Chapter 1: Seth’s prelude
Chapter Text
There was value in staying in the shadows. Seth knew this. Gleaning information and untangling motives was much easier when your subject didn’t notice you.
Rain slipped off his itchy coat as the city’s walls slowly solidified in the distance.
People always asked why he didn’t challenge his sister for the heir title. What a dumb question. First off, he loved his sister. Second of all, why would he ever want to relinquish his freedom and spend his life languishing in castle walls?
As it turns out, his languishing in a castle was about to happen anyway.
Meters away from the gates, the horses ground to a stop.
Moonlight glinted off his sister’s golden diadem as she removed her hood, letting raindrops seep into her hair. Seth surveyed the castle walls barring their entry. A lone sentry peeked through the gate tower.
The sentry had to shout over the thunder of the storm. “Who goes there?”
“Princess Kendra Sorenson, heir apparent of Fablehaven. Four of my associates join me.” Unlike the shouty sentry, her voice commanded the heavens without straining. “I request an audience with your king.”
Silence mingled with thunder as the sentry ducked out of view. Raindrops slipped off Seth’s hood as his horse shuffled in its step. “Steady, Noble.”
The sentry reappeared. “Where is King Stanley, Princess?”
“My grandfather’s whereabouts are not the concern of a sentry. Send for your king. It is urgent.”
“One moment, your grace.” With a flash of lighting, the sentry disappeared behind the tower.
Despite the disappearance of the guard, eyes were still watching. Seth could spot two peasants behind the gate, in the shadows of the lower town, spying on the royal court. He pulled his hood lower.
“Are you alright, Seth?” His valet shouted from behind him.
“Yes, thank you, Patton.”
The gates scraped against the muddy floor and revealed three men on horses. One lowered his hood, revealing a young man around Kendra’s age with a crown on his head. “Greetings, Princess Kendra. My name is Prince Garreth. I will escort you to the stables to leave your horses.”
“And then to your father, I presume?” Kendra pulled her hood back up, shielding the golden diadem from sight.
Lightning lit up the night—almost as bright as Prince Garreth’s smile. “Of course, my lady.”
The journey to the stables was fraught with security risks. He trusted Patton to always protect him of course, but the narrow road had forced the eight horses into a line. Rain and a weak crescent moon obscured the path. Thunder and the gossiping commotion of the common people peeking out their houses muffled any warning signal. Terrabelle was the most fortified destination, but it most certainly wasn’t the safest on the inside. Especially for certain people in their party.
As soon as the lanterns of the stable were in view, servants rushed forward to untack the horses. Seth leaned down to Noble’s ear. “Be a good horse.”
Mud sprayed from his boots’ impact to the ground. Patton joined him.
Sloshing, they made their way over to Kendra. Warren and Vanessa were already at her side.
Though their official titles don’t say it, the Head Chancellor and Kendra’s Lady-in-waiting all had trained as knights. Although Patton hadn’t, his time as an adventurer more than made up for it.
Garreth was already speaking by the time Seth took his spot next to Kendra. “—he’ll meet with you, Kendra, and our servants can lead your court to a common room for the night.”
“Actually, we’d all like to meet with King Dalgorel,” thunder paused Kendra. “We’re all seeking safe refuge.”
Garreth’s smile froze. “Of course. Anything for a lady as beautiful as you.” Seth almost snorted. “This way.”
The prince led them through the stables to a door that entered into the main castle. The walls were polished up to the high ceiling and decorated with flags and animal heads. There was no doubt in Seth’s mind that there was a shorter path to the throne room, but Garreth just wanted to lead them through the most impressive halls.
Water dripped from their wool coats onto the stone. Everyone’s hood was off now, revealing a silver crown upon Seth’s unruly hair.
“I admire your kingdom’s many conquests,” Kendra spoke to Garreth.
“Our kingdom is very powerful,” Garreth agreed. “You’ll be very lucky if the King grants you amnesty.”
The group stopped at an ornate door a mile high. Flickering firelight cast an ever-changing shadow over the door’s jewels and carved adornments.
Venom coated Kendra’s smile. “If?”
Garrett didn’t spare her a glance and pushed the door, splitting it in two. “Oh, look, we’re here.”
They had finally made it into the throne room.
Now, it was only a test of if they’d be allowed to stay.
Chapter 2: I - game of thrones
Summary:
Kendra negotiates with the Dalgorels.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kendra was used to throne rooms. Diplomatic missions and the tiara upon her head had desensitized her to the beauty and glory of royalty. It all began to blend into the same walls, the same people, and the same dumb, political red tape.
The throne room of Terrabelle, however, took her breath away. The ceiling was decorated like a stained glass artist’s dream and wooden spired thrones dominated the room.
The largest of which was occupied by King Dalgorel. The hour was witching, but you’d never tell that he had to have rolled out of bed for this. His robes popped against his dark tunic and the crown depressing his hair had one of the biggest jewels she’d ever seen.
The second-largest throne must’ve been for a queen. It hadn’t been filled for many years if Kendra remembered correctly.
Two smaller thrones sat empty on either side of the main two.
Kendra walked with the dignity of a queen with her diadem high on her head up until a few meters from the King’s throne. Prince Garreth continued to walk over, and he sat on one of the smaller thrones.
The Princess touched her knee to the floor and her forehead to her knee. The others followed suit. “Your majesty, I, Princess Kendra and my brother, Prince Seth of Fablehaven, our attendants, and our Head Chancellor greatly appreciate your hospitality tonight. We come to you now to seek refuge past tonight.”
Her hands shook underneath her flounce sleeves. Each heartbeat slammed against her chest, making her breaths a tiny bit shorter. But, she kept her eyes down and her back straight nonetheless.
“Rise.” King Dalgorel’s voice was lower than a mastiff’s bark. “The King and Queen aren’t with you?
“No, they are not, your majesty. King Stanley and Queen Ruth are on a diplomatic mission to the Lost Mesa.”
A raindrop slid off Kendra’s hair, just like the lies slid off her tongue, and splattered against the luxurious rug.
“You are currently the highest-ranking official here, Crown Princess Kendra?”
“Yes, your majesty. I am the heir apparent princess of Fablehaven and the House of Soren.” Only slightly higher than her brother, but it was best to let Seth stay in the shadows. He’d be more useful that way.
She had never been more aware of the mistakes in her appearance than when dozens of foreign officials scrutinized her. Every silent second was one more moment of torture.
“Fablehaven is currently at peace, correct?”
“Yes, your majesty.” Technically, there was no declaration of war.
“My son, lodge the House of Soren. A common room, please.”
“Yes, father.”
Kendra’s most trusted allies turned to leave. Normally, the House of Soren included her but the King’s eyes were focused on her. Daring her to move.
“Court, you are dismissed.” King Dalgorel studied her. The people standing along the room began to leave.
Soon, the only sounds in the room were the flickering crackles of fire in the braziers.
“Princess Kendra.” The King rested his head on his fist. “When did you become the named heir?”
“Last year on my sixteenth natality.”
“Your grandsires are waning in their years, are they?”
Kendra smiled. “They are in perfect health.”
King Dalgorel‘s mouth drooped with wariness. “Why do you need refuge?”
The news would reach him soon anyway. “Our kingdom was ransacked, sire. It was in the best interest of the family to flee.”
“Who?”
“The Sphinx.”
The King closed his eyes and grimaced. “Princess, you know as well as I do that we are a neutral kingdom and the Sphinx—”
“—wasn’t after the court!” Kendra stepped forward with her hands splayed. “He went after our gold reserves. Fablehaven had forever been close to the Sphinx’s mountains, and it was only a matter of time before he struck. None of us were the targets. You’d just be offering to house collateral refugees. Not anyone he’d care about.” She dropped her arms. “We didn't declare war or anything. You’d stay out of politics.”
“Politics is a fickle game more twisted than you describe.”
Kendra mulled her answer over for a second. “Yes, sire. But the Sphinx sees things black and white. This is black and white. You’re in the clear.”
“Humans have practiced magic in Fablehaven.” A quick breath of air almost choked Kendra. “Sorcery outlawed in the treaty that was signed in this very room.”
Another raindrop slid down her violet velvet dress. The throne elevated the King, making Kendra suddenly feel like a mouse in a trap. Her mouth was dry.
“It’s hard to police magic so close to the mountains, sire.”
He stood from his seat and stalked towards her. “Do not take me for a fool. I sympathized with your father, but sympathy won’t carry you far. Honesty will.”
“I’m being honest.”
He stood only a few feet away. Kendra’s head craned upwards. “Did you bring sorcery into Terrabelle?”
Kendra stuck her chin higher. “No.”
King Dalgorel studied her face. “I hope that turns out to be true. There is no diplomatic immunity here. Any illegality and your court is thrown out.”
He took a step back and Kendra let out a breath.
“You have one night of refuge guaranteed.” Kendra opened her mouth, ready to refute. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Pushing down her frustration, Kendra bowed. “Thank you, your majesty.”
The King turned and walked back to his throne. “Ask a servant for directions to your room.” Glass-stained moonlight glinted off his crown. “Or ask Garreth. I’m sure he’d love to talk to you.”
Firelight flickered on the hall, sending shadows out to grab Kendra in her journey. A servant had given her vague directions to her lodging.
Her mind reeled from the conversation. Only one night of refuge? Why was the King so frustrating? It’s not like they could just mosey on to the next kingdom.
The Sphinx was most definitely looking for the two royal siblings, despite what Kendra had told the king. Terrabelle was the most protected citadel and closest kingdom they could have escaped to. The citadel was out of the way, hidden by rivers and forests. It was hard to find for Kendra and her party, even. The safest option.
Well, from the Sphinx. Kendra was starting to question how safe the city itself was.
She lifted her wet skirt so it didn’t snag on the roughhewn stone as she marched towards the common room.
Kendra hated politics. Especially this type—the type where she doesn’t have the upper hand. It was confusing, just like this dumb castle.
Despite the winding dead ends, Kendra successfully found her way to the room.
She pushed open the door and found Garreth in the middle of talking to her brother. Everyone else was laying out bedrolls. “Oh, hello Kendra! I was just explaining to your brother that we could put you and your brother in a separate room.”
“It makes more sense to stick together,” Seth said.
“Agreed.” Kendra rested her hand on Garreth’s shoulder. “Do you want to talk for a second, outside?”
“Oh, uh, sure.”
He stepped out and she closed the door. She already knew Garreth was close to the King and harbored some favor for Kendra, or at least was after her social elevation. Now, if only she can successfully exploit that.
“How’d the rest of the meeting go?”
Kendra narrowed her eyes. “He only gave us one night of refuge.”
“That’s not ideal,” Garreth placated. “But you’re lodged tonight, and he didn’t kick you out.”
Kendra frowned at his response and studied him for a beat. “I think you’re a good person, Garreth...”
“Thank you.”
“But, I’m slowly rescinding my opinion. Unless you do a favor for me.”
Garreth leaned up against the wall. The torchlight cast harsh shadows on his face. “What’s in it for me?”
“My appreciation.” Not like she had much to offer, anyway.
“Not good enough.” A slow smile spread across his face. “What about a date?”
“Where?”
“Maybe a picnic of sorts.”
“Guards?”
“Sure. I’m a knight as well as a prince too.” He gestured to his sword sheath to prove his point. “I can protect you from whatever you’re running from.”
Kendra gave a tight smile. He was delusional. “Fine. You’ve agreed to do me a favor?”
He put a finger up. Oh no. “What favor?”
“To talk to your father—”
“Oh, great.”
Kendra hushedly raised her voice and spit out the words quickly. “And figure out why we haven't been granted safe refuge, and maybe convince him to do so.”
“That’s a lot for one picnic.”
“Well, you're only getting one.” She stuck her hand out. “Are you in agreement?”
Garreth made a show of tapping his finger to his chin before shaking her hand. “Meet me tomorrow at the stables. You remember your way?”
“Yes,” by which Kendra meant she’d figure it out. It couldn’t be that hard. “When?”
“Morning.”
“It’s technically morning.”
Garreth made a face at her. “Get some sleep. I’ll send my servant for you later.”
“Wait,” Kendra laid a hand on his turning shoulder and quickly pulled it back. There was a conflict. “I plan to meet with your king tomorrow morning.”
“He made plans for that?” Garreth pulled a face.
“Well, no—”
“How about you meet with him in the evening? He has meetings in the morning and saves lunch for leisure. I’ll have softened him up by then.”
Kendra pursed her lips and then nodded. Good enough. “Good night.”
“Good night, milady.” She watched him walk off before slipping back inside the common room. The rolls were all set out and everyone was sitting in a circle.
Seth left the circle and sidled up next to her and the door. “What’d you need with the cox-comb?”
Kendra gave Seth an amused expression. “I’d watch your language. We’re not in Fablehaven anymore. And I’ll tell everyone in just a moment.”
“Warren’s going over the laws at Terrabelle.” Seth turned his head to her. “No magic here?”
Kendra rolled her eyes. “Absolutely not. They burn sorcerers.” She elbowed him playfully. “You’d know that if you ever came on diplomatic missions.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I love missions. Just not in stuffy castle halls. The real fun stuff is in the wilderness.”
“I’m sure.”
“We could go over everything else in the morning if you need some sleep.”
Kendra shot him a look. “No, it’s fine.”
Seth cocked his head at her. “Is it? We’re only a few hours from the sun rising.”
“I’m fine. Come on.”
Her leather soles snapped against the ground and prompted the circle to turn towards her. Her third day as the emergency in command, and she already wished her grandparents were back. If only so she could be asleep instead of directing what was left of the royal court.
Which was a selfish attitude that her grandparents would have admonished her for, had they heard it. This was her duty.
She took a seat and started with the same words she had asked for the past three days. “Any word from my grandparents?”
“No,” Warren pulled out a scroll from his bag. “It’s been five days since they headed out to secure the dragon’s protection at Wyrmroost. Wyrmroost is a week’s journey away. We don’t know if they encountered the Sphinx’s forces on their way or are still on horseback, two days away from their destination. We won’t know until a dragon or fairy alights on our window sill with news.” Which won’t happen in this ridden of magic kingdom.
“Right. What about the status of our kingdom?”
“Fablehaven is still captured by the Sphinx’s army,” Warren said.
Patton leaned forward. “A fairy contacted me earlier on our journey and confirmed that the House of Lords and rest of the castle staff were not able to escape. We can only assume the same for the upper and lower towns. We are the lone survivors besides the court and knights that went to Wyrmroost.”
Kendra sighed. “Keep gathering information, but Patton, you won’t be able to find any fairies here.” She surveyed the solemn faces of her group. “We are not completely safe yet. King Dalgorel gave us lodging for the night but did not guarantee for more. I scheduled a meeting to talk with Garreth and then the King tomorrow. We’ll be up with the sun, so go to bed and get the few hours you can.”
The candlelight was soon gone and replaced by the waning moon’s glow.
Staring out the window, Kendra caught an impressive view of Terrabelle. The castle stretched around the square which led into the upper town with its markets and businesses. Marked by houses, the lower town was farther down. Brick and mortar stopped at the city walls and fields of grain and grass took over.
Peace blanketed the citadel. She could only hope it’d stay that way.
Notes:
next chapter out next Sunday!
how are you feeling about Kendra’s date?
Chapter Text
The first night in Terrabelle was awful. Cold stone seeped through Seth’s thin canvas bedroll and froze every one of his limbs. With the chilly breezes slithering into the room from the windows’ open shutters, he was a popsicle.
Tactically, he knew it was the right decision to keep everyone in the same room, but he was starting to regret turning down Garreth’s offer of a separate room. It might’ve been warmer.
Maybe the sub-optimal conditions influenced his dreaming. Maybe it was because he had stuffed the previous days’ events into a hole never to be dealt with again. Despite the foggy reasons, his mind decided to rewind time to the night his life had been uprooted.
Patrons bustling with catches of the day in their wicker baskets filled the open-air market. The cobblestone road proved a tricky landscape for Seth as he tried to push his way through the throng. “Sorry! Coming through!”
Seth stopped and glanced back at Patton, riding the kid’s coattails. He was like Moses, parting the sea of shoppers.
“Why are you getting the special treatment?” Seth complained.
“I’m a respected explorer,” he grinned, quickening his step to reach his charge.
“So am I!” Another marketer bumped into Seth.
Patton caught up to Seth and patted his head. “Then I guess it must be your stature.”
“Coxcomb,” Seth muttered as Patton ruffled his hair. He knew he was tall for his age. Fifteen and already taller than his sister. “You’re just a giant.”
“I could put you on my shoulders and maybe then you’d be an acceptable height for your youth.”
Seth lifted his crown, fixed his hair, and set it back down. “I am at an acceptable height. And I’m not a youth anymore.”
“If only.” Two satyrs sidled up to the pair. Their hooves nimbly navigated the uneven path. Newel shook his head sadly. “Young Seth was so much more into fraud.”
“Personally,” Patton said. “I preferred when he was so little he couldn’t speak.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “I’m reporting you all.”
“To who?” Patton gave him a smug smile. The valet held out a hand to stop the party as a wagon drove by. “The King? One of my closest friends?”
“Yes.” Seth tried to keep a straight face but his lip kept twitching. “We have too many Burgesses in the court. And too many satyrs in the market.” The wagon train finally passed.
“Then who would you hang out with?” Doren snagged an apple from a market stand and Patton just as quickly laid down the money for it. “We’re your closest friends.”
Seth smiled and rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me.”
“Where are you two going?” Newel asked as they exited the market area.
“City wall. Wraiths are trying to come through the main entrance.” Seth stole the apple out of Doren’s hands and took a bite.
“And you’re just going to go? Why not send your valet and come with us instead?” Newel gestured to the expendable Patton.
“Seth has that certain charm with them that I don’t,” Patton said.
“Fine,” Newel capitulated.
“We’re on just as important business.” Doren stole back his apple from the prince. “Trying to find some tickets for the theater show tonight.”
Doren slung an arm around Seth as they reached the city wall. “You know, if someone just wrote up a note stamped with the royal seal...maybe we wouldn’t even need tickets to get in.”
Seth laughed and shrugged his arm off. “See you all later. And remember to extend your visas before Friday!”
As the satyrs raced back to the market, they yelled back: “You’re the prince, do it yourself!”
With a smile, Seth climbed the stairs to the sentry post and stared down the arrivals. Three wraiths stood at the city gate. Keeping their distance from the group was a merchant with a cart.
Seth knocked on the stone to get their attention. “This isn't the magical creature entrance.”
No, it is not. The wraiths locked eyes with the prince, their eerie voices synchronized as they invaded his mind. Seth could swear he could feel the dark energy billowing off the creatures. No wonder the sentries called Seth in to deal with them. Danger is coming.
“What danger?”
Patton alarmedly looked at Seth. The middle-aged adventurer was shivering despite the summer heat.
An army.
“When?”
Soon.
Chills coated Seth’s spine. An army? Seth was like 70% sure Fablehaven wasn’t at war. He had only come back from an expedition yesterday, but still. Not even Kendra had mentioned any reason the kingdom would be expecting hostility.
And even if they needed to fight an army, all the knights were accompanying the King and Queen on their journey to Wyrmroost. They only had the paltry barracks leftover.
As much as Seth wished it wasn’t true, he knew not to doubt the intelligence the wraiths provided. Wraiths were rarely wrong.
He turned to Patton. “We need to evacuate.”
Seth rang the sentry bell. Taking two steps out at a time, the duo rushed out of the post and down the back alleys of the lower town. The main streets were too crowded with carts and pedestrians.
They reached the castle, swerving servants and staff as they flew by.
“Kendra should be in the throne room,” Patton gestured to the hall to their right, “hearing out property proposals. How long do we have?”
“The wraiths just said ‘soon.’ They’re bad with time so it could be minutes or weeks.”
Warning horns, a sound Seth hadn’t heard in years, blasted through the air. For a terrible moment, he was ten again—saying goodbye to his parents for the very last time. He was scared, alone, and helpless.
Patton’s hand on his shoulder brought Seth back to the present—which wasn’t much of an improvement, anyway. “Looks like the former.”
Seth didn’t stop holding his breath until he burst through the throne room doors.
A golden diadem peeked out from the crowd of chancellors in fancy dress.
“Kendra!”
At Seth’s voice, the crowd parted and Kendra ran the length of the velvet carpet to him. “One of our scouts spotted an army and our head chancellor tells me it’s the Sphinx.”
“I know. We need you to strengthen the distraction spell around the city before they get here,” Seth urged over the constant blare of the horns.
“Wait,” Warren interjected. The head chancellor had followed Kendra to Seth. “Our priority is keeping you two safe. We need to flee.”
Kendra stayed focused on Seth. “I don’t think I can enhance that spell without help.”
“I could help. Lena used to use me to set up her spells,” Patton offered.
“Princess,” Warren paused and shot a look at Patton. “We need to leave now. Vanessa is packing your bags. Please. The Sphinx’s armies are like none you’ve ever known.”
Pursing her lips, Kendra looked at Warren. “I can’t leave my people.”
“You’ll hurt them more if you get caught,” Warren said. “What’s a captured princess to do for them?”
As the last word left his lips, the beautiful windows exploded, leaving glass pieces littering the floor. An arrow landed next to the group. With the window blown out, the screams of the townspeople permeated through the throne room.
“We don’t have time for this,” Warren warned.
“The only way they’ve gotten in so quick must have been magic.” Kendra locked eyes with Seth. “We’re the only ones who could combat them.”
“You are not combatting the Sphinx’s army,” Warren stepped between the siblings and put his hands on Kendra’s shoulders, incredulous. “Are you ill?”
“You’re not our father, Warren,” Seth said. He could barely hear himself over the cacophony. How could he leave people to die? That wasn’t him. He helped people. Despite where his magic came from.
“Of course not. But, your parents wouldn’t have wanted me to let you guys get yourselves killed. Neither would your grandparents, for that matter, and I answer to them.”
Patton laid a hand on Seth’s shoulder. The pressure was like all of his worries weighing on him. “It may be best to rush now. We don’t have much time.”
Guilt swirled in his stomach, making him sick like the flu. What good was his magic if he couldn’t even fight with it?
The bell rang incessantly, drowning out cries for help.
Kendra closed her eyes and whispered under her breath. The flowered garden along the wall expanded and grew, cutting off the main entrances. Vines grew and intertwined over the broken window until the clamor was but a dull headache. As Kendra steadied herself, she locked eyes with Warren. “Where to?”
Half the secret corridors Warren led the party through were already known to Seth, but a few were pleasant surprises. Well, as pleasant as a surprise could be when under the pretense of evacuation.
Would he ever return to utilize these new passages or was this was the last time he’d see these walls? Memories were embedded in this castle. The day Patton was made his valet. His parents’ laugh. His dad teaching him how to ride a horse. Kendra freaking out over the spider he had put in her bed. Once he left, he’d no longer be able to run his fingers across the stone grooves of the castle that framed his childhood.
Warren stopped the group when they neared the tunnel’s end. “We’re about to go out into the main corridor.” The ringing of clashed swords seeped through the stone walls. “Seth, could you cloak us?”
“Yeah.” Seth closed his eyes and reached inside himself to start siphoning magic to his companions. “Not for long though. It’s taxing my energy with all of you.”
Cold mist crawled from Seth and enveloped the party. It was invisible to anyone without an affinity for dark magic. Shadowcharmers, people called them.
Warren slid open the door. The torchlight cast monstrous shadows depicting swords slashing and blood spraying. Speaking of blood, the entire hallway was layered with it. Previous colorful banners and rugs were incarnadined.
“We are not getting through that,” Kendra muttered.
“We can skirt along the walls,” Warren said. “Draw your swords.”
Kendra knelt and picked a bow and quiver off of a fallen soldier. Seth tried to ignore the blood staining her hands.
His tunic caught on every divet as he slid along the wall. The schwings of swords and thwaps of arrows reminded him how close he was to being skewered.
A soldier fell back into Seth, and the group’s cloak wavered. Sweat started to drip down the shadowcharmer’s face.
The exit was so painfully close. Black spots encroached his vision. Just a few more steps.
Darkness filled his gaze long enough to lose his footing, and he fell back onto Patton. He looked up. No mist shrouded the man's concerned face.
A soldier began to yell at the group, but Kendra spun—fast as a whip, muscles rippling—and released two arrows. Each hit their target.
They rushed out of the exit and made it to the courtyard.
Vanessa was waiting for them at the stables. All the needed horses were already tacked up with bundles tied on.
Seth stuck his foot in the stirrup and swung his body over his chosen steed, Noble.
The blaring trumpets faded as they got farther from Fablehaven. With the noise, his old life faded as well. Rain began to fill the absence of sound, and raincoats were all put on.
Moonlight highlighted the blood on his clothes. Normally, the night rejuvenated him. Now, he only felt empty. Empty of magic and empty of a home.
Hopefully, the sunrise would bring rest or a resolution to their problems...
In his gut, he knew neither would occur for a painfully long time.
Notes:
I'm not too fond of this chapter, but I am very excited for next chapter! It will be split up into two parts as it got a bit too long. Part A will be out next Sunday!
Chapter 4: III - glory and garreth
Summary:
Kendra's date.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The morning painted a picture of simplicity. Vanessa woke Kendra awake at the crack of dawn, and the men soon followed suit. Cool winds blew from the windows Kendra had forgotten to close last night. The gusts carried bits of their new life—leaves, a nut, and ash. Scientific preservation blossomed in Vanessa’s notebook, which is where the findings soon found themselves, pressed between pages.
Kendra closed her fingers around her mug and siphoned heat from the beverage. Fur, from the outfit Vanessa had packed in preparation for Terrabelle, tickled Kendra’s cheeks. Gales seeped through the coat and bit her thoughtful scowl.
Over and over did the meeting with the King tumble through her head, but no amount of thought dulled its sharp edges. The meeting was the first negotiation she’d ever done, and the failure stung. Even now, Warren and Vanessa packed bags in case last night had truly been their final night here.
She couldn’t help but think of the last negotiation she’d witnessed at Terrabelle. Years ago, before any of her magic, she had watched her father speak in that very throne room. The way he blunted the treaty’s harsh clauses against magic while simultaneously being sensitive to Terrabelle’s grief dazzled the young princess.
Eyes unfocused, she could almost see her father smile in the shadows.
She didn’t want to leave the daydream, but in her periphery, she caught Warren holding an ornate book. “Is that the grimoire?”
Noticing the undercurrent of disapproval in her tone, he put his hand on his hip and gave her a look. “I’m not going to have you defenseless in a foreign land.”
“I have a good memory without the book,” Kendra grumbled into her coffee. Not having the words in front of her didn’t make her defenseless. She was a good witch, even if she wasn’t a good negotiator.
“That’s not what Lena told me,” Seth piped up from the corner.
Kendra resisted the urge to throw her coffee at her brother.
Patton paused his breakfast. “Don’t antagonize your sister. I think you’re coming along great in your studies, Kendra.”
“So do I,” Vanessa added. “You’re really getting the hang of your magic.”
“Thank you too.”
“Though your pronunciation’s lacking at times.” Patton threw a cheeky smile at Kendra.
Vanessa cast a sidelong glance at Patton. “Meanwhile, you can’t even cast a spell.”
“Ah, but neither can you,” Patton raised an eyebrow.
It was true Vanessa had no magic, but Kendra wouldn’t be quick to ever discount her. The vet’s studies into nature had provided a solid foundation to figure out how to harness Kendra’s power. Vanessa might not have magic, but science was mighty in its own right.
“Touché.” Vanessa tied the last bag.
“My charms are single-handedly more useful than all nature spells combined.” Seth chomped another bite of toast.
“Wish I knew a spell to quiet people,” Kendra wrapped the fur coat around her tighter. All this talk of magic stressed the young princess. An exposé of such sorcery could sentence them all.
Vanessa rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t want to waste your energy on those cox-combs anyway.”
Squawks of indignation ricocheted off the wall. Seth stuck out a wagging finger. “If anyone’s a cox-comb, it’s that suck up prince.”
“Warren,” Kendra called over. She was not about to debate with Seth. “What’s our plan for today?”
The chancellor shut the grimoire and took a seat in their impromptu floor circle. “We had talked about going to the upper town to build rapport with the general population.”
Kendra narrowed her eyes. “What’s changed?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I still think that it’s a good idea. But as it turns out, the general public isn’t as familiar with their own royalty as Fablehaven is. Their princess isn’t generally seen out at all.”
“Is that why she wasn’t in the throne room, last night?”
Warren shrugged. “You’d have to ask her. Might be hard to reach her, though.”
Kendra paused. “Where’s her room?”
Warren pulled a folded paper out of the grimoire.
Kendra wrinkled her nose. “You’re shoving your stuff in my book? You, know what, whatever.”
Warren unfolded the map with a flat stare and pointed to a secluded room on the edge of the castle. “It’s in one of the turrets, with many guards and barriers. It will be hard if you plan on getting to her door.”
“Seth?” Kendra called. When stealth was needed, there really was no one better than her brother.
Seth stopped his conversation with Patton. “Yeah?”
“Come over here.”
The prince walked over and leaned over her shoulder. “What’s this?”
“Map of the castle. I need you to get there,” her finger tapped the paper, “and find out what’s going on with Princess Eve. If she’s even alive, considering her absence. People never see her, and we need to utilize all our assets.”
“Why me?”
“It’s too well-protected. We need your covert abilities.”
“My superior magical abilities, I hear you say.” Smugness colored his voice.
Kendra rolled her eyes and shooed him with her hand. “Go on, already.”
“Okay, but I want your dessert tonight.”
“What dessert? We’re literally—”
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. It must be Garreth’s servant fetching her. Coffee almost spilled on her coat as shot up from the ground.
“Oh, Vanessa, I forgot to say, this morning,” Kendra paused to grab her crown and down the rest of her coffee.
“You’re going on a date,” Vanessa smiled as she grabbed Kendra’s empty cup.
“No, wait, how—”
“You’re going on a date?” Seth howled.
“Shush!” Kendra directed at her brother before turning back to her lady-in-waiting. “How did you know? I mean, how did you know that I’m not going on a date? Because it’s just a meeting.”
“You did your hair nicer today.”
“Kendra’s going on a date!” Seth nudged Patton, trying to uncover a reaction from the adventurer who wisely stuck his nose in a book.
“Your hair does look lovely, Kendra,” the man barely lowered the book.
“It’s cold out, of course I’d wear my hair down today.” Kendra narrowed her eyes at Vanessa. It’s not a date. These people jumped to conclusions so fast. “What evidence are you running off of?”
“Well, you also said you had a meeting today.” The self-satisfied smile on Vanessa had no place there.
“A meeting,” Seth laughed
“I do.” Kendra preserved her dignity by avoiding their eyes. Her hand sat on the doorknob.
“Well,” Warren grinned. “Don’t be late.”
The servant led Kendra to the castle stable and then left her to wait among the horses for Garreth.
Frigidity crept along her sleeves. If she had to wait any longer, she'd be as cold to him as the weather was to her. Seriously, he had been so eager to have this picnic yesterday, and yet was so late today.
To generate heat, she began to walk the length of the stable.
Glory waited in her stall, eyes as doleful as ever. Kendra slipped a hand behind her horse’s ear and patted her mane. “Are they treating you well here?”
A gleam sparkled in Glory’s eyes and Kendra could just swear the stallion could understand her as the horse nuzzled into her hand. Glory deserved some treats. Where would they be in this stable?
Just as she turned to look for some, she locked eyes with Garreth. The stable doors swung behind him.
“Sorry I’m late.” He settled a couple of feet beside her, his guards waiting at the door. “Are you fond of horses?”
“They’re respectable.” Kendra withdrew her hands from Glory and folded them in front of her.
He laughed. It was a nice sound, but Kendra knew they both didn't want to be here, pretending to be amiable for politics. His father had probably pressured him to get friendly with her.
Unfortunately for her, she needed to establish a connection to ensure her party’s refuge. That meant she actually had to try.
Kendra curtsied with a smile. “Are we off?”
It was a half hour ride from the citadel. At first, Kendra recognized the fields and the path she had taken to arrive here, but then they made a turn.
This new trail revealed a beautiful forest. Soundtracked by the roar of the river, frogs leapt from tree to tree. Revitalization seeped into every one of her weary bones.
They turned into a valley and Kendra gasped. Beauty in the form of a waterfall cascaded into a lagoon marked by islands of sand and rock. A picnic basket and checkered cloth laid on one of those islands.
A smile tugged at her face at the kind setup. Her worries left her mind as she breathed in the humid air.
Tearing her eyes from the environment, she found Garreth looking at her with a cordial smile. “Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful,” Kendra answered. Her eyes still roved over the rocky waterway.
A nest perched on one of the feeble trees jutting out the cliff. A pair of redwings and their eggs sat together on the precarious platform. Maybe just being together allowed the birds the courage to brave the branch. Maybe their love was what granted avians the ability to soar.
In her awe, she didn’t even notice Garreth dismount. He dismissed the guards with a wave of his hand and walked over to her horse.
His crown slid as he craned his head up. “Milady.”
She swung her legs over Glory and to the ground. He held out a hand and she deposited hers. Bringing it up to his lips, he kissed it.
Little sparks flew from her hand, and if she were a less controlled person, she would’ve melted. But a kiss on the hand from anyone would do that. He just happened to be a bit good at it.
Kendra raised an eyebrow. “How practiced you are.”
He copied her face. “What, and you aren’t?”
Shock-filled laughter broke her calm demeanor. With a teasing tone, she clutched her heart. “I can’t believe you.”
He grinned and straightened. “Your picnic is this way.”
Kendra didn’t bother to tie Glory to a tree. The steed would wait for her anywhere.
Sand shifted underneath her shoes as she followed Garreth onto the beach. Their feet raised to cross the water but Kendra hesitated. “My shoes are going to get wet.”
“It's shallow,” Garreth walked into the water to prove it. Waves lapped against his ankles. “I could carry you.”
“No, It’s fine,” Kendra knelt to unbuckle her shoes. “I’ll take them off.”
Hitching her petticoat and skirt, Kendra crossed the shallow strait. The flowing water felt so nice on her feet after the days of travel. However, the rocks in the water made it tricky to step.
Diagonal from the prince, Kendra took a seat on the cloth.
“Would you like some tea?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Garreth retrieved a pair of cups and a pitcher from behind the basket and poured her a cup. It warmed her hands.
“I hope you didn’t have a big breakfast.”
Tied containers peeked out of the basket. She let out a breathy laugh. “No, no. Just coffee.”
Garreth quirked an eyebrow. “No one can survive on just coffee.”
“I’m magic,” Kendra said with a sarcastic lilt.
Garrett laughed and held up a dessert. Powder dusted the square of bread. “Ever had a beignet?”
“Once, I think. Last time I was here,” she took it from his palm and inspected the edges.
“You’ve been here before?” Garreth looked taken aback. “I don’t remember.”
Kendra nodded with a mouthful of the beignet. “For the Treaty of Terrabelle signing. It was years ago—I was only seven.” She waved her hand noncommittally. “I only came along because there was some unrest in Fablehaven. The treaty was not popular.”
“Why not?”
“Magic isn’t very feared in Fablehaven, so the treaty seemed overreactive.” Garreth tensed up. She paused. Be careful not to offend people, she could hear Warren remind her, especially emotionally.
Her grandparents and parents had gone along with it to appease King Dalgorel. At the time, Kendra and Seth were just normal kids. The treaty hadn’t posed a threat to their safety.
At home, Fablehaven never enforced the magic-outlawing treaty. Their unofficial-official policy was to turn a blind eye. As long as people hid their magic-using well enough, no one ever got in trouble.
It wasn’t a big deal for Fablehaven. However, considering what preceded the treaty—Queen Dalgorel’s death—it was a big deal for Terrabelle.
Garreth stared, waiting for elaboration.
“At the time, many magical beings were lodged at Fablehaven. It was unfair to suddenly tell them not to use their own magic.”
Garreth tinkered with his buttons. “I can understand magical creatures and their magic-using. But, sorcerers? People say sorcerers can cut down the same amount of men as a small army. They hurt people.”
Kendra scoffed. “Sorcerers aren’t like that.”
His eyes widened.“You’ve met some?”
Kendra schooled her face into a placid lake while a hurricane of panic whipped the ocean of terror in her gut. She slipped up. It was getting hard to distance her emotion from the conversation. “Dungeons.”
“Oh.” Garreth focused on the waterfall. “Me too. There’s one in our dungeon.”
Kendra laughed. “If a sorcerer can cut down a small army, how hasn’t your prisoner broken out?”
Garreth turned with an amused face. “The crystals, of course.”
Kendra’s entire mind went blank. “Uh, what?”
“We mine them in the southern caves—found them a couple years ago. They block the sorcerer’s stuff or something,” he gave her a cheeky smile. “But I shouldn’t be telling such a sympathizer.”
She mechanically returned the smile.
If there are crystals here that disable sorcery, maybe Terrabelle wasn’t the safest place.
Unless this technology existed everywhere, and just hadn’t reached Fablehaven. That would mean nowhere was safe.
Mentally, Kendra wrangled the information about these magic-blocking crystals and stuffed it in a little box wrapped in anxiety, and then shoved it to the back of her mind. She would have to unearth it later, but she needed to survive this date for now.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” Kendra reassured him. “I was just thinking about how my kingdom’s doing. It’s always on my mind.”
“I understand. It’s hard being an heir.” Garreth cocked his head. “You know, I’ve never met a female heir before.”
Taking a bite of the beignet, Kendra swept her hair over her shoulder. “Are you charming me for the title?”
“Of course not,” Garreth scoffed. “I’m not hanging out with you for that. I’m already a prince.”
Kendra looked at him curiously but a raindrop fell on his nose. It slipped down his face, leaving a path like a tear.
He looked up at the sky, bothered. “It wasn’t supposed to rain today.”
“Well, then, I suppose it’s time to pack up,” Kendra stood and brushed off her dress. The furry overcoat let the few raindrops slide right off.
“Wait,” Garreth stood. “I mean yes, we should pack up the picnic so it doesn’t get wet. But we should stay.”
“Stay where?” Raindrops picked up their pattering on the checkered cloth. Staying in the rain spelled out hypothermia.
“On this date,” Garreth folded up the picnic cloth. “We can ride to the theater back in the city. The guards are on patrol, but they’ll eventually make it back as well.”
“How are you going to have time to talk to your father if we’re spending the afternoon at the theater?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure he lets you stay.”
Lightning split the sky and the raindrops increased. Dark clouds began to block out the sun and unease pricked at Kendra’s heart. “We can discuss more in the safety of the citadel.”
“Fair enough.”
The two crossed the shallow water. Kendra picked up her shoes and shielded her eyes as she surveyed the area in which they left their horses. Glory nervously whinnied at the sight of Kendra. “I don’t see your horse, Garreth.”
“Storm must have spooked it.”
Kendra stroked Glory’s mane. At Garreth’s quietude, she glanced back. Basket in hand, he awkwardly stood.
Silence stretched as Kendra came to terms with what she had to suggest. “Do you want to ride with me?”
“And here I thought you’d never ask,” he walked over to her side. “Do you want me to steer?”
Glory’s muzzle brushed against Kendra’s fingers as she soothed the steed. “No, that’s alright.”
Once the horse calmed, Kendra patted the saddle. Water greased the leather. “You can ride behind me, but that means you need to hop on first.”
Once Garreth scooted the farthest he could back, Kendra hooked a hand on the saddle’s horn and swung herself on top. It was quite hard with increasingly wet and heavy skirts. Even though Glory had a fairly large saddle, it wasn’t meant for two people. They were tightly packed and had to leave the picnic basket, with a promise to send someone to get it later.
Branches stung Kendra’s arms as they thwapped by. The rain limited visibility, clouds blocked out the sun, and uneven terrain marred the forest. Without the other horses to guide Glory, the stallion had gone on a unique path. A decidedly more dangerous and unpleasant path, especially combined with the rain.
However, despite the cold, wet conditions, warmth blossomed from where Garreth’s arms clung to her waist and where his chest pressed to her back.
What a novelty.
Kendra would be hard-pressed to find a time someone hugged her recently. With every exhale, she tranquilized.
When he noticed a landmark, Garreth leaned his mouth to her ear to communicate directions. His breath cozied along her neck.
She felt warm, safe, and—-
And flying!
Notes:
hey! sorry it's about five hours later than usual, but it's also longer than usual, so it balances out.
tumblr is @candlemouse and the next chapter will be delayed a week till 5/30**
tell me your thoughts! I love to hear them
Chapter 5: IV - the dark arts
Summary:
Seth revisits his old talks with Ronodin and investigates Princess Eve.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The map had led Seth through hallways of guards, but the absence of security in the current corridor told him he was in the homestretch—which was good since Princess Eve’s room was located on the opposite side of the castle and walking bored him.
Paintings hung on the stone walls, with no racket to disturb the strokes of peaceful scenes. The blending of yellows, blues, and greens made the paintings seem to glow. Some stretched higher than him and some hid between larger canvases. Each one made him long for landscapes he’d never seen.
He breathed in and out, making sure he was still shadewalking. The sensation still chilled as much as it did his first try.
The first time he had ever done any shadow charming was mere seconds after Kendra had slain Bahumat. Before his first display of power, the essence of the demon had flown into him as Bahumat’s’ rough hands had dropped from his neck. The darkness had overwhelmed him, the dark power drowning him. The intensity had terrified the kid. Especially when the rush had dissipated, and he could still feel the darkness sitting inside him.
The terror of the battle’s aftermath had hijacked the newfound dark power, and he could see everything, on a new plain of shadows. He could see the connection between him and Bahumat, the flow of darkness. Darkness had lurked in half of the sword Kendra held, still wet with the demon’s blood.
Blood—there had been so much blood. Before the knights draped a cloth over his parents, he could only focus on the blood incarnadining their clothes and skin.
No time had been available to explore the new darkness in him afterward. His parents’ deaths had hung over the castle like smog. Those first few days, he floated on denial and choked on grief. And to think of the darkness inside him that had come from Bahumat? To think of the connection between him and his parents’ murderer? That would’ve killed him.
So, he kept quiet and hummed himself to sleep so his thoughts didn’t get a chance to intrude. He didn’t even have a name for the dark power he held until months later, on an adventure with Patton.
Beer cans had filled the shelves of the bar to the point where glass bottles stood a breath away from falling and shattering. Seth had watched the bartender serve drinks with the grace of an acrobat as they swerved the stacks of glass. Each time they got close, Seth held his breath and daydreamed how he’d save the bottles and the bartender from their shatterful fate.
The bar presented itself as a sketchy hole-in-the-wall, but the two had needed directions. Usually, Patton would just forge a new path sans directions, but this was Seth’s first expedition and only Patton’s second month as his valet—Patton wouldn’t let them get lost.
Seth’s previous valet had quit after Bahumat’s attack, and Seth was still getting to know Patton.
Seth had happily agreed to have the adventurer—he was a cool guy! But now, Patton was treating him like such a kid. He’s eleven. That was old enough to kick ass without supervision in Seth’s book.
Nevertheless, this was his chance. He might’ve failed against Bahumat and sucked at royal stuff, but he could be a good adventurer. He’d put all the darkness inside him aside and become a good adventurer.
The stool creaked as Seth fiddled, waiting for Patton to come back.
The fiddling stopped as a young man sat on the stool beside him. A scar across his eyebrow drew Seth’s attention. “Hello.”
“I didn’t expect to meet a shadow charmer in this hellhole.”
“Shadowcharmer?” Seth turned to the man.
“Dark power?” Ronodin gesticulated, drink in hand. “Ability to wield darkness? That’s you, right?”
Oh.
A rush of knowing pulled his mouth into a smile. “I’m a shadow charmer.”
The word was completely foreign to him, but as memories flashed before him, it clicked. This was his word.
It explained everything. The darkness—the shadow—he carried with him after Bahumat’s death. The moment when he had been yelling at his sister, and the temperature dropped to teeth-chattering cold.
It explained all the goblins he’d spot even when Kendra would squint with her all-new night vision spells and assume the creatures had hopped off already. But, he saw them. He heard them.
He knew he wasn't supposed to have been able to.
“Thought so,” the man stuck out his hand. “Ronodin. Master of the dark arts.”
“Dark arts?” Seth reluctantly stuck his hand out. The guy grinned like a shark, but Seth needed his knowledge.
A drunk man fell against the bar as Ronodin shook his hand. “That’s what shadowcharming is as well, isn’t it?”
“Well, I don’t know.” Seth eyed the drunk failing to stand up. “Does he need help?”
“Don’t worry about him. Me and you, however, we need—” Ronodin’s eyes trailed behind the prince. “I didn’t know you had a babysitter.”
“A babysitter? ‘Course not.” Seth didn’t understand what Ronodin was getting at until Patton’s hand clamped his shoulder. Seth froze. It wasn’t like he disobeyed Patton—he had told Seth to stay put and Seth hadn’t moved—but the adventurer seemed unhappy.
Ronodin sloppily saluted. “Patton Burgess. I didn’t expect to meet a celebrity in this hellhole, either.”
A couple of patrons trained their eyes on Patton—even the drunk who had given up and stayed seated on the floor. Despite Seth’s trepidation, he was excited to meet all of them. They were people he’d never have encountered inside Fablehaven.
Patton patted Seth’s shoulder. “Excuse us.”
Ronodin lifted his drink in reply. “I wouldn’t keep a busy man like you waiting.”
Patton nodded and then led Seth out of the bar.
Once the hurried exit finished and they were untying their horses, Seth opened his mouth. “So—”
“Who was that?”
Seth stood as Patton continued to unwind the rope. “He said he was Ronodin.”
Patton glanced at Seth and began to unwind the rope faster. “What’d he say?”
“Um.” Seth’s mouth was dry. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Patton raised an eyebrow. “I’m not your grandfather, Seth. I won’t tell on you or anything.”
“He didn’t say anything memorable.” The saddle felt rough as Seth swung his body onto his horse. “Just small talk.”
Sometimes, Patton made Seth feel like the man could see through him. This, unfortunately, was one of those times. Noble whinnied as Seth tried to sink lower in his saddle.
The adventurer tried to coax answers out with silence, but soon he conceded. “Alright. I’m trusting you.”
As the two rode off to the next town, Seth buried the guilt that wondered if he had just made a huge mistake.
Months later, in the comfort of passed time and Kendra’s room, Seth broke out his new knowledge. “Do you know what the dark arts are?”
“The what?” Kendra stopped braiding her hair. The mirror reflected her frown. “Doesn’t sound good.”
“But, you got your powers from Bahumat’s death, right? That must be the dark arts.”
“I didn’t...” Kendra swiveled to face Seth. “I didn’t get the magical capacity from Bahumat. I got the ability to access it during the fight, but it wasn’t from him.”
“That doesn’t make sense, Kendra.” He flopped against her bed.
“It’s—I’m going to sound insane, but you remember those old theology textbooks Dad had?”
“Yeah.” The celestial galaxy painted on her ceiling seemed to wink at him.
“Well,” Kendra hopped off her stool and pulled a book from her shelf. The bed bounced as she took a seat next to Seth. He pushed up onto his elbows to see the book. On the pages, a woman decked in floating flowers and cloth smiled. Kendra’s finger tapped the woman’s head. “This is the Fairy Queen. Some magical goddess from long ago, but I found her statue.”
Seth knitted his eyebrows. “Where are you going with this?”
“Before Bahumat broke into the citadel, I had asked for a miracle. The statue had cried with me.” Kendra hesitated. “It was either that lady or I was born with it.”
“People aren’t born with sorcery,” Seth refuted.
However, she might be right that she didn’t get it from Bahumat. He didn't remember any dark tendrils feeding into Kendra that night. But without that explanation, either Kendra broke the laws of sorcery (wouldn't put it past her) and was born with it or he had to reckon with some old deity.
“Exactly. I don’t know if it’s—maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about.”
The picture of the Fairy Queen didn’t leave his head after their conversation.
Naturally, he brought it up with Ronodin the next time they ran into each other—which happened a lot. Ronodin had denied the prince’s accusation of stalking, merely stating “people like us gravitate towards each other.”
When Seth had asked him how humans would get light magic, Ronodin had wrinkled his nose. “Don’t tell me you’re talking to any of those fairy types. They are so annoying.”
Seth had leaned against the bookshelf they were hiding behind. Ronodin’s knowledge of people and magic implied an older age than his young complexion suggested. It wouldn’t do well not to get his opinion. “So you don’t know?”
“Of course, I know,” Ronodin snapped. “But I hate talking about that lady.”
Seth knew that if Ronodin didn’t want to talk about someone, he wouldn’t. However, his mention of “fairy” and “lady” already seemed to confirm Kendra’s theory.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard their preaching yet but remember: light doesn’t always make right.” Ronodin’s hand swung out as he punctuated his point, shoving a few books off the shelf. “Just because someone has sparkles doesn’t mean they have a moral compass. And just because you have a bit of darkness doesn’t mean you’re bad, either.”
Seth nodded as he stared at the fallen books. The words weighed on his heart and mind. If there was anything to thank Ronodin for, it was that piece of wisdom.
“Now, tell me about this special human who prompted this discussion.”
“Can’t,” Seth shrugged. “Magic. Illegal.”
Ronodin rolled his eyes. “Hate that stupid treaty.”
He did enjoy his talks with Ronodin—but they were few and far between. They couldn’t bear the full weight of Seth’s heavy conscience.
He had confessed to Patton not much later. The crackling of the fire and bird calls has dampened his pained words.
“Seth, I will never be disappointed or mad at you. I’ll—I’ll always be there.” The firelight might’ve played tricks on Seth’s eyes that night, but he could’ve sworn he’d seen tears in his valet’s eyes. “We’ll figure this out together.”
Patton urged Seth to tell Kendra next and that confession ended with a hug he didn’t think would ever end.
The rest of the inner circle—Warren and Vanessa—soon found out as well. They became the only people sans their grandparents that knew the full extent of their power and the danger that came with it.
And now, standing outside Princess Eve’s door, he realized just how much danger threatened him.
It was more than when he’d roam with the undisguised satyrs and more than when he’d faced down Bahumat.
He stood in enemy territory—the birthplace of the treaty that outlawed magic of any kind.
It outlawed his kind.
The revelation knocked around his skull as he knocked on the door.
No answer.
His fingers wrapped around the doorknob and twisted it. Locked.
Another knock. More silence. Well, the occupant had given him no choice.
Reaching out with his magic, he hovered his hand over the door. A click assured his success and he arrived in the bedroom.
Plush pillows drowned in a fluffy canopy bed perpendicular to a posh couch. Seth faced the couch, not daring to take a breath.
His stillness asked a question waiting to hear footsteps or exhales of the princess. Nothing answered.
Pulling the door closed, he took another step, his shoe sinking into the fluffy carpet.
Lights lit up the room—a bit too well. He could feel the chandelier’s light burning away his cloak.
He was safe though; no one was in the room.
However, that begged the question: where was Princess Eve?
After an hour of snooping around, Seth concluded that someone lived in the bedroom. Possibly Princess Eve.
A toothbrush laid on the bathroom counter, and a pair of shoes laid scattered across the carpet. A plate of fruit sat on the window sill, the apples only a bit brown.
Rain began to patter on the windows just as wood scratched behind the couch. Seth watched as the bottom half of the paneled wall shook and then fell a bit to the back of the couch. As soon as he spotted a hand emerge to push the panel to the side, he ducked into a nearby shadow.
Which turned out to be the only shadow dark enough to allow him to shadewalk. He stood stuck in the tiny, uncomfortable corner unless he wanted to reveal himself. The dresser pinched his skin against the wall.
The couch moved forward and revealed a girl in a blue dress crawling out with muddy boots.
Based on her likeness to Terrabelle’s royalty with her dark skin and hair, he concluded that she was, in fact, Princess Eve. She lived, and this was her room.
Who would’ve guessed?
After brushing off her hands and leaving dirt streaks on her dress, the Princess replaced the wood panel and scooted the couch back in position. Nothing looked out of place. The movement seemed automatic, suggesting she’d been at it for a while.
Now, what exactly was she doing in the walls?
Seth wanted to leave. He really did—it was unnerving just watching someone go about their day. Especially when they did weird things, like take off their muddy boots and leave them in their shower. Or stuff keys into their drawer.
But, alas this one shadow was his only cover. He could always try to make it to the door, but the Princess constantly faced his direction.
The princess finally put down her journal that she’d been writing in for the past decade and turned to the shelf to grab a new book.
Adrenaline entered his veins once she didn’t turn around. It had been forever since he got shoved into the corner. This was his first good chance.
His feet slid across the floor, his shadow gone. Not even halfway to the door, his elbow caught a vase on the dresser.
He spun and caught the container, but the lid slipped and shattered against the floor. With a stifled scream, the book snapped shut.
He’d never dreaded anything more than turning around in that moment. Nevertheless, he turned, hands raised. Fury painted her face.
“Who are you?” A book fell as Eve backed up against the wall with her hand searching the shelves for a shank. “Where did you come from? You broke my vase!”
A million different lies whirred through his head. Best go with his own identity. Seth held up one finger. “Prince Seth of Fablehaven.”
But, from where did he come? The door? No, he was too far away. The shadows? No, no magic in Terrabelle. “I came from the tunnels. Also, so sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“You know about the tunnels?” Eve’s makeshift crown shank wavered in her hand. “Prince Seth?”
“Yes, yes, I do. Very lovely. I just didn’t know that it came out up here.” He channeled his inner Garreth as he smiled a million-watt smile. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice how the panel was still closed.
“You know about the uh—” Eve flapped her hand.
“Yes, that.” Seth swore his talks with Ronodin were influencing Seth’s dishonesty. “We don’t have a word for that back at Fablehaven. What do you call it?”
“What? It’s the—the dragon.” Eve flapped her hand again.
“Oh, thank you for telling me,” Seth took another step towards the door. “I actually didn’t know about that.”
“What?” Eve’s shriek matched the terror on her face. The terror darkened her face into anger.
Seth put his hands down. “Hmm?”
Eve suddenly crossed the room. He blinked and her crown pressed against his neck.
“You tell no one.”
“Woah, there,” Seth struggled to keep up his smile. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“You tell no one what I told you. They’ll kill him.”
“Kill the dragon? Why?”
Eve looked taken aback. “Have you never been to Terrabelle before? My mother?”
“Your mother…?”
Exasperation colored her face and her free hand flew into the air. “Are you really who you say you are?”
“Yes,” Seth raised his hand and flashed his royal ring. “I arrived last night.”
“I know, I was in the throne room.” Eve gazed afar, presumably thinking about how much she shouldn’t be pressing the sharp crown against. Or, at least, that’s what he hoped she was thinking.
“No, you weren’t.”
“Yes, I was! In the rafters. I couldn’t see you that well.” The crown pressed against his throat harder as her hand shook. “Don’t tell anyone about that either.”
Seth couldn’t help his smile. “Wow, you’re bad at this.”
Wetness sprung up from his throat and Eve’s eyes glanced down. She stepped back and dropped her hand.
Eve covered her face with a hand. “My dad’s going to kill me.”
“No, wait,” Seth touched his throat and came back with a bit of blood. “I’m not going to say anything.”
Seth knew that he should comfort her. At the same time, she literally just cut him. However, it wouldn’t do well to ostracize the kingdom’s princess. “I’m sorry.”
“Wait.” Eve lifted her hand off her face with a grin. “You can’t say anything, anyway. My father told Kendra that any magic caught with any of you and you were out.”
Seth tilted his head in exasperation. This situation just kept getting worse. He wished he was the one on a picnic. “Did he now?”
Eve let out a laugh. “Perfect.”
“Not perfect,” Seth chided. His foot tapped the floor. “But, hey, could you show me that dragon?”
Eve dropped her smile. “You’re kidding.”
“Favor for a favor. I don’t say anything about your tunnels and your ruthless attack and you give me a tour of the tunnels.”
“Or I could say that I found you in my room trying to assassinate me, and I fought back in defense. And then, my father would kill you. I wouldn’t have to deal with you at all.”
“That’s also an option,” Seth placated. His foot stopped tapping. “I don’t particularly prefer it, however.”
Eve opened her mouth but a knock turned both their attentions’ to the door.
Seth lifted his eyebrows in question and Eve just shrugged.
The knock repeated itself. “Princess Eve?”
“Yes?” Eve crossed to the door. “Don’t come in.”
“Your brother and Princess Kendra are missing. The knights are on their way to retrieve them in the storm. We’re looking for Seth. I’m told he was in here?”
They lost Kendra.
“Yes,” Seth spoke up. Worry began to prick at his demeanor. “Here.”
“I’m coming too,” Eve opened her door.
“No, just Prince Seth, please,” the guard’s helmet barely peeked through the small opening. “Your father doesn’t want you in danger.”
Eve and Seth locked eyes. He knew that look. She was worried for her brother. It would be excruciating to sit and wait for information when Garreth stayed in danger.
Seth cocked his head and lowered his voice.
“Favor for a favor?”
Notes:
google docs crashed a bajillion times during the making of this chapter for some reason which is part of the reason it's late! other part is everyone's graduation lmao
chapters will now be out every two weeks! if that changes, you can find it on my tumblr (@candlemouse) under "heir to light updates"
as always, I love your comments! they often push me to write <3
Chapter 6: V - tree house talks
Summary:
Kendra involuntarily bonds and opens up her cold, dead heart.
Chapter Text
The thunder punctuated Kendra’s impact to the ground. She barely had a second to protect her head before she was gasping for breath—the ground had knocked the wind out of her.
A dozen thoughts whizzed around her head, dazing her like the tilt of her gaze. She could’ve just been struck by lightning. She could’ve been dead. No second chances. Zip. Zilch. Dead.
Her last moments could have been riding on a horse with Garreth. Warm and content. Not too bad in the grand scheme of her life’s moments. Nonetheless, the lightning hadn’t hit her.
Instead, it had split the tree in front of her.
Glory’s neigh rang through the atmosphere, mimicking the roar of the sky. It was a familiar call soured melancholy as Glory raced into the brush. A deep tug in Kendra’s gut longed to call for her horse, but she was still trying to catch her breath.
Wood creaked and the tree that was struck began to fall. No, no, no, no. Leaves rustled as each piece of bark began to break away. Panic overtook her breathing, and it shredded her throat like a knife.
She rolled to the side, the mud slurping against her dress. She didn’t roll far enough before one of the thick boughs of the tree had crashed onto her leg.
The crash deafened her ears—but still wasn’t as loud as her limb’s pained screams. The heaves of her body scratched herself against the huge tree.
Once her vision sharpened, she found a plant next to her. Eyes locked on the sapling mounted in the mud with raindrops slipping off its two leaves, she managed to wrangle her breathing to somewhat normal.
What a tiny seedling. Did it rejoice for the other tree’s departure? Surely it must enjoy the greater sunlight and nutrients to reap. Unless the joy of more resources didn’t trump the mourning of a fellow tree. Kendra would agree; greed didn’t defeat grief. Her golden crown nonetheless came from blood.
“Kendra!”
“Garreth,” she whispered. His voice was a lifeline. After a moment, she swallowed. “Garreth!”
She pulled herself into a sitting position and pulled her leg out from under the tree bough, nearly blacking out from the movement’s agony.
Great. She wasn’t just bruised and battered, something was actually wrong.
Kendra grasped at her skirt. Whether her skirt was wet from blood or rain, she didn’t know. What she did know was that her shin was a bloody mess. The red mixed with the clear rain, forming a river into the dirt and her dark-colored skirt.
Her clammy hand closed over her leg with a whimper behind clenched teeth. She closed her eyes and barely pushed out the incantation for “life.”
Once she uttered the sounds, the hum of life and nature all around her strengthened. With concentration, Kendra pulled the surrounding energy into her leg.
The agony in her leg hurt less, but she had nowhere near the strong stream of magic she needed to pull to fix it. Pulling that amount was made difficult by the constant thunder and wet clothes and pounding headache. Besides, that amount of energy would cause her to pass out on a bad day. Which this definitely was.
“Kendra! Are you okay?” Garreth’s voice made her slip her skirt back over her leg.
Her wound was closed but Kendra wasn’t medically skilled enough to know if that was enough. She wished Tanu had come to Terrabelle so he could have helped her. Maybe Vanessa’s veterinary knowledge would transfer. Terrabelle probably had a court physician, but Kendra wasn’t keen to let their royal court know she had an injury.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Kendra raised her voice. “Where are you?”
A figure appeared in the brush. Kendra internally winced as he crushed the sapling that had pulled her out of her panic earlier. He stopped before her and looked around, his sopping coils swishing with the movement of his head. “Did Glory run off?”
“Yeah,” Kendra glanced at the bushes flattened from Glory’s speedy departure. “We can’t make it back to the city on foot.”
“No,” Garreth bent down and held a hand out for her. “But I have a treehouse around here.”
“A treehouse?” Kendra raised an eyebrow as she took his hand. She offset her leg by using her upper body to pull up. It hurt, but she could manage.
He pulled her up to his chest. She hadn’t noticed the green flecks in his eyes before. “For me and Eve. When we were younger. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m sure.” Kendra dropped his gaze and took a step back, placing all her weight on her good leg. She also placed all her emotional weight on getting back to Terrabelle and not the way his hand felt in hers. Or the way his concern shined in his eyes and warmed her heart. “Lead the way.”
She stuck her tongue between her teeth to stop the chattering only minutes in. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before a wooden structure came into view. It was hard to tell where the treehouse began and the tree ended, years of overgrowth mingling the two.
It wasn’t much, but Kendra had frozen like a popsicle under all the wind and rain; a warm, dry space sounded amazing.
She stopped at the ladder and relished the end of her step by step pain.
Garreth gestured to the rungs. “You go up first, so I can catch you if you fall.”
The wooden ladder was nailed to the tree bark, disappearing into the foliage. Kendra wasn’t sure if her frosted fingers would even close around the rungs. Or if she could drag her leg up without hurting herself too much. Her shoulders slumped.
As with every challenge, she took it moment by moment. She overcame each rung and was soon at the top.
The treehouse was small. A few papers sat in the corner. But most importantly, it was dry. She brought herself to the farthest corner and imagined a young Garreth and his sister sharing the space. She wondered how long it had been since childish laughter had brightened the place.
Kendra ghosted her fingers over the pile of papers. What was it doing here?
“Don’t touch that, please.”
Kendra looked up to see Garreth make his way inside. “Okay. Why not?”
“They’re drawings from when I was a little kid. They’re embarrassing.” He folded his legs opposite her corner, his hands rubbing his neck.
“You're an artist?” What would’ve caught a young Garreth’s attention enough to draw it? Kendra herself wasn’t much of an artist. After her parents died, she was ushered into political and magical teachings even more so than before. She kind of skipped over the whole childhood thing.
“I was an artist as a kid. Royal duties and politics take up most of my time now.”
Kendra ruefully smiled. “Nothing like trying to figure out if someone is withholding information, misleading you, or lying to take up your time.” She shifted into the corner, careful of the drawings, to allow him more space to sit. “I hate playing politics.”
“Me too.” His eyes landed on the pile as he shifted into a more comfortable position. “You can...you can check them out if you want.”
Kendra smiled at his bashfulness.
The papers were brittle in her hands. Water mottled the corners and the edges were torn. What wasn’t ruined, however, was the four stick figures.
It was silent as Kendra ran her fingers over the divets of the color. “Is this your family?”
Garreth scooted to sit beside her and to see the paper. “Yeah.” His finger followed the crowns on their heads. “Me, my sister. My dad, and, uh, my mom. Before—well—she—”
Kendra laid her hand on his shoulder. A little boy caught up in his family didn’t seem too different from the one she knew today. “I love the artistry here.”
Garreth breathlessly laughed as his fingers brushed over the wax. “I even gave her the earrings she used to wear.”
Kendra smiled. “My mom always wore these elaborate, heavy earrings with jewels and stuff. Whenever I tried even one on, my entire head tilted sideways.”
Garreth smiled. “Sounds like you were quite fashionable, I see.”
“Sure,” Kendra picked up another drawing. It showed the family again. This time with a—was that a dog or a misshapen mailbox? Hard to tell. “Common subjects, huh?”
“I adored my family. I, uh, still do. It's just different without my mom. She was the one that pulled everyone together. But I was just a kid when I lost her, so it’s not much different.”
Kendra nodded. “The first morning I woke up without my parents was the weirdest thing. It was like everything was slightly different. Wrong. It was like everything was inverted.”
“The sun doesn’t shine quite as bright,” Garreth leaned against the wall, his arm brushing her. “Or feel as warm.”
Kendra nodded as she managed the waves of emotion rising. It had been a while since she’d truly allowed herself to think of her parents’ death. The rain provided a curtain between the tree house and the rest of the world. Maybe that was why Kendra indulged in vulnerability foreign to her.
“My life would be so much easier with them, I think,” Kendra confessed. She released a breath. “If I just had a minute,” her voice cracked and she stopped.
If she had a minute, what would she even say? Would they be proud of her? Scared of her? Disappointed?
Their little girl without a kingdom, imbued with danger every which way.
Her eyes burned and she knew her next blink would leave a river down her face. Show strength, her grandparents would say.
“We should start a dead parent club.” Garreth mused amidst Kendra’s choked laughter.
“It would be a bit depressing with the rain.” Her fingers wiped the wetness from her face.
“Ah, but you see, that only adds atmosphere. Who’s going to talk about death on sunny days?”
Kendra drew her legs closer, her laughter turning into a hiss after a shock of pain. She had almost forgotten about her leg.
Garreth sat up. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Kendra said, her body tight like a coil.
“I’m not inclined to believe you, honestly.”
Kendra raised her eyebrows as an answer.
“Seriously, are you okay?”
Kendra looked at his face, ready to lie, but the sincerity in his eyes stole the words out of her mouth. “I—My leg hurts a bit, I guess.”
Garreth stood up quickly, the warmth leaving her side.
“Wait,” Kendra frowned.
“Miss me already?” Garreth turned around, flashing a smile.
“No.” Kendra upturned her nose and studied the planks to her left. She could almost make out faces in the curves of the wood’s grain. “Never.”
Garreth laughed. “I have medical supplies around here somewhere.”
Kendra surveyed the empty room, disbelief leaking into her voice “Are you sure?”
He crouched in the corner and pulled up a latch. His hand went into the hole and came out with a bag. Victorious, he smiled.
“Okay, maybe you do.”
“Where’s the injury?”
Kendra folded her skirts up to reveal her shin. He crossed the room to her leg.
An expletive Kendra never thought would come out of the prince’s mouth graced her ears. “You walked on that?”
“It’s not that bad.”
“You’re actually insane,” he muttered. He knelt next to the wound.
Kendra shivered as his fingers traced the cut and purpled bruising.
Garreth took the cloth out of the kit. He walked over to the ladder opening and leaned the cloth into the rain. His white shirt was stuck to his chest, its billowed sleeves now accentuating his physique. Not that Kendra noticed, of course.
Kendra took the moment to shed her furry coat. It was now muddy and disgusting, but it had served its purpose well.
Garreth returned to his kneel and gently cleaned the wound with his washcloth. “How many nights of refuge are you going to ask my father for this evening?”
The rag stung and pulled on Kendra’s skin, but she focused on his words. The reminder of his relation to the King made her frown. “Indefinitely, hopefully. But at least a week. I want to receive correspondence from my grandparents before we set out on our next destination.”
“Well,” Garreth brushed his sopping hair out of his eyes as he looked at her. “You can’t leave without letting me show you Terrabelle’s theater. Elise—you know Elise?”
Kendra shook her head with a smile. His curly hair looked like he had been licked by a dog.
“Elise is this great musician. She’s currently doing the music for a play there for the next few days. I haven’t seen it yet.” A cold, oily substance shocked the wound. Kendra stilled as he spread it.
“What’s the play about?”
“Star-crossed lovers and,” Garreth smiled and paused to do jazz hands. “Magic.”
Small laughter warmed Kendra’s cheeks. “Do they get a happy ending?”
“No,” Garreth rummaged in the sack for bandages. “They get a cathartic ending.”
Kendra frowned. “That sounds like a sad ending.”
“It’s not about the ending,” Garreth stuck out his leg to elevate Kendra’s leg so he could begin wrapping. “It’s about the journey.”
“What’s the point of having a journey if it ends in sadness?”
“I’m not a scholar who could answer your question, but it’s always better to try. Otherwise,” Garreth shrugged. “There can be no successful journeys without failures.”
Rain pattered against the wooden roof. Kendra’s voice quietened when she spoke up again. “I’d love to watch it with you.”
The rain hadn’t stopped yet but the two had taken the time to ring the water out of most of their clothes. It made for a more comfortable seat as they traded stories.
“If this doesn't let up,” Kendra’s shoulder touched Garreth’s. Not on purpose, of course, they had just kind of drifted closer. “We can always try to brave walking back.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to hurt yourself if we do that.”
“Your fears are unfounded.”
Garreth pointedly looked at the bandages covering the purple and blue darkening her skin. Her skirt was still hiked up so as to not dampen the gauze. “Somehow I don’t think they are.”
“What, so a branch hit me? I must have passed a thousand branches between here and the waterfall. What’s one divided by a thousand? A minuscule probability that you do not need to worry about,” Kendra crossed her arms, knocking his elbows in the process. “I assure you.”
“Now who taught you math?” Garreth teased. “I sense a witch.”
A little too on the nose, Kendra thought, as she rolled his joke away with her eyes. “If we don’t leave, we’ll be stuck here.”
“I’m sure the knights will find us eventually.”
“Eventually.”
“Eventually,” Garreth placated. “I’d usually use the sun to tell time but the sky is completely gray.”
“Well, we can’t stay here forever.”
“No,” Garreth sighed. “Especially with your leg.”
She had conceded that it was slightly serious. That branch had got her good. The bruises that peeked out of the bandage promised pain. Once she got back to Terrabelle, she could begin some sweet, sweet healing rituals. The grimoire had a whole section dedicated to healing.
However, at the moment, returning to the castle didn’t seem enticing. Once she got back, she would have to deal with the king and their meeting. It was so frustrating to negotiate with that man. Maybe she could bring Seth if he agreed to not be too abrasive. He could be helpful.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to ponder that yet.
In the treehouse, she could just focus on how warm her shoulder was against Garreth’s and the lullaby of rain.
Kendra dreamt of floating—it was nice. Any dream is nice. Escaping into another world was a blessing. Especially in this half-awake sort of dream where she was aware of the shoulder’s warmth she rested on. The contact sent giddy butterflies straight to her stomach.
She hadn’t been floating in her dream for nearly long enough before Garreth woke her up. “Kendra? Are you awake? I can hear someone.”
“Who?” Kendra lifted her head off his shoulder trying to hear the “someone”. Faint voices broke through the slowing rain. “They’re saying our names.”
Garreth nodded and walked to the opening. “I’m pretty sure I recognize the loud voice as Lockland, one of my father’s knights.”
Kendra stood up next to him. A shout struck a chord of familiarity. “That’s Seth.”
“We should probably get down.” Garreth crouched next to the ladder. “I’ll go first. I can catch you if you fall.”
“Go ahead,” Kendra said. “But I won’t fall.”
Garreth smiled and disappeared down the rungs. Kendra soon followed and the two surveyed the forest. The rain had slowed to a drizzle.
“The voices are getting faint.” Kendra’s heart began to beat against her chest.
“They may be veering off.”
“Seth!” Kendra’s voice cracked. Swallowing, she tried again. “Seth!”
“Lockland!” Garreth then put his fingers to his lips and whistled.
The chorus continued to become more discernible until Seth broke through the brush. “Kendra?”
Kendra’s shoes traversed the clearing and her arms tackled Seth. He stumbled but wrapped his arms back. “I’m glad you’re okay, but you look like a drowned cat, Kendra.”
Kendra broke from his hold and looked him up and down. “So do you. Why are you not wearing a rain cloak?”
Seth opened his mouth to answer, but his attention was caught by a figure in a hood walking past.
“Who’s that?” Kendra asked. The cloak was obviously for the rain, but it had mostly stopped at this point. Plus, anyone who could grab Seth’s attention ought to be interesting.
The figure removed their hood, revealing a coily head of hair, and hugged Garreth.
“Eve?” Kendra mouthed.
He nodded and they both walked over to the Terrabelle royalty..
“So, what? You bribed Lockland to come along?”
“He didn’t realize it was me until half way through,” Eve shrugged. “What was he to do?”
“No help from your new friend though, huh?”
“None at all,” Seth butted in. “Didn’t see a thing.”
Kendra outstretched her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Eve. I’m Kendra.”
Eve shook her hand. “I’m glad you’re alright. My brother has a knack for disastrous dates.”
“Oh yeah,” Garreth put up a finger. “Did you bring a medic?”
“I’m fine,” Kendra stressed.
“What happened?” Seth grabbed and inspected her arms like they were going to explode or something. So dramatic.
Kendra tugged them away. “I got caught under a branch. I don’t need a medic.”
Garreth gave her a dubious look. She returned an exasperated one. She did not need Terrabelle’s royalty and court to know she was even slightly hurt. Good thing she was already failing at that objective, Kendra thought.
“Glory, our horse,” Garreth explained to Seth. “Got spooked and threw us off. Lightning struck a tree and it fell on Kendra’s leg. We walked for quite a bit before ending up here.”
Seth scrunched up his face. “Why were you both on Glory?”
“My horse got spooked, too.”
“Sounds like a fun date,” Eve said.
“Your graces.” Kendra had never been more thankful for an interruption from a soldier. “Your carriage is waiting.”
Eve was a very interesting person. For someone so rarely seen out, she had this adventurous spirit bursting at the seams. There was no doubt in Kendra’s mind that the full person had yet to be uncovered.
The carriage ride wasn’t unpleasant. Kendra and Seth faced Garreth and Eve. The majority of the time was spent watching the two youngsters narrate the dramatic tale of what they risked on their rescue.
At one point, Seth threw his hand to his forehead and melted onto Kendra. “So much rain! We didn’t know if we’d make it out alive.”
“It was truly terrible. If I wasn’t such an amazing, humble sister, I wouldn’t have gone.” Eve agreed. “So, how did you all fare?”
Kendra looked at Garreth. “Not too bad.”
“Not as harrowing as you two.” The million-watt smile that had seemed so ingenuine on the night she arrived now just seemed perfect on Garreth’s countenance. Even when worries pinned down her heart like a butterfly on display, that smile made them all go away.
Hopefully, she’ll be able to see that smile tomorrow.
Notes:
thank you for reading!
also, next chapter might take a while but I have not given up! anyway as always thank you so much for reading, kudoing, and commenting! have a lovely existence
Chapter 7: VI - demons’ hour
Summary:
Seth meets a dragon.
Notes:
dragons do not have avatars in this AU!
recap:
Seth and Kendra are in Terrabelle. Kendra went on a date. That date went wrong. Last chapter, Kendra and Garreth were rescued from said date. Kendra and her party still haven’t been granted amnesty.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
While Kendra was off to her meeting with Dalgorel, Seth tidied up his few belongings. When the Sphinx had been attacking Fablehaven, Seth had been instructed to only grab his most important belongings—which really included only his map and his explorer’s notebook.
Painstakingly detailed mountains and rivers collected over the past few years of exploration carved the paper—Seth wasn’t about to leave that.
As for the notebook, it really didn’t belong to him. Detailing adventures that he had already lived through bored him. Patton, however, relished in it.
When they would pause to break camp around a fire, Seth would update his map with a new mountain pass, river, or a warning for the future. Patton would use a quill to translate fear and intrigue into words that clung to every second of the adrenaline.
Seth’s fingers ghosted over the notebook’s second page.
“This is a written recollection of one two esteemed adventurers: Patton Burgess & Prince Seth of Fablehaven.”
When Seth couldn’t sleep, he’d often read old entries. A laugh would escape when he would come across an uncharacteristically undetailed passage obscuring an embarrassment. Patton conveniently forgot about a lot of his mishaps.
Seth’s second favorite entries to read were Patton’s gripes about losing Seth and finding him with “that damn Ronodin, again.”
Scrrrch.
The door scratching open pulled him from his mirth. Seth snapped the book shut at the sight of Kendra.
A few hairs floated out of place, but she smiled. “The king has granted us indefinite stay.”
After that, everything passed in a blur. Kendra and Warren became antsy waiting for news of their grandparents, and Seth realized their stay could end whenever that news arrived. It was time to cash in on a favor.
Over the past few weeks, the time Seth spent with Eve grew until it was almost every waking second. He had spent a good portion of that time cajoling her to let him in the tunnels.
And it worked. Seth could scarcely believe he had broken down the personification of stubbornness.With the long hours he had spent with her, he had crucially learned that she adamantly refused to trust.
It made his job a lot harder.
He wished he had Garreth to sugar up. That prince was head-over-heels, spilling every little secret, for Kendra. Eve, however, kept her mouth shut.
Seth knew she had to know a lot of secrets—the girl was practically always sneaking around. Originally, Kendra had told Seth that Eve was rarely spotted outside her room. He now knew she was just too sneaky for any guards or common folk to notice.
So, of course he was happy that Eve had let him in some of the tunnels. However, she had avoided the tunnels he really wanted to explore. The ones that lead to the dragon.
Considering he had risked his good-standing with the king to sneak Eve out the night that Garreth and Kendra had wound up in the woods, he felt it was a pretty good trade-off—introducing Seth to a secret dragon for Seth sneaking her out of the citadel. Anxiety for anxiety.
“But you promised.”
“The only way I’ve hidden him for so long is secrecy.” Eve pushed the jewelry drawer in harder than she had to.
“Yeah, but we agreed.” Seth lounged on Eve’s couch. “A favor for a favor. Besides, I’ll take the secret with me when I leave.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Soon.”
Eve frowned. “Soon?”
“Maybe. Eve, come on. Are you not a lady of your word?”
“I most certainly am.”
Seth played with the tassels on her couch. “Doesn’t seem like it.”
“You’re oversimplifying it.” Eve spun on her vanity’s stool to face him. Her gloves twisted in fists before releasing them. “Besides, it’s not like we could go right at this moment anyway. The castle is crowded midday.”
Seth crossed his legs and mentally counted the seconds until he would be kicked out of her room for insolence. “We wouldn't be in the hallways. We’d be in the tunnels.”
“You’re too noisy in the tunnels. Besides, my dress would be ruined after a romp in them. Someone would be sure to notice.” She spread the blue skirts, showing off the lace detailing.
“Nice dress.”
“Thanks. We’re not going into the tunnels.”
“Well, if we can’t go right now, what about tonight?”
Eve scowled. “Fine. But leave and don’t come back until the demon’s hour.”
As Eve turned back to her vanity, she muttered some choice words about him. Seth took that as a sign they were becoming closer friends.
Seth had never understood calling the time the demons’ hour. He’s seen more demons at a bar than the ones he’d seen at three AM. Or at least the bars Ronodin took him to. Those were always interesting.
Seth rapped on Eve’s door.
“Eve. It’s me.”
She appeared in front of the door. He looked down to see her tight curls pulled into a bun. A new get-up of grimy peasant’s wear and a blue shawl adorned her.
“I see you’ve changed.”
“I told you I wasn’t going to ruin my dress. Shut the door behind you and lock it.”
He did as he was told and turned to survey the room. The couch was already set aside and the wood panel had been pushed to the floor.
“Why do you always wear blue?’
“I like it.” Eve shrugged and busied herself pulling on her boots. “My mom always said it looked good on me.”
Seth perked up at the mention of Eve’s mother. It was practically in the same category as the dragon with how much Eve avoided it. Hints to the passed woman always caused Eve to avert her eyes.
Eve flicked his chest. “You’re going to get your clothes dirty.”
“It’s kind of expected of me at this point.” Seth put his hands in his pockets and grinned. “So, what's the dragon’s name?”
“You can ask him yourself.”
Mildew furnished the cramped tunnels along with spiderwebs that kept catching on Seth’s clothes. He never shied away from less-than-ideal situations, but these subterranean tunnels were gross and boring. He kept having to remind himself that he was doing this to see a dragon. “Now I see why you didn’t want to go down here.”
“Don’t whine. Do you have the feed?”
“Yeah, I still got it.” Seth grabbed the bag and pulled it ahead of him. “You know dragons aren’t horses, right?”
“Oh, shut up.” Eve half-heartedly kicked behind her. The crampedness had them on their knees. “It’s the closest I got.”
“Any longer of this and I’m going to get bruises.”
“You’re fine. The dragon’s around the corner.”
The shadows slowly widened in the tunnel until Seth could see the torches casting it. The tunnel opened into crossroads. Openings perforated the cavern, pickaxes and crates next to tunnel openings.
Eve slid over the edge of their awful tunnel before dangling and dropping to the ground. He copied her and coughed, their footfalls blowing smog clouds up around them.
Black clouds swirled around his face. “Are we in a coal shaft?”
“Yeah. Breathe through the scarf I gave you.” Eve’s voice was muffled through her own covering.
Seth took out the scarf and looped it behind his ears. The cloth made breathing harder, but at least he wouldn’t die of lung disease. That would be an anticlimactic way to go. “Why would a dragon stay down here?”
“He doesn’t choose to—he’s stuck. Coal dust keeps him weak and the shaft is entirely unstable. Any big escape would cause such a big avalanche that it’d immediately alert Terrabelle to his presence and Raxtus would just be captured. Being in here is better than being under my father.”
“When was this shaft closed off?
“After an avalanche.”
“He caused that,” Seth not-quite-asked.
“Yeah. Forced him even lower in the tunnels. It’s how I found him. Put down the feed.”
Seth laid the sack at his feet and squinted down the passageways. “Do you have to call him or something? Oh, dragon?”
“You’re embarrassing.” Eve covered her face at his singing tone.
“I am not embarrassing. I happen to be a very respected explorer.”
“Oh, really? I heard that Burgess carries your explorations.”
“Patton? He’s my valet. If anything, I carry him.”
A silvery dragon rippled into existence, inches from his face. Seth yelped. He would not include that detail in the journal.
“Patton Burgess?” The dragon’s head tilted in anticipation. Torchlight ripples across his scales.
“Oh, hey, Raxtus.” Eve set down her lantern. It illuminated the sharp claws and coal dusted ground even more. “I brought some food.”
“Thank you, Eve.” The dragon’s eyes didn’t wander from Seth’s face. He knew he was a sight to behold, but this felt a bit much. “You’re acquainted with Patton Burgess?”
“Yeah, he’s my friend.” Seth smiled as his heart beat out of his chest. He had not seen a dragon before. Now he understood why Patton had told him that was a good thing.
It blew his mind that Dalgorel had been able to kill so many of these beasts. The teeth protruding from Raxtus’s maw were easily the size of his hand.
“I figured that I had been in here so long that Patton would be in the ground.”
“No, he’s still alive and kicking. A few gray hairs. I’m Seth.” He stuck his hand out before retracting it—he couldn’t shake a paw. How embarrassing. Best to pretend he was just going to fix his hair.
“Raxtus. What are you?”
Seth narrowed his eyes. Most people ask who are you, but not this dragon apparently. “A prince.”
“That’s it?”
The frigid air nipped at his nose but the back of his neck sweated. A prick of annoyance traveled to Seth’s attitude. “Yes, that’s it.”
Eve studied the interaction, her scarf shielding half her expression. He wasn’t dumb enough to believe she wouldn’t store this curiosity until she could nitpick it later. “Don’t be weird, Raxtus. He’s the Prince of Fablehaven.”
The dragons’ scales rippled with excitement as he nosed closer. “Fablehaven? Do you know Shiara?”
Seth knit his eyebrows together and turned his head slightly away from the dragon’s breath. “Shiara?”
“She’s a fairy. Silver wings. Blue hair.”
Seth instinctively glanced at Eve and shook his head. “I wouldn’t know any fairies.”
“Seth, I literally hid a dragon. I’m not going to report you for knowing a fairy.”
His mind’s alarm bells frustrated him. He could trust Eve with this bit of information. That’s logical. She was guilty of treason too.
She did have the familial padding, though...and trust held a lot of weight. Especially when the recipient was the daughter of the man who would and could kill Seth if he knew what he was.
Well, to be fair, Dalgorel might already want to kill Seth. He didn’t seem too fond of him or his closeness with Eve.
“I still don’t know any Shiara.”
Raxtus sank back. “Aw, man. Shiara practically raised me.”
Seth raised an eyebrow. “Fairies raise dragons?”
“Not usually. So, Seth, how did you hear of me? Anyone with a penchant for darkness tell you?”
Seth sent Raxtus an exasperated look. “Eve. Eve told me.”
The dragon turned his massive snout to the princess with his eyes wide. Serves her right. “Eve!”
“I didn’t mean to!” Eve pointed at Seth in defense. “He manipulated me.”
“I did not.” Seth watched Raxtus shift towards him and held up his hands. What a funny, funny joke, Eve. Please stop before your friend eats me. “You gave up the information willingly.”
“Because you lied.”
“I wouldn’t call it lying.” Seth moved one of his hands to his heart. “I would never lie to a princess.”
At Eve’s chuckle, the dragon stepped back. “You trust him, Eve?”
Eve glanced between Seth and the dragon. “Yeah, he’s cool. Broke me out of the castle the first night I knew him.”
“That’s some guy.”
“Yeah.”
“So.” Seth rubbed his hands together. “Are we going to break you out too?”
Eve narrowed her eyes. “Didn’t I just tell you why we can’t do that?”
“Okay, but. Raxtus is a dragon. It doesn’t matter what arrows your dad throws, he can just turn invisible and dodge.”
“It’s not that simple,” Raxtus said.
Seth screwed his mouth shut. Simple or not, this place stinks. Raxtus would’ve been in an iron lung by now if he had a human respiratory system.
Eve dug a pocket watch out of her pants. “It’s time to go. Sunrise will be soon.”
“It was nice to meet you, Raxtus.”
“Same here. You’re very charming.”
Seth concealed his annoyance in a flat smile. “You too.”
Eve hooked her hand on the edge of the tunnel and pushed herself up. “Bye, Raxtus!”
With her back turned, Seth sent the dragon a very specific gesture for his goodbye. Raxtus snorted.
Eve strutted out of the bathroom in a blue dress, free of the grimy pants and jacket she had used for the tunnels.
They had just visited Raxtus for the second time, and Seth had to admit—the dragon was growing on him. Despite Raxtus’s thinly veiled questions of his “charming nature.” Seth knew Raxtus was itching to get him alone and interrogate him.
He paused the chess piece in his hand when he realized Eve was sending him a pointed look. Her hands sat on her hips and she was tapping her foot. Oh boy.
“What are you still doing here?”
“I don’t have anything else to do.” Seth maneuvered his legs into a criss-cross seat and sat the chess table to the side.
“Get your feet off the upholstery.”
“What are you, my grandma?”
Eve rolled her eyes. “You’re so rude.”
“Does it really bother you?”
“Yes.”
Seth unfolded his legs and put them on the floor. “Can I stay now?”
“I just spent all morning with you. I’m tired. Besides, a correspondent is coming in a couple days to see my dad, and that’ll be sotiring. I need to rest.”
“Go ahead and sleep. I need to finish my chess game.” Seth grabbed his chest board again and moved a pawn.
Eve reached for air as if she was strangling him. “You’re literally playing yourself. That has to bore you.”
“Not really. I’m so unpredictable—I don’t even know what moves I’ll use next.”
Eve sighed and motioned to the door. “You can take it with you if you leave.”
“I wouldn’t take your chessboard. I’m not a thief. Just a squatter.”
“Seth,” she groaned. “Why are you so clingy?”
“Hey, hey. That is a heavy accusation.” Seth pointed the chess piece at her. “I am not clingy.”
“We spent yesterday and all of today together and you’re still whining about leaving.” Eve fell back on her bed. “You’re like Garreth talking about Kendra. Oh, Father, please stop bringing her to meetings. I was going to take her to the theater. Oh, Father dearest, please.”
Seth laughed. “I am not like that. We,” he gestured between them, “are not like that. I would never hold your hand.”
“What, am I that gross?”
“Repulsing.”
Eve laughed into the comforter and waved a hand toward Seth. “Fine, you can stay.”
After a long tour of the upper town, the two youngest royals of the castle lounged on its shingle roof. Sunset light painted the turrets and towers orange and pink.
With every shift of their position, rocks skittered down the incline. It was a sharp drop to the courtyard below yet they sat on the roof’s precipice.
He hadn’t stayed for this long in one place in forever. Repetition had hammered Terrabelle’s routine into his head. Wake up, hang out with Eve, meet with Kendra and the others, and sleep. It was really nice.
He knew all the merchants' names in the citadel—and with all the drama they spilled, Seth knew all of Terrabelle like the back of his hand. Almost all of Terrabelle. Eve, however, still maintained her enigmatic self.
She had been quiet since they climbed up here. With anyone else, he would attribute the silence to a fear of heights, but with Eve, he doubted that.
“Would Raxtus be safe in Fablehaven?”
Seth tore his gaze from the few stragglers in the courtyard. “What?”
Her lips struggled to form words. “Would—would he be safe? I’ve heard the rumors.”
Seth knew that to answer such a heavy question would be to condemn Fablehaven. On the other hand, Eve was kind. She had cared for a dragon despite the milieu in which she grew up. Seth paused—he had grown attached. Whatever.
Deflection. “Why would a dragon go to a citadel when Wyrmroost exists?”
“Wyrmroost is so far. Besides, Raxtus has some…history there as well. Fablehaven seems like the best choice.”
Seth pulled one of his knees to his chest and rested his chin. “I don’t know what rumors you’ve heard.”
“Then am I a traitor?”
He was too tired for this. “Eve, you’re not making sense.”
“If every good kingdom hates magic, kills it, burns it—am I a traitor for helping Raxtus? Would it be better for me to tell my father about him?”
“I guess it depends on if you’d rather be a traitor or a murderer,” Seth muttered.
Eve’s glare sharpened. “It’s not that clear cut. My mother died to a sorceress. My father had always said that magic corrupted. That getting it out of our kingdom will protect our people. That—that it will save other little girls from losing their mother.”
Seth held his tongue. He knew he didn’t hold the tact to deliver his beliefs gently. Kendra could, but he couldn’t.
Eve sighed. “Is that what she would’ve wanted?”
The sun began to disappear from the horizon. In the pursuit of being comforting, Seth clasped his hand over hers and gave a squeeze. Maybe a little too hard. Hey, she was talking about magic’s corruption. It wasn’t easy to listen to.
“I didn’t even know her. Garreth prattles on about her honor and sacrifice, but he never relays any true memories.” Bitterness tinged her tone. “Would she hate me?”
“No—of course not. You’re like the only good person in this whole castle.” Seth felt his energy dip with the setting sun. “Kindness is your strength. If she hated you, she’d be insane.”
When Eve didn’t say anything, Seth continued. “My mother died when I was eleven. Still, to this day, I wonder what she would think of me now. I think it’s something you’ll always want an answer to, but it’s just—it’s just not an answer you’ll ever get.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Eve removed her hand and hugged herself. “I’m a traitor either way now. It’s not like I can just forget about Raxtus.”
“Yeah.” Seth couldn’t forget about Raxtus either. He also hadn’t told Kendra yet. It just…hadn’t come up. He knew she wouldn’t leave a dragon behind—her magical kin. A goddess’ blessing of magic was rare and Kendra felt it was her duty to help the magical world. Which was all well and good, it was just…no matter. He’d tell her tomorrow night.
And besides, Kendra would be right in saving Raxtus. Seth watched the sun disappear behind one of the turrets. “He can’t stay here forever.”
“No, he can’t. Neither can I.” Eve turned her gaze to him. “I’m leaving with you.”
Nope, he did not like that proposition. Definitely illegal. Definitely impossible. “Eve—”
“You’re going to be leaving soon anyway. Stuff me in your saddle bag.” The humor thinly coated the desperate words.
“I can’t take you, Eve.” Seth avoided her eyes. “My sister would kill me if I kidnapped a Dalgorel. We’re trying not to anger your father.”
Eve kicked a pebble across the roof, the shingles paving its path to the roof’s edge. Her gloves twisted before she released the tension with an exhale. “It would be nice though, wouldn’t it?”
Seth watched the pebble fall and sink into the blurry ground below. Leaving Terrabelle was going to be like that—sinking back into the muddy reality, one that he couldn’t quite see from here.
“Yeah…it would.”
Notes:
yo yo yo welcome back <333
tumblr: @candlemouse
Chapter 8: VII - the journey
Summary:
Garreth takes Kendra to a play. Kendra comes to terms with a few feelings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Abnormality colored the meeting in which King Dalgorel heard Kendra’s plea for refuge. No servants waited in the shadows, and no nobles stood to advise the king. Maybe that was on purpose.
Maybe he wanted to show her how alone she really was. It was the King’s decision if Kendra stayed another day, and his decision only.
So, she laid her plea out with her knee knelt to the floor and waited for the verdict.
There was no grandiose speech. It was a few simple words that ended her recent transient life.
“Your accident in the woods cost me and my knights time and money to retrieve you. After this, I considered you a liability. However, my son convinced me otherwise.”
Thank you, Garreth.
“I grant you indefinite stay.”
“Thank you, sire.”
The candlelight flickered underneath the kingdom’s banners.
“But I will not have idle hands.”
True to his words, the King put her to work.
While Seth was out adventuring around the castle with Terrabelle’s princess, Kendra sat in the throne room with the rest of Terrabelle’s court. It was a dance—one she hated. The only thing that saved her from the hours of nobles spelling out the worst policies she had ever heard was Garreth’s subtle glances when a lord voiced, always with such confidence, a particularly bad take.
However, the court meetings in which Garreth didn’t attend—those meetings—oh, my. Sometimes, the awful chairmen and their long, droning speeches convinced
Kendra that she would be better off in the wilderness, braving the Sphinx’s army.
This day’s meeting had been particularly bad. The horrendous politics har finished, and the meeting had transitioned to gossip. That part was fine. However, the old men’s talk had turned to Garreth.
“Are you training Garreth as a squire, yet, your highness?”
“He attends their practices in the mornings. He isn’t as taken to it as I would like.” King Dalgorel twisted his face like he sucked on a lemon. Kendra couldn’t quite imagine Garreth with a sword in his hand, hacking at enemies like a knight. He seemed more the artist that would paint the gruesome scene rather than draw blood himself.
One of the noblemen laughed. “Well, make sure not to mention that when finding a suitable match, sire. The lasses want a fighter.”
One of the younger nobles leaned forward. “Speaking of, have you found a bride yet?”
Kendra evened her breathing. She harbored some tiny feelings for the prince.
There, she admitted it.
It wasn’t fun to hear about his potential marriages considering the fact that she has resigned herself to never acting on said feelings. Horrible selfcare, she knew, but the kingdom came first. That’s what her grandparents would want.
“I haven’t found anyone of a suitable match yet,” at those words his eyes drifted to Kendra and she wanted to die. Look away, Dalgorel.
“I’m holding out for a princess from one of the strong monarchs. Possibly Gawant, but their Princess Elena has yet to signal she’s ready for engagement.”
“Ah, truly a good choice, sire.”
“Very good choice.”
“Very pretty, I hear.”
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to see her beauty in person.”
“Hopefully, at Garreth’s wedding,” a noble teased.
Another noble dabbed at his face with a handkerchief. “And, of course, if that doesn’t work out, my daughter is always available. Not as beautiful to look at as Gawant’s princess, but nothing a paper bag couldn’t fix.”
Laughter filled the room.
Get me out of here, she thought.
The second the clock struck the end of their allotted time, Kendra burst out of her hallway only to be met with a huffing, puffing Garreth. His curls were pushed back like the wind had tussled with him.
“I don’t want to talk right now, Garreth.” Keep the lump in your throat down, Kendra. Goodness, when did she get so emotional?
“Kendra.” His outstretched hands wilted. “I had something to show you.”
“I—“ She sighed, and twisted her necklace. “I’m sorry. It was an exhausting meeting.”
“I know.” He took her hand and brought her gaze back up. “Can I show you something?”
“Is it…is it…” Kendra waved her free hand helplessly. “I can’t deal with politics right now.”
“No, no. It’s not that. Remember the play I was talking about earlier?”
It was amazing. Kendra hadn’t felt such catharsis from watching a tragedy in years. Or ever, really.
Maybe it had something to do with Garreth. He would whisper witty comments in her ear, and the breath would tickle her neck. Carefully, she’d control her reaction, lean away from the tingles, turn, and smile. Perfect.
The candlelight shadowed everyone but the stage and Garreth’s smile. That was all she really needed.
At the end of the play, the actors and musicians came out to bow.
Garreth pointed to a young woman holding a stringed instrument. “That’s Elise.”
Garreth caught her eye and waved. The musician smiled and raised her eyebrows.
Having the tact to know it was about the closeness between her and Garreth, Kendra slightly leaned away. After all, the King wanted the Princess of Gawant for Garreth. Not her.
But, don’t think of that right now. Just have fun. She deserved it.
But what would her grandparents say? What a foolish way to ruffle the King’s feathers.
Kendra frowned. Why did their voices always haunt her decisions?
Didn’t the King want her to spend time with Garreth?
Garreth touched her hand. “Hey, Kendra. Are you alright?”
“Oh, um, yeah. Just thinking about the ending.” He didn’t pull his hand away, and she encoded the feeling of his skin, knowing she’d have to lose it soon.
He smiled. “Remember, it’s about the journey…”
“Not the ending,” Kendra finished. Maybe he was right. Maybe she should just enjoy herself, and stop always thinking about her future. Of course, Kendra didn’t think she could actually do that, but it was worth a try.
The wooden rafters held candles lit for no one but the two sat on the balcony. The musicians, actors, and rowdy patrons had all left. The leather seats had formed around Kendra, the time she had spent with her legs tucked underneath her leaving an impression.
Garreh and Kendra still hadn’t left the theater. Mostly because if they left, they’d have to part their separate ways for bed.
“I know something’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong.” A bitter taste grew in her mouth as his eyes lasered marks into her skin. The stage looked serene from the height. Kendra followed the curves of the curtains, hoping for a peek into the backstage.
“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I just thought you should know that I know.”
“Garreth.” Kendra swung her gaze to his waiting eyes. “With all due respect, everything is wrong. I am a refugee in a kingdom without knowledge of my family’s well being, and all the while I’m stuck in a court room. I don’t know why you would ask me to pick out a specific awry detail.”
She returned her gaze to the stage. Pressure grew in her chest. The candlelight cast shadows of her clenched fists. There was so much tension inside of her nowadays.
“Kendra, you’re crying.” His voice was soft.
She lifted a hand to her face and pulled it away damp. “Frustrated tears.”
“It’s alright if it’s not just frustration.”
“Garreth.” Her voice was taut. “You will make me cry more.”
Shallow rivers slicked her face. She hated crying. The pressure in her chest, the congestion, the salt deposits on her skin—all of it.
Deep breaths.
Garreth leaned back into his chair. “What do you think Eve and Seth are doing?
Kendra wiped at her face. “Sleeping, hopefully.”
Garreth chuckled. His laugh was like warm honey, and it brought her back to the present. “Together they’re quite a force to reckon with.”
“A scary force,” Kendra muttered. It was only a couple days ago that she saw the two of them on a tower’s roof, and nearly had a heart attack.
“I’m glad they occupy each other. It keeps Eve off my back.”
“Is she always pestering you?” Kendra teased.
“Always. I love it, but, well you know. Is Seth like that?”
“I mean, he’s not usually home. He’s usually out adventuring with Patton or screwing around with his friends. Don’t even get me started with his friends, they’re two rowdy s—” Kendra swallowed the word about to slip out of her mouth and covered it with a sheepish smile. Newel and Doren would not be welcome in a conversation in Terrabelle. “I suppose I shouldn’t speak ill of his companions.”
“Oh, come on,” Garreth playfully pushed her shoulder. “Now you’re leaving me hanging.”
“They’re just a tad bit of a bad influence, is all. Me and him—after suddenly becoming orphans, of course,” Kendra tried to throw in a teasing lilt but it didn’t look like Garreth exactly saw the humor. “We took separate paths. I do the manorial work, he does the exploration.”
“Do you ever wish you had the exploration part of it?”
She shuddered as memories of damp tarps and sore saddles flashed by like a slideshow. “Please, the past few weeks of sleeping on the ground has cured me of any such wanderlust.”
“But, what if I had an adventure for us?” Garreth smiled like a Cheshire cat.
“Your last ‘adventure’ had us stranded in a tree house.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
Kendra fought a small smile. “No, it wasn’t. But, besides that, I still have to rest. I don’t know when my grandparents’ letter will arrive.” If it even does. “The instructions will probably involve a long journey.”
“I could come with you.” Garreth said, with such faith.
He didn’t even know half of it. He knew nothing of Wyrmroost, how or why the Sphinx was looking for Kendra, or any of the bad parts. It hurt, a little, that he didn’t know that huge piece of her—her magic. But, it’s better to lie than to be dead.
“Like your father would ever allow that.”
Garreth rolled his eyes. “I don’t do everything he says.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really. I’m my own person,” he stated with conviction. His smile attempted to sway her.
Kendra studied his face. If it came down to that, would it be true? If he had to choose between his father and her…would him choosing her be too much to hope for?
Morning light turned Kendra’s eyelids pink as she struggled to remember where she was.
Fablehaven? No. Terrabelle…? Yes.
But, this didn’t feel like her bed roll.
“Garreth? Princess Kendra?”
A bright blonde bob swung in front of Kendra’s blinking eyes.
“I’d be more sympathetic to your slumber, your Graces, but he’s here.”
Garreth peeled himself from his balcony cushion. “Who?”
“The messenger. Lord Rose!”
Garreth’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, shit. I need to be in the courtroom, like, right now.”
Kendra stifled a giggle at Garreth rapidly straightening out his clothing.
“Yeah, you do need to be there,” Elise agreed. “Guess you’re just too busy being a lovebird.”
Blood rushed to Kendra’s cheeks. She was too tired to protest against Elise’s accusation.
Garreth just flashed a smile before it turned into a grimace.
“My dad’s going to kill me.”
Notes:
guys stuff is about to go down so like if you’re a future reader binging all this—this might be a good time to take a break or go to sleep
Chapter 9: VIII - lord rose
Summary:
Seth hears of a shocking person and some shocking news that is sure to disrupt his time in Terrabelle.
Chapter Text
Royal messengers had a purpose, sure. They kept the public aware of the happenings of the crown—especially the illiterate population who couldn’t read postings. But with their haughty voices and dramatic pauses, Seth could barely restrain himself from strangling them with their own scrolls.
At least in Fablehaven, Seth had never needed to attend one of their announcements. Kendra would debrief him personally instead. But, with the Terrabellian government not always inclined to keep him up to date, Seth had to join the masses and flock to the peacocked messenger currently speaking in the courtyard.
Patton’s usual ability to make the masses part for him didn’t translate into this situation, and Seth was back to elbowing and squishing to get closer to the soapbox. In case you were wondering—it was not pleasant to be packed with sweaty, grimy people. Just so you know.
“The king has raised the tax on grain! This will make it higher than last year, but, as we all know, this winter is predicted to be harsher.” Groans echoed from the crowd, so the man raised his voice. “It’s important to retain grain in our mills! Especially with war brewing in the South. We already know that the Sphinx’s army has overrun Fablehaven. You don’t want that to be us.”
“They had it coming!” A man shouted from the crowd. A few har-hars led the messenger to yell for decorum.
Seth bristled. It was easy for him to do so without public censure—no one recognized the prince of Fablehaven. There was only one portrait of him from years and years ago when his mother was still alive. She had been the only one who could persuade him to sit still long enough for the painter to finish the sketch.
He never really looked like royalty either. Sure, his outfit was definitely tailored and higher quality than the average peasant, but his outings required tougher fabric than the silks of the nobles.
However, this didn’t mean Seth didn’t ever get bombarded by fans on his adventures. They just never were Seth’s fans—they were Patton’s. There had been plenty of times Seth had checked the mail and it was just chock full of lovesick letters from Patton’s admirers.
“Will the excess grain be distributed back to the peasants at the end of the winter?” The voice from the crowd gained hardy cheers.
“If possible.”
The crowd roared back.
Patton put his hand on Seth’s shoulder. “Maybe it’s time to head on to the market, Seth?”
Seth glanced back at him. “Sure.”
The market of the lower town always held the weirdest finds. Last week, Seth and Patton had discovered a pickled pig’s eye that would supposedly ward against magic.
Seth had questioned the merchant on the magic defense, and the merchant had replied that swine and magic had an ancient rivalry that spanned decades. It was obviously wrong…but he had paid a pretty penny for it anyway, so could scare Eve with it.
Her reaction had definitely been worth it.
Now, he hoped to find something just as repulsive to scare Kendra this time. Unfortunately, most of the tables and shops only held clothes and food. No gross pig eyes.
However, a beautiful scarf laid across a wood table caught his eye.
He knew Kendra would like the purple one, so he bought it. After all, he would need to gain back her favor after he had pranked her.
“Seth!”
Eve’s voice interrupted his scarf-related musing. He scanned the crowd, but he wasn’t quite tall enough to see over everyone’s heads. It was only once she appeared, huffing and puffing in front of him, that he greeted her. “Eve?”
Patton straightened, dusted his coat, and stuck out his hand. “Princess Eve? It’s nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you too.” Eve didn’t acknowledge Patton further and grabbed Seth’s hand. “Listen, Seth, the guy is here. The one I told you about.”
Seth cocked his head. Other people around them were doing so as well. It wasn’t often you saw the elusive Princess Eve out in the market.
“The correspondent.” Eve tugged at his hand. “Come on, we don’t have a moment to waste!”
“Will you be alright, Seth?” Patton asked. His smile was strained. He was not used to being passed over. Poor Patton.
“Yeah, he’ll be fine.” Eve tugged at his hand.
Seth gave Patton a reassuring smile. It’s not like he was about to be dragged to a guillotine or anything. Patton needed to stop worrying. “See you later!”
Eve led him to a back alley full of climbing vines and weedy flagstones.
It wasn’t familiar to Seth, but when she began to overturn several of the stones, Seth realized it was another tunnel entrance.
“Go first so I can fix the stones after you.”
Seth hopped down and examined the dark path. He stretched his hand to the ceiling and barely scratched the stone. “Wow, I don’t even have to crawl in this one.”
“Yeah, yeah, I couldn’t get my dress dirty in the middle of the day.” She walked around him and lifted a candle from the ground. With a match struck against the stone wall, she lit the candle. “The messenger isn’t exactly here yet, but my father’s scouts spotted his caravan out in the forest. It’ll probably be a little while, but that’s good. We need to set up very carefully today.”
“What’s so important about this guy?” Seth pushed some vines out of the way as he walked.
“Well, he’s Gavin Rose—the son of the late nobleman, Charlie Rose. Charlie was familiar with dragons and all that, believe it or not, but renounced it to stand with my father when he made the decree against magic and all that. Charlie's dead now.”
“What happened to him?”
“Dragon ate him.”
“Yikes.”
“Yeah, not a good look for the dragons, and it only boosted my father’s campaign. Gavin, though, is vehemently against the dragons because of it. Or so he says.” Seth knew the look on Eve’s face. It was the look that said she was about to rip into someone.
“Why do you say that?”
“Gavin really is the type of guy to side with whatever he thinks will achieve his personal goals.” Eve threw him a disgusted look. “He’s a couple years older than Garreth and Kendra, and my father had us ‘court.’ He has this whole charming, innocent persona, but, trust me, the real person is a jerk.”
“More yikes.”
“He always has the most cutting information, though. That’s why we really need to be watching.” Eve turned around and locked eyes. Seth hadn’t endured such a gaze since Raxtus stared him down. “It is imperative we aren’t found out, all right? My father always sends everyone out about halfway through the meeting and that’s when Gavin delivers the crucial bit. We need to be there.”
“Okay, I understand.” Eve seemed very serious. Worried, even, as Seth watched her pick at her nails. “Are you alright?”
Eve stilled. “I’m alright. I’ll be alright. I’m just worried about you.”
Seth knitted his eyebrows. “Do you think this Gavin guy will bash me or something?”
“Think about it, Seth. Gavin always has the best information, always on the hottest topic. You and your sister are the hottest topics. If Gavin wants to maintain his reputation for earth-shattering messaging, you both are the targets.
“Think hard. Is there any secret Gavin could use against you?”
Oh my, so many. Seth couldn’t even count all the bad things Gavin could tell the king.
“No, nothing.”
Eve rolled her eyes. “Obviously you do, but I’m glad you’re good at keeping them.”
Eve smiled and twirled back around, leading them farther down the tunnel.
Man, Seth was not looking forward to the end of his stay in Terrabelle. Eve had become his most genuine friend. That goodbye was going to hurt.
It wasn’t long before Seth found himself nested in a rafter, gazing down at the throne room.
Garreth came rushing in late, panting. “Sorry, father.”
Normally, it would be hard to hear at this height, but the acoustics of the room made sound bounce all the way to the ceiling. Which was convenient for the two eavesdroppers crashing the party.
“Lord Rose has requested this meeting be solely him and I. You are dismissed.”
A short laugh slipped out of Garreth. “You’re kidding.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry, sir. I’m just tired.” Garreth blinked several times before he backed away. “I’ll go now.”
Eve nudged Seth and lowered her voice. “It must be very important if they’re skipping to the secluded confessions.”
Not long after Garreth left, Gavin entered. It was too blurry to make out anything important, but Eve assured him there wasn’t anything important about how Gavin looked.
“Your majesty. I heard you’ve granted amnesty to Fablehaven’s crown princess and prince.”
Eve sucked in a breath.
Seth glanced at her. She had been right. Gavin had information on him and Kendra. What are the chances of it being groundbreaking?
Oh, yeah. Astronomical.
“That is correct.”
“I’m sorry to upset that undertaking, but I’ve found something shocking in my travels.”
“Go on.”
“Of course, sire. Not only has the princess been committing sorcery, but the prince has also been running amuck with a master of the dark arts.”
Seth held his breath. He had been so careful. Even Patton couldn’t catch Ronodin most times. How in the world did this guy manage to get dirt on him?
This was so unfair. Magic shouldn’t even be a crime. It wasn’t even that harmful.
Well, sure, there had been a few almost world-ending events caused by careless magic, but like—mostly he used it to sneak candies from Kendra’s stash. Dalgorel needed to lay off.
The anger festering inside him wasn’t quite enough to cover the fear sinking its claws into his heart, though. One look at Eve confirmed they shared the same terror.
Her hands were trembling.
Whether it was because of him or because of concern for his safety, either way, he was screwed. His closest friend would want nothing to do with him after her father, like, guillotined him or something.
Seth counted his blessings. At least, the Gavin guy hadn’t figured out the whole shadowcharmer thing.
“These are heavy accusations. What proof do you have?”
Yes, Dalgorel. Good job being a critical thinker. Now, just be critical enough that Gavin can’t pull out any damning proof.
“The dark arts master told me himself. Bragged about having such a pupil.”
That doesn’t make sense.
Ronodin would never. He was as tight-lipped as they come. Also, it was just hearsay. Dalgorel, discount it—please.
“The master also confessed that Princess Kendra was favored by the old goddess.”
“Who is this master?”
“A unicorn.”
Damn it, Ronodin. The next time Seth saw him, his fingers would be around the unicorn’s grubby little neck.
“A unicorn has escaped my clutches?”
Gavin chuckled humorlessly. “Sire, it was worse than we thought. So many magical cretins have been living hidden. Including a good portion at Fablehaven.”
Dalgorel hummed discontentedly. “So, the rumors were true.”
The fear grew in him. Not just for him and his family—but for the entirety of Fablehaven. Newel and Doren. Shiara, the helpful fairy. Even that centaur that acted really snooty. Actually, never mind. Broadhoof deserved to get beat up a little.
If only Patton would finally agree to rough Broadhoof up a bit. It had literally been Seth’s only birthday request and Patton had denied, citing honor and virtue. Ugh, morals.
“Indeed. Sire, you know the Sphinx champions the separation of magic and mortals or as he says: ‘removing the human impurity from magic.’ The reason the Sphinx attacked Fablehaven was to obtain the freak of nature herself, Kendra. Her brother is probably involved as well, so I wouldn't put it past the Sphinx to want to capture him.”
Seth frowned. It was incredibly rude the way Gavin spoke of him and his sister, but at least Seth’s strategy of staying in the shadows had paid off somewhat. They didn’t truly suspect him of sorcery.
“Princess Kendra assured me that she was not the Sphinx’s target,” King Dalgorel's voice rose in anger. “I do like to be misled.”
“Don’t stab the messenger.” Don’t worry, Gavin. If Dalgorel didn’t do it, Seth certainly would. “But, sire, the best course of action for you is to align with the Sphinx. I know you do not work with magicals, but your objectives align, at least for a length. The Sphinx wants magic separated from mortals, and you want magic eradicated.”
“No.” The king slapped his hand down on his armrest and his voice emitted a guttural growl. “I will not work with that unnatural, immortal bastard.”
Yes, Dalgorel, Seth thought. Let your rigid hatred of magic help the good side for once.
“Of course, sire. However, to avoid the conflict that will inevitably arise with the Sphinx due to your refuge of the Sorenson siblings, you might find it temporarily necessary to concede to the Sphinx.”
Oh, good grief. The Sphinx doesn’t make exceptions. Dalgorel is done for, no matter what he decides with the Sphinx.
King Dalgorel stood from his throne. “Is that all?”
“Yes, sire.”
“Leave me.”
Lord Rose bowed and left. The shut of the door sent tremors through the rafters.
Seth let out his breath. Now, he only had to face Eve. Who may or may not hate him.
Oh! And then find the rest of his party and escape from Terrabelle before Dalgorel, in his infinite stupidity, sends him and Kendra on a silver platter to the Sphinx. Which will undoubtedly end in disaster for everyone.
Seth was so focused on mentally lasering through Dalgorel’s head that when the king’s eyes snapped to the rafters, Seth’s heart soared like a dragon who had just figured out how to fly.
“Eve.” The baritone of Dalgorel’s voice twisted the terror in Seth’s chest to full-on panic.
Eve stared at Seth with wide eyes. Leave, she mouthed. Go to Raxtus.
He stared at her. Leave her? Didn’t she hate him?
And what does she mean, Raxtus? Find him? Oh, god. Through the castle?
Eve’s eyes were quickly watering. Oh, god, did he do that?
“Eve. I know you’re there.”
She reached out and pulled him closer to her. He let her. Was this when she would slap him?
Her breath on his ear rooted him to the ground. She whispered to him: “Run.”
Her arms quickly wrapped him in a hug, but before he could reciprocate, she was pulling back and shoving him towards the exit.
His last sight of her as he entered the hole in the wall was her turning back to the throne room.
“Yes, father?”
Seth pushed up the cover that Eve had painstakingly covered just hours earlier. It clanged onto the flagstones and disrupted a squirrel who paused to glare at Seth.
“Sorry.”
His heart ran like the time he and Patton were running from a dragon’s den. But, here, there was no exhilarating rush as there had been when he escaped the snaps of the dragon’s jaw.
Now, there was a deep dread in its place. This might be the end.
But, the space between freedom and the dragon’s teeth was always where Seth thrived. He could do this.
He could save his family and himself—and maybe Eve, too.
But, first thing’s first.
Raxtus. He has to get to Raxtus.
As far as he knew, the only way to Raxtus was through Eve’s room. In the castle.
The treacherous castle crawling with royal guards.
Seth groaned.
At least, there were no tolling bells, which meant no one was looking for him. Yet.
Seth pulled Kendra’s scarf out of his satchel and draped it over his head and shoulders.
Sorry, Kendra. It probably wouldn’t be the best gift after all this, but, hey, he never found something to scare her with. So all is well.
It might not have been the best disguise, but it did get him into the castle even as the warning bells begin to toll.
However, his luck seemed to run out in the form of footsteps echoing just around his upcoming turn.
Seth threw himself behind a pillar and waited for the guards to pass.
“The lower battalion needs to know that Princess Kendra has been secured. Tell them to focus their search on Prince Seth.”
“Yes, sir.”
The footsteps came closer and closer, accompanied by a weird, clunking sound.
Seth shadow cloaked himself. Except, he didn’t. He couldn’t reach his power.
What? What was happening?
Closer and closer. He tucked himself further into the wall.
Why wasn’t it working? They were going to see him!
With deep breaths, Seth forwent his shadow attempts and fully pressed himself into the wall behind the pillar.
Deep breaths. The footsteps had arrived.
And stopped.
Schwing! One of the guards drew his sword. Oh, great.
“Move from out behind the pillar. If you do not, I will attack. This is a time of emergency. Suspicious activity will be squandered.”
Seth turned around with his hands held high.
“Hey, guys.”
“Prince Seth?“ In the guard’s surprise, his sword faltered.
Seth took the chance, burst out from behind the pillar, and ran down the hallway.
This was not ideal.
“Stop!”
The two guards gave chase, and he glanced behind. Around the belt of one, crystal cuffs clunked. So, that had been the weird noise.
Damn.
Kendra had told him about those. That was why his shadow power had been blocked.
That was not ideal either.
Seth turned a corner, hand braced on a pillar to swing around.
Shouts filled the air. Shouts from behind him, shouts ahead of him, and shouts everywhere really. It was too loud for Seth’s liking.
The turn around the corner led him straight into a phalanx of soldiers, and Seth balked.
He could either run straight into the fortified square of soldiers or his two previous pursuers.
One versus twenty-seven? Pshh…easy numbers.
Did he have his sword? No.
But, he had his charming wit and a dagger. So, two killer weapons.
If only it was easy as he told himself.
“Hey, guys,” Seth grinned. “What’s going on?”
“Prince Seth of Fablehaven.” A singular voice emerged from the wall of shields. Which, for the record, if they didn’t have the ridiculously overpowered crystals around their waist, the shields couldn’t have stopped him. “You are declared a traitor and are out for arrest. Surrender.”
“Ah, about that…” Think of something, Seth. This is your chance to prove you’re something without Patton. Without your shadowy powers. Just you.
Alright, alright.
Patton’s voice prodded him. Go for the weakest front.
Seth charged the two at his back. He whipped out his dagger and parried the guards’ long swords with quick, weak blocks. The blocks proved to be unsustainable so Seth threw the dagger at the man’s chest.
Blood sputtered onto his face, but Seth quickly wiped it away and ran away. No need to stay and watch. Although, it was a big milestone.
His first unaccompanied stabbing.
Aww, he was really growing up. He should’ve gotten a drawing for the scrapbook.
But, the move paid off since the soldiers were left spluttering and the phalanx was too dense for the narrowing hallway.
It left him clear for the home stretch.
Eve’s tower was close. The stairs taunted him in his sight. If he could just get to those, it was just a test of stamina to the top.
And test his stamina, it did. He took two stairs at a time, lock picked her door, and burst in—huffing and puffing.
He was not ready for the scene that greeted him.
Eve sat on her couch, the chessboard perched on top of her knees, with two guards flanking her.
More guards thundered up the stairs. So, this was it. He was actually trapped.
Eve’s mouth fell open and she stood up—but one of the guards outstretched a hand in front of her.
Her eyebrows knitted together, but there was something under her concern. She knew this was going to happen. “Seth.”
She didn’t need to say anything else. She couldn’t say anything else. He was a fugitive now, and she was his last hope if only she maintained her innocence.
The thunder turned to a roar. He was truly done for.
Slowly, he sank to his knees and raised his hands. Surrender.
It was a low point for him.
Eve rushed toward him. The guards reached for her, but they expected the timid, quiet princess the world knew. Not the scheming mastermind he knew her to be.
She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. It was different from the hug she had given him in the rafters.
That hug had been to convince him she was fine, that he could leave her.
This hug was to convince her that Seth would be fine. Unfortunately, the possibility of his well-being staying decent was currently taking a free fall.
The guards pulled her off and hooked their arms around her.
“I'm so sorry,” she sniffled. “I just wanted to say goodbye.”
No one responded to her.
The soldier stepped forward with the intent to cuff him. But, not with crystal shackles. With the regular, steel bracelets.
As much as he tried to suppress it, a smile crept onto his face. He flashed it to Eve.
No crystal cuffs, huh?
They underestimated him.
Once again.
Notes:
we're really getting into it now! this is also, now, the longest fic I've ever written! finally surpassed 20,000 :)
Chapter 10: IX - forget me not
Summary:
Kendra has one of the best days of her life…just before everything comes crashing down.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunlight broke through the grey clouds. Kendra watched the tug of war as rays of sun muscled their way through the gloomy puffs only to be overcome yet again by the dark veil. If Kendra had to place a bet, she would back the clouds. It was only a matter of time before they broke open.
The chill of an oncoming winter rain was unmistakable, and Kendra could feel the gardens around her anticipating the downpour.
Bunchberries, bluebells, and blue-eyed mary flowers dotted the royal garden and reflected the late queen of Terrabelle’s cerulean legacy. Blue had been her favorite color prior to her passing, and Kendra had even been told that the queen had been buried with Forget-Me-Nots. Kendra could see why, as the few
flowering bushes she had seen were stunning.
However, despite the meticulous gardening, a few weedy flowers still survived in the shadows of the glorious blue blooms. The white spots of color were a mistake, but Kendra’s gaze lingered on the dandelions nonetheless.
If the royal gardeners spotted them, they’d surely be plucked. All they could do was await their imminent doom. Kendra related. In this castle, she felt the same way.
Garreth had held one up to her lips earlier, and she had blown the little parachutes away. It interested Kendra how the dandelion’s engineering ensured that its offspring flew as far away as possible from their parent.
Of course, plants didn’t have the same concept of family that humans did, but there was still a melancholy entwined in the fact that the seedlings were better off far from home.
Kendra sympathized with the baby dandelions—forever floating on the wind, forever away from their family.
Her lungs expanded and constricted with difficulty as she reminded herself to enjoy the present.
Kendra was on a date again. Of course, she had still protested that label—up until Garreth had tucked a flower behind her ear. His fingers had lingered on the side of her face, and she had decided to stop lying to herself. She had let go of the voice of reason—the voice of her grandparents.
Well, at least for the time being.
In this garden, Kendra allowed herself to just enjoy the sunlight on her face as Garreth searched for more flowers to make into a bouquet.
She spread out her violet skirt over the grass, and savored the surrounding nature—allowing it to tranquilize her magic. Lately, her magic had been responding to her emotions more and more. It was like the more she suppressed it, the more volatile it became.
Mentally, she noted to do some simple plant growth spells later to quell her magic. She remembered how to do simple spells like that without the use of her grimoire, which was good, since it was currently locked and glamoured at the bottom of her pack after a servant had gotten a little too curious while tidying up.
It was imperative to remember that the castle was not a safe hiding place—for the grimoire or for herself.
The castle walls stretched in the background, but they were far enough away that only the blissful sounds of nature surrounded Kendra. After Garreth’s father had dismissed him from the meeting with Lord Rose, they had come out to enjoy the fresh morning air.
Garreth sat next to her and offered the finished bouquet. Bursts of baby’s breath, cornflowers, and bluebells poked through the hastily tied string. “We’ll need to enjoy our time out here. The clouds are darkening.”
Warm gratitude tugged Kendra’s lips into a smile as she took the bundle of flowers. “Thank you.”
He raised a hand to her face and wiped away a tear. Huh. She hadn’t even noticed she had been crying. The weight of worry had become commonplace on her face.
Warmth spread from the arm he put around her as he pulled her close. “Missing your family again?”
That wasn’t even a question worth asking. She was always missing them.
Her grandparents’ inability to send any missive only confirmed that the Sphinx had captured them. And it wasn’t just her grandparents that were compromised, either. It was the entirety of the royal knights and the royals’ valets.
Kendra didn’t know how Patton would go on if Lena, Grandma’s lady-in-waiting and Patton’s wife, didn’t survive. Kendra knew that she definitely would miss them all if something happened.
Well, she probably wouldn’t miss Coulter. He was her grandfather’s advisor. As much as it felt like a bad thing to say, there was some comfort in the fact that Coulter may be in pain.
Wow, she didn’t know she was capable of feeling that way. Oh, well. It was Coulter.
Nevertheless, this weight stayed on her shoulders, because she couldn’t even communicate it to Garreth. The Sphinx’s target on her and her family must remain a secret.
So, instead, she just snuggled into his side.
Garreth squeezed her shoulders. “I’m sorry.”
The sunlight and Garreth’s body heat enveloped her in a warm bubble in spite of the coming winter. She breathed in his scent. He smelled like parchment and ink spills and cozy bookshelves.
“I can’t help but think that, maybe, if I had spoken up months ago, during aid negotiations, maybe—”
Kendra shook her head into Garreth’s chest. “No. I don’t want to think about that right now.”
He lowered his voice and sighed. “Of course, m’lady.”
As the clouds grew darker, Garreth traced invisible patterns on Kendra’s arm. It reminded her of a game she used to play as a kid; someone would trace a letter on your back, and you’d have to guess what it was. Seth had been pretty good at it.
Garreth stopped his tracing to point to a fuzzy bug crawling up the stem of a bluebell. “Hey, you see that caterpillar over there?”
Her smile returned.
Puddles on the cool stone splashed with every step the pair took. Garreth’s boots protected him from the spray, and Kendra’s wool cloak protected her from the few drops that dared to go her way.
Garreth had been right—the grey clouds had soon broken open into a flood of rain. The plants were definitely happy, but they had had to pack up their date.
Hand-in-hand navigation took them through the busy market street. Garreth occasionally stopped to make conversation with a familiar face and Kendra joined in, expanding her web of connections. Another bonus to hiding out under a stand’s tent was the respite from the rain.
It was so casual and so fun. Kendra had never held hands publicly with someone before, and she enjoyed the grounding effect it had. It was the same feeling she had had surrounded in the gardens. It felt like safety, like home…
Like…like…love.
Kendra sucked in a breath.
Garreth paused his conversation to glance at her and she reassured him with a smile. His hand migrated to her waist and pulled her closer.
Was this…was love truly what she felt?
It certainly seemed like it. Kendra feared parting from Garreth like she feared death—to the point she was even considering bringing him along when her party disembarked from Terrabelle. Which was absurd. But, it was nice to entertain her hopes sometimes.
Her magic felt at peace around him. She felt at peace. Her heart stirred whenever his name was even mentioned.
Kendra gazed up at his smile as he talked to the merchant. He had such a warm exterior, and it seemed like everyone melted in his presence. She sure did.
Garreth was lovely. He was…
He was…turning away from her.
His warmth left her as he took a step away. She reached for his hand. “Garreth?”
“Do you hear that?” He took her hand again, but his hold was weak. He was distracted.
“I don’t…” and then she did. It was the end of the little bubble she had created. The confirmation that she had failed.
The bells were tolling.
“Sire, what’s happening?” The merchant looked to Garreth for answers, but the prince’s eyes were roaming the crowd.
“So sorry, Harry, I don’t know.” Garreth turned back to her. “We need to get back to the castle.”
She nodded.
Vendors around them began to pack up as the tolls became louder and louder. The rain picked up and so did the sound of chaos. Knights called for order, but the roar of nature weeping drowned them out.
Kendra had no choice but to let Garreth lead her to the castle. Her mind was busy running over every possible scenario in her head. Was Terrabelle under attack? Was the Sphinx here? Had the king figured out the magic entwined in the Fablehaven royalty? Or was it something else? Something she couldn’t predict?
They only made it to the castle’s courtyard before they were stopped by guards. Balconies ringed the square, and nobles observed the chaos of the town from their perch.
A castle guard reached for Kendra, but she dodged his outstretched hand and ducked away into Garreth’s chest.
Raindrops pounded against the courtyard and courtesans unfortunate enough to be caught in the turmoil sought refuge under the eaves of the castle walls. The sound of the torrent on the guards’ armor deafened Kendra’s frantic thoughts.
Garreth tightened his hold around her arm and placed his other hand on his sword.
“What’s going on?”
The guards fanned out, with one decorated guard stepping forward and reaching for Kendra.
Garreth stepped in front of her.
“Step aside, Garreth.”
“No. I am ordering you as your prince. What’s going on?” There were no traceable, invisible patterns on Kendra’s arm now. There were visible indentations from Garreth’s grip.
“I cannot tell you anything until you move away from Princess Kendra.”
“Why? Tell me.”
“Your father does not think it would be conducive to your understanding if you were under her influence. Please step away.” When Garreth didn’t move, the guard sighed. “Your father has ordered her arrest. Princess Kendra is a threat to the crown.”
A threat for just existing.
The rain dripped down Kendra’s face. With all the anxiety and dread Kendra had cultivated for this exact event over the past few weeks, she would have thought that this moment would have hurt worse. But, it’s like she had already known this would happen. She had prepared. Her heart quickly began rebuilding the walls that she had allowed Garreth a peek through.
“Kendra, do you know what’s going on?” Garreth twisted back to face her, his desperate gaze boring holes into her heart.
Of course she knew what was going on. They had found out about her, and she was going to die.
But, as she looked at the desperation in his eyes, she couldn’t decide if the right choice would be telling the truth.
If she lied, she could protect her people and her cause. Even if everything went terribly, she could still maintain her innocence. A simple “I don’t know what’s going on,” would suffice.
But, does she admit her guilt instead? Admit she had failed Garreth—by lying to him? Admit she had failed her brother and her court who had counted on her to keep them safe? Admit she had failed her grandparents—leaving them to languish in the Sphinx’s grasp without their granddaughter to save them?
Or admit she had failed her parents who had trusted her to continue to lead Fablehaven to a prosperous future? Admit she had failed her subjects?
Or admit she had failed herself. She had failed to keep herself out of a relationship which she had known wasn’t a good idea. She had failed to keep herself hidden.
Kendra didn’t have a response. But, she had tears. They were indistinguishable from the rain drops.
What a pathetic excuse for a princess. She didn’t deserve to wear her mother’s golden diadem.
“Kendra, tell me,” Garreth moved his hand to her shoulder and pleaded. It was too much. No, no, she couldn’t do this.
“Sire, please step away.” The leading guard stepped closer. Kendra could smell his aftershave, and it made her sick. “We have orders to arrest the princess.”
“Kendra, what did you do?” Garreth shook her shoulder.
Her eyes flicked frantically between the guards and Garreth. “I’m sorry, I—I don’t—”
The lead guard interrupted her rambling. “The Princess Kendra has been charged with Acts of Sorcery.”
You know what Kendra had said about this moment not being as terrible as she had imagined? Nope, that was a lie.
The pit in her stomach grew heavy, and she felt like she could vomit. The looks of disgust on everyone’s faces, Garreth’s hold slackening—it was too much. She had failed.
“What? That’s not true.” Garreth’s head whipped back and forth between Kendra and the guards. “Tell them, Kendra. That’s not true.”
What was she going to do now?
Was she going to lie to Garreth? Deny her use of sorcery? What would that do?
Further cement her as an enemy?
This was the end. Her end. There was no clever plan or legal loophole she could jump through here. The royal lackeys probably had already begun to build her pyre.
She cleared her throat. Appeal to humanity? “They’re—they’re going to kill me, Garreth.”
Garreth took a step back. His hand fell from her shoulder.
She felt like she was falling down a well of despair, scratching at smooth walls for a hand hold. This wasn’t the Garreth she knew. This wasn’t how he was supposed to look at her.
Confusion knit his eyebrows. “You’re not—it’s true?”
“You know me better than anyone.” Kendra rung her hands. She hadn’t prayed to anyone—not even her patron—in a while. Please, fairy goddess, don’t let me fail Garreth, too. “Even if that was true, I’m still a good person. I’m still your–”
Her grandparents’ voices were back. Gone was the respite the gardens had granted her. She had been foolish to let herself indulge in silence.
His what, Kendra? Don’t kid yourself. It was never anything substantial.
Shut up, Kendra thought.
Hiccups threatened to override her breathing as it became increasingly irregular. “I’m still your friend. I’ve never hurt anyone, please. You know me.”
“I don’t know you.” Garreth stumbled back into the knights. They steadied him and pushed him aside. Their eyes gleamed, this was their moment now. The guards advanced with their swords, but Kendra only had eyes for Garreth behind the circling piranhas. “Did you mess with my mind?”
“What?” Kendra’s voice was haggard as the knights got closer. Of all the accusations of magic misuse she had had to deal with over the years, this one hurt the most. The knife twisting in her gut stirred up her magic. Kendra pushed it back down. “No! I would never hurt you. Garreth, they’re going to kill me. Your father will kill me if you don’t help me.”
She knew it. He knew it. There was no other outcome than a pyre. Her magic beat at her chest. This was its time. This was what it was supposed to protect her from. Tyrants and their lackeys.
“What am I to do?” Anger laced his voice; his arm flew. “You’re a sorcerer in a ring of knights. You admit to deceit. I’m not your—I don’t—I cannot help you.”
“Not my what?” Kendra stood her ground. If there’s one thing she knew how to do it was how to turn sadness into anger and anger into power. His silver tongue would rust, whether he liked it or not. “I have never hurt anyone—I am not an immoral person! You, on the other hand—you find out one allegation, and, suddenly, you can’t even look at me? I don’t know you.”
The knights stepped forward, their shields blocking her view of Garreth.
A sword alighted on her back, but the weeds in between the stones wrapped around the offender’s feet.
She didn’t mean to! It was just all too much. Her magic whipped around her in a frenzy and sapped at her energy. That little act of sorcery had allowed it to unleash itself.
The misty substance was only visible to magic users, but the wind it created was enough to be classified as a small hurricane. The nobles retreated from their balconies, curtains ripping off their rods and flags wrapping violently around their poles.
But, hey, the wind had pushed the guards away from her, and she was able to see Garreth as he stumbled backwards. His eyes were blown wide, his mouth dropped open. Terror filled his gaze.
Her supposed innocence lay at her feet, killed by her carelessness.
The tumultuous sound of a dozen swords whipping towards her face warned Kendra to clamp down on her magic. Their shiny points fighted the harsh cyclone, eye to eye with her. Garreth stood frozen.
Breaths labored her chest, her physical reaction to the last piece of her heart shattering. She had been right on her first assessment—Garreth was just a political pawn of his father. When did she start seeing him differently?
Her worst mistake. He could never love her back.
She’d known the guy for barely a season. How in the goddess’s green earth did he worm his way into her heart and mind?
Righteous anger burned in her veins. She could burn this whole town down. She should. She should.
Kendra splayed her hands and drew her magic in—she wouldn’t burn it all down. No, no, but she’d make sure—
The sharp tip of a sword bit the back of her neck and rough cuffs shackled her hands.
Heavy, crystal shackles. Her mind snapped back to their first date. Garreth’s amused answer to her question of how they controlled their magical prisoners. The crystals, of course.
The building power she had been toying with fell limp.
Her once vibrant ball of magic dulled. She felt dead inside. Garreth was killing her, heart and soul.
Her eyes didn’t leave his for a second. “Are you going to watch when they burn me?”
He shook his head, and it was impossible to know if the droplets that flew from his face were rain or tears. “Don’t say that.”
“Would your mother have wanted all this hatred to come out of her death?” Kendra slipped on the slick stone as the knights became impatient. Their handling infuriated her. This was not how a knight treated a princess.
“Kendra,” Garreth’s voice had gone taut. His mother was a subject not to be touched. “She died at the hands of a sorcerer.”
The knights jerked her backwards, away from the prince. “So many more have died at the flames of your father’s pyres.”
Rain was the only sound. This was it. She was going to die, and her court probably would go with her. Did it count as murder if people died by being associated with her? It sure felt like it.
Kendra took a deep breath. The present—focus on the present. “And so will I, if you don’t do anything.”
Garreth pushed the hair out of his face. Kendra couldn’t, and could only peer out through the rain-slicked curtains of her hair. She waited for his judgment, aware of the proverbial clock ticking.
“Prince Garreth, your father has requested to see you.”
The squire stood taut as a bowstring at the edge of the knights, obviously aware of what he had interrupted. Good.
Maybe once the crystal shackles weren’t extinguishing her, she’d lash out and show them all just how much they should be terrified.
Your demeanor is very important. People are waiting for you to snap, Vanessa had once told her. It had been her first public appearance after Bahumat’s rampage and her parents’ subsequent deaths. If you do, you’ll be done for.
Vitriol burned in her throat. Her demeanor hadn't mattered in the end, Kendra thought. She had played the perfect, charitable princess: extending kindness to peasant and noble alike, flattering her political rivals, laughing at all the unfunny jokes.
No matter what, as soon as it was revealed Crown Princess Kendra was a sorcerer—it was over. With her sorcery, she became an awful, immoral person deserving of a pyre.
Garreth exhaled shakily and waved a hand. “Take her away.”
Kendra refocused on Garreth. A tear slipped from his eye, joining the rain. His father had instituted this horrible anti-magic system, and he was perpetuating it.
She felt so much fury for him at this moment.
At the same time, she disintegrated at the realization that this was the first tear she had ever witnessed fall from his face.
And, it was at her expense.
The cell was cold and stagnant, but her mind was not. First things first, she needed to know the locations of her court.
Patton was supposed to have been accompanying Seth today, but there was no telling where the two were now. With the bells ringing, only a fool wouldn’t change plans.
Thankfully, Kendra hadn’t seen anyone in the cells that had looked like Seth when she had been marched in here, so it was safe to assume he hadn’t been caught yet. Unless, they were just keeping him somewhere else. Well, can’t do anything from her current vantage, so she would just have to sit with her worry.
Kendra knew that Vanessa had organized a trip to the market to stock up on supplies, and Warren was supposedly always schmoozing nobles.
They were in charge of the bags and bedrolls, but there was very little chance that either of them had had time to secure them.
So, what did Kendra have?
She had herself. Not her magic, since it was incommunicado due to the dumb crystals weighing her hands down. Fortunately, she had more than her magic.
If money became a need, she always had the jewels sewn into her petticoat. Additionally, some of the jewels were cut to a wicked enough edge to be used as a weapon.
Be that as it may, above all, she had her brain.
But, she had to shelve her mental checklisting as footsteps rushed down the corridor. With the expectation of a guard, Kendra returned to her seat on the floor.
However, when Eve appeared around the corner and grabbed onto her cell bars, Kendra shot up from her seat.
So many questions echoed through her head. “Eve, what—”
Eve put a finger to her lips. “I know about your brother’s connection to magic. No, I won’t expose him. Yes, I know you have magic. No need to expose that one because my father is about to make an announcement doing just that. No, I will not let you or Seth die. Does that cover everything?”
“One moment,” Kendra ran through everything Eve just said in her head. “Mostly. How do you plan on cheating my brother and I’s deaths? As I assume that is the King’s course of action.”
“Well, first of all, I can’t be too sure that my father wants to burn either of you, right now. He might just take political prisoners. Of course, either way, you cannot stay here. So, I have been thinking,” Eve took a deep breath. “I have a dragon.”
Kendra pursed her lips and looked to the dripping ceiling of her cell. “I am dead, and I am hallucinating.”
“No, no,” Eve watched as Kendra pinched herself. “I really do. His name is Raxtus, and he’s a fairy dragon. He’ll like you. You’re a handmaiden of the old fairy goddess, right?”
“Tell Seth to stop spilling so many secrets,” Kendra hissed. She brought her hands down her face. “Oh my god, I am going to strangle—”
“The dragon confirmed your status for me, so don’t get too riled up on Seth.”
Kendra ran her hands through her hair. Her fingers didn’t catch on her tiara like they usually did as the guards had taken the freedom of liberating it off of her. “Of course. The dragon.”
“Yeah, the dragon. Anyway, I’m going to sneak you both out and put you on the dragon. So, you can fly, fly away.” Eve pantomined wings flapping with her hands.
Kendra paused her pacing. “What about my court?”
“They can come too, I guess. But for this to happen, I need you to stay low. They haven’t caught Seth yet, and I’m just about to go up to my room. I have given him instructions to go through there, and I’m going to give him a token, alright?”
Eve paused to wait for Kendra’s nod to continue. “It will convince Raxtus to take you guys, and it should help with all your travels within Terrabelle’s kingdom. You just flash that and any citizen will help you. The outer villages surely won’t know about this controversy for a while.” Eve thought for a moment. “Do you really want your court to escape with you? I could help them hide here, and it will be hard to get all of you out of Terrabelle.”
“I need them with me.” No, no, she couldn’t do this without them. Leaving them would only be the latest of her goodbyes, and Kendra was tired of her heart being ripped apart.
Eve frowned. “Fine. I’ll ask Garreth to do that part.”
Kendra stilled. “I wouldn’t count on him.”
“Did something happen?”
Kendra stared at the ceiling. Don’t let anger and despair overcome you. It does not matter anymore. “He’s the reason I’m in here.”
Eve‘s mouth dropped open. “He turned you in?”
“He let them take me away.”
“Okay, wow, that was a horrible thing to do.” She dropped her grip on the bars. “I’ll talk to him. It might be hard to understand, but his whole life is built around our father. He’s probably more scared of our father than you.”
Doubtful. Kendra had seen the terror in his eyes.
“Gee, thanks, Eve.” A laugh escaped Kendra at the absurdity of all of it. She was in a prison cell, most likely slated for execution, and talking about her guy problems with the Princess of Terrabelle.
“Just, forget about him okay? I’ll get you out. I’ve been waiting for a while to smuggle Raxtus out and this is as good an opportunity as any. Seth will definitely be on board, too, so like—we got you.”
Kendra coughed away any roughness in her throat. She was infinitely grateful for Eve. Thankful that Seth had made such an impression on the young princess, as well. “Thanks, Eve.”
“Of course. New royal knights will be coming to guard you once they either manage to capture Seth or give up.” Eve pointed and sent her a stern expression. “No dying while I’m gone.”
Kendra laughed. “I’ll try. See you soon.”
“Bye.”
“And, Eve?”
Her skirt wooshed as she came to a full stop. “Hmm?”
“Fablehaven owes you a great debt.”
She smiled. For once, Kendra was happy to see the mischief in it.
“Any time.”
Notes:
i rewrote Kendra’s arrest so many times over the course of writing this fic but I think I’m finally happy with it <3
Chapter 11: Garreth’s interlude
Summary:
Garrett just arrested his best friend. He doesn't know how to feel.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Panic threaded Garreth’s pulse as he marched towards the throne room. Bile threatened to rise in his throat, and his watery eyes couldn’t be hidden from his father.
Somehow, he couldn’t get the shock to vacate his eyeballs. It was terribly annoying. Garreth tugged his green shirt down. He was a prince in a long line of beguiling men—and he should not be failing to keep a calm mask. Frustration curled his fists.
He hadn’t felt this much turmoil since before he had met Kendra. She had calmed the incessant storm he was used to.
She was the most beautiful and kind person he had ever met, and his heart had jumped overboard by their first date. Sure, at first, it was a little networking, a little politics, but he couldn’t lie to himself that by the end of their treehouse rendezvous, he had fallen hard.
And it had seemed perfect. A crown princess currently without a kingdom was literally the perfect date, and she also had to be intelligent, funny, and genuine. It was perfect.
Those couple of months were bliss. But, no, she didn’t matter anymore.
The royal halls he was walking through were empty as most people had been diverted to search for the last remaining fugitive, the Prince of Fablehaven. That was in Garreth’s favor. He didn’t particularly want to see anyone, and it would strain his patience if he did.
Nevertheless, his luck was rotten, and he ran into his sister. The one person who could get under his nerves—no, not even get under—trample his nerves with little consequence.
She brushed her tight coils out of her face and glared at him. Her puffy dress made her hands on her hips look a little absurd. “What the hell, Garreth?”
Eve had always been a force to be reckoned with. An annoying, pushy force.
Her upset was often warranted and righteous, but Garreth couldn’t care less about it at the moment. She sympathized with magic users and often got into rows with Lord Dalgorel about it. There was no doubt that Eve was upset about this situation.
“Eve, I cannot deal with you right now.” He pushed past her. That was just another complication he did not need.
“I just talked to Kendra.”
He whirled back around to face Eve. Her glare had deepened, but she held herself up like someone who knew she had the high ground. She had talked to Kendra? What? How? Why?
Kendra was supposed to be in the dungeon.
…Eve did not sneak down to the dungeon.
Oh, have mercy.
And he thought his emotions couldn’t be drained even further.
“I am going to break her out of that cell with or without your help.” Eve looked him up and down. Garreth felt that specific blend of bloodthirsty rage made especially for siblings rise up, but he pushed it back down. He needed to clear his head, not further muddy it. He needed to keep at least a semblance of calm. “If you have the gall to oppose me, just don’t tell daddy dearest, alright?”
Never mind, that rage was back, and he wanted to strangle her. She had never understood the importance of pleasing their father, and never even tried to keep the peace. She did not just insult him because he did that exhausting duty for the both of them. “Eve, you have no right to speak like that.”
“Why not? I love Kendra. So, I’m saving her. You apparently don’t, because you’re letting her die. I hope you choke on guilt.”
Her words slammed into Garreth. Love was the most grotesque word to him at the moment. And maybe, he would choke on the guilt of condemning someone he held dear. But not a sorcerer.
Before he could further process her scathing remarks, she spun back around and rushed off in a direction that was most decidedly not the throne room.
Garreth cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled. “Where are you going?”
She held up a rude gesture in return and disappeared around the corner. Great. Just what he needed. His firecracker of a sister on the loose.
Garreth looked to the ornate ceiling and counted to seven.
Anger coursed through his veins. Anger at Eve, anger at his father, anger at Kendra, anger at himself. It made it hard to think straight, and once Garreth reached his seven seconds, he pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes.
How dare Eve declare that he didn’t love Kendra? He—he had never, ever cared for someone like he did for her. He just wasn’t going to let that cloud his principles.
Sorcerers were immoral. They sought powers beyond themself, and hurt others because of it. Sorcery was selfish. It was terrible. It was evil.
Which meant that Kendra was selfish. Kendra was terrible. Kendra was—
A tear slipped down his face, and he sank to his knees. Pressure built in his sinuses and pounded against the confines of his skull.
He was alone in the hall, and he could break down.
Adrenaline still coursed through him from Kendra’s arrest. Garreth had never been scared of her before, and the terror had a hard time leaving his body. The way she had bent the courtyard to her will with those gales frightened him.
However, Garreth was terribly confused about the pretense she had put up for the past couple of months. If Kendra had always had this power, why had she even bothered to maintain her front?
Sorcerers had attacked his family before. They had never felt the need to nestle into the castle for months or attend the theater with him.
But, Kendra did that.
Kendra went on dates. She discussed his favorite plays, picnicked in the garden, confided in him about her familial woes, and comforted him. Kendra snuggled with him. She laced her fingers through his. She laughed at his terrible, terrible jokes. She worried over his safety when he was sent to train with the knights. She got angry on his behalf. She treated Eve like a little sister. She bickered with her brother. She smiled at Garreth when he was talking about how the tones of a painting communicated its message. She helped the schoolchildren with their books. She spent time with the cooks and learned the Terrabellian recipes. She traced her fingers down his face. She locked eyes with him and told a story through her expressions during boring meetings. She picked dandelions. She told him he was more than his father could ever aspire to achieve.
She was everything he could have wanted and more.
She was so warm. His father was cold, Eve was prickly at the best of times, and Lockland just put him through sword drills. No one had ever provided that kind of solace since his mother.
So, how, in the world, was Kendra a sorcerer?
He knew it was true. She admitted to and practiced magic. So it was true.
So, either Kendra wasn’t a sorcerer (which had been proven false) or sorcerers weren’t inherently evil. Or Kendra had been lying the entire time—but Garreth couldn’t believe that. He couldn’t live if he believed that.
If Fablehaven could function as a good kingdom with a sorcerer at the helm…what did that mean?
Was his father wrong?
Garreth flinched. Even in his head, he didn’t feel safe from his father’s wrath. Maybe that anger had seeped into his father’s policies. Maybe they weren’t entirely rational.
He had never even dared think those thoughts, and now that he had, they couldn’t stop coming.
Terrabelle had allowed magic in the years before his mother’s death. Terrabelle had been fine.
Well, up until his mother had been killed by a sorcerer.
But, it was that raw power that these people acquired that was terrifying. Sorcerers could rival phalanxes of knights, and how fair was that?
But, Kendra had never attempted to harm him, and she seemed pretty powerful. Even in the courtyard, she hadn’t maimed anyone.
But, Kendra was just one person. It wasn’t indicative of the general population. Hmm.
Maybe if he could conduct a few investigations.
The tolling of the bells brought him back to the present. He was thinking too far ahead.
He could think over the implications of his recent revelations later.
However, even though he had cleared his mind, adrenaline still lingered in his veins and his fingers still twitched towards his sword. His body was wired. Maybe he could use that.
First things first, although she annoyed him to no end, Garreth needed to protect Eve. At the end of the day, Garreth would lay down his own life for her. He wanted to see her safe.
However, apparently, she was attempting to follow through on a very ill-concocted plan. Breaking Kendra out of the dungeon?
What was she even thinking?
That was terribly dangerous.
Of course, she wouldn’t stop at one fugitive, and would probably snatch Seth as well. But Seth hadn’t been caught by the royal guard yet, so Garreth could put that aside for now.
What were his options?
Well, he could confess Eve’s plan to his father, prevent Eve from carrying it out in some other way, or, help her.
Now, Garreth was unsure of how his father would take news of Eve’s deceit, but, knowing his father, it would not be good. Eve could potentially get hurt or grounded for the rest of her life, so it was off the table.
Now, maybe he could prevent it some other way? Like he could lock Eve in her room or something. But, she had those damn tunnels. Garreth wasn’t sure how extensive they were, but nevertheless, she was crafty.
Either way, Eve would consider it a betrayal, and would probably never talk to him again.
Garreth groaned and eyed the wall. It was looking like a mighty good surface to punch right now. But, no, then his father would definitely kill him. For getting his blood on the wall.
Oh, well. The third option: helping Eve carry it out and becoming a fugitive in his own kingdom while directly contradicting his father and everything Terrabelle stood for.
So, that was also off the table. Which left…nothing.
Should he just do nothing? Hope Eve’s little plan imploded on itself without harming her (...or the constituents of the plan. Garreth didn’t want to see Kendra or Seth harmed, but, truthfully, there wasn’t much he could legally do. He had enjoyed the siblings' company, and while Seth may be innocent, Kendra was a full-fledged witch. Even though it didn’t make any sense, he had seen her use magic and that was the law.).
He could do nothing, like he had always done.
However, deciding to do nothing grinded against Garreth in a way his silence hadn’t before.
All throughout his life, Garreth had watched his father make decisions that had affected whole swathes of people. It sometimes led to happiness and satisfaction, but more often provoked anger, grief, and bloodlust.
In contrast, the most overwhelming emotion Garreth had ever felt about those decisions was relief that he didn’t have to make them. All he had had to do was have faith that his father was doing the right thing, and his conscience remained clear.
But, now, his father had arrested Kendra on sorcery. Replace her name with any other subject and there would be little hesitation as Garreth defended his father.
Sorcery was evil, unnatural, and dangerous. Sorcerers turned the tides of war, sorcerers razed castles to the ground.
However, he had never seen a bloodthirsty, power hungry sorcerer when he had interacted with Kendra. (Well, until that cyclone. But, for the sake of argument, disregarding that..)
In the gardens, in the theater, in the treehouse—all he had seen was someone trying their best to get through one of the worst times in their life. Even then, while Kendra herself had suffered, she had tried to help other people.
Garreth had watched Kendra speak up in court meetings, more often than not, defending and empathizing with the victims of ordinances. He wished he had her courage. To be the only one disagreeing in a room full of chancellors and royalty and all the other posh people with power over your life?
It was outside of his imagination.
So was Kendra being a sorcerer.
But, those vines that choked the knights’ feet hadn’t grown on their own.
Then, again. Doing nothing to help felt wrong. Kendra was dear to his heart. She had never stood aside as others had been suffering.
Something felt wrong. (Maybe the current way Terrabelle stood on magic wasn’t right.)
Besides, the rest of Kendra’s court shouldn’t be condemned because of her mistakes. (But what if they were sorcerers too?)
He could help Eve carry out her plan, just in a diplomatic way. (Was there any diplomatic way?)
It was the right thing to do. It was. (…)
But, why did it feel like standing up to his father was crossing the point of no return? (And was he strong enough to cross that line?)
Kendra would be.
Notes:
:)
Chapter 12: X - bloody hands
Summary:
Kendra and Seth stand trial.
Notes:
I originally wrote this continuous scene that was intended to be Chapter 11. However, it ended up being 6605 words and looking at the word counts of my other chapters, it was a pretty huge outlier. For that reason, it is broken up into this chapter and the next chapter. So, both will be from the point of view of Seth.
Have fun!
Chapter Text
If there was one thing Seth didn’t miss about Fablehaven, it was the throne room.
Sure, Kendra had always waxed poetic about the stained glass, hanging flowering plants, and vines that climbed the walls. And that was definitely her right—she controlled the garden in the throne room through her magic. That’s how no leaves ever obscured the windows and the foliage always bloomed. (Well, Kendra would always diminish her power and point to the fairies that often flitted about, but, to be completely honest, those spiteful sprites were the bane of Seth’s existence. He really wished they weren’t always in the castle. The times he rarely got his wish were due to another court visiting or a festival bringing in lots of foreigners because the fairies would return to the forest or hole up in people’s attics. But don’t get him mistaken, Seth didn’t advocate for magical creatures to hide—he advocated for himself to prank the little pixies back. But. No. Apparently, not allowed. Protected species or something like that. Anyway—) Besides the irritating fairies, the throne room also held all the boring court proceedings where his butt would ache in the wooden chair and where two thrones had disappeared four summers prior.
But, while the throne room in Fablehaven was at least familiar, the throne room in Terrabelle struck terror into his heart. There were no crawling flowers or bright leaves. It was only the place where the temporary, unstable future of his court had been decided.
It was this foreboding recollection of Seth’s last time in Terrabelle’s throne room that accompanied him as the doors stood in front of Seth, just as imposing as his first night in Terrabelle.
Servants had pulled the velvet curtains tight across all the windows in the castle today, and the frigid air caressed the skin of the people unlucky enough to be trapped inside. It felt like the Grimm was whispering in his ear, hinting at what was to come. Good thing he’d never been too good at listening.
In front of him, the jewels sparkled on the wood of the doors, and Seth wondered if any of them held the magic-dampening crystals. Personally, he was not shackled with them. But, Kendra was, and she was right behind him. So, they affected him anyway. Her cuffs seemed to affect him within ten feet, but Seth was curious if the radius was affected by the size of the crystals. Or if there were crystals of higher quality that were more powerful. Either way, considering he didn’t feel an increase of that cursed dampening feeling as he had approached the doors, he figured that the crystals did not adorn the door.
Boredom stretched even as the prisoners and their personal guards lingered outside of the doors. Seth’s adrenaline had deserted him after the first few minutes of stalling, and now it seemed like he would die of boredom before an executor would even get the chance to chop his head off.
It was torture to stand still.
As the guards continued to wait for some signal, Seth glanced back at Kendra.
Until this morning, his last sight of Kendra had been early yesterday at breakfast before he and Patton had left to go to the market. This morning, there had been no breakfast, but he had seen Kendra when they had retrieved him from his cell and began the procession to the throne room. Kendra’s transformation since yesterday was astonishing. Anger had sharpened her eyes, and her mouth was set in a grim line. Her constant companion of a golden diadem was absent, and her wavy hair didn’t seem to understand how to fall without the guiding tiara.
Their whole lives had been upended in 24 hours, and after the incredibly rough sleep the night before waiting for some sign from Eve but receiving none, Seth’s hopes had steadily fallen for a way out.
The guard shook his shoulder to force him to return his forward stare. Back to cataloging the varieties of jewels wrapped in the wooden door.
He and Kendra still hadn’t exchanged any words, but Kendra had reached out for his hand when they had first brought him out of his cell. The guards had not liked that and had made sure Kendra felt the sting of her misaction.
It boiled Seth’s blood, more so than the guards’ treatment of him. That was his sister, and they had hurt her. He wanted to lower the temperature as far as he could until they suffered a slow, agonizing death. Maybe add in some fire, too.
He’d have to hang on to that idea.
Personally, his appearance hadn’t changed much. His clothes’ minor dirtiness was not exceptional for him, and he had never tried to look particularly happy anyway. The only difference in his attire was the token sitting in his sock.
Ever since Eve had wrapped her arms around his neck in that tower and slipped the token into his collar, it had weighed on him. Was it a promise that Eve was going to try to free him and his sister? Or did she just want him to go to the chopping block with a physical token of her support?
A triple knock at the throne room doors from the inside prompted a space of about five seconds where the guards straightened, gathered the crook of Seth’s elbows, and the doors swept open to reveal the same glacial throne room he had expected.
The velvet curtains were open here, with stained glass light throwing shadows across the room. Seth first made eye contact with the servant opening the door. His eyes were regretful, and Seth was pretty sure he had had a conversation with him the other day. Nonetheless, the servant announced his arrival. “Prince Seth of Fablehaven!”
The guards began to walk forward without a warning to Seth, and gasps from the noble crowd seated in the stands punctuated his entrance. He could see several of the nobles that he had spied on with Eve over the past season. With the things they all did or said, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for them to switch places with him.
But, those people didn’t matter. It was the ones that currently occupied two out of the four available thrones.
The king’s face was gleeful. Malice laced the curve of his smile, and he looked like the cat that had finally gotten the cream—at last, he could exterminate the menace that kept getting his daughter into mud and dirt.
The prince, on the other hand, held the countenance of a funeral-goer. His back was straight and his hands hidden behind it, but a frown etched itself onto his face and the constant shifting of his arms told Seth his hands were fidgeting. His eyes had skipped over Seth like a rock on the water and were locked onto Kendra, still waiting outside the entrance.
Seth couldn’t see her procession as the guards would knock his head if he twisted backward, but he heard the same servant announce her name and the clunking of the guards’ armor as they brought her. The whispers grew tenfold, and Garreth began to blink more rapidly. The king mumbled something, and Garreth took a deep breath and broke his statuesque pose by adjusting his crown and twisting the rings on his fingers.
It was clear he was uncomfortable. Was Garreth complicit in this? Or was he going to help them get out? He hadn’t seen Kendra since she left on her date so presumably, Garreth was there when she had been arrested.
Garreth didn’t seem like the type of guy to let a couple of friends get their heads chopped off, but he also didn’t seem like the guy to go against his father’s wishes.
Seth caught a brief glimpse of Kendra’s face as she and her escort of guards overtook his place and stopped a few paces ahead. Her mouth was set in a grim line, but her chin remained high.
“Princess Kendra. Not only have you brought sorcery into Terrabelle, damaged our courtyard, and committed sorcerous acts on our hallowed ground; but you previously misrepresented your case for refuge and put Terrabelle and all her citizens in the Sphinx’s path for your own selfish reasons. You have pulled an innocent, pure kingdom—”
Yeah, right. An innocent kingdom? The people, maybe. But the king? No way. Seth’s blood boiled. The king’s condescending tone tore at any civility Seth maintained.
“—into the Sphinx’s agenda—the most dangerous entity on our great land. For these egregious transgressions, I sentence you to death.”
Seth would never, ever let his big sister be killed by some pompous king with no respect for magic. His hands curled into fists. There was no way.
Whispers built in intensity. This was absolutely ridiculous. There was no way Seth was going to let the king control the narrative in his last moments. That had always been Ronodin’s golden rule—always be the one speaking. Even if the dark unicorn seemed to have ratted him out, he had always had great tips. Like to throttle people that spilled your secrets—Seth was sure he would utilize that on a particular unicorn soon.
“Oh, please,” Seth rolled his eyes. The action barely contained the rage behind them. “You act like the Sphinx didn’t already have Terrabelle on his radar.”
Kendra whipped her head around and widened her eyes in a I do not know what you are doing, and normally I would care a lot about what you are doing, but we do not have any other choice. But, also please do not get yourself killed right now kind of look. Seth was pretty used to that look. It was something he garnered a lot from Kendra in dangerous situations. Something of a trademark, he would say.
“Silence!”
One of his guards readjusted his grip on his forearm before striking his inner knee with a baton.
Kendra cried out. “No!”
His knees buckled, and he momentarily felt dizzy. But as sounds became sharper, he heard the king speak. “Now, onto—”
“We all know,” Seth felt the whoosh of air as the guard wound up his baton again. “The only reason the Sphinx even has any followers is because of you.”
This time, a blow to his back. At this point, Seth had inadvertently hunched in on himself as his body contracted to manage the pain. The guards didn’t bother holding him up this time, and Seth sunk to the floor.
Kendra hissed his name through her teeth. She was probably mad that he was getting himself hurt. Seth was mad that the king felt that she was dangerous enough to deserve the cool public execution and he would probably just be beaten to death in private. Talk about being short-changed.
“Father, shouldn’t we allow royal prisoners to have their last words?”
So, was Garreth in on all this? On which side?
“Even if they’re treasonous words, father. Let him incriminate himself while we respect the propriety of royal courts.” Wow, Seth had forgotten how posh Garreth sounded with his father. Now, he remembered why he initially thought Garreth was such a prick. Well, depending on how the next few minutes went, Seth would see if Garreth still deserved that moniker.
“Very well,” the king allowed. Seth couldn’t see very well on the floor, but then his collar was yanked up and he fell into a kneeling position. The king and the prince came into full view, and the tension between them was taut like a string. Up close, the irritation in King Dalgorel’s face revealed he had not wanted to follow Garreth’s suggestion. But, it would not do well to quarrel in front of so many nobles. Seth very much remembered his mother pinching him to remind him to close his mouth when he was little and allowed to sit in on petitions to the crown.
The king set his mouth in a grim line, and Garreth’s head inclined as if to give Seth a look of now I got you a second chance and you better not waste it. Man, Kendra and Garreth loved these facial expressions. Something to think about later. For now...what was the best course of action. Maybe try to incite a riot? Delay time? Wait for some rescuer to come flying from the rafters and save them all immediately? How about all three?
“Thank you,” Seth grinned. “For your everlasting understanding. Now, where was I? Oh—let’s compare the effects of you and us on the Sphinx. What did Kendra do? She asked for a place to stay. What a pity.
“You were the one who provided the Sphinx’s fear-mongering rhetoric with validity and gave stability to his shaky anti-human platform. If anyone is to blame for the terrorist cells plaguing our lands, it is one-hundred-percent you.”
Seth thought that little monologue deserved a standing ovation, but instead, it was so silent you could hear a dragon’s egg hatching. Oh, well. Have to increase his showmanship, apparently. He struggled to his feet. The guards made no move to stop him. “In fact, if anyone should be executed for endangering Terrabelle, it is you, King Dalgorel. You are the blight upon peace. Not any sorcerer I’ve ever met.”
Kendra threw her head back to see her brother. Now, her eyes were blown wide in a how in the world is this going to help kind of look. “Seth!”
Her guards wrenched her back. The nobles sitting in their seats began to gasp and titter as if Kendra’s exclamation had broken the quietude.
The king scanned the hall and stood up out of his chair. Conversation would not do for him. A hush fell over the crowd. “Bring the boy forward. I want him to look me in my eyes.”
The guards shoved their arms under his armpits and walked him forward. The farther Seth was taken from Kendra, the more her crystal cuffs’ effect on him weakened. Score.
Garreth glanced back and forth between his father and Seth, concern etching itself in his features. What would he do if these were Seth’s final moments? Seth knew Garreth was far more attached to Kendra than to him, but it wouldn’t kill him to help Seth out. Actually, it would probably just get him killed.
The king tilted his head down to stare at Seth. Seth glared back. This man was literally the worst kind of person. It would suck to die by his hand. Seth would much rather die by a wraith or a steep canyon or a rushing river or a skilled swordsman or a goblin or even…even a fairy. Even by a fairy’s hand would be a more deserved death than this guy.
“You conveniently forget the damage of sorcery. The damage it has done to Terrabelle. Sorcery killed my wife.”
Garreth took a sharp intake of breath at that. Low blow, Dalgorel. But, these Terrabellian citizens have rarely left the city. They know nothing but Dalgorel’s rhetoric. It was time to change that.
“No, a sorcerer killed your wife. You let your grief blind you to reason, and your crusade on magic has pushed magic creatures into the margins of society, right into the Sphinx’s lap. I’ve traveled far and wide, and let me tell you—people are far more scared of you than the Sphinx.” Seth held steadfast as the king’s eyes narrowed. He had to get through the next part or all his practicing last night in his cell had been for naught. “Don’t forget that when the Sphinx comes for your city, comes for your kingdom—it will be your citizens and your family’s blood on your hands.”
Gasps ricocheted across the great hall. Finally! Some audience interaction!
King Dalgorel unsheathed his sword and stepped off the dais, closer to Seth. Seth flinched but the guards held him steady. Bile rose in his throat as his body demanded to be anywhere else but here. The guard’s fingers dug into the pockets of his shoulder muscles.
Kendra began to thrash in the guard's grip. “Please, King Dalgorel. Please! Please, anyone! Garr—”
A guard’s elbow into her stomach stole her breath.
The king’s blade point settled at Seth’s adam’s apple and broke his skin. Blood trickled down, mixed with dust and grime, and sunk into his collar.
This very moment unwound time back to that day in Eve’s bedroom when she had held her sharp tiara to his neck. That day had been the first time that the fear and danger Terrabelle had brought had truly sunken into him.
And now here he was, that fear and danger manifesting in the worst possible scenario as his heart thumped in his head. Execution at the king’s hands.
Well, this was definitely the worst possible scenario for his life, but for his legacy? It would definitely top whatever could happen to Kendra in terms of pizazz.
And at the very least, his death might satiate the king’s bloodlust and cast some degree of protection over his court…wishful thinking. Stupid thinking. But, oh well.
He did what he could.
Chapter 13: XI - let him rot
Summary:
The trial erupts into a battle. Garreth and Kendra both make tough decisions.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The deep lines on King Dalgorel’s forehead engaged in perfect formation to create the irate facial expression trained on Seth. Veins rippled on the king’s forearms as he held his embellished sword to Seth’s neck.
Out of the corner of Seth’s eye, he tracked Garreth’s movement as the prince took a step forward. He froze when his father cast a glance backward. No, come on, Garreth. Seth’s plan had quite literally fizzled to a swordpoint.
“Father.” The prince took a deep breath and straightened his posture. “This isn’t right.”
Oh, so Garreth was on the right side? Good job, Kendra. Now, if only Eve would come save him from this sword.
“Silence, Garreth.” The king eyed Seth up and down. Every time Seth inhaled, the sword scratched his skin.
“Please, King Dalgorel.” Kendra twisted in the guards’ grasp. “I promise, we will–“
“For the love of everything sacred, properly muffle the witch!”
Seth slightly tilted his head to the right to see more behind him. The sword scraped his neck. At the king’s command, one of the guards wrapped his hand around Kendra’s mouth. She thrashed and the guard adjusted his stance to accommodate. She slipped through his hand’s grasp, but the other guard silenced her with a backhand and grabbed her. The muffling guard removed his hand for a moment so she could spit out the blood running down her face, before replacing it over her mouth.
The prince flinched—a mortal sin. Garreth’s eyes were locked onto Kendra, but hers were blinking heavily and unfocused. It was shock, and, possibly, side effects of the crystals. Ronodin, the traitorous bastard, had told Seth anecdotal tales of sickness due to suppressed magic.
“Father, please—“
“Garreth, that…is…enough!” Dalgorel’s voice reverberated throughout the high walls. “If you are too weak, too enamored with the witch to see that the right decision is execution, you will never be king.”
“It is not weakness to be humane, you are being cruel.”
The king lowered his sword and just for a moment, Seth believed Garreth was going to save him with his words, but then the king raised the sword higher until it rested above Seth’s head and swung down. Garreth lunged, and the background blurred.
The blade gleamed in the stained glass colors of blue, purple, green, and yellow and all Seth could imagine was how red, how bloody, it was about to be.
The guard’s gloved hand muffled Kendra’s sob.
The stained glass reflections coalesced into cold steel as the sword rushed towards Seth’s eyes only to stop to hover above his nose. If he stuck his tongue out, he could taste it. During an unseasonably cold winter in Fablehaven, the court was able to acquire the novelty of an ice statue for a festival. Unfortunately, due to the satyrs’ dare, the statue had to be wheeled out with Seth stuck to it into his bedroom until it melted. The same childish urge rose for a split second in Seth before panic took over.
His terror-filled tunnel vision widened just enough to catalogue the blockade impeding his imminent death—Garreth and the prince’s blade flush against the king’s neck. Yes! Garreth wasn’t a prick! Good. That was good. What was also insane is that that could have just been the end of Seth’s entire life. But, that was okay, it was probably only a slight delay.
Glancing between the royals at hand, Seth steadfastly refused to move an inch.
So, this was how it was going to end. King Dalgorel’s sword at his throat, and Garreth’s at his father’s.
The guards shuffled nervously. They were sworn to the royal family. What to do when the regicide also happened to be patricide? The taste of metallic was a forewarning of what was to come. The King’s royal guard against the Prince’s.
“Garreth, what, in the world, are you doing?” The words crawled out of the king’s throat like a bear approaching its prey.
“Father, this isn’t right. We’ve offered these people protection. You can’t execute them. Seth’s innocent.” The prince’s arm quivered.
Seth could almost laugh. Yes, Seth was the innocent one out of him and his sister. He was the prim and proper and rule-following sibling.
“But, what of the witch? She is not innocent. Would that be better for your morals? If she took the sword instead?”
Garreth’s breath caught, and he cleared his throat. “I do not truly believe she’s guilty.”
The king lowered his sword from Seth’s neck. Once again, Seth relished his ability to take a deep breath but had learned from the past and stayed tense as the king twisted to face Garreth. The prince’s sword didn’t move but hovered just outside of the king’s skin so as to not slice the king on his turn.
Dalgorel scanned Garreth and guffawed. It was a bold move for someone at swordpoint, and his laughter ricocheted across the courtroom. Courtiers backed towards the doors, but couldn’t abandon the crime scene. A mad king was certainly not someone you’d want to be around, but no noble would abandon the makings of a regicide. They’d lose any upward mobility they’d gain from being witnesses.
“Garreth, look at you. This is proof of her sorcery. You are obviously under her spell and that is why you are acting this way. By god, boy. I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner.”
“No, father. I am not under any spells.” Garreth glanced at Kendra and Seth before returning his father’s gaze. “Now, tell me this. Why would an evil sorcerer attend court meetings, sift through paperwork, and generally do mundane things for the sake of Terrabelle’s crown like Kendra did? Kendra organized charity for our lower town, attended events in the town proper, and settled disputes in the castle day in and day out. If she was truly evil, wouldn’t she have sown chaos?”
Wow, Kendra’s work was so much more than Seth had been doing. But, Kendra had told him that was okay because he was still spending his time getting to know Eve. Which was perfect because if Seth had been put in charge of settling disputes, mere verbal arguments would have turned into brawls.
“Look around you, child!” Dalgorel growled and gestured at his son with his free hand. “This chaos is her fault.”
Garreth shook his head. “No, it is not. It is mine and yours. If anyone is shaking the foundation of Terrabelle right now, it is me. So, execute me.”
“Garreth! Stop this nonsense!”
“I have a sword to your neck. That is worse than anything Kendra has ever done to you.” Garreth lowered his head slightly. “Bring your sword upon my head.”
Seth’s feet scuffed the carpet as he twitched. Braziers popped and candles withered.
Dalgorel seemed to consider it. His sword faltered in front of Seth. The king glanced at the empty throne of a long-gone queen and solidified his stance.
“I will not tolerate this. Guards, seize—”
Garreth wrenched a knife from his belt and threw it at an approaching guard. “I may not have enjoyed squiring, but I am still a knight. I will best all of you if you even try.”
The king straightened. The knife had been stopped by the guard’s chainmail, but the guard wrenched it out and cast it aside. The knife skittered towards Kendra’s feet. “Fine. Put your sword down, Garreth.”
Garreth narrowed his eyes. “No.”
The king lowered his voice to a furious whisper. “Garreth, this ends now. Put down your sword or face my wrath. You would forfeit your crown over these people? Forfeit your life?”
Kendra’s muffled words carried across the silence. Garreth remained silent and merely pressed into his sword. The king readjusted his grip on his weapon. The guard holding Seth exhaled slowly, the breath fanning his ear.
“Very well.” The king raised his sword perpendicular to Garreth’s, parried it away, and lunged.
Garreth skidded backward and raised his sword in a defensive position against the ruthless onslaught of slashes and jabs. He ducked where he could and tried to thrust in the few openings the king gave, but the prince wouldn’t last much longer. He may have been a skilled swordsman but he was nothing against the king.
The guards stood dumbstruck by the duel, and Seth took the opening to throw himself onto the guard to his left and roll off their holds.
Kendra took notice and threw herself forward, breaking the guards’ muffle as they utilized both hands to restrain her. She began chanting magical nonsense while thrashing in the cuffs, but no one else put two and two together that she couldn’t perform any magic right now and panicked. The noble crowd created a stampede as they rushed towards the doors.
Weaving in and out of nobles to their horror and exclamations, Seth ran to the farthest wall, his personal guard maintaining chase, as he physically felt his magic reignite. As soon as the familiar coursing energy returned back to full force, Seth curled his fingers around his steel cuffs and lowered its temperature until it cracked and fell to the floor. He stopped running, turned to face his former captors, and spread his hands wide. This was his dominion now. Magic coursed through his veins, and contrary to Kendra, he didn’t grow flowers or hold back for any sort of propriety.
They had been worried about the wrong sibling.
The stampede had lessened with only a few stragglers still elbowing their way out the door. Now, the field had become open. However, the guards' uncertainty seemed to suggest they were close to deserting the fight. That wouldn’t do.
“Guys, don’t stress. There’s only one of me and I don’t even have a weapon.” Seth grinned. In the far distance of the hall, Kendra yelled and swords clashed. “It will definitely be a fair fight.”
They looked at each other and shuffled backwards. Their swords faltered, and Seth’s excitement released in the form of maniacal laughter. At this point, he might just sound crazy, but just wait until he had begun his attack. Then, it could be certain.
Seth darted for one guard and grabbed his arm, ice bursting from his touch and creeping across the guard’s armor, and then threw both himself and the guard into the nearby wall. The ice cast crystalized onto the wall, and the man yelled. The ice must have been cooling the chainmail fast. He wouldn’t be going anywhere soon.
After long summers in Fablehaven’s humidity, Seth had learned how to cool the moisture in the air into eager, needy ice crystals very willing to latch onto people. It was very useful in times like these. Kendra often used that discovery when she tried to push for magical education. Just imagine the additional discoveries that could be found through the scientific method!
Vanessa was rubbing off on her.
The remaining guard shivered as if he was the one on the wall and ran. The man on the wall seethed through his teeth and gripped the ice on his other hand, but, rookie mistake, he now had just trapped both hands.
Seth pouted in disappointment at the cowardice of his opponents. It had been so long since he had been able to use his powers, he felt like he had an untapped reservoir.
Oh, well.
With his own guards disposed of, Seth sprinted to aid Kendra. She struggled in the guards’ holds as, with no magic, it will often be the two heavily armored guards that attain the upper hand.
Seth’s magic retreated from his use as he came closer to the crystal cuffs. Not a pleasant feeling.
Kendra’s dress was ripped down the side, and blood oozed from a laceration following the fabric tear. However, the guards wrestling her did sport bloody noses, and their helmets were dented and discarded on the ground.
Upon seeing Seth’s approach, one of the guards shifted to hold both of her upper arms while the other drew his sword. Please, one guard? This was about to be absolute cake.
Although, now that he was now back in the radius of Kendra’s crystals, he could no longer manipulate the heat in the environment. He had to rely on good old-fashioned non-magical violence. Ah, just what Grandpa thought kids these days should be doing.
Now, Seth had no real weapon, but he did have his belt—a solid length of leather stopped only by a heavy iron buckle. He quickly unlooped it. Once, Patton had broken up a fervent bar fight using only his belt.
Granted, this was not a bar fight, but Seth mimicked his memories of Patton anyway and wrapped the belt around his hand several times, leaving a good length with the buckle to swing with. It cut through the air with a crack, but the opposing guard didn’t flinch. It probably stood to reason that Kendra had been assigned the most adept guards.
Still, even as Seth swung the belt in a figure eight, the guard did not engage. He seemed content to just keep Seth away from Kendra.
The other guard holding her did not seem content at all as Kendra flailed in his grip. His heavy armor dealt out bruises to match her blows, but her thrashing allowed her to adjust her position. Her cuffed hands swept low to the floor, and with herself facing the guard, she grasped blindly on the floor until she wrapped her hand around Garreth’s discarded knife. Only problem was that she had grabbed it by the blade.
Seth glanced back at the dais. Garreth backed up three steps from the wall of the courtroom and his father continued an onslaught of vicious jabs. It was a fight to the death, and with time, the winner would be clear. Oh man, just hold out, Garreth, and they could get out of here. So close.
In his own standoff, Seth desperately tried to bait the guard. With the belt, he couldn’t exactly dart in and begin parrying the man’s sword. He needed him to be weaponless.
Oh! An idea from back when he would try to distract Grandpa to allow him to sneak the satyrs out of his room. He glanced above the guard’s shoulder and smiled subtly before extinguishing it like he was caught. The guard took a risk and briefly glanced back, but at that time Seth swung the belt to wrap the guard’s sword hand and wrench the belt towards Seth. The sword clattered to the ground.
Now, Seth has gotten the upper hand. He continued his attack.
On his periphery, he could see that his determined sister had merely shuffled the blade until she gripped its handle. With a kick to the guard’s knee, he fell back and she used the momentum to spin herself within the guard's grip so she was back to normal—her face facing outward, her hands behind her back—and thrust the knife backward into his navel. In much closer proximity than when Garreth had thrown it, the blade was able to breach the chain mail and lodge into the guard.
Seth waited until the guard in front of him dropped his head-protecting hands in fatigue. With one solid blow to the head, the guard slumped to the ground.
His thump was accompanied by his partner’s as Kendra twisted hard to the right, raising her shackled hands to the sky, and broke out of his now weak hold. Both guards laid limp on the ground.
The siblings gulped in breaths. The guard’s hand twitched toward the knife in his stomach, but Kendra merely kicked his leg to get him to stop.
“Nice job,” Kendra panted.
“You too,” Seth spun his impromptu weapon. “Patton was definitely onto something with these belts.”
Kendra blew air out of her nostrils as his words gave her a slight humor.
But the quick reprieve soon came to an end as Garreth’s and Dalgorel’s grunts marred the temporary peace. Even with the break, the cold air and exertion made Seth feel like with every breath, knives sliced down his throat.
Both siblings' heads snapped back as a thump resounded across the hall. Garreth’s sword had missed his father and had swung into the wall’s wood. Panic overtook his face as his father took the opportunity to stalk towards him. The prince cut his losses and sprinted from the sword, drawing a knife from his belt. The king quickened his step to catch up and swung. The stained glass windows framed the father and son as the prince barely caught the bite of the blade with the side of his knife.
“Seth,” Kendra stressed. “We need to break these.”
Seth nodded and ran about thirty feet until the latch of the crystals had fully abated. Reaching into his reservoir, he stuck his hands to the floorboards and pulled. Ice formed in the cracks of the wood, but Seth didn’t know how cold the crystals needed to be to crack, so he kept pulling. When he felt on the verge of fainting, Seth fell backwards, fully exhausted.
Kendra dashed to his side and pushed her crystals to the wood. The proximity had cooled the air and surrounding floor, and she gasped. Within seconds, she was shivering and Seth almost felt bad but then the first crack appeared in the crystals and they shattered.
Seth pushed up to a sitting position and waited as Kendra shook out her arms and locked her eyes on the king.
Dalgorel was winning. Multiple new slashes had appeared on Garreth, and the prince’s steps were faltering. This was his end. So close.
Kendra twisted her hand and muttered some words under her breath. Seth glanced around for the effect but saw nothing.
“Uh, Kendra? Our guy is about to get impaled by his father. Tell me you’re doing something that will help.”
Kendra didn’t even pause to send him a glare, so Seth knew she was seriously focused. He slowly convalesced enough to stand, and he was glad he did, because just as soon, he understood what Kendra had been reaching for.
Knotted, twisting tree branches burst through the stained glass windows. Shards of colored glass exploded onto the pair engaged in combat, and the prince stopped fighting and used both hands to protect his face.
The tree branches thickened and gnarled into a barrier protecting Garreth. Flowering vines crept along the branches much quicker and shot through the window.
King Dalgorel stepped back, mouth open at the scene. What did he expect to happen once all hell broke loose with a pair of sorcerers? He thought they’d let him fight measly sword battles without injecting some magical fun into the equation? Tough luck.
At this point, Kendra and Seth had become the only conscious audience for the ground-breaking duel. Well, Seth had become the only audience. Because Kendra was pretty embroiled in it at this point.
The vines darted in a beeline for the king. The first tendrils wrapped around his sword and wrenched it out of his hands. The others entwined between his fingers and prevented him from reaching for any other weapons. The branches followed and coiled around the king’s arms, moving up towards his shoulders until his entire torso was encased in thick wood. As a final touch, the vines' bulbs burst into an array of flowers that would eventually drench the place in pollen. Everything stilled.
Kendra swayed as she walked forward, and Seth understood. Without constant exercise, their magical abilities had withered and pushing them as far as they did this morning would have enraged any of their tutors back home. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and she mirrored his action.
Fear contorted the king’s face as Kendra’s dress billowed behind their ascent. Garreth dropped his dagger and fell to his rump, breathing heavily. Shards of glass had lodged themselves in his side.
Although, Kendra didn’t spare a glance for Garreth. Which was definitely…weird. But, Kendra might have just been too wound up to be all lovey-dovey.
The warning bells began to toll yet again. One of the fleeing nobles or guards must’ve alerted castle staff. With the level of destruction Kendra’s display had just caused, it was pretty inevitable.
Oh, well. It was a familiar tune to him at this point.
“Just kill me already,” the king snarled. Although his earthen strait jacket kept him back, the ferocity and vitriol in his narrowed eyes was frightening. Kendra didn’t flinch. Neither did Seth, but that didn’t matter as much, because the king was also completely locked on the princess.
“No. I won’t kill you. But, consider this Fablehaven's official resignation from the Treaty of Terrabelle. We forfeit the magic restrictions along with the allyships. Fablehaven is magical and always will be. Nothing you can try to do can change that.” Kendra stepped back and turned her gaze to Garreth. It was steely, and Garreth froze in fear. “Despite what you may think of sorcerers, we are not bloodthirsty, revenge-driven murderers.” The king scoffed and Kendra released a breath. Okay, so something had happened. “I won’t kill the king myself as he is your father. What would you like to do with him?”
Seth bit his tongue. Please kill him, Garreth. Please, please. It will be so much easier than any noble stuff you guys would like to do. Please, have some sense.
The beaten prince raised his head. He climbed to his feet and stared down at his father. With them now on even ground, Seth could see that Garreth had a few inches on his father.
“Garreth, you would make a much better king,” Seth put in. “Much nicer.”
Kendra had no words of encouragement. Seth could feel her rigidity against him as she took a deep breath. Even so, she stood tall.
The king only stared up with a blank effect. Seth couldn’t imagine what he could be thinking at the moment. He did just try to kill the son he should be seeking a pardon from.
A broken laugh escaped Garreth. He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve never felt this much fury before.”
After a scan of his father, Garreth turned to Kendra. The sudden attention caused her to stiffen further. “I am not my father, and I would like to take down the Sphinx. I know I don’t know everything, or, really, anything anymore, but I still want to figure some things out. Can I come with you to help you recover your grandparents and kingdom?”
Kendra’s fingers twitched at her side and curled into fists briefly. Garreth’s eyes flicked to their motion but raised his gaze immediately. There was bravery in his posture, sure, but also fear and guilt.
Seth wanted to see Garreth come along. The guy was a pretty good swordsman. However, it was not his decision. It was Kendra’s. And based on her silence, it was a difficult one.
She pressed her tongue to her teeth. Her answer arrived short and curt. “Yes. You may.”
He nodded and looked back at his father. His shoulders tightened. “Did you already send the letter to the Sphinx?”
“I did.” A smile broke out across the king’s face. The vines curled tighter around his limbs and one crept up to cradle his neck. “You are all doomed.”
Garreth shook his head. “No, you absolute coxcomb. You are. You have invited a dangerous man to your court and you will face the consequences when you don't have what he wants.” His eyes left the king and returned to lock with Kendra’s gaze. Sweat dripped down his face, and followed the curve of his grim frown.
“Leave him here.” The prince wrenched his sword from the wooden beams without breaking eye contact with the princess. “And let him rot.”
Notes:
Coming up on the second year anniversary of this work (in about 23 days)! Thank you for all of your support as I very well know how sporadic these updates have been. You guys encourage me on my most downtrodden days, and I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart! <3
Also, I'm excited to move on to new places from Terrabelle after this chapter. We just might see more of one of my favorite characters :)
Chapter 14: Eve’s interlude
Summary:
Eve breaks out.
Notes:
oh…has it been 6 months already? ha…ha…oops…sorry
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sitting still had never come natural to Eve. It was so terribly tedious, and made her want to claw her brain out just to end the boredom alone.
Yesterday had been exciting—when Seth had been ripped away, and they had had a last hug where Eve had slipped her seal inside his pocket—but, today, the whole damsel in a tower schtick became real. Really boring.
It should be exciting! She was currently living through the arrest and trial of the two highest profile visitors Terrabelle had received in recent memory. Though, it wasn’t exciting.
But it would be, again. She just had to get rid of the knights glued to her room, and break out the Fablehaven court.
Balancing the chess board on her lap, she moved the ornate King and Queen pieces to the soft couch cushion beside her. Kendra and Seth were out of commission. Not dead—Eve would be sure of that, but they weren't going to be key players in her plan.
She moved a rook into the middle of the board. Patton Burgess. He was important. As a child, she always heard of his constant, death-defying, and dazzling adventures. The ones popularized in her house and Terrabelle were the tales of him slaying witches, bog-monsters, and terrifying ghostly knights. Until she had met Seth, she had never been told that Patton’s methods in his glory days had always involved magic. Magic to defeat magic.
Which was weird to think about, as Eve never really got to hear of magic for good. However, the fact that Patton had ever used magic was damning for the Fablehaven court on its own.
Eve wasn’t going to lie—she had had her suspicions about the Fablehaven party even before the mask had been ripped away. The more time she had spent with Seth, the more times he suddenly forgot or tripped over a part of a story when it came suspiciously close to sounding like it had involved magic.
Also, the weird characters had begun to pile up. Especially Newel and Doren: two friends that lived in the woods part-time and had enraged a shopkeeper by leaving goat hair all over her new upholstery.
“Oh, yeah, they had been wearing goat fur pants.”
Eve had sat down her tea cup and tilted her head at that. “You wear goat fur pants in Fablehaven?”
“Fashion trend. Yeah, I know. Weird. But, they’re into that stuff.”
Or, even just Seth’s general attitude towards magic had been incredibly different from what Eve was used to.
Yes, there were already negative magic-sympathizing stereotypes about people from Fablehaven. She knew that. People made fun of the people of Fablehaven all the time for being soft. She had just not expected it to extend to the ruling family.
Like, Seth had been excited about a dragon but exasperated when Eve had reminded him that the King didn’t allow anything magical to exist in Terrabelle.
And, Raxtus acted totally weird around him—even if they both would like to pretend it was all normal. The-eye Seth garnered from Raxtus within a single conversation was astronomical.
Besides, Seth always seemed less than enthused whenever they discussed magic restrictions. In fact, she even had thought she had seen Seth roll his eyes at a normal anti-magic diatribe espoused by a visiting dignitary. It had been in her periphery, so she wasn’t too sure.
But, she did know that she had seen Kendra pinch him.
So, it really hadn’t come to her as a shock when it was revealed that he was consorting with magical figures.
Eve eyed the rest of the chess pieces. Vanessa and Warren, part of the House of Burgesses. She knew vaguely that Vanessa had some type of healer background and knew sharply that Warren was conniving as a fox from all her spying on the royal court from the rafters. Both were former knights—Seth was proud of that. However, even with such impressive players, they could not escape Terrabelle alone, on foot or on horseback.
It just wasn’t possible. Terrabelle was strong, and Fablehaven was weak. Eve had suspected since Kendra and Seth’s very first night that the refuge her father had extended to the House of Soren was just a ploy to eventually overtake it.
Oh, in fact, Eve was almost positive. She could see the plan perfectly…get Garreth to marry Kendra, and now Garreth had claim to Fablehaven’s throne. Wait for the Sphinx to leave Fablehaven, and hope that the king and queen died or become irrelevant enough on their trip. Reinstate the House of Soren with Garreth at the helm, and merge the two bordering kingdoms by marriage.
It would have been perfect, and such a blow to the magic resistance. In dazzling colors on every notice to be had: behold, the most magic-sympathetic kingdom brought under the iron fist of Terrabelle.
Eve knew her father had twiddled his thumbs imagining the glory. But, of course, that plan had fallen to pieces.
Well…unless her father took the betrayal of Kendra against the Treaty of Terrabelle as an act of war, and conquered Fablehaven during their time of weakness under a righteous flag. But, he would need to get rid of the House of Soren to effectively do so.
Eve picked up the King and Queen from her cushion and inspected them.
Everyone knew that King Stan and Queen Ruth were running out of time, quickly. Everyone knew that Kendra was so close to becoming the Queen that it hardly mattered if the actual regents were alive if only Kendra was dead.
Everyone knew that. She knew that. Her father knew that.
That’s it. Eve had to get the House of Soren out of Terrabelle. And, although risky, Raxtus was their best chance.
However, they were also Raxtus’s best chance for survival as well. Eve wasn’t a fool. She knew Raxtus was slowly dying in that coal cavern. Dark dust and debris covered every inch of his scales and indubitably his lungs. His health was hard to guage, but his spirit was definitely shriveled.
While, he had never been an optimistic dragon, the years of containment had rendered its toll on his hope. Any discussion of possible release would always end in exhausted negatives, Raxtus turning invisible, and slunking into the caves. It had seemed impossible for it to even happen.
Eve could never have released Raxtus on her own, safely and successfully.
But, the Fablehaven group had magic. They could.
Eve poured all the chess pieces off into a basket and set her chessboard back on the couch. She was done thinking. “I want to wear a different dress.”
The guards didn’t spare her a glance.
“This one is itchy.”
They didn’t move.
She stood up and stomped on the ground. “Don’t ignore me!”
“My lady,” Lockland placated. He left his post at the door and bowed to her. “We aren’t ignoring you. You are free to use your bathroom to change dresses.”
“No, it is too cold in there. There are no rugs to protect my feet from the cold stone.”
“Rugs would get wet in a bathroom, my lady.”
“I know that! I want to change in here.” Eve shooed him with her hands. The guards looked uncertainly to Lockland. “Out.”
“For your safety, it would be best if you—”
“Out!” Frustrated tears sprung to Eve’s eyes. It wasn’t hard to muster. She rushed over to her wardrobe and took a dress from the rack. “I want to change. Get out!”
He sighed before signaling for the guards to leave. They left with annoyed glances at the princess. Lockland stalled before shutting the door. “We cannot leave you alone for long. Be quick.”
Once the door shut, Eve dropped the gown and picked up her wooden desk chair. Quietly, she set it below her door knob, tilting it till the back of the chair fit snugly beneath the handle. There, that will take a second of strength.
Quickly, she packed a canvas bag with a couple pieces of clothing, the dress she had picked off the rack, and her tiara.
Then, Eve lifted up one end of her couch as quietly as she could and shifted it away from the wall. She shimmied between the wall and the couch and began feeling the wallpaper for the indent of the tunnel cover. Her heart sped up as she considered what she was about to do. She wouldn’t see her father ever again, and quite possibly, Terrabelle either.
“Are you done, my lady?”
“No!” Eve’s fingernails caught the edge of the cover, and she scratched at it, frantically trying to get a hold. She did, and it fell forwards quickly, smacking against the couch. Panic spiked at the sound. “Don’t rush me!”
“What was that?”
“I tripped!”
“Princess!”
Eve crouched, maneuvering into the tunnel. Once she shimmied in, she reached out into her room for the cover.
The doorknob rattled. Stop, stop, stop that! Lockland’s voice called out. “Are you okay?”
Eve tried to set the cover against the hole in the wall, but it kept slipping away and the chair began to splinter along with her patience. She growled and dropped the cover.
“Princess!”
Eve turned into the tunnel and began to crawl as quickly as she good. Worry began to eat at her. What was she doing? She always spoke of adventure and righteousness and glory, but this was terrifying. This was irreversible.
As soon as the tunnel rose up into standing height and Eve could sprint, a crash from her room ricocheted down the tunnel. That was her door. It had to be her door. They were going to see the open tunnel, and that was it. She was either going to be caught and grounded forever or she would be successful and never see her city again.
Ragged breaths tore at her throat and she barely thought about what turns she was taking, but once she slowed to a walk, she began to look around at the three tunnels her’s split off into.
In her frenzy, she had lost much of her natural sense of direction, but luckily, Eve had previously carved little letters into the walls at junctions.
She ran her fingers over the wall until she felt grooves spelling out a “D.” Dungeons. Perfect!
Eve took a deep breath before she rounded the corner. She was going to do this.
She was going to save her best friend and his family.
She was going to leave her own family behind.
She was never going to see Terrabelle again.
But, she could be free to do as she pleased in the great, big expanse that was not Terrabelle.
She could adventure and talk to dragons and meet witches and do things she had never fathomed.
Eve smiled.
She could do this.
Chapter 15: XII - finally
Summary:
Finally flying free!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Kendra loathed the feeling of slick, greasy hair. Sweat and dirt coated each strand like some confectioner had dipped them in sugar and water. Perspiration plastered her waves against her forehead and irritated Kendra to no end. Of course, she had expected that she would garner some grossness while traversing long-forgotten, moldy tunnels after destroying a foreign throne room. She knew that was logical to expect.
What she would have never expected in a million years is that she’d have to do any of that—the destruction, the tunneling—ever.
Honestly, for most of her life, she had thought she would only become a monarch very late into her life. She had believed she would grow up with tutors and learn how to be a lady, courting suitors and spending her days dallying with pleasure and frivolity. And by the time she would have needed to don the kingdom’s crown, she would have been old enough and wise enough to do it easily and perfectly.
If Kendra could tell her younger self of the great many things totally thrown off course that had led to her grand adventure now, she was sure her child aspect would run and hide.
Now, if news of grand adventure complete with crawling in dirty tunnels had made it to Seth as a child, he would have been absolutely ecstatic. The horror.
She paused from the crawling to wipe sweat drips away, leaving even more dirt streaks across her forehead. Her effort was futile.
Ickiness covered her outsides and insides. The emotional turmoil of the past 48 hours had left her thoroughly exhausted, full of anxiety, and too encumbered to unpack any of it.
“We’re almost there,” Seth said. He was leading at the front of the pack. Kendra never really got to see him when he was in his element: sneaking around and causing mischief. Turns out, he excelled at such things, not that she had ever doubted.
Though, sometimes she still thought of him as much younger—the version of him when they had spent all their time together. If she tried to find things to be grateful about concerning Terrabelle, that would be one of them. That her brother was with her through all of it, and that they got to spend a lot more time together than in the recent past.
It was nice, and she got to reconfigure the young Seth of her mind to match the capable young man before her.
It was thanks to Seth that they had even got this far. He had successfully led her and Garreth across the castle, mainly through secret passages.
When they had to forgo the tunnels due to some missing connection, Garreth’s sword work took the brunt of the enemy blade until they could duck back inside the damp walls.
In those few skirmishes, Kendra hadn’t been much help and she knew it.
After not receiving any sustenance for the last 24 or so hours, Kendra was feeling incredibly faint. Not to mention her throne room performance depleting her magic after maintaining an absolute drought for months. Honestly, Kendra was surprised she still had consciousness and didn’t stumble more than she already had.
Garreth’s sword scraped the stone as he crawled behind Seth. Kendra had insisted on being last, so she could keep on eye on Garreth. Her trust had degraded and the thought of him behind her back where he could stab her wasn’t terribly enjoyable. Bitterness and anger swelled at the thought and many scenes of conflict flashed through her mind, gratifying the urge she had to throttle the prince.
“Only a minute more, I’d guess,” Seth said. He had been saying something along those lines for a while, so Kendra had lost hope a long time ago and had come to this conclusion: this would be her end. Dead in some Terrabellian princess’s tunnels with dirt and grime and mold as her accessories. Pitiful.
“Good,” Garreth said. His words lacked his usual light-hearted tone, and dove deep into grittiness. Her skin crawled at the unfamiliar cadence. “My elbows are aching.”
“Old man,” Seth tsked. If Seth knew what had gone down yesterday, he probably wouldn’t be so friendly to the prince. But he didn’t understand the rift between her and the Terrabellian prince and was instead acting perfectly civil…it was a good thing
because Kendra didn’t think she was capable of such kindness at the moment. Her mind was crowded with too many acidic thoughts.
As they approached the end of this tunnel, the noise Kendra had originally discounted as the usual cacophony of the castle became more defined until they resembled clear voices. She wasn’t alone in her thoughts as Seth stopped and halted the caravan.
This was their destination, Kendra was sure.
The voices had stopped.
“Light?” Seth whispered. She knew what he wanted her to do—they’d used such shorthand in daily life back at Fablehaven. He simply wanted her to conjure an orb of light for him.
Steeling herself, she reached deep inside. Almost scraping the proverbial bottom now, as her reservoir was depleted. Dizziness and nausea accompanied the simple act but soon an orb floated out of her palm and towards Seth.
Garreth clenched his muscles as it past him and Kendra heard the shaky exhale after Seth snatched it with his hand.
She knew that Garreth was probably doing pretty well for someone who grew up under a regime of hatred. Logically, she knew that. However, her heart just didn’t have much room for sympathy at the moment. Maybe later, once she’d unwound, some of the bitterness could abdicate and make room for empathy. Maybe. It didn’t seem so likely at the moment.
Seth brought his arm back and threw the orb forward like he was pitching a ball at a tournament. The orb burst on the far surface with a shower of shimmers, and the shadowy end became a wooden door.
“We’re here,” Seth whispered. “But, I’m not sure who else is…hopefully…”
He didn’t finish the thought. A blanket of darkness descended upon the three of them and Kendra shivered. Garreth did too, but Kendra didn’t hold that against him. It was cold.
Facing this type of darkness, her heightened eyesight was useless. Seeing true darkness whenever Seth bestowed it had become a novelty.
They shimmied forward, a little bit blindly, and then Seth nudged open the door.
Hushed voices suddenly became people she knew and loved. Even with the teeny-weensy sliver of sight she had through the mess of limbs in front of her, Eve’s bright sky blue dress popped through.
Kendra felt the darkness recede in a ripple. Warmth began to spread to her extremities again.
“Seth!” Vanessa gasped. After that, jubilations crowded her ears as all three of them resumed their short, but pretty humiliating, crawl. It was tolerable, though, as she expected everyone had to have crawled on their hands and knees in such a cramped tunnel as this one to get to this cave—where a dragon supposedly roosted.
Once all of their feet had been pulled through the opening and were standing on the floor of the cavern, a genuine smile brightened Kendra’s face. Embraces were exchanged between Kendra and Seth with Vanessa, Patton, and Warren. Seth hugged Eve and the two Terrabellians embraced each other as well.
“Did you bring them all down here, Eve?” Kendra asked. She knew that had been the plan, but the fact that the young princess had accomplished as much was astonishing.
“I did.” Eve beamed. She was practically bouncing on the tips of her toes. “But, it helped that they were already trying to lay down escape plans.”
“She shouldn’t sell herself short.”. He sat on a crate marked coal as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “She could make a fine adventurer one day.”
Garreth balked at the suggestion. “Oh, no.”
“Still worse than me, though, right?” Seth asked. He used Eve’s head as an armrest.
Eve swatted his shoulder and pushed him away. “You know I would be better.”
“Well—”
“Aht!” Eve held a finger up. “Don’t deny it.”
As their banter continued, Vanessa laid a hand on Kendra’s shoulder. Kendra gripped it with hers and faced Vanessa. Her concerned eyes searched Kendra.
Vanessa knew, more than anyone, the turmoils that Kendra must be undergoing in the wake of such disruptive events. Her lady-in-waiting could probably guess at some of her more abject lines of thought. It was comforting to know she was there.
While Patton, Eve, and Seth remained absorbed in their conversation as they laughed and elbowed each other, Garreth sat on the perimeter. Sometimes he contributed a word or two, but his eyes kept drifting over to Kendra. She wished he would stop it.
“Those two will be incredibly strong allies to Fablehaven, but we will have to work on the logistics of Terrabelle’s leadership.” Warren alighted beside the two women. “What’s the status of Dalgorel?”
It was somewhat jarring to hear Warren refer to the king purely by his last name after many months of only the utmost respect and honorifics oozing off her chancellor’s lips. It was a stark reminder of the deception their party had committed and the kingdom they had taken advantage of.
When they had arrived, Kendra had held no qualms about doing such a thing. She had been tired, hungry, scared, desolate, and couldn’t care less about any ethical implication. But, now, after creating such tight ties with many of the Terrabellians, she felt remorseful that those relationships had been formed under false pretenses.
However, it really hadn’t been an option to be honest. If those people had known the truth of her abilities and the true reasons her court had been refugees, they might have never treated her with kindness.
How would they speak of her now, now that the truth will be out? Now that she has publicly attacked their king and stolen away their heirs?
As Kendra thought of the king and his current condition, she wondered how it would look to the eyes of the people. Immobilized and bloody and childless.
Kendra answered Warren’s question. “Chained up in his throne room by vines. Alive.”
“How long do you estimate it will hold? Would his subordinates have already freed him at this point?” Warren had no notebook on him, but his focus suggested he intended to inscribe the words directly onto his brain.
Kendra laughed at the assumption that someone could have freed him in the past hour. It wasn’t a normal laugh of hers—not sweet or delicate or pretty. It suggested malice and mock. Garreth glanced at her from across the room.
Under concerned glances, she felt like she was regressing back to the angry, orphan girl of yesteryear. She could feel the slide—but she couldn’t stop it and had no motivation to, otherwise. People change. Could she control that? “No, I think it will be much longer. They aren’t of a normal nature. I poured almost all I had into creating them.”
Vanessa placed a hand onto Kendra’s forehead, alarmed. Her palm was cool and her rings pressed into Kendra’s skin. “What? You know that is bad practice. How do you feel?”
Anger bubbled up in her, and words on the tip of her tongue begged to snap at Vanessa. But after a moment, the concern on Vanessa’s face turned from an irritant to something that summoned pressure in Kendra’s face. Nevertheless, adrenaline and hormonal anger still flooded her veins.
But, this was what Kendra had trained for her entire life. To keep a lid on things. Even though, at the moment, it felt like the lid had flown off a while ago.
“I’m fine,” Kendra tempered the irritation in her voice, but Vanessa still furrowed her eyebrows and Warren paused his mental calculations.
Vanessa cradled her cheek and began to speak, but just then Eve stepped onto a crate and called out to the group. Dust and mud and grime coated the princess’s gorgeous dress.
Kendra was grateful for the interruption, because tears had already sprung to her eyes. She blinked rapidly and breathed in and out. With time, the pressure of her eyes and danger of mortification abated. Goodness. This was not like her.
“Now, there are two people in the room that know of the guest I’m about to introduce.” Eve couldn’t suppress the mischief in her wide smile. It was so uncanny to Seth that Kendra felt the same exact anxiety rise. “He likes cool entrances, so I ask everyone to close your eyes.”
“This is a bad idea,” Kendra stated flatly. If this guest was the dragon, this was genuinely idiotic. What if Garreth pulled a sword on Raxtus or someone was spooked and injured themself?
Eve was treating this whole excursion as little more than a game at the moment.
“Oh, come on, Kendra, let it happen,” Seth pleaded. “It will be funny.”
Of course he sided with her. Maybe that was how they handled such horrifying prospects, but to Kendra, games felt like a mockery of their danger.
“I mean, I guess it isn’t necessary to close your eyes,” Eve said. “Just scooch to the side.”
As they did, bits of agitated dust flew from the floor and Kendra noticed animal tracks appearing in the film of the floor. That…wasn’t right.
“Raxtus, introduce yourself!”
The air shimmered and rippled to reveal, scale by scale, a prismatic dragon. The dragon was smaller than the ones Kendra had read about with Muriel or on postcards from Wyrmroost. It wasn’t what she had expected—and her hopes for making it out alive plummeted. How was this dragon going to carry them all out?
Soot stained Raxtus’ beautiful coloring, and he looked skinnier than she thought dragons were supposed to be.
Those were Kendra’s thoughts on seeing him. Many of the other people in the group voiced expletives immediately.
Eve and Seth cackled in the corner while the other members recovered. Garreth clutched his pearls and tried to catch his breath.
The dragons’ iridescent eyes fixed on her as his head tilted. “I haven’t seen a handmaiden of the fairy queen in centuries. I’ve been curious.”
Kendra seldom used that title, but it certainly fit her. She had seen it before, in scrawled handwriting across old religious works, and recognized the description of herself.
“I was curious too.” Kendra bowed her head. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel the draconic fear that Muriel had told her about or that her grandparents had prepared for in Wyrmroost. Maybe it was because of her magic, or maybe not all dragons did that. She had no clue. “I haven’t seen a dragon all my life. My name’s Kendra.”
She left off her royal title. It didn’t feel applicable at the moment.
He closed his eyes and offered his head. It seemed like she wanted to pat him. Hopefully, she wasn’t misreading the situation. If so, this was about to become one of the most embarrassing diplomatic moments of her life.
As soon as her hand made contact, the dragon began to glow brighter and brighter. Everyone held up their hands to the eyes and Kendra heard a few groans.
She pulled back her hand. The scales had felt reptilian and strangely cold. The light dimmed.
Kendra looked around sheepishly. “My bad, guys.”
“Oh, don’t apologize,” Raxtus grinned and stretched out his wings. They collided with a few heads and the walls of the cavern. “I haven’t felt that good in decades—ever since the king locked me up. Do it again.”
He inclined his head again and waited patiently. It almost made her laugh, how gracious he was even as a dragon. She felt happy helping him.
“Close your eyes, guys,” she warned. She placed her hand back on him and he began to glow again. It got bright, so very bright, that the soot that stained all their faces became very apparent, but the glow didn’t hurt Kendra’s eyes like it hurt the others.
Raxtus began to purr.
She was happy it was helping him, but Kendra began to notice a slight fatigue in her begin to build. Ah, so this ability to transmit light also sapped at her energy. She withdrew her hand.
“You know, Eve, with the size of your party and my general dereliction in this mine, I honestly thought this plan was futile, but,” Raxtus bounced from claw to claw like a little kid, “with this little torch here, I can bust out of here no problem.”
“Sweet!” Eve clapped her hands like a little kid celebrating their natality. “Everyone hop on!”
Wind whipped Kendra’s hair around; the gusts like a cane against her lips, skin, and squinted eyes. On top of Raxtus, she squeezed her legs like she would on Glory. Seth wrapped his arms around her, and so did Patton behind him. Warren, Vanessa, Eve, and Garreth all languished in one of Raxtus’s four claws. Seth occasionally muttered complaints about the wind chill in her ear.
No one was comfortable, least of all Raxtus. Even with Kendra’s constant stream of energy.
But, at the moment, it was a mad dash to put as much space as possible between them and Terrabelle. Arrows had flown through the air seconds after Raxtus had erupted from the ground below. A gigantic sinkhole swallowed a whole guard tower until it was satiated enough to stop expanding. Ultimately, Raxtus had decided not to use his invisibility in an attempt to conserve as much energy as possible citing the immense load he planned to carry.
As arrows had whizzed thimble-lengths away from Kendra, she had regretted that decision. But, within moments, they were out of Terrabelle’s range, and the passengers could more or less rest easy.
Seth’s arms eased their hold. The rolling fields of a last-ditch harvest and frozen crops slowly gave way to a blanket of towering trees. Raxtus concentrated on following the winding river that ensured they were heading West.
As the dappled landscape melted and froze beneath them, Kendra began to lose control of herself. Her legs grew slack and her mind struggled to find purchase on any one thought. She was so tired.
Raxtus dove down and Kendra pitched forward. Her torso sank down, but her legs flew up and over her head like a scorpion. She slipped through Seth’s loose hug. As though through muddled underwater, Seth screamed and reached for her. He grabbed her wrist as she dangled over Raxtus’s neck.
Screams and shouts seemed so far away as Kendra melted into the embrace of nothingness. Finally.
The hold around her wrist became loose then gone. Wind tore at her clothing. She was weightless.
A small smile graced her lips. Finally, some rest.
Notes:
I have written 4 chapters ahead…however, I might not use any of it because it has been a struggle figuring out how to navigate Garreth and Kendra’s relationship especially when I went through my own break up and just wrote really depressing stuff LOL! But, I think I’ve gotten it mostly figured out…
Thank you for hanging in there!
Chapter 16: XIII - falling and freezing
Summary:
They all fall into a huge lake. Seth confronts Garreth.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Freezing sweat dripped down Kendra’s limp hand as Seth desperately held on. The rest of her body dangled in mid-air. Patton’s arm wrapped around his midsection, and Seth’s legs clamped down on Raxtus’s back, but Kendra’s deadweight threatened to pull his arm out of his socket.
Seth loved adventure. He loved adrenaline rushes. He loved that death-defying feeling. But this experience was none of those. This was his big sister’s life at stake, and he was terrified. Cold blood rushed through his veins and his breath evaded his capture like a clever fugitive.
Wind whipped at his eyes. Raxtus shuddered. Freezing raindrops slashed at his skin. Panic filled his thoughts until all he could think was: Aaaaah!
All he was sure of was his horrible grip on his sister as they plunged through clouds and plummeted towards the ground.
Kendra’s scarf flew off. A raindrop hit Seth’s eye. Someone screamed. A huge elephant sat on Seth’s lungs. He couldn’t breathe.
A finger slipped from his grasp. He readjusted his hand to reconquer it.
Kendra’s hand slid. He readjusted again.
Hot frost bit into his fingers. He couldn’t feel them. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t hear. There were no thoughts, only panic.
“Seth!” Patton shouted. The whistling wind muzzled his words.
Seth yelled a terror-filled scream back in response.
Cold cloud mist stung his face. What was he to do? He was terrified to re-adjust his grip on Kendra again, the sweat of their hands building. A ticking time bomb. He could see it: her slipping loose and her body exploding against the ground.
Her fingernails scraped his palm. Rain slashed at his eyes, his face, his mouth, his nose, his hands, his neck. Patton yelled again.
He could do this. She would not fall.
Wind roared. Kendra’s hair whipped the air. Frost bit. A spot of turbulence hit.
Her hand lurched out of his grasp.
Seth panicked—his immediate thought telling him to jump after her. Patton’s arm around his midsection tightened, anticipating such rash thoughts as Seth tried to lunge forward.
Kendra’s form disappeared in the roaring mist. She was gone. His sister was gone. Why was Patton holding him back? He saw her fall!
“Let me go! She fell!” Seth screamed.
“No!”
Frantically, Seth fought to break his grasp. His voice was hoarse with cold, wind, rain, and grief. “Let me go!”
Roaring wind stole Patton’s response as Raxtus pinned his wings to his side and he plunged—so rapidly, Seth worried for his ability to hang on and he flattened himself to the dragon’s back, but Raxtus quickly outpaced Kendra’s fall. Finally, they pierced the fog between them. She floated above them, also in rapid descent.
Seth looked up at her hair and coats and skirts billowing. Her placid face was out of place in the horror. It terrified him.
“Catch!” Raxtus roared.
Raxtus barreled straight towards Kendra’s path just as she fell down towards them.
With his hands outstretched, Seth snatched Kendra’s skirt and pulled hard. Patton braced for impact.
A thousand pounds of force hit Seth at once. His jaw rattled and his head whipped back. It was by the grace of a miracle that they stayed clinging to Raxtus.
Seth hugged Kendra’s body, but she didn’t say anything. Unconscious. But, before or after the fall?
His entire body was shaking.
Had an arrow hit her? Seth thought they had escaped the range of any archers a while ago. He wrapped his arms tight around her and hid his tears in her hair. He was holding her, she was okay.
The roar of the wind only increased.
The ground hurtled towards them even as Raxtus spread his wings to catch air. The thin film of Raxtus’s wings trembled against the force of the wind, and it sounded like thousands of papers in a tornado. Seth peaked out of Kendra’s hair and spotted their miracle.
“Lake!” He screamed, his throat shredding in the freezing air. The blue splotch in the distance twinkled under the afternoon sun, and he only hoped it was close enough. “The lake!”
Raxtus turned towards it and soon the water appeared underneath their hurtling descent. The air became denser with humidity, and Seth had to blink constantly to try to see clearer.
Closer and closer and…
“Release your claws!” Patton yelled.
Screams pierced the wind as Eve, Garreth, Warren, and Vanessa plummeted. Splashes soon followed and Seth crossed his fingers that the fall was short enough that they were okay. At least it wasn’t the ground that they crashed against.
They were coming closer to the surface. 30 feet, 20, 15…
Seth’s mind blanked with his sister in his arms. He didn’t know what to do. How was he supposed to do this?
“Kick hard!” Patton yelled. What?
Patton tightened his embrace on both Seth and Kendra and then jerked sharply to the right to bring the three of them off.
The whistling of the wind immediately became impacted by the roar of the water as they shot downwards in the depths. Darkness filled his vision.
The air had been knocked out of Seth on impact and his involuntary gasp of air sucked in water. Panic seized his heart, mind, lungs, and he couldn’t even comprehend that he was drowning. Through the blurry underwater, Kendra’s hair floated like a brown jellyfish.
The heavy coat on him weighed him down, and someone’s hands pulled at it frantically until it slipped off.
An arm wrapped around his chest. Through the blurry underwater, Kendra’s hair jellyfish jerked sharply as they were both pulled up. The water became lighter until sunlight broke open on his face and he could breathe.
He coughed and spluttered, blinked and blinked. Water clogged his ears and the roaring took over his hearing. He was on his back, as Patton treaded water. Patton held both the siblings up and his mouth was opening, making noises Seth couldn’t hear.
Seth shook his head and the bubble drained.
“Shore! Shore!” Patton yelled. His voice was ragged. Seth looked to the shore they had flown over. He could see humanoid blobs in the distance already making their way there.
Seth wanted to speak to Patton but breathing already felt tenuous. He couldn’t afford to waste precious air on words. Instead, he lifted Patton’s arm up and swam out, lightening Patton’s load.
It was Patton who had just saved his life again. When fans had asked Patton how he had survived all his great adventures, he had always told them luck, but Seth knew it was more than that. There was a steadiness to him. He was the kind of man that became a diamond under pressure. Seth would never ever be able to pay his debt of gratitude to that man.
But, he could begin his repayment by listening to him.
Following his directions, Seth swam toward the shore. It was a decent distance, so Seth utilized the survival swimming the knights back home had taught him. He flipped onto his back and scooped the water with his hands and legs. As the water became relatively warmer, he knew it was becoming more shallow, and he flipped over.
His feet touched the lake floor and soon sand. Looking back, he saw Raxtus asleep half-way in the water on the other side of the lake. Vanessa quickly swam past Seth, going further into the lake, and probably on her way to help Patton. All Seth could think of was collapsing onto the dry sand.
Eve was huddled into a ball next to Warren who sluggishly twisted a twig back and forth on another one. Garreth scoured the sand for twigs and brush. They were missing their coats, and everyone’s breath was white in the air.
Seth looked behind him and scanned until he spotted Vanessa half-way to Patton. It was hard to see with the sun’s glare on the lake, but he thought he saw Patton making progress.
Warren looked up from his futile endeavor and scanned Seth up and down. “Seth! Are you okay?”
Seth nodded and sat down next to Eve, watching Warren twirl his stick back and forth. The adrenaline had left Seth’s muscles achy and tired.
Eve tilted her head to look at him. Her teeth chattered and her wet coils had frost growing on them.
Seth felt utterly exhausted. He wished he had enough magic to raise the temperature, but he didn’t. Useless.
This was already so much worse than the journey to Terrabelle. On the way to Terrabelle, Noble had been his trusty steed. They had traveled with plentiful packs and had known that they could probably find shelter at Terrabelle. It hadn’t been the dead of winter, and they hadn’t been shivering.
Now, their stuff was ruined. Packs and cloaks had been sacrificed for the ability to swim and not drown. They had no clue if they would ever be safe again, and even though they hadn’t formally discussed objectives, Seth had a feeling that whatever their goals were, they would be insurmountable.
They had Eve and Garreth, but neither of them had much experience adventuring. Garreth was trained as a knight, which was good, but he also seemed protective of his sister to the point where Seth was worried he would interfere in their plans.
Eve had the spirit, but no real skills. She knew a lot of things about a lot of people, but that knowledge diminished in value the farther they were from Terrabelle. Seth worried that he had brought her on a suicide mission.
And, Kendra. Fear twisted his stomach into knots. Something was very wrong.
Seth watched as Vanessa brought Kendra in, and as Patton floated on the lake presumably to catch his breath.
Patton, Vanessa, and Warren now had to make up for the youth of Kendra, Seth, Eve, and Garreth. The balances were tipped.
They had all lost any claims to a kingdom. Their only hope was to outpace the speed of communication, and maintain relative anonymity.
But, their mode of travel was currently passed out in the lake, and their acting queen was as well.
A spark flew from Warren’s branches.
The spectators cheered. The sparks seemed as futile as Seth’s hope, but when Garreth rushed over and pushed the bits of dry brush he had found into the twigs before wrenching his fingers back to avoid a burn, a fire blazed into being.
The fire grew brighter and Seth reveled in the heat coming off. It felt like the only thing that mattered anymore. His limbs stopped aching from existing and his fingers could move.
Vanessa reached the shore with Kendra in her arms. “Help!”
Everyone rushed over except for Warren as he continued to build the fire.
“Please someone take her,” Vanessa cried. Patton trailed behind, sopping wet and panting hard.
Garreth reached in and scooped Kendra up.
“What’s wrong? What happened? Is she okay?” Garreth asked as he rushed her over to the fire.
“We were in the sky and she just fainted. Pitched right out of my arms,” Seth said. His fingers trembled. “Then, Raxtus did the dive to catch her and here we are.”
“I checked her pulse on the way, and it’s there but faint,” Vanessa added. “She’s alive.”
“I’ve never been much of a doctor, but with the little magic I learned of the path of the fairy queen,” Patton began, “I see a dimmer light in her.”
Garreth laid her gently on the sand next to the fire. “I don’t understand.”
“It must be her magic,” Vanessa said. She began checking Kendra’s pulse, breathing, and other things Seth didn’t know about. At Garreth’s alarmed look, she added: “She over-exhausted herself. Her teacher always warned us that the bigger the gift, the bigger the consequence for depleting it. Her magic is a part of her Iike the blood that flows through me. Imagine if I let my blood until the very last drop. That’s what Kendra did this morning. Siphoning energy to Raxtus must had been the final drop.”
“What do we do?” Seth asked. “How long will she be out?”
“Of that, I’m not so sure,” Vanessa said.
A deep pit opened its maw in Seth’s stomach. What if she was in a coma? What if something had permanently changed in her? What if…
“Gather round the fire. Warm up. Vanessa will monitor Kendra’s health as we wait for the dragon to wake,” Warren said. “There is nothing else to do.”
Light was low in the cave that they had discovered earlier, before the sun had dipped below the horizon. Warren snored lightly, and so did Patton. Together, their chorus made a lullaby that prevented Seth from getting sleep. Vanessa sat next to the fire and next to Kendra, tending to both. She had taken first watch.
Then, it would go to Patton and then Warren. Everyone else was cut out of the rotation. Kendra for obvious reasons. Seth so he could recuperate his magic quicker. Garreth and Eve because Warren did not trust them completely yet.
They had spent half the day on the beach discussing plans. It was decided that their course would only be decided after Kendra awoke, and until then, the only priority was keeping everyone safe as they fled from Terrabelle’s land.
Raxtus had woken up complete with profuse apologies after he had regained his wits. He had confirmed that Kendra’s termination of energy had exhausted him, that he only had had the energy to catch her and not enough to land well, and that he was deeply sorry. So deep, he apologized every couple seconds. It was hard to stay mad at the dragon, and even Garreth had acquiesced his anger.
Seth had suspected Garreth was wary of a betrayal as, after all, his notion of the Fablehaven party had been completely upended in the past 48 hours, and he was still relearning who everyone was. The dragon dropping them into a lake was the cherry on top.
Of course, Eve had harbored no ill will as she knew Raxtus the best. She had never doubted the dragon’s intentions for a second, and had assured everyone in the interim while Raxtus had been unconscious that it wasn’t his fault in any way.
Although Seth had at first despaired at bringing Eve into this, she had slowly emerged as the glue of the team. She trusted Raxtus, Seth, and Garreth deeply and it was impossible to not admire her when on the receiving end of such love. The ice thawed, stories were shared, and smiles followed. Her curiosity about magic smothered Garreth’s hesitancy, and her cheerfulness was quick to spring back once Raxtus let her under his wing to become all warm and toasty.
In fact, that was where Seth was at the moment, cuddled up under Raxtus’ wing with Eve.
It was odd at first, as Seth had never desired to really be this close to Eve, and he was pretty sure she hadn’t either, but Seth was one hundred percent sure that they were the warmest and most comfortable in the cave.
As a plus, it allowed secret communication in low tones.
“I’ve never slept anywhere outside of Terrabelle before,” Eve whispered.
“Really?” Seth whispered back. It was dark under Raxtus’s wing and he could just faintly make out Eve’s white eyeballs staring at him. Freaky.
“Really.”
“Wow.”
Her eyes closed. Good. He was getting the creeps. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve dreamed of it and fantasized of it and spent hours designing the perfect little adventure, but I’ve never done it.”
Seth hummed to show he was still listening. They had had conversations like this before, of her desire for adventure.
“While it’s been exhilarating and wild and in some ways exactly like those dreams…it’s also been really terrifying.”
Her freaky floating orbs of stark white opened and stared at him. Her voice dropped to an even lower whisper. “I thought I’d be courageous and cool and just like you in your stories. But, I’m terrified. I’m so scared for Kendra and I’m so scared for us. It’s real now. I really left Terrabelle and I really betrayed my father. It’s all real, and the reality is so much scarier and sadder than the dream.”
“Do you still want it?”
Eve closed her eyes and was silent for quite a while. Long enough that Seth thought she might have fallen asleep. Seth had worried she wouldn’t like the reality her fantasies had described and it was one of the reasons he hadn’t planned on Eve departing with them. Of course, when the departure had occurred, no one really had the choice to deny Eve.
“Yes. I want freedom and I want Raxtus to be free. I want you and your magic friends to be free. I wanted those things, and I still want them. I just hadn’t realized how hard they would be to get. But, I still want them.”
“Good. You’re braver than me. Eve, I’m also terrified. All the adventures I told you where I was some funny hero never had the stakes of this adventure. Plus…I will admit that I do exaggerate those stories a little.”
“I never could have guessed.” Even in the darkness, Seth knew the face Eve was making at him.
“Hey. But, still. I’m glad you’re here, and I hope one day we can go on fun, not-terrifying adventures that you can smile while telling the story of.”
“Me too. Thanks for being my friend,” Eve said. They listened to the duet of Patton and Warren’s bad sinuses for a minute. “I’ve never had one before.”
“It is my pleasure to have the coolest person’s hand in friendship. Good night, Eve.”
“Good night.”
The next morning, Warren set everyone to tasks as soon as the red hint of the morning sun tainted the sky. To be fair, as it was winter, they had precious few hours of sun. Still, Seth had believed their death-defying stunts yesterday entitled them to sleep in…a least a little bit.
Warren did not share those beliefs. He had rattled off a list of chores with so much description and detail that, for a moment, Seth believed himself to be back in some boring courtroom. He snoozed through most of it but perked up at the sound of his name.
Seth was paired up with Garreth to forage. He could only assume Garreth was picked for his knowledge of Terrabellian flora, and that he was Garreth’s bodyguard. Well, more like Garreth’s keeper. Or a prison guard. But in the nicest way.
See, Eve was easy to trust. She personally led most of the court through Terrabelle and had befriended a dragon that had been their saving grace. Curiosity consumed her in the face of the unknown, and she has spent most of the last two days rattling off questions to someone to answer. Her youth helped, and even in the face of probably the scariest conditions of her life, she smiled.
People liked her. She was getting closer to Patton. (Which was fine. It wasn’t like Seth was annoyed that his valet was spending all his time with someone else. His valet! Not Eve’s! But it was totally fine.)
On Vanessa’s part, she adored Eve’s curiosity and tried to give her a scientific education and explain the logic behind her explanations every time she could.
Warren didn’t spend much time with Eve, but it wasn’t like there was tension there at all.
No.
The problem was Garreth.
Sure, he had made huge sacrifices to come with them.
But, the thing was…he was different. He had always been his daddy’s boy. Never in a million years did they ever count Garreth in as a possible deserter. Never.
Not even Kendra.
Garreth was older. He was the heir. He had more to lose or gain. By helping the Fablehaven court, Garreth could have lost his kingdom for a noble cause. Or…he could have just paved his way to usurp the throne on his return.
He was charming. So charming. So diplomatic and charming that it was undeniable he had the capacity to be convincingly deceitful.
Seth had never liked his cheesy smile or his charming words. It was too fake for him.
No one believed Garreth was all in.
The only possible route to truth was that maybe Garreth was truly in love with Kendra. But, even that was hard to know. He wouldn’t have been the first suitor to “fall in love” at the sight of Kendra’s power or title or wealth.
And, most importantly, there was no indication that he was not regretting his decision to leave.
Quite the opposite. He was sullen and withdrawn. He didn’t engage as much. He was quiet.
So there Seth was…trudging in the cold, cold wilderness with a sullen Garreth.
Seth couldn’t claim that he was as pleasing to look at or talk to as Kendra, but, damn, Garreth could possibly throw him a bone if he wished for Seth to come back praising the man.
They had already collected half of their required herbs, and they still had a while before noon. Seth wasn’t worried about their progress. He was worried that he was going to die of boredom. Why couldn’t he have had the other Dalgorel sibling?
Eve would have been so much more fun. But, no. Eve and Patton got to snare a rabbit, and he got to look at a bunch of leaves. Oh, well. Play the hands you’re dealt.
“No offense, but are you usually like this?” Seth asked.
Garreth paused his perusal of the leafy shrub at his crouched feet, and looked at Seth with some drop of amusement. “It is astonishing I’m not supposed to take offense at that. But, no. I don’t suppose I am.”
“You’re just so…like, shrunk in on yourself. I knew the charming silver tongued Garreth and I knew the wrathful sword fighter, but this sullen Garreth is hard to have a conversation with.”
Garreth raised an eyebrow and continued plucking the shrub. “You’re almost as harsh as my sister. I can see why you two get along so well.”
“I’m glad you have practice with sharp tongues. That will make this easier.”
“I’ll give my gratitude to Eve. But, no. You’re right. I was angry. I have had so much anger lately. I was choking on it,” Garreth said. “But, funnily enough, when I was hacking away at my father, every swing took a bit out of me—anger and all.”
“Well, that seems…healthy…enough. I am sorry about you having to lose your dad, but think of it as losing some dead weight. I mean, what was he doing for you, anyway?”
“Thanks, Seth. That’s great. I will one-hundred-percent think of becoming a virtual orphan as the best thing that has happened to me in my life.” Garreth scrunched his face as his realization hit. “Not that being an orphan is bad or anything…”
Seth slapped him on the back. “No worries. I don’t take offense. Seriously, my man. Because, with our histories, any conversation about family will be full of landmines.”
“Kendra and I used to talk about our deceased family. It was never this hard.”
“Slow down a minute,” Seth said. Kendra might not have told him all, but she told him some. And Garreth’s rendition did not match. “Wasn’t it? Maybe this is a bad time to bring it up but…your mom was killed by a sorcerer. I’m pretty sure Kendra had complex feelings about it.”
“Complex? It’s simple. She was murdered.” Garreth stopped picking leaves.
“Simple if you can answer this question for me: was it bad because it was murder or magic?”
“Murder, obviously.”
“So, is it okay to murder someone who used magic to speed up laundry?”
“No, but—” Garreth stood and opened his mouth for more, but Seth had had enough. He couldn’t hear Garreth try to justify anything else.
“See, that also happened. In Terrabelle. A month ago. Kendra attended the execution, and so did I. The thing is, anyone magical is going to be terrified of you and your family. Furious, even. And they’re not going to care about your dead mom, because it’s also their dead cousin, aunt, dad, and friend.”
Garreth turned away from Seth. There was little thought in Seth’s mind as he barreled on.
“I’m sensing you’re upset. But, you need to understand. This whole time in Terrabelle, all I could ask myself was: would my new friends kill me if they knew the truth? They’ve sat by these executions often enough. Would it matter if I was just another head rolling off the block or burning in the pyre?”
Garreth stayed silent.
“We all know it was a huge show of solidarity for you to forsake your kingdom and father and come with us. I’m just telling you all this now, in some random place in the woods, so you can work through it before we meet people who only know you for horrible, horrible things.” As he spoke, he realized why Kendra hesitated to bring him along to diplomatic talks. All in all though, he felt he was doing pretty good. “Garreth, don’t tell me anything, because, let’s be honest, you’re a very talented liar. I love those talents, by the way. Not saying it's bad. I just won’t believe you if you say that, right now, you agree with me. You’ll need time to think this over.”
Garreth picked a few more leaves and tossed them in the basket. “Okay. I heard you.”
Seth smiled. Yay, he did his duty. The only other burning conversation he wanted to have with Garreth was about his intentions with Kendra…but that would have to wait until the thought of her didn’t inspire crushing worry about her comatose condition.
“Okay, then, let’s head back now. We’ve got enough berries. To be honest, I only stayed out here to have that conversation.”
Garreth massaged his forehead in exhaustion. “After you.”
Tall, shapeshifting shadows danced around the cave walls as the fire crackled and puffed hisses of smoke. Seth and Eve leaned up against Raxtus’s warm side, and Patton warmed his hands against Raxtus’s puffed out steam. Warren stoked the fire and sat next to Vanessa, who stroked Kendra’s head of hair in her lap. Garreth sat at the end of Kendra’s curled form and stared at the fire.
Kendra had begun waking up for short moments at a time, disorientated, and would fall asleep too quickly for anyone to get a word in. She wasn’t nearly well enough yet, but her short periods of wakefulness set the group’s worry at ease. Smiles cracked more often, and others ventured tentatively into humorous territory.
Which is good in Seth’s book. They couldn’t change anything about their circumstances except their attitude. What better way to improve it than cracking jokes?
Warren thwapped his stick against the cave floor. “I have an idea.”
“Please, can we keep the planning for tomorrow morning?” Vanessa asked.
“Yes, yes,” Warren agreed. “No planning. A fun activity.”
“Activity?” Eve perked up and nudged Seth’s side like he didn’t obviously hear what Warren said five feet from him. “Seth’s on my team.”
“Yes, please,” Seth said. “We’re going to demolish you guys.”
“No, no teams. I thought it would be nice if we re-introduced ourselves and traded stories around the campfire,” Warren said. “And ones we don’t already know. So, none of your well-known legendary tales, Patton.”
“Fair,” Patton said. “Then, could I go first?”
“Blow us away,” Warren said.
“Hi everyone. I’m Patton Burgess. For the first few decades of my life, I spent my time wandering the countryside and looking for someone to fight. But, when a cousin of mine asked if I could mentor her unruly grandson, I agreed thinking it would be some easy, glorified babysitting fit for a retirement. Obviously, I was very wrong.”
Laughs crackled around the fire like the embers popping and sizzling.
“Nevertheless, I met the love of my life in Fablehaven, and I wouldn’t trade her or Seth or any of the fine people of Fablehaven for the world.” Patton smiled, and Seth felt his heart swell with gratitude. Patton always knew how to make him feel special, and it was a feeling he craved. Patton tilted his head and scrunched his nose. “Except for maybe that time when Seth became a frog.”
Eve burst out into shocked laughter.
“It’s only funny now that it’s not our reality,” Vanessa said.
“How long were you a frog?” Garreth asked, bewildered.
“Only a few short, terrible hours. Kendra tried to feed me lettuce. But, no, we ended up having to visit her creepy teacher and get her help to turn me back. That was the end of my participation in her education.”
Warren playfully raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t we, only a month later, have to visit Muriel again when the fairies turned you into a seal?”
“That one was my fault.” Seth took a deep sigh. Better repent now than later. He stared up at the cave ceiling. Hopefully the big fairy slash unicorn slash goddess lady up stairs was listening. “I admit that was my bad. I have kept my promise to never accidentally turn a fairy to an imp again. Please repay me by fixing my sister. She’s like your favorite, so please do that. Thanks.” He blew a kiss to the ceiling.
Eve leaned towards Garreth. “What was that?”
“It’s the Old Religion,” Patton said.
“Why are you doing it if it’s so old?”
“Not an old religion. The Old Religion. Most magic users follow it. When Kendra gets better, you should ask her about it,” Seth said. “She’s like…a magical priestess.”
“Handmaiden,” Vanessa corrected.
“Handmaiden,” Seth amended.
“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Eve said.
“It’s a well-kept secret.”
The air rippled and revealed the prismatic dragon. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I’m just coming in. I’ve actually met the Fairy Queen before, but I never met a handmaiden before Kendra.”
“Do you have a story about the Fairy Queen?” Warren asked.
“Sure do.”
“Well, then come on in and share.”
The night passed in a series of stories that functioned as a magical education for the two Terrabellians. Eve was quick with questions about magic, and Garreth would pause when an unfamiliar name cropped up. By the end, they were able to laugh at a magical joke without it being explained which Seth thought was pretty impressive.
As he looked around, he documented the moment in his mind. He knew it was going to get harder, scarier, and more harrowing, but at least tonight, despite his small dinner of rabbit and berries, his stomach was full from laughter.
Notes:
<3
btw I wrote a fic detailing the frog incident (it’s called guinea pig)
Chapter 17: XIV - splitting down the middle
Summary:
Kendra wakes up and confronts Garreth.
Notes:
Exciting news! I have pretty much written the entire rest of this story. As of right now, the last eight chapters should total 30000 words. However, while I expect to publish 2-4 times a month, I can't promise life won't get in the way. Also, this and the next chapter were originally the same chapter but became too long together. Longer discussion in the end notes <3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Snatches of laughter, conversations, and familiar tones drifted past Kendra as she floated through her dark, comfy abyss.
Sometimes, her consciousness scraped close enough to the surface and she could see confusing images of firelight rainbow reflections. Sometimes, her bones turned to ice and sometimes her stomach became a hotbed of coals melting her body.
Sometimes, though, she would get so close to the surface that her consciousness would almost grasp what was happening. Panic would thread Kendra’s pulse and she would reach for something that wasn’t there.
Then, the sense of urgency would pass and the clarity would fade. The event would leave her with the sense that she had forgotten something very, very important, but the longer she couldn’t remember what it was, the less she cared to retrieve its memory. She felt nice as she was. Floating. Not panicked. Resting.
But, little by little, something new happened. Underwater intonations drifted into her abyss. The voices became stronger, and soon she connected the snippets of vocal fluctuations with her brother.
Which was really, really weird.
She didn’t think Seth would have returned from his mission already. He had only set out from Fablehaven with Patton a few days prior; Kendra was sure. He probably forgot a pack or accidentally ran into a bear trap.
He called her name.
Ugh. She loved her few hours of sleep, but she knew as soon as she woke up, she would need to get ready for court. It was Saturday, which meant working citizens had the day off to come to the castle and present grievances to the royal family. Thankfully, Grandpa Sorenson handled most of the talking but he insisted she be there every Saturday to observe and learn.
She was grateful for the instruction, of course, but she also knew she had a while to go before she ever had to act as regent, so it was still so annoying. Her grandparents were well, and Fablehaven was at peace. There really wasn’t a reason for her to be doing all that.
Someone began to tap her shoulder. Seth, probably.
Was a few hours of sleep too much for a girl to ask for? Maybe if she pleaded, Grandpa would let her skip today’s court. Then, she could go to the market for a few hours before she had to go to Muriel for lessons—as a little treat for her to survive the training session.
Some days, it felt like Muriel just wanted to annoy her. The witch always said any poking and prodding was to strengthen Kendra’s emotional connection to her magic, and no one could really contradict the old hag as no one really knew anything about a handmaiden’s magic—much to Kendra’s despair. Personally, she preferred pushing any clumsy feelings out of the way for a clear head to conduct magic with.
“Kendra!”
Seth’s voice was sharp now. Maybe he was still mad at her for the frog incident. It had been ages ago, but he still harbored a grudge.
She wouldn’t make that mistake again—Kendra was better at magic now. In Muriel’s rare moments of sugar, she gave Kendra a compliment about being one of the strongest sorcerers alive. Nonetheless, it was always accompanied by a diatribe of how Kendra was going to squander her talent with laziness and coldness, but who cared about that part?
Goodness, her bed was really hard today. She moved her head to snuggle into her pillow, and instead, it felt like she scraped against stone…
Stone.
Cold, gritty stone. She was not in her bed.
She was not home.
Memories rushed back to her like a splash of freezing water, and she felt like she was falling forward off the dragon again. The wind whipped her cheeks and she slumped over the edge and—
Kendra snapped to a sitting position, her hands raised in front of her, a scream halfway out her mouth, and her eyes screwed shut.
When there was no wind and just a tentative name call by Seth, she opened her eyes.
He stared at her. His hair had grown longer than the earlier version of him she had dreamed about. Stone walls and floors formed the empty cave around them, and there was no falling sky to be found. Relief flooded her stiff limbs. “Oh.”
“Welcome back to the land of the living, slowpoke.” He wrapped her in a hug. His voice sounded thick with tears.
“Thanks.”
He pulled back and wiped at his face. “You’ve been unconscious for two whole days. Cox-comb.”
Kendra laughed and leaned back. The cold stone felt nice against her sweating palms. “You’re right. I did that on purpose.”
“Don’t do it again,” Seth said. “I’m going to go get Vanessa. Stay here.”
Bright sun filtered in through the gaping maw of the cave. Once he walked out, Kendra layed back down. Her arms felt like jelly, and she had a killer headache. Unfortunately, it seemed like there were side effects of draining all your magic and promptly passing out. Kendra thought that was really unfair considering she had done it for a good cause.
But as she waited for Vanessa to come, Kendra forgot about her misgivings and took in her gray surroundings.
She was not in Terrabelle. Kendra was somewhere completely different, which was good, considering she was now a wanted criminal there. She wondered what her wanted poster looked like. Hopefully, they had drawn inspiration from her usual appearance and that last day when her hair was a mess…
Anyway.
Vanessa and Seth were okay as far as she knew. Everyone else was unaccounted for, including Raxtus. Poor Raxtus. What if she had hurt him when her magic support had abruptly cut off? Did he crash? Was he okay?
Kendra took deep breaths to stop the flow of her spiral and pivoted away from thinking of the worst possible situations. It hurt her brain more to think so disastrously, and she was scraping by with the pain as it was.
And, there was no use in crying preemptive tears. That was just wasted water.
Soon enough, Vanessa walked in the cave with Seth, knelt next to Kendra, and kissed her forehead.
Kendra preened at the touch. Vanessa had been a solid friend for her the past years, and Kendra didn’t know how she would function if Vanessa was gone. The absence of her warm touch would be too cold for Kendra to bear.
She could say that about so many of her loved ones. But, what no one liked to speculate about was that their current course of action threatened casualties…and a lot of them. Tears pricked at Kendra’s eyes. The sickness had tempered her will to glass; she couldn’t think about desolate plans right now.
“Sweet girl, you scared us all. How do you feel?”
“Horrible.” Kendra smacked her mouth and tasted the dryness. “Like I sprinted from Fablehaven to Wyrmroost and fell off a dragon.”
“Well, half of that happened, so at least that’s reasonable,” Vanessa said. She checked Kendra’s with the back of her palm, and felt her pulse at her neck. Satisfied, she sat back. “Now, listen to me carefully.”
Kendra nodded. Her mind was fuzzy at best so she doubted her ability to actually do so. She leaned against the stone wall more and let the chill shock her body into focus.
“You need to let your magic rest, which means no using it for now.”
Kendra sighed. They finally left the no magic zone of Terrabelle, and this was her reward? Kendra had thought she was finally free. But, there was no arguing with Vanessa when it came to her health. No doubt she was going to tell everyone else, and someone’s hawk eyes would catch her if she broke the ban. Of course, Kendra wouldn’t go against Vanessa’s orders anyway. Even though she wished she could. “For how long?”
“We’ll see. We need you strong for whatever we plan to do—which requires rest and recovery.” Vanessa patted her head.
“Whatever we plan to do? It seems like you already have an idea.”
“Vanessa and Warren wanted to wait until you were stable before they shared any plans with us lowly teenagers,” Seth said. He scowled lightly and fixed the blankets around Kendra, tucking her in more.
Vanessa twisted her mouth to the side and sent a look toward Seth, but he wasn’t rebuked. “Whatever we plan to do, I don’t see it succeeding without your magic. So, you’re not going to be rash and you’re going to rest and recuperate.”
Kendra nodded and smiled. “Of course. I’m not Seth.”
“Uncalled for,” he said. But, she saw the smile he hid as he turned away.
He was the one thing that had stayed constant from her dreamworld to this. Everything else had completely changed, but not him. She was grateful for her brother. No matter what, she would always have him. They continued to talk and they filled Kendra in on the little she had missed.
After further reassurances of her health, Seth finally left to go tell everyone she was awake.
As expected, others began to rush into the cave.
Warren was first. He hugged her and whispered in her ear. “You and Seth come before everything else and I mean it. No making yourself a martyr or I’ll haunt you.”
Kendra cracked a smile. His stubble scratched her cheek as he hugged her. It reminded her of her dad when she was little. Despite the losses her life has had, people and their love had expanded to fill the gaps. “I think I would be the one haunting you.”
“There will be no ghosts if you all listen to me,” Warren said.
That was what everyone all said: that everything would go fine. But the naivety Kendra had harbored before had been squashed like a pesky bug during the past months. She saw their future with a more realistic eye.
“We’ll try our best,” Seth answered. “No promises.”
After Warren, came Patton. He required similar assurances of her health and said sweet things. But, she didn’t see him all that often and they didn’t have the closeness Kendra had with the other royal staff. He was Seth’s valet, through and through.
Then, Eve came and said that she was glad Kendra was okay. With a sweet curtsy, she left with Seth to go do something that was probably mischievous.
Kendra managed weak smiles through the reunions but waves of exhaustion kept threatening to pull her under. The cool stone underneath her softened into a resting place the longer she fought against the weights on her eyelids. However, she stayed awake because the one she worried the most about had yet to show his face.
Until he did.
But when he did, relief swept his features. Garreth rushed towards her but then hesitated several feet away before kneeling on one knee. Princely poise washed away the longing on his face. It was awkward—to resume a dance they had practiced so well but forgot in the face of their familiarity. “I am glad you are well, my lady.”
Just seeing Garreth again caused anger, terror, and sadness to squeeze her chest. Freezing rain dripped down her dress and swords bit her skin. However, sleepiness smothered her logic and she was too tired to clock the feeling for what it was.
Unfortunately, it was most likely just another issue to push deep down until it couldn’t interfere with her directives. An old, reliable strategy.
Exhaustion settled over Kendra like a heavy blanket, and the world became a dark abyss again. Vanessa’s comforting presence as she stroked her hair assuaged any fears Kendra had about not waking up again.
Her lady-in-waiting patted her head. “Everyone shoo. I’ll tell you when you can come back in.”
The next weeks of wakefulness crawled by in an anxiety-filled, yet monotonous routine.
Every morning, they stomped out their fire and scattered any remains of their camp to the wind. Then, they would load anything of note onto Raxtus in a little pouch that he had let Vanessa tie around his neck. There wasn’t much. It had to be light for the sake of practicality, which was easy considering the abruptness of their exit from Terrabelle.
Kendra missed her grimoire and her favorite dress that she had left in Terrabelle. Seth grumbled about his special emergency satchel being lost, too. It was more than the physicality of the things—it was the memories of their old life that spurred the longing.
Vanessa missed her scientific notebook and her scraps of Terrabelle, but Kendra knew it pained the veterinarian even more not to be able to collect samples as they journeyed. But, everything had to be practical if they were going to make the journey as quick as possible.
After their efficient morning routine, they would begin their walk. And they would walk. And walk. And walk. And walk.
That first week, Kendra had lounged on Raxtus, but after that, she had felt well enough to partake in the cycle everyone else had to be in—a couple passengers on Raxtus at a time.
Once the sun would fall just enough to hover above the treeline, they’d make camp somewhere safe. Seth would put up a charm around the camp that collected shadow and made it look darker to any passerby. Chores would be assigned, and they would build a fire and forage while Raxtus flew around, invisible, scouting out the surrounding territory.
After he returned, they would all confer, drawing a map relative to their knowledge of geography and Raxtus’s description. Once the next day’s journey trajectory was settled, they would retire to their comfy beds of fabric and dirt.
It was a cycle where at every moment a slew of different, conflicting enemies could snatch them up. So, Kendra constantly felt on the edge of something. Like she was about to slip off the dragon again.
But, nothing ever happened.
The adrenaline just turned to exhaustion that washed over her and made the dirt bed feel like a cloud. Sleep would claim her so quickly she couldn’t even dream of the various nightmares awaiting her.
But, the droll, anxious monotony wasn’t even the worst part of the trek for Kendra. It was the lack of solitude.
Kendra was used to bustling life in the castle, but at least she had always been able to retreat into a solitary room to rest.
Here, Kendra was rarely alone. If they ever split up, she was usually paired with someone. Usually Vanessa. Sometimes Seth or Warren.
But, never Garreth.
Which was good because every time she looked over at him, she felt the cool raindrops of that morning and the slick stone of the castle. She felt the sword biting her neck and the profanities hurled in her face.
Logically, she acknowledged Garreth’s sacrifice.
Viscerally, she felt keen to vomit with terror if there was even a hint they’d be alone together.
Before, the idea of magical hatred and retaliatory violence had been an abstract boon. Horrible to live with, yes, but kind of like a distant nightmare. Now, it was a concrete memory with the tactile stone, the smell of rain, and the lightning flashing behind Garreth’s frown.
But, it was only one of many terrors to add to her list. There was a fear much, much bigger that threatened to paralyze her entirely--the secret she had discovered after that first week of travel. It threatened to swallow her whole.
No one else knew about it, and by the Fairy Queen, it would stay that way. Kendra couldn’t imagine the fall out if they knew. That was what terrified her.
Kendra dipped a twig into the fire and scraped it across the cave wall of their dwelling for the night. With the reddish-brown wood ash, she made two notches at either end of the line she had just created.
“So, magic is a spectrum,” she began. “At one extreme, we have pure magic. A force of nature.” Kendra pointed to the leftmost notch and scratched in the word nature. “Magic in its purest form is really only accessible to the earth, the wind, the water, and the air. It is just another element entwined with them all. Generally inaccessible to everyone.”
Eve nodded. She was an attentive pupil, determined to soak up all she could about magic, the world outside Terrabelle, sword-fighting, and literally anything she could squeeze out of her companions.
While Patton, Vanessa, and Warren hunted for some small game, Kendra played teacher to Eve. Seth played with his pocket knife near the fire, and Garreth and Raxtus took a nap in the corner.
Kendra made two more notches on the line—one at the other end and one in the middle. She pointed to the middle notch. “This notch is for magical creatures. Satyrs, dragons, dryads, and the like. This other end is humans. And magic-users get to be, depending on their ability, somewhere in the middle of those two notches.
“Even though magical creatures are made with magic, not all can actually wield it. Most sorcerers can wield even less magic and generally have to use aids like spells, incantations, or potions that provide an easier way of harnessing magic.” Kendra uncrossed her legs and leaned against the wall. All the talking was tiring her out. But, that happened quicker now after her sickness anyway.
She enjoyed talking to Eve about all the magic stuff. Kendra had spent the past couple years trying to learn everything she could, and occasionally sending Seth and Patton out to talk to or find someone with more knowledge. It was nice to have someone who also enjoyed learning about all the intricacies of magic. One day, she even wished to have a school for magic in Fablehaven. Of course, assuming that they ever returned to Fablehaven.
“But, you and Seth have more power than the average sorcerer, right?” Eve trailed her finger along the ash drawing.
“Definitely. Like far more,” Seth jumped in. He stopped playing with the fire to turn to the two girls. “Remember Madeline? She could only make more vibrant colored fabric.”
“Madeline was our royal seamstress,” Kendra said in explanation to Eve. “But, that’s exactly it. Most humans who have the aptitude to wield magic can only wield very little. But, there are exceptions. Seth, for example, got imbued with the power of a powerful dark creature, which greatly expanded his own ability to learn magic.”
Seth used the knife to scrape dirt out from his fingernails. “Muriel’s an unnaturally powerful sorceress too, but she won’t tell us what she used to amplify her powers.”
“Muriel’s my old teacher,” Kendra added. She didn’t use the past tense, because there was no doubt in Kendra’s mind that Muriel was somehow thriving and she would live to see her again. Bad things never happened to mean people.
“But, aren’t you a priestess?” Eve pulled her finger back from the drawing and wiped the ash on the floor.
Using the stick, Kendra drew a curved line from the sorcerers all the way to nature. “In theory, being a handmaiden means the Queen has gifted me the ability to tap into true natural magic. But in practice, I lean on spells a lot to preserve my energy.”
“Well, no wonder everyone wants to kill you. You have the power to subjugate all of them.”
Kendra balked at the assertion. She had heard that before but never from the mouth of a friend. “I would never do that.”
“Of course not.” Eve pursed her lips. “Sorry. I just meant that, that’s probably why the Sphinx can gather magical creatures to his side.”
Kendra took a deep breath. Despite this being something she had discussed before at length with many people, it never got less touchy. How was she supposed to be calm about people asserting she was too dangerous to live? She didn’t ask to be a handmaiden. It came with too many problems and placed too many targets on her.
“No, you’re right. It’s one of the reasons magical creatures can be afraid of sorcerers. Another is that magical creatures are stagnant—their natures never change. A satyr a thousand years ago is the same as today. Yet humans just keep changing and gathering more power and have the creativity to figure out more ways to do so.”
Eve sat up straight like lightning had struck. “And their one advantage is magic—yet humans are taking that too.”
“Just wait until the news of the crystals spreads far enough,” Seth muttered.
The headache-inducing climate surrounding magic only got more complicated. Kendra sighed. “It is unfortunate that the Treaty of Terrabelle, the crystals, the Sphinx, and Seth and I’s existence have coincided. It certainly has raised concern in everyone. For magical creatures, that concern is that this is the inevitable point where humans eclipse magical creatures. And for humans, that this is the inevitable point in which magic retaliates and they go to war. The Sphinx has certainly gathered a lot of support with his separatist ideas.”
“In many places, though, non-magical humans and everyone else can coexist,” Seth said. “Like Fablehaven. Or even Terrabelle before the whole treaty, I guess.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Eve shrugged. “I was four when it was signed. I don’t remember anything.”
From the corner, Garreth sat up. Kendra blinked. He must have never been sleeping. Self-consciousness creeped in. Had he been listening the whole time? It was dumb, but she had the urge to review everything she had said to make sure she hadn’t embarrassed herself.
“I remember the years leading up to the treaty. Animosity had begun to build. A satyr stole bread from a bakery, and that had been a huge deal. A inn banned any magical creatures from entering and then there was a riot. Two sorcerers were found dead. An entire section of the city burned. Then, of course, a sorcerer killed Mom.”
Everyone else was silent in response. Kendra could hear every pop and crackle of the fire. The songs of birds outside. The rushing of blood in her ears as she tried to force words out of her mouth to no avail. She wished for her father’s dazzling diplomacy. What would he say?
Garreth rubbed his forehead. “The day before the treaty terms were announced, every single magical creature or sorcerer or anyone suspected with magic was arrested. Then, once all the foreign dignitaries left, father began the purge on the prisoners. It smelled like blood in the square for weeks.” He looked up and flinched at all their stares.
Kendra could not imagine witnessing such carnage at such a young age. Her empathy and guilt balked at his graphic imagery but she pushed it all down. Fragility was not what everyone needed from her right now.
“Do you think father is instituting another purge right now?” Eve asked.
Kendra clutched her stomach and looked away. They had left all those poor people…
Garreth opened his mouth, but after he surveyed everyone’s faces, he closed it, sighed, and stood up. “Sorry to ruin the mood. I’m going to go help with the hunt. Can’t sleep.”
After he left, Eve frowned. “He’s not doing well.”
The firelight danced on the cave wall and Raxtus’s soft sleeping exhales stoked the flames. Yet, she felt cold.
“No one is,” Seth said.
Kendra didn’t say anything--guilt sewed her lips shut. Guilty for what, she didn’t exactly know. But there was a pervasive feeling of sick guilt throughout her body, stirring up acid in her stomach. The cold from the stone leached into her skin as she leaned up against the wall and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see anything.
The next week, Kendra found herself trapped in the worst possible situation. No, it wasn’t some horrible raid or the world ending.
It was much, much worse.
Unfortunately, since they were still close enough to Terrabelle, supply runs excluded the most recognizable faces: Kendra, Garreth, and Patton. Patton left to go gather sticks and brush for the fire, and Raxtus decided to take the time to scout ahead.
It was just Garreth and her and she burned in the silence they shared. She had busied herself with forming a basket. He had not.
Flames from the campfire between them smoldered and sputtered, and Kendra began to shiver as the warmth left. Tall pine trees stretched to the sky at such roomy intervals that had allowed for them to set up camp, but if she looked in any direction, it became a mass of dark wood. The snow fell lightly today, and she could feel it build gradually on her furry hood.
Garreth gazed around at the trees and searched for something--maybe birds’ nests. Their unspoken words hung in the air, and they pressed down on Kendra’s lungs until she just couldn’t breathe.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Kendra said. The words had burst out of her, but now she had to see it through. She pulled apart her bundle of reeds with jerky, shaky motions. “But, it was a mistake.”
Tension flooded her body. She’d done it. She’d said the words that she had been rotating through her mind every day, fine-tuning them to come out smooth and practiced. They were still clunky. Was this the right decision?
Yes. It had to be. This was what needed to be done. She needed a clear mind for the future.
Garreth sighed. His sword leaned up against the log he sat on. The side of his face curved into rivers and roads of tiny little cuts from the broken Terrabellian glass. He wasn’t alone in his condition. Everyone had cuts and slashes and burns. Everyone. “You believe that?”
Kendra pulled a reed apart. It split down the middle. Her breath caught as she opened her mouth. Another reed, jagged down the side. A breath. She opened her mouth. Air came this time. “I knew that you couldn’t ever…love me. I knew that we were fundamentally compatible. That if you knew the truth, you would hate me. But, I let you court me anyway. I let you love a lie. That wasn’t me…and that was my mistake.” Her voice became soft and low. “I apologize.”
Garreth laid his head in his hands. He didn’t speak.
Kendra couldn’t imagine what he was thinking. She could barely hold on to her own thoughts. It felt a lot better to not think. Instead, she rotely rotated through her grandparents’ precepts on safety and security instead. This was for the better. It would get rid of all those icky feelings that dripped down her spine.
Another reed. This one caught on the pull, and it split into two. She continued. “It wasn’t your fault. I said unwarranted words. I apologize. It was my fault. I knew everything.”
Kendra reached for another reed to split, but felt dirt. She had done them all. The next step was weaving but Kendra couldn’t focus right now. She needed something mindless to get through this confession. Her nails dug into the log. “It was my mistake.”
Garreth lifted his head and stared at her, his eyes rimmed red. No tears fell. Not like that drizzly morning.
He just stared at her.
Unbidden, anger leapt to her throat. Her emotions were so out of her control lately; they boiled and splashed like oil over a fire. Deadly if thrown onto flesh and blood.
She needed to push them away, yet control danced outside her fingers. The oil burned her throat as she bit her tongue.
She needed him to say something.
She shouldn’t need that. But she did.
She needed confirmation that he no longer harbored favor for her. That he had betrayed her without love, and not despite it.
That he had saved her out of the duty and righteousness she had admired of him. Not for some misguided affection. She wasn’t who he thought she was.
She needed him to be done so she could be done and throw all of her hurt and pain and love and joy into an abyss so she could regain focus on rescuing her grandparents and recovering her kingdom. Something she never should’ve lost.
Tears pushed against her eyes. No. She fought them back.
This conversation had made her fragile. Garreth had made her fragile.
But, Kendra had let that happen.
“Say something,” she hissed. Embarrassment crowded her thoughts, she was self-conscious, he was staring at her. Icky anxiety crawled over her skin, and she tensed at his gaze.
“I’ve never seen you like this,” Garreth said. His eyes moved to the embers of the fire. Away from her. As if he couldn’t bear to witness what he saw.
Kendra let out a breath.
She had always been out of his sight. He had never seen Kendra. He had only ever seen the princess.
He had never seen the witch.
Notes:
Today is also the three year anniversary of this first chapter...which has been a long time. I've have so much fun wrapping it up and I'm excited for you guys to see how it ends!!
Chapter Text
Less than a week later, Kendra finally got a taste of freedom. The group had finally made it to the outskirts of civilization where the famous faces were free to browse the new town they found themselves passing through.
Furs and heavy clothing bundled up every person milling about, and Kendra finally felt justified about wearing every single piece of clothing she had just to feel warm. Despite the fact it wasn’t even snowing today—a rare break as they traveled further North in winter—the chill bit her cheeks.
The town itself had a crowded feel, like they had just kept squeezing in more wooden buildings as the population grew. She kept finding herself having to contort down tight alleyways and meet bizarre dead-ends. Thankfully, the close quarters fostered a crowd that was useful for concealment, and that made it easier to let her guard down.
It was nice, after the past few weeks of travel, to be around all the locals. She loved most of her group, but it could get grating to live and breathe with the same seven people day in and day out. And of course, there was the whole thing with Garreth…
Unfortunately for Kendra, she was actually paired with Garreth and Eve for this excursion.
Garreth and Kendra hadn’t really talked to each other since she had pushed him away. He was acting like nothing had happened, except for the fact that he never looked at her anymore. Sometimes she looked at him after someone’s bad joke, but he stared straight forward. She would avert her eyes, something unpleasant curdling in her stomach. He looked just fine.
Meanwhile, Kendra was suffocating. She didn’t know from what. There were a myriad of reasons she could be drowning but she pinned it on the monotony of their traveling. That was the least scary, easiest-remedied of all her fears.
So, she embarked on this expedition into town with little in mind except the desire for novelty to cure her of her ailment. Already, she had indulged her curiosity by visiting a few stores selling clothing and other odds and ends, and now the tavern with its big red letters and sound of music enticed her.
The tavern’s doors were rickety and opened easily with a push. Garreth trailed behind her, holding the basket of supplies she had bought earlier. Eve bounded ahead and ran to the bar. The warmth of the inside thawed their frozen faces, and Kendra flexed her fingers as they regained feeling.
The patrons of the restaurant paid them no mind, and all Kendra got was the nod of the bartender. She could rest easy.
Laughter and jokes filled the atmosphere and a musician played the guitar on a small raised platform. It reminded Kendra of the tavern back home. Every Saturday night, the local band played music until the sun rose. Her heart squeezed with longing.
Lacquered wood ran the length of the bar, and Kendra traced her finger along one of the rivulets. Garreth took a seat beside her and set the basket on the counter. Eve had already inspected the bar area and had left, presumably to investigate every crevice she could find.
The barmaid’s braids flew as she rushed to tend to the new customers. “Anything I can get you two?”
“Any honey? Or something to soothe a sickness?” Garreth asked.
Kendra bit her tongue. The bartender ran her rag down the counter as she clicked her tongue. “No honey, I’m afraid, but I do have some tea that John swears cures every ailment.”
“It does!” The faint shout came from the group of men playing cards in the back and laughter soon followed.
“Perfect.” Garreth smiled and inclined his head. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course, darling.” The bartender winked and disappeared to a back area. Was that wink for Garreth? No, she didn’t care. Anyway…
Kendra sighed and untied her fur cloak before setting it onto the only other open seat beside her. “I feel fine. I don’t need any tea.”
She didn’t like the group treating her like she was one misstep away from disaster. Sure, maybe she wasn’t telling them everything about her sickness complications. Sure, if they knew what she did, their treatment might be justified. But, they didn’t. So their glass-handling needed to stop.
Garreth furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “The tea isn't for you—I’m going to join a choir. These pipes need to be well-lubricated.”
Wincing, a small smile broke through Kendra but the grief and sadness that had accompanied all her interactions with Garreth since Terrabelle smothered it.
Garreth had sprung back to normal capacity faster than she could. He was normal. His mood had taken a 180. He was no longer the broody man of their long trip, but closer to the original, charming Garreth she met. Of course, she could see the cracks in his demeanor—imperceptible, small, but sharp enough to inflict a paper cut.
However, he was doing better which meant that Kendra was right when she had severed whatever impropriety had festered between them.
…Kendra wasn’t doing better, but she chalked that up to her crushing secret instead of some secret crush.
So it was safe to say, despite the guise of normalcy, Kendra wasn’t happy that she was with Garreth during their time in the town today.
Eve helped with her incessant questions and allergy to silence, but so many emotions grappled inside Kendra’s gut that she hadn’t had time to understand lately and wouldn’t have time to understand later, and the confusion and overall agitation at being near a trigger of all those emotions was overwhelming.
She has thought that setting the record straight with Garreth, apologizing and distancing herself from whatever they had been would have made it easier to compartmentalize and journey on, free of sticky, slimy emotions.
But, it really hadn’t. Sometimes it didn’t just work to push everything down. Though, Kendra tried very valiantly. And she would keep trying. She only had so many tools in her repertoire for dealing with this kind of stuff.
Shouts came from a back table as someone won the jackpot. The guitarist ended their set. Kendra sighed.
Vanessa had told her that time healed all. It was still unclear if Vanessa would be proven right.
Right now, it just felt that every day meant a day closer to the Sphinx’s ziggurat. A day closer to their doom.
The barmaid returned with the tea and twirled one of her braids around her finger. “Is that all?”
“Yes, thank you.” Garreth slid the coins across the counter and slid the cup to Kendra. She waited until he revoked his hand before she took it.
The tea itself was much different from Terrabelle’s—which Kendra had come to tolerate, but a lot closer to the tea Kendra had grown up on. It was room temperature, even a little cool, and she knew then that the bartender had retrieved the liquid from the root cellar. Just like home.
It tasted delicious.
“Thank you,” Kendra said. It was one of few words she had spoken directly to Garreth lately. One of very few kind ones. She sometimes just wished he’d go away. Or that he had never come.
If he had stayed behind in Terrabelle, she could’ve even left all this turmoil behind there, too. To an extent. And for a while. It would have come up later but it wouldn’t have been crowding her mind during the build-up to the most daunting rescue mission she had ever been a part of.
It made her feel like she was failing all of her grandparents' tenets of being a good sovereign. She wasn’t being impartial or unemotional or clear-headed or kind or intelligent.
She was being something that made her want to crawl under a rock for a while and come out once the sun would shine again.
“There’s no need to thank me,” Garreth said. “It’s the least I could do.”
The piercing thought that she should just be grateful shattered her line of reasoning.
Her fingers tightened on the glass cup. The tears came fast and easy lately. It was just another way she felt completely out of control. She blinked them away.
While she hid her turmoil, another man picked up her fur cloak, put it on the counter, and sat in the newly-empty seat to her left.
There was a whole array of seats at the bar unoccupied save for her and Garreth. His choice was annoying at the least and suspicious at the most. Garreth narrowed his eyes.
The barmaid returned in a flash. “Are you here for something to drink, mister?”
“I’ll have what she’s having,” he said, gesturing to Kendra. The barmaid nodded and left.
The man swiveled in his seat to face Kendra and immediately raised his hand to block his eyes. He had dark hair and a gorgeous face. “Goddamn, you shine like a lighthouse.”
He could see her light? Smothering her smile, Kendra tried to suppress her giddiness. This proved his allegiance to magic! However, provided that they were still passing through lands that outlawed magic, it also proved his condemnation. That was perfectly fine, though. Excitement lifted the rain cloud that had been following her around all afternoon.
Light glinted off the rings on his pale fingers as he ran his hands through his black hair. They were not like the wedding bands that normally adorned fingers. The dark metals reminded her of a rock from a geologic textbook Vanessa had shown her—obsidian. He slowly removed his eye-shielding hand and squinted at her.
Kendra raised an eyebrow. “Who are you?”
He chuckled and held out a hand to shake hers. “Where are my manners? I’m Ronodin, the love of your life. Or at least for the foreseeable future.”
The wink he gave didn’t dent the displeasure in her face. Her hand did not meet his, and his arm eventually fell limply by his side. Garreth’s strangled voice interrupted the silence. “Kendra, you want to leave?”
“No,” she answered, clipped. It was childish but in addition to her curiosity at a fellow magical creature, she knew this man was making Garreth uncomfortable. It was a little satisfying…for reasons Kendra did not want to examine.
“The lady wants to stay, but you can leave.” Ronodin grinned. “We’ll be okay.”
Garreth narrowed his eyes. “I am not leaving her alone with you.”
Kendra shot Garreth a glare. “Be civil.” She smoothed her skirt. “Hello, Ronodin, I’m Kendra. If you are aware of this…lighthouse, may I ask what your business is here in town?”
“You’re my business.” Ronodin gave her a smile. It wasn’t very genuine, but it invited curiosity. There was no clear malice, but mischief—he had the same look Seth got when he was trying to prank Kendra. “Genuinely. I know your brother Seth.”
“Does he know you?”
“Oh, yeah. We go way back. I was looking for him, but it seems I’ve found you instead. Much easier on the eyes, I must say. It’s like fate by the Queen’s design.”
Garreth’s displeasure was evident in his snort. His hands gripped the edge of his bar with strength.
Kendra lowered her voice and excitement crept into her voice. “You follow the Queen?”
“Follow? No, not really.” Ronodin inspected his fingers before flicking his hand out. Kendra’s face fell. “From the times I’ve met the old hag, she’s not someone I hold in my good graces. And vice versa, for that matter.”
Kendra’s jaw dropped. “You’ve met her? How? Is there a physical form? You have to tell me more.”
“All in due time, darling.”
Garreth shoved his palms into his eyes. Drama queen. This was something good and exciting. He just needed to get over himself for the moment. If Kendra could deal with the flirtation, so could Garreth.
Ronodin smiled. “Why don’t we go meet up with your brother?”
Kendra stood from her seat. “Yes, of course! Garreth, please go find everyone else. I’m going to go find Seth.”
Garreth stood up. “Kendra, wait for me to get Eve and we can all go. It will take a second. Don’t go without me.”
“I will be fine without you,” Kendra answered, annoyed.
He winced. “I know. But what if this Ronodin guy tries to mislead you? Please, I just want to help.”
Ronodin chuckled. “If I wanted to do anything, you would not be able to stop me, pipsqueak.”
Garreth glared at him.
“Fine.” Kendra massaged her temples and shoved her seat back under the bar with a screech. “Just don’t take too long. I’ll be waiting outside.”
Garreth nodded and with a quick scan of Ronodin, he left to go find Eve. Kendra and Ronodin left the Tavern.
The wind blew her hair back and hit her cheeks as she stepped outside. Despite the current absence of falling snow, ice and frost covered every inch of ground that didn’t have an overhang. Kendra shivered despite the heavy coat she had on.
She sat down on the porch outside and watched the locals busy about.
Technically, they were probably citizens of Stony Vale. But, being so near the mountains and so far from the kingdom’s citadel, Kendra doubted tax collectors or knights ever came out this far. In a way, these people were completely independent. Maybe it was nice to be removed from the news of the rest of the world.
The doors slammed as Ronodin followed her and leaned against the nearby column. “You would not believe how long I have been waiting to meet you.”
Hope unfurled in Kendra. It was incredibly rare for her to ever meet someone who had the knowledge of magic this man had hinted at. He was a wild card, and she had satiated her need for novelty.
“Well, now you’ve met me.”
Eve knew where Seth had gone and so they found themselves outside of a new storefront. Then, she ran off to go tell Warren and Vanessa about their new friend.
“Seth’s probably still in the shop,” Kendra said, sitting on the bench outside the wooden doors.
Ronodin moved to sit down with Kendra, but Garreth unsheathed his knife and kicked his foot onto the seat next to her.
Ronodin pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows. “I guess I’ll just stretch my legs instead.”
Garreth smiled, and took a seat beside Kendra. “That would be good.”
Kendra blew out a breath and stared at the ceiling as she counted to ten. The jealousy had grown old quick. “Subtlety. Subtlety, please.”
“Yeah, Garreth. Chill out.” Ronodin inspected his nails and flicked his hand out.
“I don’t get it.” Garreth splayed his hands out. “We’re going for subtlety, yet we let this random guy come with us? Kendra, we literally know nothing about him.”
She opened her mouth to talk, but Ronodin held up his hand.
“I got it.”
Kendra raised her eyebrows at that. One did not simply cut her off.
“The thing you don’t understand is that Kendra and I are friends by the natures of ourselves,” Ronodin said. “The arts are a part of me, just like they’re a part of your friend, Kendra. When a part of you is not wanted, you’re going to want to be with people who are okay with that.”
“Okay, I get that, I guess,” Garreth said.
Kendra sighed and rubbed her temples.
Garreth turned to Kendra. “But, Warren said ma—people with the arts can be good and bad just like…um…humans can. So, Ronodin having this talent doesn’t mean he’s trustworthy.”
“I’m still human,” Kendra said. It was a pedantic rebuke, but she wanted to stop having this conversation.
“Yeah, I just. Don’t know another word for like…I mean, my dad always said not human.”
“Well, your dad thinks I’m a demon.”
Ronodin’s smile lit up. “Relatives can be fickle. My aunt absolutely despises me for my talent in the arts.”
“How horrible, I'm sorry,” Kendra said. At least her family didn’t supported her and Seth. “She doesn’t deserve you.”
“Kendra.” Ronodin’s lips quivered with mirth. “You don’t know how much it means to hear you say that.”
Kendra smiled. She was glad her words helped him.
It was difficult to have magic. In Fablehaven, they tried to create a different environment. But, ultimately, that was gone.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the wooden shop doors swung open and Seth walked out with his satchel full of goods. He didn’t see them.
“Seth!” Kendra said.
The fibers of his long coat scraped the wooden floor as he turned to her voice. His smile melted into a frown. “Ronodin, why the hell are you here?”
Garreth smiled. “Finally.”
Seth dropped the bag and approached Ronodin. This was weird. Ronodin had made it seem like they were friends.
The mystery man sucked his teeth and knit his eyebrows apologetically. “You know how terribly sorry I am to hear the news of your expulsion from the beautiful prison of Terrabelle.”
Seth swung hard at Ronodin’s face, but Ronodin caught his fist. A few people stopped in their way to stare.
Subtlety. Great. Now, what was going on?
Kendra quickly crossed to Seth’s side and picked up the bag. Garreth did the same. Whatever was happening, she did not want to be far from her brother.
“Seth, I settled the tab, and I did not realize you had bought—“ Patton’s words died in his throat and he narrowed his eyes. He strode to the altercation and gripped Ronodin’s hand, prying it off Seth’s fist. “When will you stop stalking my pupil?”
“Men, please, I am very confused. First off, Seth, that was uncalled for. Whoever has cultivated such hate in your heart for me has truly misled you, and Patton—you still have not given me that autograph you promised.”
So, he knew Patton too? Kendra knit her eyebrows. Why had she never heard of this man?
She always thought the two adventurer’s reports were sparse. They hadn’t told her everything.
Patton sighed and scanned the area. “We’re drawing too much attention.”
“Who is he?” Kendra whispered to Seth.
Ronodin rolled his eyes. He must’ve heard her.
Patton had his hand on Ronodin’s neck and wrist as they walked into the woods. Snow crunched under their feet.
“He’s the one who sold us out to King Dalgorel,” Seth grumbled. With a flick of his hand, he sent a little snowflake into Ronodin’s eye.
Garreth murmured something beneath his breath, but whatever it was was probably gleeful. He didn’t have to say “I told you so” in words…it came across in his smile.
Kendra sighed. She didn’t know Ronodin was a horrible person. He said he knew the Fairy Queen!
The fact he had even known about her was a pretty green flag.
But, guilt did shrivel up inside her. She had wanted to follow this guy blindly, and for what? It was just another failure to add to her list—which was growing pretty exponentially as of late. But, she didn’t want Garreth to know that.
And she was used to hiding things from him.
So, she straightened up and focused her thoughts on watching Ronodin. There really wasn’t much she could do if things went south, as she was on a strict magical bedrest. Of course, there was a bigger issue with that whole deal…that no one knew about.
“That is uncalled for.” Ronodin blinked out the snowflake attack. “I taught you that trick. And, what?”
Seth sent another snowflake to his face and Ronodin scrunched his nose to deflect it. “What do you mean—what?”
Patton let go of Ronodin and shoved him forward a bit. Ronodin turned and glared at him. They were deep enough in the woods now that any commotion wouldn’t be heard in the town. Tall trees stretched their snow-covered limbs around them in all directions, making their little rendezvous seem private.
“I mean, I have genuinely never spoken to that king ever.” Ronodin put his hands up in a shrug. “Why would I?”
“Not the king directly,” Seth said. “But, Gavin Rose. He came to Dalgorel, bringing information about Kendra and I’s magic, and told him his source was a certain dark arts master that was also a unicorn.”
Ronodin was a unicorn? Kendra blinked. And he was a master of the dark arts? That sounded like a paradox.
Again, why had she never heard of him?
Ronodin winced. “Okay, so that’s me. But, I have never known or talked to a Gavin Rose. And, I never even knew about your sister.” Ronodin looked around and then muttered: “Definitively.”
Seth put his hand at his chin. “About this tall. Tan. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Insufferable.”
That was pretty spot-on. Kendra winced as she remembered their ill-fated fling. Not her best decision.
Ronodin let out a low whistle. “Shit.”
Seth immediately balled up his fists. “So you did do it!”
“Not on purpose!” Ronodin dragged a hand down his face. “And, the other name he goes by is Navarog, apparently. He was in the room as I was meeting with a demon. I assumed he was some lackey. Not a snitch.”
Ronodin met with demons? To recap, he was a unicorn who was skilled in dark magic who apparently counted demons as his friends…
He didn’t seem real.
Kendra stepped forward. Ronodin cringed away. “Why are you telling Fablehaven’s secrets to demons?”
“Wow, you are just—so radiant.” Ronodin blinked a few times. The compliment fell flat. “And, not in so many words, was I telling secrets. I was looking for Seth, and I gave a short description. Added that he might be traveling with a handmaiden. That’s all I said, honest. Navarog must have extrapolated a bit.”
It was not public knowledge at all that Kendra was a handmaiden. She revised her initial assessment of him —Ronodin was less of a wild card, and more of a loose cannon. He was too many things that shouldn’t go together. She couldn’t predict how he would act.
Patton narrowed his eyes. “That was too much.”
“I get that, but what were you going to do? Stay in Terrabelle forever?”
“Maybe, because we were refugees. Now we’re fugitives. Thanks to you.” Kendra kicked a rock. It skittered until it smacked against a tree trunk.
“Darling, you had been fugitives the whole time.”
Kendra scoffed. Her cheeks got hot despite the cold. She took deep breaths to assuage the anger rising.
Ronodin raised an eyebrow. “The princess isn’t happy.”
“Have you had any more contact with Lord Rose?” Garreth asked.
“Of course not,” Ronodin said, then paused. “Well, I saw his companion when they finally delivered me information on where Seth was heading. But, I haven’t seen Rose since that one meeting.”
Patton tapped his fingers against his thigh.
Well, this wasn’t good. They weren’t doing a very good job of traveling if Ronodin was able to find them. Another failure. When would it end?
“Why did you want to find me?” Seth asked.
“First of all, I have said I will always find you—”
Kendra’s eyes widened in alarm.
“Never, ever say that again.” Patton crossed his arms.
Ronodin rolled his eyes. “Seth needs a mentor. I’ve filled that role. Get over it. Second, I want to help you.”
“Why?” Patton asked.
“Well, as smart as I am, I can predict that the current rhetoric of eliminating sorcerers to keep magic pure and humans separate or whatever might extend to magical creatures with human avatars. Even if they’re devilishly handsome.”
Seth rolled his hand in a “more” motion. “Keep going. Tell them about your business.”
“I also have a side-gig scamming people using magic. So what? If they fall for it, that’s their fault. But it doesn’t work when they're scared to even get close to a spooky magic user. But, most importantly, I’m here because I’m a good person and Seth is my mentee.”
“No, you’re not. And no, he is not,” Patton said. Kendra expected him to make a final decision, but the adventurer turned to her brother. “Seth?”
Seth sighed. “We need the power, right? Ronodin is strong.”
“Didn’t he just admit to scamming people?” Garreth asked.
Kendra surveyed the scene. Her initial impression had been off, but Seth seemed to know Ronodin very well. Plus, Patton had deferred to Seth’s judgment, and he never did that unless he was sure Seth knew what he was talking about. She would do the same.
“Look, the Sphinx is getting too powerful. It’s not good for anyone. I know he’s already taken a unicorn’s third horn before. Obviously, I’m not for that. Let me join. I’ll help you,” Ronodin said. He ran his hands through his hair again. “Plus, isn’t it better to have me close? I know everything about you guys. I know about the Sphinx. For the sake of the queen, I have literally been to his damned ziggurat. And I want him gone.”
Kendra held her breath. But, she trusted her brother on matters of importance. It mattered a lot to him to rescue their grandparents—it wasn’t some prank or silly joke.
Seth nodded to Patton, and the older man sighed. “Do you at least have a bed roll?”
Ronodin was a new change to their group. But, he wasn’t what occupied Kendra’s thoughts that night. She thought back to when she learned her new secret.
Three weeks ago, when Kendra had first been declared good enough to walk, she had retreated into her tent that night giddy with excitement.
She didn’t have her grimoire anymore, but she could still do simple
healing and growth spells.
Long, pink stitched skin had stretched across her palms from where she had grabbed the knife with her bare hands during the battle in the Terrabellian court room. The growing skin had itched constantly, and Kendra couldn’t wait to heal it quicker using magic.
She could deal with the cut down her leg and the fading bruises, but her hand cuts had threatened to reopen every time she used them. But, now, she could heal them.
That night, the giddiness had transformed into a pit of shame, fear, confusion, and frustration that manifested into the secret she carried now.
Tonight, Kendra stared at the dark fabric roof of her tent as she lay there. With the doomsday clock ticking, Kendra began her nightly, futile ritual.
She took a deep breath and thrust out her arm for the spell. Anything. To heal her now-throughly scabbed hands or to make a weed sprout or anything.
Nothing happened.
This was something she had used to dream of. Especially in the first few months of realizing the power that had been awakened in her, Kendra had often thought of ways to forsake her magic. She had thought that maybe if she had the courage to use a knife, she could do it. Maybe with a sharp rock or a sharp word. Anything would have done.
However, her problem had always been finding the source. Of course, she felt her magic in her chest. The coiling when she exercised it with spells or with out-thrust fingers. One time, Kendra had even thought she had found it. In her heart.
She had tried to build up her confidence so she could take that sharp blade or stone or comment and carve her magic right out.
The Sphinx wouldn’t have wanted her anymore, and no one would run away anymore.
She could have done it.
But, she never did it.
Nonetheless, in the lead-up to the most ambitious mission she had ever been a part of, she finally had her wish.
Three weeks ago, when she had attempted to heal her bandaged hands, nothing had happened. And nothing had happened every night since, and the weight of keeping this secret only grew.
Her magic was gone.
Notes:
I absolutely love writing anything with Ronodin. He’s so fun!
Chapter 19: XVI - old (and new) friends
Summary:
Ronodin, Garreth, and Seth have fun bonding time while everyone else gets captured.
Notes:
I usually split chapters over 6500 words into two but I just couldn't find a good place to break it in half. Instead, enjoy a huge chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The day started out just like any other. But, Seth should have known something was about to go terribly wrong. It always did. This was his life, after all.
Warren, Vanessa, and Raxtus had left in the early morning to scout ahead with plans to return in the evening. This had left Kendra, Seth, Garreth, Eve, Ronodin, and Patton as sitting ducks. Of course, it hadn’t felt that way originally.
Originally, today was just a day of rest to make up for the past five weeks of cutting north in the freezing dead of the winter. Their shoes got wet from stomping through snow, and everyday they tried to get closer to the even-colder mountains where the Sphinx’s ziggurat rose out of.
They weren’t heading for refuge, but danger. It was only going to get more frigid, more gusty, and more inhospitable. Meanwhile, their supplies dwindled as they met fewer towns along the way.
Up until recently, futility had encapsulated the whole idea to rescue their grandparents. They had received word early on via a fairy that Grandma and Grandpa were indeed alive and at the Sphinx’s ziggurat along with their company, but the chances of a successful rescue mission were slim to none.
Then, Ronodin came in. He had a fully up-to-date map of the ziggurat and first-hand knowledge from a visit. He refused to share the reason why he had been there, but Seth thought it had something to do with his mysterious, powerful family.
Plus, Ronodin truly was a master of the dark arts. That wasn’t a bluff. He wielded shadows and frost and fear like no one else Seth had ever met.
As Seth broke down his tent, he turned over the current plan in his head. It involved stealth and a small group to penetrate the ziggurat and retrieve the grandparents without provoking attack.
It was too reliant on ideal conditions, which they didn’t have.
Worry occupied his thoughts which evaporated as Seth spotted Ronodin‘s approach. The unicorn wore a mischievous smile. Uh oh. Despite being a great advantage for their goals, the downside of Ronodin was that he wouldn’t stop pestering Seth.
“Garreth won’t have a single sweet conversation with me,” Ronodin said as he observed Seth breaking his tent down. Ronodin was supposed to be helping Garreth gather tinder for the fire. “Especially on the topic of Kendra. Isn’t that funny?”
Seth frowned and folded the tent fabric. “Don’t get in between Kendra and Garreth. They’re weird right now.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. They haven’t really spoken to each other since we left Terrabelle. Kendra will get angry if you ask.”
“Well, now I’m excited to ask.”
“You know, Ronodin, sometimes being around you makes me feel like the more mature, responsible one which is a really foreign feeling,” Seth said. He organized his tent sticks into a bundle. “Don’t mess with her.”
“You mess with Kendra.”
“She’s my sister. It’s different. Don’t you have siblings?”
Seth kept his face non-chalant but he was always eager to hear tid bits of Ronodin’s personal life. The man kept it so close to his chest. Did he have siblings?
“No, only cousins.” Ronodin flicked his hand away with disgust. “I’ll leave Kendra alone. But, Garreth is too fun to stop. Do you see how his little eyebrows pinch together when I talk to Kendra?”
Seth chuckled despite himself. He wrapped the folded tent fabric around his tent sticks and held it against his hip. Forcing his grin down, he turned to Ronodin. “Stop it.”
Ronodin grinned as Seth failed to force his own away. They both laughed.
Maybe if Seth had been more focused on his surroundings, he would’ve noticed something important—that the birds weren’t singing anymore. But, alas, he wasn’t and so the absence of song went unnoticed.
“Did you practice that little fire trick I showed you?” Ronodin asked.
Last night, Ronodin showed him how to quench the flames of the fire. Warren was mad when they kept putting out his fire. Eve couldn’t stop laughing.
“Yeah, it’s easy.”
“Well, good.” Ronodin leaned back against a tree. He relaxed as Seth smushed the snow into a ball and then froze it into ice. The ice ball landed with a impression on the snow.
“Can you teach me another thing tonight?” Seth made another ball of ice and then another. He could probably make a game out of this somehow. Maybe set up targets and smash the ice balls against them. Seth filed his burgeoning ideas away; Eve could refine them later.
When Ronodin still hadn’t answered, Seth looked up from his ice spheres and found the man rigid.
“Ronodin?”
Ronodin’s eyes flicked down to Seth and he held a finger to his lips. Seth blew out a breath quietly and stood up, careful of the crunchy, snowy ground.
An arrow striked the tent bundle, forcing Seth to stumble back. He looked down in horror. He had been holding the bundle against his hip. A few more inches and…
Ronodin grabbed his forearm and pulled him deeper into the treeline. Arrows splattered across the snow. They picked up into a jog, lost the arrows, hit a small cliffside, and began to climb. When they reached the top, they found Garreth holding a bundle of sticks. Presumably for the fire…that Seth had put out like half an hour ago practicing his new little trick. Oopsie.
Garreth knit his eyebrows together upon seeing them.
Huh. Now that Ronodin had mentioned it, Seth realized Garreth did do that thing with his eyebrows a lot. But, that was not important whatsoever right now. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and his thoughts bounced around at a million miles an hour. “Guys?”
“We need to run,” Ronodin said.
Garreth put down his bundle of sticks. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care. We need to go.”
“No. What about them?” Seth asked. “We can’t leave them behind.”
Ronodin ran his hands down his face. “You all are going to be the death of me. We need to run. We’ll find them all later.”
“Ronodin, no,” Seth said.
Ronodin slapped his hand against his thigh a couple times before groaning. “Fine, lead the way. And, by the way, when our dumb deaths inevitably happen, I want my grave to say that it was all your guys’ fault.”
“Don’t worry, Ronodin,” Garreth grinned. “I will make sure your grave is perfect for you.”
When they finally returned to their camp, there was no sign of anyone. Snow was already falling to cover the remnants of their set up.
“The fire’s been put out. Someone was here.” Garreth crouched and poked the ashes. “After I collected all that tinder, too.”
Seth looked at Ronodin with wide eyes while Garreth stayed consumed with the fire.
Ronodin scrunched his mouth.
Seth put his hands together in a pleasing motion.
Ronodin rolled his eyes sighed. “Sorry Garreth. I put out that fire.”
Garreth stood and put his hands on his hips. His lips twitched with disappointment and he didn’t look at the unicorn. Guilt punctured Seth’s heart but he figured Ronodin wore the blame better anyway. “Well, then. I guess I’ll go look for other tracking marks.”
“No need,” Ronodin said. “I have a tracking spell on Kendra’s shoes.”
“You have a what?” Seth froze. “You’re not allowed to do that.”
He had forgotten how unhinged Ronodin was. Seth’s guilt for making Ronodin take the hit on the vanished fire evaporated.
“Look, guys, we’re transporting a weapon of mass destruction. I figured we might want to know the whereabouts of her.”
“Don’t talk about Kendra like that,” Garreth said. “She isn’t a weapon.”
“I mean, without her, we have no chance against the Sphinx. Handmaidens hold a lot of power. An infinitely large amount. That’s why they’re so rare.” Ronodin knelt in the ground and began using his hand to even the dirt. “She is a weapon.”
It wasn’t the first time Seth had heard people talk about Kendra like that. It wasn’t necessarily wrong, either. Her capacity for magic was far greater than anyone had ever seen if the mythology surrounding handmaidens was true. But, Kendra once told him she thought everyone just made up those tales. Seth really hoped for the sake of the mission that that wasn’t true.
Snow crunched as Seth crouched next to the unicorn. While Kendra might take objection to that kind of characterization of her, nevertheless, Seth would overlook Ronodin’s faults in favor of his usefulness, which was a common theme in their friendship. “How does your spell work?”
“Her shoe prints should leave behind my own magical residue that I can pick up on. One moment.”
Seth shared a look with Garreth as Ronodin closed his eyes. He could see his own uncomfortableness with the tracking spell reflected. A thought came to him.
“Hey, did you put any tracking spells on anyone else?” Seth asked.
“Shut up, I’m trying to focus,” Ronodin said. His eyes were pinched shut and he drew in the dirt with one finger.
Garreth took off his left shoe and inspected the sole. He held it out to Seth and Seth shrugged. Didn’t look to be enchanted, but what did Seth know? Garreth put it back on.
After a few moments of staring at Ronodin’s focused face, small foot-print shaped glows began to emit from the uniform, snow-covered ground.
“How far did you light them up? Can the attackers see it?” Garreth asked.
“I’m only activating the ones in our line of sight. It would be exhausting to do it all at once. So, no. The people who took everyone won’t know we’re following them.”
Seth scratched the back of his neck. “They could suspect.”
“Anyone could suspect anything. Let’s go.”
After a few minutes of following an erratic path where the strides between the glowing footsteps increased, the group reached a small clearing where a bunch of overlapping footpaths made an glowing eyesore. Seth scanned the area, noting the frantic steps shown. His heart hurt with worry for his sister. Was she okay?
“So, Kendra was running this far, but got caught here. Look at how disheveled the ground is, even with the smoothing snow fall. You can even see other footprints. There must’ve been a group,” Ronodin said. He crouched and shifted the snow around.
“If Eve and Patton were with her,” Garreth began, “the attackers would have needed to be very strong to overcome all of them. They were already running so they knew they were being pursued. The attack wouldn’t have been a surprise.”
Seth knit his eyebrows. “Why didn’t Kendra use her magic?”
Garreth tilted his head. “I thought she was supposed to be resting it.”
“No.” Seth shook his head. “Vanessa told her yesterday to start practicing with it.”
“Maybe she was too rusty.” Garreth walked to the edge of the clearing and analyzed the outskirts.
“It should be incredibly intuitive,” Ronodin said. “For her power, at least.”
Seth peeked around the trees, looking for the telltale signs of Kendra’s magic. “There should be vines or overgrown flowers or something here if this was a battle.”
“Maybe they had crystals,” Garreth said.
“If they did and if they chased Kendra for this long, this wasn’t so much a random attack,” Ronodin said. He stood and ran his hands through his hair. “But, then it doesn’t make sense.”
Seth crouched and touched the glowing footprints—the red wisps of magic felt like cold air. He would make Ronodin teach him this tracking spell later. “What do you mean?”
“Why would they go after us, too, with that arrow? Or Patton? Or Eve?” Ronodin cracked his neck. Seth flinched at the sound. Gross.
Garreth tilted his head. “We’re also all royalty.”
“Yeah, but—” Ronodin sighed. “I don’t know. Personally, I would secure Kendra and forget about everyone else. You’re all royalty in exile. She’s a mythological handmaiden. There’s just a difference the size of a canyon. But, alas, not everyone thinks like me.”
“That’s a good thing,” Seth muttered.
“I’m hurt.”
“Guys, look over here.” Garreth waved them over to the edge of the clearing. Deep wheel rivulets in the snow led to the sparser forested area with trees far enough to allow narrow wagons and horses through. “Look. Wagon tracks.”
They reminded Seth of a common nuisance in the countryside.
“What are the odds that we just got caught up in some random slave-driver attack?” Seth asked.
“Slim. Even if so, they’ll realize who they have in custody,” Ronodin said. He started on the wagon path. “If we want to retrieve them, we need to go now.”
“What about Vanessa, Warren, and Raxtus?” Seth called. “They’re supposed to return this evening.”
Ronodin shrugged. It made snow fall off his shoulders. “Worst comes to worst, we can send up a beacon or try to acquire fairies as messengers. They’re not the issue right now.”
“They might’ve run into the same people,” Garreth said, trailing Ronodin.
Ronodin stopped and sighed. “That would be so much more work.”
Seth caught up to him and hit his shoulder. “You signed up for this.”
“Can I revoke my membership?”
“No. Come on, let’s follow these.”
Snow fell, covering their old footprints and filling the dents in the wagon trail slowly. Tall, pine trees stretched their needles over them.
It was idyllic for only a couple minutes before Ronodin asked the question Seth had begged him multiple times to not ask.
“So, what’s up with you and Kendra?” Ronodin waggled his eyebrows.
Seth sighed. This was about to become a long walk.
Garreth tensed and looked away from them. “There’s nothing.”
It was obvious that it wasn’t nothing. Anyone could see the hurt and tension between the two. So, as a nice and conscientious person, Seth wasn’t going to bring it up to Garreth in front of someone who he obviously didn’t like—like Ronodin. Unfortunately for Garreth, Ronodin did not practice the same discretion.
“Well, now, let’s not lie. When you guys look at each other, I can practically feel the energy zapping me.”
“Careful, Ronodin. She’s my sister.”
Ronodin waved his hand in Seth’s direction as to tell him both that he acknowledged Seth and that he didn’t care. Considerate. The unicorn leaned into Garreth’s personal space as they walked, pushing the prince off the trail.
“Kendra doesn’t want that. We called it quits.”
Despite his curiosity, Seth tried to keep his expression neutral. He didn’t want to feed into this mess. He had an irrational fear that if he did, Kendra would find out and unleash her wrath on him. Try as he might, he could never outrun his big sister when she was mad at him.
“So, she’s single?”
Seth looked to Ronodin in alarm, but saw that he wasn’t being serious. He was just baiting Garreth. Garreth didn’t know Ronodin that well, though, so his reaction was quite different.
“Over my dead body will you ever—”
“Well, I think we’ve established it’s not nothing.” Ronodin grinned. The snow crunched under his gleeful stride. “Seth told me you guys were all lovey-dovey back in Terrabelle.”
“I didn’t say that,” Seth said. He did. He most certainly did. Ronodin was too much of a blabbermouth. He was never telling the man anything sensitive ever again. Seth winced. He should have already learned that after the whole Gavin Rose fiasco.
No words came from Garreth. Duty fell on Seth’s shoulders to alleviate
the tension.
“Look, Garreth, don’t take it personal,” Seth said. He caught up to the two men’s stride. “It’s kind of a thing with Kendra. Our grandparents always tell her not to be out courting and take her duties seriously. The one time she did court someone—Lord Rose, actually—he only used her to get some knowledge of Fablehaven. I’m sure it’s not you specifically that’s making her all bunched up about it.”
Garreth sighed and thwapped his newly-acquired walking twig against his thigh. “I think it is. I didn’t do anything while she begged me to save her from the knights. She still holds a grudge.”
Seth suppressed the shiver that ran through his body. He couldn’t imagine being Kendra in that situation. It was the stuff of nightmares. He also couldn’t imagine being Garreth. No comforting words came to mind.
Ronodin laid a hand on Garreth’s shoulder. Unexpectedly. “Well, you’re here now.”
Seth knew Kendra’s fear with Garreth had always been that he would hate her if he knew about her magic. And what he had gleaned about her arrest, that had proved her fears true. However, Seth felt like sharing this conflict would betray Kendra’s confidence. It’s not like she told him, but he also knew she wouldn’t want him talking to Garreth about this.
But, they had been really happy together, and Seth wanted to see his sister happy. He pursed his lips. How much interference was too much?
Hopefully not just a little.
He gave Garreth a reassuring smile as he batted away stray branches. “She might just need time.”
“If you do end up looking for someone new, do tell.” Ronodin clapped Garreth on the back. “I like setting people up.”
Seth wondered how those matches worked out. Knowing Ronodin, he probably set them up for the maximum amount of drama and conflict—not success.
Garreth shook his head. “No need. I don’t think…” He cleared his throat and looked away. “Thanks.”
As the sun hit the highest spot in the sky, Seth, Ronodin, and Garreth relished in the bit of warmth it brought on their tracking journey. Snow was generally rare in Fablehaven, and while Terrabelle was bit farther north, it was nothing like where they were now. The altitude was higher and it was colder and sadder and wetter, and to be honest, Seth hated it. All he wanted in the entire world was to be back home in Fablehaven with all the people he loved.
It didn’t seem like it would be that way again. Fablehaven was still occupied by the Sphinx’s forces, and his loved ones were scattered.
Seth’s thoughts came to a halt at loud noises—they heard the caravan before they saw them. Horses neighing and their hooves crunching in the snow, yelling, and clinking chains. Ronodin led them in a roundabout way to skirt the sound as they out-paced the caravan.
Once they had built up enough of a lead for the caravan’s sounds to have faded, they settled deep in the brush and waited. Soon enough, the first horse came through with a hooded rider on top. Accompanying the rider were two wraiths, stark black against the snowy backdrop.
Seth saw Garreth stiffen beside him and Seth laid a hand on his shoulder to assuage the magical fear. Ronodin took notice, rolled his eyes, and put his hand on the other shoulder. The unicorn was a team player when it came down to it—even if he talked a lot of smack.
Garreth pressed his lips tight and nodded in begrudged thanks. It was a tight spot Seth had forgotten—to not have magic to use against magic.
After the wraiths, the first wagon came with bars on the back and a curtain drawn over it. Kendra was inside, yelling at the captors to release her. Fiery as ever.
“Found her,” Ronodin muttered. Seth let the comment pass.
More barred wagons wheeled through, the occupants covered by the curtains, but some had the curtains to the side. In one, they saw Patton and Eve, and Seth’s anxiety receded a little. At least they knew they were alive and well as could be.
Trailing the last wagon were two satyrs attached to the wagon with chains and handcuffs. Seth’s adrenaline spiked and he grinned. Newel and Doren! No doubt they were walking out of a punishment for something stupid they had said. But, how in the world did they run into this crew?
Seth pulled heat away from the air around their handcuffs until frost started to grow. Newel looked down at the sudden cold, and Seth could see his moment of realization. He used to prank them by randomly frosting whatever they were holding in their hands.
As the wagon he was chained to was passing, Newel scrtuinized the shadows beside them. He didn’t have to be too subtle, because the only guards at the end of the caravan were wraiths and they didn’t generally pick up on that stuff. Seth caught his eye and winked.
“Talk to the wraith closest to us,” Ronodin whispered. “I’ll get the other.”
Seth nodded and focused his gaze on the wraith. Hi!
Cold. Hungry. Empty. Lonely.
I can hear you.
Ronodin leaned over again. “Promise to let him leech the life from the horses.”
Seth blinked at him. That seemed kind of cruel.
Garreth stared in horror. “What are you doing?”
“Saving your life.” Ronodin concentrated back on his wraith. Seth did the same.
Do you like horses?
Master, let me serve you. Let me feast on your soul.
My soul is off the table. Anyone’s soul here is off the table. Well, actually. Who here are the slave-drivers?
There are no slave-drivers, master.
Are any of the guards magic?
The lone rider at the front possesses considerable magic. There are several other wraiths.
Seth could work with that.
We can make a deal as long as you don’t alert the rider of our presence.
Master, I cannot complete that request. I have already alerted the rider.
“We need to go,” Seth said.
“No, you don’t,” a voice said.
The caravan ground to a stop, and Seth turned around. Two men that they hadn’t seen with the caravan stood waiting. They must’ve snuck up on them. Seth tried to use his magic, but came up empty. Panic took over.
The man who spoke had nicer clothes and shinier boots. He didn’t seem like the type to be hired help. He smiled and pulled out a thick crystalline pendant necklace from beneath his shirt.
Seth hadn’t had chances to run tests on the crystals, but he would bet good money that the size correlated to the magic-dampening power. It was large for a pendant, but anywhere near the size of the usually handcuffs. Seth looked to Ronodin to see if he was still strong enough to use his magic.
The unicorn stared at the pendant, his nose scrunched in disgust. “Distasteful.”
Garreth drew his sword. Oh, right. Seth had almost forgotten about his sword in the face of his panic of his dampened magic. He drew it as well.
“We don’t need a fight,” the man said. “Surrender.”
Seth glanced to either side. Ronodin balled his fists. This was it. He longed for his magic, but he was handy with a sword too. Patton had made sure of that in his drilling. They could do this.
“Look behind you,” the man said. A smile blossomed on his face. Seth really wanted to wipe it off. “Do you really want us to hurt your girl?”
It felt like the dumbest, most childish tactic in the world. But, Garreth looked back and sighed. He dropped his sword.
“Guys,” he said.
Seth looked behind him.
A woman held a knife to Kendra’s throat. Fabric was tied around her mouth and her hands were cuffed behind her back.
Her eyes were puffy, but her gaze was an angry glare that Seth knew well. She wanted him to fight. To call their bluff. But, Seth couldn’t risk his sister.
He dropped his sword. Kendra’s muffled yelling grew louder, and he winced.
Within seconds, crystal cuffs locked onto his wrists. He stumbled as the overwhelming fog descended onto him. His magic was still inaccessible like before, but now it took effort to string together a coherent thought. As Seth got used to the fog, he got better and tried his voice.
“Kendra,” Seth called.“It will be okay.”
He craned to his neck to see her curt nod. She bumped her chin up, in a way that told him “you too.”
“Take her away.” The man waved his sword. “Put the men in the back wagon. It’s empty.”
As Kendra and her handler left, the henchman began to push them towards the wagon. The wraiths crowded in, and Garreth began to walk jerkier and jerkier until the henchman just picked up his frozen form and stuffed him in the wagon.
“How did you know we knew her?” Ronodin asked the man handling him.
“We know who you all are,” he said.
Seth blinked through the disorientating fog. He was pushed up against the wagon and climbed in after Ronodin. “Who pays you?”
He grinned and slammed the barred door shut. “I thought you were smarter than that.”
The wagon’s wooden floors snagged Seth’s pants with splinters, but the covered roof offered a respite from the frigid gusts. Once the human guards left and the wraiths retreated to their posts, Newel and Doren crowded up close to the barred backside of the wagon.
“Seth!” A smile split Doren’s face. “We missed you!”
“Seth! And awwww! It’s our dark princess! Ronny boy!” Newel made kissy noises and puckered his lips through the bars of the wagon.
Ronodin scrunched up his face. “I hate your friends.”
“Who’s this new guy?” Doren asked.
“I’m Garreth.”
“Holy shit,” the satyrs swore in unison. The two were more knowledgeable than most gave them credit. Most citizens would not have realized Garrett's importance by his name and whatever else they observed during the short non-combatant battle—maybe the Terrabellian pearl in his sword hilt and the princely way he held himself.
Doren cocked his head. “Not the prince of Terrabelle?”
“What are you doing running around with the prince of Terrabelle, Seth? Do you want your head cut off?”
“Newel, my god. No. He’s on our side now.”
“Well, shave me and call me a human. Prince Garreth is for magic? The world has ended.” Newel covered his mouth with his handcuffed hands.
“Yeah, it’s getting pretty close,” Ronodin said. Seth rolled his eyes. Not helpful.
“How’d you guys end up here?” Seth asked, steamrolling over their exclamations.
“Well, when Fablehaven was under siege, Muriel led some of us into the woods before the Sphinx locked it down. But, then this stupid Sir Lich comes and snaps us up. He didn’t take anyone who didn’t have magic.”
Ronodin leaned against the wagon bars. “Do you know who he works for?”
“Rumor is the Sphinx,” Doren said. His chains clanged against the ground as they walked.
“Rumor is probably right,” Garreth said.
“It’s not been too bad,” Newel said. “But this Lich guy doesn’t have a sense of humor. That’s why we’re out here walking and not in there.”
Seth grinned. “I figured it was your fault.”
“We take offense to that. It’s our moral duty to make Lich frown. If I was sitting in the wagon like you pansies, I would feel unpatriotic,” Doren said.
“I like your way of thinking,” Ronodin said.
“Aw, our unicorn likes my way of thinking,” Doren said.
Newel batted his eyelashes. “Our little Ronny boy!”
“Satyrs tend to not get along with horse-related species,” Seth muttered to Garreth. It was a long, senseless feud, but magical creatures had consistency and timelessness if nothing else.
“I am not related to horses,” Ronodin said, offronted. He tried to flick Seth’s ear but failed with his bulky handcuffs. “And I am not bothered by the jealousy of half-goat men.”
“He thinks we’re jealous!” Newel exclaimed.
“Guys, focus,” Seth said. He rolled his shoulders; the handcuffs were heavy. “Who else is here?”
Doren jumped in. “Muriel, definitely. Kendra, obviously. Patton and some other girl also arrived with her. Vanessa and the chancellor were brought here earlier. At least, I think it was Vanessa. I would be loathe to ever forget her beauty.”
Muriel, Kendra, Patton, Eve, Vanessa, and Warren. Okay. That was almost everyone. Seth snapped his fingers. “Focus.”
“A dragon also came in with them, but some of Lich’s henchmen split off to take the dragon straight to the Sphinx, apparently. They’re excited about that. Our caravan is going a more round-about way to pick up any random magicals.”
Seth’s heart sank. Raxtus was taken? Eve must be heartbroken. “Anyone else?”
“The seamstress who worked on Main Street. I forget her name…Madeline, maybe,” Newel said. “The Blackwoods, too. Mom, dad, two kids. One on the way.”
Garreth frowned. “We have to free everyone.”
“It is hilarious to hear that come from your mouth. Your dad must hate you.”
“Newel.” Seth glared. Garreth was having a hard enough time already.
“Sorry. Your dad is probably…really proud.” The words flowed together like chunky spoiled milk.
Garreth sighed. “No, you were right the first time.”
“Well, they have wraiths. Seth and I can divert that against Lich. He’s a shadowcharmer, right?” Ronodin asked. Seth had gotten that feeling too, but something about it was wrong.
Newel shrugged. “Sounds about right. He’s got that creepy crawly aura about him. No offense.”
“Well…I’m sure combined we can over-power him and bust everyone out.” Ronodin inspected his nails. “But, do we have to free the satyrs too?”
“Play nice,” Seth said. He looked at both Ronodin and the satyrs with his best glare. Magical creatures and their undying stagnant feuds...well, humans did that too. But, still—it was exhausting for Seth to be a mediator.
“When should we make our move?” Garreth asked.
“What move? We have no plan.” Ronodin flicked his hand away and scrunched his nose.
“Whatever you guys do.” Newel lowered his voice. “Do it when we camp for the night. Lich leaves for around a half hour every night.”
“To do what?” Seth asked.
Doren shrugged. “Who knows? He could be communicating with the Sphinx, raising the dead, or skinny-dipping. It’s anyone’s guess.”
“Well, we’ll need the keys to the handcuffs and the wagons.” Garreth scanned the wagon and started tapping around. “Maybe we could just break through, too.”
“Might be too loud,” Newel said.
“Lich always gives the keys to the guy who bullied you all before he leaves,” Doren added.
“And that guy is not a shadowcharmer.” Ronodin leaned in closer. “Tell us when Lich leaves and we can use the wraiths to overpower that guy.”
“But his pendant.” Seth scratched his temple. Their handcuffs were also a problem but he assumed Ronodin counted that too.
“Not strong enough to defeat a wraith who finally gets to feed on a human life force,” Ronodin said.
“You’re just going to kill him?” Garreth asked. His tone was disbelieving.
“Way more up-standing than I expected,” Newel muttered to Doren.
“Well, duh,” Ronodin said. His rolling head clanged on the side of the wagon. Drama queen. “He’s going to sell all of us. He’s better off dead. Do you goats know how many henchmen run this caravan?”
“Of course, princess.”
“Anything for you, Ronny,” Newel added.
“Guys.” Seth having to keep order was really making him start to feel like Kendra…which made him really want to stop trying to keep order. But, this was to save Kendra and all of them. Once freed, she could refill her role as the wet blanket.
“There’s only the three humans that took you all out. Lich just relies on the wraiths mostly,” Doren said.
“Good,” Seth said. “Then, it’s settled. Night falls, you tell us when Lich leaves, we use the wraiths to neutralize the three henchman and we’re out.”
Newel grinned. “We missed you.”
“Though, we wish we got stuck trailing Patton’s wagon,” Doren said. “He’s much cooler.”
Seth smiled. Riffing with his best friends? He felt right at home.
It had been dark for several hours now. Their wagons were arranged in a circle, with the curtains were pulled across so no one could communicate.
Nevertheless, magically, Seth and Ronodin could still comunícate with the wraiths. They had tested it out several times. It always went something like this:
Beach or mountains?
Cold. Hungry. Death.
Personally, I’d say beach. But, good talk.
Seth figured that communication with dark creatures was something that was more integral to his make-up than charms or spells. It was something he had never had to learn. So, as long as he pierced the brain fog, he could still do it with the crystals.
Seth passed the silent night talking one-sidedly to his favorite wraith who always had a new list of horrors to complain about. Hungry became his nickname as it consistently popped up in his terse answers.
Their current conversation about the empty abyss of Hungry’s life was interrupted when Newel’s hairy, handcuffed hands came up and pushed the curtain across.
The sparse ground held a campfire with two of the guards asleep and the bully from earlier rising to his feet. He shouted. “Hey, don’t touch that curtain!”
“We’re ready,” Newel said.
Ronodin and Seth nodded to each other as the man pulled Newel away from the wagon.
Okay, you can get the guards now. No one in the wagons.
Hungry didn’t say anything, but Seth looked away as he heard the telltale signs of soul-sucking. The satyrs did the same, but Garreth and Ronodin stared.
“That was gruesome,” Garreth said.
Seth peeked. Three henchmen lay lifeless on the ground. The fire threw shadows onto their bodies.
Mentally, Seth released Hungry and the other one with the instructions to go as far away as possible. If Sir Lich came back, Seth didn’t want to find out who was stronger at controlling the wraiths. With the tempting gift of souls, Seth had overcome their previous deal of servitude. Without it…well, Seth didn’t want to know.
“Get the keys,” Ronodin said.
“Hold your pretty, pretty horses,” Newel said. He stretched as close as his chains allowed and grabbed hold of the man’s pant leg. Doren joined him and pulled the bully close. Quickly, their hands patted him down.
“Got them,” Newel said. He pulled a ring of keys out of the man’s breast pocket.
“Quick,” Ronodin snapped.
“Don’t we have good time?” Garreth asked.
“Depending on if Sir Lich is strong enough to sense death,” Seth said. If he could, he should be running to them now. But on the stronger possibility that he couldn’t, they were fine. Seth couldn’t even sense death far away. “So, maybe.”
Newel was only halfway through the possible keys on the ring, working with the limited mobility of his handcuffs.
Ronodin tried to pick at his fingernails even with his handcuffs. It was a nervous tic. Seth never liked to see him do that. It took a lot to make the unicorn nervous. Patton Burgess's wrath? No. Dragons? No. But, this, right now? Apparently.
Not a good sign.
Newel found the right key. It turned with a click and Ronodin pushed the wagon bars open and hopped down.
“Open Garreth’s handcuffs first,” Seth said. “He’s best with a sword.”
Newel slipped the wagon key off the ring, handed it to Seth, and began trying new keys to find the handcuff one.
Ronodin went over to the man on the ground. He ripped the crystal pendant off his neck, dropped it on the ground, and smashed it with his heel. “I hate these stupid fucking crystals. Humans need to stop innovating.”
Seth went over to the closest wagon and pulled the curtain across. Inside, Eve and Patton both had their hands on the bars. They must have been listening.
“Seth!” Eve exclaimed.
“Is everyone here?” Patton asked.
“Raxtus is gone,” Seth answered. He unlocked the wagon door and helped them down. Newel found the handcuff key and freed Garreth.
Eve paused. “Gone?”
“We’ll talk about it later.”
“Come here, princess,” Newel said. He unlocked Ronodin’s handcuffs and continued down the line. After shedding his newly-unlocked handcuffs, Seth began unlocking all the wagon doors again, freeing the Blackwoods, Madeline, Vanessa, and Warren. He opened Muriel’s door but didn’t stay to help her out. There wasn’t enough time for him to give her her proper unpleasant welcome.
Seth pulled the curtain across his last wagon. Kendra struggled, frantically speaking muffled words. He unlocked and opened her bars. She scooted closer and presented her cuffed ankles.
“Newel, the keys!”
Seth grabbed the flying keys and unlocked the ankle cuffs and then her hands. He helped Kendra down and took off the gag.
“Thanks,” she said.
“‘Course.”
“We need to leave.” Ronodin gathered up the sack of weapons on his back and began shooing people in the right direction.
Before Seth took another step, the ground crackled and popped. Through the snowy ground, a hand shot up. It was leathery and old like a corpse. Sir Lich couldn’t use the wraiths anymore, so he must’ve been conjuring more undead. Was that even something a shadow charmer could do?
Seth shook the thoughts away. Time for thinking later.
“Go!” Ronodin shouted. The group began to follow him, frantically trying to keep up. Seth ran to the front, grabbed Ronodin’s shoulder and began to put a massive shadow on their group, drawing on Ronodin’s power.
A zombie arm broke the ground right under Seth’s feet and he tumbled to the ground. He brought Ronodin down on top of him and the entire shadow dissipated.
Seth shot up, hitting Ronodin’s face with his head and a sharp crack. Patton’s arms slid under Seth’s armpits and pulled him up as Eve played whack-a-mole with all the zombies popping up.
“Ugh!” Ronodin used his hands to reset his nose with another sharp crack. Silver, sparkly blood ran down his face—the blood of a magical creature. Seth was sure that Newel and Doren would’ve made fun of Ronodin for it if not for the fact that they bled silver sparkles too.
Ronodin got to his feet, and sent a slicing arc of icicles behind him. The zombies stopped popping up.
They ran desperate to escape the clutches of Sir Lich. Branches thwapped Seth’s face and snow suctioned his legs on every stride. The snowy, dark forest was hard to see through and he kept tripping on underbrush.
As Seth’s adrenaline faded, the group slowed down as well. Muriel muscled her way to the front.
“Stop here,” she said.
“What?” Ronodin asked, but he stopped. He recognized power when he saw it. Even if it was in the form of a diminutive hag.
“Kendra,” Muriel called. “Come here.”
Kendra reluctantly came to stand beside Muriel. Muriel took her hand, and gasped. The older woman tilted her head at her student.
Kendra shook her head. “Don’t.”
Muriel pursed her lips, but said nothing. Instead, she closed her eyes and her lips began to move. The words were so quiet that he could barely hear her.
The ground cracked open, and for a moment, terror flooded his brain with the thought that the zombies had come here too.
But the crack became a slope and out of the Earth, their magic carved a small bunker.
“Down,” Muriel said, gasping for breath.
Ronodin herded everyone down into the dirt cave. It wasn’t too roomy but it was okay. Tendrils of roots hung from the ceiling and rocks jutted from the sides. But, mercifully, there was no snow.
Muriel closed her eyes again and the maw of the cave shrank until it was only a foot wide. The ground must’ve looked relatively even from the outside. “Cast your shadows.”
Deferring to the old witch, he casted a charm alongside Ronodin that pulled and concentrated shadows over the sliver of the opening. It would look dark. Incredibly so, in the night. Muriel created a tiny floating ball of light to float around the dark hole.
When they turned back to the group, Warren had demarcated sleeping areas and was encouraging everyone to sleep. The family of five was already huddled in the corner, Newel and Doren were crowded around Vanessa, the seamstress was lying on the ground, and Patton and Eve were setting up a dirt bed.
Seth went over to Eve. Her cheeks were shiny with tears. She pulled him down to sit next to her. “They really captured Raxtus?”
He grimaced and hugged her. He missed the big guy too. To a greater extent than the Fablehaven party, he had been trapped in Terrabelle. It would be terrifying to be trapped again. “Yeah. That’s what Newel and Doren told me.”
Eve hiccuped and slapped him half-heartedly on the shoulder. “You told me they wore goat fur pants.”
“Yeah.” Seth sighed and pulled out of the hug. “They kind of do.”
Eve pursed her lips together to try to stop the hiccups. The tear tracks glinted off her dark skin in the low light. “We’ll get him back. We’ll save him.”
Seth nodded. He didn’t know how they would do that, but he wanted to comfort Eve. “Yes.”
Eve narrowed her eyes. “We will get him back.”
Seth nodded again. “Yes, I said that.”
Before she could get angrier at Seth’s lack of conviction, Patton appeared behind Eve with a hand on her shoulder. “It’s time to get to bed.”
With one last side-long glance at Seth, Eve retired to the unofficial sleeping corner. He sighed.
Of course he wanted Raxtus back. But, didn't she know how horrible the odds were? He didn’t want to get her hopes up.
Over in the corner, he joined Kendra and sat next to her. “Are you okay?”
“I will be when we get Grandpa and Grandma back,” Kendra said. Her voice was lowered out of accommodation for the others, and he followed suit. “Are you?”
He shrugged. “It kind of feels like I’m on an horrible, terrible adventure with Patton, but with more friends.”
Kendra nodded. “A horrible, terrible adventure is not fun. I have had dirt under my fingernails for weeks now. Do you know what that does to a person?”
They laughed lightly.
“I’ll see you in the morning. Love you. Good night,” Kendra said. She laid down on the dirt floor.
“Love you too,” Seth whispered back.
Everyone was down for the night. Despite his terror at what was to come, he had to remember that this was a happy day. They had freed former Fablehaven citizens from the Sphinx.
Seth blinked. Former Fablehaven citizens? The sick feeling was back again.
He laid down on the hard dirt, and desperately tried to stop himself from thinking about the situation they were in. Instead, he imagined a different world. One of Fablehaven shining and safe with their grandparents and Raxtus and Eve and Garreth and everyone was super duper happy.
Maybe it was a pipe dream. But, the only way he could continue was to believe it could eventually be a reality.
He drifted to sleep dreaming that the warm, humid cave was home.
Notes:
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Chapter 20: XVII -intrinsically tied
Summary:
Kendra sorts out her magic, Garreth, and her emotions. They're all intrinsically tied.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The warmth of the dirt cave posed as the only benefit to their otherwise negative situation considering the majority of their supplies were gone, agents of the Sphinx had kidnapped Raxtus, and now they had new non-combatants to protect. But at least they ended up in the warm ground!
The defrosting of Kendra’s freezing body almost bolstered her morale enough to contend with Muriel. As soon as the witch had sensed that everyone else had fallen asleep, she had scooted over to Kendra and had cast a simple distraction spell. Kendra had envy at her ease with magic, especially since she knew what the witch was going to ask and Kendra couldn’t lie to her. When Muriel had grabbed Kendra’s hand to help with setting up their current luxury dirt cave, she had sensed Kendra’s lack of magical ability.
But, also, Kendra had never been able to lie to Muriel, because the witch was just too damn perceptive. Muriel was never nice about her observations, either, so it created a loop of negative feedback.
As expected, Muriel narrowed her eyes and immediately cut to the point. “What happened to you?”
With a sigh, she whispered what Muriel had already figured out. “I lost my magic. I over-exhausted myself breaking out of Terrabelle and the stupid sickening crystals sickening. It’s gone. Don’t tell anyone.”
She believed in the structural integrity of Muriel’s bunker, but in the darkness, all Kendra could feel was the dirt on all sides compressing her body. The earth hanging over the head. She laid in her resting place already. A mass grave with all the people she was taking with her.
Terror, guilt, and anxiety tumbled through her stomach and she tried to push the thoughts down. She needed a clear mind. That’s what her grandparents had always said.
“Can you see me right now?”
Kendra squinted. It was dim, but she could make out Muriel’s wrinkled face and her raised eyebrow. Long, wavy gray hair framed her bony countenance. “Not very well.”
“It should be pitch black. But not to you. Not to me. Because we have light magic. You didn’t lose it, you stupid girl.” Her lips curved into a grin, the wart on her chin stretching to accommodate. “Silly.”
Indignation flared in Kendra. This was a real problem and Muriel was so unserious. “But why can’t I use it?”
“Well, what did I always tell you?”
“That I was lazy and was going to squander all my talent?”
The witch rolled her eyes. “Yes, but what else?”
“Did you ever say anything else?”
“Don’t be ungrateful.”
Kendra pursed her lips together and whispered back shortly. “I would never.”
Muriel sniffed. “Your magic is a part of you—the real you. But, you force yourself and it away. You push your emotions down. You try to be someone different than yourself. Someone different for the King and Queen, for your kingdom, for your little boyfriend. You refuse yourself and in doing so, refuse your magic.”
Kendra closed her eyes in shame. She wanted to retort to Muriel that Garreth wasn’t her boyfriend, but such things were useless with Muriel.
Desperation had lived in every crevice of Kendra’s body since she figured out her inability to access her magic. Even though Muriel’s words were harsh and blunt, they offered a solution and assurance that it wasn’t the end of the world.
“You need to balance your mind and body. Connect with yourself and your magic will come,” Muriel finished.
Kendra could probably do that. What did that take? Some calming exercise, some talking about her feelings? It wasn't pleasant-sounding, but the reward of having her magic back overcame any hesitation. She could even make a checklist.
Muriel poked her heart. Kendra flinched. “Your magic wants to be with you. The real you.”
“I want it too.”
“No, you want the power. You just want the power to fulfill your selfish aims of fixing your family and your kingdom. That’s not what you were blessed to do.” Muriel narrowed her eyes in disapproval. This was a common refrain. The witch always believed Kendra wasn’t doing her mythological duties—protecting magic and restoring prosperity to the magic world. But, that had always been for the later time. Later, when she was queen. Later, when she was older and knew what she was doing. Later, when she could finally come to terms with it.
It was later.
Kendra looked down. Her dim vision became blurry with frustrated tears—she had never asked for such a heavy responsibility on top of her crown. She had only ever asked for help. “I asked for the blessing to save my parents.”
Muriel’s harsh voice softened the most Kendra had ever heard, yet it still sounded like stone grinding on stone. “But you failed to do so…because that was never what it was for.”
Muriel sighed and her bony fingers scraped away Kendra’s tears. In rare moments, she could be gentle. Kendra knew she was the closest thing Muriel had to a friend, which was sad on its own. But, Muriel self-inflicted her loneliness with scathing remarks and dazzling rudeness.
Come to think of it, why was Muriel the one giving her life advice? She was the least well-adjusted person Kendra knew. But, she was powerful, so she must be doing something right.
The witch withdrew her hand from Kendra’s face and clucked her tongue. “You know what the blessing was for.”
Muriel’s words haunted Kendra. Her responsibility as a handmaiden—the responsibility to protect and preserve magic—was a truth she had never wanted to ever acknowledge or fully accept.
Because she had never truly done so.
She had shielded Fablehaven. Sure, she had shielded Fablehaven—right up until they were invaded.
Then, six people died on magical charges while she had been at Terrabelle. She didn’t do anything then. Who knew how many more died before her arrival?
Who knew how many right now?
Kendra rolled these questions over in her mind, hoping to smooth the sharp edges, but failing. She went to sleep that night with a jagged sense of guilt and confusion.
But the next morning, Kendra had an epiphany. She had it: what she needed to do.
Seth awoke her to leave the earthen settlement, and winced upon her opening her eyes. “Kendra? Are you okay?”
She scrunched up her nose at him. He didn’t have to comment on her state of disarray. Kendra could feel her puffy eyes herself, thank you very much. “We need to defeat the Sphinx.”
That had to be it. He was upsetting the balance of power in the world, and breeding resentment between the magical world and the mortal world. He had terrified humans into reviving witch hunts, and magicals into hiding themselves away from the cruelty of humans.
He needed to go.
Seth squinted at her and lowered his voice. “Kendra, you know our current, modest objective of only rescue is pretty unrealistic.”
“We need to defeat the Sphinx, we need to emancipate all magic creatures and sorcerers, we need to—“
“We need to do a lot of things. First things first, there’s a river a couple minutes east where people are washing up. Then, go talk to Warren. They’re making a plan.” Seth left her with a look of worry. He wasn’t usually the moderate one, but Kendra knew this was the right path even if it maybe was abnormally rash for her.
Freezing river water washed her face and cleaned her grimy body. It felt good to be clean. Well, clean-er. It was impossible to get a good enough bath on the trip to be as clean as she desired. But as her body renewed, her mind nevertheless just tumbled over the same old thoughts.
Muriel said Kendra needed to be a true handmaiden, so she was advocating for magic. Right? That was the right path, right?
Kendra laid back on the cool stone of the river bank and sighed. She was on the right path, she was sure. But she would need to think over it more.
Well, what was the other directive?
Be herself?
Kendra groaned. How was she supposed to know who she was? There were so many different forces pulling herself in every direction.
Be herself when ruling?
She didn’t want to do that at all.
What did her magic want from her? Pain and embarrassment? Because that was what she was going to have to endure for this forced journey of self-discovery.
During the afternoon planning meeting, Kendra stayed silent about her new ambition. It was too early to share. She would need to think and plan and perfect.
When would they have another chance to oust the Sphinx if not now? How was Fablehaven supposed to regain its footing and survive again if the Sphinx held it still? Even if they briefly took back their land, his army would just come in and capture it again. No, for sustained peace and success, they needed to remove him.
Kendra knew the older adults had already spoken of this before. They hadn’t wanted to share with the group yet, but the possibility had been brought up. They always thought she was asleep when she wasn’t, and she had listened to a few of their late-night conversations.
Warren believed it the best long-run tactical move—to get rid of the Sphinx now. But, their group had no army and little weaponry. However, without the threat eliminated, there was a slim chance they could ever return to Fablehaven and keep it.
The futility of every possible choice was why the adults had been loath to share. They hadn’t wanted to squash the young ones’ hopes. But, Kendra knew the reality, and she had already lived seventeen summers.
Plus, if she could finally be at peace with her magic like Muriel wanted her to, maybe she would unlock greater power that was possibly enough to defeat the Sphinx.
Nonetheless, Kendra didn’t bring her thoughts up during the meeting. She needed more time. Seth hadn’t spoken of anything Kendra had said to him either.
After the meeting, Kendra readied herself to bid farewell to the Blackwoods. The family was heading back the other way towards the nearest town to hunker down and hopefully be settled before they had to deliver Mrs. Blackwood’s baby. Her stomach was already very round—the biggest Kendra had ever seen. She would be surprised if Mrs. Blackwood delivered anything less than triplets.
The snow reached Kendra’s knees and dampened her skirts as she waded with the mother towards the clearing where her family waited. She held her upper arm and braced Mrs. Blackwood in their walk. Mrs. Blackwood had stayed behind to gather up the few resources the group could spare, and now Kendra was escorting her to her departure.
Before they took another step, the mother pulled Kendra’s arm to a stop. “Wait.”
Kendra looked back at Mrs. Blackwood. It was uncanny how familiar she looked. Kendra must’ve met her before. She was a Fablehaven citizen, of course, which made the probability very high. She wondered what Mrs. Blackwood thought of her. Did she curse her for her current transient circumstances? Kendra wouldn’t blame her.
“I’m worried.” The mother covered her toddler’s ears in her arms and lowered her voice. His name was Ramsey and Kendra had never seen such energy in a child before. But, his rambunctiousness lended itself to his hibernation-like spells, like his slumber now. “Will we ever be able to return to our home?”
Kendra’s breath caught in her throat. It was an echo of the same question Kendra had been asking herself for the past five months, and the one she tried to overcome now. Tumultuous feelings of longing surged her heart.
She wanted to share her fears and comfort the mother, but then she remembered her grandparent’s strictures: to be strong, always. Kendra pushed down her true feelings and drew her back straight before she remembered something more.
Muriel telling her to embrace herself. To stop being the queen she thought others wanted her to be. To listen to herself.
The birds sang in the trees, and the snow soaked into her skirt. The voices quieted in Kendra’s mind, and she laid a hand on the mother’s shoulder.
“I don’t know,” Kendra said. The words sounded foreign, but the honesty freed her. Peace blanketed her just like the snow did for the ground. “I’m going to try my very best to recover Fablehaven, but I can’t make promises for the future. What I do know, from the caravan, is that you’re an amazing woman even in horrid conditions. I heard you singing to your children after Sir Lich left. Even if you never return to Fablehaven, your family will thrive.”
Kendra didn’t have to lie or pretend to be someone else. She didn’t weigh her words with the political ramifications. She only used her truthful thoughts and earnest attempt at comfort. In Mrs. Blackwood’s silence, Kendra started to worry. Should she have said something different? Something more queenly?
But, then Mrs. Blackwood smiled. A snowflake fell on Ramsey’s nose and he started to scrunch his sleeping face to get it off. He must be waking up. The mother removed her hands from his ears and dipped her head forward. “We are truly lucky to have you, Princess Kendra. Wherever our family goes—no matter where we end up—you will forever be both our princess and handmaiden.”
Pressure built behind Kendra’s eyes and her chest tightened. She bowed back and gave a soundless thank-you. The mother continued on and disappeared in the distance with her family.
Kendra could breathe again. She knew her strengths, and it was time she stopped floundering trying to fit an ideal she didn’t match.
She wasn’t going to rule like her grandparents did or even how her parents did in their reigning decade. She was going to be different, and that was okay.
Inside, Kendra felt freer. Lighter. She wasn’t going to stand alone as her family had in the past. She wasn’t the lonely, stoic monarch she had thought she needed to be.
She had her brother, Vanessa, Patton, Warren, Eve, Garreth, and countless others who supported her. But, most importantly, she had her own deep, abiding resilience.
Hidden under the layers of heavy snow, bluebell sprouts broke through the ground around her feet and tickled her snow-soaked skirts. Magic buzzed in the air and flew with the wind. Sunlight melted ice on the nearby riverbank.
Kendra was going to be okay.
As she walked back to camp, Kendra relished the alone time. She loved people, but she needed solitude to have energy and lately that was rare.
She listened to the babbling of the brook in the distance, which was rare running water in the sea of ice and snow they sloshed through. Kendra had never endured a winter like this before in her life. It was novel and refreshing in some ways. But, when her shoes constantly got wet and her teeth couldn't stop chattering, all she could think of was her warm bed back in Fablehaven. But, Fablehaven was far behind them.
In contrast, they were so close to the ziggurat. Both failure or success would bring a change to their circumstances, and Kendra just hoped they’d be warmer.
“Come here,” a voice said.
Kendra looked around. There were no bodies in between the pine trees or ahead. Adrenaline flooded her veins. Oh no. Was this an attack?
With a clash of tree branches and a thump in the snow, a body fell to the ground. It was Madeline, the seamstress. Relief soothed Kendra. Not an attack. Yet, Madeline was supposed to already be gone, off to the same town the Blackwoods were heading to. What was she doing in the tree?
Kendra rushed to her side. “Are you okay, Madeline?”
“I’m fine.” She jumped to her feet and brushed Kendra off. Her hands ran through her short, auburn hair and smoothed out her dress. Madeline had been the royal seamstress for the past five years despite her youth after her father had passed. As long as Kendra had known her, Madeline had never stopped moving. Always gathering more fabric or dyeing something. Kendra always made sure to skirt around her for fear Madeline, in her hurry, forgot to take the pins out of her clothes again. “I have something for you.”
Kendra tilted her head. “I thought you had already left?”
Madeline pulled her pack off her back and began rifling through it. “Yes, but no. Keep this between us.”
She pulled out a long, white dress. Ruffles and gauzy fabric created an angled silhouette. Perfect for springtime, sure. But not now.
“Thank you, Madeline. It’s beautiful.”
She added a corset embroidered with colorful flowers. “It’s not just fashion. All the clothing my family has ever made has been infused with magic. It’s protective and durable—the king and queen know this. I know you must have lost your original clothing from that night many months ago when you fled Terrabelle. I want you to have this. Wear it when you face the Sphinx. For me. Please.”
Kendra ran her hands over the dress. It was incredibly soft. Focusing, she could feel the quiet energy of magic woven in. “Thank you truly. Why don’t you want me to tell everyone else?”
“I didn’t have time to make more for everyone else. I already had a mock-up of a dress of yours in my pack when I fled. Dumb luck. But, I don’t need them feeling bitter.”
Kendra nodded. She understood. “You have served Fablehaven well.”
Madeline picked at her finger nails and glanced around. Her feet never stood still, scratching at the ground or at her leg. Kendra smiled. She was the same ball of frantic energy as ever. “Send for me when you return to Fablehaven, alright? I want to go back. But, I’m of no help to any resistance or war.”
“You discount yourself.”
She grinned and shook her head. “No, I know what I’m capable of and willing to do. It’s not what you need. You, a princess with the blessing of a goddess, are the one who discounts herself.”
Kendra laughed. “Let’s call it even and say we both discount ourselves.”
“Well, alright. I’ll see you soon, okay? Soon.”
She nodded and raised a hand in goodbye. Madeleine disappeared into the treeline in an erratic skip.
The pine trees rustled in the wind. Snow floated down to coat Kendra’s new gift, and she held it close to protect it. A snowy-white fox paused to stare at her before scampering off. Maybe it was off to go to its home.
Where was Kendra’s home?
Where were the Blackwoods’ home or Madeline’s home?
Was it still Fablehaven?
Yes. At least for Kendra, Fablehaven would always be home. Even if she never saw it again. She sighed and continued back to the camp. Hopefully, she would see her people again.
As of now, Kendra’s people were refugees scattered across the map or prisoners subjugated under the Sphinx. But, they wouldn’t stay that way for long. She had a plan forming. One that would end the Sphinx once and for all, and free her people, both Fablehaven citizens and creatures of magic, forever. She just needed a little more time before she could pitch it.
After the Blackwoods and the seamstress left to journey East to the nearest town, everyone else—Muriel, Newel, and Doren—joined the royal group on their way to the ziggurat. But, that didn’t tip the scales for what they had lost: Raxtus. Their most important member in terms of the mission succeeding.
So, the members had put their heads together and had come up with a new plan. No, not the plan Kendra toyed with, tweaking details and substituting risky components. That was the Plan. Capital P. They came up with a plan. Small P.
Ronodin, Muriel, and Patton would go to recover Raxtus. He was only with three henchmen, as reported by Newel and Doren, so the group has been deemed sufficient to successfully recover him. Additionally, the group had to be small so Raxtus could feasibly fly all of them to the rendezvous point—an old temple a day’s walk but a quick flight from the base of the Sphinx’s mountain. The time the small group’s diversion would cost would be made up in Raxtus’s flight time.
Those three had left this morning. Kendra, Seth, Garreth, Eve, Warren, Vanessa, Newel, and Doren set off on their trek to the temple.
Tall, pine trees stretched to the sky, and mis-matched elevation and hills formed the earth. Their travel time significantly increased as the rocky terrain called for slower, careful steps down a cliffside and long strides to cover an incline.
While putting one foot in front of the other, a dead end in her plan formulation encouraged Kendra’s mind to wander. This freedom sparked Kendra’s thoughts of Muriel’s words—something which she had few respites for. But, time was running out and she needed to get her magic sorted. Kendra had already straightened her spine under the weight of the crown, but there were multiple facets to Muriel’s directive.
What else did Muriel say? Sort out her emotions? Bleh.
But…
Kendra looked at Garreth. His arms were looped around Eve’s legs as he carried her on his back through the snow. She was the youngest of the group and often got tired before they could rest. It was a sweet thing he did. Intense longing filled her—for his warmth, for his kindness, for his love, and for him.
But, in the next second, she had the same overwhelming reaction to looking at him as she always did—the cool stone, the churning of her stomach, the cool raindrops of poison.
She grimaced and the warmth soured into sickness. Intrinsically tied were Garreth, her emotions, and her magic.
Kendra took a deep breath. She felt the snow beneath her shoes, the sunlight on her cheeks, and the fur of the coat they had bought a month ago that Madeline had fixed up before she left.
After she grounded herself in the natural environment, she turned her focus inward and felt it. Her terror. Her terror of Garreth, of magic, of her duties.
One thing at a time.
She had always been a little scared of her power. Probably since the beginning. Who wouldn’t have been? It was something that had accompanied the worst event of her life—the loss of her parents—and only ushered in more fear for her safety.
But, during Terrabelle, her fear had built more and more. Terror had become intertwined with her magic. But, she had pushed it down along with everything else. Nevertheless, a paranoia had worked its way into her that she would make a mistake or get too emotional and consequently have a weed tangle someone’s legs. Then, boom. She’d be dead, and so would all her loved ones.
It made her terrified of everyone in Terrabelle—but especially the king. By extension, Garreth. And then in her arrest, that terror solidified.
For once, Kendra didn’t try to run from the unpleasant feelings overtaking her. She let them soak her through like a cool rain. She concentrated on feeling her terror and grief, and let her mind go through her natural deliberation. Instead of running away like usual.
That’s when she felt it. A spark of magic. A tiny, itty-bitty spark within her. For a moment, she felt the magic in the snow beneath her boots, in the leaves of the trees swaying, and in the sunshine.
Kendra smiled.
Despite the cold dead of winter, she could’ve sworn she had felt the first hint of spring.
That night, she felt like a rebel. Like she was going against all her grandparents’ directives. She knocked on the tent door of a boy. At night. And no one knew.
The fire embers had long since burned out, and when he opened the tent, Garreth’s face held a look of sleep that made him seem so young.
Fear seized her. Was this a bad idea? This was a bad idea. She needed to leave. But before she could dart away…
“Kendra?” A small smile tugged at his mouth. Hope and something else awoke his sleepy eyes.
“Garreth,” she breathed.
He stepped to the side. She worked her way in and sat down.
He gestured to the cramped space. Their knees almost touched as he sat down. “I was thinking of renovating soon. A kitchen?”
“That would look fabulous,” Kendra said.
He smiled. A great, big huge smile that she never saw him use for anyone else. Nothing like his grin or the polite curve of his lips reserved for court. No, this one was for her. “I was starting to worry that I had lost my touch. You haven’t seemed to like my jokes lately.”
She grimaced.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s okay,” she said. She took a deep breath. “That’s why I’m here. I want to talk.”
He frowned. Even though they were physically close, she could feel him pull his vulnerability away. “I thought we had already done that. You talked, at least.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?”
Kendra played with a thread of the tent skin. “I want to apologize for that. I thought I was doing good. That some space would help. It did, but not—despite all of my decisions…I guess…”
Kendra sighed, swallowed the tumbling word vomit, and pulled her gaze from the tent thread to Garreth’s eyes. Head on. She was going to face things head on now. “I was running. I was terrified. Every time I looked at you, I felt like I was back in that square with all those knights.”
His face crumpled. “Kendra, I’m so sorry.”
She touched her face and found tears to match his. This was good. She was feeling icky, icky feelings. Muriel would praise her. “It’s not your fault. But, I just couldn’t do it. I should have explained. Muriel says this is my issue—that I run away from my emotions. I push them down instead of being honest.”
“Well, in the spirit of being honest…” Garreth sighed. The low light of his lantern reflected the tears on his face. It brought her back to that arrest when she had first seen him cry. But, the memory didn’t overwhelm as it usually did. This present was magnetic, unable to allow her to slip into the past. “I was scared to leave Terrabelle with you all. I did things that really scared me. And then you wouldn’t talk to me anymore. That hurt a lot.”
Kendra lost his gaze and looked elsewhere. It was a true, fair thing to say. She swallowed any protest she had and her voice cracked. She let herself feel her defensiveness and shame and let it recede before she opened her mouth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Like a dam breaking open, tears rushed down her face. It felt deeply uncomfortable—the vulnerability of bawling. It’s not like she hadn't cried in front of him before. But, this was different. These weren’t noble tears. This was an uncontrollable flood of regret and shame and fear.
Garreth opened her arms and she fell into them, clutching his back. His shoulder buried her sobs. He felt so warm and solid and all-encompassing. She had missed this.
Kendra pulled back and searched his face. Her hands caressed his cheeks and traced the outlines of salty tracks with her finger tips. There were tiny cuts all up and down the side of his face. That couldn’t be comfortable. They must pull when he smiled or frowned.
Reaching inside, she sensed her magic. It was there. Weak, but there. Her voice came out barely more than a whisper. “Let me heal you.” She cupped his face in her hands. “Please.”
He hiccuped and blinked, allowing fresh tears to race down his face. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, no,” Kendra’s voice broke. She felt on the brink of a cliff. “You saved Seth. I’m sorry. You saved me from your father.”
“No,” his voice was soft. “I turned you away. I let the knights take you away. I should never have let that happen.”
Kendra laid her forehead against his shoulder and grabbed his hand. They held each other as they regained proper breathing patterns. In and out. It was like trying to catch a slippery fish.
She squeezed his hand and sat back up, holding their clasp under her chin.
“Can I heal you?”
Garreth nodded.
Kendra cradled his face once again. His skin was dry from the cold winter air but her fingers trembled over the warmth rushing through his cheeks. Jitters ran through her body that had nothing to do with her magic problem.
She pulled on her magic. It resisted. She took a deep breath, but instead of using it to clear her mind, she let the tidal waves of emotion crash into her.
She let her worry for her family wash over her, she leaned into her fear about her enemies, she surfed in her anger at the Sphinx, but most of all, she floated on top of the waves of her love. For Garreth. For her family, for the countless others that had supported her.
The dam broke and it began to flow. The cuts began to darken and disappear. Flowing magic ran through her finger tips. It felt like home.
“It’s warm,” Garreth whispered.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” her magic began to stutter. She lost her connection and the self-consciousness creeped back as the dam rebuilt plank by plank.
“No, no. I love it.” Garreth grabbed her hand that rested on his face. She could feel his calluses on hers. The years of sword-fighting, of paintings. Of surviving.
She could see it in his eyes. She could feel it in the air. Before he even opened his mouth. It was the same feeling she had that walk in the market right before their lives had come crashing down.
It was…
He leaned into her hand.
“I love you.”
Her heart stopped. Every word dripped with such deep, genuine earnestness. This wasn’t some lie or careless truth. He loved her. He loved her.
She became very aware of her hands on his face and that she was practically on top of him. Her chest heaved with exertion against his tunic. He sat with his legs criss-crossed and she was on her knees, leaning up against him. She glanced at his lips and back to his face. He smiled despite the nervousness twitching his lips.
Buzzy feelings ran their way through her and she rode out her waves of giddiness, excitement, and anxiety. Her magic rushed back through her fingertips and his skin stitched up and the final blemishes disappeared. She thumbed across the now smooth skin of his cheek. His breath hitched and she glanced back up at his dark eyes.
He was watching. Waiting.
She moved her hands away from his face and encircled them around his neck. The contact grounded her with its surety and warmth but sent her into the clouds as her heart beat picked up to an embarrassing rate and her breaths became shallow. He was solid. He wasn’t turning away. He wasn’t going to disappear like all the others she has loved before.
She ended his wait and met his searching eyes.
“I love you too.”
The words opened up a dam of affection she had attempted to hide, and she couldn’t suppress her grin. It was Garreth. It was always going to be him.
Garreth wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Their torsos were flush against each other now and she could feel the strong muscles she had watched swing swords and control the tiniest flick of a paintbrush. She thought of the multitudes of lives they’ve lived together already, and the love that had merely hibernated instead of dying.
She should have pushed him away. He shouldn’t have given her a second chance. But, she was glad he did anyway, because she got to do this.
Her curls brushed his forehead as she leaned down. With her finger, she tilted his chin up and their lips met.
It was an explosion. Even in the cold, un-insulated tent, Kendra began to sweat under her dress. She giggled out of the kiss.
“What’s so funny?” Garreth teased.
She had no answer. Everything seemed hilarious. Waiting this long, her hands denting his dense coils, how perfect they fit each other’s embraces.
She answered with another kiss. Glorious happiness scrunched her toes and she roamed his chest like a parched traveler trying to find water in a desert. It was so hot. Oppressively hot. Had winter turned to summer already?
The ruffling of a tent, the crackles of someone walking in the snow, and a yawn broke their tryst apart.
Kendra held her finger to Garreth’s lips but had to look away before she burst into laughter. Someone was awake, and she was not about to be caught.
They waited until the footsteps and cracking branches receded.
“I think someone’s going to the bathroom,” Kendra whispered.
She kept her finger shushing his lips, but he just whispered anyway. His lips were soft against her skin, and she smiled at the spark of excitement that brought. “Sounds like Warren.”
Kendra widened her eyes. Hopefully not Warren. He would tease her to death if he caught her. “Oh no. How am I going to get to my tent?”
Garreth smiled and gave her a look.
Kendra laughed under her breath. “Oh, right. Perfect.”
It was okay. She would just wake up early—before anyone else—and skedaddle.
He leaned back in to kiss her and by the time they settled down to sleep, flowers of all kinds had sprouted underneath the tent fabric floor despite the heavy snow. The petals created a soft sort of mattress, but, even on a stone floor, Kendra would’ve felt like she was sleeping on clouds with Garreth’s arms around her midsection and their bodies cuddled like puzzle pieces.
The peace, the safety, and the security she had lost months ago had re-emerged in this tent. She snuggled tighter and didn’t wake up until sunrise.
Once the others had returned successfully from retrieving Raxtus, Kendra laid out her desires in a strategy meeting. Her Plan. She knew in her heart this was the right decision. They needed to end the Sphinx once and for all, not just rescue their own loved ones. Her responsibility as a handmaiden of the Fairy Queen required her. She needed to free everyone.
At the end of her speech and before objections rose, the scent of rosemary and blossoms floated through the wind like a soft sigh, and white gladiolus flowers broke through the snow around her feet. Ronodin, Muriel, and Patton perked up at the exact same time Kendra smiled.
The sense of magic was familiar. It was the Fairy Queen.
Kendra had followed her gut and it was right. She leaned her head back and relished the blessing of sunshine.
Ronodin slapped his thighs and spoke for everyone.
“Well, that’s settled.”
Notes:
AAAAH! How do we feel about that kiss???
I love Kendra and Garreth (obviously) and they consume my life so I have a few songs I think of her them: francesca by hozier (garreth pov) and treacherous by miss t swift (kendra pov)
Chapter 21: XVIII - corpses
Summary:
Seth and Ronodin enter the ziggurat.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Seth’s group reached the rendezvous point under the dewy morning sun far before the others that had been sent to retrieve Raxtus had. Kendra and Garreth had spent the hours immersed in the old temple’s faded design, while Seth had napped through the sunsnow weather.
By mid-afternoon, Seth was scouting out a less-snowy place for his next nap when he heard Eve scream. He rushed to the noise, feet catching in the snow and pine branches whapping his face, and burst onto the scene.
Eve had her arms thrown around Raxtus’ neck and his snout leaned on her back. Warren was clapping Patton on his back, Ronodin was bickering with Newel and Doren (already), and Muriel and Kendra were speaking near the tents. Garreth arrived and went to congratulate Raxtus on his escape. Seth let out a sigh of relief.
It had been an excited scream.
Later that night, the crew shared the story of how they rescued Raxtus. Of course, Muriel, Patton, and Ronodin did their part to dispatch the guards and break the crystals, but all-in-all Raxtus had truly shined. He wasn’t the weak, defeated dragon Seth had met in the mines anymore. Raxtus had grown into his claws and impenetrable hide, proving the immense strength of a single dragon.
Eve beamed with pride.
Patton even drew a little sketch of the Raxtus in his adventurer’s notebook with a list of the dragon’s traits. Seth made sure Patton added “sass.” Raxtus’s repeated digs at his charming nature remained ingrained in his mind.
Over the next few days, planning consumed their long hours. Kendra outlined her desires, complete with the seal of the Fairy Queen’s approval, and others planned how to execute her goals. After intense deliberation, the group prepared to enact their layered, ambitious plan.
All sub-groups were set to dispatch at the early hours before the sun’s rising tomorrow. The timing protected their necessary stealth as the majority of creatures inside the ziggurat slept the sunshine away. This way, the majority of the ziggurat would be asleep when they hatched their rescue.
It had been Eve’s idea, actually.
That anticipatory night, Warren sent Seth and Eve out to gather more tinder for the fire. They left their cozy spots around the campfire and braved the cold. It was what they got for being the youngest.
Wood-gathering was a never-ending job, and it was quite tedious to find dry tinder in the snowy conditions. Seth stuck out his tongue to catch snowflakes and relished the cool drinks of water. But, the longer he shivered out in the cold, the more he wanted to run back to Raxtus’s warm wings.
“You know, I like not having to hold my tongue in the rafters anymore,” Eve said. She kicked a rotting log open and leaned to inspect the contents. Dead, withered fungus greeted her. “It’s nice.”
Seth knelt and inspected the fallen tree beside her. Along the dark bark, he scraped off green lichen. “I bet.”
“No one ever listened to me back in Terrabelle.”
“You listened to everyone else,” Seth said. Literally. With the tunnels and rafters, everyone’s private conversations became Eve’s entertainment. Seth worried, briefly, about the few conversations he had had prior to learning of Eve’s extensive espionage system. Had he said something embarrassing?
She laughed and moved onto a new tumble of branches, brushing off the snow. “Yes. And, it’s nice to have that reciprocated. They’re using my plan for the timing of the mission tomorrow.”
“I’m glad,” Seth said. He stood up and scanned the area for more lichen. His teeth chattered against his skull. “I-It’s really good.”
“Thank you. I really feel in my element.”
Seth ran his hands up and down his arms to build warmth. When that proved futile, he used his magic to pull heat toward him. Mmm. Warm and toasty. “I hope this mission goes well, because I cannot wait for you to join me and Patton on our expeditions.”
After a little while, Seth had gotten over his original resentment of having to share Patton’s attention. It was childish, of course, and Eve was his friend. She had never had a warm authority figure before, and her delight at impressing Patton was heart-warming. So, he learned to be happy with sharing.
“Don’t even say that!” Eve spun around, her two face-framing braids smacking into her cheeks. Three pearls stopped the end of each. Whenever Seth saw a pearl now, he couldn’t help but think of Terrabelle. The markets had always been crowded with them. “I’m too excited. Newel and Doren have been telling me about your guys’ missions and everything.”
“They don’t even tell the stories well,” Seth complained. He pulled dry leaves off a branch and tucked them in his pouch. The satyrs always remembered Seth’s most embarrassing moments and seemed to forget his heroism. Funny how that worked.
“They tell them well enough,” Eve defended. She used her dagger to peel off layers of bark off a tree.
Seth forgot about gathering tinder and focused on warming himself up again before his fingers turned blue. He glanced at Eve, who looked perfectly fine as she collected more bark.
Eve never complained about the cold, but she had also been the only one who had packed for this mission. She even had a light blue, oversized fur poncho decorated with a pearl trim that kept her extremely warm. Seth knew, because he had worn it before. Somehow, Eve had also kept it relatively clean throughout the whole trip.
Out of all of them, she always seemed the most put-together fashion wise. Even her hair looked nice. Two finger-width braids stopped with pearls hung in front of her face and the rest of her hair was in a pouf, framing her head like a halo. Once, Kendra had told Seth that she hoped Eve’s fashion sense would rub off on him. That hadn’t seemed likely then, and still didn’t now.
“I hope everything goes well tomorrow,” Eve said. She didn’t turn back to look at him, and he could hear the congestion in her voice. He remembered his first mission—how it had felt to be away from home and doing things that scared yet excited him. It hadn’t been easy.
He crossed the distance to Eve and hugged her. Her nose smashed into his shoulder and she sniffled. Rubbing circles into her back, he leaned down to speak.
“It’ll be okay. I promise.”
The sky bled pitch black as Seth said his final goodbyes. The tall pine trees of their camp loomed over their group, and the snow looked like ash under the low light of the receding moon. Ronodin and Seth were the first to be dispatched, and everyone else kept glancing at them like they were already corpses.
While Ronodin reviewed the plan with Warren and Eve, Seth spoke to Kendra far enough away from camp to be private. Snow fell thickly, clumps hitting his shoulders and sliding down his scabbard. Pine trees formed a ring around them, stopping some of the snowfall. She created a small orb of light that floated between them, casting warmth on his forehead.
“Be safe,” Kendra said. Her voice warbled. She pursed her lips and she looked down. Whenever she had bade him farewell on missions in the past, it had always been all smiles and just mild reassurances of safety. He had always had Patton, and the missions were never truly dangerous.
It was different this time.
“I will,” Seth said. “You too, okay?”
She nodded. “I’m not saying goodbye.”
Seth smiled. Warmth blossomed in his chest. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Kendra hugged him tight. It reminded him of when he was little. Kendra would squeeze him so hard he couldn’t breathe. But, now they were older and the same size so she had lost that kind of leverage. They had both grown so much and they would continue to do so because today wouldn’t be the end of their lives--Seth was sure. But, the sun was going to rise soon and Seth needed to begin his leg of the mission.
“I have to go,” he whispered.
She unwrapped her arms and nodded. Tears welled in her eyes and sparkled in the moonlight. “Tell them…tell them I love them when you see them.”
His heart rate spiked. Fatalistic talk before a mission always unnerved him. He grabbed her clammy hands. “You can tell them yourself.”
“I will. But, please?”
He nodded and swallowed the goodbye on the tip of his tongue. With one last crushing hug, Seth left the camp.
High in the sky, freezing wind sliced his face as he leaned down on Raxtus. It was hard to keep a good grasp, considering that Raxtus was invisible. His invisible hands had a tight grip around nothing. His entire body was nothing, and so was Ronodin behind him—all invisible nothingness.
It freaked Seth out. At least when he shadow-walked, he could still see himself.
Raxtus cut an arc over the top of the ziggurat and Seth held his breath. Since everything was invisible, Seth had a clear view of the ziggurat. Enormous, gray steps of the pyramid rose out of the mountain of stone. But, the top wasn’t their destination.
Dew collected on Seth’s invisible face as they swirled through clouds. He blinked it out of the way as they dived down the other side of the ziggurat. Plants Seth didn’t recognize burst relentlessly through the snow on cliff-side terraces, scraped out of the side of the mountain. Fablehaven had mild winters, but even they didn’t bother cultivating crops during the cold winter.
Magic must be involved. Kendra would be excited about that. She loved practical applications of magic. Using it to grow crops during the winter? He could practically imagine her squeal.
Longing seized his lungs. He would see her again. He would.
Down below, small figures toiled the land. While the important residents slept away the day, the servants had shifts at all hours. Ronodin had told them that. It was the first piece of information Ronodin had gleaned and gave to them that proved to be true. A sunny omen.
Raxtus glided into a cluster of trees close to one of the farms. Brambles of thorns and overgrown vegetation attacked the impenetrable scales. Seth and Ronodin slipped off his back as he landed. His skin wasn’t as impenetrable as Raxtus’s and Seth winced as a thorn stabbed his ankle.
Raxtus breathed a little green mist out of his nose and the vegetation grew denser around them. They had their own hideaway now. “Be careful.”
“Don’t you worry,” Ronodin said. He bowed to Raxtus. A unicorn custom? Maybe that was how unicorns said thanks for the ride. But, Seth wasn’t a unicorn so he used his words.
“Thank you.” Seth hugged Raxtus and leaned into the warmth.
Raxtus cloaked himself and took off, creating a wind that pushed against their backs. The dragon was going to go pick up more people and drop them off at their respective positions. Kendra, Muriel, and Garreth were a team, and so were Patton, Warren, and Vanessa. Eve was the coordinator. She spent hours memorizing the overlapping plans and the exact timing of Raxtus’s arrivals and departures in all the various goals. Meanwhile, Seth and Ronodin only had a singular focus: reaching and extracting Grandma and Grandpa. It was a mission that required the utmost stealth, which lended it to the sneakiest of the group.
Together, they began to shadow-walk towards the farm. It was easy with the weak moon still hovering over the horizon and the night’s darkness still a blanket. Servants shifted from harvesting to hefting bundles of dark purple grain into wagons all over the cliffside. Again, the timing was perfect. Thanks, Eve.
Ronodin pointed to the wagon closest to them.
“That one?” Seth whispered.
He nodded and they approached it.
While the servants grabbed another bundle, Ronodin boosted Seth into the wagon. He fell, but the dense purple wheat broke his fall. Ronodin tumbled in after him and Seth felt the familiar cool prickle of Ronodin’s shadow falling over him as well. Seth let his own go, as Ronodin could easily cover them both.
Seth felt a bit bad about dirtying up all these people’s produce, but then he remembered how they had his grandparents. But, he also knew how terrifying fear could control people. His most formidable tool was his magical fear, but it was something he used very sparingly. He remembered the terror Bahumat had caused him. The paralysis of the body and mind. He just felt horrible to inflict that on others. The Sphinx didn’t have any qualms about that, though. Through fear-mongering rhetoric, he turned masses of people into hateful servants.
But Seth didn’t call them victims—there was a fine line. He felt empathetic for scared people amidst the great anxiety that had descended on magicals and mortals alike. But, there were still consequences to letting something like fear gain control over you. While emotions may be manipulated, someone’s actions were their own.
So, while Seth might have dirtied the wheat he lay in, he had no guilt; his hands were clean.
The wagon clanked over the sharp stones and traversed tight turns up the cliff sides. Hitchhiking in a wagon officially ranked as Seth’s worst form of transportation. He kept banging his head and the bumps made their positions change over and over again. This time, he ended up with Ronodin’s feet in his face.
Seth wrinkled his nose and whispered into the dark purple wheat-y ether. “You smell bad.”
Ronodin kicked his foot out. “Shut up.”
The wagon stopped rolling and fear froze Seth’s limbs. Their words didn’t do that, did they?
“Route?” said a gruff voice speaking the goblin language. It had taken time for Seth to be able to tell when other creatures were speaking different languages since the translation came so effortlessly. But, he had finally gotten it.
“To the dungeon kitchens,” a similar gravelly voice answered. Relief flooded Seth. No, they hadn’t heard them.
“On your left, level five.”
The image of Ronodin’s map flashed into Seth’s head. The majority of the ziggurat was underground. The first level was the top they had flown over. Level five was just underneath the skin of the mountain. There were many more levels beneath that, but not all of them numbered.
The creak of a door opening accompanied the wagon travelling again. Once the door slammed shut, the servants began to mutter. They had entered the ziggurt. Seth shivered despite the increased warmth. Avoiding the Sphinx had characterized the past season of Seth’s life, and now they were entering the den of the beast.
The same gravelly voice began complaining to his servant partner. “I know the way. I don’t know why he always feels the need to ask.”
“They think we’re dumb.”
“You are dumb.”
“Shut up.”
The ride became smoother and quieter. Maybe there were quiet hours during the day so the demons and the like could sleep. Seth snuggled into the wheat. Ronodin also tried to get comfortable in the wagon, but ended up kicking Seth’s stomach in the process. He grunted.
“Did you hear that?”
The wagon stopped. Icy adrenaline sped through his veins. He was going to strangle Ronodin after this, if no other demon completed it for him.
“No. But, my arms hurt so bad.”
“Got a good harvest, I guess. The wagon’s so heavy. Way heavier than usually.”
Naturally, Seth assumed that was because of his immense, gigantic muscle mass weighing the cart down. Ronodin was a twig, and it couldn’t possibly be him.
They continued traveling once again and the subtle rocking of the wagon, the low light, and the quiet almost lulled Seth to sleep by the time they got to their destination. Nevertheless, he was awoken by a rude stop.
Seth heard a knock at the door. Followed by another, louder one. They waited a few minutes but nothing else happened. Was this their destination?
The gravelly voice complained again. “They never hear.”
“Well, I’m not going into the kitchens. I hate the smell of that food.”
Personally, Seth found the aroma pretty appetizing. Was that apple pie? He wiped away his thoughts before his stomach growled, but it just smelled so good.
“Whatever. Let’s just go.”
The servants' footsteps rescinded until there was no noise but the rush of blood in Seth’s ears. But, Ronodin could hear better and after he rearranged once again to be next to Seth, he slapped a hand over Seth’s mouth. Seth was really tempted to lick it. Minutes passed as Seth fought the urge.
He almost lost the battle but then Ronodin took his hand off. Missed opportunity. “Let’s go.”
They climbed out of the wagon and emerged into a cave-like hallway. After he surveyed the dark surroundings, Seth’s eyes landed on Ronodin and he slapped a hand over his mouth to suppress his laughter. Purple splotches like paint splashes covered Ronodin’s skin. The wheat’s natural dye must have rubbed off on him. “You look like you took a bath in a wine cask.”
“You don’t look much better.” Ronodin grabbed Seth’s purple hand and held it up to his face as proof.
Huh. He inspected his hand. Seth had always thought of purple as Kendra’s color, but he was kind of rocking it. But, there was no time for such diversions, unfortunately. Seth put his hand down. “Where are we going?”
“A few more levels down.”
Seth followed Ronodin through a series of passageways and stairways carved out of dark stone like Ronodin’s rings. Sconces were lit at intervals too distant to be helpful, and lichen grew along the damp corners of the corridors. With the feeble torch light, Seth wished for Kendra’s magic vision. Ronodin was doing just fine, however. Stupid unicorn night vision. But, it was more than that. Navigating these dungeons seemed like second nature to Ronodin.
Seth tilted his head. “How do you know this place so well?”
Ronodin sighed as he sped down steps two at a time. “I had a cousin who was locked up at one point and I had to break him out.”
“I thought you didn’t get along with your family?”
“I don’t. But, my aunt is really powerful and it’s nice to have something on her,” Ronodin said. His tone was flippant, but he casted his face away like he only did when he wanted to hide his expression. This was personal for Ronodin. His dedication to the mission made more sense. His earlier given reasons were superfluous but this—this was personal.
Seth watched as Ronodin kept collecting shadow from the dark corridor to build a darker cover around them. The dark layer chilled the warm, earthy air and Seth could see his white breath again. “Did you get him out and everything?”
“Yeah.” Ronodin glanced over at Seth. He put a finger to his lips and narrowed his eyes. “So I know I can do this. But I also know the Sphinx still holds a grudge about my previous break out, so it would be best if we do this quickly and silently.”
Laughter bubbled up in Seth at Ronodin’s frank dismissal, but he suppressed it for the unicorn’s wish of silence. “Noted.”
The ziggurat’s tunnels looked as if huge moles had carved straight into and hollowed out the mountain. For some reason, he had always thought of the ziggurat as a step pyramid standing tall in some field. But, it made sense, in hindsight, that the mountain cloaked most of the ziggurat. Otherwise, it was kind of hard to defend such an eyesore.
Supposedly, they were using service pathways used only by the servants but Seth’s memory of the map was a little too fuzzy to be sure of that. But that was okay. He trusted Ronodin’s guidance. Sure, the guy was mischievous and a total scammer, but he also has been somewhat of a friend to Seth for the past several years. Plus, there really was no alternative to not relying on Ronodin. No one else had even an iota of familiarity with the ziggurat. And Ronodin had proven multiple times that he did.
Sweat dampened the fur of Seth’s heavy coat, and his hat became uncomfortably warm even despite the cold shadow cover. Deep inside the mountain, it felt like they were wading through the earth’s damp, hot breath. Seth unbuttoned his coat and flapped it around as they continued their journey. The heat was just absolutely oppressive.
Soon enough, the scrape of a sword against a sheath interrupted the silence of their slinking. It sounded close. Just around the bend up ahead. Instinctively, Seth flattened to the wall.
Ronodin leaned down to Seth. “Follow my lead.”
Seth nodded, and followed Ronodin’s confident strut a step behind.
Around the corner, two guards leaned against the entrance to the dark metal dungeon doors. Upon seeing Seth and Ronodin, they frowned. Scales covered the sparse uncovered skin of the guards underneath their heavy armor that was as dark as the new moon’s night sky. They lounged on the wall and one used his dagger to pick his nails.
A split tongue flickered in between the green-skinned guard’s teeth. “ID?”
Ronodin rolled his eyes. “Do you not recognize me?”
The green-skinned guard narrowed his eyes. The other one, with bright purple scales, stopped grooming himself with his dagger and straightened. “Do you have an ID?”
“Of course not,” Ronodin snapped. It came natural for Ronodin to act like a priss. He just had to drop his usual polite act.
Goosebumps prickled on Seth’s skin as the temperature dived toward freezing. The torches flickered in and out, and the shiver of magical fear spread across the room. If there was any doubt about the source, Ronodin ignited a cold blue fire in his hand. “Have you ever met a shadow charmer who relied on a card to certify their status?”
Frost sprouted from the cracks in the grout and crept over the boots of the guards. The implicit threat had the guards sizing Ronodin up. Evidently, they came to the conclusion that many had before in confrontations with Ronodin—that his charming appearance was simply a facade and weighed, instead, the malice in his eyes. After careful consideration, the green-skinned guard shook his head. “No, sir.”
The purple-scaled guard bowed. “Your name, sir?”
Seth knew the unicorn was eating this up. Lording his power over others was probably the man’s favorite pastime. A self-satisfied smirk grew across the unicorn’s face.
“Ronodin.”
The smirk dropped and Ronodin tensed ever so slightly. At that moment, Seth knew Ronodin had messed up. His stupid reflex had damned them. There was no doubt the Sphinx had popularized the name of a jail-breaking dark unicorn, and he had just told them his real name.
The green guard crept backward towards a rope hanging from the ceiling. Probably a warning bell. Well, that wasn’t going to happen.
Seth thrust out his hand and froze the damp air. The burgeoning ice dust on the green-skinned guard’s boots burst into icicles that wrapped around the green guard’s legs. He toppled to the ground.
Seth drew his sword and slashed the dangling rope before anyone could get any ideas about it. The green guard drew his own blade and hacked at the ice around his feet. Seth swung his sword flat-side into his nose and watched the guard fall limp over his iced feet.
In his own altercation, Ronodin dodged the swipe of the purple guard’s dagger and kicked his midsection. Ronodin’s foot ricocheted off the dark armor with a painful wince. “Holy fuck.”
Instead of more kicks, the unicorn tackled the purple guard to the ground. The helmet rolled off, and he punched him squarely in the nose over and over until consciousness fled the guard and his face was unrecognizable. Ronodin rolled over with a sigh. His knuckles were sticky with silver blood.
Seth lowered his sword with heavy breaths. “Just follow your lead, huh?”
“Shut up,” Ronodin said. His face was flushed. “We need to get going.”
“Think anyone heard all of that?”
“Don’t have time to decide,” Ronodin said. He wrenched open the dungeon doors. They clanged against the wall. A long, dark hallway with arches on either side leading to dark cells waited for them.
“Where are we going now?” Seth asked.
“We’re here. This is the level for non-magical, important prisoners. Your grandparents,” Ronodin said.
Excitement flooded Seth. He was almost to his grandparents. “Lucky us.”
They embarked down the first dimly lit hallway. Damp air hung still and stuck to their faces, a sharp contrast to the dry coldness outside the ziggurat. A roach crept down the wall and turned into a cell. Seth gagged. Metal bars stretched from the floor to ceiling on the cells, but most of them were empty. Maybe the Sphinx didn’t have that many non-magical prisoners. It would take a lot of resources to move far-flung opponents all the way to the mountains. Maybe he just killed them instead.
With no warning, a tremor ran through the floor, bouncing little rocks along the way. Seth lost his footing and crashed to the ground.
He quickly scrambled up. “What was that?”
Ronodin picked up the pace. He hasn’t fallen, and just pushed his dark hair out of his face. “Let’s not find out.”
After their hallway proved to be deserted, they returned to the main corridor and took different routes.
The hallway Seth chose had people. Some jumped at their bars and hissed at him while others sat silently in the corner of their cells. It was extremely depressing.
He scanned every cell for a glimpse of his grandparents.
Seth wanted to release everyone, but the enemy of his enemy was not always his friend. He had learned that before on missions. Plus, if Kendra’s plan worked out, they just might be able to release everyone. He trusted in her to complete her part and focused on completing his for now.
“Seth?”
Seth startled. That was his grandma’s voice. He froze and doubled back to the voice. How could he have passed his grandparents?
He hadn’t recognized them at first glance, but did now. Their cell was the same dark stone as everyone else’s, and he slashed his sword across the bars. It just banged off. Hopefully Ronodin heard that loud bang and would come running.
“It’s Seth, Stan,” Grandma said. Her hair was a rat’s nest, futilely tied up with a ribbon. Dirt and tears massacred her fine clothes, her eyes sunk far deeper into her skull than he had ever saw, and her face sagged with wrinkles. But, most jarring of all, her bones jutted out of her paper-thin skin.
In Grandma’s lap was Grandpa’s head, and he didn’t look much better. He could barely open his eyes. “Seth?”
They looked like corpses. Seth was used to the undead, sure, but this rattled him more than anything he had ever seen. But, they didn’t need to know of his shock and so he schooled his face. He could be strong for his grandparents, like they had been all his life until now. Their care-giving roles switched as was inevitable in any aging family. But, that didn’t dull the sting of grief.
“I’m here,” Seth said. He grasped the metal bars and cooled them down until cracks began to appear. He drew his sword and slashed through the frosted bars, cutting through the top. He did the same at the bottom of the bars, and the severed poles clattered to the ground. This had been his dream ever since they had been sieged, but he couldn’t indulge his thoughts or emotions at the moment. If he did, he would collapse with heartache and relief.
He stepped in and pulled Grandma up. Grandpa’s head clunked to the ground.
“Go out the opening,” Seth said.
“But, your grandfather.”
“I have him.” Seth heaved to pull his Grandpa to his feet and hooked Grandpa’s arm around his shoulder. As just skin and bones, he wasn’t terribly heavy but carrying a man of such tall stature still encumbered Seth.
Grandma coughed and shuffled forward. Seth likewise struggled to get Grandpa out with him leaning on him. He couldn’t do this. Not quickly enough. Not alone.
“Ronodin!” Seth yelled. He hadn’t seen any guards along his way and hoped that still held true. “Ronodin!”
Seth gasped for air with Grandpa leaning on him. “Try to stand, Gramps.”
“He can’t,” Grandma said. “He’s been sick.”
Hot tears began to roll down Seth’s face. His grandparents were so beaten down; it was terrifying. They had always been his figures of absolute regal stability, and now Grandpa leaned all his weight on him. Life was a circle.
By the time they reached the end of the hallway, Ronodin sped down the adjacent one to meet them. He took in the scene and picked up Grandma bridal-style. If she had been more lucid, she would’ve kicked and screamed, especially since it was Ronodin. Seth’s heart twisted to witness his loved ones so subdued.
“It’s time to get out of here,” Ronodin said.
They doubled back the way they came, slower with their cargo. Grandpa spit up a bit on him, and if Seth wasn’t so terrified, he would have reacted with disgust. As it was, he was just grateful his grandfather was alive.
As they reached the dungeon doors, long shadows marched across the wall and a group of guards turned the corner. Before the guards could take in the two unconscious guard men, Seth, and Ronodin, Seth thrust out his hand and created a barricade of icicles.
They ran back the way they came.
“Where do we go?” Seth yelled. He shifted to carry Grandpa bridal-style and grunted as he kept going.
“I don’t know. We’re going to need to—AAAH!”
A blinding light seared Seth’s eyes. His entire surrounding became bright white before fading. They froze in their tracks.
“What is going on?” Ronodin yelled.
Seth blinked his eyes out.
“It’s the Queen,” Grandma whispered into Ronodin’s chest. “It has to be.”
“The Fairy Queen?” Seth asked. Kendra was succeeding. It had to mean that. The alternative was that it was some kind of mourning and he wiped that thought away. Fatalism succeeded in nothing helpful.
“Whatever they’re doing, I don’t care. We have to keep going,” Ronodin said.
Seth nodded and gulped down breaths. Exhaustion pulled at his strained arms. His lungs felt fit to burst; every breath filled with knives slicing his throat.
He forced his jerky legs to move again. Breaking-down was for later. Survival was now.
They jogged down a different hallway with the same dark, dim stone. There was not a single identifiable mark. Seth felt trapped in a never-ending mirror maze. The walls squeezed in on him.
“We can try to find another exit,” Ronodin said.
“Where?”
“I don’t know!”
Seth sucked in a breath. Focus. What could they do? Go back the way they came?
No, there were guards that way. Maybe there really was only one exit and it functioned as a bottleneck for the dungeon. But, Seth had looked at the sketches of the ziggurat, too, and he knew that the mountain hid levels upon levels of dungeon.
There was no way, administratively, that the entire dungeon could be serviced with one exit. Sustenance and surveillance were needed. Even with Fablehaven’s own jail, there were multiple exits for the brownies and other administrative help. That had to hold true for the ziggurat. Logistics caved to no mortal.
“We should find a servant’s tunnel,” Seth said.
“They weren’t on the map I saw last time I was here.”
“That doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Think about it. They were everywhere else. They still have to serve food down here. The map-makers probably just didn’t want outsiders to know the details of the dungeon,” Seth said.
Grandpa’s drool seeped through Seth’s shirt. He just needed to hang on a little while longer. Seth would get them all out of here. He had promised Kendra she would see their grandparents again, and he meant that. She would. They would all return and pick up their broken pieces and become a family again. Seth kissed Grandpa’s forehead. Stay awake.
Ronodin nodded. “Okay.”
They jogged slower now, inspecting the walls as they passed. Frustration began to build in Seth as the same identical cells never seemed to end, but then something caught his eye. Of course! It wasn’t going to be in the corridor in plain sight.
Seth slowed down and set Grandpa down on the floor gently. He did the ice trick on the bars of the cell in front of him again and slashed them away. Once he sheathed his sword, he stepped into the cell.
“Look,” he said. On the far cell wall, a slab of the wall stood slightly ajar—just enough for Seth to notice the slight shadow. It must be a hidden servant’s door.
“You're a genius, Seth,” Ronodin said.
Seth preened as he stepped back out to pick up his Grandpa. All together, they entered the servant’s tunnel.
Once Ronodin closed the door behind him, there was no light at all. Seth created a small fire on his fingertip to light the way, careful of his Grandpa in his arms. He held the finger far away from him. Everything ached—his heart, his back, his arms, his legs, his eyes. Exhaustion weaseled in to his fiber, weakening his will.
After a few minutes, they arrived at another stone door complete with the same never-ending black stone. Only his nightmares had ever had such perfect uniform cages.
He nudged the door open with his foot.
They were in another kitchen, yet this one was deserted. It made sense. The dungeons would need a place to make food. But, where was everyone? The thought escaped him. He didn’t care.
Seth looked around. “Where to, now?”
“Well, I think we’ve lost them,” Ronodin said. He looked at Seth up and down and concern turned down his lips. “A quick break while we’re alone.”
“I’m fine,” Seth said. “We can keep going.”
“No,” Ronodin said. “My calves hurt.”
No they didn’t, Seth thought. But, he took it for what it was and laid Grandpa down. For a few moments, he sat on the cool floor and breathed in and out. The peace and quiet energized his mind.
Ronodin sat Grandma beside Grandpa, and poked around the kitchen.
“If this is the same as the one we first entered, there should be a corridor straight to the exterior of the mountain. For farming purposes,” Ronodin said, which made enough sense.
“Where are all the workers? I thought they worked all day,” Seth said. His mind had caught the thought again after his brief rest.
“Me too. I don’t know. Something’s happening.”
“Something good, I hope.”
Ronodin came back and picked up Grandma. “That would be fortunate, yes. But, either way, we need to get moving. I think I found the corridor we need.”
Seth nodded, but then hesitated. Desperation moved his tight lips. “First, can you do something? For them, I mean?”
He knew Ronodin was a unicorn. Even though he had mastered more dark magic than light, Seth believed he had to have dabbled in some type of healing before. He had to. Please, please—he had to.
His grandparents were so freakishly out of it and it was terrifying Seth.
Ronodin grimaced. “I always sucked at healing.”
Seth pushed the hair back from Grandma’s forehead. She grabbed his hand, and focused her lost eyes on him. “Seth?”
“Please, Ronodin.”
The unicorn sighed and knelt next to Grandpa first. With his hand held over Grandpa’s forehead, he exhaled. Seth didn’t see anything happen, but Ronodin moved on to Grandma and did the same.
She smiled faintly and closed her eyes again. Her grip dropped from his hand.
The adrenaline left Seth’s body and it shook on its departure. Tears rolled down his face and his hands trembled. He wasn’t safe yet, but he felt safe. His grandparents were stable. “Sorry. Thank you.”
Ronodin looked uncomfortable. “No. It’s okay. I’ll take your Grandpa this time. Just…it’s okay, Seth. Unicorns are notoriously bad at emotions, but—”
“That explains a lot,” Seth laughed wetly and sniffled.
Ronodin grinned. He knelt and picked up Grandpa. “I suppose it does.”
Seth pushed himself to his feet and waited for the last of his tremors to subside before doing the same with Grandma. He still shook, but not as bad as he just had.
Seth had not been as prepared as he had thought he had been. But, truly, there wasn’t much he could’ve done to anticipate his grandparents’ conditions without worrying himself into the ground.
They embarked through the new corridor. Seth didn’t know if it was similar to the one before, because they had been buried under purple wheat at the time, but the damp, earthy smell was familiar. Plus, the dark stone was the same as every other place in the ziggurat.
After a lengthy walk, they came to a wooden door and Seth exhaled in relief. Finally. Something other than the dark stone. Ronodin nudged it open.
Gentle sunlight filtered through the mountains. Paintstrokes of red, pink, white, and blue formed the cloudy sunrise. Dry, cold air rushed in to greet their damp faces and snow chilled the sweat under their coats.
In a section of hidden deep brush, they set down their sleeping charges before sitting down themselves. The worst was over. Together, they had recovered his grandparents successfully. Something that had seemed like a dream months, weeks, or even hours ago.
Seth let the excitement, pride, and exhaustion wash over him. Now, they just had to wait for Raxtus to find and airlift them.
Dry wind tousled the leaves that Seth watched the sun rise through. The glowing sun broke the horizon, its rays finding Seth’s face and warming the chill the months of winter had inflicted on him.
It was warm.
The sun was rising.
And it was a new day.
Notes:
AAAAAH three chapters left!!
Also, if you have any thoughts, please comment them below! I love writing but without feeling like I have an audience enjoying it alongside me, it can sometimes be demoralizing.
Thank you so much for reading!!!
Chapter 22: XIX - doors of death
Summary:
Kendra, Garreth, and Muriel enter the Ziggurat.
Notes:
This is about double the size of a normal chapter but I really just hated the idea of splitting it into two. Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
A sliver of dark red shone over the horizon, the sun not yet risen, and the blood from the cyclical battle of the moon and sun spilled across the sky. The bitter wind that usually cut through the dense pine forests whistling like sharp reprimands kept quiet today and the trees stood still like gravestones without the breeze to dance with their branches. Rushing river water smothered its constant roar out of respect. Foxes, squirrels, and stink bugs stared at Kendra from the tree coverage. Clouds remained immovable in their positions. The world held its breath. Everything was waiting.
Kendra, Garreth, and Muriel waved goodbye to their empty camp. They were the last group to depart. At the moment, Kendra felt like they were the lone survivors. There was no way to tell how the others were faring inside the Ziggurat—if Ronodin and Seth had gotten into the lower levels to rescue her grandparents or if the others had reached the imprisoned Fablehaven court. She held her breath. She was waiting to know.
Despite the anxiety, Kendra placed her hope solidly in Ronodin’s knowledge of the Ziggurat, Eve’s planning, and the ingenuity and resilience of her team. There was nowhere else to put her hope and holding it just weighed her down.
With each beat of Raxtus’s invisible wings against the dark morning sky, Kendra inhaled and exhaled like a pendulum clock. Time was ticking, and the flight was short under the vast cover of gray. Now was the time to be precise about everything. Her breathing. How much energy she was routing to Raxtus. The rustling of her unseen skirts. Everything.
She had her huge fur coat over the clothing Madeline had made for her. The white skirts refused to be stained and although Kendra hadn’t felt any different when Vanessa had laced up the flowery corset, she trusted Madeline.
But, Kendra still needed her heavy coat because the gauzy-sleeved outfit was very light. Madeline must have started making it in fall, before the raid. It was not fit for winter.
Not really for fall, either, but Kendra didn’t question her. The young woman’s bug eyes traced everyone’s silhouette like she could discover their measurements just by sight. If anyone knew magic and fashion, it was Madeline.
The intersection of fabric and magic was an interesting, well-researched application. Fashionable spells weren’t like everything else in magical knowledge—built up and then burnt down and now recovering from the ashes. Magical seamstresses tended to survive through purges as kings and queens loved pretty, pretty clothes that couldn't get stained by the blood of chopped-off heads.
In an aberrant way, Kendra thought of her flowy skirt and flowery corset as her battle outfit. Sorcerers tended not to wear armor as heavy metal just got in the way of fluid movement and didn’t defend against most magic. But, this springtime dress? This could work.
Topping off all her clothes, Kendra also wore Eve’s gift: a pearl necklace. Eve had told her it symbolized all of Terrabelle behind her. A nice sentiment even if very much untrue. But, sometimes, Kendra hoped that the Terrabellian market vendors and courtesans that knew her as a regular rooted for her despite her legal transgressions. And, sometimes, she wondered how they were doing. She hoped well enough considering the circumstances.
Ronodin and Muriel were also dressed for success. Muriel wore her usual rags, and Garreth had a chainmail shirt and green tunic underneath his fur coat. Their clothes were such a small component of the mission, but it was what Kendra focused on to fill her mind on the flight. The fashion thought bubble popped on the piercing tip of the ziggurat as their destination came into view.
The top of the ziggurat rose out of the mountain top, with only a few levels in the open-air to boast of. Kendra knew the steps continued far inside the mountain, but from the outside it didn’t seem so formidable. The dark stone gleamed in the burgundy glow of the incarnadine sky.
Raxtus flew over rows of wraiths and other magical creatures armed with swords and bows and a whole lot of other weapons rarely used outside of humans, which was very bizarre. Traditions of magical fighting called on staffs of wood or fists of flesh. Natural and full of life. Not the cold, tapered, manipulated metal that belonged to a purely human fighting style.
But, the rows of unnatural defenses didn’t phase her, because Raxtus was something no one could defend themselves from. With the complete isolation of draconic society within Wyrmroost, very few people had ever seen a dragon before. None could imagine an invisible one.
Raxtus alighted on the top-most level—a slab about the size of a horse stall. His talons barely fit. Kendra slid off his back, with one hand on him at all times to keep her body invisible. The dark stone sent pangs of cold through her boots, and the striking wind cut through her coat. The world was awakening.
She felt along the slab until her magic spiked. Detecting magic was something she had never been able to do before but, as she became more attuned to her own magic, she began to notice its fluctuations in the world around her. She was even beginning to sense magic in others. Still, she needed tactile contact, but it was new and exciting.
With a deep breath, she flooded her magic through her fingers and into the slab. Her unparalleled reservoir overwhelmed the spell in place with magic, and the trapdoor edge popped up. It was sort of like funneling the entire ocean through the eye of a needle. Nothing could withstand the force of millions of gallons of water rushing.
“Got it,” Kendra whispered. Despite the invisibility, she could still see the cloud of warm air created by her breath. Garreth and Muriel dropped down beside her—ascertained by the thumps accompanying their veiled feet.
With a beat of his wings, Raxtus flew off. Kendra, Garreth, and Muriel suddenly became visible but not before quickly slipping into the ziggurat.
The trapdoor closed with a huff and plunged the three into darkness. Well, darkness for Garreth. For Muriel and Kendra, the cramped space was gray. They weren’t going to risk light, though, so Kendra just grabbed Garreth’s hand to lead him. Of course, it also felt very nice.
But that was not what Kendra was thinking about. Obviously.
A level down, they found an armory. Glimmering swords, polished bows, chains, whips, maces, spears, nets, tridents, axes, daggers, and all kinds of murderous tools decorated the large room. Blades covered every surface and no spot of wall could be found underneath all the weapons. But, they had a plan to follow, and so Kendra continued to the door on the opposite side of the armory. Seth would've loved all the cool weapons, though.
But, when Kendra had her hand on the doorknob to exit, a familiar voice caught her attention.
“Funny seeing you here.”
Kendra turned around and found Gavin emerging from the shadows. He twirled a spiky baton before putting it down and picking up a new weapon. His fine clothes hung nicely off his frame and he flexed his muscles as he fixed his hair. He flashed her a winning smile.
Muriel cackled next to Kendra and Garreth tensed. Their hands were still joined, and Kendra knew for sure Garreth could feel her sweaty palms.
She should’ve expected their plan to immediately go off the rails. That just kind of happened to her, all the time. At this point, she should plan for failure and watch fate twist reality towards success just to spite her.
“We don’t have to fight,” Kendra said. That would be horrible considering the million ways to kill someone stacked up all around her.
“I agree.” Gavin inspected the sword in his hands and grimaced. Not gaudy enough for him? He put it down and picked up twin scimitars instead. “Join me.”
He was out of his mind. Was this some long-run goal? What had he gained from his previous transgressions if so? His motives were inscrutable, unless Kendra only thought of opportunistic greed. Then, every one of his decisions made sense.
Kendra narrowed her eyes. “Join you?”
“Look, I gave up my life as a dragon decades ago to gain the flexibility to plan all this. I wouldn’t have done that if it wasn’t a smart investment. You’re a smart girl. You’re a powerful girl. Join us.”
Her flesh prickled in disgust. She never wanted to be included in an “us” with Gavin. “I’m not like you. I’m not selfish, you asshole.”
Gavin rolled his eyes and focused back on her. Was it good acting or did she see a touch of panic in his eyes? “Kendra, please, I am trying to offer you an out. I genuinely like you. I can’t do much about Garreth, they just don’t want him. But, you!” He swung his new sword around indiscriminately and knocked several hanging helmets to the ground. She winced at the discordant bang. “We can find a place for you.”
“I don’t want your vision of the world.”
“You don’t see what we see.”
“I do.”
“Look, you’re not like the other sorcerers. You were blessed by the Queen. You’re practically half-god anyway. You won’t have to do what they will.” Gavin pursed his lips. “It’s better than the inevitable if you go against the Sphinx.”
Kendra scrunched her nose. “I’m not a traitor to my people like you.”
Gavin groaned, and Kendra could see his familiar temper flare in clenched fists. “All this talk of loyalty and yet…you ran when Fablehaven was falling, right? You ran all the way to Terrabelle where you played house with this guy.” He put a hand to his mouth and whispered. “Him? Really? You’re pulling down my market value if this is my replacement.”
“Hey,” Garreth said. He raised his sword. But, this wasn’t about him.
Gavin flicked a hand in his direction. “Pipe down.”
“Bring us to the Sphinx,” Kendra said. She raised her fingers to cast magic and felt the familiar warmth build inside her.
Gavin raised his hands in surrender and shrugged. He threw his sword back on the rack, causing an entire rack of weapons to fall in a cacophony of sound. “Fine. You want to do everything the hard way. Right this way.”
Kendra looked at Garreth. His surprise mirrored her own. The ease of her request made Kendra feel like it was a bad idea. But, she felt that way about almost every mission they did, so really this feeling was an indication they were on the right track.
“Bringing the hag was a nice touch. Her smell will undoubtedly knock out your enemies.” Gavin pinched his nose as he walked past them and led them through the door.
Muriel cackled more. She really kept up the true witch stereotype. Kendra wondered if she developed her witchy laugh before or after attaining great magic. “Thank you.”
Gavin led them down several flights of stairs and along efficient pathways. At one point, he even submitted to an ID check to continue. He seemed to think seeing the Sphinx was a death wish, but it was Kendra’s wish to make. Besides, once Gavin had already encountered the group, what was the other outcome for them? Being imprisoned? This way she could at least try to execute her plan before she ended up being the one executed.
They entered a new corridor and Kendra’s curiosity got the best of her.
“Why did you do it?” Kendra asked. If this was the end, she would at least like some answers. “Why did you sell us out?”
Gavin laughed. “Kendra, darling. You must have forgotten who I am if you think I’d tell you.”
“I still remember that you’re a slimy bastard.”
“Ouch. I’m very hurt.”
They entered a decorated, ornate sitting room. Mythical statues lined the walls. Beaded fabrics adorned the walls and Kendra knew her time for questions was over. This must be the Sphinx’s waiting room. It was very nice. Gavin knocked on the dark walnut double doors. “After you.”
They all stepped forward but Gavin drew his sword to block them. “Just Kendra.”
“Absolutely not,” Garreth said. “All of us or nothing.”
“Don’t care,” Gavin said. “Then, you’ll get nothing and I’ll just go ahead and take all of you to the dungeons.”
Kendra clenched her hands in terror. Could she do it? Could she face the Sphinx alone? As she took a breath, she steadied herself. If it came down to it, yes. Yes, she could.
“What’s the harm? I’m just a hag and he’s just a human.” Muriel gnawed on her gums. No one ever discerned Muriel’s incredible power just from looking at her.
But, Gavin had been to Fablehaven before and he wasn’t dumb. He saw through the charade. “The Sphinx only wants to see Kendra.”
“Did he know we were coming?” Kendra asked.
“Are you kidding? Of course. We’ve been waiting all month for you to show up. I’m so glad you’re finally here so I can stop having the day shift.” Gavin cracked his knuckles. “I miss all the parties.”
Was this all for nothing?
No.
No. It wasn’t. They were going to make a stand. And maybe the others were going to have a more successful time if all the attention was on Kendra and they believed her group to be the only invaders. They could take the heat off of everyone else. Though, Kendra worried they might not be able to survive the burn.
Gavin cracked open the door. “Go in. I’ll hang out with your friends while you have your talk.”
Kendra slipped through, and the door slammed shut behind her, silencing Garreth and Muriel’s protests. She could do this.
The Sphinx’s quarters were nothing like she expected. It was nothing like the dark, gloomy evil lair she had dreamed up in her mind. There wasn’t even a pit of lava. Instead, hanging loops of beads crisscrossed the ceiling. Elaborate rugs and plush pillows covered the floor in tassels and intricate designs. Together, the red, purple, and yellow tones of the furniture created the illusion of a sunset. It was warm.
Moreover, Kendra had imagined a tall, skinny, frowning man as the Sphinx. Maybe the avatar of a dragon or a unicorn. He had always stood as an imposing, terrifying, and evil-looking figure in her mind.
But, for a moment, she almost asked the man in front of her to find the Sphinx for her. He just didn’t look evil. The large, not-quite-tall smiling man lounged on one of the pillows. He just looked like someone’s dad with his locs tied in a ponytail and his easy-going demeanor. “Welcome, Kendra. I am the Sphinx.”
Practiced instinct kicked in and she sent a sharp slice of light speeding toward his neck. Before it even reached halfway, the room plunged into cold darkness.
Kendra couldn’t see anything. Zero. Nothing. Not even her outthrust hand.
Complete darkness was foreign to her. Kendra had never been so blind in years. Panic picked up the pace of her heart. She had forgotten the disorientation that accompanied such deprivation of sight. She tried to step forward, but she bumped into a chair. Sweat pooled on her neck despite the plunging temperature. Chills pierced her adrenaline-infused confidence as her teeth began to chatter. Her fingers stiffened and goose flesh broke out across her arms. He had brought the dead of winter inside.
Seth and Ronodin’s magical darkness had never overcome her sight before. Nothing had ever overcome it before. But the Sphinx had.
“Well, that wasn’t diplomatic.”
Kendra didn’t answer. She cupped her hands in front of her, relying on the touch of her flesh to assure her of her positioning. She attempted to pull light into an orb in front of her, but the darkness stifled the blazing spark with a hiss.
She felt out for any vegetation or life she could use. There were potted plants around, but without her sight, she didn’t know where to direct them. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tensed and tried to reach for anything. Oh, please, just anything.
“I want to have a conversation. If you please.”
Kendra opened her eyes. “Fine.”
The darkness abated but the freezing temperature stayed. A frown replaced the smile on the Sphinx’s face. He didn’t look so friendly anymore. “Take a seat.”
Kendra fell onto a pillow, the cushion cradling her. Her hands shook underneath her but she ensured her voice did not. If she couldn’t fight, she could most definitely talk. “How are you so powerful?”
He chuckled and cracked his neck as he leaned back in his cushioned chair. “Magic is a mirror. I have my own gods.”
Her brows furrowed. She thought back to her dad’s old mythological textbooks. Even those hadn’t really spoken of other deities. “I’ve never heard of any magical god other than the Fairy Queen.”
He sighed. She had never expected to feel any sympathy for the Sphinx, but the pain on his face caused a twinge of her heart. She never expected him to smile or so colorfully decorate or look so sad. She hadn’t prepared for the charismatic, fully-dimensional Sphinx that his followers had fallen prey to.
“The knowledge was lost long ago just like most magic—burned away in the countless purges over the years,” the Sphinx said. “It’s one of life’s greatest sorrows.”
Kendra hadn’t expected to agree with him on anything either. But, she stopped herself from sympathizing. This was a man that had orchestrated the capture of her grandparents and the siege of her city. He wanted her and her brother dead. His reasoning didn’t matter. Anyone could cry or frown or sigh or say nice things. But, his actions revealed his eviler intentions.
So, she only nodded.
He tilted his head and the frown became a slight grin. “You hate me.”
Of course she did. “Of course I do.”
“I was once like you,” he said. His tone was wistful, and his eyes drifted above her head to nothing. He was thinking. He was distracted. Was this her best chance?
As he spoke, she crept the stem of the leafy potted plant sitting in the corner across the room. “I was idealistic. I thought humans and magic could coexist. I thought it was cruel for magical creatures to keep magic from humans. Knowledge is knowledge, after all.”
The stem was long enough now, and the chlorophyllic layers peeled back until it was as sharp as a dagger.
“But, then humans killed my friends. Not once. Not twice. Over and over again. Movements would come and go about peace and acceptance, but nevertheless the pendulum would swing back into violence and ostracization. Humans cannot help themselves. The ones who cannot wield magic. Naturally, they want to rid anything that could be a threat.”
Kendra didn’t listen. She had the green leafy shank poised inches from his neck. She was ready. But, she hesitated.
“When I was a young adult, all humans’ strongest weapons were pointy sticks—which stood no test to any magic. But, then swords and daggers and fire and crystalline weapons crept into use. It’s too easy now. Humans have tipped the balance of nature and artificially armed themselves against the very forces of life itself.”
The shank wavered in the air. How many of her magical constituents had died in purges? In fires? In riots?
“If humans get to have magic too, it’s inevitable. They’ll overtake magical creatures.”
No. The Sphinx wasn’t the answer to these complicated issues. He used violence and intimidation and fear. The empathy he showed now was a thin farce.
The green dagger shot forward. It barely penetrated his neck before ice chopped off the stem and left it limp. Ice grew over Kendra’s hands and feet until she was rooted to the spot. The Sphinx frowned, and her heart dropped to her stomach at the failure.
But, nevertheless, Kendra had nicked him. Red blood crept down his neck to his shoulders and stained his tunic.
Red blood.
Red.
It was not the ice that rendered her numb. Her mind sped a million miles and her mouth dropped open. “You’re a sorcerer. You’re human.”
“I wasn’t lying when I said I was once you.”
Kendra squeezed her eyes shut. What? She opened them. Emotional exhaustion overwhelmed her. He wasn’t a wizard or some mythological being. He was human. But how had he lived so long?
None of this made any sense to her. His existence, his motives—nothing.
“But, how can you…you’re a sorcerer! How can you hate other sorcerers?”
“I don’t hate them. But, the power is not for others to handle. Truly, Kendra, I only trust myself.”
“You just want the power. You don’t want others to have it.”
He raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his drink. When he put it down, he leveled her with a look that made her feel so young and chastised. She felt the chasm of wisdom, experience, and age between them. “Have you been listening? Humans don’t need any more power. They create enough. They innovate enough. They just get better at killing and expanding their will over nature. Magic will die if humans have it. They’ll use it to kill and expand.”
“But, that’s what you’re doing. Killing and expanding your domain. You are the power-hungry sorcerer you fear.”
The Sphinx scanned her. He stayed silent.
Kendra flipped her hair out of her face to deal with her immovable, frozen hands. Her tone mounted with insistency. “We can co-exist. We do it in Fablehaven. Sorcerers are a bridge.”
The crackle and pop of the braziers filled the Sphinx’s silence as he stared, unimpressed. Ice shards bit into her hands and chilled her boots. She willed any words to come to her. Anything. But, so many thoughts flew and crashed into her and none could coalesce into something to save her.
The Sphinx heaved a heavy sigh and stood up, cracking his back. “I was wrong. You’ll never understand.”
He kicked a floor pillow away and revealed a shining sword. After inspecting the blade, he turned to her and raised it high.
Kendra had been a fool. She couldn’t take on this man who had lived thousands of years and knew things no one else on Earth did.
The blade sparkled above her. Would she become a saint? Would the mythology textbooks splay her likeness across a page and talk of the handmaiden’s last stand against the immortal Sphinx? Would servants pray to her in years to come wishing for her protection against witchhunters and evil kings and power-hungry sorcerers?
Would their tears wet statues and what would they leave at hers? Offerings of pretty red apples, salty tears, desperate words, and kneeling, bruised knees?
Or would she instead become a reviled figure. People cursing her name when the world became worse and worse. Magical creatures talking about the handmaiden that was supposed to protect them but fled to Terrabelle of all places and abandoned them to be driven to extinction by fearful humans and the Sphinx alike. Would her name become an expletive? Would she become the bogeyman for young, magical children?
Or would she fade into nothingness? An irrelevant, sad girl who really couldn’t have actually been a handmaiden because—come on, just look at her!
These alternate histories flashed through Kendra’s mind, curdling terror, sadness, guilt, and anger into an explosive, primal scream. The few potted plants along the walls exploded into a mess of vines and leaves and flowers that turned the room into a leafy jungle. But the Sphinx’s sword continued its downward arc, slicing through any vegetative barriers with a hiss.
Just as Kendra let her final tear escape, the door burst open against the walls. The Sphinx paused the execution as Garreth tumbled through. In the sliver of the open doors, she caught a glimpse of magic blasts and blood and Muriel and Gavin tussling. The Sphinx thrust his hand out and closed the entry doors, ice freezing them in place.
Garreth yelled as he ran toward them. “Kendra!”
“Garreth!” Her hoarse voice mounted in intensity. The vines, leaves, and flowers parted for him as he approached. Kendra didn’t even mean to; it just happened.
“The Terrabellian prince. What a nuisance.” The Sphinx scrunched his face in disgust and let his sword scrape the floor as he dropped his hand. Kendra let out her breath. It wasn't her end. Not yet. Thanks to Garreth.
Speaking of, Kendra felt like she was back in Terrabelle. The mirage of the opulent courtroom flickered over the stone walls. Two autocrats, two swords, ruthless violence, and always Garreth halting an execution.
Ice shot up around Garreth’s running feet, wrenching him to a stop. The Sphinx sent icicle after icicle but Garreth parried and slashed with the experience of a knight even with his feet immobile. The icicles shattered into shards on each slice, and Garreth squinted as the shards hit his face, opening old cuts. But, other pieces blew back and hit the Sphinx, causing more tiny red blood streams to flow down his arms.
Garreth was doing good—really good. But, he couldn’t go forever. Kendra tried to pull herself out of the icey restraints but she was stuck. She didn't know a spell or anything to unfreeze herself. Muriel had never taught her that. Dozens of incantations raced through her head as she tried to find one that could free her from this predicament.
As she struggled to find her words, the Sphinx ended his fight with Garreth with an icicle that pierced Garreth’s sword arm, shredding his skin, muscles, and releasing an avalanche of blood. Garreth screamed. He dropped his sword and his body to the ground.
The Sphinx smiled and crossed the distance to Garreth’s heaving form. The Sphinx lifted his sword and stabbed down, through Garreth’s heart, cutting off the prince’s screams with a spurt of blood.
No!
The Sphinx pulled the sword out of Garreth’s chest and walked back to Kendra. The seconds slowed down.
Kendra couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t hear. There was nothing. Terror overwhelmed her as she gazed at Garreth. His blank eyes stared at her and the green of his shirt darkened to deep red. This couldn’t be the end. No, no, no.
Kendra felt so raw. Eviscerated. Someone had scooped out all her insides.
Garreth had sacrificed his life for her. She was so unworthy. Her heart tore in half. Visions of their beloved escapades overwhelmed her eyes until her tears gushed with pain. Their first meeting in the rain. The play. The treehouse. The endless courtroom drama they endured together. The walks in the garden. The warm hand-holding and soft cheek kisses. His arms wrapped around her. Sweet words whispered in her ear. Undying devotion. Forgiveness. Learning a new world for her. Following her into the most dangerous place in the world.
And, now. Dying. Dying at the hands of magic.
For her.
King Dalgorel had been convinced that Kendra would lead Garreth into harm. He hadn't been wrong.
Slick blood pooled underneath Garreth’s body, sliding over the stone floor and staining the various scattered pillows. Kendra couldn't tear her eyes from him. She felt if she looked away, she'd miss a miracle where he sat up. That if she looked away, she was admitting death. No, she would stare because something would change. It had to.
Her plan failed as her tears blurred Garreth from her sight, and she slumped to her knees.
Kendra’s previous explosion of vines, flowers, and plants died as the Sphinx strolled closer to her. Leaves curled into brown droppings and vines shriveled as the Sphinx laughed at her plight. As the life drained out of the plants, the cuts along the Sphinx’s skin disappeared. It was the opposite of how Kendra healed. She poured her magic into others to heal them. He stole life to heal himself.
Kendra’s eyes snapped open.
It was the opposite. A mirror.
Magic was a mirror. That was what the Sphinx said, right?
Kendra grew flora, the Sphinx snuffed it. She birthed light and he wielded darkness. Therefore, it stood to reason all dark magic had its counterpart.
If dark magic used ice, then light magic could use heat. It's not like Muriel or anyone had ever taught that to Kendra. But, as the Sphinx had said, magical knowledge had been lost a million times over. It was up to her to recover it.
Kendra pushed her magic to the icey bonds around her hands and feet and concentrated on forming heat instead of just light. She thought of hot summer days and crackling fires. It worked. Frigid water splashed to the ground as the bonds melted.
The Sphinx raised his eyebrows in vague impressment as he reached her. The last of the plants dropped dead to the ground, and their sacrifice showed in his glowing, smooth skin. With that final brown vine, Kendra’s lost her ability to use plant magic. “Now, we might finally have a fair fight.”
Kendra took a deep breath and got to her feet. She was done playing his stupid little games and continuing light-hearted banter while Garreth’s blood stained his hands and the sounds of Gavin and Muriel’s battle only grew.
It was time to see what she could truly do.
Maybe Kendra and the Sphinx had started out the same like he had said. But, they weren’t going to end the same. He was driven by fear, bitterness, anger, and sadness. That wasn't Kendra. She wasn’t going to allow her worst parts to overwhelm her. She wasn't going to allow her life to be focused on the low points.
Kendra had experienced so much love in her life, and as she stared at Garreth’s bleeding form, she thought of the good. The warmth, the kindness, the love that they had shared. She thought of her brother—always there for her. Vanessa, Patton, Warren. Her grandparents. Her parents. The love they all shared crossed demarcated hatred, and it fueled her magic.
Golden light arced off her skin and Kendra’s temperature rose like a sudden fever had taken her. The Sphinx narrowed his eyes and approached, but in the moment before he reached her, the room erupted into a blinding light. The Sphinx yelled and clutched his eyes, dropping his sword to the ground. But, Kendra could see just fine. She could see the scrambling Sphinx and her love’s deathly form on the bloody ground.
Magic was a mirror. However, there wasn’t a true boundary between the two disciplines. Most people were better at one or the other—light or dark, and could only handle wielding one. But Kendra? She was a prodigy. She was a priestess of the highest order. She was no layman.
Kendra lunged for the Sphinx, tackling the short man to the ground. He struck blindly at her, punching her face and kicking her body. But, it was no matter. She had a single mission. She dodged his attacks and her hands found purchase on his throat.
With her fingers around the Sphinx’s neck, she could see his magic and his life force intimately entertwined. It was unlike any other mortal’s. Kendra broke past the barriers and tugged it to her. She gasped as his very essence entered her. The vitality was more than one person should ever have in their body. It was exhilarating. It was drunken.
Kendra was like a magnet stuck to this power. Magic and life, one and the same, flooded her veins and inebriated her body. But, this wasn’t for her. She ripped her hands away from the Sphinx’s now lifeless neck and dropped beside Garreth. His glassy eyes stared up at her, seeing nothing. Kendra placed her two palms on his soaked chest and pushed.
Life coursed through her like rushing river rapids. There had been so much vitality in the Sphinx. Unnatural vitality. And she pushed it into Garreth’s ripped heart. She kept feeding it until there was not a single drop left.
Nothing happened.
She laid her head down and sobbed onto his bloody tunic, red staining her cheeks.
Kendra had taken a gamble with the limits of magic as she knew them, and it hadn't budged the doors of death. Heart-shattering disappointment crushed her feeble hope.
But, just as Kendra’s last tears dampened his blood-soaked tunic, fingers wrapped around her wrist. Her head shot up and through her blurry film of tears, there it was. There was that lightning smile she knew and loved. Garreth sat up and wrapped his left arm around her. His right one, the one that had been pierced, hung at his side.
“Kendra?” His breath ghosted her cheek.
“Oh, Garreth.” She buried herself further into their embrace. With her head tucked against his neck, she could hear the steady beating of his heart. With her roaming hands, she could feel his now intact skin. There was a raised scar on his back and front where the Sphinx had rammed his blade, but it was only a defunct memory. Garreth was alive.
“You saved my life.” He pulled back and kissed her cheek. His soft lips became covered in his own blood that Kendra had gotten on her face. She used her sleeve to wipe it off. “I love you, you know that?”
“I love you too.”
She loved every part of him. She loved holding him and being held. She loved his easy conversation and corny jokes. She loved how he painted better than he fought but he still could beat any knight. She loved his forgiveness.
He kissed her forehead and rose to his feet, using his good hand to pull her to her feet. “Let’s go help Muriel.”
Both of them took a deep breath and readied for battle once again. Kendra melted the ice on the entry doors and Garreth wrenched them open.
The entry room was a mess. Blood dripped down the torn wallpaper, broken furniture littered the floor, and smoke filled Kendra’s nose. Chaos overwhelmed her.
But what truly drew her eyes was in the center. Gavin held Muriel against him. His sword bit into her neck, and his eyes widened in horror at what he saw behind Kendra and Garreth. In a split second, he pulled his sword like a bowstring across Muriel’s neck. No!
Muriel’s eyes caught Kendra’s and she smiled. Her lips whispered something, with blood gurgling through, and the brittle, brown vegetation from the Sphinx’s room shot through the doors and wrapped both Muriel and Gavin into a cocoon. Kendra rushed to the brown tomb as it dissipated into dust. Only Muriel remained and she crashed to the floor.
Kendra dropped to Muriel’s side and immediately threw up. Half of Muriel’s neck was sliced, and blood and veins spilled out. There was no bargaining, no hope. There was no fixing this. Kendra screamed in frustration. She could never win. Never.
This was death.
Kendra cradled Muriel’s body. Tears slipped out of Kendra’s eyes like a waterfall and she screamed and screamed. Her magic could do nothing. Useless, useless!
If only Gavin was here and Kendra could kill him to use his lifeforce. But, Muriel had purposefully used the cocoon to kill him in a way that left no body. Why, Muriel? She must have known that Kendra could reroute life. She must have always known that. Muriel always knew everything before Kendra did.
So, why had Muriel taken Gavin away? Why?
Garreth tugged at her shoulder. “Kendra, I’m sorry but we need to go.”
She had argued with Muriel. She had told her she hated her. She had been such a stupid girl. A stupid, naïve little girl.
Garreth pried one of her hands off of Muriel. Bells were ringing.
“No!” Kendra screamed. Her hair whipped around. They were inside, but a strong wind pushed everything around as a hurricane of magic brewed around Kendra. “Get off!”
Kendra was on her knees with Muriel’s head laid in her lap. Garreth pulled away and Kendra looked up at the statues that lined the wall. In the middle, the statue of the fairy queen stood. The other likenesses must’ve been of the lost deities the Sphinx had spoken of, but she knew the middle statue was of the Fairy Queen, because she had seen that exact statue before. Just smaller.
In an instant, she was thirteen again. Thunder crackled as Bahumat rampaged, her family was nowhere to be found, and Kendra weeped as she cradled the statue. Asking for anyone, anyone please to help her. Asking please, if you’re real, help me, Fairy Queen.
Now, the same scent of spring soil, jasmine, and honey enveloped Kendra as it had done years before.
“This is your fight, too,” Kendra said with a wet voice. Her eyes focused on the beautiful, fairy wings of the statue yet the statue stood still. Kendra had done what Muriel had told her to do. She had followed the plan. She had killed the Sphinx. Goddamn it. What more did the Queen want? “I’ve carried out your will. I’ve done what was asked of my station. Help me.”
Years ago, she had pleaded and laid out her humility with desperate niceties. She should’ve done that now. But Muriel’s blood was on her hands, and she was so, so tired of being polite.
The scent of nature intensified and Kendra closed her eyes, causing fat tears to fall and sizzle on Muriel’s skin. She was so fragile in Kendra’s arms.
Kendra’s eyes snapped open as a large crack accompanied a split on the stone floor. A spiderweb of cracks formed and pieces of stone began falling away. The entire section of the floor in front of the statue dissipated and in its place a rushing bright blue waterfall fell miraculously down into a pit of blue darkness. The rushing water overcame anything else Kendra could hear.
How was this supposed to help?
Muriel’s blood gushed onto Kendra’s white dress, and a lake of red formed to mirror the unnaturally blue waterfall. But when Kendra’s sobbing tears mixed with Muriel’s blood and the unholy concoction fell into the waterfall, everything changed.
An overwhelming sense of gratitude flooded Kendra, but it wasn’t her emotion. It was the Fairy Queen’s.
Horror dominated Kendra. It was gratitude for a sacrifice.
Do not be angry. Muriel Taggart knew what she was doing. She has lived and learned a great deal more than other mortals. Her blood and the blood of the former dragon will fuel the forces you need.
The words penetrated Kendra’s mind. Taggart? She had never even heard Muriel’s last name. She had always assumed she didn’t have one. Kendra had never really known the witch, and that was reinforced until the end.
Muriel had smiled in her last moments. The conniving, grumpy old hag had smiled. Had this been her plan all along? Had Muriel come only as a sacrifice?
Even up to her death, Muriel had always been one step ahead of Kendra.
With a splash, a titanic fairy rose out of the waterfall with at least six feet of dark muscle and yellow wings that stretched from her head to her knees. Orange armor formed a titanium exoskeleton, and her expression held severity. If not for her wings, Kendra would’ve never connected her to the thumb-sized, twinkling, facetious fairies she remembered fondly. “We are here to help.”
Another fairy flew out of the waterfall, and then another. These two were twins with blue skin and golden staffs. Three more came, each wildly different, and crowded the room.
This was the help. A seed of hope sprouted in Kendra’s stomach. She was so tired and sad and full of grief. Darkness weighed her down. But, now she had others to help carry her burdens.
“Free the innocent in the dungeons,” Kendra said. “Find my allies and bring them to the old temple southwest of here. From there, we’re going to fly to Fablehaven and retake the citadel from the occupying forces. But, we will regroup first at the temple.”
The fairies nodded in unison and fled. But as one left, another burst out of the water. A constant stream of fairies flew out of the rushing, blue rapids beneath the floor and dispersed through the many doors. Kendra counted thirty then forty and then lost count. She had full faith in their success now.
But, it didn’t feel like a success at all.
Anger burned through her grief. She wanted to make the Sphinx pay but he was already dead; and so was Gavin. She wanted to push her thumbs into their eyeballs. She hated Muriel’s death being some tribute to the Fairy Queen. It was an un-handmaidenly thought, but her thoughts were her own.
The last drop of blood trickled out of Muriel’s neck. Her cheeks were pale and her open blue eyes stared up at Kendra. She still hadn't closed them. Was that selfish? People always closed a corpse’s eyes to give them rest. But, the finality of that terrified Kendra.
She knew Muriel was dead. Her blood was all over her clothes and guts spilled onto her skirt.
But to break her gaze?
Garreth crouched in front of Kendra. Constant bursts of color behind him accompanied new fairy warriors. His dark eyes glistened and his lips parted in desperation. “Kendra. Let some of the fairies carry Muriel out.”
“No.” Kendra didn’t look away from Muriel’s icy eyes. This was her burden to carry. “No. I won’t.”
Rushing water and fairy talk filled the room with noise yet Kendra barely raised her voice.
He sighed and kissed the top of her head. “Okay. We’ll stay here a little while longer.”
A little while? No. There was no time after this.
This was the end. Grief filled Kendra’s lungs and choked her. Dirt filled the former portal as the water dried up. The last five fairies stayed in the room. Two turned to hoist the statue and three walked over to Kendra.
“She died a hero’s death, handmaiden. That is the best a mortal can ask for. Don’t dishonor her by keeping her here in this temple to corruption.” The fairy knelt to Kendra’s eye level and urged Kendra to look up. She had piercing black eyes and curly brown hair. Pink ruffles peeked out from beneath her armor. Beautiful. As every fairy was.
“But—” Kendra cleared her throat. “Okay.”
Kendra stood, Muriel in her arms, with support from Garreth.
The fairy kissed Kendra’s cheek. Vitality rushed through her body, invigorating her tired flesh. Her mind was still an exhausted mess, but her exhausted arms no longer shook.
“Can you do that for her?” Kendra nodded down to her arms.
The sad smile the fairy gave her told her all she needed to know and Kendra sighed. She followed the fairy’s wings through the winding ziggurat back to the trapdoor.
Kendra had to give up Muriel to another fairy to climb the rungs out. The fairy didn’t give her back even when they all stood on the top of the ziggurat. But, Kendra’s arms were exhausted and she couldn't imagine carrying Muriel any longer.
The sky was a brilliant blue, and the dazzling white sun smiled down on them. It had risen while they had been inside. Muriel hadn’t even gotten to see her last sunrise.
The air was crisp and cold and Kendra mourned the loss of her jacket. She only had her flowy white dress and corset. The dress wasn’t so white anymore, with dark blood crystallizing on every thread. Snow beat down at her face and her tears froze into a silent river down her cheek.
Kendra began to shiver uncontrollably, and so Garreth wrapped his good arm around her shoulders. He was solid and warm and so, so alive. His whispered assurances flew over her head, but the familiar sound grounded Kendra to the moment.
Rippling into existence, Raxtus descended onto the ziggurat. Garreth and Kendra boarded, but the fairies predictably didn’t. Two shared the burden of the Fairy Queen statue, one carried Muriel, and the other two flew near Raxtus, scanning the area. They were personal guards, Kendra realized.
As they flew over the ziggurat, she couldn’t process what she was seeing. There were remains of weapons and entrails scattered around the mountain, but overall casualties looked few. The fairies zipped around, towing people out of the mountain and towards the Southwest.
The fighting was over. It must have finished while Kendra had been frozen with Muriel.
In a way, she was glad she had missed it. Kendra hated the blood and loss and adrenaline. Never in a million life times could she have been a knight. And only in this one was she a handmaiden.
The warmth of Raxtus warmed her fingers and toes, but inside Kendra fought her own coldness. So many emotions bore down on her, and the familiar retreat of numbness enticed her.
But Muriel had told her not to. And Muriel had been right about the inextricable ties between her emotions, herself, and her magic. Being connected to all of herself was what had allowed Kendra to overcome the Sphinx.
But her feelings were disgusting and horrible and Kendra wanted to throw up. Nevertheless she didn’t push them away. Her body began to shake. Garreth’s good arm held her tighter, and Kendra thought back to the first time his arms had been around her on the horseback ride on their date. Despite the clear sky, she kept waiting for lightning to strike and throw them off Raxtus, just as it had done on Glory.
Kendra’s eyes barely wandered from the fairy carrying Muriel, expecting the witch to wake up. From her angle, she couldn’t even see the gruesome sliced neck. Muriel just looked asleep. Kendra clenched her fists. Her anger at Gavin, a dead man, terrified her. It was the one emotion that threatened her stability the most.
As Kendra began to recognize landmarks from this morning’s flight, anxiety crept up on her. Her grandparents would be at the temple. In just a few minutes, she would see them again. She would see Lena and Trask and all of them.
What was she going to tell them?
By the time Raxtus touched down, she still hadn’t figured it out. Kendra trembled as she slipped off the dragon's back and landed ungracefully on the snowy ground.
Seth bolted to her first and wrapped her in a hug. Garreth joined and then Eve and Warren and Vanessa. She cried tears of joy for their warm, living flesh. After enough time, the hug became stifling even in the freezing cold and they unwound. No one was free from a blotchy face and endless embraces abounded. The fairy with Muriel whispered to Kendra her destination and left with the witch’s body.
Seth wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the camp. “I have to warn you. They don’t look good.”
Kendra stiffened. “What do you mean?”
Her answer came as she entered the camp. She saw Patton first, who was cuddled with Lena.
Lena, the bright, kind soul she knew her to be, was a shell of herself. Patton was pain-stakingly combing through sections of her knotted hair and Lena had her arms around Patton’s waist. Her bones looked like they were penetrating her skin. When Lena spotted Kendra, she smiled, opened her arms, and Kendra expected her skin to rip on the elbows.
Kendra dived into the hug and sobbed. This wasn’t the Lena that made paint-by-numbers or stroked her hair when she was sick. She understood Seth now.
Patton hugged her too, and she couldn’t imagine how he was feeling.
“My little Kendra, you are so brave,” Lena said. She pulled back and cradled her teary face. “We are all so proud of you.”
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Her hoarse voice kept catching on the syllables.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m made of stern stuff.” Lena patted down her hair. “Your grandparents are waiting for you.”
“I’m not ready.” Fat tears ran down Kendra’s face. If beautiful, strong Lena had buckled so under the Sphinx, how had her elderly loved ones done?
“Oh, baby.” Lena took her hands. “You are. Don’t make them wait any longer.”
Kendra nodded. Lena led her to the back of the camp toward a fire where two figures were huddled. Her imagination and Seth’s warning had fallen short. Her grandparents—the strong voice in her mind, the strong, iron figures of history books and Fablehaven—were wasted away.
Grandma looked up and reached a frail hand to her. Her hair was spotty, and her outstretched hand shook greatly. Her beautiful, beautiful grandma. “Look, Stan. It’s Kendra, now.”
Her grandpa followed her point and smiled. His gaze was unfocused and the smile was goofy-looking on his lips. Ugly unfamiliarity curled in her stomach. She didn’t recognize them. “Dear Kendra.”
Lena’s hand hovered on her back, and she couldn’t stop the barrage of tears that came. She had thought that she was all out, but like her endless spring of magic, her tears had no shortage.
Kendra knelt next to them and grasped their bony hands. Her apologies for her lack of haste that led to their conditions stuck in her throat. She had done her best, right? Could she have been better or faster and would this not have happened? Did she not do enough?
“Thank you, Kendra,” her grandma said. “You’re a worthy queen.”
“Oh.”
She broke and buried her face within their embrace. No other words could push past her sobs. Her grandma stroked her shaking hand through her hair, causing the strands to tangle but Kendra didn’t care. Grandpa’s hands around her waist had such a tight grip it hurt, but that was no matter either.
The Sphinx was dead. Her grandparents and their court were rescued. They had done it. Kendra relaxed into the hug with relief. With her arms wrapped around them both, she couldn’t imagine ever letting go again.
Notes:
The next chapter will be from Garreth's perspective. Then, one more chapter after that and we are done! Gah! Crazy!
Did you all survive this chapter all right?
Chapter 23: Garreth's postlude
Summary:
Garreth acclimates to Fablehaven.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Wind whipped Garreth’s face as the far distant ground passed in a blur of teeny tiny structures. One fairy had her arm hooked under his left armpit and the other had grabbed his waist as his right arm was painful to move. Together, they flew him through the air. The trees looked like toothpicks, and Garreth squinted to spot the rivers and towns they had previously passed through on their long trek north. It was one of those moments that Garreth knew he would never forget. He was untethered to the world and its expectations anymore, and it was incredibly freeing.
Inside the ziggurat, he had died. The last thing he had seen was the sword piercing his chest. All he had been able to think of was regret that he hadn’t dodged that last icicle. But, then, miraculously he had awakened to the Sphinx lying dead and Kendra sobbing on his chest.
The wonder of that washed over Garreth. He had felt the terror of death and survived. He had known what it felt like to see the end and become it. Now, he was on borrowed time, and he intended to make use of it.
The original crew, the recovered Fablehaven court, and any other rescuee that had decided to come to Fablehaven had departed the temple soon after arriving as Warren wanted to utilize the Fairy Queen’s blessing to recover Fablehaven. The army of fairy soldiers was like no other, and never ceased to impress.
Before they had taken to the skies, he had worried that it would take weeks of travel to reach Fablehaven. But then the fairies gained such rapid speed that Garreth had trouble focusing on any landmark before it disappeared. And when they reached a fever pitch of flight, a brilliant white flash blinded him.
Once his eyes readjusted, he saw grassy hills and blue, clear skies. The weather warmed him up in seconds, and his fur clothing saturated with sweat. Raxtus glittered in the ample sunlight, flipping and twirling through the air at the front of their vanguard with Kendra riding on top.
Huh. So that was what teleportation felt like. Leftover adrenaline tingled in his body.
Fast approaching was a citadel Garreth assumed was Fablehaven. Sandy-colored crumbled stone walls encircled a wasteland of broken wood and smoke. A tall, skinny castle sat on the highest hill and cast shadows over the town.
Like a swarm, masses of soldiers filled the surrounding hills. Even in the distance, Garreth could see mayhem erupt as scouts spotted the flying army. The soldiers looked like tiny ants scuttling around after someone stomped on their hill. Even the archers seemed to have forgotten their job, and their bows hung uselessly at their sides.
To be fair, most armies would look like that upon spotting dozens of flying, giant armored fairies led by a prismatic dragon.
Plus, the sunlight glinted off Raxtus’s scales in a way that made Kendra look like she was glowing.
No, wait. Garreth blinked his eyes and focused again on Kendra. She was actually glowing.
Scents of new soil, flowers, and clear spring rain twirled through the air—the same aroma that Ronodin, Patton, Muriel, and Kendra had sworn was the Fairy Queen way back during their last strategy sessions. Now, it was familiar enough for Garreth to recognize it as well. All around them, the fairies sighed in happiness and fluttered their wings even faster.
“Citizens of Fablehaven,” Kendra addressed. Her magnified speech carried the undercurrent of a deeper, older voice. Raxtus treaded the air, allowing Kendra to stand on his back. “The Fairy Queen stands with us. I have rescued King Stanley and Queen Ruth from the clutches of the Sphinx among others. I have now journeyed back with the help of the Fairy Queen’s warriors.”
The wind began to pick up around Raxtus, and Kendra rose off his back. She stayed suspended in air, her hair and long dress whipping in the current. Awe washed over Garreth. This was his girlfriend. He was the luckiest man alive.
“To the armies of the Sphinx, your leader is dead. I killed him. You have no business here anymore and there is no place for hatred and fear-mongering in our land. Leave and we will not harm you. Stay and face the consequences.”
A mass exodus of shiny, armored warriors streamed out of the citadel toward the country side like beetles. However, some broke from the hurried exit, strolled to the ground beneath the vanguard, and threw down their helmets.
Raxtus flew over and around the hillsides, scanning the area to ensure an orderly exit. The fairies descended to the ground and released their passengers. Cheers and weeping filled the air as the Fablehaven citizens stormed the broken streets to celebrate freedom.
Kendra’s glow faded and she descended to the ground as if on a heavy cloud. Garreth ran to her side, holding his right arm tight against his chest to not inflame his injury with his speed.
She approached the few soldiers who had stayed behind, and Garreth followed. He drew his sword. Their chest plates gleamed in the sun, and each one knelt upon Kendra’s arrival.
“Handmaiden,” one of the men said. “We thought we were protecting magic. We were not. We humbly ask for forgiveness and to join the citizens of Fablehaven and honor you.”
“Rise,” Kendra said. “Go join the celebrations.”
The soldiers left, and Kendra turned to Garreth. She let out a breath and ran to him. Tears traveled down her glossy cheeks but the genuine smile that stretched across her face reassured Garreth.
He threw his sword down and hugged her close. She smelled like the pine trees of the northern lands they had departed and he didn't want to let go. To be with her was a blessing too precious to squander.
“Home,” she whispered into his ear. He knew the depth of her longing for Fablehaven. He knew how precious this ground was to her. She pulled back, hands still wrapped around his back, and looked up with wide, wet eyes. A smile broke her face yet again. “I’m finally home.”
Medical emergencies, tearful reunions, celebrations in the street, and introductions constituted the blurry next few hours following the city’s reclamation. But by the sun’s peak, the clamoring had died down to a dull roar.
At the edge of the forest, the mass of armored fairies and various spectators gathered to say goodbye. Fablehaven’s walls were still in the near distance, but nature surrounded them on all sides. Oak trees stretched long limbs to block the sun and the underbrush tickled Garreth's ankles. Everyone watched Kendra and the fairies perform a ritual that Garreth still did not understand even after everyone tried explaining it to him.
Two fairies placed the life-size statue on the ground. The marble face of a beautiful woman with wings stared them all down. Garreth had first seen it in the Sphinx’s antechamber and had seen firsthand the power the conduit was privy to. Kendra set down a miniature version of the same statue next to it.
“Holy mother of magic. Holder of light. As your handmaiden, I dedicate this shrine to you to forever honor your power and protect this city upon a hill.”
A glow spread across the skin of the statues, burning off the accumulated dirt and grime until white marble shone through. Sunlight bent toward the statues, and bright light filled the clearing. Kendra closed her eyes as her body began to rise off the ground.
Concern flooded Garreth. He turned to the unicorn next to him. “Is she being possessed?”
“A little bit. The Fairy Queen can be kind of a control freak about her shrines,” Ronodin said. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Get back!”
The crowds shuffled backwards at his exclamation. The ground underneath the statues rose and the surrounding earth depressed into the ground. Water spouts erupted at the bottom of the circular depression and fed water until there was a filled moat around the statues. Flowers and hedges sprung up, creating a square fencing around the entire area. Garreth glanced around until he found the archway to enter and exit. For a moment, he had thought they were trapped. Not the best feeling after just escaping the ziggurat.
Garreth stumbled as a mountain of emotion hit him along with the sweet scent of the Fairy Queen’s presence. Others around him showed similar signs of shock, except for Ronodin who just sighed. Pride, excitement, and happiness rushed over him, overwhelming his thoughts. He smiled involuntarily.
Kendra returned to the ground and the light faded.
The resulting shrine was gorgeous. Hundreds of flowers blossomed in the hedges despite the chill of winter, reminding him of his mother’s gardens. The water gleamed a turquoise color Garreth had never seen in a lake before. The statues themselves radiated power. He didn’t even need magical ability to detect that.
The same orange fairy that had first talked to them during the battle descended to Kendra’s level. Her yellow wings tucked behind her back as her feet found the ground. “It is time for my brethren to return home. Thank you, handmaiden, for protecting magic.”
She kissed Kendra on the cheek and then dived into the new moat. When the bubbles cleared, she was gone. The rest of the hundred or so fairies descended and followed the same procedure. However, some popped back out of the water, finger-sized again and zipped around the shrine instead of returning home—wherever home was. Once again, the fairies’ speech was incomprehensible to him and their wings flapped too quickly to gain a clear image of their appearance.
Garreth looked around. Fairies weren’t the only magical creatures assembled. He saw satyrs, dryads, centaurs, witches, goblins, and more species he couldn’t name. Months ago, this crowd would have made him draw his sword. But now, he witnessed the congregation in peace.
It was a weird thing, when beliefs fundamentally changed. He didn’t feel a connection to his old self anymore.
For the immediate time before, during, and after the Battle of Terrabelle, he had been terrified he was brainwashed and making the wrong decision. He had felt seven summers old again in the throne room with his mother falling dead to the ground amidst fires and riots outside the castle gates and knights’ swords covered in blood. But, now he couldn’t run to his father for safety and stability. Garreth was forsaking him, instead.
Garreth’s formative years had been marked by fear, bloodshed, and hatred. His earliest memories visit him now only as nightmares that leave him in a cold sweat. Over the last weeks of journeying north, he had begun to revisit his old memories of Terrabelle and of his family—especially the ones with his mother—and think of them in a new light. The guilt of his past actions weighed on him. But, he couldn’t dwell on the past.
A little over two months ago, he had never thought differently than how he had been raised. Now, he met every assumption with skepticism. He was rebuilding his own worldview brick by brick with firsthand observation. His future would be better, and his allegiance to such a magically diverse crowd was a hallmark of such change.
He saw two dryads embrace, weeping tears of joy. Newel and Doren even wore somber, respectful expressions. Centaurs bowed with their front legs bent. Bystanders removed hats and head coverings. Everyone around felt the enormity of this new shrine.
This marked a new era. Not one defined by fear, but one defined by courage, acceptance, and magic.
That night, the shrine held a smaller crowd with only Garreth, Seth, and Kendra in attendance. The new moon darkened the inky black sky, but eternal orbs of lights floated around the shrine.
Together, Garreth and Seth had carried a wooden canoe holding Muriel and placed it on the shore of the shrine’s lake. At Seth’s touch, blue fire lit the canoe. Sweet-smelling aromas rose as the flowers covering Muriel burned. Kendra closed her eyes and pushed the canoe off the shore.
It cut across the waters of the moat, but it never reached the island. Within moments, the canoe burned and fell beneath the water. The floating orbs of light stilled in their paths for several moments before resuming their aimless directions.
Garreth squeezed Kendra’s hand and traced patterns on her palm with his thumb. He knew the difficulty this moment held for her. Grief was a common refrain within their lives, but the guilt that had settled upon her shoulders seemed heavier than usual.
Kendra stared at the peaceful waters. A string of ribbon tied her curly hair back in a bun. “The Fairy Queen told me Muriel had finally paid her debt. With her life.”
“Her power,” Seth said.
Kendra nodded. “I think she must’ve been fairy struck. She never told me.”
“She must’ve had a reason,” Garreth said.
Garreth hadn't known Muriel very long yet he had found her to be calculating despite her outward demeanor. She had journeyed into the ziggurat knowing the likely possibility of death. They had all done so. Muriel’s death was no more Kendra’s fault than it was Muriel’s own.
Kendra sighed and pulled her gaze away from the water. “I’m my own teacher now.”
That sentiment encapsulated his feelings as well. They were no longer students, and it was time to apply their teachings. Fablehaven needed to be rebuilt and protected, and that required strong leadership.
“Thank you both for being here.” Kendra let go of Garreth’s hand and knelt at the shore. “But, can I be alone now?”
Garreth and Seth both agreed. The hedges closed around them as they left. Garreth retreated to the castle dining hall where he was assigned a bed roll. Dozens of others were already asleep, and so he followed suit.
The next months were going to be hard work, but he was going to do it alongside Kendra, his sister, and his new friends.
He couldn’t wait.
Two weeks into rebuilding, Kendra declared a rest day for all citizens. After some cajoling, Kendra agreed to be included in the “all citizens” part as well. Which was amazing for Garreth, because he got to spend all day with his girlfriend.
Kendra’s bed’s gauzy canopy created a haven where it felt like their own little world. Purple pillows crowded the headboard and blankets upon blankets laid haphazardly around them. They had already spent hours sleeping and cuddling the day away. It was bliss.
“You know, this isn’t the first time Fablehaven has been rebuilt,” Kendra said. Her eyes were closed, and her cheek was pressed up against his chest. They were lounging on her bed and his arms were wrapped around her. It was nice. His father hadn't been into physical affection, but Garreth remembered his mother’s love for hugs. He was grateful he finally had someone to share that with. “Has anyone ever told you that?”
Garreth felt like he was blind-folded and trying to feel his way to an answer when Kendra asked these sorts of questions. They were to figure out what he already knew, but usually his lack of knowledge was so deep he had no clue what she was even hinting at.
“Maybe.” He ran his fingers through her soft hair and scratched her head. She always fell asleep when he did that. “Tell me.”
“Five years ago, when my parents died, it wasn’t because they were sick like I had told you.”
When she stayed silent, Garreth realized she was waiting for affirmation that he understood. Understood that she had lied to him again. She hated bringing up the lies she had told Garreth. But, he understood that most were simple covers for magic, and it didn't bother him as much as it bothered her.
“Okay,” Garreth said. Strands of brunette hair twirled around his fingers. Soft sunlight filtered through the gauzy canopy to highlight the beaded pillows.
“Five years ago, a demon named Bahumat awoke from thousands of years of sleep. When he had gone to bed, humans were just animals running around with simple spears killing and being killed. When he awoke, there were chains on his cave and an entire citadel of humans outgrowing what he had thought to be their place.”
Garreth kicked one of the blankets onto them to cover his cold feet. “Must have been a nice sleep.”
He felt her smile against him. “A rude awakening, though. He ravaged through Fablehaven…” Her voice left her and she cleared her throat. She didn’t need to say it in as many words.
“I understand,” Garreth said. His hand stilled in her hair.
So, they had both lost their parents to magical forces. He understood now the impatience Kendra and Seth had held toward him. The siblings had understood his anger, but hadn’t turned to hate like his family had.
“Isn’t that when you got your magic, too?”
She nodded against his chest. “It’s when I became a handmaiden. One could argue I could’ve had the capacity to learn magic my whole life. But I never tried. So, that was my first taste of it.”
He hummed. Her hair became tangled in his fingers and he took the time to pick out the knot as he mulled over her words. That would’ve been like if the night his mother was murdered, he had suddenly become a magical priest. He tried to imagine how that would feel. Most of all, he wondered what his father would have done.
Would he have still turned to the purge and the treaty? To hatred and fear?
Sometimes he wondered what his father was doing now. Was he hearing petitions from the court? Was he getting ready for lunch? Was he signing a declaration of war? Or was he waiting for his children to return home?
The thoughts were unpleasant and curdled guilt in his stomach. Of course, then Garreth remembered the terror of his father slashing and stabbing and trying to kill him. With that particular recollection, paralysis would flood his body like it was physically forcing himself not to leave Fablehaven and return to danger.
After a long moment of respectful silence, they picked up the conversation with lighter, nonsensical topics, and against their better judgment, fell asleep on top of the covers and in their day clothes.
It was nice.
A fortnight later, Garreth placed a brick on a slab of mortar laid by Eve and glanced at the sun. It was dipping just beneath the tree line. Perfect. That would be their last brick for the day.
They washed their hands off and admired their work. They had finished the interior walls for the school house today. Children had run around their feet from sunrise to now, demanding slides and seesaws and a bunch of other things in the school that would unfortunately not come to fruition. But, Garreth could tell Kendra that the kids wanted a park. That would be a lower priority, though.
It had already been a month of rebuilding the decimated citadel. The immediate priority had been shelter and safety—housing, clinics, farmland, and wells. The castle had survived the siege, and for the first couple weeks, every hall and chamber had been packed with people. Garreth had worked alongside countless citizens of Fablehaven, learning their names, lives, and hopes.
He did half as much as everyone else with his right arm still in a sling, but he still tried. Everyone emerged from the horror of the winter with a loss of some kind, but in the warming breezes, a web of community stretched across the citadel.
After briefly cleaning up in the river, Garreth and Eve made their way to the castle square and picked a spot in the corner. Slowly, the courtyard filled up with the trickling of tired citizens. As the sun finally disappeared, magical citizens tossed up orbs of light to illuminate the square. Some were tiny, some were large, some were colorful, others dim, and it was a tradition Garreth could never tire of.
Every day was the same. Breakfast in the square. Working as long as the sun was up. After the sunset, everyone would gather for dinner in the square. It was just natural at this point.
While healthy and strong workers helped with the rebuilding, the castle servants and volunteers unsuited for physical labor spent the day gathering herbs and cooking and all the important tasks that couldn’t fall by the wayside during the rebuilding process.
The sandy city walls gleamed in the magical glow of the various orbs. Those had been fully repaired and reinforced with a bunch of charms and spells Garreth didn’t yet understand as everyone worried about an attack while Fablehaven was vulnerable. The memory of the complete decimation at the hands of the Sphinx’s forces lingered in everyone’s minds, and having strong defenses assuaged the collective anxiety.
But soon, the rebuilding would be declared over and the citadel could transition back to normal. People could go back to their trades and jobs, kids could go back to school, and life would return to normal.
But, it wouldn’t really be normal. The graveyard had swelled in size, and in a month, as everything else returned, absences would be felt from the schoolyard to the dinner table to the tavern. The affairs between nations had changed, and the chess pieces had yet to fall into place. So as some things resumed smoothly, others would tumble raucously through change.
Cheers erupted across the square as servants lugged out a huge cauldron full of bubbling stew. Others followed with armfuls of bread, bowls, and utensils. They smiled as citizens blew kissy noises and celebrated their entrance as usual.
As Garreth and Eve waited for the servants to make their way to their corner, Seth and Kendra plopped down next to them. Seth still had dirt on his face from whatever he had been doing, and Kendra had her curly hair tied with a bandana on top of her head. She gave him a small smile as she sat down, and Garreth’s heart fluttered. He grabbed her hand and they leaned against each other.
“Excited to leave soon on your adventure, Eve? Seth has been talking about it non-stop,” Kendra said. She folded her legs underneath her.
“Absolutely,” Eve said. She had her own coils pulled into a bun at the base of her neck with a few twisty escapees falling in front of her eyes, and she pushed them out of the way as she talked.
“Escaping the hard work,” Garreth grumbled.
Seth accepted a bowl of soup from a servant and grinned. “You know it!”
Eve and Seth were going to fly out on Raxtus to Wyrmroost to deliver news of the Sphinx and his defeat once the bulk of the rebuilding concluded. It was all Eve could talk about while they had laid bricks earlier. Dragons this, treasure that…
As they talked, servants delivered food to the rest of them and they all dived in.
It was foreign to Garreth the way the royalty sat with their people. Eating the same food from the same utensils and sitting on the same floor. It was so different from what Garreth had grown up with.
He liked it.
Kendra finished her soup and nudged Garreth’s shoulder. He looked down at her and smiled.
“Warren just made a new list of all the repairs the farmlands need. Most of the crops were destroyed in the West, but we still have the grain fields to the East to replant,” she said. “I’m going to go out tomorrow to help regrow them. Come with me?”
“Sure.”
A day with Kendra in the country? He couldn't think of anything better.
“Don’t get too distracted together,” Seth said. His little conniving smile carried the weight of his implication.
“Seth!” Kendra narrowed her eyes, and a weed grew between the floor stones and whipped his ankle.
“Just saying.”
Green wallpaper covered the walls of Garreth’s new room inside the castle. He smiled. He hadn’t told Kendra his favorite color, but she had sure guessed quickly. The bed was comfy, the desk polished, and the fireplace warm. But, Garreth knew he would spend most of his time in Kendra’s room anyway because she had the nicest view.
Another feature was an antechamber that connected Garreth and Eve’s room and allowed for easy access between the siblings. However, instead of Eve, Seth burst into Garreth’s room from that door.
Seth had his cloak on and he stopped in his tracks when he saw Garreth. Guilt plastered Seth’s face but he grinned nevertheless. “Oh! Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Inside, Garreth held great mirth. At this point, Seth felt like his own little brother. But on the outside, he raised an eyebrow and tried to look serious. “Then, why were you coming into my room?”
“Well, you know,” Seth said. He skirted around the room, picking up the various trinkets Garreth had collected and laying them down after a cursory inspection. Silence stretched until Seth spun back around, an idea lighting up his face. “Hey, what are you doing tonight?”
“Sleeping?”
A wry smile painted Seth’s lips. “You are too perfect for Kendra.”
“See, I feel like you meant that as an insult, but I love Kendra so I will take that as a compliment.”
Seth laughed. “You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a coxcomb.”
“You're just full of kindness today.”
“Come with me and the boys to the taravan tonight.” Seth ran to his closet and shuffled until he pulled out a long, black coat.
Garreth grimaced. There was no world in which he wished to go to the tavern with Seth and his friends. He loved the kid, but…that was not his idea of fun.
Seth took Garreth’s face as an negative answer and pleaded with his hands clasped together. “Warren won't let us go unless someone responsible is there. You're just as much of a wet blanket as Kendra so I figured you fit the bill.”
At this point, Garreth’s serious face broke and he laughed at Seth's audacity. “Why aren't you just sneaking out?”
“The alewife knows me. She kicks me out if I don't have someone. It’s 'cause I keep winning every round of cards.”
“I'm sure that's the only reason.”
A grin grew on Seth’s face as he watched Garreth’s defense fall. “Please?”
The boys turned out to include Ronodin, Newel, Doren, and Eve. However, Eve wasn't old enough to get into the tavern yet, so Garreth made her stay home in the castle. She wasn't happy about that at all, and Garreth worried about their adjacent rooms. With such easy access, he imagined he might find a toad in his bed tomorrow.
After Garreth cleared Seth’s presence with the alewife, the princeling raced to the card tables to immediate groans from the surrounding patrons. Seth hadn't been lying about his winning streak.
Newel and Doren split off early and spent the night chasing around dryads and hamadryads. Of course, they ended up leaving with just each other, as always.
In contrast, Garreth spent the night surveying the tavern from his corner seat, ensuring Seth didn't get into too much trouble. He didn't want to have to tell his girlfriend that he let her little brother tangle himself into a knot. That, and he cared about Seth.
After a few drinks with random patrons, Ronodin slid into the booth with Garreth. He handed Garreth a pitcher of ale. They hadn't talked much since the shrine dedication, but Garreth had long since lost his animosity.
“How does it feel to be anonymous?” Ronodin asked.
No one in Fablehaven knew his true identity yet. It was incredibly freeing. Garreth was able to work through all his own business privately, instead of having all eyes on him. What a breath of relief.
“It's nice,” Garreth said.
Ronodin nodded and they sat in the cacophony of the tavern for a few more moments before he spoke up. “So, when are you and Kendra having the wedding? Autumn?”
Their friends had echoed a similar refrain. Garreth smiled. “We're just courting.”
“Is that what we call being irrevocably intertwined now?”
Garreth couldn't help but chuckle. It was true. Their relationship transcended the shallow connection courting suggested. But, it was also true that they were only courting at the moment. Neither was the type to rush into things. Not to even mention the diplomatic consequences that would have to be considered regarding a union.
That was for later.
“How's your scamming business going?” Garreth asked.
Ronodin waved a hand dismissively. “I gave up on that.”
Garreth raised his eyebrows. “Then, what are you up to?”
“Rebuilding. Just like everyone else. Maybe I'll help Kendra with her new magic school once it's over. But, I think I'm going to take advantage of the new shrine and visit some family.”
It was times like this when talking about magic where Garreth knew each word individually but could not hope to parse the meaning of the sentence. Instead, he hummed noncommittally. “Has it been a long time?”
“Yes. It has. My family are not the social type. I’m probably one of the few unicorns you'll ever meet. We tend to not come to Earth.”
Garreth gazed at Ronodin critically. Ronodin looked like a human in every aspect. If he was being honest, sometimes he doubted that Ronodin was actually a unicorn. Avatars were explained to him and all, but…really?
Ronodin saw his gaze and laughed.
It was for that reason, that twenty minutes later, Garreth and Seth ended up riding a sleek black unicorn with a red horn over the hills of Fablehaven just outside the citadel’s walls. Seth whooped with delight and Garreth held onto the mane hair with white knuckles. Ronodin as a horse retained all of his personality, which was to say that he bucked and threw them off into the meadow.
Seth rolled over in the grass, laughing to himself as Ronodin transformed back into the man Garreth knew and cracked his neck.
“Goddamn, you guys are heavy.”
Seth, still engulfed in his laughter, sent an accusatory pointing finger in Garreth’s direction and Garreth sighed.
But, it wasn't a sigh of exhaustion despite the late hour. It was a sigh fighting back a smile.
They made him feel like the kid he never got to be in the wake of his mother’s death. The people here made Fablehaven feel like his home.
He was eternally grateful.
The next week saw the grand re-opening of the school house. Bright, blue paint covered the bricks Garreth had laid with Eve and dozens of tiny faces looked up at him and Kendra as they stood at the front.
He held a potted plant for her. It held a few closed bluebells, not yet bloomed.
“See, when I do this.” Kendra stretched her fingers to the plants and spoke an incantation. Garreth knew she didn’t need one to do such simple magic, but it was more for the benefit of the students. The bluebells opened and bloomed. New shoots darted up beside the first two. “This happens.”
Gasps and excitement burst from the juvenile crowd.
“What could we do with this type of nature magic? Anyone have an idea?” Kendra scanned the raised hands. “Yes, you?”
“Make a lot of flowers for the festivals.” The culprit was a elven girl with pointed ears. Stars filled her eyes as she stared up at Kendra. Kids absolutely adored her.
“Yes. Absolutely. Anyone else?”
Another hand shot up from a boy in the front row. His smile had two gaps. “Grow food.”
“Exactly!” Kendra said. She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered to the kids. “Guess what we’re using to regrow our fields right now?”
A chorus of “magic” lit up the room. Snot flew as kids blew their noses and grubby hands flew into the air.
“Any other questions?”
A boy in the front raised his hand. Before Kendra pointed at him, he started to talk.
“Can you do any tricks?”
Kendra smiled. “Yes. Remember the more practical applications we talked about with magic, too.”
“Pretty art is a practical application,” Garreth said. As an artist himself, he felt it necessary to defend his craft.
“Right.” She sent him a smile.
Kendra opened her palm and revealed an orb of light. It floated up to the ceiling. She handed Garreth a quill and he popped it. A shower of sparks descended onto the children below to oohs and aahs.
As the two left the school for regular instruction to resume, Kendra reiterated her most important point. “Remember, if you think you have a talent for magic, stop by the shrine! In a few short weeks, we’re going to have a school there for magical instruction on the weekends.”
Several colors swirled together as Garreth’s paintbrush bristles twitched back and forth on the canvas. He focused, trying to hold the handle tighter but his hand wouldn’t stop shaking. His goal of a precise white highlight on the flowers became unreachable as the canvas turned into a mess of white blobs.
Garreth sighed and put the paintbrush down. Bitterness swelled and he stretched his shoulder. The scar tissue pulled as he went through the exercises that relieved the bulk of the tingling and pain around his shoulder and arm. After almost two months now, his injury had still not healed, and the doctor, Tanu, had told him to adapt to his new way of living.
With his left hand (his new good hand), he placed the paintbrush in the water and sat back on his stool, staring at his unfinished painting of blobs.
The vision of a pretty blue flower bouquet had been a wash, and he had no one to share his frustration with as he hadn’t shown anyone his recent attempts at painting yet. Thinking of doing so made Garreth curl in on himself.
It was enough that everyone knew he couldn’t fight with a sword or write his own thoughts down anymore. It was enough he felt like he was a child again, learning how to do everything with his other hand.
Even seeing the kids in the schoolhouse write swooping letters better than he could caused tears to well up in his eyes. Tears of shame and of frustration.
Garreth scrubbed at his face and tried to make the thoughts stop. Logically, he knew he had escaped death by a margin much smaller than anyone liked to tell him. He was the luckiest man in the world. But, he still struggled to accept his new challenges.
The next night, he found himself on the knight’s training grounds. Over and over, he used his left hand to parry and stab but it just wasn't the same. After frustration clouded his thoughts, he switched the sword back to his familiar right hand and slashed at the training dummy. The impact reverberated up his arm and into his shoulder, causing him to instinctively drop the sword in the face of such blinding pain. He stumbled into the castle wall and sunk to the ground, cradling his right arm as he rode out the worst of the spasms.
Tears fell from his eyes and his vision blurred until the training ground was almost as much of a blurry mess as his paintings.
Only in the dead of night did he try these things and yet he still failed. It didn’t feel good. He had relied on his swordsman ability so much to save his life in Terrabelle and in the ziggurat. He had only stayed up to par with the magical crew due to his excellent slicing and slashing. Now, without it, did he measure up? He wasn’t a prince anymore, he wasn’t a swordsman, and he couldn’t even paint a pretty picture. Who was he?
A purple blob expanded at the center of his blurry vision, and Garreth blinked the tears away until Kendra emerged, concern pulling her face into a frown. Her curly hair was tucked into a long braid and her purple night dress scraped the muddy ground. Her beauty still never failed to astonish Garreth.
She pried his vice-like grip off of his trembling arm and cradled it in her own. Her eyes glowed as she pulled the pain away from his body. That was a new thing—her eyes glowing with magic. It had stuck ever since the Reclamation of Fablehaven. It forced everyone to come to terms with the fact that the bubbly, sweet princess quite literally had the force of a goddess behind her. Of course, even without it, she was always intimidating when it came down to it.
Despite his pride for Kendra and her accomplishments, sometimes he worried she would grow tired of him and leave him for someone on her level. He felt so reduced compared to who she had fallen in love with.
“I’m sorry,” Kendra said. She finished alleviating the physical pain and massaged his shoulder.
Garreth shook his head. Guilt settled in, a new pain taking over. “Stop it.”
“I should’ve been more careful when I was healing you. I could’ve done it better.”
“You saved my life.” Garreth used his good hand to cradle her cheek and wipe away her tears.
Garreth hated this. He didn’t want to make her cry. Not again. Not after so many tears. She blew everyone’s minds, but she still felt she could do better. Garreth knew the feeling of immense responsibility. But, it wasn’t something you could ever fulfill. Expectations always stayed just above your reach.
He could take some of his own advice.
Kendra pursed her lips. “I just hate seeing you in pain.”
“As do I. Don’t cry. Without you, I wouldn’t be alive to have these problems.”
“Without me, you would be safe at home and perfectly healthy.”
“Don’t do that.” Garreth frowned. He pulled her in for a hug. “I never want to see a life without you. I love you. More than anything.”
It was true. Despite all the changes and challenges his new life had come with, he cringed at the thought of returning to his old. Garreth didn’t want to be the person he once was again. He wanted to be himself now. Even if that meant he needed to learn a few new things.
“I love you too.” She pulled back and helped him to his feet. “Now, let’s get back inside.”
Despite the warmth of his new life, Garreth still felt out of place. The food was different, the clothing was different. Fablehaven didn't celebrate the same festivals and Garreth found himself missing the safety of familiarity.
On one hand, he felt ungrateful to even think these thoughts. But, Garreth wasn't alone.
A steady stream of magical refugees flowed into Fablehaven ever since the they had reclaimed the citadel. Despite having no magic of his own, Garreth related to the new citizens and felt like one of them. He ate lunch with cyclopes, babysat satyr toddler triplets, and played in a sports league with all sorts of centaurs, hags, nymphs, dryads, and dwarves.
His out-of-placeness allowed him to find a place with other refugees that missed an unwelcoming home. However, together, they built a community worth staying for.
Soon enough, Terrabelle ceased to cross Garreth’s mind when he thought of home. Home became his bedroom within the castle. Home became Kendra. Home became the raucous dinners they had every night. Home became Newel and Doren cajoling him into sneaking them into the castle.
Instead of the cold, impersonal walls of the Terrabellian court room, Home became a place of love and security. He didn't want it any other way.
Garreth surveyed his new finished painting. It was a sunrise. He hadn't needed any precise strokes to accomplish the blended light, and pride swelled in his chest. It was different, but it wasn’t bad.
Garreth’s rumination ended when a servant knocked on his chamber doors. The man poked his head in and surveyed the bedroom until his eyes landed on Garreth. “You are needed in the war room, your grace.”
“Thank you.”
Before the door even shut, Garreth shot to his feet. War room? What could possibly be going on? But, he answered his own questions immediately. Dread settled in Garreth’s stomach—Terrabelle. It had to be.
Consequences were coming.
In his pajamas, Garreth rushed through the castle hallways. The sun had long since set, so the windows only offered a glimpse into darkness. He shuffled along by touch, memory, and the few torch braziers that cast sufficient light.
It had taken time for Garreth to become accustomed to the layout, but now he sped through the castle’s hallways like a native. Whenever he thought of home, he thought of Fablehaven. It was a bittersweet feeling.
His homeland was no longer his.
When he entered the room, Kendra, Seth, Warren, and Eve were already waiting. Seth and Eve were supposed to be resting for their early morning departure for Wyrmroost tomorrow. Not a good omen to be up at this hour, and Garreth could see it in their dark circles.
Stan and Ruth were absent—regents in nothing but name. Their sickness had only gotten worse. Stan couldn’t speak clearly anymore, and he just babbled gibberish all day. Garreth knew Kendra felt guilty about that. That she could’ve been quicker, faster, and they wouldn’t be so decimated. But, her grandparents were very old. Their deterioration had been no surprise to Garreth.
“Is anyone else coming?” Garreth took his seat next to Kendra. She had saved it for him. If dread hadn’t sunk its claws in him already, he would have smiled at the kindness.
“No,” Kendra said. “Now, we can begin. Our messengers delivered this just minutes ago.”
She unrolled a piece of parchment onto the table. The blue and green flag in the corner, the elaborate signature of his father—Garreth had been right. The consequences had arrived.
Kendra looked up at Garreth. “Terrabelle has declared us an enemy nation.”
“But, Terrabelle did not declare war,” Warren said. His expression held nothing of his usual joviality.
Eve frowned and leaned forward in her chair. “The language seems warlike.”
“Our father won’t tolerate his humiliation. He will come after us,” Garreth said. They would be fools to imagine his father as all bark and no bite.
“But, why did he wait this long to do this? We arrived in Fablehaven two months ago,” Seth said.
“I think it's a strategic move mainly for his domestic affairs, and not actually as important to us,” Warren said. “King Dalgorel is in a dicey position. With both heirs fled, political prisoners escaped, and the changed political landscape following Sphinx’s death, he might not stay in power for long. Other nobles might rise up and make a claim to the throne.”
“So, he’s using Fablehaven as an enemy to try to consolidate the nation? Rally around the flag?” Kendra pursed her lips. Garreth glanced at her face. He loved Warren, but his anxiety prickled at the chancellor’s treatment of the declaration.
Warren shrugged. “It’s a bark, not a bite.”
“Don’t underestimate him. If he feels he’s backed into a corner, he may lash out.” Garreth ran his hands through his hair. A nervous habit.
Warren leaned back and tapped the table. “Look, once the bulk of the re-building finishes and we formally announce Garreth and Eve as our guests, we can deal with this. That will be in a month or so, no? I would be surprised if anything happens before then.”
Garreth stared at Warren. He wanted to believe the man's safer interpretation, but it felt too much like a false carrot. “We must stay vigilant.”
“Of course.”
Kendra snapped up the parchment. “We can discuss more later, but I had wanted Eve and Seth’s voices tonight. It’s time for bed, and they need their sleep for their voyage tomorrow.”
Once everyone left, Garreth followed Kendra to her chambers. In the waning moonlight, they cuddled next to her fireplace.
“Would you ever want to go back? To Terrabelle?”
Garreth watched the embers die as he mulled over his answer. So many thoughts came to mind.
“I don't know. I want to free my own people from tyranny and violence, but that’s not possible right now. I'm not sure what course of action would hurt them the least.”
“Whatever you do, Fablehaven will stand behind you.”
Garreth smiled. “If all went perfectly, we could unite our kingdoms, you know.”
While everyone made light-hearted jokes about marriage at their expense, Garreth could truly not imagine spending his life with anyone else. When he looked to the future, he saw Kendra by his side forever and always. He saw peace and happiness and a thriving kingdom. He saw Seth and Eve becoming famous adventurers and Patton retiring to spend all his time with Lena. He saw Ronodin teaching dark magic alongside Kendra and Newel and Doren stealing apples from roadside carts. He saw Vanessa joining Warren on the court of advisors and becoming his right hand. He saw love and happiness and family in the future.
Kendra laughed. “One day maybe.”
He might be thinking too far ahead for now, but it didn't matter to him. Their futures were bright and they would ride out the twilights together. Garreth kissed her cheek.
“One day.”
Notes:
AAAAAAH One chapter left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is crazy!!!!!!!!!!!
Chapter 24: XX - spring
Summary:
Kendra rises with the sun the day of her coronation.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The reds, oranges, and pinks of the sunrise broke through the clouds and shined on the marble headstones in front of Kendra. Flowers crowded every inch of the plot—bunchberries and bluebells and daisies and forget-me-nots and lilies and daffodils and a bunch of botanical blooms Kendra couldn’t even name. The flowery shoots had slowly sprung up as Kendra poured her heart out.
She told her parents about Garreth, about her grandparents’ waning health, about Terrabelle’s declaration yet subsequent silence, and about the past months rebuilding the besieged city of Fablehaven. She told them about long days and nights, the opening night of the theater’s new play, the new school for magic, Eve and Seth’s departure to Wyrmroost, Garreth and Vanessa becoming a part of her council, the new policies they were building to fully flesh out magic use, their defense-strengthening, how they were integrating magic into the knights, and a bunch of other things she could go on and on about forever.
But, what Kendra had truly come to spill was the event happening this evening—her coronation as queen.
Fablehaven didn’t believe in the crown passing after death. It was tradition to do it much earlier, before elderly illnesses claimed the crown. Seven years ago, her grandparents had abdicated and crowned her father and mother. Of course, their reign had been brief.
It was extraordinary how long her grandparents had reigned, and it was time to pass it on before the choice flew out of their hands with their declining health. Tanu, the court medic, had told Kendra in private that he didn’t expect them to see the end of the season. It was an absolutely crushing realization. As much as they disagreed on certain tenets and policies, they were still her grandparents. They had cared for her and Seth as their own children for the past four and a half years. Kendra had only been thirteen and absolutely terrified when they had stepped in. She owed so much to them, and tried as best she could to make their last months enjoyable.
Kendra closed her eyes and breathed in the scents of oncoming spring. The flowers, the wind, the warmer weather. She stood, pressed a kiss to each headstone, and left.
There was another place she needed to visit.
Upon her return to Fablehaven, Kendra had created a fairy shrine. It was, frankly, long overdue. She had used the statue they had recovered from the Sphinx—a large version of the Fairy Queen—and the miniature statue that had previously been locked up in the castle’s holdings. It was the same one she had knelt before and pleaded with four and a half years ago.
The shrine sat slightly inside the forest, and a short walk from the city gates.
The statues stood on an island in the middle of a small pond. A solid wooden bridge erected by the townspeople crossed the moat. Everything else—the moat itself, the hedges, the flowers, the arches—had all been built by the Fairy Queen using Kendra as a conduit.
Normally, it was a busy place with pilgrims paying homage or Fablehaven citizens simply enjoying the shrine’s sacred magic space. There was even a big celebration when Ronodin had somehow disappeared through the shrine in a dazzle of light to visit his mysterious aunt who he claimed was the Fairy Queen. But it hurt Kendra's mind to think of the Fairy Queen as an entity with relatives, so she ignored Ronodin’s claim for the most part. Nevertheless, this morning, Kendra had the entire shrine to herself as the entire city busied itself with preparations for the coronation.
Once Kendra reached the island, she took a deep breath and knelt before the statues.
“My Queen,” Kendra said. The familiar scent of rich soil, blossoming flowers, and the salty sea air swirled around her. The world seemed to grow more vivid and brighter. The Fairy Queen’s pure, unadulterated pride hit Kendra like a tidal wave. It brought tears to her eyes.
“I am to be crowned tonight as Queen of Fablehaven. I pledge to further magic’s desires in the world and create a safe haven for all magical creatures. I do this in your name.”
And in yours. I’ve left a gift for you, behind you. I thank you for this shrine. My connection to the material world has increased greatly. However, I find that access must be limited to only my devotees. Thank you, Kendra. And good luck.
The sweet aroma disappeared, the world slightly dulled, and Kendra smiled. It was rare for the Queen to talk directly. Normally, Kendra just felt the overwhelming, vivid emotions when communing.
She turned around to find out what the Fairy Queen had meant. The bridge was gone, and in the glittering moat, hands waved at her. The hands pushed a canoe toward the island’s shore. It reminded Kendra of the canoe Muriel had been laid to rest in. In fact, Kendra believed it was one and the same.
When the canoe docked, Kendra leaned over the water and saw smiling faces and pretty, flowing hair connected to the hands that had just delivered her ride. Naiads! Kendra had read about them in a book before. They were thought to have become extinct. She thought back to a bet she had made with Lena one day that naiads still existed. Lena had said yes, and for some reason, Patton had said Lena shouldn’t make unfair bets. Nevertheless, Kendra had to give her her money now.
Despite her lack of familiarity, Kendra remembered that the textbook had said to not get too close. One of the naiads popped her head out of the water, winked, and held out her hands. She had flowing black hair and beckoned Kendra to the water, inviting Kendra to come swim with them.
“Thank you, but I will just take the canoe,” Kendra said.
The boat ride was smooth. Once her feet touched the ground on the other side of the moat, she surveyed the area. Even though the shrine island itself was now inaccessible by the lack of the bridge, not all was lost. The pure magic of the surrounding area had led to blooming flowers and a gorgeous natural place to sit and have a picnic.
She would have to tell Garreth that.
Kendra didn't leave the shrine. Instead, she set up for her weekly magic class, and sat down cross-legged in the grassy corner of the shrine. Secluded from the main boardwalk, she could teach her students.
Beatrice, a serious, studious girl of seven summers squeezed her eyes shut and meticulously pronounced the spell Kendra had just recited. The tulip bulb she held in her stubby hand blossomed.
“Look, Beatrice,” Kendra said.
Her eyes opened in wonder. “I did it!”
“Good.” Kendra gave her a high-five. The delight on her students’ faces when they executed a spell right made sacrificing her Sunday mornings worth it.
Beatrice’s twin brother, Benjamin, tugged Kendra’s sleeve. “I need help.”
Kendra focused on him and clasped his hands. At first, she had been worried she wouldn't be a good enough teacher. But, by the end of her first class, she realized she knew a lot more than she gave herself credit for. “Breathe with me.”
Together, they took two deep breaths. “Let your frustration roll over you instead of trying to push it back. Remember, being in tune with our inner self is the best connection we can have with our magic.”
Benjamin nodded and held up his tulip bulb. He whispered to it, eyes focused on the petals. Slowly and reluctantly, they peeled back to reveal the flower. “Oh! So pretty!”
Kendra laughed with delight. She loved seeing her students make a break-through. Every Sunday, she held a magic class in the late morning inside the magic-rich atmosphere of the fairy shrine. Normally, she had more attendants. But, Kendra had canceled today’s class in preparation for the coronation until Beatrice begged her to keep it on for her.
So, Kendra did.
Sometimes, the schoolteacher, Anna, filled in when Kendra’s royal duties took precedence. Anna was absolutely amazing, and could still teach magic despite her lack of it. Instead of demonstrations, Anna would lead the kids through drills Kendra had already outlined. But, she wanted Anna to have her morning to prepare for the celebrations tonight. So, instead Kendra taught.
Kendra taught differently than Muriel had, but she hoped the witch would have been proud of her. Her classes had boomed in attendance—even from adults. Kendra believed everyone could learn just a little magic even if just to dry laundry. A little knowledge assuaged the fear surrounding magic.
Beatrice picked a few flowers from the ground and added them to her tulip. She presented the bouquet to Kendra with a shy grin. “Thank you, Princess.”
Kendra accepted the bouquet with one hand and the other on her heart. Her students were just the sweetest.
When Seth got back from his adventure, maybe he could be a special guest and teach some dark magic. Everyone could learn both—but everyone usually had an affinity for one of the other. She didn’t want to exclude those who would be better off learning dark magic, and mentally noted the students who had more trouble with basic light spells.
In fact, Ronodin had mentioned something about teaching a few spells to her kids. She would have to check up on that when he returned from his family visit.
After the class, Kendra returned to the castle for breakfast. She passed the stables on her way. Her heart still hurt every time she saw the horses because she noticed the ones that were missing. Especially Glory.
But, Kendra assured herself that she hadn't seen the horse for the last time. Something would happen with Terrabelle. Hopefully not a war, but something. As Fablehaven aligned itself solidly with magic, Terrabelle’s enemy declaration had been inevitable. And, she didn’t imagine Terrabelle staying quiet much longer—especially after tonight when Kendra formally announced Garreth and Eve’s inclusion into the Fablehaven court and the news proliferated across the countryside.
It was unheard of for the heirs of one kingdom to flee and become part of another. Kendra could only imagine the ripples the event would cause across the diplomatic field of the world.
As she ate her breakfast, she mulled over the possible ramifications until she caught a glimpse of Raxtus flying in the distance through her bedroom window. His iridescent scales were hard to miss in the glittering sun.
Kendra flew down the tower’s steps two at a time to reach the floor. Rough sandy stones caught her dress on each landing. Her hair whipped around and her cheeks reddened as she dodged servants through the halls. A horn blew in the distance, a sign the scouts had seen them too. Giddiness erupted into anticipatory giggles.
But, a little part of Kendra was scared. Before their lives had been upended last fall, the two siblings had grown distant in the years after their parents’ deaths. Kendra had spent all her time in the courtroom and Seth had spent all his time outside the citadel on adventures. A small part of her worried that this adventure of his meant they were settling back into that rhythm.
But, she didn’t want to. She had loved reconnecting throughout the trials of Terrabelle and their journeys. Her brother had grown up into an amazing, kind person, and she didn’t want to become formal again.
Kendra’s shoes touched the courtyard just as Raxtus landed. His final wing flap sent the flags wrapping around their poles and the dirt between the flagstones flying. Courtiers crowded the balconies, clapping and waving. Townspeople ran into the square to see the dragon. Raxtus had become a fan favorite, especially with the children.
Seth slid off Raxtus and met her, running, in a solid hug. They spun around and he set her down on the floor. A smile split her face. She didn’t have to worry about losing him again.
“How was it?” Kendra asked.
His grin stretched for miles on his flushed face. “Amazing, Kendra. Absolutely amazing!”
“You’ll have to tell the court tonight about your Wyrmroost trip,” Kendra said. He always forgot about his reports. Also, considering Ronodin had never been mentioned in his previous reports, she expected more details this time.
“Of course. They loved us. You’ll never guess who Raxtus’s dad is. But, I’ll tell you all later,” Seth said. “Did you miss me?”
“Not at all.”
They both laughed and Kendra smiled. This was good. This was new and good.
Together, they were so much stronger. She never wanted to stop being his big sister, and despair would swallow her if he ever thought he had outgrown his little brother status.
The rest of the morning passed in lovely catching-up and games and fun. Garreth and Eve went on a ride in the woods, and the princess came back with blue trousers. Where she had found such a thing, let alone in blue, Kendra had no idea. Of course, the princess handed them off to Madeline to bedazzle it with pearls. Eve told Kendra all about how much easier it was to ride horses in pants.
With rich food and tasty drinks flowing, the lunch table shook from the force of Seth’s loud story-telling and Eve’s pointed corrections. Even Raxtus had flown in through the new bay windows they had installed in the castle hall and squeezed in.
Love and laughter abounded the courtroom.
It was new, but it was good.
After lunch, Kendra walked down to the lower town to find Madeline’s boutique, and soon found herself tucked into a back room.
The blindfold itched at her nose. Kendra had promised not to peek, but Madeline didn’t trust just promises. Kendra wasn’t allowed to see it until it was perfect, which meant she had already stood for about ten minutes as Madeline flew around the workshop, poking pins into the mystery fabric draped over Kendra.
The night they had reclaimed Fablehaven, Kendra had sent out fairy volunteers to reach the scattered diaspora of Fablehaven citizens and tell them it was safe to return home. Madeline was one of the first to receive her summons and arrive.
Some citizens were so thankful to be back home that they kissed the castle walls on first contact. Kendra related to their joy. It reminded her of the city’s reclamation months ago.
However, the Blackwoods had yet to arrive. Kendra wondered how the birth went and if they were okay. She hoped soon she could ask them in person.
“Okay,” Madeline said. “It’s fitted.”
Deft hands undid the blindfold and as it fell away, Kendra beheld the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Gold flowery detailing snaked up the deep purple skirts and intensified over the bodice. Kendra waved her arms around and watched the long, flowy sleeves move with her.
“It’s gorgeous,” Kendra said. “You are amazing.”
It had been a long time since Kendra had gotten all dolled up, and she was not alone in that novel elation. The entire citadel was bursting with excitement for the coronation. With pretty clothes, lots of food, and harmonious music galore, it was shaping up to be an exciting night.
Nevertheless, as Kendra admired herself in the mirror, a certain melancholy settled over the affair. When she had been a little girl dreaming of her coronation, she had always imagined doing this with her mother at her side—her super fashionable mother who would have advised her on all the right fabrics and styles. She would have held Kendra’s hand and stood beside Kendra as she spoke her vows. Kendra blinked the budding pressure in her eyes away. Today was a happy day.
Together, they took off the dress and Madeline redid Kendra’s blindfold as she suited her up in a new one. The same frenzy followed of pins and poking and little hums from Madeline. The previous one had been her reception dress: the one she would wear at the party tonight.
This one would be her coronation dress.
Kendra’s mouth fell open in shock when her blindfold abdicated her face. It was familiar. It was the same flowery corset from the Madeline had given her months ago before the ziggurat but with gold detailing around each flower and a longer, fuller white skirt. She spun and watched the skirts twirl in the mirror.
“I had originally prepared this for your coronation. I think it is still fit to be worn. Especially because now it will remind the people of your victory over the late Sphinx’s forces.” Madeline bug eyes trailed her frame as she fluffed out the skirt. “Do you like it?”
Kendra could feel her mother smiling down on her. She twisted to see the back, and spun around again for good measure. Joy split her face into a grin.
“I love it.”
As Kendra took her dresses back to her room, doubts about today bloomed into rocks that sat heavy at the bottom of her stomach. No matter what she tried to think about, her thoughts kept sliding back to the worst possible situations. Her hands buzzed with nervousness. She just needed to get through a few more hours.
As Kendra entered her room, Vanessa stopped fluffing her bedding and ran to take the dresses out of Kendra’s hands. Vanessa had a beautiful red gown on, and set Kendra’s gowns on a drying rack. “Wow, these are gorgeous.”
“Madeline did a great job,” Kendra agreed. She sat down on the stool in front of the fireplace and watched Vanessa busy around.
After a few moments, Vanessa paused her organization, pursed her lips, and turned to Kendra. “Do you want to talk about it?”
After so many years by Kendra’s side, Vanessa never missed a single emotion out of the princess.
Kendra didn't look at her. Her worries sunk like a cannonball and she couldn't imagine pushing that up through her esophagus and out her mouth. “No.”
But as Vanessa resumed her cleaning, Kendra found she did have something to say that didn't do with her anxiety. “Thank you, Vanessa.”
“Thank me by keeping your room cleaner so this takes less time,” Vanessa joked.
“No. I mean, yes, I’ll be cleaner,” Kendra laughed. “But, no. That's not what I meant. I want to thank you for always being there. I really appreciate it.”
Vanessa crossed the room and hugged Kendra. She kissed the top of her head. “Oh, Kendra. It has been such a privilege watching you grow.”
In another world, it would've been Kendra’s mom saying that on this day. But, Kendra found Vanessa’s words meant just as much. Vanessa had been that mom and friend and gossip buddy Kendra never had.
Kendra pulled away and laughed at their matching tears. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Vanessa said. She grabbed the coronation dress and let it unfurl to the floor. “Now, let's get you dressed.”
Kendra dismissed Vanessa early and found herself falling back into her concerns. Especially regarding how her subjects would welcome Garreth and Eve Dalgorel—progeny of a genocidal maniac.
See, sorcerers occupied a position few desired.
Humans didn’t believe sorcerers were truly human and the magical community didn’t believe sorcerers were really a part of the community either. This was a static discourse—relatively unchanging—and it only deepened during conflicts where humans and magic were at odds.
Reoccurring reasons propped up the animosity.
Humans were terrified of magic because it was power they didn’t have so it was power that could be used against them. For the most part, humans lacked the natural talent to do more than laundry magic, far from the destruction some demons could wield by infancy.
On the other hand, magical creatures had watched humans grow from just another animal to harnessing nature to create steady supplies of food, create systems of blacksmiths to create swords that could rival dragons’ talons, and harness fire—stolen from a dragon’s breath. That fostered terror that humans would just keep growing and gaining power until they would usurp the raw power of magic.
For the most part, the magical community was as unchanging as nature. However, humans were innovators. They keep changing and growing and terrify everyone else. The Sphinx had harnessed this fear to its full potential.
Kendra remembered when Patton had slayed a dragon. She didn’t know him at the time, of course, but she remembered the controversy. She was only five yet every dinner table discussion focused on it, every shouting match in the square turned its gaze on it, everyone whispered the name of the lowly human that conquered what many considered to be the pinnacle of magical power.
Wyrmroost started refusing human admittance, and some groups began advocating for separating magic from humans. Burgess had been a sorcerer (of little note). He had used our magic and defeated us. We’re going to let them learn our magic just to hurt us over and over?
When Patton had become Seth’s valet, he had been required to issue a public apology for the slain dragon in the square. Hiring Patton had been her grandparents’ idea, but the apology had been hers. She remembered the controversy surrounding Patton and she knew the danger of sleighting the magical community.
Now, after her coronation, she was about to introduce Eve and Garreth Dalgorel to her kingdom. Afterwards, they would speak about Terrabelle’s crimes against magic. She had coached them, pleaded, and begged. Smile, do not frown. Do not say anything you're not supposed to. Mirror my reactions to people. If I laugh, you laugh. If I frown, you frown, albeit less. More like a neutral expression. Kiss the babies. Dazzle the adults. Don’t trip.
They had been somewhat hidden during the past couple months, although rumors had abounded. Kendra had just wanted to wait until Fablehaven was back on its feet to introduce their two new royals whose existence in Fablehaven was undoubtedly going to cause diplomatic tensions.
Tonight seemed as good a night as any. After her coronation, it would be her first announcement as Queen, and other royalty were already gathered for the occasion. Princess Mara from the Mesa country and Queen Laura of the Obsidian country had both arrived tonight. Kendra had greeted them politely and hit it off, yet anxiety crawled underneath her skin.
Could she pull this off?
She stared into her mirror. Her curls swirled together in a high bun. Servants had bathed her and scrubbed her nails. Vanessa had already outfitted her in the flowery corset and long, white dress and added rouge across her cheeks and lips.
But despite all the dressing up, Kendra felt naked with the exception of her diadem. It was a piece of her mother, forever lost in Terrabelle.
Instead, Vanessa had found something else of her queenmother’s for Kendra to wear.
Jewels encrusted the tiara, reaching out like vines around a heart of diamond—the strongest gem. Even if it fell from Kendra’s fingers, the diamond wouldn’t shatter. Which was good, because her hands were shaking.
Her mother had worn this exact tiara on her wedding day, the day her mother had gone from a commoner to a royal. She only retained the tiara for thirteen years before she had fallen victim to Bahumat, and the tiara had been sealed away in the royal catacombs.
Today, Kendra was going to wear it on her coronation. She would have a piece of her mother and Seth would be wearing one of their father’s old formal outfits.
Nervousness crept in at all sides and she set it down.
Could she really do this?
A door knock interrupted her spiraling.
“Come in,” Kendra said.
Garreth walked in and took the seat next to her as she stared out the window. “Vanessa’s worried about you.”
“I just needed some alone time,” Kendra said. “But, you can stay.”
“It’s okay to be scared.”
“I know. I know.” Kendra left the window and turned to Garreth. His dark brown eyes searched her face. “But, when I see all those people out there counting on me, how can I not feel anxious?”
“You’ve already been acting as their queen. Coordinating the rebuilding, taking back the city. They already treat you as such.”
“But, this is the real deal. This is official. They’re going to have to put my portrait up into the hall.” Kendra took off her gloves and sat back down. Oh god. She was going to have to sit for a portrait alone for hours. The only other time she had ever done that was with her entire family. Shivers ran down her cold arms. “I just…when I look in that hall, up at all those faces, they all seem so perfect.”
“I’m sure the artist took some liberties with wrinkles and blemishes. I would’ve.”
Kendra laughed. She knew he knew that wasn’t what she was talking about, but it caught her off guard. “Sure.”
Garreth leaned back in his chair. “What part of it is making you nervous?”
“All of it.” Kendra rubbed her face. She remembered Muriel’s advice and took a breath to feel her own emotions. The indescribable cloud of anxiety solidified into sources. Garreth waited as the truth bubbled up. “There is this irrational part of me…that thinks my grandparents have only held on this long because they were waiting for my coronation. And, that they’ll leave me once it’s over.”
Pressure built in Kendra’s face and she blinked rapidly. “I mean, Grandpa barely knows what’s going on anymore and I just…I’ve never lived a life without them in it.”
Kendra had already lost enough people. She didn't want to lose any more, as inevitable and foolish as it was. She had even almost lost Garreth.
Never again.
Garreth dragged his seat forward until his knees touched hers. He took her hands and kissed them. “I’m sorry, Kendra.”
“Sometimes, I just want to freeze time forever.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned into the hug. He smelt like parchment and oil paints. His warm arms covered her like a heavy blanket. “I know change is good. But, I just hate things ending.”
“It’s about the journey,” Garreth said. He opened his mouth to continue but Kendra raised her finger to his open mouth. The familiar mantra brought mirth to her lips.
“Not the ending.” She cradled his face and leaned her forehead against his. “Maybe one day you’ll get a new catchphrase.”
“Oh, I hope not.” His breath mingled with hers. His nose scraped the side of her cheekbone. She could feel his freshly shaved skin slide into a grin. Being this close intoxicated Kendra, and her worries seemed to vanish. “I don’t think I have any better ones.”
“No?” Kendra's lips brushed his as she spoke. “What about this one?”
She kissed him. His lips were so soft, and his hands tangled in her hair. Excitement rushed through her veins and flooded her brain. Her hands roved over his back, feeling his muscles rippling. In a moment of air, he whispered. “I think catchphrases are supposed to have words.”
“Oh?”
He leaned in again, and this time his mouth hovered over her neck. “But I already like this better.”
Kendra smiled out of the kiss, teeth scraping his lips. This was bliss. This wasn’t love with a dark cloud of secrets hanging over; it was safety and warmth and comfort. It was everything she had ever wanted.
Garreth was the sunshine. He was the safe place she drew her magic from. They both had no parents to speak of, but had learned the building of families without blood. Together, they would carve out their own space of love and care and understanding.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, stood them up, and spun her around. Her skirts billowed through the air, and curls sprung free from her updo. She broke from the kiss, laughing with delight.
This was it. Pure bliss.
“Thank you,” she said. Her had worries disappeared. Whatever happened, she could do it alongside Garreth and her family.
Thousands of citizens gathered in the town square and spilled into the streets beyond with every head craned to the castle balcony. Kendra pried her white knuckled hands off the railing and grabbed the royal scepter and seal that Warren offered her. As chancellor, he officiated the coronation and as such, was required to wear an incredibly goofy, traditional outfit that brought mirth to her anxious demeanor.
Warren smiled at her. They had practiced a million times before, but somehow the words felt new upon her ears. She heard them differently now. “Do you pledge to forever protect the laws and institutions of the great kingdom of Fablehaven?”
“I do.”
“Do you pledge to use your power for good and to protect all—including magical or not, and to ensure peace and tranquility?”
Kendra smiled at the new addition.
“I do.”
“And, finally, do you pledge to forever glorify Fablehaven and her people?” As he said it, Warren removed her mother’s tiara in preparation. The scepter and seal became light in her hands.
“I do.”
As Warren settled the crown, polished by hundreds of rulers' use, onto Kendra’s hair, she looked beyond the castle balcony. She saw the bird nests in the corners of the castle, the joy on her people’s faces, and the love that filled her kingdom despite the death and destruction of recent memory.
“I hereby pronounce you Queen Kendra, House of Soren, of Fablehaven.”
The celebration all around her from Seth, from Garreth and Eve, from Lena and Patton, from Warren and Vanessa, and from all her people deafened her ears. Woops and yahoos and whistles and sparkles of performative magic filled the air. Children on parents' shoulders waved their hands in excitement and streamers fluttered in the air.
Kendra smiled. A glow lit her silhouette and she inhaled the faint aroma of earth, honey, and saplings that curled around her dress. The Queen’s blessing of her newfound queenship.
It was nice to have a deity on her side.
Her magic reacted to her happiness. Vines curled up the castle balcony and flowers blossomed from the roofs to in between the tiles of the courtyard between people’s feet. The afternoon sun intensified and reflected off the castle windows in a spread of rainbow.
Kendra swam in the crashing waves of gratitude and love, and pulled her brother to stand behind her. She hugged him, grabbed his hand and raised it high above their heads to the cheers of the people below.
Seth needn’t stay in the shadows behind her anymore. Instead, he would shine beside her. Already, bards formulated epic ballads of his recent adventure to Wyrmroost with Eve. With a few more years under his belt, Kendra expected his stature to match or even exceed Patton’s long-cultivated height.
Seth laughed with her, and squeezed her hand. The royal bards strummed the first strings of the anthem and the people in the square took to dancing with each other arm in arm. The sun blazed brilliantly. Warm wind flapped the kingdom flags. In the distance, two birds flew circles in front of the sunshine, singing a bright, clear song. Joy, love, and delight abounded.
As perennial plants broke through defrosted ground, Fablehaven spread its wings and rose from the ashes like a phoenix. Warmth cozied Kendra’s hands as they held the scepter and seal. Last autumn, as the air had chilled, she had said goodbye to Fablehaven, not knowing if she would ever return. Together with her loved ones, she had suffered through a long, cruel winter of loss and exile.
However, as Kendra breathed in the warm, humid air, a genuine smile graced her lips. Birds sang, flowers bloomed, and mighty sunshine melted any lingering sleet.
It was finally, finally spring.
Notes:
Feel free to skip! It's a pretty long note. But if you have time, please write a comment below!! <33
It is incredibly surreal to hit post on this last chapter. This story has encapsulated the past four years of my life and has the heartbreak and love of those years baked into it.
This story began as a one-off idea I had that I showed my dear friend Caroline. At most, I expected it to be 30,000 words, and even at that, it would've become my longest work ever. Of course, we are here now, 97,000 words later.
Thank you all for reading and commenting. I love writing, but it truly is the best with an audience to enjoy the story with. Your comments kept me going.
Fablehaven and the community (especially on tumblr...come talk to me! @candlemouse) has meant so much to me. You guys are always there no matter what! Love you guys!!
Finally, I just hope you enjoyed the story.
Until next time!! <333
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