Disclaimer: I do not own Fablehaven or any recognizable characters.

Seth's POV

I was in the room again. It almost felt more real than life at this point.

I could barely think. I stepped forward, placing a hand on the door and pressing gently, just like last time.

I heard a threatening voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

I knew who it was, though I had no visual of the speaker.

Kaydence.

"No," her voice echoed across the chamber "Leave him alone."

The door collapsed under the small weight I put on it. I stumbled awkwardly into another room, the exact same but larger in diameter.

I noticed a strange lighting, starting in the center and fading outwards.

I looked around. I could discern no visible light sources.

There was a noise from the far shadows, and out of the corner of my vision I caught movement.

I turned as the light caved in on itself, creating a blinding flash before leaving the room in utter blackness.

I felt fear rise up within me as I continued to hear a strange scraping from the darkness.

I reached my hand carefully out in front of me. I made contact with a cold surface, even though I was nowhere near the wall. Te material rippled, and I felt the unmistakable texture of scales.

I cried out and fell back, landing with enough force to send me head over heels into the wall where the previous door had been.

I heard carefully paced footsteps in the silence, growing ever closer.

I put my hands over my face and closed my eyes.

"Seth?"

I heard Kendra's concerned voice through my panic.

I opened my eyes again to look at her. Kaydence was standing to her right, Gavin o the left. I couldn't see much else.

"I'm okay." I whispered, repeating the words again in my head to convince myself.

I sat up, taking in the familiar surroundings. I was in the living room, though for once only three people had stayed.

I saw Kaydence carefully distance herself from Gavin. He glanced over at her occasionally, as if wanting to approach her but unable.

What a weird relationship.

I reached up and ran a hand through my hair.

"Yeah," Kendra said, reading my thoughts "Three now."

I nodded solemnly.

I had come to expect the worst.

LATER

Kendra's POV

I fidgeted nervously under the gaze of my friends and family. Gavin sat beside me, and I knew he was as nervous as I was.

We kinda had some explaining to do...

"So," Warren said eventually, beginning the interrogation "How long has he been here, exactly."

I shrugged "A few days, give or take a couple hours."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was afraid you'd kick him out, and he might be able to help us."

"Yeah," Seth put in sarcastically "Right."

"Seth," I said forcefully "He knows what's going on with you."

Silence.

"Plus," Gavin spoke up "I can't hurt you, so I'm not a threat."

"Wait," Seth and bis big mouth. "You're dead? Like a ghost?"

Gavin nodded.

"Whoa."

I sighed "Seth, shut up."

"You tell me that far too often."

"Only as often as I need to."

I looked around and noted something odd. "What happened to Kaydence?"

"She's still mad at me." Gavin said, and I couldn't help but notice his frustration. "And she's a little shook up from seeing Seth freak out."

"Why would that upset her?"

"Oh, yeah." He said, surprised "I forget I'm the only one who knew her. It happened to her sister, but she was turned into a tree before she could be fully taken over."

Well, that definitely explained her involvement with Seth's attack.

But I still didn't trust her. Or Gavin.

I might never trust an outsider again.