Grip of the Shadow Plague

"You’re thinking about it all backwards," Patton said firmly. "Around you, people who should have died live on. Shadows return to light. You and Lena saved us all. I would rather it had been me, I would give anything, anything, but such wishing is futile."

"Are you okay?"

He exhaled sharply, half-laugh, half-sob. He brushed a finger across his mustache. "I try not to relive how I might have destroyed the nail myself instead of throwing the pebble. I try not to obsess about failing my bride." He paused, muscles pulsing in his jaw. "I must go forward. I have a new errand. A fresh quest. To love Lena for the rest of her life as much as she deserves. To never again doubt her love or mine. To give her my whole self, every day, without fail. To keep secret how her life will end, while forever honoring her sacrifice. I am in a unique position, to have lost her, and yet to have her still."

Kendra nodded, trying to restrain her tears for his sake.

"You’ll have a long, happy life together."

"I expect we will," Patton said. Smiling warmly, he reached out a hand to pull her up. "If I am done grieving, it is time for you to quit as well. It was a deadly predicament. We all should have perished. You made the necessary decision."

Others had assured Kendra of that very thing. Only as she heard the words from Patton did she sincerely believe it might be true.

He pulled her to her feet. "Your ride is here."

"My ride?" Kendra asked. "Already?" They walked toward the deck.

"It will be noon before long," Patton said. "I overheard him saying he bears news. I did not let him see me."

"You think I should go home?" Kendra asked.

"Your grandparents are right," he assured her. "It is the best option. You cannot be kept from your parents any longer. You will be under constant watch by concerned friends-at home, at school, wherever you go."

Kendra nodded vaguely. Patton stopped at the steps to the deck. "Won’t you come inside?" Kendra urged.

"I’m returning to the pond one last time," Patton said. "I already said my farewells to the others."

"Then this is it."

"Not entirely," Patton said. "I had a private conversation with Vanessa this morning. I temporarily put one of the goblins into the Quiet Box. She is a hard woman-I failed to break her. I believe she has useful information. At some point, if all else fails, you might consider bargaining with her. But do not trust her. I told Stan the same."

"Okay."

"I understand you discovered my Journal of Secrets," Patton said.

"That was yours? Not much in it."

Patton smiled. "Kendra, I’m disappointed. You know, it was your grandfather who wrote ‘Drink the Milk,’ not me. All of my words in the journal are written in the secret fairy language, in umite wax."

"Umite wax?" Kendra thumped her palm against her forehead. "I never thought to try that. I learned about the wax a year after I stopped paying attention to the journal."

"Well, pay attention to the journal. Not all of my secrets are in there, but you will find some that may prove useful. And I’ll be sure to keep adding to it. The troubled times are far from over for you and your family. I’ll do what I can from my own era."

"Thanks, Patton." It was comforting to think she would hear from him again through the journal, and to know he might find ways to help her.

"I’m glad we met, Kendra." He gave her a tight hug. "You are truly extraordinary-it goes far beyond anything fairies could bestow. Keep an eye on that brother of yours. If he doesn’t get himself killed, he might save the world one day."

"I will. I’m glad we met too. ‘Bye, Patton."

He turned and jogged away, glancing back once to wave. Kendra watched him until he disappeared into the woods.

Taking a deep breath, Kendra crossed the deck and entered through the back door. "Happy birthday!" numerous voices shouted.

It took Kendra a moment to make sense of the huge cake with fifteen candles. Her birthday was still more than a month away.

Grandpa, Grandma, Seth, Dale, Tanu, and Coulter all broke into song. Newel and Doren were there as well, adding boisterous harmonies. Dougan was also present, singing softly. So he would be their escort home. At the end of the song, Kendra blew out the tiny flames. Grandma snapped a photograph.

"It won’t be my birthday for weeks!" Kendra scolded.

"That’s what I told them," Seth laughed. "But they wanted to do it now since they won’t be around for the actual day."

Kendra smiled at her friends and family. She suspected the celebration had more to do with her recent moodiness than it did with marking the day she was born. She smiled. "That is one advantage of holding a birthday party more than a month early-you totally surprised me! Thanks."

Seth leaned close. "Did Patton cheer you up?" he whispered. "He promised he would."

"He did."

Seth shook his head. "That guy can do anything!"

"I heard Dougan has news," Kendra said.

"It can wait," Dougan said. "I hate to interrupt the happy occasion. Gavin sends his best, by the way. He’s out on assignment, or he would have joined me to escort you home."

"If you make me wait for the news I’ll just be wondering about it the whole time," Kendra maintained.

"I agree," Seth seconded.

Dougan shrugged. "Stan knows some of this already, but given your level of involvement, I may as well inform all of you. Or perhaps I should say most of you." He paused, eying Newel and Doren.

"My finely tuned social weather vane is detecting a hint," Newel said.

"Maybe we should remove ourselves for a few minutes," Doren suggested. "Discuss a few secrets of our own."

The two satyrs headed out of the room.

"Big secrets," Newel emphasized. "The kind of secrets that keep you up late at night gnawing at your fingernails."

"Secrets that would curl your hair," Doren agreed.

Dougan waited until the satyrs were well out of the room, then proceeded in a low tone. "The Sphinx is a traitor. I’m sorry, Warren, when I lied to you about him not being Captain of the Knights of the Dawn. I had vowed to guard that secret. At the time I still thought it was worth protecting."

"How did you confirm his treachery?" Warren asked.

"I conferred with my fellow Lieutenants about the artifact recovered from Fablehaven. None had heard of the incident-a severe breech of protocol. The four of us confronted the Sphinx, prepared to apprehend him. He made no protest as we named the suspicious circumstances, then arose slowly and told us he was disappointed it had taken us so long to suspect him. He picked up a copper rod from his desk and vanished, replaced by a burly man who instantly threw the rod out the window, transformed into a massive grizzly bear, and attacked. Fighting the werebear in such close quarters was dicey. Travis Wright was seriously wounded. Rather than try to take our enemy captive, we were forced to slay the beast. By the time we started hunting for the Sphinx, he was nowhere to be found."