"Yes," Kendra said. "At Wyrmroost, the Fairy Queen confirmed that she saw him using it. He needs assistance.
Someone else helps him free his mind from the grip of the Oculus when he wants to quit."
Patton gave a quick nod. He lowered his head, hands folded on his lap. For a moment, Kendra thought he had dozed off. Then he looked up. "If the Sphinx can use the Oculus, your plight is indeed dire. He will be very difficult to stop. The hardest part about opening Zzyzx is acquiring the necessary knowledge and locating the appropriate items. Mastery of the Oculus will lead the Sphinx to success."
"What can we do?" Grandpa asked.
"Guard the artifacts you have," Patton said. "There may be times when it would be prudent to use the Translocator, but not many. The Sphinx is patient and intelligent. If he anticipates a location you might visit using the Translocator, and manages to steal it, all is lost."
"Is there a better place to hide the artifacts than at Fablehaven?" Grandma asked.
"I don't like the idea of having two artifacts in the same place," Patton said. "But I like the idea of transporting them even less, especially since the Sphinx has the Oculus. The closest thing to a wizard I might trust is Agad at Wyrmroost. He understands the stakes. Some of you could get there instantaneously with the Translocator. Almost no location is as well defended as a dragon sanctuary. If all else fails, Wyrmroost might serve as a last resort. You'll have to apply your best judgment."
Patton studied their faces before going on. "In the event you lose all of the artifacts, you may need to know where to find Zzyzx. Are you aware of the exact location?"
Nobody responded at first, then Grandpa shook his head.
"Zzyzx is located in the Atlantic, on an island southwest of Bermuda. Shoreless Isle." He recited the latitude and longitude. "As you might imagine, it is nearly impossible to find. Hence the name. Massive distracter spells drive away attention, along with other defenses. Ships have a history of vanishing in that vicinity."
"The Bermuda Triangle," Coulter murmured.
"Have you been there?" Grandpa asked.
One corner of Patton's mouth quirked up into a lopsided smile. "Why would I go and do such a foolish thing? Unless there were a shrine to the Fairy Queen on that island, and I had decided to visit as many of her shrines as I could reach."
"Can you tell us anything useful about Shoreless Isle?" Grandma asked.
"Beautiful place," Patton said. "They should have chosen an uglier spot for the prison. Maybe the island was uglier back when the wizards founded it. What I saw was a waste of paradise. The island is bigger than you might guess. Zzyzx lies inside the central mountain, a huge dome of rock. The shrine is on the east side. Reaching the island can be problematic."
"How did you get there?" Kendra asked.
Patton regarded her with a twinkle in his eye. "A ghost ship. But that was a one-way trip, fraught with peril. I rode home on a giant bird."
"What kind of bird?" Coulter wondered.
"Something similar to a thunderbird," Patton said.
"Temperamental to ride, not highly recommended. I brought it with me on the ship."
"What else can you tell us?" Grandpa pursued.
"If the Sphinx has the Oculus, depending on his mastery and knowledge, sooner or later he'll be going after the Eternals. Have you caught wind of them yet?"
"The Eternals?" Warren asked.
"Five of them," Patton said. "One associated with each artifact. They are part of the lock that holds Zzyzx closed, debatably the final obstacle. They were once regular humans, but the wizards who founded Zzyzx made them virtually immortal. The artifacts can't open the prison until all five are dead."
"I've never heard of this," Grandpa said. "Not even a whisper."
"Me neither," Warren added, a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"Took some digging," Patton said. "Serious digging. It is one of the secrets I never wrote about. Anonymity has historically been one of their best forms of protection."
"Does anybody know where they are?" Warren asked.
"Not likely. I tried to find them. I believe I met one in Japan, years ago. A man, middle-aged, always had an exotic bird with him. He could be anywhere now. But if the Sphinx searches for them with the Oculus, anonymity will no longer shield them. They must get behind sturdy walls."
"Is there any way we could find them without the Oculus?" Grandpa asked.
Patton shrugged. "It would be tough. The trail is cold.
You might pay the Singing Sisters a visit. Or take a stroll in the Hall of Whispers. Or try to get the Totem Wall to speak."
"The Singing Sisters?" Warren asked Grandpa dubiously. "The Hall of Whispers? Are those real?"
"Shady magic," Grandpa said. "The kind that usually comes with a steep price."
"I'm not claiming to have convenient solutions," Patton said. "You asked, I'm telling what I might try."
"How can they be killed?" Kendra asked. "You said the Eternals are nearly immortal."
"They don't age, they don't get sick, and they don't die easily," Patton said. "From what I understand, they are somehow connected to the magic of the artifacts, especially the Sands of Sanctity and the Font of Immortality. To slay them would require dragon breath, phoenix fire, a mortal wound from a unicorn horn, or some weapon of similar potency."
"Anything else to tell us about Zzyxz?" Grandpa probed.
Patton frowned. "Not right now. Come again if things get worse, and I might share a few truly desperate ideas. Hopefully we'll never have that conversation. Before you go, let's talk strategy. You have worked every angle to find Seth and his parents?"
"Everything," Grandpa said.
"Everything short of the Singing Sisters," Grandma added.
Patton shook his head. "Stan is right, the Sisters are dangerous and unreliable, a last resort. You have found no leads?"
"None," Warren said. "It's like they've fallen off the planet."
Patton scratched his cheek. "Ever get that secret out of Vanessa?"
Grandpa flushed slightly. "Not yet. She claims she'll reveal it soon."
"Until you have that secret, you have not exhausted all leads. Get her to talk. Kendra, have you spoken with the Fairy Queen lately?"
"The shrine at Fablehaven is ruined," Kendra reminded him.
"Might be time to find a shrine to visit," Patton said. "Even if it takes some effort. The Fairy Queen is a mortal enemy of the Demon King. This threat will get her attention. You are in need of allies. Who knows how she might be able to help? You mentioned she could perceive the Sphinx using the Oculus?"