"I'm sure it will just make you more confident with your friendly side," Kendra said.

"And maybe a little scarier?" Raxtus hoped. "Definitely."

"You know, I didn't come here alone."

Kendra held her breath. She tried to keep her expression composed. "You didn't?"

"He wanted me to bring you to meet him."

"Are we talking about Bracken?" Kendra asked.

"No, Crelang. Remember him? The astrid? He was one of your bodyguards."

Kendra stared at Raxtus blankly.

"I'm kidding. Of course, Bracken! But don't mention I told you. It was supposed to be a surprise."

"I promise to look surprised." Her pulse raced. What if he sensed her excitement? She didn't want to seem pathetic. But she had missed him! It had been weeks since she had last seen him.

"He's been talking about you a lot," Raxtus informed her in a confidential tone. "Go easy on him. I'm going to fly you to him, then get out of your way. You two deserve a little privacy."

"I should tell my parents," Kendra said.

"I'll come back and tell them," Raxtus assured her. "This should be quick. He has a surprise for you. I keep saying too much! Mind if I take you? Don't tell him how much I blabbed!"

"Sure," Kendra replied.

Raxtus snatched her and took flight. "Agad left me with free roam of all the preserves he restored," Raxtus said. "I think he wants me to help be his eyes and ears among the dragons. He's given me a lot of trust."

"That's great," Kendra said, her thoughts on the upcoming reunion.

"This will be a short flight," Raxtus said.

As the prospect of seeing Bracken became real, Kendra felt startlingly conflicted. It was one thing to daydream about romance, and another to confront it in the light of day. What could the surprise be? What if he proposed! She was so not ready for something like that! Sure, he was cute, and brave, and loyal. Best of all, he was someone she could really trust. But she was fifteen, and he was older than most countries, no matter how young he seemed.

Anxiety knotted her insides. She shouldn't leap to conclusions. There was no way he was about to propose. But what if he wanted a romantic relationship? It was one thing to snuggle a little when the world seemed about to end, and quite another to explain to her parents that she wanted to date an ancient magical horse.

As the dragon glided down toward the circle of gazebos around the former shrine to the Fairy Queen, Kendra struggled to calm herself. It would be good to see Bracken. She would try to wait and hear what he had to say before freaking out. They passed over a hedge wall and landed in the field near the whitewashed boardwalk that surrounded the pond.

Bracken stood on the steps up to the boardwalk, dressed in a loose white shirt and jeans. Devastatingly handsome, he jogged toward Kendra once she had landed.

"I'm going to go visit Shiara," Raxtus said. "I'll be back soon. Have fun."

The dragon took flight.

"Hi, Kendra," Bracken said, looking pleased, clearly expecting her to be surprised.

"It's you!" Kendra said, trying to play the role. "What are you doing here? How are you? How's your father?"

"My dad shows subtle signs of improvement. He still hasn't spoken. Our best healers feel he will eventually recover, although perhaps not fully. I'm happy to see you!"

"I feel the same way."

"Come here," Bracken said, waving Kendra forward. "I want to show you something."

He took her hand and led her up the steps to the boardwalk. He pulled her along the walkway, then down to the little pier beside the boathouse. Together they walked almost to the end of the pier.

"What did you want to show me?" Kendra asked, taking a step forward, gazing across the water at the little island that had once housed the shrine.

"Haven't you wondered how I got here?" Bracken asked, stepping up a little behind Kendra.

"Raxtus?"

"Sort of. Try again."

"The Translocator?"

He shook his head. "Agad has already gathered the artifacts to start hiding them. Guess again."

Kendra gasped, whirling around to face Bracken. "Did you fix the shrine?"

"This is our first new shrine," Bracken said with a smile. "The second entrance to our kingdom. In the coming years, we hope to create many new shrines. But Fablehaven got the honor of hosting the first. Agad helped us lay the groundwork. Now I can visit whenever I want!"

Kendra felt her face flush and turned back toward the water. "That would be really nice."

"I hope to visit quite a bit," Bracken said. "Get to know your parents and grandparents better. Hang out with Seth. He's an interesting guy."

"He's pretty cool," Kendra said, trying to manage her expectations.

"He still owes the Singing Sisters a favor," Bracken said. "I want to help him make sure everything goes all right."

"My family will be relieved to hear that."

"He may yet find an opportunity to use his tower and his leviathan."

"He was so mad he didn't get to use them at Shoreless Isle," Kendra laughed. "He's thinking of planting the tower here at Fablehaven, to give Hugo an official home."

"Never hurts to have such items in reserve," Bracken said. Smiling knowingly, he stepped closer. "As much as I enjoy your family, I have other reasons why I want to visit Fablehaven."

"How come?" Kendra asked, heart pounding. She was way too nervous to turn and look at him again.

"I haven't been drawn to a girl in a long time," Bracken said. "Against all odds, this time, my mother actually approves!"

He turned Kendra toward him, hands on her shoulders. "I mean, you know," he added softly, smiling, "what kind of unicorn wouldn't be drawn to a virtuous maiden?"

"What kind of a girl doesn't like unicorns?" Kendra teased, looking up at him.

"Here's the problem," Bracken said, eyebrows scrunched. "I feel young. My mind doesn't get beaten down by the passing years, and neither does my body. It's part of my nature--time does little to sap my youthfulness. But let's face it, however I may feel, I've existed for a long while. Chronologically, I make your grandparents look like infants. And you're not an adult yet."

"You don't seem old to me," Kendra said, unsure how much she believed her words. He looked young, but his manner sometimes betrayed glimpses of an older soul.

"I've been around long enough to recognize the importance of timing," Bracken said. "I care for you deeply, Kendra. A few years will give you time to mature, and offer me time to help my mother rebuild her kingdom." He took her hands in his. "This is the first shrine we restored. As I already made clear, I'll visit, and we'll see where the future leads."

Kendra felt like a weight had been lifted. It was clear that Bracken liked her, just as it was clear that she would have time to sort through her feelings without getting pressured into an official relationship.

Still, as she gazed up into his adoring eyes, she had a suspicion the crush might linger and grow into something more. After all, hadn't Patton married a naiad? Maybe in time she and Bracken could find a way to make a real relationship work. Maybe when the time was right, she could become an Eternal, and they could remain ageless together, protecting the world from evil.

"I understand," Kendra said. "It makes sense."

Bracken smiled, a candid blend of relief and joy. "Want to know the best part? Once we get things more how my mother wants them, I have permission to bring you to our kingdom from time to time. You'll be the first mortal to set foot there!"

"That sounds perfect," Kendra said. And she meant it.

Is This Really the End?

I sometimes get asked why I don't add an extra book or two to the Fablehaven series. From the start, this series was designed to contain five books. Based on my plan, I felt I could keep the story growing with each installment, so that the books would build on each other in fun ways and hopefully never get too boring. To write more would have meant stretching the narrative in a way that I felt would harm the overall story.

In other words, this really is the last book in the Fablehaven series. Will I ever revisit the Fablehaven characters or preserves in a future book? Possibly. I see opportunities for other stories using the characters and situations introduced in Fablehaven. But it would be organized as a fresh book or series, not a sixth book added to this one. I have no plans to write such a book in the near future. However, I will be writing other fantasy adventures that should appeal to the type of readers who have enjoyed Fablehaven.

I'm currently working on a three-book series called The Beyonders. The story deals with a couple of kids from our world who cross over to a strange, imperiled land where a corrupt emperor is systematically getting rid of all the heroes. All of my books up until now have dealt with fantasy elements in our real world. I'm excited to take readers someplace else! I have been planning this new trilogy for over ten years, and feel confident that it will take readers on a terrific ride. I hope that readers who have enjoyed Fablehaven will check it out, starting in 2011.

I also have plans to create a sequel to my novel The Candy Shop War. A sizable chunk of my readers tell me that The Candy Shop War remains their favorite. Even though it was originally planned to be a single book, I have now developed what I feel will be an engaging sequel. Although still a couple of years away, it represents an important part of my short-term writing plans.

Speaking generally, over the next several years, I intend to write a book or two per year. I believe I am improving at what I do, and feel I have not yet explored my best ideas. I will focus on creating a variety of family-friendly fantasy novels. To keep an eye on my upcoming projects, sign up for the newsletter at BrandonMull.com and swing by my Facebook or Twitter pages. I'm pleased with how my Fablehaven books have unfolded, and I'm indescribably excited to tackle future projects. If you enjoyed the Fablehaven series, please spread the word, and watch for my future stuff!