I jumped up and grabbed my glasses with the built-in magnifier out of the small box I’d shoved all my research stuff into before we left home. I slipped them on and examined the ragged edge of the map. A piece was missing. And near the center, the tiniest bit of ink had bled down from whatever had once been above. There was something beyond the far wall of the Poison Garden.

I put my sneakers on and ran downstairs. Mom and Mo were occupied, so I left out the front door and went around to the hidden path. The curtain of vines pulled back as I approached, but this time, I didn’t worry about how the trees or grass might behave. The surrounding forest responded by creating a rolling wave of shrubbery, clearing the path of sticks and pebbles, making way for me. I gripped the map in my hand as I headed through the shadowy confines of the forest.

The trees bowed away, allowing me to unlock the gate. I quickly ducked inside, marching straight back to the moon gate. I’d been braver in the forest, but I didn’t know if I should be as confident in this part of the garden. A mistake now could be fatal.

I stepped into the Poison Garden. Again, the feeling of ice water being poured down my throat caught me by surprise. The icy hot feeling stung at first but faded faster than it had during my previous visit. I swallowed hard. The tingling sensation lingered, but it didn’t hurt.

I slowly approached the rear wall. Treetops pushed down through the metal arches overhead. The wall was covered in poison ivy and Devil’s Pet so thick I could barely see the stones underneath. I touched the leaves, testing my immunity once again.

As my fingers grazed the foliage, vines shot out and twisted themselves around my wrists. I yanked my hand back, but they only gripped me harder. The long, toothlike spikes flattened themselves, lying against my skin but not puncturing it. My heart galloped into a furious rhythm as I tried to disentangle myself. Some of the purple leaves came off in the struggle but bloomed again under my touch. Another tendril encircled my waist and squeezed me so hard I couldn’t breathe. They dragged me across the ground, knocking my glasses off, then held me upright, my feet dangling above the ground.

“Stop!” I cried out.

The poisonous vines loosened their grip, sitting me down gently but not letting go. The Devil’s Pet and poison ivy parted like a theater curtain in front of me. There, in the stone wall, was a rusted metal door. At its center was a coat of arms or crest of some kind.

The Devil’s Pet unfurled, releasing me from its grip. I rubbed my aching wrists. A single curl of ivy slithered along the ground. It sprouted three skinny tendrils and used them like fingers to pick up my glasses and hand them back to me.