Kendra sat at the desk. Molten cheese glued chunks of ham to the fluffy eggs. The sausages glistened with grease but tasted good, and the bacon had a pleasant crunch. As she was sipping some juice, the door unlocked and Torina entered, wearing a flirtatious sundress and sandals.
"He's here," she announced, girlishly flustered. "Did you sleep in those clothes? Really, Kendra, we need to get you washed up and presentable." There was an edge of excitement to her expression and voice, as if she were about to greet her favorite rock star.
"Is he really going to care what I'm wearing?" Kendra replied, munching on a bite of toast.
"I care," Torina said. "How's breakfast? I made it for you."
"I'll be sure to let the Sphinx know how domestic you are."
"I am going to miss the music of your sarcasm," Torina pouted. "Done eating?"
"You didn't give me much time."
"He's early."
"Why don't we skip the shower?"
Torina giggled nervously. "Seriously, come now, or I'll have Jameson scrub you down."
Kendra drained the last of her juice. "You win." She stole a final bite of toast as she rose and followed Torina down to the lavish bathroom. Soon she stood under a warm spray, wondering how the upcoming encounter would play out. She had not seen the Sphinx since he had hidden behind a mask at a Knights of the Dawn gathering the previous summer. Now that he had been exposed as an enemy, what would he do with her?
She tried not to dwell on the possibilities. Worrying would just leave her rattled. She needed to relax and stay ready to deal with whatever problems actually materialized.
After finishing her shower and toweling off, Kendra put on the black slacks and blouse that Torina had laid out for her. In the mirror, the outfit actually looked pretty cute. She returned to Torina's room, and the blond lectoblix insisted that Kendra let her style her hair. Kendra reluctantly sat in a chair in front of the bathroom mirror while Torina added some curl.
"What do you think?" Torina asked at last, adding a final squirt of hair spray.
Kendra swiveled her head from side to side. The end result actually looked fabulous. "Guess I'm ready for my date."
"I'm glad you can still joke. You have now officially passed my inspection. Shall we?"
Kendra followed Torina down the stairs to the main level. On her way to the rear of the house, Kendra became peripherally aware of a group of adults conversing in the living room, but her focus remained on where Torina was heading. Stopping in front of a heavy wooden door, Torina rapped twice, then opened it, favoring Kendra with a sugary smile that silently conveyed, you are no longer my problem.
When Kendra entered the study, the Sphinx rose to greet her. The last time she had seen him unmasked had been outside the Quiet Box at Fablehaven. He was dressed simply, his maroon shirt untucked over dress pants, his feet bare. Short, beaded dreadlocks framed his ageless face. Dimly, Kendra heard the door shut behind her.
The Sphinx took her hand, clasping it affectionately in both of his. "I am so happy to see you again, Kendra," he said, his voice mellow, the accent prompting Kendra to envision tropical islands. The greeting was so warm and gentle that she almost found herself relaxing.
"I wish I could say the same," Kendra responded cautiously, removing her hand from his grasp.
"Please," he said, motioning to one of two chairs positioned to face each other. They both sat down. "You have ample reason to feel frustrated."
"You're a traitor," Kendra said. "What is it with people pretending to be nice as they hold me prisoner? Torina has the same personality disorder. What do you want with me?"
"I mean you no harm," the Sphinx replied, unruffled. "I need to have a conversation with you. Cornering you has been a difficult task, now that I have fallen out of favor with your dear ones."
"You mean since you stole the artifact from Fablehaven, released a demon prince from captivity, torched Lost Mesa, and got Lena killed?"
The Sphinx leaned forward, fathomless eyes intent. "I always admire spirit, Kendra. I do not blame you for perceiving me as your enemy. I am aware of the pain my actions have caused. However, your comments raise a question. Why do you label the prisoner from the Quiet Box a demon prince?"
Kendra silently admonished herself for the outburst. She needed to say as little as possible. The Sphinx had no reason to suspect they knew that the occupant of the Quiet Box before Vanessa had taken residence there had been a demonic dragon named Navarog. Every tidbit that Kendra offered the Sphinx about what she and her family knew could potentially give him an advantage. "No reason."
He considered her in silence. "Not important," he finally decided. "How has Torina treated you?"
"She did my hair today. I think she has a crush on you."
"Did she show you her aquarium?"
"That was actually really cool."
"Agreed. How is Seth?"
"You tell me," Kendra said. "Hasn't the Kendra clone been reporting?"
"Remarkable fruit, the stingbulb. Almost everyone who knows of stingbulbs believes them to be extinct. But having lived many years and visited many places, I know where one stingbulb tree still grows. The tree does not bear many fruit in a year. They must be used within a narrow window of time or they are rendered useless."
"Is the phony Rex gone?"
"The forms the stingbulbs adopt survive only for a few days. He served his purpose."
Kendra looked away from the Sphinx's gaze. "What about the real Rex?"
"I honestly like you, Kendra. Unfortunately, we are on different sides of a heated struggle. You would be surprised if you knew all those who side with me on this issue. The conflict boils down to this: you and those you have aligned yourself with believe that magical creatures should be held captive at all costs, while I believe they should be free. Rex was an unfortunate casualty of that disagreement. There have been many before him, on both sides. He will certainly not be the last."
"Am I the next?" Kendra wondered.
"I don't think so," the Sphinx said. "I hope not. I need to perform an experiment. And I require information from you. Help me find answers to my questions and you will go home. Immediately and unharmed. Some profess to see courage in enduring hardship for a cause. This only makes sense when victory is possible. I have the means to involuntarily extract the required information from you. I see wisdom in graciously accepting the inevitable. Kendra, where is the artifact that was hidden at Lost Mesa?"