The Dawn

by Auri Blest

  This is so wrong, Seth thought. I’ve got to get to her somehow. “Dawn! Obedience is better than sacrifice,” Seth yelled.

  Dawn slowly turned, looked at Seth and collapsed on her knees in a pool of tears. “Jade…” she whimpered, as she seemed to absorb the force and began to calm herself. “Forgive me.” Seth knew that those words weren’t meant for him. “Not my will, but your will be done.”

  Seth began to walk towards her. He didn’t care whether it was safe to touch her or not. His only concern at that moment was to comfort her.

  Suddenly, she looked up.

  She turned her head towards the wall as if she were trying to hear something.

  “What?” asked Dawn.

  “Don’t cry, Mommy.”

  “Hannah?”

  “Don’t cry, Mommy.”

  Seth looked back and forth from the wall to Dawn. What is she talking about?

  Dawn stood and pushed Seth back, away from the wall.

  “Don’t cry, Mommy.”

  I’m hearing her inside me just like the day I found her, thought Dawn.

  Dawn stepped in front of Seth and shielded him as the wall exploded.

  Jade could barely stand. Cain held both her and Hannah, who had collapsed in his arms.

  What? How? Seth thought.

  Hannah looked different. Her hair was totally white now. It was as if the release of her force had changed her.

  Dawn saw behind them that Legion X was closing in fast to get to Hannah. She had done just what the Emperor and Osiris needed her to do. She drew out the child. Hannah had come because of her. Just as Dawn had feared, they were connected, and she saw that Dawn was in trouble. She also had Dawn’s ability to transfigure and travel by light.

  Dawn stood in front of them and began to turn her arms in large alternate circles. Then she held one arm straight out towards Legion X, and a lightening force shot out of her hand. It was almost blinding. She aimed it at the ground under Legion X so that the current would affect the largest area. As it traveled through their bodies, they each became conductors spreading the electrical charge further. The amount of heat moving through them caused their bodies to ignite from the inside out.

  Dawn motioned for Jade to come near. Jade limped towards her, holding Hannah. She kissed Jade’s cheek and then kissed Hannah on the forehead while still shooting the force at Legion X. They were so many that it barely slowed them. She looked at Jade. “I love you my sister.” Tears dropped from her eyes. “Take care of her. She really likes you.”

  Jade looked down at Hannah. Tears began to fall from Jade’s eyes as she realized that Dawn meant that she wasn’t leaving with them.

  “Seth,” she called. He walked up to her side. With her free hand, she pulled him to her and kissed him on the lips. “You are a man of valor. You would have followed me anywhere wouldn’t you have?”

  Seth nodded.

  She looked into his eyes. “I know. I’ve always known.” Her voice cracked, “Take care of them. Give Soldier a proper memorial and stop being so hard on your mom. Crystal is one of the best there’s ever been, and she raised you.” She smiled at him.

  Crystal is Seth’s mom? Jade thought. That makes so much sense.

  “I love you all so very much. Please tell everyone. Continue in everything that you have been taught. This fire must not go out. You must go now! I can’t hold them back much longer.” Tears continued to fall from her face. Hannah had revived so Jade set her down. She ran to Dawn and hugged her waist.

  “Jade, take her,” Dawn yelled.

  Hannah screamed.

  Just as Jade was about to pull her back Osiris slithered in just above the ground and grabbed Hannah.

  “I knew that you would bring her to me,” the two voices screeched.

  “Let go of my child,” Dawn yelled.

  No one saw her sword leave her back, but his arm was gone. He yelled out and disappeared behind the rest of his clan. They could still hear his screaming minutes after he retreated.

  Hannah ran to Jade.

  “Your child?” asked Jade.

  “Yes.”

  Seth watched in shock. Dawn’s child?

  “Cain get them out of here,” Dawn yelled as the force now shot out of both hands. “Remember, there was a breeze. Follow it.”

  Cain turned toward Seth. “We need to go.”

  “General Cain, do you want to know who you are?” Dawn yelled while still facing Legion X.”

  Cain nodded as if she could see him.

  “You are Saul. The truth you seek is in Amsterdam,” she instructed.

  Seth grabbed Hannah and they ran, following Cain towards the tunnel entrance. Legion X began to surround Dawn. She looked back over her shoulder. A tear of joy fell as she watched them run. She knew they would be safe now.

  Dawn caused the ceiling to collapse behind her to seal Legion X in with her. They crowded in circling her in motion. They were careful about getting too close too soon because the power she manifested was unknown to them.

  She stood in the center of them looking straight ahead. On her face was a focused look of determination. She was perfectly still. Her coat blew back, and her hair swirled up and away from her face by a force they couldn’t see.

  They began to back away as she emitted something that resembled solar filament as it curved in around her in colors of burnt orange and yellow. The filament shot out at those that were on the hidden side of Legion X attempting to break through another wall to get to Hannah. They disintegrated as if they had been dropped into lava.

  The force in her continued to build, and Legion X began to chant, “We must flee,” to one after the other by thought transference.

  “No, please stay,” she said in their heads. They were horror struck. They didn’t know that she could hear them.

  Dawn’s physical makeup contained electrified particles, a form of the same particles that compose the two donut ring plasma fields that surround the earth. She drew energy from those electrified belts to create the bomb that she was becoming. Legion X prepared to flee as they watched her whole body become partially ionized plasma, shooting lightning in every direction around her.

  Cain, Seth, Jade and Hannah made it outside of the tunnel and began running through the forest towards the clearing where the farmhouse was located. There they found Darryl and Nguyen outside waiting.

  Darryl stared at them all covered in dirt. He looked at Hannah. “Is that—? How did she get here?” He reached forward, taking her from Seth who looked to be about to collapse.

  “You are not going to believe it,” answered Jade while trying to catch her breath.

  “Why are you guys still here? You were ordered to leave after five hours,” said Seth.

  “I think you know us a little better than that.” replied Nguyen. “We wouldn’t leave without you. Where’s Dawn?”

  They looked at each other but no one responded.

  “Let’s get to Ryan.” said Seth.

  “I’m not going with you,” Cain said. “Ashanti and Camille are still in there. We will find our way.”

  Nguyen handed him a pistol and they watched as he took off in the direction of the castle.

  At the top of the hill they turned around to the sound of a huge explosion. The ground shook under them. A fiery light shot up into the sky. The explosion continued through the tunnels and erdstalls and caused the farmhouse to explode. They all fell back onto the ground.

  Ryan was waiting outside of the helicopter with binoculars when they arrived. He had seen the explosions but still couldn’t begin to comprehend what they had just gone through. Based upon what they looked like, he knew that it was a miracle that they had made it back.

  As they began to board the helicopter, Ryan asked, “Where are—?”

  Seth shook his head. He couldn’t speak. If he had spoken, he would have broken down in tears. He would not have been able to keep up the strong persona of a leader that he needed to have right then. He needed to be strong for them
but all that he wanted to do was mourn the woman he had secretly been in love with for years.

  Everyone was silent as the Black Hawk helicopter lifted off. Tears ran down Jade’s face. Darryl and Nguyen sat with their heads down. Their minds were absorbed with everything that had taken place.

  Darryl thought about Soldier and his sacrifice. He was truly just beginning to live. Dawn did tell us upfront that there was a chance that this would be a one-way trip. I was so hoping that she was wrong. Darryl thought of Dawn and pressed his eyes shut.

  Nguyen heard Darryl sniff and reached over and patted his back in an attempt to comfort his friend. He reached down and grabbed his sore ankles where Legion X had grabbed him. Even without pulling back the sock, he knew that they had cut into his legs with their talon-like nails. When he scrambled onto his stomach the second time, to crawl through the erdstall tunnel, Legion X was on his heels. Suddenly, he felt something or someone grab his arms and yank him forward through the tunnel out of their grasp. He knew that he hadn’t imagined it. Somehow, he knew that it had been Dawn.

  She kissed me, thought Seth as he clenched his jaws and held back tears. She said that she had always known. He thought that he had hid his love for her pretty well. He looked over at Hannah. How? She was still in socks and pajamas. He couldn’t comprehend how she arrived there or the fact that she was Dawn’s child. He knew that they wouldn’t stop coming for her but he would be there when they did. He vowed to spend the rest of his life protecting her.

  Jade stroked Hannah’s hair. This is Dawn’s child, she thought. Only Dawn’s child could have done what I saw her do.

  That thing grabbed me and pulled me back through the tunnel with such speed. Hannah appeared out of thin air. She wasn’t the bubbly seven-year-old, bursting with curiosity, that I knew. She moved like Dawn. Her hand motion looked as though she was practicing her kata. A light emitted from her, a light like I had never seen. It was bright. I can think of no other word to describe it except pure. Jade thought of the prophecy: The Dawn would bring forth a pure light…

  When she pushed her arms forward, the light pressed forward and radiated out of her, disintegrating those around her. That thing dropped me and the rest of them surrounded him, retreating further back into the tunnel. I don’t think they were any more aware than we were that she held that kind of power.

  She saved me, and that Cain person caught her as she collapsed, after she had blown out the wall for us to escape through. I would not have believed it if I had not been there to see it.

  Soldier… Jade sighed and laid her head back against the helicopter wall. As irritating as he was, he was a good man and he honestly cared about me. He gave his life to save me. She shook her head. Thank you Soldier. I will see you again one day.

  Jade hurt to the core of her being when she thought about Dawn. She held Hannah’s head to her chest and coughed from choking as she tried to hold back a wail. She put her hand up and covered her face.

  Seth looked over at her. He could no longer control his tears. Seeing Jade in so much pain broke him down and he didn’t try to hide it. He silently wept.

  Dawn had been such a major part of most of Jade’s life. She wasn’t sure how she would go on a day without her. She looked down at Hannah and stroked her hair.

  Hannah hugged Jade tight. She could feel her despair. She shivered as Jade pulled a tarp over her to help warm her. She turned her head away from Jade and looked out of the opening of the helicopter towards what was left of the burning building and forest in the distance. There were stripes on her face where tears had run down through the dirt on her cheeks. Her face was solemn. She lifted her head off Jade’s chest and stared out at what now looked like a pebble of fire in the distance.

  Suddenly, Hannah smiled. k12

  THIS ISN’T THE END

  Thank you for reading my debut novel, The Dawn. I hope you enjoyed it. Please consider leaving a review. I would greatly appreciate the feedback. Find out what happens next with the People of the Prophecy and the chosen one in the next novel of the tetralogy, The Day of Awakening. The Day of Awakening will take you back to the world, pre-IMO and will answer all the questions that you were left with from The Dawn. Be sure to visit www.auriblest.com for more information.

  A SPECIAL SNEAK PEEK OF BOOK TWO

  The Day of Awakening

  THE DAWN SERIES

  BOOK 2

  Awakening: an act of awaking from sleep; an act or moment of suddenly becoming aware.

  Chapter 1

  Lower Manhattan.

  Two months after the return from Austria.

  From a window six stories up, David watched Bishop as he walked along the East River dock. David motioned to the man next to him. “This is perfect. Set up right here. Stay on alert. Your eyes need to be on him at all times.”

  Bishop stopped at pier eleven. That was where they were supposed to meet. It had been eight years since he had stood on this dock. It was the same day he witnessed the most remarkable event he had ever seen and probably will ever see again in his lifetime. He remembered it now as if he were seeing it for the first time.

  He saw himself tossing and turning in the bed that night. He couldn’t get her death off his mind. He kept thinking, how could this have happened to such an innocent child. He just couldn’t understand it.

  He got out of bed and walked down to the basement, praying as he walked.

  The pungent odor of the hydrogen peroxide they had used to clean up all the blood wafted up the stairs. He slowly approached the game room-turned medical facility where her body lay on a tarp-covered table with sheets draped over it.

  The door was cracked open, and there was a bright light coming from the room. It was like no light he had ever seen. Bishop peered through the door and then stumbled back against the wall and slid down to the floor. With open-mouthed awe, he stared into the room. He couldn’t make a sound. Nothing would come out. Tears flowed from his eyes as he watched the tall, radiant beings work around the table. They seemed to be mending her body.

  They surrounded the table as doctors and nurses would during surgery. Bishop forced himself onto his hands and knees and crawled closer to the cracked open door, shaking with a reverential fear as he watched a being that glowed brighter than the rest touch the head of the girl. It leaned down and whispered in her ear: Arise my child. Beloved, it is not yet your time.

  With a blink of an eye, they were gone, and Dawn stood before him in the doorway, a sheet draped around her like a toga. She helped Bishop to a standing position. He looked into her eyes which shined brightly as if they had just been charged with a new battery. He couldn’t speak. She stood a foot taller than him now, and she was no longer frail but filled with strength and power and she had matured into a woman.

  Bishop was certain that he had been ‘allowed’ to witness this miracle. There was no way that he should have been able to hear what he called an angel, had whispered in her ear. That miracle eight years ago was the first of many, but none were more spectacular than her rebirth.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Auri Blest spent ten years as an entrepreneur, starting several companies before retiring to pursue her true passion: writing young adult fiction.

  Her debut novel, The Dawn, is the first book in a tetralogy. Auri grew up in New York, is an Eastern Michigan University alum, now lives in Florida, and would love to hear from you.

  Via email: info@auriblest.com

  On the web: www.auriblest.com

  On Twitter: @OfficialTheDawn

  On Instagram: @official_thedawn

  On Facebook: @auriblest

 

 

 
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