CHAPTER SIXTEEN

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