13th century France: One holds a secret. One will murder to claim it. The last will discover his sacred destiny.1290, France, Renier de Beynac, the Papal Inquisitor ruthlessly hunts down heretics and a legend. India Serras, is the last and protects a treasure so precious that Renier will stop at nothing to obtain it. Jourdain LeTardif, a merchant wounded in the dark streets of Carcassonne, collapses at India's doorstep. Against all odds, she realizes who he really is, the untold circumstances of his birth and the events that will ultimately change both their lives.

Dying a good death is Vee Riley's final wish, and she believes a good death is a conscious death. In the grip of end-stage cancer, she decides how she will interact with her deteriorating physical condition, while letting go of family and friends, her home, and her independence. For most of her life, Vee pursued a daily spiritual practice that included artwork, writing, meditating, and communing in nature, and she devoted herself to compassionate service enriching the lives of hundreds. Now, at 87, Vee knows the door to life is closing, and she valiantly engages her daughter Kate as her ally....