In the children’s home, countless questions jostled for position in my head, demanding answers that I could not give.

Where has Jasper been for a thousand years?

Why did he turn up now?

What did he want from me?

Was it the life-pearl?

It had to be. That must be what he was after—he was ageless; the scars on his arm made that clear. And, like me, he wanted to end it.

He could not possibly know where it was, though. But there was a more frightening possibility. Perhaps he knew that I knew and planned to use me to get to it.

I stared at the new school uniform hanging on the back of my bedroom door. Sangeeta said she would take me to school tomorrow, and after that I was to make my own way.

Make my own way.

Make friends. Grow up with them. Be normal.

Except that I could not. Not unless I managed to get to the pearl—before anyone else.