Later that afternoon, Valerie wandered the halls, thinking through the details of her plan to escape. The easiest thing to do would be to slip out at night through the door with the broken alarm, like Thai had. But her instincts told her that it wouldnt be that easy. She didnt want to admit it, but she wasnt sure that she had enough of her energy back yet to make it very far. She needed another day or two to recuperate with some of Dr. Freemans oxygen treatments.

All of the walking and planning had made her limbs feel heavy, so she headed back to her room. She paused outside the door, hearing a m.u.f.fled crying coming from inside. She went inside and found Jeremiah, the eight-year-old with leukemia who slept in the bed next to hers. She knew that hed had a round of radiation to treat his cancer that morning. His mother was a single mom who had to work during the day, so she wouldnt be back for a few hours.

Hi, Peanut. At the sound of her voice, Jeremiah covered his face, not wanting to be caught crying. She pretended not to notice as he wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. I wanted to check to see if everyone liked your Halloween costume. You looked like a real pirate!

He smiled. Yeah, my mom didnt recognize me for a second. And my brother brought me black stuff to put on my tooth so it looked like it was missing, he exclaimed. He was tired, but excited to tell her about how much candy he collected and what everyone thought of his costume.

She listened to his chatter, watching his eyes droop. Right before he fell asleep, she took his hand and held it. He smiled as he drifted to sleep.

Feeling eyes on her back, Valerie turned around. Dr. Freeman was standing in the doorway watching her, looking a little sad. I cant tell you how many times over the years Ive gone to check on my patients and found you comforting them, he said. Youre something of a favorite around this hospital, Ms. Diaz.

Thank you, she managed to say, feeling a little choked up at his words.

I know youre set on leaving, but of course this hospital cant condone that without proper guardianship in place, he said. He gave her a significant look, and she read between the lines. He knew she was leaving, and maybe hed even look the other way if he had to. Goodbye, Valerie.

She swallowed a lump in her throat. He hardly ever called her by her first name. Good bye, Dr. Freeman. Ill miss you.

Two nights later, Valerie packed everything she owned into her backpack, which wasnt much more than some clothes, a toothbrush, and the one keepsake she had from her grandmother"a faded old book t.i.tled The Legend of King Arthur. It was finally time to go.

Ming was awake, watching her, and she sat next to her on her bed. Im going away to get better, like I told you I would, she whispered.

You wont forget about me, will you, Valerie? Someday will you come back and tell me about your magical world?

It might take a while, but Ill find a way. But until then, will you keep this for me? she asked, giving Ming Mr. Hopsalot, whom she had carried with her since her first Christmas in the hospital. Ming loved to stroke his long ears, and she took it without a word.

But the second Valerie peeked out the door, ready to sneak out, rough hands grabbed her shoulders.

Is this the girl you saw? A nurse with dark hair that Valerie didnt know well stared down at her accusingly.

A few feet away, the woman from the front desk stood with her arms crossed. Next to her was Yellow-Eyes, dressed like an orderly again. Yes. I thought she was meeting with her boyfriend, and I was nice enough to let them have their privacy. But I should have known it was her drug dealer.

Kids like her They dont know anything else. The nurse turned to Valerie, shaking her head. Its a good thing youre leaving here tomorrow. Consider it a favor that Im not reporting you to the police.

He wasnt giving me drugs! Search my room if you dont believe me, Valerie said, but she didnt know why she bothered to argue. Sanguina and Yellow-Eyes could be very persuasive, and from the look on the nurses face, her mind was made up.

She probably flushed anything she hasnt already used, Yellow-Eyes said.

Come along, the nurse said, and pulled her down the hall by her arm. Before Valerie could register what was happening, she was whisked into a room. The nurse left, and when she shut the door behind her, Valerie heard a lock slide into place.

d.a.m.n it! Why could things never be easy? Sanguina had said she wanted Valerie to leave. So why was her partner in crime trying to keep her in the hospital? They must be afraid of something"of her. Sanguina was trying to scare her into staying, and when that didnt work, Yellow-Eyes had found another way to keep her from leaving. The realization steeled her determination to get out of there, one way or another. And certainly before she was shipped off to the next foster family.

She tried the door, using all her strength, and failing, punched it in frustration. It jiggled in its hinges, and she heard a bustle in the halls. The minute the nurse came back in the room, Valerie knew her struggle had been a mistake. The nurse sedated her, and she blacked out.

Val! This is not the time to get your beauty rest! Cyruss voice awoke her. He was joking, but she could here the strain in his voice that he was trying to mask.

Groggily, she rubbed her eyes and pushed herself into a sitting position. At least they hadnt restrained her. That had happened before when the nurses had heard her yelling at Sanguina and had a.s.sumed it was a schizophrenic episode.

What m I gonna do? she mumbled.

Its now or never, so get it together!

Huh?

Your favorite doctor showed up to check on you. He returned your backpack and conveniently left the door unlocked when he left.

He did? Her heart warmed at the thought, and it brought her to life a little. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair a couple of times and tied it out of her face. All right. Can you sneak out there and tell me what you see?

Already done. There are two nurses on duty for this hall, but one is with a patient, and the other is writing up her notes. And Thais waiting for you outside. So get moving!

She took a deep breath, stretched her arms over her head, and grabbed her bag. Lets do this.

She decided that this was no time for subtlety. Instead she opted for speed. It was the right call. Sanguina must have been watching her door, because the second she emerged, she heard her unsettling voice calling for the nurses.

Valerie didnt pause. Her sneakers. .h.i.t the squeaky hospital floors at top speed. Before she hit the door to the stairwell, the dark-haired nurse grabbed her backpack and held on. For a second, Valerie was jerked backward, and she thought that her escape was over. But adrenaline was pumping through her veins, and she didnt feel the pain of her knees. .h.i.tting the ground or the straps of her bag digging into her skin.

Instead of fighting against the nurse, who was bigger and stronger than she was, she shrugged out of the straps of her backpack. Shed be sorry to lose her few things, but this little piece of her past was a small price to pay for her freedom.

She catapulted down the stairs, taking them three at a time. The nurse had no hope of catching up. She burst into the lobby, and the woman at the front desk could only stare, open-mouthed, as Valerie raced past her.

She crashed through the front doors of the hospital at top speed. She saw Thai in the parking lot. Start running!

To his credit, he didnt waste a second. By the time she caught up to him, he was running as fast as she was. A cool, fresh breeze lifted her hair off her neck, and everything suddenly smelled amazing. As she raced through the bright November sunshine, a thrill sizzled through her entire body. The world shone brightly before her, full of possibility.

Chapter 6.

Once they were out of sight of the hospital, they slowed down, melting into the pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks. Thai walked purposefully down the sidewalk, his eyes sweeping the dingy streets for any sign of danger. Valerie did her best to hide the strain that her sprint had taken on her now that the adrenaline was fading.

You want to tell me what all that was about? he asked with a stern glare.

Depends"are you sure that you want to know the answer? she asked in the sweetest of voices.

He looked like he was forcing himself not to smile. Youre right. I dont.

Too absorbed in her new freedom, she didnt even think to ask where they were going. Before she knew it, they were on the open-air platform at the MacArthur BART train station, and Thai was opening one of the lockers lining the walls.

I rented this locker so I didnt have to lug our stuff all over Oakland. I figure that would look more than a little suspicious to Child Services.

Our stuff? she asked, confused. The locker popped open, and he pulled out two large hiking packs, handing one to her.

Youll need this. Dump all your stuff in here. We need to travel light. Almost everything well need for the trip is in these two bags, so dont let yours out of your sight.

Uh, actually I have no stuff, she admitted.

Thai didnt ask for details. Well, now you do, he said.

Valerie peeked inside her bag and saw that Thai wasnt kidding. Hed packed everything from a lightweight sleeping bag to what looked like an extremely fancy, technical pair of sungla.s.ses covered in b.u.t.tons and dials. She pulled the gla.s.ses out and started to try them on.

Put them away! And be careful, those night vision goggles were not easy to get.

Unbelievable. I cant wait until we get to use these! But how will I ever pay you back for all this?

Whatever, its a gift, he said gruffly. Oh, and youll need this, he added as he handed her a pa.s.sport.

How did you manage to get this?

Those Conjurors have a few tricks up their sleeves. And good thing, too, or wed never get out of here. Now lets go. Our flight to England is in two hours.

England. Thats where the launch site is? Valerie asked, feeling a little embarra.s.sed that she hadnt bothered to find out before.

Not exactly, Cyrus said, suddenly popping into view next to Thai, who jumped about a foot in surprise.

Dont do that! Thai growled.

Sorry, champ, Cyrus said with a smirk. Before Thai could reply, Cyrus turned to Valerie. The launch site is in Giza, inside the Great Pyramid.

Her eyes widened. Then whats in England, exactly?

You have to go there and take a test to prove your magic.

Her mind whirled, trying to take in so much new information at once. Prove my magic? What am I going to have to do? What if I dont pa.s.s the test? Will I have to go back to a foster home again?

Dont be such a worrier, Val. Youre bursting with magic, so Im sure youll pa.s.s with flying colors. When you do, youll get a message that will show you the next step to the launch room inside the Great Pyramid.

She didnt feel rea.s.sured. What if Cyrus was totally wrong about her and she failed the test? She still found it a little hard to believe that there could be anything magical inside of her. But shed come this far; there was no way she was turning back now.

Enough chit chat. You zap out of here, pal. Valerie and I have a flight to catch, Thai said to Cyrus, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.

Cyrus shot Thai an irritated glance and disappeared. Valerie stuffed the night vision goggles back into her new backpack and followed Thai to wait for the train. Her earlier jubilation at leaving the hospital was already starting to disappear as she worried about the hurdles ahead of her.

Suddenly, for no reason that she could explain, her worry transformed into a shiver of fear. For as long as she could remember, Valerie had always had a kind of sixth sense when danger was near, and now it lurked close by. Her eyes scanned the train station and fixated on a hulking figure standing in the shadows at the end of the platform.

His back was huge and muscular, and he was so tall that he would have dwarfed the people around him if it werent for the way he hunched over. His beady black eyes darted around the platform, and every few seconds, his Adams apple bulged in his throat, as if he was swallowing a huge bite of food.

Something about the man made her stomach churn, and Valerie had learned to trust her instincts about people. She felt as if all his attention was focused on her, and he would pounce on her if he could. But strangely, she couldnt put her finger on why she was so suspicious"he wasnt even looking at her.

She turned away, not wanting to stare, but Thai caught her gaze and followed it to the man in the shadows. His eyes narrowed. Ive seen him before. Thats not a face you forget. Stay close by. I want to make sure that we lose that creep.

Dont you think youre being a little paranoid? Valerie asked, but she was secretly glad that he was taking precautions.

Remember your promise and stay close, Thai commanded with a glare.

She nodded and kept her mouth shut. When the train arrived, Thai and Valerie stepped on board and stood near the door. The stranger boarded as well, several cars down.

But as the doors were closing, Thai yanked her out of the train with him. The doors almost shut on her backpack. Thai grinned, satisfied. He wont be catching up to us any time soon. That train isnt even going in our direction. See, I told you Id keep you safe. Thats why youve got to cooperate with me. No ha.s.sles.

Valerie wasnt entirely sure that shed needed protection in this case, but she decided not to say that, choosing a more diplomatic answer. Thanks"I do feel safe with you.

He nodded, satisfied. Good. You should.

A few minutes later, they boarded a train for the airport. One short train ride and quick bus trip later, Valerie stood for the first time in the bustling Oakland International Airport. Everything was new to her, from checking in for their flight using a touch screen computer to pa.s.sing through security. She almost laughed when they made her take off her shoes.

What do they think I could be hiding in my shoes? A killer case of athletes foot? she whispered to Thai. Instead of laughing, he glared at her again, making her feel like a silly kid.

Once they were past security, Thai hurried her through the terminal. Thai, slow down! Im missing everything!

With that, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along at top speed. By the time they reached the gate, their flight was already boarding.

Perfect timing, Thai said smugly as he and Valerie joined the long line of people waiting to board the plane.

I guess, she said breathlessly. But I wish there was time to look around a little. Its my first time in an airport.

Listen, kid. This is no Sat.u.r.day afternoon trip to the mall with your little friends, he hissed. I timed it this way on purpose. I dont want us hanging around anywhere for too long. You never know, the wrong people might notice us.

Get over yourself, Thai. Its not like youre escorting the president, she retorted.

Yeah? Well, one thing Ive learned is that you never know what can happen. I mean, would you have guessed a month ago that youd be taking a trip through the universe to a magic Thai stopped short and looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.

To you know where? he continued. Lifes full of surprises. Some are good, some are bad. Besides, I know for a fact that those evil Conjurors"the Fractus"like to mess with humans. Theyre causing a lot of problems on the Globe right now. I hear that they want to come back to Earth and take control of the whole planet. And youve got to know that if the Conjurors have people like me to help them out on Earth, the Fractus surely have people doing their evil bidding, too.

The smile vanished from Valeries face. But I dont think theyd be coming after me. Im n.o.body. But her words rang false, even to her. After all, why wouldnt Sanguina and Yellow-Eyes leave her alone?

You dont know that. You dont know what kind of magic youre capable of.

His comment startled her. He didnt seem to have any doubt that she had magic power. At last, they reached the front of the line, distracting Valerie from her thoughts. The flight attendant took their tickets with a smile. In minutes, they were on the plane searching for their seats. It was smaller than she had imagined, and her heart thumped a little harder at the thought of being stuck in there for hours. Sweat p.r.i.c.kled under her arms and she hoped that Thai didnt notice.

You take the window seat. Its pretty cool to look out when we take off, Thai said as he stuffed their bags into the overhead compartment. He tossed her a pair of headphones and a copy of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Its a long flight, and I thought you might want something to keep you busy.

I love this book! Maybe Ill pick up some tips for my trip to the Globe, Valerie said with a grin as she and Thai buckled themselves into their seats.

Its one of my favorites, too. Sometimes I feel like the hero in that book, Arthur Dent. Its like the entire universe is opening up before my eyes, but at the same time, its so sad because the world as I once knew it is gone.

She wanted to ask him what he meant, but a sudden rumbling beneath her distracted her, and then the plane catapulted forward. Unthinking, she grabbed Thais arm. It was warm and solid, and something about his nearness made her heart beat faster.

Dont worry. Youre safer here than you are in a car. Relax and enjoy the ride, Thai said, his voice gentle for the first time.

The plane sped down the runway, and the seat beneath her shuddered. Was that supposed to happen? Out the window, the airport sped past, a white blur against the blue sky. Unexpectedly, the shuddering stopped, and she realized that it was because the plane had lifted off the ground. They were airborne. The knowledge exhilarated her, and her fear vanished. It was incredible how this huge hunk of metal holding hundreds of people could fly seemingly weightless through the sky.