From Dusk (Book # 1)

By Rose Kaybing

To Taylor Clere who lives in the sleepy town of Wendell, nothing could get more strange than his ability to use magic. He suddenly changes his mind when on his first day in college he bumps into a mysterious girl named Selene. As well as being very beautiful she is also stubborn and intent on keeping her past a secret. Taylor somehow feels drawn to her and starts to notice strange things about her. With the help of his roomate he tries to find out more about her. In his quest for the truth he is drawn deeper into the dark underworld of vampires, a centuries old legend that involves him and the connection between him Selene.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rose Kaybing
• Release date: May 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476198538

Rose Kaybing

I grew up watching and reading about damsels in distress therefore I prefer to create more powerful fictional female characters. Please let me know what you think of my work. Happy Reading!

Book preview

FROM DUSK

Book 1

Rose. W Kaybing

Published By Rose Kaybing at Smashwords

Copyright © 2012 Rose Kaybing

Check out plans for an upcoming sequel at http://[e-mail]

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold

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Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work

of this author.

Cover design by Rose Kaybing

For my mother who always read my work with enthusiasm

Discarded Love

Bleak midwinter

And snow lies all around

My heart is cold and empty

And I long to walk on the hot sand

With the sun burning my body

And my love close at hand

Will you ever return?

Or will I always live in bleak midwinter

Send me word of where you are

Have you found a new love?

Have you moved on to someone new?

I am still in a frozen state

Stuck rigid where you left me

Unable to move on

One kiss would thaw my bones

One moment of bliss would

Unfreeze my toes

I would follow you to the ends of the earth

But my feet are frozen to the ground

And all around there is no sound

In this frozen wilderness

I will live forever

Suspended in time

A monument to discarded love

-Anon-

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Vessel

Chapter 2: Selene

Chapter 3: Questions

Chapter 4: And so we meet

Chapter 5: Temper, Temper

Chapter 6: The sun always sets at noon

Chapter 7: Why do I feel this way?

Chapter 8: Look Twice

Chapter 9: Finding Out

Chapter 10: Belonging to another

Chapter 11: Whispers of the past

Chapter 12: Revealing a secret

Chapter 13: Curiosity

Chapter 14: Something to remember me

Chapter 15: Revelation

Chapter 16: It all comes down to this

Chapter 17: Turmoil is an understatement

Chapter 18: Secrets become the truth

Chapter 19: Confrontation

Chapter 20: The Council

Chapter 21: Once More

Chapter 22: Final Frontier

Epilogue

Chapter 1: The Vessel

1988

Leaves crunched under hard leather soled boots as she walked down the pavement. The night was cold and silent without noise from cars or people. Even the shrill sound of crickets in the bushes along the pavement sounded strange. Pale light from the moon gently outlined the dark figure's face. She had dark olive skin with the strangest colored eyes, emerald with flecks of red in them. Some would have even described her as an ancient beauty, straight out of the time of the great Cleopatra. She cautiously strolled scanning the area as she went for any sign of human life. Sensing that she was safe from prying eyes she crouched low on the ground and stared in concentration at the top of the hill a few meters away.

Making a quick decision she began to run slowly at first then faster as she approached the line of trees on the roadside. Her momentum came to a halt when she gracefully leaped into the air and landed in a large oak tree. With practiced ease she quickly threw herself from tree to tree her movements much like a monkey. To the human eye her movements could only be seen as only a blur. She came to stop a few feet away from the concrete wall that crowned the head of the hill and watched. From her position she could see well behind the walls where a gravel driveway lead up to the foot of a huge whitewashed colonial style mansion. Cars were parked around the marble fountain in front of the house. Her sensitized hearing meant that even at a distance she could hear the sound of someone playing the piano and people laughing in the house. They were having a party.

The mansion was three hundred years old and belonged to Madison Clere. It had been originally built by her late husband’s great, great, great grandfather from bootlegging money. It was a huge sprawling structure made of brick and marble rumored to house several valuable antiques. From talk amongst townsfolk it was common knowledge that some of the antiques were practically undiscovered and believed to be non-existent in the present day. Madison Clere was a private woman and chose to live quietly in her own home away from the main town of Dark Falls a few hours out of New York City. Her husband, once an investment banker had died young leaving her the family fortune and a son to take care of. She only associated herself with certain wealthy families in town who led the same secluded existence as herself. They were a tight knit group and kept to themselves which usually meant marrying amongst themselves. Madison only showed herself when her husband’s family business required her to travel to the city to for meetings or when she was invited to important town functions.

Taking a deep breath the girl poised herself before she fell down from the tree. Landing on all fours she quickly straightened up and ran toward the concrete wall. When she was a meter away she jumped up into the air and sailed in a smooth arc over the wall. She reached the ground on both her feet inside the Cleres’ yard a few meters away from the guard house. Her entrance was done in a fluid motion without making a sound to alert the guards of her presence. Pulling her coat tighter around her she slowly walked across the vast lawn toward the backyard. If she were spotted by the guards she would just be dismissed as one of the guests. As the sounds from the party got louder so did the smell. She followed the path through the garden maze and took her place just behind a hedge that marked the entrance where she could get a good view of the party without being seen. The people wore formal attire and stood sipping champagne at the poolside overlooking the green hedges that formed the maze.

A young man in a traditional tuxedo sat at a grand piano and began playing a piece which she identified as Chopin. She couldn’t see him well because of the distance between them but from the sounds that were emitted from the piano she could tell that he played beautifully. He sat bent over eyes closed letting his emotions take over his fingers as they softly brushed the keys. A quiet hush swept over the crowd as they sat mesmerized by the sound of his music. The music was so hypnotizing that the girl could not help but be transported by it to another time. In her mind’s eye she could see the colorful outfits and the same music playing in the background as she was swept off her feet. Then there was the smell of fresh blood so familiar and dead eyes. The sound of ovations shook her out of her silent reverie and brought her back to the task at hand. Closing her eyes she let her paranormal senses take over in locating the vessel. Blood pumped through her veins and the smell so delectable tempting her to move closer. It was so pure, so close that she felt as if she could reach out and touch it.

***

When Taylor Clere finished playing, a loud applause erupted followed by demands for an encore. He bowed to the crowd and stood up making his way to where his four friends sat. As he passed her line of sight, Madison who was conversing with a few of the guests watched her son and thought how similar to his father he was becoming these days. Like William, Taylor had his dark handsome looks and excelled at everything that he did. This year he had been class president and football team captain. He had even applied and was accepted into Harvard. It was at his mother’s insistence however that he was going to Richmond College which was about an hour’s drive out of town. Since her husband died when he was thirteen she worried about her son a lot. She feared that his father’s death had affected him more than she knew. Despite her attempts to protect him, she knew he would at some time have to leave for college and eventually go off and get married. He would soon discover the cruel world she had tried to shelter him from for so long.

Bravo dude, so waddya say we ditch our parents and go to the real party? Rob one of Taylor’s closest friends since childhood was already half drunk from the empty bottles of champagne on the table. He took a seat next to him. His other friends looked as bored as he felt ties askew slumped in their chairs. It had been their parents’ idea to do a formal celebration of the boys’ graduation at the Clere residence with only close family invited. Their families had always been close with the boys being coincidentally born the same year. As children they had played together in the garden maze while their fathers discussed business on the poolside in hushed voices. They had fought bullies together and as they grew into older teenagers sometimes even quarreled over girls. Next year they were all going to turn eighteen and just as their fathers had planned since their kindergarten days, they were going off to the same college.

Jimmy’s friends are throwing a party in our honor at the lake. He called me up in the afternoon and told me that the beer is flowing and the chicks are hot! continued Rob.

We should go. I’m tired of wearing a suit and drinking four hundred dollar champagne that won’t get me drunk. Josh shifted uneasily in his seat to show his discomfort.

Pierre only nodded while Matt looked at Taylor for his opinion. For some unspoken reason whenever it came to decision making time he always had the last say. Despite their years of friendship, like all other friends they differed from one another in many ways. Rob the redhead in the group lived up to his hair color being the group risk taker and womanizer. Where the beer, babes and party was, Rob was always present with his beloved 1972 Ford convertible the engine of which had been replaced with that of race cars. Josh was the driftwood; he was happy with anything and often agreed with Rob and usually ended up helping Rob in bar fights. Pierre was the quiet one who calmed everyone in ugly situations. He was the middleman who was more interested in computers books and spending time with his girlfriend then getting involved in arguments. His sensitive nature went with him being a head shorter than the rest. Matt was the dreamboat Brad Pitt look-alike with his chin length blond hair and solid physique which had earned him the MVP award that year in football. He usually took sides with Taylor who was the most reasonable one among them.

They’ll know, Taylor motioned toward where their parents sat talking animatedly at the end of the pool.

Geez they’re too busy talking and the rest of our families are too busy mingling to notice, Rob waved his hand around at family members who had been invited from out of town to attend their graduation party. He was right; they all sat at their tables laughing and from the looks of it too occupied with catching up on old times.

We’ll take your Jeep Taylor, said Rob.

C’mon you’re only young once and this is our last night to celebrate as seniors. Josh helped Rob.

Hey I wanna go, said Pierre. The silence that came was followed by uncontrollable laughter from the group.

Are you drunk man? This champagne must be strong, joked Matt patting his back playfully.

Hey it’s only because Tami’s already there. I got a call from her from her right before we left the house to come here, he said defensively.

They all turned to Taylor in silent anticipation. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He slowly sank into sub consciousness. One of his gifts was foresight. He could see into the near future meaning that he could see things that would happen in an hour or so but not further than that. The scene before him was hazy but he could hear the loud background music and his friends laughing. He could see Kate talking to him, and then suddenly a dark blur. He tried to concentrate on making out what the blur was but something was preventing him from doing so. The harder he tried the sharper the pain in his left temple became. He came out of the trance with a start his head throbbing like he had just been hit over the head with a hammer.

Well? asked Josh.

I saw something, a dark shape. I couldn’t make out what it was though, he answered rubbing his forehead.

Riiight! You saw that last time and it turned out to be my mother coming to the bar to drag us all home coz I crashed her Mercedes Benz, said Rob drinking from his fourth bottle of Champagne. C’mon Tay, it could be something good ‘bout Kate,

Everybody knew Taylor and Kate Dawson had been flirting like crazy since the eleventh grade when they discovered the other was not only a friend to hang out with but an attractive member of the opposite sex. Taylor shook himself mentally to rid his mind of the image and inhaled deeply. He could continue on being careful and calculated because his senses told him there was danger or he could just let loose and have some fun before going off to college. Taylor hesitated momentarily but the idea of being with Kate was too tempting to ignore.

Okay. Let’s go! he said.

They left discreetly through the difficult route in the maze they had mastered from childhood. Making their way out, they headed for the garage. Taylor opened the door with the spare remote he kept and prayed the guards at the gate would not hear the sound of it retracting upwards. It was pitch black inside and they could not run the risk of getting caught by turning on the lights so all they could do was blindly follow Taylor inside to his Jeep. Taylor sat in the driver’s seat and turning to see that all his friends were inside, slowly turned the ignition on. The loud roar of the car engine caused them all to nervously glance around each expecting their parents to come out screaming at them. When nothing happened Taylor smiled and stepped on the gas pedal taking off down the driveway past the guards and out the gate. When they reached the main road they burst out laughing and turned up the car’s hi-fi system. Michael Jackson’s voice blared out of the stereos singing Thriller as they drove out onto the freeway. Taylor expertly steered the car down the hill and onto the dirt road that would take them to the lake where the party was. They were so busy laughing and talking excitedly that they did not notice the figure that followed them.

Cars filled the parking area that was closest to where the party was so they had no choice but to park near the edge of the forest that surrounded the lake. It was also the only place left isolated in the whole vicinity. Some people sat around bonfires either drinking or smoking while others danced wherever they stood. Only Jimmy Levinstein’s car sat on the sand in the middle of it all music booming from the huge speakers on its trailer. Jimmy and his friends who were throwing the party were the chosen elite seniors for the next year taking over the position that was coming to an end for Taylor and his friends. This meant that they would have with access to the coolest parties and opportunities in school. He and his friends sat with his girlfriend who was also a graduate. They were drinking beer and smoking a suspicious looking cigarette on the trailer of his open back truck while watching the progress of the party they were throwing. Next to them were kegs of beer ready to be distributed to anyone who was thirsty or ready to get drunk. They were determined to make their mark and throwing a party for the outgoing seniors was a great way to start things off.

Taylor and his friends got out of the car and went separate directions planning to meet at Matt’s girlfriend Tasha’s bonfire was. As they passed Jimmy’s truck he gave them instructions on where to get the booze and if they needed, illegal substances. They nodded their appreciation and complimented him on the great party and were on their way each carrying six packs courtesy of Jimmy. As they walked away Taylor could not help but feel a gnawing pain in his chest at how things were ending for him in high school. Something told him that leaving high school meant leaving the security and innocence of being young. The boys eventually took separate paths. He did not need directions as he made his way toward the huge bonfire behind the crowd of dancing bodies where the girls sat.

Tasha was playing the guitar and singing while Tami took a video of them. Kate sat with them blond, petite and perfect. The moon shone on her face giving her an unearthly glow and as he watched, a breeze caught her hair and blew it into the air making her look even more beautiful. They began as friends in middle school when Kate had transferred in and started to hang out with Tasha and Tami, the twins who were now dating Matt and Josh. Although they had dated numerous people they only realized their blossoming feelings for each other in eleventh grade when Kate was dumped by her boyfriend and Taylor called it quits with his girlfriend. During this time they began getting to know each other more and realized the possibility that maybe they did not want to be just friends. Now as he wove his way through the dancing bodies obscuring his path, he could see Kate. She looked especially pretty tonight. She was laughing at a joke Tasha had made and when she turned toward him her blue eyes were shining with mirth which caused his heart to skip a beat. Her eyes wandered over to the crowd that he was a part of and their gazes locked. She smiled and waved him over. As he made his way toward Kate, Tami turned the camera toward him and started a fake commentary. He took a seat next to Kate and tried his best to move the camera away from his face.

Tami finally gave up and put away her camera taking out a beer instead. Taylor Clere you are officially no fun!

I agree, said Tasha raising a beer in support. You need a girl to loosen you up. The twins smiled encouragingly at the couple sitting close together.

Don’t worry he just needs to find the right one, said Kate.

She smiled at Taylor who returned it back.

Here, she handed him a beer from their cooler. He shook his head and raised his six pack to show that he already had some.

Clere, I believe that when a girl offers you a drink you accept it, said Tasha.

He shrugged and accepted. Matt and the others slowly made their way over to them each bringing more alcohol. Rob had also brought with him a freshman by the name of Melissa who had come with one of Jimmy’s friends. Everyone sat down in pairs and began to talk except for Josh whose girlfriend Alicia went to college. Soon conversation about school and the party started.

So are you excited? Kate asked Taylor.

About? he was confused.

College dummy. I mean it’s only in the next town but still…

Yeah I guess so.

You don’t sound too excited. I’m guessing it’s because you had to give up Harvard. She looked at him trying to figure him out. He’s very complicated for a guy who has it all, that was what his ex-girlfriend a senior had told her back when they were only friends. Now that they were over the friendship barrier and into the pastures of romantic interest she was beginning to see this for herself. It was almost like some part of him was missing, just drifting out there. Even though he showed interest in her and they flirted like crazy most times she felt as if she did not really know him.

So what courses are you taking? just like him to maneuver the subject away from himself.

Kate sighed and launched into an explanation of what she was going to be studying. She was in the middle of telling him about the dorm that she wanted to sleep in when his gaze wandered past her face and into the dark trees in the distance. When he first caught sight of her his first thought was that she was probably one of the girls who had decided to take a bathroom break in the forest. The fact that she was not swaying or holding onto a can or bottle made him curious so he continued to strain his eyes against the darkness to see who it was. She was at the edge of the forest silhouetted by the shadowy foliage of the trees. She stood still a figure in black solemnly staring back at him. It was a windy night and a breeze caught and lifted her waist length hair around her like a halo. She looked like something out of a gothic movie standing there all alone, fists clenched at her sides looking back defiantly right into his eyes. One word could be used to describe her, perfection. At that moment he knew something in him had altered. His heart beat faster and his head throbbed. When the light from the moon caught her face them he could see straight into her eyes which had an eerie glint in them. She continued to stare at him piercing into his being. Goosebumps lined his neck and he felt slightly light headed. Coldness enveloped him. He had not felt that way in a long time not since…he did not want to think about the last time that he had felt that way.

Taylor! Kate’s voice brought him abruptly back to reality.

Shocked he turned to her.

Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.

He did not want her to think that he was checking out another girl so he feigned a smile.

I was just thinking about college. You were saying? When he stole a glance again at the place where the girl had been standing she was gone. Only the wind blowing the trees remained to replace her presence. For the rest of the night he could not keep his head straight. All he could think about was the girl and where she had gone to. Throughout the party his eyes flittered around the room looking for her but he was disappointed when he found that she was nowhere to be found.

On the way back after he had dropped off all his other friends and he was alone with Matt he told him all about seeing the beautiful girl in the trees.

Dude she must’ve been a freshman or a transfer if you didn’t recognize her, his best friend said.

I’m telling you, I could’ve registered that face in my brain if I had seen her in school. Hillier Preparatory is not exactly a big school, insisted Taylor.

But we do have boarders from neighboring towns and from the city too, Matt pointed out.

But there was just something about her, like I’d seen her before.... he trailed off.

Describe her again.

Tall, dark haired with green red eyes and very, very beautiful.

Perhaps Vanity Fair? suggested Matt though he had the beginnings of a smirk. When he saw the look on his friends face he stopped. Look man, maybe it was a case of déjà vu. Maybe she was just someone passing by, well a very hot someone. It’s not like you to obsess over a girl so what you need to do now is.., he waited for Taylor to finish his sentence but he didn’t. What do you need to do?

What? Taylor was lost.

Concentrate on getting Kate to go out with you.

Okaaay... Taylor did not sound too sure.

You’ve got her hook line and sinker, all you gotta do now is pull her in. Once you have her you’ll forget all about this mysterious girl in the woods.

***

His mother was waiting up for him when he tried to sneak in quietly. He had made sure to come at two in the morning, way past her bedtime and not make any noise but despite his precautions when he tiptoed into the living room she was seated at her usual place, in his father’s favorite armchair. She sat like a queen straight and with a regal aura about her that was familiar with his mother. Although she was nearing forty-five she looked a decade younger.

You were missing after your performance, her voice stopped him in his tracks and he turned to face her in the dark. You should have told me, her tone was calm but rose higher than normal. That was so like his mother, to be cold yet calm. I sent the guards to look all over for you and the others. We were even tempted to call the Police to check the gutters for your dead bodies.

Mooooom...

Don’t you give me that tone of voice, tonight was a special night and I wanted you to be here with me. We all wanted you boys to be here but you decided to run away to a party instead. You were lucky we sent a few men to come check on you. She lit up a cigarette. Do you understand how hard I try to protect you!?

He stood listening to his mother and wondered. He wondered about the curfews, the