Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(45)

Grandma led her to the nearby cell, inserted the key, and opened the door. Kendra entered. The door closed behind her.


Vanessa was on the floor doing complicated sit-ups, hands laced behind her head as she touched alternate elbows to the opposite knees, her legs bending and extending without ever quite touching the floor. "Be with you in a moment," Vanessa panted.


Her cell looked cozy. Thick carpeting covered the floor, shaded lamps shed gentle light, and impressionist paintings brightened the walls. Potted plants of various sizes served to further soften the atmosphere. Vanessa had a refrigerator, an exercise bike, a suede beanbag chair, and an impressive sound system. Grandma and Grandpa had clearly gone out of their way to make her comfortable.


Vanessa finished her exercises and rolled to her feet.


"Here for some calisthenics?" she asked. Even sweaty and dressed in boyish exercise clothes, she had an effortless, exotic beauty.


"Your room gets better every time I visit," Kendra said.


"As prisons go, it could be worse." Vanessa walked over and took a seat behind the desk by her bed. "You here to wrench my secret out of me?"


"Could it help me find my family?"


"Are we playing twenty questions? Yes, it could."


"What is the secret?" Kendra blurted desperately.


"Haven't you played twenty questions before?" Vanessa scolded gently. "You can't ask what the secret is, just questions about it."


"Is it bigger than a bread box?"


Vanessa laughed lightly. "Now you get the idea. Actually, yes it is."


"How big is a bread box?"


"That would be relevant. Picture a container for holding a few loaves."


"Animal, vegetable, or mineral?"


"Animal."


Kendra folded her arms. "Is your secret a person?"


Vanessa returned her gaze intently. "This game is over."


"It is! Why do you have to be so secretive about it?"


Vanessa leaned back in her chair. "Hard to say. Maybe because the Sphinx could be watching us right now, and if this secret gets out, we will have no chance of stopping him."


"Is it really that important?" Kendra asked, not daring to believe it.


"You'll know soon."


"How soon?"


"It would be dangerous to say." Vanessa leaned forward. "Kendra, I'm not trying to torture you. I'm not even trying to torture your grandparents, who I like a lot less. At first I held on to this secret because it mattered, and I knew it might provide leverage to get me out of here. But ever since the Sphinx recovered the Oculus, I have been so grateful that I kept my mouth shut. My silence just might save us all. My secret represents our last, best chance to stop the Sphinx and recover your family. That will have to suffice."


"We could use the Chronometer," Kendra said. "Talk to Patton about your secret in a time the Sphinx can't see."


"You've figured out how to use the Chronometer to journey back in time?" Vanessa exclaimed. "Good news! We may do just that when the right moment arrives. Until then, letting others know the secret merely provides. opportunities for somebody to slip up. Believe me, I'm on your side. This is for the greater good."


Kendra sighed in frustration. "All you care about is getting out of here."


Vanessa's expression hardened. For a moment, Kendra thought she might lose her temper. Then the narcoblix relaxed, brushing back an errant strand of hair. A forced smile appeared.


"I understand your frustration and your distrust. In fact, you have reason to trust me far less than you do. But please realize, if all I cared about was getting out of here, I have missed literally dozens of opportunities. You think this cell could hold me when I can control Tanu in his sleep? Fortunately for you, I truly am on your side, and most of what I can do to help can be done from here as well as anywhere. That may not always be true. The current situation is dire. At some point, your grandparents should release me so I can provide more active assistance." Kendra had no reply.



Vanessa stood up. "I have been patient this long. I can wait a while longer. So can you, believe it or not. Knowing the secret will hasten nothing." Vanessa raised her arms and stretched. "By the time I reveal all I know, I might even earn Ruth's trust."


"I'm not getting anything else out of you, am I?"


"Sorry, Kendra. Vanessa Santoro may not be perfect, but she knows how to keep a secret."


Chapter 10 Nagi Luna


T he coin flared bright enough to awaken Seth. Temporarily disoriented, wiping sleep from his eyes, he pawed for the source of the blinding light. As his fingers closed around the coin, the brilliance dimmed, and words sprang to mind.


There you are! I was just alerted that the Sphinx is descending into our section of the dungeon. All things considered, he's probably coming for you. Don't relax around him. Keep your guard up. I'll extinguish the coin.


"Thanks," Seth whispered, trying to push the answer mentally toward Bracken.


Don't mention it. And you don't have to concentrate so hard, just let your thoughts flow to me. We'll talk later.