Page 110 of Into The Light

“Wait.” I struggled for breath. “Will she be a vampire? Will she have to feed on blood and stay out of the sunlight? I don’t want that for her.”

“No,” Liùsaidh responded. “You will live a human life, though the magic I will imbue you with that bonds you will return your original powers and grant you a long life, much like the original gift we granted your people. And because you are bonded, your powers will become her powers. But since your own heart is too far gone to be saved, it will beat with her heart. Since she is human, you too will be human.”

I felt the world around me pick up and spin, and an unbearable weight lifted from my chest. Emilia looked down at me with teary eyes and touched my cheek, a shaky smile spreading across her face.

“Do you agree to this?” Liùsaidh asked Emilia.

She held my eyes and nodded. Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I do. With all my heart, I agree.”

“Aiden? Do you agree?”

“With all that’s left of mine, I do.”

“Then you must know... you will live an eternal life, but like in the original curse, beheading will still take your life. In the event her heart stops, so will yours. If she dies, you will die as well. Do you agree to this?”

I nodded, reaching up to touch her cheek. “I would die anyway.”

Liùsaidh pressed her hands together and bowed her head. “Then let it be done.”

Emilia leaned down and kissed me. Liùsaidh chanted in her language and I felt our worlds colliding, our hearts joining as one while the magic moved through us. I felt her in my bloodstream, pulsing through my veins while our hearts pounded in rhythm. The pain in my body dissipated as her love flowed through me, bringing me back me to life. An explosion of energy moved between us and I felt my powers surging back through me. It overwhelmed me, and I reached up and clung to her until I collapsed in her arms, the darkness sweeping me away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Emilia

I sat up with a start. Energy surged through me like I’d slammed a gallon of coffee. My body pulsed and tingled, my heart pounding in my chest while I took a sharp breath. Looking around, I realized I was in a small wooden bed in a hut. Memories of Aiden, of the Picts, and of the ritual all raced into my mind. I searched it like I did sometimes when trying to recollect a dream. Was this a dream? I felt disoriented and dizzy trying to sort through the images in my mind. The last thing I remember was kissing Aiden when I felt an explosion, and everything went dark.

Did he survive?

“Hello, beautiful.”

I whipped around to see Aiden sitting it a chair across the room. Though darkness enveloped the room and no light illuminated him, I saw him as clearly as if he’d been standing in the sunlight though the colors seemed muted. His head rested on his hand, and he wore that sweet smile I’d missed so much these last few days. Though my new night vision shocked me, I didn’t have time to process it because something far more important pushed to the front of my brain.

He’s alive!

“Aiden!” I pulled back the covers and jumped up to run to him. My muscles twitched and suddenly I flew across the room into his arms. The jolt from my speed sucked the air from my lungs. I collapsed in his lap with bulging eyes while I examined my legs.

“Careful, love. It takes a little getting used to.” He laughed.

“I... did I? Holy shit,” I said, turning to him.

“You’ve got my powers now... and I’ve got your heart.” He smiled.

“Holy shit,” I repeated.

“Let’s be shocked about your powers later. For now, all I want is this.”

Before I could breathe, his mouth collided with mine. I melted into his kiss, my body igniting beneath his touch. Everything inside me burst to life, new sensations flooded through me and crackled beneath my skin. There was no beginning and no end, no time before him and no life beyond him. It wasn’t him and me, it was us. Only us. Weightless yet falling, I tumbled over the edge with him.

He whooshed us into the bed and left me breathless beneath him. Giving me no time to recover he tore at my clothes, and I ripped off his. We devoured each other with hungry mouths, hands desperately clawing at one another. With a flash I flipped him onto his back, straddling him with a smile.

“Well, that was new,” he said with a smirk.

Impressed with my own strength, I waggled my eyebrows and pressed my lips to his. His pleasurable moan encouraged me on. Pinning his hands over his head I slid down the length of him and paused to savor the feeling of him filling me again. He sucked in a deep inhale before breathing out the sigh that I drew into my lungs. Our breaths mingled into one as I rocked against him, our passions climbing as we clung to each other. I felt my heart racing, and only then realized it was his heart racing too. Together they pounded as one while our bodies connected and soared to unimaginable heights. We crashed over the edge together, his hands grabbing my face and his lips colliding with mine as we floated back down, our hearts slowing to a steady drum.

I collapsed in his arms and pressed my head to his chest. Feeling him wrapped around me soothed away all the fear and pain that had nearly broken me. It was over, and he was mine. Knowing I was so close to losing him only deepened the love for him I didn’t think could grow any stronger.

“I love you, Emilia,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead.