Prologue

She had always favored sunset, rather than sunrise.

As Elise Blake stood on the shore, the lake’s furious waves crashing around her, she tilted her head to the west, watching the sun sink into the horizon, relishing the thought of the darkness enveloping her, hiding her from view. The unending sound of the waves grounded her, comforted her, even as blackness wrapped around her, more tightly than the sweater she tugged around her shoulders.

She had always favored sunset, and the darkness, because her life was always filled with dark moments, dark thoughts, dark deeds, dark hatred not of her choosing. Sunsets were endings – as was much of her life.

Until Timberline.

Until she saw the beauty of a sunrise.

Shown to her by a beautiful man.

And realized that beginnings, and light, had their moments too.

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