03 Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

Author:Brandon Mull [Mull, Brandon]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9781416986034
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2009-03-23T09:00:00+00:00

“The other demon?”

“There are a few places my senses cannot penetrate at Fablehaven. One is the house and yard where you live with your grandparents. Another is the mansion that was once the residence of the caretaker. And a third is the tiny domain ruled by Kurisock. I cannot say precisely what Navarog did with the nail, but he had it when he entered Kurisock’s domain, and when he left, the talisman was no longer in his possession. After delivering the nail, Navarog fled the preserve.”

“Where’d he go from here?” Seth asked.

“Ever since I tied myself to this preserve, my sight does not carry beyond the boundaries,” Graulas explained. “I have no guess where a dragon as mighty as Navarog might have gone.”

“So to save Fablehaven, I have to stop Kurisock,” Seth said.

“It would be intriguing to watch how you fared against him,” Graulas mused with a glint in his eye. Something about the stare convinced Seth that the demon was somehow toying with him. “Do not ask me why Navarog went to Kurisock.

If Kurisock has accomplished great deeds, I have not heard of them. He has wrought devastation on occasion, but lacks the faculties of a master strategist. There was a time when Navarog would have brought the talisman straight to me.”

“Do you just want to use me to trip up a rival?”

“Rival?” Graulus rumbled, almost chuckling. “I long ago ceased measuring myself against others.”

“How do I stop Kurisock?”

“Kurisock is more shadow than substance. To interact with the material world, he binds himself to a host. In return for a borrowed physical form, he imbues the host with power. Depending on whom Kurisock symbiotically unites with, the results can be impressive.”

“Then he’s not working alone.”

“In my long years, I have never seen darkness transform beings as infectiously as is happening on this preserve. I do not know how it is being accomplished. By binding oath, Kurisock cannot go beyond the limits of his domain here at Fablehaven. He must have partnered with a powerful entity, and the nail must be amplifying his abilities.”

“Would the nail do different things for Kurisock than it did for the revenant?”

“Undoubtedly,” Graulas agreed. “The nail is a reservoir of dark power. Without it the revenant would not have been very intimidating. With it he was among the most dangerous and powerful creatures at Fablehaven. Kurisock was formidable without the nail. With the talisman, his abilities may have become sufficiently augmented to explain this virulent darkness.”

“You’re a demon, right?” Seth said dubiously. “No offense, but shouldn’t you be happy about this plague?”

Graulas coughed, moribund body heaving. “The pendulum swings back and forth between light and darkness. I lost interest long ago. What rekindled my interest was you, Seth. I am curious to see how you fare against this threat.”

“I’ll do my best. What else can you tell me?”

“You must figure out the rest with the help of your friends,” Graulas said. “You do not have much time. The infectious darkness is spreading inexorably. There are only two safe refuges on the preserve, and even they cannot hold out indefinitely.

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