by L. L. McNeil
And she realised with a start that it was magic.
Not the destructive fire type, like Damon and Amber. But it was still burning hot—and it was exactly like Tej’s crossbow bolts. Was this woman the one who created them? Who made them into powerful, demon-killing weapons?
‘How do you know me?’ Seila asked.
Fallow smiled, and Seila’s stiffness melted away. ‘My Familiars have been watching you for a while. Ever since you came close to Fernhampton, in fact. It’s my territory, you see. I know everything that goes on here.’
Seila permitted herself to look around the room. Other than Fallow, the owl, and the cat, they were quite alone. ‘Your...territory?’
Fallow nodded. ‘Yes. It’s also your territory, if you want it to be.’
‘I don’t understand.’
Fallow took a few steps closer to Seila, began raising her hands.
Seila bent her knees and held up her sword. ‘Not one step closer.’ She had no idea exactly what Fallow was, or what she was capable of, but she wasn’t about to let herself be approached. Even if she was in Fallow’s home.
Fallow got the message immediately, freezing on the spot and letting her hands fall to her sides. ‘Peace, Phantom. I mean you no harm. Quite the opposite, in fact. I need your help.’
Seila was trying to comprehend Fallow’s words when purple smoke poured into the room beside Fallow. Seila tensed. ‘You!’
The same strange man from the jewellery shop materialised and bowed low. ‘We meet again, Phantom Seila.’
Soto mewed loudly and Fallow bent her knees slightly to scratch behind the cat’s ears.
‘I seem to be a novelty to you,’ Seila said. She wasn’t sure of either Fallow or the stranger. She pointed the tip of her sword towards him.
Fallow laughed. ‘You needn’t fear Delgo. He works with me. This is his territory, too.’
Seila narrowed her eyes at the name. So much for his name being unpronounceable. Unless it was some sort of nickname. ‘He told me if I came here, I’d learn more about the demon I’m after. Tell me what you know.’
‘We’re the Kouzlo.’
‘I’ve never heard of it.’ Seila ignored the fact it she was telling a blatant lie, but hoped by keeping them talking, she’d give herself more chance to figure out an escape—if she needed it. She noticed one of the windows had been pushed wide open, no doubt for the owl to fly in and out of. She’d be able to flee that way, if things turned sour. She didn’t know what this Delgo could do, and Fallow seemed to be even more powerful than he was.
She wasn’t sure of what she’d just walked into. Curse her curiosity!
‘Few have heard of us. It’s how we’d like to keep things,’ Fallow said. If she was bothered by Seila’s brusque tone, she didn’t show it. ‘We are like you.’
Seila shook her head. ‘No-one’s like me.’
Delgo stepped forward. ‘We’re demon hunters, too. We have the power to protect humans from the wrath of the demon scourge plaguing this dimension. We have the ability to stop them.’
Amber had only been part-right. There were other demon hunters here. These ones, these Kouzlo, were responsible for this area, for keeping it clear of demons. Perhaps they’d know why there was an infestation, here. But although they shared the same goals of hunting demons, Seila somehow doubted these people needed souls.
Fallow raised a hand to stroke the top of the owl’s head. ‘This is Sierra,’ she gestured with her chin, ‘and this is Soto. My Familiars. I am an Enchantress. Caramond House is more than my home. It’s a sanctuary for refugees, and a base from which my Kouzlo work.’
An Enchantress? That explained the strange sensation when she’d entered the grounds, why she could no longer hear the demon’s voice. Caramond House was enchanted.
By Fallow.
Seila remembered Delgo had told them that his world had been destroyed. Had he fled his dimension? Was that even possible?
Seila eyed the window again. Just in case.
She wondered how many of these “Kouzlo” lived here. Wondered whether in her desperation for knowledge, she’d blundered right into their claws. Then again, she’d not seen anyone here since arriving. Did Fallow work alone? Only with her Familiars and Delgo?
‘You’re quite safe, Seila,’ Fallow said, somehow perceiving her internal turmoil. Her voice was smooth, calming.
Seila didn’t know exactly what an Enchantress was, hadn’t come across one before in the flesh, but Fallow was clearly powerful. She seemed to be able to read her like an open book. ‘Why were your Familiars following me?’
Fallow’s eyes flashed. ‘I told you. This is my territory. I need to know everything that comes here. Every demon, too. Sierra and Soto are my eyes and ears. They cover ground very quickly.’
Seila didn’t like being watched. But it did explain why she’d seen an owl so frequently. ‘Did you tell them to bring me to you?’
Fallow smiled then, and something dark flashed across her face. ‘You came here on your own.’
Seila narrowed her eyes. ‘He told me to come.’
The man shrugged when Fallow turned quizzically to him. ‘I told you to come if you wanted to find out more.’
‘That’s the same thing!’
Fallow shook her head. ‘No. Some hear of Caramond House and turn tail. Others challenge me. Others simply don’t want to know the truth.’
‘The truth of what?’
‘Many things. Yourself. Our world. The demons.’
Seila’s curiosity intensified. She knew she needed to go, to get onto the next hunt. She avoided other demon hunters and never entertained them. But Fallow seemed to know so much. Was it possible that she knew of the demon who’d taken her soul? She looked at Delgo. ‘And what about you?’
‘What about me?’
‘You said your name was unpronounceable. Delgo is simple enough. You said demons destroyed your dimension. Was that a lie, too?’
He and Fallow smiled at one another. Then he said, ‘Delgosalataplettsin is the first part of my name. Fallow and the others call me Delgo. And I did not lie. My world was destroyed. I crossed into this dimension as a means of escape, the only option left to me. Fallow found me, weak and dying, and saved me.’
Seila had no idea if that truly was his name and history. ‘What others? Are you the same as Fallow? An Enchanter?’
Delgo’s eyes widened, aghast. ‘Heavens, no. I’m a Djinni.’
Seila stepped back. ‘You’re a Djinni!?’ Those, she had heard of. Those she ran from. Djinni were just as rare as Phantoms, and wielded the power to create and destroy matter as though it was a sandcastle on a beach. Putty in their hands. A Djinni could shape and reshape the world as they wished.
She fluttered her wings, spread them wide. Fallow and Delgo stood between her and the window. She wasn’t sure if she could fly over them quickly enough to get away.
Delgo’s smile vanished. ‘From your reaction, you’ve heard of my kind. Then it should be abundantly clear to you why this world is at such great risk of destruction.’
‘I’ve heard enough.’ She flapped her wings, her feet leaving the floor.
‘Wait, Phantom!’ Fallow said.
She spoke with such a pleading tone that Seila actually faced her.
‘Please, stay. I need your help.’
Seila remained where she was, considering. There was something so utterly desperate in her voice that Seila couldn’t ignore. If Fallow needed her help that badly, perhaps she would be safe from her and her Djinni. ‘Why should I?’
‘Demons destroyed my world. We can’t let that happen to this one,’ Delgo said simply.
He had a point. If the demons could destroy a world populated by Djinni, this world had no chance of surviving. ‘How can we stop the demons if you couldn’t?’ It was futile to even try, wasn’t it? ‘I’m good, but I’m nothing like your level.’
‘Because we are making a difference,’ Fallow said. ‘Come. Have something to drink. Delgo shall mak
e you anything you desire. Don’t mind me while I continue my practice.’ She took a seat at her piano, Sierra flying out the window—no doubt to spy on anyone else nearby.
Seila couldn’t help but notice Fallow seemed out of breath. She’d been playing the piano since Seila had entered the house, and she’d only been standing for a few minutes.
An all-powerful Enchantress, tired?
Seila didn’t want anything to drink. But she was discovering that the more people she spent time with, the more likely it was she’d be offered tea. Clearly Amber had started something. Mostly, she struggled to understand how Fallow could play the piano while the world apparently crumbled around them.
Seila landed. ‘No. I want answers. Why are there so many demons here, if you’re supposed to be stopping them? How do you have a Djinni in your employ? Where are all the others of your Kouzlo?’ She decided against outright asking what she wanted to know most of all. With Fallow able to sense so much of what she thought and felt, Seila didn’t want to reveal all her cards just yet.
Fallow’s playing faltered for a moment, but she covered her mistake well and continued on. Seila enjoyed the tune, but had no idea of its name or origin. She listened while she waited for Fallow to answer her questions.
‘Erik Satie,’ Fallow said.
Seila greatly disliked how Fallow seemed to read her mind.
Fallow continued, wistful, ‘I spent some of my best years in Paris.’
‘I have many demons to kill and not a lot of time to kill them in.’ Seila hoped she could hurry Fallow into answering, but the Enchantress seemed to be taking her time.
Delgo rolled up his sleeves to reveal twin gold bands around his wrists. He made an elaborate gesture with both hands, and more purple smoke poured from his fingertips. They merged and writhed in mid-air, finally re-shaping into a serving tray complete with teapot, mug, creamer, and sugar. He placed the newly created tea set on the top of the piano, and Fallow nodded her approval.
Seila couldn’t believe it. A Djinni, one of the most powerful, magical creatures to exist, one that could reshape the world and environment as they saw fit...was using its powers to make tea.
How could it be true? Here was the Kouzlo, the organised defense against the demon scourge near London—playing the piano and drinking tea.
Where were the swords, daggers, spears, shields? Where were the jewels of power, the magic that would stop the onslaught of demons?
She glared at Fallow, itched to get more information from her. At the same time, she wanted to fly off, hunt down the demon whose voice she’d heard, and continue with her own hunt. But finding her soul was more important. She watched as Fallow’s fingers danced across the piano’s keys, the glint of her gold ring catching her eye.
‘My chevalier,’ Fallow said.
Seila bit her lip. She really didn’t like the Enchantress answering the questions that floated at the top of her mind. ‘I’m going now, unless you can give me one good reason to stay.’
Fallow said, ‘I was young when I found Delgo. Had only been in this dimension a few decades. I was learning every day, discovering new Kouzlo, fleeing from demons, and fighting those I stood a chance against. Delgo was on the brink of death, cut off from his world, his link to his life’s magic severed. I gave him power. Energy. Life. It’s what we both fight for. What all of my Kouzlo fights for. Life. My magic bound him to this world, and he now helps me and the Kouzlo protect the people here.’
Seila looked at Delgo. He poured the tea with the grace of a butler, and said nothing to add to or disagree with Fallow’s explanation. She couldn’t help but think Fallow’s reasoning seemed likely to land her in hot water. Well, she already was, if there were no other Kouzlo here.
Had something happened to make them all leave? Were they all away, hunting other? Or had they abandoned her?
Either way, Fallow was vulnerable. Most people never revealed their vulnerabilities.
Fallow continued, ‘That was in 1932. He’s been with me ever since. We are...connected. Bound to one another. He does not serve me as a master. He is my partner. We cannot be far apart for too long.’
‘That explains your clothes,’ Seila noted, eyeing Delgo’s suit and fedora. She didn’t know what to think about the relationship Fallow and Delgo had, but she knew what his kind were capable of, and didn’t want to incur his wrath unnecessarily.
Delgo’s eyes flashed red, his body shifting under the purple smoke. When it faded, he wore a plain white t-shirt and faded jeans. ‘I am not bound by the laws of your world. But I have an affinity for 1930’s jazz. It was the year my second life began. It’s not often that we have such things—our first lives are so very long.’
‘How long?’
He smiled, added milk and sugar to the steaming cup. ‘We’re immortal so long as we have a source of energy to draw off.’
Seila blinked, tried to picture it. Fallow, a young Enchantress, with an all-powerful Djinni indebted to her. Was that something she really wanted to get mixed up in? ‘
Then again, Fallow had saved a Djinni. Possibly at the risk of her own life. Clearly, the Enchantress was used to taking high risks, and appeared to have won.
‘I’ve spent too long protecting this world from demons,’ Fallow said, breaking Seila’s thoughts. ‘I’ve recruited and lost too many Kouzlo over the years. We’ve always kept the balance, kept demons at bay. But now, that’s slipping. We’re losing. Slowly, but surely, we’re losing.’
Seila rolled her eyes. She didn’t care about Fallow or Delgo. She didn’t care about Damon, Tej, or Amber.
She just wanted her soul. She knew all the rest was just noise, vying for attention.
And yet she allowed herself to be distracted by it.
Fallow said, ‘My powers are less than half of what they should be. I’ve been working alone too long, stretched too thin, trying to find the latest demon. Stop what he’s doing in my territory.’ She took a hesitant breath. ‘A miscalculation on my part, I fear. And now I’m out of options.’
Seila had heard enough. She’d always done well enough on her own, and this time would be no different. She had a soul to find.
She marched across the hall to the open window, felt the sunlight warm her skin. ‘Well, I wish you both the best of luck with your demon hunting. Enjoy your tea.’ She leapt into the air.
Fallow said, ‘Phantom. What’s the reason you fight demons? Why do you fight so hard, all alone?’
Seila narrowed her eyes. ‘You already know.’ She didn’t see the point in replying. Fallow seemed able to understand everything before she even spoke.
‘My home is empty, my once great Kouzlo almost gone. But now you’re here, Phantom Seila. Now, we are on the cusp of greatness. Of change. Please, help rid us of the most powerful demon we’ve ever faced. Help us, and I’ll help you reclaim your soul.’
7
Seila wasn’t sure she liked the idea of being hunted herself, but Fallow seemed particularly keen to keep her at Caramond House. Desperate, in fact.
Why else would she have offered to help her get her soul back?
Fallow finished on the piano, drank her tea, and begged Seila to hear her out.
As long as she answered her questions, Seila agreed to give her ten minutes. She’d decide after that.
Pleased with the concession, Fallow took Seila on a walk of the grounds of the country estate, her Familiars shadowing her all the while. Having already scoped out the gardens, Seila was relatively relaxed as Fallow took her along the path that led to the lake. She didn’t think there’d be any more surprises waiting for her in the trees.
The main reason Seila had even agreed to the talk was Fallow’s words about the most powerful demon she’d ever faced. Considering Fallow had been killing demons for years—centuries, even—Seila was certain that Fallow wouldn’t call a demon “all-powerful” unless it really was quite different to the norm.
Perhaps this threat would be the key to her soul.
‘How many
Kouzlo do you have here? I haven’t seen any others,’ Seila asked. She found it eerie that such a large manor house and grounds lay so empty. Her skin prickled, and she presumed Delgo or perhaps one of Fallow’s Familiars followed closely. It set her nerves on edge.
‘Right now? Only Delgo and myself.’
‘How can you defend all of London against demons if there are just two of you?’
‘There are more of us. Many are away. Following other demon trails, or learning more of their craft.’
‘In France?’ Seila raised an eyebrow.
Fallow laughed and shook her head. ‘Some are further north. Some are international. And some are interdimensional.’
That raised even more questions than it answered.
Fallow continued, ‘And several are back in their own dimensions, recovering from the constant battles. We aren’t immortal, and we aren’t all-powerful. The influx of demons has taken us by surprise. I don’t want to risk losing any Kouzlo, so I ordered most back to recover. But now, there’s something worse. Something that’s taken advantage of our thinned numbers...And I’m not strong enough to defeat it on my own. It could be weeks before my Kouzlo return, and I could lose everything in that time. So, you can see why I’d like you and your friends to join us.’
‘What friends?’
‘Damon and Amber. They might be half-Elementals, but they have power all the same. Power we greatly need. We’ve been attacked in our moment of weakness and I’ve realised I cannot cope alone...’
Seila shrugged. ‘I can’t speak for them. Damon doesn’t even know about his blood. Amber hides it. Good luck.’
‘It’s not my nature to force anyone to join if they don’t wish to. Both Damon and Amber know of me, of Caramond House. They’re more than welcome to approach on their own, but if you’d like to nudge them, I’d appreciate it.’
Seila snorted. ‘You’re asking for a lot of favours.’
