DISCONTINUED - Lights That Shine Mysteriously - Fablehaven Fanfiction

Chapter 8

Kendra woke up, burying her face in her pillow, muffling a dry sob. Nightmares, dreams, what was the difference? Everything had a dark turn to it.

She wanted to stay in her bed and lie there forever. Yes, Seth could be a pain sometimes, but he was always there for her, and the siblings had an unexplainable bond. She wanted to lie in her bed for eternity, forgetting that Seth was gone and there was potential for a war to start.

Her bed shifted, as another person's weight landed on it. A rough, yet gentle hand ran through her hair, stopping occasionally to pull out stray knots.

"I know what you're going through. And no, I'm not just saying this. Once, I thought I lost Alex. We were fighting a man named James. He held a grudge towards our parents, and figured the perfect revenge would be to take us."

Emma inhaled sharply.

"Long story short, he was gone for 6 months. I fell into depression. What I'm trying to say is, well, I understand. If you ever need a shoulder to cry and rant on, and let everything that's locked inside your brain out, I'll be here. But, you understand, it's wrong for you to go for revenge."

Emma's hand stilled.

"I know because after I found James I nearly killed him. He's in a catatonic state, and will be for the rest of his life. His current state is my fault. The guilt nearly killed me. You have to try, Kendra, try to be strong and fight off your negativity."

Emma paused and laughed. "I sound crazy, don't I? I'm not good at these speeches. But, try to be strong Kendra. You're allowed to be weak, but not so weak that you'll sink to revenge. If you're going to destroy Celaena, don't kill her because she took Seth. Kill her because of the lives you're saving, and to prevent the destruction and mayhem that might occur."

"Get some sleep. Training can start later. It'll do you no good if you're not properly rested."

Emma rose from the bed, and placed something on Kendra's bedside table. "This has the potential to make or break you. Make the right choice."

Kendra could hear her leave the room and go downstairs. She slowly opened her eyes. Alex was gone. It was seven, so he'd probably gone down a lot earlier. She glanced at what was on her bedside table.

It gleamed in the sunlight. It was beautiful. Everything about it was perfectly detailed, even though it was tiny. It was about the size of her thumbnail. It was white, but the edges were fire red. It was similar to what Patton had described in his journals once. A deadly weapon, one that has saved and ended lives. 

Kendra grabbed an old chain that had once been part of a necklace but the charm had fallen off. She slid the magnificent object onto the chain -- it seemed to fit perfectly -- put it around her neck, and tucked the pendant underneath her shirt.

Patton had described it as an object of immense power. If all four of them were united, then even the borders between worlds would not stand a chance. Why would Emma give this to her?

Her voice rang in Kendra's head. This has the potential to make or break you. Make the right choice.

This was a test. To see what Kendra's choice would be. And if she chose wrong, well, the consequences wouldn't be pretty.

Kendra shook her head. "I'm going to have to deal with this later." She quickly glanced at herself using a handmirror, checking to see if the pendant was visible. While it was unwise to keep it where it could be seen by someone, it would be even more foolish to leave it somewhere a person could snatch it easily.

That is, if a person even recognized it for what it was.

They were not as well known as the artifacts, but were rumored to be more powerful. Their existence had been a top secret.

Kendra paused, carefully fingering the object. It seemed to hum and pulse in synchronization with her heartbeat. This was real. And if Celaena or Lysandra got their hands on it, well, a person could say that the world would be on the brink of destruction, yet again.

Yeah, yeah, this is a filler. But it's an important filler. So deal with it. *Makes childish face and sticks out tongue*