CHAPTER 3: RESCUING THE FAMILY

Suddenly, Kendra gave Eurora a bracelet. "Use this bracelet to contact me. This bracelet is very useful. It can turn into anything you want it to be if you wish it. It will also allow you to locate the people we are looking for. Eurora accepted the bracelet. "Let me test it," she said. Kendra heard, "hello Kendra," telepathically communicated. "I heard you say, 'Hello Kendra'," she said, "Now try turning it into a different object."

Eurora concentrated on a sword, and a long, glowing sword appeared in her hand, glowing pure light. "Whoa, that is a weapon," Kendra marveled. "It's gorgeous!"

Eurora's lips curved into a smile. She rushed and hugged Kendra warmly. "Kendra, you are the best! Good luck with the plan, we need to start immediately." Kendra nodded. "Good luck Eurora," she said returning the hug. They went off on two different paths.

As she got closer to Bracken, Kendra felt her heart beating faster with excitement, suspense, and worry. She went left, straight, right, following the direction of his faint light. She finally reached his cage. Hesitating, she opened the door and silently sneaked in. Then she gasped in terrified shock, putting her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. Bracken was a mess. His face was lined with cuts and bruises, and the same was along his body. His face was deathly pale, and his skin was cold to the touch. He was faintly breathing, raggedly. Kendra knelt by him. A tear slipped down her cheek and fell. As soon as it dropped onto Bracken's cheek, color flowed into his skin, and his cuts began to rapidly heal. Blinking in shock, Kendra looked at his healing skin. Then she realized that a tear had slipped down her cheek.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his forehead gently, rapidly simplifying the process of his healing. After a few seconds, he bolted up, in alarm from her kiss, looking at Kendra with mistrust, but awe. "Who are you," he asked her, astonished, as he stood up. She smiled, brushing hair out of her face. "You won't believe me if I tell you," she said. He felt a small prick at his memory. He had said the exact thing to Kendra when he first met her. It was hard to keep the feeling of longingness and loneliness at bay, now that he was captured and conscious again.

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Just tell me your identity," he demanded, gazing at her. She looked down, "I'm Kendra," she whispered, smiling. Bracken laughed in amusement, his eyes flashing. "Fairy, please stop joking with me. I am not here to play. Kendra is not a fairy, she is fairykind, so if you're trying to imitate her, you should at least match her look, if not her personality. "Kendra smiled as she turned into her human self and walked over to him. "Bracken, it really is me. I told you, you wouldn't believe me." She laughed richly, the sound honey to Bracken's ears. "I'm here to save the Fairy Realm. As for my identity, it is not time yet to tell you, but the time is coming soon." Bracken gazed at her in awe, jaw-dropping in amazement as she changed into her Queenly, fairy form. He wrapped his arms around her, and she returned the hug, melting against his chest.

"You've changed," he said, amazed. "You really are a fairy. You look so powerful and gorgeous." Her sapphire eyes sparkled as she blushed, looking down, pleased. "I know," she said, "I'll explain everything as soon as we get Lizelle, and meet up with my close friend who is getting your other two sisters. We've agreed to meet at Queen Molea's cell."

"Let's go then," he agreed, starting to walk. As they walked to Lizelle's cage, they heard an evil cackle.

"Looks like I caught the fairy prince *ahem* just kidding, former disgraced prince, and a fairy trying to sneak him out. She saw Bracken's hand form fists, and she whirled around, trying to locate the voice. Finally, she whispered "Révèle-toi (reveal yourself)" and he appeared out of thin air next to Kendra, nearly startling her. Swirling around in her silver cloak, she whispered "Begone" and he was gone. She saw Bracken let out a relieved breath. "Phew, that was a close one." "Yeah," Kendra agreed. "The bad thing is Ronodin is aware of our presence. I was hoping to sneak in, under the cover of darkness."

Kendra's face was ashen. "It was my fault, I hadn't placed you under the non-detection charm. If I had failed in my magical abilities, both of us would've been captured."

Bracken hugged her, gently rubbing her back, which was soothing her. She leaned against his touch, calming down. "You're a powerful fairy," he whispered softly, "of course you wouldn't have failed. She gently went out of his grasp after calming down. "I won't make that mistake again. Now, we need to get to Lizelle."

She went through a complex labyrinth of corridors, (left, right, straight, curve, right, straight, up, left, down) and finally they were there. Without hesitation, Bracken and she smashed the cage door open silently and entered the cell. Unlike Bracken, Lizelle was conscious, and she didn't seem to have many cuts and bruises along her skin, a direct contrast to Bracken. At the appearance of her brother and a different fairy, she started from her cell, turning her horn into a sword which she pressed against Bracken's neck.

"What was the childhood nickname you gave to the spar we used to play?" she demanded, threateningly digging the sword edge against his neck. "Sparring Spearing," he responded immediately. She gently loosened up the hold on his neck, but not completely. "What is the Royal Family's Secret Code of Honor?" she asked. "Our fight is against evil, not people." She replaced her sword on her scabbard and embraced her brother. "Sorry about that," she said, "I just had to check if you were an imposter. Who is this lovely fairy with you?" she asked, intrigued by Kendra's presence.