“Micah? What are you doing?’

His eyes were focused forward, his arm muscles tensing as he rowed faster.

“Just trust me,” he said.

“But the boundary—”

And then it was too late. We were out in the blinding sunshine. Outside the protection of the island.

I glared at Micah.

“You promised we wouldn’t leave the boundary.” My shock turned to confusion, then annoyance. “Why did you lie?”

I reached for one of the oars. Micah’s right leg shot out, kicking me beneath my knee. Something cracked and pain seared through my leg. I fell to the floor, groaning and clutching my knee to my chest.

What is happening? Why would Micah do this?

I had no time to try to recuperate from my injury. Despite still being in shock, I had to scream for help before it was too late.

“No! Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Micah stood up and roughly stuffed a piece of old rag into my mouth. I choked, the smell of rotten fish pervading my nostrils. It was all I could do to stop myself vomiting. He fastened my wrists and ankles with ropes.

I looked daggers at him, trying to read his face as he hovered over me. His eyes were expressionless. Hollow.

And then it happened. His hair began to shorten and curl at the roots. Its blond color faded and darkened. Warm hazel eyes turned pitch black. He grew taller, his shoulders broadened. Even his clothes changed—into a long black cloak and heavy leather boots.

There was no trace left of Micah in the man standing over me.

I struggled and tried to scream more desperately than ever, but it was no use. The stranger placed a long finger against his lips and gripped my forehead.

“Hush, Princess,” he said in a voice much deeper than Micah’s. “Sleep.”

Chapter 30: Caleb

We sat on the edge of my father’s finest ship, dipping our feet into the shallow waters and watching the sun duck beneath the horizon. Annora rested her head on my shoulder, while I had an arm around her waist. The warm summer breeze caught her black hair, making it dance in the air. I looked down at her delicate fingers. The gemstone in her engagement ring glinted in the evening light.

I held my breath, anticipating the excitement that would shine in her beautiful eyes as soon as I told her.

“My father agreed to let us take this ship.”

She lifted her head and looked up at me, gasping.

“He really did?”

I nodded, smiling as I brushed my lips over her forehead.

“For how long?” she asked.

“Two weeks. Now you just need to decide where you’d like me to take you.”

She bit her lip, facing the sunset once again.

“Mmm. How about somewhere far away… like Asia?”

I laughed. “We could. But that really would be a long time at sea. I’m not sure my father would be willing to part with me for that long.”

She sighed, once again falling into thought. “Where do you want to take me?”

“We could stay within Europe and do a tour. Maybe start with France, work our way down to Italy, perhaps head for the Ionian Sea…”

“Just the two of us?”

“Just the two of us.”

“All right, my love. Let’s do that,” she purred. “And then after?”

“What do you mean?”

“What will we do after?” She rested her head on my lap, reaching her hand up and playfully twirling my hair in her fingers.

“I don’t know,” I said, stroking her forehead.

“Come on, Caleb,” she said, “Tell me a story.”

“A story, huh? Well, after is when our life together will really start. We’ll find a house near the shore, away from the bustle of the town, and move in together. I’ll take over managing the dock while my father retires. We’ll keep our own boat, and whenever I can afford it, we’ll take trips. I’ll build the business and train workers well enough to be able to manage without me. We’ll make time to travel the world together. We’ll go to Asia. And the Americas. And explore the North Pole. South Pole. Any Pole you want…” I paused, watching as her face grew impatient for the next part.

“And?”

“And once we’re tired of touring the world, we’ll return to our quiet house on the shore, and we’ll start a family.”

“How many children will we have?”

“Eight. Four boys and four girls.”

“What will we name them?”

I paused again to think. As always, Annora wanted details. I’d give her details. “Our first child will be a boy. His name will be Hector. Next will be Jennifer. Then Jason. William. Laina. Laurence. April. And lastly, sweet Isobel.”

“And will we travel the world again with them when they’re old enough?”

“If that’s what they want… The end.”

“But what happens next? You can’t just stop a story like that,” she said. “Not before you get to the happily ever after.”

“All right,” I said, chuckling and rolling my eyes. “And we’ll live happily for the rest of our lives. We’ll die old and wrinkly holding hands in our bed. We’ll be buried in the same grave. And the worms will digest our bodies, leaving only our bones forever entwined in the soil… Is that far enough?”

She giggled. “What if there’s an afterlife?”

“Then that would make this a very long story indeed…”