by Brandon Mull
“You’re infuriating,” Kendra said. “We’re on the same side. Stop making this hard.”
“Everyone says I’m on their side,” Seth said. “Everyone wants things from me.”
“What do you want?” Kendra asked.
“Honestly? Some time on my own. Without anyone trying to control me.”
“That could be good,” Kendra said. “Can you get time alone?”
“Not yet,” Seth said. “Soon, I hope.”
“Ronodin won’t let you go,” Kendra said. “But if you’re foolish enough to help him, he’ll take advantage of you for as long as you allow it.”
“If you’re really my sister, get me down and let me work this out,” Seth said.
“Of course I’m your sister,” Kendra said. “Don’t you see the family resemblance? What do you want to know about yourself?”
“Everything,” Seth said. “But I don’t trust anyone enough to tell me. I don’t know what stories to believe.”
“Is Bracken in the Under Realm?” Kendra asked.
“Good guess,” Seth said. “All caged up.”
“He’s all right?” she asked, at first trying to hold back the tears, then almost glad for them, hoping they would show Seth her sincerity.
“He’s not injured,” Seth said. “I mean, he’s locked up in the Under Realm, so he could be better.”
Kendra nodded, trying to find words. This whole situation was so twisted, having her own brother not trust her, hearing him speak glibly about Bracken’s incarceration. But it wasn’t Seth’s fault. He was doing his best with limited information. She had to try to reach him.
Kendra took a step closer to him and whispered, “You have to be curious about what happened. You have to wonder. You may not believe me, but here it is—we were racing against dragons to get a powerful talisman called the Wizenstone. You and I were running from the dragons, trying to get into the room where the Wizenstone was kept, but to open the door, the price was your identity. You knew that and volunteered to do it. You were so brave. After you opened the door, you looked at me like a stranger.”
“My first memory,” Seth said.
“Then Ronodin showed up and started manipulating you,” Kendra went on hurriedly. “You saw what happened with Humbuggle and the stone. We got teleported away. And the Sphinx helped Ronodin kidnap you using the barrels. Before long he had you destroying the sanctuary you lost your memory to save.”
“Sad story if it’s true,” Seth said. “You’ve had time to work on it.”
Kendra struggled to ignore the crushing disappointment of his disbelief. “You’re incredibly curious,” she went on. “You’re not great at obeying rules. But you’re not bad, Seth. You’re good. You’ve fought some of the most dangerous villains in the magical world. You held strong and beat them. You have a true heart. That has to win out in the end.”
“I talk to wraiths and phantoms,” Seth said.
“You have dark powers,” Kendra said. “You never used them for evil. At least, not when I knew you.”
“I’m not trying to do anything wrong,” Seth said. “If you’re so good, why were you holding all of those undead creatures prisoners in a well?”
“Because they’re dangerous,” Kendra said.
“You lock up anything you decide is dangerous?” Seth asked. “Dragons? What else?”
“These preserves protect magical creatures from the outside world,” Kendra said. “They also protect the outside world from the creatures.”
“Ronodin calls them prisons,” Seth said.
“They may look that way,” Kendra said. “But the creatures aren’t in cells. The dragons hunt. The satyrs play. They just have boundaries.”
“Imposed by you?” Seth asked.
“Imposed by treaties,” Kendra said, “after wars that nearly destroyed the world.”
“The wraiths were in a cell,” Seth said. “A deep one.”
“I guess some of the most dangerous creatures get treated like prisoners,” Kendra said. “I didn’t set up the system. It might not be perfect. But it’s definitely better than the end of humanity.”
“If I tell you I believe you, will you let me down?” Seth asked.
“I’m not trying to force you,” Kendra said.
“Leaving me attached to a killer mushroom comes really close,” Seth replied.
“You’re different in some ways,” Kendra said. “You’re you, but some of the feel is different. Where is your satchel?”
“Back at the Under Realm,” Seth said.
“You came without it?” Kendra asked. “That’s hard to believe.”
“I guess I always used to bring it,” Seth said.
“It’s full of your gear,” Kendra said.
“Like a single glove?”
“The glove makes you invisible when you hold still,” Kendra said.
“That would have been good to know. What else?”
“Lots of stuff,” Kendra said. “A knife. You always have some rope. You have a little statue of a leviathan that turns into a real one if you put it in the sea and say the right words.”
“What words?” Seth asked.
“I don’t know,” Kendra said. “You probably wrote them down.”
“I can check,” Seth said. “If I live.”
“Would it convince you?”
“An enemy might know the same specifics about me as a friend does,” Seth said. “In fact, an enemy might be more concerned with using little details to sway me to their side.”
“A friend might do the same,” Kendra said. “Or a sister who loves you.”
“You seem sincere,” Seth said. “I can tell you really care. That’s kindness, at least. I haven’t seen that out of Ronodin.”
“I just want to help you,” Kendra said. “We grew up together.”
“Can you understand how strange it is that you know me deeply, while for me, there is nothing familiar about you? My memory is fried. What you say could be true. If it is, I’m lucky to have such a kind sister.”
“It’s really frustrating that nothing seems to reach you.”
“I hear your version of things,” Seth said. “If you’re telling the truth, I’m so sorry. If you’re lying, shame on you. Trust me to sort it out.”
“Why are you here, Seth?” Kendra said. “What are you doing?”
“I’m dangling from a mushroom,” Seth said.
“Why did you come?”
“Back to interrogation,” Seth said.
“Ronodin corrupted that sacred pool,” Kendra said. “Why did you come here? What were you doing down there?”
“Pushy,” Seth said.
“I want to help,” Kendra said.
“Then help me down,” Seth said.
“You really don’t have time for this,” said a hushed voice from behind.
Kendra whirled to find Ronodin approaching. She reached for her bow and put a hand on the string.
“I’m not looking for a fight, unless you insist,” Ronodin said. “We have a bigger concern right now. With three eyes.”
“I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done to my brother,” Kendra said.
“As if I want or need your forgiveness,” Ronodin said. “You can be a convincing actress in a pinch—I’ll grant that you deliver your lines with feeling.”
“What are you doing here?” Kendra asked.
Ronodin went from whispering to yelling. “I’m wondering when that brainless, blundering triclops will find us!”
“Don’t,” Kendra whispered, wincing.
Ronodin lowered his voice again. “You better take that speed potion Tanu prepared. I saw some of the others using it. If you don’t lure that triclops away, we’re all doomed.” He lit a string of firecrackers and threw them at the base of a nearby tree. They
began to explode with a sound like machine-gun fire. Kendra flinched at the racket.
“Run along,” Ronodin encouraged.
Kendra moved her hand from the bowstring to a little flask. The dark unicorn was right about the potion. It was her insurance if Mombatu got close.
“Free him,” Kendra said to Nia as she slung her bow over her shoulder.
“In exchange for your help, I offer you a hint,” Ronodin said. “Call it pity. You will simplify your problem if you lure Mombatu to the protected boundary.”
The two fairies approached Seth. After several flashes of light, he dropped from the mushroom to the ground. Once the firecrackers stopped bursting, Kendra heard the rumble of Mombatu’s approach.
“Will the boundary destroy him?” she asked.
“In a manner of speaking,” Ronodin said. “Stop dawdling with the potion. I know how to avoid Mombatu. Your brother doesn’t.”
Kendra glanced at Seth. It hurt to think of losing him again. But Ronodin seemed willing to sacrifice him if Kendra didn’t draw off the triclops. Seeing no alternative, she uncapped the flask and raised it to her lips. The fluid inside bubbled like soda and had a flavor like spicy grapes. She consumed it in three fizzy swallows.
And everything slowed down.
Nia’s wings swished back and forth lazily. Seth inched toward Ronodin. And Mombatu came into view, his mouth opening to roar as his three eyes surveyed the scene.
Kendra crouched and picked up a stone as the roar began. She flung it at his eyes, and the rock struck his cheek. Raising his club above his head, the triclops swung it down at her slowly enough for her to lunge out of the way. The blow flattened part of the sticky mushroom.
After she hit Mombatu in the mouth with a second rock, he trained all three of his eyes on her. The snarling triclops ripped his club free and gave chase as she ran away. Behind Mombatu, Ronodin and Seth lay flat on the ground, silent and still, watching.
Dodging around trees and the larger plants, Kendra dashed toward the empty pond. Tanu had warned that the effects of the speed potion would not last very long and would leave her exhausted when it wore off, so she decided to sprint across open ground to maximize her temporary advantage. Also, she figured that crossing the empty pond would more efficiently get her to friends who could help distract Mombatu.
It agonized her to be running away from Seth. After all her worries, having found him, she was fleeing, leaving her brother with their enemy. But with the triclops in pursuit, what else could she do?
Mombatu raced after her, his ferocious roar spurring her on. She rushed down into the drained area, mud accumulating on her shoes and spraying into the air with every sloppy step. Nia and Beruni flanked her, despite their wings seeming to flap slower than normal.
As Kendra reached the far side of the pond, exhaustion began to take hold. Each breath became laborious, and the muscles in her legs started to burn. A glance back showed the triclops pounding through the mud at the middle of the empty pond, huge feet sinking to well above the ankles, his three-eyed gaze locked on her. After a couple more steps, the underbrush screened her view of her pursuer.
Fighting the fatigue in her limbs, Kendra charged forward, wading through ferns and knifing through gaps in heavier vegetation. While the potion lasted she could stretch her lead, but after it failed, Mombatu would have the advantage.
Maintaining her top speed became increasingly hard. Breathing hurt, and no inhalation seemed to bring quite enough oxygen. Her legs began to feel wobbly, her head throbbed with each step, and her vision became hazy.
Behind her, she heard branches cracking as the triclops reached the jungle. Despite her best efforts, Kendra had slowed, but she dug deep to resist the rubbery fatigue in her legs. And then the effects of the potion ended abruptly. The fairy wings beside her fluttered like normal. She staggered and had to brace herself against the side of a tree to keep from falling. Her strength had all but disappeared.
There was a triclops chasing her. She had to keep going. But she felt so light-headed that she wondered whether she would faint if she remained standing any longer, let alone if she tried to advance.
Strong arms scooped her up and started running. Dreamily she realized that with somebody carrying her, she could relax for a moment. She glanced to see who held her and smiled. It was Warren.
“It’s Vanessa’s turn to distract Mombatu,” Warren whispered. “Sorry he came your way. We couldn’t compete with those fireworks.”
Warren set her down and fell flat beside her.
“Stay low,” he whispered. “Hako was right that the triclops ignores stationary targets.”
Heart beating rapidly, Kendra rested her head against the forest floor. No bed ever felt so comfortable.
“The mental fog will clear in a moment,” Warren said. “Rest and let it pass.”
Kendra heard Vanessa taunting the triclops amid raucous sounds of wood splintering. One good thing about Mombatu—he was not subtle. His movements could be heard from a great distance.
Footsteps approached; then Tanu crouched beside Kendra and waved something under her nose. The piquant tang of his custom smelling salts made her head snap up. Suddenly her mind was alert again, and she wondered how she could have paused to rest with a triclops in pursuit. Nostrils tingling, Kendra hopped to her feet.
“Quietly,” Warren instructed.
He and Tanu led her through the lush foliage. The fairies orbited Kendra from a greater distance now that human companions had joined her. Kendra’s body felt tired but functional. She was no longer near the verge of collapse.
“The speed potion wipes out your strength,” Tanu said. “I can’t figure out how to get rid of that effect. But your vitality should return fairly quickly.”
“The potion saved my life,” Kendra whispered.
“That remains to be seen,” Warren said. “Hopefully we can lose Mombatu.”
“Ronodin claimed that luring Mombatu to the border of the protected area would be our best move,” Kendra said.
“I caught a glimpse of Ronodin,” Tanu said. “Why lead Mombatu to the border?”
“He acted like it would neutralize Mombatu,” Kendra said.
“How would a boundary kill him?” Warren asked. “It should only repel him.”
“Ronodin didn’t say it would kill him,” Kendra said. “He was being all smug, as if sharing a brilliant secret.”
“Do you think he was telling the truth?” Tanu asked.
“Ronodin has been an enemy to us,” Kendra said. “But the hint felt genuine to me.”
“He may want Mombatu out of the way for his own reasons,” Warren said. “Ronodin is obviously up to mischief on the island.”
“Do we think leading Mombatu to the border would work?” Tanu asked.
Kendra considered it. “I can’t be certain, but I believe him.”
“We have our own work to do on this island,” Warren said. “If taking the triclops to the border did neutralize him, it would free us up a lot.”
“I’ll catch up with Hako and talk to him,” Tanu said, veering away from them.
“Where is Knox?” Kendra asked.
“With Doren,” Warren said. “I sent them back. Knox used a speed potion. I used one also, and now Vanessa has too. Hako seems able to manage without one. Helps that he can disappear. He’s like a chameleon.”
“Is that a magic power?” Kendra asked.
“I think so,” Warren said. “He tried to explain it to me. Something about becoming one with the island so he doesn’t stand out. The reasoning sounded sketchy, but it seems to work.”
Kendra noticed her strength returning. “I think I can run again.”
“Let’s just walk quickly,” Warren said. “We have a lot of distance to cover, and moving quietly might be better right now than going fast.”
Walking behind
Warren, Kendra trusted him to go the right way and avoid hazards. It was a relief to let somebody else worry about how to avoid getting eaten by a plant. “Nia?” she whispered.
The fairy drifted closer.
“Would you watch Mombatu?” she asked. “Warn us if he gets close.”
Nia darted out of view.
“This is degrading work,” Beruni said. “Helping clumsy humans avoid getting crushed by a superior predator.”
“It’s my command that you help,” Kendra said.
“Somehow you were authorized by the Fairy Queen,” Beruni said. “It must have been an act of pity. I have no choice but to do my part.”
Kendra heard some rustling off to one side, and Vanessa emerged from tangled branches, her face scratched and damp with perspiration. She gave Kendra a weary nod.
“Any body parts missing?” Warren asked.
“Hako diverted Mombatu after I ran out of steam,” Vanessa said. “Tanu revived me with the salts, though I’m still unsteady.”
“Do you think if you bit Mombatu, you could control him in his sleep?” Kendra asked.
“In theory,” Vanessa said. “His hide looks really thick, though.”
“Mombatu would be a seriously powerful puppet to manage,” Warren said.
“Would you still love me if I was ugly and over twenty feet tall?” Vanessa asked.
“From a safe distance,” Warren replied.
A roar from Mombatu ended the chitchat and made them all flinch. Feathery fronds brushed by Kendra, rustling gently.
Tanu reappeared, flushed and gasping for air. “Hako thought your plan was worth a try. We’re going to lure Mombatu to Crescent Lagoon. Hako is getting tired, though. This will have to be a group effort.”
“I’ll take a turn baiting the triclops,” Warren said. “Want me to use another speed potion? We still have a couple.”
“Maybe,” Tanu said. “Wait as long as you can.” He pointed. “Go that way.”
“I’ll just follow the sound of trees being uprooted,” Warren said, hurrying away.
“I should do more cardio,” Tanu panted, face shiny with perspiration.
“You’re fast for a big man,” Vanessa said.