The Society of Imaginary Friends (Book 1 of The Conjurors Series)

Chapter 32

The next day, they woke at sunrise to continue their journey. The sight of the sun shining brilliantly on the turquoise ocean infused Valerie with energy and purpose. One way or another, she would find a way to make sure her brother was safe, even if Azra's mission didn't succeed.

A short distance down the beach was a dock crowded with dozens of boats. Gideon led the group to a boat that reminded her of yachts that she had seen on television. It had three little cabins, a kitchen, and even a small pool.

"With all this water, why would anyone need a pool on a boat?" Valerie asked, mystified. "And it seems way too fancy for a day trip."

"Actually, it's almost a three-day trip to Messina. The island's really remote," Cyrus said, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet with nervous energy. Was he worried about bringing such a strange crowd to his parents' house?

"You okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I hope everything goes smoothly."

"I hope they don't think I'm a total weirdo. I want them to like me," Valerie said, wondering for the first time what Cyrus's parents were like.

"Of course they'll like you. Who could help it?" Cyrus said, trying to sound confident, but she heard the worry in his voice.

"Something's bothering you."

"It's nothing. I hope they don't tell embarrassing stories about me or anything," Cyrus said. She let the subject drop, hoping he'd open up to her later.

The next two days passed like a dream for Valerie. Gideon captained the ship, with Jet helping him with navigation. The ocean water was so clear that they could stare down into the depths and sometimes see hints of the vast city beneath the waves. At night, lights glimmered through the water, and she couldn't help but be entranced, imagining Leo living below the waves. But just as when she had been in Plymouth, it gave her a chill to imagine living so far away from the surface and the sunshine.

A few times, she even caught a glimpse of mermen and mermaids, the immortal residents and record keepers of Illyria. Their long hair was silky and fluid under water as they curiously approached the boat and then quickly swam away, satisfied that they were visitors skimming across the surface, not intruders trying to force their way into the underwater world.

Every morning, she checked in with Thai back on Earth to give him the update. At first, she felt guilty that he was sitting around, waiting for her to figure out where Henry was, but he seemed to be enjoying the time he spent in the woods, talking to Tan and exploring. At least he wasn't miserable, because she didn't know when she'd have any news for him now.

Valerie, Kanti, and Cyrus's time didn't go to waste during the long days of travel. On the first morning, the three friends practiced the moves that Gideon taught them on the bow of the ship. As Gideon watched and called down instructions, Valerie noticed Jet and Chrome watching her closely.

When she finally took a break, the wolves approached her, and Valerie's mind was flooded with images, almost like a daydream, of a warrior in full armor being attacked by a group of assailants armed with many different types of weapons. The warrior's incredible speed and skill kept all of the enemies at bay, and one by one, the attackers fell. When the warrior was the only one standing, the helmet that was hiding the warrior's identity slid off. Valerie gasped when she saw her own face.

Gideon was standing beside her, sharing the vision. "Masters Jet and Chrome are showing you what you're capable of, as well as what you need to work on—focus and speed. They want to help train you."

"Yes, thank you," she said eagerly, staring into the eyes of each wolf in turn so that they could see her gratitude.

For the rest of her time on the boat, she spent a large part of every day training with Jet and Chrome. She used a practice sword and shield, and her mission was to prevent the wolves from forcing her to the ground. Initially, she thought she would never be able to block even one wolf's attack, never mind two. She was constantly being hurtled to the ground as they attacked her from all sides, and her bruises from her fight with Sanguina were joined by new black and blue marks all over her arms, knees, and back.