Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

"Dangerous creatures that require no upkeep are jailed there," Coulter said. "They need no food or drink. Beings like the revenant we met in the grove."

"Do they radiate fear?" Seth asked.

"Some of them do," Coulter said. "Makes working down there a pain and a half. I’d normally prefer to stay far from those cells."

"Maybe I could help search for the room, since magical fear doesn’t bother me."

Grandma shook her head. "No, Seth, in some ways that makes it more perilous for you. The threat posed by those creatures is real. Fear can be a good thing. It keeps us respectful of their power. Many of those entities could destroy Fablehaven if loosed."

"I wouldn’t free them! I’m not a nut job!"

"But it might be interesting to see what they looked like," Grandpa suggested.

"Have you seen them?" Seth asked. "What do they… wait a minute, you’re testing me."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Grandpa said. "And it has almost leveled Fablehaven in the past, if I recall accurately."

"I’d follow your rules," Seth said. "If the rule is no peeking, I won’t even consider it."

"If we find a need for your special immunity, we’ll make use of it," Grandpa promised.

"If you find a need," Seth muttered. "I bet you won’t be looking very hard. Say, Coulter, how did you know Maddox had come through? I mean, he could only exit the bathtub he entered, isn’t that how it works? To come out on our side, somebody needed to physically lift him out."

"That’s exactly right," Coulter explained. "We posted Mendigo as a permanent sentry, watching the tub. Truth be told, we probably wouldn’t have kept the overgrown puppet stationed there much longer. After all these months, there was scant room for hope."

Tanu opened the bedroom door and poked his head out. "I have him stabilized. He responded well to the treatments. I’ve advised him to sleep, but Maddox insists he wants to speak with you sooner rather than later. All of you."

"Is he up to it?" Grandma asked.

"He’ll be all right. He’s determined. He’ll rest better after we give him a chance to be heard."

Grandpa led the procession back into the bedroom. Maddox sat propped up by pillows. His skin shone with perspiration, and his lips already looked less chapped. His eyes regarded them alertly.

"You don’t have to stare like I’m in my coffin," Maddox said, his voice stronger than before. "Inviting as the mattress feels, this isn’t my deathbed. I’d already be up and about if Tanu would allow it."

"You must have quite a tale to tell," Grandpa prompted.

"Aye, and I’ve learned a lesson or two. First and foremost–never accept assignments from the Knights of the Dawn." He winked at Seth. "Where’s your sister?"

All of the other adults exchanged awkward glances.

"She’s dead," Seth said flatly. "The Society got to her."

Maddox blanched. "My apologies, Seth, I had no idea. What a tragedy."

"Wasn’t your fault," Seth assured him. "You’ve had plenty of your own trouble."

"How did you survive?" Grandpa asked.

"Hiding in caves, mostly. Wet, dark, narrow places. I found chambers where Lycerna couldn’t reach me. Lived off terrible food, insects and fungus and the like. I lost track of time. Could hardly poke my head outside without something trying to bite it off. All openings to the cave remained heavily guarded, night or day, rain or shine. So I tunneled my own exit, made a break for the house, and found the washtub. If I hadn’t found a coded message from Tanu informing me about my free ride home, I’d still be sloshing through half-flooded caverns."

"I’m glad my mission served a purpose," Tanu acknowledged.

"Then he saves me twice over, administering miraculous potions. I’m doubly indebted, my friend."

"Nonsense," Tanu said dismissively. "You were risking your neck for us in the first place."

"We’re glad you made it out alive," Grandpa said. "We were beginning to lose hope."

Maddox winked. "Never count me out. I’ve survived some close scrapes in my time."

"Coulter mentioned that you have an idea where the artifact is located," Grandma said.

"That I do," Maddox replied. "I could draw a map, or even lead a team back there."

"A map would suffice," Grandpa said. "We’ll want to move on this swiftly, and you’re in no condition to go afield."

"I’m surprised you didn’t return with some fairies in tow," Coulter said.

"Almost did," Maddox said, eyes brightening. "Came across some exotic specimens. I have a few patented methods for luring and befriending fairies, even under those dismal conditions. Without some help from the fairies, I could not have survived in the caves. I wanted to bring some with me, but in the end, I barely got out of there with my own hide intact. Wasted opportunity."

"You should rest now," Tanu urged.

"What about the map?" Maddox complained.

"We’ll bring you materials soon enough," Grandma promised. "Close your eyes, recover some strength."

Maddox looked around the room, at each person in turn. "Thanks for pulling me out of there and giving me a place to land. I owe you all."

"On the contrary," Grandpa said. "We owe you for undertaking such a perilous mission. Get some rest."

Maddox closed his eyes and settled back into his pillows.

Chapter 6 The All-Seeing Eye

"Okay, Kendra," Haden said, picking up a cunningly sculpted queen between a finger and a thumb. "Knowing how the pieces move and capture is only a small part of the game. Understanding position and values is crucial. I know a point system that ranks the values of the pieces in a useful way. Think of this queen as nine points." He set it down and touched the other pieces as he named them. "Rooks are five, knights three, bishops three, and pawns one. That should help you calculate if a sacrifice is worthwhile."

"What about the king?"

"Think about it."

"Right. Top priority. You can’t really give it a number."

"Good. White moves first, so it’s your turn."

Kendra studied her row of pawns. She could move one of eight pieces a square or two forward. "Is there a best first move?"

"The early moves establish a lot about the game. Just experiment."

Kendra bit her lip. "Isn’t chess sort of a game for old fogies?"

Haden raised his eyebrows. "Do I look like a young guy to you? My legs don’t work. Sort of limits my options. This keeps my mind agile. I’m excited to train a new opponent."