Seth and the shrine

  “I’m sorry!” Seth cried, running across the shelf to the spring. “Sorry, Fairy Queen! Don’t kill me! This is an emergency!”

  He saw a little golden bowl beside a tiny statue of a fairy. He dropped to his knees in front of the statue. The fact that he was still alive seemed like an encouraging sign.

  “This is Seth Sorenson,” he said, speaking quickly, unsure if anybody was listening. “You know my sister? Kendra? I’m friends with Bracken? I met you at Zzyzx. I gave Kendra the sword that killed the Demon King?”

  A light breeze wafted over him, smelling like fresh snow and ripe fruit. Then he caught the scent of evergreen sap, and a salt-tinged hint of the sea.

  “I need a huge favor,” Seth continued. “Dragons are coming. I need to enter the fairy realm. The dragons can follow me anywhere. But I bet they can’t go there. You let Kendra visit. Please hide me!”

  Seth heard mighty roars above and behind him. Glancing up, he saw several dragons closing in, moments away, jewel-bright scales gleaming, teeth flashing.

  “Please!” Seth shouted. “They’ll kill me! Please!”

  Shimmering whiteness temporarily filled his vision. Still on his knees, Seth felt like he was sliding and turning. Then the whiteness vanished and Seth knelt in a green field under a clear sky streaked with warm colors, as if a sunset had leaked and filled the entire expanse. No mountainside. No dragons. No spring. No little statue.

Chapter 26-Gambit