Into The Light (Immortal Hearts Book 1)

by Katherine Hastings

  The statement made my heart stop. “You’re going to be a vampire?”

  Mark nodded eagerly. “Yes. Immortality here I come! And I hope before I get any more wrinkles. I’ve got a line right here between my eyebrows starting and I don’t want any more for all eternity.”

  Shock didn’t quite cover my whirling emotions. “You want to be a vampire?”

  “Who wouldn’t?”

  “Me. I don’t think I would want it.”

  “Give it time. You’ll be begging him to turn you one day.”

  I shook my head in amazement. “Wow. That’s crazy!”

  “Only a few more years left. Then you’ll have two vampires to live with!”

  The thought of immortality scared me. I couldn’t even comprehend the reality that it could actually be a possibility, much less something I may want.

  Me? A vampire?

  “Oh, before I forget. We need to put your bracelet on.”

  “Bracelet?” He pulled me out of my Vampire Emilia daydream.

  “Don’t freak out, but to ensure the safety of Aiden’s identity, we need to put an alert bracelet on you that tells us if you leave the property.”

  “What?” Shock sat me upright.

  “It’s not a big deal, and it’s diamond so at least there’s that!” He tried to lighten the blow.

  “You want me to wear a bracelet like a dog inside an invisible fence?”

  “The moment a human gets fed on or sees a vampire they are erased. The memory removed. Because Aiden needs your fear gone, he can’t erase you after every feeding. Your fear would come back each day when you discovered he’s a vampire over and over again. Like that movie, what’s it called?”

  “Fifty First Dates.”

  “Yes! That one. So the only way is to keep your mind free. Your fear will leave soon, and Aiden can enjoy fear-free blood... his lobster. But we can’t risk you or anyone running off and telling the world. Hence, no phones, no internet, and... a beautiful diamond perimeter bracelet.”

  This revelation didn’t sit well with me. For the first time since arriving I felt like a prisoner.

  He pulled out the bracelet from the small leather satchel at the side of his chair. The diamonds glistened in the sunlight. Though admittedly beautiful, the implications dimmed the radiance of the diamonds.

  “We put it on, I lock it up, and it’s over. Okay?”

  I scowled and stuck out my wrist. “Fine. But I don’t like it.”

  “I know, sweetie. But it’s for Aiden’s safety.”

  He snapped the tennis bracelet on and secured the lock with a small golden key.

  “You owe me another Bloody Mary.” I furrowed my brow and clanked the ice around the empty glass, the bracelet shaking with the movement and sending reflected rays of light all around us.

  “Coming right up!” He hopped up and disappeared into the house. I looked at the bracelet and then reminded myself... five million dollars. This was a small price to pay. The tan line it would leave behind was another story.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Aiden

  MY EYES SNAPPED OPEN as they did most evenings the moment the sun set. Pulling back the sheets, I stepped out of bed and stretched. I felt energized upon waking, more so than I could recall in recent history. My body buzzed with an energy that heightened all my senses. Though diminished from last night, it still left me feeling better than I had in years. It was her blood moving inside me that was causing this euphoric feeling... it had to be.

  The feeling intrigued me almost as much as the woman who’d caused it. Emilia. Memories of her flooded my mind. Her laugh. Her smile. Her eyes. There was something about those eyes, as if she saw deeper inside me than anyone had in centuries. Since Isobel.

  Pain seared through me while I forced Isobel’s memory to the dark corner of my mind where it resided. If I let her creep into my thoughts, pain overwhelmed me. It had taken a hundred years just to get her memory to stay there and still took considerable effort every day to keep it at bay.

  Mark would be waiting outside my room, part of our evening routine, handing me a newspaper and chattering at me incessantly about his day. He was bored; I understood that much. Being a social creature, my isolated life left him empty. He took a few days off each month to kick up his heels on the town, but most of his time he spent here with me. I had hoped Jenny might keep Mark entertained, but in his opinion she had turned out to be, as he would say, an epic fail.

  She was cold and callous. Not unlike me, I suppose, but Mark had held high hopes for her. It seemed all she’d done was ignore him all day and offer me her throat with a sigh each evening. That was the deal, so nothing to complain about on my end, but Mark had been disappointed. This time I hoped Emilia would make a better companion for him.

  I opened the door and reached out my hand, waiting for him to place the paper in it. I didn’t care much about the musings of mortals, but I liked to check on my stocks. As I stood with an outstretched hand, no paper landed in my palm. Poking my head out into the hall I furrowed my brow. Mark was nowhere to be seen.

  That’s peculiar. Where is he off to?

  Pricking my ears, I listened. No sounds came from inside the house except a dripping faucet upstairs I noted needed repair. I focused in harder, my keen hearing now pushing out to the areas surrounding the house.

  Laughter.

  Mark’s. Another laugh shook my eardrums. Emilia. They were doubled over in stitches near the pool from the sound of the water splashing accompanying their giggles.

  My questions over his whereabouts put to rest, I went to my closet and reached for my favorite suit. In my head, I could hear Mark scolding me to grab something more casual. There, folded above the rows of suits were several pairs of jeans Mark had grabbed for me on his latest shopping spree. The tags still dangled from them since I found them to be rather distasteful and crude, but he had assured me they were the best jeans money could buy. I could seize this opportunity to try them out.

  After sliding on the rough material it surprised me how comfortable they felt once I had secured the button. Interesting. I started to understand why he preferred this particular fashion. A dusty blue button-down shirt caught my eye.

  Colors. Wear colors. Mark’s voice echoed in my head.

  It wasn’t pink or anything but provided more color than the greys and blacks I usually wore. I pulled it from the hanger and slipped it on. When I glanced in the mirror, it surprised me to see how good I looked in this outfit. Hope that Emilia would feel the same flashed through my mind followed by shock that I cared enough to wonder about her reaction.

  Heading down the corridor, I followed the sounds of continuous laughter to the glass doors opened to the pool area. The crisp evening breeze carried the sounds of Mark engaged in an animated story, and Emilia chuckled at his antics. I saw them laying side by side on blowup rafts as they floated across the aqua green water that glowed from the underwater lights.

  “No. Way. Stop the presses!” Mark said, his eyes wide when he caught sight of me. “Are those jeans? You’re in jeans? It’s a miracle!”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. He had told me to dress more causal to put Emilia at ease and now he had the audacity to tease me about it... in front of her. As I stood in front of them, his taunts made me feel uncomfortable. Another emotion I had almost forgotten existed.

  Her eyes scanned my body before settling on my own. “I like it. A lot. You look great.”

  Her opinion mattered to me, I realized only after she’d offered it. Mark continued beaming, giving me a thumbs up with the hand not clutching a margarita. He’d indulged in too much liquor, which would explain his inability to see he was making me look like a fool trying to impress a girl. He wasn’t incorrect, but I didn’t need Emilia to know it. Even though his behavior irked me, it was nice to see he’d made a friend he could enjoy. I suppose I could forgive him.

  “How did you sleep?” she asked as she drifted my way.

  “Good, thank you. Did you two h
ave a nice day?”

  “The best!” Mark chimed. “Breakfast and bloodies by the pool, afternoon naps, Nancy whipped up cheeseburgers and chocolate lava cake for dinner, now we’re back in the pool. She’s so great, Aiden! Can we keep her? Forever?”

  Emilia laughed and splashed him with water. He returned the favor and fell off his raft pulling his margarita under with him. His head popped up first, then his hand clutching the cactus glass now filled to the top with pool water.

  “Boo!” he said with a fat lip protruding.

  “Oh! That sucks!” Emilia laughed, Mark following suit. The two seemed thick as thieves already. A flash of jealousy tightened my stomach. He was so natural around her, and she was so relaxed with him. I wished she felt that way around me.

  “Care to join us, Aiden?” Emilia asked.

  “Good luck with that,” Mark spluttered.

  “I don’t swim.” Emilia searched my face for more. I had been too short again. “I’ve never been in the pool. I haven’t been swimming in decades.”

  “Centuries I think,” Mark said.

  “Why not?” Emilia asked.

  “It serves no purpose. I don’t need exercise to stay in shape and it serves no benefit. I only swim when the need arises.”

  “Oh,” she said, her eyes falling. “I love the water. I love swimming in it, floating on it, looking at it. I’ll probably be in this pool for most of my stay here.”

  “I’m glad you will enjoy it.”

  I shifted my weight while silence settled between us. After a few moments, Mark broke it by pushing to the edge of the pool and hoisting himself out.

  “I’m getting another margarita.”

  Grimacing, I shot him a look. He had spent all day with her and now it was my turn for some alone time. She intrigued me and I wanted to learn more. He caught my look and even the margaritas hadn’t clouded him so much he misunderstood.

  “On second thought, I just got a terrible headache. Would you two mind if I took a breath and laid down?”

  “Not at all,” I said, thanking him with my eyes.

  “Of course not. Feel better!” Emilia called to him after finishing her sip of margarita.

  “Good night, Emilia. Good night, Aiden.” He flashed me a wily smile and headed into the house.

  Emilia looked up at me, her head now resting on folded arms that lay across her purple raft. “I guess that means I should head in?”

  “Please, stay. No need for you to end your fun.”

  “Don’t you need to feed?”

  “Later. Please, enjoy yourself.” Generally, I would have already fed by now. My throat scratched and my fangs throbbed at the smell of her. Though famished, I didn’t want to disturb her. She looked so peaceful floating about. Beautiful, too.

  “Are you sure? I don’t mind. It’s getting chilly now that the sun is down.”

  “I don’t mind at all. Please, take your time. Just find me when you’re done. If you’re chilly, might I suggest a swim over in the hot tub? Mark tells me it’s, how did he word it, awesomesauce.”

  Emilia burst into laughter. The sound of it brought me pleasure.

  “I can’t believe you just said ‘awesomesauce.’”

  “I’m only repeating what Mark told me.” We exchanged a smile.

  “If you won’t swim, maybe you’ll sit with me?”

  My head nodded yes before I even thought about an answer.

  Emilia grinned. “Good. I’ll meet you by the hot tub.”

  She slipped off her raft and under the aqua water. Her body shimmered in light as she glided beneath the surface. Her admirable curves became illuminated when she resurfaced, causing something in me to stir. It wasn’t her blood this time, and it wasn’t my fangs begging to spring forth.

  She followed the curves and channels of the pools while I walked beside her. My eyes remained glued to her every move as she dove and twirled, cutting through the water with ease. We arrived at the hot tub together, and she pulled herself over the ledge and slid into the steaming water.

  “Oh, man. That’s nice.”

  I enjoyed watching her pleasure, and the way her head tipped back exposing her neck as she let her arms drift to the top caused another surge in me. This one belonged to both my fangs and my member below.

  “Here. Mark had this installed,” I said, referencing the fire pit that formed a circle inside the hot tub like the center of a tire or those donuts everyone raved about. I pushed the button on the pole beside me and flames erupted. Her face lit up from both the flames and from the wonder of it all.

  “Awesomesauce is right,” she said as she swam in circles around the fire.

  “I’m glad you like it,” I said, her enjoyment increasing mine.

  “Love it. I love it. I love everything here. It’s paradise. It’s too bad you won’t join me.”

  “I don’t even have a swimsuit,” I said, realizing I’d never owned one.

  “At least stick your feet in?”

  Her puppy dog eyes pleaded with me and I felt compelled to obey. With a nod I kicked off my leather shoes and rolled up the bottoms of my jeans. I sat at the edge of the pool and slipped my feet into the bubbling water. It pricked my skin, the heat uncomfortable at first then soothing. Her smile warmed even more.

  “There? That isn’t so bad, is it?”

  I shook my head and looked at her face, aglow in the cool blue lights. She reminded me of the beauties from days of old. There was no makeup or contouring back then to trick the eye and improve a plain face. You were either beautiful, or you weren’t. She was. Stunning, really. In the most natural way.

  “Tell me about yourself?” she asked, trailing her fingers through the bubbles.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “You were born in Scotland, right?”

  “Yes. Dùthaich MhicAoidh, Durness, Sutherland to be exact.”

  “That’s a mouthful.”

  “So is the spelling of my real name.”

  “Now I’m intrigued, what is it?”

  “Aodhagan,” I said before spelling it out.

  “Aye-gawn.” She sounded it back.

  “We changed it to Aiden when we left Scotland.”

  “What was your life like back then? I’m so intrigued.”

  It was so long ago, it should have been hard to remember, but I recalled every detail of my life. “I was part of Clan MacKay. We worked the fields, tended the herds, and some of us, like me, were warriors.”

  “You were a warrior?”

  I nodded.

  “Did you have a family?”

  That was a loaded question. “Yes. I still do. A brother and a sister.”

  “Wait, still? Are they...?”

  “Vampires? Yes. Lothaire and Annella. We were all changed at the same time.”

  “How... how did you become... you know?”

  “You can say it out loud.” I chuckled. Pink flushed her cheeks. “How did I become a vampire? That’s a long story.”

  “I’ve got time. Five years to be exact.” She tipped her head and urged me on.

  A sigh rode my shoulders, and I struggled for where to begin. “The short version is that the Black Death, a deadly plague, was coming our way, and my clan were descendants of Picts.”

  “What are Picts?”

  I tried to find a way to describe them. “The Picts were a tribal people in Scotland, similar to Native Americans here when foreigners first arrived on the soil. Pict means ‘painted people’. They were tattooed and painted, very primal. Even in comparison to our simple ways. They fought hard, but clans slowly pushed them from their lands, forcing them into seclusion and hiding. They were thought extinct by the eleventh century. But a small tribe of them survived, and only a handful of descendants, like my clan, knew they still existed.”

  “Where did they go?” She blinked rapidly as she hung on my every word.

  “An island. Hidden by magic.”

  “Magic?” She sat back and clutched her chest. “There’s magi
c? It’s real?”

  “Yes. It’s rare. But it’s real. It’s the reason I am still standing here hundreds of years later.”

  “So, what happened?”

  “With the Black Death sweeping the country, our chieftain, who was also my uncle, was one of only a handful of people who knew their whereabouts, and he sought them out. Knowing this small tribe also possessed magic, he asked them to grant our clan protection from the plague. Since we were their descendants, they agreed on the condition we would use our newfound powers to protect them from the invaders seeking to destroy them. Our chief made the deal and they cast a spell over my tribe. It granted us immortality, strength, speed, hearing, and fangs for weapons. We needed no food or drink. Sleep was optional. But, only some of us survived the transformation.”

  She watched me with bated breath. “People died?”

  “Yes. My father and mother, along with one brother, didn’t make it.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, genuine concern heavy in her voice.

  It had been painful at the time, but the centuries had eased the pain, though I appreciated her concern. “Thank you. It was a long time ago.”

  “So, now you were all vampires?”

  She finally said the word. “No. Not yet. As part of the deal, the strongest of the warriors were promised to live on the island, immortal soldiers to keep them safe from invaders. But our chief lost his wife in the transformation. Furious and grief-stricken he refused our end of the deal and our immortality was ripped away.”

  “Then how are you still here?”

  “During a battle only a week later, our chief ripped the throat from an invading clansman. As he swallowed the blood, he felt all his powers return. He commanded us to do the same. We drank the blood of our enemies and with it stole their life force and embedded it with our own.”

  “Whoa.”

  “As long as we continued to drink fresh blood, our powers and immortality remained. Furious he had found a way to keep the gift and unable to fully retract it, the Pict leader, a very powerful witch, cursed us to walk the dark for all eternity. We became unable to stand the sunlight after.”

  “So, you are essentially the first vampires?”