He shouldn’t have wondered, but he did. Shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was. He started up the beach toward her, kept his eyes on her in case she vanished like a dream.

Instead, she turned toward him, and he saw her face in the splashing moonlight. One of the six in the sketches, one who had stood beside him in the first sketch they’d shown him on the side of the road.

A face made out of dreams, he thought as she smiled and walked toward him. Stunning. Beyond beautiful. Wide eyes tipped just a bit at the corners, a wide, full mouth curved now in what seemed to be both delight and welcome. Skin that looked soft, smooth, and pale gold in the moonlight. Tall and willowy in a thin white dress that flowed in the breeze.

He stopped a foot away from her because with all he’d seen, all he’d experienced, he’d never looked on anything like her.

She said, “Hello,” with a hint of a laugh on the word.

“Yeah, hi. Where did you come from?”

“I’ve been here, for a little while. And you came.” Reaching out, she took his hand. “I hoped you would.”

“Do you know me?”

She only smiled. “I don’t know your name.”

“Sawyer.”

“Sawyer.” She repeated it, carefully. “My name is Annika. I come— I came,” she corrected, “to help you find the stars. Will you take me with you?”

Just like that, he thought.

“Yeah, I think I’d better. We’re up there.” He pointed up to the villa, where—as in the sketch—a single light glowed.

“I have some things.”

“Where?”

“I’ll get them.”

She ran up the beach, the movements almost like a dance, then with a swirl of white dress and long dark hair, she disappeared behind the rocks.

“Wait. Shit.” He ran after her, cursing himself for being so dumbfounded he’d frozen.

But she came out again, carrying two large bags.

Not luggage, exactly, he noted, but two sacks, he supposed, both brightly patterned with trees, flowers, birds, and secured with the sort of clasps you might see on treasure chests.

“Let me get those.”

“You take one, I take one, and the weight is half. The steps are wonderful!” With her one bag, she raced for them. “They go so high. We’ll be closer to the sky.”

“Be careful, they’re steep.”

“Someone always says be careful.” She beamed at him as they started up. “Annika, you are too reckless. But I don’t think so. I only want to try everything.”

Not reckless, he thought, going off with some strange guy in the middle of the night? If not reckless, then way too trusting.

“Oh.” At the top of the steps she paused, laid a hand on her heart. “This is home for you? It’s very beautiful.”

“It’s borrowed. I mean we’re just staying here for a while.”

“I can smell the flowers.” She trailed her hand along flowering shrubs. “And the trees, and the grass. Look at this.”