“We’re both off to college soon, too. This trip is a bit of a last hurrah.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, we’ll be on opposite coasts, and we’ve never done long distance.”

Reaching the front door, I ponder whether I should insert myself into this conversation, but my footing feels a few steps behind. All my intellectualized confidence feels suddenly deflated. As if on cue, a blustery snap of wind rattles across the staircase, making me feel particularly thin and frail.

“Impressive that you’re staying together,” Seidon says, that longing tone returning to his voice.

“Well, we love each other,” Logan answers, smiling at me again.

As always, it manages to warm me, despite everything else.

“We’ll figure out how to make it work as we go,” he finishes.

“Ever think about trying—” Seidon opens the front door and his eyes flicker between us once again “—I don’t know, an open thing?”

My cheeks flush. I don’t know what Seidon is poking at here, but no, we certainly have not thought about being with other people.

“Maybe,” Logan answers. “I mean, we’ve talked about being flexible about what feels right as we go.”

Hearing Logan’s words, my insides freeze. Suddenly I am brittle again, liable to shatter.

“Wait,” I finally manage. “What?”

CHAPTER SEVEN

AMELIA

EVER SINCE WE learned the prestigious origins of Grandma’s deck, it has felt like we’ve fallen down a rabbit hole. Our latest tumble has brought us face to face with a stone-walled cottage—though “cottage” feels like the wrong word, since it’s twice as big as my house. Coupled Cottage is many shades of weathered slate and covered in twisting vines. Something about it feels even more remote than this private island, like it’s a shrine preserving an era long gone.

A gust of wind tears across the island, and I fight a chill by taking a sip of tea. Lady Azure brewed it for us on the arrival dock, claiming it was for the “arduous” golf cart ride across her property. Of course, there has been nothing arduous about this experience so far, except for this wind whipping up as the sun sets.

“I am so glad you invited me along today,” Anwar whispers as we approach.

“Not too much for you?” I whisper back.

“Are you kidding? I might not know anything about the tarot, but spooky island mansions?” he says, grinning like a kid. “This is spectacular.”

I smile up at Anwar. Spectacular is certainly one word for it, despite how far out it feels like we’ve sailed. I’m not thrilled Chase and Logan got separated from us, but Lady Azure promised that Seidon will bring them to Coupled Cottage after finding Perilli’s locked file. I look over to check on Cleo, holding her still-full paper cup of tea, and she nods. Whatever she thinks, her poker face is on.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to wait for my daughter to join us,” Lady Azure says. “She’s an equally devoted Perillian.”