Eclipse (Dawnbringer, Book 1)

by Elon Vidal

  She coughed and her mother was ready with a straw to her lips, allowing Dawn to drink some water. Once she’d had some water, she felt refreshed. Despite the dry throat and the issue with the lights earlier, Dawn felt pretty good. She wasn’t in pain anywhere and she had control of her body once again which was the most important thing.

  When she finally focused on the people in the room, she saw just how much she had sacred everyone. Her mother looked as if she had been crying while her father’s hair was all over the place as if he had been running his hands through it nonstop. Her brother just looked tired, but he gave her a small smile when they locked eyes.

  “What happened?” Dawn asked, not quite remembering what had happened after her mother had appeared.

  The light, she thought, then quickly raised her arms to check if she was back to normal. Her heartbeat increased as she felt an echo of the fear she had felt when the light had engulfed her. It was gone now, and she wasn’t hundred percent certain whether she had dreamed of the light or not. But judging by the looks on her parents’ faces; it had been real. All of this was really happening! And because it was real, that meant that she had lost time, crucial time. As the thought suddenly occurred to her, she almost jumped off the bed.

  "Oh no, my interview! What time is it?"

  "Dawn, sweetheart, calm down."

  "No mom, you don’t understand. I have to go now!"

  Isabel calmly placed her hand on top of Dawn's trembling ones. The look on her mother’s face told her that she was not going to like whatever she had to say.

  "Sweetheart, you've been unconscious for hours."

  "What do you mean hours? What time is it?"

  "A little after three."

  "Three?!" Her eyes widened in shock. "The interview! I… I, what, I have to call…”

  “Sweetie, it’s best that you take it slowly. Don’t worry about that now.”

  “What happened to me?"

  Her mother was quiet for a second as if trying to figure out what to say. Dawn looked at her father for an explanation of what exactly was going on.

  "Dad?"

  "I don't really understand it all, your mother can explain it better."

  She turned back to her mother. "Mom, just say it."

  "Have you been playing around with magic that you shouldn't?" Her mother surprised her by asking a question instead. And the most odd of questions at that.

  "Me? I can barely make a cup of coffee using magic and I certainly don't play around with any big spells. Why are you asking me that?"

  She was the victim here, not the culprit!

  "Because the light that made you black out, that was no ordinary magic Dawn. And you had us all really worried for a second."

  "But I didn't do anything! The light attacked me, I didn't have anything to do with it. You know me, mom, I would never do that."

  Except for the plan to make a love potion, Dawn thought, but that was not what they were discussing here.

  "I know sweetie. It’s just that it also took out the center's entire power system."

  "What do you mean I took out the entire system? I don't have any powers, remember?"

  If anything was to blame it was the strange light that seemed to have followed her into the real world from her dreams. Was that a power of hers now? Manifesting things from her dreams? She sure hoped not, that was a dangerous power to have.

  “I promise I didn’t touch any spells, mom,” she said in a calmer voice.

  Her mother nodded and squeezed her hand. “Of course, sweetheart. I believe you. Everything just happened so fast, and after what happened, we all didn’t know what to think. Whatever it is that happened to you made us scared, and the Council had to be informed."

  Dawn frowned. "You called the Council on me?" Then she looked around as it suddenly registered in her mind that she had never been in this place before. "Where are we?"

  "We called Ezekiel for help, and he was compelled to tell the Enlightened."

  "Would anyone care to enlighten me why it seemed like a good idea to call Ezekiel?"

  Ezekiel was Elijah's grandfather, and the man was a walking, talking rule book. Now she’d also have a Council of old people looking at her with suspicion. Just the thought that anyone believed she was capable of such powerful magic almost made her laugh, but again, Ezekiel didn’t have a sense of humor.

  "Because he was the only one who could help," her father finally said. "And he brought you to the Council hospital so they can monitor your recovery."

  “Great, now I’ll never be able to leave this place. With my luck, they might even blame the eclipse on me!” Who on earth, or beyond it, had she crossed to end up in the situation?

  "Did they find out what the light thing was at least? Did they destroy it or whatever?"

  “Dawn, that won’t happen. But we do have to figure out what did,” assured her mom.

  "So, what is the diagnosis? Do I have some kind of magic infection?"

  “We don’t know yet. They have to run some tests, but we should know by tomorrow. I tried to read your aura, but I can’t see anything; just the light.”

  Dawn looked at Isabel as she spoke, and she could tell that her mother was trying so hard not to show that she was scared. But it was in her eyes and the way she was playing with her hands. As someone who had used magic all her life, it must have been pretty scary to have that same magic fail you. Dawn wondered what her mother was going through, not having power to do anything now.

  “Is it bad? Can you at least tell me that?”

  Her mother shook her head sadly, and Dawn sighed, looking down at her hands.

  Was she just supposed to go on without knowing what this thing was and when it would happen again? It was no one’s fault, of course, but she really needed some answers.

  “And they can’t just remove it or something?”

  Even before her mother answered, she knew it was a dead-end again. If they could, they probably would have done it anyway.

  "Sweetheart, the light is coming from you," Isabel answered.

  Dawn was sure that she hadn’t heard her mother correctly. "What are you saying?"

  "They can't destroy or remove it because it is a part of you."

  How did one just wake up with a new, unknown power fused to their being? It all didn’t make any sense. Had someone put a spell on her? And if so, why on earth would anyone want to put a spell on her of all people? And what kind of spell would cause that blinding light anyway?

  “You would think magic would be able to fix this,” she scoffed.

  “Magic is the problem here,” her father cut in, sounding a little agitated.

  “I’m sure we’ll have answers soon,” her mother replied.

  “She was supposed to be leaving all of this behind, not blacking out because of some unknown power inside her!”

  Dawn looked at her father, surprised at his little outburst. She supposed he had been holding it in for long, and now it was all coming out.

  “She can’t leave all this behind, it is a part of her! Magic is a part of her, a part of Nathan too. We can’t change that,” Isabel argued. “We will find out what’s going on with her and fix it, but denying that magic runs in her veins will never be a solution.”

  “No one is denying anything, but you’re conveniently forgetting that she chose to leave it behind. I just want our daughter to be safe, and it seems that magic is failing to do that.”

  “Being human won’t keep her safe either,” her mother shot back.

  “Okay, can we all just calm down, please?” Dawn cut in, raising both her hands.

  The tension in the room was palpable, and she saw that her parents were more than ready to dive into an age-old argument that would get them nowhere. She had heard it many times when her parents thought Dawn and Nathan couldn’t hear.

  “Good thing is that nothing bad happened to me,” she said, not adding the ‘yet’ that was on the tip of her tongue. “And as much as I don’t like it, if anyone c
an fix anything, it’s the Enlightened. Right, mom?”

  Isabel took a deep breath as she looked at her daughter, then nodded.

  Dawn nodded firmly and said with a confidence she didn’t actually feel. “So, we wait.”

  Her father didn’t look so happy about it, either, but it was really all they could do now. She just hoped that they could fix her soon so that she could go on with her life and find a way to convince EOS to give her another chance. And, if that went well, maybe she could also keep her parents from fighting so getting them back together would actually work.

  A woman walked in about thirty minutes later with a chart, reminding Dawn of the one time she had visited a normal human hospital. She had twisted her leg while playing with other kids, and only her father had been around. He had taken her to an emergency room, and it had been a shock to her system. So used to her mother waving her hand or making her drink some quick potion to make any pain go away, the human way of doing things was way too noisy and slow. Seeing the lady carrying a chart like a regular human doctor almost made her smile. Almost.

  Her mother stood as the woman stopped at the foot of Dawn’s bed.

  “Hi, Dawn, nice to see you awake,” the woman said with a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m Doctor Hardy.”

  “Hi Doc, any good news for me? As much as I enjoy being the center of attention, I would really like to get out of here,” Dawn replied.

  “We found nothing out of the ordinary in your tests. The only magic we detected in you is Fae blood, nothing else.”

  That couldn’t be right, Dawn thought as she frowned. There was something definitely inside her, and her mother had confirmed it.

  “Mom said she read my aura and she found something. Right mom?”

  “Your Aura shows that the light is there, but it’s not magic,” explained the doctor. “At least not anything we could detect. We’ll need to do more tests as soon as the Council decides what to do next.”

  “What if it happens again?” Dawn asked. Panic started to rise within her again.

  For a second there she had secretly hoped it was magic. It would mean she had tapped into her unknown powers. And now that hope had been taken away again. She’d taken out lights in a building, but what would happen next? Not knowing was worse than just being told that something was wrong with her.

  Doctor Hardy was ready with a response. “We will use a caging spell to dampen any power within you for now, then you can go home.”

  That was good news at least, she didn’t want to be in this place for a second longer.

  “Okay, let’s do that.”

  THE EAST GATE (DAWNBRINGER, BOOK 2)

  I hope you’ve enjoyed this free teaser story!

  The fun continues in “THE EAST GATE (DAWNBRINGER - BOOK 2)”

  Available for pre-order.

  CLICK HERE TO START READING IT NOW

  SYNOPSIS

  Dawn’s light energy is emitting from within her. This changes her destiny.

  The Council of The Enlightened order that she begin training with the First Guard immediately while they figure out what caused the eclipse and why a clan of Pixies was suddenly wiped out.

  Forces that are much more powerful than The Enlightened are coming into play. Dawn’s light energy might just be the key to resolving the mystery.

  What else is in store for Dawn as she comes to terms with this strange force?

  ELON’S AUTHOR NOTES

  DECEMBER 10, 2020

  Thank you for having read Eclipse. It’s intended as a short giveaway teaser and an introduction into Dawn’s world. I hope you’re enjoying it so far.

  If you’d like to continue following Dawn in her adventures, there’s a whole series waiting for you to read. This teaser is just the tip of the iceberg.

  Dawn represents someone who is faced with their destiny. She’s someone who makes plans in one direction, yet life will steer her in another. Like many of my characters, I take them on a journey which draws from my own experience.

  A few years back I took a breather from it all and knew that I had to focus on the important things in life. Everything else was just noise. What made my life fulfilling, I asked myself? Being creative was one of those things. Readers of mine will know there are five basic elements I keep front and center.

  For now, let’s just say that I identify being creative with the element of air. It represents fresh ideas, new connections, and ultimately freedom. It is a human aspiration and it ultimately starts within each of ourselves.

  So Dawn is in for a ride. See you on her journey!

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  ELON VIDAL

  Writing a book is the result of many minds and interactions coming together. Inspiration, experience, and insight is gathered from everywhere, and this shows in how this all finally comes together.

  I want to begin by thanking you, the readers, who become a part of these stories by reading, reviewing, recommending, and buying the books. It is thanks to you that people like me get a chance to keep tapping into the imagination and sharing new stories. Thank you for your ongoing support.

  Thank you also to the team at Light Age Media. Without Erynn, Daphne, Jordi, and several others, this would not have been possible. You have breathed life into these stories and made it so that they could engage with a wider audience.

  I also wish to thank Ty, Marty, Ja, and Josh who have guided my way to publishing and have opened up my world of what was possible from my laptop and with determination. I now feel much more empowered to keep sharing these stories as a way of life.

  A special thank you to my Advanced Reader Group who have offered valuable insights early on to improve the story. Stay tuned to know how you can become a part of it.

  A note of gratitude also goes to my early teachers at writing school. I had always wanted to write novels. Always gathering ideas and thoughts for inspiration. We began with short two-page stories on Friday evenings and soon after I was hooked and moved onto novels. It still took many years to getting down to writing my first, but I never let go. I smile every time I walk past your school and remember the beginnings.

  And thank you to my friends and family who want to see me continue to do what I love. I appreciate your support on this journey and for this craft.

  OTHER BOOKS BY ELON

  WITCHLIGHT

  Check out more from Elon Vidal’s YA Fantasy:

  Witchlight, Book 1 in Lightkey: The Intrepid Lucy Duceaul series

  Lucy is a rare Lightbringer.

  Forces of order and chaos, light and shadow, Druids and Sidhe, rule behind the scenes since the inception of time.

  The prophecy of higher consciousness destines a Lightbringer to end their reign and bring about Unity. Fearing being overturned, they will stop at nothing to prevent it.

  Lucy is soooo not ready yet.

  Witchlight is yours for FREE when you join Elon’s newsletter. Click here or if this link doesn’t work on your device you can also type the following: https://BookHip.com/XSBXCF.

  THE TIME WIELDER

  CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER. RELEASES FEBRUARY 5, 2021

  The Time Wielder, Book 1 in The Indomitable Ella Larisse Series

  Ella’s search for The Eye of Evermore Sight opens up the very fabric of the Universe.

  The Crystals of Reality are calling their wielders. Underworlders are already on the chase. Ella’s destiny is unfolding. It’s the way of the Jarmin.

  If only she listened to her true calling.

  THE ATTRACTION WIELDER

  When you join Elon’s list, you will also receive this bonus novella.

  The Attraction Wielder (Juro’s Backstory) novella bonus in The Indomitable Ella Larisse series.

  Juro Carp gets himself entangled in a web of dark magic when he steals the Attraction chalice.

  The Crystals of Reality are calling their wielders. Underworlders are already on the chase.

  He would much rather ride his custom-built solar-powered magnetic levit
ation monocycle and continue his petty thefts.

  But the artifact he lifted from Sintila is a whole new game for him.

  Know Juro's backstory, before he ever met Ella Larisse.

  Juro’s Backstory is yours for FREE when you join Elon’s newsletter. Click here or if this link doesn’t work on your device you can also type the following: https://BookHip.com/XSBXCF. On this link you will download Witchlight and you will also be sent Juro’s Backstory.

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