Page 52 of Awakened Light

“Thank you, Catrain,” Lothaire said, and his sincere eyes met mine. “You have no idea what this will mean to us.”

“I’m so sorry for what happened to your people,” I answered. “The story has been warped through the generations, and there was no mention of the horrible fate that befell so many of your clan. You have my apologies, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure you don’t suffer anymore.”

“And,” Thorne cut in and lifted his hand to show the ring. “For one week, Catrain has enchanted my ring to block the sunlight curse. Guess what I did today?”

He waggled his eyebrows as they waited.

“I hung out at the pool with Aiden and Emilia!”

“No shit?” Annella’s mouth fell open.

Mark joined her in the stunned gesture. “And you’re not crispy as fuck!”

“He used sunscreen.” Emilia laughed.

“That’s incredible,” Grizella said as she shook her head. “What was it like?”

They all turned to him and watched as he smiled and sighed. “It was incredible. I can see now why Aiden fought so hard to be human again. I’d forgotten how amazing it was to stand in the sun.”

“And next year, we’ll all be able to, right?” Mark asked.

“Yes. I promise,” I said. “My mother will never change her mind about you and already regrets helping Aiden. She’ll never help the vampires again, but soon I’ll be the one with the power. I know that you aren’t the monsters we’d always thought you to be.”

“But that means you have to go back?” Mark asked.

Those words twisted my gut into knots, but I nodded. “Yes.”

“That sucks.” He puckered his lips and pulled a face. “It’d be fun to have you around.”

Knowing my days with Thorne were numbered felt like the sweetest poison. “I have a duty I must fulfill.”

“We’ll miss having you around,” Emilia said. “But I understand. And we appreciate you helping the rest of the family get to come back out in the sun with Aiden and me. Maybe someday you can sneak off the island and join us for another margarita pool party.”

I nodded but knew the reality of my upcoming life meant I’d never return or see them again.

“I hate to cut this short,” Thorne said as he slipped his arm around my waist. “This ring loses its juice in only six days, and I want to enjoy my life in the sun with this woman. As much as I love you all, I don’t want to waste another minute of it chatting with you arses I’ve seen every day for over six centuries... and will be seeing daily for centuries more.”

Aiden chuckled and shook his head.

“I’m taking Catrain on a vacation. I just texted the pilots to get ready, and we’re heading out soon.”

“Ooh!” Mark beamed. “Where to?”

Thorne furrowed his brow. “I’m not sure yet. Somewhere tropical. Any suggestions?”

“Oh!” Emilia sat forward. “Bora Bora! It’s where Aiden and I went. It’s the most peaceful island, and you can rent out all the over-the-water villas and have the place all to yourselves. So romantic.”

Aiden and Emilia shared a sweet smile, but Thorne shook his head.

“It sounds incredible, but Catrain is going to spend the rest of her life on a quiet, secluded island. I want beaches and tropical, but I need somewhere with a city she can experience and mountains and rainforests she can explore. I want her to see as much as she can before she goes back.”

“Easy.” Mark snorted. “O’ahu. You’ve got everything you need there. Gorgeous beaches, hot clubs, tropical waterfalls, and, oh!” He grinned. “Ziplining. Do it. Do it.”

“O’ahu?” Thorne rubbed his chin. “I haven’t been there.”

“It’s awesome. Aiden sent me there for my birthday a few years ago.”

“I did?” Aiden’s eyebrows rose.