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Chapter 14
Chapter 13 The Gardens were normally empty late at night, and even the thought of returning home was too much. Dante was her future, if she had the courage to take a chance, but then there was Titus. Her past. Her present. Centuries of being siblings, following the same path, scarring their souls. It was impossible to imagine life without Titus. From her very first memories he’d been there, the brother who watched over her. A promise made, and one he believed he hadn’t kept, but why? There was no doubt he kept things from her. Questions he chose not to answer. Some lifetimes they’d been closer than others. The…
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Chapter 13
Chapter 12 “I shouldn’t have come, but…” Anne breathed in deeply. “You know Titus found out.” “Did you tell him?” “What I said didn’t matter. He doesn’t want to believe any of this is possible, because I’m his sister, and that’s more important than anything else. For me…” “You had doubts even before I stepped into your life.” “Immortality is still the most important gift Titus could ever give me.” “To him.” “Yes, and I’ve had lifetimes where staying with him wasn’t exactly a choice, but there’s never been anyone like you.” “Like me?” “I’ll admit you aren’t the first man I’ve ever fallen in love with.” “You’ve had too…
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Chapter 12
Chapter 11 “Explain to me why you never told me you knew Dante. When did you meet?” “From the first time you mentioned him it was obvious your plan was to use him in the ritual. How could I talk to you about any of this?” “Anne…” “I know what I feel doesn’t matter to you. It never has.” “Of course it matters.” “Don’t lie to me. I’m not a fool, Titus. You want me to keep my distance, because Dante is new magic. He’s not good enough for a Lockwood.” “No, he’s not, and I thought you’d make better choices. Seeing you with him…” “He’s my soulmate.” “Dante is…
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Chapter 11
Chapter 10 Dante’s house was close, and Anne stood on the path leading up to it, looking at the door. If she knocked she’d be making a choice, one Titus definitely wouldn’t agree with, and potentially leading to her brother either killing or cursing Dante. Or both. It depended on his mood. If she didn’t knock it wasn’t going to change the fact there was something between her and Dante. Other lives she’d have walked away, but as Anne stood there she knew she wasn’t the same person. At home the weight of the darkness dragged her down, and away from it… There was no changing the choices she’d made…
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Chapter 8
Chapter 7 Being out of the house was easier. Titus was focused on the ritual, attempting to draw Anne into the process, as though it would have an effect. He wanted her to be who she was, when the reality was she’d never truly been who he wanted her to be. Pretending was easy. Magic changed their lives. Anne saw her parents once more, as they were during their first lives, the memories stronger than they once were. Her birth, after so many losses, was the reason they’d had Titus promise to protect her, and then after their deaths he’d made another. Titus cared about her, and no one else.…
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Chapter 7
Chapter 6 Not thinking about Dante was impossible. There were stories about the connection between two souls, but Anne never entirely believed them. Being close to him… it didn’t change anything. He wanted it to, dreams drawing him to her, until the time came when they met. A moment when she had no choice but to accept those stories were real. Soulmates existed, and hers was in her life, at the worst possible time, although with a brother like Titus there was no right one. Dante was new magic. Even friendship was an impossibility. Titus promised the time would come when she’d be free to live her own life, but…
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Chapter 1
“Anne…” Cornelius’s voice was a whisper in her ear, as he wrapped his arms around her, their meetings carefully planned. Either early or late, when most people still slept, because all it took was one mistake, and Anne didn’t want anyone to know – especially not Titus. His lips pressed to her cheek. If everything worked out the way she planned they wouldn’t still be sneaking around so close to the ritual, literal days away from his death, but becoming pregnant simply hadn’t happened. Anne knew it could take time, but not as long as it had. Cornelius’ lips moved from her cheek to her neck. Anne’s silence wasn’t unusual,…
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Chapter 6
Chapter 5 Another family likely lost to Titus’s curses. Unless Anne found a way to convince him not to blame every Ember for Leonora’s decision to shun the ritual. How likely was that? It wasn’t as though he listened when she argued with him. She barely ever tried. There was no reason to. Anne knew Titus. When he made the decision there was no changing his mind, and he’d never liked the Embers. From the beginning he didn’t think they deserved the power they were gifted – they just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Had it not been for the Lockwoods they wouldn’t have…
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Chapter 5
Chapter 4 Cornelius stood with his back to the door, mind on what needed to be done, but he still heard it when it opened, someone walking toward him. From the sound of their footsteps it wasn’t Natalie, which might have been a relief, had it not been for the fact they were most likely Anne’s. She wasn’t any happier with him. Anne looked down for a moment, working through how best to word things. There was nothing simple about the conversation they needed to have, and from the way Cornelius’s back tensed he was already prepared for an argument. He knew it was her, or at least suspected, which…
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Chapter 4
Chapter 3 An unwanted visitor, probably there on behalf of her brother, because it wasn’t as though Anne Lockwood had any other reason to speak with the members of the Council. If he thought she’d have a better chance he was very wrong. Their souls were scarred by their choices. “Leonora, I’m sorry to disturb you, but I was hoping we may be able to talk.” There was no easy response. Anne’s voice was gentle, hiding the truth of who she was, but there were those who knew, whether she wanted them to or not. Two old souls, shrouded in darkness. “What makes you think I’d want to speak with…