Overworked English professor Lily Clark doesn't get out much. But her cozy fairytale cottage has some ideas about that.
She's been to a fantasy realm with her niece Nora, but lately, her biggest adventures include listening to true-crime podcasts and grading essays. Letting her dog out in the snow is not exactly what she would call exciting until a tree branch crashes through her roof and she discovers she's left her key in the house. Lucky for her, Hugo is too happy to chase snowflakes and there's one locksmith willing to drive through Siberian conditions after hours.
When an old truck pulls into her driveway, Lily is sure of two things: she should have worn something warmer, and Hugo is a terrible guard dog. Callum Locke is tall, austere, and monosyllabic, but available... to open her front door. He's even familiar with the house's antique fixtures and willing to help with her roof. And if his hint of an accent weren't distracting enough, his blue eyes sure are.
Lily's begun to suspect her house is special, but when unexplainable accidents start to happen that keep Callum around longer, she's convinced her cottage is more than stone and mortar. It's meddling with her life. After Hugo is badly hurt, there's no time to investigate. Lily has to decide whether to trust Hugo's safety with this handsome stranger - and the capricious cottage that brought them together - or risk losing him.
If only Callum would drive faster.
Locke and Key is a short story companion to Beyond the Gate middle grade fantasy series.
