The Vampire Legacy; The New Queen Rises

1The Vampire Legacy:

By Dawn Gray

The Vampire Legacy; the New Queen
Rises

By Dawn Gray

Copyright 2011 Dawn Gray

Smashwords Edition

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Edited by Melissa M. Ringsted

The Vampire Legacy; The New Queen Rises

The Light, the Dark, the Heart; The Vampire
Legacy II

Familiar Souls; The Vampire Legacy III

The Kingdom of the Nine; The Vampire Legacy
IV

What Once was One; The Vampire Legacy v

Also by Dawn Gray:

Raven

Before the Moon Rise

S.P.I.R.I.T: Fire Storm

About the Author

Dawn Gray spins interesting tales from a
storyteller’s “point of view” bring you into the lives and ways of
the vampire clans that live in the old myths. Growing up in the
Green Mountains of Vermont helped shape the numerous imaginative
worlds that draws readers in and helps them become part of the
Legacy.

Contact her at [email protected].

http://www.facebook.com/Dawngrayauthor

http://dawngrayauthor.com/

Other eBooks at Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/34829

As his vision cleared he found himself lying
on a grassy lakeside, staring up at the dotted limbs of trees in a
‘Sunday Afternoon’ painting. He moaned at his luck of waking up in
the middle of a Renoir. Sitting up he studied the pointillism
technique in the figures that surrounded him, unmoving.

“That’s it, no more visits to the art
museum,” he vowed as he glanced at the couples that suddenly moved
about as the canvas came to life.

“I beg to differ, my old friend,” said a
voice spoke to his right. His turned in the direction of this
intruder, locking onto the backside of a young man with light,
brown hair that sat only a few feet away. “Sappy love stories are
in your destiny.”

“Larado?” he whispered. The young man nodded,
turned and smiled.

“Listen to me, my friend. I am unlocking the
knowledge that I had once entrusted to you. Knowledge of events to
come.” Larado moved closer and gazed deep into his eyes. “Centuries
ago, prophecies were put in motion about the conception of a Queen.
Her path and yours will cross, and that will make this foretelling
unfold.”

“Through centuries past, a spirit has
endured, whom fifteen years ago was born. Her fate is to lead us
all, but there is another that would make our nation fall. This
Queen shall bear a son, a great King that will unite us all as one.
Mortal and immortal will stand side by side, before this King is
able to reside. Heed my warning, my long time friend, there will be
a great justice done in the end. As for our nation’s Queen, her
future has already been seen.”

“In the days after her son is born, she will
come to you scorned. Her child is lost, all hope is gone, but you
must remember the words you were told. Interfere not with the chain
of events, for this would cause a catastrophic rift. Things must
progress, as they are seen, with the evil, the traitor, and the
Queen.” Larado smiled and leaned forward, catching him by the
shoulder. “One last thing, before I go, and this is something that
you must know. Higher powers seek your help in making these
prophecies come about. You’re not the only one involved, so pay
attention to the signs that evolve. After all seems lost, and all
love is gone, there will be another for you to hold on to. Do not
despair and let all prophecies be, for love rules the power of
three.”

The painted world around faded, the ghostly
echoes of the young man vibrated through the air causing the
strange awareness of those higher powers.

Today’s the day, come out and play, for you
shall meet the Queen. Hurray.

This invasion of his mind made him sit
upright on the bed, pushing the covers away from his body. Sweat
poured off him. He ran his hand through his black hair then turned
in the direction of the doorway. There stood a tall man, with
equally black hair, and darker green eyes.

“Let’s go,” his brother snapped. “Today is a
good day to be outside,” he said, then turned and left, leaving the
door open behind him.

Jumping out of bed, he ran to the bathroom
and showered off the cold sweat, but as he dressed, the last few
words of his old friend were trapped in his mind.

“Today is the day,” he whispered to himself
as he stared in the mirror, his green eyes staring back at him.
With one swift motion, he turned and headed out the door.

1

"JULIAN!”
I yelled at the top of
lungs, as I started to cry. "They took my baby, Julian." I hollered
again, dropping to the floor. On my hands and knees, I repeated my
cry, in between the ragged breaths I was trying to catch.
"They
took my baby."

Nothing but darkness surrounded me as I
closed my eyes, this dark revelation held nothing but pain in my
heart. My child was gone and what was responsible for his
disappearance was even more frightening to picture.

Where could he have gone? But then again, it
really wasn’t a question of ‘where’ but rather of ‘what’ had taken
him. I know none of this makes any sense but to understand, we have
to go back to the beginning, to the very start of things. To that
age where you were supposed to believe in everything because
nothing was impossible. Back to a summer that would change my life
forever. The summer I turned fifteen.

When my parents decided to move the family,
their thoughts were on improving our education, not setting up the
scene for what was to come in my life. They felt that the school
system in the small community we had lived in most of our lives
wasn't exciting enough to keep us girls interested, so we moved to
the ocean side town of New London, Connecticut. We set up residence
in a large Victorian style house just off the beach.

It was just about June and school had been
over in Vermont for about a week now, but down here, it was still
going. With the option to start the new school with so little time
left or explore my new ‘home’, I decided to spend the rest of the
school days romping about in the sand, and a chance encounter
started the spiral of my life moving.

It was just about noon one cloudy afternoon
when I decided that it was time to check out the large, three-story
house that I could see from the window of my bedroom. The house sat
about a half a mile down the beach and in the middle of a vast
field of green.

I was so caught up in a daydream I was having
where, I was a damsel in distress and waiting for my knight in
shining armor to show up, that I hadn't even noticed I had walked
past the house until I heard a whistle to my left. I had just come
to the edge of the yard and turned around to go back when a boy
jumped out at me. I lost my footing and fell back into the water. I
sat there with a look of shock at the young man who was staring me
down. Suddenly, three other boys, about eighteen, came to the edge
of the battered dunes and grinned down at the two of us; me in the
water, and the baby-faced creature that had tried to attack me, in
total shock. I stood up suddenly, realizing that two of the three
on the bank were laughing at me. I walked over to the boy who stood
in front of me and quickly jumped at him, knocking him over onto
the sand. He was in complete disbelief that I had knocked him
down.

"What was that for?" His voice went straight
to my heart, and my heartbeat quickened.

"You scared the hell out of me!” I started to
walk away.

"Ha, ha!" One of the other three laughed
aloud. "Hey, where you going?"

"Go to hell!" I glanced back at the one on
the ground. He scrambled to get up as I continued to walk away.

"No, wait!" He walked after me. "Please,
wait."

I stopped, suddenly, and stared. He said
nothing, just glared. His green eyes locked on mine and as he just
stood there, my temper flared. I couldn't take this silence anymore
so I started to walk away again, and then I stopped and went back
to him.

"What? What are you staring at?" Suddenly the
laughing from the others started to annoy me. "Knock that off."
They stopped instantly, and then I looked back at the one in front
of me. "If you have something to say to me, spit it out."

"I'm sorry." He shrugged. I wanted to stay
angry, but the way he said it made the anger go away.

"What did you say?" I asked and he smiled at
me.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," he replied. I
waved it off and then it dawned on me that I was cold. I started to
shiver. "Are you okay?"

"No!" I took a deep breath and continued
calmly. "I'm a bit cold."

"Julian, don't be stupid. She's drenched,"
one of the trio on the hill growled.

I looked at two and noticed the resemblance
between them. I stared at the one on the dunes, but he turned away
from my stare after only a moment. The trio then walked away.
Julian, the young man who stood next to me, smiled at me and then
took off his shirt.

"Here, put this on." He handed me his shirt.
I looked at his chest and how well built he looked for someone
slightly older than I. As I pulled the warm, dry shirt over my
head, I inhaled the sweet smell of his cologne. I had never reacted
to anyone this way. I was interested in boys, but it was one of the
last things on my list. I just wanted to be young and have fun.
"You live down the beach, don't you?"

"Yeah, we just moved there this summer." I
smiled at him as he climbed up the bank. He reached down, I took
his hand and he helped me up the bank. "My name is Ashley Benson,
but most people call me Ash."

"I'm Julian, but I think my brother ruined
that introduction, didn't he?" I smiled at his wit.

"That was your brother?"

"Yeah, Quinn. He's younger than I, just by
nine months, but he doesn't seem to have a sense of humor," Julian
said and scooped a lightweight coat off the ground and put it
on.

"And the others?"

"Ah, those clowns? The one you told to knock
it off was Michael. He is probably the biggest joker in New London.
The other one was David, Michael’s shadow. He worships Mike, which
is probably not a good idea considering how much trouble he gets
into." Julian glanced out at the ocean behind me. "We haven't had
any new people come this way in a long time and I think you shocked
them by yelling at them. We're used to getting our way."

"Well, so am I." We started to walk toward
the house, but I really didn't get a good look at it because we
never made it there. We ended up walking in a circle for three
hours talking.

We stopped by the beach, where we had met,
and I turned to look at Julian. "I have to go home. My sisters and
my Mom should be home any time now and they freak out if I'm not
there." I turned to walk away from him then I stopped and turned
back again. "I had a good time talking to you Julian. Maybe we can
do it again one day?"

"How about tomorrow? I’m free all day." He
smiled at me. I nodded and then walked toward home. I couldn't
think about anything else but Julian for the rest of the day.

For the rest of the summer, and most of the
fall, Julian and I spent every day from early in the morning until
soon after dark together. We did everything; from swimming, to
taking trips to Rhode Island, to crossing the ocean on a ferry to
Block Island. My mother and father never knew how close we had
become. They were never there to notice I was even missing.

It was near the end of October when Julian
met me outside my house after I stepped off the bus. The look on
his face told me that something wasn't right with him and it showed
even more as I came closer. Just the way he admired me told me what
he was going to say and my eyes filled up with tears even before he
said a word.

"You're leaving, aren't you?” He seemed
little shocked that I had even figured it out, then his face became
solemn and he nodded. "When?"

"Tomorrow afternoon." I hit him solidly on
the shoulder. "What was that for?"

"Not telling me earlier." I tried to walk
passed him, but he grabbed my arm and turned me to him. "What?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't know how
to tell you before. I didn't want to see you cry."

"So, where are you going?"