Rise of the Evening Star

by Brandon Mull

Page 26

  See, I told you, the little yellow fairy tinkled. 271 He's certainly tunneling toward Muriel, another fairysaid.

  Not very efficiently, a third chimed in.

  Would you like us to turn him to obey your will? a fourth fairy asked. Kendra recognized the speaker as the silver fairy who had led the charge when the fairies attacked

  Bahumat.

  Sure, that would be great, Kendra said.

  The fairies hovered in a ring around Mendigo and

  Kendra. When they began chanting, colors flared and sparked, making Kendra blink. Kendra could no longer comprehend what they were saying. It felt like trying to listen in on multiple conversations at once. All she caught were tangled fragments of meaning that together made no sense. .

  After a final blazing flash, the fairies fell silent. Most soared away. Mendigo continued digging. He is now yours to command, the silver fairy reported.

  Mendigo, stop digging, Kendra tried. Mendigo stopped. Mendigo, set me down. He set her down.

  Thank you, Kendra said to the yellow fairy and the silver fairy, the only two who remained.

  Our pleasure to help, the silver fairy said. Though pitched high, her voice was richer than the others.

  The yellow fairy shook her head and buzzed away.

  Why are they hurrying away? Kendra asked.

  They have done their duty, the silver fairy said.

  None of the fairies have been very friendly, Kendra said.

  Friendliness is not always our forte, the silver fairy said. 272Especially to one who was shown kindness by our Queen. You are much envied.

  I was only trying to protect Fablehaven and save my family, Kendra said.

  And you succeeded, which only elevates your status, the silver fairy said.

  Why areyouspeaking with me? Kendra asked.

  I suppose I am peculiar, the silver fairy said. I am of a more serious mind than many of the others. I am called

  Shiara.

  I'm Kendra.

  Fortunately for you, we all have an interest in keeping

  Bahumat imprisoned, Shiara said. Otherwise I question whether I would have been able to rally sufficient help to turn Mendigo. Although Bahumat rightly blames you above all others, his vengeance against the fairies would be merciless were he to escape.

  Couldn't you just imprison him again? Kendra said.

  Your elixir augmented our size and our power. Without it we would be no match for a demon like Bahumat.

  Couldn't I get the elixir again? Kendra asked.

  My dear girl, you truly are naive, which may be partly why our Queen condescended to share her tears with you.

  Your decision to tread near her shrine would normally have been rewarded with a swift departure from this life. I suspect she spared you because of your innocence, though her reasons are her own.

  Fablehaven is in danger again, Kendra said. I could use some help. 273 Do not seek favors from her again unless she invitesyou, Shiara said. Now that you know better, irreverence will not be tolerated.

  Kendra recalled how she had sensed that going to the island again would be a mistake. Could you help me?

  Obviously I could, because I have, Shiara said, twinkling.

  Have you seen Olloch the Glutton? He's a demon who is after my brother.

  The glutton is becoming dormant. He will not bother you.

  Kendra felt a stab of grief at the news. If the demon was slowing down, it meant Seth truly was gone. There is more to the problem than Mendigo and the demon, Kendra said.

  Bad people have taken over the house. They captured my grandparents and Dale and Tanu. They want to steal something precious from Fablehaven. If they have their way, they'll release all the demons from their prisons.

  It is challenging for us to mind the affairs of mortals,

  Shiara said. Dwelling on such concerns is not in our nature.

  You made the binding of Bahumat our duty with authority from our Queen. And we continue to attend to that duty. I

  keep a sentinel stationed here always.

  Kendra scanned the surrounding area, her gaze settling on the hill where Warren's cottage sat, some ways off.

  Could you help me heal Warren, Dale's brother?

  The curse upon him is much too strong, Shiara said.

  'All the fairies in Fablehaven together could not break it.

  What if you had the elixir?274 That might be another matter. I wonder, why did youfail to return the bowl to the shrine?

  Kendra scrunched her eyebrows. Grandpa thought it would be more appropriate to toss it onto the water. He thought it would be disrespectful to go back.

  The naiads have claimed it as a tribute, Shiara said.

  In the future, bear in mind, if you take something in need, you will not be punished for returning it in gratitude. Such action would not have harmed your standing with Her

  Majesty.

  I'm sorry, Shiara, Kendra said. We thought they would return it.

  The naiads fear and respect our Queen, but elected to accept the bowl as a gift freely given, Shiara said. I sought to retrieve it but they would not yield, blaming you for awarding it to them. Some among the fairies hold you culpable.

  The silver fairy hovered higher. It appears the situation here is now under control.

  Wait, please don't leave, Kendra said. I don't know what to do.

  I will try to make the others mindful of the threat you named, Shiara said. But do not count on aid from our kind. I admire your goodness, Kendra, and wish you no harm.

  Shiara streaked away, vanishing into the night. Kendra turned and studied Mendigo. He stood motionless, awaiting instructions. Kendra sighed. The only person on her side was a big, creepy puppet. 275 Groaning, Seth stirred. He tried to stretch but the effortwas thwarted by the snug confines of the cocoon. The realization of where he was caused him to snap awake. How long had he been asleep?

  Opening his eyes, he was surprised to find the inside of the cocoon illuminated by a soft green glow, as if light were filtering in from outside. The cocoon remained unusually still. Was Olloch sleeping? Why was there suddenly light?

  Was the light passing through both Olloch and the cocoon?

  Seth waited. Nothing changed. Eventually he started yelling and tried to rock the cocoon by flinging himself from one side to the other. There came no roars, no growls, no movement except a slight tilting as he shifted his position.

  Just silence and the even, muted glow.

  Was the cocoon no longer inside Olloch? Had he been coughed up like a hairball? Perhaps the cocoon was indigestible!

  He dared not hope for such good fortune. But it would explain the lack of growls and the new illumination.

  Had Grandpa come to his rescue? If so, why wasn't anyone encouraging him to open the cocoon?

  Could it be some sort of trick? If he opened the cocoon, would Olloch gobble him up again, this time without a cocoon to impede digestion? Could he still be in the evil grove with the revenant? He didn't think so. He felt no hint of the chilling, involuntary fear.

  Seth decided to wait. Acting rashly had gotten him in trouble before. He folded his arms and listened, straining his276 senses for any indication of what was going on outside thecocoon.

  Seth quickly became fidgety. He had never coped well with boredom. When the cocoon had swayed and jostled with the movements of the demon, and when the silence had been interrupted by ferocious growls, Seth had remained on edge, which kept him occupied. The motionless silence was relentless.

  How much time had passed? Time always moved slower when he was bored. He could remember certain classes at school where it used to feel like the clock was broken. Every minute felt like a lifetime. But this was worse. No classmates to joke with. No paper to doodle on. Not even the drone of a teacher to give shape to the monotony.

  Seth began picking at the wall of the cocoon. He did
n't have to break all the way out, he just wanted to see how tough it would be. He ate part of the wall as he went.

  Soon he had made a pretty good hole in the wall in front of his face. As he dug deeper, the texture of the wall was changing, becoming goopy, like peanut butter. It was the best-tasting part of the wall so far, reminding him vaguely of eggnog.

  After scooping away the eggnog paste, he reached a membrane. It was slick, and it rippled when he prodded it.

  Seth ruptured the membrane by jabbing it with his fingers, and clear liquid gushed out, soaking him.

  Now light was really pouring into the cocoon through the hole. He had reached a hard, translucent shell. Silvery light shone through it, overpowering the green glow. He was277 obviously no longer inside Olloch. And as he had dug, Sethhad neither heard nor felt any indication that Olloch was near.

  Who knew if he would get another chance like this? He had to try to escape. The demon might return anytime. Seth began punching at the shell. The blows hurt his knuckles, but the shell began to crack. Soon his hand burst through, and unfiltered sunlight flooded in.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Seth worked furiously to widen the hole. The effort took longer than he liked. Now that his protective cocoon was breached, he wanted to get out as quickly as possible, before some creature came along and cornered him.

  Finally the hole was big enough for Seth to squirm through. With his head, shoulders, and arms out of the cocoon, Seth froze. Olloch sat not twenty feet away, back to him. The demon had grown considerably. Olloch was bigger than the elephants Seth had seen at the zoo, not just taller, but much broader as well. No wonder the demon had been able to swallow him. The glutton was immense!

  Seth realized he had made the worst mistake of his life, and that now he would die. Why hadn't he waited to open the cocoon? Why was he so impatient?

  But Olloch did not turn. The huge demon continued to sit motionless, back to him. Seth began to notice a terrible stench. He looked at the shell of the cocoon. It was smooth, with a luster like mother-of-pearl, except that it was streaked with smelly brown matter. Huge clumps of mushy brown excrement sat on the ground nearby, buzzing with flies.

  Suddenly Seth understood. He had passed right through278 the demon, safe inside the cocoon! It was the only explanation. In one end, and out the other!

  Olloch remained still. The demon did not even seem to breathe. He was like a statue. And judging from what Seth could see, the clearing he was in was not the haunted grove.

  Seth squirmed the rest of the way out of the cocoon, trying his best to avoid touching the excrement. Once free of the cocoon, he picked his way through the minefield of reeking demon pies, slinking away from the enormous glutton.

  While he was stepping around one stinking pile, a dry branch cracked loudly underfoot. Seth's entire body tensed.

  After a breathless moment, he hazarded a glance at the demon. The glutton had not budged, and continued to hold perfectly still.

  Deciding he had to confirm that the demon was no longer a threat, Seth started looping around so he could view Olloch from the front, giving the demon a wide berth.

  Coming around to the front, Seth found the demon seated in the same sitting position as when he had first laid eyes on him in the funeral home. The texture of his skin had changed. The demon was a statue once more. Seth could not help smiling. He was no longer doomed! And until some new victim made the mistake of feeding him, Olloch the

  Glutton was frozen.

  Seth surveyed his surroundings. He was in a small clearing encircled by trees. He realized he could be anywhere on the preserve. He needed to get his bearings.

  Seth wished for his emergency kit. He had dropped it back in the grove. His only remaining asset was the glove279 Coulter had thrust into his hand. Seth had stowed the glovein his pocket. He tugged it out and pulled it on.

  The instant he put on the glove, Seth could no longer see himself. It was a strange sensation, like all that was left of him was a pair of transparent eyeballs. He held up his hands in front of his face. When he moved them, his body flickered back into view. But when he held still, he didn't just see right through them, he saw no sign of himself. It was as if he had been completely disembodied.

  The glove was a little loose on his hand, but it did not fit him badly. Fortunately it had belonged to Coulter and not

  Tanu. Keeping it on should afford him some protection as he tried to figure out where he was.

  The sun was high in the sky, so for the moment it would be no help determining direction. And since he had no idea where on the preserve he was, identifying north would not help him much yet anyhow. He needed a landmark. Seth stepped into the center of the clearing, weaving around the piles of dung. The biggest stack was as high as his waist. Seth stood with his hands on his hips. The trees circling the clearing were too tall-he could see nothing beyond them.

  He glanced at the demon. Climbing Olloch would give him an extra fifteen feet or so, but he did not want to get anywhere near that mouth.

  There were no apparent trails leading out of the clearing, but the undergrowth was not heavy, so he chose a direction and set off. After a while, he became used to how his body would vanish whenever he paused, then reappear as he continued walking. His first priority was to find a landmark280or a vantage point that would allow him to get his bearings. For all he knew, each step was carrying him farther from the main house

  He came across a pair of deer. They paused and looked toward him. He held still, vanishing from sight. After a moment they bounded away. Had they caught his scent?

  Farther along he glimpsed a great black owl roosting in a tree. The feathery head swiveled toward him, round eyes staring. Seth had never known owls could be so large or so black. Even as he stood motionless and invisible, the golden eyes seemed to stare into his. In that instant, Seth realized he had not consumed any milk. It was a new day, and he had slept. He could not see the true forms of any of the magical creatures. The owl could be anything. The deer could have been anything.

  He thought back to Olloch. Had the demon really looked as much like a statue as it had seemed to him? Or was that another illusion?

  Seth backed away from the owl, eyeing the large bird as he distanced himself and circled around it. The dark owl did not turn, but the head pivoted, golden eyes trained on Seth until he passed out of sight.

  Before long, Seth came to an unusual path. Once it had been a wide road paved with flagstones, though now it was choked with weeds and slender young trees. Many of the paving stones were out of place or hidden beneath vegetation, but plenty were visible to help him follow the road.