Dad had pulled out his wallet. “At least let us chip in on gas.”
“I wouldn’t think of it,” Vanessa insisted.
“You’re saving us a long drive,” Dad persisted. “It’s the least—”
“I was going there anyhow,” Vanessa said, picking up Seth’s suitcase, the largest of the bunch. “Giving your children a lift is my pleasure.” Dad snatched Kendra’s suitcase before Vanessa could grab it as well. Instead Vanessa seized Seth’s duffel bag.
Mom opened the door, and Vanessa walked out, followed by Dad. “I can get my bags,” Seth said from behind.
“I’m quite capable,” Vanessa assured him, striding easily toward her car.
“Whoa!” Seth said when he got a look at her dark blue sports car.
Dad whistled. “Ferrari?”
“No,” Vanessa said. “Custom made. I got a deal through a friend.”
“You’ll have to introduce me,” Dad said.
“In your dreams,” Mom muttered.
Standing beside the sports car, Kendra could not believe she was going to get to ride in it all the way to Fablehaven. Low and aerodynamic, the glossy vehicle had twin tailpipes, a sunroof, and fat tires like a race car. In spite of the dead insects plastered to the front, it looked like the sort of vehicle you would expect to see in a showroom or at a car expo — not something that anybody would actually drive.
Vanessa pressed a couple of buttons on her key chain. The passenger door swung open and the trunk popped up. “There should just be room for the suitcases in the trunk,” she said. She leaned the passenger seat forward and tucked Seth’s duffel bag behind the driver’s seat.
“Shotgun,” Seth called.
“Sorry,” Vanessa said. “House rules. Tallest passenger gets shotgun. The back is a bit cramped.”
Seth drew himself up to his full height. “I’ve almost caught up with her,” he said. “Besides, she’s more flexible.”
“Good,” Vanessa said, “because we’ll have to slide her seat forward to fit the two of you. I don’t often have riders in the back.” Dad handed Kendra’s duffel bag to Vanessa and then loaded the suitcases into the trunk.
Seth slouched into the backseat and fastened his seat belt. Vanessa slid the passenger seat forward a bit and pushed the back upright. “Can you live with that?” Seth nodded glumly. His legs were twisted sideways with the knees together. “Kendra might be able to spare an extra inch or two once she gets settled,” Vanessa soothed.
Vanessa stepped aside so Kendra could get in the car. Kendra met her eyes and glanced at the Volkswagen van parked down the road. Vanessa winked in a way that suggested she was aware of the threat. Kendra hesitated for another moment. “Kaleidoscope,” Vanessa murmured.
Kendra got into the car and Vanessa shut the door. The engine roared to life spontaneously. Vanessa thumbed her key chain again and the driver’s door opened.
Mom and Dad stood together on the curb, waving. Doubting whether her parents would be able to see her through the tinted glass, Kendra rolled down her window and waved back. According to Grandpa, with her and Seth out of the house, Mom and Dad would be out of danger. Although Kendra was unsure what new hazards awaited at Fablehaven, at least she could take comfort knowing her departure would ensure the safety of her parents.
Vanessa scooted behind the wheel and closed the door. Her demeanor instantly changed as she tugged on a pair of black driving gloves. “How long has he been there?” she asked, switching on the lights, throwing the manual transmission into gear, and pulling forward.
Calling a final good-bye, Kendra rolled up the window. “Only a few minutes, I think,” Kendra said. “He showed up after we skipped out on meeting him at the service station.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Seth complained.
“I just found out,” Kendra said. “He called. I was getting off the phone with him when Vanessa pulled up. He was trying to talk me into going.”
They drove past the Volkswagen van. Looking back, Kendra saw the headlights come on and the van pull into the street behind them. “He’s following us,” Seth said.
“Not for long,” Vanessa promised. “Once we’re out of earshot from your parents, we’ll get rid of him quick.” She put on a pair of sunglasses.
“Isn’t it a little dark for sunglasses?” Seth said.
“Night vision,” Vanessa explained. “I can kill the lights and go as fast as I like.”
“Awesome!” Seth said.
They turned a corner, heading toward the interstate. Vanessa looked over at Kendra. “You were just on the phone with him?”
“Watch out!” Kendra yelled, pointing straight ahead. A gigantic humanoid figure made of straw shambled out into the road, waving a pair of crude arms. Having just rounded a corner, they were not going very fast. Vanessa swerved, but the monstrous figure leapt sideways to continue blocking their path. Vanessa slammed on the brakes. The seat belts locked, and the car stopped about ten yards shy of the creature.
Yellow and bristly under the bright headlights, the oafish figure towered at least ten feet above the asphalt, straddling the yellow line in the center of the road. It had short legs with large feet, a massive torso, and long, thick arms. The bushy head lacked eyes, but a gaping mouth appeared when the monstrosity let out a raspy roar.
“A haystack?” Seth said, sounding bewildered.
“A dullion,” Vanessa corrected, throwing the car into reverse. “A pseudo golem.”
The dullion charged. The engine growled and the tires squealed as they backed away. Vanessa expertly whipped the car around and switched gears, wheels shrieking. They were suddenly going forward again, away from the creature. The sharp odor of burnt rubber filled the car.
As they neared the intersection where they had just turned, the Volkswagen van screeched to a stop, blocking their escape. A second car, an older-model Cadillac, pulled up beside it, completing the barricade. The road was only two lanes wide, and the scant shoulder was steep and rocky.
Vanessa cranked the car into a slide and, after a wild fishtail, tires spinning and smoking, they were again facing the lumbering strawman. The bulky creature shuffled toward them. Vanessa gunned the engine. As the screaming tires gained traction, the car picked up speed, but with the dullion rapidly drawing closer, there was not enough space to get going really fast.
Without much room to maneuver, Vanessa did her best, bringing the car to the right edge of the road, then cutting across to the left just before they reached the monster. The tactic kept them from plowing directly into the dullion, but the lunging strawman pounded the car with its huge fists as they roared past. It sounded like they had been struck by a rocket. The car trembled and skidded, and for a terrible moment Kendra thought they were going to sail off the road, but Vanessa regained control and they raced away.
Part of the roof had crumpled above Kendra, and cracks webbed her window and the sunroof. The wheels smelled like they were on fire. But the engine purred and the car seemed to be driving smoothly as the speedometer topped ninety.
“Sorry about the turbulence,” Vanessa said. “Everybody all right?”
“I bet we left some sweet skid marks,” Seth gushed. “What was that thing?”
“A golem made out of straw,” Kendra said.
“It looked ridiculous,” Seth said. “Like a moving haystack.”
Kendra realized that Seth had not seen the true form of the creature that had assailed them. “You haven’t had milk, Seth.”
“Oh, yeah. Did he look like Hugo?”
“Sort of,” Kendra said, “but bigger and sloppier.”
“The thing bashed us hard,” Seth said. “He caved in the roof.”
They turned onto a wider road, tires whining mildly, then accelerated aggressively. “We were lucky to get away with so little damage,” Vanessa said. “The body of the car has been reinforced and the windows are bulletproof. A lesser vehicle would no longer be running. They chose the right spot for an ambush.”
“How could somethi
ng made of hay hit us so hard?” Seth asked.
“Who knows what was underneath the straw?” Kendra said.
“Which is why I didn’t just ram him in the first place,” Vanessa said. “Good thing for us.”
Kendra checked the speedometer. They were going faster than a hundred miles per hour. “Don’t you worry about speed traps?”
Vanessa grinned. “Nobody will be able to catch us without a helicopter.”
“Really?” Seth said.
“I’ve never had a ticket,” Vanessa bragged. “But I’ve been chased. I’m tough to catch, especially outside of metropolitan areas. I’ll have you to Fablehaven in a little over two hours.”
“Two hours!” Kendra exclaimed.
“How do you think I reached your house so soon after you spoke with Stan? We can comfortably average a hundred and fifty on the interstate. Late at night, with our lights off, anybody holding a radar gun will think they clocked a UFO.”
“This might be the coolest day of my life,” Seth said. “Except that I don’t have any place to put my legs.”
“I don’t normally speed for fun,” Vanessa explained.
“But we might have enemies following us. Tonight, it’s the smartest course of action. By the way, Seth, your grandma sent you this.” She opened a small ice chest between the front seats and removed a little bottle of milk.
“Now you tell me, after I missed the dullion.” He accepted the milk and drank it. “What’s the difference between a dullion and a golem?”
“Quality, mostly,” Vanessa said. “Dullions are a bit easier to create. Although I haven’t seen one in ages. Like golems, they’re nearly extinct. Whoever was after you has unusual resources.”
They drove in silence for a moment. Kendra folded her arms. “I’m sorry we wrecked your beautiful car.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Vanessa said. “Believe it or not, I’ve given cars bigger bruises than that one.”
Kendra frowned. “I feel so stupid for letting Errol take advantage of us.”
“Your grandfather filled me in,” Vanessa said. “You were trying to do the right thing. It was a textbook Society infiltration — setting up a threat, then making it look like they helped you solve the problem in order to build trust. I’m sure they also cut off your communication with Stan. Speaking of Stan…”
Vanessa flipped open a small cell phone. Kendra and Seth sat in silence while Vanessa reported to Grandpa that they were on the road and all right. She briefly related the incident with Errol and the dullion, then snapped the phone shut.
“What did I steal from Grandpa’s friend?” Seth asked.
“A demon called Olloch the Glutton,” Vanessa said. “I’m assuming you fed it?”
“Errol said it was the only way to move it,” Seth said wretchedly.
“Errol was right,” Vanessa said. “You broke the spell that bound it. It bit you?”
“Yeah, is that bad?”
“They’ll tell you more about it at Fablehaven,” Vanessa promised.
“Did it poison me?”
“No.”
“Am I going to turn into a frog or something?”
“No. Wait until Fablehaven. Your grandparents have much to share with you.”
“Please tell me now,” Seth said.
“I’ll check the wound when we stop for gas.”
“Wouldn’t you want to know?” Seth pleaded.
She paused. “I suppose I would. But I told your grandparents I would let them deliver the news, and I like to be true to my word. There is some danger involved, but nothing immediate. I’m sure we will get it resolved.”
Seth fingered the tiny scabs on his hand. “Okay. Is there anything you can tell us?”
They reached the on-ramp for the interstate. “Keep those seat belts fastened,” she replied.
CHAPTER FIVE
New Arrivals
When the car finally slowed and pulled onto the gravel driveway, Kendra was fighting to keep her eyes open. She had learned that even rocketing along the freeway at one hundred and forty miles per hour became monotonous after a while. It did not take long to lose the sense of how fast you were going. Especially in the dark.
After they left the highway, the road curved more, and Vanessa slowed considerably. She had warned that if there were another ambush, it would most likely come near the entrance to Fablehaven.
As they crunched over the gravel, a single headlight came toward them from around a bend. It belonged to a four-wheeler. Dale rode on it, and waved when he saw them.
“All clear,” Vanessa said. They followed Dale past the No Trespassing signs and through the tall, spiked, wrought-iron gates. He stopped to close the gates behind them while Vanessa proceeded to the house.
Kendra felt a vast sense of relief to be back at Fablehaven. Part of her had wondered whether she would ever return. At times, the previous summer seemed unreal, like a long, strange dream. But there was the house, lights shining in the windows. The stately gables, the weathered stonework, and the turret on the side. Come to think of it, she had never found her way into the turret, even though she had accessed both sides of the attic. She would have to ask Grandpa about it.
Amid the shadowed shrubs of the garden, Kendra noticed the colorful twinkle of fairies flitting about. They were rarely out in great numbers after sundown, so she was mildly surprised to see at least thirty or forty drifting throughout the yard — flickering in red, blue, purple, green, orange, white, and gold. Kendra supposed the unusual quantity could be explained by the increased fairy population resulting from the hundreds of imps she had helped restore to fairy form the previous year.
It was sad to think that her friend Lena would not be there to welcome her. The fairies had returned the housekeeper to the pond from which Patton Burgess had lured her years ago. Lena had not seemed eager to go back, but then the last time Kendra had seen her, Lena had tried to pull her into the pond. Even so, Kendra felt determined to find a way to free her friend from her watery prison. She remained convinced that, deep down, Lena preferred life as a mortal to life as a naiad.
Vanessa brought the damaged sports car to a stop in front of the house. Grandma Sorenson started walking from the front porch to the driveway. Kendra climbed out and pulled the seat forward to release Seth from his confinement. He scrambled out, then paused to stretch.
“I’m so relieved to see you’re all right,” Grandma said, giving Kendra a hug.
“Except my legs are numb,” Seth groaned, rubbing his calves.
“He means we’re happy to see you, too,” Kendra apologized.
Grandma embraced Seth, who seemed a little reluctant. “Look at you,” she said. “You’ve grown a mile.”
Dale skidded to a stop on the four-wheeler, leapt off, and helped Vanessa take the suitcases out of the trunk. Seth hurried over to help. Kendra reached into the backseat and retrieved the duffel bags.
“Looks like you took quite a hit,” Grandma said, surveying the gash in the roof of the otherwise streamlined vehicle.
“She still handled surprisingly well,” Vanessa said, picking up Seth’s suitcase. Seth reached for it.
“We’ll cover any costs for repairs,” Grandma said.
Vanessa shook her head. “I spend a fortune on insurance. Let them foot the bill.” She rewarded Seth’s persistence by relinquishing his suitcase.
Together they walked to the front door and entered the house. Grandpa sat in a wheelchair in the entry hall. His left leg was in a cast that went from his toes to the top of his shin. A second cast covered his right arm from wrist to shoulder. Fading bruises marked his face, yellowish and gray splotches. But he was grinning.
A pair of men flanked Grandpa. One was a hulking Polynesian with a broad nose and cheerful eyes. His tank top revealed massive, sloping shoulders. A thorny green tattoo wreathed his thick upper arm. The other man was an older fellow a few inches shorter than Kendra, thin and wiry. His head was bald except for a gray tuft in the middle and a fringe aro
und the sides. He wore several trinkets around his neck, affixed to leather cords or dull chains. He also wore a couple of braided bracelets and a wooden ring. None of it looked valuable. The pinky finger was missing from his left hand, as was part of the ring finger.
“Welcome back,” Grandpa cried, beaming. “It’s so good to see you.” Kendra wondered if he was trying to compensate for his injured appearance with exuberance. “Kendra, Seth, I would like you to meet Tanugatoa Dufu.” Grandpa gestured at the Polynesian man with his unbroken arm.
“Everyone calls me Tanu,” he said. He was soft-spoken, with a deep voice and clear enunciation. His playful eyes and mild voice went a long way toward offsetting his otherwise intimidating appearance.
“And this is Coulter Dixon, a name Kendra has heard before,” Grandpa said.
Coulter regarded them with a measuring gaze. “Any friend of Stan’s is a friend of mine,” he said, sounding less than sincere.
“Nice to meet you,” Kendra said.
“Any friend of Grandpa’s…” Seth added.
Dale and Vanessa collected the bags Kendra and Seth were holding and started up the stairs.
“And of course the two of you have met Vanessa Santoro,” Grandpa said. “Tanu, Coulter, and Vanessa have joined us here at Fablehaven to help with the workload. As you can see, I took a tumble last week, so their assistance has become even more valuable in recent days.”
“What happened?” Seth asked.
“We’ll reserve that discussion, and many others, for tomorrow. Midnight is long gone. You’ve had an eventful day. Your room is ready and waiting. Get some sleep, and we’ll make sense of the situation in the morning.”
“I want to know what bit me,” Seth said.
“Tomorrow,” Grandpa promised.
“I don’t think I could sleep now,” Kendra said.
“You may surprise yourself,” Grandma said from behind, ushering Kendra and Seth toward the stairs.
“Morning will come soon enough,” Grandpa said. As Kendra started up the stairs, Tanu wheeled Grandpa in the direction of the study.
Kendra ran her hand along the smooth finish of the banister. She had seen this house in ruins after Seth had foolishly opened the attic window on Midsummer Eve. And she had seen it restored after an army of brownies had repaired it overnight, making unpredictable improvements in much of the furniture. As Kendra entered the attic playroom, it felt familiar and safe, in spite of the night when she and her brother were pinned inside a circle of salt by ferocious invaders.
[Fablehaven 02] - Rise of the Evening Star Page 6