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“Stop now, gossin.”Josephine pressed one finger to his lips to silence him.“We’re not going to waste this time together on that foolishness.If you’d come with me that night, you’d likely be dead too.”

“But—” Colum started.

“But nothing.Tell me about your life, Colum.Please tell me you aren’t hiding out in that archive all day and night, tell me you’re not burying your nose in those books of yours without looking up, without going outside, without enjoying yourself.”

Colum smiled, aware his answer a month ago would have disappointed her.But now he could give her the answer she wanted.“I’ve fallen in love, and I’m getting married—a trinity marriage.”

Josephine’s eyes widened as she sprang from the chair, wrapping her arms around his neck, a million happy words bursting forth.“Oh my God!It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.Who are they?When did you meet?And where?What do they do for a living?Are you having a proper wedding?Did Eric arrange it?Were they your choice?”

Colum chuckled.“I thought you wanted me to leave.”

He’d meant his words as a joke, immediately hating that he’d reminded his sister their time together could only be short, when she released him and dropped back into her chair.

“You’re right.We don’t have long.Just tell me their names.”

“Annie and Xavier.Xavier is a poet.French he is, and looks just like you’d be wanting a French poet to look.And Annie, she loves art too…she’s from New York.”

Josephine clapped her hands together.“An American.”

“She’s beautiful, and Xavier…Christ, but he’s handsome.You’d love them both.”

“I know I would.Colum…I’m so happy for you.”

He grinned, so grateful for the chance to tell her about them, to let her know that he wasn’t squandering his life, wasn’t wasting the opportunities that she never got.

He recalled her dreams for her own future, pain piercing his heart at the unfairness of it all.

“Josephine,” he said, sobering up.“There are so many things I regret, so many things I handled wrong.”

She narrowed her eyes, but he forged on before she could stop him again because of his main regret, the big one, the one that had woken him up every night since she’d died.

“I’m sorry I never told you that I loved you that night.You said it, but I didn’t say it back.”

She laughed, the light tinkling sound so familiar and so missed.“You great gobshite.Do you really think I don’t know that?”She cupped his cheek affectionately.“I love you too, Colum, even though you’re a fecking eejit.And now…you really do have to go.”

She rose, grasping his hands and tugging him to the door, while he dragged his feet.

“I need more time,” he said.

She shook her head.“There isn’t any.The clock’s run out.Be happy, Colum, and take care of Eric.”Josephine opened the door, the world outside pitch-black, so dark he couldn’t see…anything.

Just as she was about to shove him out, he grabbed the doorframe, fighting to stay inside.“Josephine, will I see you again?”

She nodded.“Of course, brother.Of course.”

He opened his mouth to ask her when, but before he could utter the word, she slammed the door in his face.

Annie feltlike she couldn’t breathe as she clung to Xavier, like her head was full of white noise, when normally in a crisis she was cool, calm, and collected.

Not this time.Not when one of the men she loved lay on the floor dying.

She wanted to be the one giving him CPR, but she couldn’t.Her own breaths were choppy with fear, and she was shaking so bad that if Xavier hadn’t held her, she felt like she would fly apart.

Breathe, Colum.Breathe.Please.

Annie closed her eyes.She’d never considered herself a religious person, but at that moment, she was prepared to pray to every deity there was if it would help.If it would bring him back to her.

“Then move.You’re in my way.”