In The Fairy Realm

Kendra was able to transport her family to the Fairy Realm without the use of a shrine. Celene had guided her through it and, in a flash of light, everyone was in the courtyard that housed all the shrines from around the world. Some looked like fountains, others like statues and more that were immaculately trimmed hedges. The astrid and fairy warrior guards tensed when they appeared, approaching Kendra, Bracken, the eternals and her family members.

"What are these humans doing here?" One of the astrids asked.

Show them your mark. Celene said in Kendra's mind.

Kendra willed the mark at her forehead to shine and the symbol of Celene appeared, glowing bright white. The astrids and fairies instantly bowed to her. Kendra assumed they were bowing to Bracken at first, but then remembered that she was now an avatar of the oldest and wisest goddess to ever exist. One that hadn't possessed a host since the beginning of human life. It made sense for them to bow to her, but the feeling was extremely odd.

"We need to see the queen." Kendra said.

"She is currently...absent." A fairy said.

"What's wrong?" Bracken asked.

"Much has happened here." An astrid said. "The Fairy Queen was willingly imprisoned by Demrus in order to save Amora from his clutches."

Bracken and Kendra's eyes widened. Everyone else, however, didn't follow along as well.

"Is Golau in charge now?" Kendra asked.

"Correct, her highness is reigning regent in the queen's absence." A fairy said.

"Take us to her." Bracken said. "And find somewhere for our guests from Fablehaven to stay."

One of the astrids grabbed Seth roughly by the shoulder. "What do we do with the prisoner?" He asked.

"Let him go!" Kendra said, a little louder than she intended. The astrid let go of Seth quickly and Kendra could see fear in his eyes. She noticed that an intense silver aura surrounded her and she could feel the mark on her head burning with divine power. She took a deep breath and dispelled all of it.

"I'm so sorry." The astrid said, kneeling at her feet. "I assumed because of the darkness within him that-"

"He's my brother." Kendra said calmly. "He's not a prisoner and even if he's a shadow charmer I don't want anybody to treat him like he's some enemy. Understood?"

The astrids and fairies nodded fiercely. Seth, despite still being jealous and maybe a little embarrassed at having to be saved, smiled slightly at he fact that his sister defended him.

"Take everyone to our nicest rooms and make sure they have access to everything they need." Bracken said. "I think Kendra and I should go speak with my sister now."

"Yeah." Kendra said. She turned back to her family. "I'll be back soon but this is all really serious and now that I'm hosting Celene I'm a part of it all."

Her parents and grandparents reluctantly nodded, following a few of the fairies into the castle to where they'd be staying. Kendra then followed an astrid to Golau's office.


Seth's Perspective

He couldn't help it, he was curious about all the talk of gods and prisons. As soon as Seth knew where his room was and the fairy that had led him there was gone, he stepped into the shadows. Despite it being nighttime, The Fairy Realm didn't make it easy for him to sneak around. There were lights all over the place, glowing with gold or multicolored light that kept exposing him when he got too close. He'd considered activating his ice powers instead of shadewalking since it'd make him transparent, but he still hadn't figured out how to deactivate them properly so he decided it wasn't worth the risk. He retraced his steps to get back to the garden with all the shrines and then entered the doors Bracken and Kendra had gone into. They led up a spiral staircase-a very, very long spiral staircase-and at the top there was a hallway with one door. Seth crept up to it and listened to the conversation going on on the other side.

"She wants us to prioritize the realm's safety over anything else." A voice he'd heard once before said. He thought it must be Golau. "That's why bringing over a dozen humans without even using a shrine is such a concern."

"I'm sorry about that." Kendra said.

Seth heard footsteps coming up behind him and ducked into a shadowy corner by a window. He saw Bila strutting up the hall, a furious expression on her face. Her heels sounded like thunder as they clicked across the floor. She stopped when she was just about to pass Seth.

"I have the endless power of a goddess in my blood, you can't hide from me." Bila said. "You might as well just show yourself before I get upset."

Seth stepped out of the shadows with his hands raised. Bila looked at him quizzically then turned her attention to the door.

"Are you supposed to be here, shadowboy?" She asked him.

"Uh..." Seth said. "It depends on what you mean by 'here' I guess. I mean why are any of us here? It's a fascinating philosophical question-"

"Philisophagus? You're making up words now." Seth was gonna say something, but Bila said, "Whatever, I don't have time for this. Do you wanna go inside that room?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Then let's go." Bila waved a hand and the doors opened. Since he was revealed to be eavesdropping, he had no choice but to enter the room behind Bila.

"What are you doing here, Seth?" Kendra asked. Her and Bracken were seated before Golau's desk.

"Spying on you." Bila said. "But what's important is we have a problem on our hands."

"We know." Golau said. "The Fairy Queen is imprisoned."

"Yes." Bila said. "And Demrus is building his strength. I think he's planning something big."

"The Queen told me...he might summon his brothers and sisters." Golau said.

Everyone looked shocked. Everyone except Seth that is.

"But that's supposed to be impossible." Kendra said. "All the stories say-"

"What's going on, exactly?" Seth asked. "I'm a little lost."

Golau sighed. "Maybe because you shouldn't be here."

"I gave him permission to come in." Bila said.

Golau looked at Seth and said, "I'm sorry, I suppose I'm a bit on edge. I wonder how you'd explain this."

"You remember Queen Senkrad?" Kendra asked.

"Yeah, Gorgrog's wife." Seth said.

"Well, she's a host for a goddess. Nyx, the goddess of night and corruption."

"The Fairy Queen turned her to dust, right?" Seth said. "How is she still a problem?"

"She isn't. Yet." Bracken explained. "But her son is. Demrus, the god of lies. He's been strengthening creatures of darkness and, now he has my mother."

"And my friends." Bila added. "I need to go back there with an army, get everybody back before Demrus does anything worse. We all know how bad the rest of his family is."

"I don't." Seth said.

"The rest of his family are fallen gods and goddesses." Kendra explained. "Goddess of murder, goddess of vengeance, goddess of chaos, god of death, goddess of curses, god of sickness, god of sleep-"

"I get it, they're bad news." Seth said. "But sleep doesn't sound dangerous, at least."

"How would you like to sleep for the rest of your life?" Bila asked. "The strength creatures of darkness get from one of them is bad enough, but if all of them gather on this planet...even a troll would be able to take out the entire Fairy Realm. So, about that army, regent."

"I can't do that." Golau said. "My mother ordered me to ensure the realm's safety. What if this is a trap and Demrus means to attack us while our defenses are weakened?"

"I've seen the army of creatures he has at his disposal." Bila said, the steel in her voice at odds with her usually sweet tone. "They're completely new beings, we don't know their weaknesses. If they attack, your chances of survival are just as slim. At least I'm offering a chance to free the queen and balance the odds."

"I won't disregard my mother's wishes." Golau said.

"Well, it's a good thing I don't care what you will and won't do." Bila's voice was altering, becoming much sweeter and much more powerful. Her eyes glowed brighter than usual and her hair set on fire. "I am a goddess and I won't let the orders of a child that can't even think for herself dictate what I do."

"Oh, look," Seth said, "another goddess."

"My mother made me regent." Golau said, completely unfazed. "I am your superior."

"You were an insect before your mother turned you to this form." Bila-no, Amora-said. "You will never be my superior. I'm ordering the astrids and fairies to follow me."

"I suspected you'd say that." Golau said. "Which is why my mother allowed me to do this. Kendra."

Kendra jumped a little when Golau looked at her. She seemed so much like the Fairy Queen right now it was unreal. "Yes?"

"Command her, in my mother's name, to go to her home and stay there."

"What? Me?"

Bila's eyes narrowed. "Really? Hiding behind humans now?"

"As regent, I order you to do it." Golau said to Kendra.

Do it. Celene said in Kendra's head.

"Don't you dare." Bila said with lethal quiet.

Kendra's mind felt like it was being pulled in four different directions. She looked at Bracken hoping for some clarity, but, suddenly everything seemed to feel hazy. It felt like she'd gone to an observation room in her head to watch everything play out-like her actions were no longer her own. "I order you," She said, her voice deeper and older, "Amora, to return to your host's home and stay there until you are commanded otherwise."

Bila's eyes flashed white and she began to back away. Judging by the look on her face, she wasn't acting of her own accord. She looked at Seth and her lips twitched. Everyone was so busy watching her leave that they didn't see the hand Seth raised to his cheek. It felt like a pair of lips had touched his cheek, at first a stinging sensation, but then an electric feeling.

"Shadowcharmer." Golau said, looking at Seth. "You are excused."

"Uh," It felt weird. Like Seth had lost the ability to speak for a moment. "Yes, I'll...yes, I'll leaf-I mean leave."

He turned to the door and exited the room. He went down the hall, retracing the steps he'd taken to get here. But, for some unknown reason, he felt the urge not to return to his room. Instead, he wandered around without really knowing his destination, right out through the doors where he could exit the castle and down an unknown road. He was being guided by an unknown source in a foreign world and the oddest thing was he didn't even feel scared.