Fablehaven I (4 page)

glided over to the mirror and hovered above it. Soon it was

joined by a few butterflies. A bumblebee alighted on the

face. Before long another swarm of small winged creatures

crowded the mirror.

Go turn the mirror face down, Kendra said. I want

to see whether they like the reflection or the mirror itself.

Seth crept toward the mirror. The little animals took

no apparent notice of his approach. He reached forward

slowly, flipped the mirror over, and then retreated to the

table.

The butterflies and bees that had landed on the mirror

took flight when it was overturned, but only a few of the

winged creatures flew away. Most of the swarm lingered. A

pair of butterflies and a dragonfly landed on the lounge

chair at the edge of the mirror. Taking flight, they flipped

the mirror over, nearly sliding it off the chair in the process.

With the reflective surface showing again, the swarm

pressed close. Several of the creatures landed on the face.

Did you see that? Kendra asked.

That was weird, Seth said.

How could they be strong enough to lift it?

There were a few of them. Want me to flip it again?

No, I’m scared the mirror will fall off and break.

Okay. He draped his towel over his shoulder. I’m

going to go change.

Would you take the mirror?

Fine, but I’m running. I don’t want to get stung.

Seth moved toward the mirror slowly, snatched it, and

ran off into the garden toward the house. Part of the swarm

gave lazy pursuit before scattering.

Kendra wrapped the towel around her waist, picked up

the sunblock Seth had left behind, and started toward the

house.

When Kendra reached the attic playroom, Seth was

dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved camouflage shirt. He

picked up the cereal box that served as his emergency survival

kit and headed for the door.

Where are you going?

None of your business, unless you want to come.

How will I know whether I want to come if you don’t

tell me where you’re going?

Seth gave her a measuring stare. Promise to keep it a

secret?

Let me guess. Into the woods.

Want to come?

You’ll get Lyme disease, Kendra warned.

Whatever. Ticks are everywhere. Same with poison

ivy. If people let that stop them, nobody would ever go anywhere.

But Grandpa Sorenson doesn’t want us in the woods,

she protested.

Grandpa isn’t going to be around all day. Nobody will

know unless you blab.

Don’t do this. Grandpa has been nice to us. We should

obey him.

You’re about as brave as a bucket of sand.

What’s so brave about disobeying Grandpa?

So you’re not coming?

Kendra hesitated. No.

Will you tell on me?

If they ask where you are.

I won’t be long.

Seth walked out the door. She heard him tromp down

the stairs.

Kendra crossed to the nightstand. The handheld mirror

rested on it beside the ring with the three tiny keys. She

had spent a long time the night before trying to find what

the keys fit. The biggest key opened a jewelry box on the

dresser that was full of costume jewelry-fake diamond

necklaces, pearl earrings, emerald pendants, sapphire rings,

and ruby bracelets. She had not yet discovered what the

other two opened.

She picked up the keys. They were all small. The smallest

was no longer than a thumbtack. Where could she find

such a miniscule keyhole?

The night before, she had spent most of her time on

drawers and toy chests. Some of the drawers had keyholes,

but they were already unlocked, and the keys did not fit.

Same with the toy chests.

The Victorian dollhouse caught her attention. What

better place to find tiny keyholes than inside a little house?

She unlatched the clasps and opened it, revealing two

floors and several rooms full of miniature furniture. Five

doll people lived in the house-a father, a mother, a son, a

daughter, and a baby.

The detail was extraordinary. The beds had quilts, blankets,

sheets, and pillows. The couches had removable cushions.

The knobs in the bathtub really turned. Closets had

clothes hanging inside.

The armoire in the dollhouse’s master bedroom made

Kendra suspicious. It had a disproportionately large keyhole

in the center. Kendra inserted the tiniest key and turned it.

The doors of the armoire sprung open.

Inside was something wrapped in gold foil-opening it,

she saw it was a piece of chocolate shaped like a rosebud.

Behind the chocolate she found a small golden key. She

added it to the key ring. The golden key was larger than

the key that opened the armoire, but smaller than the key

that opened the jewelry box.

Kendra took a bite of the chocolate rosebud. It was soft

and melted in her mouth. It was the richest, creamiest

chocolate she had ever tasted. She finished it in three more

bites, savoring each mouthful.

Kendra continued scouring the tiny house, investigating

every piece of furniture, searching every closet, checking

behind every miniature painting on the walls. Finding

no more keyholes, she closed the dollhouse and fastened

the clasps.

Scanning the room, Kendra tried to decide where to

look next. One key left, maybe two if the golden key also

opened something. She had been through most of the

items in the toy chests, but she could always double-check.

She had searched through the drawers in the nightstands,

dressers, and wardrobes thoroughly, as well as the knickknacks

on the bookshelves. There could be keyholes in

unlikely places, like under the clothes of a doll or behind a

bedpost.

Kendra ended up beside the telescope. Improbable as it

seemed, she checked it for keyholes. Nothing.

Maybe she could use the telescope to locate Seth.

Opening the window, she noticed Dale walking along the

lawn at the outskirts of the woods. He was carrying something

in both hands, but his back was to her, impeding a

view of what he held. He stooped and set it down behind

a low hedge, which continued to prevent her from seeing

the object. Dale walked off at a brisk pace, glancing around

as if to ensure nobody was spying, and soon passed out of

view.

Curious, Kendra rushed downstairs and out the back

door. Dale was nowhere in sight. She trotted across the

lawn to the low hedge beneath the attic window. Grass

continued for about six feet beyond the hedge before

stopping abruptly at the perimeter of the forest. On the

grass behind the hedge rested a large pie tin full of milk.

An iridescent hummingbird hung suspended over the

pie tin, wings a faint blur. Several butterflies flitted around

the hummingbird. Occasionally one would descend and

splash in the milk. The hummingbird flew away, and a

dragonfly approached. It was a smaller crowd than the mirror

had attracted, but there was much more activity than

Kendra would have expected around a small pool of milk.

She watched as a variety of tiny winged animals came

and went, feeding from the pie tin. Did butterflies drink

milk? Did dragonflies? Apparently so. It was not long before

the level of milk in the pie tin had markedly fallen.

Kendra looked up at the attic. It had only two windows,

both facing the same side of the house. She visualized

the room behind those gabled windows and suddenly

realized that the playroom consumed only half the space

the attic should fill.

Abandoning the tin of milk, she walked around to the

opposite side of the house. On the far side was a second

pair of attic windows. She was right. There was another

half to the attic. But she knew of no other stairway granting

access to the uppermost story. Which meant there

might be some sort of secret passage in the playroom!

Maybe the final key unlocked it!

Just as she decided to return to the attic and search for

a hidden door, Kendra noticed Dale coming from the direction

of the barn with another pie tin. She hurried toward

him. When he saw her coming, he looked temporarily

uncomfortable, then put on a big smile.

What are you doing? Kendra asked.

Just taking some milk to the house, he replied, changing

direction a bit. He had been heading toward the woods.

Really? Why’d you leave that other milk behind the

hedge?

Other milk? He could not have looked more guilty.

Yeah. The butterflies were drinking it.

Dale was no longer walking. He regarded Kendra

shrewdly. Can you keep a secret?

Sure.

Dale looked around as if someone might be watching.

We have a few milking cows. They make plenty of milk,

so I put out some of the excess for the insects. Keeps the

garden lively.

Why’s that a secret?

I’m not sure your grandfather would approve. Never

asked permission. He might consider it wasteful.

Seems like a good idea to me. I noticed all the different

kinds of butterflies in your garden. More than I’ve ever

seen. Plus all the hummingbirds.

He nodded. I like it. Adds to the atmosphere.

So you weren’t taking that milk to the house.

No, no. This milk hasn’t been pasteurized. Full of bacteria.

You could catch all sorts of diseases. Not fit for

people. Insects, on the other hand, they seem to like it best

this way. You won’t spoil my secret?

I’ll keep quiet.

Good girl, he said with a conspiratorial wink.

Where are you putting that one?

Over there. He jerked his head toward the woods. I

set a few on the border of the yard every day.

Does it spoil?

I don’t leave it out long enough. Some days the insects

consume all the milk before I collect the pans. Thirsty

critters.

See you later, Dale.

You seen your brother hereabout?

I think he’s in the house.

That so?

She shrugged. Maybe.

Kendra turned and started toward the house. She

glanced back as she mounted the stairs to the rear porch.

Dale was placing the milk behind a small, round bush.

The Ivy Shack

Seth pressed through dense undergrowth until he

reached a faint, crooked path, the kind made by animals.

Nearby stood a squat, gnarled tree with thorny leaves

and black bark. Seth examined his sleeves for ticks, scrutinizing

the camouflage pattern. So far he had not seen a

single tick. Of course, it would probably be the ticks he

failed to see that would get him. He hoped the insect repellent

he had sprayed on was helping.

Stooping, he collected rocks and built a small pyramid