by TJ Green
Avery's thoughts reeled. "Are you saying Caitlin is an Empusa?"
Corbin shook his head. "No, she carries one within her. At the moment they are two separate beings, the Empusa within Caitlin's body. She kills through Caitlin, when she needs to feed." He shuddered as if he couldn't believe what he was saying, and then looked at Shadow. "You sound like you think there's more than one."
"There are, where I come from."
"But Rafe describes her as the Empusa, and so does Caitlin, as if there's only one. It is Hecate's wish that she becomes real. That's what she demanded for giving us the Raven King and Green Man---what you call Otherworld magic. But I swear I didn't know this for weeks, and there's nothing I can do!"
There was more to this, there had to be. Avery asked, "What does Caitlin get out of this?"
"Youth and immortality. She's getting steadily younger, day by day. More youthful, stronger, fitter."
Shadow rolled her eyes. "Longevity is not all it's cracked up to be."
"Says the woman who is a fey immortal," Alex pointed out.
"Not immortal, just long-lived, so I should know, right? It's fine when you're surrounded by others like you, but sucks when you outlive them."
Corbin barked out a laugh. "Try telling her that. I have learned that they---the Empusa and Caitlin---will become one, but something has to happen first."
Avery met Alex's eyes as understanding dawned, but it was Corbin she addressed. "Me dying at the standing stones as a crossroads sacrifice has to happen. No wonder she's angry. I'm the end point of her ritual."
Shadow added, "And that's why we couldn't find her last night, Alex. She was out, hunting."
Corbin took several deep breaths and he started to shake. "I feel sick. Men are dying because of what I agreed to. I've been a fool."
Shadow pulled one of her daggers out of its leather sheath and balanced it with the tip on the end of her finger, effortlessly. "Has your circus been struggling for a while?"
"Yes, actually, how did you know?"
She didn't answer. "And did you find Rafe and Mairi, or did they come to you, like a miracle?"
His shoulders dropped as he saw where she was leading. "They came to me."
Shadow twirled her dagger round her fingers, spinning it so quickly that they all watched, mesmerised, until she caught it in her palm and threw it at an ornately carved wooden column, one of the many running down the sides of the church. The dagger point landed dead centre on the carving of a Green Man. She smiled, satisfied, and then looked at Corbin. "You've been played. They make lots of money---and so do you---and she gets youth and beauty and power. I think this has less to do with what Hecate wants than what Caitlin wants."
Corbin's expression changed from fear to confusion and then rested on anger. "How do I stop them?"
Shadow grinned. "That's better. We break Caitlin's link to the crossroads. Or just kill her, which would solve everything."
16
"There'll be no more killing!" Alex said, looking at Shadow like she was insane. "This isn't the Wild West."
Shadow walked over to the pillar to retrieve her knife. "I have no idea what the Wild West is, but in my world, that's what we do."
"It's not your world, either! It's ours, and there are consequences to killing."
"There are bigger consequences for her remaining alive and becoming an Empusa," Shadow reasoned. "If she becomes one, she could disappear, change form constantly, and we'd never find her."
Avery was outraged. "And I would be dead! I'd like a solution that doesn't involve my death."
"And so would I, obviously," Alex agreed.
As Avery watched Shadow and Alex arguing about how best to corner Caitlin, she huddled inside her jacket, wishing she'd worn something thicker and warmer, and also wishing she'd had more sleep. She was reluctant to use her warming spell; it seemed an unnecessary use of her power. The rain was heavy, drumming on the roof of the old church, and inside it felt damp and cold. One good thing about the cold was that it kept her awake, but she had a feeling she'd need to sleep that afternoon. All these late nights were catching up with her, and the pull of the standing stone didn't help.
Shadow suggested she was best suited to the job. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking at Alex. "I'm fey, and therefore stronger and faster than you."
"I'm a witch, and therefore better than you at tackling magical enchantments."
Shadow smirked. "That does not wash with me."
Avery held her hand up. "Can I interrupt? Corbin, I have a question. Does Caitlin carry something with her all the time, like a necklace, or a ring, or some kind of object that she has in her pocket? Anything at all that you've noticed seems significant to her?"
Corbin had been leaning back in his pew, looking out of one of the stained glass windows, seemingly miles away, but he turned to her and frowned. His face was grey and lined, and his fear and frustration seemed genuine. Avery hoped they were right to trust him. "She wears an ornate ring on her finger. It looks as if it should interlock with another, if you know what I mean. Anyway, she twirls it constantly. Why?"
"She's not a witch, therefore she doesn't wield magic, and she can't create spells. All of her magic comes from the ritual she performed. So, how can she carry the magic of the crossroads with her? A spell I found suggests there is a way to do it, but it involves two linked objects. That ring could be it. We need to get it off her."
Corbin ran his hand across his face, as if he could wipe his problems away. "I can't believe I've done this. I've been stupid, greedy."
"You wanted to save your circus, it's understandable," Avery said, feeling sorry for him despite her predicament, but not really sure it was that understandable at all.
Shadow wasn't so kind. "Anyone who embarks on a deal that relies on magic---with someone you don't know---is insane. If we can end this, just promise me you won't do this again."
Corbin looked at her, incredulous. "Are you kidding me? Of course I won't."
Shadow pursed her lips. "Avery, do you think removing this ring will stop the magic?"
"It will, in theory, break her link and sever her power. Meaning, she is no longer impervious to our magic. She would no longer carry the Empusa, and it should also break my bond to the stone." She shrugged. "I'm not sure if removing the ring will be enough. We might have to destroy it, somehow."
"I'm not convinced," Shadow said. "I'd still rather kill her."
Alex ignored her. "Corbin, you know Caitlin's routines better than anyone. How do we get to her to get that ring?"
"When she sleeps?" He shrugged. "She watches everything and everyone. I don't know if you can get close to her. Her caravan is next to Rafe and Mairi's, which offers her extra protection, but I don't think she needs it."
Alex considered his suggestion for a moment. "It will be too quiet. If she resists, it could get loud. We'll wake everyone up, people will come running, and Rafe and Mairi will interfere. Is there another time when the camp is otherwise occupied, and the noise will go unnoticed?"
"It would have to be either during the performance or straight after it." Corbin weighed the options. "Probably right at the end. It's chaos. The crowds take a while to leave. Some of them get autographs, then many head to the stalls and games. The team hangs around in the Big Top, just talking through performance issues, tidying up, celebrating, and unwinding. People can hang around in there for a while before they head to the showers. There's no good time, but that's the best."
Alex looked hopeful, finally. "Great. Obviously we'll protect you and anyone else if they get involved, but hopefully that won't be an issue."
"Okay." Corbin paused, looking awkward. "And look, I need to tell you something else."
All three looked at him suspiciously.
"What?" Shadow asked.
"There's been a man hanging around the circus for the last few performances, from about two or three towns ago, wherever we were then. I lose track. I've noticed him because he comes alone."
<
br /> "Why does that matter?" Alex asked.
"People generally don't come to a circus on their own, repeatedly, and there's something about him I don't like. It's the way he watches us all. He's tall, grey hair, in his forties, wears bike leathers sometimes, other times just jeans and boots. But he's imposing."
Warning bells went off in Avery's head. "I've seen him, too. In the town---twice now. The first time he was watching Caitlin, and the second time, my shop. He's intense looking, but I didn't sense any kind of magic power about him. It has to be the same guy."
"I think he's searching for something," Corbin said. "But don't ask me what."
Alex exchanged a nervous glance with Avery. "Have Rafe and Mairi noticed him? Is he with them?"
"I don't think so. They don't spend as much time in the tent as me, or around the grounds during the performances. They stick to managing the staff."
Avery couldn't believe her ears. She didn't need something else to worry about. "What makes you think he's searching for something?"
"Because he's so relentless. Initially I was worried one of the females had a stalker, but it's not that. I've asked around, just casually, but no one seems to know him."
"Bollocks!" Alex said. "Who the hell is he and what does he want?"
Corbin looked at the floor and then at Alex. "I don't know. I'm starting to feel hemmed in by forces beyond my control."
"This is getting interesting," Shadow said, the only one who looked excited by the news.
Alex looked up at the ceiling as if divine intervention would strike. "I'll update Newton, in case it helps him find out anything about him. Which I doubt."
Avery rose to her feet and started to walk up and down the aisle to warm up. "Great. A mysterious man who could make things worse, and we have no idea how to get that ring from Caitlin. I'm going to pretend that man doesn't exist for now, and think only about her."
Alex sighed. "Can I suggest we get out of this freezing church and regroup later? Then we can think of a plan, which doesn't involve killing someone!" He looked at Shadow pointedly.
"If you have no stomach for it, I'm fine with handling it," she told him.
"I'm not fine with you doing it, either!"
"You aren't my moral protector. This is the way the world works where I come from. Many of us carry weapons---swords, daggers, bows---all the time. This system of police you have doesn't exist." She said the word as if it tasted like poison. "We manage things ourselves."
"At some point, you have to learn to live in our world, like it or not." Alex turned back to Corbin, ignoring Shadow's sceptical expression. "How do we keep in touch with you?"
Corbin stood up as he prepared to leave, and fear crept into his eyes again. "You don't. I'll keep in touch with you. I told you, she's uncanny. I feel she sees through me. I'm already worried that if she asks me something, I won't be able to keep my mouth shut."
Alex looked at Avery. "We need a spell, something to help him."
Corbin backed away, alarmed. "No! I've had enough magic!"
As scared as Corbin was, Alex was right, and Avery tried to reassure him. She held her hands up, palms out. "This is only to protect you. A small spell that will seal your lips about this meeting. If she asks you anything, you'll deny it. You'll say you went for a walk."
"In this weather?"
The rain was now falling heavier than ever.
"Say you set out across the fields to the beach, and the rain came in. It's true enough. It wasn't that bad earlier," Avery said. "Did she see you leave?"
"No," he admitted. "She was sleeping heavily. Probably after her feed last night."
"Good. With luck, she's still sleeping. We've only been here for an hour. I have just the spell, unless..." She looked at Alex. "You have one?"
"I do, you should conserve your strength. Corbin?"
His shoulders dropped. "All right, then."
Alex stepped close and began to cast the spell, his fingers weaving shapes in the air. For a second Corbin's eyes glazed, and then he blinked and focussed.
Alex dropped his hands, satisfied, but offered one final word of advice. "Okay. Done. But don't speak of today to anyone. Let her ask if she needs to. Hopefully, she won't. Can you try to call us tonight, just so we can update you?"
"I'll try. If I'm still alive," Corbin said ominously, before heading out the door.
***
"You were right," Avery told Dan when she returned to the shop at lunchtime, Shadow at her side.
"I was? About what?"
"About Corbin. He did want to help us."
"Really? Go me. I am useful, after all." Dan preened slightly, and was rewarded when Shadow smiled at him.
Shadow said, "I think you're very useful. I wanted to know if you thought I could use this crossroads magic to go home?"
His face fell. "Why are you asking me? I don't know about that, but I'd guess that as a boundary, the lines between our worlds are blurring, enough for your fey magic to cross, but not enough for you." He looked at Avery, throwing her a look that appealed for help. "Am I right?"
Avery tried not to show her impatience, but her tiredness meant she showed it anyway. "Yes. I keep telling you, Shadow, the magic that brought you here opened an actual portal---a real portal, not just a blurring of boundaries and a seep of magic! You know this!"
Shadow glared at her. "But an Empusa has crossed. That suggests it is closer to a portal than not!"
"A Medusa?" Dan asked, horrified. "You two kept that quiet!"
"Not a Medusa, dummy," Avery said. "An Empusa, which according to Madame here, is some kind of Lamia, and a man-eating monster. And it hasn't crossed, like through a portal. It is actually the spirit of one, summoned by Hecate. That's different."
Dan glanced around, checking that no one was close enough to hear this strange conversation. "I've heard of Lamias. You're talking Greek myth now. Give me a moment." He ran to the myth section and darted back within seconds, bringing a selection of books. He selected one and flicked through it until he came to a stop, and then looked at them, grinning. "The Empusa is a servant of Hecate, one of several who are worshipped at crossroads. It's reputed to have a leg of copper, and is a shape-shifting female."
Shadow looked triumphant. "Told you she was a shape-shifter. Never seen one with a leg of copper, though. And we have more than one of them in my world. And," she jabbed a finger at Dan, "I'm not from Greek myth. I think you'll find all creatures belong everywhere. Maybe just their names change sometimes."
"Yes ma'am," Dan said, a new note of admiration in his gaze.
"But that must be what Corbin meant, when he said The Empusa," Avery said, excited. "Maybe she's the mother of all Empusas."
"Well, that does not sound good," Dan declared, turning back to the book. "But maybe I can find out more about it."
"Ask me! I know," Shadow said, joining him behind the counter.
Avery left them talking, and headed to the back room to see Sally. She put the kettle on and said, "Break time."
Sally looked up and smiled, left the computer, and joined her at the table. "Thank you. How are you bearing up?"
Avery decided to confess. "I'm not, really. I've been sacrificed to Hecate, and my magic is draining away. Every time I close my eyes, I see that damn crossroads. My hand itches where the stupid mark is, and if it weren't for Caspian, I'd be dead by now. I'm exhausted and pissed off, and it's really hard to stay positive right now. And I feel I owe Caspian. I'm not sure I like that, either. Alex certainly doesn't." Now that she'd declared all, she felt tearful.
Sally grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry, Avery. This sucks, and I'm scared for you, too. I think we're all trying to make light of this, because it makes us feel better. But Alex would do anything for you---anything. That includes tolerating you being magically linked to Caspian."
Suddenly Avery realised the root of her fear. "I worry he'll leave me over this. That me and Caspian will end up in some weird relationship."
Sally frowned an
d squeezed her hand. "Is that what you want?"
"No! Alex and I were talking about moving in together. He suggested it! That's what I want. I don't want Caspian."
Sally smiled softly. "You idiot. Then that's what will happen. Things are scary now because you can't control what's happening. You were taken against your will, your palm marked with fey script, and you doubt your magic for the first time---ever. But don't. You'll work it out. You always do. Tell me what you found out this morning."
Avery relayed their conversation with Corbin, and then said, "So, we have a rough plan. But we need the help of the Raven King and the Green Man, too."
"But the Raven King comes to Corbin, right? He inhabits him, gives him power, isn't that what you said?"
Avery nodded, her thoughts woolly and confused.
"It sounds like Corbin thinks he's powerless, too," Sally went on, "but he's not. He becomes the Raven King---in short bursts, admittedly---and he desperately wants out of this arrangement. If you ask me, you've got some pretty big guns on your side."
As Sally's words registered, Avery started to feel hopeful, and the fog in her brain started to clear. "By the great Goddess. You're a freaking genius, Sally. You and Dan. What would I do without you?"
Sally winked. "You'd have to work a damn sight harder than you do now, that's for sure. Now, get up those stairs, hit those books, and make it work!"
17
All afternoon Avery worked hard, looking through her grimoires and other books for a way to defeat Caitlin. She eventually fell asleep on her attic sofa, wrapped in a blanket with the cats curled around her, while the fire smouldered and her incense burned. It was the image of the crossroads that woke her.
Once again it was dark and a full moon shone above her, casting its bright white light all around, and throwing shadows on the ground from the standing stones. Three of the stones' scripts glowed with a fiery gold light, except for the one closest to her. It beckoned her, and she felt its insidious pull. She stepped closer and closer, her palm raised, ready to place it on the stone, but the voice in her head was shouting at her to pull away. For a few seconds she couldn't place it, and then realised it was her own voice, from somewhere deep inside, warning her to run.
