Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(96)

"Fine, let's get on with it," the leprechaun groused.


Seth went down the corridor toward the waterfall. At the end they reached a blank wall. Seth held Cormac's beard, the leprechaun snapped his fingers, and the wall folded open to reveal a light rainfall.


Seth stepped out and hurried to the side of the streambed. Newel and Doren paused at the mouth of the tunnel.


"What's the holdup?" Seth asked.


Newel eyed the sky. "This rain is going to mess up my hair."


"Your hair?" Seth cried incredulously.


"He wants to look good for Vanessa," Doren explained.


"So do you!" Newel shot back.


"I could provide a proven love tonic for a hundred gold coins," Cormac offered.


"You guys are starting to act like Verl," Seth said.


Newel and Doren shared a disgusted glance, then hurried out into the rain. Newel raked his fingers through his hair, messing it up. Doren rubbed some mud onto his arms.


"Are we finished?" Cormac asked, exasperated.


"Yes," Seth said, setting him down.


The leprechaun sprang like a toad to the mouth of the tunnel and snapped his fingers. The waterfall began to spill over the ledge again, masking the disappearance of the tunnel.


A sudden flurry of hoofbeats made Seth whirl. Six centaurs cantered toward them, led by Cloudwing and Stormbrow. Cloudwing held an arrow nocked to his bowstring. Stormbrow clutched a huge mace. The other centaurs carried weapons as well.


The centaurs had evidently been waiting for them. Where were Vanessa and Hugo? Seth had a sword at his waist and a shield over his shoulder, but he did not want to test them against centaurs. Cloudwing had given them until nightfall. Hopefully he could talk his way out of this.


"You lied to us," Cloudwing accused without introduction. "You are in league with darkness."


"Did you have trouble trying to claim our property?" Seth asked innocently.



"You have unleashed unnatural fiends on centaur lands," Cloudwing said. "Surrender as our prisoner or die. Same goes for your mangy entourage." His tone called for immediate compliance.


"You gave us until sundown," Seth protested. "Are centaurs liars?"


"We gave you until sundown to depart," Cloudwing said sternly, "not to make preparations for war against us. Your aggression nullifies our concession."


"My aggression?" Seth blurted, getting mad. "Did I send wraiths against you? Or did you run into wraiths when you tried to steal our property?"


"The locations in question were abandoned," Cloudwing said. "You loosed evil on territory under our protection. We will not risk the possibility of more mischief."


"But you are risking the possibility of more mischief," Seth said, unsure what to do besides bluff. "Do you really want to deal with an undead army?"


"We do not," Cloudwing said. "Which explains our presence. As our prisoner, you will order the wraiths to depart. At the first sign of undead aggression, you will die."


"Enough empty words," Stormbrow snarled. "Fleetfoot, Edgerunner, seize them."


Two of the centaurs began to trot forward. Cloudwing slapped his neck as if bitten by an insect. He swayed unsteadily, dropped his bow, and flopped to the ground.


"Hold," Stormbrow ordered, raising a fist, eyes scanning the surrounding trees. A centaur with bluish fur stooped to examine Cloudwing, while the other three turned defensively to survey the area. The light rain pattered down, making leaves wag. Stormbrow flinched and cursed. Inspecting his meaty shoulder, he plucked out a small, feathered dart. He held out his mace in the direction the dart had come from. All eyes raised to Vanessa, well concealed high in a tree, reloading her blowgun.


"Ambush!" Stormbrow roared, forelegs buckling. Mud splattered as he slapped the ground.


Hugo came charging out from among the trees. Three of the centaurs wheeled to face him, brandishing their weapons. The bluish centaur threw a javelin at Vanessa, who dropped gracefully to a lower branch to evade the projectile. Producing his sling, Newel crouched, grabbed a smooth stone, and sent it hissing into the back of a blond centaur's skull, making him stagger.


Two of the centaurs galloped to meet Hugo's charge, one holding a spear as if jousting, the other brandishing a longsword. Hugo batted the spearhead aside and then lunged forward, his extended arms brutally clotheslining the oncoming centaurs. The longsword ended up buried in the top of the golem's shoulder. Hugo pulled the weapon free and tossed it aside.


While the bluish centaur prepared to hurl a second javelin, a blowdart lodged in his chest, dropping him within seconds. The centaur Newel had tagged with the stone fixed his eyes on Seth and charged, holding aloft a double-bitted battle-ax. Doren launched an arrow, but, turning his ax like a shield, the centaur deflected the shot.


Dropping the case with Patton's items, Seth drew his sword and held up his shield. Hugo was coming his way, but was not close enough to stop the centaur. Vanessa was reloading. Newel grasped for another rock. Doren reached for a second arrow.


There was no time. Seth would face this charge alone.