Fablehaven2-Rise of the Evening Star

by Brandon Mull

  All the same, Coulter will disclose his discovery,

  Grandpa said.

  The fog giant Burlox reported that Warren was

  investigating the four hills area before he turned white,

  Coulter said.

  One of the main areas Patton mentioned suspiciously,

  Vanessa said.

  And the same area I investigated today, Tanu said.

  The grove on the north end of the valley is definitely

  cursed. I did not risk treading there.

  Seth came back into the room and reclaimed his spot on

  the love seat.

  Many areas of Fablehaven carry terrible curses and are

  protected by ghastly fiends, Grandpa said. The valley of

  the four hills is one of the most infamous. At the moment,

  the evidence seems to suggest a pair of related mysteries. We

  may very well find not only that the grove contains the relic

  we have been seeking, but also that it is guarded by whatever

  entity transformed Warren.

  Of course, all that would need to be confirmed,

  Grandma said.

  Carefully, Grandpa admonished. As with several of

  the most dread regions of Fablehaven, we have no idea what

  evil haunts the grove.

  What is our next move? Vanessa asked.

  I say we need to focus on Olloch before we try to penetrate

  whatever secrets lie inside the grove, Grandpa said.

  Exploring the grove safely will require all of our resources

  and focus. Even under ideal circumstances it is a hazardous

  assignment.

  'So we wait to see if Ruth can reach your contact?

  Coulter asked.

  Grandpa was picking at the frayed edge of his cast.

  Ruth will keep calling on Vanessa's cell phone. For now, the

  rest of us should try to get a good night's sleep. It may be our

  last chance for a while.

  Kendra closed the bathroom door, locked it, and set the

  sheet of paper on the counter. She had found the blank

  paper beneath her pillow, but with Seth in the room, she

  dared not light the candle and give away her secret. Alone

  in the bathroom, Kendra struck a flimsy match and put the

  flame to the wick until it caught. Shaking out the match,

  she watched as glowing words came into view on the formerly

  empty page:

  Kendra,

  Sorry we didn't get to talk much today. Can you

  believe all the commotion? We need to keep your

  brother on a leash!

  Let me know if this message came through all right.

  Your friend,

  Vanessa

  Kendra blew out the candle, and the luminous words

  vanished. Folding up the note, she climbed the stairs to the

  attic bedroom, pondering how she should reply to the secret

  message. Seth was setting up toy soldiers on the floor. One

  in front, with two behind him, then a row of three, and

  another of four. Kendra crossed the room and climbed into

  bed. Seth walked several paces away and bowled at the soldiers

  with a softball. He knocked down seven.

  Turn off the light and come to bed, Kendra said.

  I don't think I can sleep, Seth protested, retrieving the

  softball.

  I know I can't with you rolling balls around the room,

  Kendra said.

  Why don't you go sleep someplace else?

  This is where they put us.

  At home we each have our own room. Here, with way

  more rooms, we sleep in the same one. He rolled the softball

  again, claiming two more soldiers.

  This isn't the sort of place I'd want to sleep alone,

  Kendra admitted.

  I can't believe they took my gold, Seth said, setting up

  the soldiers again, this time placing them closer together. I

  bet it was worth thousands of dollars. It isn't my fault if

  Newel and Doren stole it from Nero.

  You can't just do whatever you want and always get

  away with it.

  I've been good! I've tried hard to be careful and keep

  secrets and follow all the rules.

  You went into the woods without permission, Kendra

  reminded him.

  Just a little ways. It would have been fine if somebody

  hadn't let that demon onto the preserve. Nobody saw that

  coming. If Olloch hadn't caught up with me today, he might

  have caught up with us tomorrow, when we were out with

  Vanessa, a lot farther from the house. I might have saved our

  lives. He rolled the ball again. Missing the front soldier, he

  still knocked down eight.

  Way to avoid taking any responsibility, Kendra said,

  leaning back onto her pillow. I'm glad they grounded you. If

  it were up to me, I'd lock you in the dungeon

  If it were up to me, I'd give your face plastic surgery, he

  said.

  Really mature.

  Do you think they'll figure out a way to stop the

  demon? Seth asked.

  I'm sure they'll think of something. The Sphinx seems

  really smart. He'll have a plan.

  He said you beat him at Foosball, Seth said.

  He wasn't too good He didn't even spin his cowboys

  Shaking his head, Seth bowled the ball again and picked

  up the spare I don't think Nero could follow me off the

  preserve. Maybe I should just take the gold and go. Then

  everyone will be out of danger.

  Stop pitying yourself.

  I'm serious.

  No you're not, Kendra said, exasperated. If you take

  off, Olloch will hunt you down and eat you.

  Better than having everyone hate me.

  Nobody hates you. They just want you to be cautious,

  so you'll be safe. The only reason they get mad is because

  they care about you.

  Seth arranged the soldiers in the tightest formation yet.

  Think I can knock them all down with one roll?

  Kendra sat up. Of course, you set them up like dominoes.

  Seth took his position and rolled the ball, totally missing

  all of them. Looks like you were wrong.

  You missed on purpose.

  I bet you couldn't knock all of them down.

  I could easily, Kendra said.

  Prove it.

  She got out of bed, grabbed the ball, and went and stood

  by her brother. Taking careful aim, she bowled it hard, right

  down the center, and all the soldiers fell. See?

  Almost like I let you win.

  What's that supposed to mean?

  Nothing, he said. Who do you think is the traitor?

  I don't know. It doesn't seem like any of them.

  My guess would be Tanu. He's too nice.

  And that makes him evil? Kendra asked, getting back

  into bed.

  Whoever is guilty would be trying really hard to act

  nice.

  Or they would know that everyone would expect that,

  so they would try to throw us off by acting grumpy.

  You think it could be Coulter? Seth turned out the

  light and jumped into bed.

  He's known Grandpa for too long. And Vanessa could

  have handed us over to Errol instead of rescuing us. They all

  seem innocent. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be

  another explanation.

  I hope so, Seth said. They're all really cool. But keep

  your eyes open.

  You do the same. And please
stay out of the woods.

  You're my only brother, and I don't want you to get…

  hurt.

  Thanks, Kendra.

  Good night, Seth.

  Seth awoke in the dead of night with a hand covering

  his mouth. He grabbed at the fingers but was unable to pry

  them from his lips. Don't be alarmed, a voice whispered.

  It's Coulter. We need to talk.

  Seth turned his head. Taking his hand from Seth's

  mouth, Coulter held a finger to his lips, then curled it beckoningly.

  What was Coulter up to? It was an odd hour for a

  conversation.

  Turning his head the other way, Seth saw Kendra asleep

  under her covers, breathing evenly. He eased out of bed and

  followed Coulter to the door and down the stairs to the hall.

  Coulter took a seat on the last couple of steps. Seth sat down

  beside him.

  What's going on? Seth asked.

  How would you like to set things straight? Coulter

  asked.

  Sure.

  I need your help, Coulter said.

  In the middle of the night?

  It may be now or never.

  No offense, Seth said. This seems kind of suspicious.

  I need you to trust me, Seth. I'm about to try something

  I can't do alone. I think you're the only person with the

  courage to help me right now. You have no idea what is

  really going on.

  You're going to tell me?

  Coulter looked around, as if he were nervous that somebody

  might be spying. I have to. I need somebody like you

  on my side here. Seth, the artifact we are looking for is very

  important. In the wrong hands it could be extremely dangerous.

  It could even lead to the end of the world.

  That seemed to agree with what Seth had heard from his

  grandparents. Go on, he said.

  Coulter sighed and rubbed his thighs, as if hesitant to

  continue. I'm taking a big risk here because I believe I can

  trust you. Seth, I'm a special agent working for the Sphinx.

  He gave me specific instructions that at all costs, I had to

  recover the artifact, especially if the integrity of Fablehaven

  was ever compromised. Now that we're nearly certain where

  the artifact is hidden, I'm going to go prepare the way to get

  it, tonight, and I want you to come with me.

  Right now?

  Immediately.

  Seth wiped away an eyelash that was starting to poke his

  eye. Why not get help from the others?

  You heard your grandfather. He wants to wait and take

  care of Olloch first. That poses a problem because, in a day

  or two, Olloch could become too powerful, Fablehaven

  could fall, and the artifact could be placed in extreme jeopardy.

  How could I come with you? Seth said. The second I

  leave the yard, the demon will be after us.

  It's risky, Coulter conceded. But Fablehaven is a big

  place, and the demon is off foraging. Hugo is waiting outside.

  He'll take us to the grove and keep Olloch off of us if the

  glutton makes an appearance.

  Grandma said the demon could eat Hugo, Seth said.

  Eventually. Until Olloch gets more powerful, it would

  take him a long time to best Hugo. I wouldn't chance this

  tomorrow. But Hugo handled the demon just fine not so

  many hours ago. And Hugo is faster than Olloch. If we have

  to, we'll just have Hugo escape with us back to the yard.

  Why me? Seth asked. I don't get it. Part of me thinks

  I should go tell Grandpa Sorenson right now.

  I can't blame that instinct. I know this is unusual. Just

  let me finish. You know that if you go to your grandpa, he

  will never let you come with me. And he is in no position

  to help me himself. I came to you because I've spent the

  evening trying to convince the others to go after the artifact

  now rather than later, but they are all too afraid to take

  definitive action. Yet my private mandate from the Sphinx

  remains-with the threat of Olloch looming, I need to

  secure the artifact right away.

  Why me? Seth repeated.

  Who else can I trust besides your grandfather? Your

  grandmother is good at a lot of things, but she doesn't

  belong on this kind of mission. Neither does Kendra. I can't

  do it alone. I think I know what is haunting the grove, a

  phantom, and I need somebody brave to join me if I'm going

  to defeat it. You're my only hope. You're young, but honestly,

  Seth, as far as courage goes, in my book, you've got all the

  others beat.

  What if you're the traitor? Seth asked.

  If I were the traitor, I'd already have somebody to help

  me bypass the phantom. Christopher Vogel and I would be

  off taking care of business. You and I wouldn't be having this

  conversation. Also, we can't actually get the artifact tonight.

  We need a key your grandfather has in order to access it. But

  if we can get rid of the phantom and confirm the location of

  the artifact, I'm confident that I'll be able to convince the

  others to join us in retrieving it tomorrow.

  Coulter's mention of the key also corresponded with

  what Seth had heard from his grandparents. Without the

  key, Coulter couldn't access the vault. If he couldn't access

  the vault, his goal couldn't be to steal the artifact. And if

  Coulter harmed Seth, it would blow his cover and prevent

  him from ever getting Grandpa to hand over the key. Still,

  even if Coulter was telling the truth, the adventure would

  certainly be dangerous. Seth knew that his life would depend

  on whether Coulter really could handle the phantom in the

  grove. It had been too much for Warren. He wished he could

  get advice from somebody else, but Coulter was right-if

  Seth told anyone, from Grandpa to Kendra to Tanu, they

  would try to stop them.

  I don't know what to do, Seth said.

  Once we have the artifact, we can all escape and lock

  down Fablehaven, trapping Olloch inside until your grandparents

  and their not-so-secret friend figure out what to do

  with him. Everybody wins, and we keep the artifact out of

  evil hands. I've thought it through, and this is our last

  chance to set everything right. If we stall, it is going to end

  badly. By tomorrow night, Olloch will be too strong. I can

  only do this with your help, Seth. Warren failed because he

  attempted it alone. If you refuse, we may as well both go

  back to bed.

  It seems like every decision I make is wrong lately,

  Seth said. People keep tricking me. Or I just do stupid

  things on my own.

  Not everybody is out to fool you, Coulter said. And

  bravery is not always a liability. Often it is quite the opposite.

  I happen to know your grandfather has great admiration

  for your adventurous spirit. This could be your chance to

  redeem yourself.

  Or to prove that I'm the most gullible person in the

  world, Seth sighed. Hopefully this will end the streak. Do

  I need to bring anything?

  Coulter beamed. I knew I could count on you. He patted

  Seth on the shoulder. I have everything we need.

  Can I
grab my emergency kit?

  Good idea. Quiet, though. We mustn't disturb the

  others.

  Seth slunk back up the stairs and into the attic bedroom

  Kendra had shifted position but was still sound asleep

  Crouching, Seth pulled the emergency kit out from under

  his bed.

  He felt uncommonly nervous. Was he making a mistake?

  Or was he just anxious at the prospect of facing a terrible

  phantom in a cursed grove with a short old man in the

  middle of the night? Coulter seemed to be the most cautious

  of all the adventurers. He had known exactly what to do

  when they met the fog giant, and he seemed confident that

  together they could handle the phantom. Seth stared at his

  emergency kit. If he just followed instructions, he would be

  fine, right?

  Coulter did seem a little desperate to comply with the

  assignment from the Sphinx. He was probably putting them

  in a situation more dangerous than he would normally prefer

  because the stakes were so high. But he was right. The stakes

  really were high. Fablehaven was once again heading toward

  destruction. And Seth knew it was mainly his own fault.

  Last time, Kendra had saved the day. Now it was his turn.

  Seth crept down the stairs.

  Ready? Coulter asked.

  I guess.

  Let's get you some milk.

  Peril in the Night

  Deadfalls snapped and popped like firecrackers as Hugo

  pounded through the dark woods. No starlight penetrated

  the balmy darkness beneath the trees. Hugo maintained

  an unflagging pace, clutching Coulter under one arm

  and Seth under the other, like a running back with two

  footballs.

  They emerged from the woods briefly and thumped

  through a covered bridge spanning a deep ravine. Seth recognized

  it as the same bridge he had seen when Grandma

  took him and Kendra to barter with Nero. Not far beyond

  the bridge, Hugo left the path again, resuming their noisy,

  loping dash through oblivion. Only the occasional clearing

  allowed the faint glow of the stars to interrupt the blackness.

  Seth remained tense, anticipating the appearance of

  Olloch. At any minute, he expected a supersized glutton to

  attack Hugo, splitting the night with a ferocious roar.

  Instead, Hugo continued tirelessly forward, fluidly dodging

  obstacles.

  When Hugo reached the top of a steep slope, he charged

  down without hesitation. Seth felt like they were on the

  verge of tipping over with every step, but the golem never

  stumbled. When they reached a dead tree leaning against a