Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(113)

Mark really is as hollow as he claims to be. He was a good man, once."


"What now?" Kendra asked.


"We abduct him," Bracken said. "Raxtus will carry him to Wyrmroost. Agad will have to lock him up. Meanwhile, we'll get a car and track down the last Eternal."


"I have to stay with him," Tux said. "If he gets too distant, I start to feel like a chain is dragging me toward him. I agree with you, by the way. Incarcerating us has become the only option."


"I don't reach that verdict lightly," Bracken said, walking in the direction Mark had run. "I've spent time in prison. It's inhumane. But prisons serve a necessary purpose. Prisons protect the freedom of the masses from those who abuse their freedom. On my scale, the freedom of the world outweighs Mark's personal rights. He may have made a mistake in becoming an Eternal, but the rest of the world shouldn't pay for his error. Like it or not, it remains his chore to pay for his decision."


"Amen," the cat approved.


"Are you in touch with Raxtus?" Kendra asked.


"I just told him to grab Mark," Bracken replied. "Okay, Raxtus has him. We'll meet up on the beach so Tux can join him."


"This way," Tux said, hurrying. Bracken and Kendra broke into a jog.


Tux led them along a path to a footbridge that spanned the Pacific Coast Highway. They hurried onto the bridge. Cars zoomed beneath them, most with their headlights on.


The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the hazy sky above the ocean streaked pink and orange. The footbridge led down to a deserted parking lot where pulverized glass glimmered in the fading light. A barren expanse of sand separated the lot from the foamy breakers. Unmanned lifeguard stations stood guard along the beach at regular intervals. Off to the left, a larger parking lot alongside the Santa Monica Pier contained dozens of cars and several people.


Mark lay sprawled on the sand not far from the water. Seagulls wheeled and cried in the air above.


Kendra, Bracken, and Tux crossed the parking lot and a jogging path and started across the sand. The way the sand absorbed each step made walking a little awkward. Kendra glanced over at the roller coaster on the pier. Between the beach, the pier, the shops, the weather, and the restaurants, this could be a really fun place under different circumstances.


They reached Mark. He glared up spitefully. From his posture, Kendra could tell that Raxtus was holding him down. "You're thugs," he accused.


"And you're a sorry joke of a man," Bracken said. "I'm out of patience. We're going to save your life, so you had better get used to the idea."


Mark glowered at Tux. "What have you got to say for yourself?"


"Meow," the cat replied, pronouncing the word the way a human would.


"Raxtus, take Mark and Tux to Wyrmroost. Explain the situation to Agad. Give him this stone, so we can communicate."


Bracken held out a small pouch, and the invisible dragon took it. "Take an unpredictable route."


Raxtus flickered into view, his neck craning up. "We have company."


Kendra's gaze went to the sky. A pair of large winged creatures were quickly approaching. "Wyverns," Bracken muttered.


Mark started laughing.


A Hummer screeched to a halt in the parking lot near the footbridge. "Fly!" Bracken urged, drawing his sword. "Take Kendra!"


"Wait," Kendra protested, reaching for her sword. Without hesitation, Raxtus turned invisible and seized her around the waist. Kendra, Mark, and Tux rose into the air, the unseen dragon's fierce wingbeats stirring up gritty clouds of sand.


As they soared out over the water, Kendra looked over her shoulder at the people exiting the Hummer, at Bracken striding across the sand, and then up to the oncoming wyverns.


"More wyverns," Raxtus warned, veering up the coast.


Scanning the horizon, Kendra saw a wyvern approaching from out to sea. Another was coming toward the pier from the south. Yet another was streaking down the coast from the north. As Raxtus fought to gain altitude, the wyverns closed in from all directions. They had wolfish heads, batlike wings, and long black claws.


"Wyverns are quick," Raxtus panted. "They're built like me. I'm not sure I can lose five, not with visible passengers."


"Over here!" Mark yelled, waving his arms. "Come and get me!"


"Shut it," Kendra snapped, readying her crossbow.


As the nearest wyverns swooped at them, Raxtus rolled and dove. Kendra fired her crossbow, but the evasive maneuver made her quarrel go astray. Claws clashed against dragon scales and Kendra felt Raxtus shudder; then the ocean came rushing up at them with alarming speed. Raxtus pulled out of his dive and skimmed the wave tops, paralleling the shore. Wyverns descended from both sides, keeping pace. With a triumphant howl, one crashed down onto Raxtus, and all of them plunged into the brine.


After recovering from the shock of the impact and of the cold water, Kendra found herself blinded by bubbles. Tearing free from her wolf-hide cloak, she stroked to the surface, the weight of her leather armor and sword slowing her ascent. She found herself beside Mark, fighting to keep her nose and mouth above water. Huge bodies surged and lashed nearby, snarling and splashing, sending up fountains of spray.