Free Eternal Echoes, Emblem of Eternity Trilogy Book 2 by Angela Corbett Page A

“They’re created with water, strategically placed sprinklers, and the freezing winter temperatures. More water is added daily, so the castles change every few days.”
    The castles were lit with bright, slowly changing lights. As one color dimmed and another brightened, an ethereal glow streamed through the ice.
    I’d seen a lot of beautiful places—the mountains and sand dunes were a couple of my favorites. There was something overwhelmingly incredible about beauty made from natural elements. But nothing had ever left me feeling quite as peaceful, or speechless, as this.
    That Emil would take the time to find such an amazing place, that he knew me well enough to understand why this would speak to me, said volumes about our past history together and what a continuation of our relationship would be like. I’d never been so close to feeling like royalty, and I knew he’d work to make me feel that way every day. Always thinking about me, considering my wants and needs before his own—because that’s the kind of man he was. This was a memory that would stay with me for eternity, etched on my soul. A memory that answered the question: what is love?
    I couldn’t think of anything that would make it more perfect.
    Then, I heard the music.
    I looked to Emil. He smiled again as we came around a corner. In the middle of the biggest ice sculpture in the park, a three string orchestra was playing “Think of Me” from the Phantom of the Opera . The orchestra was surrounded by candles on pedestals, the ground, and even the ice sculptures around us. Across from the orchestra, sterling rose petals were scattered on the ground next to two chairs and a pile of blankets. Emil wrapped us up in one and put his arm around me as we sat. A few seconds later, a woman wearing a heavy winter ski coat, ear muffs and gloves handed us each a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
    The song transitioned into “Music of the Night,” then “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” before ending with “All I Ask of You.”
    I listened to the music, and thought about the man sitting beside me. The man I’d fallen in love with lifetimes ago. It was easy to see why. I was in love with him still.

    “Are we flying back to Gunnison tonight?” I asked. The night had been so magical. Emil had managed to take my mind off of my crazy life and make me feel normal for a few hours. The thought of going back to the secluded mountains where I had to be on constant lookout for shadows and people who wanted to take my soul wasn’t appealing. I really wanted to stay in the city for the night with Emil.
    “Yeah.”
    I frowned.
    “Don’t you want to go back to Gunnison?” he asked.
    “No. Not really.”
    Emil shifted to the side in the back of the car so he could see me better. “Me either,” he said, running his fingers lightly through my hair, “but, there’s an overnight rule.”
    I lifted my chin slightly, looking up at him. “An overnight rule?”
    “Yeah. Our dates with you can’t last all night.”
    I laughed, thinking that line of thought sounded a lot like the old “the devil comes out at midnight” theory people subscribed to in the Middle Ages. I had a pretty good idea which one of my soul mates had instigated that rule. “Because nefarious things can only happen at three in the morning?”
    Emil gave a slow smile. “Alex seems to think so,” he said with a glint in his eye. “That’s one of the differences between us.” He brushed a hand lightly over my check and held my gaze. “I have experience. With you. And I’ll never be predictable.”
    I felt color rising in my cheeks and took a breath to calm it. “Good to know.” I leaned my head on Emil’s chest as he continued to play with my hair. I closed my eyes, relaxing from the gentle tugs on my scalp.
    Emil pulled me closer as we drove. I snuggled under his arm and sighed. I couldn’t resist it anymore. I wanted to be with him. I wanted to date him. The problem was the next time