Blessing Moon

Thirty-Two: The Wait

"You must have all six ingredients to open the portal and you must do this inside Petra Marbh," Genelle explained, she remembered each instruction with such ease it was as if she had been rehearsing for this moment for some time. She didn't pause to recall one detail.

"So, we've got the smoke. We just need to get some goat hair, wheat chaff, etioirm-berries, ghea-mach and water from luna lake?" Oslac shrugged. "Seems straightforward."

"Straightforward? Really? Did you not hear me say you must enter the forbidden Petra Marbh?" Genelle said with an accusatory sneer.

"Yes, I heard you!" Oslac bit back. Genelle was clearly getting under his skin. Beanni looked between the two of them as Genelle's condescending smirk and Oslac's deep scowl faced off in a silent battle.

"My my, what will your father say, Prince?" The cocky Fiosolim broke the silence, cutting the building tension in two.

"My Father doesn't need to know, for the greater good," Oslac spat. The anger Beanni saw in Oslac's twitching face made her appreciate the bars that separated the two of them, for she was sure that her best friend was ready to knock this woman out.

She grabbed his hand and gave it a warm squeeze, he turned towards her and gave her a reassuring smile, then turned back to Genelle.

"Is there anything else we need to know?"

"Yes, you must gather these ingredients, set them inside Petra Marbh and leave them for seven days."

"Seven days?" Beanni groaned.

"Yes, you cannot rush such ancient and complicated magic, Beanni," Genelle answered in the patronising tone that Beanni got to know very well within her time trapped in Strelle.

"Very well," Oslac spoke up with confidence. "We shall call you on the mirror shard when we are ready to mix the potion."

He then touched Genelle's cell bars with his light orb; withdrawing the protection spell from her, making her once again deaf and blind to him and Beanni.

"Bay, I'm taking you back to the academy now." Oslac's serious tone did not ease as he spoke, Beanni felt her bottom lip begin to tremble as confusion began to settle upon her.

"But, the potion? The ingredients? We must gather them as soon as possible! We can't wait!"

"No, we can't. That's why I'm going to get them myself."

"Oz..." Beanni began to argue, but he cut her off, as if he was ready for it.

"No, Bay, it will be better this way. You go back to history class so you're there when your father arrives to pick you up. I'll get these ingredients together in no time."

Beanni bowed her head and heaved her shoulders in a deep disappointed sigh. He was right, she, of course, knew he was. However, she couldn't help but feel as though she was missing out. What help would she be sitting in class and sitting at home just waiting?

"I wanted to come with you, to help you," she mumbled towards the dust covered, dungeon floor.

"I know, Bay," said Oslac, the gentleness in voice failed to bring her out of her negative feelings. "But you must understand this is for the best."

The heaviness that Beanni felt caused her to freeze in place - her gaze not lifting from the dingy ground.

"Come on, Bay, you understand don't you?"

"Yes," Beanni forced herself to answer, her voice not managing to climb above a hushed squeak.

"Alright..." Oslac said with uncertainty plaguing his tone. He waited for just a second longer, for her to give him a sign that she was alright. However, it was something that she couldn't bring herself to do. She really hated being side-lined, but couldn't argue with his logic.