WELL HELLO THERE. Major apologies for the actually year delay of this chapter. I really have no excuse other than getting a job, being a full time student, falling madly in love, and generally losing my mojo for Fablehaven for quite a while. I really would not have finished this without feministkendra, my co-author, muse, and friend. She really keeps this thing together, so go check out her fic Power of the Mind. Grade-A shit.
Quick PSA; this story is T for a reason. There is cursing and suggestive themes. Neither will be toned down. If you don't like it, don't read it (a classic), but don't ask authors to alter their personal choices for your own comfort. The warning is there for a reason. Peace out home slices. Now, enjoy and have a happy holiday!
"Are you sure this is going to look good?"
"Yes, Kendra."
"Ok, but are you certain? Like there's no way this could turn out bad?"
"If you don't stop twitching and talking, this fairytale ending is going to have a plot twist."
"Is curling my hair really necessary, Vanessa?"
"Hush, child. Let me work."
Kendra heaved a heavy sigh, the heaviest of sighs all night (and there had been many), but fell silent to let Vanessa finish curling her hair. She'd already sat through yet another knife holster placement lesson, and having her makeup done. The makeup along had taken close to an hour, and now the hair was closing in on thirty minutes. Kendra was agitated to say the least.
"Don't we have to go soon?"
"You really are a very impatient girl, has anyone ever mentioned that?"
"Vanessa, I'm serious."
"Relax, I just have one more piece, and then all that's left is to pin it up, and for you to get dressed."
"That's gonna be another nine hours." Kendra muttered, thinking of all the laces and adjusting she would have to deal with. She glanced back to examine Vanessa in the mirror, who had straightened her naturally wavy hair, pinned it up intricately, and added small jeweled accents to complete it. Kendra knew she had a similar image in mind for her own hair, and was honestly excited to see the outcome. Despite her anxiousness, she trusted Vanessa knew what she was doing.
Per usual, the blix's makeup was done perfectly, with even more of a dramatic flair than she typically wore. She had done Kendra's more softly at the younger girl's request, but not enough to leave her looking plain. Her eyeliner had subtle wings, the shadow on her eyelids was just dark enough to pop, and her lips were stained a deeper rose than usual. Kendra had felt like a fairy for years, but only now did she truly look the part.
"And...done!" Vanessa placed the curling iron down, smiling victoriously. She plucked a few pins and clips off of the vanity, and within mere seconds, had Kendra's hair done up flawlessly. Kendra moved her head experimentally, and found little give in the updo. Vanessa quickly added some hairspray, and then finished the look by placing crystalline flower pins among the curled tresses.
"Finally." Both girls sighed, then giggled.
"I'll be back in a bit to help you lace up, chica," Vanessa said as she rose from the bench and moved to the door. "We've got to be ready in 15, max."
"Got it." Kendra said as she rose from her own seat. She crossed the room to her closet, where a black garment bag was hanging from the top of the door. She unzipped the long zipper carefully, making sure not to snag any bit of the carefully crafted fabric. The dress had already been lovely when she bought it, but after leaving it to the brownies, Kendra doubted she would ever own a finer piece of clothing.
The dress itself was pale pink, reminiscent of an orchid in bloom; vibrant, yet soft. The bottom skirt was thin layers of silk and fine tulle, puffing it out a bit while still letting the fabric flow like water. The top half had had a simply jeweled, and high-necked design when purchased. Now, the front split into a deep V, straight down to where it met the skirt, while the back was done up as a corset. It was still jeweled, just now with finer minerals, stones and gems that would probably sell for millions. Kendra had also purchased plain nude heels to go with it, but had decided to leave them for the brownies at the last minute alongside Vanessa's. Now, the heels were embellished with creeping gold vines, the detail of which were extraordinary. If Kendra had to guess, she would have said they came from her grandmother's garden out back.
She fit her arms through the dress and did up the back as best she could before stepping into the heels. She steadied herself on the bed, and then snuck a glance in her floor length mirror.
Damn.
She looked good.
Kendra smothered a smile just as a knock at the door came. She called out to come in, already certain of who it was. As Vanessa came through the door, Kendra's grin came back completely. Where Kendra's dress was light and airy, nearly aloof, Vanessa's was dark and tempting, like a siren. It was a deep red, nearly maroon. The bottom skirt was chiffon, and flowed like water around the slit in the left leg. The halter top was made of two pieces of fabric wrapped criss-cross around Vanessa's chest, encircling her neck and leaving the back and stomach open. Her toned abdominal muscles peeked over the edge of the skirt, just visible when her stomach tensed, and Kendra was reminded of a predator. The other woman's black heels were embellished to match Kendra's, though the branches were thornier and more silver.
"Wow," Vanessa breathed as she got closer. "Kendra, you look absolutely stunning!"
"Me?" Kendra blushed. "What about you? You look amazing."
"Don't even, mija," she waved the compliment away, actually swiping a hand through the air. "You're going to be the Belle of the ball. And you deserve it. Now, turn, and let me finish lacing you up."
"I feel like a sneaker." Kendra muttered, prompting a laugh out of Vanessa as she did up the back of the gown. She wrapped her arms around Kendra's shoulders afterwards, resting her head on the younger girl's shoulder as they both gazed into the mirror.
"Have fun tonight, Kendra," Vanessa said, smiling softly. "You're only young once."
Kendra nodded, not feeling she needed words to respond, and reached up to clasp her friend's hand. Vanessa squeezed it briefly, and pressed a brief kiss to Kendra's temple before she straightened up.
"I'm going to head down, Kendra. Don't forget your earrings and the bracelets."
"Got it. See you in a bit."
Vanessa flashed her a sharp smile, then slipped out the door.
"They're taking forever." Bracken muttered, checking his watch for the eighth time.
"Something tells me you're just anxious," Warren chortled from his seat at the kitchen island, in clear view of Bracken and his pacing by the stairs. His bowtie was undone, and his cuffs unbuttoned. He seemed entirely unconcerned with this. "Ready to see your princess?"
"No. You?" Bracken looked up at him.
"If you're referring to Nessa, princess is not the name I'd pick," Warren snorted. "And not really. Not anxious, at least. Excited, curious, but not anxious."
"Well, you've probably been to things like this before."
"And you haven't? Aren't balls and galas kind of your thing? As royalty? I mean sure, there was prom and some buddies' weddings, but I try my best to stay away from these things."
"What's a prom?" Bracken looked bemused for a moment, before focusing on his anxiety. "Well, of course I've been to balls, but never like this. Never…"
"Never waiting for the girl at the bottom of the stairs?" Warren finished.
"Yeah." Bracken sighed, leaning against the bannister.
"It's a staple of mortal culture, you should try it more often."
Before Bracken could say whatever witty retort he was forming, the sharp clack of heels on the oak stairs silenced both of them. Warren straightened up, and Bracken moved to stand in front of the stairs.
"Relax, unicorn. It's just me." came a lightly accent voice that clearly did not belong to Kendra. Bracken slumped slightly, but straightened as Vanessa began descending the last few stairs. Warren had to hand it to them, they were really getting better at the friendship thing. Any other thoughts he might have had on any other subject, though, dissolved once Vanessa arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
"Warren," even the mild annoyance lacing her tone could pull his mind out of the fog it was now in. "You aren't even finished getting dressed."
"What the hell are you wearing?"
He saw her pause, and look affronted for a second, and realized that maybe that wasn't the perfect thing to say to his significant other, but his brain wasn't exactly working at full potential right now.
"Excuse me?"
"You look…" Warren fished around for a word adequate enough, and nabbed the first one that couldn't be taken as an insult. "Gorgeous."
He saw the pleased smile flash across her lips, her very red, very soft, lips, before she pulled it back. She couldn't hide the blush, though, and it became more apparent as she crossed the room to him to fix his tuxedo. Warren noticed Bracken had gone back to his choreography of checking his watch, the stairs, pacing, and repeating. Before he could laugh, Vanessa was in his personal space, fixing his bowtie with careful and practised hands. His own absently fell to her waist, and he let his calloused fingers drift over the exposed skin there. He was lost in her jasmine perfume, her glossy hair (even in heels she fell shorter than him, and he smiled secretly), her fingers pushing and tugging at his neck.
"You actually shaved." she spoke a moment later, bringing her hands away from his now-finished bowtie and placing them on his jaw. She was amused, but pleased, Warren could fathom that much through his hazy mind.
"Just for you." He winked, and she rolled her eyes. He could hear footsteps moving above them, door opening and people talking, and knew they were almost ready to depart. Before the main floor could be flooded with people, he leaned down, capturing her lips with his, moving his hands to the smooth expanse of her back. Vanessa sighed, in what he hoped was a happy manner, and wound her arms around his neck languidly, obviously not much caring for their small audience of one.
"Guys."
Neither one pulled back.
"Guys. Warren, Vanessa."
She bit at his lower lip with her impossibly sharp teeth.
"Seriously, are you two 16?" Bracken's somewhat angry voice finally broke through to them, and they quickly untangled themselves just as Trask came down the stairs. He nodded at them all, complementing Vanessa's dress and impressively keeping his eyes on her own. It probably helped that Warren was standing just behind her, practically glaring a warning at him.
Elise and Mara followed, the former squealing and running to clutch Vanessa's arms as she gushed over her dress. Vanessa returned the favor, taking the rare moment to actually squeal over something. Both Elise and Mara were dressed beautifully, Elise in a vibrant collage of purple and blue, Mara in a more understated, yet equally eye-catching navy. Tanu was next to join them, his black suit matching Trask's, contrasting Warren and Bracken, who had chosen slate grey instead. Ruth and Stan came from the study, each dressed in a more old style, but not so old it was glaringly obvious. It was fashionable if anything, and Vanessa complemented Ruth on her taste. After a moment of everyone gathering small items, checking itineraries, it was obvious the only missing people were the young Sorenson siblings.
"These kids are gonna be late to their own funerals," Warren muttered before going to shout up the stairs. "Kendra! Seth! We're leaving in negative six minutes, let's go!"
Two doors promptly opened and slammed shut in rapid succession, Seth flying down the stairs first, half-finished excuses pouring out of him as he jammed his arms into his jacket.
"Sorry! I thought it was earlier than it was, I was so close to beating the next level of Zombie Thrasher, and Natalie from English won't stop texting and my phone isn't working right-"
"Whoa, dude, slow your roll." Elise grabbed his collar to stop him, tugging him back so she and Vanessa could look over his ensemble. Finally, the last pair of shoes clacked rapidly down the stairs, and in much the same fashion as Seth, Kendra appeared, jamming her earrings into her ears and throwing excuses out left and right.
"My bad, I totally thought there was a spot on the dress, and the heels were uneven, and the light in the bathroom is acting up again, and- what are all of you looking at?"
Nearly every eye in the room was on Kendra, save for Vanessa who was trying to fix Seth's jacket, and every matching jaw was open. The young fairy girl began to feel warm under all their gazes, and started tugging at one of the folds of her skirt.
"Is this okay? Is it too bright? Is there actually a spot? Is-"
"Kendra," Warren spoke, and Kendra turned to him, surprised to find that his eyes had misted over. "You look beautiful."
"Radiant, I'd say." Grandpa Stan spoke next, and Kendra saw he was smiling proudly, Grandma dabbing at her eyes gently behind him. Looking around the room, she saw everyone was smiling approvingly, or proudly. Vanessa tossed her a wink, and even Seth gave her a lopsided grin and a thumbs up. Everyone was here, and loved her gown, everyone except-
"Kendra?"
Kendra spun to her right to see Bracken standing there, looking at her like he had never seen her before. She felt the blush begin to creep up her neck and gather behind her ears again, and nervously she went to play with the dress again.
"Hi." her voice sounded small, even to her, and her blush intensified.
"You look…" Bracken's jaw worked helplessly for a moment, before a slew of words tumbled out. "Amazing, stunning in every way, truly, just absolutely-" he paused, finally noticing the audience they had, the smiles and poorly concealed chuckles coming from their friends, and smiled bashfully, before returning his gaze to Kendra. "Breath-taking."
Kendra felt a smile split her face, and knew she was glowing from the way Bracken suddenly squinted at her. She concentrated on dimming her light, though she was certain her smile was no smaller. After a blissful moment, Kendra became keenly aware of all the eyes on her, and blushingly turned to face the small army of her friends.
"Um," she reached up to fiddle with a curled strand of hair. "Shouldn't we be going? Like now? I'm pretty sure we're late."
"Yeah, thanks Ken." Seth muttered from where he was trying to get his cufflinks to stay. She indulged in a moment of childishness and stuck her tongue out at him.
"We can't go anywhere yet." Warren stated, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Uh, why?" Mara decided to take the bait. With one of his cheesiest smiles yet, Warren reached into an inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out nothing other than selfie stick.
"Picture time, duh."
And so, the next few minutes were filled with the family passing the phone on the camera around, posing both seriously and ridiculously. Elise brought out her professional camera a few moments later, taking pictures of couples in classically cheesy prom poses. Briefly, Kendra wondered if this is what attending an actual prom would be like. It would probably pale in comparison to a Knights gala. She pushed these thoughts from her mind though, as Warren and Vanessa each wrapped an arm around her. She returned the embrace and let herself smile freely, laughing as the camera flashed brightly in her eyes.
Kendra had never seen so much gold in one room, not even in Living Mirage. The ceilings, columns, and floor tiles were draped with gold, laced with gold, inlaid with gold. If she were being honest, Kendra felt it was a bit much. The room was definitely warm in atmosphere, the lights in the chandeliers creating an amber glow, but it lacked something essential; the actual feeling of Christmas.
Then again, with everyone's life in theoretical danger at any given moment, Kendra supposed the gold wasn't entirely to blame.
Before any aggressively sad thoughts could completely overwhelm her, a cool glass of something was being pushed into her hands. She glanced up sharply, her eyes connecting with the striking blue-silver of Bracken's. He smiled joyously, and she was pulled from her own thoughts as he began speaking.
"Enjoying yourself, love?"
"I am." Kendra forced a small smile onto her face, quickly taking a sip of the cider in the goblet to hide the fragility of happiness.
"I quite forgot how wonderful balls were," Bracken mumbled. "The dancing and the music and the food and drink. Not to mention the company." He playfully bumped her shoulder with his and winked, sending a tiny burst of butterflies through Kendra. Her smile became more genuine.
"You're such a prince, you dork."
"Hm, indeed."
They stood next to each other, shoulders touching, enjoying each other's' company for a few more moments. Soon enough, the music changed into something much more vibrant, and welcoming. A dancing melody.
"M'lady," Bracken had swept into a bow before Kendra could even blink. "Would you do me the glorious honor of having this dance?"
"Sure, prince charming." Kendra chuckled, dipping into her best curtsy. Bracken rose gracefully from his bow, took her hand in his, and led her onto the dance floor. The took up the first position near Warren and Vanessa, and alongside Mara and Elise.
"Mara, I'm really no good at this I have two left feet we should just sit this one out-" Elise was muttering away under her breath, sounding flustered.
"Quiet, Lis, I'm waiting to hear the countoff." Mara was clearly paying her panicked partner no mind. Meanwhile, Warren was voicing milder concerns to his own dance partner.
"Do you know this one?" he murmured to Vanessa, low enough for Kendra to hear. She watched Vanessa shrug, heard Warren whine, and then she was spinning.
Bracken clearly knew the steps, because Kendra spent the next six minutes in blissful fluid motion. She was dipped, spun, and lifted; she laughed and cheered as her stomach did little somersaults. She felt like she was being tossed around the room, but in the most delightful way. As the tempo slowed, Kendra found her eyes locked with Bracken's, their bodies moving in an effortless, perfect harmony.
The music was light, airy, and filled with string instruments Kendra never knew existed. The piece sounded like Vivaldi's Spring and Beethoven's 5th had a musical love baby and then launched it into orbit. As she looked around, she noticed everyone else seemed to be stuck in their own sort of trance, not unlike she and Bracken. Elise had clearly gotten over her performance anxiety, laughing wildly as she spun back into Mara's arms. Vanessa and Warren were pressed almost too close to be publically acceptable. Even her own grandparents were swaying in a close embrace, their eyes never straying from their partner's.
"Bracken?" Kendra murmured from where she had rested her cheek on his shoulder.
"Yes Kendra?"
"What piece of music is this?"
"Ah, I see you've noticed its effect." he chuckled. "It's an old fairy waltz, "The Waking of the Lilies". Legend has it that the fairies would play this tune every Equinox, as winter melted into spring. They would fly over the valleys, and wake up the flora with their music and dance."
"Is it true?"
"Some say yes, some say no. I like to believe so, but I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic."
"Hm, yes you are."
They finished the dance after another series of gravity defying swoops and leaps and spins. Kendra was in desperate need of some water by the end. She excused herself, laughing as Elise dragged Bracken out for the next song, a Celtic jig about birds. Just as Kendra was lifting her glass to her lips, a familiar hand landed on her shoulder. She turned to see her grandfather with Seth.
"Hey Grandpa, hey Seth. What's up?"
"Kendra, dear," her grandfather began, eyes shifting lightly around the room. "We need to have a brief chat."
"Sure, what's up?" she walked off to the side of the room with her brother and grandfather, away from the activity but not enough to be suspicious.
"Just keep your wits about you tonight, your senses sharp. Be aware." Grandpa imparted on them gravely.
"Beware, you might say?" Seth's poor pun attempt fell flat as their grandfather turned to look at him, not a ghost of a smile on his face.
"Grandpa, what's wrong?" Kendra felt claustrophobic suddenly. Her dress felt too tight, her hands were sweating. The hairs on the back of her neck seemed to stand up, as if she was being watched.
"I have a very bad feeling about tonight, you two. No reason to beat around the bush. With all that's happened, tonight is just too perfect. Keep each other close."
"And our enemies?"
"Pray they are elsewhere tonight, my boy." Grandpa placed heavy hands on their shoulders, and moved away, presumably to prepare his address for the evening. Kendra turned to her brother, hand itching towards the knife strapped to her thigh, hidden under her dress.
"Tell me Warren gave you some kind of defense tonight." she murmured, picking up a glass of iced water from designated refreshment table near them. She did her best to casually sip it, stopping herself from chugging the water at speeds that would make one Brittany Favre proud.
"Duh, sis. Two knives and a small smoke bomb in the pockets of my vest. And a snazzy pocket watch that I could probably swing around really hard in a pinch."
"Splendid. Let's head back to the tables, I think Grandpa is about to start."
They began to make their way toward the table they were sharing with Warren, Bracken, Vanessa, and Tanu. Kendra's eyes sought out her friends' as they moved off the dance floor. Warren was escorting Mara off the floor, both looking utterly done with the idea of dancing entirely. Tanu meandered off with Elise and Bracken trailing behind him, the two chattering happily about what Kendra could only assume was the selection of dances. Vanessa was walking alongside a tall man Kendra had never seen before, but the two looked to be in good spirits as they parted ways to follow their groups. She sidled up to Vanessa's side as the older woman called a final "thank you" to the man.
"Friend of yours?" Kendra asked, trying to keep her voice level. She refused to come off as a paranoid whackjob in front of everyone. She was being ridiculous.
"No, actually." Vanessa tucked a wayward strand of hair back into her updo. "He asked me to dance, and Warren was over with Mara, so I figured why not. Nice enough guy. Not too talkative. More handsy than I would've liked." She shrugged noncommittally. "All in all, not the worst dance partner I've ever had. And believe me, that's saying something."
Kendra giggled, and let her nervousness slip away as she listened to Vanessa, a veritable beacon confidence and self-security. She knew what she was doing. The two took their seats, Bracken twining his right hand with her left as she placed it on the table. She squeezed his quickly but tightly, and he returned the gesture with a warm smile. She smiled back, but anything they might have said was cut off by her grandfather's voice echoing around the hall.
"Good evening, my fellow Knights, and a very happy holiday to whatever celebrations the future holds. That being said, I now strongly advise you to keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. This season should normally be one of hope and good cheer, but unfortunately, our occupations have other festivities in mind. You all know of the recent occurances, what has been happening in the 50 mile radius of Hartford, Connecticut, and how very desperate the situation is growing. The number of victims of this epidemic, this plague of sorts, grows almost everyday. Please report anything directly to me if seen, or heard, or even smelled, this evening and going forward. Our vigilance must be constant."
"Now, in these hard times family and friends are something we must cling to and protect, and let be our guiding lights in these increasingly dark times." Kendra glanced around the table and met the kind, worried, but fierce eyes of those she now considered her family. "However, be advised that, while we may feel sheltered and jolly and warm at the moment, hidden and protected even," Grandpa paused and allowed his eyes to slide over the crowd. More than a few people squirmed. "Evil could always be closer than you think. On that note, enjoy the rest of your night and holidays, stay merry and bright folks."
No sooner had Stan turned to step down from the podium did the whole front of the room seem to explode into action. Kendra watched in slack jawed horror as a man and woman at the front table jumped out of their seats, turned to their dinner companions, and cut them down with knives they must have had concealed. Most everyone came to their events armed, but at the given moment the institution was clearly turning against them. The other four people at the table with the two turncoats were dead before the room had even had a chance to react.
The man, a tall lanky fellow, turned toward their side of the room and began weaving his way toward what Kendra could only assume was her family's table. Bracken grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her seat, moving backwards with her as Warren, Vanessa, and Tanu came around the table and pushed themselves in front of herself, Bracken, and Seth. Warren made some futile motion to put himself between Vanessa and their approaching assailant, but the blix was having none of it.
"Come out, come out, princeling." The man snarled, his voice warped and scratched. He sounded like a cold shadow given vocal cords, but only after they'd been dragged down an unpaved road. As he walked, he cut down anyone in his way, either with his blade of some unseen magic. He sent Trask and Mara sailing across the room, and sliced Elise across the forearm as she moved to stall him.
Warren and Vanessa and drawn their own swords, and a small hand dagger in Vanessa's case, and Tanu has moved to block the other three with his broad body. Before the man could come within five feet of their group, Warren rushed him and began beating him back with his sword. Vanessa moved to join him, but was blocked and distracted by the woman who had helped the man with the first attack. The real dancing began then.
For the few seconds Kendra managed to peel her eyes away from Warren and Vanessa and look around the room, she was met with violence. People were fighting, with fists and blades and axes and all sorts of weapons, all over the room. There must have been more moles than they could have ever expected. Trask was on his feet again, but Mara was nowhere to be found. There was yelling and shouting and cries of pain and anger and sadness as people fell, but Kendra might as well have been deaf for all she heard of it. In her peripheral, she saw a crossbow bolt go zinging across the room, and it landed with a dense "thunk!" in the far wall, not two inches from where a man was beating another with a broken table leg, and Kendra knew her grandmother had entered the fray.
She looked over to Bracken, and found him drawing his own sword. A brief glance at Seth found him doing the same to his knives. Kendra turned, ears ringing, and looked to where Warren should have been, but he was gone. Instead, the man was advancing on them, and quickly. Tanu moved to bull rush the man, like a linebacker, but was tossed aside like a ragdoll by an unseen force. Kendra followed the arc of his body, and follow the sick rainbow to where Tanu landed, not two feet from where a disheveled Warren was shakily getting to his feet. Blood was spurting quickly from a nostril, and his lip was swollen and purple. His nice suit was sliced and tattered, and he was most certainly limping.
"Kendra, move." Someone seemed to whisper in her ear. She shook her head as if batting away a gnat.
"Kendra, move!" The voice was speaking to her now, and she turned around, trying to hear it over the ringing that seemed to just be getting louder and louder and louder and-
"KENDRA, MOVE, NOW!" Kendra was thrown violently to the side, but it had most certainly been done physically, not by whatever magic their attacker was using. She landed roughly on her back, and felt the air rush out of her lungs. It took her slightly longer to recover than she would've liked. She glanced up, saw Bracken and the man engaged in heated combat, and unsheathed the knife strapped to her thigh. This man wanted to hurt Bracken; she refused to allow that.
Kendra charged the man, gaining his attention, holding the knife at her side like Vanessa had shown her. However, just as the man turned with his blade aloft, and began to bring it down in a terrifying, soundless arc, she ducked fluidly to the right, dancing around the man until she was on his now unguarded side. His blade dully thudded to the floor, and Kendra sliced into his abdomen with her own knife. The wound was shallow, and uncertain, but it was there all the same. She danced away again as the man tried to swing his more cumbersome weapon into her, and sliced as his shoulder this time, keeping her movements light, quick, and purposeful.
Soon enough, she could hear the man panting and knew she had gained the upper hand. Bracken had been pulled into another bout, with a figure she had not seen before. Vanessa was still fighting the woman, but while the mystery lady looked sweaty and haggard and all over exhausted, Vanessa was still fighting in peak form. Kendra knew being a blix gave her friend higher stamina, but the woman also looked a good decade older than Vanessa. Tanu was tending to Mara and Elise, who was looking blooder than she had after the first attack, and Seth was guarding the makeshift medical corner with his two daggers. As she turned to finish off her opponent, Warren came up from behind the man and slammed the silver pummel of his sword into the man's temple. He crumpled with a cry, and Warren spat on the man's prone form. He turned to her, opening his mouth to say something, but before he could his eyes slid behind her and widened in horror. Kendra turned just in time to see what he was seeing.
Another man had joined the woman fighting Vanessa, and the blix had certainly lost her upper hand. She was struggling hard against two opponents, but before Kendra or Warren or even Bracken, who had turned toward the fight as well, could move to assist her, the second man pulled out a blow gun. It was not unlike the ones Vanessa used herself, but where hers were bamboo, his looked to be made of some long bone. Vanessa was turned toward her female opponent, the man behind her. Just as Vanessa turned to parry the man's presumed strike, he raised the blowgun to his lips. Kendra felt herself running, flying across the room to try to help, to stop, to save, felt Warren and Bracken right beside, but knew in her mind they were already too late. The man inhaled deeply, Vanessa turned fully, and he fired when her neck was in point blank range. A fraction of a second later, Bracken slammed into the man, but the deed was done.
Dimly, Kendra was aware of the moles, the enemies, the dark spies, falling back, escaping, feeling. Those that were still alive or able to move, at any rate. But she couldn't be bothered to care. Warren was yelling for Tanu, holding Vanessa to his chest after having grabbed her before she could hit the ground. Kendra was frozen to the spot, knife still in hand, watching as inky blackness slid under Vanessa's olive skin, following her veins, flowing from the spot the dart had pierced, just above her jugular. The blix's eyes were closed, but they moved rapidly and her eyelids fluttered spasmodically, and Kendra felt 15 again, unknowingly watching Vanessa send her brother to his presumed death. The irony didn't fully grasp her, but rather slid silently through her subconscious. Like the poison in Vanessa, and like the blood still pouring from Warren's nose. Kendra watched the blood slide slowly down his face, off his chin, and onto the maroon silk of Vanessa's gown. It dripped in that pattern for hours, as they moved Vanessa into a car and back to Fablehaven, Warren never releasing his hold, Kendra never letting go of her friend's hand. It dripped steadily, softly, counting seconds, minutes, hours, and the number of tears Kendra's own eyes had shed in tandem with her cousin. By the time Vanessa was laying in the medical bed in the house at Fablehaven, Warren's dripping and Kendra's tears and stopped and dried, and Vanessa's entire neck was as dark as the night sky that hung above them outside the house, empty and confining and seemingly pressing in closer minute by minute.
I'm only a little sorry for that ending. It just had to happen y'all.
FK and I plan on finishing this story up fairly soon, but fret not, we already have other plans in motion. The next update will be much sooner than 340 some odd days. Again, sorry for that. And, y'know, major thanks to those who kept reviewing and reading during this off year. It means more than I can ever express, and you readers are why this story is still going. So thank you, all of you. Happy turkey time!
-PP&FK