"You look young," Coulter marveled.
"Patton Burgess," Patton said, extending a hand. In a daze, Coulter gripped the hand and shook it.
"Coulter Dixon," Coulter managed, his mannerisms unabashedly starstruck.
"I take it you were a shadow?" Patton asked.
"I staggered as close as I could to the space between the hedges, drawn by Kendra's light. When she reached out and touched me, her radiance purged the darkness from me."
Patton assessed Kendra. "I suppose a risk that paid off was a risk worth taking. Then again, had you become infected yourself, we could have been finished before we began."
"How did it go with the others?" Seth asked.
"We can expect considerable assistance tomorrow," Patton forecasted. "You willing to join us, Coulter?"
"Absolutely," he said, nervously running a hand over his mostly bald pate, smoothing down the wispy tuft of hair in the middle. "I'm relieved you're here."
"Glad if I can help," Patton said, "but our hope resides in Kendra. We should adjourn to the tent so we can fill you in on the details. Tomorrow we will decide the fate of Fablehaven."
Chapter Twenty-Three
Darkness
The morning was already hot when Kendra awoke alone in her tent. She felt bleary, having slept late. Patton and Lena had spent the night in the big tent, Seth and Coulter in the other. Lying on her back with a sleeping bag tangled around her legs, Kendra felt sticky with sweat. How had she remained asleep when her tent was this stifling?
The egg-shaped pebble remained in her palm, held the same way as when she had fallen asleep. She fingered the smooth stone, which gave off no heat or light that she could perceive, but had empowered her to restore Coulter from his shadowy state with a brief touch. Would her touch retrieve any creature from the darkened state? The others seemed optimistic.
The task awaiting Kendra made her wish she could return to her dreamless slumber. If the Fairy Queen was right, whoever connected the light pebble with the dark nail would die today. She hoped that Seth and Patton had found a loophole, that throwing the stone or some similar trick would resolve the problem without a fatality. But if all other attempts failed, if nobody else could accomplish the feat, Kendra wondered whether she would have the courage to sacrifice herself. Losing her life would be worth it to save her friends and family. She hoped she would be brave enough to take the necessary action if the decisive moment arrived.
Slipping the pebble into her pocket, Kendra pulled on her shoes and tied them. She crawled to the door of her tent, unzipped it, and stepped outside. The fresh air, though hot, was a relief after the stale confines of the tent. Kendra tried her best to blindly arrange her hair with her fingertips. Sleeping in her clothes had left her feeling in desperate need of a shower.
"She's up!" Seth hollered, jogging toward her, wearing the backpack with the Chronometer. "Looks like we can do it today after all."
"Why didn't you wake me?" Kendra accused.
"Patton wouldn't let us," Seth said. "He wanted you rested. We're all ready."
Turning, Kendra beheld an impressive crowd of satyrs, dryads, dwarfs, and fairies occupying the field between the tents and the gap in the hedge wall. They were all staring at her. Her eyes swept across the gathering. She was keenly aware that she had just emerged from a hot tent dressed in the same clothes she had worn yesterday. Hugo approached from a distance pulling the cart, flanked by Cloudwing and Broadhoof. Patton, Lena, and Coulter rode in the cart.
"Where did Hugo get the cart?" Kendra asked.
"Patton sent him to retrieve it at dawn," Seth replied.
"The centaurs are joining us?" she asked.
"Almost all of the creatures are coming," Seth enthused. "For one thing, Patton told them how the defenses protecting this area will collapse after we pass beyond the hedge. For another, they all respect him, even Broadhoof."
"Good morning, Kendra," Patton boomed joyfully as Hugo came to a stop near the kids. He looked dashing standing with one foot on the side of the cart. Had his clothes been laundered and mended? "Are you rested and ready for our outing?"
Kendra and Seth walked around Hugo to the side of the cart. "I guess so," she said.
"I found a trio of volunteers willing to help us join the talismans should the need arise," Patton said, gesturing at three fairies hovering nearby.
Kendra recognized Shiara with her blue hair and silver wings. She also recognized the slender albino fairy with black eyes who had helped carry her into battle against Bahumat. The third was tiny even for a fairy, with fiery wings shaped like flower petals.
"Greetings, Kendra," Shiara said. "We are willing to give all we have to carry out the final wish our Queen imparted through this hallowed shrine."
"We'll be holding you in reserve," Patton reminded them. "You three must remain hidden throughout the battle. We won't ask for your assistance unless it becomes absolutely necessary."
"We will not fail our Queen," squeaked the red fairy in the tiniest voice Kendra had ever heard.
Patton jumped down from the cart. "Hungry?" he asked, holding out a napkin piled with nuts and berries.
"I don't have much appetite," Kendra admitted.
"You'd better eat something," Coulter encouraged. "You'll need your energy."
"Okay," Kendra relented.
Patton handed her the napkin. "You know, if sufficiently motivated, the fairies could outfit Hugo for battle."
Kendra chewed on a crunchy mouthful of nuts and berries. The nuts tasted bitter. "You sure these are safe to eat?"
"They're nutritious," Patton assured her. "I asked the fairies to assist with equipping Hugo, but most were unwilling."
"I offered to help," chirped the albino fairy.
"We need you three to save your strength. Kendra, the majority of the other fairies would need to participate in order to get the golem soundly outfitted."
"You want me to issue a command?" Kendra asked around a second unpleasant mouthful.
Patton cocked his head and touched his mustache. "The effort will tire them, but having Hugo in top form would be very useful."
Kendra spit out the nuts she had been chewing. "I'm sorry, these are making me gag. Do you have any water?"
Lena tossed a canteen to Patton from the cart. He unstopped it and passed it to Kendra. She guzzled several swallows. The warm water had a metallic tang. She wiped her lips with her sleeve.