Fablehaven2-Rise of the Evening Star Read online

  Seth exited the room again. He did not return for a few

  minutes. When he finally came back, he said, I checked out

  the windows. There are two imps on the back porch, and a

  big fat one out front. The sides of the house look unguarded.

  If you slip out through the study window, you might be able

  to sneak into the woods.

  We should wait and make a break for it together, she

  said. Nobody is going to look behind the couch between

  now and when you steal the keys.

  How long do you think we should wait? he asked.

  Longer than you think, Kendra said. The clock on

  the wall says 10:47. I say we wait a full hour before you go

  upstairs, just to be safe.

  In that case, I'm going to make a sandwich.

  No way, Kendra said firmly.

  All I've eaten for two days is cocoon pulp, he said.

  You had snacks at Warren's, she said.

  Right, snacks. I wasn't that hungry then. Now I feel like

  my stomach is digesting itself.

  If they hear you rustling around, we could all die.

  There's plenty of food at the cabin. I say wait.

  What if they end up catching us? Seth asked. Then

  we'll be stuck eating glop! Did you smell that stuff?

  If we get caught, we'll have bigger problems than what

  to eat.

  I bet I could make a sandwich about ten times quieter

  than you whisper, he accused.

  Are you trying to make me angry?

  Are you trying to make me hungry?

  Fine, Kendra said. Go make a sandwich. We've got an

  hour, maybe you can bake some cupcakes too.

  I've got a better idea. I'll make us smoothies in the

  blender. With lots of ice.

  I wouldn't be surprised.

  Fine. You know what? You win, Kendra. I'll sit here and

  starve.

  Good. Starve quietly.

  Time crawled. Seth spent most of the hour sitting

  invisibly on the couch. Kendra tried to picture what escape

  route she would use if things went bad. Eventually the hour

  passed.

  Can I go get the keys? Seth asked.

  Do we need more of a plan? Kendra said.

  My plan is to be really quiet and bring the keys downstairs,

  Seth said.

  And then only one of us should go to the basement, so

  at least one of us can get away, she said. We don't want to

  both get trapped down there.

  Okay. What if somebody wakes up and sees me? Seth

  asked.

  Run for it, Kendra said. I'll play it by ear. Just because

  they see you won't mean they'll know I'm in the house.

  Maybe I can lie low and save the day after things settle

  down.

  Or maybe somebody else will save the day for a

  change, Seth said. Besides, if they find me I bet they'll

  search the house.

  Where's the best hiding place on this floor?

  If I were you, I'd hide in the study, like behind the desk.

  You'll have quick access to a window that will take you outside.

  Going out through the side should give you a chance

  to avoid the imps. If they catch me, you should probably

  take off. Maybe you can leave the preserve and try to find

  the Sphinx.

  We'll see, Kendra said.

  Wish me luck. Hopefully my growling stomach won't

  give me away.

  Wrapped in her sheet, Kendra walked to the entry hall

  with her brother. As he started climbing the stairs, staying

  close to the wall and treading lightly, she went to the study.

  She unlocked the window and squatted behind the desk.

  She noticed a letter opener on top of a pile of papers. She

  picked it up. It felt comforting to have some sort of weapon

  in her grasp.

  All she could do now was wait. Maybe she should be the

  one wearing the glove and creeping into Vanessa's room.

  Seth would never have let her, since sneaking around was

  more his specialty. But it was an awful lot of responsibility to

  give to somebody who liked sticking French fries in his

  nostrils.

  At the top of the stairs, Seth moved stealthily down the

  hall to Vanessa's door. A light had been left on in the bathroom,

  so the hall was fairly bright. The door to Vanessa's

  room was closed. There was no light shining underneath it.

  Cupping his ear against the door, he waited invisibly, but

  heard nothing.

  Gently he turned the knob. It made a faint clicking

  sound, and he paused. After several slow breaths, he turned

  the knob the rest of the way and eased the door open. The

  room was darker and more shadowy than the hall, but he

  could still see fairly well. Vanessa was lying on her side on

  the bed beneath her sheet. The blankets were folded at the

  foot of the bed. Containers full of strange animals were

  everywhere.

  Seth took a slow step toward her bed. A low croak disturbed

  the silence. Seth froze, turning invisible. Vanessa did

  not stir. Apparently she was accustomed to animal sounds in

  the night. That should work in his favor.

  Her bed was on the far side of the room. He decided that

  instead of crossing the center of the room, he would work his

  way along the perimeter. That way if she woke up, there

  would be less chance of her accidentally bumping into him.

  Seth crept along the edge of the room taking small, quiet

  steps. The sheet did not cover Vanessa's shoulders, so he

  could see that she had not changed out of her clothes.

  Staring at her, he had a hard time picturing her as a traitor.

  She was so pretty, her dark hair spilling over her pillow.

  Seth glimpsed a metal pole under her chin. It had to be

  the artifact key! She was sleeping right on top of it!

  A bird chirped and he halted, watching the narcoblix

  intently. Satisfied that she remained asleep, he worked his

  way along the wall, passing numerous cages. Vanessa was facing

  him. All she needed to do was open her eyes while he

  was moving and all would be lost. Finally he reached the

  nightstand beside her bed. Her blowgun lay on the nightstand,

  along with three small darts. What if he picked up a

  dart and pricked her? Did narcoblixes have immunity to

  sleeping potions? It wasn't worth the risk. But he picked up a

  tiny dart anyhow, for backup.

  Another step closer and he was standing over Vanessa.

  If she stretched out her hand she could touch him. If he

  reached out his hand he could touch her. There was no way

  he could get to the artifact key. She was partly on top of it.

  He would have to wait for her to shift positions.

  While he waited, he scanned the room for the dungeon

  keys. There were many surfaces where they could be resting,

  on top of cages or terrariums as well as on tables or

  dressers. He did not see them anywhere. They could be in

  her pocket. Or tucked away in a secret spot. Or Errol might

  have them.

  Vanessa continued to breathe evenly, showing no sign

  that she would ever change positions. Maybe narcoblixes

  were really deep sleepers. She might not move all night.

  There was simply no possible way he could slide
the long key

  out from under her without waking her up. Most of it was

  under the sheet with her.

  Seth noticed a box of tissues on the nightstand. He

  removed a tissue. It made a slight sound as he pulled it from

  the box, but Vanessa did not twitch. Seth stared at the tissue,

  but it vanished along with the rest of him as he held

  still.

  Wiggling his hand, he stared again at the tissue, figuring

  out the best way to let it hang. This would be risky. He

  might very well wake Vanessa up. But he had to make her

  shift positions. She showed no sign of budging on her own.

  Leaning forward, Seth moved the dangling tissue toward

  her face. Slowly but surely it came closer, until a corner of

  the tissue brushed her nose. Vanessa smacked her lips and

  scratched her face. Seth jerked his hand away and held still.

  Vanessa twisted her head back and forth, hummed softly,

  and then her regular breathing resumed. She did not alter

  her position. The key remained mostly beneath her.

  Seth waited for a long time. Then he leaned forward

  with the tissue and again let it gently brush her nose.

  Vanessa snatched the tissue and her eyes opened suddenly.

  She had been waiting for it this time! Seth froze, his invisible

  hand less than a foot from her face. She glanced at the

  tissue, squinted in Seth's direction, then turned to look the

  other way. When she looked away, Seth jerked his hand

  back, flickering momentarily into view. Fortunately her eyes

  were not on him. It reminded him of playing Red Light ----

  Green Light when he was younger. He and Kendra had to

  sneak up on their dad while his back was to them. If he

  caught them moving when he turned around, they got sent

  back to the start. The stakes were higher, but the game was

  the same.

  Vanessa sat up. Who's there? she asked, eyes darting

  around the room. She looked straight through Seth several

  times. Errol? she called loudly, reaching for her blowgun.

  On the way to her blowgun, the side of her arm brushed

  against Seth. She yanked her hand back. Errol! she yelled,

  kicking the sheet off of her.

  Striking quickly, Seth jabbed the tiny dart he was holding

  into her arm. Her eyes widened in surprise when he

  flashed into view, but she had no time to react. She had

  been rising out of bed, but instead she hesitated, lips corn'

  pressed, and then collapsed heavily to the floor. Seth

  grabbed the long key off the bed. It was quite heavy, and

  several inches taller than him. He was glad to see that it disappeared

  along with him when he held still.

  Seth could hear Errol thumping down the hall. He leapt

  away from the bed and stood still as Errol raced through the

  doorway and saw Vanessa on the floor. Intruder! Errol

  shouted.

  Seth realized that Errol would probably suspect he had

  already fled, so he held perfectly still. Errol briefly surveyed

  the room, then ran out into the hall. Seth heard the front

  door opening downstairs, followed by heavy footfalls on the

  stairs. Would the imp smell him? What should he do?

  He heard a door downstairs slam shut. The imp on the

  stairs grunted urgently. Seth heard Errol dashing down the

  hall. In the study! he shouted. Bring the intruder to me!

  Seth heard Errol racing down the stairs. Kendra had

  created a diversion, but now she would have everybody right

  on her heels. Seth didn't like her chances. Leaning the key

  by the door, he picked up a terrarium full of dark blue salamanders

  and ran down the hall. He could hear them ramming

  the door to the study.

  From the top of the stairs, Seth heaved the terrarium

  over the banister into the entry hall. He did not stay to

  watch it hit the floor, but he heard glass shattering like a

  bomb and Errol shouting. Seth hastily retreated to Vanessa's

  room. Picking up the key, he crossed the room, unlocked the

  window, and threw it open.

  Vanessa's room was above the back porch. Seth dove

  through the window onto the roof of the porch. He could

  only hope that the commotion had already brought the imps

  stationed on the porch into the house. Otherwise he was

  about to be caught. He closed the window, hoping his pursuers

  might not be sure where he had gone. For all they

  knew he could have retreated to any of the rooms, or even

  gone up to the attic.

  He heard Kendra screaming for Mendigo from the side

  of the house. She sounded desperate. Seth hurried to the

  edge of the porch roof. The porch was raised above the level

  of the yard, so even the lowest part of the porch roof was a

  good ten feet above the ground.

  Seth tossed the key onto the grass. Then he found a portion

  of the roof that stuck out over a thick bush. Turning

  and crouching, he grabbed the lip of the roof and stepped

  off, hoping to dangle before dropping. The weight of his

  body was too much, and he lost his grip, falling awkwardly

  on his side, but landing in the bush.

  Hitting the bush sideways turned out to be a lucky way

  to fall. He mashed the bush down, and it absorbed the brunt

  of the impact. Shaken, heart racing, Seth rolled out of the

  bush, picked up the key, and sprinted for the woods, his

  oversized bathrobe flapping behind him.

  After waiting in tense silence, Kendra knew they were

  in trouble when Vanessa started calling for Errol. She

  opened the window so she would be ready for a quick exit.

  Then Errol yelled about an intruder, and she realized Seth

  had not been caught. She heard the front door open and the

  imp charge up the stairs.

  She had to create a distraction. Kendra ran to the study

  door, opened it, and banged it shut. She locked it and rushed

  to the window, wishing she had more to wear than a sheet.

  She put her legs through first, so she was sitting on the windowsill,

  then turned around and boosted herself backwards.

  Her bare feet sank into the rich, soft soil of a flowerbed. She

  dropped the letter opener in the process.

  Through the window, she could hear somebody beating

  on the study door. Wood splintered as the door was rammed

  with greater force. Not bothering to look for the letter

  opener, Kendra started running across the grass toward the

  woods. She heard a tremendous crash behind her from inside

  the house, like a huge vase shattering. Glancing back, she

  still saw nobody in the study window.

  On the manicured lawn her bare feet did not impede her

  speed. In fact, she was pretty sure this was the fastest she had

  ever run, energized by sheer terror. In the woods it would be

  another story.

  She heard something growl behind her. Looking back,

  she saw a thin, wiry imp in pursuit, having apparently just

  come through the window. She was about halfway across the

  yard to the woods, but the imp was running fast.

  Mendigo, Kendra screamed. Meet me in the woods

  and protect me from the imps! Mendigo, hurry!r />
  Off to her left, Kendra noticed the mellow glow of some

  fairies, bobbing and weaving in a colorful cluster. Fairies,

  please stop the imp! Kendra called. The fairies stopped

  moving, as if they were now watching, but did not come to

  her aid.

  At the fringe of the yard, a few paces from the woods,

  Kendra glanced back again. The wiry imp had gained, but

  remained twenty paces behind her. Behind the wiry imp,

  Kendra saw an extremely fat imp scrambling through the

  window. He barely fit, and fell headfirst into the flowerbed.

  Facing forward, Kendra dashed into the outskirts of the

  woods. Mendigo! she cried again. Sharp rocks and sticks

  jabbed at her bare feet. She crunched through leaves and

  undergrowth. In some places the ground was squishy.

  She heard the imp closing in behind her, snapping twigs

  and tromping through shrubs. Then she heard a rustling

  from off to one side. The wiry imp was now only about five

  paces behind her. Kendra had no hope of outrunning him.

  She heard footfalls from the same direction she had heard

  the rustling, only nearer now. Some nearby bushes parted,

  and Mendigo appeared.

  A bundle hit Kendra in the chest, and it took her a

  moment to realize that it was her and Seth's clothes along

  with Tanu's pouch. Mendigo took flight, launching himself

  in a flying tackle that leveled the thin imp just a couple of

  paces from Kendra. They tussled on the ground.

  Mendigo, stop the imp, Kendra said. But don't kill

  him.

  Looking back toward the yard, Kendra could see that the

  lumbering, obese imp had almost reached the trees. Mendigo

  had wrapped up the wiry imp in what looked like a complex

  wrestling hold. Clutching the bundle of clothes, Kendra

  tried to decide her next move. What would happen when

  the fat imp reached them? He was much bigger than the

  wiry imp. Maybe she could outrun him; he was certainly

  slower. Neither was the same imp Kendra had seen in the

  dungeon. Of the three, the imp in the dungeon was the most

  muscular and looked the most dangerous.

  Something else was crashing toward her through the

  woods from the opposite direction Mendigo had come from.

  After a moment, she saw that the something was wearing a

  bathrobe. Seth! she cried.

  He was carrying a metal staff that had to be the artifact

  key. He looked at Mendigo wrestling on the ground and

  then at the rapidly approaching fat imp. Mendigo, Seth