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Chapter 25 Lady Luck

Seth walked barefoot on the beach, enjoying the coarse sand and s suspended in the air, gliding against a breeze Nearby, water hissed softly as it spread flat against the sand,As the water retreated, sandpipers darted on quick feet, stabbing for food with needle beaks

Not far behind hilasses, a loose T-shirt, and fashionable sandals He could see nobody else on the seashore The only signs of civilization were some lifeless beach houses in the distance

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

Island With the Atlantic on one side and the Pa tih he could walk to theinto Norfolk, Virginia, then driving the rest of the way in a rented sedan, through toith nas Head While Seth and Vanessa had eaten crab cakes at a roadside grill, locals had informed them that the tourist season hadn’t really started yet Reportedly the su heavy traffic and abundant crowds, but currently none of the restaurants seemed busy, and many of the beaches looked desolate

At thewar in the cold water, Seth had decided not to swi waves, searching through the infinite shells along the shore for the very best Almost all of the shells were small,colors He had lossy, colorful bits of shell shaped vaguely like guitar picks, and rattled his favorites in one hand

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

Bracken had continued in touch telepathically He had learned from the Sphinx that, as expected, Zzyzx would be opened thethe next fullto the letter froe from Hatteras Island to Shoreless Isle would take almost exactly three days The ship could only be called at ers about two hours later Tonight was the last night they could depart if they hoped to arrive before Zzyzx opened

Froh Bracken, Warren, Trask, and Kendra would reach Hatteras this evening After losing the last Eternal and contacting Seth, they had rented a car and set out to join hio, Newel, and Doren were trying to catch up as well Seth and Vanessa had flown out of Seattle, leaving the satyrs and the golee to reach the embarkation point on Hatteras before the Lady Luck came for them The satyrs had been thrilled at the chance to finally drive Vanessa had helped them plan which roads to travel If they speeded, stopped only for gas, and avoided getting involved in a police chase, they had a chance ofthe bits of shell in his hand into the ocean He had enjoyed his ti up fro He had done his best to forget his abducted parents and grandparents, ignore the opening of Zzyzx, and pretend he was here on vacation But the ti had almost ended

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

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

To summon the Lady Luck , you will need the bell, the whistle, and the music box from Cormac the leprechaun (see previous) On Hatteras Island, at hthouse and ring the bell The ship will respond only if the bell is rung atUpon arriving at Hatteras Island, he and Vanessa had learned that the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse had beenocean The lighthouse had not been moved very far, but Seth worried it could mess up the bell’s ability to call the ship He wondered if it hthouse used to stand

After you ring the bell, proceed to the embarkation area circled on thethe bell, blow the whistle three ti you to the Lady LuckOnce aboard, head aft to the captain’s cabin Regardless of who you o alone to the cabin A Presence inhabits it Play the e to

Shoreless Isle I ae will consuht

Ree on the Lady Luck is one-way You will have to prepare so creatures will find it considerably easier to depart Shoreless Isle than to arrive there

This concludes my advice Counsel with your allies to plan how best to mount a defense on Shoreless Isle It will not be easy It ain , do what you ith these ideas I aht try Good luck

Yours always,

Patton Burgess

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

From down the beach, a voice called his naht of her brought such relief that the ereet her They met near where Vanessa sat on her towel

"We made it with hours to spare," Kendra declared "Bracken said you orried"

"Well, it would have been hard for you guys to catch the next boat," Seth said Behind his sister, Bracken, Warren, and Trask approached "I’h I e could have saved one of the Eternals"

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

"I’m Vanessa," she said

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

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

"Seereat," Seth affir help"

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

Vanessayour secret intentions?"

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

"Your kind hunt blixes," Vanessa replied

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

Vanessa measured him with her eyes "Debatable But you do not deny that enmity exists between your kind and rasp why I don’t want a unicorn as spokesman for my intentions"

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

"It would be the quickest way to justifyto insulate yourself against what Ito hide, you have no need to object I will tell the truth, and they know that"