"Very impressive," Kendra said. "It feels like it has been a long time."
"I've been helping with the rebuilding," the dragon said. "You already wouldn't recognize Zzyzx. Those fairies can work when they set their minds to it. I think it has been good for everyone. I haven't seen most of them so lively in years. And it's great to have the astrids back."
"I'm glad," Kendra said. "Are you here to visit Shiara?"
"Yeah."
"She must be so proud of you."
Raxtus craned his head away shyly. "You know, my dad is finally treating me like a real dragon. He saw me take out a couple of demons when we attacked Orogoro's rear guard. I'm really small, and my breath weapon is a joke, but my scales are almost as hard as his, and my teeth and claws are unusually sharp. I had no idea. I'd never really tested myself. Now that he runs Wyrmroost, my dad has this whole training regimen planned when I get back from helping the Fairy Queen. He taught my larger brothers lots of tricks that I missed out on. He will help me become a more effective fighter. But I promise I won't let it turn me into an idiot!"
"I'm sure it will just make you more confident with your friendly side," Kendra said.
"And maybe a little scarier?" Raxtus hoped. "Definitely."
"You know, I didn't come here alone."
Kendra held her breath. She tried to keep her expression composed. "You didn't?"
"He wanted me to bring you to meet him."
"Are we talking about Bracken?" Kendra asked.
"No, Crelang. Remember him? The astrid? He was one of your bodyguards."
Kendra stared at Raxtus blankly.
"I'm kidding. Of course, Bracken! But don't mention I told you. It was supposed to be a surprise."
"I promise to look surprised." Her pulse raced. What if he sensed her excitement? She didn't want to seem pathetic. But she had missed him! It had been weeks since she had last seen him.
"He's been talking about you a lot," Raxtus informed her in a confidential tone. "Go easy on him. I'm going to fly you to him, then get out of your way. You two deserve a little privacy."
"I should tell my parents," Kendra said.
"I'll come back and tell them," Raxtus assured her. "This should be quick. He has a surprise for you. I keep saying too much! Mind if I take you? Don't tell him how much I blabbed!"
"Sure," Kendra replied.
Raxtus snatched her and took flight. "Agad left me with free roam of all the preserves he restored," Raxtus said. "I think he wants me to help be his eyes and ears among the dragons. He's given me a lot of trust."
"That's great," Kendra said, her thoughts on the upcoming reunion.
"This will be a short flight," Raxtus said.
As the prospect of seeing Bracken became real, Kendra felt startlingly conflicted. It was one thing to daydream about romance, and another to confront it in the light of day. What could the surprise be? What if he proposed! She was so not ready for something like that! Sure, he was cute, and brave, and loyal. Best of all, he was someone she could really trust. But she was fifteen, and he was older than most countries, no matter how young he seemed.
Anxiety knotted her insides. She shouldn't leap to conclusions. There was no way he was about to propose. But what if he wanted a romantic relationship? It was one thing to snuggle a little when the world seemed about to end, and quite another to explain to her parents that she wanted to date an ancient magical horse.
As the dragon glided down toward the circle of gazebos around the former shrine to the Fairy Queen, Kendra struggled to calm herself. It would be good to see Bracken. She would try to wait and hear what he had to say before freaking out. They passed over a hedge wall and landed in the field near the whitewashed boardwalk that surrounded the pond.
Bracken stood on the steps up to the boardwalk, dressed in a loose white shirt and jeans. Devastatingly handsome, he jogged toward Kendra once she had landed.
"I'm going to go visit Shiara," Raxtus said. "I'll be back soon. Have fun."
The dragon took flight.
"Hi, Kendra," Bracken said, looking pleased, clearly expecting her to be surprised.
"It's you!" Kendra said, trying to play the role. "What are you doing here? How are you? How's your father?"
"My dad shows subtle signs of improvement. He still hasn't spoken. Our best healers feel he will eventually recover, although perhaps not fully. I'm happy to see you!"
"I feel the same way."
"Come here," Bracken said, waving Kendra forward. "I want to show you something."
He took her hand and led her up the steps to the boardwalk. He pulled her along the walkway, then down to the little pier beside the boathouse. Together they walked almost to the end of the pier.
"What did you want to show me?" Kendra asked, taking a step forward, gazing across the water at the little island that had once housed the shrine.
"Haven't you wondered how I got here?" Bracken asked, stepping up a little behind Kendra.
"Raxtus?"
"Sort of. Try again."
"The Translocator?"
He shook his head. "Agad has already gathered the artifacts to start hiding them. Guess again."
Kendra gasped, whirling around to face Bracken. "Did you fix the shrine?"
"This is our first new shrine," Bracken said with a smile. "The second entrance to our kingdom. In the coming years, we hope to create many new shrines. But Fablehaven got the honor of hosting the first. Agad helped us lay the groundwork. Now I can visit whenever I want!"
Kendra felt her face flush and turned back toward the water. "That would be really nice."
"I hope to visit quite a bit," Bracken said. "Get to know your parents and grandparents better. Hang out with Seth. He's an interesting guy."
"He's pretty cool," Kendra said, trying to manage her expectations.
"He still owes the Singing Sisters a favor," Bracken said. "I want to help him make sure everything goes all right."
"My family will be relieved to hear that."
"He may yet find an opportunity to use his tower and his leviathan."
"He was so mad he didn't get to use them at Shoreless Isle," Kendra laughed. "He's thinking of planting the tower here at Fablehaven, to give Hugo an official home."
"Never hurts to have such items in reserve," Bracken said. Smiling knowingly, he stepped closer. "As much as I enjoy your family, I have other reasons why I want to visit Fablehaven."