Chapter 24: Deceit
For the remainder of the afternoon, Sarah and Ingrid were shown around the yard area of Fablehaven by the Sorensons. As most of the creatures on the preserve were not granted access into the yard, the only other creatures they got to meet were Mendigo, Hugo and Viola, each one more impressive than the last, particularly to Ingrid.
Sarah remarked on how she wanted to go swimming at some point once she saw the pool, but was discouraged when it was explained to her that the family never got the pool ready until late April.
Eventually, it was time for dinner, and everybody was soon seated around the table, just as Mr. Sorenson carried in a platter of roast beef, which he placed down on the center of the table, where bowls containing mashed potatoes, peas and stewed carrots had already been set.
"Before we begin," said Mr. Sorenson, as he sat down in his seat, "I'd like to take a moment to give thanks. I am thankful to not only have my son Seth back, but that both Sarah and Ingrid are safe from the Demon Domain as well."
"Amen," said the others.
"But, we still have my problem," said Seth. "The one that started this whole mess. My debt to the Singing Sisters. I still haven't succeeded in stopping Murdred. I don't know how long I have, but I'm afraid that if I keep procrastinating, I'm going to get what's coming to me."
"You're forgetting," said Grandpa, "that Kendra and the others all managed to recover the Necromaster from the Floodmaze in your absence. Now that we finally have it, if it works the way we think it might, the Necromaster should be able to defeat any danger that comes your way. At last you'll be able to storm the Demon Domain and destroy Murdred."
"That's if we can even figure out how the thing actually works," said Warren. "None of us were getting any dark vibes from this relic, so even though we have it, we still need to figure it out."
"You've looked at it since getting back, haven't you?" asked Kendra.
"A bit. But I couldn't make heads or tails of the relic. Either I'm doing something wrong, or this thing doesn't have any special properties at all."
"This is so not fair," muttered Seth, slapping his hand down on the table. "You guys went through all this trouble just to get this coveted Necromaster, and the stupid thing doesn't even work?!"
"I'm doing what I can," said Warren. "But this whole thing is beyond me, or anyone else at Fablehaven. If only Coulter were still around. He might have a better understanding about this sort of thing."
"And I'd rather that fairies like myself didn't look into something like the Necromaster," said Clover. "I don't even like the idea of you bringing it back to the cabin."
"It's just so that I can study it further tonight" said Warren. "I really would like to try and solve this riddle more thoroughly before admitting defeat. Just let me study it for one night. If I don't get anywhere by bedtime, we'll contact Trask in the morning and see if somebody like Agad can take a crack at it."
"I understand", said Clover, kissing Warren on his cheek. "But please, be careful with that thing."
"With the way things have been going, the most damage one can do with the Necromaster seems to be just lobbing the silly thing at your target."
Dale smirked. "Maybe you do need to throw it at your opponent to be effective. Like a shuriken."
"I don't think it'd kill the target instantaneously," said Warren, "but a thing like that would leave a nasty bruise."
Everybody then helped themselves to the dinner that was arranged on the table. Seth noticed that Ingrid helped herself to large helpings of every item. Just like the burrito she scarfed down at lunch, Seth could tell that Ingrid was actually very hungry. From the look of her wrists, she appeared to be rather skinny and somewhat malnourished.
The dinner was quite scrumptious. After everybody had finished, Grandma brought out a cherry pie and cut it into enough pieces for everyone at the table, which she then covered with whipped cream. Although the pieces were not large, Seth noticed that Ingrid was the first to finish hers.
"This was a lovely meal," said Ingrid. "Thank you very much."
"Yes, thank you," added Sarah. "But, where do we go from here?"
"Err, what do you mean?" asked Grandpa.
"What's going to happen with Ingrid and myself?" And Seth?"
"Well... we need to figure out how to operate the Necromaster first, before anyone heads back to the Demon Domain," replied Grandpa. "Should a solution not arise, we'd just have to think up another plan before recklessly sending people back in. As for you, Sarah, you're welcome to stay here until further notice."
"What about me?" asked Ingrid.
"I'm not really sure. "I'm not against letting you stay here for the moment. However, since you lack a legal guardian, and because we don't have any legal control over you, it may be best if you go back to your old life. If you stayed here without anyone's consent, we could get in trouble with the law, possibly for child abduction or something along those lines."
"I... I get it," said Ingrid. "It's just, I don't have anywhere to go."
"I'm sorry," said Grandpa, "Even if nobody ever found out, it's not something I want to get involved with. I've got enough trouble managing a preserve for magical creatures in secrecy from the government. The last thing I need is to be arrested for harboring a street child. It may be best if we have her go back to where she came."
"But, are you sure?" asked Seth.
"It's for the best, Seth."
After dinner, Warren went back to his cabin, bringing the Necromaster with him. Kendra, Seth and Sarah all spoke to each other in the parlor, discussing their lives. Ingrid, however, remained in a chair in the corner of the room, opting to keep herself out of their conversation.
Before anybody knew what had happened, it was nearly eleven o'clock by the time Grandma came downstairs and encouraged the kids to go to bed.
Once everybody had washed up, Kendra presented Ingrid with a pair of pajamas. Ingrid was to sleep in the guest bedroom with Sara, as there were twin beds in there.
Both of them tuckered out from their long day, Kendra and Seth both headed to their respective bedrooms and soon fell asleep.
The following morning, Kendra and Seth both woke up at around seven and made their way back downstairs, where most of their family, along with Sarah and Ingrid, were eating breakfast at the dining room table.
"Good morning, Sarah," said Seth. "Morning, Ingrid."
"Hey!" said Sarah with a smile.
"Hi," said Ingrid, who sounded rather drab.
"We've got a big day ahead of us," said Grandpa. "First, we've got to make some effort to help Ingrid get back to where she belongs. On top of that, we need to find out about the Necromaster. If Warren figured it out, you can head back into the Demon Domain with it. When Warren gets here, he can tell us what he found."
A minute or so later, Warren came rushing into the dining room. He was unshaven, sporting bedhead and a worried look on his face.
"Warren," said Mrs. Sorenson, "what's the matter?"
"The Necromaster!" gasped Warren. "I can't find it anywhere!"
"It's gone?" gasped Seth. "You're kidding, right?"
"This isn't a joke," said Warren sternly. "After dinner, I didn't make any progress in figuring out the Necromaster at all. But, before I went to bed, I placed the relic into my nightstand. I'm positive. Now I've spent the last half hour tearing my cabin apart looking for this thing, and I can't find it at all. It may be magical, but it didn't just get up and walk away!"
"Are you saying someone just took it?" gasped Kendra.
"Looks that way," said Warren, turning to face both Sarah and Ingrid. "And it wouldn't surprise me if the culprit was among us."
"Warren, don't jump to conclusions," said Grandma.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" asked Clover.
"I doubt it," said Grandpa. "Bracken said that the relic did not emit any dark vibrations, so it's unlikely you'd be able to detect it somehow."
"Maybe we should frisk our two guests," said Dale. "Search the whole house if we have to."
"Warren, are you sure it's not at the cabin?" asked Clover.
"You don't believe me, go look for yourself."
"Why don't you eat something first," said Mrs. Sorenson. "If the Necromaster really has gone missing, fretting about and rushing won't help."
After hearing the news, everybody at the table scarfed down their breakfast, no doubt trying to finish as quickly as they possibly could. Once they had finished, everyone made their way out the front door and proceeded to march towards Warren's cabin.
"There she is!" said Passion, as the three fairies flew over towards the group, along with two of the reindeer.
"It was you, wasn't it?" asked Goldenrod, as she flew up towards Ingrid.
"Me?" asked Ingrid, looking confused. "What are you talking about?"
"You're the one who slipped out of the house last night and went over to Warren's!"
"What?" asked Grandpa, frowning at Ingrid.
"I didn't leave the house last night!" exclaimed Ingrid. "Honest!"
The two reindeer shook their heads.
"That's not what we were told," said Larissa. "Donner and Blitzen saw her running over towards Warren's cabin in the middle of the night. And on her way back, they claim she was holding some metallic, triangular object."
The two reindeer nodded in unison.
"No!" yelled Ingrid. "That's a lie! Why would you reindeer even think of such a thing?"
The reindeer wouldn't lie like this," said Grandpa. "Ingrid, what was your part in all of this?"
"I didn't do anything! I stayed in my room the entire night with Sarah! Right, Sarah?"
"I want to believe you," said Sarah. "But... I can't vouch for anything that might have happened after I fell asleep."
"Are you two telling the honest truth?" asked Grandpa, facing the reindeer. "I need to be sure."
Donner and Blitzen both nodded in response.
"Why are you doing this?" asked Ingrid. "You're Santa's reindeer! Why would the reindeer belonging to such a kind man turn against me?"
"Are you reindeer positive it was Ingrid?" asked Grandma, pointing to Ingrid. "This girl, right here?"
Once again, the reindeer nodded.
"I don't know what this is all about," said Grandpa. "But Ingrid, you claim that you did not sneak over to Warren's cabin and take the Necromaster?"
"Honest!" cried Ingrid, tears forming in her eyes. "I have no idea what could've happened to the Necromaster!"
Grandpa took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Ingrid. But we have witnesses who have no agenda against you. I'm afraid that we'll need to send you down to our dungeon for the moment."
"Dungeon?" gasped Ingrid.
"You have a dungeon here?" asked Sarah.
"Yes," said Grandpa. "It's where we lock up the worst of the worst, as well as various traitors. Warren, Clover, please escort Ingrid to the dungeon. Voorsh and Slaggo will see to it that she is locked up."
"No!" said Ingrid. "You can't do this to me!"
"I'm sorry, but you've got to go! Warren, please make sure that she is locked away."
"Got it," said Warren, turning to face Ingrid.
"I'm not going," blurted Ingrid, as Warren grabbed her by her wrist. "Let go of me!"
Ingrid attempted to punch at Warren with her other hand, only for him to swiftly block it.
"Don't be difficult," said Warren, fighting to keep Ingrid, who was trying to squirm her way out of his grasp, under control.
"Enough!" said Clover, as she held out her hands and used her magic to shrink Ingrid down to only a few inches in height, her whole body now entirely within Warren's grip.
"Help!" squealed Ingrid in a tiny voice. "What are you doing? I'm innocent! Please believe me!"
Warren and Clover headed back towards the house, bringing Ingrid with them.
"I thought she was my friend," said Seth.
"Me too," added Sarah, letting out a sigh.
"Donner and Blitzen," said Grandpa, "thank you for spotting Ingrid when you did. "Passion, Larissa and Goldenrod, thank you all as well. I'd like for you to go find Bright and have her report to the house. If Ingrid won't reason with us, we'll need to search for the Necromaster ourselves, wherever it is."
The fairies and reindeer then took off in different directions, as the humans all headed back towards the house.
"I can't believe Ingrid would do a thing like this," said Seth, once he had entered the house and stepped into the foyer.
"I'm sorry, Seth," said Grandma. "But there's just too much evidence against her. She's a street girl with a sketchy background, and you hardly knew her."
"I knew letting Ingrid stay at Fablehaven was just asking for trouble," said Grandpa. "I think I've gotten too soft. We should've just slipped her a sleeping potion and dropped her off where she came from. She'd wake up thinking the whole experience was just a dream."
"Back on the street?" asked Seth.
"She probably just stole the Necromaster, hoping she could wait out the investigation," said Dale. "Then when she got the chance, she would run off and sell it on the black market or something."
"Why?"
"We don't know enough about Ingrid's past or upbringing to understand," said Mr. Sorenson. "She might just be a difficult case. Some people are just like that, unfortunately."
"It's such a shame, too," said Grandma. "I left Ingrid's old clothes out and the brownies made nicer ones out of them. I was going to give them to her after breakfast as well."
Warren and Clover then walked into the hallway, having come upstairs from the dungeon in the basement.
"Well, Ingrid's been locked away," said Warren. "I don't know what it is, but for some reason, I got the impression that maybe she didn't actually steal the Necromaster."
Seth nodded. "If only there hadn't been any witnesses."
"At any rate," said Grandma, "we might as well start searching for the Necromaster, wherever Ingrid may have stashed it."
"Part of me just wants to force the answer out of her," said Grandpa. "But that would be wrong. Anyway, let's just split up and start searching around for the Necromaster. If the reindeer did see her return to the house with the relic, there's a good chance it's inside here somewhere."
Grandpa, Dale, Sarah and Mr. and Mrs. Sorenson all headed upstairs.
"You know," said Kendra, "I was going to suggest using the Oculus to find the Necromaster, but then I remembered that we weren't able to locate it back when it was still in the Floodmaze."
"A good suggestion," said Grandma. "But, I get the feeling that the Oculus simply lacks the power to pinpoint the Necromaster, wherever it may be."
"We'll find it," said Clover. "If you could find the Necromaster in the Floodmaze, you should very well be able to find it in your own home."
"You guys mind if I go back to my place first?" asked Warren, rubbing his stubble. "I still haven't showered or shaved."
"Of course," said Grandma. "We'll start looking around here while you're doing that."
For the next half an hour or so, everybody that was inside the house spent their time looking all over the place for the hiding spot that the Necromaster supposedly was. In the interim, Bright had arrived to come and help search. Warren also came back, now fully freshened up.
"It's gotta be somewhere," said Seth, lifting up a corner of the rug on the floor in the downstairs hallway. Kendra and Sarah were standing nearby, neither of them sure where to search next.
"What made you think it was there?" asked Kendra. "There wasn't a lump underneath the rug."
"You haven't had any better luck finding it yourself. So don't bicker at me."
Just then, Seth could hear the telephone ringing from inside Grandpa's office.
"I'll get it," said Grandpa, dashing through the hallway from the living room and into his office.
Curious, Seth, Kendra and Sarah all followed Grandpa into his office, since he had not closed the door after himself. Grandpa, who didn't seem to mind that the three kids were blatantly eavesdropping on him, picked up the headset to the phone on his desk.
"Hello?" asked Grandpa, speaking into the phone. "Oh, Mr. Kelly! Yes, this is Stan. We're fine! I was just going to call you, but we've been really preoccupied around here lately. Sarah? Sarah's great! She's loving it here! Are you folks doing okay?"
There was a brief pause as Grandpa listened to Sarah's father speaking on the other line.
"Listen, we've devised a plan to try and defeat Murdred, but we've hit a little bump in the road, so to speak. But once that's over with, and Murdred's been stopped, it should be safe for Sarah to return home."
Another pause followed.
"Really? Today? But don't you think? Well, I just don't feel that's it's safe. But she could get hurt!" Grandpa then sighed. "All right, I'll let her know. We'll take care of things on this end. See you soon."
Grandpa then hung up the phone and turned to face the kids.
"What was that all about?" asked Sarah.
"That was your father," said Grandpa. "He wants you to return home as soon as possible."
"Now?" asked Sarah, sounding confused.
"Sarah needs to leave?" asked Seth. "But why? Just the other day you convinced her parents to let her stay."
"They've changed their minds about all of this," said Grandpa. "I don't agree with them on this whole front, since if Sarah leaves Fablehaven unsupervised, she'll be at risk to be captured again. Had the Necromaster not been stolen, I'd be more inclined to side with Sarah's parents."
"So what do we do?" asked Sarah.
"You'll need to go home," said Grandpa. "Your parents want you back, so that you can live your life normally and go back to school."
"Aww, man," groaned Seth. "And I was looking forward to hanging out with you, Sarah."
Sarah winced. "We can still be friends, Seth. We'll keep in touch online!"
"Well, we'd better get ready," said Grandpa. "We need to get you to the airport so that you can catch a flight back home."