Fablehaven: The Complete Series by Brandon Mull Read Free Book Online Page A

stomach.
     
    Unlike her little brother, Kendra was not a natural rule breaker. She was in all the accelerated classes at school, got almost perfect grades, kept her room tidy, and always practiced for her piano lessons. Seth, on the other hand, settled for lousy grades, routinely skipped his homework, and earned frequent detentions. Of course, he was also the one with all the friends, so maybe there was a method to his madness.
     
    “What’s the rush?” He took the lead again, blazing a trail through the undergrowth.
     
    “The longer we’re gone, the more likely somebody will notice we’re missing.”
     
    “It isn’t much farther. See that hedge?”
     
    It was not exactly a hedge. More like a tall barrier of unkempt bushes. “You call that a hedge?”
     
    “The park is on the far side.”
     
    The wall of bushes extended as far as Kendra could see in either direction. “How do we get around it?”
     
    “ Through  it. You’ll see.”
     
    They reached the bushes and Seth turned left, studying the leafy barricade as he went, occasionally squatting and checking closer. The interlocked bushes ranged from ten to twelve feet tall, and they looked really thick.
     
    “Okay, I think this is where I squirmed through.” There was a deep indentation at the base of where two bushes overlapped. Seth dropped to all fours and forced his way in.
     
    “You’re going to have a billion ticks,” Kendra predicted.
     
    “They’re all hiding from the rain,” he replied with perfect confidence.
     
    Kendra got down and followed him.
     
    “I don’t think this is the same way I got through last time,” Seth admitted. “It’s a little more cramped. But it should work.” He was now slithering on his belly.
     
    “This better be good.” Kendra squirmed on her elbows, eyes squinted. The damp ground felt cold, and droplets fell from the bush as she jostled it. Seth reached the far side and stood up. She crawled through as well, her eyes widening as she got to her feet.
     
    Before her lay a pristine pond, a couple of hundred yards across, with a small, verdant island at the center. A series of elaborate gazebos surrounded the pond, interconnected by a whitewashed boardwalk. Flowering vines wound along the latticework of the impressive promenade. Elegant swans glided on the water. Butterflies and hummingbirds wove and darted among the blossoms. On the far side of the pond, peacocks strutted and preened.
     
    “What in the world?” Kendra gasped.
     
    “Come on.” Seth started across the lush, neatly mown lawn toward the nearest gazebo. Kendra looked back, understanding why Seth had called the disheveled barrier of bushes a hedge. On this side, the bushes were neatly trimmed. The hedgerow encompassed the entire area, with a single arched entryway off to one side.
     
    “Why didn’t we come through the entryway?” Kendra asked, trotting after her brother.
     
    “Shortcut.” Seth paused at the white steps leading up to the gazebo to pluck a piece of fruit from an espalier. “Try one.”
     
    “You should wash it,” Kendra said.
     
    “It just rained.” He took a bite. “It’s so good.”
     
    Kendra tried one. It was the sweetest nectarine she had ever tasted. “Delicious.”
     
    Together they mounted the steps of the extravagant pavilion. The wood railing was perfectly smooth. Although unshielded from the elements, all the woodwork appeared to be in flawless condition: no peeling paint, no cracks, no splinters.
     
    The gazebo was furnished with white wicker love seats and chairs. In some places the ubiquitous vines had been woven into living wreaths and other fanciful patterns. A bright parrot sat on a high perch staring down at them.
     
    “Look at the parrot!” Kendra exclaimed.
     
    “Last time I saw some monkeys,” Seth said. “Little guys with long arms. They were swinging all over the place. And there was a goat. It ran away as soon as it saw me.”
     

     
    Seth took off, clomping down one