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From Evelyn Terry’s Private Journal, Dated June 9, 1825

I told myself the island appeared to me for a reason. And that reason was so I could take Kimble’s treasure to save my friends…

When I snuck out the next morning and reached Aggy’s house, I saw the lantern already lit in her window, my best friend sitting up, waiting for me in the early dawn hours.

“Sparrow,” she whispered. Her skin glistened, and her hair was matted to her face. I suspected she had a fever. The moment she spoke she started to cough. “What have you done?” She didn’t seem angry at me, just resigned to her fate.

“I found a way to save you,” I told her, getting as close to the window as I could. I was too eager to wait for her to read my letter. I wanted to tell her everything myself. “I brought you something. A coin from the island. From the treasure that made Captain Kimble immortal.” Aggy started to protest. “Hush! The coin will make you well! But maybe you already knew that.” I threw her the pouch.

She caught it and looked at the sack for a moment. Then she started to cough violently. “I can’t see everything, Sparrow, just how it all ends.” She was quiet. “That’s why I wanted you to have my necklace. To remember me by.”

“Remember you? You’re not dying!” I insisted. “Open that sack! What’s inside will save you. Hold the coin in your hand, and I’m sure it will work.”

She pursed her chapped lips, neither telling me I was right or wrong with my prediction. Instead, Aggy opened the sack and held up the coin for me to see it.

I’m not sure what I thought would happen in that moment. How immortality would take hold of a person. But I expected something supernatural. A flash of light, perhaps, or for Aggy to give a gasp, and then her body would return to its natural pallor, her retching cough subsiding before my very eyes.

None of those things happened.

“Do you feel any different?” I asked hopefully.

Aggy hesitated, as if she knew something I didn’t. “No. I’m sorry, but I don’t.” She started to cough again, drawing blood.

“I don’t understand!” I couldn’t help but sound frustrated.

Overhead, I heard thunder. Mama would be looking for me soon in this weather.

“Why didn’t it work?” I asked. Aggy didn’t answer. “That coin is from Kimble’s treasure chest. The one that made him immortal. I know it! I found it on the…island,” I thought of something. “Maybe for the coin to work, you need to be on the island! Before the Blood Orange Moon.” This had to be the key. Maybe this was how Kimble became immortal—he took the treasure when he was on the island, and now he remained immortal till all the treasure was returned. He hadn’t found the missing piece, so he said, and now I had taken four coins he didn’t know about, so there was still time to make this work. “Get to the island tonight! At dusk. I’ll tell the others,” I said. “ Promise me , Aggy.”

She gave a wan smile. “I’ll promise, but only if you take the letter I wrote you.”

“No,” I said stubbornly. “I don’t want to say goodbye. This is going to work! I can feel it.”

“At least hold on to my necklace for me…until after,” she said decidedly. She passed the thin chain out the window, almost as if she had it ready, knowing I would come. She handed me the letter as well.

“Alright,” I agreed, taking both, not wanting to be cruel. She dropped the necklace into my outstretched hand. “But I will give the necklace back to you. After tonight.”

“After,” she stressed. A flash of lightning made us both look up. “You should hurry and get the coins to the others before the storm.”

“I love you, Aggy,” I said suddenly. “You’re my best friend.”

“And you’re mine, Sparrow,” she said, tears filling her eyes. “And you always will be.”

The rain started to fall as I walked away from her window, looking back to see her before I left. Then I hurried on, dropping letters to both Laurel, who was too weak to get out of bed, and to Thomas. He was in better shape than Laurel. When I reached his window, explained again what I had found and what he needed to do, he almost laughed through his coughing.

“Sparrow, this can’t be true, but I’ll try anything,” he said, taking the letter. “And I’ll see to it that Laurel gets there, even if I have to carry her myself.”

I was feeling pleased with myself by the time I got to the mercantile to deliver the final letter to Gil. But that’s when I realized I’d forgotten one detail—the mercantile wasn’t open, a sign hanging on the double glass doors that said, Sickness. Store Closed .

Gil lived above the store. With the doors locked, I went around to the back of the shop, looking up at the second-floor windows, wishing more than anything Gil was sitting by the window. He wasn’t. I looked around in desperation. Maybe I could hit the window with a rock and make him see me. I picked up a few small pebbles and started throwing. My aim wasn’t great, but I managed to hit the corner of the window.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I spun around and saw Axel’s father glaring at me, his hands on his hips. He was wearing an expensive suit with a pocket watch dangling from his breast pocket. Behind him, was Axel.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I need to speak to Gilbert Monroe.”

“Can’t you read, girl? The sign on the mercantile says it’s closed due to illness. Go on, now.” Elias Rudd tried shooing me away like I was a dog.

“I know how to read, sir. But this is urgent. I need to get this letter to him.”

“What’s it about?” said Axel, being nosy as ever.

“It’s”—I thought fast—“a note from my father. For Gil’s aunt and uncle.”

Axel’s dad just looked at me. “Slide it under the front doors. They’ll find it eventually,” he said before walking away.

“ Eventually? ” I felt tears spring to my eyes. I couldn’t risk Gil not finding the letter in time. I needed to make sure he got my note.

Axel was still standing there, watching me. “What’s the letter really about?”

I hated that he knew the truth. “Something that could help him get well, but I need to get it to him right away.” The rain was faller harder now. “You must have a key to the mercantile. Just help me get inside, and I’ll knock and leave it on their steps.”

“They all have the Cough. No one is supposed to go in there,” Axel said.

“The building isn’t sick. I just need to slip the letter under his door. Please? Can’t you do the right thing for once?”

Axel thought for a moment. “I can’t let you in, but I can sneak in later and get the letter to him.”

I was suspicious. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

Axel looked at me calmly. “You don’t. But do you have a better option? Other than breaking my windows?”

My windows . I hated when Axel talked about the building his father owned as it was his own. But he had a point about me being out of options. I needed to get this coin to Gil right away. I knew he would do whatever I asked of him.

I handed Axel the envelope. “Don’t open it,” I said, instantly regretting the words. I knew what happened when I told my brothers not to do something—they did the opposite.

Axel’s eyes flashed from my hand to the envelope. “I won’t.”

“Maybe I’ll just stand here till I know you’ve delivered it,” I added quickly.

“I need to get the key from my father first and then slip away. He’s not going to be happy if you’re loitering around,” Axel reminded me.

I heard myself sigh with frustration.

Axel awkwardly put a hand on my shoulder. “Sparrow,” he said, using my nickname for the first time ever. “Don’t worry. I promise I’ll get this to Gil. Just go home and stay safe.”

I blinked in surprise. Axel had never been that kind before. Maybe that was why I finally believed him. “Thank you,” I said and started to retreat. “Guard that letter with your life,” I added but didn’t say what I really meant: Gil’s life depends on it.