"You have unleashed unnatural fiends on centaur lands," Cloudwing said. "Surrender as our prisoner or die. Same goes for your mangy entourage." His tone called for immediate compliance.
"You gave us until sundown," Seth protested. "Are centaurs liars?"
"We gave you until sundown to depart," Cloudwing said sternly, "not to make preparations for war against us. Your aggression nullifies our concession."
"My aggression?" Seth blurted, getting mad. "Did I send wraiths against you? Or did you run into wraiths when you tried to steal our property?"
"The locations in question were abandoned," Cloudwing said. "You loosed evil on territory under our protection. We will not risk the possibility of more mischief."
"But you are risking the possibility of more mischief," Seth said, unsure what to do besides bluff. "Do you really want to deal with an undead army?"
"We do not," Cloudwing said. "Which explains our presence. As our prisoner, you will order the wraiths to depart. At the first sign of undead aggression, you will die."
"Enough empty words," Stormbrow snarled. "Fleetfoot, Edgerunner, seize them."
Two of the centaurs began to trot forward. Cloudwing slapped his neck as if bitten by an insect. He swayed unsteadily, dropped his bow, and flopped to the ground.
"Hold," Stormbrow ordered, raising a fist, eyes scanning the surrounding trees. A centaur with bluish fur stooped to examine Cloudwing, while the other three turned defensively to survey the area. The light rain pattered down, making leaves wag. Stormbrow flinched and cursed. Inspecting his meaty shoulder, he plucked out a small, feathered dart. He held out his mace in the direction the dart had come from. All eyes raised to Vanessa, well concealed high in a tree, reloading her blowgun.
"Ambush!" Stormbrow roared, forelegs buckling. Mud splattered as he slapped the ground.
Hugo came charging out from among the trees. Three of the centaurs wheeled to face him, brandishing their weapons. The bluish centaur threw a javelin at Vanessa, who dropped gracefully to a lower branch to evade the projectile. Producing his sling, Newel crouched, grabbed a smooth stone, and sent it hissing into the back of a blond centaur's skull, making him stagger.
Two of the centaurs galloped to meet Hugo's charge, one holding a spear as if jousting, the other brandishing a longsword. Hugo batted the spearhead aside and then lunged forward, his extended arms brutally clotheslining the oncoming centaurs. The longsword ended up buried in the top of the golem's shoulder. Hugo pulled the weapon free and tossed it aside.
While the bluish centaur prepared to hurl a second javelin, a blowdart lodged in his chest, dropping him within seconds. The centaur Newel had tagged with the stone fixed his eyes on Seth and charged, holding aloft a double-bitted battle-ax. Doren launched an arrow, but, turning his ax like a shield, the centaur deflected the shot.
Dropping the case with Patton's items, Seth drew his sword and held up his shield. Hugo was coming his way, but was not close enough to stop the centaur. Vanessa was reloading. Newel grasped for another rock. Doren reached for a second arrow.
There was no time. Seth would face this charge alone.
Bending his knees, Seth angled his shield and held his sword high, hoping the centaur would believe he meant to meet the charge head-on. As the furious centaur bore down on him, Seth dove and rolled. The ax swished through the air above him.
The centaur turned to come at him again, but was suddenly moving sluggishly. Seth saw the small, feathered dart protruding from his cheek. A moment later, the golden-haired centaur collapsed.
Vanessa used another pair of darts to silence the centaurs Hugo had injured. Descending from the tree, she ordered the golem to keep watch. Then she approached Seth. "Are you all right?"
"Better now," Seth replied. "Those darts really knocked them out."
"You know how I love putting people to sleep," Vanessa said. "While foraging last night, I came across a sleeping toxin Tanu derived from Glommus, the dragon I killed at Wyrmroost. It's the most potent I've ever encountered."
"You slew a dragon?" Newel said in awe.
"What a woman," Doren mouthed.
"You got Patton's items?" Vanessa asked.
"Yes," Seth said, picking up the case and brushing it off.
"Excellent," Vanessa said. "We need to get away from Fablehaven. We bested those centaurs thanks to surprise. Sorry to use you as bait, by the way. Once they had tracked you to the leprechaun's cave, it seemed the most prudent strategy."
"It worked," Seth approved. "How long will these jerks sleep?"
Vanessa walked over to Cloudwing and prodded him with her toe. "It was a small dose, and they are powerful creatures. Still, they should be out at least a day. The substance Tanu derived is truly amazing. Our problem is that other centaurs undoubtedly knew of this mission and will come snooping. Next time the centaurs will attack us in much greater numbers."
"But we'll be gone," Doren said.
"That's the hope." Vanessa knelt beside Cloudwing, opened her mouth, and latched on to his neck. After holding the pose for a few seconds, she pulled back, wiping her lips.
"Are you going to control him?" Seth asked.
"In a minute." One by one, she bit the other centaurs. "The penalty for claiming six will be the same as claiming one. You never know when a muscle-bound brute might come in handy."
Vanessa stretched out on the rain-dampened ground and closed her eyes. Cloudwing stirred and then rose to his feet. Newel and Doren scampered away several paces.
"Wow," Cloudwing said, flexing his arms, biceps clenching into swollen mounds. "I've never inhabited a centaur before." Cloudwing reared, lashing the air with his front hooves. "I could get used to this."
"Don't we need to hurry?" Seth reminded her.
"Right," Vanessa said through Cloudwing. "Drape my body over the back of the centaur. I'll need someone to ride with me and steady me."
Newel and Doren immediately raised their hands.
"I'll keep you steady," Doren assured her.
"I could lash you in place," Newel said, taking a length of rope from his pack.
Stooping, Cloudwing retrieved his bow. "Newel, I like the idea of using rope." Cloudwing raised his voice. "Hugo! Come! We must depart."
Hugo placed Vanessa's unconscious body on the centaur, and Newel bound her to the back of the human torso as well as to the horse. "I'll ride with you to be certain," the satyr added, attempting a casual air.Hugo picked up Seth and Doren. Seth looked down at the five sleeping centaurs. "I wish we had saddles," he said. "I'd love for them to wake up wearing saddles."
Newel and Doren cackled.
"We should give them embarrassing tattoos!" Doren cried. "Maybe kittens. Or mustaches!"
"Cut off their tails," Newel suggested.
"Trust me, guys," Cloudwing said, not even cracking a smile, "they'll be mad enough."
"I think Vanessa is becoming a centaur," Doren laughed.
"Their sense of humor is rubbing off on her," Newel teased.
"I'm simply aware that by biting them, I've made myself their mortal enemy. In the eyes of all centaurs, I signed my death warrant."
"Way to bring a joke to a screeching halt," Newel said.
"We don't have time for merriment," Cloudwing said. "I'll run ahead. Hugo, keep up as best you can. We'll meet at the garage." Cloudwing broke into a furious gallop. Hugo followed with his long, loping gait.
Chapter 20 Roon
Kendra stared down at the mouth of Shipbreaker Fjord, shivering despite the heavy coat she had picked up before leaving Istanbul. Turbulent water gushed into the fjord through a foamy stretch of tidal rapids, complete with a number of violent whirlpools. Beyond the rapids, snow-clad cliffs bordered the pristine inlet.
"Didn't I tell you it was amazing?" Raxtus commented. "It's beautiful," Kendra agreed, teeth chattering. "She's cold," Bracken said. "We should have foraged for better winter gear."
"You did great," Kendra insisted. "I'm all bundled. We already wasted enough time trying to keep me warm."
"I'll find a ledge where we can land," Raxtus said. The sun was high and bright, the temperature above freezing, but the wind of their flight had gradually siphoned away Kendra's warmth no matter how she positioned her stocking cap or scarf. "I don't want to hold us up," Kendra said.
"We could all use a quick break," Bracken insisted.
Raxtus soared into the gorge and alighted on a broad ledge halfway up a cliff. Large enough to support several trees, the ledge also currently benefitted from direct sunlight. Icy patches of snow survived only in the shade of the trees.
Taking off her gloves, Kendra stamped around, rubbing her hands together vigorously. The smell of the sea wafted up to her, cool and fresh with a salty tang. She enjoyed the stunning vista of deep blue water overshadowed by towering escarpments, although she stayed a couple of paces back from the edge.
"Shall I build a fire?" Bracken asked.
"No, I'm warming up," Kendra replied.
Bracken wore Warren's sword over his shoulder. By the time they had found the healer in Istanbul, Warren had been feverish. Warren had insisted they leave him behind rather than await his recovery. Given their urgent need to warn Roon Osricson, they had reluctantly accepted his demand. Bracken had left Warren with a communicator. Word had come while they were resting on a hilltop in Latvia that Warren was making a steady recovery.
Bracken had offered to spare Kendra from danger by having her stay behind with Warren. Although Raxtus assured her he could often see through distracter spells, Kendra knew they might need her to find Roon's hidden fortress. Besides, even if she had no pivotal role to play, Kendra felt she needed to help. Perilous or not, too much depended on protecting the Eternals to relax on the sidelines.
"What do you think we'll find there?" Kendra asked.
"Let's just hope we beat our enemies to Roon's stronghold," Bracken said, twisting and stretching. "If not, we'll have to assess the situation on the spot. I wish the Sphinx would get in touch and give us a better idea of what we're dealing with."
"You keep trying to contact him?" Kendra asked.
"I don't think he's retrieved the communicator from my cell yet. I'm sure he's trying to juggle a number of concerns. For all we know, Graulas may have already imprisoned him."
"I never thought any part of me would be rooting for the Sphinx," Kendra said.
"A calamity like the opening of Zzyzx can forge peculiar alliances." Bracken walked over to Raxtus and patted the dragon on the neck. "How are you holding up?"
"You don't need to keep asking. I'm fine. The two of you are light. I could go like this for days."
Bracken nodded thoughtfully. "You fought valiantly against the harpies. How would you feel about joining another fight, if it comes to that?"
Raxtus scratched at the ground. "I've always quietly wanted to be a hero. Putting that desire into practice has always been ... complicated. When opportunities to prove myself come along, I have this tendency to run or hide. But my confidence is better than ever after those harpies, and having you two along should boost my motivation. After all, we're trying to prevent the end of the world. Hard to argue against that. It ends up amounting to option A, risk death now, or option B, die for sure later. I'm well aware that the demons will want to lynch me for killing Navarog. If we have any chance of winning, I'll join the fight."
"Fair enough," Bracken said.
Kendra looked out toward the sea. She had long imagined touring Europe, but had never pictured doing it by dragon. They had made good time. Raxtus flew much faster with only two passengers. It was just yesterday that the Sphinx had helped them escape Living Mirage. With luck, they would soon convince Roon to come away with them to a safe hideout, and Zzyzx would be a little safer. She knew they should hurry.
"I've thawed," Kendra said.
"You sure?" Bracken asked, coming to stand beside her.
She glanced up at him. He looked so young! He could be in high school. She could almost picture them studying together for a science test. But of course, he was really older than her grandparents. Much older. And a unicorn besides.
He definitely didn't seem like a unicorn. His perfect skin, those keen eyes looking at her, fringed by long lashes ...
She fought to derail her train of thought. "I'm sure. We should hurry."
Raxtus swooped over and snatched them, and they glided off the ledge. Banking to take advantage of air currents, Raxtus followed the winding course of the deep, narrow fjord. Kendra wished she had a camera. Instead, she tried to imprint the spectacular scenery on her memory.
After growing somewhat narrower and shallower, the fjord came to an abrupt end. Raxtus veered to the northeast. The dragon's shadow rose and fell against rugged terrain. They flew over craggy hills, sheer ravines, stony ridges, ice-rimmed lakes, and scattered copses of fir trees.
"Up ahead," Kendra said, as a squat keep of gray stone came into view, situated on a flat rise between two rocky hills. Reaching well beyond the hills, a tall stone wall ringed a vast tract of wilderness. A heavy wooden gate in the wall had been smashed open and now hung askew from a single huge hinge.
"I see it now," Raxtus said. "My eyes kept straying away from there."
"I see it as well," Bracken said darkly. "The splintered gate is an ominous sign. Raxtus, take us down onto that ridge." He indicated a jutting spine of rock outside the breached wall.