# Prologue

He etched the name on the top left corner of the stone and flew back to admire his work.

"What are you doing?" a voice came from behind him.

"Adam, I had a vision," the fairy explained, pointing to the newly written name. "This boy is a warrior."

"You had no right to do that."

"I had to. I saw it clear as day."

The fairy named Adam growled. "Only the Chief can authorize this."

"The Chief left us just as you did, but this boy is the one that can save us, Adam!"

"You will be banished for this." Adam's face wore a sneer.

"You won't tell anyone I did it, will you?" the other fairy pleaded.

"I have to; nobody is allowed to touch the Shield of Stone and they haven't for hundreds of years!"

"But, you don't understand. They were chanting his name!"

"Traitor!" Adam spit. "You know perfectly well the consequences of your actions."

"How dare you call me a traitor when you're the one who works for him."

"Do not speak of my master in that tone. He offers us power, protection, and intelligence. If you're stupid enough to stay here on the light side then that's your own problem," Adam snapped.

"Fairies weren't meant to live in the dark."

"No, fairies weren't meant to betray their brothers," Adam said.

"Well, that's exactly what you're doing!"

Adam flew over to erase the name on the shield.

"No!" the other fairy yelled and threw out a blinding ball of light from his fingers. Crystal shards erupted from the ground and sealed itself around the stone in a resilient box.

"Why you little—" Adam grabbed the other fairy by the throat.

"It had to be done!" The fairy coughed and spit as he struggled to get away.

"Now look at what you've done," Adam said as a group of humans burst through the trees.

"What's happened?" a brown haired man leading the group asked.

"They're going to the dark side!" shouted the tiny fairy in Adam's grasp.

"Is this true?"

"Yes, we are. My master is more powerful than anyone on this island." Adam chuckled sinisterly.

"Get out!" shouted the man to the evil fairy.

"Oh, my pleasure," said Adam. He dropped the tiny fairy and flew away into the growing darkness.

"What happened?" the man asked.

"I saw the warrior. He was a boy," the fairy announced to the growing crowd.

"The warrior?" he asked, confused.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, who is it?"

"His name is on the Shield," the fairy said and zipped away. The man walked cautiously toward the Shield of Stone. There he saw etched upon the top corner, Bennett Nelson.

# Chapter One

***

# The Guardian

Bennett stared out the car window, watching the tree whip past, hoping to find something interesting on the side of the road; anything to take his mind off the trip.

"Make sure you behave for your dad. He's doing me a favor by letting you stay with him this summer," his mom said from the driver's seat. "And I want you to brush your teeth everyday. Just because you're not at home, doesn't mean you can get away with bad hygiene."

"I know," he mumbled back. Doing me a favor, the words rang in his ears. Shouldn't his dad want to see him? Shouldn't he beg Bennett to come and visit? Or is he still too busy with his job? Bennett's mother snapped and he looked away from the window.

"Are you listening?" she chirped.

"Yes."

"Your dad said he'd meet you when you get off the boat. He's sending someone named Charlie to keep an eye on you, and I'm glad. I still don't think you're old enough to go alone."

"Dad owns the boat, Mom. He helped design it. I'm pretty sure it's safe. Plus, it's not like anyone would want to kidnap me," he said, with a laugh. His mom give him her famous worried look; her eyebrows pulled together and her lips made a hard line. Maybe it was the divorce that did it to her, made her worry so much, because ever since his dad moved so far away she'd been overprotective of Bennett like she was afraid he might leave her too.

Bennett sighed, thinking of the long trip ahead of him. At least this time he'd have his pet rabbit, Toby, with him to keep him company. Bennett stuck his head down into the floorboard and peered into Toby's plastic carrier. The black and white rabbit sat with his legs tucked under his belly, looking like a meatloaf with a head.

The hours passed quickly, thanks to the video games and books he'd packed.

"We're almost there. Make sure your stuff is put up," his mom said, pulling onto a gravel road. She glanced back at Bennett in the rearview mirror and smiled.

Bennett shoved his book into his backpack and rubbed his eyes. "It is."

The car came to a stop in a crowded parking lot. Bennett grabbed Toby's carrier and slid out of the vehicle. His mom popped the trunk and they both went to the back to get his bags.

"Ready, dear?" She grabbed his free hand. "Hold my hand; we're about to cross the street." Bennett looked up in time to see a boy around his age on the other side of the parking lot, laughing and pointing at him. Bennett pulled his hand away from his mother.

"Mom, I'm twelve!" he said. A few of the people around them turned to see what all the fuss was about. "I don't need help crossing the street anymore."

"Bennett," she said, her smile fading. Her eyes widened and he could tell she was on the verge of tears, but he didn't care. He was tired of being treated like a kid. He felt grown up, so why shouldn't he be treated that way?

"I'm sorry." She fumbled with a pair of sunglasses and straightened her shirt, looking anywhere but at her son. The crowd around them went back to their own lives as Bennett and his mom walked over to the boat.

"Hey, you must be Bennett!" Charlie Kline trotted over to Bennett and his mother. "How's it goin' kiddo?"

Bennett gave Charlie a nod. He didn't really know the man. He'd only met him once, in a video call from his dad.

"Thanks for looking after him, Charlie," Bennett's mom said.

Charlie waved his hand like it was no big deal. "Anything for the boss's son."

Bennett's mom handed Charlie the bag she'd carried and turned to Bennett. "All right, behave. Bye sweetheart, I love you!" she said with a teary smile. She kissed the top of his head and he pulled away.

"Whatever," he whispered as he climbed onto The Guardian, the cruise ship that would take him to his dad. Once on the boat and out of sight of Bennett's mom, Charlie handed Bennett a ticket.

"Ok, kid, here's the deal. I got you your own room. I'm not here to play babysitter, I'm here to gamble. This boat has the best floating casino around and I don't want some kid ruining my chances of winning big. So unless your about to die, don't come looking for me."

"But—" Bennett was about to protest this, but then a thought hit him. He'd be alone. On a cruise ship. He could do anything he wanted, stay up late, eat junk food.

"But what?" Charlie eyed him.

"Nothing," he said quickly, taking his bags from Charlie. "I can find my room on my own. I'll be fine."

Charlie cocked his head to the side, like he was just seeing Bennett for the first time. "You know what, I like you, kid. I think we'll get a long just fine." With a pat on the head, Charlie left Bennett standing in the hall.

Bennett looked down at his ticket and saw it read room eleven. Walking down the hallway to his left, he passed room one, then two, three, and four. He kept going until he got to room ten. He looked at the next door where the number eleven should have been. The door was there, but the numbers were missing. The door next to the blank one had a big number twelve in the center. Bennett figured the numbers had just fallen off, so he pushed the door open with his shoulder.

Inside, he set his luggage down. His muscles were tight and achy from the drive. Bennett froze, arms still over his head in a stretch. A man was sitting on the bed.

"Excuse me, sir, but I think you're in the wrong room," Bennett said, crossing his arms over his chest. The man turned around, his pale face was stark against his black shirt.

"Oh, am I?" he said with a grin. "Well, it looks like you've caught me red handed. I guess I'll just have to get my stuff here and leave."

A chill went down Bennett's spine and his stomach dropped to his toes. He didn't like this man. He didn't know why, exactly. It was just something about him that made him feel uneasy, a gut feeling. The man picked up a box and bag from the floor, but stopped and looked down at Toby who was waiting patiently in his carrier.

He cocked his head to the side. "That's an interesting pet you have there. May I see it?"

"You want to see my rabbit?" Bennett glanced down the hall to see if anyone was coming their way. Not a single person was in sight. Just Bennett and the stranger.

"I'm a rabbit breeder; I like to look at the different breeds of rabbits," he said, eyes narrowing as he spoke. Bennett went over to Toby and pulled him out. As soon as Toby saw the man, he began to kick and squirm around, cutting Bennett with his nails as he struggled to get free.

"He's a feisty one, isn't he?" chuckled the stranger. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name. You can call me Mr. Smith."

"Philip, sir," Bennett lied, using his cousins name. "Philip Rhodes."

"Well, Philip Rhodes, it was a pleasure to meet you and your... rabbit." Bennett readjusted his grip on Toby, who was still thrashing around. He tried to pet him behind the ears to calm him, but it wasn't working.

"Where are your parents?" The man's eyebrows raised, making him look like an excited jack-o-lantern, scary and silly at the same time.

"Oh, they're just down the hall," Bennett said, thinking quickly. Who knows what the stranger's intentions were. Bennett knew better than to tell the man he was on the ship alone. Well, he had Charlie, but it's not like he was going to be a big help.

"Ah, I see. Well then, I'll get going." Mr. Smith nodded his head once and turned to the door. Toby still kicked and squirmed.

"Toby, calm down!" Bennett said, grabbing the rabbit under his arms. Toby opened his mouth and bit down on Bennett's hand. Startled, Bennett dropped the rabbit with a shout.

Warm blood trickled out from the wound. Toby took off running and hid under the bed.

"That's right, you'd better run!" Bennett yelled after him, nursing his hurt finger.

"It's not his fault. He's probably just frightened." Bennett looked up to see the man still standing in the doorway. "Here, you'd better put this on it." Mr. Smith opened the box he was holding and pulled out a small jar of yellow liquid. "Put your hand over here." He gestured in the direction of the metallic sink.

Bennett grudgingly obeyed. Mr. Smith dripped a small amount of slimy substance on the cut. It numbed the pain almost instantly.

"There now, just put an ice pack on it and it will be completely healed by tomorrow," he said. Bennett looked down at his finger. It had turned a light shade of gray, then right before his eyes it got darker, until finally it remained a sickening black color. He looked up at Mr. Smith with wide eyes.

"Don't worry, totally normal." The man winked at him, his green eyes blazing like fire. "Tell your parents I'm sorry that I didn't get to meet them." Mr. Smith turned on his heels and left the room. Bennett walked over to the door to get one last look at the man, but when he stuck his head out into the hallway Mr. Smith was nowhere to be found.

Bennett shut the door and locked it. He walked over to the mini freezer and took out some ice and wrapped it in a paper towel he found near the sink. The horn sounded and Bennett stiffened at the noise. Realizing it meant they were leaving the dock, he walked over to the window of his room and looked out at the crowd below. His mother still stood where he'd left her, wiping away tears with the back of her hand and waving at the boat. His anger softened when he saw her. With a deep breath he turned away. It was too late to change his behavior now.

The edge of the bed sank down as he sat and looked around the room. Something thumped under the bed. He turned over on his stomach, pulling his head over the edge of the mattress.

"Toby," he called. Toby poked his head out and looked up, his nose twitching a hundred miles an hour.

"Come on, boy. Get out from under there. Let's read a book." He scooped Toby out from his hiding spot and set him on the bed before going over to his bags. He always brought his books with him when he traveled. Bennett pulled out a medium sized rectangle wrapped in brown paper. He turned it over in his hands. He didn't remember seeing it before. Maybe his mom put it in his bag before he left as a going away present.

Bennett went back to the bed and sat down next to Toby. The paper tore easily, revealing a book. The title became visible; Ancient Magical Creatures of the World. He finished tearing off the paper and opened the book.

The pages were worn and old. He turned them gently, as if handling the wings of a butterfly. Bennett traced the letters with his fingers, the name Arthur Gorgonvenum was written under the title on the first page. Under that, written in gold and black ink, were the words "Suns Republic, may its resilience continue on forever." Bennett had never heard of the Suns Republic, but it sounded powerful.

He turned to a random page in the book to find the words were in a different language. Bennett couldn't even recognize it. He could read the title and first page, but the other pages were written in something different. He looked down at Toby who had climbed into his lap as if trying to read what it said. Bennett flipped through the book searching for something in English, but he couldn't find anything. He shut the book and laid it on the bed.

"Let's unpack our stuff, Toby." Bennett went to his bags and dumped the contents onto the floor. After stuffing some of his clothes in the dresser, he unpacked his books and placed them on a small book shelf by the bathroom door.

He had just finished putting away his toothbrush when a voice bellowed from an intercom in the ceiling; "Lunch will be served in the main dining room in five minutes."

Bennett threw his empty bags under the bed and captured Toby, securing him in his carrier.

"Sorry, boy, but I don't want anything happening to you while I'm gone," he said. Bennett opened the door and poked his head out. A crowd of people was progressing toward the dining room. Bennett followed them like a school of fish.

After dinner, Bennett was exhausted. He crashed on top of the bed and closed his eyes, his breathing coming slower.

He hadn't realized he dozed off until he heard a noise. Toby was jumping all around and had accidentally landed on the remote next to Bennett and turned the TV on by mistake.

"Toby, I was asleep!" he yelled angrily. Bennett's hands fumbled around until he found the remote and shut off the TV. It was dark outside his window, which meant he had slept the day away.

Bennett blinked a few times, clearing the sleep from his eyes, when he saw his finger was still as black as night. He stood and yanked the covers back and was about to slide under them when the book from earlier slid to the floor and landed on his toes.

"Ouch!" He jumped up and down on one foot while holding the other in his hands. He reached down and grabbed the book off the floor, staring at it for a moment. The leather binding was smooth and rubbed bare of any markings. With a sigh, he pulled back the cover and blinked. He couldn't believe his eyes.

The book was in English.

He rubbed his eyes and tried again. There written as clear as day was 'Dragons are misunderstood creatures that need love and care just like any other animal.' Bennett flipped back to the table of contents. There were many things listed there.

Dragons....................................... 2

Peplings....................................... 5

Snorels......................................... 8

Pepergliders................................. 12

Squids.......................................... 15

Malgins........................................ 18

Ulnars.......................................... 20

Scribes..........................................24

Cordwigs......................................27

Orims........................................... 32

Lebycons...................................... 38

Unicorns...................................... 46

Talgends.......................................50

Shinslaps......................................55

Phoenixes.....................................59

Bennett had never heard of peplings or snorels. Come to think of it, he had not heard of any of these creatures before, with the exception of dragons and unicorns. He turned to page five, where he found ample amounts of information on peplings.

Peplings can cheer any person up, even when they are very depressed. Often people keep peplings as pets and hold them all day long to feel happy. Peplings are able to change color and shape, depending on who is holding it. It will appear as the holder's favorite animal and change to the holder's favorite color. They like to help people and make them feel loved.

Bennett turned the page again, this time to malgins.

Malgins are a type of animal that have the body of a dog, the ears of a cat, the claws of a rabbit, the gills of a fish, a shell like a turtle, the arms of a monkey, the tail of a tiger and the eyes of an owl. It can live in the water or out. It is very friendly and will allow humans to approach it. It has the ability to turn invisible for short periods of time. Malgins usually live in large packs called a shove. Their main diet consists of scribes and pepergliders.

Bennett turned again to a different page, this one showing information on cordwigs.

Cordwigs are furry balls of hair with no eyes, ears, or nose. They eat tigerweed through a small opening in their furry body. They are poisonous if ingested.

Then the book went on to explain more on what you should do if you accidentally consume one. Bennett closed the book and looked at Toby who was already asleep. He checked the clock on the wall. It was way past his bedtime. He placed the book on a table by the bed and went to the dresser to take out his blue and red pajama bottoms. They were the same shade of blue as his bedroom walls at home. He changed into them and climbed in bed. The sheets were still warm from where he had been sitting. He yawned wildly, closing his eyes.

# Chapter Two

***

# Abandon Ship

Bennett awoke to the same voice that made announcements the day before.

"We seem to be having some difficulties with the engine. Don't worry, we have our crew working on it. The boat has stopped temporarily while the problem is being fixed. Go about your scheduled activities as planned," it said.

Bennett turned over in his bed and faced the window. Outside the sun was rising. He sat up and went to pour out food for Toby as he did every morning. He chose to wear his preferred black basketball shorts with his favorite red soccer jersey. He checked his appearance in the bathroom mirror and ran his fingers through his hair to make it stick up more. His hurt finger that black yesterday was back to its original color. Flexing his fingers, he saw no trace of the bite wound. With a shrug, he went out the door of his room.

On his way to the dining hall, Bennett saw the man from the day before walking down the hallway. The way Mr. Smith walked, looking nervously around gave the impression he didn't want to be seen. Bennett wanted to follow him like they do in spy movies. After all, he had nobody to tell him no too, and food could wait.

He stuck close to the wall, feeling along with his hands as he followed Mr. Smith, stopping when the man reached the end of the hallway. He opened a door that read "Employees Only," and slipped inside. Bennett scurried up to the door and put his ear to it. He couldn't hear very much except clicking, like the sound of buttons being pushed. Then he heard a noise from behind him. More guests were waking up and going to get their breakfast. He stepped away from the door, trying not to let it be obvious that he was spying. When the door opened again, the man stepped out. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he pulled out a hanky to wipe it away.

"Oh, hello there, Philip," he said. "What are you doing up so early? Where are your parents?" Mr. Smith's dark eyes looked almost black. His smile more frightening than friendly.

"They're already getting breakfast," he said calmly, continuing his lie from the day before. "I'm supposed to meet them there."

"Oh, well then I shouldn't keep you," said Mr. Smith as he turned and walked away. Bennett looked back over his shoulder; no one was there. He pulled on the handle to the room where the man had just come from and poked his head in. Inside the room there were buttons and wires covering the walls. This must be one of the control rooms, he thought.

Just as Bennett pulled his head out of the door, the boat jolted backward, sending him falling to the floor. He pulled his head up and looked around. People came running out of their rooms screaming. Bennett could taste the salty blood in his mouth; he had split his lip when he fell. Alarms were ringing from all directions. The intercom on the ceiling began speaking again, "Please remain calm. We have probably hit a reef. The alarms will turn off in a minute. Please return to your rooms," the voice said.

A round man wearing a navy blue uniform came running down the hall and shoved Bennett to the side.

"Move out of the way, kid!" he yelled. The man went into the room with all the wires. "Captain! Come quick! Something's gone wrong with the steering controls!" Another man wearing a captain's hat came running around the corner.

"Why weren't you in the room?" the captain yelled.

"B-b-bathroom break, sir." The employee looked frightened and Bennett didn't blame him; the captain's face had gone red and veins were popping out of his neck as if his furry was building up inside him, ready to burst.

The boat swayed and rocked like a seesaw on a child's playground as Bennett tried to stand. After a few wobbly steps, Bennett found his balance and sprinted to his room.

"Toby, I'm coming. Hang on!" Bennett raced over to Toby's cage and found it open. Toby was not inside.

"Toby?" He whipped his head around, left and right. "It's not funny, Toby." He crawled over to the bed and looked under the box springs. Nothing there.

Bennett turned to check the bathroom just as Toby came running into the room from the hallway, stopping by Bennett's foot.

"Where have you been?" Bennett asked, frowning. "How did you get in the hallway?" Maybe he'd forgot to latch the lock on his cage before he left for breakfast, he thought.

The boat rocked violently, but this time Bennett put his arms out and caught himself before hitting the ground. Grunting from a pain in his wrist, he pushed himself up and scooped Toby off the floor, attaching him to his leash.

"It's going to be okay, Toby. I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered soothingly into the rabbit's ear. Trying to calm his own fears. What if the boat sank? What if he was lost in the ocean forever? Sure, he could keep his head above the water for a while, but he was no Olympic swimmer. Sooner or later he'd go under and not come back up.

The intercom came on again. "Everyone report to the front deck! The ship is beginning to sink quickly!" shrieked the voice. That's all Bennett needed to hear. He didn't stop to take anything from his room. Not his video games, not a single book. He sprinted out the door with only Toby in his arms.

When Bennett got to the front deck he found chaos. Looking around, not sure of what to do, he pushed his way over to the rail of the boat and looked down. That was probably a bad idea. The sea was churning and the waves brought the boat up and down violently.

He turned back around in time to see a huge ball of fire fall from the sky like a meteor. It slammed into the boat. Planks of wood shot into the air as the crackling blaze swept up the hull of the ship. Bennett glanced down to see Toby's eyes bulging from their sockets, his heart beating frantically against the hand that cradled him. It was a look of utter terror.

People were on fire, running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Women and children were being thrown into the ocean to douse the flames. Some men were dropping over the railing as well, including Charlie Kline. Coward, he thought. Bennett knew what he needed to do. He just had to work up the courage to do it.

"It's just like diving into a pool," he said to himself as he put one leg over the railing. Yeah right, he thought, a pool that's a million feet deep and full of who knows what kind of creatures that would love to see Minced-Bennett on the menu. He tied Toby's leash to his wrist, held his pet close to his chest, took a deep breathe, and launched himself over the side railing of the boat with all his vigor. The ocean seemed far away as he plunged farther and farther down. Then the inevitable came.

The air was knocked right out of his lungs in a spew of bubbles, like the air stone in his dad's fish tank. Kicking his legs and flapping his free arm, he managed to right himself. When he reached the surface, he gasped and pulled in the salty air as if he'd never breathed before. His lungs burned from exhaustion and salt water, but he'd lived through the plunge and that was what mattered. But this was only the first part of his plan. Now he needed to think of what to do next.

The ocean was unpleasantly cold like the time he went swimming at his aunt's house in the middle of February.

"Just jump in," his older cousin, Philip, had said. "It isn't that cold! Are you chicken? Bak-bak!" When Bennett went to the edge of the pool, Philip had pushed him in. The freezing water was paralyzing.

If only Philip could see Bennett now.

He looked down at Toby to see him kicking instinctively in the water. A built in survival response. Bennett envied him because while Toby knew he had to swim to live, Bennett was stumped as to what to do next.

"It's okay, boy," he said reassuringly, although it was more for himself than Toby. Bennett looked around for the first time since he hit the blue sea. The boat was almost halfway under water now. Blue waves stretched for miles around him. Off in the distance he thought he could barely make out an island.

That's our best bet, he thought. Bennett began swimming in the direction of land. He knew he couldn't make it all the way but it was better than just floating there by the sinking boat, helplessly waiting for someone to rescue him. He looked around; there were things floating around him from the ship. Clothing, suitcases, splintered wood, and other debris were now being lost to the ocean floor forever. A large fragment of a scorched wooden door was floating a few feet away from him. He swam over to it and climbed on. He set Toby on the tip of the splintered wood, laid on his stomach, and started paddling with his arms.

Bennett continued for hours until he couldn't make it any further. His arms were aching from the repeated muscle contractions of paddling, and the sun had blistered his skin. He turned over on his back and pulled Toby onto his chest. He had to close his eyes against the sun's rays. Toby licked Bennett's arms.

"Cut that out, boy," he said with a small smile on his face. He peeked out from under his lashes to see Toby staring at him. "I just need to rest for a while."

It was bright when he opened his eyes so he closed them again. The sun had kissed his face and eyelids with a fiery red color as he slept. Bennett opened his eyes slowly again, and lifted his hand to shield his face from the scorching rays. He could feel a solid surface under him, no longer at the mercy of the waves. Voices were somewhere in the distance but couldn't visibly find the source of the sound.

"Poor boy," said a woman. "Where did he come from?"

"Perhaps he is one of the campers?" a male voice answered.

A black and white dog trotted up to him, nudged his shoulder and whined. Bennett scanned the dog's fury face. It's round blue eyes were sparkling and bright. The dog examined him with a worried expression, whining in his ear. Bennett tried to push himself up with his elbows into a sitting position but a sharp pain twisted in his leg and he collapsed back onto the sandy ground with a gasp.

"Oh dear," the woman said. He felt cool hands touch his blistered cheeks. "Let's get him inside." He felt someone tug on his arms and legs. He let out a shriek of pain and embraced the darkness that was tugging at his consciousness.

# Chapter Three

***

# Isla De Sangre Mala

When Bennett awoke he found himself warm and comfortable in a big squishy bed. He lifted his head to find it throbbing and bandaged around his left ear. He laid back down gingerly and looked around the room. The walls were a dark shade of green, covered with paintings of flowers. A brown dresser with an empty vase on the top sat between a door and a window, out of which Bennett could see the sun shining in the distance. Alongside the bed where he lay was a brown night stand with a lamp, tissue box, and a book entitled How to Care for Wounds, by Brandi Miller. At the foot of the bed sat his rabbit Toby, looking very comfortable.

The door by the dresser opened and in stepped an elderly women. She was taller than his mom, with pale skin. Her eyes reminded him of the ocean. He shuddered. He never wanted to think of the ocean or any body of water for a long time.

She walked over to Bennett and mixed potions of silver, red, and blue in a bowl by his bed. She poured the contents of the mixing bowl into a glass and handed it to Bennett. He took it from her and starred into the cup.

"Drink it, it's good for you," she finally said. He looked up at her with a frown.

"Who are you? Where am I?" He suddenly felt defeated. His body had been through so much. He wiped his nose on the back of his hand. He was not going to cry in front of this person. He'd wait until she left.

"My name is Nurse Skinner and I am the nurse here at Camp Fire Tooth. You're on Isla De Sangre Mala. We found you washed up on our shore three days ago. You're in the hospital ward. You must have hit your head on the rocks because it was bleeding pretty bad, and your leg is fractured."

Bennett looked down at his leg. He hadn't noticed the white cast wrapped around it, stretching from his foot up to just below his right knee cap. He turned back to Nurse Skinner, mouth open.

"A couple more days should heal it if you drink this potion everyday," she said, sensing his confusion. "But that's not important right now. I need to know who you are and where you came from," she said. She pulled a chair up to his bed and sat.

"My name's Bennett Nelson. I was on a boat, traveling to visit my dad. The ship hit something, or maybe something hit the ship. I don't really know. I ran out on the deck just as a huge ball of fire fell from the sky" Bennett stretched his arms out as if he could show how big the fire was. "The whole ship caught fire. I had to jump into the sea so I wouldn't be burnt to a crisp. The boat was going down fast so I swam as far as I could on a wooden door toward what I thought was an island, but I couldn't make it all the way. The last thing I remember is just floating in the current." He took a deep breath, remembering the heat from the flames and his exhaustion.

"You're telling me that you are in fact the Bennett Nelson?" she asked with wide eyes.

"What do you mean by the Bennett Nelson?"

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I must go tell the others at once! Bless you child!" she said, her face stretched in a full grin. She jumped up from the chair and ran out of the room. "Everyone come quickly!"

Bennett glanced down at Toby, content at the foot of the bed with his legs tucked under his belly and ears laid back.

Nurse Skinner soon came back with six adults looking just as amazed as she. One of them, a woman, approached the side of his bed. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "My name is Counselor Zamora. This is Counselor Blevins; she teaches potions, or medicines as some call it." Bennett couldn't help but notice a big mole on Counselor Blevins' left cheek, like a chocolate chip.

"Next to her is Counselor Galldora; she teaches care of dragons and safety," she said. Bennett looked at Galldora. She was a very large woman with muscles rippling over her arms and legs. At first glance she could almost be mistaken for a man.

"Dragon safety?" he said. "But dragons aren't real."

"Dragons not real? Don't be ridiculous. Of course dragons are real, boy! How else would I have gotten all these nasty scars?" Galldora pointed to her arms as if that would change his mind.

"Dragons are only in books," he explained.

"They may be from books where you come from, but not here. Here on the island, there are dragons, dwarves, elves, fairies and other grand and wondrous creatures," she said.

Bennett really wanted to tell this lady that she was crazy, but that would be rude, so instead he settled with "Really?"

"Of course! Why would I joke about that?"

"Anyway, moving on, over there by the dresser," began Zamora, "is counselor Finley; he teaches botanical science." Finley stepped closer to Bennett and bowed slightly and said, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." His heart shaped face sat on a long neck and his hair was short and combed neatly.

"Next is counselor Septimus who teaches ancient zoology," said Zamora. Septimus looked at Bennett with a strange expression. He was a thin man, tall with short brown hair. His big nose distracted onlookers from the rest of his face. Bennett was well aware that he shouldn't judge a book by his cover, but he wasn't sure what to think about this man.

"And of course you know Nurse Skinner; she is the medical director for all the campers," said Zamora. "And I am in charge of the campers physical activities."

"Why is everyone so happy to see me?" Bennett said. The counselors stared at him blankly; one of them cleared his throat.

"You mean you don't know?" asked Blevins.

"Know what?" He tried to push himself up higher in the bed, but Nurse Skinner scuttled forward and pushed him back down.

"Your name is engraved on the Shield of Stone!" said Finley, moving from foot to foot like he couldn't stand still.

"I don't know what that is." Were all of these people crazy?

"The Shield of Stone holds the names of our greatest warriors, most powerful leaders, and protectors," clarified Zamora.

"But I'm not a warrior or a leader," said Bennett, shrugging his shoulders, "or a protector. I'm only twelve-years-old."

"Time will soon tell," said Galldora. Her face shifted in what Bennett assumed was supposed to be a smile, but looked more like a grimace.

"All right, it's getting late now; let's let him rest. Everyone out," said Nurse Skinner, winking at Bennett as she shuffled everyone out the door, single file. "There's always tomorrow." She turned to Bennett before leaving. "You get some sleep; you've got a very busy day ahead of you." Bennett opened his mouth to ask what tomorrow was, but she shut the door and left him alone.

A horse derby was taking place inside his head. Questions racing around the track of his mind, competing for attention, but his body had been through so much that it demanded rest from him. He closed his eyes and let sleep wash him away.

The next day he awoke with so much energy he couldn't sit still. The day before felt like a dream to him. He slowly tried sitting up; this time his head allowing him. He pulled his feet out of bed and put them on the cold floor. So far so good, he thought. He looked over and found a note on the nightstand.

Mr. Nelson,

Please feel free to use the crutches that I have provided to move about the ward. Drink the potion next to this note; it will help to give you strength, but only for an hour. Don't leave the ward unless I or another counselor is with you. There are dangerous creatures lurking around and if you don't know what you're doing, you could get yourself killed.

#  Nurse Skinner

Bennett picked up the potion next to his bed and peered into the glass. A chunky mixture, blue in color, produced tiny orange bubbles and tickled his face. Holding his nose, he swallowed the contents of the glass. The mixture tasted sweet at first, but turned sour in his mouth, making him pucker.

He set the glass down and stretched. Toby was not at the end of the bed anymore. Bennett reached out and took the crutches that leaned against the wall. Standing up proved to be a much greater challenge than he'd thought. Finally he was vertical, his whole body swaying. Just as he felt like he would collapse, a wave of energy fell over him like a warm breeze. He felt better than he'd ever felt in his life. Right now, he thought, I could save the world.

Bennett had never had to use crutches and it took him a while to get used to them. He hobbled over to the door next to the dresser, opened it, and stood there. He couldn't believe his eyes. Outside of his room was another room half the size a football field with a ceiling vaulted high above his head.

Sunlight streamed through the skylights, casting light over the tile floor, the color of dessert sand. All around the room, were beds, shoved against the walls, none of which were occupied. Next to the beds there were the identical wooden night stands, same as the one in his room.

He moved about the ward slowly, taking in every detail. At the far end of the ward stood a door, large enough for a giant to fit through. A light breeze floated inside through open windows, out of which Bennett saw nothing but green plant life.

Toby sat on the farthest bed from Bennett, staring out an open window, focused on something Bennett couldn't see. Bennett went over to see what was so interesting.

"Whatcha looking at, boy?" As soon as the words were said, Toby became airborne. Bennett barely had time to blink before Toby was out the window and hopping into a thick patch of trees and bushes.

"Hey! Get back here, Toby!" he yelled. Toby was all he had left. He couldn't let him get eaten by something in the woods. Without a second thought, he went out the door in search of his pet.

Trees ranging in all shapes and sizes were on either side of the hospital ward. A fire pit centered in front of the hospital ward produced small wisps of smoke. Bennett looked over to where he last saw Toby. A little white dot hopped off in the distance. He muttered under his breath and followed after it.

As Bennett struggled with his crutches, he couldn't help but notice the exotic plants. Some were bright blue and very leafy, while others were a dull brown color and had no leaves at all. One plant that caught his eye was a vibrant orange color with purple spots. It looked similar to a venus fly trap, but this one was big enough to swallow a full grown adult. Bennett hurried along, making sure to avoid the dangerous looking plants until he finally caught up with Toby.

The rabbit was sitting next to a large rock platform that held a stone, shaped to look like a shield, and encased in crystal. Engraved on the shield were names of people he'd never heard of, except for the one in the top left hand corner of the stone. There he found his own name etched into the marble.

Toby sat, watching Bennett without moving. Bennett slid closer to the shield, almost close enough so that he could reach out and touch it, but a fierce growl ripped through the air.

He turned too fast and the trees swirled around him. When his eyes focused again he saw an ugly beast with eerie yellow eyes. Its teeth were jagged swords that stuck out in every which way. Above the teeth sat a nose, pointed like a sharp, thin knife. The monster had black fur covering its massive figure, and muscles of steel bulged out of its chest, arms, and legs. Its feet were large enough for Bennett to lay across.

Bennett swayed on his feet, his bones turning to liquid at the sight. He knew he should be running, but his legs weren't receiving the message from his brain. Toby let out a shrill cry that brought Bennett to his senses. He looked around for something to use as a weapon. There were sticks and stones but nothing useful. He'd have to make a run for it, find a tree with low branches and climb for his life. He had no idea, of course, whether the beast chasing him could climb or not, but it seemed safer than hobbling all the way back to camp on a broken leg.

Off he went as fast as his crutches would carry him, Toby not far behind, and the monster gave chase. He was going to die, he just knew it. After surviving the shipwreck against all odds, he was going to become this things dinner. One of the crutches caught on a twisting tree root and sent Bennett sprawling across the dirt. Stones scraped his exposed skin and his head hit the ground hard, rattling his teeth. A large hand gripped the back of his shirt and he cried out, swinging his fist until he found his target and started pummeling it as best he could.

"Ouch," the monster said. Bennett looked up. It wasn't the monster that had grabbed him. One of the counselors was standing over him, gripping him in with one arm and rubbing his chin with the other. "Close your eyes, don't look at it!" Counselor Finley said.

Bennett wanted too but he couldn't. He hung limp in Finley's arms, gaping at the monster as it stomped toward them, each step like a clap of thunder in his ears.

"Go back to your Master!" Finley yelled, but the beast kept advancing. "You leave me no choice. You can't have the boy."

The monster grunted, or maybe it was a growl. Bennett couldn't tell.

"Bennett, brace yourself," Finley said. What did that mean? Before Bennett could ask, Finley did something. Something Bennett couldn't understand. But suddenly there was a bright light that burst from Finley's mouth and then everything went dark.

# Chapter Four

***

# The Suns Republic

Bennett opened his eyes. He was back in bed and covered in an awful smelling slime. Was it all a dream? No. His body was sore. Most definitely not a dream. He moaned. The door was open and voices spilled into the room.

"Why did that thing come here?" said Nurse Skinner.

"To get to him, of course," said a man. Was it Finley?

"But they know that they aren't allowed on this side of the island; that was the agreement we had."

"Well, obviously they know he's here," the man said. "He needs training."

There were footsteps then silence. Bennett turned his head to face the ceiling as Nurse Skinner came in the room, carrying a large jar of a purplish-blue substance.

"Oh, you're awake," she said, setting the jar down on the night stand.

"Yeah," Bennett mumbled. His voice came out thin and weak. He cleared his throat. Had they been talking about him? What kind of training would he need? Nurse Skinner pulled back the covers on his bed, exposing his legs.

#  "Wha—"

"Rub this on your cuts and bruises. They'll heal faster," she said and handed him a spoonful of the purple concoction.

"What happened to me? The last thing I remember is a bright light." Coming from Counselor Finley's mouth. But he left that part out. He didn't want her to think he was crazy.

"First of all, you disobeyed me and left the ward," she said, wagging her finger at him. Bennett had to stifle a bit of laughter. The gesture was so cliche. She gave him a stern look like she didn't think it was funny. Bennett swallowed and sat up straighter in bed, pulled his legs to his chest, and began rubbing the potion on them. He took a chance and glanced up at her.

"So, what was that... Thing? It had teeth jutting from it's mouth in all directions." He hunched his shoulders over and looked away from Nurse Skinner. The monsters black face was forever painted behind his eyelids. Somethings could never be unseen. Near death experiences being one of the most memorable.

"You were attacked by an orim. You're lucky that Counselor Finley saw you running off into the woods and chased after you; he saved your life."

"Is he okay? Counselor Finley, I mean." If Finley was hurt, Bennett would never forgive himself.

"A few scrapes here and there, but he'll recover."

He finished cleaning his cuts with the slime and handed the spoon back to the nurse. "Ma'am, what is an orim exactly? I've never seen anything like it."

"I'd be worried if you had. Orims live only on our island. It's an evil creature from the dark side of the island; the other side of the Great Divider. Some people say an orim can smell fear and that's how it tracks you," she said. "Once it locks onto a scent, there isn't much you can do to stop it. Of course, that is only one theory, and as with all theories, there is no proof. I don't believe it can smell fear because fear has no odor. It makes no sense." She shook her head.

"What's on the dark side of the island?" Bennett looked out the window. The sun shone bright as ever.

"That's a long story, but I guess you need to hear it. Maybe then you'll be more careful."

"Sorry about running off," Bennett said.

"What's done is done. You should know the history of the island if you're going to be here for a while. It started about forty years ago. A young man of about sixteen years, named Oliver, came to our island on a boat. He was a charming boy. Young and pretty. He craved power and power is what he got. People trusted him, relied on his decisions. Some even named their children after him.

"He was a good kid, but his heart was in the wrong place. He used his status to sway all the creatures to his command and made himself a king. He wanted people to fear him. 'It's better to rule with fear rather than love,' he'd say. He promised power to those who helped him. Sure enough, he recruited followers of all kinds. 'Course, not everyone wanted to follow him so they came together and plotted against him. That's when the Suns Republic was formed."

"The Suns Republic, you said?" Bennett had heard that name before, but where?

"Yes, I'll explain in a second. Now where was I? Oh yes, Oliver felt his name was too ordinary. He wanted to stand out, sound more intimidating. He took the name Luciadoye the Great. When Luciadoye heard from one of his followers that the Suns Republic had been created, he started his own group and called it the Moons Republic.

"The leader of the Suns Republic, Arthur Gorgonvenum, just fifteen at the time, met with Luciadoye and they came to an agreement. The island was to be torn apart between the dark and the light. That's when the Great Divider was built; a stone wall that runs in the exact middle of the island, separating the two sides. On the dark side the moon always shines, and on the light side the sun never sets," she said. That's when Bennett remembered where he'd heard the name.

"I found a book in my bag, wrapped in brown paper. It was written by that Arthur Gorgen- Gorgo-," Bennett sighed. "That Arthur guy and it was dedicated to the Suns Republic," said Bennett. "How could that book have gotten in my bag while I was on the ship?"

"Are you sure? There are only a few copies of that book. None of those books should have left the island." Lines formed between her brows. "Well, let's put that question aside for now because I have a more important one for you," she said.

Bennett sat up straighter. "Yes?"

"Why did you disobey me and leave the ward after I specifically instructed you not to? Didn't you find the note I left by your bed?"

"I got the note," he said feeling guilty again, "but my rabbit, Toby, jumped out the window and I had to get him back."

"Toby? Who's Toby?" Her eyes narrowed. Did she think he was playing a trick on her?

"Toby is my pet rabbit, you know, the one that was sitting on the foot of my bed yesterday." He pointed to the end of the bed but Nurse Skinner just shook her head.

"There hasn't been any rabbit on your bed. Are you feeling all right?" Concern creased her forehead.

"Toby has been sitting on my bed since I got here. I held onto him when I jumped off the boat and kept him with me as I tried to swim to shore. He's a white rabbit with black spots on his back and black ears. He was here yesterday," said Bennett. His fingers curled in his palms. He knew for a fact that Toby had been sitting on his bed just the day before.

"I assure you that there was no rabbit on your bed, Bennett," she said.

Before he could argue the matter any further, a blond haired boy came running in the room and blurted out, "NURSE SKINNER! Andrew's hurt!"

The boy's face was flushed, his breathing rapid. Nurse Skinner got up and went out into the hall. Bennett had never been good with curiosity. He pulled himself out of bed, grabbed his crutches and followed her.

A brown headed boy took up the first bed by the door, clearly unconscious. His short messy hair was streaked with blood and he was covered in dirt from head to toe. Nurse Skinner grabbed a towel and started to blot the boy's head.

"How did this happen?" she asked, turning her head over her shoulder to look at the blond boy.

"We were in the forest and there was this ledge. He just fell off!" said the boy. He was staring down at his friend, mouth drawn into a frown. "I climbed down to the bottom and he wasn't moving so I had to pull him back up and then I carried him here." Bennett saw the boy move his arm and wince.

"Well, Andrew is sure lucky to have a friend like you, Spencer, but you shouldn't have been in the woods unsupervised," said Nurse Skinner, clucking her tongue disapprovingly. The boy named Spencer turned and sank down on the bed next to Andrew and rubbed his right wrist. Nurse Skinner glanced back and saw him. "Did you hurt your wrist, dear?" she asked Spencer.

"No," he said, moving both his hands behind his back.

"Let me see it." Her hands flew to her hips.

"No, it's okay, really, I'm fine," he said again, only this time he wavered on the last word.

"I'll be the judge of that," she said. He sighed and held out his arm for her to see. "Does it hurt when I do this?" she asked, turning his wrist slowly to the left then to the right.

"Ouch!" He jumped up, pulled his arm from her and cradled it against his chest.

"Tsk, tsk. It looks to me like a bad sprain," she said with a frown. "Let me get some bandages." She left the room.

Spencer looked up at Bennett, like he'd just noticed he was there. "I don't think I know you. My name's Spencer Keaton," he said.

"Bennett."

"Bennett," repeated Spencer, tasting the name on his tongue. "This is my cousin, Andrew Spelldrum." Spencer nodded to the brown headed boy. "We're in cabin five." He pointed down at his shirt, navy with yellow writing. On the front of the shirt were two wings wrapped around a shield. In the middle of the shield was a bear, and above the bear were the words Cabin Five. The number five was centered on his left sleeve, and on the right sleeve were five yellow bands. Bennett looked over at the unconscious boy and saw that he was wearing a matching shirt. Both boys were wearing kaki shorts that were covered in pockets.

Spencer noticed Bennett staring at his clothes. "What cabin are you in?"

"I'm not in a cabin. I have been in the hospital ward since I got here. I was told Nurse Skinner found me on the beach so she brought me here and bandaged me up," he said. Then he told Spencer about the shipwreck.

Spencer whistled through his teeth. "Wow. So you're an outsider." He was quiet for a moment before he looked over at Andrew. "I hope he's going to be okay," he said. "He's not just my cousin, he's also my best friend."

"I'll be your friend," Bennett said.

Spencer blinked and said, "Yeah, that'd be cool, I guess."

Both boys looked up when they heard Nurse Skinner's shoes slapping against the linoleum.

"Sorry," she said, "but I couldn't find any bandages in my office so I had to go to the other supply closet at the counselor station."

"That's all right. We were just talking," said Spencer.

"I see you've met Bennett Nelson." She smiled. "It seems you two have a lot in common, breaking the rules and all." Spencer turned to Bennett with wide eyes.

"Bennett Nelson? Your last name is Nelson?"

"Um, yeah that's me." Bennett fidgeted with his crutches.

"Wow! I can't believe I'm actually meeting you!" said Spencer. "This is so cool! You're like a celebrity. Everyone on the island knows your name. I thought you'd be a little older though. You look about my age."

"I'm twelve," said Bennett.

"Me too," said Spencer. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to Andrew. "And so is he."

Nurse Skinner unraveled a long bandage and took hold of Spencer's arm. "Let me just wrap this up for you," she said, "then I can get some honeyceder leaves and mix it with marrowroot to make a potion for your pain. It will put you back in working order before you know it. Oh, and you'll be staying in the ward for the night. The potion can make even the strongest of stomachs turn sour."

"Lovely," groaned Spencer.

"Now, now. It's not that bad," she said. "Look there, your arm's all wrapped up nice and snug. Just try not to move that wrist for a while, give it a rest."

"Yes, ma'am." Nurse Skinner turned her back and Spencer stuck his tongue out. He flexed his wrist and then froze; his face drained of color and he muttered something under his breath that Bennett couldn't understand.

"What was that?" Nurse Skinner said.

"Nothing." Spencer smiled sweetly.

"I'll go get started on that potion right away," she said and left the room. Spencer laid back on his bed and sighed.

"I guess this will be my bed tonight." He held his injured arm over his chest and stroked the bandages.

"Well, at least I'll have company," said Bennett.

"Yeah, I guess, but I don't think you will want me as company once that potion kicks in," he said with a chuckle.

"You're better than nobody," Bennett said, "and I have a lot of questions to ask."

"Like what?"

"For starters, how long is camp?"

"All summer long, three months. This is week three."

"Three months! That's not fair. Back at home, our summer vacation only lasted two months."

"Only two months? I don't know what I would do if I only had two months of summer every year." Spencer pushed himself up in the bed with one arm and picked at the wrappings on his wrist.

"What's this camp for anyway?"

"Kids whose mom or dad works for the Bureau of Brotherhood," he said, his eyes burning bright.

Bennett cocked his head to the side and said, "The what?"

"The Bureau of Brotherhood. It's an organization of men and women that help protect the Suns Republic. They make laws and stuff," he said. "It's a great honor to work there. When I'm older I want to be the head of the Bureau." Spencer puffed out his chest.

"So they're kind of like police?" Bennett looked to Spencer, who didn't answer, so he asked a different question. "Who works for the Bureau in your family, your mom or your dad?"

"Both my parents used to work for the Bureau, until my mom died when I was six. My dad's been away on a secret assignment for a year now. It feels like I haven't seen him in forever. It's so secret, I don't even know what it is," he said. His eyes dropped down to the blanket under him and he picked at a loose string.

"I'm sorry," said Bennett. "Who do you live with, then?"

"My aunt and uncle," he said. "What about your parents? What do they do for a living?"

"My mom's a pharmacist and my dad's an architect," he paused before continuing. "And I know how you feel; I haven't seen my dad in a long time either. He and my mom got a divorce and now he lives in Australia while my mom and I live in the United States. I only get to see him once a year if I'm lucky. It costs so much to visit him, and because I'm afraid of flying and I have to travel on a boat." Bennett suddenly felt sorry that he had treated his mother so badly before he left. It was the first time since the wreck that he had thought of her. What would she do when she heard of the accident? He would do anything to have a hug from her now.

"Oh, sorry," said Spencer. "I guess Nurse Skinner was right, we do have a lot in common."

Nurse Skinner came back holding a cup containing a black liquid that smelled like raw meat. "Drink this, dear," she said and handed the cup to Spencer. He took it and looked inside.

"I believe what you said about this making me vomit now." He made a face and gulped the substance down in one swallow. "Hmm! That was actually pretty good; it tastes like globerry mints."

"What are globerry mints?" Bennett asked, feeling left out.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot. Globerry mints are a type of candy. They glow when you eat them and they taste like, well... Peppermints. You have a lot to learn, but don't worry, Andrew and me will teach you all you need to know," he said.

"Okay, boys. I am going to go patrol the campgrounds. If you need anything just push the button on the night stand and I will be here directly," said Nurse Skinner. "Oh, and Spencer, please do try to use the bucket, won't you. The last thing I need in here are more stains."

"Of course," he said and he turned over in his bed to face Andrew. Nurse Skinner left the ward and it was silent again. "So what should we do to entertain ourselves?" asked Spencer, looking at Bennett.

"Well, you could tell me all you know about Luciadoye. I—" Bennett started, but Spencer interrupted him.

"Bennett, you shouldn't talk about him so carelessly! He has men all around working for him. He's the most evil of all evils! He tortures people for pure pleasure!" said Spencer. "They say that if you look him in the eyes and you're not 'worthy of such an honor,' as he calls it, he kills you right there on the spot. He kills anyone who upsets him in any way; even his own servants are afraid of him."

"Oh... I had no idea," Bennett was taken aback by the sharpness in Spencer's voice. "I heard he was bad and all, but I had no idea he was anything like that."

"He's the most," Spencer dropped his voice to a low whisper, barely audible over the noise of Andrew's distant breathing, "the most despicable, horrible, slimy, nasty, monster there ever was," he finished, pushing hair from his eyes.

"So the Suns Republic is fighting him?" Bennett tried to picture Luciadoye. He imagined a man with glowing red eyes and a snarl on his face, and shuddered.

"Yes, it's a constant battle. He has always been one step ahead of us. He has ways of getting information on our every move. Lately he has been sending some of his followers to our side of the island. He is determined to control this land." Spencer shook his head as if he couldn't believe it.

"W-Why am I in the hospital ward?" said a voice next to them.

"Andrew! You're okay. I thought you were dead when you fell!" Spencer clapped and jumped off the bed.

"I fell?"

"Yeah, you know when we were on the cliff looking for the—" he paused, looked around, and dropped his voice, "Never mind, the important thing is you're all right." Andrew nodded.

The boys whispered lower so Bennett pretended to try to scratch his leg under his cast, not wanting to be nosy. Spencer must of remembered Bennett was in the room because he turned to him, then to Andrew. "This," he paused for dramatic effect, "is Bennett Nelson."

"The Bennett Nelson?" he asked, blinking wide eyes.

"Yes, the very one." Spencer nodded approvingly.

"He's not very old, is he?"

"Guys, I'm right here," said Bennett.

"Oops, sorry," Andrew said. "I'm just shocked is all."

"I still don't understand why everyone is amazed to see me."

"Your name is on the Shield of Stone. Every name on the Shield of Stone has done some amazing things!" said Andrew.

"Yeah, like Arthur Gorgonvenum. He's the one responsible for the Great Divider. He made a deal with Luciadoye that we would not interfere with their side unless they come over to ours," Spencer said. "People expect great things from you, Bennett."

Bennett rolled these thoughts around in his head. He had never considered himself as any kind of hero. He was just Bennett Nelson, the dorky boy in seventh grade that nobody talked to. Yet everyone here didn't seem to think he was so average.

They talked for hours until Nurse Skinner came back, shuffling trays of food.

"Good, you're awake! How do you feel?" she asked, walking over to Andrew.

"I feel fine," he told her.

"Good. Just so you know, you'll be staying here until tomorrow morning unless you start feeling bad. Then you will need to stay longer," she said in a motherly tone. "Oh, I've brought supper," she said and handed Bennett and Andrew each a tray of tasty looking food; spaghetti and meatballs. Bennett's favorite.

"After you finish this you need to get some rest. Bennett, you may sleep out here tonight if you want," she said smiling. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here you go, Spencer." She handed him a package of crackers. "I figured you'd like these instead of spaghetti, you know, because of the potion," she said.

"Good thinking," said Spencer.

"Well, I'm going to turn in. If you need me just holler." Nurse Skinner walked to the end of the ward and pressed a button. Long sheets of black cloth unfurled from the ceiling and covered the windows, drenching the room with darkness. If Bennett didn't know any better, he'd think it was actually dark outside.

Andrew flipped on a lamp next to his bed, casting a small halo of light around the boys.

"This spaghetti tastes great!" said Bennett between mouthfuls of food.

"I think I'll save these crackers for later. I don't feel so good all of a sudden." Spencer set down his crackers with a nauseated look. "I think I need to lie down."

"Ok, but try not to puke while I'm eating," said Andrew. "It would kind of ruin my appetite." Bennett and Andrew both laughed.

Spencer moaned. "I'll do my best," he said, "but no promises."

Bennett couldn't help but smile; it felt good to be happy again. The boys finished their meals just in time.

Spencer managed to say, "Look away!" before vomiting a rainbow of colors into the bucket Nurse Skinner provided.

"I'm going to bed," Andrew said, "before I get sick!" And with that he turned over and faced the other direction. Spencer reached out and turned off Andrew's bedside lamp. Bennett said goodnight to his two new friends and fell asleep thinking, This is a strange place. They seem to use potions for everything.

He awoke hours later from the sound of Spencer moaning in his bed. Bennett looked over at Spencer's dark outline, sitting on the edge of the mattress doubled over, leaning his head over the bucket.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Bennett asked, voice barely over a whisper.

"No, thanks, I'll be fine, I just —" he stopped, vomited again in the bucket and said, "Never mind, just go to sleep. I'll try not to wake you again."

"That's okay. I don't mind staying awake with you." Bennett sat up in his bed and pushed the covers back, exposing his legs. He shoved two fingers under the top of his cast and tried to scratch an itch. This is going to get old fast.

"No, I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

Bennett hadn't known Spencer for more than a few hours, but he saw that he was a good kid that looked out for others and took care of himself. Spencer didn't want others to worry about him.

Bennett laid back down, but couldn't go back to sleep. He was thinking of Toby, wondering if he was okay. He sat up again.

"Hey, Spencer, you still awake?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you have ever heard of an invisible rabbit that only some people can see?"

"What do you mean?" Bennett heard Spencer shift in his bed, the springs squeaked under his weight.

"Well, my pet rabbit, Toby, washed up on this island with me. I can see him but none of the counselors can."

Bennett had expected Spencer to laugh at him, but instead he said, "They can't see him at all?"

"No, they say that he was never on my bed when I got here, but I know he was. I saw him with my own two eyes." He was glad Spencer was humoring him, unlike Nurse Skinner.

"Are you sure you weren't just hallucinating or something?" Spencer asked him, but it wasn't mocking. Bennett didn't say anything so Spencer continued. "I mean, you did wash up from the ocean. I'm sure you were more than a little out of it."

"My mom has seen him, even my aunt and cousins, but nobody on the island can see him for some reason." Bennett slouched back onto his pillow and looked up at the vaulted ceiling. He wished he could see the stars, but he hadn't seen the night sky since he looked through the porthole of the ship.

"I've never heard of such a thing," he said, "but I believe you."

Bennett sat up again. "You do?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" Bennett didn't mean for it to come out the way it did, sounding like he didn't believe him.

"I don't know, I just do. Like, the gumlew. It's a type of cat thing that when it crosses your path, you die within the hour. People that had seen it and died told others before their death; that's how we know it's out there. Just because I haven't seen one doesn't mean it doesn't exist," he said.

"That's a weird example, but I see what you're saying," said Bennett and then he yawned.

"Get some sleep," Spencer said and Bennett saw him turn over in his bed.

Bennett didn't know why but he felt that he could trust Spencer with anything, even his life. This was his last thought as he drifted to sleep again.

# Chapter Five

***

# Home Sweet Cabin

Morning came and brought with it a warm breeze and bight sun. Nurse Skinner opened all the windows, letting in an earthy smell. Andrew and Spencer were already awake and eating breakfast of bacon and eggs when Bennett woke up.

"Nurse Skinner didn't want to wake you, but left a plate on the nightstand," said Andrew.

"Oh, thanks," he said and grabbed the plate. He looked around and saw Nurse Skinner at the end of the ward filling out paper work.

"You three can return to your regular activities today," she said without looking up.

"Can't wait," said Spencer who, by the looks of it, was feeling much better.

"The three of us? Where will I go?" asked Bennett between bites of egg.

"You've been assigned to cabin five."

"That's great!" Bennett finished his breakfast and put the tray back on the nightstand. "When can we leave?"

"Now if you feel ready. Wait here, I think I have your size." Nurse Skinner walked over to a closet and dug around for a minute before returning with a navy shirt and khaki shorts. "Wear this."

She handed Bennett the clothes. He unfolded the shirt; identical to Spencer and Andrew's. Bennett ducked behind a curtain to change, and reemerged a second later, looking just like an official camper. The material of the shirt was soft like cotton, but thick and strong as if laced with rubber.

"The rings on the right sleeve represent your cabin number," Spencer said. Bennett picked at the yellow bands on his sleeve. They were about the width of his index finger. "The girls in cabin five have the same shirts, except theirs are v-neck."

"We have to share our room with girls?" Bennett gasped.

"Not in our room. They have a cabin of their own," Andrew said. "Don't be stupid."

Bennett's face grew hot and he shoved his hands in one of the many pockets on his new khaki shorts.

"How was he supposed to know?" Spencer whacked Andrew on the shoulder and Andrew tried to jump out of the way. "Give the kid a break."

"Ow! You don't have to hit me," Andrew said, rubbing his arm.

Spencer and Andrew lead the way to cabin five. Bennett had a bit of difficulty because of his crutches, but he managed.

"Right this way," said Spencer.

Andrew clapped his hands together. "The guys are going to love this!" he said.

They only had to walk for a short distance before they came to a clearing in the trees. Five cabins sat in a half circle with a campfire at the center. Every cabin had a small porch with railing and steps. There were two windows on each front wall of the cabins. They were all identical except they each had a different number on the front door.

Andrew and Spencer drifted to the last cabin to the right and stopped at the door.

"Just let us go in first and tell them who you are," said Spencer. He and Andrew disappeared inside, leaving Bennett on the front porch to wait. A moment later the door opened again and Andrew waved him inside.

Four bunk beds and four dressers dominated the floor space. To the left in the farthest corner Bennett could see a bathroom. Piles of dirty clothes were scattered around the room; on the dressers, floor, and even on the open bathroom door. Two windows on each wall of the cabin let in ample amounts of sunshine to the point where Bennett had to squint.

There were three other boys in the room, each lounging on a bed, all wearing the same navy shirts. On the top bunk near the bathroom was a blond boy with dark freckles and a blistering sunburn. His pudgy face smiled at Bennett.

"That's Cody Fowler," Spencer said. The freckled boy, Cody, nodded at Bennett and pointed to the boy on the next bed.

"That's Logan Porter," Cody said. Logan also had freckles but they were nowhere near as dark as Cody's. The brown haired boy wore black glasses with enormously thick frames. Even sitting, Bennett could see his arms and legs were long and gangly.

"Welcome! Glad to have you here!" said Logan. He pointed to the next kid across the room on the bottom bunk. "That's Jake Bowman," he said. Jake's fiery red hair stood up on top of his head. He looked to be the oldest of the group. Jake could easily make the varsity football team at Bennett's middle school.

"Hey!" Jake's deep voice rang out. Andrew sat down on the bed beneath Cody.

"This bed is mine," he said.

"And this is mine," said Spencer. He walked to the bunk with nobody on it and sat on the bottom. "You can have the bunk above me," he said. He looked up and down at Bennett and his eyes came to rest on his casted leg. "Or you can have my bottom bunk since you have a cast and all."

"That's all right," said Bennett. "I can climb with one leg." To prove his point he leaned his crutches against the wall and hobbled up the ladder at the foot of the bed. The mattress sank and the wooden frame groaned under his weight.

Spencer jumped up and went over to the closest dresser. "You can have the bottom two drawers for your clothes and stuff. I only use the top two."

Bennett didn't have any clothes to put in the drawers, or anything for that matter; he'd lost everything when the ship sank. He bit his lip as the thought hit him. He had nothing. Not even the clothes on his back belonged to him.

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't have anything with me."

Spencer scratched his head. "Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"That's not a problem. My Aunt Missy can get clothes for you and anything else you need. Every other weekend we get to visit our families," Spencer said. Bennett felt bad. He didn't want other people to provide for him, but he had to be real. Where else would he get the necessities he needed, like soap, toothpaste, a comb, clothes, and everything else.

"Thanks. I really appreciate all your help," he said.

"No big deal. This weekend is the next time we get to go home. You can come with us." Spencer nodded to Andrew and Andrew nodded back in agreement.

The boys talked amongst themselves and Bennett hung his legs over the edge of the bed, staring at his cast. Just a week ago he was home in his own bed with a mom to tell him goodnight. How is that in such a short time, life could change so drastically while all he could do was stand by and let it happen? It didn't seem fair that he didn't have a say.

He looked up to see Cody tugging at a string around his neck, made from black twine and holding a single stone. The other boys had one too.

"What are those for?" he asked, pointing to Cody's neck.

"This?" Jake held up his necklace and Bennett nodded. "These are our most prized possessions. Only people who have a immediate family member in the Bureau of Brotherhood get these."

"Since we're just twelve, we only have one stone, but there are more to earn. This stone right here," said Spencer, pointing to his chest, "will burst into a blinding ball of light when it touches water. A chemical reaction or something."

"Yeah," said Andrew, "it can melt the flesh of any dark creature. They can't stand the light. That's why we're always supposed to carry one, in case we run into any trouble."

"What do you do if there's no water around and you need it?" said Bennett.

"We've already thought of that," said Logan, "we decided to just spit on it." He shrugged his shoulders, letting out a small chuckle.

"Do I get a necklace, too?" Bennett tried not to sound too excited, but failed.

"I would imagine so. Everyone in the Suns Republic has at least this stone," said Andrews. "Bureau or not."

"But there are other stones, more powerful ones, that only the campers can get," said Jake, eyes going wide.

"Wow! Can I see it?" Bennett held out his hand to Spencer.

"Sure." Spencer reached around and unclasped the string from behind his neck and passed it to Bennett.

The rock was small, about the size of an American nickel. He turned it over in his fingers and examined the other side where he found a small sun etched on the surface. He wanted to lick it to see what would happen but he decided against it when Spencer warned him it was only for emergencies.

"This must be what counselor Finley used to scare away the orim that was chasing me," Bennett said to nobody in particular.

"An orim chased you? Are you sure? When?" Spencer's mouth pressed into a hard line. "They aren't supposed to be able to survive on the light side."

Bennett told them the story about Toby jumping out the window and the orim that found him in the woods.

"You survived an orim." Andrew's face was expressionless, like he couldn't soak in the information.

"Yeah, but only because Counselor Finley stopped the thing from turning me into a quick snack." Bennett tried to laugh, but the experience was still too real to seem funny.

Andrew shook his head. "That's crazy," he said. "An orim would have driven you mad with fear. There's no way you saw one."

Bennett didn't know what to say to that, so he gave Andrew a blank stare.

"Anyway," said Spencer, breaking the silence, "that's what they're for." He plucked the necklace from Bennett's hand and clipped it back around his neck.

"So, what's there to do around here?" Bennett said.

"We have classes that we go to everyday. It's going to prepare us for the future when we're working for the Bureau," said Cody. "Kind of like a training camp. We learn what's going on out in the real world and how to keep the Dark One away."

"The Dark One?"

"Yeah, that's another name for Luciadoye," said Jake.

"He has many other names but they aren't very appropriate to say in front of the younger campers," said Logan, grinning slyly. This caused laughter among the group.

"How old do you have to be to attend camp?" asked Bennett.

"Camp is for ages ten to seventeen," said Andrew.

"I've been coming since I was ten. It was the greatest summer ever," said Cody. He stared at the wall, lost in a memory that Bennett couldn't see.

"We're going to be late again," said Spencer, looking at a clock on the wall. It was the first time Bennett had seen something that ran off of electricity or batteries.

"Great, not again," said Jake, jumping off his bed. "We'd better hurry."

Bennett looked away from the clock. "Late for what?"

"Late for class, of course," said Logan.

"What class is it?"

"Care of Dragons and Safety," said Andrew as he shoved a book into a khaki messenger bag. Bennett climbed carefully down the ladder, grabbed his crutches, and followed the boys out the door.

Bennett was watching the ground so his crutches wouldn't snag a root and send him falling when noticed that none of the boys were wearing shoes.

"Where are your shoes?" Bennett asked, struggling to keep up with the boys.

"What are shoes?" asked Andrew with a straight face.

"These," said Bennett, pointing to his foot without the cast.

"What are they for?" asked Cody, looking confused.

"To protect your feet," said Bennett. "You mean you guys don't wear shoes?"

"We've never seen something so ridiculous looking," said Andrew with an eyebrow raised.

"That's like not wearing underwear!" Bennett said.

"What?" Logan stopped walking and glanced back at him.

"Please tell me he's joking," Bennett looked to Spencer for an answer.

"Guys, stop messing with him," said Spencer, smiling. The rest of the boys busted out laughing, slapping their knees and carrying on. "And yes, we own shoes; we just like walking around barefoot."

Bennett felt stupid so he stopped talking. He tried his best to soak in all the beauty in the surrounding woods, but there was so much scenery it wasn't possible to see everything. Bennett had always liked the outdoors. He and his dad went camping once when he was seven. They'd gone out to a local campsite and pitched a tent to sleep in. His dad promised to teach him how to fish but it started storming and they had to stay in the safety of their tent. His dad fell asleep and Bennett had laid there listening to nature's voices. The thunder boomed over his head and the grass swayed in the violent wind. Everything seemed so real then, like he and his dad were the only people left on Earth. Ever since that night he enjoyed being alone outside, just him and his thoughts.

# Chapter Six

***

# Dragatounge

The boys came to a clearing in the forest; there was another campfire in the middle of it. Circling the campfire were long logs that had been laid on their side and buried half way in the dirt. Grass didn't grow inside the circle, but did on the outside. Bennett saw other campers following behind him and the boys, all wearing different color shirts with a number on their sleeves. A group of girls, wearing yellow shirts with a purple number three on their sleeves, had a horse in the middle of their shield instead of bear. They were already seated on a log watching Bennett closely, whispering excitedly to each other and giggling as he passed by. They must know who he is.

He followed his new roommates and sat next to them on a log opposite from the giggling girls and rested his crutches down by his feet. "Does anyone else know who I am?" he asked Spencer. "Besides the counselors and you guys?"

"I'm guessing everyone knows by now. Nurse Skinner can't keep her mouth shut," he said.

More campers poured in from the trail. A group of rough looking boys wore maroon shirts with eagles on their shields and four white bands on their sleeves. Another group of boys wore gray shirts with two green rings and a dragon. Bennett looked around. There were only a few boys and girls wearing black shirts with a single red band.

Everywhere he looked, Bennett's eyes met another camper's. He looked down at the dirt under his feet, feeling everyones stares crawling over his skin like ants. His stomach tightened, making him wish he was invisible.

A familiar black and white dog came from the trail carrying a bag in its muzzle. It walked up to the empty log at the head of the circle and dropped it on the ground and started to spin around in circles, chasing its tail. No, it wasn't chasing it's tail, it was changing shape! The dog grew taller and thinner as it stood up on its hind legs. Bennett gasped at the sight. His eyes were so wide, he was sure his eyes would pop out of their sockets. The dog transformed right before his eyes into a woman.

Counselor Galldora was now standing where the dog had been. Bennett blinked and looked at the other campers' faces to see if they were as stunned as he. The kids chatted away with their friends, laughing, and goofing off. Was it possible that nobody else had witnessed this mind-blowing trick?

"Guys! Did you see that?" he asked the people around him.

"See what?" asked Logan, turning around to face Bennett, chewing on the corner of his fingernail.

"That dog!" Bennett said. "That dog that was here just turned into that woman!"

"Yeah, I know. She does it all the time," Logan said. "Bit of a show off if you ask me." He shook his head and turned his back to Bennett to talk to Jake.

Bennett turned to Spencer for a clear answer. "What does he mean, all the time? How can a dog turn into a human?"

"Dogs can't turn into a human," said Spencer. "Only humans can change into animals."

Bennett closed his eyes and pictured the dog turning into Counselor Galldora again. "How?"

"Some people can change into animals. When a kid turns thirteen he or she gets to pick one animal to change into. On their thirteenth birthday they go out on a quest to get a hair, feather, or scale from the animal they chose. They bring it to Counselor Blevins and she mixes up a potion with the object they got. She puts the potion into a needle thing and injects it into your bloodstream. It doesn't work for everyone. Most of the time it makes you really sick. But if it works, all you have to do is spin around a couple of times and you can change into the animal you chose," explained Spencer, "but it takes a lot practice to get it just right."

Cody leaned toward Bennett. "I can't wait to try! Only two more years"

"Are any of you thirteen yet?" asked Bennett. Jake and Logan both raised their hand.

"I'm fourteen, Jake's fifteen," said Logan, clapping a hand on Jake's shoulder.

"Can either of you change into an animal?"

"Yeah, well, sort of." Logan made a face.

"What do you mean sort of?" Bennett leaned around Spencer to get a better look at Logan. He looked like a normal boy. Not a shape shifter. Maybe they were playing another trick on him. He didn't want to look so gullible again so he said, "I don't believe you. Prove it."

"Believe what you want, but it's true. You need a license to shift at will, otherwise I'd show you. It takes a lot of practice," said Logan. "Sometimes we don't always come out as the creature. We end up half us, half animal."

Bennett wavered. The look on Logan's face said he wasn't joking. "Sounds painful," he said.

"Trust me, it is."

"What animal did you pick?" Bennett directed the question at Logan.

"Raccoon," he answered.

"And I picked a shark," said Jake. He beat a fist over his heart, trying to look tough, but it just made him cough. "I've only changed once, but mine didn't take a lasting effect. All I got was a horrible flu."

Bennett tried to imagine Jake as a shark, with a long gray body, slick teeth, and a hundred pounds of lean muscle. Then he tried to imagine Jake trapping a shark. He opened his mouth to ask, but before he could speak Counselor Galldora clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.

"Good day, class," she said. "Now if we could all just settle down so we could get started. My name is Counselor Galldora and I teach care of dragons. The reason I am saying this is because we have a new face in the crowd. Everyone, this is Bennett Nelson," she said, pointing him out to the other campers, as if they hadn't already noticed. It's not like they needed her help finding him. He sat up straighter and brushed his fingers through his hair. The giggling girls from cabin three let out another bought of laughter, turning his cheeks red.

"Now, class, it's not polite to stare," she reminded them, but only a few of the eyes left him. "I want everyone to leave their stuff here and follow me."

Counselor Galldora led them deeper into the forest than Bennett had yet been. Thick trees narrowed until they opened up again to make room for an old barn. Bennett's heart sprang in his chest. A dragon wore a golden collar with metal spikes and was chained to a large rock on the side of the barn.

The dragon had to be, at the least, ten feet tall. Scales of blue cascaded down its back, extending over its four long limbs with five digits on each foot ending in pointed claws. The wide-set, frill-like wings were almost transparent against the blue sky.

Bennett backed up as the dragon's triangular head turned to look at him. Its eyes were rust-colored. Two small holes stood out on the side of the head; Bennett guessed they were ears. Projecting above its nose was a single horn of gold.

With its massive claws and teeth, it leaned toward him and sniffed the air, making the hair stand on Bennett's arms. He took another step back, bumping into another camper, but he didn't turn to see who it was. He couldn't look away from the beast. It was obviously a pet, because the dragon wagged its tail like a dog when it saw Counselor Galldora walk up next to Bennett. Its tongue hung out of the side of its mouth, forked like a serpent's. The cat-like eyes scanned Bennett's person. Did the dragon know who he was? It seemed highly unlikely that it did. Bennett sucked in a breath trying to stay calm.

"Ah, Bennett, are you still so sure that dragons aren't real?" asked Galldora, smiling down at him. "Come here, I'll introduce you."

"In-introduce me to a dragon?" He gulped and shoved his hands in his pockets, still leaning on his crutches. "Is that—uh, safe?"

"Don't underestimate a dragon," Galldora put her hands on her hips. "They understand far more than humans ever will!"

Bennett readjusted his crutches, reluctanly pulling his hands from his pockets, and took a few steps closer to the dragon. Galldora stood next to it and whispered something Bennett couldn't hear.

"I've told her who you are," she said, eyes sparkling. "She tells me you're a very noble person, that you will do great things for this island."

His face blanched. "How does she know that? Can she see the future?"

"Heavens no!" She laughed and stepped closer to pat the dragon on the snout. "Dragons can just sense things we humans cannot."

Counselor Galldora beckoned him forward and Bennett inched a step closer. Smoke swirled slowly from the dragon's nose, creating a chimney-like effect.

"What's her name?"

"This is Flame. She is an Atlantean Venomback," said Galldora. "She is the sweetest dragon on all the island. Come and pet her."

"Pet the dragon?" Bennett's eyes widened. He felt something in his stomach like he'd swallowed live rats and they were crawling around inside him, looking for an escape.

"Yes, just ask her first." Galldora smiled.

He swallowed. "How do I ask her?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot," she said. "You must ask in Dragatounge, the language of dragons."

He looked back at Spencer and Andrew who stood behind him. He had almost forgotten the campers were there with him. Spencer gave him a thumbs up and Andrew patted him on the back, encouragingly. "What am I supposed to say?"

"'yam I uoy tep'" She winked at him.

Bennett repeated the phrase and the dragon bowed its head.

Eurs, it said. Bennett jumped back. It hadn't spoken out loud. It was like it had spoken inside his head.

Galldora nodded approvingly and Bennett gulped, reaching out with a trembling hand, letting his fingers graze along the dragon's powerful leg. Her scales were as coarse as sandpaper. As his fingers lingered on her body, he became a part of her, like an extra limb. He could feel her emotions, hear her thoughts. He jumped back as if he'd been bitten and the connection was lost. Dragons are real, he thought and then laughed. It was all too good to be true.

"I need to start class now," she said. Bennett shuffled after the campers as they walked back to the clearing. He felt lighter than air, floating along like a balloon being pulled by a string.

At the end of the lesson Bennett was amazed at the things he had learned. He wanted to stay and talk with Flame but it was lunch time, so he followed the campers to get food.

The dining hall was a big room with rows of tables. Its ceiling was vaulted like the hospital ward, but this room had long chandeliers with candles hanging from them, unlit and dusty. Sunlight streamed through the open windows, leaving no room for shadows. Bennett wondered why there would be candles in a place where it was never dark, but he pushed the question aside for now.

"This place is unbelievable," Bennett muttered as he and his friends waited in line for food.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," said a young girl standing in line behind him.

He turned around. "Oh, hi." He was going to ask her name, but Andrew stepped in between them.

"This is my little sister Emma," he said. Bennett should have guessed it by her looks. Emma had the same brown hair as Andrew, only hers was shoulder length and messy. Really the only difference between Andrew and Emma was that she had freckles across her nose and cheeks and Andrew did not.

"Nice to meet you. My name is—" She cut him off.

"Oh, I know who you are!" She gave him a big smile. "Practically everyone does."

"Good to know." He turned to Andrew. "Is she your only sister?"

"Sadly, no." Andrew frowned and Emma slapped his shoulder. "I have three sisters and one brother."

"Lucky, I'm an only child," said Bennett. The line moved forward. He could smell the food now, making his mouth water. His stomach rumbled in anticipation and he shifted his feet to hide the noise.

"Yeah, we'll see how lucky you think I am when you meet them," Andrew said.

"Next!" interrupted the lunch lady. Bennett moved up to the counter and she handed him a plate of baked salmon. Bennett never ate seafood because he had owned too many pet fish in his life and the thought made him squeamish.

"Is there anything else to eat?" he asked her. She glared at him with hateful eyes.

"NO!" she yelled and then muttered something under her breath about ungrateful children. Bennett sighed and took his tray, nearly dropping it. Spencer took Bennett's tray and stacked it on top of his. Bennett was really starting to hate crutches. They made the most simple of tasks a next to impossible feat.

They went to the last table in the first row and joined other campers there. Bennett pulled out a chair next to Spencer and sat; his chair screeched across the tile as he scooted closer to the table.

"These," said Andrew, throwing his head in the direction of four brown-headed kids, "are my siblings." He gave them no more introduction than that.

The girl across from Bennett rolled her eyes and said, "Hi, I'm Kindle." She smiled warmly and pushed a strand of wavy hair out of her face to get a better look at him. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle under her lashes. Bennett's palms began to sweat but he couldn't explain why. He wiped them on his shorts and returned her smile.

The boy next to her grunted and said, "Kaden Spelldrum." Kaden's arms were crossed over his chest. He was the kind of guy you wouldn't want to pick a fight with. His short, spiky hair was styled into a small mohawk. He didn't smile like his sister. Bennett shoveled a spoonful of green beans into his mouth and nodded a silent hello.

"I'm Emma, but you already know that." Emma pointed to the last of Andrew's sisters. "This is my twin, Katie. Obviously we're fraternal." Emma leaned over and whispered to Bennett. "She's really shy and won't talk to people unless she knows them."

Katie's big blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of silver framed glasses. Her short brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swayed when she turned her head.

"Kaden's sixteen, Kindle's fifteen, and the twins are ten. This is their first year at camp," said Andrew. He bit into his salmon. Bennett cringed and looked away.

Cody picked up his fork and began stabbing away at his food. "Now that we've introduced everyone, let's eat before the Hensley triplets show up," he said, making a face when he tasted the mashed potatoes. "I'm sure they've heard about him by now." His eyes darted to Bennett and back to his food.

"Speak of the devil," said Jake, dropping his napkin and looking down quickly. Bennett glanced up and saw three girls walking toward them from across the room. The girls resembled each other, but all had slight differences. One girl's hair was down, one had a single braid, and the last one wore a lopsided ponytail. The girl on the left had freckles, while the one on the right had none. The middle girl had her hands on her hips and her hair bobbed back and forth with each step. Two of the girls wore menacing smiles except for the girl on the left; her smile was kind. They came to a stop at Bennett's table.

"What do you want?" Logan pushed his tray back forcefully. His expression was cool, unfriendly.

"We wanted to introduce ourselves to Bennett," said the girl in the middle, her voice confident. "My name is Madison Hensley." She jerked a thumb over each shoulder. "These are my sisters, Ariana and Kailey. Our mother is the warden here at Camp Fire Tooth." She said it like Bennett should be impressed, but he wasn't.

"Go away; nobody wants you here," said Andrew. Bennett looked down and saw that Andrew had balled up a napkin in his fist and crumpled it into a white lump.

"Watch it Spelldumb. That's not a very wise thing to say to the people who can get you suspended," said the girl named Ariana. Andrew was about to say something when Kindle put her hand on his arm to stop him.

The third girl with the kind smile, Kailey, just stood there with her eyes on the floor, cheeks red. Was she embarrassed? "Nice to meet you, but we've got to go," she said, eyes daring to look up at Bennett and then back to the floor.

"Yes, Mom is waiting for us in her cabin," said Madison. She turned to leave with Ariana following close behind her. Kailey looked one more time at Bennett and then hurried off after her sisters.

"What was that all about?" said Spencer. "Kailey's usually worse than that."

"She kept staring at Bennett. Maybe she's got a crush on him." Logan laughed and slapped his knees; the other boys joined in, including the unsmiling Kaden.

"I highly doubt that." Bennett could feel his cheeks burn. He reached up and probed them with his fingers, hoping the others wouldn't notice.

Kindle leaned over the table. "Don't sell yourself short, kid," she whispered. Bennett didn't know what to say so he pretended he didn't hear her and shoved more green beans into his speechless mouth.

"Yeah, right! They only care about themselves and their mom." Cody and Logan were still arguing about Kailey having a crush on Bennett, oblivious to Kindle's whispered complement. Bennett was grateful.

"I take it you don't like them?" Bennett said to nobody in particular.

"Like them?" Andrew scoffed. "We hate them! They're so nosey and they love getting people in trouble for the stupidest reasons."

"Do yourself a favor and stay away from them," said Spencer.

Three days later, Bennett was still the talk of the camp. The cabin five boys had just returned to the cabin from an agonizingly long class. As fun as botanical science sounded, Bennett was happy it was finally over. He didn't know how much more information he could retain about ageless leaves, a leaf that never wilted and were good for potions to restore youth. The boys were exchanging their books for their next class when the conversation shifted to the weekend.

"I can't wait," said Jake as he threw a brown book into his bag and plopped onto his bed. "My dad promised to take me fishing."

Bennett sat on his bed and set his crutches on the floor. He was getting annoyed with them. They made his armpits sore. His foot didn't even hurt anymore when he put weight on it.

As if Spencer read his mind, he said, "How much longer do you have to wear that cast?"

"I'm not sure." Bennett poked a finger down the cast, trying to reach an impossible itch that had been bugging him for days.

"We still have an hour before our next lesson if you want to see Nurse Skinner. Maybe she can take it off," he said.

"That's a good idea," Bennett said, sliding off the bed. He put his full weight on his foot. Nothing happened. He scooped the crutches off the ground and tucked them under his arms. "Let's go."

"We'll meet you guys in Ancient Zoology," said Spencer.

They left the cabin and went to the Hospital ward where they found Nurse Skinner cutting some sort of root at the front of the room. She looked up when they came in. Her hand flew up to her mouth in a gasp. Bennett looked behind him, expecting something to jump out, but there was nothing there. Spencer looked just as confused

"Oh, dear." She removed her hand from her face. "I forgot, didn't I?"

"Forgot what?" Bennett said, leaning the crutches against the wall.

"To take your cast off," she said. She picked up a pair of scissors she was using to cut the root and waved him over. "Come here."

Bennett followed her and sat on an empty bed. She slipped one blade of scissors under the rim of his cast by his foot and cut upwards. Bennett flinched when she nicked his skin, but she didn't notice. When the cast was pulled off, Bennett took in a sharp breath. His leg was pale and a great deal smaller then his left one. A small prick of blood surfaced where the scissors had punctured his skin. He wiped it away with his thumb before Nurse Skinner could see it.

Nurse Skinner ran her hands down his shin, feeling for any sign of broken bones. Bennett winced once when she pressed into his ankle. "You just need to build up some muscle and you'll be fine," she assured him. "I think you're ready to go."

"Thanks." He stood up and put a small amount of pressure on his leg. Without the cast, the weight made his ankle hurt, but not too much. He took a few experimental steps to get used to having his leg back while Nurse Skinner mixed up a potion for pain. He took it and swallowed the contents of the glass; the bitterness made him shudder.

# Chapter Seven

***

# Broadwinger Express

They left the ward with a half hour left before their next class started. Wanting to see more of the camp, Spencer took Bennett to see the lake. It was beautiful, just like the rest of the island. Bennett picked up a rock and skimmed it along the surface of the water. He watched as the rock bounced a few times and came to a stop before sinking to the bottom of the lake, leaving ripples in its wake. He had just picked up another rock to throw when Toby ran out from the tree line and straight at Bennett. Bennett jumped up, ignoring the pain in his leg, and jogged to meet the rabbit. "Toby!" he cried. "Where have you been?"

"Toby? Your rabbit?" said Spencer. He narrowed his eyes like he was searching for something.

"Yes, right here." Bennett held Toby up in full view of Spencer, but Spencer shrugged.

"I can't see him."

"What do you mean? Here, hold him." Bennett dropped Toby into Spencer's lap and Spencer jumped.

"I can feel him!" he said. He stroked Toby's head cautiously as if there could be an invisible alligator in his lap instead of a harmless rabbit.

"I told you he was invisible," said Bennett, smiling now that he know he was not crazy. Toby had been at the end of his bed.

"I wonder why only you can see him?"

Bennett sat down next to Spencer and took Toby from him. "What's in your mouth, boy?" He reached into Toby's mouth and removed what looked like a smooth pebble, perfect for skipping. Bennett reared back, just about to throw it into the lake, when Spencer screamed and jumped to his feet, looking around like he was blind.

"What's wrong?" Bennett couldn't understand what would frighten his friend so badly. He looked around, half expecting an orim to surface from the trees as Toby had.

"How did you do that!" Spencer yelled.

Bennett looked around. "Do what?" He stared at Spencer who was waving his arms out in front of himself like a crazy person. "You mean take the rock out of his mouth?"

"Let me see it!" Spencer held out his hand, a little to the left of Bennett. Bennett walked over and dropped the pebble into his friend's hand. As the rock connected with Spencer's flesh, he disappeared into thin air.

"Where'd you go?" Bennett looked around but couldn't see Spencer. It was just him and Toby.

"I'm right here!" said Spencer. "You mean you can't see me either?"

"No!"

Spencer dropped the rock onto the ground and his body popped back into view.

"I think I know what this is!" he said, arching his eyebrows and smiling like a miner who'd struck gold.

"What is it?"

"An invisibility stone!" Spencer bent down and poked the stone, turning invisible and visible again in the blink of an eye. It was enough to give Bennett a headache.

"Invisibility stone?" Bennett tried to wrap his head around the idea. He had only heard of things like this in books. Never in real life would he have thought it possible to completely disappear and reappear by touching a pebble, or any object for that matter. He leaned down and stroked the stone with his fingertips. He didn't feel any different, but when he looked down his body seemed transparent. He blinked and put a hand to his head. Being able to see through oneself makes you a bit dizzy.

"It only works when it's touching your skin," Spencer said in awe. "These are very rare!"

"What are we going to do with it? Should we tell the counselors?" Bennett dropped the stone and ran his hands over his arms and legs, happy that his body was back.

"No. Nobody should know about this." Spencer looked up at Bennett, suddenly serious. "We can tell Andrew but let's keep this a secret from everyone else. If they found out that we had this...well it wouldn't be pretty."

Bennett shrugged. "If you say so."

"You have to trust me, Bennett." Spencer's eyes narrowed. "It's better that nobody knows about this but us."

Bennett gulped. "I do trust you."

Spencer smiled and clapped Bennett on the back. He carefully picked up the rock and put it in his pocket.

The boys lost track of time and had to hurry back to the cabin to drop off Toby. Bennett locked him in the bathroom so he couldn't run away again while Spencer grabbed his book and a pencil from under their bunk bed.

Counselor Septimus held class in a cabin near the nurses' station. He was standing in the classroom by the front desk, arms crossed, his mouth a straight line. Spencer and Bennett entered the classroom and swiftly took a seat behind Andrew in the last row.

Septimus's eyes honed in on Bennett as he said, "I expect my students to arrive on time. Tell me, do you think you are above the other students here just because your name is on the Shield of Stone? You're lucky they don't cast you back into the ocean for the stunt you pulled with the orim in your first hours here."

Bennett was taken aback. Sure he was late to class, but was that a reason to bully him in front of the other campers? Bennett swallowed to clear his throat, not sure of how to respond.

"No, sir. I'm the same as everyone else here." Why was his throat so dry? A lethal vein pulsed on the side of Counselor Septimus's forehead, ready to blow.

"Wrong!" he sneered. "You are not like everyone else. You do not have parents in the Bureau. You shouldn't be allowed to stay here!" Bennett slumped down into his chair, wishing the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Then maybe Counselor Septimus would feel bad for yelling at him in his final moments.

"I'm sorry I was late; it won't happen again," he whispered, feeling every campers eyes on him.

"Lay off, Counselor. He's the new kid." Bennett's jaw dropped and he snapped it shut before Septimus could see it. He hadn't seen him say it, but he knew it was Spencer who was sitting in the desk next to him. That boy must have a death wish, he thought. Or he's just really stupid. In front of Bennett, Andrew shook his head and dropped it into his hands, not daring to turn around and look.

"Ah, Mr. Keaton." Septimus turned to Spencer. "Do you think Mr. Nelson should be punished for his tardiness?"

"No, sir. He is still getting used to this place," Spencer said, voice strong and clear.

"Very well, then. Have it your way," he chuckled softly. "You will serve Mr. Nelson's detention tonight. My office, the usual time. If your late, I'll double the punishment." Counselor Septimus turned on his heel and walked to the front of the classroom.

"That was stupid," Bennett whispered without taking his eyes off of the counselor. "But I appreciate it."

"Don't sweat it. If you knew how many detentions I get in one week, you'd see it wasn't that big of a deal. I think I've set a new record, actually," Spencer mused.

Septimus slammed a book down on his desk, sending papers flying. Bennett couldn't help pointing out to Spencer that if their teacher had been a cartoon, smoke would be pouring from his ears. This caused Spencer to chuckle.

#  "SILENCE!"

Bennett made a mental note to never get on Septimus's bad side then thought, oops, too late for that.

After class was over, Andrew and Bennett went on to dinner while Spencer served his detention. By the time they finished eating, Spencer showed up smelling like sweat and vinegar.

"I had to clean all the cages in his office! Ugh, those shinslaps sure can poo—"

Katie cut him off and covered her ears. "Stop... I don't want to hear it. Why are boys so gross?"

That night, everyone was fast asleep within seconds except Bennett; he lay awake watching Toby sleeping at the foot of his bed. The next day would be Saturday and he would go to Andrew's house and get supplies and explore the town. He couldn't wait. He'd been yearning to see more of the island, and now that he didn't have crutches the possibilities of exploring were endless.

The next morning the three boys got dressed and went to breakfast, which this morning was eggs and toast, before anyone else was awake. Bennett left Toby in the cabin.

"Please, don't leave the cabin, Toby," Bennett had told him. "I will be back Monday." He'd stuffed a bowl of water and a bundle of grass that he'd picked the day before under the bed. He figured that would take care of Toby for a few days. He'd have to worry about the lack of litter box later. Maybe since he was in invisible rabbit his... Nah, he thought, that's silly.

"Can't wait for you to meet the folks," said Andrew, stuffing his face with buttered toast.

"How are we getting there?" Bennett asked, moving the food around his plate.

"By Broadwinger. It's like a train where you're from but it is longer and can go underground or above," Andrew said.

"You mean like a subway?"

Andrew gave him a blank stare.

"Nevermind. Do you use them for transportation often?" Bennett dropped a forkful of eggs into his mouth and chewed. He wasn't really hungry, but he needed to eat something.

Jake cut in before Andrew could swallow and answer. "We use it to travel for long distances, but some people, like my dad, will ride a dragon instead," he said. Bennett thought about that. Would it be more like riding on a horse in a saddle or on an airplane?

"I heard it's fun," said Cody.

Yeah, as in oh-my-goodness-I-could-fall-out-of-the-sky-at-any-second kind of fun.

After lunch they set off on foot to the entrance to the camp where they hooked a left and walked for a while. They came to a stop in front of a big building about the size of the hospital ward and the dining hall rolled into one.

"This is Broadwinger Station," said Spencer. They pushed their way inside. It was all one room, except for the bathrooms which were to the right. Bennett looked up to the high ceiling where skylights let in the sun. He put his hand over his eyes and squinted against the glare.

The room was crowded to the point of causing claustrophobia. Bennett saw something flailing around in the corner of his eye. He turned to see a boy, somewhere around the age of fifteen, holding a stack of newspapers over his head and shouting, "Get your news here. Only one edifice coin."

"I'll take one!" said Andrew, holding up his hand. "Dad likes to keep up with the news," he told Bennett.

Bennett watched Andrew pull out a wallet from his back pocket and take a coin from it.

"It's our currency here on the island," said Andrew, seeing Bennett's quizzical stare. He handed the teen a bronze square coin and accepted the paper.

"Anything new?" said Spencer as they grabbed a spot in line to buy tickets for the Broadwinger Express.

"Nothing much, the same old, same old," said Andrew, handing him the paper after a quick scan.

Spencer's eyes slid over the front page.

"Here's something interesting," he said, turning the paper so all three of them could see. "Mrs. Hansen died yesterday at the age of thirty-eight. It says there was no evidence of a struggle." He looked at Bennett. "They can't find the cause of death."

"Who's she?" Bennett felt a pang of sadness even though he had never heard of, nor met, Mrs. Hansen.

"She's our next door neighbor, or was..." said Andrew, looking over the article again. "This is weird, we need to check it out."

Spencer dropped the paper to his side. "If the Bureau, who are highly trained for this sort of thing, can't figure out what happened, how do you think we can?"

"Well, it's just strange, isn't it? She was always so active and healthy," said Andrew. "Why would she just fall over dead?"

"You're next!" rang a voice. The boys had been so wrapped up in their conversation that they all jumped backward a step like they'd just been jolted with electricity.

"We're next!" cried Andrew, shaking his head. "We're next to die!"

Spencer slapped Andrew on the back of the head. "Calm down, stupid. She means we're next in line." Spencer stepped up to the ticket desk, muttering something that sounded like idiot.

Bennett let out a howl of laughter but snapped his mouth shut when Andrew raised his fist, playfully.

"Three tickets to the 9 o'clock express please," Spencer said to the ticket lady.

The woman behind the desk handed him three orange tickets with black lettering the size of a small envelope, and in return he gave her six coins. Spencer thanked her and pressed a ticket into Bennett's hand.

On the backside of the building was a train-like vehicle stretching for what seemed like a mile in both directions. The Broadwinger had boxcars like a train. Each boxcar had a door and three windows along the sides. The boys handed their tickets to a man standing beside the third boxcar and climbed the steps.

The compartment held fifteen red velvet seats, each with its own cup holder and basket of snacks. Hard tile lined the floor; the color reminded Bennett of cooled lava. Each tile had a diamond in the center. Bennett couldn't remember being in such a fancy place. It made him nervous. What if he spilled a drink, staining the chairs? He took a seat by the window, perching on the edge of the chair, and looked outside at the lush scenery. Bushes and flowers lined the tracks, designed for eye appeal like the rest of the Broadwinger Station.

"So what do you think? Classy, eh?" said Andrew, opening up his gift basket, pulling out a bag of jalapeno chips and ripping open the bag. "This compartment is only for the Bureau and their family. Sometimes, it's like we're royalty."

"This place is just... amazing." He didn't just mean the boxcar, but the entire island.

The Broadwinger shuddered, knocking Bennett back into his seat. He looked out the window and saw the plants start to disappear. They were moving.

"I sent a letter to Mom and Dad telling them who we're bringing home," Andrew said to Spencer. "You know, so they don't freak out or anything."

"Good idea. I can see Aunt Missy now. She'll probably run up to Bennett and hug him to death," Spencer said with a laugh.

At the mention of hugs, Bennett thought of his mom and how she always hugged him before he went to sleep at night. He missed her. Why had he yelled at her in the parking lot? He wouldn't have if he'd known the boat was going to sink. Now he might never see her again. He shifted his attention to the window, blocking out his emotions.

The trip took almost an hour to get to their final destination, making one stop along the way to pick up more passengers. Bennett had just been wondering just how big the island was when the Broadwinger came to a halt and people started piling out of their compartments.

Spencer and Andrew got out, followed by Bennett. He stretched his legs and moved his neck around. He could see houses in the distance, each built from stone with a chimney producing smoke, despite the summer heat. Children were playing outside the Broadwinger when they stepped off the platform. If Bennett thought the last station was crowded, he was sorely mistaken. This station was worse than a can of packed sardines. There was no room to move without bumping shoulders with a stranger.

"Are all of these people waiting to ride the Broadwinger?" Bennett asked, shoving his way through the crowd by the entrance.

"I don't think so," said Spencer as a man pushed him out of the way to get to Bennett.

"Bennett, Bennett! Pleased to meet you, son!" cried the man. He thrust his hand out for Bennett to shake. Bennett looked confused but took the man's hand and shook it limply.

"He shook my hand!" the man yelled above the buzz of the crowd. He ran around jumping and shouting to anyone who would listen.

"Um..." Andrew looked around in the sea of people. "I'm thinking we'd better get out of here." He grabbed Bennett's elbow and pulled him through the crowd of people who were tugging on Bennett's clothes, trying to touch him, some screaming his name.

"Good thing Camp Fire Tooth has fences to keep the crazies out," said Spencer as he caught up with them.

They pushed their way to the door and slipped outside.

"That was insane," Andrew said, breathing hard. He pointed to the left. "Our house is two blocks that way."

As soon as the words passed Andrew's lips, the door opened behind them and someone shouted, "He's outside!" All at once, the crowd of people tried to fit through the door causing the wood around the doorframe to crack and split, giving time for the boys to sprint as fast as they could to Andrew's house.

They turned onto Andrew's street, jogging now. Spencer was grabbing his side between strides.

"I had no idea I was that popular!" Bennett said with a laugh.

"Everyone's grown up hearing your name," said Spencer. "You were a celebrity before you were even born."

Celebrity. Bennett thought he could get used to that. Wait. What was he thinking? He'd done nothing to earn that title. He shook his head, clearing the thought.

Andrew's house sat in the middle of a fenced in yard with five burly-looking men standing by the front gate.

"Quickly, get inside," said one of the men. He opened the gate to let them in. They shuffled through the gate just as a mass of people materialized behind them, shouting Bennett's name as they charged forward.

"This is a bit more frightening than facing an orim," Bennett said as he scanned the crowd of his admirers from safely behind the fence.

Spencer tugged on the sleeve of his shirt.

"Come on, superstar."

# Chapter Eight

***

# The Offer

The house stood out from the others on the street. Red bricks framed elegant windows, a balcony jutted out from upstairs landing, heavy oak wood doors stood as the entrance, and golden drain pipes draped down the sides of the building.

Andrew's house was the first two story home Bennett had come across on the island. Out in front of the house was a well kept yard. A concrete walk way zigzagging from the front gate to the front door. Along the path someone had planted the most beautiful flowers Bennett had ever seen. There were purple, pink, blue, red, yellow, and even green flowers of all shapes and sizes, glistening as if it had just rained.

Andrew led them inside where the cool air greeted them. Bennett was careful to wipe his feet on the welcome mat by the door. Just outside the entry hall, Bennett could see that the floor was made of sand colored tiles and a large round rug sat in the center of a vast living room. Two pillars stood on either side of the front door. To his right was a grand staircase, to his left was a dining room. It reminded him of his Aunt Helen's house—big and fancy. He wiped his feet again, just to be safe.

A man wearing a buttoned down shirt and black slacks was standing in the entrance hall. Bennett wouldn't have noticed him if he hadn't spoken.

"Hello there. You must be Bennett Nelson. Please, do make yourself at home," the man said.

"This is Uncle Louis, but sometimes we call him Uncle Lu," said Spencer as he and Andrew took turns hugging the man. Uncle Louis was a tall man. A mustache covered his top lip and a beard sprouted from his chin.

"Honey, they're here!" he called over his shoulder.

"I'm not ready yet." A woman came from behind a door in the dining room, waving a large knife. "I'm still chopping the tomatoes," she complained.

The woman's light brown hair curled down in front of her face. She wore a bandana on her head to mop up her sweat. Slight wrinkles swirled around her mouth, under her eyes, and across her forehead, but Bennett wouldn't call her old.

She wiped the knife on the front of her white apron, leaving light pink stains. Under the apron, a maroon dress adorned with a tiny white flower print hugged the curves of her hips. She set the knife down on the table and jogged over to her son and nephew. She hugged and kissed them both. "No slouching, Spencer dear," she said sweetly. Spencer seemed more concerned with wiping the red lipstick stain off his forehead with the back of his hand then correcting his posture.

"Andrew, what did you do to your head?" She grabbed his head and pushed back his hair, revealing the scab on his forehead from where he knocked himself out in the woods. If it weren't for that injury, Spencer wouldn't have taken Andrew to the nurse and Bennett might have never met them.

"Oh, nothing. Spencer and I got into a little fight and I, uh..." He paused to scratch behind his ear. "I fell."

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves. You know better than to fight each other." She put her hands on her hips.

"Well, Andrew thought he could beat me up. I told him he couldn't but he wouldn't listen." Spencer gave his aunt a small smile but she was still glaring at Andrew and didn't see it.

Andrew looked like a puppy who'd just been caught chewing on a shoe. Wanting the attention off of himself, he pointed to Bennett. "Mom, this is Bennett. Bennett, this is my mom."

Mrs. Spelldrum turned to him, all smiles. "Hello, Bennett," she said. "I've prepared a bed for you in the boys' room. I laid out some of Andrew's old camp uniforms. They look about your size," she said, looking him up and down.

"Thank you, Mrs. Spelldrum," Bennett said.

"No problem, dear."

Andrew pulled on Bennett's shirt sleeve. "Come on, I will show you the room."

The three of them went up the staircase to the right of the entry hall. Upstairs there was a large living area with four bedroom doors and an open closet. Spencer pointed out all the rooms as they passed by.

"That first door is Kaden's. He won't let us in his room for some reason. I don't even think I've seen inside it for a year or two now. The second is Katie and Emma's room, and I would advise you not to go in there unless you want to attend a tea party or play with dolls. The third is Kindle's and she's okay with visitors as long as you don't touch her stuff. The fourth, right here, is ours," he said, stopping in front of a solid white door.

Spencer pushed open the door with his hip. The walls were light green. A bunk bed like the ones from camp sat against the wall to his left. To his right he found two dressers, one red and the other blue. A desk, piled under layers upon layers of paper and books, sat in the corner next to the window. Next to the door was a small bed. It looked like one of the nurses' beds from camp, only it was buried under stacks of clothes, folded to perfection.

Andrew pulled back the curtains from the window and peeked out.

"Your fans are still down there," he said, waving to the crowd below as if it were he they came to see.

"I think I'm going to like it here." Bennett sighed and plopped down on his bed, landing on a hard object. He pulled it out from underneath him and held it up. It was a small package, his name written in smooth black ink. "What's this?"

"I don't know. Open it up and find out," said Andrew, stepping away from the window.

Bennett ripped the brown wrapping from the box. When he popped the lid off, he found a smooth stone attached to a black leather cord. He took it out and turned it over in his hand. On the back of the stone there was the familiar picture of the sun that he'd seen on Spencer's necklace.

"Oh, good, you finally got one," said Andrew. "Don't get it wet unless you really need it. My brother, Kaden, forgot once and left his on during his shower. I'd never heard someone scream so loud or high pitched. We all came running, thinking it was Emma or Katie who'd gotten hurt. Boy was he surprised when we kicked open the bathroom door." Andrew chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah, good times, good times."

Spencer laughed with him. "Anyway, the point is, it's only good for one use. After that it's just an ordinary rock."

"Go ahead, try it on!" said Andrew. "I'm guessing this means you're an official camper now. They probably don't know what else to do with you."

What he'd said stung a bit. They probably don't know what else to do with you. Like he was some puppy that was left behind at the park. Forgotten. Abandoned. But Bennett was different. His family wanted him back. They were looking for him, weren't they? Bennett planted on a fake smile.

"This is beyond awesome," he said, pulling the necklace over his head. The stone rested against his ribs, but it didn't feel heavy; it felt powerful.

The boys talked for a little while and showed Bennett around the rest of the house before Mr. Spelldrum came upstairs to their room.

"Hello, boys. I need to steal Bennett for a while. Is that all right with you?" He raised an eyebrow at Bennett who shook his head yes.

"Bennett, when you're done, we will be in our room," said Spencer.

Bennett nodded and followed Mr. Spelldrum out the door. What could Mr. Spelldrum want with Bennett? Was he going to change his mind about letting him stay the weekend? Would he send him back to camp? Maybe he was mad about the fans that were still screaming outside, trying to get past the gate and inside his home. Bennett swallowed past a lump in his throat.

Mr. Spelldrum lead him to a small office where four adults sat in big leather chairs.

"Bennett, these are fellow members of the Bureau of Brotherhood which, I'm sure by now, you know what that is," said Mr. Spelldrum. "This is Diana Hensley, the warden of Camp Fire Tooth." Mrs. Hensley nodded and her brown curly, wavy hair bobbed up and down with her head. Bennett saw that her eyes were the same bluish-green color as his mother's. He nodded back to her and mumbled a quiet, "Hi."

"Next to her is Stacy Norwood. She works with me in the Criminal Justices Department at the Bureau's headquarters," he said. Stacy smiled at Bennett. She had short blond, extremely curly hair. Her cheek bones were sculpted under her skin to create smooth lines under her blue eyes.

Mr. Spelldrum pointed to the man next to Stacy. "That man is Dr. Montgomery Rivers. He's in our most important department at the Bureau. He's the only person who can make these stones," said Mr. Spelldrum, holding up his own necklace that held six rocks.

Dr. Rivers was a small, slender man with thinning black hair. Bennett was never a good judge of age, but the man looked to be around forty-five.

"He was born with a special gift; the ability to make the stones we use everyday. He has made many stones; stones of light, strength, secrets, and so many more." Dr. Rivers nodded. He looked frail, or was he scared? That didn't make sense. What was there to be afraid of?

"What about invisibility?" Bennett looked up to Mr. Spelldrum. "A stone that makes you disappear."

Mr. Spelldrum studied him for a second. "Funny you would mention it," he said, eyes still focused on Bennett's face. "Yes, he has created that stone as well."

"Yeah, well I read about it," Bennett said, shuffling his feet. Spencer had told him not to tell anybody, but technically he only asked about it. No harm in that, right? "I read about it in a book at my school."

"Your books should not mention my creations," Dr. Rivers said, eyebrows raising.

Bennett gulped. "Maybe it was a comic book. I don't really remember." He rapped his fist against his head and let out a half chuckle. "I'm not so good with memory."

"Ah, no harm done then." Dr. Rivers said. "I, too, am not terribly gifted in the memory department." He nodded his head forward. Bennett was about to say something when a man that had not been introduced yet cleared his throat.

"This man," Mr. Spelldrum began, "is Arthur Gorgonvenum." Arthur stood up from his chair, a fake smile plastered to his face, reminding Bennett of the look his cat used to give him before it lunged at him. He took a step closer to Mr. Spelldrum, just to be safe. "He is the Head of the Bureau, and a good man."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Nelson," he said. "A real pleasure, indeed."

Mr. Spelldrum prodded Bennett's shoulder with his finger, moving him closer.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Mr. Gorgonvenum," said Bennett. The man's name sounded foreign on his tongue. Bennett decided if his last name was Gorgonvenum, he'd change it. Who would want the word 'venom' in their name?

"Please, son, call me Arthur. It would be strange to call me anything else since we will be working together," he said with a flashy smile.

Bennett raised his eyebrows until they could go no higher on his forehead. "Wait? What do you mean working together?"

"That's why we've called you down here," Arthur said. He gestured to an empty chair next to him and Bennett sat.

"I'm only twelve." Where he came from, you have to be sixteen before you can get a job.

"We know you're young," Mr. Spelldrum said, looking around to the others, "but your name is on the Shield of Stone. You need training. It was Arthur's idea."

"So you want me to work for the Bureau of Brotherhood? Doing what?" Bennett sank down in his chair. His stomach felt fluttery at the thought of having a job. Half the time he couldn't even keep up with his homework assignments. How was he supposed to keep track of a job?

"You will be our spy!" said Arthur, eyes bright with excitement. "Don't you see? This is perfect! Nobody would ever expect such a young boy who knows absolutely nothing about the island to be in cahoots with the Bureau!"

"Who would I spy on?" Bennett asked. He pictured himself in camouflage, holding a walkie-talkie in one hand and a laser gun in the other.

"Anyone and everyone, but we will give you certain assignments." Arthur spoke excitedly, like it was the best idea in the world. "But, before you accept, there must be an initiation."

"Initiation?" The fluttery feeling in his stomach increased. "What will I have to do?"

"You must prove yourself worthy of the Bureau," Arthur said.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"That is what you need to find out," he said. "Don't worry, only ten people have failed this test." His words made no sense to Bennett who sat there dumbfounded.

"Ten out of how many people?"

"Oh, I'd say somewhere around twenty," said Arthur, who was still smiling.

"Now don't scare the poor boy!" said Stacy, speaking up for the first time.

"Yes, you'll do just fine, Bennett," Mr. Spelldrum said, reassuringly. "All right now everyone, I think we'd better leave it here for today. He's got enough to think about." He turned to Bennett. "You may go back to your friends now."

"Thank you, sir." Bennett turned to leave, his head feeling thick and fuzzy like wool socks had been stuffed in his ears.

"I hope you will accept our offer," Arthur called after him, but Bennett left the room without a saying another word.

Did they honestly expect him to work for them? Would he accept their offer and join the Bureau? If he did, how could he prove himself worthy when he didn't even know what that meant? They didn't even tell him what to do! All these questions and many more were racing through his mind as he walked through the house. Not that long ago, he was at home reading a book in his bedroom, Toby in his lap fast asleep from listening to Bennett read. Now he had to make a decision that could alter his life forever. If he joined the Bureau, did that mean he couldn't go home again?

# Chapter Nine

***

# Thirds

Bennett took the stairs two at a time. Spencer and Andrew were quietly talking on the bottom bunk and jumped when he opened the door.

#  "Guys, guess—"

"Ahhhh! I think you just gave me a myocardial infarction!" cried Andrew, grabbing his chest.

Bennett stared blankly back at him.

"He means a heart attack," clarified Spencer.

"Then why didn't he just say that?" Bennett walked in and sat on his bed.

"Some people like using big words; it makes one look smart," Andrew said, holding his head high.

Spencer rolled his eyes and shoved Andrew onto the mattress.

"What were you two talking about?"

"I just told him about the item we found near the lake yesterday." Spencer held out a brown cloth with a gray rock resting in its center.

"Oh, that," said Bennett.

"I can't believe you just found one," Andrew said.

"We had some help," Bennett said, but they weren't listening. "I have an idea," he said a little louder. "Couldn't we break it into thirds?" said Bennett. "So we can all have a piece."

Spencer stared at Bennett like he'd sprouted another head. "I hadn't even thought of that!" He looked down, his brows threaded together in concentration as he examined the stone. "Uncle Lu has a hammer in the storage house out back. I bet we could break it."

"Whoa, hold up. Would it still work?" said Andrew, a shadow of doubt in his voice. "We don't want to ruin it because we think it'll work."

"I'm sure it will," said Spencer. "Let's go get the tools."

In the back yard was a tall red shed with a brown shingled roof. Just big enough to house a small dragon, thought Bennett. They stepped inside and closed the door behind them.

"So what did Dad want to talk to you about?" asked Andrew as they started opening drawers in search for the hammer.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," said Bennett. "He offered me a job."

"Doing what?" chuckled Spencer. "Mowing the lawn? I've always hated that chore." He ducked under a table to look inside an open box full of tools.

"He wants me to work for the Bureau as a spy," Bennett looked directly at Spencer as he said it.

"What?" Spencer came up so fast he banged his head on the table and fell over. He grabbed his head with his hands, pulled himself into a sitting position, and groaned.

Bennett gave them the rest of the details, elaborating on the conversation he had with Arthur Gorgonvenum.

"What was it like to meet him?" said Andrew with wild eyes. "Arthur, I mean."

"Um..." Scary, Bennett thought. "It was cool I guess. He was just a regular guy,"

"I can't believe you're actually going to work for the Bureau," said Spencer. "That's my dream job!" He kept his hand on the back of his head, massaging the lump that was soon to form.

"Well, I haven't exactly said yes yet. And to join I have to prove myself worthy." Bennett looked at the ground. He still had no idea what they meant by that.

"That shouldn't be too hard," said Spencer. Bennett just stared at him.

"I found the hammer," said Andrew, holding it up.

"Great!" said Spencer, shifting his focus. "Now if my calculations are correct—"

"Pssh! What calculations? You barely passed math last year, remember?" Andrew scoffed.

Spencer ignored him. "If we hit it at just the right angle it should break into three identical pieces." He took the hammer from his cousin.

"Use this." Bennett held out a nail that he found on the floor and Spencer took it.

"Thanks," he said, weighing the small piece of metal in his hand.

Andrew cast a weary glance at Spencer. "Did you really calculate it?"

"Let me just line this up," Spencer said. He positioned the nail in the center of the stone, raising the hammer high above his head and bringing it down with one swift movement.

CRACK! Spencer hit the rock and a dazzling flash of blue and gold came from the impact, followed by a puff of purple smoke. Bennett coughed and waved his hand in front of his face. When the smoke cleared he saw that the stone had split into three chunks, just as Spencer said.

"Well, that was lucky." Spencer sighed in relief; his plan was a success.

"Let's see if it works before we celebrate," said Andrew. "I might still have to strangle you." All three of them reached out and took a piece of the rock.

And they all disappeared from sight.

"It works!" cried Bennett. He let go of his piece of rock and popped back into view.

"We need to keep this a secret. Don't tell anyone," Spencer reminded them as he folded a scrap piece of metal around the stone and strung it onto his necklace.

"If any of the Hensleys hear about this, we're dead," said Andrew.

"They would snitch on us so fast we wouldn't even know what happened," Spencer agreed.

"Won't we turn invisible if the stone touches us while we're wearing it around our necks?" asked Bennett. He was having trouble stringing his stone to his necklace so Andrew took it and slipped the stone on for him.

"No, it will only work if you're holding it. It's almost like the stone knows when you want to use it," said Spencer. "It's very complex magic."

"Huh," Bennett said. He pulled his necklace over his head and let the stones rest on his chest. Even with the extra weight, the necklace still felt light, like it would float away from him if it wasn't secured around his neck.

The boys went back inside the house with their precious slivers of the invisibility stones tucked safely under their shirts. In the living room, Kaden, Katie, and Emma were sitting on the couch playing what looked to Bennett like some sort of game. There was a board in front of them on the coffee table. On the board were little green army men.

Andrew let out a groan when he saw them. "Don't tell me you're playing that silly game again."

"As a matter of fact we are and I'm winning," said Emma as she concentrated on her next move.

"She may be winning now, but not for long," said Kaden, staring intently as Emma moved a green army man onto a black square.

Bennett leaned around Andrew to get a better look. "What are you playing?"

"It's called Battle Sky," said Kaden. "Katie and Emma made it up."

Emma looked up and beamed at Kaden. "You're about to lose," she said.

"How do you play?"

"You don't care about that. Come on. It's a really stupid game," said Andrew, tugging on Bennett's sleeve.

"It is not. I'm going to tell mom you said that," said Katie, folding her arms across her chest.

"You will not!" said Andrew, mimicking his sister's voice.

She scrunched her face up and said, "What makes you so sure I won't?"

"Because if you do, then I'll tell mom you were spying on Spencer and me again."

Her arms fell to her side. "But, I haven't spied on you today!"

"Ah ha! You said today! That means you were planning on it."

"Whatever!" she said. She picked up the board game, spilling little green men, and stomped up the stairs with a growl. Emma followed her sister, glaring at Andrew as she passed him. Kaden stood up from the couch and picked up the pieces that had fallen to the floor.

"Way to go, Andrew. I was just about to beat her," Kaden said, "And it's not that dumb of a game. It's actually kind of fun. Now I've got to go and let her win just to cheer her up."

Kaden walked past and brushed shoulders with Andrew, knocking him sideways onto the couch. Then Kaden was out of sight, leaving Spencer and Bennett to stare at Andrew.

The rest of the night went by quickly. The whole household ate dinner together in the dinning room. Bennett felt like a part of the family. It was very different from eating with his mom. Instead of two people eating in silence, there were nine people gathered around the table, talking about their day.

Bennett hoped that one day he could be a part of their family somehow. Maybe they would adopt him, he thought. His mom would miss him though. He started to think about her and he felt his eyes burn. Surely she had heard the news of the boat's accident by now. Was she searching day and night for him? Did she think he was dead? Would she find the island and search for him here? Bennett suddenly lost his appetite. He politely excused himself from the table and went upstairs.

Bennett sat on his bed which was still covered in the clothes Mrs. Spelldrum had laid out for him. He moved them onto the floor where they blended in perfectly with the mess in the room. He pulled down the covers and climbed under them. It had been a long day. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about his mother crying in his room, going through his things to get rid of. If only he could write her a letter to let her know that he was okay. A tear slipped out of his closed eyes and rolled down his cheek. You're too old to cry for your mom, he told himself, it's time to grow up.

Andrew shook Bennett awake the next morning.

"Get up. Let's go," he said, ripping the covers off of Bennett.

Bennett sat up in his bed and looked around. Spencer and Andrew were standing in front of him, dressed in camouflage from head to toe.

"Put these on." Spencer shoved a ball of green cloth into his hands. Bennett didn't ask questions, but changed quickly and met them in the upstairs living room.

"What's going on?" he finally asked once he was awake enough for conversation.

"Remember when we were at the Broadwinger Station and we bought the newspaper?" Andrew asked. Bennett nodded. "Mrs. Hansen was reported dead. Well, we just don't believe it; it just seems too unlikely. She worked for the Bureau; she had loads of training. She wouldn't go down without a fight."

"She lives right next door so we're going to sneak in and see if we can find anything," Spencer said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bennett asked. Breaking and entering was a crime where he came from, and he was willing to bet it was here too. But he couldn't just stay behind while his friends snuck into the house, could he? If someone saw him at home while Andrew and Spencer were gone, he'd look suspicious. And he wasn't very good at lying. Bennett reluctantly agreed, no matter how much he didn't want to break into a dead woman's house. What if whoever killed her was still inside? Bennett gulped and ran his fingers through his hair.

They tiptoed quietly out the back door. The fence between the two yards was only six feet tall and they climbed it easily. When they dropped down into Mrs. Hansen's yard, a friendly dog greeted them with slobbery kisses.

"This is Goldie," Andrew said as he ruffled the dog's untamed fur. They walked up to the back door and found it ajar.

"Why isn't it locked?" Bennett said. His stomach felt like lead.

"I guess the Bureau left it open." Spencer shrugged, unfazed that the door was left open after a possible murder.

The boys cautiously opened the door wider and ducked inside.

The room smelled like a bakery. Oak stained paneling lined the walls and a gold colored carpet covered the floor. They split up to search the house. Bennett scooted along the walls, looking for anything suspicious, while Andrew searched the desk in the front room and Spencer searched Mrs. Hansen's bedroom.

It wasn't long before Andrew shouted that he had found something. Bennett and Spencer followed his voice to the front room. Andrew was standing in front of a desk holding a dark piece of paper. When Bennett got closer he saw it was a photograph of Mrs. Hansen holding hands with a man Bennett recognized as Dr. Rivers.

"Look at the date," Andrew said. "This was taken a few weeks ago."

"Hmmm... I didn't know that they knew each other," said Spencer.

"And see how they're all dressed up?" Andrew said. "It looks like they were on a date."

"What about Mr. Hansen?" Bennett picked up a framed photo on the desk. An old baldheaded man stood with Mrs. Hansen.

"He's been dead for years," Andrew said, still studying the photograph.

"They were dating," said Spencer, stifling a smile and holding up what looked to be a love letter written by Dr. Rivers. The boys passed it around along with the photograph.

"That doesn't explain why she died," said Bennett. "Unless Dr. Rivers did it."

"Dr. Rivers couldn't hurt a fly," Spencer said. "Let's search the rest of the house. I'll take the garage, Andrew get the guest rooms, and Bennett, check the kitchen."

The boys searched the rest of the house but couldn't find anything interesting. There were no signs that anything was amiss. If Bennett didn't know any better, he'd think Mrs. Hansen still lived here.

The boys were about to leave when they heard voices coming from the front porch. The doorknob jiggled and they bolted out the back door. They clambered over the fence with such speed that they all went hurdling over the side and collapsed in a pile at the bottom.

"That was close," whispered Spencer. "Andrew, get off my leg!" He struggled to untangle himself from the pile of bodies, causing Bennett to fall backwards and whack his head on a nearby flowerpot.

"Ouch," he said, rubbing his temple.

"Oh-ho-ho, I am soooo telling," said a mocking tone that made the boys freeze. Bennett looked up and saw Katie sitting on the back porch with a book in her hands. She'd seen them climb back over the fence. There was no lying their way out of it.

"Katie, please don't!" Spencer begged once he was free from the pile.

She frowned. "But you guys always get me in trouble."

"Please, Katie," Bennett spoke up. "Don't tell on us. We'll do anything you want."

Andrew kicked Bennett in the shin and gave him a look that said you-don't-know-what-you're-asking-for. Katie seemed to waver for a minute; indecision flashed in her eyes.

"Fine, but just this once. In exchange for me letting you go, you'll be doing my chores for a month," she said. She set her book down in her lap and folded her hands, looking pleased with her good fortune.

"What! No way! We have our own chores to do, we don't have time for yours too," Andrew complained. "Mom and dad's punishment would be better than that."

"Fine," she said. "MOOOOM!"

"Wait!" Spencer said. "We'll do it." He looked at Andrew and Bennett before hanging his head with a sigh. "We'll do your stupid chores."

Katie smiled just as Mrs. Spelldrum came rushing outside, brandishing a plunger and looking startled.

"What is it? Are you hurt? What happened?" she asked, looking Katie over for injuries.

"I saw a bee and got scared," she said, sticking out her lower lip in a pout. Mrs. Spelldrum frowned.

"That's it? I know you're afraid of bees, honey, but that's no reason to scream like that." Her brows raised in suspicion and Bennett held his breath.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," Katie said. She was good at this. She wrapped her arms around her frazzled mother who patted her back.

"Next time try not to yell. I thought someone had broken into the back yard." Mrs. Spelldrum straightened her apron and glanced over at the boys. "I hope you're not up to no good."

"Us? Never," said Andrew who tried to give a reassuring smile but, to Bennett, it looked more cheeky than anything.

# Chapter Ten

***

# Back To Camp

Monday was the day they were to leave for camp. The Spelldrum kids got up early and packed their bags to go back to camp. This time, instead of the Broadwinger Express, Andrew's dad bought Bennett, Spencer, and Andrew each a transport stone.

"Wow, I can't believe it! You actually got us one!" Andrew squealed with delight.

"These are so rare!" said Spencer. He hugged the man around the waist. "Thanks, Uncle Louis."

"Thanks," said Bennett, looking at the stone, not realizing its value.

"Bennett, with this stone you can travel short distances by holding the stone in your hand and saying the secret words and the place that you want to go, but they only work for this side of the island. You can't jump over the Great Divider," said Mr. Spelldrum. "Not that you'd ever need to go there." He chuckled.

Bennett flipped the rock over and rubbed it between his fingers. "What are the secret words?"

"It's rather silly actually, but I thought it would be easy to remember that way. It's 'pudding cup vegetables'," he said with a laugh.

"At least no one will be able to guess it," said Spencer.

"Aw, Dad, why did you make it that? Don't you realize how stupid we're going to sound?" Andrew groaned.

"Andrew, you are not to tell anyone about this. No one is to know you have one. I had to pull some major strings to get these for you. You are supposed to be eighteen before you can even apply for one. That means you can't tell your siblings and most importantly, not your mother." Mr. Spelldrum raised his brows and crossed his arms over his chest.

"We'll keep them safe and out of sight," promised Spencer.

The boys fastened their new stone on their necklaces in between the invisibility and light stone.

"All right, does everyone have their bags packed and ready to go?" called Mrs. Spelldrum. The boys tucked their necklaces under their shirts quickly, making sure the extra stones were hidden.

"Yes, I think they're ready to go," replied her husband. He dropped his voice, "Now, boys, remember, do not tell anyone."

"No problem," Andrew said. Spencer made a gesture with his hands that looked like he zipped his lips together, and Bennett nodded.

"You boys better hurry up so you don't miss the Broadwinger. It leaves at noon," said Mrs. Spelldrum as she walked into the room carrying a picnic basket full of sandwiches. "Take these for the road. You three look hungry," she added, poking Andrew in the ribs.

"Ow. Thanks, mom," said Andrew as he took the basket. He made a face of disgust toward Bennett and mouthed the words "do not eat" behind his mother's back.

"Grab your bags and let's go," she said. She pulled her apron over her head and Bennett realized it was the first time he'd seen her without it on.

"Don't be silly. I'll take them down there. You stay here and rest," said Mr. Spelldrum, winking at the boys.

Mrs. Spelldrum stared at her husband for a second.

"All right then, have a nice trip, boys," she said and hugged each of them goodbye.

Outside was cloudy and wet; it had just finished raining. Bennett had to step carefully to avoid mud puddles.

"Now, Andrew, you go first, Spencer next, and then Bennett," said Mr. Spelldrum. "Just say the secret words or password, whatever you want to call it. Then say, 'Camp Fire Tooth', very clearly."

"Pudding cup vegetables, Camp Fire Tooth!" Andrew shouted. A whirl wind of light and color swept up around his feet, encircling Andrew and his luggage, lifting him, spinning like a tornado through the air, higher and higher until, POP! He vanished.

"Oh, wow!" said Bennett, still searching the sky for any trace of his friend. Unease crept into his stomach.

"See you at camp, Bennett," said Spencer. He grabbed his backpack, threw it over his shoulder and went up like Andrew in a tornado of colors.

"Remember to speak clearly, I don't want you ending up somewhere you shouldn't be," said Mr. Spelldrum with a warning look.

"Yes, sir. Um... is this going to hurt?" he asked, shuffling his feet.

"Bennett, I'm not going to lie, yes, it will hurt, but only for a little bit." Mr. Spelldrum clapped him on the back, making Bennett's already shaky knees buckle.

"Okay, then." Bennett gulped and took a deep breath to steady himself.

"You'll be fine," Mr. Spelldrum said.

Bennett picked up his bags, closed his eyes, and recited the phrase. The air around him turned exceptionally cold. He opened his eyes and saw the tornado of light slowly coming from the ground and covering him. He felt his feet lift off the grass and his body take off into the air like a rocket. His body was jelly, stretching thinner and thinner until he thought his spine would snap. Suddenly, he heard the familiar Pop and found himself hurdling toward the ground at an alarming rate.

Bennett threw his arms out in an attempt to soften the blow, but there was no need. Right before he hit the ground, his body stopped. He hovered two foot above the dirt and then, without warning, he dropped with a thud. Bennett put a hand to his heart and sat up. He was still alive!

"I see dad forgot to tell you about the landing," laughed Andrew. "You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, well, I think I am anyway." Bennett got to his feet, which were aching along with the rest of his body.

"That was so much fun!" said Spencer, combing the grass clippings out of his hair.

"Yeah, I still can't believe we have one. Even Kaden's not old enough for a transport stone," said Andrew, proud that he could be trusted with such a gift.

"I wonder why he gave it to us." Bennett picked his things up off the ground and dusted them off.

"Probably to influence your decision on whether or not to work for the Bureau," said Spencer. He shrugged. "But, hey, I'm not complaining."

"Can we take our stuff to the cabin now?" asked Bennett. He couldn't wait to see Toby.

"Sure, let's go," said Spencer. The boys gathered up their gear and headed to cabin five.

Once inside they unloaded their things. Bennett placed his clothes neatly into the bottom two drawers below Spencer's and then searched high and low for Toby, but he wasn't there. Toby had disappeared yet again. What kind of pet owner can't keep track of their rabbit? How could he lose Toby twice on land but manage to hold onto him after a ship wreck? Bennett turned around and saw that the window was open, just wide enough for a small rabbit to escape through.

"Did we leave that window open when we left?" he asked the others.

"I don't remember. Why?" Andrew said.

"No reason." Bennett shrugged and finished unpacking his things.

"What are we going to do today?" said Spencer, climbing up to the top bunk.

"We could go swimming, or spy on the Hensley's with our new invisibility stones," suggested Andrew. He grinned.

"Spying does sound good," said Spencer, slipping his necklace out from under his shirt with a sly smile spreading across his face.

"We could totally mess with them. We could throw things around and scare 'em," said Andrew. "They'd think we were ghosts."

"What are we waiting for?" said Spencer, hopping off his bed.

Bennett sighed and took his necklace out from under his shirt. These two would get him in so much trouble one day, but he couldn't help but be grateful to have them as friends.

"The girls' cabins are over there," said Andrew, pointing to a cluster of trees. It was quite a far distance away from the boys' cabins. "They live in cabin one and have it all to themselves."

"Everyone make sure you hold on to your invisibility stone and don't let go, no matter what," whispered Spencer. Bennett slipped his necklace off and wrapped it around his wrist so it would be easier to hold. The boys all disappeared and walked quietly up to cabin one, opened the door and slipped inside.

The cabin smelled very strongly of perfume, making Bennett gag. The walls were a blinding hot pink color with posters of boys scattered along the walls. Instead of bunk beds, three full size beds were pushed up against the wall, with piles of fluffy pillows. There were no mounds of clothes scattered around the room like in the boys' cabin.

Nobody was in the room so Andrew let go of his stone. Spencer and Bennett did the same.

"I've never seen anything so girly and I have three sisters!" said Andrew. He poked a teddy bear in the stomach and shuddered.

"Let's have a look around," suggested Spencer. The boys split up and looked under mattresses, in drawers, and between the pages of books, looking for anything interesting.

"Here's a diary," Andrew called after a few minutes. "Let's see what it says."

Spencer took the diary from Andrew and frowned. "It's locked."

"Here, give it to me," said Bennett. Spencer handed him the book. Bennett took a safety pin from the dresser and stuck it into the lock. It took him a few tries but he finally got it open and gave it back to Spencer.

"Where did you learn that?" Andrew asked with interest. "You have to teach us."

"I read about it in a book," Bennett shrugged.

Spencer ignored him, opened the diary, and began to read out loud from the most recent entry.

Dear Diary,

Today I met Bennett Nelson. He is the cutest boy I have ever seen. He seems quiet, like me. I wish I could be his friend, but my sisters would never let me. Madison told me that he was trouble and Mom said that she does not trust him and that we shouldn't be hanging around him. I wish there was some way I could talk to him in private. I really like his eyes. They remind me of the ocean. Well, diary, I'd better go now, Madison and Ariana will be back soon from tattling on Sarah Swan for chewing gum and not sharing with them.

Until another time,

Kailey

"I don't believe it!" Andrew laughed out loud, his shoulders shaking with the effort. "Kailey has a crush on you!" Bennett felt himself blush and he was wished he was still invisible.

"Let me see it!" he demanded. Bennett held out his hand.

"Sure," said Andrew. He tossed him the diary. Sure enough, what he had just heard was written in pink pen with hearts around his name. He was speechless. Andrew and Spencer just laughed at him as he read it over and over again, unable to believe his eyes.

"So that's why she was acting funny at lunch. Logan was right, she does like you," said Spencer.

"Whatever," said Bennett, accidentally letting a smile slip through his serious face.

"I guess we should go. Apparently they're not coming anytime soon. Plus I think we have enough juicy information for now," said Andrew, still smiling.

"I suppose you're right," said Spencer. "Let's go see if the guys are back yet."

They made their way through the forest and back to cabin five where they found Cody, Logan, and Jake talking animatedly.

"They're having sign ups for the Isle-lympic Games today at lunch," said Logan as they entered the room.

"I wish I was old enough to enter," said Cody, looking glum. "You have to be at least fifteen."

"Already?" Andrew said, ignoring Cody. "I thought it wasn't going to be for another few weeks?"

Logan shrugged. "I heard the Counselors pushed up the date because of some bad weather thing," he said.

"Wait. What are the Isle-lympic Games?" Bennett asked, tired of having no idea what anyone was talking about. He hated to have everything explained to him. Being the new guy wasn't very much fun.

"It's a competition to see who's the best camper," said Jake.

"They go through a series of tasks and the winner gets a trophy," added Cody. "Then your name goes on the plaque in the dinning hall along with the other champions."

"Hmmm. Interesting," said Bennett.

"I hear your brother is signing up," said Logan, nodding to Andrew.

"Kaden? I thought he hated the competition."

"Well, that's just what I heard," he said.

"From who?"

"Amy Webster and Warren Miller told me. They said he was making a big show out of it," said Logan.

"Now that sounds more like Kaden," Spencer said. Andrew nodded in agreement.

Lunch time rolled around and the Cabin Five boys decided they'd better go get something to eat before all the good food was gone.

They met the rest of the Spelldrums and sat together in their usual spot, the last table in the first row. Bennett noticed a wide grin on Kaden's face as he chewed.

"What's the matter with you?" said Andrew. "Did you finally figure out how to tie your own shoes?"

"Very funny, little brother, but even you can't ruin my good mood," said Kaden.

"Is that a challenge?" Andrew smiled.

Kaden sighed. "If you must know, I just signed myself up for the Isle-lympic Games."

"Why?" Andrew threw Kaden a look. "You hate the Games."

"Just take a minute to visualize the look on Dad's face if I won," said Kaden, spooning a glob of mashed potatoes into his already stuffed mouth.

"I was thinking about entering," said Kindle, matter-of-factly, glancing up from her tray.

"Yeah, right. In case nobody's informed you, no girl has ever won the Isle-lympic Games. Most don't even make it past the second round!" Kaden laughed, oblivious to Kindle's serious expression. Bennett thought Kaden really believed she was joking.

"Maybe it's time for a change. I think I should enter just to show you that ladies can do anything guys can do," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Kaden stopped mid-chuckle and spit mashed potatoes all over the table. Bennett jumped back to avoid being covered in chewed food.

"Gross, Kaden!" cried Emma.

"You're serious?" He gave Kindle a look that said you've-got-to-be-kidding, but she just glared at him. "It's a bet then!" he yelled, holding out a hand for her to shake. Several people looked up from their tables to see what all the commotion was about.

Kindle ignored his hand. "You're so disgusting... I can't believe I'm related to you sometimes." She scraped bits of mashed potatoes out of Emma's hair with a napkin. "Hold still," she told her little sister who squirmed to get free of her grasp, trying to hit her brother.

"If I win, you have to do all my homework for the rest of the year," he said with a wild grin.

"Okay. If, and I mean when, I win, you have to dress up like a fairy and walk around camp for a full day," she smirked.

"Ooh, ouch," said Andrew, eyes wide. His head bobbed back and forth between Kindle and Kaden, trying to keep up with the argument.

"You're on." Kaden confirmed the challenge with a nod. Kindle stood up from her seat and casually walked over to the bulletin board by the trash cans. She picked up the pen and signed her name in a neat handwriting.

"K-i-n-d-l-e S-p-e-l-l-d-r-u-m," Bennett heard her mutter to herself. She turned and walked back to the table with a smirk on her face. Many of the girls in the room stood up, mostly from cabin three, Kindle's cabin. They whistled and clapped, shouting for Kindle. She was the first girl to sign up for the Games this year. Two other girls from cabin's two and four followed in her footsteps and signed their names under hers. More cheers erupted from the girls in the room.

Kaden stabbed his food with his fork. "They're cheering because you're going to make a fool of yourself and they can't wait to watch," he said, mood turning sour. No one had cheered for him.

# Chapter Eleven

***

# Toby's Secret

"Where were you, boy? You had me sick with worry!" Bennett entered cabin five to find Toby sitting on his bed, looking innocent. Bennett thought for one crazy second that perhaps Toby had never left and was just simply hiding.

Toby sat up and stretched. "In the woods looking for carrots, of course."

Bennett blinked. He looked around the room for one of the boys hiding somewhere and playing tricks on him. But they were still at dinner. He took a step back from the rabbit.

"What?" he said.

Toby opened his mouth and said, clear as day, "I have been trying to get you alone so we can talk for a long time."

"Okay, Bennett. Someone must have used some kind of potion on you to make you hallucinate. Rabbits don't talk," Bennett said to himself, sinking down on the nearest bunk bed. "Yeah, that's all."

"Truth be told, I'm not a full blooded rabbit. Actually, if you want to get technical, I'm not a rabbit at all. When I step out of the magical barrier placed on this island, I transform into a rabbit," he said.

"So you're what? A shapeshifter? What if you're not even Toby? You could be a dark creature in disguise. Give me one good reason I shouldn't run from this cabin screaming." Bennett rubbed his eyes with his fists. He wanted to make sure he was really seeing this.

"Remember when your aunt Helen came over and brought her two brats with her? Brat number two tried to pick me up and dress me like a doll. I bit her to get free," Toby said.

"Holy cow. It is you." Bennett moved a little closer. "You're not a rabbit?"

Toby spoke calmly, "No."

"Uh huh." Bennett scratched his head. "Then why were you a rabbit when you lived at my house?"

"I told you. The barrier changes me into a familiar shape once I cross it. It's the same enchantment that keeps your mother from finding you. Don't you think it's strange that no one has come looking for you yet?"

"What do you mean?" Bennett leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"The island has a barrier to block people from the outside world. No one can see us or anything on this island. It acts as a shield to protect us from more people like Luciadoye. Boats just float around us all the time. They don't even notice a change in current when they approach the island. The icy waters just carry them peacefully away."

"Then how did I end up here? Nurse Skinner said I washed up on the shore and I saw the island in the distance after I jumped off the ship," said Bennett. All of this spilled out of him so fast he was dizzy.

"Your name is on the shield. I was sent to watch over you. You will be our hero." Toby moved off the bed, closer to Bennett.

"I'm not a hero just because my name is written on some dumb rock." Toby flinched, but Bennett pressed on. "It doesn't give me magical super powers. Last time I checked, I was still a normal kid." Bennett leaned back against the bed frame.

"Oh, but Bennett, you are, and so much more." Toby paused like he was looking for the right words. "You see, after the news spread that you had come to our island, Luciadoye got scared that you would be the one to defeat him. He didn't want to lose his precious power. He immediately formed an army to fight you, but his advisors told him to wait until you would show yourself to him. After all, what could a twelve year old boy do to a grown man of his stature?"

#  "But—"

"Don't you see? He's scared of you!" said Toby. "Are you afraid of him?"

"After all I've heard about him, yeah, he sounds like a frightening kind of guy," said Bennett.

"No, boy!" Toby shouted, making Bennett jerked back. "You must not fear him! Do not fear something that you don't know. He is scared, Bennett, scared of you! A child," he raised his ears. "No offense."

"None taken."

"What does that tell you about him, Bennett?" said Toby, getting back to business.

"It means he's scared of kids. I don't know," said Bennett, shaking his head.

"It means you have the upper hand. You would only have to sneeze to make him flinch." Toby shook his head. "And all this time I thought you were a smart kid."

Bennett jumped off the bed and paced the floor, wringing his hands. Why was he telling him all this? Wasn't his life complicated enough without animals talking to him? "Why can't anyone on the island see you but me?"

"Ah, a good question," said Toby. "I'm a Fairy. We can only be seen by those we choose to be seen by."

"Fairy as in glittering wings and frilly tutus? Do I get three wishes or something?" The image of Toby dressed in wings and a skirt made him stop in his tracks.

"Don't be ridiculous. Genies give wishes, honestly..." He rolled his eyes. "I was born a fairy. I didn't show myself because my kind have a bad reputation around these parts. To make the long story short, some of my cousins went to the dark side of the island. Now that you know the truth, I can change back into my normal self."

Toby leaped off the bed and soared into the middle of the room. Flashing lights sparked like fireworks around him. When he landed on the floor, he was a sparkling fairy with elegant green wings. No frilly tutu in sight. Bennett was slightly disappointed. Toby swept his light brown hair out of his face and flew in front of Bennett's nose.

"Now do you believe me?"

"That made it hard to not believe you," admitted Bennett, going cross-eyed from gazing at the handsome fairy dangling from his nose.

"Don't tell anyone about me other than Spencer and Andrew," said Toby. "They seem like trustworthy boys. But don't let anyone else know." The door to the cabin opened and Andrew, Spencer, Cody, Jake, and Logan came in, laughing about something that was just said. Toby launched himself out the open window just in time, leaving Bennett dumbstruck.

Cody dropped onto his bed. "Who were you talking to?"

"Me? I was uh, just talking to myself. I do that sometimes," Bennett said, jumping off the bed and going over to his own.

"Dude, calm down; it was just a question," Cody laughed.

"Hey, Spencer, Andrew, you want to go for a walk before class?" asked Bennett, pleading with his eyes for them to not make a big deal about it.

"Uh, yeah. Let's take our books so we don't have to rush back before first lesson," said Spencer, nodding to Andrew.

Once outside and out of earshot, Bennett filled them in with every last detail. Spencer and Andrew commented a few times, expressing their unease about trusting a fairy.

"It's just dangerous. Never trust a fairy. He could be using you," said Spencer. "They're tricky little things."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with my cousin," said Andrew.

Bennett felt like a balloon that lost air. Why didn't they think it was as exciting as he did?

They rushed to Potions and arrived just in time. Counselor Blevins was handing out beakers and pots when they took their seats.

"Who can tell me what we're going to make today?" Blevins asked the class. "It's a fizzing, oily liquid that's lilac in color. Smells like wax, but tastes like blueberries. Any takers?"

A girl sitting in the front row raised her hand. Spencer pointed her out as Isabella Mackall, otherwise known as Brainy Bella.

"It's Zolbax," she chirped happily. "It makes you do whatever you're told."

"That's correct, Bella." Counselor Blevins beamed at her. "Since you seem to know a lot about it, would you care to demonstrate it for us?"

Bella scooted her chair back and stood next to Counselor Blevins who handed her a small vile and said, "Drink this, dear."

Bella cooperated and took a swig from the bottle. Her body went rigid.

"Bella, jump up and down," Blevins said. Bella jumped up and down as playing with an invisible jump rope.

"Stop," Blevins said, but Bella kept jumping. "Bella, stop." This time she stopped. "See, class, it is very important to say the person's name before issuing an instruction."

Blevins demonstrated how Bella couldn't move until instructed by trying to bend her elbow, which stayed stiff. Everyone in the class was watching closely. A few students leaned out of their seats to get a better view.

"The only thing that can make the potion wear off is water." Blevins took a spray bottle and held it out in front of Bella. "Squirt yourself in the face, Bella, until the potion is not controlling you anymore."

Bella took the bottle and did as she was told. She snapped out of it after six good squirts of water to the face. She blinked, looking around. Bennett hadn't noticed until then that she hadn't blinked when under the potion's spell.

"Why am I all wet?" she asked, looking down at the squirt bottle in her hand and back to Counselor Blevins.

"As you can see, class, the victims of this potion cannot remember anything that happened while under the influence of Zolbax," said Blevins. She handed Bella a towel to dry off with. "Thank you. You may take your seat now, Bella."

Bella walked back to her desk looking confused.

"How can we tell if someone is under the influence of Zolbax?" asked a young red headed boy from cabin two.

"I'm glad you asked that, Linus. Does anyone know the answer?" she asked kindly, surveying the class. Brainy Bella raised her hand again. "Let's let someone else try this time, Bella," she smiled and pointed to Bennett. "Do you know the answer?"

Bennett froze; he hadn't been expecting her to call on him since he was still new.

"Um... well, she wasn't blinking until she squirted herself with water," he said, nervously strumming his fingers across the desk.

"That's correct. Very good! When under the influence of the potion you cannot blink because you have no control over your body." The class sat in awe. Who wouldn't want some of that potion for a practical joke!

"Now you might be asking yourself why I'm showing you this," she said. "Well, I don't want to scare you," she paused, looking every camper in the eyes, "but someone from the Bureau has gone...missing. They suspect the Dark One had something to do with it."

Bennett had thought it was too quiet before, but now he was sure everyone was holding their breath.

"Who is it?" a girl from the second row spoke up.

"Dr. Montgomery Rivers, the maker of the stones," she said gravely. Everyone in the room gasped except for Bennett. Of course he had no idea how bad the situation really was.

"What should we do?" a boy asked, looking around panicked.

"Stay alert for anyone under the influence or sneaking around camp and report it immediately to any one of the counselors. Zolbax is one of the Dark One's favorite weapons. We think someone in the camp may have helped the Dark One carry out his plans." The campers whispered anxiously to each other, snippets of conversation filling the room.

Spencer frowned. "This is not good."

"Not good at all," agreed Andrew.

The next day was Tuesday, the first day of the Isle-lympic Games. All classes were cancelled for the day in order for the entire camp to attend the opening ceremony. Bennett was informed by Andrew and Spencer that this was the day campers were to be weeded out of the completion. Someone had set up a challenging obstacle course at least a mile long. Whoever didn't cross the finish line in less than ten minutes would be disqualified.

Kaden and Kindle were glaring at each other during breakfast. The whole camp was buzzing with excitement for the events to come. Also, word had spread that Dr. Rivers had gone missing. Some kids were being pulled from camp by their parents to go home where they could keep them safe. Bennett still didn't understand what the big deal was, but he didn't want to bring it up. Today was all about the Games.

"You're going to lose," Kaden taunted as he sat down with his tray of food.

"I'm going to cross that finish line with plenty of time to spare," Kindle snapped, pushing food around on her plate.

"I hate to break it to you, little sister, but you're a girl, and girls just aren't strong enough or fast enough for this competition," he said casually. Bennett saw that Kaden was fidgeting in his chair, unable to sit still. He'd seen this behavior before in a friend of his back at home. He'd stayed up all night and drank two energy drinks before going to school.

"Kaden, get a life." Kindle shoved her chair back and left the table, and went to sit with some girls from cabin three. Nobody followed her.

After breakfast the campers filed out of the dining hall and out onto the field that had been prepared. Bennett stood along the sidelines with the rest of the cabin five boys. Counselor Zamora stood on a platform behind a podium. She quieted the audience and read the names of the athletes as they took their spot on the starting line. When Kindle's name was called, Bennett couldn't help but notice that she looked like she was going to be sick as she took her spot on the starting line. Kaden was next. He jumped up and down, hands raised, showing off as usual. He was so different from the quiet, reserved guy Bennett thought he was when they first met at the lunch table only a week ago.

When the last of the competitors took their places, Counselor Galldora shot a gun into the air and off they went. Bennett and the others followed down the field to keep up with the action. A short boy was in the lead until they came to the first obstacle, a fifteen foot wall with ropes hanging down the sides.

The players scaled the wall skillfully with the exception of a few stragglers. After landing on top of each other and struggling to get up, they darted across the open field to a waiting river, their next obstacle. Most of the campers dove into the choppy water without hesitation while others were more weary of the swirling current it produced. Bennett could see Kindle gracefully swimming ahead of everyone else while her brother, Kaden, was struggling to keep his head up.

"Kaden can't swim well," Andrew said. They continued chasing after the action by running down the side of the field. A jagged cliff stood between the players and their next task. They had to climb down without a rope and harness; many gave up right then and there. Kindle descended it quickly, only slipping twice, while Kaden took his time after nearly falling off for the third time.

The remaining players were looking fatigued by the time they got to the monkey bars. Kaden was better at the monkey bars then he was at swimming. Kindle wasn't really struggling but she wasn't going as fast as Kaden either.

Next the players had to crawl on hands and knees through what looked like a dark tunnel. That's where Kindle took the lead. After emerging from the tunnel, she sprinted to the final obstacle which was a waterfall. Without a moments hesitation, Kindle took a running start and leaped off the edge, arms held high above her head as she dove into the water below. The audience gasped as she swam to the edge of the pool, climbed out, and crossed the finish line. The crowd erupted in cheers and a band nearby started playing triumphant music.

More campers stumbled through the finish line before Kaden made his way through, huffing and puffing for air.

"Looks like I got here before you, Kaden." Kindle smiled and whipped her wet hair in his direction, soaking him again after he had just finished drying off with a towel.

"At least I made it in less than eight minutes! Some people gave up at the cliff." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the obstacle and growled.

"I suppose so," she giggled and skipped off to join her friends who were celebrating her victory.

# Chapter Twelve

***

# The Mission

Two weeks had passed since the disappearance of Dr. Rivers. The Bureau concluded within this time that Mrs. Hansen's death was also in association with the Dark One. Toby and Bennett spent a lot of time together during the past couple of weeks. Toby revealed to Bennett how fairies have special abilities; their gift was to see the future. But Toby's visions were limited. He could only see two hours into the future, no further. Toby told Bennett that the clearer he sees these visions the closer they were to happening and that the further away they were, the fuzzier they would be.

One afternoon Toby had a vision that Arthur Gorgonvenum was going to ask Bennett to help him with something. He explained to Bennett about the dream and that he didn't trust Arthur and wanted Bennett to be cautious around him.

"Just trust me, Bennett," Toby said. "He is an evil man; I just know it."

"But how can he be evil? He's the leader of the Suns Republic," Bennett said.

They were sitting outside on the edge of the forest on a fallen log. Bennett had no inclination to go deeper into the trees alone, ever since he was attacked by the orim.

"I know he is, but that doesn't make him noble," Toby retorted. He fluttered over to a rock and landed noiselessly next to Bennett.

"He didn't seem evil when I met him," Bennett said quietly. "He just seemed like an ordinary guy."

"That's what he wants you to think. Just promise me you will use caution."

"Okay, I will." Bennett sighed.

During lunch, Kailey Hensley walked up to the last table in the first row and asked Bennett to follow her back to her mother's cabin. Bennett shrugged and went while his friends sat watching with bewildered expressions.

Bennett followed Kailey out into the woods without a word. She kept her head down, only glancing up once to find him studying her.

They soon came to a tall building surrounded by flowers and shrubs, designed for eye appeal. Kailey walked up the steps. Bennett rushed forward to open the door for her. She ducked inside quickly and he followed.

A woman sat on a sofa to the left of the doorway. Bennett recognized her as Mrs. Hensley. Kailey pointed to her mother then climbed the stairs, leaving Bennett alone with the warden. His palms felt clammy and he hoped she wouldn't try to shake his hand. What if Kailey knew he'd been in her room and read her diary? Was that why she didn't talk to him?

"You asked to see me?" he said, sounding hoarse. The last time he'd seen her, she was with Arthur Gorgonvenum, wanting him to join the Bureau.

"Yes, Arthur needs to speak with you," she said, pointing to a closed door behind her. "He's waiting for you in there."

Bennett felt his stomach plunge. What could he want? He swallowed his fear, crossed the room, and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Arthur called. As if he didn't know, thought Bennett.

"It's Bennett," he shouted back. "Bennett Nelson."

"Come on in, my boy!" he said enthusiastically. Bennett turned the knob and pushed open the door.

Bennett had to blink a few times for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. The walls were a deep shade of purple. A large, white, antique desk sat in the center of the room with two chairs placed in front. Gorgonvenum sat behind the desk with his feet propped up in front of him.

"Please have a seat," he said, gesturing toward the two chairs.

Bennett sat as instructed and looked up at Gorgonvenum with mild interest. He had an idea of why he was called here, but Gorgonvenum didn't know Bennett was talking to fairies so he had to play it cool.

"You wanted to see me?" Bennett said.

"Yes," he began, "I'm giving you an opportunity to prove yourself worthy to the Bureau." Gorgonvenum smiled, revealing yellowing teeth under his chapped lips. Bennett looked away, out the window.

"What would you need me to do?" He folded his arms across his chest. Maybe it would make him look tougher.

"First, I need you to take the oath," Gorgonvenum said. His eyes lit up as he spoke.

"What oath?" Bennett sat up straighter in his chair, looking Gorgonvenum in the eye.

"Just repeat after me," he instructed.

Bennett nodded.

"I, Bennett Nelson, swear to do what's right. I will work hard and never quit."

Gorgonvenum waited patiently as Bennett recited the phrase. "No matter what happens, I will listen to my superiors and obey their commands. I solemnly swear to follow all rules and to keep the secrets bestowed to me."

Bennett finished the oath.

Gorgonvenum pulled out a piece of paper from one of the drawers in the front of the desk, slid it over to Bennett, and handed him a pen.

"I need you to sign here." He pointed to the bottom of the page.

Bennett read over the paper. It was the oath he had just recited. He signed it with his best cursive.

# Bennett Nelson

"Well done, Bennett, my boy." Gorgonvenum took the paper from him and folded it in fourths and slid it into his front shirt pocket.

"Now what is it I have to do?" Bennett asked, leaning back in his chair.

"As you know by now, one of our most significant brothers in the Bureau has gone missing. We are sure that this is the work of the Dark One. We need you to go investigate and, if possible, rescue Dr. Rivers before the Dark One uses his powers to take over the island." Gorgonvenum leaned forward on his elbows, glanced at the door, and lowered his voice. "We believe Dr. Rivers is being held captive deep inside the Dark One's castle."

"Where would I look? When do I start?" Bennett breathed. He wanted to help the Bureau find Dr. Rivers. Maybe he'd know what happened to Mrs. Hansen, if they really were dating.

"Well, you see, that's were it gets tricky," Gorgonvenum said. "We need you to start tomorrow and well..." He searched for words. "You must go to the other side of the island, the dark side, and find the Dark One's lair."

"Isn't that a little dangerous for me since I'm just a kid? Surely this is a job for an adult such as yourself." Bennett was young, but not stupid.

"I believe in you, Bennett. I imagine you can handle anything this island can throw at you. I have talked it over with Louis Spelldrum and he said that if Andrew and Spencer were up to the challenge, they could tag along with you."

Bennett's neck began to cramp, he leaned back in his chair. "Then, I think I should talk it over with them before I give you an answer."

"I will need an answer within the hour. I'm sorry it's such short notice, but as you can understand, this is an urgent matter," he said a little tensely. "You have no idea how bad it would be if the Dark One got ahold of Dr. Montgomery Rivers. He is a lethal weapon in the wrong hands. Do not tell anyone other than Spencer and Andrew. That means no counselors, no friends, no family, nobody. We don't want to worry any more people than necessary."

Well, Bennett thought, I have no family to tell anyway so that won't be a problem. "I promise not to tell anyone."

"Don't even discuss it with Louis or Missy," he said, then corrected himself. "I mean Mr. and Mrs. Spelldrum." Now Bennett was confused. Why shouldn't he talk to Mr. Spelldrum about his son and nephew risking their lives? It didn't seem very fair. What if something happened? They would never be able to say goodbye.

"You have my word," Bennett told him.

"Good man," he said and stood up from the desk.

"Will you still be here in an hour for me to tell you our decision?" Bennett asked.

"No, I'm afraid I have to leave immediately," Gorgonvenum said. "Just leave your answer with Mrs. Hensley and she will let me know."

"What should I take with me if I go?"

"I'm glad you asked that. I have something for you and your friends." Gorgonvenum walked toward a bag sitting in the corner of the room and unzipped it. He brought out three identical rings.

"These are the most remarkable things I have ever come across," Gorgonvenum said, holding up the rings for Bennett to see. "I don't know how many people even know of their existence."

"What do they do?" Bennett asked, leaning forward to get a better look. Gorgonvenum smiled and passed one to Bennett.

"Put it on," he said.

Bennett slipped the ring on his finger. The thick silver band fit him perfectly. A clear stone, like a diamond, wrapped around the outside of the band. Bennett stared at it, waiting for it to do something. At least it didn't look too girly.

"This ring will let you know when danger is near," Gorgonvenum explained. "If it turns black, death is near. If it is clear, like it is now, it means all is well, no danger. And if it turns red, it means there is an enemy nearby."

"Kind of like a mood ring?" Bennett looked up to find Gorgonvenum staring intently at the ring.

"In a way, yes. The concept is similar anyway," Gorgonvenum said with a sigh. "But these three rings are connected." He held up the other identical rings. "If something happens to one of the other rings or the person wearing it, all the rings will turn hot to alert you of the danger."

Bennett stared down at the ring. If it worked, it could be a big help if they got separated.

"I have one for each of you." Gorgonvenum handed the other two rings to Bennett who pocketed them. Then Gorgonvenum turned around and picked up a bag on the floor.

"This is a tent to keep you safe. It's made from destrodium, the toughest material there is; more durable than diamonds, even. Anyone or anything with the intention of harm will not be allowed to enter. This material repels dark things and is said to put off a white glow that hurts dark creatures eyes. As long as you are inside the tent and the door is zipped, you cannot be touched. Just pull this string here and it will pop open in the blink of an eye." He handed Bennett the bag. It was surprisingly light compared to its bulky size.

Bennett smiled. "I feel like a spy."

"One more thing." Gorgonvenum handed Bennett three small, gray, circular disks.

"What are these?"

"You put one under your tongue and it allows you to communicate and comprehend any language," Gorgonvenum said, his voice raising an octave. "The only disadvantage is that they taste utterly vile and if you use them habitually, it can cause you to speak gibberish for the rest of your life. So go easy on it." He winked.

"Any language?" This would have been nice to have back in Spanish class. He stuffed the disks into the pocket with the rings.

"You will use them to converse with the creatures, should such a need arise." Gorgonvenum pushed back from the desk and stood. "I'm sorry to leave you so soon, but I must be going now. I have an important meeting to attend."

He walked to the door and opened it for Bennett who stepped through.

"Thanks for the stuff."

# Chapter Thirteen

***

# Beginning Of The End

Bennett found his friends leaning against the outside of the cabin, waiting for him.

"What did the warden want?" Spencer asked, pushing himself to his feet.

Bennett looked around and whispered, "I'll tell you but we can't let anyone else find out." They hiked off a little distance into the woods where Bennett told them of their mission.

"Are you kidding?" said Andrew. He looked at Spencer. "He's got to be pulling our leg."

Spencer ignored his cousin. "Of course we want to help you!" he said. "It's only our life's dream to work for the Bureau."

"It's settled then. Tomorrow morning we set out to find Dr. Rivers," said Bennett. He showed them the new goodies that Gorgonvenum had given him. They made a plan to sneak out of camp early in the morning so nobody would be awake to stop them. Bennett left a message with Mrs. Hensley telling Arthur Gorgonvenum of their decision and went back to the cabin.

Morning came much too slowly for the boys. It wasn't long after Bennett fell asleep that Spencer woke him and Andrew to set off on their journey. They were packing their bags when Bennett realized something.

He waited until they shut the cabin door and were standing on the porch. "Hey, guys, what are we going to do about food?"

"Good point. And what if we get hurt out there," Spencer added. "We need medical supplies."

"It's still early, we could go sneak food from the kitchen," suggested Andrew with a shrug. He threw his bag behind a bush. "Come on, we need to hurry before the rest of camp wakes up."

They hid their bags and ran after Andrew. They soon found out that slipping into the unguarded kitchen was the easy part. The hard part was deciding what non-perishable food items they could carry in their packs. After raiding the kitchen, they returned to their bags. Andrew crammed the last of their stock into his pack and then they ran to the nurses' station.

"The supply closet is usually locked; this may be more difficult," Spencer said before they entered the long hall full of beds. "It's just down there." He pointed across the room.

Sure enough, the door was locked up tight.

"Keep quiet!" hissed Bennett as Andrew banged on the door noisily. "We need to find the key."

They looked around the room. Where would a key be hidden? They searched high and low but found nothing. Bennett wondered if Nurse Skinner had the key with her. He introduced the idea to his friends.

"That sounds logical," Andrew agreed.

"I'll sneak into her room and see if I can find it," Bennett said.

He cautiously walked across the great hall and over to a green door. It was cracked open, but only slightly. He slipped in like a ghost. It was the same room he had stayed in when he'd first arrived, only now the shades were drawn and there was no light. He felt his way around the room quite easily as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

On the dresser there were hair brushes, a few books, some small potted plants, and a crystal jewelry box; inside he could make out the outline of a small key, what looked to be the right size to fit the lock on the closet. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of the bed and its sleeping occupant. The blankets rose and dropped smoothly, indicating that Nurse Skinner was fast asleep.

Bennett leaned in closer to the crystal box. He found a latch on the side and gently slid it up. He opened the box and suddenly the room filled with music. He snapped the lid shut in alarm and turned to Nurse Skinner. She'd turned over in her bed and was facing him. He grabbed the invisibility stone on his necklace and froze, not even breathing for fear that the sound would give him away. He thought she had awoken and was watching him, but she snored softly. Bennett let out a breath and decided to take the jewelry box out into the big hall. Maybe he could muffle the sound with a pillow or something. He tried to lift the box but it wouldn't budge. It was like it was super glued to the dresser.

Bennett was going to have to open it again, slide his hand in, and pull out the key before the noise had the chance to alert its owner. He took a deep breath. Wiping his sweaty hands on his shorts he reached out and opened the box. Time seemed to stand still. He had learned that in times of panic, the brain worked twice as fast to stay away from danger, causing you to feel like a dangerous situation lasted longer than it actually had. He hoped this was true as he snatched the key and closed the box. He froze again to see if Nurse Skinner was still asleep. She was.

Bennett slipped back out the door to Andrew and Spencer's stunned faces.

"That was close." Andrew wiped his brow.

Bennett handed over the key with a shaky hand. "Too close."

They jogged quietly back to the closet and unlocked it. Inside were many potion bottles; some labeled, some not. They decided to take a few labeled ones and some gauze and bandages from the bottom shelf as well. They locked the cabinet back and, not wanting to risk replacing it, Spencer placed the key on Nurse Skinner's desk by the front door. By the time she found it, they'd be long gone.

"That was awesome!" said Andrew as they stuffed the medical supplies into Bennett's bag. They'd made it all the way back to their things without getting caught and the thrill could be felt by all three of them.

"Hopefully there will be more sneaking around in our future." Spencer laughed.

Andrew pointed Bennett in the direction of the Great Divider and they started walking. Bennett looked behind him. The night before, Toby told him that he would be following a short distance behind, so that Spencer and Andrew wouldn't see him. Toby wanted to travel with them the whole trip, but could only go as far as the wall. He explained to Bennett that once a fairy goes over to the dark side, he or she is not allowed to return until the wall has been destroyed. As much as Toby cared for Bennett's safety, crossing the divider was not something he could risk.

"Too bad we can't just jump to the dark side," said Andrew, interrupting Bennett's thoughts.

"You heard what Uncle Lu said. It only works over here and you have to know your destination," said Spencer.

"I know. It was just wishful thinking," said Andrew, kicking a rock as he walked.

They trekked through the trees, passing many different species of wildlife on their way. They hiked all day, only stopping once to rest and eat, until they found a sandy patch of dirt by a river. They pitched their tent between two trees and started a campfire to cook some fish Spencer had caught. Bennett chose to eat some canned food from his pack, insisting that the fish would make him sick. Spencer and Andrew shrugged and ate their meal in silence. Bennett thought to check his ring; all was clear.

After they finished cleaning up after dinner, they decided to explore a nearby cave they'd stumbled upon that hidden behind a bush. They dared each other to go in the cave alone, and after a quick game of rock paper scissors, Spencer went in first. Andrew and Bennett were thinking about following him when Spencer screamed and came running from the mouth of the cave. Andrew gave him a puzzled look and Spencer said a spider had landed on his shoulder. Bennett fell to the ground with bouts of laughter while Spencer stood, embarrassed.

They came back to their little campsite to find it had been trashed. The fire had been stamped out, their food raided, and their medical supplies lay scattered across the ground.

"Who would do this?" said Bennett, picking up a bag of chips and putting it back in his pack.

"I think you mean what," said Spencer, glancing around the area. Spencer and Bennett picked up all the food that hadn't been opened and put it back in the bags while Andrew rescued the other supplies. They quickly piled into their tent and fell asleep in their sleeping bags, exhausted from their long walk.

The next morning they packed up their equipment after a quick breakfast and set off again for another blister filled day. They used gauze to protect their sore feet from their shoes. Hours passed by quickly as they trudged along in silence; conversation wore them out faster. The forest was seemingly endless. Bennett took the lead, wanting to hurry and find the castle to rescue Dr. Rivers, but they still had a long way to go.

The sun beat down relentlessly on the boys and Bennett was getting to the point where he could hardly move his feet. Sweat rolled from his forehead down the to the tip of his nose, where it dripped to the ground. He wiped his face on the front of his shirt. He could hear running water nearby, if only they could find it. Finally, a river came into view. To avoid heatstroke, the boys decided to go for a quick swim and refill their canteens. The water was cool on Bennett's skin. He didn't want to leave the river, but they had to keep going. Eventually, they could see darkness approaching. They were headed in the right direction.

# Chapter Fourteen

***

# Danger Lies Ahead

Finally, after their long travel, they were within sight of the Great Divider. But Bennett noticed a problem; the wall was at least fifteen feet high with no footholds.

"How are we supposed to climb that?" asked Andrew, pushing on the wall and looking straight up. "We don't even have any ropes or anything."

Bennett looked around for a vine or some sort of tool that could help them get over the wall. "We could climb that tree and drop down on the other side," he suggested.

"That's probably the best idea," said Spencer.

"No, it's not. We should find something else," said Andrew.

"What? Why?" Bennett said.

Spencer rolled his eye and said, "He's afraid of heights." He walked over to the tree that was the closest to the wall and jumped, catching the lowest branch in his hands and swung himself up.

"I am not!" Andrew argued, but Bennett could hear the fear in his voice as he said it.

"You can use a transport stone and fall out of the sky but you can't climb a tree?" Bennett said, arching his brows.

"That's different. I can't climb that high!" Andrew wiped his palms on his shirt and shifted his feet, looking around.

"The wall is at least fifteen feet high so you're going to have to do some climbing." Bennett went over to the tree and started pulling himself up into the branches. Spencer reached down to help him up.

"Let's just think of another idea." Andrew bit his lower lip and his eyebrows furled. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"Fine. What did you have in mind?" said Spencer, dropping from the branch. He plopped down on the ground, pulled out a water bottle, and took a swig.

"Well... we... we could find a really tall animal to lift us over the wall and set us down gently on the other side, instead of falling out of a tree and breaking our necks," Andrew said, looking around as if he could find a tall animal grazing the tree tops.

"You're just going to ask them to lift you over the wall to the dark side?" Bennett scoffed. "How are you going to pull that off? You're no Steve Irwin."

Andrew and Spencer gave him a puzzled look. "Who?"

"Never mind." Bennett dropped from the branch and landed in the grass.

"We can use these." Andrew took out his thin gray disk, held it up, then placed it under his tongue.

"Hey, can somebody help us? We need to get over this wall!" he shouted. Bennett could still understand him. Wasn't the disk supposed to help them speak a different language? Bennett looked around but no creatures came out from the trees. A minute or two passed with Andrew yelling, then Bennett smiled.

"How do you feel about fairies?" he said.

As if he were waiting for Bennett to mention him, Toby flew out from behind a bush. "Need some help?" he asked.

"No. No way." Andrew shook his head vigorously. "I told you how I feel about fairies." He glanced at Toby.

"I hope you're not suggesting what I think you are." Spencer stood up and threw his backpack over his shoulder and fixed a stare at the tiny fairy. "How is he going to lift us over the wall? He's barely the size of my hand!" He lifted his hand, as it to prove his point.

Toby rolled his eyes and whistled loudly, not letting his eyes leave Spencer. A couple dozen fairies flew out from behind nearby rocks and bushes and gathered around Toby.

"Stand still," he said. The boys stood where they were as the fairies swooped around their ankles and lifted them, upside down, into the air.

"Put me down!" yelled Andrew. He kicked and squirmed, reminding Bennett of Toby on the ship when he'd seen Mr. Smith.

The fairies placed the boys on top of the wall and flew away into the bushes, leaving just Toby behind.

"Hey, aren't you people going to help us down?" Andrew's eyes were wide and his fingers were white from gripping the top of the wall.

"Ungrateful hooligan," Toby muttered.

"They can't cross the wall," Bennett said to distract Andrew and Spencer so they wouldn't hear Toby's comment. He turned to where the fairies disappeared and yelled, "Thanks, guys!"

Toby floated in front of Bennett's nose. "Be careful my friend, danger lies ahead," he said. He patted Bennett on his nose and flew away with the rest of the fairies.

Bennett turned to face the darkness and felt his stomach drop to his toes. He was glad he'd had nothing to eat in the past couple of hours, or he would have been sick. The height made him dizzy. It didn't help that he'd made such a big deal to Andrew about how easy it was to climb the wall. Now he was the chicken.

To his left was pitch black darkness and to his right was bright happy sunshine. Something pulled at his chest, willing him to stay on the light side, but he couldn't let everyone down. Not after he'd promised to help.

Bennett made the mistake of looking down and gulped. The wall sure did look a lot smaller when he was on the ground.

"Who is scared of heights now?" Andrew singsonged, looking a little nauseous himself.

"Will you two shut up? It's just a short drop," said Spencer. He smiled at the boys and pushed himself off the wall, falling into the darkness and landing with a heavy thud.

"Is it safe?" called Andrew, looking pale.

There was no answer.

"Spencer?" Bennett hollered. He turned to look at Andrew.

"Heroes and potential warriors first," said Andrew, nodding at Bennett.

"How about we go at the same time," Bennett suggested.

"No, I really don't think that's a—" Bennett grabbed Andrew's arm and pushed himself off the wall, taking Andrew with him. Bennett felt his feet hit the ground and he rolled over onto his back to absorb the shock of the fall.

"What was that for?" Andrew said angrily. He pushed himself up and brushed off his clothes and patted his head as if he were making sure it was still attached to his shoulders.

"What? You got down safely, didn't you?" Bennett looked around, blinking but not really seeing anything. Where was Spencer? He was just about to open his mouth to ask Andrew when something shuffled to his right.

#  "BOO!"

"AHH!" Bennett and Andrew jumped, grabbing onto each other for protection.

Spencer stepped out from behind a tree, falling into a fit of laughter. "Ha, ha, you two scream like girls!"

"That was not funny, Spencer Matthew Keaton! Don't you ever do that again or I'll—" Andrew threatened, irritably.

"Or you'll what?" Spencer pressed.

"It doesn't matter. Let's go." Andrew looked down. "And get off me, Bennett; don't be such a baby." Bennett hadn't realized that he was still holding on to Andrew's shirt sleeve.

"I wasn't scared."

"Sure you weren't." Spencer was still laughing.

They picked up their things and traveled through the night air. At first things were hard to see, but after a while their eyes adjusted to their new surroundings. After a long time of hiking in no particular direction, seeing as they had no idea where to find the castle, they decided to call it a night, literally.

"I have never slept under the stars before," said Spencer, looking up. "Look at the moon. It's so... white."

"Let's sleep outside tonight," suggested Andrew, unrolling his sleeping bag on the ground.

"I don't know. It's kind of dangerous, don't you think?" said Bennett. He felt the dark pressing in on him, making the hairs on his neck raise up.

"Don't be such a scaredy cat," said Spencer. They stretched out on their backs.

"I haven't seen night time since... ever," said Andrew in awe while watching the twinkling stars. Spencer informed Bennett that the stars were actually an illusion cast by the magic that bound the island. They fell asleep slower than usual, drinking in every detail of the night sky to share with their friends once they returned home.

They had been asleep for a while when Bennett was awakened by a noise. It was a familiar noise, almost like someone had stepped on a twig. He sat up straight and shook the other two awake.

"Mwa?" questioned Andrew, who was in a zombie-like state.

"Five more minutes, Aunt Missy," said Spencer.

"You guys wake up. I think someone's watching us," he said. That got their attention. They sat up.

"I don't see anything," said Spencer, yawning.

"GRRRRAAAWWRR!" something growled. The boys jumped to their feet and into a fighting stance, fist raised and eyes wide open. Andrew got his leg caught in his sleeping bag, causing him to trip and land on his face.

There was no time to help him up. Dozens of creatures were emerging from the surrounding trees. The monsters were circling them, getting closer and closer. All three boys pulled out their light stone and licked it.

A great burst of light erupted from each stone, Bennett squeezed his eyes shut. The light cast the monsters backward. The creatures fell to their knees and melted into gray puddles, right before Bennett's eyes, but the dark fairies kept advancing.

"They're immune to the light!" screamed Bennett.

"Get in the tent!" shouted Andrew, waving his arms around and swatting at the fairies near his face. They were beginning to chant now and more creatures were coming from behind the surrounding trees.

"It won't open!" Bennett jerked the release string frantically, but nothing happened.

"Give it to me," Spencer ripped the tent from Bennett's hands and pulled the string hard. The tent popped open in a flash and the zipper door slid open. The boys scurried inside and quickly zipped the door shut behind them, leaving their supplies outside in their haste. The noise inside the tent was unbearable. The roar of the monsters outside the thin walls was a hundred times louder on the inside. The material was shook as things scratched at it, wanting in.

"Why won't the light stones work on the fairies?" said Andrew, sounded shaky and out of breath.

"Probably because they used to live on the light side," Spencer said. "All the other creatures were most likely born in the dark." A loud high pitched scream ripped through the night air, making the boys' skin crawl, and the walls started to bend in like something was leaning against the tent. The boys huddled closer to the middle of the small space and Bennett was sure he could hear someone sobbing.

"This is it, we're going to die," Andrew said.

"Shut up!" Spencer yelled over the deafening noise. "We are not!"

What could Bennett do? He racked his brain for an answer. The tent was indestructible, nobody could get in! But, then why were the walls pushing in?

"I have an idea!" said Bennett smacking his forehead with his palm. The boys stared at him with a look that said get-on-with-it.

"Well, what is it?" said Andrew.

"The transport stones might work now since we are on the dark side. Your dad just said we couldn't jump over the wall with them."

Spencer raised an eyebrow and took out his transport stone. He held it in his hands, rubbing his thumb over the smooth edges. "There's only one way to find out. What harm could it bring? The worst that could happen is we'd still be stuck in this tent, right?" He looked at the other two. He screamed over the noise, "Pudding cup vegetables Luciadoye's castle!" Then a flash of light lit the tent and he was gone.

Andrew turned to Bennett.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Not at all. Let's get out of here," he smiled and repeated the words.

All went quiet. Bennett found himself being lifted into the sky with the same familiar circling light. Next, the memorable jelly-like feeling flowed through his body as he heard the loud popping sound that signaled the trip was over. Then he was crashing towards the ground. He tried to prepare himself for the landing this time, knowing what would happen, but he still couldn't keep himself from screaming as the ground came closer and closer. Finally, his body stopped and hung in the air for a moment before he landed with a thud.

"Never gets old, eh?" laughed Spencer, helping Bennett to his feet.

"Look out, here comes Andrew," said Bennett, pulling Spencer out of the way.

"Thanks."

Andrew landed on his stomach in a painful bellyflop and rolled over onto his feet.

"I brought the tent," he said, happily storing it in his bag. Andrew's face was red and his hair was windblown, but he looked unharmed.

"Thank goodness," said Spencer, patting his cousin on the back.

Bennett wasn't listening to his friends anymore, he was dragging his hands along a solid brick wall.

"Where are we?" He asked.

The stone was freezing under his fingertips, almost like it was made of ice, but it was rough like sandpaper.

"Inside the castle, I guess," said Spencer who was mimicking Bennett's movements and feeling the wall. "That's where we told the transport stone to take us, anyway."

"Where at in the castle, though?" Andrew said.

Bennett could see the room had rounded, opaque walls and was dimly lit. He stooped down and reached toward the ground, scooping up a handful of sand from under his feet.

"The floor is sand."

The boys leaned down to feel the sand for themselves, as if they didn't believe him. Bennett dropped his handful of sand and wiped his hands on his shorts.

"How do we get out of here?" asked Spencer, looking around.

"I don't think we're supposed to," Andrew said, his voice quiet. Bennett heard someone gulp. It could have been him for all he knew.

It was too quiet in the glass room. Could someone be watching them through the see through walls. The boys huddled closer together, back to back, to get a better view of their surroundings. Their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting.

Thick glass boxes were attached to the rounded walls and held large, aggressive looking creatures inside. At first glance they seemed alive, but then Bennett realized they weren't moving. Almost like they were frozen inside their containers. Deciding that the creatures were not an immediate threat, Bennett looked to the center of the oval shaped room to find a large wooden platform. Had that been there the whole time?

"Maybe we should go to the middle," suggested Bennett.

The others nodded their heads in agreement. After all, it seemed like the only reasonable option. It's not like they could just stand there by the wall all day. Those creatures might come to life.

They began to walk cautiously across the open room. Each crunch of sand beneath their feet brought them closer the platform and further from the chill of the icy wall, but Bennett still felt cold all the way down to his bones.

"Help!" Someone screamed to his left.

Bennett turned his head in time to see Spencer slipping, surprisingly quick, through the sand. Only his arms and head were visible. Bennett spun around and grabbed hold of one of Spencer's flailing arms and tugged with all his strength. Andrew took Spencer's other arm and together they heaved him back up onto the semi-solid ground, just seconds before he would have been submerged under the crushing weight of the sand. They laid Spencer down on a sturdy strip of ground and fell to their knees next to him, breathing hard.

"W-what just h-happened?" Spencer gasped, rubbing his chest and trying to catch his breath after near suffocation.

"Quicksand happened." Bennett panted.

The boys sat together, hearts racing. There was no way to verify where the sand would pull them under.

"I'll go first," Andrew said, rising to his feet.

"No, we can all go together," said Bennett as he urged his body to stand again on his shaky legs.

"Bennett, don't be stupid. You're the hero. Gorgonvenum assigned you to this mission, not Spencer and not me, just you. Your name is on the Shield of Stone. It doesn't matter what happens to us as long as you get to Dr. Rivers before it's too late," Andrew said, pulling in a deep breath before taking another slow step toward the wooden platform that was now a beacon of safety, promising protection against the sand's strength.

"But Andrew—" Bennett started to protest, but Spencer cut him off and Andrew kept walking.

"Andrew is right, follow behind us," he said. "And make sure you step exactly where we step! If one of us goes under, keep going, don't stop and help."

#  "But—"

Spencer shushed him. "We need to concentrate, Bennett."

Bennett watched as his friends risked their lives for him. A loud, echoing crunch filled the enormous room with their every footfall.

They were able to reach the platform with only two accidents. Andrew had stepped into a small patch of quicksand and one of his legs was pulled under, knocking him forward, face first, into the sand. Spencer and Bennett grabbed his free leg and got him out before he fell through entirely. The only other accident was when Andrew stopped suddenly and Spencer knocked him sideways into more quicksand territory, but Bennett stopped both of them from falling in by grabbing the backs of their shirts.

When they neared the edge of the platform, lights began flickering above them, warming up and turning on. Bright lights shot out like lightning from the ceiling, highlighting the glass boxes and engulfing the room so that they had to squint their eyes to see.

Now that they stood at the edge of the platform, much smaller than it had looked from far back, they saw weapons of various shapes and sizes scattered around on its surface, each one sitting under a spotlight and glittering brightly. Long swords sat upright with gleaming blades that reflected light, casting different hues of color around the room like rainbows. A small dagger sat with the swords, its handle golden and curved to fit seamlessly in a man's hand.

"What are these for?" asked Andrew, looking over his shoulder. "There's nothing in here to attack us."

Andrew stretched out his hand to the swords, reaching slowly, about to touch the hilt of the largest sword.

"Don't touch it!" Spencer yelled. Andrew's hand hung in mid air with indecision before dropping back to his side.

"Why not? We obviously need them for some reason," he said. "Why else would they be here?"

Andrew's eyes were pulled back to the sword, glittering with temptation.

"It could be a trap." Spencer nudged a sword with his foot and jumped back.

"A trap? How do you figure?" Andrew asked without taking his eyes off the weapon. "Seems to me that we're already trapped. This could be the way out."

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" Spencer spoke knowledgeably. "I mean, think about it, whoever designed this room doesn't want us leaving. I think this room was built for anyone who tried to enter the castle by using transport stones. We're trespassing."

Bennett scrunched up his eyebrows and thought about Spencer's theory. It seemed like a logical explanation.

"I suppose you're right," Bennett agreed.

Andrew who still had his back to them. "Don't be such a coward," he said. He leaned down and grasped the sword in his hand and turned around. They paused, listening. A scraping sound came from behind Andrew.

"See, nothing happened," Andrew said and he slashed the sword wildly through the air as if it were a child's toy.

Spencer shook his head slowly. "Don't move," he instructed silently.

"What?" Andrew said. "What do you mean?"

Andrew stood there bewildered while Bennett and Spencer started backing away slowly. One of the glass boxes had melted and out came a furry black monster with massive arms and legs. The thing was crawling toward them slowly with its yellow eyes and a look of abhorrence molded to it's ugly face. Bennett immediately recognized it as an orim, the same creature that had attacked him by The Shield of Stone.

Andrew registered the fear plastered to their faces and turned to face the beast himself.

It pounced on top of him before he could blink.

Without thinking, Bennett picked up an axe lying next to his feet and sprang at the monster. The orim looked up at him and almost appeared to be smiling through its sword-like teeth.

Bennett swung the axe at the black furred creature but it merely floated right through its body without harming it, almost like the axe was made of mist, and instead it dug into the wooden floor at Bennett's feet. He pried the axe out of the wood with a grunt and swung again, high over his head at the beast, only to have the same result.

"Bennett, behind you!" screamed Spencer.

Bennett whirled around quickly. A large spider-like creature with long orange and black striped legs had escaped its glass chamber and was now closing in on him. Spencer stepped between them and shot an arrow at its hairy chest. The arrow sailed straight through its center. The spider didn't seem to notice it was being attacked. It kept its red, beady eyes trained on Bennett.

"What's going on?" Bennett shrieked. Why were the weapons going through their attackers?

"Get off me!" screamed Andrew. He thrust his sword into one of the arms that the orim was using to hold him down with. The weapon sliced cleanly through the muscle and the creature shrieked with rage.

Bennett thought quickly. Surely it wouldn't be that simple.

"I think you have to kill it with whatever weapon brought it to life!" he yelled to the others.

"Then that means..." Spencer gulped and turned to face his own monster, a yellow bird with long feathers and a massive beak was soaring gallantly above him. It was the size of a full grown bull. It swooped down at full tilt and left a red stain where its beak ripped open Spencer's shoulder.

"Ahhh!" Spencer screamed out in agony and crumpled to the floor, clutching his shoulder.

"Spencer!" Andrew cried. "You OK? Get up, it's coming back!"

"It burns!" Spencer was thrashing around on the ground like a fish out of water while the bird hung in the air, circling above him, ready to strike again.

Andrew fell to the ground with an earsplitting yell.

Bennett tried to decide who needed his help the most, and after a quick debate, it looked as though Spencer was worse off.

He jogged over to Spencer, but before he could help him, the spider grabbed Bennett around the waist with one of its hairy arms and brought him up to its face. Bennett had never seen anything so disgusting in his entire life. Its red eyes glowed brightly against the hairy blackness of its face. The spider's white fangs glistened with frightening beauty, reflecting Bennett's wide eyes and open mouth.

The axe was lying on the ground where Bennett had dropped it in the surprise attack, completely out of reach. What could he do to kill the spider? He needed to free himself and get to Spencer.

Bennett felt the light stone beat against his chest as the spider shook him like a rag doll. He struggled to free his arm so he could bring the stone to his lips. He managed to hook his arm around the spider's and reached under his shirt. Sticking out his tongue, he licked the smooth surface of the stone and braced himself for the blinding light to come.

But it didn't come.

He licked it frantically, again and again, but still there was no light.

Didn't someone tell him that the stones are only good for one use? After that they become regular stones again, right? Well, that's just awesome, thought Bennett.

Camp seemed far away now. The safety of the cabin, cool and inviting. The dinning hall filled with good food. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Think Bennett, think! What had he learned at camp about giant spiders? He thought hard. Had he learned anything about spiders? Nothing seemed to be surfacing in his memory. He looked down at the hard stone still in his hand and unclipped it from its place on the string. He launched it from his hand right into one of the spider's eerie red eyes. The spider let out a long high pitched squeal but it only tightened its grip around him. So much for that plan.

"Hang on, Bennett!" Andrew yelled.

Bennett looked down. Andrew had somehow succeeded in slicing the head off of the orim and was now trying to help Spencer who was struggling to stay standing. Bennett could do nothing but watch in horror as the bird swooped down, barely missing Andrew who was shooting arrow after arrow, determined to kill the vile bird.

Spencer crawled on his stomach across the platform, toward the axe. Bennett saw Spencer's shoulder for the first time since the attack. His shirt was ripped open, exposing his swollen flesh that was turning a deep shade of violet.

"Catch!" Spencer yelled from below. He threw the blade up to Bennett with his good arm. It spun through the air, blade gleaming in the light. Bennett reached out and grabbed for the handle. The axe started to slip from his grip but Bennett was able to hang on to the tip of the shaft.

The spider shifted Bennett into another furry arm, moving him further from its face. Bennett readjusted his grip on the axe, muscles tense. Holding it as tight as he could, he swung his arm up and brought the axe down. The arm that was holding Bennett fell to the floor.

Only as Bennett started to fall did he realize that completely removing the arm might not have been his best idea.

Bennett dropped to the ground hard. As he connected with the wooden floor he heard a sickening snap that made the blood drain from his face and sweat sprout on his forehead.

Bennett didn't need to see his arm to know it was broken, he could already tell by the pain in his wrist that something wasn't right, but he surveyed the damage anyway. A lump protruded from his wrist in a stomach churning way. He tried to move his hand but the action resulted in a blinding pain that shot up his arm.

"Get up!" Spencer yelled threateningly. "Bennett, I said get up!"

Bennett stood with a sob. The room spun. Rage pulsed through his veins, feeding his strength. Exhausted as he was, he somehow felt powerful.

Bennett was ready for this to stop. He lifted the axe high above his head once more with both hands, refusing to feel the pain in his broken arm, and forced it down with everything his muscles could muster up.

There was a messy, squashing noise as the spider split wide open down its back. It flipped over and wiggled upside down for a moment before curling its long legs up to its chest and becoming still.

Spencer stood behind Andrew shouting safety concerns for his cousin. Bennett straightened up and watched as Andrew stood very still, focusing his energy on the bird. He pulled the arrow taut against the string; it wavered a little in his hands but he steadied the bow and released the arrow. Sailing faithfully through the air like a bird released from its cage, the arrow struck its target square in the chest.

The bird let out a long squawk as it went crashing to the sand where it began to sink. Andrew had either cleverly aimed for the bird to land in the quicksand or had a very lucky shot. Bennett thought it was the latter. The bird disappeared after only a few seconds, into the same spot where Spencer had first fallen in.

The boys stood still, back to back and breathing hard, looking for the next attacker but none came. The silence that filled their ears was deafening. It was an silence that penetrated every part of them, sending chills down their spines and making the hair raise on the back of their necks.

Fire shot from the ceiling, flowing over the walls and melting the bricks of ice, filling the room with water at an alarming rate. Why wasn't the water evaporating in the heat of the fire? The platform beneath them began to groan and creak, breaking apart, and the room started spinning.

Bennett was confused until he realized the room was standing still. It was the sand that was spinning. The defeated beasts were being swept under the current along with the diminishing platform that the boys were standing on. This is it, thought Bennett, there's no way out of this one.

He tried to brace himself for what had to be death, but he didn't know how; he never expected to die this way. Luckily it would be a quick passing, he thought, with only a little suffering involved. That was nice to think about.

Bennett took another look at his friends; they would be the last thing he'd see. His friends were dying because he had asked them to come with him on this ridiculous journey, a journey that no adult should have ever asked a child to go on. But he'd agreed to help anyway, so that he could become a member of the Bureau.

Andrew went under first. His last words muffled out by the crashing waves of water and sand. Spencer was thrashing about, crying out for his lost cousin, when Bennett slipped under the current.

It was a strange sensation, dying, he thought. It wasn't terribly painful. He had expected the sand to crush him under its weight, but it only pressed him deeper. There was no need to plug his nose or cover his ears, the water stayed out and the sand didn't hurt him; instead the mixture caressed his skin softly like it was trying to figure out what he was, human or beast.

He held his breath as he plunged deeper and deeper, his arms above his head like a diver, only he was falling feet first. His eyes were closed and he could hear a soft whistling noise but he was unable to tell where it came from. Then the sand was gone, replaced with cold air. Bennett took a chance and opened his eyes; he was falling from the sky. He braced himself for a collision but had no need.

His body stopped a few feet before the ground and hovered there before landing with a thump, just like he'd used a transport stone. Another thump followed his and a backpack landed a few feet from him.

Bennett laid on the ground, taking in gulps of air, dazed. He could feel a plush wet surface underneath him. Was it grass?

He sat up slowly, pushing himself up with his good arm; his head still spinning from the fall. Tall trees stood over him. He was in the forest again.

Bennett yelled, but he didn't get a reply from either Spencer or Andrew. He checked the sky, expecting them to be thrown out of the darkness too, but they didn't come. After what felt like an hour, he tried to stand but was unsuccessful. He rested his head on a nearby rock and slipped into a restful unconscious state.

# Chapter Fifteen

***

# The Colony Of The Squids

Bennett didn't open his eyes for a long time. His arm throbbed and ached; he clutched it to his chest as he slowly stood. He didn't recognize the pattern of the surrounding trees, but he did notice a river not too far from where he was. Spencer and Andrew were still nowhere to be found. Surely they would have lived through the quicksand and were back in the forest with him. Then he remembered Spencer had been injured in the fight. Could that have kept him from showing up by now? What about Andrew? Where was he?

Bennett made his way to the water's edge and dropped his backpack to the ground. The cool water felt great running down his parched throat as he drank. After he finished, he leaned against the closest tree. His stomach growled viciously, protesting its lack of food.

Food, he thought as he leaned over to rummage through his bag. To his great relief his searching produced a chocolate chip granola bar Spencer had given him earlier. He chewed it slowly, knowing it was the last of his food supply. He was still hungry but decided to save half of the bar for later.

Bennett stood and stretched but was careful to avoid any unnecessary movement of his tender wrist. He couldn't stay where he was. There was no telling who was out in these woods with him. He would stick to the river, thinking if Spencer and Andrew were somewhere in the woods they would do the same.

As he began to follow the water's edge, going over his supplies in his head, he realized how vulnerable he was. Andrew had the safety of the impenetrable tent, that is if he managed to hang on to it. Bennett only had his ring to warn him of danger and the little gray disk to help him communicate with creatures. Creatures that most likely wanted to eat him or harm him in some way. If something were to attack him he didn't even have his light stone to help him escape.

He searched the ground and picked up a thick branch, as long as his arm, resting under a tree. He gathered a few sharp rocks in case the worse case scenario happened; he could at least throw them at a monster if needed.

Hours passed as Bennett climbed over hills and rough terrain. Even though it was dark he could make out the outline of familiar shapes like trees and rocks so that he wouldn't trip or run into anything. Too bad he hadn't thought of bringing a flashlight with him, but it wasn't really surprising that the islanders hadn't thought to give him one. They never really needed them on the light side of the island.

Thunder started up in the distance. Bennett quickened his pace trying to find shelter. The last thing he needed was to be trapped out in a lightening storm near so many trees. Rain started to fall steadily across the tree tops while bright bolts of electricity lit the sky. With one of these flashes of lightening he noticed a small, rounded opening in the side of a large rock.

Bennett walked closer to get a better look, his shoes slipping over the damp grass and leaves. He bravely stuck his head into the hole. Inside was dry and cool. With no other reasonable option, he decided this was where he would stay for the night. He climbed in slowly, straining his ears and holding up his stick, ready to retreat or fight if anything unfriendly was inside, but he found the cave empty.

He gathered some dry branches by the front of the cave and started a fire at the entrance to keep him warm and dry his rain soaked gear. It was a good thing his mother signed him up for boy scouts when he was little, but too bad he'd quit before they learned about surviving in the wilderness.

Bennett was hesitant to explore the cave but thought it would be a good idea in case there really was something living deeper within its bowels. He found another long stick and lit the end to use as a torch as he searched the cave. His exploration eventually led him to two tunnels, one going left, the other drifting to the right. After playing a quick game of eenie meenie miney moe, he ducked down the right tunnel and continued climbing over stalagmites. The deeper he got the more his stomach felt full of butterflies. There had been someone here before him. He knew it had to be a human because he found a rusted tin cup, a broken pocket knife, and later, a fraying rope.

He was forced to turn back when the tunnel ended with a deep cavity that looked very much like a bottomless pit. He didn't want to press his luck too far by attempting to leap to the other side. Bennett gulped and backed away from the edge. He'd already escaped death once that day, and something told him he wouldn't be so lucky a second time around.

Bennett found his way back to the entrance of the cave by following the glow from his fire. When he sat down by the fire, he took out the knife he found and used the broken blade to sever the rope into pieces, fashioning it into a sling for his arm. He swept aside debris and loose rocks with his foot and pulled out his sleeping bag to rest. The wind whistled outside the cave like a storm was kicking up. Bennett turned over on his side, his cheek pressed against the cool stone floor, and closed his eyes.

"Bennett, I'm so sorry," she said weeping into her hands.

"Mom, it's okay, I'm alive. I'm right here!" he screamed in front of her face. She couldn't hear him. He tried to move her hands from her eyes, but his own hands went straight through her, like a ghost.

"My baby boy, lost at sea!" she wailed.

"Mom, don't cry. I'm okay," he whispered. Why couldn't she see or hear him? Why couldn't he touch her? She looked up and reached through his stomach to take the picture of him from her night stand.

"I love you so much!" she confessed to the picture. "And now you're gone!" Fresh tears flowed down her cheeks. Bennett didn't know what to do. She thought he was dead and he couldn't tell her otherwise. He tried again to take her hands from her face. As he reached out, his fingers started to burn. They were glowing white hot.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" he screamed.

He tried to wipe the white light off his fingers, but it stayed and kept burning into his skin.

Bennett awoke with a start. It was just a dream, he thought. But if it was only a dream, why were his fingers still hurting? He rolled over onto his back and sat up, pulling his hand to his face for a better look. The ring was glowing, burning his skin. He ripped it off and threw it across the cave where it bounced off a wall and landed on the ground.

Bennett looked at his hand, expecting to find a burn, but his skin looked the same as ever. He moved closer to the ring. The stone was clear, but then why did it try to burn him? What had Gorgonvenum said about it turning hot? Bennett gasped; he remembered. The ring was telling him that Spencer or Andrew had been hurt.

Bennett jumped to his feet and scurried out of the cave, grabbing the pocket knife as he left. The rain had stopped but the ground was still slippery.

Bennett felt his heart pick up a few beats and then he felt sick. He was excited because the burning ring meant that either Spencer or Andrew was alive, possibly near where he was. He was nervous because it also meant that one of them had been badly hurt.

He tore through the trees, running as fast as he could, looking for any sign of them. Where are you, he thought.

"Spencer!" he called. "Andrew!" He waited for a reply, but none came.

He followed the river until he saw it. In the distance a cloud of smoke rose above the trees. He ran toward it, shouting, but grew quiet when he got closer and heard laughter.

Two men sat around a campfire. One was short and fat while the other was tall and skinny. Bennett saw Spencer sitting behind them tied up, his shoulder still swollen. He watched as his friend wiggled and squirmed in what looked like a useless attempt to free himself. It dawned on him; Spencer wasn't trying to escape, he was trying to get his ring off. That meant it had to be Andrew who was injured. Spencer groaned. Bennett was relieved to see Spencer, even though he was being held captive. Seeing Spencer meant everyone was alive. At least for now.

"Hey kid, keep yer yapper shut!" One of the men yelled in Spencer's direction.

"Yeah, nobody likes a crybaby," the other man laughed.

Spencer must have finally managed to remove his ring because he let out a deep sigh. Bennett didn't know who the men were or what they wanted, but seeing as they had Spencer tied up, he knew they were up to no good.

He crawled around the campsite to where Spencer sat, and tapped him gently on the shoulder. Spencer let out a muffled yell and Bennett jumped behind a bush. The men paid no attention to him. Bennett got behind him again, but this time he whispered, "Spencer, it's me, Bennett. Are you all right?"

Spencer straightened up and turned to look at Bennett. His skin was pale and sweaty; his eyes were sunk in with purple shadows as if he hadn't slept in days, but it hadn't been days since Bennett had seen him last.

"I'm going to untie you. Hold still." He took Spencer's hands behind his back and sawed at the ropes with the broken knife. "There, you're free. Now sneak back here into the bushes," he said, crawling back under the cover of trees.

Spencer picked up his bag and quietly scoot backward. The further he got from the two men the more nervous Bennett felt. How long would it take for them to realize he was missing and come after him? Spencer made it to the bushes next to Bennett.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"Follow me," Bennett said, pointing back to the cave.

As Bennett had guessed, it didn't take very long before they were being pursued by the men. Their argument on who was supposed to be watching the boy was a dead giveaway to which direction they were coming from.

The men had almost caught up with the boys when Bennett pulled Spencer's good arm into the cave and stamped out the remainder of the dwindling fire. Spencer and Bennett held their breath as the men passed close by.

"Perhaps he's hiding," suggested the shorter man with a twinkling voice.

"Well, duh. The question is where is he hiding," the taller man said.

The shorter man stepped closer to the cave entrance.

"Do you reckon he's in here?" he asked.

"Don't be stupid. Anything could be living in there," his partner said. "We're in the dark forest, remember?"

"I think it would be a good hiding place though," protested the little man.

"Fine, go stick your head in there and see if anything eats your face off." The tall man chuckled.

The short man took another step closer to the entrance. Bennett and Spencer flattened themselves to the cave wall. The man was about to poke his head inside when his partner jumped up behind him and yelled. "Gotcha!"

The little man jumped with surprise and bumped his head on the low mouth of the cave. "Idiot! What was that for?" he yelled.

"For being stupid. Now come on, we have to find him," the other said.

They walked off, still bickering. Finally when Bennett thought it was safe, he made a small fire deeper within the cave to keep them warm.

"Spencer, are you OK? Who were they?"

"Luciadoye's men. They're looking for three intruders that tried to transport themselves into the castle and managed to escape. They know we're here."

"Let's never try that again," Bennett said and then asked the important question. "Have you seen Andrew?"

"No, I was hoping he was with you." Spencer looked down at his finger. "The ring was burning me."

"That means Andrew's been hurt."

Spencer leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"You look awful. How's your shoulder?" Bennett leaned in for a better look.

"Worse than before," he smiled. "And what about your arm? I see it's in a sling."

"I broke it when that spider thing dropped me." Bennett looked down at his arm. Better he broke his arm than his neck.

"I have the medical supplies in my bag. Drink the potion that's labeled Parcelum; it will mend the bones, but your arm will still be sore for a while," Spencer said.

"Thanks."

Bennett reached into the bag and dug through the supplies, pulling out a tiny flask filled to the brim with thick pink liquid. He poured some into his mouth and winced as it burned down his throat, making him cough. The bones repositioned in his left arm. He gripped the bag tightly and squeezed his eyes shut; spots of color swam under his eyelids. Then it was over. He opened his eyes slowly.

Spencer nodded approvingly. "Yeah, it stings a bit. Sorry, I forgot to mention that," he said as he smiled and closed his eyes again.

"Ouch." Bennett flexed his arm. The swelling had disappeared and the bump was now gone. "Is there anything in here to heal your shoulder?" he asked, looking back into the bag and bringing more bottles to the surface.

"No. Not in that bag," he said. "I've been poisoned. None of those potions can fix this."

"What do you mean poisoned? What do I need to do?"

"That yellow bird was a Wilknur. It has fangs like a snake on the end of its beak, and when it bites you, it injects venom into your bloodstream. It makes it so that you can't sleep but grow exhausted and weak, and you eventually die. I need to find the antidote."

"What's the antidote?" Bennett asked quickly.

"It's a plant called a Merrylop Twig. Lucky for us it grows in most caves," he said, opening his eyes.

"It can grow without sunlight?"

Spencer sighed. "Don't you remember what Counselor Finley said about the dark side? Plants shouldn't be able to grow, let alone exist, without light, but the island has a special soil that gives the same warmth and nutrients to the plants as the sun, making it possible to grow vegetation on either side of the island, sun or no sun."

Bennett thought back to that day. He hadn't been paying attention. He was too distracted by Kailey's hair tied up in a crooked ponytail only a few short feet in front of him.

"What does a Merrylop Twig look like?" he asked.

"It looks like a regular twig but it has red bark and it's very flexible, almost impossible to break."

"So I need to find a red twig somewhere in this cave," Bennett echoed while looking in the darkness behind him. "How much do you need?"

"Well, we need at least a full branch. Then we have to burn it and I need to inhale the smoke that comes off. That's the only thing I can think of to cure this."

"Then I'll go find it."

"You can't go by yourself. The plant can't be moved. It's trapped forever in the ground. You have to burn it at its roots."

"But look at you!" Bennett said.

Spencer wobbled as he stood. "It's the only way," he said. "Every second that I don't have the cure I grow weaker and closer to... the end."

"How can you talk like that?" Bennett gaped. "How can you say that you're dying?"

"I'm just stating the obvious," he shrugged and immediately regretted it. His shoulder erupted with more green pus and blood. "Let's hurry," he said.

They tried to hurry but since they didn't know where the Merrylop Twig grew they couldn't be certain that they were going in the right direction or if it even grew in this particular cave. Bennett led the way through the stalagmites, climbing through and helping Spencer along the way.

When they came to the two tunnels, one going left, the other heading to the right, Bennett turned to Spencer.

"I've been down that tunnel," he said and pointed to the right with his makeshift torch. "I didn't see any red twigs while I was down there, but I might have missed it."

"Let's go to the left then," Spencer said and walked past Bennett to take the lead. The left side of the cave was more moist then the right, Bennett noticed. It was wider and taller too, almost like a room.

Water was seeping in along the tops of the walls. How deep were they now? He hoped they on the right path to finding the Merrylop Twig. How much longer did Spencer have before the poison caused him to—Bennett couldn't think the last word.

He could hear Spencer's heavy breathing in front of him. What were the others doing at camp now? They must have realized that they were gone. Did Gorgonvenum lie and tell them the boys were at home sick, or that they were on a dangerous mission to save the maker of the stones? Maybe someone would come and find them if they failed to return.

He remembered Toby's warning. Maybe he was right. Maybe Gorgonvenum was a dangerous man and he wanted them to fail. Bennett thought this through while trailing behind Spencer who was now carrying the torch. He wasn't really paying as much attention to where he was as he should have been so when Spencer came to an abrupt halt, Bennett crashed into the back of him.

"Did you hear that?" Spencer asked in a hushed voice.

Bennett strained his ears.

"Hear what?" he breathed.

"Something's following us." Spencer spun around to face the noise coming from behind them.

Bennett heard it that time. It was almost like a small whisper. He didn't recognize what it said but he understood that something was speaking.

"Who's there?" Bennett said, but Spencer was one step ahead of him. He pulled out his gray disk and motioned for Bennett to do the same.

The boys placed the disks under their tongues. The plastic material tasted like salt and vinegar. Bennett was about to spit it out when the voice came again from behind the rock.

"Who goes there? Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?" a squeaky voice asked.

Spencer looked at Bennett and nodded.

"This is Spencer Keaton and I'm Bennett Nelson," Bennett said uncertainly. "Uh, we're looking for something,"

The voice grew weaker when it responded, "B-Bennett Nelson?" it asked anxiously.

"Yes, and Spencer Keaton."

"Bennett Nelson has come to save us!" it cheered in a high pitched voice.

"Come to... save you?" He looked at Spencer who shrugged.

"That's right, we've come to rescue you," Spencer said to the voice. "Please, show yourself."

There was another faint shuffling noise from behind the rock, like something was struggling to climb on top, and then he saw it. With the light from the torch Bennett could see a small furry purple squirrel-like creature with bright yellow spots on its face and down its back. Its big brown eyes watched them cautiously.

Spencer took a step closer to whisper in Bennett's ear.

"That's a squid," he said.

"A squid?" Bennett whispered back, eyeing the animal.

Obviously it was not an ordinary squid that lives in the ocean.

"They are supposed to be extinct. We learned about them in Ancient Zoology a year or two ago."

"We are not extinct, Sir," it said. "My name is Iiri and I am here to serve you, as is my colony."

"There's a whole colony of you?" Spencer sucked in a breath.

Bennett didn't bother whispering as apparently the squid had exquisite hearing. "Are they dangerous?"

"The opposite actually, unless, of course, you make them mad," Spencer smiled. "Would you take us to your king?" he asked the squid.

The little creature looked cautious when he answered, "The king has died. I am in charge now."

Spencer bowed low to the ground; Bennett, deciding to trust Spencer, followed suit.

"I am so very sorry for your loss, but I am grateful to get to speak with you, King Iiri," he said smoothly.

"As I am grateful to speak with Bennett Nelson, our savior," he said, staring at Bennett and ignoring Spencer.

Great, now I'm a savior, he thought to himself.

Spencer spoke again, pulling the little animal's attention back to him.

"We have come in search of a Merrylop Twig," Spencer said. "Do you know where we might find one?"

"Merrylop Twig," muttered the squid. "No, I can't say that I do." King Iiri smiled.

"Are you sure?" Spencer said. "I find that hard to believe, considering that the Merrylop Twig happens to be a valuable meal to squids, especially for the king."

The squid shook his head. "I don't know what you are speaking of," it said.

Spencer scratched his head. "It's a shame. We've come to save you and you can't seem to help us when it's our lives at stake." Bennett watched, fascinated by Spencer's knowledge. "Perhaps we were mistaken in coming to your aid."

That got Iiri's attention.

"Wait, um... I may have one or two Merrylop Twigs lying around, but I'm not going to give them to you. Not until you help us escape," the squid said, shaking his head.

Spencer thought it through, weighing his options. "We will get you to the wall, but nothing more. In return we expect the payment of one Merrylop Twig, fully grown."

King Iiri studied Spencer's tired face for a long moment before answering, "You are wise, my youthful acquaintance," he said. "I, King Iiri, shall pay Mr. Bennett Nelson and Mr. Spencer Keaton one fully developed Merrylop Twig in return for my colony's freedom from the gloom of this darkness."

Iiri extended his hand to Spencer. Bennett thought they were going to shake hands, but after eyeing him suspiciously for a second, Spencer nodded once then leaned down and spit into Iiri's open palm. Then he offered his own hand to the squid to spit in. The King then turned to Bennett with his hand outstretched. Bennett looked to Spencer who nodded, and spit on Iiri's hand. Iiri returned the favor.

"There, now we are sealed in saliva," King Iiri taunted. "If you go back on your word, you shall be sentenced to eternal darkness."

"Exactly what does that mean?" Bennett said.

"It means if we don't hold our side of the bargain, he will make us go blind," Spencer said in all seriousness. "You have my word," he added to King Iiri who looked satisfied by his deal. Why didn't anyone bother to tell Bennett of the consequences before he let Iiri spit in his hand?

# Chapter Sixteen

***

# The Merrylop Twig

The king took them deeper into the cave, turning left, right, and left again. Maybe the cave extends for the length of the whole island, Bennett thought. The stone walls grew steadily colder as they descended, chilling Bennett to the bone. Finally King Iiri led them into a large cavern lit with torches along the wet walls. They were embraced by rays of warmth and comfort that were flowing from a roaring fire pit in the center of the room. The smoke escaped through small holes drilled into the ceiling like a chimney.

"How many squids are in your colony?" Spencer asked the king.

"There were many of us, but that was long ago," he said.

"How many are there now?"

"There are only sixteen now, including myself. We were not meant to live without sunlight." The king looked down.

"Well, we're going to help you, but we need a place to sleep for now. We will leave in six hours," Spencer ordered.

"Yes, sir, of course," Iiri said and handed them two dirty pillow-like lumps of compressed cotton. "These are from my people, as a gift of gratitude."

"Thank them for us," Spencer said.

Iiri left them in a small chamber, just off of the main cavern. A few rocks were piled up and were used as a door. Bennett couldn't remember what a good nights sleep felt like and he longed to be back at home under the covers of his bed, where he was safe from danger and the elements.

The boys laid down to rest; Bennett slept while Spencer could only close his eyes.

It was still early in the morning when Bennett awoke and, when the time came, he and Spencer helped the squids pack their few belongings into cloth bags. They hiked through the forest, having to rest often for the squids who had small legs, often carrying the younger squids who were exhausted. It took them half a day to get back to the wall, but the boys held their end of the agreement and then it was time for King Iiri to hold to his.

"Here's the wall," said Spencer.

Bennett looked longingly at the wall, the wall that promised truth, safety, and light just on the other side.

"I have left one Merrylop Twig, as promised, in my palace. You may go fetch it now," he said as they took turns climbing the wall. "My people thank you for keeping us safe from the beasts of the dark as we traveled."

"We made a deal. I've kept my word and you kept yours. I expect we can be friends now in times of trouble. Will you come to our aid when needed?" Spencer said.

"Of course, once a brother, always a brother," Iiri said. This time instead of holding out his hand he stuck out an elbow; Spencer and Bennett did the same, and they bumped them together. The King was the last to follow his colony over the wall and he didn't look back.

"They're weird little animals," Bennett said once the squids were out of earshot. He and Spencer started to make their way back to the cave, following a trail Bennett had so cleverly made by marking the trees with the knife. It was amazing what their eyes could see now that they had been in the dark for so long.

"Yes, but not the strangest," he said and he told him of more customs of other creatures that he'd learned about.

Bennett's feet were hurting badly. He wanted to complain to Spencer but, really, what good would it do? He tried to distract himself from his aching feet by thinking of home. He remembered the time when he was eight years old and forgot his shoes by the monkey bars at the park. He'd gone back to get them and accidently ran across hot gravel while barefoot. His mom had to carry him back to the car and bandage his burning feet. The next day he could hardly walk from the cuts on the pads of his feet.

Eventually, the cave was within sight. They'd made it back to the cave in half the time it took to get to the wall, not having to stop and rest as often as before. The boys picked up pace and ventured back down to the deep cavern the colony had just abandoned.

"There it is," Spencer said, pointing up at the ceiling.

"Where?" He couldn't see very much in the high, dark ceiling of the cave.

"Behind that stalactite there."

Bennett's eyes followed where Spencer's finger pointed. Now he saw it. It really was red, a deep shade of red, the color of blood.

"Can you climb up there and light it?" Spencer dropped his pack to the ground.

"Yeah, of course."

Bennett pulled the rope fragments out of his bag and tied the longest piece around his waist. Using the other end, he threw the rope up over a rock and caught it. He pulled on the other end of the rope and hoisted himself into the air. He felt his stomach turn to lead. Jagged rocks loomed underneath him as he dangled in the air. If he wanted to reach the twig, he'd have to swing. He pushed off a rock with his feet to propel himself forward. He swung out hard and touched the torch to the twig, but nothing happened. He tried again and it started to smoke, but didn't catch fire.

"Third time's the charm," Spencer called to him.

Bennett pushed out with all his strength and reached out with the torch and then the whole plant blazed with blue light as it caught fire. He could smell it burning almost instantly. It had a putrid odor, something similar to raw fish. He lowered himself down to the ground where Spencer was inhaling deeply.

"That's better," he said.

Spencer looked weaker now as he sank to his knees. "Finally I can sleep..." he said. Bennett watched quietly as Spencer slept for the first time since the attack. He used this time to eat some more granola bars that Spencer had with him.

***

Andrew awoke in a field of flowers. He didn't remember what happened until he tried sitting up and his side erupted with searing pain. He laid back down. Now he remembered falling out of the tree; he was trying to find Spencer and Bennett, and that was how he got hurt. He ran his hands down his ribs on his right side; it was definitely sore but not broken badly, just cracked maybe? He stood up slowly, leaning on a tree trunk for support. His bag was dangling from a low branch, just within his reach. He pulled it down and looked inside. He found the orange concoction he was looking for and took a swig. Instantly he felt relief as the liquid froze his insides and cooled the burning pain in his chest. He took a slow, deep breath through his nose; no more pain. He breathed deeply again. What was that smell? Was something burning? He scanned the trees until he saw a small cloud of thin yellow smoke, not far from where he was. The smoke was emitting a glowing light through the dark night air. He picked up his bag and walked in the direction of the smoke, not knowing what lay ahead. Were they enemies? Or allies? Smoke burned his nostrils as he followed the smell.

Andrew found the smoke billowing from a cave. Scared as he was, he ducked his head in; the coast was clear. The smell was bad but tolerable so he continued on, lighting a stick to see his way. He eventually came to a fork in the tunnel. He looked to the left then the right. The smoke was no longer visible. Had the fire been put out? He decided that the right tunnel looked safer so he continued down that route. He had to hunch down and squeeze through smaller openings as the cave narrowed. He halted immediately when his small torch illuminated a deep pit. He took a deep breath then laughed.

"Ha, looks like my luck's changing," he said to a nearby stalagmite which of course didn't respond. "The one sure sign that your sanity is slipping," he muttered, "when you start talking to rocks."

He turned to head back to the entrance of the cave when his foot slipped on some loose gravel and he fell. Sliding fast, he grabbed the closest object, which at first what he thought was a snake, but actually turned out to be a rope. Screaming, he fell, and was sure that just about everyone on the island had heard it. Now he had no idea what would come and find him. He could only hope and pray that it was something nice as he hung from the rope slipping slightly through his hands. He sat in the dark; his torch had fallen into the pit when he slipped. He looked down below him and felt all courage leave his body and in its place was a petrifying panic.

***

"What was that?" Bennett whispered to Spencer who was still sleeping. He shook his shoulder that was now completely healed thanks to the Merrylop Twig that had quit burning half an hour earlier. Spencer sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"Someone screamed," Bennett said. "It sounded like a kid." Spencer was immediately alert and on his feet. They picked up their bags in a rush and slung them over their shoulders, taking off down the tunnel.

"Andrew?" Spencer called when they got closer.

"Spencer?" he yelled. "Is that you? Help!"

"It's coming from the right tunnel." Bennett dashed down the dark passageway lit only with the torch that Bennett had thought to bring. They stopped abruptly when they found Andrew dangling from a rope in the deep pit Bennett had seen on his earlier expedition of the cave.

"Andrew!" Spencer said. "You're alive!"

"Of course I am, but not for long if you don't pull me up!" He grunted and tried to pull himself up higher, but couldn't.

Bennett and Spencer reached down, grabbed his arms, and hauled him out of the hole.

"Are you all right?" Bennett asked between breaths. "Our rings were burning. Were you hurt?"

"Just a few broken ribs; no big deal," Andrew joked, feeling the effects of the fading adrenaline rush.

"I'm glad to have you back," said Spencer.

They talked for a bit, catching up since they last saw each other in the quicksand room, as they walked. Spencer shared his story of how he was captured and tied up and Bennett came to his rescue. Andrew told of how he climbed a tree to find them despite his phobia of heights but fell when a branch broke under his weight. Then he swore to never climb a tree or anything above five feet ever again. Eventually they reached the mouth of the cave and laid down to rest.

They weren't asleep for long when something howled. All three boys sat up straight. Bennett felt the hair raise on the back of his neck and he reached back and flattened it with his hand. The noise was coming from behind them.

"Something is in the cave," Andrew whispered.

Bennett strained his ears. "It sounds hungry," he said, slowly getting to his feet, ready to run.

"How can something sound hungry?" Spencer gave a small laugh, trying to ease his fears.

"I don't know, but maybe we should leave," Bennett said. His eyes focused on the tunnel to the left where the squids had lived. A dark shadow was coming closer. Then Bennett could see what it was. A black wolf emerged from the tunnel and bared it's teeth. Bennett was the first to scramble out into the night. Spencer and Andrew tripped over each other as they fought their way out of the cave. The wolf didn't chase them like they thought it would; it just wanted them out of its home. They walked for a while in silence, looking for new shelter.

The trees began to thin out and the night became considerably brighter. The moon shone brilliantly, lighting everything as if it were just after sundown. The boys stepped out to the edge of the dark forest and froze. A black stone castle stood eighty yards away, flames in every window.

"I think we found the outside of the castle," Bennett said.

"Well, since we're already awake, who's up for a rescue?" said Spencer. He took hold of his invisibility stone and disappeared into the night air.

Bennett took out his necklace and sighed. "I guess I am."

"Fine," agreed a whiny Andrew.

They walked all the way around the castle; men surrounded the building and blocked every door. The boys retreated and waited patiently at the tree line, hoping the guards would move away from an entrance. Finally, on the side of the building a door opened. Out stepped a servant in rags, pushing a cart full of food to the watchmen. Bennett gripped the back of Andrew's shirt and Andrew grabbed Spencer's. Spencer took the lead and the boys slipped in behind the servant as he was returned through the door.

They followed the servant at a distance as he made his rounds, offering food and drink to the guards on the inside. As they followed, Andrew spotted a stone staircase leading down a dark hallway. He dropped his invisibility stone and motioned for Spencer and Bennett to follow him as he ducked down the stairs. The air grew colder as they descended the steps.

When they reached the end of the stairs, they saw a single door. A tall man wearing a suit of armor and holding a shield and sword stood in front of the door, still as a statue.

"Now what?" whispered Spencer.

"This," said Andrew. He took careful steps, invisible to the guard, ripped the shield out of his hand and hit him in the head with it. Bennett watched as the guard's face crumpled and he went crashing to the ground where he didn't move.

"Nice, Andrew," whispered Spencer. They dropped their stones and had to work together to pull the man away from the door. Once out of the way, the boys pushed open the door with a low creaking groan.

# Chapter Seventeen

***

# Accusations

The room was round with two torches on either side of the door, casting orange light on the floor. Along the walls, rusted iron bars stretched from floor to ceiling, dividing the room into small prison cells. A surge of hope swelled in Bennett. Dr. Rivers could be in the room with them right now.

"Hello? Is anyone in here?" Bennett spoke quietly into a dark cell.

Spencer rapped his knuckles on the back of Bennett's head twice.

"What are you thinking?" he whispered harshly.

"Ow." Bennett ducked out of Spencer's reach and rubbed his head. "I'm thinking this is a dungeon. The sort of place we might find the doctor."

"Who's there?" a raspy voice whispered from the nearest cell.

Bennett stopped moving. It was so quiet he could hear his heart beating in his ears. He swallowed to clear his throat. Was it safe to tell the prisoner who they really were?

"Three of Bureau's best men," Bennett finally said. Something moved to his left. An outline of a small skinny man emerged from the darkness. It was quiet for a moment as the man stared at them. Bennett turned to look at Spencer and Andrew behind him. As he did, a long bony hand shot out from between the bars and grabbed the front of Bennett's shirt, pulling him close to the chilly metal.

"You're really him, aren't you? You're Bennett Nelson. You can't be here! Leave now before he finds you!" Dr. Rivers breathed urgently, eyes flickering from Bennett to the others. "He's already killed Julia! He threatened me. He told me he would do it, but I didn't listen." The old man made a whimpering, a sound like a hurt dog. Bennett struggled to stay balanced as he tried to pry Dr. Rivers' hand off his shirt.

"You mean Julia Hansen? Luciadoye killed her?" Spencer asked.

"No, it was that evil slug, Arthur Gorgonvenum!" Dr. Rivers sniffled, trying to control his sobs.

"What?" Spencer gasped. "That's impossible!"

"He was right," Andrew paused. "That fairy warned us and we didn't listen."

Everyone in the Bureau practically worshiped the ground that Gorgonvenum walked on, especially Andrew and Spencer. This had to come as a hard blow to them, but they didn't let it distract them.

"Don't worry. We've come to get you out of here." Bennett was still struggling with Dr. Rivers' non-budging hand.

"Me? You're the one who is going to need rescuing when they find you. Leave me here and go!"

#  "But —"

"GO!" The man released Bennett's shirt and crawled to the back of his cage. Bennett turned to Spencer and Andrew to ask them what to do next, but only Andrew was behind him. Spencer was standing at another cell, staring at something in the dark. He knelt down and reached his hand into the cell.

"Spencer! Don't stick your hand in there!" Bennett warned. "Whatever is in there might bite it off!"

But Spencer didn't listen; instead, he got closer.

"Dad?" he called softly.

"Spencer?" a voice choked. "Spencer?"

"Dad, it's you! It's really you!" Spencer cried. "What happened, Dad? Why are you in here?"

Andrew grabbed a torch hanging on the wall and ran over to the cell. Mr. Keaton was lying on the icy stone floor with his long black hair, dirty and unkempt, swept over his face and halfway hiding a graze on his forehead. Bennett could barely make out that his eyes were deep brown like Spencer's. His face was unshaved where a tangled beard was trying to grow. Wrapped around his shin on his left leg was a blood stained rag.

"Spencer, why are you here? What were you thinking? You should have never come to this place, especially alone!" His father sat up on his elbows and winced as he stretched out his injured leg.

"Gorgonvenum sent us on this mission," Spencer said, still reaching through the bars.

"Gorgonvenum is a traitorous snake. He is working for Luciadoye!" He paused and thought. "He must have wanted to lure you in to capture you."

"Not me..." Spencer turned to his friends. "I think he wanted Bennett." Every eye in the room found its way to Bennett, who stood by Dr. Rivers' cell, looking unsure.

"You're Bennett Nelson? But you're just a kid," Mr. Keaton said, squinting his eyes.

"That's what they all say," Bennett said. "Where are the keys?"

"The guard has them. Wait," he said, "how did you even get down here?" There was a scraping noise as he pulled himself into a sitting position.

"Don't worry about that right now," said Spencer. He rattled the cage bars. "We need to get you out of here."

Andrew went back out to the guard and took the keys from his belt, came back in and unlocked Mr. Keaton's and Dr. Rivers' cells.

"Before we leave we need to free Maxwell, my partner. We were both assigned as spies here," said Mr. Keaton. He crawled out from his cell and stood to his full height, stretching slowly, like he hadn't been upright in a long time.

Taking the keys from his nephew, he limped to a third cell. The lock groaned as he turned the key.

"Maxwell, come on out. My boy has come to free us."

The man named Maxwell shuffled out of the dark hole with a smile on his face.

"It's about time the Bureau came for us. I didn't think we'd get out of here," he said, then took a good look at the boys. "Wait, these are just kids." He scratched his head and looked to Mr. Keaton. "Why are they sending kids to get us?"

"I have no idea, and I'll have a talk with the Bureau when we get back home." Mr. Keaton wobbled as he took a step.

"Dad, let me fix your leg before leave." Spencer held out a hand.

"Did you bring the right supplies?" Mr. Keaton sounded doubtful.

"Yes, we came prepared for the worst." He pulled his bag off his shoulders. "This should take the pain away."

Mr. Keaton slid down against the wall while Spencer pulled out a yard of clean gauze and some thick yellow paste. Andrew helped him apply the paste and the wound turn black. Then he wrapped his uncle's leg.

Bennett stood still, remembering when Toby bit him on the ship. The man put yellow paste on it and the bite mark turned black. Bennett looked down at his finger, almost expecting to find it the wrong color, but that was so long ago. There was no other explanation how someone from the ship had that yellow paste. He was from the island. Bennett's mouth hung crooked as he thought. This was not the time to talk to the others about it though. He'd have to wait until they were out of danger. Maybe once they were back at camp.

Spencer poked Bennett. "What's up with you?"

Bennett shut his mouth. "Nothing."

Spencer shrugged and looked down at his dad. "I hope you can run. This way. Come on," He helped his dad stand to his feet.

Opening the door to the dungeon, Bennett was prepared to step over the unconscious guard, but there was no need.

He was gone.

"This is not good," said Andrew.

Bennett glanced up the stairs and waved them forward. "We just need to hurry."

The guard could already be on his way back down there with backup. That gave them roughly three minutes to hightail it out of there.

Jogging and shuffling, they made it outside and into the cover of the woods before they heard the shouting. Dr. Rivers was out of breath and Mr. Keaton was hunched down, holding his injured leg. They couldn't do much more walking let alone running. They stopped behind some bushes and Andrew took the tent from his pack, popped it open, and motioned for everyone to climb in. It was a lot more crowded with three extra adults crammed inside.

"I used to have one of these," said Maxwell, stroking the tent material lovingly. "Destrodium, right? Beautiful stuff."

"I think that's what it was called," said Bennett. "Are you hungry? We have some food." Bennett pulled out what remained of their food supplies, which wasn't much to begin with.

"We've been locked away in that prison for months, living off raw rats and stale crackers," said Maxwell. "Of course we're hungry!" He grabbed the package of chips from Bennett's hand like a mad man, making Bennett flinch. He tossed more food in Maxwell's direction, fearing he might get his hand bitten off if he didn't feed him fast enough.

"You'll have to excuse him; he seems to have forgotten his manners," said Dr. Rivers, eyeing Maxwell with a look of contempt.

"Nah, I never had any to start with," said Maxwell as he shoveled food into his mouth.

"We can all see that," Dr. Rivers said quietly, nervously pecking at the bag Bennett had just handed him.

"You want to start something, Rivers?" Maxwell threatened through a mouth full of chips.

Spencer held up his hands. "Guys, let's just relax."

"Thank you for saving us," said Dr. Rivers, looking down at his food. "They were torturing me, doing horrible... things, trying to get information out of me. Wanting me to do things for them." He shuddered and closed his eyes.

Bennett patted his arm. "It's okay now. You're safe in here."

Dr. Rivers reached for another bag of chips, but stopped and leaned his mouth to Bennett's ear, startling him.

"Take this," he whispered. Dr. Rivers pulled something small out of his pocket and pushed it into Bennett's palm. Bennett looked down and saw a small, clear, round stone, smooth in texture like a marble. "It's only for an emergency. If those soldiers had known I had this they would have forced me to make more for them. This is the only one I have. Don't tell anyone." The others in the tent were too distracted with their catching up to notice the silent exchange.

"What does it do?" Bennett moved the stone between his fingers. The surface felt like ice.

"Just squeeze it until it turns white hot, then throw it at your enemy and run like the wind," he said. "Put it in your pocket so you don't lose it. If that gets into the wrong hands, we're all dead." Bennett gulped. What if it went off in his pocket by accident? He nodded his head, wondering why Dr. Rivers didn't just hang on to the stone. Bennett didn't like the responsibility resting on his shoulders, but he did as he was told anyway.

"Yes, sir," said Bennett. He slid the stone deep in his pocket.

Something pounded on the tent door.

"Come out. We know you're in there," came a man's throaty voice. Everyone inside the tent went rigid.

"Well, open the door then if you're not going to hurt us," Bennett said, finding his voice. Hopefully Gorgonvenum hadn't been lying when he said anybody or anything with the intention of harm would not be allowed to enter. The person jiggled the zipper, trying to unzip the tent, but had no luck.

"It seems that the zipper is stuck. Why don't you come out here so we can talk face to face?" suggested the man.

"Yeah, let me think about that," said Bennett. "Um... No."

"But I just escaped from the prison too, and I want to hide with you so they don't catch me!"

"There were no other prisoners," Mr. Keaton said.

"Ah ha! I knew it!" The man yelled over his shoulder. "I've found them. They're in here! The prisoners are in the tent!" Feet slapped the ground as the guards got closer.

"Everyone get ready to run," said Maxwell. Something about the way he said it made Bennett's heart hammer against his ribs.

"Why?" Andrew asked with a gulp.

Maxwell's face was somber. "Because the odds are they know how to melt destrodium." Everyone went quiet inside the tent. A large cranking sound bellowed from outside the thin walls. They sat like mice waiting to be devoured by a cat.

"Come out. This is your last chance," chuckled a lady's voice.

Maxwell threw his hands up and said, "All right, fine. We surrender. Just stand back away from the door so we can exit."

Bennett looked at him like bubbles had just spurted from his ears. All those months in prison must have turned his brain to mush. Did he want them to be killed?

"Are you daft, man?" asked Dr. Rivers with wild eyes. "I knew you were crazy, but not suicidal!"

"Look, just trust me. You do not want to be in here when they melt this thing," he said. Mr. Keaton nodded his head in agreement. Maxwell waddled over to the zipper and turned his head over his shoulder.

"When I open this door I want you to run as fast as you can and get to the divider," he whispered. "You've got to get back to the Suns Republic."

"What about you?" Bennett breathed.

"He'll be fine," whispered Mr. Keaton. "We have a more important mission to accomplish." He nodded toward Dr. Rivers who was looking like he was going to be sick.

"Let's use these." Spencer pulled his necklace out from under his shirt and popped out of sight.

"Where did you—?" Dr. Rivers started to ask but was cut off.

"Later," said Spencer. Bennett and Andrew pulled theirs out too.

"We're coming out now," called Maxwell. All went still beyond the tent walls. Bennett took a deep breath to steady himself. Maxwell unzipped the door and jumped out. Nobody was there.

"What the—?" Something invisible jumped on top of Maxwell and he tumbled to the ground.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play, eh?" He swung his fists through the air until there was a crunch and a groan. "How do you like that?"

Mr. Keaton grabbed Dr. Rivers by the arm and they took off running. The boys followed closely behind. Bennett couldn't see it but he heard something chasing them, something invisible. He felt Spencer and Andrew running unseen next to him. So who was following them? Bennett stopped mid stride and stuck out his foot. Something large crashed into him, knocking him hard to the ground; a person. Bennett coughed and sputtered under the weight of the man.

The others turned at the noise. Bennett lay invisible under the now evident man who had dropped his stone when he hit the ground. Mr. Keaton pulled him off Bennett, who was grateful to fill his lungs with air again.

"Who are you?" Mr. Keaton demanded, shaking the man by the front of his shirt.

"Henry H-Hensley," said the brown headed man as he huffed and puffed for air.

"Well, then, Henry, you go back to your master and tell him that we escaped and you couldn't stop us. Do you understand me?"

"I can't, sir; he has my family, my wife and three daughters. I have to take you back. He said if I do what he tells me, then they'll be okay," he cried. Mr. Keaton took out a flashlight (Bennett still wanted to smack himself in the face for not thinking to bring one) and shined it in Henry's eyes.

"Dark or light?" he challenged.

"Light!" he shouted. "Always light, but he took my family. Maybe you know them? My wife Diana is the warden at Camp Fire Tooth, and our girls; Madison, Ariana, and Kailey."

"Kailey's at the castle?" Bennett dropped his stone, becoming visible.

A look of relief broke over his face. "Yes, do you know her?"

Spencer popped up next to Bennett. "Yeah, we know them."

"I doubt they ever mentioned me. I've been away for a while trying to find my son, Seth. He disappeared two years ago when he was just fourteen. We don't like to talk about it because we thought he went to the dark side; he has always been a little... different. I've been trying to find him since the day he went missing. That's why I went to the castle in the first place."

"And did you find him?" asked Mr. Keaton. He eased his grip on Mr. Hensley's shirt.

"Yes," he said, face grim. "I did."

"Was he working for him?"

"Yes." He dropped his eyes to the ground and shoved his hands in his pocket. Then he looked up with a new light in his eyes. "Please! You can do with me what you want, but my family is back in the castle; they need me. I can't just abandon them. I'll do anything you want if you'll help free them." Mr. Keaton seemed to think this over before turning to Dr. Rivers.

"Do you think we can trust him?" he asked.

Dr. Rivers nodded slowly. "He has kindness in his eyes," he said.

Bennett looked at his ring, it was clear; this man was not an enemy.

"Let's find shelter," said Spencer. "I can hear the others coming."

The group took off and hid in nearby bushes, holding their breath as men walked past them several times, poking the bushes with sticks and checking between the trees. Eventually they moved on.

"We need to warn the others," said Mr. Keaton, thinking hard.

Henry spoke up. "I can do it. I can get the Bureau to help us."

"Fine. Find Louis and Missy Spelldrum; they know the drill," he said. "And if you so much as breathe a word of this to anyone else, I will personally hunt you down and skin your backside bare," Mr. Keaton threatened, spittle flying from his teeth. "You got that?"

"That won't be necessary. I want to help," Henry said. He nodded his head as if to further his sincerity.

"Good, go then and take Dr. Rivers with you."

"Yes, sir." Henry did a little salute.

Henry and Dr. Rivers set off for the wall after packing up a bag of medical supplies. Spencer, Andrew, and Bennett took Mr. Keaton to the cave where they had burned the Merrylop Twig. They rested for a while before Mr. Keaton got worried about Maxwell and decided to go looking for him. He told the boys not to leave the cave for any reason. They were to wait for his return but if he wasn't back in two hours they had to climb back over the wall and look for help.

Bennett took the first watch at the mouth of the cave while Andrew and Spencer slept deeper inside. He caught himself nodding off here and there. Stay awake, he thought to himself, but his eyes closed anyway.

He was sitting in his room reading a book with Toby in his lap.

"Bennett darling!" his mother called from downstairs.

"Yeah?" he called back.

"Can you come down here for a minute?"

"Hang on." He reached out and found a scrap of paper to use as a bookmark, set the book down and put Toby in his cage. Toby thumped his hind feet in irritation.

"Sorry, boy," he said. "Be right back."

Downstairs his mother was sitting at the kitchen table with an unfamiliar man seated across from her.

"What's going on?"

"This is my good friend, Mr. Chapman." The man stood and shook Bennett's hand with vigor.

"I've heard quite a lot about you, son," he said.

"And I've heard nothing about you," was Bennett's response.

"Mr. Chapman is going to take me out to dinner tonight so I need you to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael next door," she said, smiling.

"You're going out on a date?" Bennett gasped. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Your father and I have been divorced for years now," she said quietly and stood up from her chair. "Maybe we should talk in the other room."

"No, let's talk here in front of your date so he can see us argue." Bennett was mad. He didn't want anyone else to break his mother's heart.

"Now, Bennett, you march yourself upstairs this instant and get ready to go," she said and pointed to the stairs.

#  "NO!"

"Maybe now isn't such a good time," said an uncomfortable Mr. Chapman.

"I'm so sorry, Chance."

Chance Chapman? What kind of name is that?

"Bennett, wake up." Someone was shaking him back to reality. He opened his eyes in alarm; he'd fallen asleep when he was supposed to be watching for danger. "Bennett, you have to go!" whispered the voice. He looked around and didn't see anybody. "Oh, sorry," the voice said. Arthur Gorgonvenum materialized in front of Bennett. "Invisibility stone, quite handy actually," he chuckled.

"What do you want?" Bennett pushed himself up straighter. Knowing he was responsible for Mrs. Hanson's death made him seem more dangerous than before.

"He has your mother," Gorgonvenum whispered. Bennett blinked at him, unable to process the information.

"My mom? What are you talking about?" He bit his lip to keep from talking too loud and risk waking Spencer and Andrew.

"The Dark One."

"The Dark... How?" His pulse hammered in his ears and his stomach twisted in knots.

"I don't know but if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes I wouldn't have believed it possible," he said. "You have to hurry. There's a war breaking out in front of the castle. Bring your friends; there's power in numbers," he said and melted into the night.

Bennett jumped to his feet, staring at the spot where Gorgonvenum had just been.

"How can I trust you? I know you're working for him," Bennett spit, then immediately regretted it. His bravery vanished like it had an invisibility stone of it's own. It probably wasn't a good idea to inform bad guy that you knew his secret. But Gorgonvenum didn't lash out like Bennett thought he would.

Instead he said gruffly, "It's not a matter of who you're working for, Bennett. It's a matter of who you're more afraid of."

"Well, I'm not afraid." Bennett said, then yelled louder. "I'm not a coward like you!"

Gorgonvenum scoffed. "Ignorance will be your worst enemy, boy," he yelled back. "Remember that!"

# Chapter Eighteen

***

# Tracy Keaton

Bennett woke his friends. They packed their bags and left the cave despite Andrew's desperate pleadings to stay.

"I can't wait to meet Luciadoye," Spencer said. His eyes were cold and hard. "He took my mom away from me and kept my dad locked up. He'll have to pay for that."

"You never told me how she died." Bennett looked over at Spencer. He didn't want to upset him further, but his curiosity was blazing.

"I don't tell many people."

"I'm sorry," said Bennett quickly. "I didn't mean to—".

"You didn't let me finish," Spencer interrupted. "I don't tell many people, but I don't mind telling you." His mouth was set in a hard line and his eyes stared straight ahead as he spoke. "I really miss her sometimes. You already know she worked for the Bureau like my dad. That's where they met." He paused. "Her name was Tracy. She and my dad were assigned a mission to spy on Luciadoye, but things went bad and they were caught. My dad made it out alive, of course, but he's never been the same since." Spencer looked over at Bennett. "You know he told me she'd drowned? But I knew better. My mom was a great swimmer.

"Later, Andrew and I overheard my dad talking to Uncle Lu." Bennett glanced back at Andrew who followed behind them, staring at the dirt. "He told him all about how Mom was tied up and tortured while he watched helplessly from behind bars." Spencer paused to take a deep breath.

"Eventually, she grew weak from her injuries and couldn't even sit up. My dad tried to find a way to save her but Luciadoye kept her under lock and key. When Dad escaped, he had to come home without her to get help. When I asked where she was, he told me she was still on the assignment, but he couldn't keep that lie going for very long. So, he settled with telling me she drowned."

Bennett shivered, a chill creeping down his spine. How do you respond to something like that? I'm sorry for your loss, didn't seem to cut it.

"I—I didn't know." Bennett frowned. "I'm...."

"Don't say you're sorry," he said, looking up. He said it more weary than anything. "I'm just so tired of hearing it; people saying how sorry they are. It doesn't change anything."

"You've still got your dad," Andrew finally spoke up. "And us."

"Yeah, just imagine if the Spelldrum's never existed," Spencer said, mood lightening. He reached back and shook Andrew's shoulder.

"Hey!" he protested playfully. Then the two boys got into a pretend fistfight as they ventured onward toward the castle.

It wasn't long before they heard the noise. The shouting and clang of metal filled the air along with the smell of copper and burning wood. Gorgonvenum had told at least part of the truth, there was a war in the front yard of the castle. Bennett recognized some of the people fighting. Counselors Finley, Blevins, Zamora, and Septimus were engaged in a sword fight against five men that Bennett didn't recognize.

The boys darted across the lawn, dodging blows and swings from passing fighters. As they ran past a duel, Bennett saw a fallen servant of Luciadoye on the ground with a look of terror forever etched on his face. Still in the man's limp hand was a sword. Its guard was styled to resemble a pair of bird wings while the blade was engraved with patterns of swirls and crosses. Bennett picked it up and weighed it in his hands. It was very heavy, but it was better then bursting through the doors of the castle with nothing but his fists to protect him.

"I think I'll keep this," said Bennett, smiling at his friends who marveled at his find.

# Chapter Nineteen

***

# The Battle

Bennett used his shoulder to shove open the castle doors. A musky smell hit them hard, burning their nostrils. Fighting a gag, Bennett scanned the room and spotted a medium sized cage to the left. The Hensleys were huddled together, trapped inside the bars. Spencer and Andrew stopped behind Bennett, flanking him. Bennett's eyes came to rest on a black haired man in the middle of the room. He sat in a large plush chair and wore a gold crown on his head like a king. Bennett took a shaky step forward, clutching the hilt of the sword so hard his knuckles turned white.

The man shifted in his seat, tilting his head forward. "It's good to see you again, Bennett. Or would you prefer that I call you Philip Rhodes?" The man's sharp green eyes watched Bennett's reaction closely. A smile spread across his face as Bennett's eyes widened.

"You're Mr. Smith from the boat." He shook his head in disbelief. "You can't be Luciadoye." Bennett glanced down at his ring and saw it change from red to black. He swallowed hard, feeling sick.

"But I am," he said. "I'm both people. I got rid of Oliver Smith and replaced it with Luciadoye the Great! Sounds more kingly, don't you think?" Bennett tried to look away from the man, but his stare held him to the spot.

"That's why Toby was scared of you. He knew who you really were!"

He shrugged. "Yes, I saw your little fairy friend. He disappeared when the ship sank. Otherwise, I would have killed him."

"Why would you want to kill him?" Bennett's face reddened. Toby could have died on that ship. Sure he was a fairy, but Bennett still thought of him as his pet rabbit; defenseless and scared. "He didn't do anything to you."

"He would have gotten in the way. I was going to take you back with me, not fully realizing who you were at the time, but I lost track of you. I barely escaped on my dragon, as it was. I told it to set the ship on fire, thinking you and that fairy would be on it."

Bennett wet his lips. "You could have killed everyone on board!"

"Yes, well, that was the plan. But it didn't stop you, did it, Bennett? Clearly you are more unique than I'd imagined." He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. "Join me and I can teach you wonderful things, make you a prince."

"Why would I want to work for a murderer?" Bennett said between clenched teeth. Then he remembered something and looked around the room. "Where's my mom?"

Luciadoye let out a harsh laugh and narrowed his eyes. "That's the oldest trick in the book and you fell for it!" Bennett stepped forward threateningly. "Now, Bennett, let us be reasonable. Do you actually think that you, a child, can take me on?" He didn't wait for an answer. He threw his head back with laugher and slapped his knees. "You do! I can see it in your face!" He wiped a tear from his eye and hollered over his shoulder. "Guards, tie them up and put them with the others."

Four men came busting through the room's side door and marched over to the boys. Time slowed. Bennett felt the blood boil in his veins. The man that ripped Spencer's family apart and terrorized the citizens of the island stood right in front of him. Backing down was not an option. He wouldn't let Luciadoye walk away from him that easily.

Nothing else in the room mattered. All he could see was Luciadoye chuckling to himself, completely oblivious to the look on Bennett's face. Bennett knew what he had to do; he just didn't know if he could pull it off. The men grabbed the boys by the arms and started dragging them to the door.

Bennett took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, and pushed at the man holding him. "I'll do my best to see you locked away for life, to suffer like those who've died because of you! That's a promise."

Luciadoye's laughter was cut off and all traces of humor left his face. "That's a big promise for such a small, dimwitted boy." He held up a hand to stop the guards and regarded Bennett with disdain. "And so rude. Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?"

Bennett grit his teeth. "Leave my mom out of this."

"Don't you get it? It's really simple." Luciadoye stood from his throne and passed in front of the boys. "I can't be stopped." He leaned down and whispered into Bennett's ear so only he could hear the threat. "If you even try to take my power away, I will find her and I will kill her. Just for the fun of it." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "There is no place where she would be safe from me."

"She'll be safe when you're dead!" Bennett had been ready. His plan to lure Luciadoye closer had worked. He lunged forward with the sword. Luciadoye, caught off guard by the surprise attack, narrowly ducked out of the way by falling to the ground, catching himself with his arms spread out behind him.

The heat in the room made Bennett's hair stick to his face. Anger fueled him; he wanted this man to suffer for all he'd done. Luciadoye straightened up from the floor and pulled out a sword from under his cloak. They circled each other, both waiting to see who'd fight back first. The guards let go of Spencer and Andrew and surrounded their master, raising their swords and knives, one foot forward, ready to pounce.

"No, this one's mine," he told them. "Peter, Mark, Mike, and Greg, go outside and make sure nobody comes in. This won't take long."

The guards put away their weapons and left the room. Bennett watched them go. None of them blinked. Zolbax, he thought. The guards were being forced to fight, or at least some of them. They were innocent people, about to be killed in a war that they wanted nothing to do with. He pushed the thought aside. Focus, Bennett.

"Not scared?" Bennett taunted with a smile. He tried to at least act like he wasn't afraid, when really he felt like throwing up.

"Bennett," Spencer warned, speaking for the first time since they entered the castle.

Luciadoye chuckled. "Last chance. I will still let you be a prince here in my palace. Wouldn't you like that? To be rich and loved? To have servants who would do whatever you ask?"

"I don't need Zolbax for that. I already have people who care about me. Most of them are out there on your lawn fighting." Bennett raised his sword, but Luciadoye blocked the blow with his own and pushed Bennett to the floor with the flat of the blade. Air rushed out of his lungs in a wheeze. Bennett looked up in time to see Andrew jump up behind Luciadoye and latch onto his back.

"You killed my Aunt! You killed her!" He pulled on Luciadoye's hair like reigns, knocking the gold crown off his head. Luciadoye grabbed ahold of Andrew's arm and swung him into the air with a grunt. Andrew crashed at his feet and skidded across the floor. The walls and floor vibrated and screams filled the air from outside. It sounded like a rocket taking off.

"I've killed a lot of people." He breathed heavily. "She had no value." Luciadoye strode over to where Andrew lay flat on his back. He lowered his sword to Andrew's throat, pressing into his skin. Andrew gulped, breathing hard.

"She was my mom!" Spencer yelled from a few feet away. "Of course she had value!"

Luciadoye looked up at Spencer. It was a good distraction.

Bennett gripped the sword in both hands and brought the weapon down fast, shuddering when it made contact. There was a sickening thwick sound as a few of Luciadoye's fingers dropped to the ground, along with the sword.

Andrew gagged, rolling out the way. He pushed himself off the floor and ran to the cage holding the Hensleys. He shook the door but it didn't open.

"Behind you," said Mrs. Hensley. Andrew turned expecting a guard, but he found an ax laying by the throne. He ran over and grabbed it. He swung it high over his head and brought it down hard on the lock. It took a few tries, but he got it open.

Mrs. Hensley ushered her sobbing children out of the room, sparing only a quick glance at the boys. There's gratitude for you, Bennett thought. Then Kailey looked right at Bennett, eyes filled with tears. She opened her mouth to speak but Bennett stopped her.

"Go!" he yelled. Her mother pushed her out the castle doors without a word.

Luciadoye's eyes were squeezed shut and he dropped to the floor, his mouth opening and closing without a sound. The muscles in his jaw flexed into hard lines and his face paled. Rolling around on the ground, he grasped his injured hand.

"You—" He sucked in a breath and let out an agonizing scream. He rolled onto his knees and hunched over his hand. "Uuughh! I'm going to kill—" He looked down and saw his fingers on the ground next to him. He gasped and sat still for a second. Then he retched. His back trembled with heaves. He finished, wiped his mouth on his sleeve and tried to stand but swayed on his feet and collapsed to his knees.

Blood stained Luciadoye's fine clothes. Bennett's stomach struggled to stay calm. He looked away, feeling dizzy, and put a hand out to steady himself.

"You took her away from me." Bennett's head whipped around to see Spencer walk over to Luciadoye tears streaming down his cheeks. "I grew up without her because of you!" Spencer leaned down and kicked Luciadoye in the stomach. He doubled over with a moan. "Then you locked up my dad for a year!" Spencer kicked him again, harder. Bennett had never seen Spencer act like this and apparently neither had Andrew because he stood looking just as startled as Bennett.

Spencer reared back to kick again; Luciadoye reached out and caught Spencer's leg, twisting it back and knocking Spencer on top of him. Luciadoye pushed up off the ground and threw Spencer off of him. He grabbed his sword with his good hand and stood up to face the three of them. He wiped blood from his mouth before he spoke.

"I will not be treated this way by children! Bow down now or die! I want to hear you beg for mercy. Beg for your life the way your mother did. Let me see you cry for your family." Luciadoye took a deep shaky breath. He kept his hand over his heart to slow the bleeding.

Rage burned behind Bennett's eyes. He wanted to be done with this. The courage he'd felt before had been spent. He was exhausted.

Spencer looked tired too, but he spoke up. "Do it then, kill us! Start with me." He stood a few feet from Luciadoye's grimy face. "But we're not the only one that will try to stop you. Have you seen outside yet? Huh? Have you seen the army that's come against you?" Spencer took one step closer to Luciadoye. Now they were only a foot apart. Luciadoye stood there, breathing hard. He didn't seem impressed with Spencer's courage.

"You...will never...win." Spencer spit the words in his face like a curse.

Those were his last words.

Without so much as a flinch, Luciadoye shoved the sword into Spencer's side. Spencer dropped to the ground with a yelp. Blood drained from his limp body as the murderer sneered in triumph. Andrew collapsed next his cousin and held his head in his arms.

"Spencer!" he cried over the still body. A chill went down Bennett's spine and something snapped inside him. His best friend was dead and it was his fault. If he had stopped the blow somehow, stepped between them, Spencer would be alive. If he hadn't asked them to go with them on the adventure, if he'd decided not to visit his father this summer then Spencer would still be on the light side of the island, safe with his family.

Spencer's face grew paler by the second. Bennett let the hot, stinging tears slide down his face and roll off his chin. So many had already fought and died. There was one thing that might able to save them. He reached a shaking hand into his pocket and pulled out the clear stone. He studied it; it sparkled and gleamed in his hand. He shut his fingers over the stone and squeezed hard, shutting his eyes. The rock grew warm against his skin until it burned. He opened his eyes, pulled his arm back and threw the stone at Luciadoye. It bounced off his chest and landed on the floor with a clack.

#  Luciadoye arched an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to—"

BOOOM!

A huge explosion sent Bennett and Andrew flying backward, shaking the castle walls and sending fireballs hailing from the ceiling.

"Andrew, we've gotta get out of here!" Bennett yelled over the roar of the fire that formed a circle around them. He couldn't see what was left of Luciadoye and they didn't care to find out.

"I'm not leaving Spencer!" Andrew howled. Bennett knew Andrew was right. They couldn't leave Spencer behind to be burned up by the flames.

Bennett crawled over, coughing. Pain rattled through his chest. He ignored the stabbing sensation and grabbed hold of Spencer's legs while Andrew took Spencer's other half. Together they shuffled out of the castle, half crawling, half stumbling. The smoke was getting too thick to breathe. Bennett used his shoulder to bust open the doors. Pain radiated down his arm, but he didn't stop. They made it outside the castle and into the middle of a war zone. Chunks of the Great Divider were scattered around, mixing the dark creatures with the light.

They moved away from the castle to avoid the flames that poked out the doorway. Still carrying Spencer, they walked into the middle of the yard. People saw the castle in flames and began to stand still and quiet, leaving their opponents to see what had happened. Soon every eye, both the dark and the light, was on the burning castle. No one fought anymore. There was no reason for it now. With Luciadoye gone, the Zolbax potion had worn off and his guards and servants were back to their old selves.

Bennett and Andrew laid Spencer's body gently on the grass. Bennett squatted down next to Spencer and tried to find a pulse, but there was none.

Spencer was gone. Dead.

Toby, followed by a dozen other fairies, landed in front of the boys.

"What happened?" Toby demanded. He placed a hand over Spencer's wound which had finally stopped squirting blood. Only a slow trickle now ran down his side.

"Luciadoye stabbed him," Andrew said, tears still dripping from his eyes. He wiped his snot on his sleeve and rubbed his eyes, smearing his face with Spencer's blood. Mr. and Mrs. Spelldrum came running, along with Mr. Keaton who was hobbling along behind them. They stopped in front of the boys. The Spelldrums pulled Andrew into a hug and held him there. Mr. Keaton pushed past them to where Spencer lay on the ground.

"My boy," he whispered. "My son!" The fairies flew around Spencer's body, surrounding him inside a circle of their bodies.

"Step back," ordered Toby, nudging people away who tried to get a closer look.

"Do not tell me to step back," Mr. Keaton said. "This—This is my ch-child!" Wailing tears spilled over his lashes and splashed onto his son's face. He gathered Spencer in his arms and hugged him, rocking back and forth. "My little boy."

Toby nodded his head and the fairies grabbed Mr. Keaton and pried Spencer from his arms.

"NO!" he yelled, lashing out at the fairies. "Leave him alone, you monsters!"

Toby paid no attention to Mr. Keaton. Instead, he leaned in close to Spencer's wound and closed his eyes. The fairies that weren't restraining Mr. Keaton kneeled down beside Spencer and did the same. Toby spoke a few words in a language that Bennett didn't understand. Then tears sprang from Toby's eyes. Bennett looked at the face of each fairy in the group; they were all crying.

Toby let a single tear drip onto the wound. Then he stood and started singing a beautiful but frightening tune. The next fairy in the circle let one of his tears slip and fall on Spencer too, then he joined Toby, their voices a scary, sweet melody.

One by one the fairies took their turn. Everyone from the battle was watching feverishly; not a single person dared to move an inch. It was too quiet. Even the wind seemed to be holding its breath.

When the last fairy let her tear fall, she flew up to Spencer's face and kissed his forehead before floating over to the others to join in the singing.

"What's going on?" Mr. Keaton asked. The fairies kept singing, either ignoring or not noticing the question. Bennett looked at Spencer's face; it was brightening, the color was returning to his checks. His eyes moved a bit and the gash on his side was closing up! What was going on?

"Spencer?" Mrs. Spelldrum called softly. She was still holding Andrew tightly. She might never let go of him again after today.

"Son?" Mr. Keaton knelt down to his boy. "Don't leave me, Spencer. I need you, buddy. Wake up. Please wake up." Spencer's mouth twitched. Nobody dared to speak. Spencer opened his mouth a little like he was trying to say something, but no sound came out. Andrew pulled away from his mother and knelt down over his cousin.

"Spencer, we're all here," he said softly. Spencer cracked open his eyes just a fraction of an inch and looked at Bennett.

"Why did you let him stab me?" Spencer said in a cracked voice. The crowd erupted with cheers and laughter. The fairies stopped their singing and Toby floated over to Bennett, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"How did you do that?" Bennett asked, watching Mr. Keaton help Spencer into a sitting position.

"Do what?" Toby asked innocently.

Bennett turned to look at him. "Bring Spencer back from the dead?"

"He wasn't dead. No magic can do that," Toby said, wiping a tear from Bennett's cheek.

"Then how did you heal him?"

"With fairy tears. If given willingly, they can heal almost any wound."

A wave of dizziness and nausea washed over Bennett, making him sway on his feet. Toby whistled over his shoulder and six fairies were there in a flash. Together, they guided him to a nearby tree. Bennett sank down, leaning against the trunk for support. His body was exhausted.

"Are you all right?" Toby asked, looking him over for injuries.

Bennett waved his question away and asked one of his own. "Why were you singing?"

"It's just what we do. It helps calm everyone down." Toby whispered something to a girl fairy and she flew away. Bennett watched her as her wings fluttered like a hummingbird's. She went up to a human and tugged at his shirt sleeve.

Bennett was smiling now. His friend was going to be okay. He looked up and saw Dr. Rivers among the crowd of people and wanted to thank him for the stone that saved their life. He started to stand to his feet, but Toby pushed him down.

"You're hurt, Bennett. Don't move," Toby said. The man that the girl fairy went to fetch jogged over to Bennett.

"Bad burns," the man said, looking Bennett over. He pulled up Bennett's shirt and examined the burns on his shoulder and chest. Bennett didn't remember burning it, but when the man started to bandage it, Bennett winced, biting his lower lip to keep from screaming.

"Luciadoye's still in the castle. I set off an explosion." As Bennett finished his words, a black dragon swooped out of the sky, outlined by the moon. It crashed into the side of the castle, the walls crumbled under the weight. The dragon roared, blowing fire into the air like a volcano. Arthur Gorgonvenum riding on the creature's back.

The dragon sniffed the air once, then snatched up Luciadoye's body in its mouth.

Gorgonvenum looked down from the dragon's back. "You're supposed to be dead, Bennett. How did you survive him?" He nodded toward the dragons mouth where Luciadoye's smoking body hung.

"It was like you said. There's power in numbers," Bennett yelled back, glancing over at his friends.

"Well," Gorgonvenum cleared his throat. "I guess I should dispose of the body," he said, regaining his composure. The dragon reared back like a bucking horse.

"He worked for Luciadoye; don't let him escape!" Bennett screamed.

"No, I didn't. The boy is either delirious or lying. He must be jealous that I took down Luciadoye by myself; he wants the glory," Gorgonvenum bellowed down to the crowd of people.

Andrew got to his feet. "He's the one that's lying!" He yelled. "Bennett saved us! Bennett's the one who killed Luciadoye!"

"It's true," said Spencer, now sitting up on his own. "We saw him do it."

Gorgonvenum laughed. "Are you going to believe these children over me? The head of the Bureau of Brotherhood? The leader of the Suns Republic?"

Mr. Keaton stood to join Andrew. "Yes!"

"Absolutely," shouted Mr. and Mrs. Spelldrum.

Murmurs broke out across the crowd.

"He also killed Mrs. Hansen!" Bennett shouted, narrowing his eyes at Gorgonvenum.

"Fine, then have it your way!" Gorgonvenum screamed. He kicked the dragon with his heel and it took off like a rocket.

"Don't let him get away!" someone yelled. People launched rocks and shot arrows, but the dragon was too big. The weapons bounced off its hard scales as it flew away into the night sky, and soon they were out of sight.

As Bennett watched the sky he noticed the clouds and the fog were dissipating. The sky was growing steadily lighter. The stars disappeared first, and then the moon slowly slipped out of view as the sun got brighter and its warmth spread across his chilled skin. The dark creatures began to shriek, shielding their faces from the light. They ran around like wild animals set on fire.

As the sun got higher in the sky the dark creatures started to melt like hot wax. Black puddles pooled where monsters had once been. Enormous cheers erupted from everyone. Weapons were dropped and people jumped with joy, hugging their loved ones and helping the injured.

Day bathed the entire island with light for the first time in years. There was no more darkness. No more battles. No more fear. And, most importantly, no more Luciadoye. Bennett shook his head. He really was a hero. He was all those things people said about him. His name was on the shield of stone for a reason. He was Bennett Nelson, The One.

Toby patted Bennett on the back. "You saved the island. I knew you could do it. I saw you, I saw this!" Toby said, holding his arms out to the cheering people.

"You saw this?" Bennett studied Toby.

"In a vision many, many years ago," he said, smiling.

"Years ago? But I thought you said that you could only see a few hours into the future?"

"It's rare that we ever see anything farther away then a few hours, but it is not impossible."

"So you knew all along that I was going to win?" Bennett said, mostly to himself in thought. "Why didn't you tell me and save me all the worry?"

"You needed to gain the courage on your own," he said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to defeat the Dark One." Toby beamed at him. "When I saw you in my vision, I broke the most vital of all the fairy rules."

"What's that?"

"I wrote your name on the Shield of Stone."

Bennett sat there, trying to form a comprehendible sentence. "You did that?" he finally managed. "Why didn't you tell me it was you?"

"It doesn't matter who wrote it, does it?"

Bennett sighed, "I suppose you're right."

"That's why I came to find you," Toby said. "To protect you from Luciadoye. I knew he would try to find you when my ex-friend, Adam, told him about my vision."

"How did you know where to find me though?"

"It was hard. I had to search public records and track you down. Do you know how many Nelsons there are out there?" Toby smiled. "I gave you the book about the island to help prepare you for your fate, but it was lost in the wreckage of the ship. Plus it was in the wrong language. I had to stroke the spine of the book with my nose to get it to change to English so you could read it. I knew Luciadoye was up to something when he was waiting in your room. It was a good thing you lied to him about your name or he might have just slipped away with you right then and there. I'd hate to think of what would have happened if I hadn't sank the ship."

"Whoa! Hold up. You made the ship sink?" And all this time, Bennett thought it was Luciadoye. He'd even seen him come out of the control room before they crashed!

"I had to. He could have easily taken you," Toby said, touching Bennett's shoulder. Bennett shrugged away from him.

"Then all those people died because of me." His nose burned and his eyes threatened to spill tears again.

"No, I made sure nobody would lose their life before I executed my plan; they all lived, Bennett." Toby smiled cheerfully. Bennett didn't know what to say about all of this. His head was so full of new information, it felt like it was full of cotton.

"I think I need to lie down. I've had one too many near death experiences for this week," Bennett said as he stretched out on the ground.

"Suit yourself, but you're going to miss the party." Toby chuckled and flew away. Bennett practiced breathing in and out slowly, trying to calm himself. He sat up straight when he heard a girl's voice.

"Bennett, are you hurt?"

"Kailey?" he said running his fingers through his hair quickly. It did no good. His head still looked like a chicken had nested in it.

"Yep, it's me." She laughed at his attempt to compose himself.

"What are you doing here?" he asked stupidly.

"I'm here because you saved my life."

"Oh, well yeah, I knew that. What I meant was why aren't you with your family?" he stood up, swaying a little.

"They are a little busy reuniting right now. We haven't seen my dad since he went to look for my brother," she said, trying to hide a frown behind a watery smile.

"I heard what happened to Seth. I'm sorry."

"He made his choice, so don't be sorry," she said, suddenly angry. Her fist bunched at her side and Bennett reached out and took her hand in his.

"I forgot to ask," he smiled timidly, "if you're all right?"

She smiled. "Yes, thanks to you."

It happened so quickly Bennett didn't have time to think. She reached out with her other hand, placing it on his shoulder, and pecked him on the cheek with a quick kiss. She pulled back to see his face. He stared at her, mouth hanging open.

"You okay, Bennett?" She smiled awkwardly.

"Think so." He touched his cheek.

She let go of his hand and went to be her family. Bennett looked up and saw Spencer and Andrew watching him with amused expressions stretched across their faces. Bennett had a feeling they were never going to let him forget that.

# Chapter Twenty

***

# Home At Last

"Are you ready to go?" Andrew asked. Bennett picked up his bag from the bottom bunk and stuffed his clothes inside, not bothering to fold them.

"Yep." Bennett turned to Kaden who was watching him pack. "I'm sorry the Isle-lympic Games were cancelled because of us."

"Are you kidding?" he scoffed. "You saved the island. That's way more exciting than me beating my sister at some stupid game. It's not like I was going to build a stand for the trophy and display it in the middle of my room like a holy relic, polish it everyday, and bring it up at every meal just to torture Kindle." He sighed, staring off into space like he was picturing just that.

"I would have won anyway," said Kindle, bouncing on her toes. "Besides, when three campers go missing, the whole camp is put on red alert and all extracurricular activities are cancelled."

Kaden swaggered across the room to the door. "Um. Sorry, Kindle, but I would have won. Not you," he said over his shoulder.

"Kaden, what you need is a good dose of reality." She picked up Bennett's pillow and threw it at her brother just as Mr. Keaton poked his head in the door. Kaden ducked and the pillow smacked Mr. Keaton right in the face. He stood there a second without a word.

Kindle's hand flew up to her mouth. "Uncle Alex, I'm so sorry! Kaden ducked!" She ran forward to get the pillow while Kaden fell over laughing hysterically.

"It's okay." He smiled, looking like he was holding back a laugh of his own. "I came to tell you to hurry; the Broadwinger will leave soon."

"Thanks for letting me stay with you over the school year, Mr. Keaton," said Bennett as he grabbed his bags and headed out the cabin door.

"Not a problem, kid," he said, winking. "It's the least I could do."

"What do you do during the school year?" Bennett asked Spencer on their way to Broadwinger Station.

"More training, but it's a lot more physical," he said.

"Physical?"

"Yeah, running, weight lifting, getting in shape. That kind of stuff," he said.

"Sounds... fun."

"And of course we study math, science, and stuff," he said. "Special training for the Bureau."

"Of course," said Bennett.

They arrived at the station to find it more crowded than last time. Spencer and Bennett leaned against the wall by the loading docks, trying to avoid stares, while Andrew and his dad went to buy the tickets.

Cody, Logan, and Jake walked outside and Spencer waved them over.

"I can't believe Camp is over," said Cody.

"I don't want to go home. It's a lot more fun here with you guys," complained Logan, throwing his bag to the ground next to Bennett's.

"We'll be back next year," Spencer affirmed.

Logan looked to Bennett. "What about you?"

"I don't know," he said. "I want to, but I want to go home too." He missed his room and his old bed. Most of all he missed his mom.

"Well, I hope you come back," Jake said, shifting the weight of the backpack on his shoulder.

"Me too," Logan agreed. "This was the best summer yet."

Mr. Keaton walked over carrying tickets. "All right, climb on in so we can go home."

"Bye, guys," Bennett said.

Spencer and Bennett climbed onboard the Broadwinger. Andrew was already waiting inside, no doubt claiming the best snacks from the gift basket.

"Saved you a seat," Andrew said, holding a bag of what looked like chocolate.

Bennett shook his head, chuckling to himself. He took the window seat and stared out, watching the scenery zip past. He was going home, to his new home. He couldn't help but wonder if it was going to be a permanent arrangement. Would he ever get to go to his home again? What if he never saw his mom again? Would he be coming back to camp next year? He was so consumed with his thoughts, he didn't realize that they had arrived at their stop. They exited the broadwinger and went inside the station. Mr. Keaton caught up with him as they walked through the busy room.

"Oh, Bennett, I forgot to mention I have a surprise for you," he said. A smile stretched across his face, so big it made his eyes crinkle.

Bennett stopped walking. "For me? What is it?"

"Look and see," Mr. Keaton said, glancing up at something ahead of them.

Bennett looked up through the crowd of people bustling around him and there she was, standing by the back doors looking around frantically with tears streaming down her face. She was looking for him, he realized. He dropped his bags and ran to her. Her head snapped up and their eyes met. She ran forward and grabbed him up in her arms, crushing him to her body.

"Mom!" He breathed. She smelled like her old perfume. He was surprised he'd forgotten it.

"Bennett, Bennett, I thought I had lost you forever!" she sobbed in his ear. He didn't want to let go, but he pulled back to look at her.

"I thought I would never see you again." Bennett let out the tears he'd been saving. He studied the face he was afraid he'd never see again. The way her hair was parted to the left, her full smile, her glittering eyes.

"You've grown so much." She let out a sob. "I missed you so much it hurt!" She pulled him into another crushing bear hug. He smiled ear to ear while his mom continued to fuss over him. They were attracting quite a crowd.

Mr. Keaton stopped by their side, waiting patiently. "Surprised?" he asked when Bennett finally looked up.

"You could say that. But, how?" Bennett didn't need to finish the question for Mr. Keaton to understand him.

"I am head of the Bureau now. I have more power to my name. I can do a lot of things now that that evil—" he paused. "I mean, now that Gorgonvenum is gone."

"You're the head of the Bureau of Brotherhood?" Bennett sucked in a breath. It was Spencer and Andrew's dream job.

"Yep, I was voted in just the other day, and thanks to you everyone now knows Gorgonvenum was a fraud."

"Congratulations!" Everything was happening the way it should. He turned to his mother. "Mom, this is Mr. Keaton, head of the Bureau of Brotherhood." To say he was excited would be an understatement.

"Alexander Keaton, ma'am, but you can call me Alex." He took her hand to kiss it.

She gasped. "I'm Lydia Rhodes."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

Just a second Bennett thought he saw something in her eyes. Was it interest? Bennett didn't have long to think about it because Andrew and Spencer started yakking in his ear.

"This was the hardest secret I've ever had to keep," said Andrew, making an act out of taking a deep breath and wiping his brow.

Bennett turned to him. "You knew about this?"

"Yep!" said Spencer. "We both did."

"Why didn't you tell me?" When they shrugged their shoulders shoved them both over and they started laughing.

His mom was talking to Mr. Keaton about the island with a confused look on her face. It reminded him of his first day here.

"Don't worry, mom," he said. "We'll fill you in."

Bennett walked out of the Broadwinger Station with his friends and his mom. That's when he realized something. It didn't matter where he was as long as he had his family. Wherever his mom was, his home was too. They walked down the street, on their way to Spencer's house, where Bennett hoped they would stay forever.
