by Sela Croft
Table of Contents
Chapter 1A
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 –
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
TWILIGHT’S SPELL
Vampire Magic – Book 1
By
Sela Croft
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter 1A
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 –
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 1A
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Chapter 1
Callie
The dark alcove of the abbey enveloped me in shadows, until my eyes adjusted. I searched the space for my sister, but I was alone. The stone church was deathly quiet. When I reached out my hand, even the air was still.
There was no good explanation for why Rosamon had come to the church before dawn. And likely no one else had seen her. I’d lived in a forested area of Astoria long enough to know that there weren’t many neighbors. So, there was no one to call for help. It was up to me to find her.
My promise of the night before that we’d stick together had been given with a light heart. It came back to haunt me now. “Whatever happens, Callie, I know I can count on you.” My twin’s faith in me wasn’t misplaced. She could count on me. I wouldn’t let her down.
The race down the path to try to catch up with my sister had led here. The last glimpse of her blond hair, the second before she vanished, stuck in my mind. Stepping forward, I pressed my palm to the stone wall. The surface was cold, but solid.
Rosamon hadn’t been able to walk through walls, so she had to be somewhere.
I was puzzled about why my sister hadn’t awakened me, and a little hurt that she’d race out of the house so early without me. We were twins, so shared everything. Or almost. Her disappearance proved me wrong.
My pulse raced from running after my sister, and even more from not finding her. The aggravating stone wall didn’t budge, didn’t allow me through. And the shadows that filled the tiny alcove failed to reveal my sister’s presence.
Panic replaced my distress. What if I couldn’t find her? My sister could be missing and lost to me for good, without any way for me to help her. I screamed her name, and my voice echoed against the thick walls.
Once more, I shouted, “Rosamon…where are you?!”
My frustration surged, and my determination to find her escalated. I was wasting precious seconds looking in the last place I’d seen her. Rosamon wasn’t there. But she had to be in the church. Wherever she was, or whatever kind of trouble she was in, I’d find her.
Something sparkled near my feet, and I bent down to pick up my sister’s necklace. The tiny rhinestones shimmered even in the dark. The clasp wasn’t broken, so she must have taken it off. It appeared that she’d dropped it for me to find, as a clue that she’d passed this way.
I stood up and slipped the necklace in my pocket. Before I could turn around, the shadows pulled me in, swallowing me up. The deeper I went, the more hopeful I was that I’d see my sister. Yet I was utterly alone, wrapped in a cloak of darkness.
The shadows seemed to have a life of their own, knowing better than I what was happening. My arms and legs refused to move. There was no way to run, nowhere to go.
And I wouldn’t have escaped anyway, not without Rosamon. My destiny was unknown, my future undetermined. But my confidence that the path would lead to my sister boosted my failing heart.
The darkness shimmered, and I wondered if the shadows would morph into a being as alive as I was. The abbey was gone. Wherever I was, the place was not in the church, not even in my town.
Some other world had sucked me in, and I went willingly, if fearfully. I wouldn’t abandon my sister, even if I could. She would do the same for me.
I had the ability to read minds. But with Rosamon that wasn’t necessary. We were twins and if I was close enough to her, I’d feel what she did. Yet, try as I might, there was no sign of my sister. Her mind wasn’t anywhere close; it was blocked. I was unable to access her, or get any sense that she was nearby.
That didn’t bode well. Maybe my sister was farther than I’d imagined. Although, I couldn’t conceive of how she’d been able to move so fast. Judging by my own experience, she hadn’t been under her own volition.
The air around me was cooler, and the atmosphere thicker like it was layered with black ink. This was no time to panic. If I could survive this journey, I must do so.
Supported by the dense shadows that extended as far as I could see, I held fast. The dimness flickered and shifted in silence.
I must have slipped into unconsciousness, because I didn’t recall the shadows spitting me out. I had no sense of how I arrived where I was. In the blink of an eye, I was standing on a hilltop with a view that took my breath away.
Unmoving, I gazed at the spectacle. It couldn’t be…real.
Chapter 2 –
Callie
A city made of crystal sprawled across the valley, its beauty awe inspiring. The glass buildings had a blue cast, and g
lowed against the dark sky. I couldn’t imagine how many people lived there, since it was so huge. The structures formed a circle around water.
It appeared that the river at the base of the hills ran through the main section of the city. The boats docked there looked tiny from my vantage point. On the far side, a tower soared high, its spiral top disappearing into the stratosphere.
The surrounding hills were densely covered with trees, the tall spruce variety like in Oregon. Only this wasn’t home. The land stretched as far as the eye could see, and I marveled over how big it might be. The green of the trees and the blue of the city were stark against the backdrop of the sky.
The colors were sharper, bolder, and luminous against the black above. The city glowed, and the sight was nearly blinding. My eyes hadn’t fully adjusted to the environment.
The panorama was that of a regal kingdom, but I had no idea if the inhabitants were friendly. Surely, dawn had passed. It had been a while, since I’d arrived at the church in pursuit of my sister.
Yet there was no sun, and I suspected the city hadn’t witnessed dawn. And nor would it. The way the buildings wrapped in a circular pattern around the light, conveyed its need for the artificial illumination. Although I wasn’t certain the power source was electrical.
I wasn’t alone anymore. Throngs of people flowed through the passageways between buildings. Even from a distance, I witnessed the activity, although it looked more like ants scurrying through tunnels.
There were also people outside the structures, at the boats, and on the path at the base of the hillside. What appeared unusual to me, was not so to them. The unique scene I observed was likely normal routine to those within the boundaries of that world.
The lack of sun did not create utter darkness. A brilliant moon loomed above, and the vast sky was dotted with shimmering stars. The citizens moved about as though it was daytime. Possibly for them it was.
I’d heard of places that stayed dark for days on end but hadn’t been to one before. I preferred the sun, even what little of it there had been in drizzly Astoria. Or if not sun, at least daylight.
I searched the recesses of my mind for an answer. But try as I might, I couldn’t make sense of it all. If I was dreaming, it was certainly time to pinch myself and wake up. But that wasn’t the case. I’d followed my sister here. I had to find her, if there was any hope of us returning home.
I’d dismissed my life as boring, longing for adventure, without considering that my very wish might come true. But this was more than I’d had in mind. And whenever I’d thought about it, the vision had included Rosamon with me—not lost, God knows where.
The sunless place was cold, so I zipped my jacket and stuffed my hands into the pockets. The path down the hillside wasn’t a smooth one. The cliffs were jagged, and the incline steep. I wondered if my sister had made it to the bottom, or if she was hiding somewhere nearby.
I thought of calling out, but the unfamiliar nature of my environment made me hold back. I had no inkling of what kind of monsters I might awaken, who were better left slumbering.
No matter, I had to start moving. Having no idea what sort of danger Rosamon was in, it was best to get to her as fast as I could—easier said than done. The new world was immense, and I had no clue where to start.
A path cut through the trees and zigzagged down the mountainside. Good sense told me that walking out in the open wasn’t the smartest choice. But I could weave through the trees taking cover. I hoped it wouldn’t get much colder. And prayed there were no predators along the way.
For all I knew, the area was guarded. That city looked like it housed a fortune, and the structures must have cost one. It didn’t seem likely that strangers would be allowed to tromp through the forest, unaccompanied. I erred on the side of caution. It wouldn’t do to get wiped out on my first foray to the city.
Despite the beauty that surrounded me, a shiver ran up my spine. Yet I pushed aside my trepidation and headed toward the path. Before I made it very far, I halted.
In the distance, there was some type of discord. Voices rumbled with indecipherable words, and shouts boomed, sounding like commands. I peered across the valley to see what was going on.
Groups of people ran in various directions, and a cacophony of screams pierced my eardrums. Then I saw smoke. My heart pounded in my chest, and I scanned the area for a sign of the source of trouble. I hadn’t conceived of being in personal danger, but if the commotion kept up I would be.
I ducked behind a massive tree, my knees shaking. What was transpiring scared me, and rightfully so. I had no weapon, and no protector. I was on my own. I knew little about this place, and even less about what to expect under attack.
The ground shook, so I clung tighter to the tree trunk. The sound of explosions rang out, and the smell of smoke permeated the air. A creature dove through the sky, and I stared at its massive wingspan.
The vast red-gold dragon swooped over the treetops, its scales flickering bright in the moonlight. Steam rose in short puffs, before disappearing into the nighttime atmosphere. The beast’s claws appeared capable of lacerating even the sturdiest to mere ribbons of flesh and bone.
Huge wings stretched leathery like a bat’s and cut through the air current. Wind, as strong as an impending storm, battered against the ground below. I hugged the tree, so I wouldn’t blow away like so much dandelion fluff. Taking charge of the sky, the dragon circled wide, then seemed to spot its target and hovered.
In a blinding flash, fire burst from its mouth, scorching the trees below. Shrill screams followed, hurting my eardrums. The dragon’s tail whipped around, as though it was weightless, and the creature spun in another direction. I dipped my head behind the tree trunk, hoping the dragon wouldn’t set it on fire next.
In a flash of desperation, I wished my best friend was with me. Noah had protected Rosamon and me, through the first years of high school—though our senior year might not happen, considering this new turn of events. He hadn’t let any harm come to us, so far. And our life had been the better for it. He was fast and strong; if only he was with me.
Yet I hadn’t been able to spare a moment to alert him to the situation. Rosamon had been in her bed, across the room from me, and then she’d vanished. Why she’d left, I still didn’t know. But if I’d delayed, there would have been no chance to find out where she’d gone.
Even now, I didn’t know where in the devil she was. As it was, I might not see Noah again either. He’d remained in the real world, the one I’d left behind. And I had no way to let him know of our dire predicament. Yet I was sure that he would have come with me, if only he’d known—but there hadn’t been time.
Wishful thinking would do no good. Self-reliance was all I had, so I had better make it count. The city below offered hope of finding my sister. I just had to get down there, which would be a challenge. But I had to try.
Peeking around the tree, I saw more dragons swooping through the sky. They looked like planes with scaly wings. I hoped they couldn’t smell my dread or taste my fear, as they’d surely come after me. The nearest one banked near a craggy peak and swooped toward the river below. Its scales gleamed like jewels against the starry sky.
The distance between my hillside perch and the city below seemed insurmountable. The gunfire and explosions sounded closer, and my mission seemed to move outside the realm of possibility. It wouldn’t take much to gun down one lone teenage girl. I didn’t like the odds.
Chapter 3
Callie
With my heart pounding in my chest, I began to move. Staying in one spot, in the middle of battle, was a bad idea. Keeping out of sight, I wove through shrubs and trees, careful of my footing. The way was rocky and if I slipped, it could be curtains.
Up on this mountain, I couldn’t expect any assistance. So, I didn’t want to get hurt, as God knew how long I might be stranded up here. The smoke was thicker, making me cough, and burning my eyes. It blanketed the forest, shading the moonlight and blocking out the s
tars.
The night was darker, so I had to be more careful. It was difficult to see, and I developed a system of going from one tree to the next. I began to wish I’d participated more in gym class, as I was already out of breath.
Leaning against a tree, I brushed my hair out of my face and glanced up at the sky. The dense smoke had thinned, revealing a few stars. The dragons were gone, leaving the cloudless expanse empty. I looked off into the distance, and spotted the winged creatures flying in formation. I could barely see them at the top of a high mountain, a great distance behind the city.
Stopping wasn’t good. The break allowed fear to resurge. I had to keep moving and get to safety, if there was any to be had. Prickly bushes scraped my legs, scratching my ankles and catching on my clothes.
Uncertainty nagged at me, and I began to doubt I’d see my sister again. There seemed no way that she’d made it down this mountain. Or if she had, it was to her credit that she’d endured the journey.
The path disappeared into a grove of trees, making me anxious that I’d lose my way. It would be no simple matter to climb down a steep slope. But maybe there was some other well-traveled path I could follow—although I couldn’t see one.
Loud talking, in a language I didn’t recognize, gave warning of a group approaching. I dropped to the ground behind a boulder and held my breath.
A male shouted in an angry tone, but the voices around him didn’t seem to be moving closer. I chanced a peek around the rock, and my mouth gaped open. Three man-like creatures stood a few yards away. Each had to be over six feet tall, with pointy ears that stuck up through a helmet.
Their hair was royal blue, and their clothing wasn’t any I recognized. It appeared to be war garb, and I suspected the vest was worn for protection.
The men moved toward the edge of a cliff. Two more normal-looking males appeared on the scene. But the instant they came into sight, guns went off. They fell back, suspended in the air for a slit second, before falling over the side and plummeting down the mountain.
My gasp had been drowned out by the loud shot. I noticed the attackers held weapons I hadn’t seen before, and that smoke spiraled from the barrels. It had happened too quickly to get a good look at the men, now dead on the mountainside.
