Page 90 of The Magic We Made

“Everything is fine,” I tell them in what I consider an extremely normal, nonhysterical voice—though judging from the size of their fear-widened eyes, perhaps it is not. “But we might be on our own, so if you won’t go home, I’m going to need your help. Do you know of a boat—any boat—that didn’t get sunk?”

They shake their heads.

“They got themall,” Robby informs me. “They even got Gran’s kayaks, andThe Kraken!”

“And they stole the Rubensteins’ pontoon boat,” Sammy adds. “That’s what they put Ash on.”

“Okay.” I take a deep breath and nearly choke on a lungful of woodsmoke. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

And that’s how I end up standing on the edge of my dock in my bathing suit, getting ready to swim to Center Island to rescue Ash.

“It’s too far,” Eddie says, looking across the water in the direction of the island.

Except that the water is covered in a layer of fog so thick, you can’t see more than a foot or two ahead. All you can see of the island itself is an orange glow where the fire is raging.

“You’ll never make it,” Robby says.

“Yes, I will. I swim it every day.” Though never at night, or in fog this thick, or temperatures this low. I’m shivering in my suit.

But what choice do I have?

“I want you to go inside. When the cops get here, answer thedoor, and then be sure to tell them where I am,” I say, taking my swim bag from Eddie’s hands and slipping the straps over my shoulders. I’ve had the waterproof bag forever but never had the need to use it.

Until now.

“We will,” the boys assure me.

“And don’t come out of the house. Stay there with Daisy and her kittens until I get back. Use my landline to call your grandparents. They must be worried sick about you.”

“What’s a landline?” Robby asks.

“Don’t worry,” Eddie says. “I saw how to use one on TV. It’s easy.”

“Since there are three of us,” Sammy says, “and you have three kittens, don’t you think each of us should get one? I mean, if we do a good job tonight.”

“We’ll talk about that later,” I tell him. “I already promised one to my nieces.” Even under the circumstances, I can’t help smiling at his disappointed expression. “But if your grandma says it’s okay, I might be able to let you haveonekitten to share.”

Sammy’s face lights up, and he and Robby share excited looks.

“But whatever happens while I’m gone,” I warn, “stay inside where it’s safe.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “We will. Duh, Dr. G. You only told us a hundred times.”

He’s not exaggerating. Once I realized what I had to do, it had been a mad dash inside to get everything I thought I might need on the island. I didn’t want to involve the DeLongs, but since they wouldn’t go home, I figured they might as well make themselves useful.

And they did, stuffing the swim bag with everything theythought I’d need: a towel, warm change of clothes, shoes, flashlight, bottled water, bug spray, my phone, and a first aid kit in case Ash has any wounds that need tending. It ended up being a tight fit, and heavy as hell, but they got it all in there.

Or at least I thought they had, until Sammy, standing beside me in the fog at the end of my dock, slips something into my hand.

“Here,” he says. “You forgot these.”

I look down, surprised to see a small pair of Richard’s pruning shears... the same pruning shears I used to snip Ash’s outdoor speaker cables (twice).

“What do I need these for?” I ask. I remember to smile. I’m trying to keep up a brave front before the kids. But truthfully, my pulse is pounding. I’ve never felt more afraid.

But I can’t sit around and wait for Ash to get rescued. Every eldest child knows that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

“To fight the witches,” Sammy says.