DISCONTINUED - Lights That Shine Mysteriously - Fablehaven Fanfiction

Chapter 12

Everyone in the room stared bug-eyed, quite like a frog, except for Emma and Kendra. After a minute of everyone gawking at the small heart laying on her hand, Lysandra finally managed to choke out, "W-w-where? W-what?"

Kendra looked at Emma. "Ask Emma, she's the one who gave it to me," she answered.

Emma shifted uncomfortably in her seat, all eyes now on her, and cleared her throat. "It was a family heirloom. Passed down from woman to woman. We were told that it was extremely powerful, dangerous, and coveted by many."

"Damn straight it is," Lysandra murmured. "The power the pendant wields is that whoever possesses it, the power of the soul trapped inside will be transferred to the person who currently owns it. For example, I can tell that my friend, Alicia, is inside the pendant you're wearing. Alicia was -- is -- a shapeshifter, and you should be able to shift into whatever you want. My cousin had keen senses and fast healing. So now I have keen senses and fast healing."

The twin's eyes were wide open with shock and awe. "You're full of surprises and secrets, aren't you?" Alex asked.

Lysandra's eyes twinkled slightly, and she winked at him. Kendra felt a twinge in her chest. Wait, why on Earth did she feel like that when Lysandra winked at him? There was no way -- no, it was impossible. She couldn't like him could she? (Yes, yes I know Lysandra is her ancestor but whatever.)

Kendra decided to ignore the feeling.

"It's not like you don't have any of your own, Alexander," Lysandra purred, sounding like a cat. The twinkle of mischief in her eyes faded slightly. "The world is full of secrets and they'll get you hurt. Badly." Her skin seemed to fade to a pale color, her golden hair growing duller by the second. Her shoulders caved in slightly. "Secrets got too many of my friends killed, I'm not saying don't keep them, just -- be careful."

Alex carefully scrutinized her, then nodded. "I will."

Emma quietly cleared her throat. "So Celaena has your mate then?"

Lysandra nodded, eyes looking downcast. 

Then something struck Kendra. "Lysandra," she began, "My brother disappeared a couple of days ago when he went for a run in the woods. This was after we found out Celaena was resurfacing, and we thought he was dead. I was wondering, do you think that she may have him?"

Grandma Sorenson gasped and murmured something, hope flaring in her eyes.

Lysandra thought for a moment, then grimly nodded. "She's smart. She knows that you're attached to your loved ones and would never want them harmed, so she takes one or two people and keeps them hostage. I'm not sure which is worse -- being dead or staying with her."

Kendra's jaw set firmly. "If there's even the slightest chance that he's there with Celaena, I'm going after him."

Emma chimed in, "I'll help as well!"

Vanessa raised her hand. "Another friend of ours was turned to stone. Would you happen to know anything about turning him back?"

Of course. In her haze of sadness over Seth she'd nearly forgotten the reasons why the twins were here, and why  Vanessa had been so snappish and distraught lately. Warren. They had just gotten together a month ago -- after everyone scheming on how to get them to start dating -- and it was like a small piece of a puzzle that never had been noticed had snapped into place. At least that was the way Vanessa described her feelings towards him during a girls' night.

Lysandra glared at the floor. "The cycle has started."

Grandma Sorenson arched an eyebrow. "What cycle?"

Lysandra's thick brown curls bounced as shook her head sadly and looked at the floor. "Basically, one person of a group is cursed. Every two weeks, something bad will happen to a person close to them. Your brother doesn't count, that wasn't due to the curse. How long ago was this person turned to stone?"

Kendra counted out the days in her head. She could feel the blood draining from her head. Before she could say the answer, Tanu beat her to it. "Thirteen days ago. Which means something bad will happen --" He started.

"Tomorrow." Emma finished.

"Is there no away around it?" Grandpa Sorenson asked. "Perhaps we could split up and travel to an isolated location or something?"

Again Lysandra shook her head. "One, it's relationship-wise close, not physically close. Otherwise the curse would be less of a problem -- not saying other people's lives are worthless, but Celaena has no interest in hurting random people you've never met before, at least not yet. Two, I've tried a lot of things. And I mean a lot of things. I've turned to all sorts of magical creatures, and I've tried every method I've thought up."

Alex muttered some choice words under his breath.

"So basically," Vanessa started, a murderous gleam in her eyes, "Someone here will be turned to stone tomorrow."

Lysandra shook her head. "Not exactly, something else might happen to them. For instance, a broken leg, an illness, everything they touch exploding, and so on."

Grandma Sorenson scowled. "So what you're saying is that we have to find Celaena and send her back to Zzyx or destroy her or else we're all doomed?"

"Such an optimistic crowd," Lysandra quipped. "But yes. Good luck!"

"What do you mean, good luck?" Tanu asked. "Aren't you going to stay with us?"

Kendra was so confused. 

Warren had been turned to stone, Seth had been taken, Alex had been poisoned right in front of her, and this random woman had shown up, cured him, gave them answers to questions they'd needed answering, and now she was just leaving?

"Nope." Lysandra popped the p. "I'm going on my own to try and hunt Celaena. I'll pop in and out at times to check on you."

Grandpa Sorenson arched an eyebrow. "How did you get in? You aren't on the register."

Lysandra smirked. "Now, now, a girl can't reveal all her secrets, can she?"

And with that, she disappeared from where she was standing, leaving only a black rose in her place.

Emma got up from her armchair, and picked it up. "Qui audet adipiscitur. Who dares, wins."

Kendra admired the simplicity of the quote. And she was going to follow Lysandra's advice, for she knew it was advice. She was going to take things into her own hands, rescue Seth, undo the curse, and save Warren and the twins' parents.