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

20: SOS

No one seemed to know where Kendra had gone. After asking Dale, Vanessa and Grandpa (and avoiding his parents, so as not to put them even more on edge), Seth concluded, wandering out into the gardens with wet hair for the third time, that she'd gone off somewhere by herself, which was curiously unlike her. He didn't know if he should be worried, but he figured Kendra could take care of herself. Besides, by some miracle, Warren had gotten the news of the agreement before they got back and had had the bags and the bookings ready to go by the time Seth got out of the shower. The only problem was that they needed to leave in ten minutes. So, he consoled himself, it wasn't as if he had the time to search for Kendra anyway.

He strolled round to the front and found a car pulling in. It was Evan, cutting in close for their departure; also with him were Jania and, strangely, Kanwar. The Indian student was at the wheel and was studying Fablehaven with undisguised interest.

Evan hopped out of the car, slinging a duffel bag over his shoulder with one smooth motion. "Ready to go?"

"Warren's just on his way."

"Do you get much activity around here on Festival nights?" Kanwar inquired, gazing up at the structure. "It looks calm, but there are definitely a lot of entities present."

Seth involuntarily shuddered. "Yeah. Definitely a lot of activity." He still had nightmares from the one Midsummmer's Eve he'd experienced—Ephira creeping in, the leering goblin, the gliding centipede, the monsters swarming, the chicken squawking. Not that he was going to mention that to the suave hipster amateur demonologist, or whatever Kanwar was.

"Give me that, Warren."

"I can handle it!"

"By falling down the stairs?"

"Don't touch that, Nessa's touchy—"

"Give me the other one, then!"

The bickering voices of Dale and Warren in the house were clearly audible from outside and all four turned to look. The door opened to a pair of legs under a towering stack of boxes, cages and bags. Seth was somewhat horrified. "Are we bringing all that?" He was already imagining the trouble they were going to have at customs when they presented the menagerie—or worse, enough empty cages to label them insane.

"No, it's—" The pile teetered precariously as Warren impressively manoeuvred his way down the stairs. He set the things down with a relieved exhalation.

Dale appeared behind his brother and his eyes widened. "Kanwar Verma?" He exclaimed. "You're Shikhar's son!"

"Dale Burgess." Kanwar's mouth twitched. He looked slightly embarrassed. "Yeah. I remember you. Our parents worked together."

"What were you, ten?" Dale grinned, pumping Kanwar's hand.

Apparently eager to change the topic Kanwar introduced himself to Warren, who, based on Dale's comments, had been an obstinate teenager at the time and refused to go with his father on the work visits that brought them to Singapore, where the Vermas were based and as a result had never met Kanwar. Warren answered amiably enough but excused himself at the first available opportunity to shove things in the beat up car Dale was driving them in. Vanessa had decided to be stingier with her expensive cars, leaving the rest of them to travel in less luxury.

Evan swung his duffel bag into the boot. "Ready."

As Seth mimicked the action with his own bag Jania gave Evan a deliberately suffocating hug. "Don't get yourself killed, Ev. And call Cayenne!" Evan extricated himself from her grip and jumped in the backseat, shutting her out with the door. Jania rolled her eyes.