Edge of Pathos (Book 4 of The Conjurors Series)

Chapter 12

Henry opened his mind to her, and all of the secrets that he'd been hiding for the past few months flooded in. Valerie tried to process the information, but it was coming at her so fast that she could only absorb it in flashes.

"Reaper turned her to stone? Is she alive?" Valerie asked when she began to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Yes, or so he says," Henry said.

"Hold up, wonder twins," Cyrus said. "What happened to Kanti?"

"Reaper kidnapped her," Henry said, sinking onto the doorstep.

Valerie could sense his all-consuming panic now. How had she ever missed it?

"Kidnapped her? How the hell don't we know about this?" Jack asked. "Haven't you been talking to her? I thought she was one of the four pillars!"

Valerie had known that something was terribly wrong with Henry, but she'd stuck her head in the sand, unable to face his pain while dealing with the loss of her father. But hadn't Henry lost his father, too? Then to have Kanti taken from him, who could blame him for doing anything to save her? Her rage at herself nearly eclipsed her anger at her brother.

Now that Henry's mind was open, his secrets spilled out in rapid succession. The meeting with Reaper where he'd made the deal for Kanti's life. Hours spent imbuing the Fractus army with the power of darkness, draining him until he vomited up bile. Nights awake, tortured by the thought of innocents who would be hurt because of what he'd done. Three, no, four times he'd gone to Reaper, ready to say that he was done helping him, but at the sight of Kanti's beautiful, still stone form, the words would evaporate on his tongue.

Last, she saw the times that he'd gone to Babylon, standing on top of the tiers of flowers. He hadn't visited for peace. He'd been contemplating throwing himself off the ledge and ending his ability to hurt anyone else ever again.

"You'd leave me?" Valerie shouted, and Henry took a step back. "That's a worse betrayal than equipping Reaper's army!"

Thai pulled her away from Henry. "Take a breath. I don't know what's happening, but he's suffering enough."

Valerie shut her eyes and sat down next to Henry. Her arm brushed his, and he was as cold as stone.

"You should have told me. We could have found a better way, together," she snapped.

"As leader of the Fist, you ought to throw me in jail for my betrayal, since I know you don't have it in you to execute me, which is what I deserve. We're going to lose the war because of what I've done, and millions of humans will be enslaved, or die. I'm a coward. I betrayed you, like my prophecy said I would," Henry babbled.

"Someone please tell us what's going on," Thai said, reminding her that she was the only one who could see inside Henry's mind.

"Reaper turned Kanti to stone and would only change her back if Henry gave his army the power to create a darkness strong enough to put out the light from our weapons," Valerie said, since Henry was mute.

She watched her friends faces cycling through the emotions that churned through her. Cyrus and Thai were frozen, stunned by her words. Dulcea's lips were pressed with disapproval, and Gideon shook his head. But Jack lay a hand on Henry's shoulder, and Valerie knew that he understood what it was to get caught up with the Fractus.

"So we go get our girl back," Cyrus said, speaking first.

"Right now," Dulcea added.

Henry looked up then and Valerie was flooded with his awe through their connection.