So sorry this was not posted earlier. I have completely lost track of what day of the week it is. It feels like perpetual Wednesday at the moment.
That’s all right though. I have reached the end. Next week I begin putting my life back on its normal track. I am so ready for that.
Best of all, I will have a new short story called Alexander’s Den released very soon and I’m hoping that over the weekend I can get audio uploaded for Oxygen, my haunted highway story. And I can get back to painting. I have three new ideas that I’m excited to get to work on — the start of building a whole new body of artwork (it’s time!) So, you’ll have a couple new things too look forward to in the next little bit. Yippee!
For now though, let’s get you to this week’s chapter.
Previously: The novihomidrak, Cirvel, heads through a festival on his way to meet up with an old “friend” who has a map that Cirvel needs. The friend, Sapere Imor, isn’t happy to see Cirvel and tries to persuade Cirvel with other temptations. Irritated with not getting his answers, Cirvel seals Imor into a genie lamp. A ninja steps from the shadows and steals away the lamp containing Imor, leaving Cirvel holding only air. He returns to the shrine to discuss the situation with the Grand Sapere, who demands to take it to the Dragon Council. Cirvel knows the Council will take far too long to come to a decision. Cirvel decides to act on his own. Returning to the market, he hopes to see the woman who had taken his lamp. He finds her and but she’s not quite ready to get down to business. At least not the kind he wants to discuss. When she does give him a chance to explain, he tells her that what he has trapped in the lamp is not a genie and that she won’t be able to use the lamp irregardless because she’s not the rightful owner. She bargains with him: help in exchange for the genie lamp. He asks her why she needs a genie. She replies that she needs a powerful trap. Treshauna then takes him to the meeting house for the ninjas to meet their leader, Drelin. Cirvel pulls Imor out of the lamp to prove that Imor is not genie — just a human. But Drelin learns that Cirvel is the genie. Cirvel “convinces” Imor to reveal to him the location of a place known as Alexander’s Den (If you are reading this and you saw the note about the short story above, yes, this is the same Alexander’s Den as mentioned there – oh what a web I weave!).
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Cover design by Dawn Blair/Morning Sky Studios
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Palladium
Chapter 9
by Dawn Blair
Sweat broke out on Imor’s forehead and the space between his mouth and nose. Imor nodded his head in short, vigorous waves as if his head was on a tight spring. “Your point is well made.”
Making sure to keep a tight hold on the hair he’d taken from Imor and enchanted, he released the sapere with a small push. He tossed Imor a sidelong look of disgust as he went around to Treshauna. “I have what I need. I am now in your services.”
