My eyes slid to Silas, and butterflies twisted in my stomach. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. He scowled at the floor, his arms folded over his chest. The Council needed his advice and his vote at every turn as they tried to recover the stability of their government. He had barely managed to make it in time to say goodbye. I could imagine how much he hated it all.
His eyes lifted to mine, full of fire. The butterflies reacted violently.
“Fare you well,” Stephan said, ushering the others from the room.
Silas and I were finally alone, and every part of me ached to throw myself into his arms and never leave.
“Nothing has changed.” I choked on the words and couldn’t meet his gaze. I didn’t know what else to say. A confused knot of emotions roiled in my stomach as I chose my people over my heart. It was the right thing to do, the responsible thing.
He closed the distance between us in three long strides and cupped my face between his palms.
I wrapped my arms around myself to keep from folding into him.
“I won’t give up that easily,” he said quietly. “I need you in my life, Maeve O’Neill of Earth.”
I loved him so desperately. Leaving him behind hurt so hard and felt so wrong.
Slowly, he closed the distance between us until our lips connected. I leaned into him, hungry for his touch, even though it scorched my heart. Tears slipped from my eyes. He lowered his forehead to mine and stroked my tears away with his thumbs. I closed my eyes and wanted nothing more than to stay in his arms forever. But reality was too crushing.
“This hurts too much.”
“Say the word,” he whispered. “We can leave it all behind.”
He would never forgive me if I asked him to do that. And I couldn’t be that selfish. “I love you, Silas. But I can’t ask you to walk away from your life here. It’s not who you are. And I can’t abandon my people, either.”
He held me closer. “We can figure out a way,” he promised. “There can’t be two more stubborn people in any realm of Earth.”
We held each other as I breathed in his scent and savored the taste of him on my tongue. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t give him up. Just like the Fate’s prophecy had said, we were bound together. “We have to find a way,” I said.
Hope flared through our shared bond, his and mine. He kissed me again, and this time, it was filled with the fire of fierce determination.
“We will,” Silas promised. “Soon.”
Slowly, we pulled apart. We had overcome so much already. There was still a long way to go, but we would find a way to make it work together.
“Soon,” I vowed.
I turned and walked through the portal to Earth, leaving my heart behind in Aeterna.
Acknowledgements
Writing a book takes a village, and I couldn’t have done it without mine. First, I’d like to thank my children and my husband. It wasn’t always easy for them, but they sacrificed endless hours of my time and attention while my side project turned into something bigger. I’d also like to thank my ‘guysies’. You know who you are. Each of you supported me, listened to me, and cheered me on when I decided to write a book like a crazy person. Your kindness over many years and miles has brought me to tears more than once. Thanks to family, friends, and coworkers (and basically anyone who talked to me for more than five minutes) for listening to me and for giving me the courage to stretch myself.
A big thank you to the writer community at large. Countless authors took time to read, to critique, and to give advice while they shared their journey with me, for which I am endlessly grateful. (Even the guy who said he’d rather pull out his own fingernails than read the first draft of my opening chapter twice. He wasn’t very nice, but he wasn’t wrong.) And a special thanks to my editing team whose detailed input and creativity made this story shine.
And last, thank you to my readers. Thank you for trusting me with your time and your imagination. Thank you for joining me on the best part of this journey.
About the Author
B.P. Donigan was born and raised in Alaska. She left to attend college in rural Idaho, graduated from not-so-rural Utah, and finally moved to very-not-rural Boston, where she lived and worked for ten years.
After paying her dues to extreme winters, she resides now in sunny California, with her two kids, two dogs, and one amazing husband. Like any good superhero, she spends her days building her cover story behind a desk and her nights saving the world (on paper, at least).
Read more at B.P. Donigan’s site.
About the Publisher
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