Reaching the outer wall of the castle, a shiver of apprehension swept over my skin as I retrieved the enormous iron key from my purse. Monsieur Perrault had given it to us when we met him the previous day.
I saw Emma rubbing her hands across her upper arms, trying to warm herself against the sudden chill in the air. I suspected the same sense of impending doom I was experiencing was dampening her previous exuberance, but I couldn’t blame her. There was an air of strangeness hanging over the entire castle, the atmosphere oppressive.
Unlocking the heavy wooden gates proved easier than I’d expected; despite the general air of decay it seemed some regular maintenance was being done. The huge key slipped into the lock and turned easily. The gate opened smoothly, although it took us both to sh
