'Tis the Season

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Seth was watching TV in the living room of the Old Manor, thankful that the Larsens weren't as strict with technology as Grandpa Sorenson was. Sitting up he saw Kendra through the window, it looked like she was just passing by not planning on sticking around. He hadn't talked to her in awhile, she was almost never around the house anymore. He was still trying to find the coin to contact Bracken and there were only a few more spots to check. Still Seth found he actually missed his sister, and didn't want to wait until Christmas to see her in a better mood so he jumped off the couch and ran out the door to catch her.
"Kendra!" When she didn't turn he jogged towards her. "Hey, sunshine, didn't you hear me?" He asked, taking her by the arm.

"Sunshine, really?"
"I called your name."
"Oh, lost in thought I guess."

"Want to hang out? You haven't been around lately."
"Sorry, raincheck? I'm going to go ask some of the fairies if they know when Bracken will be back." Kendra said, looking erger to go.

"I can come with you."
"Fairies still don't really like you, sorry."
"Well, you're not wrong about that. Okay, will I see you at movie night?"
"Yes, I'll be there. See you then."

She turned and walked away into the woods. Seth sighed, after all those years looking for her he had thought he was done missing his sister. But even with her here, home, and safe, that hole inside him was still there

~~~

Bracken sat in his cell reading The Cruel Prince. It was one of the books Sadie had brought him, he had seen it on Kendra's shelf but had never read it before. It was a nice distraction from being imprisoned again.

If he had a good sense of time down here he would guess they were nearing the middle of December. Nobody had come looking for him. A sound so unexpected came out of nowhere Bracken jumped and dropped the book onto the ground.

"Bracken?" A voice asked through a telepathic link he had long forgotten about.

~~~

"Bracken?" Seth pushed out through his mind looking for the connection to Bracken. "Bracken, you there?"
"Seth?" His crisp voice came through.

"I got through!" Seth said to Warren who was seated beside him.

"Where is he?" Seth shushed Warren so he could concentrate.

"Yeah, it's me. Remember that coin you gave me?"
"Sure but I didn't know you still had it."
"You think I'd get rid of a magical object?" Seth asked, making Bracken laugh a bit. "So I guess you're not in the fairy realm."
"What? I was never in the fairy realm."
"What?"
"That day we were following Kendra through the woods, it wasn't Kendra, it was her. She captured me, I've been in a prison for weeks."
"He's in prison." Seth told Warren.

"Again?" Warren asked.

"How is she back?" Seth asked, talking to Bracken again.

"I have no idea, but I think the switch happened on Halloween night."

Seth almost choked on his own breath, if he hadn't already been sitting he would have fallen to his knees. How had he not known his own sister had been gone that long?
"H-how?" He managed to ask.

"I wish I could tell you she's been awfully tight lipped about it. But I guess she has a name now, she told me to call her Sadie."
Sadie. That was one of the fake names Kendra had used during her few years on the run.

"Okay, where are you? We need to rescue you." Seth asked, trying to think straight.
"She did say I was somewhere on Fablehaven."

"She told you that?"
"She was flirting."
"Ew."

"I know. I don't think she thinks anything she says will help me. Until now I had no way of contacting anyone."

"Let me fill in Warren real quick."
"Okay."
Seth turned to Warren and told him everything, Warren getting up to pace in the middle of it looking ready for a fight. Seth could tell he was already putting all the blame on himself like he always did.

"We need to get Kendra back."
"I know, I know. We need a plan."