Stars At Dusk

Sky Gold Stars At Dusk The Sable Riders - Book 2 First published by Eden Publishing 2023 Copyright © 2023 by Sky Gold All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights. First edition This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy Find out more at reedsy.com Contents The Sable Riders Series Epigraph Prologue I. FROM DUSK AND TWILIGHT, COMES THE STARS 1. A lilac, dusky twilight 2. You just haven’t met the right man 3. Damn him to Ccyth and back! 4. F.I.G.J.A.M. 5. Smoked roe and forest mushrooms 6. Subterranean speakeasies, sunken casinos and tunnel bars II. THE LIGHT OF A THOUSAND STARS DOESN’T EQUAL THE LIGHT OF THE MOON 7. Where’s your halo, Kage? 8. The Nebula Crown 9. Torn down from the skies 10. Honour, perseverance and spirit 11. All the joy in the universe 12. Flames of Astral Light III. IT’S OFTEN IN THE DARKEST SKIES THAT WE SEE THE BRIGHTEST STARS 13. The dark turns of a beautiful love 14. An age-old lovers’ paradox 15. Dark after dusk 16. An unpoetic haiku 17. Silver sands and eternal stardust 18. Born to chase starlight Epilogue Sable Riders Book 3: Stars of Gems I’d love to know what you think! Want more of The Sable Riders? For FREE? About the Author Also by Sky Gold The Sable Riders Series War is stirring in the skies and stars above Eden II. Between empires in ascension and realms in decline. One of the rising powers is made up of a fraternity of brothers like no other. A crew of six mysterious men - The Sable Riders. They’re ghosts, wraiths, glimmers in the dark. Unseen. Yet they’re rumoured to be the galaxy’s most lethal metahumans with exponential power and reach. They’re ruthless ex-warriors who live in the Pegasi universe, where humans escaped after The Great Apocalypse. Their home world is Eden II, a sizeable lunar moon at Pegasi’s centre of commerce and business. Here, The Sable Group designs luxury flyers and racing yachts, but they also have a significant side hustle - asteroid mining, property development, shipping lines, high-tech surveillance, mercenary armies and the manufacturing of military ships to help defend the System against the coming conflicts. However they rarely, if ever, discuss their enterprise. They prefer to keep their business to themselves and instead focus on raising bank for all the security, charity and rescue work they invest in. But word and proof of their prowess is spreading and their growing dominance means their enemies and haters abound. They can’t stay hidden for long and are soon caught up in a battle for their existence. At the same time, love comes knocking on each of their doors. One by one, these badasses meet their matches and find their prize possessions. Imbuing the Riders with passion, meaning and joy they each didn’t think they deserved, given their humble and tragic origins. Together with their partners, they’ll reach for the stars, even as their enemies seek to turn their destiny to ashes. ‘Stars on Fire’ is the first book that kick starts the epic Sable Riders saga. Get your copy now. * * * Epigraph ‘I used to fight the storm inside, no one could see that side of me Hard on myself and everyone else, I realised it was my pride What was there to figure out? Everything that I’ve been looking for, Is waiting for a chance to be. I’m ready enough, I’m all ready love. I’m the one that I’ve been looking for, Took me all this time to see, I’m ready enough.’ ‘Ready Enough’ - Sidibe Find ‘Ready Enough’ on Spotify Prologue Kage, at 15 The rains were back. He felt the droplets against his skin, washing away the black paint that streaked his cheeks and his forehead, masking out all light, turning him into a shadow. He turned his face to the ground, trying to keep the colour from getting wet. If he didn’t, the Beast would be greatly displeased. He pressed deeper into the ground, into the long grass, the sound of the pounding downpour thundering around him, coating his backside and bare feet in thick mud. His weapon lay under him, cutting into his thin ribs, but he dared not move it away lest the demon he loathed accuse him of not caring for his gear. He heard a rustle nearby. Was Bastian still breathing? Or had the showers claimed him, washing his soul away? For a moment, Kage wanted to cry out, to rise to his feet and charge the line, just like Bastian had. So he, too, could sacrifice his soul to the rain. But, unfortunately, Bastian’s rush for freedom had been short-lived. The Beast had stopped Bastian with a single bolt through his side. Kage had heard the boy fall, whimper and then remain on the ground, occasionally fluttering his hands through the brush and calling out softly to the gods of Kenia for mercy. Then the nightmare that was pure evil had crawled to Kage and whispered that Bastian had needed to fall as an example to the others. No one could break the line until the rains when cover was at its best. He’d lanced Kage across the face with his hunting knife, cutting into his already broken skin. Kage felt no pain, for he’d so many dark shadows and agonising aches raging through him. So many had fallen during the deluges. His father had vanished into the mist of a drizzle, his mother had slipped away