The Moonstone (Enchantment Book 1) (32 page)

"Lord Black, to what do we owe this honor?"

Black sits down and shakes Charles' hand.

"Lou must’ve explained the situation to you, I want to make sure you’re ok with it."

"Lou can make her own decisions. As long as we’re assured that this will remain between us, why not?"

Thank you, Charles...I couldn't have put it better myself. I turn back to Black with my arms crossed. Why is he so concerned about Charles' opinion? He didn’t ask for mine yesterday when he cast his spell on me.

"I’m wondering whether you know of any clues that Lou's mother might have left for us...anything at all that might help us in our search."

"No, nothing. Lou is the one who’s supposed to guide us. That's all I know.”

Black seems put off by this. I understand that he’s impatient to find his wife, but I'm starting to feel the pressure on my shoulders. How can I get this over with as quickly as possible? I'll need to train stronger and more often.

We spend the rest of the meal on senseless banter. In fact, the men end up chatting more than me, and I understand very few of their references. At one point I'm even surprised to see them laughing like old friends.

Eventually, it’s Charles who’s the first one to end the meal.

"I'm going to leave now. Black, I’m happy that you’ll take care of my darling. With the power that you know she possesses, she could easily fall into the wrong hands. There are many who would take advantage of her, so please protect her."

I'm sure Charles' speech would have come out differently, and his faith in the man wouldn’t have been so strong, had he known what Black had already done to me.

"Have no fear, Charles. I’ll take care of her."

In a flash, the waitress returns to our table to clear away the dishes; her gift must be teleportation. I presume that would be a useful skill for her trade. She bends over, offering Black a front row view of her cleavage; the whole thing makes me uncomfortable. I grab Black’s arm, and, to his great surprise, pull him out of the restaurant.

"Now, that's enough time wasted, let's get back to training," says Black, opening the car door.

Once back at the manor, Black leads me into the ballroom. It's so strange to see it in full daylight, without all the decorations. The room looks rather ghostly now. In the distance I can see the infamous staircase from the first night of my adventure, and, as if in an echo, I hear the grating voice of the other Black, the old Black, in my head.

"I'm so sorry Lou. I know I've hurt you right from the first. It's just...."

"Just what?"

"It doesn't matter. At the time, I didn't know why I was so possessed with you."

I was hoping for a better answer, but I think that's the best I can hope for from him.

"Ok, well so far we've been using kid gloves during your training. Now, if you agree, we're going to kick it up a notch."

"I think you underestimate my capacity to learn."

"We'll see about that. Gentlemen, it's your turn!"

Black waves his hand and four men arrive, one from each corner of the room.

"I present you with some of the city's masters of illusion. They’ll create some combat scenarios for us and then we'll really be able to see how you manage in difficult situations. It's essential that you learn to limit your field of action to a maximum of seven feet, as I really don't want you to end up destroying the manor. The illusionists will be projecting mirages around you. Try to use your skills one after the other. Are you ready?"

I nod and get into position as I do at the beginning of each of my combat sessions with Zach.

"Gentlemen, the floor is yours."

Black backs up and sits down on a captain's chair that is located off to the side of the room. He looks like a king about to watch his jester’s entertainment. I promise myself I'll give him his money's worth.

One of the men walks forward, waving his hand in the air and instantly turning the room into a tropical jungle. The illusion is so perfect that the smell and the humidity fill the air. The other illusionist waves his arms and three gorillas appear out of the forest in front of me. I immediately shoot a ball of energy in their direction and the three take flight.

"That's all you've got? Come on, gentlemen, you must be able to do better than that!"

The four men grin conspiratorially. Maybe it would be better if I kept my mouth shut; well, I’m about to find out...

I close my eyes to concentrate the way Zach taught me. When I open them, an immense dragon is standing in front of me, its huge snout just inches from my face. I've obviously insulted the illusionists and they’re determined to put me in my place. Keep your calm Lou, it's only an illusion, it won't hurt you. I must, however, react quickly. I focus my energy and in an instant, I stop time to give myself a moment to think. Instantly the dragon, as well as the other occupants of the room, freezes in time. I take the opportunity to slide under the enormous beast to attack it from behind. By the time I reach this strategic spot, the spell lifts and time takes its course once more.

The dragon's tail whips out to where I stand, but I manage to roll on the ground in time to avoid the enormous appendage. I shoot another massive energy surge at the dragon that backs up and turns to face me. The beast shoots a powerful jet of flame in response to my attack. In the nick of time, I manage to create a shield of ice like the one Éloï made earlier. The dragon catches its breath, inhaling deeply, and I decide to take the opportunity to give it a dose of its own medicine. I send a great ball of fire in its direction.

The monster seems confused, which is perfect because it allows me the time needed to finish. I create a vast flaming fence around the dragon, pinning it at the back of the room. Once I've completely surrounded it, I prepare my attack, but for that, I need to wait until it shoots fire in my direction.

When it does, I return an immense jet of ice that enters right into its mouth. As I had hoped, the effect of the ice is to freeze the dragon into an immense ice sculpture.

Now for the ultimate attack, I shoot one last ball of energy towards the dragon, which explodes spectacularly into a thousand pieces.

"Ok, gentlemen, I think that’ll be enough for today. I’ll expect you here tomorrow at the same time."

The four men exit the room, saluting me on their way out and looking rather impressed with me.

"That was good, Lou. Excellent. I must say, you really impressed me," says Black, coming over to me.

"Um, are you sure you want those four guys coming back here every day? Are you sure that's wise? Can we trust them? Won't they betray my secret?"

"Those guys, as you put it, are the best masters of illusion in the country. Don't worry, I made them sign a non-disclosure agreement and if they betray us in any way, their careers are over. It's also good practice for them."

"Why bother with them? We don't need them. Zach and I manage fine on our own."

Uh, oh...I doubt he appreciated that last comment. He's not looking thrilled with me.

"Zach will be here tomorrow morning and we'll see who offers the most efficient training. I doubt his little man made of mud can rival a dragon. Zach treats you with kid gloves and isn't bringing you to your full potential. I know you’re capable of much, much more. I just got the proof of that. If you want to find your Emerald Tablet quickly, we'll have to take a shortcut."

"It's you who insists on finding it quickly. I'm not in a rush, myself."

"If I’m to finance this mission, I’ll expect that we get right to the goal as soon as possible. What's more, I doubt you feel like spending your life here with me. The quicker you find the table, the quicker you'll be rid of that, as you put it, pretentious and vain Black."

Well, he definitely heard me complaining to Flicka this morning. I should obviously add the word bitter to my description of him.

"You’re entirely correct. The quicker you’re out of my life, the better!"

He raises his arm in the air, evidently insulted by my comment.

"Perfect."

"Good!" I say, using the same tone of voice as he did and crossing my arms.

He gets closer to me without looking away and then enters my personal space, too close for comfort, if you ask me. Then, with disarming control, he brushes back a lock of stray hair behind my ear.

"So, Miss Mills. I would suggest you apply yourself to your training. If not, I’ll be in your space for a long time. Are you ready to get rid of me?"

Why is he so unnerving? His temperament that goes from hot to cold confuses me. I never know where I stand with him.

"I'm ready for anything."

He backs up and whistles, which is never a good sign. I then hear a din that sounds like breaking dishes in the distance. At the far end of the room, the two immense lion statues come to life with impressive speed.

"Traitor."

Black laughs out loud, proud of himself.

"The dragon was much too simple for you, so I guess I'll have to complicate your life. Think of these lions as me; that should help."

For sure, I'll show him what I'm made of.

The scenario that develops in my mind is a kind of war strategy, but at the speed of thought. I start by spinning the air around me and form two small tornadoes that place themselves on either side of the lions. I then rotate them around the room to prevent them from attacking me from the side. The lions behave exactly as expected, which seems to annoy Black. I have to be careful to control the tornadoes so as not to destroy the superb ballroom. Focusing my energy, I create a puddle of ice in front of the felines, just slippery enough to cause them to lose their balance. I need to be careful not to use all my energy at once and have to avoid burning myself out like yesterday. Once the two cats start slipping and sliding like children learning to skate, I use the ridiculous image to increase my self-confidence in victory. I know that Black would never allow the granite monsters to hurt me, but I'm determined to beat them as soon as possible to shut him up.

While the lions are doing their best to approach me, I take the opportunity to retrieve the tornadoes and send two great balls of energy towards them. It's the first time I try to carry on two attacks simultaneously and my plan seems to be working when one of the lions is hit right in the face, crumbling onto the floor as a result.

While I'm looking at the results of my actions, the other lion manages to release himself from its icy prison and comes towards me at full speed. It manages to send me on to my back with its massive paw that now pins me to the ground. Over the lion's shoulder, I spot Black, who’s now grinning. He orders the animal to back off and return to its place in the room. A couple moments later, it has retaken its original form, alone this time as its compatriot lies in pieces on the floor.

"I believe you still need a little practice rabbit. If I hadn't stopped that lion, it would have made a mouthful of you. But I must say, you managed well. I liked the way you coordinated your various gifts."

No way, he can't end the battle like that! I'm sure I would’ve succeeded if he hadn't intervened. He probably just wants to give me the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this combat.

"Let me start again! I was about to win. You ruined the whole thing."

"That's enough for today, Lou. I don't want you to tire yourself out like yesterday."

"Fine, but Black, I would like to be able to do my chores at the stable tonight."

"Of course, I'll take you there."

"I'm not sure Zach would appreciate that."

"What Zach appreciates is the least of my worries. I'm not going to let him put you in danger the way he did the other day."

"Yes, but remember, the other day it was the security guard who opened the pen. He was fired, so problem solved."

"If ever something unexpected happened, that idiot wouldn't be able to protect you. You don't know all the creatures that are out there, Lou. Your little tricks would be no match for them. Anyways, there's no arguing this with me. If you want to go, it's with me, or not at all."

"Since I don't seem to have a choice... can we go after supper?"

"Fine. Now, follow me; Justin prepared my favorite dish."

We walk together over to the dining room and find a chocolate fondue waiting for us. Wow! It reminds me of being a kid when my mother would prepare this dessert after a long day of snowshoeing with my father.

We spend the meal in silence. I savor each bite and Black seems to appreciate watching me eat more than he does eating his own meal.

"That was delicious. I would never tell my mother, but, without a doubt, that was the best chocolate fondue I've ever eaten!"

"Justin is the best when it comes to food."

I pull out my cellphone and send Zach a text to let him know I’m on my way.

*We'll be there shortly.*

*We??!!*

Darn...of course he wasn't counting on me bringing company. I don't reply to his text. I'll deal with the consequences later.

"Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."
William Shakespeare

We arrive at the stables and Zach is already waiting for us, leaning up against his motorcycle, helmet in hand. He looks at Black defiantly, as if he were willing him out of his yard. I run to reach him before Black gets the chance to catch up.

"I'm sorry, he insisted on coming."

"Sure, but maybe you should have tried insisting that he stay in this little castle..."

"I..."

"Forget it, anyways, it seems he won't be leaving you alone anytime soon..."

"How about we show Lou Jézabel's other creatures?" says Black, joining us.

"That's what I was going to do," answers Zach, making sure to have the last word.

Finally, I'll be able to see if these monstrous creatures are as terrifying as they say.  The three of us walk down the central aisle, the one with the ferocious creatures.

The first enclosure that we cross has a label that sends shivers down my spine. CHUPACABRA. I get closer to the compound and can't help but feel sorry for Jézabel. I imagine how hard it must be to lose your favorite pet, even if it is a terrifying one. But, to my amazement, when I look into the cage I find a small, filthy looking ball of fur.

"What's that?" I ask the men, curling up my nose.

"To get Jézabel's permission to allow you back in here, I had to find a baby chupacabra for her. So, here is Chupa number two," answers Black.

The puppy, if he can be called that, looks somewhat like his predecessor; he has dark skin and is half covered with coarse hair. Spikes protrude from his back and a red glow lights his face. However, somehow he still manages to be cute in his ugliness. He sticks out his tongue and turns his body in a circle just like an excited puppy would. He looks at me and tilts his head, whimpering a little to catch my attention.

"He’s actually almost cute!"

"The same could be said for a baby anything, it's in the genes. Babies are made to be cute so we’ll take care of them. Just don't put your hand near the cage. I'm about to feed him and sometimes he gets a little...enthusiastic!"

Zach opens a cage and pulls out a rabbit.

"Don't watch, little rabbit! Seeing a predator devour his prey might traumatize you." Black whispers in my ear, and even though Zach couldn't have heard from where he stands, he doesn't seem to appreciate the proximity of our bodies. I look without actually thinking and a couple of seconds later the little puppy morphs into a fierce predator. He literally grinds up the little rabbit and I’m reminded of the hidden creature that he’ll become.

"So, he's not so cute after all, is he?" says Zach, laughing.

The chupacabra grabs one of the rabbit bones and approaches the bars of the cage with it. He drops it on the floor and looks at me, tongue lolling as if he wants me to throw it for him. No way!

"Ok, show me the next inmates, the chupacabra is a little intense for me."

"If you find him scary, then maybe we should stick to the hall of peaceful creatures, Lou," says Zach, obviously not wanting to upset me.

"No, let's keep going. Lou needs to see what she’ll be facing in the future. Show her," Black tells my friend.

I'm not sure I feel like going any further, but at the same time, curiosity takes over. After all, who else can say they had this opportunity?

I hear a deep rumble in the distance, and, arriving in front of a shaking barrier, we see an immense human-like creature with greenish skin which is dressed in...shorts. I’m not sure if what is covering his body can actually be called skin, it looks more like a toad’s skin than a human’s. When he sees us approach, the beast gets upset and starts throwing around whatever he can get his hands on.

"Calm down Grumpy, I'm coming with your supper. Lou, this is a troll. He was the first creature to arrive at the stables. Jézabel found him in the forest not far from here and, believe it or not, he had captured some boy scouts. Just imagine the amount of memory potion that was needed to fix that mess. The poor kids were terrorized," says Zach, looking honestly concerned.

"He...he eats children?"

"No, he's really just an idiot. Surprisingly, he’s almost considered a vegetarian. He only wanted to play with them. In fact, if he weren't always scaring the peaceful creatures, he would probably go in with them. I named him Grumpy because that's his general temperament. Do you want to feed him his supper?"

"Ok, sure! What does he eat?"

Black raises an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you want her to feed him?" he questions Zach.

"Why not? She wants to start helping out here, doesn't she?"

"Hey guys, I'm right here you know! Why wouldn't I want to feed him, I'm able to, aren't I? Come on, what do I need to do?"

"She asked for it," laughs Black.

Zach smiles and pulls his sweater up over his nose. He opens a wooden box with the tip of his toe and waves me over with his hand. I look at him, no longer sure I want to do this. The beast, for his part, seems extremely motivated to get his supper. Grumpy paces the enclosure, hitting his chest, as if he were a wild gorilla. I slowly approach the wooden box and look inside it. All I can see is a deep looking hole and a rope. I turn to look at the men and shrug. The two can hardly contain their laughter and signal to me to pull on the cord. I can’t understand their laughter, but whatever...they probably don't think I can manage to pull whatever it is up. I'll show them!

I rub my hands to bring some heat to them and start yanking on the cord, hand over hand. They obviously don't have much faith in me, as the rope is actually quite easy to pull. I lean over the box to better see what it is I'm pulling on and feel a sudden rush of queasiness as a disgusting stench hits my nose. Imagine the worst stink possible and then multiply that by one hundred, no, one thousand. I catch my breath and, taken by the horrifying smell, I let go of the bucket, which falls back to the bottom of the pit.

"Oh, oh. Grumpy won't be happy. What's the matter, Lou? Are your senses too delicate to feed a troll? Sorry Grumpy, no supper for you tonight, Lou refuses to feed you."

The troll doesn't seem to appreciate what Zach is saying. He looks in my direction, grunting and shaking the bars.

"If I were you, I would get the bucket back up here as fast as possible. Grumpy's not looking too thrilled," says Black with a look of mock seriousness on his face.

"Laugh all you want, you two. You could have warned me of the stench. I would have put on a hazmat suit."

I've had enough of them laughing at me. I pull up the collar of my sweater and I pull once more on the bucket, this time as quickly as possible. I try not to breathe, but when I must, the odor penetrates the fabric. What can possibly smell this bad? The bucket arrives at the aperture and the contents look like dark mud.

"What is it?" I ask Zach.

"A little of everything: rotten eggs, pig's blood, cabbage..."

"And all rotting, I get it. I understand. You put all the things that smell the worst together and let them decompose, no need to tell me more. Ok, now what do I do with this?"

"You put it through the trap door on the side. He'll take the bucket himself."

I do as instructed and the troll drops to the ground, shaking the earth slightly as he does so. He grabs the bucket with both hands and digs into the contents with his mouth, spilling more around him than what goes into his mouth.

"I don't understand how he does it?"

"He must wonder the same when we eat cake or candies. To each his own, as they say. I prefer him to a beast that would eat one of us, in any case," says Zach.

The troll continues to empty the bucket and ends up putting it on his head to lick it clean.

"Ok, can we move on to the next one before I finally vomit chocolate fondue all over the floor of the cave?"

"Sure, follow me, I think we've laughed enough at your expense."

The next enclosure has a fence with bars that are very close together. What I see on the other side of the cage is rather absurd. In fact, in the cage is a rabbit, or rather a sort of mutant rabbit with a deer's rack and eagle's wings.

"Why is there a rabbit in this aisle? Is there no more room in the peaceful creatures aisle?"

"Don't let yourself be fooled by the innocent look, this little beast ate through a group of Bavarian tourists in one single night. One by one, she drained their blood. So don't judge a book by its cover. It's a wolpertinger."

Ok then, I guess you really shouldn’t make assumptions because this looks like the most gentle of creatures. Zach leaves and returns with a few chickens that he slides through the trap door of the cage. I use the opportunity to take a little poke at Black.

"So you see, even the most innocent looking rabbits could end up getting the best of a Black like you."

He scratches and shakes his head, but I think he gets my meaning.

"So, Lou, are you ready for the last inmate in this aisle?" asks Zach, putting his arm around my shoulder and pulling me away from Black.

We walk up to a cage, surrounded by glass this time, and I can sense Black seething behind us. I think I can hear him grumbling, and so can Zach if the large grin on his face is anything to go by. The glassed-in enclosure is full of water this time, like a large aquarium. Inside, most incredibly, is a mermaid. In fact, it’s not the kind of mermaid from a kids movie, but rather a monster. It’s a female fish, completely black and its jaw full of sharp shark-like teeth. Its large, globular eyes are dark and deep. She approaches the glass and stares at me as if to pierce my very soul.

"I hate them, the dirty brats. They're ready to kill you with their song."

I know, because I remember the story of Orpheus; he was part of Ulysses' Odyssey. He was able to conquer the mermaids with his music and protected the ship's crew from them. I won't mention it, I’m not sure if Zach knows that side of the story.

"And what do mermaids eat?" I ask, intrigued.

"Human souls, or sardines, in this case."

Zach gets up on a stool and puts some sardines in through a feeding tube, which then fall directly into the water with the mermaid.

"Can we go see the diabolical creatures now?"

"No, unfortunately, Lou, the diabolical creatures are sealed off right now. Since the Chimera's escape, Jézabel is the only one allowed to go into that aisle. But we can go and see our friends the leprechauns if you want. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to see you."

"Perfect!"

I'm a little disappointed not to see the most monstrous of creatures, but I’m happy to see the others again, so I follow Zach, who in turn follows Black.

When Black reaches his horse he stays there to feed it as well as the unicorn and I go right over to the Yeti. I’m thrilled to see that there is now a large supply of crushed ice and an air conditioner in with the poor beast. The Yeti certainly seems happier than the last time I visited.

"Did you do this?"

"Yes, I thought you had some good advice and I'm just sorry I didn't think of it sooner."

We then walk over to Bigfoot and there again is a surprise. The far end of his cage is now lined with pine tree branches and Henry is sitting there on the ground, sniffing the conifers and looking as happy as the Yeti.

"I'm pleased that you’re taking such good care of them. It's less depressing for them."

"Come on, the leprechauns are anxious to see you again!"

I follow him to the three little jokers. When they spot me, they rush over to their little wooden cottage. They come out with a bouquet of flowers they offer me through the bars.

"Flowers Lou," says Aramis to me.

I dip into a curtsy for him as a way of saying thank you.

"Were you the one who brought them these flowers? Am I to understand that you wanted to offer them to me?"

Zach scratches his back and looks at me sheepishly.

"Thank you, they're lovely."

Porthos clears his throat to get my attention.

"And thank you, my three favorite little leprechauns."

Black returns and when he sees the flowers he looks over to Zach and then back to me.

"Lou, it's time to go."

I don't want to leave, but I don't feel like getting into an argument with him in front of Zach. I see that these two will never see eye to eye and I hate being in the middle.

"Yes, let's go, I'm ready. Goodbye friends, I'll see you soon!"

"Ooooooo, bye bye Louuuu," they sing back to me.

"Bye Zach."

"Bye Lou, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

We arrive back at the manor and I’m too angry about Black's forced departure to bother wishing him goodnight, so I unceremoniously go back to my room. I listen to a little music and fall quickly into the arms of Morpheus.

***

The next day I join Black for breakfast in the dining room, but he isn't there. So I eat alone at the large table without understanding where he could be. Looking at my watch, I know he can't be far away. I turn around and spot him leaning on the doorframe, watching me.