Kanti threw her arms around Henry.

"I told Reaper you'd save me, and you did," she said.

Henry stumbled back a little from the force of her hug, and muttered into her hair. "Valerie saved you. I bit my nails in a corner."

Kanti laughed, and then threw her arms around Valerie. "My hero."

Valerie returned her friend's hug. When she pulled away, she quickly swiped the tears from her eyes, but not before Kanti noticed them.

"What is it? Tell me," Kanti said, all of her laughter gone.

Henry trembled when he met her gaze. "I'll show you what happened."

Henry opened his mind to Kanti, Valerie, and Thai. Flashes of scenes appeared in Valerie's mind of Henry helping Reaper and of preparing for Kanti's rescue. When Henry showed Kanti the part where Jack held Dulcea's broken body, her fingers tightened around Valerie's arm.

The scenes stopped, and Kanti turned away from them, leaning against the tree for support. Her chest heaved, and she took great gulps of air.

"Kanti—" Henry began, but Kanti held out a hand to stop him.

"Don't speak," Kanti said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Valerie thought her friend was crying, but when Kanti turned, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes flashed. She glared at Henry, and her beauty only made her more terrifying. She seemed to grow taller, and a hum of magic filled the little garden. Valerie doubted that Kanti was aware that she was touching her power.

"How could you think that I would want you to value my life above all of the innocent humans and Conjurors who will die now because of what you've done?" Kanti's voice was low at first, but grew louder as she spoke. "I'll carry this stain on my conscience for the rest of my life. You knew what I would have wanted you to do, and you did the exact opposite. What you did was the most selfish act I've ever witnessed, and you've met my parents."

"Kanti, don't do this," Valerie said.

"And you! How could you let this happen?" Kanti said, turning her wrath on Valerie. "Gideon might be dead because you thought you had to rescue me!"

Thai took a step forward, his entire body tense, but Valerie held him back. She knew what Kanti was doing. She'd done it herself, when her friend died of leukemia when she was nine. As long as Kanti was angry, she wouldn't have room for the pain. So Valerie let her rage.

"Henry might be guilty for all of the strangers who will die, but it's your fault that Gideon and...and...Dulcea..." Kanti's voice weakened then, and her face crumpled.

Valerie held Kanti. It was Kanti's turn to sob, and Valerie let her own tears fall quietly into her friend's hair. At some point, Henry had left. Thai finally ushered them inside and made a pot of Oberon's tea.

Even with red, puffy eyes, Kanti was still beautiful.

"Where'd Henry go?" Kanti asked, her voice hoarse.

"He's going to stay with Cyrus tonight," Thai said. "He thought you both wanted some space from him."

Kanti slumped. "I know I need to talk to him, but I'm glad he won't be here tonight."

"He couldn't handle losing you. Especially not after Zunya murdered Joe," Valerie said. "He tried to let you go, but he couldn't do that and live."

Kanti nodded, her eyes shadowed. "I know. But right now, I'm furious with him. He should have been stronger. I don't know if I can ever look at him the same now."

The front door crashed open, and Valerie drew Pathos. Skye rushed into the kitchen, his mane wild. He was gigantic in the small space.

"Tell me where to go," Valerie said.

"It's too late. The battle is over," Skye said. "Come with me."

Skye led Valerie, Kanti, and Thai to The Horseshoe. Even though it was the middle of the day, it was missing the regular bustle of Conjurors going about their work. Valerie's eyes were drawn to the Capitol building. An enormous crack split the steps to the structure in half. The building itself looked as if it had been struck by lightning, and an enormous, smoking hole had obliterated the front door.

"Calibro and I saw an opportunity, and we seized it without consulting you. It was a mistake," Skye said.

"That hole in the door looks like it was made from one of those staffs that throws lightning," Kanti observed.

Skye nodded. "I didn't think Reaper would be able to get the Fractus here so fast."

"Back up," Thai said. "What started the battle?"

"The Grand Masters were meeting today, and Oleander didn't appear. Rumor was that she was dead. Several of her fellow Guardians said they felt her power released into the universe," Skye began.

"You're right. She died yesterday," Valerie confirmed.

"Calibro and I decided to try to seize control of the group while we had the chance to force an election. Many more Grand Masters are opposing the Fractus, but quietly. We thought this would be our chance to cast off Reaper for good."

"But he knew, somehow," Thai guessed.

"Reaper descended on us, ranting about doing what was right. But the Grand Masters weren't listening. That's when Calibro and I attacked him."

"What were you thinking? He could have dissolved you," Kanti said.

"Worse. He has scrambled Calibro's mind. She is at the Healers' Guild, but I don't think there is much that can be done," Skye said, his head bowed. "As for the other Grand Masters, some escaped when Reaper's forces blasted through the doors, but Reaper used portals to send many to a prison somewhere I couldn't place. Not the Black Castle. It was underground."

"Will he kill them?" Thai asked.

"Not before he sees if he can use them first," Valerie said.

"It was a strategic error to strike without you to regain control of the Grand Masters," Skye said.

"I told you to think for yourselves and alter plans when it made sense. You did the right thing," Valerie said, but she couldn't repress a shudder as she imagined Calibro struggling for control of her mind like Rastelli and Kellen.

"I'll oversee Calibro's care myself, along with Gideon's," Thai promised.

"Gideon has fallen, as well?" Skye asked.

"Yesterday," Valerie said, her voice cracking.

"The tide of this war is turning. We must take it back," Skye said.

"We will," Kanti said, and everyone turned to face her.

Valerie didn't know what her friend's plan was, but the steely determination in Kanti's eyes gave her hope.

Valerie and Kanti were in a carriage, heading toward Elsinore. Thai had stayed behind in Arden to watch over Henry.

"You were stone only a couple of hours ago. Don't you need time to recover?" Valerie asked, and in truth, she wouldn't mind some rest herself.

"I've been sleeping for too long. I have to do something to make up for what happened in the name of protecting me," Kanti said.

"Okay, so tell me your plan," Valerie said.

The carriage came to a halt in front of the dorm for The Society of Imaginary Friends.

"Why are we here?" Valerie asked when she saw where they'd stopped.

"We need someone with experience in diplomacy, someone charming," Kanti said.

"Cyrus," Valerie realized.

Why did she always underestimate him? It was a mistake she seemed doomed to repeat.

Cyrus was flying down on a platform as Kanti stepped out of the carriage. Cyrus hugged her fiercely.

"Everyone was a wreck without you," he said. "Even me."

Kanti smiled for the first time since she'd heard what had happened in her absence.

"I'm here now, and we're going to take back control of this war," she said.

Kanti and Cyrus stepped inside the carriage, and Cyrus squeezed Valerie's hand once before taking a seat as far away from her as possible.

"Go!" Kanti shouted, and the horses took off so fast that Valerie nearly had whiplash.

The animals were spelled to travel fast, and the landscape rushed by, making Valerie dizzy.

"So what's the grand plan, princess?" Cyrus asked, a flicker of his old humor in his eyes.

"Valerie told me that soldiers from Elsinore are fighting for the Fractus. That means that my Aunt Ani must be organizing them, because I don't think my parents would encourage that, no matter how shallow they may be."

"Then let's take her out," Cyrus said. "She won't be a match for Valerie."

"No question, Valerie could have her beaten, bound, and carted away with no trouble," Kanti said. "But that might not help our cause. My people need their own leader to believe in, and I think it will have to be me."

Cyrus nodded slowly. "You need to be the one to defeat Ani and rally your people. Then you can publicly announce an alliance with Valerie and the Fist. That's smart."

"We need soldiers for the Fist, or at the very least, no additional soldiers for the Fractus," Kanti said. "I have to challenge Ani to a Test of Power—it's an old tradition in my country. Ani's ruling now because the people think she's the most powerful Conjuror in Elsinore. I have to prove them wrong."

"I don't like this plan. Ani nearly took me out once. No offense, Kanti, but she could kill you," Valerie said.

"That's the other reason I wanted you here. If things go really south, you can step in," Kanti allowed. "But how do we get the word out? We need people to witness the Test."

"Tell all those birds that carry news. They'll do the work for you," Cyrus suggested.

"But how will you beat her? This whole plan falls apart if you fail," Valerie reminded her.

Kanti grinned. "Aside from the training and fighting I've been doing for the past few years with you, there is also this."

The carriage hummed as Kanti concentrated, drawing on her power. A rose grew in Kanti's palm, first the stem, then the petals, and last, sharp thorns. The rose had the faintest glow, as if something inside was lighting the flower up.

"I'm tougher than you think," Kanti said. "And being touched by a vivicus has enhanced my power."

Kanti managed to sneak them all into her ice castle undetected, so Valerie was able to get a night's sleep before they launched their plan. She awoke to the sound of Kanti and Cyrus deep in conversation.

"You've got to provoke Ani to strike first. It will spark everyone's outrage, seeing their princess attacked," Cyrus said.

Kanti nodded slowly. "Good. I know my people will want the person with the most magic to win, but it will help my cause after the fight if I also have their hearts."

"Let's take some time to practice your skills before we challenge her to this Test thing, okay?" Valerie asked, rubbing her eyes.

Kanti and Cyrus both glanced out the window. Valerie followed their gazes and saw a veritable storm of birds outside the castle gates.

"You've already made the challenge? You're being reckless! We just got you back," Valerie said.

"They spotted us coming in," Kanti said. "We've got to strike now before Ani figures out another strategy."

The door opened, and Kanti's mom floated in on a cloud of perfume.

"Darling, we're thrilled to see you, but there's the strangest rumor that you've challenged your aunt to a Test of Power, and that you're turning it into a common street fight," Pauline said, nodding a greeting to Valerie and Cyrus.

Isabella was cowering behind her mother.

"She'll kill you," Isabella said. Kanti's eldest sister was paler than the last time Valerie had seen her.

"And fighting in the streets? It's for the power-deprived," Pauline said with distaste.

Kanti ignored her mother, glaring at Isabella.

"You're the one who helped fool everyone into thinking I was okay when I was locked up by Reaper. Do you hate me so much that you want me dead?" Kanti asked.

"No, Kanti, I swear," Isabella almost whispered. "Ani said she'd kill us all. I didn't understand what she was really like until it was too late."

"I guess that just makes you a selfish coward, instead of a jealous psycho. Congratulations," Kanti snapped.

Valerie touched her friend's arm. "I can see how your sister would be scared of your aunt. War is no time for grudges. You're both alive, and you're on the same side now."

"I'm simply furious with her, Kanti," Pauline interjected. "But think how it would look if it were discovered that two of Elsinore's princesses were not on good terms. And you're all right now, aren't you, darling?"

"You don't know at what cost," Kanti said, and Valerie gripped her friend's hand and fought tears of her own.

"Kanti is here to do what's best for your country, and that means removing Ani from power and taking her position as the rightful leader," Valerie said. "I suggest you both think about how you can support her in doing what's right for your people. It seems like it's been a while since you've thought about that."

Pauline's and Isabella's mouths hung open a little, as if they were dazed by what they'd heard.

"Thank you for stopping by, but Princess Kanti needs complete peace to prepare for the Test," Cyrus said, ushering Kanti's family firmly out the door.

Once they were gone, Valerie turned to her friend. The time for questioning her decision had passed.

"Let's get you a staff. You're practicing as much as you can until you fight that hag," Valerie said, and Kanti grinned, which was what she'd intended.