alone, after one of her fainting episodes back on Earth. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered Dr. Freemans calm voice telling her that everything would be okay. A tear slipped free of her lashes.

Cyrus hurried to her side. Finally! You scared us. Youve been out for more than a day.

Dulcea bent down to briefly cup Valeries face, her wide eyes filled with worry. We were scared Sanguina put you under some kind of spell to make you sleep.

I knew you guys shouldnt have gone without me! Kantis said indignantly. Valerie a.s.sumed she was the blurry shape sitting on the end of the bed. I would have been on the lookout and none of this would have happened.

The weight that lay heavy on her heart lifted a little. It was nice to awaken from unconsciousness surrounded by friends instead of machines. She tried to tell them she was glad that they were there, but the insides of her mouth were so bruised and swollen that the effort made her wince. Hadnt they heard of pain medication on the Globe yet?

Dont try to talk until youre healed, Cyrus said, bending close.

The smell of lilies filled the room, and Valerie heard the gentle clop of Azras hooves against the floor. I am so sorry that this has happened to you. But youll feel better soon; Im here to heal you. I couldnt do it until you were conscious again. Then she turned to a shadowy figure standing at the edge of the room. Oberon, you know what to do.

Oberon stepped forward, his eyes staring blankly at a spot above Valeries head. When shed first tripped over him on the street, she hadnt realized how tall he was. Now looming over her, his presence was overpowering, and she shrank away from him. Azra lowered her head, and Oberon touched her mane, feeling for her horn. When he found it, he said some words in a strange language. Azras horn vibrated, and the hum of magic filled the room. Then he grasped the horn and pulled it free from Azras forehead, leaving no mark behind. Valerie was horrified, and she wondered why none of the others moved to stop him. What was wrong with them?

Get away from her! Valerie said, her mouth filling with blood. She struggled to sit up, but Cyrus held her back.

Dont hurt yourself! Its okay, thats supposed to happen, Cyrus explained.

Dont be afraid. Im not hurt, Azra said, and her soothing voice in Valeries mind calmed her. My healing power is in my horn, but I need help to call it forth. Oberon has aided me many times. Hes a friend.

In Oberons hand, the horn looked like a cone-shaped cup, completely hollow inside. Valerie watched, mystified, as he held Azras horn in one hand and held his other hand open above the opening. The room hummed with magic, and condensation formed on his palm. The droplets of water increased in number, creating a pool of water that he channeled down his finger and into the empty horn.