Chapter One

“You need to get out of there.” Timothy Chappell’s thick English accent, which he kept on principle despite being in the United States for almost four hundred years, would’ve brought a smile to Ethan’s lips were it not for what he had just suggested. 

Ethan sighed. “How long do I have?”

“How much notice do you need to give without drawing attention?”

“Probably two weeks.”

“That’ll do. You’ll need to change names and change cities as well. I imagine you’re still able to pass for a young man leaving university, so you’ll need to assume that role again.”

Ethan’s hand tightened on the phone. He blew out a breath while looking around the sumptuous corner office on one of the highest floors in Manhattan. 

“What about the accounts? Yours and the others? I won’t be able to manage as much without drawing suspicion.”

“I’d already considered that. We’re under so much scrutiny, we can’t afford any unnecessary attention.”

“No one has questioned me. I hardly think—”

“We cannot have people getting too close. As it is, your brother had to marry that girl—”

“Caitlyn,” Ethan said with a smile. He had only met his new sister-in-law a few times, but from what he had seen, he approved of Austin’s choice.

“Yes, well, that’s hardly what we need right now.”

“With all due respect, she saved a bunch of us. I think I could contribute more if I remain as I am. I’ve lived this long without drawing any attention.”

“We can’t take the risk. I need you to move.” The old man’s voice always held a firm tone with everyone. Ethan enjoyed more familiarity than most as he managed the entire island’s wealth, including the substantial holdings of the man with whom he was speaking. 

The old man took a breath on his end of the line, a rare moment of pause. 

“I’m sorry, Ethan. We’re in extraordinary circumstances. All of us have to make changes.”

Ethan couldn’t imagine what changes Timothy needed to make but accepted the apology without comment.

“I still feel that given the current trends in the market, remaining in a position where I can have more insight and access to greater funds would be of benefit.”

“I see your point, but you must leave and start over. We can’t afford any more leaks. We’re not talking money, Ethan. We’re talking lives. You do realize what almost happened, don’t you?”

Ethan’s mouth thinned, and he gritted his teeth, biting back the response he had ready. 

“I’m aware,” he said dryly. 

“The police have questions about Austin. I’ve arranged for a name change, and I’m hoping all this attention will die down in a couple of months. Something about his face all over that dreaded man’s house.”

“You can’t make him assume a new name.”

“He’ll need to take one soon. I don’t want to attract attention, but I would rather have this wrapped up.”

“How does Austin feel about this?” Ethan asked, knowing the answer. Though his brother had lived at home since serving in the navy, he didn’t like to be confined. Having to fake his own death would mean not being able to leave the island for months until everyone forgot about him, and he adopted his new identity. 

“I haven’t brought the matter to his attention.” Timothy’s voice told Ethan everything he needed to know. Apparently, the old man was looking forward to it about as much as Austin would be once he found out. 

“Austin still looks young.”

“The photographs were military—his military service through the modern-day. We have to rid ourselves of the chance for additional interviews. The more they talk to us, the less likely it is we can keep this a secret.”

Ethan couldn’t fault Timothy’s logic. “Has there been additional questioning?”

“Not for about a week, but the questions have started to get more specific. They want to know about Austin.”

Ethan made a noise in his throat. 

“As he is your brother, this will extend to you.”

“New name?”

“Yes.”

Ethan tapped his fingers on the large, sleek desk in front of him. It represented so many years of hard work, hard work that he had prided himself on. Work was all he had, that and how he provided for the people who had raised him. With a life expectancy of at least four hundred, he couldn’t possibly stay in the same job forever, but he had never left, and though he knew the day would come, the idea didn’t sit right with him. He tried to catch up with what Timothy had been saying. 

“...Your new apartment will be in Boston and—” 

“Boston?” Ethan frowned, eyeing the New York skyline through his floor-to-ceiling windows. 

“Yes, I think it’s best if you’re closer to home. After that, you’ll need to leave in another three months to go elsewhere. I don’t want anyone catching on to us any more than they already might have. Mark Schmidt figured it out, so we must act fast.”

Back in December, Mark Schmidt had bombed the old meetinghouse where the renewals had taken place every season. Renewals on Brightrock were what made the people on the small island off the coast of Massachusetts different. A sip every now and then of the water from the secret spring and they almost stopped aging in its path. One year turned into seven, stretching their lifetime into hundreds of years. Before Mark had shot himself, he had screamed their carefully guarded secret was out. He was gone, but now the police had been asking questions for months as they uncovered more and more evidence about the island, and everyone on Brightrock wondered how a down-on-his-luck drunk had figured out what they had successfully protected for almost four hundred years. 

“It’s July, I thought they would’ve gotten tired of us by now.”

Timothy sighed on the other end of the line. “I had hoped so too, but it seems every time the terror alert goes up, we’re back on their list of priorities. Also, the police don’t have a motive yet. Given what happened in Boston a few years ago, they’re very thorough with their terror investigations. Not that they’ll figure out that horrible man’s motive, but until they’re satisfied here we are. Besides it’s not just them. We’ve been keeping a low profile for years, but since December even the Department of Health has realized they haven’t been out for a while and want to come out for a full audit. All of us are on alert.”

“What about Lizzy?” Ethan wished he could’ve taken the words back the moment they left his mouth. His cousin preferred to fly under the radar.

“Yes, I need to speak with her tonight. I haven’t spoken with the other founders on the council about her situation. As Austin’s cousin, she could be questioned. It would be best.”

“She just started her doctoral program. As it is, didn’t she have to come back early for a so-called family emergency last year?”

“Yes, and I’ve taken that into consideration.”

“She’s wanted to do that program for a long time.”

“To use your sentiment, I am aware of that, but security measures must remain our top priority. There will be time for her to go to school, perhaps in another decade or so.”

Ethan couldn’t help himself. “A decade?” 

“Of course. Lizzy has plenty of time. I’m going to propose to the council that we order her to return as soon as possible.”

Ethan bit back the argument he had at the ready in Lizzy’s defense. The town council consisted of the original settlers who founded Brightrock, having found the spring that extended their lives. Keeping both the secret and the islanders safe had always been a top priority for all of its members. Timothy Chappell sat as the most conservative voice, steering against all modernity. He held two doctorates, each from a different century, and no doubt saw no issue with Lizzy following a similar timeline. 

“I see. Well, is there anything else you would like to discuss tonight? We have that conference call with the other members later in the week.”

The old man took Ethan’s cue and launched into a series of concerns and questions about various accounts and funds. While Ethan answered each one with ease, he looked out at the fading sun over the skyline while a sense he was being trapped closed around his chest.