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Kendra felt certain her perceptions of the garden’s enhanced beauty had nothing to do with her roup had returned fro Seth Warren, Coulter, and Tanu had teleported around the globe using the Translocator, Vanessa had reached out to her best contacts, and Grandpa had tried every method he knew to hail the Sphinx, but none of their efforts had yielded results The Translocator could take thely obvious that in order to find Seth and her parents, they would have to venture someplace none of thetiined her parents, tied up in a sunless cell, confused, hungry, and ill While a fairy used sparkling hts of a delicate orchid, she pictured her brother, ienie in a la from a severe chest wound Hoas it possible that she was roaarden while the rest of her farouchy face, is your brother around?"

The voice ca up, Kendra sael and Doren standing beyond the border of the lawn

"Seth can’t play," she infor Star"

"The Society?" Doren said "Oh, no!"

Newel let loose a roaring laugh, slapping his furry thigh and elbowing Doren "Don’t be daft, Doren, it’s April Fool’s Day Good one, Kendra!"

Kendra paused The satyr was right, today was the first of April Without Seth around to fill the sugar boith salt or stick bouillon cubes in the showerheads, she had coan, but Newel raised a hand to silence her

"Before you go on," Newel chuckled, "I have very i past the hill where the Forgotten Chapel used to be, and it has split wide open Muriel eed astride Bahumat, and we tailed them as they proceeded to wake up Olloch the Glutton They’re all heading this way! Quick, fetch Stan!" Newel grihter

Doren rapped Neith the back of his hand "I think she means it Look at her face"

Newel put one hand on his hip and held out the other toward Kendra "It’s called acting, dunderhead She’s staying in character to try to sell the joke Which is bad form, by the way, Kendra Once you’ve been exposed, you’re better off starting fresh with a different ploy later Don’t try another onthe yard looking all sour before we hailed her," Doren re!" Newel shouted "She roundwork for the joke She’d do well on a soap opera She’s plenty pretty Kendra, give lare like I threatened your boyfriend Why are you rolling your eyes? Give it a shot! Pretend I’noring Newel

"A lectoblix shot hi "Seth took a gaseous potion and ended up trapped in a bottle by an evil wizard We don’t knohere they took hiood lie is all about the details Quirky details can help sell a tall tale, but there’s a line where quirky crosses over to ridiculous"

"Neould know," Doren said "He lives on the ridiculous side"

Newel turned to face the other satyr, raising his fists like a boxer, hips swaying "And you, erous side"

Doren didn’t take the bait "This isn’t an April Fool’s prank She lost her parents to the Society, and now her brother, the very best human we know"

"I wish it were a prank," Kendra said

Newel dropped out of his fighting stance, uncertainty flickering across his features Then his knowing look returned He pointed at both Kendra and Doren "I get it, you’re both in on it, going for the hard sell As soon as I soften up and buy it, you have a good laugh Not bad-- so in subtlety, but not bad"

"Here co toward the house "He can settle the issue"

"Can he, now?" Newel said knowingly "And I suppose he isn’t in on the sharant you that ned docu this conversation She waved at Warren He looked much better shaved and with his hair cut short "Any news?"

"Nothing new on Seth yet," he answered "But your grandparents want to see us These two hitting you up for batteries?"

"They’re re me that it’s April Fool’s Day," Kendra said

"Good day, Warren," Newel called "You’re just in tiain! The centaurs are on a rae!"

"What do Grandma and Grandpa want?" Kendra asked

"They weren’t specific," Warren said "Souys," Kendra said to the satyrs "I have to go"

"Let us know if there’s anything we can do," Doren said Kendra gave a nod "I will"

"Are you guys file suspiciously "If so, you’re wasting resources I a to fall for it"

"See you later," Kendra called, joining Warren

"Hey, Kendra," Newel said "Before you go, could you lend et a rise out of Verl, pretend you’ve fallen for hiood," Doren snickered

"Don’t you dare," Kendra warned over her shoulder "That isn’t funny, it’s cruel"

"No crueler than pretending my best friend was kidnapped!" Newel countered

"What am I?" Doren asked in a mildly offended undertone

"You’re more like family," Newel said "I meant my best human friend Yours too"

"He really was kidnapped," Doren asserted "She’s not joking"

"Twenty percent of ain to to do with Seth?" Kendra asked Warren as they walked toward the house "If they heard so bad, I’d rather hear it now"

"This isn’t bad news," Warren said "I think they need your help deciphering an inscription"

Kendra followed Warren into the house, up to her grandparents’ room, and over to the bathroom closet The heavy door to the secret side of the attic looked like it belonged on a bank vault Warren spun the combination wheel, hauled the door open, and then pulled it shut behind them as Kendra started up the stairs

Grandma, Grandpa, Coulter, and Tanu awaited Kendra A workbench stretched along one wall; wooden cabinets lined the others Unusual objects littered the rooraph, a birdcage Trunks, boxes, and other containers were stacked everywhere, accessible by narrow aisles

Grandpa smiled at Kendra They all s a lot since Obsidian Waste Kendra appreciated their intentions, but the attention felt too much like pity, and only served to emphasize her loss

"How are you today?" Grandpa asked

"Is this an April Fool’s joke?" Kendra asked "If so, don’t bother, Newel and Doren already reminded me about the holiday"

"We’re not here to jest," Grandpa said He glanced at Grand the capsule on April first"