The Rise of the Blue Moon 4
Three days remain until …
Shadows of Things to Come ...
With the revelation of the change in plans, Henry and Ethan move to a couple of comfortable chairs to plan strategy while Janice, Shirley and Sebastian engage in a friendly game of billiards. Braun decides he will escort Madame Zaire back home as the sun seems to be settling unusually early today.
“I will be fine, Braun.” Madame Zaire coos affectionately.
“I must insist.” Braun firmly states and with no further ado he expresses his best wishes to everyone and accompanies Madame Zaire out the door. Janice sighs deeply.
“There would seem to be some chemistry going on between those two.”
“And what has that to do with you, Jan?” Sebastian queries as Shirley watches on in amusement.
“Nothing Bass, I was just making an observation.” Janice responds bashfully and the three of them return to their game.
Meanwhile, Henry and Ethan are in deep conversation.
“Will there be enough time to prepare Megan for the Rising of the Blauer Mond?” Ethan asks with concern.
“It will have to be and with the Emerald of des äußeren Reiches, things will be under control.” Henry assures Ethan.
“How so?” Ethan queries.
“The Emerald of des äußeren Reiches is a very strong talisman that I left in Madame Zaire’s safe keeping. During my battle with the Пожиратель, I managed to take it off him.” Henry informs Ethan.
“I never knew you were ever in actual combat with the Пожиратель!” Ethan exclaims in complete surprise.
“Not all of my exploits are documented for obvious reasons. The High Counsel doesn’t want undo publicity. As it were, the news regarding quite a number of my incidents happening within the Northern Lands have been surfacing everywhere.” Henry clarifies.
“You were saying regarding the Emerald of des äußeren Reiches.” Ethan is anxious to get Henry back on track.
“It is a sacred jewel from die Welt des äußeren Reiches—the Outer Realm. It possess great powers of mysticism. The wearer has the ability to control spiritual manifestations and keep them in check.” Henry expounds.
“So then this talisman will keep Amaliya neutralized?” Ethan reaches for a mint from an etched crystal bowl in front of him.
“Most definitely.” Henry assures. “It will also enhance both Megan’s cognitive scope and animal agility. She will be able to learn without interference as well as move at near lightning speeds.”
“Wow! This is good. Yes, this is very good.” Ethan nods enthusiastically.
“We had better get some rest, my friend. Megan will be resuming her training with Braun and I need to give Sebastian his orientation.” Henry retorts.
“Yes, but why do I need additional rest?” Ethan asks assessing Henry.
“ Because Arnaud will be here in the morning and he wants to see you. He will explain things to you regarding advanced training.”
Arnaud: daunting yet subtle with an aura of elusiveness. He is Эхуань the Eagle!
“He is the eagle, right?” Ethan surmises.
“Yes—and he is an even greater taskmaster than either Braun or me!” Henry illuminates and both men adjourn upstairs but not before Henry throws at Sebastian— “You had better get some rest as well, Bass. Your initiation starts in the morning. Ethan will be busy with Arnaud until Braun is finished with Megan.” Then Henry turns and is followed by Jenny to their suite of rooms.
“Well ladies, no one challenges Вячеслав so I will see you in the morning.” Sebastian rises to accept a kiss from Janice and then heads upstairs himself.
“What do you make of all this, Shirley?” Janice quizzes.
“Being involved with Dr. Rachel Weinberger-Hawkes and Sheriff Henry Hamilton has been quite an eye-opening experience. I have had to deal with a lot of things the average person would think only happens in a sci-fi movie.” Shirley gives Janice a whimsical smile.
“Tell me about it. Working at Albertson Pharmaceuticals has exposed me to some interesting phenomenon as well. What with Jeremy Evans turning himself into a werewolf and then biting Megan during the Rising of the Blauer Mond.” Janice shakes her head in disbelief.
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“Changing the subject—what about you and Sebastian Taylor?” Shirley probes.
“Isn’t Bass dreamy?” Janice gushes. “I met him when I needed to find a suitable apartment for the three of them and well ... we hit it right off.” Janice tells her.
“It was like that with Dr. Ben Riley and me. It was the three of us—Ben, Ray and me at Tannersville Research Center. I feel more like an equal now that I have my doctorate.” Shirley says.
“They didn’t treat you inferior did they?” Janice looks stunned.
“Goodness no, but I nevertheless felt that way. I hope I didn’t give you that impression about either me or them.” Shirley apologizes.
“You’ve been great, Shirley. It was just that I couldn’t imagine Dr. Riley or Dr. Weinberger-Hawkes treating anyone as subservient.” Janice acknowledges.
“No, neither could I. At any rate we had better get upstairs ourselves. Even though we don’t have official training duties, we still have to monitor Megan and insure that nothing out of the ordinary goes wrong.” Shirley reminds Janice.
“Out of the ordinary—how would we be able to tell?” With that both ladies chuckle and head toward the stairs.
The Kitchen! A place for an early morning encounter!
Getting an Early Start ...
It is early Wednesday morning when Megan finds herself alone in the kitchen. She is later joined by Chef Mavis Blair.
“Surprised to see you in here this early in the morning!” Mavis whispers.
“We do seem to have a habit of getting up with the chickens and rendezvousing in this room.” Both women giggle.
“I have to get breakfast started, what’s your excuse?” Mavis asks.
“Braun is coming to complete my training. He’s also introducing me to Arnaud.” Megan relays to Mavis.
“Ah yes, Arnaud.” Is all she says.
“What do you know about him, Mavis?” Megan is curious regarding the expression on her new friend’s face.
“Arnaud? He’s daunting yet subtle with an aura of elusiveness. Like the animal he embroils, he is able to swooped into your thoughts from great heights and ascertain your every move.” Mavis says.
“He sounds dangerous!” Megan accepts the special brew of coffee from Mavis but before she places it to her lips she looks at it.
“He is—very dangerous!” Then noticing the way Megan is looking at the coffee she just handed her; Mavis speaks again.
“Don’t worry. This is my normal special brew.” Mavis reassures her. “That other was from Madame Zaire. It was so Ethan could put that talisman around your neck.”
“Hmm ...” Megan reacts as she savors every drop of the delicious concoction. “Something had to be done to keep that siren at bay. I am definitely not looking forward to the confrontation.”
As if on cue, Braun enters the kitchen and greets both women.
“I would have thought that Henry would be up by now.” Braun retorts looking around.
“I am.” A voice behind Braun replies. It is Henry. With cat-like silence he has slipped behind Braun. Then, he turns to Mavis. “Fix something quick for those two so that they can leave. I saw Sebastian in the hallway; he will be down soon.”
“What about Ethan?” Megan inquires.
“I sent him on an errand about a minute ago. You needn’t worry yourself about him. He will definitely be occupied elsewhere. Now, finish your coffee and wait for your meal. I guess Jenny will be down when she’s ready.” Henry says flippantly, missing the nonverbal exchange between Mavis and Megan.
To Be Continued ...
The Rise of the Blue Moon 5
- The Rise of the Blue Moon 5
As the Rising of the Blauer Mond approaches, temperaments rise as well. Ethan receives a new distinction during his training with arrogant Arnaud while Megan contemplates a battle where only one can be the permanent victor. Will it be Mélisande?
© 2020 Jacqueline Williamson BBA MPA MS
