I opened my mouth to ask about the animals when we emerged at the front of a cottage. It was one story made of stone, with a slanted roof and little triangular peaks above the windows. On the left side, at the top point of the roof was a small chimney while on the right a stone tower raised into the trees. The door sat a handful of steps up, surrounded by lush green bushes and colorful wildflowers.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

“Yes, it is.” He exhaled. “I forgot how beautiful it was.”

“I’m glad Auryn is making you come home.” I laced my fingers with his. “Show me inside?”

As he opened the door, I wondered what kind of magic was placed on this oasis to keep it safe, but now wasn’t the time to question it. Besides, Everest knew better than anyone else how important safety was. Despite no one being here for a century, the inside was not musty or dusty. Fresh air swept through open windows. Cherry blossom and wisteria flower petals drifted through the cottage, landing on the wooden floors and on the furniture.

Everest and I took a few steps inside then stopped.

The wooden ceilings were vaulted. The walls made of stone. I had no idea what I expected the inside of a fourteenth century cottage to look like however it was surprisingly cozy. Especially as Everest strolled over to the giant hearth and started a fire. I definitely didn’t realize they had couches. I’d never paid much attention in history class and now I wanted to smack myself. I soaked in every detail around me. Beautiful paintings hung on the walls, each of them depicting a different landscape. Several of them were beaches, some with mountains and some with palm trees.

“Is that . . .” I stopped in front of a painting by the stairs of the tower. “Is that Notre Dame?”

His eyebrows rose. “You know of Notre Dame?”

“I haven’t been there but yes, it is rather famous.”

“It is not finished yet but before the war . . . we went to Paris.” He cleared his throat. “We liked to collect paintings from places we traveled, and paintings we’ve acquired from history.”

“That’s incredible. What others do we have here?”

“Many, many cathedrals. Some temples from ancient Greece and Rome⁠—”

“My God, it’s a time capsule.” I grinned up at him. “Please keep collecting? When I get home, to the future, I’m going to have you bring me here. I expect an extensive collection when I get there.”

He chuckled. “As you wish. Anything in particular?”

“Anything beautiful or special. Anything that makes you think of me.”