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“I think you should jump in with both feet,” she said. Then she quipped, or maybe was serious, “And if you don’t want the position, please give them my name.”

A month flew by as he finished his affairs at the university, amazed by how small his life could be if he wanted it so. Banking on that large salary, he pared his possessions down to the bare minimum: a handful of his favorite books, his laptop computer, and a suitcase of clothes. Frankly, the life of a grad student wasn’t much larger than that, so it wasn’t too much of a sacrifice. Soon, he found himself stepping off another plane. As he stood at the curb calling the number for his ride, he felt strangely exposed with his entire life packed neatly into two bags.

The driver pulled up to the curb in an unassuming SUV, hopping out and opening the back.

“So nice to see you again, Thomas,” Charlie said, the same driver who’d collected him in the limo for his interview. Her uniform was gone this time, along with her formal manner, replaced by comfortable jeans, a western shirt, and a friendly smile.

“And you! No uniform today?”

“No, and thank the stars for that,” she said, helping load his bags. “I hope the flight was easy?”

“All good,” he said. “It was bumpy out of Denver, but smooth sailing after that.”

“You’ll be happy to know we’ll also have smooth sailing to the island,” she said. The day was gray and cool, with low clouds, but not stormy in the least.

“How is your day going?” Tom asked once they got on the highway.

“Can’t complain. The Master is in one of his moods, but no matter. I’m busy with the ferry today. No bigwigs—just you and the other new apprentice later.”

“Do we need to wait? You could take both of us at the same time.”

For some reason, she laughed at this and answered, “Don’t worry. It’s not a problem.”

“Where are we headed?” Since his plane reservations arrived in his e-mail box, Tom had been scouring the map looking for islands in the vicinity, with little success.

“The boat is in the Ferry Vale marina. You’ll be able to see more this time, since it’s not raining. The drive isn’t particularly scenic, but I guarantee you’ll love it once we get on the water.”

She spoke the truth, and they endured vistas of industrial complexes and unremarkable housing tracts most of the way. When they reached Ferry Vale, it was just as charming as he remembered, but like his first visit, they drove straight through without stopping. Maybe he could drag Zayan back on one of their days off and give the coffeehouse a try. They left the cobblestones of the main street behind, and after a few turns, pulled into the marina. The sea spread out before them, but with no sign of an island. A breakwater jutted into the sea, enclosing the marina, so maybe that was blocking the view. Charlie pulled into a reserved parking spot, and they bustled down the dock to a sleek speedboat.

“Hold on,” she shouted as they sped off into the bay. “I’m sorry, I should have asked—do you have trouble with seasickness?”

“I haven’t had much experience sailing,” he answered, grabbing the handrails and feeling green with the speed and the choppiness.

“Watch the horizon. You’ll be fine.”

This helped, but did nothing to prepare him for what came next. He was facing backward as they sped past the breakwater and out onto the open ocean, and then the marina disappeared. Gone. Everything changed right before his eyes. The clouds blinked away, and they were powering through crystal-clear water under a blue sky. He looked forward, and they were headed straight for a new coastline, one that wasn’t there moments before.

“Welcome to Greenhaven,” she said with a touch of sly amusement. “I know…it’s a shock the first time, but you’ll get used to it.”

Horses! When they docked in the sandy bay, there wasn’t a vehicle in sight. A weathered outbuilding stood at the far side of the beach, with two horses waiting patiently to the side. Tom had only ridden a horse once in his entire life, when he was a child at the fair.

“You’ll ride with Hollyhock,” Charlie said, handing Tom a helmet and stowing his bags in the shack. “She’s gentle and friendly, so you won’t need to do anything. And don’t worry about your bags. I’ll retrieve them later. Let’s get you to the castle.”

A castle! Surprise piled on surprise, and he’d only just arrived. What would be next? Dragons? Evil wizards? At the interview, Tom had got the impression that Giles was eccentric, but who had a castle in these modern times? But there was no going back—he’d come this far, so he might as well see it through.

“Go say hello to her, slowly, and once you’ve met, I’ll help you get mounted.”

She watched with an amused grin, perhaps remembering her first days of riding, as Tom tentatively approached the horse and stroked a hand across her neck.

“Aren’t you a beauty?” he said, stunned by her markings. Nose to tail, she was patterned with leopard spots, like a carpet of flowers in every shade of tan and red and brown. Trying to muster some confidence, he whispered, “Have mercy on me and you’ll have a friend for life.”

He lost his balance on the first try at the saddle, negotiating the unfamiliar rituals of stirrups and reins, and ended up flat on his butt in the dirt. Charlie offered a hand, and he got halfway up on the second try, but managed to keep his footing when he came back to earth. He seated himself on the third try, as easy as that, wondering from his comfortable perch why it had been so difficult.

“You’re going to be a natural,” Charlie said without a trace of irony, and Tom took strength from that. “Let’s get on the road.”

Tom soon found that Hollyhock was the perfect horse for a newbie, as they followed closely behind Charlie’s horse. His racing heart subsided as they found their balance together on the dirt road climbing from the sandy bay, then he calmed enough to enjoy the ride as they passed through a meadow carpeted with bright yellow flowers. His enthusiasm threatened to return as they rode into a dense hardwood forest, cool and picturesque, sunlight dappling the trail with romantic light.

“All good back there, young apprentice?” she called as they ambled through the shade.