Into The Light (Immortal Hearts Book 1)

by Katherine Hastings

  Annella chuckled. “We’ll have time to spare before the sun pops up in twenty minutes.”

  Lothaire turned to Aiden. “I’ll see you at home, brother. Take your time,” he said, gesturing to me.

  “We’ll see you tonight. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do now that I’m not dying.”

  Lothaire gave him a soft smile. “I like that plan.”

  “I’ll see you both at home! Welcome to the family, Emilia!” Annella said, smiling at both of us. “Ready, Thorne?”

  The glimmer in his eye and the smile he fought to suppress told me he had other plans.

  “I’m gonna stay here for a little while. I’m pretty interested in learning all about this culture, and there’s a light-tight cave close to here I can crash in for the day. Isn’t that right, Catrain?”

  She rolled her eyes and shrugged. “He won’t leave.”

  We all exchanged a glance and choked down our laughs.

  “Well, I guess you stay and have fun here,” Aiden finally said. “We’ll see you at home... whenever that is.” He raised a playful eyebrow.

  “I’ll catch up eventually.” Thorne smiled and turned to Catrain. “Want to show me where that cave is?”

  “Not really, but if you insist.” She turned and twitched her head gesturing for him to follow.

  “Bye, Thorne!” I called after him. “And thank you again. Both of you! And thank your mother!”

  Catrain looked over her shoulder and gave me a nod. Thorne looked back and threw us all a mischievous wink. Even Lothaire chuckled as they sauntered off together.

  “Well, we’ll see you when you get back,” Lothaire said, turning to Aiden and then to me. “Take care of him, Emilia.”

  Lothaire’s voice dripped with emotion. A plea and a warning all rolled into one. This time I didn’t shrink from his intense stare. Tossing my arms around his neck, I kissed him on the cheek. “I will. I promise.”

  After I slid back to the ground, he met me with an appreciative nod and a smile.

  “Oh, and tell Mark we’ll be home soon so not to leave and go chasing after Ryan Gosling until after we get back,” I added.

  “He’s gonna have to fight me for him. I’ve got dibs on Gosling.” Annella smiled and winked. With a flash, they disappeared, and Aiden and I stood alone in the center of the small village.

  “Well, it looks like Thorne will have his hands full for a while,” I said.

  “That is if he has hands when she’s done with him. I have a feeling if he tries to make a move, she’ll more than likely remove them.”

  We exchanged a glance and a laugh.

  “I’m glad you and your brother patched things up. I’m excited to be part of your family. I don’t have one anymore.”

  “You do now. You have all of us. We’re your family now.”

  Just a month ago I had been alone. Now I had Aiden and Mark, a sister, and brothers. My heart swelled at the thought of being part of a family again. It nearly exploded with the realization I had an eternity with Aiden awaiting me.

  “I have an idea,” he said, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “What’s that?”

  A playful grin lifted his lips. “Are you ready to see what you can do?” He reached out a hand and held it waiting.

  I narrowed my eyes and mirrored his grin. With a flash I appeared at his side, our fingers tangled together.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Ready.”

  We bolted across the village and out into the woods. When we hit top speed it felt like time stood still... like the world around us had frozen. He looked over at me and smiled. The wind whipped through my hair and I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I marveled at my reflexes while we darted through the woods, and flew through the fields, hands held tight as I stayed at his side. It felt natural, like I had been doing it for years. I wondered if this was how Mark felt when he changed... so invigorated and alive.

  We ran through the fields and dashed around the island, laughing and playing as I tried to catch him, missing by inches each time. He gave me a wink and raced onto the beach, flying into the water. I surged after him, slowing when I saw the droplets of water in his wake spraying up around us. When I turned to look at them, they appeared frozen, like I could reach out and pluck one from the air. The soft glow of the orange strip of the rising sun flickered within them. The incredible sight stunned me so much that I tumbled over my own feet. With a shriek, I flew forward, but Aiden caught me in his sturdy arms before I plunged into the waves.

  We tumbled onto the sand, our laughs carrying across the water while we collapsed beside each other on the beach.

  “Oops.” I giggled. “I guess I need some practice. Thanks for the save. I almost got a face full of water.”

  “I’m always here to catch you.” He sat up and pulled me between his legs. I pressed my back into his chest and inhaled a deep breath while he wrapped his arms around me.

  “This is what I wanted to do,” he said, resting his head on top of mine.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “I wanted to watch the sun come up.”

  “Oh,” I answered, realizing the weight of his words.

  I settled back against him and together we stared at the horizon, watching the soft tangerine color spread across the lake stretched out in front of us. The colors deepened and swirled together, and I felt his heart, my heart, speeding up at the sight of it. I listened to his breathing while the translucent glow of the horizon burst into a vibrant pink that stretched long fingers in every direction, bathing everything in its light. The orange rays of the sun crept into sight and set the lake and the sky ablaze. My heart pounded with his as the orb slid into sight, illuminating the darkness around us.

  “Incredible,” he said, and I felt his breath in my ear.

  I turned my head back and saw the light behind his eyes as he watched the sun come into full view, its rays washing over us. The light from the sun paled compared to the light radiating from Aiden. His eyes moved to mine and his hand slid to my chin. He brushed his thumb across my cheek and leaned down, touching my lips with the same tenderness as the sun’s rays caressing the surrounding lands.

  “I hope you like getting up early,” he said between kisses. “Because I intend to watch a lot of sunrises in our lifetime.”

  “I go where you go.” I kissed him back.

  “Thank you, Emilia.”

  “For what?”

  “For everything. You saved me. You showed me life and love, and you pulled me out of the darkness and bathed me in light. I will appreciate every day at your side and love you until the end of time.”

  Closing my eyes, I let his words wash over me. We’d both been so broken when he’d found me. Two shattered souls who found salvation in each other. I’d been through so much, and I had been so alone when he’d walked into my life, but he had reached out a hand and pulled me up from the ground, wrapping me in his protective arms and opening the world to me. He had given me everything... everything I never even knew I needed.

  “I love you, Aiden Mackay. Thank you for loving me.”

  “I love you more, Emilia Charles,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. Then he pulled back and that familiar glimmer twinkled in his eyes. “About that. I like the name Emilia Charles, but I’m wondering what you’d think about becoming Emilia Mackay?”

  “What?” I almost choked on the word.

  “Well, we share a heart and an eternity. What do you think about sharing a last name? Will you marry me, Emilia?”

  My heart exploded, a burst inside me that burned brighter than the sun. I nodded while tears welled up behind my eyes. “Yes,” I breathed. “So many times, yes.”

  I threw my arms around his neck and sank into his kiss. I could taste my dreams on his tongue and feel my heartbeat pulsing through his veins. He was my home, my life, and my heart. It wasn’t just Aiden who had been trapped in the darkness before we met. It had been me, too. But now I would danc
e with him, love him, and live with him under the warmth of the sun and together we would walk into the light.

  Did you enjoy Into The Light? If you want more, we have good news! Two more books in the Immortal Hearts series will be coming later in 2020/early 2021. PREORDER Awakened Light now so you don’t miss Thorne and Catrain’s story when it releases!

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  AWAKENED LIGHT

  IMMORTAL HEARTS BOOK TWO

  Releasing December 2020

  I WAS RAISED TO HATE vampires. In my eyes, vampires are an abomination created by my ancestor’s magic, and every last one of them should be wiped off the earth.

  And then I meet Thorne.

  He’s one of them, but he’s different than the blood-thirsty monsters I’ve always been led to believe they are. He’s kind, funny, and charming.

  And more handsome than any man I’ve ever seen.

  When his friend, Annella, is kidnapped, he comes to me for help. He needs my magic to track her so they can bring her home. Even though I should say no and stay here on the island I’ve never left, his pleading eyes seduce me to follow him into the world I’ve never seen.

  A world so big and complex it rivals the feelings growing for Thorne that I can’t seem to deny.

  Feelings I can’t have. It’s forbidden. Our lives too different. My responsibilities impossible to ignore.

  All I can do is try to enjoy this short time with Thorne before I must return to my home and my duties... and say goodbye to the man and the life that can never be mine.

  PREORDER NOW

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  www.katherinehastings.com

  THANK YOU FOR READING

  I hope you enjoyed Into the Light! The greatest gift you can give a writer is your review. If you enjoyed this book, I would be forever grateful if you’d take the time to leave a review. Find out more about my other books and upcoming releases at www.katherinehastings.com.

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