Fablehaven: The Complete Series (63 page)

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.”

Chapter 12

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 cliff, without using his hands, Hugo raced up the rotten trunk like a ramp. Seth’s stomach lurched as the ground grew distant, and he felt certain they would fall, but although the tree creaked beneath them, the golem did not falter.

At length they reached a large, open valley with a rounded hill at each corner. After the complete darkness of the forest, the starlight proved sufficient to reveal the surrounding terrain. Tall brush covered the ground, mingled with prickly weeds. A dark stand of trees loomed at the far end of the valley, between the two largest hills.

Hugo bounded across the valley, coming to an abrupt stop near the edge of the shadowy grove. “Forward a few more steps, Hugo,” Coulter said.

The golem leaned forward, trembling. He rocked back, and the shaking stopped. Slowly Hugo lifted a leg. As he tried to move it forward, he began to shudder.

“Enough, Hugo,” Coulter said. “Set us down.”

“What’s the deal with Hugo?” Seth asked.

“Just as most magical creatures cannot enter the yard back at the house, Hugo cannot enter this grove. There is an unseen boundary here. The ground is cursed. Fortunately, as mortals, we can go wherever we choose.”

Seth raised his eyebrows. “We have to go up against the phantom without Hugo?” he said.

“I expected this,” Coulter said. “Though I would rather have been mistaken.”

“Are we sure we want to go someplace Hugo can’t?”

“This has nothing to do with what we want. This is a matter of duty. I don’t want to go in there, but I must.”

Seth stared at the dark trees. The night seemed suddenly cooler. He folded his arms. “How do you know a phantom is in there?”

“I did some private reconnaissance. I ventured far enough into the grove to read the signs. It’s clearly the abode of a phantom.”

“How do we stop a phantom?”

Coulter pulled a short, crooked stick from his belt. “You hold this holly wand high. No matter what happens, keep it above your head—change hands if you must. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“That’s all?”

“The holly will protect us while I bind the phantom. No small task, but I’ve done it once before. The phantom may try to frighten or intimidate you, but if you keep the wand high, we’ll both be fine. Now more than ever, whatever you see and hear, you must remain stouthearted.”

“I can do that,” Seth said firmly. “What if Olloch shows up?”

“Golems make fabulous guardians,” Coulter said. “Hugo, keep Olloch the Glutton out of the grove.”

“Should I wear my medallion?”

“The one to repel the undead? By all means, put it on.”

Seth fished the medallion out of his emergency kit and slipped it around his neck. Coulter turned on a heavy flashlight. The initial glare made Seth squint and blink. The bright beam pierced the darkness of the grove, lighting the space between the trees, allowing Coulter and Seth to see much deeper into the ominous woods. Instead of vague, shadowy trunks, the harsh light revealed the color and texture of the bark. There was almost no undergrowth, just rank upon rank of gray pillars supporting a leafy canopy.

“Find your courage, and hang on tight,” Coulter said.

“I’m ready,” Seth said, holding the holly wand aloft.

“Hugo, if we fall, return to the house,” Coulter said.

“If we fall?”

“Just a precaution. We’ll be fine.”

“You’re not helping my courage a whole bunch,” Seth complained. He started impersonating Coulter. “Seth, we’ll be just fine. Nothing to worry about. Hugo, when we die, please have us buried in a beautiful cemetery by a stream. I’m sorry, Seth, I meant
if
we die. Be brave. When the phantom kills you, don’t scream, even though it’s going to hurt a lot.”

Coulter was smirking. “Are you finished?”

“Sounds like we’re both finished.”

“Everyone copes with nerves differently. Humor is among the better ways. Follow me.”

Coulter stepped forward, beyond the plane Hugo could not cross, and Seth followed closely. The trees cast long shadows. The flashlight beam swayed back and forth, making the shadows swing and stretch, creating the illusion that the trees were in motion. As they passed the first few trees, Seth glanced back at Hugo, waiting in the shadows. His night vision had already been ruined by the flashlight, so he could barely make out the form of the golem in the darkness.

“Can you feel the difference?” Coulter whispered.

“I’m scared, if that’s what you mean,” Seth said softly.

Coulter stopped walking. “More than that. Even if you didn’t know to be scared, you would be. There’s an unshakable sense of foreboding in the atmosphere.”

Seth had goose bumps on his arms. “You’re sort of freaking me out again,” he said.

“I just want you to be aware of it,” Coulter whispered. “It may get worse. Keep that holly wand up high.”

Seth was not sure whether it was simply the power of suggestion, but as they resumed walking, with each step the air seemed to grow colder, and the feeling inside seemed to become darker. Seth grimly studied the trees, bracing himself for the terrifying form of a phantom to appear.

Coulter slowed and then stopped. The hair rose on the back of Seth’s neck. Coulter turned slowly, eyes wide and shimmering. “Uh-oh,” he mouthed.

The fear hit Seth like a physical blow, making his knees buckle. He dropped his emergency kit as he collapsed to the ground, keeping the hand with the holly wand high. Seth was instantly reminded of when he had sampled Tanu’s fear potion. The terror was an irrational, overpowering force that instantly stripped away all defenses. He struggled to rise and to keep his hand up.

He had made it to his knees and was trying to lift a leg when a second wave of fear washed over him, more powerful than the first, much more potent than the potion Tanu had given him. The medallion around his neck dissolved, evaporating into the chilly air. Vaguely, distantly, Seth was aware that the flashlight was on the ground, and that Coulter was on his hands and knees, quivering. The fear intensified steadily, relentlessly.

Seth crumpled. He was on his back. The wand remained above his head, clenched in a frozen fist. His whole body was paralyzed. He tried to call out to Coulter. His lip twitched. No sound came out. He could barely think.

This surpassed the fear of death. Death would be a mercy if it would make the feeling stop, the uncontrollable panic mingling with the mind-scrambling certainty of something sinister approaching, something with no need to hurry, something that would not be so kind as to let him die. The fear was palpable, suffocating, irresistible.

Seth had always pictured his life ending much more heroically.

* * *

Kendra snapped awake. The room was dark and silent. She did not often awaken in the middle of the night, but she felt strangely alert. She turned to glance over at Seth. His bed was vacant.

She bolted upright. “Seth?” she whispered, scanning the room. There was no sign of her brother.

Where could he be? Had the traitor kidnapped him? Had he gone to sacrifice himself to Olloch? Had he taken his gold and left Fablehaven? Maybe he was just using the bathroom. She leaned down and glanced under his bed, where he kept his emergency kit. She could not see it.

Kendra rolled out of bed. She checked more thoroughly, looking under both beds. No emergency kit. Not a good sign. What could he possibly be thinking?

Kendra clicked on the light and hurried to the stairs, descending them quickly. Vanessa’s room was nearest. Kendra rapped gently and opened the door. Vanessa was curled up under her covers. Kendra tried not to think about the unusual creatures inhabiting the containers stacked around the room. She switched on a light and crossed to the bed.

Vanessa rested on her side, facing Kendra. She was perfectly still, except her eyelids were fluttering wildly. Kendra knew from school that R.E.M. sleep was a sign of dreaming. The sight was eerie, her face placid, her closed eyes twitching spasmodically.

Kendra put a hand on Vanessa’s shoulder and shook her. “Vanessa, wake up, I’m worried about Seth.” The eyelids kept fluttering. Vanessa showed no sign of feeling or hearing Kendra. Shaking Vanessa a second time again elicited no reaction. Kendra lifted an eyelid. The eye was rolled back, white and bloodshot. Kendra jumped back. The sight creeped her out.

There was a half-full cup of water on the nightstand. Kendra hesitated only for a moment. It was an emergency. She poured it onto Vanessa’s face.

Gasping and sputtering, Vanessa sat up, hand clutching her chest, eyes wide, looking not only startled but almost paranoid. She glanced around, eyes darting, clearly disoriented. Her gaze settled on Kendra. “What are you doing?” She sounded angry and bewildered. Water dripped from her chin.

“Seth’s missing!” Kendra said.

Vanessa inhaled sharply. “Missing?” The anger was gone from her voice, replaced by concern.