Chapter 18
I don't own fablehaven
Recovering the Key
Kendra held Seth's hand as they raced along the hall. At their current size, the corridor felt as wide as a ballroom.
Seth's speed began to flag as they reached the end of the hall where they needed to turn left. This glove gets heavier and heavier, Seth panted.
Let me take it for a while, Kendra offered. He handed it over with no protest. The glove was not terribly heavy, but it was hard to hold, like trying to carry a couple of unrolled sleeping bags. Burdened by the glove, she hurried as best she could.
I wish I had infrared vision like you, Seth said.
"Seth really?"
Infrared?
Or ultraviolet. Whatever. Is normal light too bright for you now?
"I think i would be complaining if it was." Kendra pointed out.
It's the same as ever. Can we talk later? I'm running outof wind.
They trotted along in silence. The hall seemed endless.
Kendra's heart was hammering, and sweat was drenching her silky clothes, making them feel slimy. The bulky glove flopped around as she ran.
I have to walk for a minute, Kendra gasped finally.
They slowed their jog to a walk.
I can take the glove back, Seth said. Kendra handed it over.
I still need to walk, just a little, Kendra said. Hey, I
see our last turn up ahead.
Still a pretty good ways to the door, and then the stairs after that, Seth reminded her.
I know, I'll be good in a second, sorry to slow us down.
Are you kidding? I'm tired too, and you carried that glove a long way. They walked in silence until they reached the hall where they needed to turn right.
Should we run again? Kendra asked.
We'd better, Seth said.
Kendra was reminded of running laps around the field with her soccer team. She was naturally a pretty good runner, but those first few practices had really tested her. She had almost thrown up a couple of times during the first week.
"TMI dude." Warren said.
"Who throws up playing soccer?" Seth asked.
She could run through the stitches in her side and the burning muscles, but once she became nauseated, her willpower to run faded fast. She had been at that point when she asked Seth to stop, and she could feel the unwelcome sensation returning. She tried to ignore the dank smell of the dungeon. The humid stench alone was enough to make her queasy. She reminded herself that Seth was carrying the glove and doing just fine.
"Oh so it's a competition now eh?" Vanessa said.
"Always." Seth replied.
The taste of bile rose in her throat. She fought to choke back the sensation until she involuntarily flopped forward, hands slapping the stone floor, and dry heaved.
That's sick, Kendra, Seth said.
Keep going, she gasped. Nothing had come up, but she had a foul taste in her mouth. She wiped her lips on her sleeve.
"Dungeon running is not recommenced"
I think we should stay together, he said.
You'll get big first, she said. I'll catch up.
Kendra, I can't see. I can't run without you with me.
Maybe if you let loose and yack you'll feel better.
Kendra shook her head and stood up. I hate puking. I'm already feeling better.
We can walk for a minute, he said.
Just for a minute, she replied.
Before long Kendra was feeling much steadier. She picked up the pace, not charging as hard as before, trying to conserve energy. I see the door up ahead, she finally said.
The tall iron door loomed into view. Kendra led Seth to the small opening in the bottom of the door. They passed through the brownie entrance and hustled toward the stairs.
Do you see the hole Grandma was talking about? Seth asked.
Yes, off to the left. It's small, looks like a mouse hole.
She led Seth to the hole in the wall near the first step,
She had not remembered how steep and numerous the stairs were from the basement to the kitchen. They would barely be able to reach the top of each step. With the glove, scaling the stairs could have taken hours.
Kendra and Seth wriggled through the hole. Inside they found a brownie tunnel like the one they had followed to get into the dungeon, except it was a stairway entirely of stone.
The stairs were steep but just the right size for brownies. They started scaling the long staircase two steps at a time. Kendra's legs soon felt rubbery. Can we rest for a second?
They paused, both of them breathing hard. Uh-oh,
Seth said after a moment.
What? Kendra said, looking around, worried he had seen a rat.
I'm starting to tingle, he said.
Give me the glove and run, Kendra said.
He handed it off and bolted up the stairs. Kendra followed, finding new energy in her desperation. He was ten steps ahead, then twenty, then thirty. Soon he was out of view. Before long she could see where the steps ended. There was a little extra light filtering in through the door from the kitchen.
She reached the top of the long staircase and crammed the glove through the hole ahead of her. Then she squirmed through the hole.
Kendra, the glove, Seth hissed from beyond the brownie door. His voice was pitched lower again. She raced to the little door, dragging the glove, and lunged through into the kitchen.
Seth was almost back to his normal size. The clothes the brownies had made lay in tatters. Kendra heard footstepscoming toward them from around the corner. Seth's face was a mask of panic as he snatched the glove and hastily tugged it on, vanishing instantly. Flashing back into view, he picked up Kendra, and she disappeared as well. They both flickered briefly back into view as Seth grabbed the remnants of the clothes the brownies had made. Then he held still and became transparent.
A second later Vanessa rounded the corner and looked right through them. Did you hear something? she asked uncertainly.
"Phhhshs nah"
Course not, love, a male voice answered from around the corner. You've been hearing things all day. The imps are on guard. All is well. Kendra recognized the voice. It was
Errol!
Vanessa frowned slightly. I suppose I have been on edge.
"Ya wonder why..."
She walked back out of sight.
Kendra realized she had been holding her breath. It made her feel lightheaded. She started breathing again, as controlled as she could. Seth grabbed a large green dish towel off the counter and wrapped it around his waist.
Suddenly, Kendra started tingling. She slapped Seth's hand. He held her up to his ear. I'm tingling, she whispered.
He tiptoed away from the door. Vanessa had walked away toward the dining room, so he went in the opposite direction. As they entered the living room, Kendra felt the tingling spreading and intensifying. Won't be long, she warned. He stuck her behind a sofa. As soon as she was out ofview, she started pulling off her dress, which was feeling tight. After a couple of moments, the tingling became severe, and she felt herself growing. Before she knew it, she was back to her normal size, her body pushing the sofa away from the wall, the unbearable tingles subsiding.
Seth straightened the sofa. Kendra peeked her head up.
If you hold my hand, will I turn invisible too?
Seth grabbed her hand and held still. He became invisible, but she did not. It must just work for small stuff, he said.
Try to find me some clothes, she whispered.
Voices and footsteps were approaching. Seth hushed her, moved to the side of the sofa, and held still.
Errol came striding into the room, wearing the same antiquated suit Kendra and Seth had become familiar with.
A minor setback, he remarked over his shoulder. Why not just send Dale?
Vanessa followed him into the room. We're running out of people. Our job here is far from complete. We must conserve.
"Which is. Ask ally saying I'm very important." Dale said with a wink.
Tanu is a major loss. He was strong as a bull.
Kendra bit her lip. What had happened to Tanu?
Errol crossed the room and flung himself down on the sofa, kicking off his shoes. At least now we know what we're up against, he said.
We should have known last time, Vanessa said.
Kendra awoke me at just the wrong moment, right before I
glimpsed what was approaching. Many creatures radiate fear. The feeling was so strong, I suspected a demon. And ofcourse I missed seeing what happened to Seth.
You're sure he's alive? Errol said.
I'm sure I felt him, Vanessa said. But I couldn't take possession of him. He was slippery, protected. It was like nothing I've ever felt.
Errol laced his hands behind his neck. Sure he isn't just a mindless albino?
"So we just gonna throw that term around." Warren said.
Vanessa shook her head. After Coulter and Tanu were attacked by the revenant I lost all contact. It's as if Seth found some kind of shielded area.
But there was no escape! You saw enough to know that.
Which is why I'm perplexed, she said. I know what I
felt.
You haven't sensed him since this morning?
True. He could be free, he could be dead, though dead would be a reckless assumption. My instincts tell me something unforeseeable has happened.
Are you sure you don't want to send the imps out hunting for him and Kendra? Errol asked.
Not yet, Vanessa said. Once the imps pass out of the yard they will not be able to return. If we find the register, that would change things. We mustn't take unnecessary risks. There's too much at stake. I want the imps on guard until we resolve how to handle the revenant. Kendra will surely return to try to help her grandparents.
"Eh touché"
If we are patient and keep careful watch, she will come to us. And if not, she will have to sleep before long. Kendra fought the urge to leap to her feet and shout atVanessa.
"That would be awkward." Seth said.
She reminded herself that getting caught would only make matters worse, no matter how satisfying an angry tirade might feel. Not to mention the awkward fact that she had no clothes on.
"Uh oh. I'm staring to think like Kendra. Soon enough I'll be reading the dictionary." Seth said.
"Really?" Kendra said in a challenging voice.
You're sure she won't meet up with Hugo? Errol asked.
I sent Hugo to the farthest corner of Fablehaven with strict instructions to wait there for at least two weeks. The golem is out of the picture.
Yet the problem of the revenant remains, Errol mused.
We know the location, we have the key, we just need to get past the undead guardian, she said.
Along with whatever traps protect the tower itself,
Errol added.
Naturally, she agreed. Which is part of the reason I
would hate to waste Dale on the revenant as well. I would like to use him to explore the tower.
Errol sat up. Then send Stan or Ruth.
Or when Kendra falls asleep I can send her, Vanessa said. But I don't want to send anyone until we have a strategy to remove the nail.
Can't you divorce yourself from the situation? Errol said. Just focus on the consoling fact that you are not actually in the grove, that you're just using someone else as a puppet.
You'd have to sample the fear to understand, she said.
"Oh don't i know it."
It is overwhelming and irrational. It left me utterly paralyzed both times. There is no room for creating intellectual distance. All I intended to do when I was inhabiting Tanu was get a look at the creature and run away, but I lost allbodily control. It poses quite a problem.
Perhaps it would do us good to sleep on it, he said.
That may be your best idea of the evening, Vanessa said.
Errol got to his feet. All he had to do was notice that the sofa was pushed a little farther away from the wall than usual, look behind it, and see Kendra lying there utterly exposed. He picked up his shoes. Not five feet away the invisible presence of Seth remained dutifully motionless.
Kendra heard somebody else entering the room. Still no sign of activity, a raspy voice reported. It had to be one of the imps.
Keep a sharp lookout, Grickst, Vanessa said. I would not be surprised if Kendra tried to slip into the house under the cover of darkness.
Kendra could hear Grickst sniffing. Their stink is everywhere, he said. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were right here in this room, the girl and her brother.
"Oh the irony."
"Good thing they've been there a while."
They have been, for days on end, Errol said. Don't forget the scent. Keep your nostrils open. Kendra will be getting sleepy and desperate by now.
That will be all, Grickst, Vanessa said. We are going to turn in. Tell Hulro and Zirt to raise the alarm at any sign of either of the children. Otherwise you can refrain from reporting until sunrise.
Very well, Grickst said. Kendra heard him leaving.
Vanessa and Errol were walking away as well. Really is a fine house, Errol remarked. I rather enjoy Lounging in Stan's bed.
"Don't appreciate that." Stan said.
Kendra could hear them climbing the stairs.
The shorter our stay, the better, Vanessa said. Keep alert. We'll finalize our plans in the morning.
Kendra waited quietly, listening to the sounds of Vanessa and Errol moving around on the floor above. She heard a toilet flush, and then the sound of water running in a sink.
We just need to be patient, Seth whispered.
Yeah, Kendra said. Wait for them to settle down.
Do you think Errol is Christopher Vogel? Seth asked.
If they haven't found the register yet, that seems like the only explanation, she said. It must be his real name.
I'll be right back, Seth said.
Before she could protest, he was creeping away. He returned shortly wearing Grandpa's white bathrobe. He tossed a sheet over the back of the couch, and Kendra wrapped herself in it. These were in the study, he whispered.
The cot is still a mess. Nobody will miss the sheet, even if they look. Back in a sec.
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 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.
"Seth why would you make a sandwich?" Vanessa asked.
"You'll see" he responded.
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.
"Stomach growling is a loud noise."
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 we wonder why he wasn't made a knight when Kendra was."
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 hallwith 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.
"See she's a natural"
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.
"Ok now before you say anything, fries smell really good." Seth said. Kendra face palmed to this.
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 disturbedthe 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.
"I mean Seth is basically an animal." Warren said.
"I take that offensively. Clearly demons and wraiths are not animals."
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.
"So seth" Warren said. "You enjoy watching people sleep?"
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 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.
"Well there is the whole sleeping thing."
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 alterher position. The key remained mostly beneath her.
"Vanessa you make it very hard to steal important artifacts keys from." Seth said.
"Thanks." Vanessa said.
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.
"Wait his name is Chris though."
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 wasabout 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.
"You're gonna jump aren't you?"
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 studydoor, 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.
"Ya Vanessa all your little creatures do have their uses." Kendra said.
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!
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 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 ordered, break his arms.
"This one knows how to get it done." Warren said.
What? Kendra exclaimed.
We have to stop them somehow, Seth said.
Mendigo shifted his grip, placing a wooden knee against the wiry imp's back, and then wrenched one of the imp's arms into an awkward position and jerked it briskly. Kendra looked away, but heard the hideous snap. The imp howled.
A second crunch followed.
"Eww"
Mendigo, Seth said, break his legs, then do the same to the other imp. Kendra heard more disgusting sounds.
She opened her eyes. The wiry imp was writhing on the ground, limbs askew, and the fat imp had almost reached them, plowing through the undergrowth. Mendigo rushed to meet the fat imp. The oversized puppet dodged a punch and flung himself at the creature. The fat imp caught Mendigo in the air and hurled him aside.
Up close, Kendra realized that this imp was not only much broader and thicker than the other imp, he was at least a head taller. Mendigo, scuttling on all fours, dove at The imp's legs, trying to trip him. The big imp stomped at him, then seized Mendigo and slammed him into a tree.
One of the puppet's arms came unhinged and spun to the ground.
Seth, who had been invisible, suddenly appeared and bashed the imp in the side of the head with the key. The huge imp staggered sideways and dropped to his knees, releasing Mendigo. The puppet hastily retrieved his arm.
The massive imp turned and rose, wheezing, rubbing the side of his head, and glaring with furious eyes. Seth held still, invisible once again.
Mendigo, Seth said, use this key to hurt the big imp.
"You gave him the key!?" Stan said.
Seth flashed into view as he tossed the metal staff to
Mendigo. The imp rushed at Seth, but Mendigo sprang into action, swinging the key with much more force than Seth had been able to muster.
The imp raised an arm to block the blow, but his forearm buckled on impact. Whirling, Mendigo clubbed the imp's bulging belly, and then whacked him across the shoulders when he doubled over.
Mendigo, Seth said, break his legs, but don't kill him.
The puppet set about bludgeoning the fallen imp, quickly hobbling him. That's enough, Mendigo, Kendra said. Only hurt them more if they keep after us.
You're going to pay for this, the wiry imp snarled through clenched teeth, glaring fiercely at Kendra. You asked for it, Kendra said. Mendigo, pick us upand get us away from the yard as fast as you can.
And don't lose the key, Seth added.
Mendigo hoisted Kendra over one shoulder and slung
Seth over the other. The puppet ran away from the scene faster than either Kendra or Seth had seen him run before.
Mendigo, Kendra said softly after they had left the crippled imps behind, take us to back to the cottage as quickly as you can.
Did you say the cottage? Seth asked.
There's another imp, and he looked like the worst of the three, Kendra said.
Right, but won't they look in the cottage? Seth asked.
Imps can't enter the cottage, Kendra reminded him.
"Mortals can."
All right, Seth said. I knocked Vanessa out with one of her own darts.
Then they probably won't be after us right away.
Mendigo, if somebody chases us and gets close, put us down and beat them with the key.
"That could backfire. Just saying."
Mendigo showed no sign that he heard, but Kendra felt sure he had. He continued at a tireless sprint. She did not mind the branches whipping past her and tearing at her sheet. It was much preferable to running barefoot.
"This is getting good." Warren said. "If didn't know the magical world or you, I'd say this would be fairly entertaining."
"I have a hard time seeing you sit down and reading this." Kendra said.
"Well is that not what we're doing now? Also there's things called audio books."
" anyways the chapters over." Hank said.
"Can I go next?" Warren said. "I need to prove a point."
"How does reading that prove your point?" Seth asked.
"Shhh. I'm reading." Warren said