It felt like the atmosphere had changed, as if the atoms of the air were attempting to make him into something new. The feeling of pins and needles pressed into his skin. He reached out for the dollhouse’s rooftop to steady himself, but found himself instead holding on to something cold and solid and unfamiliar.

Snapping open his eyes, he realized that they were standing inside a long room. At the far end, high shelves were filled with hundreds of books. Overhead, two chandeliers glowed dimly, their many crystals shivering and clinking. The group stood beside a carved marble fireplace.

Connie let go of his other hand. “There,” she said. “It’s safer to speak inside.”

“How did you …” Jason trailed off. There was a large portrait on the wall over the fireplace mantel—a painting of Connie staring out from a glistening, carved gilt frame. Her blue eyes glimmered with sorrow.

Connie noticed where his gaze had strayed. “I’ve lived at Larkspur House for a long time. The dollhouse was based on the actual mansion.” She paused, lost for a moment in her memories. “When this place reached out for your sister and the others, I knew I needed to bring you along to help her. She trusts you in a way that she’d never trust a stranger like me.”

He shook his head, ashamed. “But I just scared her.”

“That wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know.”

Anger flushed through him. He wasn’t mad at the girl exactly, but she was standing right there, and she was the easiest target. “I thought I was going crazy!” Connie only stared at him, waiting for him to calm down, as if she’d expected this reaction. He choked down what felt like venom before speaking again. “Now that we’re inside, can you take me to Lou?”

“I can,” said Connie, waving for him to follow her to the bookshelves. Hanging on the wall was a large mirror. She touched the glass. When her hand met her reflection, the image of a different room appeared in the mirror. “Let’s go,” she said, before stepping through the glass as if it were a door.

Jason raised his foot and slowly pushed into the mirror’s surface. It felt like he was climbing into a pool of water, ripples tickling his skin. He closed his eyes and held his breath.

Now they were in a grand foyer. The ceiling arched high overhead, and a circular parquet pattern gleamed from the wooden floor. Connie approached a window in an adjacent room. Her reflection was just solid enough that she could touch it. She stepped through the glass again.

Again, Jason followed.

They went like this, from room to room, until finally, they entered a hall where Lou and Sadie were striding confidently in the opposite direction.

Relief made him dizzy. “Lou! Wait! It’s me! I’m here!” he called out to his sister.