Part 22 (2/2)

They're gone, Tanu said. He took his gear; Seth took his kit. Glancing at the tracks, it looked like Hugo carried them.

Can you follow them? Grandpa asked.

Easily, Tanu said. But they have a good start on us, and Hugo is not slow.

What do you suppose he's up to? Vanessa asked.237 Grandpa glanced worriedly at Kendra. We'll discussthat later.

No, Kendra said. Go ahead. We have to hurry.

Coulter is missing an essential object for uncovering the lost relic, Grandpa said. Right?

Grandma nodded. We still have it.

I can only imagine that he has some reason for offering Seth to Olloch, Grandpa said. It does not strike me as very strategic, which is unlike Coulter. He may know something we don't.

Time is wasting, Dale said.

Right, Grandpa agreed. Dale, Vanessa, Tanu, find where Coulter took Seth. Recover Seth and Hugo.

The three of them ran out of the room. Kendra heard them thumping around the house collecting gear She stood still, stunned. Was this really happening? Was her brother really gone, kidnapped by a traitor? Was Coulter really going to feed him to Olloch? Or did Coulter have something unforeseeable in mind?

Seth might already be dead. Her mind recoiled at the thought. No, he had to be alive. Tanu and Vanessa and Dale would rescue him. As long as she had room to hope, she should not lose faith. Is there anything I can do? Kendra asked.

Grandma rubbed her shoulders from behind. Try not to worry. Vanessa, Tanu, and Dale will find them.

Do you think you could go back to bed? Grandpa asked.238 Not likely, Kendra said. I've never felt more awake.And I've never wished more that I was dreaming.

Merciless silence followed the end of Coulter's cries.

Seth could not tell if it was an aftereffect of the screaming, but the fear seemed to be intensifying again, welling up inside of him. Something jostled Seth's coc.o.o.n. Again. And again.

Seth pictured the gaunt man with the lank hair and the unphotogenic smile rocking the coc.o.o.n. He can't get in, he can't get in, he can't get in, Seth repeated softly to himself.

The fear was leveling off. It was uncomfortable, but bearable after what he had sampled outside of the coc.o.o.n. What would he do now? He was trapped. Sure, the zombie man could not get in, but Seth could not get out either. The instant he ripped open the coc.o.o.n he would become vulnerable.

So it was a standoff. He would have to wait to be rescued.

A roar interrupted his thinking. It sounded distant, though it was difficult to be sure how much of that was the coc.o.o.n. Seth waited, listening. The next roar was definitely nearer. He knew the sound. It was deeper and fuller in a way that implied bigger, but it was certainly Olloch.

Seth heard another fierce roar. And another. What was going on? A showdown with Hugo? What would happen if Olloch got into the grove? If Olloch had the potential to become as powerful as Bahumat, strong enough to overthrow239 the foundational treaty of Fablehaven, wasn't it possible thatthe demon could become stronger than the coc.o.o.n?

All Seth could do was wait in the close, soft confines of his enclosure, ignoring whenever it was shaken by the zombie.

Actually, Coulter had called the creature a revenant, whatever that meant. Apparently he had been mistaken about the grove being home to a phantom. Coulter had said to remove the nail, which had to be the thornlike thing in the side of the revenant's neck. Easier said than done. Hard to pull out a nail when a fear you can't control has you frozen solid.

An earsplitting roar caught Seth unprepared. He flinched, covering his ears. It sounded like Olloch was right outside the coc.o.o.n. And then Seth was harshly flung about.

It felt like the coc.o.o.n had been catapulted into a web of bungee cords. He was grateful the snug interior was padded.

After Seth had been whipped about until he was unsure which direction was up, the coc.o.o.n settled to a stop. A moment later, he felt the coc.o.o.n start moving linearly. Then it stopped. Then it started again. The motion was a lot smoother now. It felt like the coc.o.o.n was in the back of a pickup truck that kept accelerating, decelerating, and turning.

And occasionally hopping.

It did not take long for Seth to deduce what it meant.

Olloch had swallowed him, coc.o.o.n and all.240The Thief's Net Kendra slowly stirred her oatmeal. She lifted a glob on her spoon, turned the utensil over, and watched the wet clump plop back into the bowl. Her toast was growing cold.

Her orange juice was growing warm. She just wasn't hungry.

Outside the sun was rising, casting a golden glow over the garden. Fairies flitted about, coaxing blossoms into brighter bloom. The mellow, peaceful morning seemed indifferent to the fact that her brother had been kidnapped.

You should eat something, Grandma said.

Kendra put a bite of oatmeal in her mouth. In other circ.u.mstances it would have tasted good, dusted with cinnamon and sweetened with sugar. But not today. Today it was like chewing Styrofoam. I'm not in the mood.

Grandpa sucked b.u.t.ter from his thumb, having finished241 another piece of toast. Eat, even if it feels like a ch.o.r.e. Youneed your energy.

Kendra took another bite. You couldn't get the Sphinx last night? she asked Grandma.

Nor this morning. It just rang and rang. Which is unfortunate but not uncommon. He answers when he can.

I'll try again after breakfast.

Grandpa sat up straight and craned his neck, looking out the window. Here they come, he said.

Kendra sprang to her feet and ran to the back porch.

Tanu, Vanessa, Dale, and Hugo had emerged from the woods and were approaching through the garden. Hugo cradled Coulter in one arm. The golem's other arm was missing.

Kendra saw no sign of Seth.

Distressed, Kendra turned to Grandma, who was wheeling Grandpa out to the porch. I don't see Seth, she said.

Grandma put an arm around her. Don't jump to conclusions.

As Hugo and the others drew nearer, Kendra realized that Coulter looked different. His expression was blank, and his skin was bleached. His hair, which had been gray, was now white as snow. He had apparently suffered the same fate as Warren.

What news? Grandpa asked as the others gathered on the gra.s.s beneath the porch.

Nothing good, Tanu said.

What about Seth? Grandpa pressed.

Tanu looked down. The action said it all. Oh, no, Grandma whispered. Kendra burst into sobs. She tried to242 stifle them by biting her sleeve. Squeezing her eyes shut did,not stop the tears.

Maybe we should wait, Vanessa said.

<script>