Hello everyone, I`m back! The month of January has been incredibly hectic and life has been crazy. This was a much needed break, but I am definitely back! I am hoping to post at least once or twice a month from now on, if not more.
This is a two part one-shot (yeah, yeah I know, another one) and the next part will be coming next week or so.
Hope you enjoy!
There wasn't much Vanessa Santoro could be sure of in her life, but one thing was for sure. She was alone. For so long, she had gotten used to never really being able to trust anyone, and always having to be on guard. Her job was really quite simple; gain the trust of the Knights of the Dawn, and when they were least expecting it, turn on them and do what she had to in order to accomplish her mission. And before, she had never really felt bad about doing it. But then, when she was assigned by both the Knights of the Dawn and the Society of the Evening Star to go to Fablehaven, one of the secret preserves, her mission quite simple. Retrieve the artifact hidden at Fablehaven and get out. At that time she wasn't really sure what she was getting herself into, blindly accepting her mission from both parties, just because he had asked her to, packing up her small New York apartment and heading to Connecticut.
It was this day that Vanessa was reminded of as she stood outside a dingy apartment building in the heart of New York City, staring up at the peeling gray paint on the walls.
"Ready?" A voice from her side drew Vanessa out of her thoughts. Kendra, dressed in black pants and brown boots and a red winter coat was shivering on the sidewalk next to her. It was the heart of winter in New York, snow falling fast and thick around them.
"Yeah. Let`s go." Vanessa led the way inside, holding the door for Kendra who followed closely behind. Vanessa and Kendra had been sent to receive information on the behalf of the Knights of Dawn from an informant who supposedly possessed information regarding a lost preserve that was coming after attack from several demons in the area. Kendra had come along in order to help gain the trust of the informant, who supposedly was some sort of fairy-like creature. The Knight who had set up the meeting wasn't able to give them many details, the informant apparently being quite paranoid.
Inside the lobby of the building a lone doorman sat at the desk, reading a magazine, looking incredibly bored. The man was a balding forty-something year old wearing a too small uniform and an ill-fitting hat. Vanessa led the way to the counter, clearing her throat loudly.
"Yes?" the doorman looked up from his magazine looking irritated. But as his eyes took in Vanessa and then flicked to Kendra, who was standing behind her, he straightened up, coughing a little and stretching his face into a simpering smile.
"How may I help you ladies?" The doorman`s eyes drifted southward, openly ogling Vanessa`s chest and she felt anger beginning to bubble in her chest.
"We need to get to apartment 4C please." Vanessa`s voice was sharp and seemed to snap the doorman out of his daze.
"Oh… yes…well, do you have any ID I can confirm with the guy who lives there?" He asked sheepishly, looking down at the outdated computer sitting in front of him. "It`s policy and all. I`m sure you understand."
Vanessa`s eyes narrowed, not exactly sure how she could talk her way into the apartment without scaring the doorman too badly. But then, Kendra jumped in from behind her, speaking to the doorman directly.
"Well, actually we`re going to see my uncle and it`s his birthday, and we`re trying to surprise him," Kendra smiled widely. "We haven't seen him in such a long time you know, and he just got back from a huge trip, and we haven't seen him in such a long time! My cousin and I are so excited to see him, we came all the way from Buffalo!" Kendra rambled on and on, her unfailingly bright attitude and ditzy demeanor obviously dazing the doorman. "So! Perhaps you could let us go and let us surprise him!" Yet, the doorman still seemed unconvinced so Kendra leaned forward just the slightest bit, lowering her voice. "And, you know, we could just keep this between us and it would mean a lot if you did this, just once!" Kendra`s innocent smile and those final words seemed to do the trick as the doorman gave a stiff nod, trying to conceal a grin, and pointed the way to the staircase.
"Thank you sir!" Kendra called over her shoulder as she and Vanessa headed to the stairs. Once they were out of earshot of the doorman, Vanessa nudged Kendra.
"Quite the little actress aren't you?" Vanessa prodded. Kendra grinned back at her, choosing not to reply, leading the way up the many flights of stairs.
As they climbed higher and higher, Vanessa was reminded even more of her old apartment, the one she had left behind for her mission to Fablehaven. It was apartment just like this one, nestled in some nondescript side street in Manhattan, a little small and a little old, but not at all the worst she had ever stayed in. That apartment had been her home for many years, as the magical world had taken a backseat. She had a job at a small, yet very popular diner that paid well enough and even had some modest friends she went out with sometimes. But, Vanessa yearned to return to her magical life, in exchange for this hardly thrilling existence. It had been one hell of a day when she had gotten that call from the Sphinx himself. She had just gotten home from work, having worked several hours of overtime, filling in for a sick waitress. Vanessa had immediately flopped on the couch, closing her eyes that popped open only a few seconds later when her phone rang loudly.
"Hello?" She had responded tiredly, resolving to hang up as soon as it was socially acceptable to do so.
"Vanessa?" A deep voice shook her from her tired daze as she recognized the voice.
"Hello? Is this-?" Vanessa cut herself off, aware of how juvenile she sounded.
"Hello Vanessa." The Sphinx`s voice was tinged with just a bit of amusement."
Vanessa cleared her throat in vain, "Hello sir. How are you?" Vanessa cringed at her inability to make regular conversation with the Sphinx.
"I am well Vanessa. Thank you." The Sphinx`s tone did not leave any room for extra conversation.
"Good to hear. So…" Vanessa trailed off, not sure what else there was to say.
"I have mission for you. One that I believe you will be uniquely apt for."
"Where are you sending me?" Vanessa stood, heading to her bedroom, opening her closet, already looking for her suitcase.
"In the next few days you will get a call from Stan Sorenson the caretaker of Fablehaven asking for your help in retrieving an artifact that is in danger of falling into the wrong hands. Your job is go to Fablehaven and retrieve the artifact and deliver it to me promptly." The Sphinx finished crisply, obviously waiting for a response.
"Oh! Oh! Of course! I can leave as soon as I get the call."
"Good." The Sphinx seemed pleased, mellow voice speaking again. "Errol Fisk will be assisting you in this mission, though you will ultimately be in charge."
Vanessa nodded to herself, vaguely recalling a tall, mischievous man she had met at one point, one that she might even have bitten at one point.
"Of course sir."
"And Vanessa, you might need to be in the area for some time, so perhaps it would be wise to move out of New York for the time being."
"Oh yes! I can do that!" Vanessa responded eagerly, already thinking that she needed to call the diner to quit. Finally! After being benched for so long after her relationship with that Knight, Warren Burgess, she was finally getting back into the action.
"And Vanessa? Good Luck." The call went dead before Vanessa could reply, leaving her reeling, alone, in her apartment.
Now, Vanessa couldn't believe that she had been that naïve, to pack up her entire life, a safe and stable one to chase after a random mission just because the Sphinx had asked her to. But, that mission to Fablehaven had changed her life.
Upon arriving and meeting the other Knights who had been called in, an old magical artifacts expert, Coulter Dixon, who seemed to be the caretaker`s old friend and the famous potion master, Tanu Dufu, Vanessa had been unimpressed. Fablehaven was just like any other preserve. There just wasn't anything special about it. As the weeks wore on, she got to know the people better, getting close with Tanu and Dale, the plain-faced assistant. And, it was on one Sunday night when Vanessa had found herself at a remote cabin, face to face with a catatonic Warren Burgess. It had broken her heart to see him like that, broken and silent, a far cry from the Warren she knew. Yet, Fablehaven was still quite unremarkable. The creatures hidden inside the woods seemingly having no desire to come out and interact unless it was imperative to do so.
But, that had all changed when she had found the journals. Patton Burgess`s journals. They led her down the right path to discovering what really was held within Fablehaven. That was when she set her plan in motion, recruiting the imps and sending Errol to watch Kendra and Seth, Stan and Ruth`s grandchildren, unaware of just how involved the two would become.
"Vanessa, here`s 4C." Kendra and Vanessa came to a stop outside the door, Vanessa`s mind coming back into focus.
"Okay," Vanessa muttered. "Stay behind me and don't let him see you sweat. Answer as little of his questions as possible. Let`s try and keep this short and sweet, okay?" With Kendra nodding firmly, Vanessa reached out and knocked lightly on the door in front of them.
"I swear to god Gary-!" A handsome, tall man yanked open the fragile looking door, looking extremely irritated.
"Oh… Hi?" The man looked perplexed as he took in the sight of Vanessa and Kendra who stood behind her.
"Hello," Vanessa stepped forward and held out a hand expectantly. "My name is Vanessa and this is Kendra. I believe you were expecting us."
The man`s eyes narrowed as he reached forward and shook Vanessa`s hand, a smirk on his pale face.. "You really expect me to believe you?"
Vanessa glanced back at Kendra who stepped forward, pulling the golden ring she wore on her finger that had been a 16th birthday present from Bracken and handed it to the man, saying something to him in a strange language that Vanessa did not understand.
The man`s expression changed, taking on a look of wonder and surprise as he took the ring, responding in the same language and stepped back, holding open the door. "Come in then." Vanessa took the initiative and stepped inside, Kendra following close behind. The apartment was small and barren, a grey couch and brown coffee table taking up most of the living room. Both were immaculate, looking undisturbed, as if no one had lived there for years.
"So it was Vanessa then?" The man asked carelessly, handing Kendra back the ring. "And you said your name was Kendra?"
"Yes. And you are?" Vanessa answered for the both of the, taking a seat on the couch beside Kendra who had already sat down. The man remained standing, and Vanessa was able to finally take a good look at him in the better lit room rather than the dingy hallway. The man was tall and very pale. His eyes were light gray color and his hair so blonde it was almost white. His pointed ears made Vanessa think that he was some sort of elf or nymph, though she wasn't sure which.
"You can call me Caspian," He replied slowly. "So I assume you're a Blix then?"
"And I assume that Caspian isn't your real name?" Vanessa shot back quickly.
Caspian gave a devious smile, "Answer my questions and I`ll answer yours."
Vanessa exchanged glances with Kendra who shrugged, obviously leaving the decision up to her. "I`m a Narcoblix."
"And you?" Caspian directed his gaze at Kendra who chose to respond in the same strange language from before.
Caspian looked satisfied, nodding to himself. "This sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. A Blix and a fairy princess walk into an apartment…"
"We`re not here to make jokes," Vanessa cut across Caspian. "We answered your questions. Now it`s time to answer ours."
Caspian sighed, rolling his eyes. "No. Caspian is not my real name but it is what I go by."
"And you're an elf?" Vanessa assumed.
"That I am." Caspian eyes drifted over to Kendra seeming more interested in her than Vanessa.
Caspian asked Kendra what seemed like a question in a different language than the one they had been speaking before. Vanessa nudged Kendra who smiled a little before answering the question causing Caspian, for the first time to appear intrigued. It seemed that Caspian responded better to Kendra than her, so Vanessa stood suddenly, thinking it best to give the two some space.
"Say, Caspian, you have a bathroom around here?" Caspian stared uncomprehendingly at her for a moment before waving his hand carelessly.
"It`s through the kitchen and the door at the very end of the hallway." Caspian replied distractedly, more interested in returning to his conversation with Kendra.
Vanessa headed into the mostly empty kitchen, taking note of the Chinese food containers that had been left on the counter next to the sink. Apparently they had caught Caspian in the middle of a meal.
Vanessa felt fairly confident that Kendra could handle Caspian on her own, given her experience with magical creatures. So, Vanessa headed out of the kitchen and down the hallway. The light in the hallway flickered a little, and Vanessa spotted the bathroom at the end of the hallway. She tried the first door, being as quiet as possible and found it unlocked. It was an almost empty closet, only containing a stack of light blue towels and some extra toilet paper. The next door she tried was obviously Caspian`s bedroom, the bed made neatly. Vanessa snuck over to the bed and looked through the sheets stealthily. As she was doing so, Vanessa was reminded of what made her a good spy in the first place. As both a Knight and a member of the society, they were taught to be as unobtrusive as possible, as always returning things to their original place, in order to be undetected. But, finding nothing in the bed or closet or dresser, asides from a few articles of clothing and an empty suitcase, Vanessa returned to the hallway, finally heading down to the bathroom. Once inside, she checked for anything that might be hidden in there, but again, found nothing.
Vanessa caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, stopping and staring into her reflection. As a double agent, she had gotten used to constant upkeep of her appearance, needing to look timeless, which helped to obscure her true identity. It was at Fablehaven where this habit had begun to recede. Waking up early did nothing to encourage her desire to go through her full beauty routine and even more so as she became more and more comfortable around the crew at Fablehaven to not wear as much makeup, and some days, none at all.
That all changed when the Sphinx visited her at all a small coffee shop that Vanessa went to on some mornings. When the Sphinx slid into the chair across from her, his assistant, Mr. Lich, choosing another table across the café, Vanessa had been utterly shocked. For a while, the Sphinx had avoided meeting with her, despite how closely the two had worked in the past and how important of an asset Vanessa knew she was. She had a feeling it had to with what she suspected the Sphinx`s identity was.
The Sphinx had been brief, speaking quickly and quietly. He had informed her of Kendra and Seth Sorenson, who were apparently much more than regular kids, especially Kendra who had developed some special abilities pertaining to the fairies. Then he had left, giving her a firm nod and small smile over his shoulder. The smile had made her heart flutter and her qualms about manipulating children disappear. She had been so naïve, blindly trusting the Sphinx, ignoring her own instinct just because of her feelings, feelings that she knew, deep down, the Sphinx would never truly return.
So, she had gotten in contact with Errol who paid a kobold to go to Kendra`s school and scare her into accepting Errol`s somewhat questionable help. Then, once Stan had learned of the threat, he had sent her to his son`s house to pick up the kids and "save" them from Errol`s threat.
She had done her usual full makeup routine, which made Seth reel at the sight of her. Kendra had been harder to convince, appearing to be slightly distrusting of Vanessa, at least until Vanessa had told her the secret word Stan had told Kendra to expect. Vanessa had been surprised, and even felt a little bit of pity for the kids when she learned what Errol had done to Seth, manipulating Seth into feeding Olloch the Glutton. Poor kids. She had almost felt bad for them.
It really was too bad that the kids had gotten involved, because at this rate, they would just be collateral damage.
And that`s all, folks!
Thank you to RedTulipHead, FairyGirl22, Jesus saved even me, Wolf Lover27 and everyone else for supporting this story.
After part 2 of this goes up, I`ll be posting a one-shot that Brackendra shippers may be very excited about!
Have a good day everyone!
