Fablehaven: The Complete Series (54 page)

“Go ahead, shine your light, you have no idea the doom hanging over you,” the imp snarled.

“What do you mean?” Kendra asked. Grandma and Seth both looked at her strangely. The imp was staring at her. “What?” Kendra said.

“No light will stave off the coming darkness,” the imp said, eyes on Kendra.

“What darkness?” Kendra replied.

The imp made a choking sound and looked astonished.

“Can you understand his speech?” Grandma asked in wonder.

“Can’t you?” Kendra said. “He’s speaking English.”

Grandma put a hand to her lips. “No, he’s speaking Goblush, the tongue of imps and goblins.”

“You understand me, Stinkface?” the imp tested.

“Is this a joke?” Kendra asked.

“Because I understand you,” the imp said.

“I’ve been speaking English,” Kendra said.

“Yes,” Grandma agreed.

“No,” the imp said. “Goblush.”

“He says I’m speaking Goblush,” Kendra said.

“You are,” the imp said.

“That must be what he hears,” Grandma said.

“You don’t understand him?” Kendra asked Seth.

“You know how imps sound,” Seth said. “No words, just growls and snorts.”

“What are they saying?” the imp asked. “Tell them I’m going to cook their insides on a stick.”

“He’s saying gross things,” Kendra said.

“Say nothing more,” Grandma said. “Let’s get you away from here.”

Grandma hurried them down the hall. The imp called after them: “Kendra, you don’t have long to live. Sleep on that. I’ll be out of here before you know it. I’m going to dance on your grave! On all your graves!”

Kendra whirled. “Well, you’ll be dancing alone, you ugly wart! All the rest of your kind got changed back into fairies, and they’re beautiful and happy. And you’re still a deformed freak! You should hear them laugh at you! Enjoy your glop!”

Silence. And then the sound of something slamming against the cell door, followed by guttural snarling. Knobby fingers protruded from the bars of the small window in the door. “Come along,” Grandma said, tugging Kendra’s sleeve. “He’s just trying to upset you.”

“How can I understand him?” Kendra asked. “The fairies?”

“It must be,” Grandma said, walking swiftly. “We should have more answers tomorrow. Your grandfather got through to the Sphinx this morning and set up a meeting for tomorrow afternoon.”

“Me too?” Seth asked.

“Both of you,” Grandma said. “But keep it between us and your grandfather. We want everyone else to think we’re going on an outing into town. They don’t know that the Sphinx is currently nearby.”

“Sure,” Kendra said.

“What was the imp saying?” Seth asked.

“That he was going to dance on our graves,” Kendra said.

Seth spun around and cupped his hands beside his mouth like a megaphone. “Only if they bury us in your cruddy cell,” he yelled. He glanced at Grandma. “Think he heard me?”

Chapter 8

Coulter

e’s not here,” Seth said, checking his wristwatch.

“He’ll be here soon,” Kendra said.

They sat together on a stone bench at the edge of an oval section of lawn with a marble birdbath near the center. The sun had not been up long, but the day was already getting warm. A cluster of fairies played among the blossoms of a nearby shrub. Others hovered over the birdbath, admiring their reflections.

“The fairies haven’t been very friendly lately,” Seth said.

Kendra scratched her temple. “They probably just need their space.”

“They were so friendly before we left last summer, after you led them against Bahumat.”

“They were probably just extra excited.”

“Try to talk to them,” Seth said. “If you can understand imps, I bet you can understand fairies too.”

“I tried last night. They ignored me.”

Seth glanced at his watch again. “I say we go do something else. Coulter’s like ten minutes late. And he picked the most boring spot in all of Fablehaven to make us wait.”

“Maybe we’re in the wrong place.”     

Seth shook his head. “This is where he said.”

“I’m sure he’ll come,” Kendra said.

“By the time he does, we’ll have to leave to visit the Sphinx.”

Coulter suddenly appeared in front of them, standing on the lawn not ten feet away, blocking their view of the birdbath. One instant there was nothing, the next, he had popped into existence, leaning on his walking stick. “I suppose I wasn’t meant to hear that,” Coulter said.

Kendra shrieked, and Seth jumped to his feet. “Where did you come from?” Seth yelped.

“Take more care what you say out in the open,” Coulter said. “You never know who may be listening. I’m sure your grandparents wanted your visit to the Sphinx kept a secret.”

“Why were you eavesdropping?” Kendra accused.

“To prove a point,” Coulter said. “Believe me, if I weren’t on your side, and you had given me that information, I would not have tipped my hand by revealing myself. By the way, Kendra, fairies are jealous by nature. There’s no surer way to earn their dislike than to become popular.”

“How did you do that?” Seth asked.

Coulter held up a fingerless leather glove, letting it hang limp. “One of my prize possessions. I deal in magical trinkets, tokens, and artifacts. Tanu has his potions, Vanessa has her critters—I have my magic glove. Among other things.”

“Can I try it?” Seth asked.

“All in good time,” Coulter said, pocketing the glove and clearing his throat. “I understand Tanu got you off to a fine start yesterday. He knows his business. You’d do well to heed him.”

“We will,” Kendra said.

“Before we begin,” Coulter said, shifting his feet as if he were feeling a tad uncomfortable, “I want to make one thing clear.” He gave Kendra an uncertain glance. “No matter how careful you are about personal hygiene, it is perfectly natural for a teenage girl to develop an occasional pimple.”

Kendra hid her face in her hands. Seth grinned.

“Such things are a natural part of the maturation process,” Coulter continued. “You may begin to notice other changes as—”

Kendra raised her head. “I’m not embarrassed about it,” she insisted. “It was just the potion.”

Coulter nodded patronizingly. “Well, if you ever need to talk about . . . growing up—”

“That’s very kind,” Kendra blurted, holding up both hands to stop him from saying more. “I’ll let you know if I want to talk. Zits happen. I’m okay with it.” Seth looked like he was about to explode with laughter, but he managed to contain himself.

Coulter wiped a hand across the top of his head, flattening his little tuft of gray hair. He had reddened slightly. “Right. Enough said about hormones. Shifting gears.” He paused for a moment, rubbing his hands together. “What do the two of you want me to teach you?”

“How to make ourselves invisible,” Seth said.

“I mean generally,” Coulter clarified. “Why do you want to apprentice with me?”

“So we can learn how to protect ourselves from magical creatures,” Kendra said.

“And so we can help out around here,” Seth said. “I’m sick of staying in the yard.”

Coulter wagged a finger. “A preserve like Fablehaven is a dangerous place. In my line of work, any degree of carelessness can lead to disaster. And by disaster I mean death. No second chances. Just a cold, lonely coffin.”

The new soberness in his tone had quickly changed the mood. Kendra and Seth listened attentively.

“Those woods,” Coulter said, sweeping a hand toward the trees, “are teeming with creatures who would love nothing more than to drown you. To cripple you. To devour you. To turn you to stone. If you let your guard down for a moment, if you forget for a second that every one of the creatures on this preserve is potentially your worst enemy, you won’t have any more chance of surviving than a worm on a henhouse floor. Am I getting through to you?”

Kendra and Seth nodded.

“I don’t tell you this out of cruelty,” Coulter said. “I’m not trying to shock you with exaggerations. I want you to go into this with your eyes wide open. People in my profession die all the time. Talented, cautious people. No matter how careful you are, there is always the chance of running across something more terrible than you are prepared to handle. Or you might find yourself in a situation you’ve dealt with a hundred times, but you make a mistake, and you never get a second chance. If either of you expects to venture out into those woods with me, I don’t want you clinging to a false sense of security. I’ve had my close calls, and I’ve seen people die. I’ll do my best to keep you safe, but it is only fair to warn you that on any given day, even doing something that might seem routine, if we’re out in those woods, we could all perish. I’ll not have you along without making that clear.”

“We know it’s risky,” Seth said.

“Something else I ought to tell you now. If we’re all in mortal peril, and it looks like saving you means sacrificing myself, or worse, sacrificing both of us, I’m probably going to save myself. I’d expect you to do the same. If I can protect you, I will; if not . . . you’ve been warned.” Coulter raised his hands. “I don’t want your ghosts showing up moaning about how I didn’t warn you.”

“We’ve been warned,” Kendra said. “We won’t haunt you.”

“I might haunt you a little,” Seth said.

Coulter snorted, hawked up some phlegm, and spat. “Now, I intend to keep us far from situations where our lives are in jeopardy, but there’s always a possibility the worst could happen, and if that’s a risk you’re unwilling to take, speak now, because once we’re out in the woods, it may be too late.”

“I’m in,” Seth said. “I’m still sad I didn’t get to go yesterday.”

“I’m in too,” Kendra said bravely. “But I was fine with yesterday.”

“That reminds me,” Coulter said, “I’m a little old-fashioned in some ways, and that carries over to this arrangement. Call it outdated chivalry, but there are some places I don’t feel women should go. Not because they aren’t intelligent or able. I just feel there is a certain respect with which a lady should be treated.”

“Are you saying there are places you’d take Seth but not me?” Kendra asked.

“That’s what I’m saying. And you hold all the feminist rallies you want, it won’t shake my opinion.” Coulter spread his hands. “If you want somebody else to take you, and they’re willing, I can’t do much about that.”

“What about Vanessa?” Kendra exclaimed incredulously. “What about Grandma?” Although part of her didn’t even want to go to the dangerous places Coulter was talking about, the idea that her gender would prevent him from taking her was deeply insulting.

“Vanessa and your grandma are free to do as they please, as are you. But I’m also free to do as I please, and there are some places I would rather not take a woman, no matter how capable she might be, Vanessa and your grandmother included.”

Kendra stood up. “But you’d take Seth? He’s two years younger than me and practically brain dead!”

“My brain is not the issue,” Seth said, enjoying the argument.

Coulter pointed at Seth with his walking stick. “At twelve, he’s on his way to becoming a man. There are plenty of places I wouldn’t take either of you, if that brings any consolation. Places none of us would take you until you’re much older and more experienced. There are even places we wouldn’t go ourselves.”

“But there are places you’d take my little brother and not me, just because I’m a girl,” Kendra pressed.

“I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t foresee it happening within the next few days,” Coulter said.

Kendra shook her head. “Unbelievable. You know that Fablehaven wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me.”