Fablehaven: Journey to the Eternals' Pass (fanfiction) (HIATUS)

19: The Labyrinth

Potential deadly encounters aside, it was actually a rather pleasant walk from the house to the gazebo. Kendra didn't often have time on the journey to admire the dappled light and cool, musty scent. They were too often in a panicked frenzy from some invasion or another.

The gazebo itself was the same as ever, shades of white overlooking the grass patch where a temporarily resurrected Patton Burgess had duelled a centaur on Seth's behalf.

"It's beautiful." Darcy said, as awestruck as Kendra had first been. His eyes were quickly drawn to the island in the pond. He started walking towards it. "That's it." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah..." Kendra was slightly alarmed at his quickening pace. "Darcy–Darcy, WAIT!"

He stepped into the pond.

Kendra screamed and rushed forward, preparing to fight a legion of maliciously giggling naiads and preparing to lose, but then he surfaced again, gasping for air, but utterly alone.

Kendra stared into the pond as Darcy dragged himself out. She thought she caught the barest glimpse of a pale white face, but then it was gone.

"I didn't expect the drop." Darcy admitted. He squeezed out his shirt. "Canis–Canis, be quiet, I'm fine. I'm fine, buddy."

"You didn't drown." Kendra couldn't shake her confusion, or her accompanying uneasiness. The naiads usually put every effort into luring victims into the water. Now one fell right in and they were nowhere to be seen?

Darcy shrugged uncomfortably when she told him. "Maybe they just like me." He gazed across at the shrine. "I think it's a sign that it's safe."

She didn't want to explain how implausible that theory was. "Take the boat this time."

With two people, they had to opt for the more complicated rowboat. Fortunately, the naiads remained strangely quiet, although she spotted a few curious eyes gleaming from the depths. She wondered how deep the pond really was.

Darcy rowed them strongly to the island. There was no actual need for the exertion; the pond was today as idyllic as it looked. Only they rippled its surface. Kendra found the peace nothing but deceptive.

The boat thudded onto the bank of the island. While taking over the oars, Kendra looked down into the water. Now she could see the naiads. They seemed intrigued by Darcy–intrigued enough to let him pass unmolested–and looked expectant as he cautiously alighted.

With some trepidation, Darcy took a few steps, paused, then took a few more. Then he knelt down.

There was an intense, unreadable expression on his face–reverence, longing, apprehension...? Kendra found herself unable to avert her gaze. She was nowhere near the shrine, but her heart pounded and her fingers clenched around the wooden oars. It was a good sign that Darcy was still alive and intact, but there was still a large window of time for something to go wrong.

Darcy stretched out his hand. His fingertips brushed the stone. There was a single blinding flash, fiery letters–and then nothing.

It stopped as soon as it started, quickly enough to jerk them with whiplash. Darcy jolted back as though burned. His gaze, however, was drifting and distant. He looked as if he were in a trance.

"Darcy?" Kendra called tentatively.

He didn't respond.

A heat began emanating from the shrine. An instinctual fear filled her. "Darcy. We should go. Darcy."

His head snapped up. "What?"

"We need to go." The feeling in her stomach was mounting. The burning marks still flashed in her head. They were letters, but where had they come from? It had been over too quickly to decipher.