Fablehaven2-Rise of the Evening Star

by Brandon Mull

  It's no ordinary key, Grandpa said.

  You're not actually using the key as bait, Grandma

  said, sounding certain he would not be so foolish.

  Of course not. The box contains a thief's net. The key

  is hidden elsewhere.

  Grandma nodded approvingly.

  A thief's net? Kendra asked.

  If anyone opens the box without deactivating the trap,

  the net will spring out and wrap them up, Grandpa

  explained. A magical tool for apprehending would-be robbers.

  Where's the key? Kendra asked.

  I'm not sure you should be burdened with that knowledge,

  Grandma said. That kind of information could make

  you more of a target. Your grandfather and I are the only

  people aware of the key's location.

  Okay, Kendra said.

  Grandpa rubbed his chin. I've debated over whether to

  send you away, Kendra. On one hand, I strongly suspect that

  the crisis here at Fablehaven has not ended. On the other,

  the Society of the Evening Star will start trying to track you

  down the moment you exit the gates. At least the fences of

  Fablehaven provide a barrier against them. With the register

  hidden in a new place, we should have no new undesired

  visitors.

  I'd rather stay here, Kendra said. I don't want to put

  my parents in danger.

  I think for now that is the best move, Grandpa said. I

  recommend you sleep with your grandmother tonight in our

  room. I don't want you sleeping alone. The attic provides

  extra protection against magical creatures with bad intentions,

  but I'm afraid our remaining foes are mortal.

  Because Olloch ate Seth and is now out of the picture,

  Kendra thought morbidly. Whatever you want, Kendra

  said.

  Bedtime arrived much too soon for Kendra. Before she

  knew it, dinner was eaten, painful condolences were shared,

  and she was lying in a king-sized bed beside Grandma

  Sorenson. Kendra loved her grandma, but she was becoming

  aware that she smelled too much like cough drops. Plus she

  snored.

  Kendra tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable

  position. She tried lying on her side, her stomach, and her

  back. She bunched the pillow in different ways. It was no

  use. Having slept all day, she was more ready to go play soccer

  than she was to fall asleep. It didn't help that she was

  sleeping with her clothes on in case somebody really did get

  caught in Grandpa's net during the night.

  In her own home she would have watched TV. Or made

  herself a snack. But the only ones at Fablehaven with a television

  were the satyrs. And she was afraid to get up for a

  snack for fear of running into somebody trying to sneak into

  Grandpa's study.

  There was no visible clock, so time began to feel indefinite

  and endless. She kept trying to construct a scenario in

  which Seth was not dead. After all, nobody had seen Olloch

  eat him. They weren't a hundred percent sure. In the morning,

  after they tracked the demon, it would be more certain,

  but for tonight, she could still hope a little.

  A sudden disturbance downstairs broke the restless

  monotony. Someone shouted and something clattered.

  Grandma awoke with a start. Grandpa started calling for

  help.

  Kendra tugged on her shoes and raced into the hall. She

  turned a corner to the hall that led to the stairway. Grandpa

  was yelling excitedly from downstairs.

  On the stairs Kendra met Vanessa and Tanu. Vanessa

  carried her blowgun; Tanu held his pouch full of potions.

  Kendra could hear Grandma right behind her.

  After tromping down the stairs, they all dashed across

  the entry hall and into the study, where Dale lay tangled in a

  net on the floor. Grandpa sat at the edge of his cot, a knife

  in his uninjured hand. We caught somebody with a hand in

  the cookie jar, he announced.

  I told you, Stan, Dale panted. I don't know how I got

  here.

  Tanu put the potion he was holding back into his pouch.

  Vanessa lowered her blowgun. Grandma engaged the safety

  on her crossbow.

  Why don't you explain to everyone? Grandpa

  suggested.

  Dale was on his stomach. The net was so tight it

  squished his features and only allowed him to partially turn

  his head to try to face them. His arms were crossed awkwardly

  on his chest, and his legs were bound together.

  I went to sleep and woke up like this on the floor, Dale

  asserted. Simple as that. I know it looks bad. Honestly, I

  had no intention of stealing the key. I must have been sleepwalking.

  Dale looked and sounded desperate. Grandpa narrowed

  his eyes. Went to sleep and woke up here, he repeated

  thoughtfully. Understanding dawned in his gaze. The traitor

  is clever enough to realize that I now know the secret, so

  it will do no good to pretend otherwise-the clues lead to

  an obvious conclusion. Trusted friends acting out of character.

  Drumants released to explain the bite marks. And now

  Dale asserts that his strange behavior happened in his sleep.

  I should have connected the dots earlier. I'm afraid this will

  end in a scuffle. Dale, I'm sorry you're stuck in a net. Tanu,

  we mustn't blow this.

  Grandpa threw his knife at Vanessa. Raising the blowgun

  to her lips, she arched her body, barely dodging the

  knife, and fired a dart at Tanu. The large Samoan caught the

  dart on his pouch. Vanessa lunged gracefully at Grandma,

  swinging the blowgun like a switch and knocking the crossbow

  from her grasp. Tanu charged Vanessa. She dropped the

  blowgun, producing a pair of tiny darts, and pricked Tanu on

  the forearm as he reached for her. Instantly his eyes went

  wide and his knees turned rubbery. His potion pouch tumbled

  from unfeeling hands and he fell hard to the study floor.

  Grandma reached for her fallen crossbow, a red welt

  already rising on her hand. Vanessa sprang at her, stabbing

  her with the other tiny dart. As Grandma swayed and toppled,

  Kendra dove, snatched the crossbow, and tossed it

  across the room to Grandpa an instant before Vanessa

  slammed into her.

  Grandpa pointed the crossbow at Vanessa, who

  scrambled behind the desk, putting herself out of his line of

  fire. Kendra saw Vanessa close her eyes. Her face became

  serene.

  Clutching the crossbow, Grandpa rose from his bed and

  hopped toward the desk. Careful, Kendra, she's a narcoblix,

  he warned.

  Moving swiftly, Tanu pulled out the dart lodged in his

  potion pouch and pounced at Grandpa, tackling him and

  wrenching the crossbow from his grasp. Get away, Kendra!

  Grandpa cried as Tanu pricked him with the dart. Vanessa

  remained trancelike on the floor.

  Tanu had left the potion pouch behind when he

  attacked Grandpa. Kendra grabbed the pouch and dashed

  out the door. She hadn't digested all the details, but it was

  clear that Vanessa was controlling Tanu. Run, Grandpa

  panted groggi
ly.

  Kendra raced to the back door and out to the porch. She

  jumped the railing to the grass below. The yard was dark.

  Most of the lights in the house were off. Kendra ran away

  from the porch through the garden. Glancing back, she saw

  Tanu burst out of the doorway and vault the railing.

  Kendra, don't be rash, come back! he called.

  Kendra offered no reply and ran even faster. She could

  hear Tanu gaining behind her. Don't make me hurt you!

  he shouted. Your grandparents are fine; I just put them to

  sleep. Come back, we'll talk. His voice sounded strained.

  Kendra sprinted toward the woods, taking the most

  direct route she could, tromping through flowerbeds and

  knifing between blossoming shrubs. The thorns of a rosebush

  raked her arm. Playing soccer during the previous school

  year had led to a habit of jogging. She appreciated her added

  speed and stamina as she reached the woods well ahead of

  the hulking Samoan and still going strong.

  The woods are deadly at night! Tanu hollered. I don't

  want any harm to come to you! It's pitch black, you're going

  to have an accident. Come back. His phrasing was labored

  as he tried to run and yell at the same time.

  The woods were dim, but Kendra could see well enough.

  She jumped a fallen limb and dodged around some thorny

  briars. There was no way she was going back. Vanessa had

  staged a coup. Kendra knew that if she could get away,

  maybe she could return later with a plan.

  Kendra no longer heard Tanu pursuing her. Chest heaving,

  she paused and looked back. Tanu stood at the edge of

  the woods, hands on his hips in a feminine stance. He

  looked hesitant to enter. I really am your friend, Kendra. I'll

  see that no harm comes to you!

  Kendra had her doubts. She stayed low and tried to pick

  her way more quietly, worried that if she gave away her exact

  location Tanu might be encouraged and give chase. He held

  his hands up to his eyes, as if he was having trouble seeing. It

  was apparently more shadowy where she was walking than

  where he stood. He did not come after her, and Kendra

  worked her way deeper into the woods.

  She was not on a path. But this was roughly the route

  she and Seth had taken when they first came upon the naiad

  pond. If she kept going straight, she would reach the hedge

  surrounding the pond, and from there she knew how to find

  a path. Not that she had any idea where she should go from

  there.

  Walking briskly, swerving through the bracken, Kendra

  tried to piece together what had happened. Grandpa had

  called Vanessa a narcoblix. She remembered that Errol had

  told her and Seth about blixes before Seth snuck into the

  mortuary. There was a type of blix that drained away your

  youth, and another that could animate the dead.

  Narcoblixes were the kind that could control people in their

  sleep.

  Which meant that Grandpa was right-Coulter was

  innocent. He had been under Vanessa's influence. Vanessa

  didn't care if Seth got eaten or if Coulter was turned into a

  mindless albino. She was just doing reconnaissance on the

  grove so she could figure out how to get to the artifact. She

  may have even wanted for Seth to be eaten in order to get

  Olloch out of the way.

  Kendra was seething. Vanessa had killed her brother.

  Vanessa! She never would have guessed it. Vanessa had

  saved them from Errol and acted so kindly. And now she had

  backstabbed them and taken over the house.

  What could Kendra do? She considered going back to

  the Fairy Queen, but something deep inside warned against

  that course of action. It was hard to explain-it simply felt

  wrong. She had a quiet certainty that if she returned, she

  really would end up turning into dandelion fluff, like the ill-fated

  man who had ventured to the island in the middle of

  the pond in the story Grandpa had told her last summer.

  Were Grandma and Grandpa really all right? Was

  Vanessa going to hurt them? Kendra wanted to believe that

  Vanessa meant it when she said she meant them no harm.

  There was reason to hope she was sincere. Taking a life on

  Fablehaven soil would strip Vanessa of the protections

  afforded by the treaty. She couldn't have that happen if she

  planned to go after the artifact, right? The need to respect

  the treaty should protect her grandparents if nothing else.

  Then again, Vanessa had already indirectly killed Seth by

  leading him out of the yard. Maybe that didn't count, since

  Olloch had actually done the killing.

  To make matters worse, somewhere Vanessa had an

  accomplice-the unseen intruder, Christopher Vogel. How

  long before he found out she had usurped the house and

  joined her there? Or was he off working some other aspect

  of a plan more complex than Kendra could guess at?

  Kendra had to do something. Where was Hugo? Would

  he help her if she could find him? He didn't have to take

  orders from her, but his free will was blossoming, so maybe

  she could persuade him to lend a hand. On second thought,

  Vanessa had been authorized to issue commands to Hugo, so

  chances were the treacherous narcoblix could instantly turn

  the golem into an enemy if Kendra brought him near.

  There was nobody else. Grandpa, Grandma, Dale, and

  Tanu were captured. Coulter was an albino just like Warren.

  Seth was dead. She tried not to let the thought derail her.

  What were her assets? She had grabbed the potion

  pouch, although she wasn't very confident which potion was

  which. She wished she had paid closer attention when Tanu

  was showing Seth. At least the potions couldn't be used

  against her.

  What about Lena? The thought sent a thrill of hope

  through her. Kendra was headed toward the pond. She

  hadn't seen her former friend yet during this return visit to

  Fablehaven. The last time Kendra had seen her, Lena was a

  full-fledged naiad again and had tried to drown her. After

  the full-sized fairies saved Fablehaven from Bahumat, while

  undoing much of the harm the demon had caused, they

  restored Lena to her state as a naiad. Decades ago she had

  voluntarily left the water and married Patton Burgess. The

  decision had made her mortal, although she had aged more

  slowly than he. After he passed away, she toured the world,

  eventually returning to Fablehaven with plans to end her

  days at the preserve. Lena had resisted the fairies when they

  hauled her off to the pond. But once she was back in the

  water, she had appeared content.

  Maybe Lena could be tempted to leave the water if

  Kendra explained the dire situation! Then Kendra wouldn't

  have to face the situation alone! It certainly beat having no

  plan. New purpose entered Kendra's stride.

  Before long Kendra reached the tall hedge. She knew

  that the hedge ringed the pond, and if she followed it she

  would eventually reach an opening with a path. When she

&n
bsp; and Seth had first visited the pond, he had found a low

  opening where they had managed to crawl under the hedge.

  She kept an eye out for such an aperture, since it would certainly

  save some time.

  She did not travel too far along the thick hedge before

  she noticed a pronounced indentation. When she investigated

  more closely, she found it was impassable-the foliage

  was too dense. The next indentation she noticed was less

  obvious, but when she crouched she found it went all the

  way through.

  She wriggled through the hedge on her belly, wondering

  what other animals or creatures used this cramped entrance.

  At the far side she stood and surveyed the pond. A whitewashed

  boardwalk connected a dozen wooden pavilions

  around the dark water. Face tilting toward the sky, Kendra

  noticed there were no stars, and no moon either. It was overcast.

  Still, enough light was apparently filtering through the

  clouds to illuminate the night, for although the clearing was

  gloomy, she could make out the contours of the lawn and

  the latticework of the gazebos and the foliage on the island

  in the middle of the pond.

  Kendra crossed the lawn to the nearest gazebo.

  Somebody certainly took pride in caring for this area. The

  grass was always tidy, and the paint on the woodwork was

  never peeling. Maybe it was the result of a spell.

  Projecting from the boardwalk below one of the pavilions

  was a little pier attached to a floating boathouse. The

  last time Kendra had seen Lena was at the end of that pier,

  so it seemed as good a place as any to call for her.

  Kendra noticed no evidence of life in the clearing. At

  times she had seen satyrs and other creatures, but tonight all

  was silent. The tenebrous water of the pond was still and

  impenetrable. Kendra tried to walk quietly, out of reverence

  for the silence. The tranquil night was ominous. Somewhere

  below the inscrutable surface of the pond waited Kendra's

  old friend. With the right plea, hopefully Lena would

  renounce life as a naiad and come to her aid. Lena had

  decided to leave the pond once-she could do it again.

  Walking along the pier, Kendra kept away from the

  edges. She knew the naiads would enjoy nothing more than

  to pull her in and drown her. Kendra gazed at the island.

  Again a sense of foreboding filled her. Returning to the

  island would be a mistake. The feeling was so tangible that