Fablehaven: The Complete Series (185 page)

“You can think on your own as well, though.”

We can do what we will.

“I need your help.”

We are indebted to you, but we cannot enter the Dragon Temple. Raxtus could, in theory.

“But he’s a dragon. We shouldn’t tell him I mean to go there.”

He hears our thoughts. He already knows.

Kendra turned and looked down the slope at the gleaming dragon.

He says not to be afraid.

“Why can’t I hear his mind?”

Who can say? He can’t hear yours, either.

Kendra bit her lower lip. “Can’t you do anything to help me?”

You will have what support we can lend.

“Thanks.” The twelve somber faces were unsettling. Did she even want eerie mutant owls as allies?

We are not all we once were.

“I’m sorry,” Kendra blurted. “I didn’t mean to think ungrateful thoughts.”

We understand.

Kendra turned and hustled back toward Raxtus, regretting that the owls could read her mind, and feeling embarrassed that they could perceive those regrets. She heard wings flapping, and glanced back to see several astrids flying away in different directions.

“You mean to enter the Dragon Temple,” Raxtus said. “I should have known you were up to something terrible. That’s how my luck goes. Kendra, if I fail to stop you or at least report your intentions, I become an accomplice and could be killed for treason.”

“I’m only trying to recover something a friend hid there,” Kendra explained. “I have no other motives.”

“The astrids told me telepathically. They can hear your mind now. I trust them, and I trust you. You must be an incredible person to be fairykind. You’re very personable. I’m sure you and your friends really need this key. However, no other dragon will care about your motives. The Dragon Temple isn’t casually off-limits—access is strictly forbidden. Don’t fret, I won’t turn you in. But I would love to talk you out of it.”

“I have to try,” Kendra insisted.

“Alone? Have you any idea the obstacles you would have to overcome to reach the treasure vault? Three invincible guardians block the way.”

“Do you know any tricks to get by them?”

Raxtus laughed nervously. “Nobody knows anything about the guardians. Except there’s a widespread rumor that the first is a hydra. Which is almost worse than not knowing. How could you possibly hope to get past a hydra?”

“What’s a hydra?”

Raxtus lowered his head and closed his eyes. “You don’t even know? Kendra, you have no business going up against these kinds of creatures alone. Even with your whole team, going into the Dragon Temple will be a one-way trip. Just leave the key in the treasury. Let your enemies die trying to get it.”

“The Sphinx has Navarog on his side, and he knows the key is here. If I do nothing, the Sphinx is sure to claim the key.”

“Navarog is bad news,” Raxtus conceded.

“The owls relayed our dilemma to you?”

“The basics, yeah.”

“What if you help me? This isn’t just for me or my friends. We’re trying to save the world from a man who wants to unleash a horde of demons.”

The dragon turned away. “Honestly, you’re nice, and your reasons sound legitimate, but you don’t understand me. I tried to explain what a coward I am. I wasn’t being modest. And I’m not only afraid of us dying. It would be so illegal for me to venture into the Dragon Temple. It would be a betrayal of my whole species.” He swung his head back around to gaze into her eyes. “I may be pathetic, but I’ve never lost my honor. My involvement in this would end poorly. On top of losing my honor, I would be useless to you. It would be a disaster.”

“The Fairy Queen said you have more strength than you realize.”

He perked up. “Really? She said that?”

“Her words.”

“Well, that’s encouraging. Although, she’s basically my fairy godmother. An endorsement from a parental relative is nice, but hard to put on a résumé. Look, I’ll pretend I never heard where you were going. I’m pretty good at deluding myself. But don’t ask me to join you. I just can’t go into the Dragon Temple. Life is short enough without chasing certain doom. Kendra, you seem determined, I can read it on your face. If you insist on going through with this, I won’t stop you, but my involvement will have to end. I’ve already shamed my dad by what I am. I can’t risk shaming him further by what I do.”

“Will you at least carry me to the entrance?”

“I’ll carry you to a spot
near
the entrance. None of the other dragons pay attention to me, and I can be fairly stealthy, so I’m not too worried about getting identified near the temple. But then I’ll have to take off.”

“I understand,” Kendra said. She tried to keep her voice even. She had asked Raxtus to risk death and humiliation, and he had denied her. Could she really blame him? At least he would provide a lift to her destination. He had already been more help than she had any right to expect. Even so, she felt disappointed. “You never explained about hydras.”

“Right. Sorry. I’m always wandering off onto tangents. Picture a really big, mean dragon with lots of heads. If you chop one off, two grow back. Hydras technically aren’t dragons. They don’t work magic or have breath weapons. They’re famously hard to kill. I can’t guarantee the first guardian is a hydra, but that is the rumor. I have no clue about the other guardians.”

How was she supposed to get by a hydra? Let alone the other guardians. She was alone. Raxtus was right. Going to the Dragon Temple would be suicide. Inside the knapsack, Warren had the unicorn horn. Should she ask Raxtus to take her to the main gate of Wyrmroost? Navarog might be there, but maybe she could hide in the knapsack and have Raxtus turn invisible. They might be able to slip away.

It would mean deserting her team and abandoning their quest. Seth would never run away. Would any of the others abandon her? No, she could at least investigate the Dragon Temple and the first guardian before utterly forsaking the mission. She owed everybody that much.

“I’m ready,” Kendra said. “Should we go?”

“Should we? No way. But I’m willing to take you.”

Raxtus grabbed her with one of his front claws and soared into the air. This time he performed no fancy tricks. He turned invisible and flew low to the ground, staying near cover whenever possible. Kendra saw the finger of stone approaching just like in the vision the Fairy Queen had shown her. When they landed in a grove of tall pines, Raxtus set Kendra on her feet. The dragon remained invisible.

“It’s getting late,” the dragon murmured. “Why not sleep on it?”

“If I’m doing it, now is as good as tomorrow.”

“You’re the boss. You’re so dead, though. No offense, but you really are. I mean, I could almost cry. Anyhow, just go down this slope, walk around the nearest bluff, and you’ll see the entrance. Can’t miss it.”

“Is it hard to get inside?”

“No doors. You just stroll in. I have no idea how far in the first guardian will be situated. Careful, getting out may not be as simple as entering. These types of places tend to be designed that way.”

Kendra nodded. She had received similar advice back when she had ventured into the vault containing the Sands of Sanctity at Fablehaven. The reminder sort of wrecked her idea of tentatively peeking at the first guardian. She would have to consult Warren.

“Thanks, Raxtus. I appreciate your help. I better go talk to Warren about our next move.”

“I hope he talks you out of this. Tell him I’m sorry about the beard. Be careful. Nice to meet you.”

The air stirred as he beat his invisible wings.

And then she was alone.

Kendra sat down. Did she really want to go down and talk to Warren? He would tell her to wait to enter the temple until he was healthier. Would he be wrong? They could hole up in the knapsack for a few days—even weeks, if necessary. They had plenty of food. The main drawback would be the risk of Navarog catching up.

She stretched out on her back and stared up at limbs bristling with green needles. The trees provided good cover. The air was cool but not frigid. Her mind wandered. She vaguely hoped a brilliant idea would occur. Inspiration refused to strike.

Eventually she sat up. She should find a place to stash the knapsack while she talked with Warren. Was it good enough to set it beside a tree? What if some creature came along? Maybe she could dig a shallow hole. Or at least cover the knapsack with some branches. Maybe she could stow it on a tree branch. If so, would she still be able to climb inside?

Kendra wandered the grove looking for an ideal spot. Nothing jumped out at her. Most of the trees lacked low branches. The ground had no usable irregularities, and it was too hard for digging.

Fluttering wings caused her to turn and crouch beside a tree. She fumbled with the flap of the knapsack, hoping to hide before she was spotted, but relaxed when an astrid glided into view. The golden owl perched on a branch above her.

Your friends are with Thronis.

“My brother?”

They are alive and well. Apparently the giant plans to help them.

She felt hope awaken inside her. “How did you learn this?”

Two of us flew into the mansion and spied.

“I thought Thronis was protected by spells.”

Astrids have been ignored for centuries. The sky giant has warding spells against dragons and other perceived threats. We are beneath his notice.

“Then I should just sit tight?”

We will continue to scout for you. If you go into the hidden room, I can transport the bag somewhere safe.

Kendra began to weep with relief. The astrids could help her hide the knapsack, her brother and friends were alive, and she might not have to face the Dragon Temple alone. Deep down, she had been quietly resigning herself to the fact that she would have to retrieve the key on her own. Her problems remained far from solved, but at least she no longer felt entirely hopeless.

Chapter 24

Temple

Seth had never seen so many dragonflies. Ranging from the length of his pinky to half the length of his forearm, the streamlined insects hovered and darted above the reedy pools near the entrance to the Dragon Temple. One landed on his arm. He glanced down at the compound eyes, the transparent wings, and the slim, multihued body. After a moment, the dragonfly took flight, joining the swarms.

Had he not drunk powdered milk from Fablehaven that morning, Seth might have suspected the insects were magical creatures in disguise. But these were the real thing, shimmering in every color of the rainbow. Until now, he had never made a connection between dragons and dragonflies.

The yawning entrance to the Dragon Temple loomed before him. The temple was basically a natural ravine covered by an arched stone roof. Matching granite dragons nearly the size of Thronis flanked the mouth of the gloomy gorge, fierce jaws agape.

Seth caught sight of a griffin skimming over some distant treetops. After covertly dropping them off beneath a stand of pines, the griffins had flown off to continue the search for Kendra. Earlier that morning, Mara had found tracks in the gorge where Kendra had fallen the day before. Those tracks went a long way up the gorge until they tangled with the tracks of a very young dragon. Fortunately, there had been no blood or other evidence of a struggle. Mara had identified more of Kendra’s tracks near the Fairy Queen’s shrine, once again converging with dragon markings. From there, the trail went cold.

As unlikely as it sounded, Mara’s best guess had been that the dragon was transporting Kendra. Trask agreed. Since Kendra had already visited the Fairy Queen’s shrine, she presumably knew where to find the Dragon Temple. But at the entrance to the Dragon Temple, they had discovered no further traces of Kendra or a young dragon. Could she have braved the temple alone? Maybe the dragon had learned where Kendra was heading and turned on her. Trask, Mara, and the others had all fanned out to search the vicinity, leaving Seth near the entrance with their gear.