Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

His sultry voice invoked a sort of trance, and Kendra found herself on the verge of answering the question. Gripping the arms of her chair, she kept her mouth clamped shut.

"Kendra, I am convinced that you either have the Chronometer or know where it is."

Kendra closed her eyes. His stare was too penetrating, as if his eyes could bore inside her mind and uncover the truth. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"You need to share every lead you have regarding the missing artifacts. Give me the information I require, and you will soon go free. Refuse to share the information, and, believe me, Kendra, I will take it."

Kendra opened her eyes. "There is nothing to take. There was no artifact at Lost Mesa. When I got back to Fablehaven, a demon was trying to destroy the preserve, so we killed him. End of story. Try and take what you want. I have nothing to give."

The Sphinx watched her closely. A small smile produced a pair of dimples. "You have more to give than you know, Kendra. Allow me to introduce two of my associates."

The door opened. A chubby man with pink skin and a black pompadour entered the room. An ancient brown lady with wiry gray hair rested her pruned hand on his elbow. Her shabby, homespun shawl contrasted with his pinstriped suit.

"Kendra, I would like you to meet Darius and Nanora," the Sphinx said.

"Charmed," Darius sniffed, looking Kendra up and down disapprovingly. Nanora stared silently. Was she drooling? "I understand you are reluctant to share what you know about the artifacts."

"There is nothing to share."

"Let me be the judge of that," Darius said. It seemed like he was trying hard to appear debonair. He laid a thumb beside his temple. Nanora raised her arthritic hands, twisting her fingers into a complex pattern and peering through a gap with one eye. Darius scowled and took a step closer. Nanora took a step back.

Apparently they were trying to read her mind. With all the force she could muster, Kendra mentally transmitted the message, "You are both idiots."

Darius glanced at the Sphinx, who nodded slightly. "Keep still, Kendra," the Sphinx said.

"Don’t think about the artifacts," Darius cooed, leaning forward and placing the tip of one finger against Kendra’s forehead. His eyes squeezed shut. Kendra stared at the thick gold ring on his pudgy pinky. Nanora tottered closer, her gaping mouth revealing a squishy lack of teeth.

"Too bright," Nanora rasped. Her mouth sounded full of saliva.

Darius stepped away, looking perplexed. "Nothing. You’re right. She would be an interesting candidate."

"I’m unsurprised," the Sphinx said. "Have Mr. Lich bring the object."

"If you want, we could try–"

The Sphinx cut him off by raising one hand.

"Right," Darius said, withdrawing from the room.

"You have an unsearchable mind, Kendra," the Sphinx said. "Psychics are not my only recourse to unlock your secrets, just the least tedious."

"At least they came in on cue without you calling for them," Kendra said. "That part was sort of impressive."

Darius returned accompanied by Mr. Lich and a figure in a mask. Mr. Lich reverently carried a small red pillow. A silken square of pink cloth concealed an object on the pillow. The Sphinx gestured at a low table. Darius pulled it between Kendra and the Sphinx; then Mr. Lich set the pillow down.

The Sphinx reached out and removed the handkerchief. Upon the pillow sat a spherical crystal with countless facets. "Behold the Oculus."

"Looks expensive," Kendra said.

"Kneel beside the table," the Sphinx instructed, "and lay a hand on the sphere."

"Do you need it recharged? Is it going to suck out my secrets?"

Pointing at the crystal, Mr. Lich let out a brief grunt. The tall Asian man towered over Kendra, his long face humorless. Even back when she had thought the Sphinx was an ally, Mr. Lich had made her nervous.

The Sphinx held up a hand. "What Mr. Lich is trying to say is that if you refuse to comply, we will force you to touch the crystal. That would not be as safe for you as voluntary compliance."

"What is it?" Kendra asked.

"The Oculus. The Infinite Lens. The All-Seeing Eye. The prototype all seeing stones and scrying tools are hopelessly patterned after. It is the artifact from the Brazilian preserve."

"You found another one!" Kendra cried.

"When we first spoke, I discussed the topic of patience. I have exercised great patience for many centuries–learning, preparing, infiltrating. But patience proves futile without the will to take decisive action when the opportune moment arrives. My long-awaited window of opportunity has come at last. I will possess all of the artifacts sooner than you can guess."

"I won’t charge it for you."

The Sphinx laughed softly. "The Oculus does not require energy from you. The artifact is functional. We want to see whether you can survive using it."

Kendra looked around the room at the many faces regarding her. "What do you mean?"

"This is the artifact of sight, Kendra. With it, you can see anywhere, everything."

"So why don’t you use it to find the remaining artifacts yourself?"

"Most minds cannot handle the vast sensory input available through the Oculus. It has already put four of our best people into catatonic stupors. Given how your status as fairykind shields your mind from certain magic, we want to see if you fare any better than our colleagues."

"I refuse," Kendra said.

"If we force your hand onto the sphere, Kendra, it will surely overpower your mind. But if you participate voluntarily, and I guide you, there is a chance you will survive."

"If you fry my brain, you’ll never learn what I know about the artifacts."

"We already know so much," the Sphinx said. "We received an extensive e-mail from the stingbulb facsimile we created of you. She felt suspicious she had been followed on her way back from the mailbox, so she risked electronic surveillance and sent the e-mail as a backup. She explained that your grandfather has the Chronometer at Fablehaven and that Patton Burgess left clues regarding some of the remaining artifacts. We know those clues wait in a hidden room beyond the Hall of Dread in the Fablehaven dungeon. We already have a plan in motion to recover the information. Our facsimile could not recall exactly how to access the room. They never remember everything. I’d love that information, if you have it–the password or trigger–but we’ll get into the room with or without you. I’d love your help translating the journal, but we’ll find someone who reads the required tongue with or without you. What I really want is to see if you can survive the Oculus. It is arguably the most powerful of the five artifacts. Mastering it is my highest priority. I am optimistic that you can survive."