She studied the water. The black, reflective surface was impenetrable. There could be a hundred naiads waiting in ambush, or none-it was impossible to tell.
The whole plan would be pointless if she drowned before reaching the island. Based on what she had heard from Lena, there would be naiads eagerly waiting for her to get near the water. Jumping in would be suicide.
She sat down and started bucking the door with both feet, the same method Seth had used to break into the barn. She made a lot of noise, but did not seem to be harming the door at all. Kicking harder only made her legs hurt more.
She needed a tool. Or a key. Or some dy***ite.
Kendra ran back up to the pavilion, searching for something she could use to pry the door open. She saw nothing.
If only there were a sledgehammer lying around.
She tried to calm herself. She had to think! Maybe if she just kept pounding, the door would eventually give.
Sort of like erosion. But it hadn't budged yet, and she didn't have all night. There had to be a smarter solution.
What did she have to work with? Nothing! Nothing but a few shadowy creatures who ducked out of sight at her approach.
Okay, listen up! she shouted. I know you can hear me. I have to get inside the boathouse. A witch is setting Bahumat free, and all of Fablehaven is going to be destroyed. I'm not asking for anybody to stick their necks out. I just need somebody to beat down the boathouse door.
My grandfather is the caretaker here, and I give you full permission. I am going to turn my back and close my eyes.
When I hear the door break, I'll wait ten seconds before turning back around.
Kendra turned around and closed her eyes. She heard nothing. Anytime, just smash down the door. I promise I won't look.
She heard a gentle splash and a tinkling sound.
Okay! Sounds like we have a taker! Just break down the door.
She heard nothing. She suddenly realized that something could have emerged from the water and be sneaking up behind her. Unable to resist, she turned and peeked.
No dripping creatures were in sight. All was quiet.
There were ripples on the previously glassy pond. And lying on the dock near the boathouse was a key.
Kendra rushed down the stairs and picked up the key.
It was wet, corroded, and a little slimy. Longer than a regular key, it looked old-fashioned.
Wiping it against her shirt, she carried the key to the boathouse and inserted it in the keyhole. It fit perfectly.
She turned it, and the door swung inward.
Kendra shivered. The implications were disturbing.
Apparently a naiad had tossed her the key. They wanted her out on the water.
With only the moonlight seeping through the door to provide illumination, the boathouse was very dim.
Squinting, Kendra could see three boats tied to the narrow pier: two large rowboats, one slightly broader than the other, and a smaller paddleboat. The paddleboat was the kind with bicycle pedals. Kendra had once ridden in one at a park with a lake.
On one wall hung several oars of varying length. Near the door were a crank and a lever. Kendra tried to turn the crank, but it would not move. She pulled the lever.
Nothing happened. She tried the crank again, and this time it turned. A sliding door on the opposite side of the boathouse from the dock began to open, letting in more light. Kendra kept cranking, relieved that she would be able to paddle a boat directly out of the boathouse onto the pond.
Standing in the gloom of the boathouse, staring out the open door at the pond, Kendra began to doubt. She felt nauseated with fear. Was she really prepared to go to her death? To have naiads drown her, or to fall victim to a spell protecting a forbidden island?
Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson were resourceful.
They might have already escaped. Was she doing this for nothing?
Kendra remembered an occasion three years ago at a community pool. She had desperately wanted to jump off the high dive. Her mom had warned her that it was higher than it looked, but nothing could dissuade her. Many kids were jumping off it, several her age or younger.
She stood in line at the base of the ladder. When her turn came, she started climbing, amazed at how much higher she seemed with each step. When she arrived at the top, she felt like she was standing on a skyscraper. She wanted to turn back, but all the kids in line would know she was scared. Plus her parents were watching.
She walked forward along the diving board. There was a slight breeze. She wondered if the people on the ground could feel it. When she approached the end of the board, she stared down at the rippling water. She could see all the way to the bottom of the pool. Jumping no longer seemed like a fun thing to do.
Realizing that the longer she hesitated, the more attention she would draw, she turned around quickly and descended the ladder, trying to avoid eye contact with the people waiting in line at the bottom. She had not been up a high dive since. In fact, she rarely took any sort of risk.
Once again she was standing on the brink of something frightening. But this was different. Jumping off a high dive, or riding a roller coaster with multiple loops, or passing a note to Scott Thomas-those were all voluntary thrills.
There was no real consequence to avoiding the risk. In her current situation, her family would probably die if she failed to act. She had to stand by her previous decision and carry out her plan, regardless of the consequences.
Kendra considered the oars. She had never rowed a boat and could easily picture herself floundering, especially if nasty naiads were giving her a hard time. She examined the paddleboat. Designed for a single passenger, it was wider than it needed to be, presumably for additional stability.
The childish craft was not nearly as big as the rowboats, and she would be close to the water, but at least Kendra thought she could maneuver it.
Kendra sighed. Kneeling, she untied the little boat, tossing the slender rope onto the seat. The paddleboat wobbled when she stepped aboard, and she had to crouch and use her hands to avoid falling into the water. The bottom of the novelty craft was completely closed, which meant nothing could grab at her feet.
After getting situated, Kendra sat facing the dock.
There was a steering wheel to control lateral movement.
Turning the wheel all the way to one side, she pedaled backwards and slid away from the dock. Cranking the wheel the other way, she started pedaling forward, and the boat quietly slid out of the boathouse.
Ripples radiated out from the front of the paddleboat as she steered it toward the island, pedaling briskly. The island was not far-maybe eighty yards. The paddleboat moved steadily closer to her destination. Until it started moving away from the island.
She pedaled harder, but the boat kept sliding diagonally backward. Something was towing her. The boat began to spin. Turning the wheel and paddling did nothing. Then the boat suddenly tilted precariously to one side. Something was trying to tip her!