Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(68)

"I see your point," Bracken said. "Nevertheless, we mustn't underestimate him. Or place full trust in him."


"Agreed," Warren said. "However, for the moment, I think it benefits everyone to use each other."


"How can we get out of here?" Bracken asked.


"It has to look like we escaped," Warren said. "The Sphinx said the main gate is heavily guarded. According to him, our best bet is to head to the fairy shrine."


"The shrine here is sealed," Bracken said resentfully.


"Right," Warren said. "By the Sphinx. He gave me the key."


Bracken cocked his head as if weighing the odds. "So we hope the Fairy Queen can conjure a way out of here."


"Seems like our best bet," Warren said.


"What do you mean, the shrine is sealed?" Kendra wondered.


"The Sphinx didn't want the Fairy Queen to be able to spy on him," Bracken said. "He lacked the power to destroy her shrine here, so he sealed it off, covering it with an ensorcelled iron dome."


"The dome has an access port," Warren said. "And I now have a copy of the key."


"Getting to the shrine will be no simple affair," Bracken warned. "This is not a mild preserve."


"Tell me about it," Warren said. "When the Sphinx showed up with his wraith squad, he had to rescue me from a manticore."


"Won't the wraiths share what is happening with the demons?" Kendra asked.


"The Sphinx is a mighty shadow charmer," Bracken said. "His wraiths and phantoms communicate only with him. They will not divulge his secrets, and he should be strong enough to shield his mind from Graulas and Nagi Luna."


"Let's hope so," Warren muttered.


"The Sphinx gave you that amulet?" Bracken asked.


"He did. And he promised to help divert the search for me away from the path to the shrine."


Bracken turned to Kendra. "What do you say? Your brother currently holds the record for quickest escape from the dungeons of the Great Ziggurat. You ready to dethrone him?"


"What about the others?" Kendra asked. "Can't we take my grandparents?"


Warren winced. "The passage out of the dungeon is down very deep. The Sphinx warned we should keep the escape small. In fact, the only people he specified were you two. He promised to try to aid the others."


Bracken patted Kendra's arm consolingly. "If the passage out is down here in the depths, we can't get to your parents or grandparents without passing numerous checkpoints. We might be able to collect Maddox and Mara. Of course, Mara is still recovering from injuries, Maddox has had trouble moving quickly ever since Rio Branco, and neither of them is nearby."


"Up to you guys," Warren said. "Speed will matter. As soon as Nagi Luna gets the Oculus, we won't be able to shield ourselves from her view."


"Then we should seize the moment and depart," Bracken decided. "Kendra?"


"Seems like the only choice."


"Either of you have a coin?" Bracken asked.


Warren dug in his pockets. "How about a quarter?"


"Perfect. I prefer coins to stones." Bracken cupped the coin in one hand and covered it with the other. For a moment, his hands shed a pearly radiance. Then he placed the quarter under a rock in a corner of the room.


"Did you just turn that into a communicator?" Warren asked.


"Correct. If the Sphinx wants to feed us intelligence, he now has the means." Bracken adjusted the position of the stone over the coin. "How did you get into my cell? There are three secret entrances."


"I came through the front door. The Sphinx gave me a key. The passage out of the ziggurat begins just around the corner."


Bracken smirked. "Right under my nose all these years. How could I have missed it?"


"It's perfectly disguised and heavily enchanted," Warren said. "Only opens for the password, which is in Akkadian. I had to memorize the syllables."


"I'm usually able to detect such things," Bracken said. "I suppose it didn't help that I spend most of my time skulking along forgotten passageways. I'm seldom out in the main corridors."


"We ready?" Warren asked.


"My possessions are few," Bracken said. "Lead on."


Warren opened the cell door. Kendra and Bracken shadowed him into the hallway and tiptoed around the corner.


Bracken nudged Kendra. "Nagi Luna resides around that next corner, at the end of the hall."


"Tough neighborhood," Warren whispered. He paused in front of a blank wall.


"Here?" Bracken asked, running a hand along the surface, eyes intent. "I must be losing my touch."


Warren spoke strange words, and the wall became semi-transparent. Warren stepped through it.


Bracken gave a low whistle. "I feel a little better. This was very well concealed, the work of a true master."


He and Kendra walked through the wall and started up a long stairway.