Sage sat there, on the wide stone patio, watching the moon drop against the Hudson. He had hardly moved since Scarlet had left. He couldn’t help feeling as if he’d messed it all up—and at the worst possible moment.His heart was breaking inside. He felt closer to Scarlet than to anyone he’d ever encountered in his time on earth, and it had all been going so well. Looking into her eyes and kissing her had been the highlight of centuries.And then, at the worst possible time, he had gotten struck with the pain. This last year, this final year of his life, the pains had been getting worse, coming more frequently and getting stronger the closer he came to his death date. Now, with just weeks left to live, the pains had become more intense and unpredictable—not just for him, but for every member of his clan. They came out of nowhere and sometimes, they were crippling.How could he possibly explain that to Scarlet? What was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to tell her that he was an Im

Scarlet pulled up to her house in Sage’s growling Lamborghini, and parked it in the driveway. It had been the first time she had ever driven any car alone, and the whole ride had been terrifying, as she worried the whole way home that she’d get pulled over. She also felt especially funny driving this car, which was so expensive and which wasn’t even hers.She saw the empty house, her mom and dad’s cars gone, and realized she was the only one home. She wondered where they could be at this late hour.She glanced down at her phone as she turned off the car, and saw all the missed calls and texts from them. She felt guilty. She hadn’t wanted to avoid them, but she knew they’d be furious at her for sneaking out. They wouldn’t understand, and answering their calls would have just made everything much worse. There was no way she could explain it to them without their freaking out.She worried that maybe they were out there looking for her. She felt bad about that. But at the same time, she

Scarlet stepped into the narrow, rocking kayak as Sage held it steady for her. He followed her in, then shoved off from shore.They went gliding, weightless, into the strong tides of the Hudson River.The huge moon sat on the horizon, lighting up the water, and the night was incredibly still. The only sound Scarlet could hear was the lapping of the waves against the boat.She leaned back in the boat and closed her eyes, feeling the water gently rock her, as Sage paddled the kayak, alternating hands. She breathed in the cool, moist October air coming off the river, and for the first time in a while, felt completely at ease in the world.She opened her eyes and looked up, and saw a galaxy filled with stars. It was the most magical night she’d ever seen.They soon approached a small island, sitting in the middle of the Hudson. Uninhabited, covered in trees, it stretched hardly a hundred feet in each direction and was ringed by a small, sandy shore.“I come out here sometimes,” Sage

Sage crossed his bedroom, gathering his things, packing up ancient artifacts he hadn’t looked at in centuries. He was finally ready to leave this place, his family, for good. He had a large opened suitcase on his bed, and rifled through items, deciding what to let go. He held up a small ivory tusk off his desk, remembering when he had found it five hundred years before. He examined it, then set it down, deciding not to bring it.As he stood there, by the window, he glanced out, and looked at the Hudson. In the early morning light the water sparkled. In the distance he saw the island he’d spent the night on with Scarlet, the two of them having fallen asleep, clothed, in each other’s arms. It had been innocent, but the most beautiful night he had ever spent on this planet. He could not stop thinking about the moment they woke up together, watched the dawn break together, the sun rise over the Hudson. It had seemed to rise right over them, as if they were in the very center of the world

Caitlin lost all track of time and place. She had no idea how many hours she’d been in this secret back room of this rare bookstore, combing frantically through stacks and stacks of books. There were mountains of them. Worse, they were all thrown in haphazardly, in so many different positions and directions, it was almost as if someone had deliberately tried to keep them disorganized. Perhaps that was the point: perhaps whoever did this wanted to hide that book.Caitlin had seen chaos throughout her career in bookstores and libraries—but she’d never encountered anything like this. Not only were there so many books, but they were also each so rare, so valuable. She was astonished. She’d never seen such an abundance of riches under one roof. Some of the books that she’d already passed through her hands, she knew, would be worth millions of dollars on the open market. Why had anyone treated them this way?Clearly, Aiden knew what he was talking about when he sent her here. And now she u