by Brandon Mull
“The Underking would let me walk away,” Seth said. “Would you?”
“Do you think the Underking is your friend?” Ronodin asked. “More than I am? Do you know what the Underking told me today?”
Seth wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “What?”
“The Underking warned me to watch you,” Ronodin said. “He thinks you might try to keep the Everbloom for yourself.”
“Really?” Seth asked. “Why would I do that?”
“You tell me,” Ronodin said. “It seems preposterous. The price of your freedom has been set. You can’t escape with the Everbloom unless the Underking frees you.”
Seth nodded.
“Unless you have some notion of being a hero,” Ronodin said. “Handing the Everbloom over to somebody else.”
“Who?” Seth asked.
“I don’t know,” Ronodin said. “But the Underking is no fool. He has suspicions for a reason. It’s just a flower, Seth. It’s beautiful and mystical, but just a flower. If the lord of the undead wants a flower in order to let you go, bring him the flower and move on.”
“That makes sense,” Seth said.
“You haven’t had a chance to live your life,” Ronodin said. “You could do a lot of good. But not bound here in the Under Realm. It isn’t your fault that you’re here. Pay the price and get free.”
“I’m here because of you,” Seth said. “You brought me here.”
“I brought you here so you could learn, Seth,” Ronodin said. “If not for me, your powers would have gone to waste. You think Kendra or any of those others would want you to regain dark abilities? They would be more than happy to leave you powerless, essentially lobotomized. I brought you where you could restore your potential.”
“You brought me into slavery,” Seth said.
“Not for long,” Ronodin replied. “Not if you play this smart. You could be free by this time tomorrow.”
“And you’ll let me go?” Seth asked.
“Why would I want to keep you?” Ronodin asked. “I’d love to work with you in the future. But that is up to you. Can I get real with you?”
“Sure.”
“The Underking isn’t on your side,” Ronodin said. “When he offered you his crown? That wasn’t because he liked you.”
“Why did he do it?”
Ronodin looked at Seth seriously. “To consume you. To utterly own you. Seth, you would have joined the undead not as their king, but as a puppet.”
“I knew there had to be a catch,” Seth said. “I wasn’t regretting my choice.”
“So much depends upon tomorrow,” Ronodin said.
“I know,” Seth replied. “We have the ointment to resist the heat. We know where to go. I’ll do the job.”
“You are saying words,” Ronodin said. “Telling me what you think I want to hear. I see the truth behind your assurances. You don’t know what you’re going to do.”
“It makes sense to deliver the Everbloom and get free,” Seth said.
“You’re right about that. It would be the best choice. You didn’t have to visit the Hidden Sage. You could have just come to me.”
“What?”
“You didn’t have to go to some sage to learn where to get your memories,” Ronodin said.
“You never answer my questions,” Seth said.
“Your memories were taken by a demon that looks like a dwarf,” Ronodin said. “Humbuggle. You met him at the castle before he sent you away.”
“Good to know,” Seth said.
“He used the Wizenstone,” Ronodin said. “You would have to defeat Humbuggle to get your memories back.”
“How can I do that?” Seth asked.
“Nobody knows,” Ronodin said. “Nobody has done it.”
“Where is he?” Seth asked.
“Probably at a dragon sanctuary called Titan Valley.”
Seth considered Ronodin. Did he know what the Hidden Sage had told him? Was he sharing this information because he knew it no longer mattered? How did he know so much?
“I’ve been in this game for a long time,” Ronodin said. “I’m rarely a step behind. Don’t try to outmaneuver me.”
“Why are you doing all of this?” Seth asked. “What are you after?”
“The world is changing,” Ronodin said. “The dragons are winning. There are going to be fewer prisons in the world. Magical sanctuaries are relics of the past. I celebrate this new era.”
“What do you really want?” Seth asked. “It isn’t just freedom for everybody.”
“I want so many things,” Ronodin said with relish. “But tomorrow I will settle for delivering the Everbloom to the Underking. Sleep well. Be smart.” Ronodin walked to the door. “Goodnight, Seth.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Ronodin closed the door.
Seth left everything where it was and climbed into bed. He didn’t want to think. He deserved some rest. He wanted to sleep. And he knew it might take a while for him to drop off.
Ronodin had been completely right about one thing: Seth had no idea what he was going to do tomorrow.
Kendra snapped awake in the cool of the night, her hammock rocking as she sat up. White radiance shone through her window from the nova song chained to a perch outside the tree house.
The day before, Kendra, Knox, Warren, Vanessa, and Tanu had followed Hako on a long hike from the lair of Remulon out of the ocean, arriving at Crescent Lagoon just after dusk. They had taken their antidotes while standing in the shallows, and water became tangible to them again. Kendra had initially felt thirsty, noticing her hunger only after she had gotten enough to drink. They had eaten a big meal together before going to bed, too tired to plan for the next day.
Kendra had been full of worries as she climbed into her hammock. Remulon had warned that going to the Phantom Isle meant certain death. Lord Quintus had also stressed that people ran away from the Phantom Isle rather than toward it. Yet it was their next step. Seth and Bracken were there. There was no hiding from it.
But she felt different now than she had been feeling when she went to bed. A few hours of rest had simplified the problem in her head. Suddenly the way forward seemed clear.
Feeling calm alertness, Kendra slid out of the hammock and got dressed. She quietly exited her tree house, then crossed a long rope bridge and a short stable one leading to the primitive elevator. There was no hint of dawn yet. After pulling a lever, she descended through the leafy canopy amid rustlings and dripping water until the elevator reached the jungle floor.
Kendra stepped off the little platform and walked to the lagoon. She gasped when she came through the trees to find the three eyeless cyclopses standing together on the sand, as if expecting her.
“You seek us,” Tal said.
“You have awakened with a purpose,” Hobar said.
“You wish to find the Fairy Queen’s shrine,” Baroi said.
“You guys are good,” Kendra said.
“You sounded a clarion call,” Tal said.
“We cannot escort you or we would revert to our more fearsome form,” Hobar said.
“Instead we summoned a fairy to guide you,” Baroi said.
“You can summon fairies?” Kendra asked.
“Come out, Andressa,” Tal said.
A fairy bobbed out of hiding, tiger-striped butterfly wings sparkling. She fluttered near, allowing Kendra to appreciate her petite figure and playful elfin features.
“Most fairies do not perceive our summonings,” Hobar said. “Or else they choose not to heed them.”
“Andressa hears well,” Baroi said. “We believe she is the most reliable fairy on the island.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Kendra said. “I’m Kendra.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Andressa said. “Are you certain you wish to visit the shrin
e? You shine brightly, but mortals who trespass there tend to die.”
“I know it’s never safe to visit a shrine of the Fairy Queen,” Kendra said. “But I have great need—and a relationship with her majesty.”
“I can show you the way and guide your return,” Andressa said. “You don’t want to get lost with so many dangerous creatures roaming the night.”
“Go,” Baroi said. “If you wish to return before dawn, you must hurry.”
“You know what I intend?” Kendra asked.
“We cannot see your mind,” Hobar said.
“But in the quiet of the night, we could see you coming to us,” Tal said. “And we could see you on the trail to the shrine.”
“Will I survive?” Kendra asked.
“That depends on you,” Baroi said.
“I’ll be back,” Kendra said. She had to try. Too many people were counting on her for her to back down now.
The fairy conducted Kendra to a path, lighting the way with her glow. Kendra didn’t really need the illumination—ever since she had become fairykind, no natural darkness was complete to her. Even the deepest shadows under the trees looked dim, not dark. Still, with branches overhead screening the moon, and her line of sight limited by dense vegetation, Kendra wondered if it was wise to strike off across the island without any of her companions. It seemed like something her brother would do.
But she had to go to the fairy shrine—because to save Seth and Bracken, to restore the sanctuary, she and her companions had to go to the Under Realm. And if they went there without help, they were all going to die. The Fairy Queen was the most powerful being Kendra knew. Bracken was her son, and Kendra hoped a mission to rescue him would validate a claim to her assistance.
She would have been more comfortable if Warren or Vanessa were accompanying her. But none of her companions could risk approaching the Fairy Queen. Most mortals who dared invade the sacred terrain of the queen’s shrine would be instantly struck down. Also, instinctively, Kendra knew she would better merit aid if she went alone.
“Keep up,” Andressa said. “An ocelot is stalking this way, but we won’t cross paths if we hurry.”
Kendra increased her pace to a jog, her eyes searching the dappled moonlight to either side of the trail. The prospect of unseen creatures prowling the undergrowth kept her anxiously alert.
“You can slow down now,” Andressa said. “You’re much quieter at a walk.”
Kendra settled into a comfortable walk. She decided that if she was going to invade the realm of the undead, she should try to enjoy the relative peace of strolling through a jungle teeming with dangerous magical creatures.
At least she knew where to find Bracken and her brother. That information had seemed unattainable a few days ago. She was closing in on her goal. There were still problems, though. Even if she managed to survive the Under Realm and find her brother, there was no guarantee Seth would come with her. That possibility made her ache inside.
She couldn’t just force him to leave. That would do more harm than good. It would make her just like Ronodin. What she really hoped was that he would want to come with her.
As to surviving the Under Realm, Kendra needed the Fairy Queen to provide help. If not, she wasn’t sure what to do.
Remulon had been right when he scoffed that they had arrived at his lair with no plan. If it hadn’t been for some luck and some shocking heroics from Knox, they would still be his prisoners. The Under Realm was sure to be much less forgiving if they just showed up expecting to prevail. This was no time to fall back on improvisation.
Kendra followed the fairy through a dense jungle, across brushy fields, along the outskirts of a bamboo forest, and up into some hills. Andressa flitted close to Kendra.
“We’re almost there,” the tiger-striped fairy said. “I can’t accompany you to the shrine or offer specific warnings. But be careful. Remember your true objective.”
“Is it guarded by naiads?” Kendra asked, thinking of the Fablehaven shrine.
“Not naiads,” Andressa said. “But the shrine is protected. If you are unworthy to be there, you will not survive.”
Kendra had been to the Fairy Realm. But she had been escorted by Bracken, who was a rock star among the fairies. She felt sure her fairykind status rendered her worthy to visit the shrine, but she worried that its guardians might not agree.
“I’ll await you here,” Andressa said. “This path ends at the shrine.”
Kendra could hear water splashing. “A waterfall?”
“Follow that sound,” Andressa said. “I can say no more.”
“Could I command you to tell me more?” Kendra asked.
“Your authority to issue commands comes from the Fairy Queen,” Andressa said. “It was she who forbade us from revealing the secrets of this shrine.”
“Fine,” Kendra said. “Thanks for leading me here. I’ll see you soon.”
Alone, overshadowed by tall trees dripping with vines, Kendra proceeded along the path. She passed a few low, eroded ruins partially hidden by leafy creepers.
The steady churning of falling water grew in volume until Kendra entered a clearing open to the moon and stars. Ahead, water trickled and tumbled over the edge in several places along a low, curved wall of mossy rock, the largest waterfall at the center.
The incoming water spread over the clearing in a shallow pool. Carved tiki statues at least as tall as humans were spaced throughout the pond, heads disproportionately large, most submerged up to the shins. Little grassy islands poked above the water at random. Kendra could not see a stream flowing away from the pool, leaving her to wonder how water flowed in but not out. Perhaps it was escaping underground? Was the pool deeper in some places than it looked?
In Kendra’s experience, though the area around a fairy shrine could be sizable, the shrine itself would be tiny. It was hard to guess where among the flooded statues she would locate the actual shrine.
Despite the backdrop of falling water, the moonlit pool felt still and sacred. Kendra stepped hesitantly forward, wading into the ankle-deep water with her shoes on. Immediately she felt like a trespasser. Looking up, she found the nearest tiki statue gazing right at her. Had the head been facing her way before?
As she took another few steps forward, Kendra again felt unwelcome. Were more of the statues looking her way? It had to be a coincidence.
Kendra held still. Should she come back another time? Something felt off.
No! She had no other time. This had to happen tonight.
Kendra sloshed onward, searching the surroundings for the fairy shrine. There was no escaping the sense that she was unwanted and in danger. She felt the message as if it were being silently transmitted from every direction. She stopped again and found that all of the heads of the tiki statues were facing her. One had a blowgun raised to stone lips. Another looked ready to throw a hatchet.
Something supernatural was happening. The positions were definitely new. Were the statues about to attack?
The only sound was the splash of falling water.
“I belong here,” Kendra called out. “I’m fairykind, and I need help from the Fairy Queen. It’s an emergency.”
The impression that she was trespassing evaporated. Had the expressions of the tiki statues softened? She did not feel welcome, but she no longer felt rejected.
Kendra waded toward the main waterfall, the water never deeper than her shins. The tiki statues no longer seemed to follow her movements, and no weapons were aimed at her. As she neared the waterfall, Kendra noticed a golden necklace set with garnets arrayed on a stump. Her first impulse was to pick it up, but she realized it might be an offering to the Fairy Queen and decided to leave it alone. She also ignored an ivory scepter with a moonstone handle, which sat atop a little mound, and a silver javelin leaning against one of the tiki statues.
“I need to fin
d the shrine,” Kendra said, turning in a slow circle. “Can anyone help me?”
As she finished her rotation, she found one of the tiki statues pointing at the waterfall. She was almost positive the statue had not been positioned like that earlier.
Kendra approached the middle of the semicircular wall at the rear of the pool, where the water fell smooth and clear as glass in a curtain a little wider than her outstretched arms. She saw no fairy statue at the base of the waterfall, so she felt around underwater. After encountering nothing but slimy rocks, she looked up. Could the shrine be behind the falling water? It would be a shame to get wet for nothing.
Kendra scrutinized the area around the waterfall. She noted the occasional incongruous treasure, apparently unguarded, but still no fairy shrine. Three tiki statues now pointed at the waterfall.
“Thank you, I think,” Kendra said. At least the night was warm; if she was going to get soaked, she probably wouldn’t feel too chilled.
She walked up to the glassy cascade and tried to peer through it. She could see an alcove beyond. There was no space to go around. The waterfall shielded the alcove perfectly.
Reaching out a hand, she pushed a finger through the film of water and watched the curtain part a little beneath the intrusion. She liked how the water felt against her finger. It wasn’t too cold.
Holding her breath, Kendra stepped through the waterfall, getting thoroughly drenched in the process. The churning water sounded different inside the small, humid alcove. The floor was submerged, the water to her ankles.
Delicately sculpted from white stone, a tiny statue of a fairy stood atop a small pedestal in a niche at the back of the alcove. A little bronze bowl rested near the statue. Kendra knelt in the water before the fairy figurine and pushed her rubbery wet hair away from her eyes.
“Hello, Fairy Queen,” Kendra said. “This is Kendra Sorenson. Thanks for letting me come this far. I’m here because I have an emergency. You’ve saved me before, and I’ve never needed your help more. Your son Bracken is imprisoned in the Under Realm. My brother, Seth, is stuck there too. And I need to retrieve the Sunset Pearl from there to restore this dragon sanctuary. I found a nova song who will lead me to the Phantom Isle. I can get there. But the island is guarded by a sea dragon, and I need a way to survive the Under Realm.”