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"I’ve had a little practice"

Seth shrugged "I can live with getting schooled It would sure beat sitting on reed"

Seth ran a hand along the pool table "If we start a riot, all of this will go away"

Bracken crossed to a rack on the wall and selected a cue "This room will be empty for years And they’ll do their best to seal up as eways as they can find"

Seth selected a cue for hi?"

Bracken chalked the tip of his stick "Notto let the world end without a fight so I can keep playing ping-pong"

"Then we should probably enjoy this room while we have it"

Bracken twirled the cue stick expertly "My sentiments exactly" He crouched over the table and sent the cue ball rocketing into the others

Chapter 11 Vanessa’s Secret

Kendra swam in a shallow, syrupy lake The viscous liquid e for her to keep her head up, but she didn’t want to touch the bottom, either, populated as it ith sli The brownish scum on the surface pulled and wrinkled as she carved a slow path through it, ar aardly She could not see the shore Her only land from the mire

Grandma jostled her shoulder, and Kendra jerked awake, relieved to be free of the uncomfortable dream, but solance at the clock on the nightstand confir on?" Kendra asked, fear dispelling her drowsiness

"No great eency," Grandma soothed "We’re about to learn Vanessa’s secret"

Kendra bolted upright "What is it?"

"Visitors," Grandate"

"It could be a trick," Kendra warned What if they adons in human form? Or that wizard Mirav?

"Vanessa whispered the secret to Stan about an hour ago," Grandma said "Apparently she has been in co here tonight Stan was satisfied with her explanation He’ll be careful You should get dressed"

Kendra slid out of bed and started changing her clothes "You don’t know the details?"

"Not yet The plan is to discuss the situation back in tiet to coested that you should be there"

Kendra felt delighted to be included Who were these uess Dare she hope itsecret?

Dressed in jeans and a comfortable top, Kendra followed Grandma down to the entry hall The door opened as they arrived Grandpa entered, followed by aa loose, hooded cloak The cartoonish rubberman with squinty eyes, fat lips, and fleshy cheeks A shorter person, perhaps a young child, entered as well, wearing aout Warren and Tanu brought up the rear

"I’estured to the stairs "This way"

Kendra and Grandma joined the procession to the secret side of the attic Kendra still had no guess regarding the identity of the disguised visitors She hoped Grandpa knehat he was doing, letting these ers into the most secretive room in the house

When they reached the attic, Coulter awaited theht ten years ago The attic should be empty"

"Well done, Coulter," Grandpa said "Kendra, Warren, and Ruth will be joining me and our taller visitor The other visitor will await us here"

"Won’t be ht," Grandpa said "Our conversation will seem like a blink to those who remain behind The advice fro the Chronometer We’ll do aseveryone up to speed"

Kendra felt excited to be part of the first group to learn the secret, although she wasn’t overly eager to have the breath knocked out of her again She, Grandathered around the Chronometer

"For the sake of modesty," Grandma said, "I submit you all keep your eyes shut while I track down soreed "Everybody place a hand on the device"

They coroove and flipped the switch

Kendra braced herself, tightening her abdo sensation of the breath rushing out of her lungs Eyes shut, Kendra clutched heras she tried to juan to flow in and out

She heard Grander would be co She would know soon enough

She heard and sensed a light click on From behind, Grandma placed a soft comforter over Kendra’s shoulders Kendra wrapped the comforter around herself

"Okay," Grandazed at the visitor She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her a second tier was Grandently, eyes on Kendra

Grandether! Kendra had attended the funeral, had seen her embalmed corpse in her casket!

"How is this possible?" Kendra asked nu her happiness Could this really be Grandma Larsen, who snuck her candy and took her to the park and randrowing up?

"You should be able to guess, Kendra," Grandbulbs"

Kendrato her eyes Her joy was tinged with a sense of betrayal How could her grandparents put all of theuilt, Kendra realized this was a glimpse of how her parents would feel when they learned they had not actually buried their daughter

"Incredible," Grandma Sorenson murmured

"What about Uncle Tuck and Aunt Kim?" Kendra asked

"Sadly, they really died in that trailer," Grandma Larsen said "We used the opportunity of their deside thely around himself "Then what happened?"

"Let randfather and I have long worked as spies for the Knights of the Dawn This hile the Sphinx still served as Captain, so masks orn, and almost nobody knew us Stan and Ruth were exceptions As our assignments became more sensitive, Hank and I pretended to retire The Sphinx knew that we remained active, as did our Lieutenant, but neither had ever met us face-to-face We co false nahts behaved in similar fashion After all, once your cover is blown, your career as a spy is over Anony Unlike Stan and Ruth, ere busy as caretakers, Hank and I were able to live dual lives, spending tinments"

"You went on vacations pretty often," Kendra remembered "They weren’t real?"

"Usually not In the ed deaths, the Society of the Evening Star becarandfather received the opportunity to becoe?" Warren asked

"The fifth secret preserve," Grandma Larsen said "The Sphinx is the caretaker"

"Oh, no," Grand the position of assistant caretaker would make Hank the oing to Living MirageOnly an inner circle of five Society e, which is how the secret has been preserved Even within the Society, ale exists"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>