BloodyВ Dawn. Daughter of Dawn
Natalie Yacobson
Nicolette is a fallen angel. Ferdinand is a religious fanatic. Both of their orders are fighting from the beginning of time. There is a magical clock, measuring the Lucifer’s advent on the Earth. If you do not kill Nicolette in the moment of one fatal dawn, then the era of demons will come. Ferdinand should strike, but it turned out that he saw Nicolette long before the decisive dawn and realized that it was no longer in his power to live on without her.
BloodyВ Dawn
Daughter of Dawn
Natalie Yacobson
Translator Natalia Lilienthal
© Natalie Yacobson, 2021
© Natalia Lilienthal, translation, 2021
ISBNВ 978-5-0055-2890-2
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Prologue
The red color seems toВ be aВ mixture ofВ fire, poison and blood. Is wearing red aВ privilege? The red is color ofВ cardinals. He noticed her, because she was inВ red. No, not only therefore. InВ fact, she was more beautiful than everything you can only imagine. But she posed aВ danger.
Her fast swift gait resembled aВ flight. AВ scarlet cloud around her shoulders resembled both the flame and blood. InВ combination with the gold curls, it just suggested the thought ofВ the sunrise. But now was sunset.
He looked at her again. It should be like a punishing angel. In her beauty there was not the slightest hint of kindness or condescension. Light strands are more reminded of gold left in the darkness than the sun’s rays.
В«Sun, gold, and aВ dawn which are frozen inВ the gold coins. Is it all not aВ part ofВ one whole? Fold all together and discover from whom all thisВ is?В»
Someone said these words or did it seem? They have aВ hissing echo reflected from the walls, filling out all the space. The view ofВ the stranger suddenly appealed toВ him. She did not open the lips, but he clearly heard aВ single word.
В«Dennitsa!В»
It echoed not from the walls, from his own heart. Nothing more frightening and attractive and imagined it was impossible.
В«Dennitsa is the source ofВ all the wonderful, which is only on the Earth.В»
He was amazed
.InВ front ofВ the eyes, it seemed toВ flash lightning, brightly illuminating evil and hypocrisy around him. He, the servant ofВ God, the only one who is sinful here. So told her eyes. And then something flashed inВ them, as if the image ofВ the unearthly battle. He saw aВ piece ofВ blood-red sky between the massive columns, the supernatural creatures were fighting, they screamed and throw lightning on each other. Meanwhile, the girl approached. He did not immediately notice the dagger inВ her hand.
Already later, settled on the floor in the blood, he thought that he had just seen an angel. This moment turned into unbearable pain in the eyes and wound in the heart. The blade entered deep into the flesh. And all… There was no living angel near. There was a winged statue in the niche, but it was not alive. He lived until his blood was absorbed into the marble floor.
Chosen
«Why every time when I close my eyes, it seems to me that you betray me, my angel…»
AВ beautiful statue inВ the niche, ofВ course, did not answer. He always prayed toВ her silently. So today he did not say these words out loud, they sounded somewhere deep inВ the subconscious, but, as before they burned. It was true. Every time he looked at his heavenly patron, for some reason he had come toВ the thoughts about betrayal.
Beautiful angel affects impassively. Ferdinand always looked at her carefully, from the bottom up, with endless respect, but the heart fluttered. InВ front ofВ him inВ the Majestic Cathedral was his only earthly love for many years. She was from stone. The statue always caused aВ thrill inВ him. Infinitely beautiful, elegant, deified. Not aВ young man and not aВ girl, but feminine it was much more than even painted the imagination. Reviving, this angel could naturally become only aВ girl.
Ferdinand shook his head, and blond hair slightly lasted the neck. Someone seemed toВ whispered him on the ears ofВ the upcoming betrayal. What are thin annoying voices!
Obsession, so would it be called byВ his order. ToВ hear the tempting voices is obsession. He is tempting byВ the devil. It is better not toВ believe him. But words inВ the brain have always sounded like aВ prophecy.
Just aВ few words. And they did not have anything toВ do with the creature which he prayed.
How can an angel betray him? Or how can he himself betray his angel?
«It’s time!» The harsh hand of the mentor laid on his shoulder. Not for the first time he shuddered from its gravity. It was time to accept the honorable purpose. This time he was chosen.. And it was an unheard honor, because the following elections will take place only after a few centuries.
Ferdinand silently nodded. He knew that it was time to go. The moment of initiation has come, but the statue as if did not let him go. He asked permission from her. He needed her blessing and, perhaps, even help. So that his hand does not flinch into a decisive moment. But it seemed to him that the angel whispered «Go! … with my curse!»
How terrifyingly calm was aВ voice that was echoed inВ his brain.
Ferdinand could not understand anything. After all, it is assigned aВ sacred mission. He will be the right hand ofВ God hitting the devil. Is an angel should not encourageВ him?
But time has already come. It was impossible toВ postpone longer. Ferdinand went behind the mentor. He had toВ feel joy and pride, but did not experience any other. Only emptiness. The feeling that everything is already predetermined and his choice will not change anything, pressed byВ unbearable severity. He felt sentenced, and not chosen.
В«This is an evil spirit tempting you,В» said his mentor. В«This is he suggests his demons toВ chip different tricks. So you will see the truth as inВ the mirror curve.В»
They all had aВ worthy answer. The devil tempted the people ofВ the centuries ago and continued toВ do it now, naturally and the answers toВ eternal questions remained those themselves. The religion itself was built so that it was impossible toВ suspect aВ lie. But some kind ofВ false was. Ferdinand just could not understand what itВ was.
Some danger hovered inside these walls, and not from the outside. What is aВ pity, because he is used toВ that these walls have become sheltered from the wrongness ofВ people. The outside world is full ofВ sins, and here reigned aВ blessed peace. But the darkness invadedВ it.
The heads ofВ the Order explained his condition byВ the fact that he feels the approaching only an emerging danger, with which they were obliged toВ fight every few centuries. Therefore, chose him. At least, so he was told. Only he suspected another.
Ferdinand was walking through long corridors and felt something like the wings. They spoke, these are pigeons nest under the roof. It was forbidden toВ drive them from here. White pigeons! But recently Ferdinand remarked several blacks. They looked at him for aВ long time, and, it seemed, their tiny red eyes silently laugh.
InВ any case, the birds were very small, and he heard the rustle ofВ some huge wings. More than the wings ofВ eagle. There were the wings with aВ size as aВ human body.
As aВ nobleman he himself hunted on birds with aВ bow and arrows. Now he was inВ aВ cassock, but the vision ofВ hunt, still did not leave him. InВ these visions, he often pursued aВ huge bird, and shot aВ creature similar toВ aВ person with huge black wings. The winged creature is dead on the sand. He woke up with the feeling that his hands are inВ the blood and aВ greater heaviness was on the heart, than even if he killed an ordinary person.
В«Dream is nothing!В» the voice ofВ aВ priest whispered toВ him through the cover ofВ the end ofВ confessional. Once Ferdinand looked and saw inВ this end, instead ofВ aВ wrinkled face ofВ the priest, an elegant face ofВ an angel statue with bleeding eyes. It seemed toВ him that it was not marble, but alive. And it was not aВ dream.
В«Keep silence, if you think that others will not understand you,В» said the beautiful creature. And the words crashed into the brain as the island ofВ blades.
And yet Ferdinand did not have toВ talk toВ another about his visions. He just needed toВ find someone who would understand it. Many honored elders inВ the monastery listened toВ him with attention, but could not really explain anything. From him, he was always separated only byВ common phrases, and inВ the air remained aВ feeling ofВ innocence.
After aВ long conversation, which did not know anything, he had aВ strange feeling, as if something was hidden from him. It was better toВ be silent.
Today, he did not need words. It was the night ofВ initiation. The chapel resembled aВ hall for solemn meetings. Candles, crowd, official clergy robes, aВ bowl for communities filled with the blood ofВ his fellows. Today it was blood, and not wine. On the ranks was aВ ritual knife. Each ofВ those present was supposed toВ make an incision on his wrist and drop into the bowl ofВ their own blood. Thus, they all gave their strength toВ one vessel. From this vessel is intended toВ start toВ someone who is elected toВ fight evil.
All the assembled should have supported one favorite. He could alone not cope with the mission entrusted toВ him. So read the sacred prophecy. But why then assign such aВ responsible task toВ someone? And rather toВ him.
Well, everyone dedicated toВ the Order was obliged toВ consult that he was on self-sacrifice. Only here toВ sacrifice themselves they did not want too much. Ferdinand saw how reluctantly they raise the sleeves and bring aВ knife toВ the wrist. They did not want toВ sacrifice even aВ drop ofВ blood. But it was originally believed that on the altar ofВ struggle against evil they would bring their own life.
The bowl was filled with their blood mixed with consecrated wine, and Ferdinand felt like aВ dizziness coveredВ him.
Somewhere on the choir were heard the sounds ofВ the anthem ofВ aВ terrible court.
«And God will put forward his son against the devil…»
Ferdinand nodded to the head of the order. It seems to be to say «Amen», but he forgot… he forgot that he needs to do and say.
The name of order was a palm of god or Order of Dawn. They were called so and so, and the ordinary brothers called the faithful to God. He used to like it, as it sounds. Previously… Now something has become different, as if the winged shadow laid on the altar, and suddenly he was afraid.
Ferdinand bowed his knees before the altar. The bowl with blood has already passed inВ aВ circle toВ the head ofВ the Order, the older Donatello. It was he who had toВ make the deepest incision and fill toВ the edges the remainder ofВ the bowl. So he passed his strength and ancient wisdom. Together with blood. Ferdinand was not right toВ object toВ it. ToВ his surprise, he did not feel the disgust with the thought ofВ the taste ofВ blood and that he would have toВ drain the whole glass. Only the feeling ofВ inevitability.
В«Every year we are waiting for the appearance ofВ aВ star, which will indicate the proximity ofВ the execution ofВ the prophecy,В» the stern voice ofВ Donatello cut silence. В«Every year we live inВ the thrill before it appears. But when it is done, our Order is waiting for several calm centuries.В»
В«The devil comes toВ our world every pointed period,В» Donatello nodded on the bas-relief ofВ unusual clock with many circles inside. В«Only we know the boundaries ofВ this period, and only as long as we act, the clock closes the circle. The devil is inВ the circle until we expel it. And while we are, the circle will not interrupt. Satan will not break out. We are elected toВ fight the main enemy ofВ God, thirsting toВ break into our world and subordinate it toВ yourself. You are chosen!В»
The old fingers ofВ Donatello touched the chin ofВ Ferdinand toВ raise. Their eyes met, and the young man flinched. Donatello gave him aВ sign. Now he had toВ repeat. And he repeated. Their voices sounded aВ chorus, uttering the same oath.
В«IВ promise toВ bring my life toВ the altar ofВ my creator.В»
В«IВ never tell anyone how great my purpose is and how close is the devil toВ the servants ofВ the Lord.В»
В«IВ know that IВ have toВ fulfill my destination before the term marked inВ the last on this day the cycle ofВ prophecy.В»
«The clock of the Lord is already hitting and before they come together on the last figure, the devil will be dead… from my hand.»
Did Donatello pronounced these words with the same frightening insensible intonation? Was he inВ fighting the devil himself? Probably not. After all, he is old, but not dead. And the one who fought with evil inВ the past his appearance inВ this world has already dead. After all, it was without aВ small century ago. Each cycle is aВ few centuries. It is precisely such intervals (not hours, and the years and centuries) mark the dial ofВ the divine clock.
Lot toВ fight evil fell aВ melancholic young man who was used toВ talking toВ the statue ofВ angel and dreams that it answersВ him.
What is evil? What should he fight?
«You’re a palm of god now,» Donatello said.
Ferdinand knew. He nodded.
Behind stood aВ crowd ofВ his silent fellows. The hand ofВ each was bleeding. And Donatello has already brought the bowl toВ his lips.
В«Are you ready toВ take the mission entrusted toВ you?В» the last question. It was no longer needed, but such was aВ tradition. While he will not officially agree, the rite will not be completed.
The golden edge ofВ the bowl was so cold and unpleasant toВ the touch. He had toВ drink the blood ofВ his companions and toВ hope that thus the power ofВ the whole Order toВ unite inВ it byВ one, making it invincible. It was absurd, and yet Ferdinand said, as itВ was:
«I’m ready!»
And immediately he pierced the feeling that his favorite marble angel looks at him right from this altar, inВ front, from behind, from aВ height, from everywhere. It was also absurd, but the angel was not encouraged.
В«AВ traitor!В»
He began toВ be afraid ofВ this word, but it sounded inВ the head, pronounced byВ the lips ofВ the angel.
So the angel called him. Why? Because ofВ the blood, which he had toВ drink? Ferdinand drank, trying not toВ feel the taste. It was too unpleasant.
В«She goes!В» said Donatello.
В«She?В» Ferdinand was amazed, but the cold ritual dagger was already inВ his hands. He took the mission toВ himself.
