Blood on the Moon - serialised EXCLUSIVE for Steemit! - 92
Blood On The Moon Cover
My third novel was finished and published in time for Halloween 2016 and I had a launch at Waterstone's at Sheffield.
The full book cover, done by the wonderful, talented, brilliant Paul Mudie
Other Images from Pixabay or Google (Free Usage)
To read from the beginning: Here
Then change the number in the address bar from 1 to 2 (https://steemit.com/writing/@michelle.gent/blood-on-the-moon-serialised-exclusive-for-steemit-2) and so on for the next episodes.
Selene wasn’t convinced and folded her arms across her chest.
“Come with me and I’ll show you exactly what I’m up to.”
It was with a great deal of reluctance that Selene and Falco followed and Darius didn’t use the secret stairwell because he realised that for them to follow him into the unknown at that moment, it may just have been that one leap of faith too far.
“I already know about your visits to Jessica. I am not angry, and there is nothing to be concerned about. This visit is not about her, but more of her cellmate,” Darius said to Selene, half-turning as he walked so he could see her reaction.
Far from reassuring her, she was still very much on edge, nerves jangling, body tense and ready for flight or fight. She nodded once but her face remained expressionless.
They went down into the cellar and howls could be heard before they reached the door.
“This is no good. I need her kept quiet, or at least the howls need to be dampened down. The last thing I need is for officials snooping around to see if we’re mistreating a dog.” Darius said to Riley as he unlocked and opened the door.
They were surprised to see that it wasn’t Jessica that was howling; it was Entwistle. Jessica stood on her hind legs, watching him howl. Though she was wolfen, her face had an air of curiosity about it, head tilted at a slight angle.
“What the hell’s been going on here?” Darius asked, he didn’t expect an answer from Jessica and he looked to Entwistle.
Entwistle shut up as soon as he heard his master’s voice. He hadn’t seen him because of the angle he was lying at and he hadn’t heard their entrance to the cellar because of his racket.
He looked up at Darius and he was contrite, in the same way a child would be if they had been grounded and then caught doing the same thing they were being punished for. He couldn't meet Darius' eyes and his lips pressed together in a tight line.
“What are you doing now, Entwistle? Isn’t it enough that you are down here in permanent agony? Do you want me to inflict other damage on you just to see how well you cope with additional injuries?” Darius snarled.
“I was trying to attract your attention,” he said.
“Well now you’ve got it, I hope you don’t live to regret it,” Darius snarled, lip curled in disdain.
“I don’t think I shall, but someone else may,” Entwistle said, at last having the courage to look up. “There have been a few new developments lately.”
He didn’t say anything else, his eyes darted to someone at the back and Darius turned to see who Entwistle had looked at and who had made him shut up.
Darius took hold of the scruff of Riley’s neck and pulled him to stand before the group. He held Riley like a bag of laundry and glared down at the invalid on the pallet. He spoke to Entwistle again.
“Now that you have no distractions, tell me what the new developments are.”
Entwistle glanced at Riley once more, swallowed hard and then started to speak.
“I have plenty to tell you, my Lord...”
He was interrupted by Riley’s warning glare and a silent snarl but Darius was more insightful than that, he saw the warnings that Riley was giving and he again took hold of the scruff of his neck, but this time he shook the younger Wolf violently.
“If you interrupt him again, Riley, you’ll take his place – broken spine and everything.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, my Lord. I don’t think it’s broken now,” Entwistle said and pulled the grimy blanket from his legs. Though they were in a state of emaciation, scrawny and weak, perhaps through prolonged lack of use, they were beginning to look like human legs again.
“I don’t understand this. How has this happened?” Darius asked Entwistle.
“I think it was Riley that did it my Lord. He has been bringing people to see me and some have said that they couldn’t see properly and so he has been moving me about. I think the movements have helped to rejoin my spine and it is healing again.” Entwistle sounded excited, as well he should. He imagined that Darius and Riley would share his elation at being on the mend at last.
Darius gaped for a brief moment, then his eyes narrowed and he regained his composure.
A thought flitted across his mind – the magic of Feralia.
He remembered once when he had attacked Hazel. She was so severely damaged, especially along her spine, that it was feared that she wouldn’t live.
He couldn’t remember exactly when he had attacked her and damaged her to the extent that they were discussing whether or not to euthanise her, but he did remember one factor in the healing process.
It was because of Feralia, he was sure of it.
Entwistle’s own road to recovery had only just begun and so the facts added up.
He was right in what he was thinking for Jessica.
She was about to become the rightful rival to that Sentinel Exemplar bitch.
Another wonderful piece of writing. The more I read the more I am involved in your fantastic Novel. Your use of idioms and phrases in sentences are worth appreciating as well e.g. 'A thought "flitted across" his mind, 'Darius "gaped for" a brief moment. I really appreciate your efforts to bring a wonderful piece of fiction on the platform of Steemit so that more people can enjoy the pleasure of reading a good book. Stay blessed.
Hlw my dear @michelle.gent Nice" Writing . & thank you so much for sharing .
But generally the very short story found its place in narrative writing. She has become a pioneer in story writing. And interested students in the field of narratives and analysis and criticism, although I said.
Accordingly, we should first recognize this type of narrative art, through its characteristics. We wonder about its creators and their advantages.
The very short story is a creative artistic work. It depends on the accuracy of the language, the good articulation, and the choice of the term, which has the functional role fonctionnel and the intense concentration of meaning. And the linguistic intensification that transmits and does not tell. And does not accept extortion and not to exaggerate, and not to digress and not tandem, and no interceptor strings, and no explanatory sentences. And the content that accepts the interpretation, and does not settle on a single indication. In a sense that allows multiple readings ... and different views ...
And this relates to a chapter of a novel how?
Means a summary of the novelist
i love your post
Nice title blood on the moon would like to read it...
Fantastic write-up! An intelligent and interesting story, keep it up. I follow and uovote you.
interesting story.... i like this tipe of story... thanks
since yesterday I began to read from the very beginning your works that you published. Frankly, very exciting, in one breath, you can read several chapters. Very atmospherically written ..
Thank you for continuing to publish your works for such a long time
I see how Jessica's character enters a new stage of development, just as you wrote in your writer's tips. And I wonder whether Darius will break Entwistle's spine again, but I will surely get to know this in the next chapter.
your publications for me on pimp one of the most anticipated :)
I feel the prying of the denouement. This chapter especially made me sad that she was tense, and at the end the tension began to subside with Darius' anger, and pleased the ending of the chapter which was directly connected with the magic of Feralia.
Thank you, it's interesting as always :)