Now late into the night, Raven and Van found the market district empty. Barrels lining the cold street once brimming with warm fire were now dark, still smoking as the last cinders gave up their remaining heat for the night. They located the haunting presence of the Morborium and then crossed the street to the unassuming antique shop. Raven immediately spotted the mark of four hexagons burned onto the doorpost.

  To their surprise, Valentine was waiting in front of the seemingly deserted shop.

  “Val, what are you doing here?” Van asked in shock.

  “I was given an urgent message from Master Cooley to meet here,” she replied. She then gasped. “Raven, what happened to your face?”

  She ran up to them, inspecting his wound. He tried to pull away, but she wasn’t having it.

  “I’ll be fine. Just a scuffle,” he finally said.

  “A scuffle indeed,” a voice replied.

  They turning to find Sarratica Lively and Master Finitum Cooley standing in the now open doorway of the shop. Inside was dark. Raven immediately looked down at their hands. They both wore gold rings with the four ruby hexagons.

  “Young man, that wound will get severely infected if not dealt with properly,” Cooley said, taking off his top hat.

  “I’ll be fine,” he replied. “Please explain why we are here.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, stop being stupid,” Valentine reprimanded. “Master Cooley, do you have provisions for treating this?”

  “Yes, we do. Please come inside, both of you. We have a very important proposition to discuss. You can treat the wound while you listen to what we have to say.”

  “Hey, what about me?” Van asked, indignant.

  “You’re not invited,” Sarratica replied irritably.

  “Why? Because I’m not wealthy?”

  “No. Because you are a Thimble,” Cooley replied.

  “Oh… okay, well that’s fair.” He folded his arms in disappointment.

  Cooley spread his arm toward the door, and Raven and Valentine walked inside the shop. Cooley turned to shut the door, but then he stopped and looked at Van, standing alone in the snowy street.

  “Oh, and don’t try to use your pandora to sneak inside. This place is protected from such abilities. Let’s just say you would not be rewarded for such an attempt.”

  “I wasn’t going to do that!” he replied.

  Master Cooley shut the door.

  Van frowned. “I was absolutely going to do that.”

  Raven and Valentine were led down a darkened hall and into a separate room near the back of the shop. Upon crossing the threshold, they were greeted with dim, but pleasant light. A group of eight high-backed chairs were situated in a circle in the well-furnished den. Four of the opulent chairs were occupied. Master Cooley placed his hat on a nearby coat rack and took a seat in one of the empty chairs. Sarratica immediately vacated the room through another door.

  Raven’s attention was immediately drawn to the person seated at the far end of the circle. A mischievous grin crossed the lips of Piper Redtune as their eyes met.

  “We meet again-nanana,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week, Raven. Please take a seat.”

  The large chair dwarfed her small frame, making her look more like a little girl than ever. Beside her sat Tellius, purple eyes gleaming and appearing just as stern as the day they first met. Valentine looked at Raven in surprise at the revelation they knew each other, but she said nothing.

  Seated on Piper’s right was another masked person. Like Sarratica, she wore bulky black robes and held a mask to her face by way of a long stick, but her mask was gold, rather than jade. Beside her sat a man Raven vaguely recognized, but couldn’t place. He was wispy and heavily tanned by the sun, with a large black mustache, and three peculiar moles on his right cheek. He wore a fine black suit of satin and carried a cane. He briefly looked at Raven guardedly before redirecting his gaze. Raven noticed all those in attendance wore the same ring bearing the four hexagons.

  A silence permeated the group as they all regarded the new guests. Raven sat in one of the chairs, folding his hands together. Valentine was about to sit in the chair next to him when Sarratica returned with a medical kit. She handed it to Valentine and then sat in the remaining open seat. Valentine knelt beside Raven’s chair, opening the kit and finding a needle, silk thread, and a bottle of clear alcohol among other provisions. She went to work closing up Raven’s facial wound the best she could. He never flinched during the process, but several of those in attendance squirmed at Valentine’s work on his face.

  In the silence, Raven took in his surroundings with interest. He recognized most of the furnishings, because they were the same as those that had been inside the remote domicile in the woods where Raven and Van first met Piper and Tellius. They must have been the same. Raven could not feel the presence of Van’s pandora, even though he was sure Van would have tried to get in by now. If this place truly could prevent the work of pandora, what else was it hiding?

  “What happened to cause such a laceration-nanana?” Piper finally spoke up. She seemed the least affected by Valentine’s work; only curiosity filled her expression.

  “I made a mistake in an otherwise routine confrontation,” Raven replied.

  “Confrontations are routine for you?” the woman with the gold mask asked. Her voice was lighter and sweeter than Sarratica’s.

  Master Cooley chuckled. “You have no idea.”

  Valentine finished her work and closed up the medical kit. “You’re going to have a nasty scar, but the cut was clean. You should heal in time, if you look after it.”

  “Thank you,” he replied as she took her seat.

  Piper smiled. “I am glad it did not ruin your new jewels-nanana. I see the earrings you wear are now purple. So, you completed the Tasks of Yearning.”

  “I did.”

  “How remarkable-nanana. Ladies and Gentlemen, you are now in the presence of the future king of Zaliance.”

  The others in the room looked at Raven in shock. He made no reply.

  “Well…” Master Cooley said, confounded. “That’s certainly a revelation not anticipated by this group.”

  “And what is this group?” Valentine asked. “Why are we here, Master Cooley?”

  “We are not yet prepared to divulge that information,” the man in the silk suit answered tersely.

  “Now, now,” Piper said quickly. “This isn’t the time to be disagreeable-nanana. We all agreed to extend them the invitation.”

  “Forgive the impoliteness,” Cooley said to Raven and Valentine. “Let us first make introductions. Piper Redtune and Tellius of Riverren. My close associate, Sarratica Lively. Her sister, the person holding the similar gold mask, is Harmony Skybow. And lastly, Mr. Blake Vanguard.” He motioned to the man in the silk suit.

  Raven again looked the man up squarely. He didn’t recognize the name. Harmony Skybow bore all resemblance to her sister. Calculating gaze behind her mask and a confident stature. The group of six people looking at him collectively formed a potent group, piquing Raven’s interest.

  “I am sure you have many questions,” Cooley resumed. “But before we continue, we have some questions of our own, if you will humor us. As you have probably already surmised, our society is quite confidential. Quite… forbidden. By the Titan’s Law anyway. We are simply taking every precaution.”

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  Valentine looked at Raven. He returned her gaze, before nodding. “Continue,” he replied.

  “I have had abundant time to observe these two students of mine in the past year, so I will begin. Can you give me your personal assessment of your time at Nine Star Academy so far?”

  Valentine’s eyes narrowed harshly. “Forgive my callousness, Master Cooley, but what kind of question is that? You have dragged us here in the middle of the night, claiming to be part of a society engaging in illicit activity, and the first thing you want to know is how I’ve liked school?”

  Piper snorted in a quiet chuckle, while several others frowned at her response. Cooley made no response.

  “My body of work at Nine Star requires no assessment,” she continued. “Save for Raven, I have the best grades among my peers. But that’s not what you are asking. So, what is it that you really want to know?”

  “Why do you invite the wrath of the Titan to our doorstep?” Vanguard asked suddenly to Raven directly.

  Raven tilted his head, propping his head against his knuckle. “Why should I tell any of you?”

  “Last time we met, you said it was your life’s work to destroy the Titan,” Piper replied, now more serious. “But your purpose in Roespeye is more specific. You are looking for something-nanana. As a group, we have not been able to ascertain what that is. It’s quite perplexing. But your arrival at Nine Star and subsequent partnership with Vanyard von Sephim and Ms. Chessex has caused a stir within our ranks. We could not ignore it-nanana.”

  “As Valentine asked moments ago, who is we?”

  The members of the society all silently looked back and forth amongst themselves.

  “Good grief, let’s make a decision,” Tellius finally spoke up, aggravated. “We all want this. Let’s stop being afraid for once.”

  “I don’t want this,” Vanguard snapped back. “They’re going to get us all killed. And then what will we have accomplished?”

  “The same thing that we have accomplished in the last fifty years,” Sarratica replied. “Nothing.”

  “I concur,” Harmony said.

  Vanguard’s shoulders slumped and he became silent.

  Master Cooley folded his hands together in his lap. “Raven and Valentine, do you truly desire to destroy our system of pandora?”

  “Yes,” Valentine replied.

  Raven smirked. Ah… so that’s what this is.

  Cooley took Raven’s smile as acquiescence. “As you have heard, your sudden presence in Roespeye has been a matter of constant debate among the members of our society. And tonight, we have made our existence known in order to officially extend an invitation to membership.

  “This is the Pandora Society, a group of extraordinary, well-connected individuals… and myself… whose sole function and desire is to eradicate the use of souls as materialistic devices. Through surveilled observation of your discussions, both private and public, we have known about your shared desire for some time.”

  “The destruction of pandora requires the death of the Titan,” Raven replied. “Surely you understand this.”

  “Of course. The goal is one and the same.”

  Valentine sniffed in suspicion. “While the purpose behind Raven’s invitation is obvious, I can only assume I have been invited because of my wealth and the prestige of my family.”

  “You assume wrong, young one,” Harmony replied. “We are not interested in your money. We are interested in you. Your passion, your connections, your name.”

  “Meaning my father and the rest of the Chessex family.”

  “Wary, this one,” Tellius said approvingly.

  “You’re not the first group to ask for my influence.”

  “You’ve got it all wrong, both of you,” Piper said. “This is not a silly club. You must understand-nanana. Every person in this room risks death daily to associate like this, because each of us would give our own life to see the end of pandora. It is our sole function, our life’s mission.”

  Cooley nodded. “You see, while we have great skill and desire to complete the task, still we have become stagnant. Little progress has been made to discover the secret to destroying the Titan. His power is beyond us. So, here we have arrived. We are seeking new members. New insights and perspectives.”

  “Fresh blood,” Raven said.

  “We are risking our lives in order to declare our cause is not in vain. And so, when not just one, but two incredible prospects presented themselves at our doorstep, it became obvious to at least the majority of us that we had to act and take a chance.”

  Vanguard groaned quietly.

  “There’s a problem,” Raven said. “You haven’t given me any reason to join you. What benefit is this society to me? I have walked my own path to the destruction of pandora. In doing so, I have suffered the cruel pains of this world in ways most of you might never know. I took hold of my own destiny to kill the Titan, traversing the deepest hells of Fallowreyk to obtain information the Titan has desperately tried to snuff from existence. All of this I have already accomplished without your assistance.”

  “And I have tied my fate to Raven’s for those very reasons,” Valentine added. “My name is not something to be bartered.”

  “What could you offer us?” he finished.

  “Please, Raven. And Valentine,” Piper said, holding up her hand. “Give us a chance to speak-nanana. Let us convince you. We have plenty to offer. Or am I mistaken in believing that you have thus far listened to us because you, too, have remaining questions with no answers?”

  Raven regarded them in silent contemplation. The timing of this meeting was curious, and his natural distrust sounded alarms in his mind. On the other hand, the group hadn’t actually made any demands of him, at least not yet. It seemed on the surface to be the possible change in fortune he needed. Was this a sign from the Holy One? He was tempted to ask Rue’s thoughts on the matter, but he knew Piper would be able to hear her voice.

  “Let’s hear what they have to say, Raven,” Valentine finally said.

  He nodded. “Very well.”

  Master Cooley exhaled mightily and seemed rejuvenated. “Thank you. Well then, where shall we start? To begin with the most potent offering, we are not just a group of individuals. We also possess incredible archives of information ourselves. Forbidden books, aged texts, cartographs and genealogies. More volumes than a person could read in a lifetime. Most of them held for the purpose to use against the mad ruler.”

  Vanguard groaned. “Fini, why did we need to tell him that?”

  “In order to gain trust, we must give it.”

  “The boy uses pandora! He uses the very things we have sworn to abhor and destroy! He possesses dozens of them! How can we invite him to join our cause if he doesn’t believe in the mission?”

  “You mentioned genealogies,” Raven said to Master Cooley, ignoring Vanguard. “Whose genealogies?”

  “Something about that sparks your interest?” Sarratica asked with a smile. “We possess incredible historical references, going back hundreds of generations. And for every existing Reyk.”

  “But we possess so much more-nanana,” Piper explained. “Artifacts, priceless treasures, and more. And as my dear friend Finitum already stated, we are all well-connected across all of Fallowreyk. For decades, we have carefully and diligently been seeking for ways to kill the Titan-nanana. Gathering up intelligence in this hive. Because we know, like you, that his death will lead to the end of all pandora. We desire it with all our hearts. For the friends and family we have lost. And for those we have yet to lose.”

  “The Pandora Society recognizes your great power, Raven Whitesong,” Harmony said. “And Valentine Chessex, we believe you would be the perfect addition to carry on the legacy and efforts of our society. Your leadership qualities are unparalleled. Though we may not all look it, most of us are quite advanced in years.”

  “A youth movement,” Raven quipped.

  “We understand that it may never be our destiny to destroy the Titan. But perhaps, by the mercy of the Holy One, we can equip the ones who possess that destiny.”

  “What would you require of us?” Valentine asked.

  “Your suspicions are wise and warranted,” Master Cooley said. “We understand that we must prove our worth. And we can do that this very night, if you so desire. All we ask is your official acceptance. In so doing, we would demand your loyalty.”

  “But don’t get it wrong,” Piper quickly interjected. “We are not some authoritative body-nanana. We are neither soldiers nor taskmasters. We are friends, loyal to each other and bound in passion to the cause. And to Fallowreyk. Each of us has been deeply affected by the cries of those locked within the vile pandora. We all understand its evil. It connects and drives us-nanana. Only this matters. And it is why we are able to do hard things and request hard things from each other. Through our great wish, we have desired to be loyal and look out for one another. It is the essence of the Pandora Society.”

  Raven watched as the rest of the society members nodded in approval. He could see the determination and sincerity in their countenance.

  “Do you know where the missing pages of the Star Tome are?” he asked suddenly to the group.

  The members collectively were puzzled, looking at each other before shaking their heads. Raven frowned, but wasn’t surprised. Even so, their powerful overture was tempting, but laced with danger. His own scheme had seemed sufficient until recently, but the puzzle of Valius Shrale’s Star Tome was currently at a dead end. The fact that he had never heard of the Pandora Society impressed Raven more than anything. Should he ask for time to think about it?

  “Do we have any time?” Rue piped in.

  He looked at Valentine. She returned his gaze and then made a curious gesture with her hands. It was as if she was unfolding a piece of paper. He quickly understood after she did it a second time.

  Clever. Kill two birds with one stone.

  “Very well. We will join,” Raven said. “Under two conditions.”

  The members of the Pandora Society perked up. “What are they?” Cooley asked.

  “First, you will not ask us of anything until after the school term ends. Schemes are currently in motion that cannot be undone. You can rest assured knowing they are utterly in service to the same mission of the Pandora Society. But Valentine and I must focus on preparing for victory in the challenges to which I committed according to the Vark Ilias.”

  “Seems reasonable. What is your second condition?”

  “You tell me what your own challenge is, Master Cooley, and the challenges of the other masters.”

  The economics professor laughed a curious laugh, harsh in the throat as if he rarely did such a thing. His expression filled with merriment. “So, you didn’t know all of the challenges after all.”

  “I’m not asking for a pass. I just want to know what they are.”

  “I don’t know the others. But I am willing to tell you mine.”

  “That will do.”

  The professor clapped his thighs. “Very well. We accept.”

  His students leaned forward. “What is your challenge under the Vark Ilias?” Raven asked.

  “My challenge to you was that you give up your Class Eight pandora. Release it from your control, by your own volition.”

  Raven’s eyebrows rose in surprise. It was the last thing he had expected. Master Cooley sat in his chair confidently, looking at his students as if expecting them to be angry. But Raven was not angry.

  No… he was happy. If there had been any doubt about the tenacity and trustworthiness of the Pandora Society, it was gone. Master Cooley could have asked Raven to do anything when he wrote down his challenge, but he chose to take even the smallest opportunity to perhaps save one more soul from the fate he detested. Besides the death of the Titan, there was nothing Raven desired more than to free Rue from her pandora. And if all went according to plan, with the help of these new comrades, she would soon see the light of day once more.