Then why dont you explain it to me?

Because its none of your business, he said without emotion as he pulled on his hood and retreated into its depths.

Fine.

Neither of them said another word until they reached Stonehenge. Valerie could barely make out the giant stones in the light that was starting to creep over the horizon, but her heart leapt at the sight of them anyway.

So whats the test?

Cyrus appeared in front of her. Simple. Show that your magic is too strong for you to survive on Earth.

Obviously the magic inside her is strong enough. It nearly killed her last night! Thai blurted out. So tell us where the next clue is!

I dont even know, dude, Cyrus said. But chill out, sh.e.l.l be fine.

Both of you, give me some s.p.a.ce, she said firmly, as she saw Thai about to shout at Cyrus again.

Valerie approached the stones slowly. Magic hummed as she walked around the outside of the ring of stones. Inhaling deeply, she stepped inside, and the humming inside of her grew stronger.

Gently, she ran her hands over the rough stones, one at a time. At the fifth stone she touched, she stopped, puzzled. There was something different about this one. All of the stones contained power, she could sense that, but this one contained something else as well. It seemed"alive.

The dim light caressing the stone changed, and she gasped. How could she have missed it? Etched into the stone was a face. Were it not for the angle of light casting shadows on the stone, she would never have been able to see it. The etching had obviously faded over the hundreds of years that the monument stood. In direct sunlight, it would be practically invisible.

Valerie hesitated before touching the face with her hand, not wanting to offend it. Her fingertips brushed the cheek of the face, and she made a small sound of surprise. Instead of rough stone, it was warm flesh. At her touch, the eyes of the face glowed a gentle blue.

Her vision blurred, and when she was able to refocus, she was looking out over Stonehenge through those blue, glowing eyes. She could now see the monument as it once was in all its glory, with the stones all standing. At the horizon, the sun was now peeking over the edge. She followed with her eyes the first direct ray of light from the sun as it pa.s.sed through the two heel stones in the distance and struck a stone in the middle of the circle.

Suddenly, Valerie was back in her own body, and the stone in the center of the circle, the altar stone, was still glowing. She approached the stone, which was bathed in new morning light. She stepped into the light and a flood of power surged through her. A thousand images of the Great Pyramid in Egypt flashed through her brain, too fast for her to process. But the last image burned into her brain"the great stone Sphinx staring down at her with glowing blue eyes, the expression in them curious.

She had her clue. What lay beyond the Sphinxs strange gaze was a mystery, but at least she knew where she had to go next.

The bright light faded into normal morning sunshine. She was about to shout to Thai and Cyrus when a black shadow flickered in the corner of her vision.

Val, look out! Cyrus shouted, pointing to her right. Thai came running toward her.

She turned and saw the enormous man who had frightened her at the Oakland train station a few days ago. Thai was right"he was dangerous. As quick as lightning, the man crouched and then jumped, farther than any human could possibly jump. As he flew through the air, she saw that his palms were covered in yellow, nasty-smelling slime, and he was reaching for her neck.

Valeries body responded, and she was able to dodge his grasping hands, despite his speed. She hit the ground, hard, and it knocked the wind out of her. But she forced herself to her feet. Without knowing what she was doing, she knocked his hand away with the back of her foot with an elegant spin kick. She could feel that her kick packed more power than it should"she was tapping into her magic.

But for the first time, she had the sense that she was capable of so much more"this bit of strength was only a taste of what she was capable. She strained against the invisible bonds holding her magic at bay.

With a growl, the man was on his feet again, lunging toward her. By now, Thai had reached the fight, and he kicked the man on his back from behind. The man spun around to face him, and Thai punched him in the face. The man staggered backward, but then leapt forward and slammed into Thai with his entire weight. With a grunt, Thai was thrown backward and his head hit one of the stones.

At the sight of Thai out of commission, her adrenaline or magic or whatever was inside her spiked. The man approached Thai, and she saw that the slime on his hands also oozed out of his bare feet. Instinctively, she knew that if any of that goo touched Thai, he might not survive. For the first time since the fight started, she was afraid. It made her gut clench. There was no way she would let him hurt Thai. As the man lifted his foot, she tackled him to the ground.

Val, get away from him. h.e.l.l kill you! Cyrus yelled helplessly.

The man head-b.u.t.ted her, and her vision went black for a split second. Then he was on top of her, his weight pinning her to the ground, his slimy hand raised. Without knowing where the knowledge came from, she wrenched an arm free and brought her fist down hard on a spot between his neck and shoulder.

The man went limp, unconscious, and she knocked his hand away so it didnt touch her. As she wriggled out from under his heavy body, she could swear she heard Sanguinas voice, cursing. But when she looked around, there was no one at the monument other than the four of them.

If you ever needed more proof that your magic is tied to your fighting ability, this is it, Cyrus said with a relieved grin.

Thai staggered over to her, holding a hand against his head.

Are you okay? It looked like he knocked you out.

Not quite, but he might as well have, for all the help I was able to give you.

She started to disagree, but was distracted by a putrid smell that stung her nostrils. It came from the slime on the mans hands and feet.

That must be poison, she commented, and then noticed the stunned expression on Thais face. What is it?

I didnt see the poison. He could have killed me.

Lets get far away from here before he wakes up. Well be long gone when he tries to look for us.

No, Valerie, you dont get it. You saved my life.

No"we beat him together. And your life wouldnt have been in danger if it werent for me.

Well, thanks, he said in a tone that was a mixture of admiration and grat.i.tude.

Valerie looked away. She never knew what to say when someone thanked her. Any time.

Cyrus crouched over the unconscious man. Now that I see this guy up close, I think I recognize him. Ive heard people talk about someone helping out the Fractus with tasks they need done on Earth. His name is Venu.

Why isnt he dying from the magic inside him, like me? Valerie asked, confused.

Cyrus glanced at Thai before answering. Its rare, but there are exceptions. Venu doesnt have a magic power like yours. Hes part amphibian or something, from what I hear. That kind of magic"a person possessing qualities from nature"doesnt break Earths rules for some reason.

So he cant come to the Globe? He must feel like a freak on Earth.

Leave it to you to worry about the mental well-being of a guy who tried to kill you, Cyrus said. But anyway, I heard that the Conjurors offered him the chance to come to the Globe, and he refused. It was too late"the Fractus had already gotten to him. No one knows what they promised him, but hes doing whatever they want.

I guess the Fractus want to stop you from getting to the Globe, Valerie, Thai said quietly. But well make sure they fail.

Chapter 9.

Valerie and Thai traveled with a new sense of urgency, turning the trip from Stonehenge back to the London Heathrow Airport into a race to escape before Venu regained consciousness. Valerie couldnt help looking over her shoulder every few minutes, half expecting to see his enormous shoulders in the distance, lumbering after them. Only when they were safely aboard their flight to Cairo, Egypt, and Thai had scanned all the pa.s.sengers to make sure Venu wasnt on board, did she finally feel her muscles relax.

I wish there was some way we could know for sure that he isnt following us again, Thai said after they were safely in the air.

Cyrus popped into view, sitting in a cross-legged yoga pose on top of the bald head of the man sitting in front of them. Valerie couldnt repress a grin, but Thai hissed, Get down from there! Thats so disrespectful.

Whatever, h.e.l.l never know, Cyrus said, but then moved to the empty seat between Valerie and Thai instead.

Before they could start bickering, Valerie asked, Did you find anything out about that Venu guy?

Sorry, Val. I tried to follow him to see what hes up to, but hes protected.

What do you mean? she asked.

Usually, a Conjuror thinks about someone on Earth really hard, and were at their side in seconds. But no matter how long and hard I thought about Venu, I couldnt find him. That means that someone on the Globe is using a charm to prevent anyone else from locating him.

So theres no way for us to know where he is, then, she replied.

Nope. Its kind of ironic"the charm was originally created to protect children on Earth from being bothered by the Fractus who like to scare kids. But eventually, the Fractus found out about the charm, and now one of them is using it to stop anyone from finding Venu.

At least we know hes not on this flight, Thai said. We should take advantage of the fact that were safe for now and get some rest.

Valerie nodded. She was exhausted, so she was able to sleep for most of the flight. It wasnt until the wheels of the airplane came into jarring contact with the runway in Cairo that she awoke. Rested and confident that Venu was hundreds of miles away, the thrill and worries about her adventure returned.

We made it! h.e.l.l never find us now, she said hopefully.

Thai didnt look so sure. I dont understand how he tracked us to Stonehenge in the first place. Its like he knows where were going. Maybe someone is watching us and feeding back our whereabouts to him. What if he knows about the Great Pyramid, too? He could be only a few hours behind us. We need to go straight there tonight so you can get off this planet!

Valerie turned to him, her forehead wrinkling with worry. Thai, youre not going to like what Im about to ask you, but its important. I dont want to leave tonight. I want one last full day on Earth. Once I leave, I can never come back. And even though were in a foreign country right now, its not half as foreign as the world Im traveling to. Please, give me one day.

Thai didnt immediately reject her request with his usual condescending commands, as she expected. I can understand that. Id want the same thing if I were you. But youre in real danger, and I really dont want anything bad to happen to you. I dont know what Venu is capable of and who might be helping him.

I know, and its unfair of me to ask you to risk your life by waiting another day. I can find my way to the portal from here. I know where Im supposed to go next. We can say goodbye now, if you want. The last thing I want to do is to put you in any danger.

Thais eyes flickered with anger. You really dont get me, do you? Im not afraid for myself! Its you hes after, and I wont leave your side until youre on your way to the Globe.

Sorry, I didnt mean to say that at all. I meant"

He interrupted, You can have your day as long as no more trouble finds us. But the second anything weird happens, Im getting you out of here right away, and I dont want to hear a word of protest from you.

Less than an hour after disembarking, Valerie and Thai had collected their luggage and found the air-conditioned bus that would take them to a campground in Cairo where they would stay for the night. But just as they settled in, Cyrus appeared, perching on the arm of Valeries seat. His mischievous grin was back.

Ive got a surprise, guys. Turns out we have a contact here who has pulled some strings for you two. Get off the bus at the Mena House. A host will be waiting for you.

But what about" Valerie started to ask, but Cyrus had already disappeared.

Thirty minutes later, the bus pa.s.sed through twenty-foot, ornately carved iron gates that led up a flower-lined path, through a maze of elaborate gardens, and then pulled up to the front door of a building that resembled a palace more than any hotel that she had ever seen in Oakland.

Mena House! the driver shouted.

Valerie and Thai stared at each other in disbelief, their stunned expressions perfect mirrors of each other. She heard Cyrus laugh. You guys are so easily impressed. Thai pulled her off the bus, and she stared at everything in a daze.

Is this a mistake?

Its real, Val. Enjoy it, Cyrus whispered in her ear.

The enormous front door of the hotel opened, and they were immediately greeted by a tall man clothed entirely in white except for a blue silk sash elaborately embroidered in gold with symbols that Valerie didnt recognize. On behalf of my employer, I welcome you, American guests, he said with a friendly smile. I am Chisisi, your personal host here at the Mena House. It is my great pleasure to attend to your every need while you are here.

Valerie and Thai were so blown away by the magnificence of the hotel and the reception that they were dumbstruck"that is, until they saw Cyrus pretending to make out with a golden statue of the ancient Egyptian G.o.d, Ra. It was all Valerie could do to keep a straight face.

Come, let us get out of the midday sun, Chisisi said cheerfully. Then, without wasting another minute, he whisked them past check-in so quickly that all the glittering finery became a blur. He stopped before a distinguished dark-wood door at the remote end of the thirteenth floor.

Enjoy, with our compliments, Chisisi said as he unlocked the door.

Valerie entered the room and gasped. The living room of their suite was bigger than any hotel room she had ever seen. It was extravagantly decorated in golden hues, including an enormous mirrored circle that adorned an entire wall. Chisisi unloaded their backpacks and looked at the two gravely.

Please know that you are most welcome here at Mena House, but I would be remiss if I didnt warn you that you must be on your guard. Please do not a.s.sume there is no danger here or anywhere in Giza. We have many strange guests visiting our landmarks, and not all are friendly. Do not hesitate to call upon me if I can be of service. Simply call Amun at the reception desk and ask for me.

Oh, Im sure we can take care of ourselves, but thank you, Thai responded.

As you wish.

Chisisi left, and Thai exclaimed, Im pretty sure that Chisisi guy rolled his eyes at me!

But Valerie was already out on the balcony, and the view took her breath away in a way that she thought nothing ever could after seeing Stonehenge. In the distance, three tall pyramids were silhouetted against the pink and gold skies of sunset. Even from miles away, their dark, heavy presence was both imposing and intriguing. What secret pa.s.sages and forgotten stories lay under the weight of those boulders?

Valerie sensed that she was not alone. She turned around and saw that Thai had stepped out on the balcony, but he looked as if he had totally forgotten his indignation at Chisisi. He was looking at her with a focus that made her blush, which was only made worse when he smiled. It was the first time she had seen him smile, and she was suddenly several degrees warmer.

Thais eyes turned from her to the scene before them. This trip keeps getting more and more incredible. The view is like something out of a movie, he said.

Its beyond any adventure I ever imagined, she whispered. She turned to look at him and found that he was already staring at her with his intense eyes, though they seemed softer now. She had the overwhelming desire to step closer and see if he really smelled like vanilla and cookies, like she remembered.

You were pretty amazing back at Stonehenge, you know, Thai said.

Not what you expected from a fifteen-year-old kid you had to babysit?

I barely know you, but Im going to miss you, Valerie.

She could feel her palms start to sweat and her heart rate speed up. Why was she reacting this way? She needed to get a grip. Her nerves made her feel lightheaded, and she hoped she wouldnt faint again in front of Thai. Once was more than embarra.s.sing enough. Finally, she managed, Well still be friends. I can come back"just not in person.

Yeah, but from the fighting talent Ive seen, youll be busy.

Projecting wont be the same as being here for real, she said thoughtfully. Thais stomach grumbled loudly, and they both laughed. Wed better get food in you, quick!

I think we can arrange that! Cyrus said loudly, startling them both. They turned around and saw him staring at them with a strange look on his face. She wondered how long he had been watching them.

Someone knocked loudly on the door, and Thai answered. Chisisi greeted them with a quick nod. Come with me. A feast has been specially prepared for you!

Chisisi, its too much! We cant possibly accept, Valerie said.

Nonsense. Your benefactor would be insulted if you refused his hospitality.