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 cocoon. Again. And again.
Seth pictured the gaunt man with the lank hair and the unphotogenic smile rocking the cocoon. 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 cocoon. 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 cocoon 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 cocoon. 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 cocoon?
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 cocoon. And then Seth was harshly flung about.
It felt like the cocoon 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 cocoon settled to a stop. A
moment later, he felt the cocoon start moving linearly. Then it stopped. Then it started again. The motion was a lot smoother now. It felt like the cocoon 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, cocoon 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 circumstances 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 butter from his thumb, having finished241 another piece of toast. Eat, even if it feels like a chore. 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 grass 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.
I want to hear, Kendra managed. Is he dead?
All signs suggest he has been consumed by Olloch,
Tanu said.
Kendra hunched against the porch railing, shoulders shaking. She tried not to believe what she was hearing, but there was no other choice.
Tell us everything, Grandma said, voice quavering.
Hugo was simple to track, though he traversed some rugged terrain, Tanu said. We met him heading back toward the house, returning along the same route he had used to reach the grove.
So Coulter did go to the grove, Grandpa said angrily.
Yes. For the life of me, Hugo looked dejected when we found him. He was missing an arm, had his head hung low, and was trudging slowly. Once we found him, we ordered him to take us to where he had left Coulter.
And Hugo went directly to the grove in the valley of the four hills, Grandma said.
Followed his own tracks, Tanu said. When we got to the grove I studied what evidence I could find. I saw where
Coulter and Seth entered the grove together. It did not appear Hugo was able to join them. Working my way around the perimeter of the grove, I found where Coulter's tracks departed. On the far side of the grove, I discovered where
Hugo had scuffled with Olloch. I'm sure that is where Hugo lost his arm. Nearby I saw where Olloch entered the grove.243 Not far from there, I found where Olloch left the grove. Wesearched and searched, but located no sign of Seth leaving the grove.
How could Olloch enter the grove if Hugo couldn't?
Kendra asked.
Different barriers work in different ways, Tanu said.
My guess is that the grove is less repellent to creatures of darkness. A demon like Olloch would be immune to many black curses.