Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

Seth ate like a bottomless pit, wolfing down his dessert quickly and excusing himself before anyone else. Kendra struggled to find her appetite. She picked at small portions and managed to finish with a warm piece of apple pie.

After the meal, Grandma and Grandpa had parting words for them, but Kendra had a tough time paying attention. Her visit to Lost Mesa with Warren had been a terrifying experience, and this had every chance of being worse. Warren was specifically charged with her care. The Lieutenants had desired a five-person team, and to that they had added Kendra, along with Warren to protect her. Theoretically she and Warren would see no action, hiding out in the caretaker’s home. But Kendra had already learned the hard way how such plans can go awry. Nobody knew much about Wyrmroost. Supposedly Patton was the only outsider who had ventured there in many decades.

Kendra had put on a brave face. She understood the necessity of the mission and knew she would have to appear confident and eager in order for Grandma and Grandpa to consent to her participation. In the end, her willingness and the overall importance of the undertaking had earned permission from her grandparents.

The time to depart arrived before Kendra liked. She ascended the stairs to the attic with Dale to retrieve her bags, expecting to say good-bye to Seth. Instead she found a note on her bed atop a smoky gray breastplate with a lustrous sheen.

Dear Kendra,

Merry Christmas! This breastplate is made of a super strong metal called adamant. The satyrs gave it to me, and I want you to wear it to Wyrmroost. It should be small enough to wear under your clothes no problem. In fact, it was kind of small on me and will probably fit you better.

I hope you’ll forgive me for not saying good-bye in person. It is hard for me to get left out. I’ve found a place in the woods where I go when I need time to think. It is safe and not too far and I won’t let the centaurs get me or anything. I’ve made some good friends at Fablehaven. They’ll help me stop sulking. Tell Grandma and Grandpa not to worry. I may stay there for a little while. If they want to lock me in the dungeon when I get back, so it goes.

Stay safe. Don’t get eaten by dragons. Have fun.

Love,

Seth

Kendra folded the note. It was so sweet and so selfish all at once. How could he run off to the woods again after all that had happened? Everyone had plenty to worry about without adding another unnecessary disappearance by her brother to the list. She picked up the breastplate, wondering if something so light would be much protection. Judging by the weight, it felt like the breastplate could have been fashioned out of tinfoil. He had called it super strong. She rapped the breastplate with her knuckles and supposed it felt solid.

When she shared the note with Grandpa, he read it with a frown, then rubbed his eyes. He relayed the content of the message to the others, and asked Warren and Tanu to go make sure Seth hadn’t tried to stow away in the car or the knapsack. Grandpa assured Kendra that he would take care of the problem, and urged her to put it out of her mind.

Kendra showed Coulter the breastplate, since magical items were his specialty. Coulter held the object reverently for a long while, examining it with care, then gave it back to her with a charge to keep it hidden. He warned that people would kill for an authentic piece of adamant armor, assured her that the breastplate was priceless, and confirmed what Seth had claimed about it being supernaturally durable.

Before she felt ready, Kendra was hugging her grandparents good-bye and hurrying out to climb inside the idling SUV.

* * *

Although sizable drifts of chunky snow lined the roads, the cold night in Kalispell was shockingly clear. In the moonless sky, the stars gleamed sharper and more numerous than Kendra had ever witnessed. While they were waiting outside the small airport for Tanu to bring the rental car, Warren had pointed out faint dots gradually drifting in straight lines across the star-strewn firmament, explaining that they were satellites.

As the rental car pulled into the hotel parking lot, Kendra became fidgety, drumming an anxious rhythm on her thighs. Warren had phoned ahead to confirm that the others had arrived. The thought of seeing Gavin made her edgy and self-conscious. Was this how Verl had felt earlier in the day? Suddenly his behavior seemed much less laughable.

She breathed deeply. All she had to do was act friendly. Any pressure she felt was a product of her overactive imagination. This was a dangerous mission, not a date. If romantic feelings ever arose between them, it would happen as a natural outgrowth of their friendship.

Inside the lobby, a fire roared in the hearth. The red commercial carpeting featured an unbroken pattern of gold fleurs-de-lis. A bald man with spectacles and a flannel shirt sat reading a book near the fire. Kendra eyed him suspiciously. At this point, she was ready to consider anyone a possible spy. She wished Seth were with them so he could check for invisible enemies.

While Tanu checked in at the counter, a voice hailed Kendra from across the lobby. She turned and found Gavin coming toward her with a warm smile. When he reached her he gave her a quick hug. Part of her wished the embrace had lasted longer.

He seemed even better-looking than the last time she had seen him, his naturally dark complexion slightly tanner, his cheeks more defined. He remained slim and wiry, moving with the confident grace of a dancer. Was he a tad taller? "Good to see you," Kendra said, trying to keep her manner light and casual.

"I heard you were k-k-k-kidnapped," he stammered.

"I guess word gets around. At least I got away." She glanced at the man reading his book. Was it wise to converse so close to him?

"That’s Aaron Stone," Gavin said. "He’s a Knight, and our helicopter pilot."

Without glancing up from his book, Aaron saluted her with two fingers.

Warren came and clapped Gavin on the back. "Ready for some more mayhem? Didn’t get your fill at Lost Mesa?"

Gavin gave him half a smile. "You have to w-w-watch it or I’m going to start associating you two with near-death experiences."

Tanu finished at the counter and waved for them to follow. In the elevator, Gavin explained that the others were ready to have an orientation meeting. Kendra dumped her luggage in her room before joining the rest of her companions in a suite at the end of the hall.

When she entered, Dougan rose from his seat, a bear of a man with bushy red hair and a densely freckled brow. He bore a strong resemblance to his brother Maddox. "Sorry you got roped into this," he said as he shook her hand.

Trask sat on a bed, polishing the absurdly oversized crossbow on his lap. Designed to fire two quarrels at once, the cartoonish weapon looked almost too large to carry. Mara leaned against a wall in a far corner of the room, arms folded, her expression inscrutable. Her tank top looked extra white against her coppery skin and flaunted the dramatic lines of her lean, athletic physique.