Stars on Fire

Sky Gold Stars On Fire The Sable Riders - Book 1 First published by Eden Publishing 2022 Copyright © 2022 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. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. 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 Epigraph Prologue I. DON’T SET SAIL ON SOMEONE ELSE’S STAR. 1. A Landslide Of The Heart 2. When Souls Fall Into Pools Of Molten Gold 3. Pure Edenite Pleasure 4. A Glimmer In The Fabric Of His Dark 5. On the cusp of a thousand worlds II. YOU ARE ONLY TRULY ALIVE WHEN YOU LIVE AMONGST THE STARS 6. A Lair in Eden 7. The Winged Horse, Pegasus 8. Alphetraz’s Silver-Paired Stars 9. A Whole Fleet Of Badassness 10. Good Stalking 11. Enemies Within, Enemies Without 12. Big Energy 13. Day And Night III. IF THE FULL MOON LOVES YOU, WHY WORRY ABOUT THE STARS? 14. Souls In The Sky 15. An Unfathomable Anomaly 16. When Love Is Deep, You Won’t Fear The Storms 17. Auric Eyes 18. Now You Can Have Your Forever Epilogue Sable Riders Book 2: Stars at Dusk I’d love to know what you think! Want more of The Sable Riders? For FREE? About the Author Also by Sky Gold Epigraph “I was the one, I who could Pull in all the stars above, lay them on your feet And I gave you my love, you are the one that got me started You could have let me love anyone but I only wanted you So why did you make me cry? Why didn’t you come get me one last time? You’ll always know the reason why. We could’ve had the moon and the sky. You’ll always know the reason why this love ain’t gonna let you go.” ‘The Moon and the Sky’ — Sade — You can find ‘The Moon and the Sky’ on Spotify Prologue Embers, flames and wildfire ‘How is this my life?’ Selene muttered under her breath as she stepped from her fly-cab at the gates of an ornate palace. She took in the view and sighed. This was so NOT her scene. Vintage ensembles glittered, neo-mod threads glistened, and designer-drenched beauties tottered past. The night was warm, so bronzed shoulders, arms, necks, and long legs were on display, artistic pieces sculpted to perfection by genetic engineering and the latest surgical implants. Squaring her shoulders, the slight, dark-haired, honey-skinned woman sailed forth. She skirted the hordes of fashion swans jostling for camera cameos and tried to push through rivers of diamonds and sequins as she was carried along in a wave of swarming party-goers. When she finally broke free, her eyes widened at the sight of the gardens that the planet’s most eminent landscapers had transformed into a gilded tropical oasis for the extraordinary affair. At the centre was the palace’s famous bioluminescent gold ginkgo tree, whose rich saffron leaves fell into a lacquered pile on the palace grounds throughout the year. The platinum fronds floated around Selene’s heels as she walked past, giving the sensation she was wading through an ocean of gold spray. Ahead, lush tree vines adorned the coral column-lined entryway, where servers greeted guests with glowing mango daiquiris and champagne on ice upon arrival. She nabbed a glass of bubbly and sipped it to cool herself off before plunging deeper into the festivities. Selene navigated the night’s thick crowd, winding her way up a candlelit staircase that lured guests up to the welcome table, dressed to impress with mountains of gold lotus, lily and amaryllis flower arrangements. At the entrance, a host checked her name and title against an extensive list. She joined the obligatory royal greeting line as the sounds of cork popping and effervescent DJing throbbed through the dazzling multi-level palace. She shuffled further in the queue, fighting a jaw-splitting yawn. It won the battle she’d been waging against it. She gritted her teeth, muffling it to no avail. The rest of her fed-up air escaped, and she covered her parting lips with her clutch bag. Mercy. There were still clutches of dignitaries and society darlings ahead of her. She groaned, trying to dampen her distaste for the long-drawn process. More long moments of tiny straggling steps ensued. ‘Selene Munene, Undersecretary to The Prime of Dunia.’ Holy Dunia, about time! She stepped forward and curtsied before the royal family. First, to Prince Occaro, the host of the night and the reason for the most desirable party in Enia City. Also, one of the King of Rhesia’s three brothers. He was a tall man with dark brown hair who’d once been handsome but was now trying to clutch on to his youth and good looks. He’d dabbled in one too many face-freezing injectibles over the years and paid for a blinding set of veneers. He used them to give her a diplomatic smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, for they were busy darting around the rest of the room at the more glittering, beautiful beings within. He effectively ignored her. As did his wife, Princess Ameli, a similarly nip-tucked creature of indeterminate age. Nonplussed, Selene moved on to Prince Emian, a studious-looking man with a heavy brow and cold, measured eyes. They flicked over her outmoded dress with a touch