Fablehaven: The Complete Series (163 page)

“Why did you switch to English at the end?”

The corners of the demon’s mouth twitched. “I didn’t. Congratulations.”

Seth covered his eyes for a moment. “I didn’t give you permission to do that!” He regarded the demon somberly. “I’m scared that coming here was a huge mistake.”

Graulas licked his cracked lips with a bruised tongue. “I can’t make you evil any more than you can make me good. You worry that accepting aid from a demon somehow alters your identity. I was once very evil. Deliberately evil. Over time, as I weakened and deteriorated, my lust for power abated. Apathy replaced avarice. You are not speaking to an evil demon. An evil demon would have killed you on sight. You are talking with a rotting shell. My life ended long ago. When I thought I was utterly past feeling, you sparked my interest. I remain sufficiently curious to help you. I have no private agenda. You remain free to use your gifts however you choose.”

Seth furrowed his brow. “I guess I don’t feel more evil than before.”

“Choices determine character. You made no decision to become a shadow charmer. These new abilities have been thrust upon you by circumstances beyond your control. If anything, your status as a shadow charmer should protect you and those you love from evil. You now see and hear more clearly. Your emotions can’t be confused by magic. You will encounter opportunities to talk rather than fight.”

“Are you speaking English now?”

“Yes.” Another wild fit of coughing wracked the demon. When the hacking subsided, Graulas lay sprawled on his side, eyes closed. “I must rest.”

“When should I go after the horn?” Seth asked.

“Now,” the demon rasped, his voice losing power. “Tonight.”

“How do I see the invisible maze?” Seth asked.

Graulas sighed. “The same way you see me. Your abilities have been stabilized.”

“I have more questions. What can you tell me about the Sphinx? We know he is the leader of the Society of the Evening Star.”

“I have been confined to this preserve for centuries,” Graulas groaned groggily. “I lost interest in world politics ages ago. My memories are of ancient India and China. I know little of the Sphinx. When he visited Fablehaven, he seemed like a man. But it is hard to detect an avatar, even for me.”

“You detected Navarog.”

“I have met Navarog previously. And his avatar. It makes a difference.”

“I may have to fight Navarog.”

The demon snorted. “Do not fight Navarog.”

“Does he have a weakness?”

Graulas opened his eyes to narrow slits. “Concentrate on the horn. Nero will teach you about shade walking and befriending trolls.”

“Nero?” Seth asked.

A suave voice spoke from behind. “We meet again, Seth Sorenson.”

Seth whirled, shining his light on the troll. He recognized the reptilian features, the bulging round eyes, and the glossy black body with yellow markings. “What are you doing here?”

“A shadow charmer,” Nero simpered in an oily tone. “Who would have suspected? To think, I once saved you from a fall and almost had you as a servant.”

“Don’t you live a long way from here?”

A long, gray tongue flicked out of the troll’s mouth and licked his right eye. “When Master Graulas commands, I obey.”

“You’re here to help me?” Seth asked.

“You need a mentor. Graulas wants me to instruct you in a few matters and accompany you to Grunhold.”

“You can’t enter Grunhold.”

“No. But as a mortal, you can. In fact, as a shadow charmer, you might even survive.”

Seth turned back to Graulas. “Are you still awake?”

The demon smacked his lips. “Awake or asleep, I always listen.”

“You really want me to go to Grunhold tonight?”

“There will be no better opportunity,” the demon growled, rolling over. “Now give me peace, boy.”

Seth faced Nero. “Okay. How do I survive?”

The troll licked his other eye. “As a shadow charmer, you can shade walk. Away from bright light you will be nearly invisible. Very, very dim. When you keep to the shade, even vigilant eyes will pass over you. Particularly if you hold still. This will help you approach the entrance.”

“Will I be able to see in the dark?”

“Turn off your flashlight.”

Seth complied. He could see nothing. “Apparently not.” He switched his light back on.

Nero shrugged. “Your vision may not penetrate darkness, but other talents should emerge over time. No two shadow charmers are identical.”

“What types of talents?”

“I have heard of shadow charmers who could quench flames. Project fear. Lower the temperature in a room.”

Seth smiled. “Can you teach me?”

“These skills will emerge naturally or not at all. Back to the task at hand. Master Graulas tells me that a mountain troll awaits inside Grunhold. Along with a reputation for immense size and strength, their breed has a deserved notoriety for stupidity. The oaf will recognize you as an ally of the night. But he also has a charge to guard the horn. Show no fear. Take his friendship for granted, and you will probably win it. Then you must convince him that you are a trickster, and that stealing the horn is a prank. Mountain trolls love jokes.” The troll held out his webbed hand.

“Is that a banana?” Seth asked.

The troll tossed the fruit over his shoulder and deftly caught it behind his back. “Your prank will be to replace the horn with a banana. The troll should like that.”

Seth laughed. “Are you serious?”

“Entirely.”

“Where did you find a banana?”

“I have suppliers. Some of the satyrs cultivate tropical fruit.”

Seth folded his arms. “Invisible or not, the maze could be trouble, right?”

“The hardest part,” Nero said. “If your instincts fail, the trick with mazes is to always turn left. Only veer right when you can’t turn left. Eventually you will systematically cover all the ground in the maze until you find your destination.”

“The entrance will only be open for an hour.”

“As I already noted, the maze will be the hardest part.”

Seth sat down on a filthy keg. “If I get trapped inside, I’ll have to bide my time until the next night when the entrance opens again. My family will freak. How do we get to Grunhold?”

Nero rubbed his hands together. “The best way is through the marsh. I have a raft. I can land you near the southern side of the circle of stones.”

“I hope I can convince Hugo.”

“I saw you arrive with the golem. If he would bear us to the raft, it would save time. We should make haste—the hour grows late.”

Chapter 14

Heart and Soul

Up there on the left,” Nero directed. “Perfect, you can put us down. I’ll take it from here.”

Hugo set Seth on the ground. Seth clicked on his flashlight. The golem held Nero by his ankles. The troll hung upside down, staring into the stony hollows of the golem’s eyes. “No hurt Seth,” Hugo warned, the words coming out like massive boulders grinding against each other.

“You have my word,” Nero pledged, placing a webbed hand over his chest.

The golem turned Nero around and placed him on the ground. He kept hold of one arm. Nero tried to tug away, but Hugo held tight.

“You can release me,” Nero invited.

Leaning forward, the golem pinched Nero’s neck between thumb and forefinger. “No hurt Seth.”

“I’m on his side,” the troll managed in a strangled voice. “I swear it.”

“Let him go, Hugo,” Seth said. The golem released the troll and stood up straight. “If he ends up harming me, you have my permission to squash him.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Nero gagged bitterly, rubbing his throat.

“Seth no go,” Hugo rumbled.

“I have to try, Hugo. We’ve come this far. I need to finish what I’ve started.”

“We must reach Grunhold before the warding stones start marching,” Nero inserted. “You will need every second.”

Seth gave Hugo a hug. The golem patted his back. “Hugo come.”

Seth shook his head. “You’re too big. You’ll swamp the raft. And you don’t hold together so well in water. Just wait here so you can take me home after we return.” Seth followed Nero toward the raft.

The golem raised a hand in farewell. “Be safe.”

“I’ll be right back,” Seth promised.

Nero pushed the raft into the water and leapt aboard. The rectangular craft was a little bigger than a king-size mattress. Without guardrails, the mooring cleats were the highest part of the vessel, a scant foot or so above the water. Clutching a long pole, the troll gestured for Seth to join him. Seth jumped onto the flat craft. Leaning on the pole, the troll shoved the raft away from the shore. Ripples spread over the dark, fuming water.

“Extinguish the light,” Nero murmured. “From here on, we must avoid attention.”

Seth turned off the flashlight. He could see nothing. He listened to the soft sound of water lapping against the raft. “You can see in the dark?” he whispered.

“I can.”

“Can you see me?”

“Certainly.”

“Shouldn’t I be invisible?”

“Shade walking only works before you’ve been spotted. Once an observer sees you, dimness will no longer hide you.”

Seth thought about that. “What if I snuck up on you later?”

“Then you might be cloaked to my eyes.”

Seth sat down cross-legged. The air in the swamp felt less cold. A heavy, stagnant odor invaded his nostrils. “Why are you helping me?”

“You are an ally of the night,” Nero said. “Graulas is demonic royalty. Long ago he served as the left hand to Gorgrog, the demon king. I owe Graulas a tremendous debt. He gave me my seeing stone.”

“You’ll wait for me while I snag the horn?”

“Whether you return tonight or tomorrow, I’ll be waiting with the raft near the shore where I drop you. Silence. Something approaches.” Seth listened intently, but could hear nothing. Nero crouched at his side and whispered in his ear. “Lie flat.”

Seth sprawled out on his stomach. He could feel the troll lying beside him. A moment later, he heard something sloshing through the water in the distance. It was coming toward them. Seth wished for eyes like his sister so he could pierce the darkness without a light. What could it be? From the sound of it, something big. He held his breath.

The sloshing drew nearer. The rhythm of the splashes suggested a gigantic creature wading through the water. One leg sloshed forward, then the other, then the other, then the other . . .

Nero eased away from Seth. The swamp was totally black. As the sloshing continued toward them, ripples began to make the raft wobble. But then the raft began to glide forward, away from the path of the approaching threat. Seth heard noisy breathing above and behind them.

Unable to see, he closed his eyes and focused on quieting his own breathing. The creature passed directly behind them, never pausing, and soon the sloshing threat was moving away. The sound had completely faded before Nero resumed poling forward in earnest.

“What was that?” Seth whispered.

“Fog giant,” Nero replied. “They don’t see any better than you in the dark. They roam the marshes erratically. But if they find you, that is the end.”

“It came close.”

“Much too close. We’re fortunate it failed to catch our scent or hear us. The brute must have had a destination in mind.”

“The water isn’t deep here,” Seth said.

“The water is seldom deep in the marsh. Up to the thighs of a fog giant. Keep silent. Before long we will near the shores of the centaurs. If you are apprehended inside of their territory, they will kill you as surely as any giant would.”