The Rune of DawnEve

Prologue

Cloud Tower, Heaven

The sunrise that morning was beautiful. DawnEve stared out across the miles and miles of clouds as the great orb of light climbed slowly into the sky, painting it with a rainbow of bright colors.

Earth would be waking soon.

Glancing down at the tingle she felt on her arm, she sighed as she watched her skin’s dark hue faded into a pale gold, the change creeping up her arm to spread over her entire body. She blinked as her eyes altered from their golden shade into a blue that outshined the largest terrestrial ocean.

She scowled. She remembered a time when she used to admire that about herself, this natural ability to transform her skin tone with the passage of each day and night. A few centuries ago, during the night, she would often restrain herself from leaping with joy at the sight of her beloved ‘night-skin’ as she’d come to call it. And when morning arrived, she would blush with pride when her skin lightened into the magnificent golden hue, signaling the return of her glorious days.

But lately, these abilities only served to remind her that her time as a goddess was steadily dwindling. With each passing revolution of the Earth around the sun, her Heavenly light was slowly burning out.

“You’re Highness?”

DawnEve turned brilliant blue eyes in the direction of the tentative feminine voice. She giggled at the slight signs of surprise that crossed her lady-in-waiting’s face.

“Ah, Iris, good morning!”

“Good morning. I see you’ve already changed.”

DawnEve twisted and turned, as if showing off. “Yes, I have. How do I look?”

Iris’s pale green eyes twinkled. “As radiant as ever. I come bearing news, Your Grace.”

“Oh?”

“The Council of Divinity that you wish assembled awaits your arrival.”

DawnEve mentally grimaced. “Very well. Will you please inform them that I’ll be right down?” Moving her arm in a sweeping gesture, she continued, “I just want to admire this glorious sunrise a few moments longer.”

Iris nodded, “Of course, My Lady. Please, enjoy yourself.”

With those words, Iris closed her eyes and shimmered out of view. A shadow of multi-colored specks of energy surrounded the spaced previously occupied.

DawnEve smiled and shook her head. ‘So beautiful…but so very tense.’

With regret lingering heavily, she stared out at the bright red-hued sky. ‘Ironic,’ she thought with a wry expression. ‘That morning, supposedly a heavenly period of life for humans, should be represented by the very shade of violent darkness—a blood-red.’

She preferred the night with its cool hues and darkness-cloaked creatures. She loved all creatures, divine or terrestrial, but the creatures of darkness on Earth were her favorites.

The owl, with its bulgy eyes. The leopard, with its magnificent spots. But most of all, the wolf, with its haunting calls and soulful eyes. Nothing could compare to that. And if her power were to burn out, she’d never again see…

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, DawnEve closed her eyes and concentrated on the power it took to teleport. Annoyed, she let her thoughts drift, too late, to the fact that she hated calling assemblies.