Necrotic Dawn is a dark fantasy novel with psychological thriller elements, exploring the twisted fates of twin sisters Aurora and Ember.
For the past ten years, the sisters have been secretly protected by the dragon Ilios, who harbors a forbidden l...
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I have almost crossed the tree line when I see them. Ember and Byron are walking towards the cottage, chatting. Embers face is tight and her smile forced. Byron must have cornered her and insisted he walk with her.
I duck behind one of the thicker trees and Violet comes over to sit behind me, hiding herself as well. I watch as he hands her a large bag no doubt filled with books she picked up for me. A small voice in the back of my head tells me to be grateful he walked with her to carry the bag but I push it away. He was obviously just trying to earn points with me so I would talk to him.
The night from last summer flashes through my head like an unwelcome nightmare,
We are sitting on the docks overlooking the lake to the west of Atreus. I have always loved how the stars and the auroras from Borealis Mountain reflect on the surface at night. Soon it will be warm enough that I can dip my toes in the water while I sit here. I smile at the thought.
"What are you smiling about?" Byron asks from beside me.
I jump a bit, not remembering him being so close before. Did he move while I was daydreaming? "I am just thinking about how the water will start warming up soon."
"Ah. Excited to get back in the water I take it?" he asks with a knowing smile.
"Of course. It won't be much longer before I can. I can't wait to see how many soul crystals are littering the river bed this season," I reply with a smile. Diving for soul crystals is easily one of my favorite things to do. I hate when winter sets in. Not because I find the water too cold but because Ember insists that it is. It is just too much of a fight to get her to let me into the water when the first snow comes.
"Maybe one day I can come with you," he says with a flirtatious tone of voice while he nudges my shoulder with his and smirking.
I blanch a bit at the thought of being naked in front of him and him being naked...no. Not happening. "Um...it's kind of something I like to do alone," I say nervously as I look away.
He cups my cheek and pulls my face back towards him. "You don't always have to be alone you know. Maybe we can make it something we do together. I would actually like to do a lot of things together with you," he says. His eyes flick down to my lips. He runs his tongue along his lips, making them shine a bit from the light of the moon and auroras in the distance.
I laugh until my ribs hurt and tears stream down my cheeks.
"Aurora," he says with a serious tone that makes my laughter die in my throat. "I wasn't joking."
"W...What are you saying?" I ask. My panicked heartbeat is pounding in my ears.
"I love you Aurora. I always have and I always will. I want to spend the rest of my life by your side showing you how much you mean to me," he says. He leans forward bringing his face closer to mine.
