Knights of Light (The Conjurors Series Book 2) by Kristen Pham Page A

not sure I could live with myself.”
    “You do not understand
what it means to be a vivicus. It is a manifestation of magic that resides only
in one with a completely pure heart. That is why it is so rare, and why
everyone expects you to lead. It is impossible that you could lead us astray
through selfishness or corruption. You have honor.”
    “I can’t say for certain
how incorruptible I am, since I’ve never been tested. But even if what you say
is true, there’s no way I could ever lead other people. I can barely lead
myself.”
    “You have been tested.
You had the opportunity to justly destroy your greatest enemy, and instead you
saved her life,” Elden said.
    Valerie was surprised
that he had heard of her encounter with Sanguina. If the People of the Woods
knew, removed from the world up in their trees, then everyone must know.
    She shifted
uncomfortably, and Elden examined her closely. “I can see you are not ready to
accept this truth. But if the day comes when you are, you will have allies in
my people.”
    “Thank you,” she
murmured, not sure what else to say. “And thank you for your help and
protection.”
    He nodded in acknowledgment and farewell. She stepped
to the edge of the platform and thought about going down as Henry had, rung by
rung. But then she shrugged, sucked in a big gulp of air, and took a swan dive
into the fog.
    For several
heart-stopping moments, wind rushed past her, blowing her hair back and
stinging her eyes. But then she slowed, and the fog lifted. She was floating through
the air above Arden, heading gently to the surface. In the distance, she saw
the streets of Silva, which was the capital city in Arden, and knew that they
must be landing in a nearby forest. When her feet touched the ground, Henry was
waiting for her with a huge grin on his face.
    “That was incredible.
Let’s go back and do it again,” he joked. “Azra went on ahead. She said it was
urgent to inform the Guild Masters about the threat that Elden told us about—Reaper.
But we just have to follow this path back to the city, and she said you’d know the
way to the Society of Imaginary Friends dorm from there.”
    They headed down a well-worn
path through the trees and came out at the edge of The Horseshoe of Guilds. As
they approached the walkway, Valerie explained about the guilds, that each represented
a different profession, ranging from music to weaponry to being the imaginary
friend of children on Earth. Conjurors apprenticed to a guild when they were
young and learned their trade in order to give back to the community.
    “There’s the Society of Imaginary
Friends,” she said, pointing to the most interesting of the buildings.
Waterslides came out the window, and children chased each other through doors
and out windows, screaming with laughter. “That’s the guild where Cyrus and
Kanti are apprenticed.”
    “Speaking of Kanti,
let’s go find Cyrus to see if he’s heard anything more.”
    She led him through the
streets, pointing out different guilds and buildings as they passed each one.
As fascinating as Silva was, she could see that most of his attention was still
preoccupied with thoughts of Kanti. She wished that his first glimpse of the
Globe had been under happier circumstances, as hers had been.
    She stopped in front of
a tall, cylindrical building in different shades of blue, which was the dorm
for the Society of Imaginary Friends. “This is where we’ll live,” she said. “It’s
your home now, too.”
    “Val!” Cyrus came
tearing out of the front door and swung her around in a joyful hug. She
squeezed him back. He then turned to Henry and they clasped hands and slapped
each other on the back. Cyrus’s blue eyes sparkled with happiness. “I can’t
tell you how good it is to see you guys. I’ve been on pins and needles all day.”
    “How is she?” Henry
asked.
    “Kanti’s the same.
Dulcea, our dorm matron, is talking to her mom every day.”
    “My ears are