The next day, Gideon insisted that she train despite her injury in order to learn how to fight when she was at a physical disadvantage to her attacker.

"Picture the pain in your mind—give it a shape and form," he instructed.

She imagined that it was a bright glowing ball like a little sun that was burning her from the inside out. She nodded.

"In your mind you will find a box. Do you see it?"

She envisioned a steel trunk with a huge lock, and she nodded.

"Now take your pain and wrestle it into the box. It may be slippery and strong, but you are stronger."

Gideon's suggestion reminded her of how she'd learned to compartmentalize her pain after she'd been attacked when she lived on the streets, or a few times when she'd been beaten by her foster parents. She'd learned quickly that showing weakness only led to being a target more often, so she became an expert at masking her pain. Over time, it became more than faking stoicism. She learned to ignore that part of her mind when she really needed to.

She concentrated, trying to pick up the ball, but when she touched it, it burned her fingers. She was annoyed with herself. Why hadn't she picked something simpler to be the embodiment of her pain? Frustrated, she kicked it, and it skittered toward the box. She threw open the lid and grabbed the ball, but she couldn't lift it. It weighed a ton. She grunted and strained, getting sweaty in the process.

Someone laughed—it sounded like Claremont, the other recruit who was close to her and Juniper in age. She was seven feet tall and had a tendency to use her height to try to intimidate the other recruits. "What's taking so long? Are you showing off?"

"Shut it, Monty," Juniper said, using the nickname that Claremont couldn't stand.

Annoyance flashed through her at Claremont's comment, and she channeled it. She heaved her pain into the box and slammed it shut. Then she locked it. She opened her eyes, and saw that the recruits were all staring at her.

"I can still feel the pain, but I can move around it, somehow," she said.

"Let's see how tightly you've trapped it," he said.

Without waiting for her to get her bearings, he drew a practice sword from the weapons rack and tossed it to her. Then he grabbed a second practice sword for himself and began to attack. Valerie's magic pooled inside her and her response was automatic. She parried with Gideon, stopping his first blow an inch from her shoulder.

She was surprised that he was pushing her this hard, but she trusted that he had a reason, so she gave it her all. Her focus sharpened and her magic raced through her veins. Their practice swords flashed in the sunlight, moving so quickly that they were a blur.

Amazingly, she landed a light blow on Gideon's stomach. He leaped backward, on the defensive now. She faltered. It was the first time she had ever hit him with her sword. Was he okay?

Her distraction cost her the fight. Her hesitation was all he needed to knock her sword to the ground, and she fell, her pain returning with a deep throb in her back. She stifled a groan.

Gideon stood, watching her, and then smiled proudly. "Well done, Valerie. You truly did trap your pain inside your mind. I have never seen it done on the first try before."

He shook her hand, as he insisted that the recruits always do at the end of a sparring match. She could see that he was sweating as much as she was. She was still stunned that she had landed a blow, and when she turned around, she could see her surprise mirrored on the faces of the other recruits. Even Monty gave her a grudging nod of respect.

She was intensely uncomfortable under their scrutiny until Gideon changed the subject.

"Tonight is the ceremony where you will all officially become apprentices to the Knights. Go home and get cleaned up, and be back here at your appointed time."

The ceremony was secret, so none of the recruits knew what was going to happen. They all had to pass some kind of test, and then they would officially be a part of the Guild of the Knights of Light. If they failed, they could test to join another guild, or go on a quest to prove their worth.

She hadn't let herself overthink it. She was prepared that she might fail, since she had only been on the Globe and using her magic for less than a year. She hoped that whatever quest they gave her, if that happened, would be one she could succeed at.

The Laurel Circle was cold and dark on her finger again.

"Don't let your fear be your master," Gideon said quietly to her. She twisted the ring as she watched him walk away. If only she could put her fear in a box with her pain. But somehow, she didn't think there was a container in the universe that was big enough for it.

"I don't know what to wear!" she complained to Henry back at her dorm room.

"Don't ask me," he said. "I'm still wrapping my head around what a guild is, never mind what the dress code might be."

"I wish Kanti were here. She'd know."

"Me, too. But her parents won't let her leave. She's going stir crazy. And I'm going crazy waiting for her to get back so I can finally tell her that I'm in love with her," Henry said, chewing his thumbnail again.

"I guess I'll go with jeans and a nice top. My hands are starting to sweat," she said.

"You're going to ace it."

"You have to say that. You're my brother."

Henry left, and she walked over to the Guild, gripping Pathos' hilt tightly. She hoped they would let her keep it during the test.

When she reached the arch at the entrance to the Guild, she looked around, confused. It was completely deserted. She knocked on several of the doors that led inside from the courtyard, but there was no answer. Was this a part of the test, or did she miss an instruction that she was supposed to go somewhere else?

"All dressed up but no place to go." Zunya's voice made her spin around. His yellow eyes were slits, and he stared at her with a triumphant grin.

He stood several yards away, and her magic vanished like water down a drain. She knew that if he touched her, it would be agony. Her best hope was to outrun him. She had barely formed the thought when she saw Claremont lying on the ground behind him, unconscious. Running wasn't an option.

Once she decided to stay and fight, her fear receded a little and instinct took over. She drew Pathos. Zunya laughed.

"Even Azra can't touch me," he said. "What makes you think that you'll make it through my shield? Here's the deal. You come with me quietly, and she can stay here." He gestured to Claremont. "Fight me, and you'll both suffer."

She knew that the minute he had her away from Arden, her chances of getting away were microscopic. Choosing not to run was tantamount to a death sentence.

"Let's go," Valerie said, refusing to let her voice shake.

"Drop your sword first," he commanded, and she did as she was told.

He gestured toward the tree line behind the Guild, and she walked behind him. He didn't even check to see if she was following. When they were about half a mile away, Valerie considered her options. Claremont was safe. But there was no one to save her other than herself.

She could follow Zunya to the Black Castle and hope that they had a reason to keep her alive, or she could take her chances and fight him now, without magic or her weapon. The inevitability of losing hit her like a hammer blow. She wasn't strong enough to fight him or smart enough to outwit him. She gripped the crystal hanging around her neck and her mind returned to Earth.

Thai dropped the book he was holding in surprise. "Aren't you supposed to be taking your test?"

"I only have a few seconds. But I wanted you to know why I was never coming to see you again."

His face rapidly drained of color. "What's happening?"

"Zunya's taken me prisoner and we're going to the Black Castle. Once we're there, they'll take this charm, so I'm going to drop it along the way so they can't find you. If they don't kill me, I'll visit you if I possibly can."

"No! You have to fight."

"If I fight him, he'll beat me. I don't have my magic or my weapon."

"You're giving up? Why have you been training all these months without magic? For times like this!"

Thai's confidence blazed like an aura. He believed she could do it. Before she could reply, she was yanked back to the Globe as her head hit the ground. Zunya had backhanded her.

She unleashed her anger. It washed away her fear, and she let herself be carried away with it. From the ground, she swept her leg under his feet, knocking him to the dirt. She jumped up and stood in a defensive stance, ready for his attack. He got up more slowly than she expected, but immediately threw a right hook, hard. She ducked and the punch missed.

She grabbed his wrist as it whizzed by and twisted. He howled in pain. She expertly head-butted him, and he dropped to the ground. The air around him shimmered, and his shape changed.

Instead of Zunya, she saw a little brown creature with big ears and beady eyes. He grinned at her.

"You pack quite a punch. And you also passed," he said, and reached out to shake her hand.

She took a step back. "W-what?" It felt like the ground was tilting.

"Sorry. I'm Mira. I'm a shapeshifter. Every recruit has to fight me in the form of their most feared enemy. You passed the first part with flying colors when you didn't abandon Claremont. But it was touch and go there for awhile when you were following me to your doom. Another half a mile and you would have failed."

"Why?"

"It's one thing to find courage to defend others. But you also need confidence in yourself when it's your safety at stake. We can't afford for our Knights to act like martyrs."

"But my magic disappeared, like it always does when Zunya's around. Did you do that?"

He shook his head. "You did it to yourself. Your magic was with you the whole time. Sometimes your most powerful enemy is your own insecurity. What finally made you fight back?"

"My soul mate," she said, and then gripped Thai's crystal and was by his side in an instant.

He had his eyes closed and his hands clasped, almost as if he was praying.

"It was part of the test. Zunya wasn't real. I passed."

He made a noise that almost sounded like a sob of relief and stepped toward her. She could see the longing on his face to hold her.

"I thought I lost you," he said.

"You're my anchor. You'll never lose me."

Mira led Valerie back to the Guild, which was now swarming with Conjurors.

"You were the last recruit to be tested," he explained. "Now for the fun part."

Valerie saw Gideon, Midnight, and Azra standing at the front of the crowd. All of the recruits from her class were there, glowing. They had made it.

Henry and Dulcea grabbed her as she headed over and both gave her hugs.

"Told you that you'd kill it, dummy," Henry said.

"Congratulations, sweetie. I know Cyrus and Kanti will be so proud to hear about your success." Dulcea said.

"Thank you. This is unreal."

Gideon raised a hand, and the crowd fell silent. "Today we welcome sixteen new apprentices to the Knights." The crowd burst into applause and whistling. Gideon turned to the recruits. "Do you pledge to follow the values of the Knights? To use your Power to protect, Courage in the face of danger, and Mercy to your greatest enemies?" he asked them, stating the three tenets of the Guild.

"We do," the new apprentices chorused.

Cannons stationed around the courtyard shot out glittering confetti. It flew through the air, sparkling, and when some landed on Valerie, she tasted a flash of sweetness in her mouth that made her whole body buzz with magic.

"Augury cannons," Juniper breathed in awe.

Before she could ask him what that was, a scene flashed through her mind. She was kneeling next to Henry, who was lying on his back on soft, green grass. She knew he was talking to her, because his lips were moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. She squeezed his hand, and a low boom echoed in her ears. A wave of light burst from them both and made the ground ripple like still water that was hit by a pebble. They both gasped at the same time, and she fell to the ground beside her brother. All of her energy and magic were depleted. She had just enough strength to turn her head to the left to look at her brother. He stared back at her, smiling. Then his eyes closed, and she couldn't sense his presence in her mind, or anywhere. Somehow she knew he was gone forever.

The real world returned in a rush, and Valerie blinked, trying to get her bearings. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Azra was by her side. You should have been warned about the augury cannons, but it is the way of this Guild to initiate you without telling you what will happen. I won't ask you what you saw, but know that the magic that touched you showed you what could be, not what must be.

Azra nudged her gently in the shoulder with her nose, and Valerie let her tears fall into her mane. Then she stood straighter.

"I'll take it as a warning and make sure it never happens," she said. Her brother approached with curiosity in his eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. They hit us with some powerful magic that took me by surprise, that's all," she said. His mind touched hers, and she pushed him out, suddenly understanding how he had done the same thing to her in Ephesus and again when she had told him about her father.

Henry opened his mouth to argue, but before he could say anything, Midnight lightly gripped Valerie's shoulder. "I can see now that you were meant to be a Knight, though I would have counted our Guild lucky to have you as a Guardian."

Valerie saw that Midnight's eyes were shining with pride, and she was surprised to see a less reserved side of the usually formal Grand Master.

"I dreamed of being one of King Arthur's knights when I was little, but this is even better," Valerie said.

"To pass the test, you only must offer to protect someone who you do not consider a friend. But you were willing to give your life. That is rare," Midnight said, blinking back tears.

"How do you know that?" Henry asked curiously.

Azra made a soft noise and stepped closer to Midnight.

"I remember the last Knight recruit who passed the test by offering her own life to save one she considered an enemy. She was special," Midnight replied.

"What happened?" Valerie asked softly.

"Aurora died shortly before she would have been named a Master Knight," Midnight said shortly, and passed a hand over her face so quickly that Valerie couldn't be sure whether or not she had seen a tear on her cheek. "She would have been a great leader in this Guild. You remind me of her."

I have had the same thought. They are sisters in spirit. Azra's words brought a wobbly smile to Midnight's face, which then resumed its usual calm.

Valerie sensed that Midnight didn't want to delve into painful memories, so she turned the subject to one that had been blazing brightly in her mind. "I found out from a prophecy that my father is alive. He's a Conjuror on the Globe. Do you know who he could be?" she asked Azra, unable to keep a thread of excitement out of her voice.

Azra released a startled snort. I never even suspected, or I would have told you, of course. I will do all I can to help you find him.

Henry wasn't listening. Their conversation was interrupted as loud music began to play. It sounded different from anything she had heard on Earth, powerful and deep. It pounded in her bones as well as her ears. It caught the crowd up in a kind of trance, and people began to dance.

Juniper grabbed her hands, and she joined therest of the new apprentices who were bobbing to the beat. Joy rose up inside ofher. She was a Knight of Light, just like King Arthur or Lancelot. Now shewould protect the innocent, starting with her family.