Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

She followed him to the counter at the back of the room where five square cardboard boxes stood in a row. Each box had a hole cut in the side.

"Am I supposed to feel what’s inside?" Kendra asked.

"Bingo," Rex said. "Try to guess what you’re touching. Go left to right."

Kendra reached into the first box, her fingers sliding off the surfaces of small, greasy spheres. "Slimy eyeballs?" she guessed.

"Peeled grapes," Rex revealed. "Try the next one." Kendra reached inside the second box. "Intestines?"

"Noodles."

The third box contained rubber erasers of various sizes, which she guessed correctly. The fourth felt empty at first, then she found something that felt like a potato. She was opening her mouth to guess when she felt a stabbing pain in her thumb. Yelping, Kendra withdrew her hand. "What was that?" she cried.

"You okay?" Rex asked.

"Let me guess, cactus?" Kendra sucked the pad of her thumb, tasting blood.

"Close. A cactus fig. Edible fruit. I could have sworn I’d removed all the sharp spines!"

Kendra shook her hand. "Missed one."

Rex blinked, looking off balance. "Let me get you a Band-Aid."

Kendra checked her thumb. "No, it’s just a little prick."

"Maybe we’d better limit the exercise to four boxes," Rex decided.

"Probably. What’s in the last one? Rusty razors?"

"Damp sponges."

"Did you use any of them to wipe up broken glass?"

Rex chuckled. "They should be safe." He picked up the box with the cactus fig inside. "I’ll stow this back in my office."

"Good idea," Kendra said.

As Rex took the box away, Ronda came over. The overweight mother of three worked part-time at the day care, mostly during the afternoon shift. "You all right?" she asked.

"Rex had me feeling cactus fruit. Stuck me pretty good. I’m fine, though."

Ronda shook her head. "For such a nice guy, he can be a real knucklehead."

"It’s no big deal. I’m just glad the victim wasn’t a five-year-old."

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. Kendra had no urgent homework, so she was able to relax and enjoy the kids. She ran a game of musical chairs and a couple of rounds of Simon Says. Rex read a story, Ronda played her ukulele for singing time, and the touch exercise went over big. Soon the clock over the sink read 4:55 and Kendra began gathering her things.

She was shouldering her backpack when Rex came up behind her. "We have a problem, Kendra."

Kendra turned, her eyes darting around the room, searching for what had broken or who was injured. "What is it?"

"I’ve got an irate parent on the phone in my office," Rex apologized. "I need you for a minute."

"Sure," Kendra said, trying to guess what might have provoked the call. Had she treated any of the kids unfairly in recent days? No incidents came to mind. Perplexed, she followed Rex into his office. He shut the door and pulled the blinds closed. The handset of the phone was off the hook, resting on his desk. He motioned toward the phone. "Who is it?" she stage whispered.

Rex jerked his head toward the far corner of the office. "For starters, take a gander behind the filing cabinet."

Furrowing her brow. Kendra moved toward the tall metal filing cabinet. Before she arrived, a girl emerged from behind the cabinet. A girl who looked exactly like Kendra. Same height, same hair, same face. It could have been her twin, or some trick with a mirror. The Kendra replica cocked her head, smiled, and waved.

Kendra froze, trying to process the bizarre sight. She had seen some impossible things in the past couple of years, but nothing more surprising.

Taking advantage of the stunned pause, Rex attacked from behind. One of his arms reached around Kendra’s torso, roughly pulling her against him. A pungent rag covered her nose and mouth. She bucked and squirmed, but the fumes from the rag quickly made her light-headed. The room swayed, and her sense of urgency faded. Senses muddy, she sagged against Rex and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Kendra returned to consciousness by degrees. First she heard a distant babble of kids and parents. As she lazily tried to stretch, she became aware that her arms and legs were bound. Her alertness increasing, she remembered the mirror image of herself and how Rex had inexplicably attacked her. When she tried to call out, Kendra noticed the cloth wadded in her gagged mouth.

Only then did she open her eyes. She was on the ground behind Rex’s desk, trussed to a long piece of plywood. A pounding ache pulsed behind her forehead. She struggled, but her bindings were snug, and the board kept her immobilized. Panicked, she concentrated on breathing through her nose and listened as the prattle of kids and parents diminished to nothing.

Disorganized thoughts flashed through Kendra’s mind. Could she somehow call fairies to her aid? She hadn’t seen a fairy in months. Did her fairykind status grant her any advantages in her present predicament? Nothing came to mind. She needed a Tylenol; her head was really throbbing. Maybe Warren would rescue her. Or Elise. Kendra wished that Gavin had been here watching over her. Where was he? The most recent letter had come from Norway. Why had they crammed so much cloth in her mouth? One of the fluorescent lights in the ceiling was dying. Would Ronda miss her and come looking for her? No, that would be the purpose of the duplicate Kendra. The impostor would probably fool Warren and Elise as well. Where had the impostor come from? Could Rex be a member of the Society of the Evening Star? If so, he must have been some kind of undercover sleeper agent–he had worked at the day care for years.

The door to the office opened. Desperate hope surged inside of Kendra until Rex came and stood over her. "Just you and me, kid," he said pleasantly, crouching.

Kendra uttered muffled complaints, pleading with her eyes.

"Don’t like the gag much?"

Kendra shook her head from side to side.

"Can you keep your trap shut? Believe me, I’ll put you right back under." He opened a desk drawer and withdrew a small bottle and a rag. Unstopping the bottle, he moistened the rag and set it aside. "Cry out and you’ll be sorry. If you think you have a headache now, just wait until after a second dose. You with me?"

Eyes wide and glistening, Kendra nodded.

Rex peeled the duct tape from her mouth and tugged out the saliva-soaked cloth. Kendra smacked her lips. Her tongue felt dry. "Why, Rex?"

He smiled, eyes squinting behind lightly tinted lenses.

"Rex wouldn’t do this to you, kiddo. Haven’t you caught on? I’m not Rex."