“The tourist screamed when they saw me, which was always hurtful. “You don’t have a visa,” I told them as I stayed partly submerged in the warm water. “Turn around.” ”

“Of the things that could go wrong while crocheting, opening a portal had seemed like a low probability.”

“Ralia smiled. “The door sensed she wanted to enter and spoke to her. It said, ‘I am a door, my name is Door. I am a protector of the secrets within.’ ”

“But Odette divined the house’s secrets. Nooks under staircases and crannies between sofas and walls … Columns of light that moved around the house, picking whatever room suited their fancy.”