A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1)

by Lori, Rae

  Julian fell to the ground, grabbing his neck.

  “Now Julian! His power is down!” Daoine yelled over the commotion.

  Julian, Daoine and Michael raised their hands toward Avery and Blakedon. A shock of light blue energy rippled through the air like that of the elemental and attacked Blakedon’s body. As Avery continued to drink from him before letting out an ear piercing cry. With each second that passed, Blakedon aged until he became a crumbled mess of bones and skin, then eventually dust. The bright energy slowly dissipated until there was nothing left.

  Ariya rushed over to the window and looked up. The eclipse was still cloaked in the sky yet lights were shining sparsely across the city. A crowd was already gathering around the ground where the house once stood.

  “We can’t land it back on the ground,” Ariya said over her shoulder. “We’ve already been seen.”

  “To the desert then,” Michael said. He was now back in his human form, stepping into his black pants. “From there we can at least figure out where to go without being seen.”

  We can’t hold the eclipse any longer. Cidra’s voice rang loud and clear in her mind.

  Ariya looked up toward the sky, seeing her trusted guard leading the other Amazon Aziza guards who swirled under the eclipse in a speckle of bright lights. It had been them to push Blakedon back into the mortal realm and thankfully they had agreed to Ariya’s plan in joining her and the houses to end this skirmish once and for all.

  Ariya turned away from the window. “The Aziza can’t hold the eclipse,” she said joining the Patriarchs. “Either way we’re going to have to make a move.”

  Michael reached down to help Julian to his feet. The Nightwalker turned to Avery who remained on the ground, looking away.

  “The desert,” Julian said softly. “We’ll take it there just to be safe.”

  It was then Ariya realized the true power the Patriarchs had absorbed from the elemental. She had to hold onto the walls as the house lurched forward and headed toward the open desert landscape in Avondale.

  * * * *

  “You’re going to stay, aren’t you?”

  Ariya stared ahead at the wide open green landscape from the palace terrace. Cidra stood behind her at attention. She couldn’t help noticing the forlorn expression in the Amazon’s large, dark eyes. The years she stood by as Ariya grew up and the close relationship she had with her parents was tangible in the air between them.

  “I won’t be far, Cidra,” she said taking her hand. “I am and always will be an Aziza. I just have two homes now.”

  “When will you return?”

  “I should be arriving home in a few days time before we settle. I plan to be there for awhile once I get there.” Ariya reached over and shared a hug with her. “In the meantime, please stay and watch my family’s home? Thank you again for helping us. I don’t know if we would have made it without you.”

  Cidra smiled at her once the hug broke. “Your friends are very…interesting. Do you trust them?”

  Not too long ago the question would have stumped her. Now the word had already exited her mind before she could think about it. “I do. Definitely. And I know if we have any trouble they’ll be ready and willing to help out just like you did them.”

  Cidra squeezed her hand and smiled.

  Ariya turned and headed for the door when she heard the voice behind her. “What was that?”

  “I asked if he was worth it? All of it that happened in the past few days. Your life and death.”

  Ariya smiled. “Every moment, Cidra. Every moment.”

  * * * *

  Jace’s ears perked up at the sound of distant bells chiming. He pushed away from the window and slowly walked toward his room. All through the late afternoon and into the night, his nerves were on edge with all the commotion outside his door in the hallway. From what he could gather, news reports were rampant with the sudden eclipse that showered the Earth in darkness and the city of Phoenix was especially trying to figure out the phantom flying house that landed somewhere in the Avondale desert. He would have run across the city if he had to. Thankfully he waited and wasn’t caught up in the sun’s rays once the eclipse gave way. He had tried to get into contact with Julian and the rest of the Patriarchs to figure out what happened. Unfortunately, all their cell phones had been cut off.

  Most of all, he was worried about Ariya As he inhaled her scent in the room that very moment he felt her closing in on him just as she stepped out of his bedroom. Her thin, translucent wings fluttered behind her as she ran to him and he welcomed her in his open arms. He felt her heart beating within her chest and the sound of it was enough to replace his own heart that had stopped centuries ago.

  “Oh Jace, I didn’t want to leave you but I had to help Julian.” She pulled away from him and leaned up to kiss him deeply. He moaned in the kiss, pulling her body closer to his.

  “They landed in the Avondale desert. I doubt they’ll stay there for long though.”

  He gently caressed her face as he looked deep into her eyes. “Don’t ever frighten me like that again, I don’t know what would happen if I lost you again. Gràdh mo chrìdh.”

  Love of my heart.

  All of their lives were forever changed and he had no idea what would happen once they found Julian, Michael and Daoine.

  A knock at the door alerted them. Jace gripped Ariya’s waist holding her close to him. “They’ve been doing that all day. I would’ve thought they would stop by now.”

  “Jace, open up it’s Gael!”

  Jace breathed a sigh of relief and kissed Ariya on her forehead. Clasping her hand in his, he walked over and unlocked the door. Gael stood leaning with one arm propped against the doorway. “The houses have moved out of Phoenix. Daoine didn’t think it was safe to stay here with all the commotion.” He stepped inside and waited for Jace to close the door behind him before he spoke again. “My car is downstairs ready to take you both.”

  “Wait, where?” Ariya looked from Jace then to Gael. “Where is the house moving?”

  Gael smiled. “Los Angeles, California. Summer’s coming and we’d all die in the heat if we stayed here long enough. Might as well bask in the beach and sun.” He looked at Jace. “Well some of us anyway.”

  Jace scoffed and waved his hand away. “Right. Hey, what happened to Avery?”

  Gael looked at Ariya and then at Jace. “He’s gone. Slipped away before any of us could figure out where he’s heading.”

  Noting Gael and Ariya exchanging glances, Jace turned to look down at her and she met him with a promise that she would explain everything later—as long as he dropped it for now.

  “You should probably grab everything you can,” Gael said. “We don’t have much time.”

  Jace turned on his heels and headed toward his bedroom while Ariya stayed behind.

  “What do the mortals know?” she asked, folding her arms.

  “They know there is definitely some paranormal activity right here in the valley of the sun. Good thing no one saw any Shapeshifters or bloodsucking Nightwalkers. At least that I know.”

  Ariya nodded as she turned to the bedroom. “Good thing.”

  “Hey, you two don’t take too long!” Gael yelled from the living room.

  Ariya stepped into Jace’s bedroom where he was stuffing some clothes and items into his back. He gently took his sword off the wall and gathered his artifacts which he slipped into the smaller pockets. “You may want to grab some of the clothes. I don’t know how long we’ll be on the road. Unless Gael offers to fly us there.”

  She stifled a chuckle as she stood behind him. She wrapped her arms around him, crushing her body against his back. “What is it?”

  “Am I that transparent?”

  “Mmm, when I can read your mind and emotions—yeah, pretty much.” She giggled and moved back as he turned around in her arms. He slipped his arms around her and held her. Nothing in the world felt more right than holding her at that moment and he didn’t want to feel anyt
hing else for the rest of his life.

  “A lot happened in this apartment. A lot of memories were made.”

  Ariya shrugged. “That doesn’t mean we can’t form new memories. After all, we have our whole life ahead of us right?”

  He couldn’t argue with her there. Leaning down to claim her lips with his own, he kissed her deeply in answer. Whatever came in the future didn’t matter. Nor where they ended up as long as he had Ariya by his side, and the Ashen Twilight House to call their home.

  About the Author

  Romance-Adventure-Mystery is Rae Lori’s motto as she strives to write stories that are romantic yet adventurous no matter what time period and setting. With a love for film, vampires and visual storytelling she couples the visual with art of the written word to tell her stories.

  She is an avid reader and viewer of science fiction, romance and fantasy since she was young. Throughout her writing career, she has garnered credits writing movie reviews, fiction and articles on the comic book and film industry. Under various pen names, she has written books, novellas and short stories that run the genre gamut of science fiction, fantasy, short roman noir and paranormal romance and many more waiting to drip onto the page.

  Rae makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona where she pens her stories and works as a graphic designer.

  Learn more about her work at: http://www.raelori.com

  Rae loves to hear from her readers so feel free to drop her a message! Rachel@raelori.com

  From the Night, the Prince Rises

  An Ashen Twilight Prequel Story

  Highlands, Scotland 1465

  Liam Blakedon stared down at the loch, watching the thick leather bound journal slip under the rippling black water. Years had passed since he started the first entry. Much had changed in the lands during the course of time. Now it was time to let the past sink into the river while they focus on the future.

  He brushed a dark strand of hair away from his face. The biting cold air hit his face, sending a shiver despite the amount of heavy armor he wore over his tunic. He rested his arm on the sword sheathed at his side, hearing the soft neigh of the horse behind him. He was lost in his memories at that moment. Remembering the way his wife looked in the last days before she gave birth to their son. Her dark wavy hair fell over her damp, tired face in the birth. He waited outside until it was time. The large thick door wasn’t thick enough as he heard the name that still haunted him to this day.

  Julian Archane. That name.

  Blakedon balled up his fists. She didn’t need to fret over him, even if he was her first husband and their son’s true father. It didn’t matter that he left them behind. He felt him. And with his own eyes, he watched as his former laird’s wife cried in his arms over his death. How could he tell her the truth? It was his duty, as first guard, to step up and continue the protection of the people in Inverness and raise the child as his own so he can one day take over the lands.

  Yet things had changed over time.

  The new wife he took to protect from the English invaders—and had fallen in love with years prior— was his main priority. Julian appointed him as first guard to watch over the castle in case the English’s hold would stretch to their lands. As much as his heart belonged to her and as much as he gave her, she never looked upon him like she had Julian Archane. Her warm eyes never sparkled with passion nor did her touch feel as warm. Her heart still belonged to that man and it made him angry with a passion to destroy him if he ever were to see him again.

  Even as she died in the birth of the son Archane had created with her, the very man that had left her, she still uttered his vile name.

  ‘I wish you could have seen our son,’ she had said.

  A scream had erupted throughout the room and Blakedon rushed in to see the warm light leave her eyes as she said those words. He scooped her up into his arms, held her close to him as he felt her heartbeat slow to a quiet rhythm before it died to silence. Then she was gone. He heard her chamber maids talking amongst themselves.

  ‘She died of a broken heart she did,’ they had said. ‘The poor dear.’

  Blakedon dared them to say those words in front of him. After he had stepped up to take over what Julian Archane had left behind, Blakedon was repaid with a piece of her heart. He should have been the one to have it all. Ever since she arrived from France and he saw her on the hand of her father Baron Henri Germaine, he loved her. He loved the way her regal beauty was accentuated by the soft velvet gowns draped over her body. He loved her long dark hair pulled in intricate braids framing the crown of her head to cascade down her back. He desired her even then but she wasn’t his to have. She belonged in Julian’s station and he knew his laird would care for her. Now he regretted not taking her for himself at that very moment. For, even as she lay dying, she still thought of the selfish husband that left her.

  No matter now, though. They will focus on the future and the destiny that stood before them.

  The sound of horse hooves against the soft damp grass invaded his thoughts. The horse sighed and a thump followed by the crunch of boots against the ground alerted him that one of his men made their way over to him.

  “The men are ready to start the travel, mo fathair.”

  The guard turned and looked into the eyes of his son, Avery. He was young, about mid-twenties with wavy dark hair and bright blue eyes that sometimes reminded him too much of his true father. A man he would never know if Blakedon had anything to do with it. The boy leaned on his sword with one arm and looked ahead at the river.

  “I shall miss this river,” he said softly. “We had many good memories. Many nights I looked o’er the water and dreamt of mother. How proud she must be.”

  “An’ she shall be proud of ye, boy,” he said, patting his son’s shoulder. “I promise that. She looks down upon us now from above. I can feel her.”

  His son looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet as he thought his words over before speaking. “What will become of me? The man hasn’t returned since…since what happened at the inn.”

  “I know.” Liam Blakedon thought about the stranger he had come across. The very same that had changed his boy into something more than human. Alexandru Drago, he thought someone had called him but he couldn’t be sure.

  The stranger gave him more strength and a promise of a longer life in exchange for helping him to combat a larger threat. Immortals he had called them. Soon a prince would rise and be able to use these immortals to help give them all life. He saw the effects that the change had on his son. The boy seemed to die one night before awaking the next thirsting for blood. He couldn’t feel the boy’s heartbeat or any sign that said he was alive. Yet there he was, just like the stranger said. And he would remain with the thirst for blood as long as the moon rises each night. Avery told him he felt alive whenever he fed and he was like his old self.

  Perhaps this was for the best. Blakedon needed to become immortal to bring down his former laird. He knew he was out there somewhere. He could feel his presence like a black cloud over the lands.

  Blakedon turned his back on the river and led his son back to their pack of horses just as the other guards rode up. They had until morning before they left Inverness and their past behind and soon his son would need to sleep again when the sun rose. In the light of the sunlit day, his body was literally dead with no movement or sign of his life until night. As long as his skin didn’t touch the sun’s rays, as the stranger warned, he would be well.

  Blakedon climbed onto his horse and clicked his heels against the saddle. Leading the men back onto the green covered road ahead, he settled in. His mind raced to plot how he would wait and rest as he conspired to bring about the coming immortal’s demise. He was sure Julian would somehow be involved and he would revel in seeing their death take place before his eyes.

  For in the hall of Avery’s legacy, there will only be one left standing. As he looked at the boy sitting tall as he rode beside him, Liam Blakedon knew the fates were sealed.

&
nbsp; Read on for A Sneak Peek of

  Within the Shadows of Mortals

  Ashen Twilight Series Book Two

  Coming April 2010 to e-book

  England 1722 – Castleton, North Yorkshire

  The smell of death permeated across the town, wrapping its mist around Richard William Hammond as he turned closer to the strongest area where his senses blared. There was a stillness in the air. Yet the green countryside held an undercurrent of something he couldn’t quite put a name to. He stepped forward, urging his keen senses of sight, sound and smell to their strongest. His heartbeat grew quicker, like the sound of drums serving as a constant soundtrack to the terror resting beneath his skin. None of the farm animals breathed a sound. They remained still as if they sensed the uneasiness and didn’t want to attract it anymore than necessary. The smell of the freshly dewed grass interjected with pungent decay. Human bodies? Or animal? He wasn’t quite sure. Normally the day would bring a clear blue sky, rich with the scent of fresh rain that usually graced the English countryside. But today something was wrong.

  Rich looked around the small farm, half expecting his mother to step out of their quaint farmhouse and call him by his full name. A forceful hint that he wasn’t to dawdle while there were still chores to do. But ever since he returned home from trading the week’s supply of produce in the nearby market, there were no signs of his parents anywhere. The farmhouse was still in shape and it didn’t look like anyone had paid them a visit.