Knights of Light (Book 2 of The Conjurors Series)

Chapter 28

Midnight and Henry were both gone when Valerie came home. She quickly checked her mirror to see if Juniper was there, but she saw only her reflection. She remembered that she could leave him a message for the next time he checked it. Quickly she explained about Shade/Jack's return.

After leaving the message, Valerie was at loose ends. She wished she could knock on Cyrus's door for some advice or lighthearted distraction, but thinking about seeing him again made her stomach hurt. Instead, she decided to visit Kanti, bursting into the room without knocking like she always did. Kanti was singing in the shower. She had never heard Kanti so much as hum, and it made her smile, in spite of everything. At least there was one piece of happiness amidst all the pain.

Valerie heard a knock on the door and opened it without thinking that this was no longer her room, or her place to answer the door.

"Valerie, darling, wonderful to see you!" Pauline, Kanti's mother, was a vision in lavender. Valerie blinked, realizing that a strikingly handsome older man, who must be Kanti's father, was by her side. Behind them were three stunningly beautiful girls who were a few years older than Kanti.

"What are you doing here?" Kanti's voice sounded emotionless. She stood in her black bathrobe, her hair dripping.

"That's no way to greet your family, Kanti," her father said sternly. "A young lady is always a gracious hostess."

"Even in a hovel like this," the sister with auburn hair said with disdain.

"Thanks, Isabella. Missed you all so much," Kanti said sarcastically.

"Oooo I missed you, too!" another sister, this one with chestnut hair, said, oblivious to the tension. She gave Kanti a big hug.

Kanti gave an exasperated sigh but hugged her back. "Valerie, this is Amaryllis. And my other sister is Peach."

Peach waved shyly.

"I'm George," Kanti's father said, shaking her hand aggressively.

"Valerie's the friend I told you about. The powerful one," Pauline said with a significant look at her husband. Kanti's mother's power was to sense how much magic other Conjurors possessed, and she had been impressed when she first met Valerie in Elsinore.

"Indeed? Then it is a pleasure to meet you, young lady. I do hope you'll be a good influence on our Kanti here," George replied.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Valerie said.

"Again, what are you doing here?" Kanti asked, crossing her arms protectively in front of herself.

"We wanted to see where you've been hiding yourself, dear," Pauline said.

"Why now? You've never come before."

"You belong at home. We've come to bring you back," George said.

"That isn't happening," Kanti insisted.

"We shall SEE," Ani said, stepping from a shadowy part of the hallway. Valerie tried to slam the door against her, but she put her hand out. "WHAT could be the problem?"

"You tried to kill me!" Kanti said. She turned to her mother. "How could you let her near me?"

Pauline shifted uncomfortably. "Now, dear, she's your aunt. Of course she'd never hurt you."

"Your little friend Henry lied," Isabella said. "Duh."

Kanti's face darkened, and Pauline jumped in. "I'm sure he was mistaken. I'm sure he was trying to impress—er—protect you. Very noble, of course. But Ani assures me..."