Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(51)

"You went on vacations pretty often," Kendra remembered. "They weren't real?"


"Usually not. In the months leading up to our staged deaths, the Society of the Evening Star became more active than ever. Around this time, your grandfather received the opportunity to become assistant caretaker at Living Mirage."


"Living Mirage?" Warren asked.


"The fifth secret preserve," Grandma Larsen said. "The Sphinx is the caretaker."


"Oh, no," Grandma Sorenson gasped.


"Accepting the position of assistant caretaker would make Hank the most deeply placed spy in enemy ranks. The catch was that going to Living Mirage meant never leaving. Only an inner circle of five Society members are allowed to come and go from Living Mirage, which is how the secret has been preserved. Even within the Society, almost nobody knows that Living Mirage exists."



"So you faked your deaths," Kendra prompted.


"Part of it was to explain why Hank would disappear, perhaps for the rest of his life. Part of it was to prevent any chance of our enemies tracing us back to our children and grandchildren. The Society does not know Hank and I are married. To them, he is Steve Sinclair and I'm Clara Taylor."


"When did you last see Hank?" Grandpa asked.


"Three days before he left," Grandma Larsen said.


"Around the time of our mock funeral. I didn't know where Living Mirage was located, because he didn't know. I had not heard from him until a few weeks ago."


"What were you doing all that time?" Kendra asked.


"Establishing deeper trust with the Society elite," Grandma Larsen said. "I have been out of touch with the Knights for years. The Society sees me as one of their most devoted members. Your grandfather and I decided to insinuate ourselves as deeply into the Society as possible, so we could serve as a last line of defense in a worst-case scenario. Good thing we did, since that worst-case scenario is about to transpire."


"How long have you known about the Sphinx?" Warren wondered.


"He covers his tracks very well," Grandma Larsen said. "I didn't know he was leading the Society until last year. And I didn't know he was Captain of the Knights until he was revealed through your efforts."


"How did Vanessa become involved?" Kendra asked.


Grandma Larsen exhaled with exasperation. "Vanessa found me out years ago. She had worked with me once back when she was a false Knight. Even though I had been masked when we met as Knights, and I also typically wear a mask when dealing with members of the Society, she somehow recognized me at a Society event, although she kept the secret to herself at the time. While doing research prior to coming to Fablehaven, she got her hands on a home movie of me and Hank with you and Seth. That was when she connected me to my true identity."


"That girl does her homework," Warren said with admiration.


"Vanessa is a very talented operative," Grandma Larsen said. "In the past, she has caused me more distress than anyone. We should be most grateful that she has defected to our side. And we should take every precaution to prevent her from betraying us again."


"You don't trust her?" Grandpa asked.


"It would be unwise," Grandma Larsen said. "At least not until this crisis has passed."


"But didn't she bring you here?" Kendra asked.


"She has been very helpful," Grandma Larsen said. "She has been in contact with me from time to time using sleepers she had previously bitten. In fact, it was Vanessa who alerted me that you had been abducted by Torina."


"Did you help me get free?" Kendra asked.


"I watched you use the Oculus."


Kendra furrowed her brow. Then she remembered that not long before she had used the Oculus, a masked figure had entered the room with Mr. Lich. The identity of the masked onlooker had never been revealed. "You wore a mask."


"That's right. Thankfully, I almost always conceal my face when I work with the Society. I'm sure you would have had a hard time hiding your surprise. There was nothing I could do in the moment except hope you survived the Oculus. Any action I took would have hopelessly compromised both of us. But afterward, I slipped the knapsack and the stingbulb into your room."


"You gave me the knapsack!" Kendra exclaimed, her mind reeling. "I've wondered who helped me."


"Finesse is everything in my line of work," Grandma Larsen said. "I wish I could have done more. I did what I felt gave us the best chance for success. I was relieved that you were able to do the rest."


"That knapsack was my home for a few months," Warren mentioned.


"Navarog destroyed it and trapped him inside," Kendra explained. "We used the Translocator to rescue him."


"Then you must know Bubda," Grandma Larsen said.


"Both Kendra and I do," Warren said.


"Is he all right?" Grandma Larsen asked.


"He's still inside that room," Warren said. "Stubborn little guy doesn't want to leave, but eventually he'll starve unless we extract him."