lands the world of Eliom had ever known. With a sigh Ava straightened her desk and summoned her instructor to her wrist as a bracelet and stood; without much thought now that she was starting to use glyph mastery she opened the portal to her parents’ home in Luion and turned off the lights as it closed behind her.
~~~~~
Ari, Leslie, and Shane stepped through the portal on to the wheelhouse deck of the sloop. Roger looked up from the viewer; he had been watching the entire rescue unfold from the monitor. “Welcome home Mademoiselle. It is such a relief to see you safe and sound,” he said emotionally as he stepped forward and gave her a warm hug and a traditional Luionese kiss on each cheek.
Leslie still a bit overwhelmed by the rapid rescue, the unexplained magic , and the dramatic change of venue smiled at Roger and immediately grasped to the first semblance of reality that she had experienced in several days. Reaching to her natural propriety as if it were a life line that would restore her sanity she held tightly to her social graces and calmly responded, “Roger, how delightful to see you again.” Then looking with a half-smile, half-frown and a raised eyebrow, she looked at Ari then Roger, “I should have known you two would know each other.”
Roger shook his head and said, “Alas dear Lady, I only knew monsieur Stafford as a grain broker until the war started. It was quite the shock to learn that one of my best friends and longest customers was also the head of the CSS.”
“ Come on Leslie,” Ari said in an uncommonly gentle tone, “we need to get you some where comfortable, you are still in shock and you need a nice, quiet, and familiar set of surroundings. Shane can you open a portal to Gerard’s home please?”
Shane didn’t bother with his device but merely used mastery to open a gateway to his future in-laws. Leslie’s mouth opened but words failed to materialize as the image of her sister’s kitchen f illed the far side of the wheelhouse. As Ari and Shane steered the rescued Leslie through the gateway Ari turned to Roger. “Stay here until Shew and the kid get back. Have the kid stay here and guard the boat then you and Shew head over to the capitol for our meeting with the Prime Minister’s war staff. We’ll get Leslie settled then meet you there.”
As the portal closed Leslie found herself in a familiar kitchen with a busy cook bustling over a stove top. She was just about to ask Shane and Ari what and how she had been whisked out of a dungeon and across the continent to her sister’s home in Lu Y Onton when her sister walked into the room.
“Leslie!” exclaimed Louisa, dropping the bag of fruit that she was carrying. “Are you okay?”
Leslie rushed and hugged her sister. “I’m fine,” then not realizing the emotional stress and the shock that Ari had recognized she staggered as she was suddenly light headed.
Ari was suddenly at her side to steady her. Shane pulled a chair out from the kitchen table that was next to a large bay window that over looked a garden. Ari skillfully steered her to the chair and she gratefully sat down. Turning to the Desmond’s cook he asked, “Mademoiselle, a cup of hot tea and a pastry s'il vous plaît, something with a lot of sugar if you have it.”
“Oui monsieur, right away,” responded the effic ient cook with a concerned look. At the Desmond home you never knew what to expect these days . She thought to herself as she set a cup and saucer before Leslie who was now chatting rapidly to her attentive and worried yet relieved sister. Moments later she was pouring a blended herbal tea and honey into the empty saucer followed by a plate with a large cinnamon pastry dripping with a sugary glaze.
Leslie, somewhat revived after she was halfway through the tea and the cinnamon roll, turned to Ari and Shane who were bent over picking up the fruit that Louisa had dropped. “Ok, what in the
~~~~~
Ari, Leslie, and Shane stepped through the portal on to the wheelhouse deck of the sloop. Roger looked up from the viewer; he had been watching the entire rescue unfold from the monitor. “Welcome home Mademoiselle. It is such a relief to see you safe and sound,” he said emotionally as he stepped forward and gave her a warm hug and a traditional Luionese kiss on each cheek.
Leslie still a bit overwhelmed by the rapid rescue, the unexplained magic , and the dramatic change of venue smiled at Roger and immediately grasped to the first semblance of reality that she had experienced in several days. Reaching to her natural propriety as if it were a life line that would restore her sanity she held tightly to her social graces and calmly responded, “Roger, how delightful to see you again.” Then looking with a half-smile, half-frown and a raised eyebrow, she looked at Ari then Roger, “I should have known you two would know each other.”
Roger shook his head and said, “Alas dear Lady, I only knew monsieur Stafford as a grain broker until the war started. It was quite the shock to learn that one of my best friends and longest customers was also the head of the CSS.”
“ Come on Leslie,” Ari said in an uncommonly gentle tone, “we need to get you some where comfortable, you are still in shock and you need a nice, quiet, and familiar set of surroundings. Shane can you open a portal to Gerard’s home please?”
Shane didn’t bother with his device but merely used mastery to open a gateway to his future in-laws. Leslie’s mouth opened but words failed to materialize as the image of her sister’s kitchen f illed the far side of the wheelhouse. As Ari and Shane steered the rescued Leslie through the gateway Ari turned to Roger. “Stay here until Shew and the kid get back. Have the kid stay here and guard the boat then you and Shew head over to the capitol for our meeting with the Prime Minister’s war staff. We’ll get Leslie settled then meet you there.”
As the portal closed Leslie found herself in a familiar kitchen with a busy cook bustling over a stove top. She was just about to ask Shane and Ari what and how she had been whisked out of a dungeon and across the continent to her sister’s home in Lu Y Onton when her sister walked into the room.
“Leslie!” exclaimed Louisa, dropping the bag of fruit that she was carrying. “Are you okay?”
Leslie rushed and hugged her sister. “I’m fine,” then not realizing the emotional stress and the shock that Ari had recognized she staggered as she was suddenly light headed.
Ari was suddenly at her side to steady her. Shane pulled a chair out from the kitchen table that was next to a large bay window that over looked a garden. Ari skillfully steered her to the chair and she gratefully sat down. Turning to the Desmond’s cook he asked, “Mademoiselle, a cup of hot tea and a pastry s'il vous plaît, something with a lot of sugar if you have it.”
“Oui monsieur, right away,” responded the effic ient cook with a concerned look. At the Desmond home you never knew what to expect these days . She thought to herself as she set a cup and saucer before Leslie who was now chatting rapidly to her attentive and worried yet relieved sister. Moments later she was pouring a blended herbal tea and honey into the empty saucer followed by a plate with a large cinnamon pastry dripping with a sugary glaze.
Leslie, somewhat revived after she was halfway through the tea and the cinnamon roll, turned to Ari and Shane who were bent over picking up the fruit that Louisa had dropped. “Ok, what in the
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