Kendra let Lili lead her out the front doors of the sports arena, praying that someone would see them walk away. Kendra knew that once she left the sports arena, there was little chance of her family knowing where to find her. Her heartbeats echoed in her head, making her squint as she stepped outside into the midday light. But Kendra was done playing the victim. She couldn't put Trask, Elise, or Tanu in danger, but she certainly didn't have to follow Lili peacefully.
Kendra stopped, merely feet from the sports arena doors. Lili whirled, eyes filled with fury. "What's your play?" Kendra asked, pulling her hand out of Lili's iron grip, "You're 14 years old. You really want to be responsible for the murder of three adults who want nothing more than the safety of the kids in this camp?"
"You stupid girl," Lili seethed, tilting her head to the side. "You come with me now, silently, or every word you speak will result in a cut on one of your precious Knights. I've always loved playing with knives."
Kendra inhaled shakily. Lili had given away more than she realized. She was familiar with the world of magic, which Kendra could work with. She seemed slightly insane, which meant Kendra had to be cautious. She held up her hands, palms facing Lili. Kendra nodded, smiling cockily.
Lili frowned. "What?" She demanded.
Kendra's smile widened. Lili had taken the bait. She pointed to her mouth and shrugged helplessly.
Lili rolled her eyes. "Speak freely," She commanded.
"What makes you think you'll be able to take me where you want to?" Kendra asked, motioning to the camp buildings, "Chances are we'll run into someone that knows me, and they'll know something's wrong before I even say a word." Kendra needed to keep her talking. Every second they stood outside was more time for Seth, Bracken, Vanessa, or Warren to realize she was missing.
Lili smiled viciously. "What makes you think I'd be stupid enough to lead you through the camp? Believe it or not, this isn't my first kidnapping."
Kendra's mind reeled. Lili had to be taking her to the cave, which was in the woods on the other side of the camp. If they weren't going through the camp, they had to be going around it through the woods. Unless…
"There are tunnels underground, aren't there," Kendra breathed, shaking her head. Seth heard voices under his cabin merely days ago.
Kendra winced as Lili grabbed her forearm and pulled her towards a worn-down building to the right of the sports arena. "I did some research on your family, Kendra. In fact, I've been watching you for quite a while now. You're smart, but you've been distracted recently," Lili pulled open the door and pushed Kendra in ahead of her.
Kendra scanned the room, trying not to gag at the smell. It looked like an old camp bathroom, with two crooked stalls and a sink with a rusted faucet. At the far end of the room was a door with a keyhole under the handle.
Sure enough, Kendra turned as Lili closed the door behind them, pulling out a key. "I thought you would catch on much sooner," Lili continued, jabbing Kendra in the back with the key. Kendra walked to the door, Lili inches behind her. "But you and your unicorn kept each other pretty well occupied, I guess. Even so, I've had plans to take you out of the picture since day one. You, and your insufferable, immature brother."
Kendra knew she could do nothing but watch as Lili unlocked the door and pushed it in, revealing a set of concrete stairs descending into dimness. The smell of stagnant water and wet earth rose from below.
"After you," Lili said mockingly, motioning towards the steps.
Kendra started down the steps, trying her best not to slip and fall. There was no railing to hold, and about ten steps down the walls changed from concrete to earth. Kendra had always been wary of going underground, too afraid that one day the earth would cave in and she would suffocate. But now, she was too worried for the safety of her friends to care. Who knew what was happening above ground while she was trapped below.
The stairs ended abruptly and Kendra stumbled, righting herself against the muddy wall. "Afraid of the dark?" Lili sneered.
Kendra realized Lili didn't know that Kendra could see in the dark. Apparently her reconnaissance on Kendra didn't pay off as well as Lili thought it did. Kendra could use it to her advantage. "How… how do you see down here?" She stuttered in a weak, unsteady voice, trying not to smile at the parallel between a stuttering demon dragon hiding his true powers and a stuttering fairykind girl hiding hers.
Lili pushed Kendra forward, and Kendra started down the tunnel, which continued as far as she could see. "I've walked these tunnels more times than I can count. And one doesn't need sight when their other senses are impeccable."
Kendra's pounding heart quickened. She started to wonder if she wasn't dealing with a 14-year-old insane girl after all, and something far worse. Kendra closed her eyes and focused, finding it much harder when walking than it had been in the field with Bracken. Hopefully, Lili would correlate any clumsiness with Kendra's inability to see.
After a moment, Kendra was able to see Lili's aura. Her stomach dropped. Lili was just a 14-year-old girl, and her actions were not her own. Like Vanessa had been, Lili was currently under the influence of the dark presence Kendra had sensed in the woods. And Kendra was being led right into the dark creature's lair.
Kendra opened her eyes, trying not to sob. Not only were her friends in danger, but now she had to figure out some way to save the girl currently holding her hostage. She assumed the creature could see through the eyes of those it controlled, or at the very least it could probably communicate with them somehow. That might be what Seth heard- the voice of the creature instructing it's minions from the cave.
Kendra continued to walk along the tunnel, alert to Lili's footsteps behind her. They passed another staircase similar to the one that led them down into the tunnel system. Kendra slowed, eyes widening, but Lili shoved her forward. "Don't even think about it," She warned.
Kendra wasn't pushed away fast enough to miss the words written in the fairy language on the last concrete step: "Preserve Dungeons, Do Not Enter".
"That leads up to a forgotten closet in the mess hall. It's locked, so if you try to escape through the door you'd be trapped," Lili chuckled, her steps a constant rhythm behind Kendra. "It would've been funny to give you hope only to watch you become devastated, but we're behind schedule."
Kendra tuned her out, mind reeling. Preserve was oddly specific. Kendra knew that the five hidden preserves weren't the only preserves that existed. She knew there were other preserves across the US, but her grandpa would've known if the camp they were visiting had once been a preserve. He would've told them.
"You say you know about our family, so you must know the truth of the world we live in," Kendra said, trying to hide her wince. It was risky, calling the bluff of whatever creature Lili had been possessed by. Kendra didn't believe speaking would truly result in her friends coming to harm, and she needed to know what exactly the creature knew.
Lili sneered. "I'll know more about magic than you'll ever know, fairykind or not."
"It must have taken you years to learn that much, then. When did you start learning, Lili?"
"When I was eleven years old. It seems like forever ago."
Kendra stilled, remembering they had just received news Lili's uncle had died under suspicious circumstances. "Did your uncle teach you?" She asked quietly, hating the fact that she could wield the news of his death to her advantage.
Kendra swore she heard Lili's steps falter. Only for a moment, then they returned to their rhythmic pace.
"We're almost there. Keep your mouth shut or I'll fillet your friends." Lili warned.
The tunnel curved to the right, and started ascending. The soft dirt floor became rocky, and Kendra's shoes sunk into the soft clay. A book she once read about Fablehaven's caves tugged at her memory, and Kendra remembered that in caves a protective layer of clay and soil covers rocks underneath. She had been right. Lili was leading her right to the cave of the creature.
A faint light spilled in from up ahead, casting shadows on the walls now comprised of jutting rocks and stones. Kendra wanted to know how many people were in the cave, but she didn't dare reach out with her mind for fear of the darkness attacking her again.
She clenched her fists, steadied her breathing, and walked confidently towards the source of the light, if only to face what she had to face head-on.
When Kendra turned the corner, she blinked as her eyes adjusted to the harsh sunlight spilling in from the opening of the cave. When she could see, she dug her fingernails into her palms to keep from showing any of her devastation on her face. Trask and Elise were bound and gagged, both unconscious on the right wall of the spacious cavern. On the right side, six campers stood along the wall, blank-faced. And in the middle of the cavern stood a creature so horrifically beautiful that Kendra could only stare, open-mouthed.
"Kendra Sorenson," The creature said, its voice a melodic purr powerful enough to rumble across the cavern. "I'm so glad you've finally arrived."