For several seconds, nobody moved.

Ivy stared at the dark garden.

Theo stared at Professor Whiskers.

Professor Whiskers stared at the locked gate.

Then Leo’s voice suddenly came from behind them.

“Did anyone else hear a girl say Ivy’s name?”

Ivy spun around.

“LEO?!”

Her younger brother stood beside the fountain, holding an umbrella.

“How did you get here?”

“Followed you.”

“You followed me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Leo shrugged.

“You left your phone charging.”

Ivy stared at him.

“That doesn’t explain anything.”

“I got worried.”

“You followed me through a haunted garden at midnight because I left my phone at home?”

“When you say it like that, it sounds stupid.”

“It IS stupid!”

Theo covered a laugh.

Professor Whiskers flicked his tail.

“Humans.”

Leo looked at the cat.

The cat looked at Leo.

Leo slowly pointed.

“The cat talks.”

“Yes,” Ivy said.

“I thought you were exaggerating.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Good.”

Leo nodded.

Then he fainted.

“Leo!”

Ivy caught him before he hit the ground.

Theo crouched beside them.

“He’s breathing.”

Professor Whiskers sighed.

“Typical.”

Ivy glared at him.

“You could be more sympathetic.”

“I am a cat. Sympathy is not my strongest skill.”

Theo smiled.

“Neither is honesty.”

Professor Whiskers narrowed his eyes.

“You’re becoming irritating.”

“I’ve been irritating you for six months.”

“And I have regretted meeting you for six months.”

Ivy looked between them.

“Can we please focus?”

She held up the silver locket.

“The girl in this photograph. Who is she?”

The garden became silent again.

Professor Whiskers finally answered.

“Her name was Lillian Vale.”

Theo’s face went pale.

“Vale?”

“Yes.”

Theo stared at the cat.

“My family name is Vale.”

“I know.”

“You never told me.”

“You never asked.”

Theo closed his notebook.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you were not ready.”

Theo looked angry.

“I’ve spent six months searching for answers about this garden.”

“And you found none.”

“Because you kept hiding things!”

Professor Whiskers jumped from the fountain.

“I kept you alive.”

Theo stopped.

“What?”

The cat walked toward the garden path.

“There are things in this garden that should never be disturbed.”

Ivy followed.

“What things?”

Professor Whiskers glanced at her.

“Memories.”

Ivy frowned.

“Memories?”

He nodded.

“Everything that is lost eventually finds its way here.”

He pointed toward the enormous tree.

“Objects.”

He pointed toward the fountain.

“Secrets.”

Then he pointed toward the dark path.

“And sometimes… people.”

Ivy felt a chill.

“You said Lillian disappeared twenty-three years ago.”

“Yes.”

“Did she come here?”

“Yes.”

“And she never came out?”

Professor Whiskers stopped walking.

“No.”

Theo whispered, “Then she’s still here.”

“No.”

The cat turned.

“She was here.”

“Was?”

Professor Whiskers looked toward the deepest part of the garden.

“Something happened.”

“What?”

“I don’t know.”

Ivy stared at him.

“You don’t know?”

“For the first time in my life, I don’t.”

“That isn’t very reassuring.”

“I wasn’t trying to reassure you.”

Leo slowly sat up.

“I hate this place.”

Everyone looked at him.

He rubbed his forehead.

“I officially vote we leave.”

Ivy nodded.

“Good idea.”

She walked toward the gate.

It wouldn’t open.

She pulled the handle.

Nothing.

She tried the key.

Nothing.

Theo joined her.

“Let me.”

He pulled.

The gate didn’t move.

Professor Whiskers sighed.

“It won’t open.”

“Why?”

“Because the garden has chosen you.”

Ivy stared at him.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Most important things don’t.”

“Can the garden unchoose me?”

“No.”

“Can you destroy the garden?”

“No.”

“Can you—”

“No.”

“You’re not even letting me finish.”

“I have lived long enough to predict your questions.”

Ivy crossed her arms.

“Fine. Then tell me what I need to do.”

Professor Whiskers looked toward the fountain.

“You must find the seven lost things.”

Theo immediately opened his notebook.

“Seven?”

“Seven objects.”

“Why?”

“Because Lillian left seven clues.”

“Where?”

The cat pointed at the tree.

“They are scattered throughout the garden.”

Ivy looked up.

Hundreds of objects hung from the branches.

“How are we supposed to know which ones are clues?”

Professor Whiskers smiled.

“You’ll know.”

“That is not helpful.”

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

Suddenly, something hit Theo on the head.

BONK.

He fell backward.

Ivy gasped.

Leo laughed.

Professor Whiskers looked amused.

A wooden spoon lay on the ground.

Theo picked it up.

“Why did the garden throw a spoon at me?”

Professor Whiskers examined it.

“Interesting.”

“What?”

“That’s the first clue.”

Theo stared at the spoon.

“A spoon?”

“Yes.”

Ivy took it from him.

There was writing carved into the handle.

WHEN THE CLOCK FORGETS THE HOUR, LOOK WHERE THE BLUE BIRDS SLEEP.

Theo wrote it down.

“There’s a clock somewhere?”

Professor Whiskers nodded.

“At the center of the garden.”

“But there isn’t a clock.”

“Not anymore.”

Ivy frowned.

“What happened to it?”

“Lillian removed it.”

“Why?”

The cat didn’t answer.

Theo noticed something.

“Look.”

He pointed at the fountain.

The silver water had changed again.

This time, it showed a picture.

A large clock.

Then the image shifted.

A young Lillian stood beside it.

She was holding the same brass key Ivy had found.

Behind her was a wooden door.

Ivy leaned closer.

“Where is that door?”

Professor Whiskers stared at the image.

Then his ears flattened.

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying.”

The cat’s eyes narrowed.

“I do not lie.”

Theo crossed his arms.

“You hide things.”

“That is different.”

“Not really.”

Professor Whiskers ignored him.

The fountain suddenly changed.

The image of Lillian disappeared.

A new message appeared.

THE FIRST SECRET IS UNDER THE BLUE ROSE.

Ivy looked around.

“There are hundreds of blue roses.”

“No,” Theo said.

“There are?”

“Look.”

He pointed toward the far end of the garden.

Only one flower was completely blue.

Its petals shimmered like glass.

Ivy walked toward it.

The closer she got, the colder the air became.

She knelt beside the flower.

Nothing happened.

Theo joined her.

“Maybe we need to dig.”

“With what?”

Leo held up the wooden spoon.

“Professional equipment.”

Ivy laughed.

“That’s ridiculous.”

But she took the spoon.

They began digging.

After several minutes, the spoon hit something.

CLINK.

Ivy froze.

Theo carefully moved the soil.

A small wooden box appeared.

The box was locked.

Ivy looked at the brass key.

She inserted it.

CLICK.

The box opened.

Inside was a single envelope.

The envelope had Ivy’s name written on it.

Her hands trembled.

“How would Lillian know my name?”

Nobody answered.

Ivy opened the envelope.

Inside was a handwritten note.

She read it aloud.

Dear Ivy,

If you are reading this, the garden has finally chosen someone new.

Do not trust the person who says they came here to help you.

One of them already knows where I am.

And one of them is lying.

Ivy slowly lowered the letter.

Everyone became silent.

She looked at Theo.

Theo looked at Leo.

Leo looked at Professor Whiskers.

Professor Whiskers looked at all three of them.

Then the cat said:

“Well.”

Ivy swallowed.

“What?”

Professor Whiskers pointed toward the garden gate.

“There are four of us.”

Ivy looked at the letter again.

One of them is lying.

A noise came from behind the trees.

Footsteps.

Someone was walking toward them.

Theo reached for Ivy’s arm.

“Don’t move.”

The footsteps became louder.

A shadow appeared between the trees.

Then a girl stepped into the moonlight.

She looked about seventeen.

She wore an old-fashioned white dress.

Her hair was soaked.

Her face was pale.

Ivy stared.

She looked exactly like the girl in the photograph.

Theo whispered:

“Lillian.”

The girl smiled.

But her smile was strange.

Almost sad.

She looked directly at Ivy.

“You found my letter.”

Ivy couldn’t speak.

Lillian slowly raised one finger to her lips.

“Don’t tell the cat.”

Professor Whiskers suddenly turned toward her.

His fur stood straight up.

“Impossible.”

Lillian smiled.

“Hello, Professor.”

The cat backed away.

For the first time since Ivy had met him…

Professor Whiskers looked genuinely afraid.

Then the garden lights went out.

And Lillian disappeared.