Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(130)

"Bracken is no traitor," Kendra said. "The Fairy Queen vouched for him."


"To you, personally?" Vanessa asked. "Yes," Kendra affirmed.


"Enough with the animosity," Warren interrupted. "Isn't tonight going to be long enough already? Please, Vanessa, just let him make sure. Think about your past. We'll all sleep easier."


Vanessa took Bracken's hand. He stared into her eyes for a long moment. "Just relax," Bracken said. "Think about your relationship with the Sorensons. Think about your current goals as they relate to our present mission." He released his grip.


"Well?" Vanessa asked.


"She used to love the Sphinx," Bracken reported. Vanessa's expression hardened. "Did I hear the past tense?"


"After he betrayed her, she became a true ally to us," Bracken confirmed. "She still worries about the Sphinx. She cares about his welfare now that Graulas has taken over the Society, but not in any way that would harm our cause. Her affection is now directed elsewhere."


"Careful," Vanessa warned.


Bracken glanced at Warren. "Blix or not, we can trust her."


"Did you look at Warren?" Seth blurted. "Does Vanessa like Warren?"


Warren coughed uncomfortably.


Vanessa glared at Bracken. "Very tactful. Warren and I have some history from when I served as a Knight of the Dawn. I'm glad that's out in the open for everybody to whisper about. By the way, Bracken clearly has strong feelings for Kendra. Sometimes it doesn't take a mind reader."


Bracken opened his mouth, paused, and then closed it.


"Don't be shy," Vanessa teased, prodding his chest with her finger. "It really is the end of the world. Time to unbottle those hidden feelings. People make such a fuss about age discrepancies. Your attraction to Kendra is kind of like me having a crush on a newborn infant. Perfectly natural."


Bracken reddened. "I think your imagination is running away with you. I'm very fond of Kendra, but not in the way you're describing."


"You're right," Vanessa chuckled. "My mistake. It isn't quite like I described. After all, Kendra looks much more mature than an infant."


Trask cleared his throat noisily. "Enough with the blix-unicorn rivalry. I'm afraid we have larger concerns."


"Seth has a letter from Patton Burgess outlining our present objectives," Vanessa said. "I already have the key to the lighthouse. We blixes have our uses."


"There isn't much to do until tonight," Seth agreed.


Warren rubbed his hands together. "Anybody know where we can score some quality crab cakes?"


***


Less than a mile from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Kendra sat in a rented SUV with Trask. Overhead, twinkling stars passed in and out of view as patchy clouds shifted. She unrolled the top of a bag of pretzels and popped one in her mouth, chewing without relish. After a shrimp quesadilla for dinner complemented by half a crab cake sandwich, she wasn't hungry, just fidgety. She checked her watch: twenty minutes to midnight.


Awkwardness had plagued Kendra the entire evening. Vanessa's accusations on the beach had left her profoundly embarrassed. Not only had Vanessa put Bracken on the spot about his feelings, she had publicly pointed out the age gap that separated him from Kendra. What made everything so much worse was that Kendra was developing a genuine attachment to Bracken. He was cute, brave, protective, smart, sweet, and, maybe best of all, she knew he was for real.


All night she hadn't known what to say to him, how to look at him. In the end, she had ignored Bracken, concentrating on Seth. Her brother had been through a lot since she had last seen him. He seemed sadder, more brooding.


Kendra rolled up the pretzel bag. What if Vanessa was right? What if Bracken liked her? It was one thing to harbor a crush on an unattainable guy, but quite another to consider him actually returning her affection. Even without Vanessa stressing the point, she knew he was a unicorn, and centuries old. But most things about him seemed so human! So normal! Well, handsomer than normal. Despite the reality of his true identity, in practice, Bracken seemed like a good-looking guy only a couple of years her senior.



Of course, in those moments after Bracken had reclaimed his second horn, he had come across as otherworldly. But once the crisis was behind them, he had quickly reverted to his old self. He still couldn't assume his horse shape without his third horn. For all practical purposes he was human. And even if he was a little otherworldly, Kendra sometimes wondered whether she were entirely human herself anymore. After becoming fairykind, she could hardly view herself as a regular teenage girl.


Kendra leaned her head against the window. Was she really sitting here worrying about how Bracken felt about her when the world was about to end? How simple was she? What if he read her mind? She would be mortified!


"Can I have a pretzel?" Trask asked.


The question made Kendra jump a little. "Sure," she said, handing him the bag. "Are we just going to abandon the rental car?"


"They'll figure it out," Trask said. "We'll compensate them financially. The Knights of the Dawn always pay their debts, and a little extra. We do it anonymously because too often we'd get arrested otherwise, but we do it. Naturally, if the world ends, I think everyone will have more pressing issues to complain about."