Fablehaven I (35 page)

basement. Protect us from harm, but do not kill.

Kendra felt comforted just looking at the hulking

goliath of earth and stone. With Hugo as their champion,

she could not picture anything giving them much trouble.

The steps groaned beneath Hugo as he climbed them.

Stepping gingerly, he ducked through the large doorway. The

others followed, staying close to their massive bodyguard.

Grandma draped a red scarf over the crossbow, apparently to

conceal it.

Please let Muriel not be here,
Kendra prayed silently.

Please let us just find Grandpa and Lena and nothing else!

The inside of the church was even gloomier than the

exterior. The decaying pews had been smashed and overturned,

the pulpit at the front had been thrown down, and

the walls were graffitied with maroon scrawlings.

Spiderwebs festooned the rafters like gossamer banners.

Amber light from the sunset found entry through the windows

and some irregular holes in the roof, but not enough

to dispel the murkiness. There was no token indicating

that this had once been a house of worship. It was just a

big, dilapidated, vacant room.

The floorboards creaked as Hugo tiptoed toward a door

on the far side of the chapel. Kendra found herself worrying

that the floor would give way and Hugo would take an

abrupt shortcut to the basement. He had to weigh a thousand

pounds.

Hugo eased the corroded door open. Since the doorway

was of a normal size, he had to crouch and twist in order to

squeeze through.

Everything will be fine, Grandma said, placing a

bracing hand on Kendra’s shoulder. Stay behind me.

The stairs wound down and ended at a doorway without

a door. Light poured through into the stairwell. Peering

around Hugo as he contorted to pass through the doorway,

Kendra glimpsed that they were not alone. As she followed

Grandma Sorenson into the spacious basement, the implications

of the scene began to register.

The room was cheerfully illuminated by no fewer than

two dozen bright lanterns. It had a high ceiling and sparse

furnishings. Grandpa Sorenson and Lena were each shackled

spread-eagle to the wall.

A peculiar figure stood in front of Grandpa and Lena.

Fashioned entirely of smooth, dark wood, it looked like a

primitive puppet not much shorter than Grandpa. Instead

of proper joints, the wooden parts were connected by

golden hooks at the wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, ankles,

knees, hips, waist, and knuckles. The head made Kendra

think of a wooden hockey mask, though that was not quite

right, because it was cruder and simpler. The unusual mannequin

was dancing a little jig, arms swaying, feet tapping

and shuffling, gazing toward the far end of the basement.

Is that her limberjack? Seth asked quietly.

Of course! It was Muriel’s creepy dancing puppet, only

much bigger, and no longer guided by a rod in its back!

At the far side of the basement was a large alcove. It

looked like someone had torn down some planks to access

the niche. A net of knotted ropes crisscrossed the alcove,

preventing a view inside the dismal recess. A dark form

loomed beyond the ropes. A tall, beautiful woman with a

lustrous cascade of honey-blonde hair stood beside the

recess blowing on one of the many knots. She wore a spectacular

azure gown that emphasized her seductive figure.

The striking woman was surrounded by what looked

like human-sized versions of the imps Kendra had seen in

Muriel’s shack. They were all facing the alcove, staring at

the ground. They ranged from five to six feet tall. Some

were fat, some were thin, a few were muscular. Some had

crooked backs, or humps, or horns, or antlers, or bulging

cysts, or tails. A couple were missing a limb or an ear. All

had scars. All had weathered, leathery skin and nubs

instead of wings. At the feet of the human-sized imps were

a multitude of the tiny, fairy-sized versions.

The air shimmered. A pair of black wings made of

smoke and shadow unfurled from the alcove. Kendra experienced

the sense of vertigo that had overwhelmed her

when they were changing Grandma back from being a hen.

It seemed like the alcove was growing more distant, like

she was looking at it through the wrong end of a telescope.

A burst of darkness momentarily eclipsed the steady luminance

of the lanterns, and suddenly, in the midst of where

all the imps were focusing their attention, a new human-sized

imp sprouted up.

Kendra covered her mouth with both hands. The beautiful

woman had to be Muriel. Bahumat was imprisoned by

a web of knotted ropes, similar to the rope that had trapped

her, and she was using wishes to increase the size of her

imps, gradually freeing the demon in the process!

Hugo, Grandma said softly. Incapacitate the imps

and capture Muriel, on the double.

Hugo charged forward.

An imp turned and let out a disgusting yowl, and others

spun to face the intruders, revealing cruel, devilish faces.

The gorgeous blonde turned, eyes widening in surprise.

Seize them! she shouted.

There were more than twenty of the big imps, and ten

times that many small ones. Led by the biggest and most

muscular of the lot, they rushed at Hugo, a motley mob of

wiry fiends.

Hugo met them in the center of the room. With fluid

precision, he snatched the leader by the waist with one

hand, seizing both feet with the other, and twisted briskly

in opposite directions. Hugo tossed the howling leader

aside as the others descended on him.

Fists flailing like battering rams, Hugo sent imps sailing

in wild cartwheels. They swarmed, making agile leaps to

land on his shoulders and scratch at his head. But Hugo

just kept twirling and twisting and heaving, a violent ballet

that sent as many imps as pounced on him careening across

the basement.

Some of the imps nimbly dodged around him to sprint

toward Grandma and Kendra and Seth. Hugo whirled and

charged after them, grabbing a pair of them by the knees

and then wielding them like clubs to swat others away.

The resilience of the imps was impressive. Hugo would

fling one into the wall, and the tenacious creature would

stumble to its feet and wade back in for more. Even the

burly leader was still in the fray, staggering awkwardly on

mangled legs.

Looking beyond the tumult, Kendra noticed Muriel

blowing on a knot. Grandma, she’s up to something.

Hugo, Grandma cried. Leave the imps to us and go

capture Muriel.

Hugo hurled the imp he was holding. The whining

creature skimmed the ceiling the entire distance to the

wall, where it impacted with a revolting crunch. Then the

golem dashed at Muriel.

Mendigo, protect me! Muriel squealed. The wooden

man, who still danced near Grandpa and Lena, sprinted to

intercept Hugo.

Free from the indomitable onslaught of the golem, the

injured imps converged on Grandma, who placed herself in

front of Kendra and Seth. Holding a pouch in one hand,

Grandma swung it so that it scattered a twinkling cloud of

dust. As the imps reached the cloud, electricity crackled,

hurling them back. A few lunged into the cloud, trying to

force their way through it, but electricity flared brighter

and sent them tumbling. Grandma spread more dust in the

air.

Great dark wings were spreading out from the alcove.

The air undulated. Kendra felt like she was viewing the

basement from far away, through a narrow tunnel.

Hugo had almost reached Muriel. The overgrown limberjack

dived at the golem’s feet, using both arms and legs

to entangle Hugo’s ankles. The golem toppled forward.

Hugo kicked free of Mendigo, sending the wooden puppet

skidding across the floor, then rose to his knees and

reached for Muriel. His outstretched hands were inches

from taking hold of her when a thunderclap shook the

basement, accompanied by a brief moment of blackness.

The massive golem crumbled into a pile of rubble.

Muriel brayed in triumph, eyes crazed, delirious at having

so narrowly avoided Hugo’s clutches. Off to one side of

the room, Mendigo sat up. The puppet had lost an arm at

the shoulder. He picked up the limb and reattached it.

Muriel’s eyes sharpened as she sensed certain victory.

Bring them all to me, she trumpeted.

A red scarf fluttered to the floor. Grandma Sorenson

raised the crossbow in one hand while scattering the last of

the contents of her pouch with the other. She discarded

the pouch and stepped forward into the glittering dust

cloud, gripping the crossbow in both hands.

The arrow took flight. Mendigo sprang, desperately trying

to block the dart, but Hugo had knocked the puppet

too far away. Muriel shrieked and toppled back against the

net of knotted ropes, a manicured hand covering the front

of her shoulder. She rebounded forward, falling to her

knees, panting, still clutching her shoulder, black feathers

protruding between her slender fingers. You will pay for

that sting! she screamed.

Run! Grandma Sorenson shouted to the children.

Too late. Eyes closed, lips moving soundlessly, Muriel

stretched forth a bloody hand, and a gust of wind stripped

away the sparkling dust. The injured imps rushed in, seizing

Grandma Sorenson roughly.

Seth sprang forward, throwing a handful of dust over

Grandma and the imps. Lightning crackled and the imps

stumbled away.

Mendigo, bring me the boy! Muriel called.

The wooden servant charged toward Seth, racing on all

fours. The imps had fanned out, several clustering near the

door to prevent escape. Seth flung dust as Mendigo leaped.

The electric cloud repelled the puppet. At the same time,

an imp darted in from behind, knocking the pouch from

Seth’s grasp with a chopping motion.

The tall imp twisted Seth around, grabbed his upper

arms, and hoisted him into the air so they were staring eye

to eye. The imp hissed, mouth open, black tongue dangling

grotesquely.

Hey, Seth said, recognition dawning. You’re the fairy

I caught!

The imp draped Seth over its shoulder and ran toward

Muriel. Another imp seized Grandma to bring her to the

witch.

Kendra stood frozen with terror. Imps surrounded her.

Escape was impossible. Hugo had been reduced to a pile of

debris. Grandma had missed with the arrow, wounding but

not killing Muriel. Seth had done his best, but he and

Grandma had been captured. There was no more defense.

No more tricks. Nothing between Kendra and whatever

horrors Muriel and her imps wished to inflict.

Except that the imps were not taking hold of her. They