From The Embers by Spring Horton

Follow the lives of two immortals, Dorian Thorne and Mathias Sorensen, from their early years, to the apocalypse and beyond. These two men first cross paths in Victorian London, an encounter which does not leave them on friendly terms. They are fated to meet again though, in the present, the year 2095. From the Embers is not only a story of civilization trying to rebuild after the end of the world, but also one of two men trying to rebuild their wounded and shattered souls out of the ashes of their pasts. It is a voyage of self discovery that takes three hundred years and along the way they find that their lives may not have been by chance. There is a plan behind their immortality and it may be one of sinister design.

Mathias Sorensen was born in 1776, near Copenhagen, Denmark. The son of a fisherman, he’d always dreamed of being a painter, but that dream was not meant to be. Instead, his life spirals downhill when, at age nineteen, he meets a man named Gunnar Pederson. Gunnar takes him in, but his cruel appetites destroy Mathias’ life. He eventually flees, but a broken shell of the man he was, whose only recourse is to rebuild himself in the image of his tormentor.

Dorian Thorne was born, thirty-six years later, in the East End of London, England. Caught up in the cholera outbreak of 1832, he learns of his immortality early in life, but at an awful price. Cursed to walk the earth for over a century, unable to remember his early years, he eventually learns that he suppressed these memories because they were too painful. Shunned and forced from the only person he cared about, the experience would scar his ability to let anyone get close to him for the rest of his life.

The two men meet, for the first time, in London in 1862, but part three years later after a volatile and unhealthy relationship. It will be over two hundred years before they see each other again, both having found love and loss, been involved in some shady and less than legal situations, witnessed the end of the world, and tried and failed to gain peace and understanding of themselves. In the end, they begin to realize that their lives are somehow, inexplicably, entwined and they find the keys that may just lead to the ultimate explanation of who they are and how they can begin to heal.

SKU: 1493763660 Category: Fantasy Tags: adventure, apocalyptic, gay, magic, Spring Horton

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About the author:

Spring Horton is a novelist and script writer who sometimes dabbles in poetry. She has recently finished an MA in theatre directing as well and hopes to branch out in that field. She has published three novels, a play and two books of poetry. Her latest novel is From The Embers, Book One of the Ancient Order. She is currently working on the sequel, After The Dawn and a M/M romance novel, Autumn in the Highlands. When she isn’t writing, Spring enjoys travelling, baking, art, theatre and films and the outdoors.

What inspired you to write your book?

I’d been writing short, M/M erotica stories for a few years as well as full length novels in other genres. The true inspiration for this book though, was a couple of fellow writers. We wanted to start with no story line; nothing but characters and then write the book by writing as our characters. This is why there are multiple POVs because I was writing as them. In the end, the book was mostly my creation, but there will be multiple authors involved in the sequel, After The Dawn.

Here is a short sample from the book:

So It Begins, pt. 1 | Mathias & Dorian
The night stretches on, like every night that’s come before. Darkness is his only friend and he knows it, is comforted by it. He leaves the world alone and he’s left alone in return. Except when he’s needed, when some poor bastard seeks him out, because he’s the best. His name is Mathias. His tall frame is tanned and weathered and feeling lanky under his skin. Soon he would need to work again. But not tonight. Tonight he would relax, have a drink with what is left of his spoils. There isn’t much, but it’ll be enough. His amber eyes scan the horizon, taking in the tiny village below. It sits on the edge of the Wastelands, which means unpredictability, but as long as people leave him be, he doesn’t care. Finally, sensing a storm coming, he stands and walks down the rocky hill.
The lighting inside the ramshackle, dirty pub isn’t much better than it is outside, but that’s alright. He likes it that way. As he walks in out of the cool night air, he pulls back his hood. He shakes out his hair, a strong, yet graceful hand pushing the blaze of silver bangs back away from his face. A few of the patrons recognize him and give him his space, but he doesn’t pay them any mind. * The pub is split into two spaces, both warmed by a fire and dimly lit. It’s large enough to house many shadows and he’s always able to find a tiny table away from the noise and people.
He steps up to the bar with a nod and the bartender immediately pours him a glass of bourbon and hands him the bottle. He takes them and backs away towards his favorite table. It’s nearly always free and if not, those occupying it are smart enough to get up and find another place to sit. But not tonight. Tonight someone else inhabits his space, someone who equally looks like he’d like to be left alone. With a scowl Mathias turns away and searches out another table. When he finds one, his sinks down into the solitary chair with a surprising amount of lightness for a man who looks so rough. After a few quick shots of the bourbon, he glances back at his usual table and notices the newcomer watching him. He starts to look away, but the intensity of the man’s gaze disturbs him. He looks rather young and also a bit too pretty and refined for such a back water hell hole. This all serves to make him very suspicious.
Dorian Thorne isn’t sure what’s brought him to this grimy place. Not that he doesn’t know filth, known it all of his life. But this kind of place isn’t one he would usually choose to inhabit. Still, the night is chilly, rain coming and he’s tired. His striped suit draws a few curious looks when he walks in, as does his general appearance. * His hair is the texture of baby fine curls, originally blond, but he’s kept them dyed dark for most of his life. He’s tall and slim and his face smooth and youthful, all helping to immediately give people the wrong impression. It’s something else he’s always had to deal with. By the time he manages to buy a drink from the bartender, he’s approached by two people looking for someone to go home with. The woman, he simply smiles at and shakes his head before she can say anything.
The man manages to ask, “What’s your name, stranger?”
He smirks. “Dorian, and I’m not interested.” He takes his drink before the man can protest and finds the table that’s farthest into the shadows and sits down. He takes a deep breath and downs the glass of bourbon in one shot. It burns his throat on the way down, but he barely notices. His nerves are shot and he’s starting to think that he never should have come in. Unlike Mathias, though, Dorian is here because he has a job to do. One could call him a jack of all trades. He doesn’t mind the title though it doesn’t really do him justice. He has two and a half centuries worth of expertise in a variety of different fields. If the price is right, a person could hire him to do most anything.
He can feel eyes covertly looking him over. He tries to slink back further, but he knows it’ll do no good. It will only make them more curious, somehow make him more appealing to them. Then he notices one that doesn’t seem pleased to see him. He watches the rough looking man with a shock of silver hair slink off to a different table. There is a familiarity about him and when he turns back to look at him, Dorian lets out a slight gasp. His mind is suddenly transported to a very different time and place. He shakes his head, hardly believing how it could be possible, but it must be. He would never be able to forget those piercing brown eyes.
The newcomer’s eyes carry the weight of recognition and the last thing Mathias wants is to deal with anyone from his past. He gets up and takes the bottle back to the bar, tossing some coins at the bartender, but before he can leave, the handsome stranger is there, standing next to him. He’s a few inches taller, but somehow seems smaller and more delicate. But the eyes…those bright blue eyes seem to hold the weight of the entire world. He allows himself to look into their gaze for a moment and then turns to walk away. He quickly makes for the exit, but he knows that the other is following him. Apparently he’s asked the bartender, for he hears a low melodic voice call his name, but he ignores it. A moment later though, something else slips from the man’s tongue and Mathias stops in his tracks.
When the man does not answer to the name Mathias, Dorian runs out onto the open floor of the pub. No, there’s no way he’s letting him leave. He takes a shaky breath and loudly screams, “Sorensen!” He watches, wide-eyed and angry as the man stops and slowly turns around.