The Trouble with Hades

Chapter 45

Carsten sat on the floor with me. A blanket over our shoulders protected us from the cool night air, and several underneath us gave warmth instead of cold backsides.

To give me a degree of tranquility, we were in the dining room of the house. The frame hid the stars, but our old friend the moon, was visible in the sky to my right.

We were outside as Carsten suggested that meditation would help me connect to the moon. If I wanted to perfect the whip, I had to visualize a line between us. We were here because no matter how much I tried, I could not make the moon submit to me.

I suspect that Carsten wanted to say that it was okay and that I expected too much of myself but probably thought that it was better to be encouraging. The only thing that he said in the sparring room when I gave up was that I could always use the ice to do the job. I accepted it but wondered if I could get the ice sharp enough. It's why I said that I wanted to try to connect to the moon.

Carsten warned me against anything physical. Not only was I not ready for it, but he knew that there was a vampire sitting in a car a few houses away. We were being watched.

I wanted to say that I was surprised, but in truth, I wasn't. If I had the ability or the followers to watch the enemy, I'd take that path. Learning everything I could was something that I needed.

With a heavy sigh, I opened my eyes. My father was already looking at me with a smile.

"I know. You yearn to practice with the real moon but can't because of the audience. I have an idea. It will work in the sense that you will be able to create a connection, but it's problematic because of the location."

"Where?"

"The forest connects to the next town. Drakkus won't extend his spying beyond the borders when he knows that everyone he wants to watch is right here in this town."

"So, what's the problem?"

"You are the leader of this town. Technically, you shouldn't leave if you're in the middle of a blood war. The portal doesn't count, if you're wondering."

I was, actually.

"Will he know?"

"Yes. There is always a connection between the two parties. Usually, neither notices it, and I've not found any instances where a vampire has been able to detect it in any other circumstances. The only time anyone has noticed it is when one leaves the town. Unfortunately, it seems that we are in a bit of a bind here."

"Yeah," I muttered.

Carsten stared at me for a moment and then smiled.

"Give me a moment."

Closing his eyes, he sat in front of me, unmoving and silent. When they reopened, his smile grew.

"Okay, I did a quick scan of the area, and our friend is the only one. Now, we can wait until he gives up and goes home, but I have a feeling that a replacement will move into the spot so, with that in mind, I did a little alteration myself. There is a shield over the car that has a view of us that you could almost say is like a recording. I will know if the shield is broken, and it will remain there until I remove it. I'd suggest that you focus and get this done because if he's a smart one, he will figure it out pretty quickly. So, off you go. Onto the grass and give that whip a crack."

Flicking off the blanket, I stood and walked onto the grass. Carsten remained at the house, leaning on the frame.

With a swish of his hand, a shape appeared on the lawn. It was tall like Drakkus, made from a dark crystal-like sand, and shimmered in the moonlight.