Fablehaven1-Fablehaven

by Brandon Mull

  even help?

  Field trip! Seth cried.

  Grandma eyed them lovingly. You kids are growing up

  so fast, she sighed.

  The Forgotten Chapel

  As the sun hesitated above the horizon, Kendra stared

  out the side of the wagon, watching the trees streak

  past. She remembered staring at trees out the window of

  the SUV on the way to the preserve with her parents. This

  ride was much noisier, bumpier, and windier. And the destination

  was much more intimidating.

  Hugo pulled the oversized rickshaw. Kendra doubted

  that a team of horses could have matched the tireless speed

  of his loping strides.

  They reached an open area, and Kendra saw the tall

  hedge that surrounded the pond with the gazebo boardwalk.

  Strange to think that Lena had once lived there as a

  naiad.

  Before they had boarded the wagon, Grandma had

  commanded Hugo to obey any instructions from Kendra

  and Seth. She told Kendra and Seth that if things went

  wrong, they should make a hasty retreat with Hugo. She

  also cautioned them to be careful what they told Hugo to

  do. Since he had no will of his own, the punishments for

  his actions would fall upon the heads of those issuing the

  orders.

  Grandma had changed out of her bathrobe. She was

  now dressed in faded jeans, work boots, and a green top ——

  clothing scavenged from the attic. Seth had taken great

  satisfaction in her choice of a green shirt.

  Seth clutched a leather pouch. Grandma had explained

  it was full of special dust that would keep undesirable creatures

  away from them. She told Seth he could use it in the

  same way he had used the salt in the bedroom. She also

  warned him to use it only as a last resort. Any magic they

  used would only lead to less tolerable retribution if they

  failed. She had a pouch of the dust as well.

  Kendra was empty-handed. Since she had not yet used

  magic, Grandma said it would be a mistake for her to start

  now. Apparently the protections of the treaty were quite

  strong for those who totally abstained from magic and

  mischief.

  The wagon jolted over a particularly rough spot. Seth

  caught hold of the side to avoid falling. He looked over his

  shoulder and smiled. We’re hauling!

  Kendra wished she could be so obliviously calm about

  the whole thing. She was getting a sick feeling in her

  stomach. It reminded her of the first time she had to sing a

  solo in a school play. Fourth grade. She had always done

  fine in the practices, but when she peeked out past the curtains

  at the audience, a queasy feeling began brooding in

  her belly, until she became certain that she would throw

  up. At her cue, she walked out onto the bright stage, peering

  into the dim crowd, unable to find her parents in the

  throng. Her intro was playing, the moment arrived, and, as

  she started singing, the fear dissipated and the nausea

  vanished.

  Would it be the same today? Was the anticipation

  worse than the event itself? At least once they got there,

  reality would replace uncertainty and they would be able

  to do something, to act. All she could do at present was

  worry.

  How far away was this crazy church? Grandma said it

  wouldn’t take Hugo much more than fifteen minutes, since

  there was a decent road all the way. Although she kept an

  eye out for unicorns, Kendra saw no fanciful creatures.

  Everything was hiding.

  The sun dipped below the horizon. Grandma was

  pointing. Up ahead, in the middle of a clearing, sat an old

  fashioned church house. It was a boxy structure with a row

  of large windows fanged with broken glass and a single

  cupola that probably contained a bell. The roof sagged.

  The wooden walls were gray and splintered. There was no

  guessing what the original color might have been. A short

  flight of warped steps led up to an empty doorway, where

  double doors had once granted access. It looked like a perfect

  lair for bats and zombies.

  Hugo slackened his pace, and they came to a stop in

  front of the shadowy doorway. The church was completely

  still. There was no sign anybody had been there in a hundred

  years.

  I’d rather have the sun, but at least we still have some

  light, Grandma said, using a tool to set the silver-headed

  arrow to the string of her undersized crossbow and pull it

  into position. Let’s get this over with as soon as we can.

  Evil likes darkness.

  Why is that? Seth asked.

  Grandma thought about the question a moment before

  answering. Because evil likes to hide.

  Kendra did not appreciate the tingles she got when

  Grandma said that. Why don’t we talk about happy

  things? she suggested as they climbed down from the

  wagon.

  Because we’re hunting witches and monsters, Seth

  said.

  Kendra’s right, Grandma said. It does us no good to

  dwell on dark thoughts. But we do want to be on the road

  and away from here before the twilight is gone.

  I still say we should have brought some shotguns,

  Seth said.

  Hugo! Grandma said. Lead the way quietly into the

  basement. Protect us from harm, but do not kill.

  Kendra felt comforted just looking at the hulking

  goliath of earth and stone. With Hugo as their champion,

  she could not picture anything giving them much trouble.

  The steps groaned beneath Hugo as he climbed them.

  Stepping gingerly, he ducked through the large doorway. The

  others followed, staying close to their massive bodyguard.

  Grandma draped a red scarf over the crossbow, apparently to

  conceal it.

  Please let Muriel not be here, Kendra prayed silently.

  Please let us just find Grandpa and Lena and nothing else!

  The inside of the church was even gloomier than the

  exterior. The decaying pews had been smashed and overturned,

  the pulpit at the front had been thrown down, and

  the walls were graffitied with maroon scrawlings.

  Spiderwebs festooned the rafters like gossamer banners.

  Amber light from the sunset found entry through the windows

  and some irregular holes in the roof, but not enough

  to dispel the murkiness. There was no token indicating

  that this had once been a house of worship. It was just a

  big, dilapidated, vacant room.

  The floorboards creaked as Hugo tiptoed toward a door

  on the far side of the chapel. Kendra found herself worrying

  that the floor would give way and Hugo would take an

  abrupt shortcut to the basement. He had to weigh a thousand

  pounds.

  Hugo eased the corroded door open. Since the doorway

  was of a normal size, he had to crouch and twist in order to

  squeeze through.

  Everything will be fine, Grandma said, placing a

  bracing hand on Kendra’s shoulder. Stay behind me.

  The stairs wound down and ended at a doorway without

  a door. Light poure
d through into the stairwell. Peering

  around Hugo as he contorted to pass through the doorway,

  Kendra glimpsed that they were not alone. As she followed

  Grandma Sorenson into the spacious basement, the implications

  of the scene began to register.

  The room was cheerfully illuminated by no fewer than

  two dozen bright lanterns. It had a high ceiling and sparse

  furnishings. Grandpa Sorenson and Lena were each shackled

  spread-eagle to the wall.

  A peculiar figure stood in front of Grandpa and Lena.

  Fashioned entirely of smooth, dark wood, it looked like a

  primitive puppet not much shorter than Grandpa. Instead

  of proper joints, the wooden parts were connected by

  golden hooks at the wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, ankles,

  knees, hips, waist, and knuckles. The head made Kendra

  think of a wooden hockey mask, though that was not quite

  right, because it was cruder and simpler. The unusual mannequin

  was dancing a little jig, arms swaying, feet tapping

  and shuffling, gazing toward the far end of the basement.

  Is that her limberjack? Seth asked quietly.

  Of course! It was Muriel’s creepy dancing puppet, only

  much bigger, and no longer guided by a rod in its back!

  At the far side of the basement was a large alcove. It

  looked like someone had torn down some planks to access

  the niche. A net of knotted ropes crisscrossed the alcove,

  preventing a view inside the dismal recess. A dark form

  loomed beyond the ropes. A tall, beautiful woman with a

  lustrous cascade of honey-blonde hair stood beside the

  recess blowing on one of the many knots. She wore a spectacular

  azure gown that emphasized her seductive figure.

  The striking woman was surrounded by what looked

  like human-sized versions of the imps Kendra had seen in

  Muriel’s shack. They were all facing the alcove, staring at

  the ground. They ranged from five to six feet tall. Some

  were fat, some were thin, a few were muscular. Some had

  crooked backs, or humps, or horns, or antlers, or bulging

  cysts, or tails. A couple were missing a limb or an ear. All

  had scars. All had weathered, leathery skin and nubs

  instead of wings. At the feet of the human-sized imps were

  a multitude of the tiny, fairy-sized versions.

  The air shimmered. A pair of black wings made of

  smoke and shadow unfurled from the alcove. Kendra experienced

  the sense of vertigo that had overwhelmed her

  when they were changing Grandma back from being a hen.

  It seemed like the alcove was growing more distant, like

  she was looking at it through the wrong end of a telescope.

  A burst of darkness momentarily eclipsed the steady luminance

  of the lanterns, and suddenly, in the midst of where

  all the imps were focusing their attention, a new human-sized

  imp sprouted up.

  Kendra covered her mouth with both hands. The beautiful

  woman had to be Muriel. Bahumat was imprisoned by

  a web of knotted ropes, similar to the rope that had trapped

  her, and she was using wishes to increase the size of her

  imps, gradually freeing the demon in the process!

  Hugo, Grandma said softly. Incapacitate the imps

  and capture Muriel, on the double.

  Hugo charged forward.

  An imp turned and let out a disgusting yowl, and others

  spun to face the intruders, revealing cruel, devilish faces.

  The gorgeous blonde turned, eyes widening in surprise.

  Seize them! she shouted.

  There were more than twenty of the big imps, and ten

  times that many small ones. Led by the biggest and most

  muscular of the lot, they rushed at Hugo, a motley mob of

  wiry fiends.

  Hugo met them in the center of the room. With fluid

  precision, he snatched the leader by the waist with one

  hand, seizing both feet with the other, and twisted briskly

  in opposite directions. Hugo tossed the howling leader

  aside as the others descended on him.

  Fists flailing like battering rams, Hugo sent imps sailing

  in wild cartwheels. They swarmed, making agile leaps to

  land on his shoulders and scratch at his head. But Hugo

  just kept twirling and twisting and heaving, a violent ballet

  that sent as many imps as pounced on him careening across

  the basement.

  Some of the imps nimbly dodged around him to sprint

  toward Grandma and Kendra and Seth. Hugo whirled and

  charged after them, grabbing a pair of them by the knees

  and then wielding them like clubs to swat others away.

  The resilience of the imps was impressive. Hugo would

  fling one into the wall, and the tenacious creature would

  stumble to its feet and wade back in for more. Even the

  burly leader was still in the fray, staggering awkwardly on

  mangled legs.

  Looking beyond the tumult, Kendra noticed Muriel

  blowing on a knot. Grandma, she’s up to something.

  Hugo, Grandma cried. Leave the imps to us and go

  capture Muriel.

  Hugo hurled the imp he was holding. The whining

  creature skimmed the ceiling the entire distance to the

  wall, where it impacted with a revolting crunch. Then the

  golem dashed at Muriel.

  Mendigo, protect me! Muriel squealed. The wooden

  man, who still danced near Grandpa and Lena, sprinted to

  intercept Hugo.

  Free from the indomitable onslaught of the golem, the

  injured imps converged on Grandma, who placed herself in

  front of Kendra and Seth. Holding a pouch in one hand,

  Grandma swung it so that it scattered a twinkling cloud of

  dust. As the imps reached the cloud, electricity crackled,

  hurling them back. A few lunged into the cloud, trying to

  force their way through it, but electricity flared brighter

  and sent them tumbling. Grandma spread more dust in the

  air.

  Great dark wings were spreading out from the alcove.

  The air undulated. Kendra felt like she was viewing the

  basement from far away, through a narrow tunnel.

  Hugo had almost reached Muriel. The overgrown limberjack

  dived at the golem’s feet, using both arms and legs

  to entangle Hugo’s ankles. The golem toppled forward.

  Hugo kicked free of Mendigo, sending the wooden puppet

  skidding across the floor, then rose to his knees and

  reached for Muriel. His outstretched hands were inches

  from taking hold of her when a thunderclap shook the

  basement, accompanied by a brief moment of blackness.

  The massive golem crumbled into a pile of rubble.

  Muriel brayed in triumph, eyes crazed, delirious at having

  so narrowly avoided Hugo’s clutches. Off to one side of

  the room, Mendigo sat up. The puppet had lost an arm at

  the shoulder. He picked up the limb and reattached it.

  Muriel’s eyes sharpened as she sensed certain victory.

  Bring them all to me, she trumpeted.

  A red scarf fluttered to the floor. Grandma Sorenson

  raised the crossbow in one hand while scattering the last of

  the contents of her pouch with the other. She discarded

  the pouch and stepped forw
ard into the glittering dust

  cloud, gripping the crossbow in both hands.

  The arrow took flight. Mendigo sprang, desperately trying

  to block the dart, but Hugo had knocked the puppet

  too far away. Muriel shrieked and toppled back against the

  net of knotted ropes, a manicured hand covering the front

  of her shoulder. She rebounded forward, falling to her

  knees, panting, still clutching her shoulder, black feathers

  protruding between her slender fingers. You will pay for

  that sting! she screamed.

  Run! Grandma Sorenson shouted to the children.

  Too late. Eyes closed, lips moving soundlessly, Muriel

  stretched forth a bloody hand, and a gust of wind stripped

  away the sparkling dust. The injured imps rushed in, seizing

  Grandma Sorenson roughly.

  Seth sprang forward, throwing a handful of dust over

  Grandma and the imps. Lightning crackled and the imps

  stumbled away.

  Mendigo, bring me the boy! Muriel called.

  The wooden servant charged toward Seth, racing on all

  fours. The imps had fanned out, several clustering near the

  door to prevent escape. Seth flung dust as Mendigo leaped.

  The electric cloud repelled the puppet. At the same time,

  an imp darted in from behind, knocking the pouch from

  Seth’s grasp with a chopping motion.

  The tall imp twisted Seth around, grabbed his upper

  arms, and hoisted him into the air so they were staring eye

  to eye. The imp hissed, mouth open, black tongue dangling

  grotesquely.

  Hey, Seth said, recognition dawning. You’re the fairy

  I caught!

  The imp draped Seth over its shoulder and ran toward

  Muriel. Another imp seized Grandma to bring her to the

  witch.

  Kendra stood frozen with terror. Imps surrounded her.

  Escape was impossible. Hugo had been reduced to a pile of

  debris. Grandma had missed with the arrow, wounding but

  not killing Muriel. Seth had done his best, but he and

  Grandma had been captured. There was no more defense.

  No more tricks. Nothing between Kendra and whatever

  horrors Muriel and her imps wished to inflict.

  Except that the imps were not taking hold of her. They

  stood all around her, yet they seemed unable to reach out

  their hands and grab her. They would lift their arms part of

  the way and then stop, as if their limbs refused to obey.

  Mendigo, bring me the girl, Muriel commanded.

  Mendigo shouldered through the imps. His hand