Part 9 (1/2)

So they got one of the artifacts? Kendra asked, gripping the arms of her chair.

We don't know, Grandpa said. We hope not. You remember Maddox, the fairy broker? He went into the preserve after it fell to perform reconnaissance. We have not heard back.

How long ago? Seth asked.

More than three months, Grandma said.

The secret preserve was in Brazil, Grandpa said. They thwarted an infiltration there two years ago. Then this past February... we don't know what happened.

What artifact was hidden there? Seth asked, wide-eyed.

Impossible to say, Grandpa said. We have a rough idea of what the artifacts are, but no clue which is hidden where.

What are they? Kendra asked.

Grandpa looked at Grandma, who shrugged. One94 grants power over s.p.a.ce, another over time. A third grantsunlimited sight. A fourth can heal any ailment. And one bestows immortality.

The details have been deliberately shrouded in mystery, Grandma said.

The magic they wield is greater than any we know, Grandpa said. For example, there are ways to get from one place to another besides walking, but the artifact that grants power over s.p.a.ce does so in ways superior to any known spell or relic or creature.

And somehow, used together, they can open the demon prison? Kendra clarified.

Exactly, Grandpa confirmed. Which is why they must remain apart and out of the hands of our enemies at all costs.

One concern is that if the Society could get their hands on one, they could use it to help retrieve the others.

But they may already have one, Seth said.

We can only hope that the fallen preserve in Brazil was as inhospitable for them as it apparently was for Maddox, Grandma said. Others have been sent since Maddox vanished.

None have returned. Naturally we must take precautions as if the worst has happened.

So where do Seth and I come into all of this? Kendra asked.

Grandpa took a sip from a tall gla.s.s of orange juice. He furrowed his brow. We're not entirely sure. We know the Society has taken a serious interest in you two. We worry that they may know something more than we do about the change the fairies wrought in Kendra, something that makes95 them believe she could be of use to them. They infiltratedyour school and tried to win your trust. They used Seth to free a captive demon. Almost certainly they meant to abduct you. Their ultimate goal is hard to divine.

The Sphinx himself wants to meet Kendra, Grandma said.

He's here? Seth exclaimed.

Nearby, Grandpa said. He never stays in one place long. Most recently he was doing damage control in Brazil.

But he has become concerned that Fablehaven may be the next target. There have been numerous rumors of Society activity in the area, even beyond what happened with the two of you. I got in touch with him last night. He wants to meet Kendra and see if he can discern why the Society has become so interested in her.

I want to meet him too, Seth said.

We plan to bring you as well, Grandpa said, to see if something can be done about that bite.

I'm sick of waiting; what's the story? Seth sounded exasperated.

Olloch the Glutton is a demon enchanted by a peculiar spell, Grandpa explained. He remains in a petrified state, inert, until somebody feeds him. He bites the hand that feeds him and, after that, gradually awakens, driven by an insatiable hunger. He eats, and as he eats, he grows. As his size increases, so does his power, and he does not stop eating until he consumes the person who initially awakened him.

He's going to eat me? Seth cried.

He's going to try, Grandpa said.96 Can he get into Fablehaven?I don't think so, Grandpa said. But the day will soon come when he will prowl our borders, searching for an opportunity to strike, gaining more power every day as he continues to gorge himself. He will be inexorably drawn to you. The only places to hide are those he cannot access.

There has to be something we can do! Seth said.

That is why I want to bring you to the Sphinx, Grandpa said. His wisdom has proven equal to situations more challenging than this. Don't worry, we won't let Olloch devour you.

Seth put his face in his hands. Why does everything I do go wrong? He looked up. I thought I was being helpful.

This was not your fault, Grandma said. You were being very brave, and trying to do the right thing. Sadly, Errol was taking advantage of you.

Do you know anything about Errol? Kendra asked.

Nothing, Grandpa said.

How did he find out about the fairies?

Grandpa sighed. We have a theory. Last week, we found an imp, one of the big kind, pa.s.sing information to a caped figure through the border fence. We could not catch the person he was informing-the stranger made a hasty retreat.

But we managed to apprehend the imp.

The rogue would have gotten away if not for your grandpa, Grandma said.

Choosing between me and Tanu, the imp tried to get past me, Grandpa said. I tackled him, but he was amazingly strong. He hurled me into a gully. I felt my arm snap97 beneath me, and fractured my tibia. But I managed to slowthe brute long enough for Tanu to use a concoction that paralyzed him.

Where is he now? Seth asked.

In the dungeon, Grandpa said.

The bas.e.m.e.nt, Grandma clarified.

So that's what's down there! Seth cried.

Among other things, Grandpa said. Unaccompanied, the dungeon is absolutely off-limits to you two.

Big surprise, Seth mumbled.

Anyhow, Grandpa said, the point is, we believe that the imp, and perhaps others, must have leaked the experience Kendra had with the fairies to the Society. Imps are crafty spies.

Are we going to have to hide here for the rest of our lives? Kendra asked.

Grandpa slapped his hand down on the arm of the wheelchair. Who said anything about hiding? We'll be taking action. Finding and moving the artifact. Investigating why the Society is interested in you. Consulting with the Sphinx.

And offering you two world-cla.s.s training from some of the most skilled adventurers anywhere, Grandma said. You need to learn about the world you are being drawn into, and you could find no better teachers than Tanu, Vanessa, and Coulter.

They're going to teach us? Seth asked, eyes s.h.i.+ning.