 The Astronomer (c) 2008 Melissa Gay The Word of Zed Part 7 Zed sat on the stairs in the observatory, arms propped on his knees, chin in palms. Above him the great wheel moved fluidly toward the moment when he'd have to face the Magi. For once, the twin dragonets were nestled in the chains, totally silent.  The Astronomer (c) 2008 Melissa Gay The Word of Zed Part 6 The fun hadn't lasted very long and now Aiden wanted to go home. He'd spent all day writing words he didn't understand. He'd learned about dragons with sails on their backs and other strange stuff. He'd expected to open his eyes and find himself in the bookstore, but he'd never woken up. The Astronomer (c) 2008 Melissa Gay The Word of Zed Part 5 The moment he stepped inside the observatory and saw the small figure hunched over a scroll, Zed clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a shout of glee. It had worked! The new Scribe wasn't an imp, more like a little human, but that didn't matter. All Zed needed was one day. The Astronomer (c) 2008 Melissa Gay The Word of Zed Part 4
Zed rummaged his mind for some way to solve his dilemma. The truth was he had no time to get a genuine Scribe to take his place. If he could find someone else, just for a day, then maybe it would be all right. The Astronomer (c) 2008 Melissa Gay The Word of Zed Part 3 By the Time of the Scorpion, Zed was noticeably fidgeting with his quill, keen to finish with the day's work. Nothing about the Black Knights was interesting. They didn't wear black because they were evil or even tending toward nasty, but because the color didn't show dirt. They spent their time talking to trees. They didn't seem to notice that the trees didn't talk back. Each one lived in a clearing in the forest. They never left their clearing and rarely saw anyone unless a stray King of the Britons wandered by and challenged them to a duel. The Astronomer (c) 2008 Melissa Gay The Word of Zed Part 2 Zed cracked an eye. He thought he'd heard a noise. He didn't often wake in the middle of the night. His fingers usually fell asleep first, he was so exhausted.
Swizzz… He opened the other eye and stared out into the Scrollery. The scrolls were usually pretty dormant unless his master was reading one. Then the selected one would hop out of its diamond-shaped cubby hole and glide through the air like a parchment bird, winging toward the Magi's chambers.  The Astronomer (c) 2008 Melissa Gay Many, many years ago I had the opportunity to write a novelette for an anthology and the requirement was that the story be based on this wonderful artwork created by artist Melissa Gay. The Word of Zed was the result.
Please do check out Melissa's work at her website. She's incredibly talented. I was deeply into my Sir Terry Prachett years at that point, so there is some Pratchettian nuances here. The cat, Bobkins, was a stray in our neighborhood, and Paris Impton is a takeoff on a certain celebrity. The real life version is a lot more caring and kind, and is currently doing charity work for the victims of the LA fires. Bless her! So seventeen years later, here's that story, serialized (seven parts). I hope you enjoy it!  From Hell with Love A Demon Trappers® Short Story PART FOUR The fiend came to a halt on one of the wide grass strips between the runways, its smirk even wider. The same taunting laughter came Riley’s way now.
As she and her apprentices lined up against the threat, her mind whirled with questions. Who had the kind of power to cloak those Threes and help a Four enthrall all those people? An ArchFiend? Maybe, but even that was a stretch. Fallen angel? That was a possibility.  From Hell with Love A Demon Trappers® Short Story PART THREE The demon delicately flipped another page with a frosted pink nail, then looked up at them with cunning eyes. “Blackthorne’s daughter, come join us! We’re almost to the part you love the most.”
 From Hell with Love A Demon Trappers® Short Story PART TWO Since the concourse was still open, at least for the moment, Riley knew there was no way they’d get through the screening process with the stuff in their trapping bags. The X-ray machine would absolutely freak out over the steel pipes and Holy Water spheres so she headed for the closest TSA agent. Holding up her trapper’s license, she smiled to break the ice—because every now and then that tactic actually worked.
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Jana Oliveris an international & multi award-winning author in various genres including young adult, urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Archives
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