Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(29)

The Sphinx raised a hand and the room plunged into darkness. The temperature began to drop. The floor tilted and spun. And then the lights came back on, and the dizzy spell passed.


"You did that?" Seth asked.


"So can you, and much more, with instruction and practice."


Seth pressed his lips together. "I'm not going to pretend that isn't cool." He paused, hands folded in his lap. "All right, you've convinced me. I want to join your cause. I don't agree with what you're doing, but I don't see how anyone will stop you. If you're going to open that prison, for the sake of the world, you'll need all the help you can get."


The Sphinx licked his lips. "We both know you're lying. I appreciate the attempt."


"No, I'm serious. What, you think I would betray you? How? I'm barely a teenager!"


"I have told you some of my secrets," the Sphinx said. "I asked for an honest conversation. That works two ways. I take it your grandfather has not yet discovered how to use the Chronometer?"


"They're working on it," Seth said vaguely. He didn't want to reveal anything the Sphinx might find useful. "I never promised to give you secrets."


"And the Chronometer remains at Fablehaven, correct?"


"No comment."


"To think, both of the final artifacts are together in one place. Even if they are moved, both are now in play, and I have the Oculus." The Sphinx studied Seth intently. "Tell me about Vanessa."


Seth closed his eyes. "Just because you're willing to spill your guts doesn't mean I have to join in. I'm not like you. I don't have this figured out like a chess game. I don't know what information is crucial to the outcome of all this, so I'm keeping my mouth shut."


After several seconds ticked past without a response, Seth opened his eyes. The Sphinx held his gaze with grim intensity. "Very well. You have already told me enough. More than you know. This interview is at an end. We'll speak again after Zzyzx is open."


"Wait," Seth said. "Seriously, I have one more question. Where are my parents?"


The Sphinx's expression softened slightly. "They are safe, Seth."


"Why did you take them?"


"I wanted to ensure that you and your grandparents would not go into deep hiding with the Chronometer and the key to the Translocator. I wanted to motivate you to remain active and involved. And, in the event of an emergency, I wanted bargaining power. That is all I can share at the moment. You are now my prisoner. Behave, and you will not be mistreated." The Sphinx crossed the room and opened the door. "Mirav! Please escort the prisoner to his cell."


The wizard with the braided beard and golden skin came into view. The man looked wrong, not quite human. Seth tried to keep his face from revealing the apprehension he felt. He stood up, feeling tense. Was there any point in trying to fight? What if he rushed to the desk and flipped it over? Might the Oculus shatter? He doubted it. Was it worth a try? He didn't want to slink meekly to his cell like a trained poodle.


"You want to come quietly," the Sphinx assured him, as if reading his thoughts. "Any resistance you could offer would be embarrassingly futile. I do not always use Mirav to escort prisoners to the dungeon. Consider it a compliment."


Hating himself for not resisting more, Seth obeyed.


Chapter 7 Doomsday Capsule


T he fairies kept the grounds around the main house of Fablehaven in bloom all year, but as Kendra wandered the perimeter of the yard, the blossoms seemed extra bright, as if springtime lent added splendor even to enchanted gardens. The flowers looked bigger--tulips the size of coffee mugs, roses the size of soup bowls, and sunflowers larger than dinner plates. The colors seemed more vibrant, the grass shockingly green, the flower petals vividly ablaze with electric shades. Fresh perfumes mingled in the air, light and dewy. Gleaming fairies fluttered everywhere, basking in the vernal glory.



Kendra felt certain her perceptions of the garden's enhanced beauty had nothing to do with her mood. It had been three days since the group had returned from Obsidian


Waste, and they still had no leads on finding Seth. Warren, Coulter, and Tanu had teleported around the globe using the Translocator, Vanessa had reached out to her best contacts, and Grandpa had tried every method he knew to hail the Sphinx, but none of their efforts had yielded results. The Translocator could take them places they had been before, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that in order to find Seth and her parents, they would have to venture someplace none of them had ever visited.


As Kendra drank in the springtime splendor, she imagined her parents, tied up in a sunless cell, confused, hungry, and ill. While a fairy used sparkling magic to enliven the highlights of a delicate orchid, she pictured her brother, imprisoned in a bottle like some genie in a lamp. Or worse, out of the bottle, dying from a severe chest wound. How was it possible that she was roaming a glorious garden while the rest of her family suffered?


"Hey, grouchy face, is your brother around?"


The voice came from the woods. Looking up, Kendra saw Newel and Doren standing beyond the border of the lawn.


"Seth can't play," she informed them. "He was captured by the Society of the Evening Star."