IT IS DONE. Time to take things to the next level...

IT IS DONE. Time to take things to the next level...
Originally uploaded by Domain1

DEATH BY DAWN 8/23/05
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To be in the Death Angel's presence was all Dawn ever wanted. As an Egyptian embalmer, he was ever at her side. She gave him her humanity, and he gave her the longevity to fulfill her promise to him.

5000 years later, Dawn is still waiting.

Mort believed in the Christ, but his faith ended with his fiery demise. It left him a restless ghost in a shell of bones. But he never could have dreamed that his real life would begin beyond the grave. Or that the youthful witch with the ancient eyes would kindle in him an unconditional love that would last forever.

DEATH BY DAWN 2: "SKELETON KEYS" 3/2/06
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Being accused of unconsentual necrophilla, and getting her heart shot out were the last straws for Dawn. She took her cues from Azrael, and it was time to take in the harvest and depart.

"I had one undead boyfriend, one heart in a jar, a magick scythe, two hitchhikers, and a unicorn.
The one thing that really worried me was the unicorn. It was a small car."

DEATH BY DAWN 3: "GHOST OF A CHANCE" 5/7/06
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Try as we might, we can never escape from the past, and the soul of a murdered pirate does not rest easy. On this stormy night, under the skillful hands of Dawn, another ghost shall rise. And a turbulent sea shall toss four luckless travelers onto a mysterious isle to meet what fate has planned for them...

DEATH BY DAWN 4 "FALLEN ANGEL" 7/19/06 ************************************************************
"There was a time when I thought I would keep my promise to Azrael and then die, now I'm not so sure. His focus on us has intensified. He makes us stronger, and he shows me things; terrible things."--Dawn Razor

Small rips in time and space are common, and sometimes things fall though. So when a thunderstone crashes through their roof; Mort can't be rid of it soon enough. But there are others who want the stone, and even disposing of it won't be that simple. The sky will bleed, the dead will rise, and its not the only thing from the Outside that's coming in...


DEATH BY DAWN 5 "BEYOND THE NINTH WAVE" 1/26/07
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He told me his name was Sebastian, and that his soul had been bound to a spirit pot; that much was true.
Then he led me to Noir Lens, a place where we actually fit in; a city that loves its dead.
We expected a simple mission of mercy; to lay a tormented ghost to rest.
What we got was chased by Outsiders, nearly burned to death and Mort lost a very important bone.
Plus I summoned my first zombie with disgusting results.
Noir Lens.
Ghosts, absinthe, cemetaries, fish tacos, Voodou and new friends.

I'm about to give Sebastian exactly what he deserves.

-Dawn Razor

DEATH BY DAWN 6 "ALL HALLOWS EVENING" 8/19/07
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Raku will stop at nothing to destroy us. That monster believes I was given power so I could slay all mankind and set Azrael free.
But the Angel of Death drank of my energy as I did of his.
We are not as weak as he thinks, and the Grim Reaper is already free to do as he pleases...

Three dragons, a haunted toaster, a wanna-be werewolf and an Outsider with blood on his mind. It's Halloween in Skeleton Key West.
This could get ugly.


DEATH BY DAWN 7 "SOUND OF THUNDER" 8/15/08
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From out of the plains a storm is coming. A vast darkness that leaves blood and destruction in its wake. Two will be called to ride out into the baking sands, amongst the rivers of energy that flow from the red rock vortexes.
A stolen totem will give the Mort the power of the wolf.
A God from her past will show Dawn the true shape of what she has become.
And the whole mess is about to collide with a UFO convention.
Bring an umbrella.



----------------------------------------------------
I'm a writer. I draw my own illustrations. I also self-publish by printing and binding my own books. Each time I bind a copy I use a different textile and then I never use it for that volume again. All copies are also signed and numbered.

The first book is $19.99 [price includes shipping anywhere in the USA] and any additional copies traveling in the same box will be $15.00 each.
Death by Dawn [1] - $19.99

Death by Dawn [1] & Skeleton Keys [2] - $34.99

Death by Dawn [1] & Skeleton Keys [2] & Ghost of a Chance [3] - $49.99

Death by Dawn [1] & Skeleton Keys [2] & Ghost of a Chance [3] & Fallen Angel [4] - $64.99

Death by Dawn [1] & Skeleton Keys [2] & Ghost of a Chance [3] & Fallen Angel [4] & Beyond The Ninth Wave [5] - $79.99

Death by Dawn [1] & Skeleton Keys [2] & Ghost of a Chance [3] & Fallen Angel [4] & Beyond The Ninth Wave [5] & All Hallow's Evening [6] - $94.99

Death by Dawn [1] & Skeleton Keys [2] & Ghost of a Chance [3] & Fallen Angel [4] & Beyond The Ninth Wave [5] & All Hallow's Evening [6] & Sound of Thunder [7] - $109.99*

*Buying a full set all at once also saves you a total of $29.94.

If you're interested, please email [nightshade518@yahoo.com] or stop by my Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/domain/
I can also be found on Mobog - http://www.mobog.com/Domain
Just send me your address and specifics on what you want, and I'll give you mine in return. Binding takes two days, and if I have your addy in advance I can prep your box and send your order out the same day I get the payment.

Won't you join me please?

For the laughter and the tears.

For the blood, sex, and revelation.

But be warned, my books are written for pagans and contain real techniques, theories and spells.
I have over thirteen years of experience as a occultist and I use as much real and useful material as I can include relevant to the storyline.
This won't be like anything you've read before.

Trust me.

Interested parties should e-mail me at;
Nightshade518@yahoo.com

[Just so you can get to know everyone.]

THE INTERVIEW


This is Marvin Trill here broadcasting from the Kingdom of Night. And we’ll be talking about the strange and unusual after hours. Tonight my guests have some rather unusual claims. Well, more unusual then normal. *canned laughter*
The beautiful young lady sitting across from me claims to be over 5006 years old. But she looks barely legal to me. So is this true? Maybe…
Says here your name is Dawn Razor. So is it true? Are you really that old?

DR – Roughly. I don’t really know what year I was born in compared to the current calendar. That total is off by a few years I’m sure.

MT – So in all that time, what’s changed?

DR - *sigh* Nothing really. Human beings are still the same petty, violent creatures they’ve always been. I’ve seen great things birthed by the hands of man, but I’ve also seen atrocities that would make you wretch in revulsion. Humanity doesn’t impress me. Most of the time I’m glad I’m no longer a member of that tribe.

MT – Well… if you don’t mind me shifting topics, what about your boyfriend? He’s human.

DR – Well, I don’t know if you should put it so simply. He has a human soul, but so did I once upon a time. Nobody is perfect.

MT – Speaking of souls; I was under the impression that you trapped your lovers soul in the remains of his corpse after a fatal house fire?

DR – That is absolutely not true! I wasn’t even present when it happened. Mort wanted to live. It’s far better to have a body that’s only bones to manipulate then be an earthbound spirit with no physical form at all.

MT – But you’re keeping him in this state?

DR. – Only if you consider feeding a child the same thing as forcing it to live. Mort is his own man. If he really wanted to experience the final death he would do so.

MT – But he is still a skeleton?

DR – Technically.

MT – Do you have a physical relationship, or is it strictly platonic?

DR – Of course we have a ‘physical’ relationship. He’s the love of my life. He may be dead, but Mort is still a man.

MT – Do you want to elaborate on how you manage that?

DR – Not really. We get by.

MT – Tell me a little more about the Angel of Death. I understand you’re close.

DR – Close may be overstating it. No one really ‘knows’ Death. Oftentimes even his appearance is your own expectations reflected back at you. Azrael is like a second father to me, but it doesn’t mean I know all his secrets.

MT – But he helped raise you?

DR – Yes, but, from the very beginning he let me have my space. Occasionally chipping away at my human nature, instead of taking it all at once as I offered, so as not to overwhelm me. He’s been there for me when no one else was.

MT – Is Mort jealous of your closeness with the Grim Reaper?

DR – Not that I’m aware of. Azrael has been good to Mort. Accepted him like a son-in-law, and even shared some of his power with him. He gave Mort a capacity for healing, and more importantly, his eyes. They’re two tiny portals to the Outside; so he never lacks for Qi to move his body.
All the best things in our lives we owe to Death.

MT – Tell me about the island.

DR – Isla Caixo? It’s Spanish for ‘Island Crypt’ because I buried a dear friend of mine there several hundred years ago. For now we mostly call it home. It’s small, but we like our privacy.

MT – Says here you own a junk store.

DR – Torrid Books and Antiques is not a junk store. It’s more of a hobby really. When you’ve lived as long as I have; sorting antiques is a trip down memory lane no matter how old they are.

MT – Tell me about Chase Fort and Klareese. They also seem to have an interesting relationship.

DR - *laughs* “Interesting” is diplomatic; Mort would call it unnatural at best. Klareese is an Outsider. She’s part humanoid, part moth, and has eyes like glowing embers.
Chase Fort, on the other hand, is a gangly, awkward kid with stars in his eyes. He’s a good person at heart but not popular.
And I’ve never seen a couple more in love. It’s truly the greatest of all emotions. Totally blind, even to species.

MT – Speaking of love, I’d like to talk about your lover Mort in more detail. I understand he has some rather wild talents.

DR – That he does. Azrael gave him the gift of life along with his healing abilities. I’ve seen him shatter concrete just by standing on it. No matter how far down the dirt is, flowers and plants will just start to grow like crazy. And after a moment they’ll break the concrete apart and shove it away in a mad rush for the sky. When he’s focused, flowers bloom wherever he’s walked. It’s a beautiful thing.

MT – From your expression I gather that your gift is a heavier responsibility?

DR – That it is. Azrael gave me power over the living and the dead. I can speak in his voice and command anyone in earshot to do anything I like, even die. And I will be obeyed without question. But using it drains the life from anything in close contact with me when I speak. Death is part of my soul, and I often attract ghosts and Outsiders without meaning to.

MT – Speak of the dead. Mr. Mort Ad Audeo, please take a seat.

MA – Sorry I’m late. *kisses Dawn*

MT – Nice to have you here. We were just discussing Dawn’s affinity for the dead. Even knowing what to expect I’m still amazed by your appearance. All of you out there I wish you could see what I’m seeing. In all my years as a radio host I’ve never interviewed a skeleton before. Especially not one with such a luxurious head of hair. What’s your secret?

MA – We’re not entirely sure. It’s actually continued to grow after my death, which is good because I like it long. But it and my goatee are growing directly out of the bone.

DR – Hair is an excellent repository for excess Qi. My research has led me to believe that Mort is burning off the extra Qi from the Outside by making his hair grow.

MT – *chuckles* I wish I could do that.

DR – Get on with it.

MT – Yes, ma’am. So um, do you folks have any plans for the future?

MA – For a long time I felt like I had no future. Now it’s like a winding path stretching out before me. I don’t know where I’m going, or where I’ll find myself at the end; but at least I know I won’t be alone.

MT – Dawn, final thoughts?

DR – Embrace the inevitable and live each day as if it were your last.

MT – Profound. Well I thank you both for joining me, it’s been a pleasure. This is Marvin Trill broadcasting from the Kingdom Of Night. And after the break we’ll be talking to a man from Illinois who claims that aliens have delivered a single waffle to his bedroom every night for the last five years. After this-

*copyright by author*

[This is a deleted scene from Death by Dawn. I had to take it out because of a continuity error.]



ASCENSION

Spring was rapidly becoming summer; and the flowers in the yard shed a few petals that floated gently on the wind. The heavy heads of grain were nodding in the breeze, and all around life was moving in time.
Mort felt like Death, not unhappy, but isolated from the riot of color and growth. He sat on the lowest step and made little circles in the dry earth with his bare feet. He turned his empty eyes skyward, where snow white clouds were moving their fleecy forms across the canopy of the heavens.
He was dimly aware of the squeal and thump of the screen door behind him. He heard the squeaking of the old, dry floorboards.
Dawn eased down beside him, and edged close. She looked to where his skull was pointed, and in the silence, birds twittered in the cypress trees.
Mort sockets snapped and opened as if blinking. He looked at Dawn’s bare feet beside his, and turned to face her. She put her hand on his thighbone, her delicate fingers wrapped almost completely around it.
“Would you like to go for a walk with me?” She asked.
Mort savored the feel of her warm hand around his cold bone, letting the silence stretch out between them. Watching her search his face for some clue, and find no answers on his naked skull. He nodded mutely, and she smiled like a sunrise on the sea.
She drew him upward, and for a moment, there was a flash of heat as they brushed one another.
She led him down the walk and into the field. Fording a path betwixt the tufted heads of wheat. The warmth of the sun made Mort drowsy and the swish of Dawn’s long skirt became hypnotic. Moving as if in a dream, captivated by the play of light on her bare shoulders.
The oak emerged suddenly, appearing like a specter in the endless waves of grain. The tree was tall and broad, but bending under the weight of a hundred years. Dawn stopped beside it, running her fingers over the rough bark. She slid to the ground and looked up at him, her radiant smile framed by the lush green grass. Mort slipped down beside her. He had so much to say, but the words would not come. She looked like an angel.
She reached out to him, taking his hand in her own. He caressed her soft fingers and lifted her hand to kiss it. Touching it briefly to his lipless teeth.
Dawn moved closer, leaning on him, and he felt her warm breath slip between his ribs like the wind in the trees. Dawn could taste his fear; it was writ large in his every tentative movement. She felt him hesitate, a tiny tremor as she lay against his bones. And then his hand, cold and hard, lit like a falling leaf on her shoulder.
She needed him like no one ever had. Craved the feel of his aura mingling with hers. Dawn didn’t care that he was a ghost, and she had walked with Death himself too long to fear the touch of the undead. And there he sat, the virgin, innocent as a child, but pared down to the bone. Unable to breathe, sleep, or bleed, face fixed forever in a grim parody of a smile. Mort ran his skinny fingers through his hair, and looked sheepishly into her staring eyes.
He met her gaze for a moment and then averted his eyes in shame. “What do you want from me, Dawn?”
“I don’t know that I want anything. But being close to you makes me happy.”
“There must be more,” he insisted, it was written in her eyes.
“Then kiss me, and that will be enough.” Her hand shot out and she grabbed his jawbone, pulling him to her mouth. Drinking his soul with a passionate kiss.
But Mort couldn’t enjoy her affection; he was gripped with the anxiety of a man who has forgotten his wallet. Beneath his kilt was only his pelvis. His carved bone was still resting in the box beside the bed. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that as it would always be hard so then would he, and as such, it would in time, pain him greatly. Running to fetch it would not help either; it would spoil the magic of the evening. The sun was already burning like an ember on the horizon, with a risen moon following close behind.
“Dawn, I…”
“Yes love?”
He wrung his hands. “There is something crucial that I am currently… lacking.”
She looked crestfallen. “I understand,” and she drew back with a sigh, leaning fully against the tree. Mort felt terrible, but it was then that the idea came in a flash.
“Dawn? May I have a little of your power?”
She shrugged, grasping his outstretched hand.
Mort pulled as Dawn had taught him, drew chi from her, and the very earth beneath him, gathering it within his jaw. Setting his sockets alight with stars and filling his mouth with a greenish light. He focused all that was left of him and the glow died away. The energy ran outward like water from a sieve and he le his jaw fall gently open.
Floating there within was a tongue connected to nothing at all. It was a semi-solid construction of chi alone, but pale green from the ethereal fire. He poked it out and looked at it cross-eyed.
Dawn hid her pride and just smiled knowingly at his good work.
He looked at her, and leaned in close. Mort licked the side of her face, heart-wrenchingly slow, and it set her all a-tremble. It was as if he was touching her soul, and the auric energies crackled around the contact. Her pleasure was intense and she kissed him again, this time parting his mouth. Their tongues jockeying, vying for dominance. They pulled at one another, hands finding pale flesh, bone and hair to hold. He parted her shirt, circling her nipples while she moaned softly. He drew down further, tracing the curve of her belly. She shivered, her aura aflame with energy and passion. But he delved yet deeper, slipping beneath her skirt. And Dawn cried out.
Birds exploded from the tree in a fright. They seemed to lead the darkness, as both the sun and her lover, went down.
Dawn felt the power building within, awakening in the base of her being. Each chakra opening like a blooming flower in a burst of radiance. Red poppy, tiger lily, golden mum, heart and throat filling with light. Purple rose, and then the crown opened. The thousand-petaled lotus of light glowing like an archangels halo. A small cry escaped her lips, and then like a snake, he struck. Jabbing her more deeply then humanly possible. Her pleasure was like electricity, filling every fiber of her being.
But she reached for him and grabbed his collarbones in her fists. Mort stiffened as she pulled him up, staring blankly into her dark eyes.
“See me.” She whispered.
Mort met her gaze fully and she drove the chi like a stake into his being. A ball of eldritch light formed where organs had once hung, and shot in a spiral up his spine. His hair flew back in a nimbus of gold, every strand lit from within. Mort had never felt anything like it before, and in that moment he tasted the bliss of both Nirvana and oblivion. It was a true orgasm of the soul.
The power left so swiftly that he almost fell, but Dawn still gripped his bones. She drew him close, cradling his dead body against her own warm flesh. His poor spent soul snuggled within his bones, and the enfolding embrace of Dawn’s love.

*copyright by author*