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formed in the trees and became a man. Beautiful and golden with eyes that burned.
    The circle broke. Even as Nell ran, the man struck out. She shattered like glass, a thousand pieces scattering. And the skies opened to lightning, blasted with thunder, and all Mia could see in the glass was a torrent of water as the woods, and the island they lived on, tumbled into the sea.
    Mia stepped back, planted her hands on her hips. “Isn’t that always the way?” she said in disgust. “A man ruins everything. Well, we’ll see about that.” She put the globe back on the shelf. “We’ll just see about that.”

    By the time Nell knocked on her door, Mia was just finishing up some paperwork. “Right on time,” she said as she logged off the computer. “That’s a pretty habit of yours. I need you to fill out these forms.” She gestured to the neat stack on the desk.“I’ve dated them yesterday. How’s the lunch crowd moving?”
    â€œSmoothly enough.” Nell sat. Her palms no longer sweated when she filled out forms. Name, date of birth, Social Security number. Those basic facts and figures were hers. She’d seen to it personally. “Peg dives right in. I made up tomorrow’s menu.”
    â€œMmm.” Mia took the folded paper Nell pulled out of her pocket, read it over while Nell filled in the form. “It looks good. More adventurous than Jane’s tended to be.”
    â€œToo adventurous?”
    â€œNo, just more. So . . . what will you do with the rest of your day?” Mia briefly looked at the first completed form. “Nell, no middle initial, Channing?”
    â€œTake a walk on the beach, do some gardening. Maybe explore the woods around the cottage.”
    â€œThere’s a small stream where columbine grows wild this time of year, and in the deeper shade jack-in-the-pulpits and ferns. The kind that make you think the faeries hide in them.”
    â€œYou don’t strike me as the kind of person who looks for shy faeries.”
    Mia’s lips curved. “We don’t know each other well yet. Three Sisters is alive with legend and lore, and the woods have all manner of secrets. Do you know the story of the Three Sisters?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œI’ll tell you one day when there’s time for tales and stories. But for now you should be out in the light and air.”
    â€œMia, what happened before? At noon?”
    â€œYou tell me. What do you think happened?”
    â€œIt felt like an earth tremor, but not. The light changed, and so did the air. Like a . . . blast of energy.”
    It sounded foolish when she said it, but she pushed on. “You felt it too. But no one else did. No one else felt anything out of the ordinary.”
    â€œMost people expect the ordinary, and that’s what they get.”
    â€œIf that’s a riddle, I don’t know how to solve it.” Impatient, Nell shoved to her feet. “You weren’t surprised by it—a little irritated but not surprised.”
    Mia sat back, intrigued, and lifted a brow. “True enough. You read people very well.”
    â€œSurvival skill.”
    â€œAnd sharply honed,” Mia added. “What happened? I suppose you could call it a connection. What happens when three positive charges occupy the same space at the same time?”
    Nell shook her head. “I have no idea.”
    â€œNeither do I. But it’ll be interesting to find out. Like recognizes like, don’t you think? I recognized you.”
    Nell’s blood went cold and burned under her skin. “I don’t know what you mean.”
    â€œNot who you are, or were,” Mia said gently. “But what. You can trust me to respect that, and your privacy. I won’t pry into your yesterdays, Nell. I’m more interested in the tomorrows.”
    Nell opened her mouth. She nearly, very nearly, let it pour out. Everything