Chapter 25 Lady Luck

Seth walked barefoot on the beach, enjoying the coarse sand and smooth shell fragments under his soles. Black-headed gulls hung suspended in the air, gliding against a breeze. Nearby, water hissed softly as it spread flat against the sand, millions of tiny bubbles bursting. As the water retreated, sandpipers darted on quick feet, stabbing for food with needle beaks.

Not far behind him, Vanessa lounged on a towel, wearing large sunglasses, a loose T-shirt, and fashionable sandals. He could see nobody else on the seashore. The only signs of civilization were some lifeless beach houses in the distance.

Seth had never been to the Outer Banks. Bridges and ferries linked a series of long, narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. He and Vanessa were on Hatteras

Island. With the Atlantic on one side and the Pamlico Sound on the other, spending time on the island made him feel far out at sea, even though he could walk to the mainland.

They had arrived two days ago, flying into Norfolk, Virginia, then driving the rest of the way in a rented sedan, through towns with names like Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head. While Seth and Vanessa had eaten crab cakes at a roadside grill, locals had informed them that the tourist season hadn't really started yet. Reportedly the summer would bring heavy traffic and abundant crowds, but currently none of the restaurants seemed busy, and many of the beaches looked desolate.

At the moment, a cool breeze prevented the afternoon from feeling warm. After wading in the cold water, Seth had decided not to swim. Instead he was content to roam the edge of the dying waves, searching through the infinite shells along the shore for the very best. Almost all of the shells were small, many bleached white or broken, but some featured alluring colors. He had most appreciated several glossy, colorful bits of shell shaped vaguely like guitar picks, and rattled his favorites in one hand.

Tonight he would try to summon transportation to Shoreless Isle. The question remained who else would join him.

Bracken had continued in touch telepathically. He had learned from the Sphinx that, as expected, Zzyzx would be opened the morning following the next full moon. Which was less than four days away.

According to the letter from Patton, the voyage from Hatteras Island to Shoreless Isle would take almost exactly three days. The ship could only be called at midnight, and picked up passengers about two hours later. Tonight was the last night they could depart if they hoped to arrive before Zzyzx opened.

From the communication Seth had received, it sounded as though Bracken, Warren, Trask, and Kendra would reach Hatteras this evening. After losing the last Eternal and contacting Seth, they had rented a car and set out to join him on the Outer Banks.

Somewhere, Hugo, Newel, and Doren were trying to catch up as well. Seth and Vanessa had flown out of Seattle, leaving the satyrs and the golem with the truck, a credit card, and the challenge to reach the embarkation point on Hatteras before the Lady Luck came for them. The satyrs had been thrilled at the chance to finally drive. Vanessa had helped them plan which roads to travel. If they speeded, stopped only for gas, and avoided getting involved in a police chase, they had a chance of making it.

Seth flung the bits of shell in his hand into the ocean. He had enjoyed his time on Hatteras with Vanessa. She had slept a lot, catching up from consecutive days of relentless driving. He had done his best to forget his abducted parents and grandparents, ignore the opening of Zzyzx, and pretend he was here on vacation. But the time for pretending had almost ended.

He plopped down on the sand. No matter how much Bracken assured him that they were on schedule, he wouldn't rest easy until they arrived. What if they had car trouble? Worse, the Society could ambush them!

Seth removed the letter from Patton from his pocket and unfolded it. He skipped to the section about hailing the Lady Luck.

To summon the Lady Luck , you will need the bell, the whistle, and the music box from Cormac the leprechaun (see previous). On Hatteras Island, at midnight, climb to the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and ring the bell. The ship will respond only if the bell is rung at midnight from this vicinity.

Seth paused his reading. Upon arriving at Hatteras Island, he and Vanessa had learned that the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse had been moved in 1999 to protect it from the encroaching ocean. The lighthouse had not been moved very far, but Seth worried it could mess up the bell's ability to call the ship. He wondered if it might be better to ring the bell on the ground where the lighthouse used to stand.

After you ring the bell, proceed to the embarkation area circled on the map below. A hundred minutes after ringing the bell, blow the whistle three times every few minutes until a rowboat arrives to bring you to the Lady Luck . Once aboard, head aft to the captain's cabin. Regardless of who you may bring on the voyage, go alone to the cabin. A Presence inhabits it. Play the music box inside, and then secure passage to

Shoreless Isle. I am not sure of everything this will entail. But the voyage will consume three days, down to the hour, so time it right.

Remember, passage on the Lady Luck is one-way. You will have to prepare some alternative method of return. Flying creatures will find it considerably easier to depart Shoreless Isle than to arrive there.

This concludes my advice. Counsel with your allies to plan how best to mount a defense on Shoreless Isle. It will not be easy. It may not even be possible . Again , do what you will with these ideas. I am simply suggesting desperate actions I might try. Good luck.

Yours always,

Patton Burgess

Seth folded the letter and tucked it away. He leaned back, stretching out on the sand, and listened to the waves. Closing his eyes and breathing the salty air, he grabbed fistfuls of sand and let it sift through his fingers.

From down the beach, a voice called his name. He sat up and saw Kendra running toward him. The sight of her brought such relief that the emotion escaped in a burst of laughter as he charged to greet her. They met near where Vanessa sat on her towel.

"We made it with hours to spare," Kendra declared. "Bracken said you were worried."

"Well, it would have been hard for you guys to catch the next boat," Seth said. Behind his sister, Bracken, Warren, and Trask approached. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Me too," Kendra said. "Although I wish we could have saved one of the Eternals."

Vanessa stood up as Bracken drew near, hand on his sword. They stared at each other with open distrust. "Hello, Seth," Bracken said, eyes still on Vanessa. "So this is your bluer

"I'm Vanessa," she said.

"Bracken," he replied stiffly. He held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Vanessa scowled at the offered hand. "You want inside my mind?"

"Seems appropriate," Bracken said.

"She's been really great," Seth affirmed. "A big help."

"Then it should be no issue to shake my hand," Bracken maintained.

Vanessa made no move to comply. "Who's scrutinizing your secret intentions?"

"My kind enjoy a more reliable reputation," Bracken said evenly.

"Your kind hunt blixes," Vanessa replied.

Bracken shrugged. "From time to time. Frankly, I wish blixes had more predators. Most of them deserve to be hunted."

Vanessa measured him with her eyes. "Debatable. But you do not deny that enmity exists between your kind and mine."

"I do not deny it."

"Then perhaps you can grasp why I don't want a unicorn as spokesman for my intentions."

Bracken lowered his offered hand. "Are you suggesting I might lie about what I see in your mind?"

"It would be the quickest way to justify my destruction."

Bracken smirked. "So here you stand trying to insulate yourself against what I might discover. If you have nothing to hide, you have no need to object. I will tell the truth, and they know that."

"But I don't," Vanessa said.

"Vanessa could have tried to take the sword," Kendra said.

Seth glanced at Kendra. "Who told you about the sword?"

Bracken turned to Seth. "I did. We can start conversing more openly. I've learned to sense when Nagi Luna has directed the Oculus toward us. It required some practice. I'm accustomed to her mind reaching out to spy on me, but the extra subtlety and power granted by the Oculus confused me for a time. Regaining my horn helped. I only mastered what to look for as we undertook our recent road trip. Ever since Civia was murdered by a blix," he shot Vanessa a meaningful glance, "Nagi Luna has essentially lost interest in us. She has only peered at us twice today, briefly, and without concern."

"So we're free to speak right now?" Seth asked.

"As long as I'm with you," Bracken said. "I'll warn you otherwise. By the way, where is Vasilis?"

"In the trunk of our rental car," Seth said.

Bracken frowned. "Maybe not the ideal place for one of the most powerful weapons in the history of the world, but I suppose it would be conspicuous on the beach."

"Vanessa could have tried to steal Vasilis," Kendra repeated.

"She could have tried," Bracken agreed, "but I'll assume she is clever enough to know she couldn't have succeeded. The sword can only be given to a friend, never taken by an enemy, even in death."

"I had no idea," Vanessa asserted sarcastically. "I'm very naive."

Bracken extended his hand again. "For good or ill, let's get this over with."

Vanessa raised her eyebrows. "First, why don't we judge you based on your success in protecting the Eternals. How many of them survived your assistance?"

"None," Bracken said, his tone hard, his extended hand closing into a fist.

"How do we know you're not some rogue unicorn the Sphinx turned?" Vanessa accused. "We sure don't have any rescued Eternals as evidence. What assurances can you provide?"

"Bracken is no traitor," Kendra said. "The Fairy Queen vouched for him."

"To you, personally?" Vanessa asked. "Yes," Kendra affirmed.

"Enough with the animosity," Warren interrupted. "Isn't tonight going to be long enough already? Please, Vanessa, just let him make sure. Think about your past. We'll all sleep easier."

Vanessa took Bracken's hand. He stared into her eyes for a long moment. "Just relax," Bracken said. "Think about your relationship with the Sorensons. Think about your current goals as they relate to our present mission." He released his grip.

"Well?" Vanessa asked.

"She used to love the Sphinx," Bracken reported. Vanessa's expression hardened. "Did I hear the past tense?"

"After he betrayed her, she became a true ally to us," Bracken confirmed. "She still worries about the Sphinx. She cares about his welfare now that Graulas has taken over the Society, but not in any way that would harm our cause. Her affection is now directed elsewhere."

"Careful," Vanessa warned.

Bracken glanced at Warren. "Blix or not, we can trust her."

"Did you look at Warren?" Seth blurted. "Does Vanessa like Warren?"

Warren coughed uncomfortably.

Vanessa glared at Bracken. "Very tactful. Warren and I have some history from when I served as a Knight of the Dawn. I'm glad that's out in the open for everybody to whisper about. By the way, Bracken clearly has strong feelings for Kendra. Sometimes it doesn't take a mind reader."

Bracken opened his mouth, paused, and then closed it.

"Don't be shy," Vanessa teased, prodding his chest with her finger. "It really is the end of the world. Time to unbottle those hidden feelings. People make such a fuss about age discrepancies. Your attraction to Kendra is kind of like me having a crush on a newborn infant. Perfectly natural."

Bracken reddened. "I think your imagination is running away with you. I'm very fond of Kendra, but not in the way you're describing."

"You're right," Vanessa chuckled. "My mistake. It isn't quite like I described. After all, Kendra looks much more mature than an infant."

Trask cleared his throat noisily. "Enough with the blix-unicorn rivalry. I'm afraid we have larger concerns."

"Seth has a letter from Patton Burgess outlining our present objectives," Vanessa said. "I already have the key to the lighthouse. We blixes have our uses."

"There isn't much to do until tonight," Seth agreed.

Warren rubbed his hands together. "Anybody know where we can score some quality crab cakes?"

***

Less than a mile from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Kendra sat in a rented SUV with Trask. Overhead, twinkling stars passed in and out of view as patchy clouds shifted. She unrolled the top of a bag of pretzels and popped one in her mouth, chewing without relish. After a shrimp quesadilla for dinner complemented by half a crab cake sandwich, she wasn't hungry, just fidgety. She checked her watch: twenty minutes to midnight.

Awkwardness had plagued Kendra the entire evening. Vanessa's accusations on the beach had left her profoundly embarrassed. Not only had Vanessa put Bracken on the spot about his feelings, she had publicly pointed out the age gap that separated him from Kendra. What made everything so much worse was that Kendra was developing a genuine attachment to Bracken. He was cute, brave, protective, smart, sweet, and, maybe best of all, she knew he was for real.

All night she hadn't known what to say to him, how to look at him. In the end, she had ignored Bracken, concentrating on Seth. Her brother had been through a lot since she had last seen him. He seemed sadder, more brooding.

Kendra rolled up the pretzel bag. What if Vanessa was right? What if Bracken liked her? It was one thing to harbor a crush on an unattainable guy, but quite another to consider him actually returning her affection. Even without Vanessa stressing the point, she knew he was a unicorn, and centuries old. But most things about him seemed so human! So normal! Well, handsomer than normal. Despite the reality of his true identity, in practice, Bracken seemed like a good-looking guy only a couple of years her senior.