-A Visit-
“Wake up,” Someone said in a sing-song voice. It sounded like Kendra, was he dreaming? Better yet, maybe the past three years had been a dream. He would even settle for the past few days being a dream, for Kendra to still be Kendra and everybody be back at Fablehaven. But he knew better than that. Bracken opened his eyes to find, Kendra laying next to him, with her head on the pillow looking over at him. “Kendra?” Bracken asked, still bleary-eyed.
“Aw, your morning voice is so cute. Miss me?” And that’s when Bracken realized this wasn’t a dream because that voice didn’t belong to the Kendra he knew.
“What are you doing here?” Bracken asked, quickly getting out of bed.
“What? Weren’t you looking for me?” She asked, also standing up but on the opposite side of the bed.
“How did you know?” Bracken asked there was a chance Kendra would know they were looking for her but not this soon.
“Oh, honey. I have people who would die for me, you think I wouldn’t that someone has been scouring the earth for me?”
“If you found out so quickly, how did the real Kendra not find out Seth and I were alive?”
“I said, I have people who would die for me, not Kendra. Though she did have a surprisingly big network of people, I made sure she never found any mention of you or Seth throughout the years. See, you didn’t find Kendra because of me.”
The realization hit Bracken like a punch to his entire body. Kendra could have been home with her family by now if it wasn’t for this twisted version of Kendra.
“Why are you here?” Bracken asked again.
“I wanted to see you. Kendra had such deep feelings for you, is it that hard to believe the mirror image of her could too?”
“If you are anything like Kendra why would you do these things? Tell me, why?”
“You’re right I’m nothing like Kendra. I’m better because now I don't care what people think, when I want something I take it.” Kendra said, making her way over to Bracken, putting her hands on his chest, trailing her hand down his arm, and taking his hand. Kendra started to lead his hand to her hip but right before his hand touched her, he stiffened not letting her take his hand any closer to her,
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“You,” Bracken replied.
“What?”
“You. You are not Kendra, not my Kendra.”
“I was not aware she was yours,”
“She is not, I did not have enough time with her for her to make the decision. Or for me to ask her.”
“Ah, yes, dying would certainly put any stops to plans of the future, wouldn’t it?”
“Indeed,” Bracken said stiffly.
“You know, I do have Kendra’s memories of you. That final goodbye was very romantic, tragic, but romantic.”
“Tell me why you are truly here,”
“Well, what I told you was not a lie, just not the whole truth,” Kendra said, backing up towards the door. A half smile forming on her face, “Did you really think you could protect him after what he did?” And then Kendra slipped out the door and Bracken rushed to follow but the door was locked. He thought about what she had said and realized what she meant.
“Stop Kendra! Don’t do this!” Bracken screamed as he slammed his body against the locked door. He could hear the rest of the house awake now, and then out of nowhere a loud click rang through the house, and the door was unlocked. Bracken opened it and stepped into the hall.
“What the hell was that?” Warren asked as he exited his room with Vanessa right behind him.
“I have no idea,” Seth answered.
Then, a snapping sound came from outside, “Outback,” Vanessa said, and they all ran for the stairs.
When the group reached the yard it was raining, and they found Kendra and Ronodin standing further up a small hill, standing apart but facing each other. They looked to be in a conversation, so Bracken ran closer to them, wanting to hear the conversation.
“Do you really think they will ever trust you? Don’t fool yourself,” Kendra said, gesturing to Bracken and the others.
“Why would I work with you, Kendra? You want me dead.” Ronodin said in reply.
And Bracken had to admit he was very surprised by the statement.
“Why not give me a chance? I’m not the Kendra you knew, technically I have never tried to kill you.” The two just stared at each other as if having a mental battle. “What do you say, trust me?” Kendra said, reaching her hand out for Ronodin to take. Bracken was silently hoping Ronodin would not take it, he did not trust that this Kendra did not want Ronodin dead. And even if she didn’t, it would not be easy to take down a pairing like that.
“Let’s see where this goes,” Ronodin said, he stepped closer to Kendra, then took her hand. There was a split second of silence before Kendra tightened her grip on Ronodin’s hand and pulled him closer to her, pulling a sword from under her red coat and then running Ronodin through with the blade.
