I studied the ironwork, its intricate details—the top of the gate was the tree, with hundreds of individual leaves. The trunk of the tree was the middle of the gate, where it opened. On one side was Adam, looking slightly confused, and on the other side were Eve and the snake. Eve’s expression as she studied the apple was probably meant to be wicked, but she, too, looked a little confused.

Barrett tried to press the lever to open it, but it wouldn’t open.

“It’s locked,” I said, and as I said it, I looked at the lock.

A pattern of leaves, and a fancy letter C . . .

Was this the lock that went with Agatha’s key?

But why would she have the key to this place? And why would it be so important to her that she would wake me up to find it in the middle of the night?

I realized, as I stared, that Barrett was staring at me staring at the lock. So I turned away.

“I’m going inside,” I announced. “See you later.”

He shrugged. “I’m going, too.”

So we had to walk next to each other, which made me self-conscious about the frumpiness of my clothes and the dirt on my face and arms.

Barrett cleared his throat. “If you need help with anything, let me know.”

“Why would I need help?”

“I mean, if there’s anything you don’t feel like doing.”

“I don’t mind doing stuff,” I said. “The whole reason I’m here is to help.”

He looked mildly disgusted, which hurt my feelings. “That’s not true,” he said. “Or it shouldn’t be. You don’t take in an orphan to have free labor.”

Oh, so he wasn’t disgusted with me. That soothed my feelings a little.

“I should talk to Dad about it,” he said.

“Please don’t,” I said.

“Why not?”

“Because,” I said. “I literally have nowhere else to go. That may sound like I’m being dramatic, but I’m not. It’s here, or the state institution.”

Now he was alarmed. “Why the institution?”

“Because there aren’t a lot of places for people who wake up screaming every night.”

“I haven’t heard any screaming.”

“Well, it doesn’t happen here,” I said. “Which is another reason I want to stay, okay? Just please do me a favor and don’t try to help. I’m fine. I don’t need to be rescued.”

He sighed. “I guess it’s temporary, anyway. Things will change when school starts.”

“I don’t even know when that is.”

“Five weeks,” he said. “It’s the same day my school starts. I saw the sign in town.”

“Oh,” I said, and a waterfall of feelings and thoughts crashed down over me. “Okay.”