Page 21 of The Immortal’s One (Bound to the Immortals #1)

"Not just anyone can bond with one of the brothers to become Immortal.

" Bella sits across from me, cradling her coffee cup as steam rises in tendrils, her voice steady as she explains her bizarre connection to Thane.

"Only those whose souls are truly aligned can change their mortality. It's all part of the Creator’s plan."

My coffee sits untouched on the table, cooling in the morning air. “I get it. You and Thane are soulmates. But you can’t seriously expect me to think it’s okay for a sixteen-year-old to get married.”

It’s been two days since I made my deal with Lome, agreeing to stay at the mansion and learn about this family. These… Immortals .

Reason urges me to find a way to prove they’re lying, but I can’t. Not after Lome healed my hand, the others manipulated memories, and Des transported me to Greece from the Robertson’s bathroom in seconds.

No, as much as I might wish otherwise, there's no denying that something supernatural is going on here. And I don’t know what to do other than believe what these immortals tell me.

And after two days of hearing about their history and learning how they’ve influenced humanity, I can't deny that I'm intrigued. Despite the unease that comes with uncovering the unknown, I’m eager to learn more.

I blame my dad; he’s the one who instilled in me a deep love of learning.

Bella’s lips form a gentle, unbothered smile. “You forget, my marriage happened almost six hundred years ago.”

“Right.” I lean back in my chair, pulling my legs against my chest. “You were born in Paris in… 1424?”

So far, Bella has been the only one who has really spoken with me.

The others are allegedly dealing with the rebellion, a group I know nothing about.

When I try to ask Bella about the mysterious enemy who has it out for me, she always changes the subject.

She’s willing to talk to me about almost anything except for that. Or Des.

“You have an excellent memory, Darcie.” Bella’s eyes gleam with approval.

“I get it from my dad.” I clear my throat, forcing myself not to think about him.

I haven’t heard from Lome since we made our deal, and I haven’t spoken to Dad to check how he’s doing. It’s hard not to worry. I need to find a way to make sure Lome holds up his end of our bargain. If he doesn’t, I’m determined to find a way to get out of here.

“Will you tell me about your family?” I ask to distract myself from my worry. “What did your parents do for a living?”

“My mother cared for me and my siblings, of course,” Bella starts, gazing off the edge of the balcony, her expression wistful. “And my father was a baker.”

“A baker?” A bird swoops down from the awning and flutters right past my ear, making me jump before flying back out into the open sky.

“Yes.” Her voice softens. “We lived above the bakery on the ?le de la Cité. I still dream about waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread and sweet cakes.”

“?le de la Cité… Isn’t that where Notre Dame is?” Dad’s studies don’t focus on French history, but I have a general knowledge of Paris from when we visited the famous city when Dad guest lectured at Sorbonne University.

“It is.” Bella looks back at me and nods. “Though, it’s much grander now than it was back then.” Her eyes twinkle with a fondness I can’t help but admire.

I exhale. “Wow.”

Bella’s lived through six centuries of history. Six hundred years of change. It’s hard to wrap my head around. She's seen everything from the dawn of the French Renaissance to the modern world I know today. How has she processed so much?

How would it feel to see so much transformation and shifts in humanity, culture, and life itself?

But wait… Bella has magic. And she’s Immortal. Maybe automatic toilets and smartphones aren’t as mind-blowing when you can live forever and heal people with your touch.

“What are you thinking?” she interrupts my thoughts, raising a curious brow.

“Oh, you know. Same old, same old.” I huff a weak laugh. “Everything I’m learning is starting to feel real, but it still sounds… insane.” I shrug.

“I know.” She gives a slight nod. “I remember when I first learned about Thane. ”

I wrap my arms around my legs and rest my chin on my knees. “What happened?”

Bella sighs, and for a split second, she seems to age before my eyes, looking far older than the young woman sitting in front of me.

“Well, I already told you I was sixteen when I met Thane,” she begins, a smile tugging the corners of her lips. “And even though my family lived in Paris, right in the heart of the city, my parents were very strict.”

She chuckles, shaking her head. “I guess you could say I was a bit of a wild child. I loved exploring the city, meeting people, and taking in the culture. I drove my parents crazy with worry. Paris wasn’t always the safest place for a young woman back then.”

Bella reminds me of Kayla, always on the move and free-spirited. I imagine the young Immortal running through the streets of Paris, her long skirt flowing and youthful face beaming, causing a commotion.

Bella continues, “I was chasing my little brother through the marketplace when I ran straight into Thane.”

She pauses, smiling as she stares at the cup in her hands. “He was dressed in fine clothes, all proper and noble-looking. I thought he was a rich lord I’d accidentally assaulted.”

“What did you do?

“I apologized and intended to hurry away, but then I saw his face.” She lifts her chin, but her eyes are unfocused, lost in the memory. “I’d never seen anyone so handsome in my life. He and I stood there, at the bank of the Seine, just staring at each other. It was an… otherworldly experience.”

I remember how Thane looked at Bella the first time I saw them together. It’s clear he’s crazy about her, which is impressive considering how long they’ve been together. My parents only made it ten years before everything fell apart.

“I didn’t know anything about Thane back then,” she continues, “but I know now… I was already in love with him.”

I can’t help but scoff. I don’t believe in love at first sight.

Lust? Sure. But not love. That takes time.

But you’re not an Immortal soulmate. What do you know?

I stifle my laugh.

Touché, subconscious… touché

“What happened after you met?” I ask, invested in hearing the rest of the story.

Bella brushes a strand of hair behind her ear with a coy grin. “Thane introduced himself, and we ended up spending the afternoon together.”

“And then you married him?”

“Not quite,” she chuckles. “There was a small complication.”

I lift my head, my interest piqued. “A complication?”

“I was betrothed to another man,” she confesses with a shrug. “His father was a family friend, and my parents had been pushing me to agree to the match the moment I reached womanhood.”

An arranged marriage?!

Eee!

This is better than a romance novel.

“Was he awful?” I envision a villain reminiscent of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. That would make Thane the beast. My lips twitch at the idea.

“No. Jacque was handsome enough and incredibly kind,” Bella says, ruining my comparison. “I resented my parents for pushing me to choose him, but Jacque would have made a decent husband.”

“So… how did you get out of the engagement?” I think about the historical romance movies I’ve seen and how they emphasize the importance of maintaining a good reputation.

Bella might not have been a noblewoman, but breaking off an engagement still wouldn’t have been accepted by her parents or the society she grew up in.

“The day after I ran into Thane, he showed up at my father’s bakery.” She shakes her head, her eyes taking on a faraway look. “I didn’t know how he’d found it. I had no idea that our connection would lead him right to my front door. I just thought it was fate. Which, I suppose, it was.”

A romantic scene forms in my head. I choose to ignore the fact Bella was only sixteen and focus on the grand gesture I imagine is coming.

“Did Thane ask you to marry him right then?” I ask.

“Not quite.” Her focus returns as she looks back at me, and her eyes sparkle. “He ordered bread and spoke with my father about his business. He barely looked at me at all. I was so hurt when he walked out without saying a word.

“But he came back the next day.” She grins. “And the next day. And the next day. Thane came by for an entire week, ordered bread, spoke with my parents, and then left. Until finally, on the seventh day, he asked my father to marry me.”

My jaw drops.

Bella laughs. “I’d never seen my father so stunned. He couldn’t believe it. He’d never seen Thane speak to me. He didn’t know what to make of the well-dressed stranger asking for his daughter’s hand.”

At this point, I’m completely absorbed in this love story. “Did you know he was going to ask? ”

"No! I was helping my mother bake muffins when I overheard Thane tell my father he wanted to marry me. I dropped the entire pan on the floor."

I love that.

“How did your father react?”

Her amusement dims. “Father kept his composure, but the moment Thane left the bakery, he accused me of entertaining Thane’s attention. He was sure I was unfaithful to my promise to wed Jacque.”

I frown. That sounds pretty harsh. I want to think my dad would give me the benefit of the doubt in a situation like that… not that I’d ever be in such a situation.

“What about your mom?” I ask. “Was she mad?”

“No, but she wasn’t thrilled either.” Sadness laces her words.

“Well… things must have worked out.” I muster a reassuring smile. “After all, you’re married to Thane.”

“Yes.” She spins the modest emerald ring around her left ring finger.

A band of small diamonds rests beside the beautiful stone.

“Thane returned the following day with this ring and asked me to marry him. We barely knew each other, but there was no denying the visceral pull I felt towards him. I couldn’t imagine saying no to him. ”

“How did Jacque take it?”