by Vance Huxley
“My clothes will fit her for now.” Kelis’ face fell. “But how do we explain another squatter in the church? Mum would send her straight to a hospital.”
“First things first.” Abel hesitated, then made up his mind. “Zephyr, use spooky-phone to ask the Leech if it agrees to be bound by Braeth Huntian. Bound, not killed and bound. If it does she will guarantee it a better life than in a caged toad.” A little smile touched his lips as Ferryl/Claris made a wordless sound of protest. “She owes it that.” Ferryl subsided, scowling, while Kelis smiled happily, Jenny giggled and Rob chuckled.
“I will try.” Spooky-phone reached out as Abel leant forward and repeated the terms to the Leech. This time it didn’t seem to be frightened, waiting for the line to touch it. “The magic tendrils are reaching to greet me.” Zephyr sounded nervous. She connected, and moments later broke contact. “The answer is yes, now, immediately. It is desperate to belong, or be part of or be accepted, I’m not sure. The Leech definitely understands binding and life.”
That floored Abel. He’d expected a no but now, despite his misgivings, he had to agree to a binding. The Leech really did seem keen, crawling through the mess towards the cage bars and Ferryl/Claris. She looked resigned. “I thought it would be too frightened. Very well.” A glyph floated out and settled on the Leech’s front, glowing once before sinking it. “It is done. Not a tether or link, a true binding, it will obey any command I give.”
“But you’ll ask first. It’s good manners.” Abel laughed at the look that brought, but quickly sobered. “How do we kill the seed?” The Leech moved to the bars, reaching out to the woman. “Well that would be a sort of poetic justice, and worth a try.”
Kelis picked up the cage and opened the door. “Right, blood-bag. In you go.” She shrugged at the looks from the others and held the cage near the woman’s mouth for the Leech to clamber across. After grimacing at the mess left inside, Kelis sat down again with the rest to watch. “How long will it take?”
“I’ve never heard of this, though there were rumours of bound Leeches now and then. They were supposedly used to help sorceresses control nobles.” Ferryl/Claris concentrated on the woman. “Be ready with the blood. She looks very ill.”
Perhaps three minutes later the woman stirred and her eyes snapped open. Her head shook a little and her limbs trembled. “Your glyph keeps her asleep but I woke her enough to talk in a dream. I need food to save her, please, Firstseed.” Her eyes were fastened on Ferryl/Claris. Abel really wished he’d had his phone ready to capture Ferryl’s look of pure shock.
“Here Firstseed.” Jenny held out a glass. “Nicely warmed and magicked for you to feed your baby.” Ferryl/Jenny hesitated then took it and fed the woman without a word. By then a warm jug of blood containing plenty of magic waited to top the glass up. Ferryl/Claris kept almost speaking then deciding against it, while the rest stifled smiles and let her get on with it. When the last of the blood had gone the woman, still trembling, spoke again. “My thanks, Firstseed. The host will sleep until she is saved, then I will wake her. We will need water then, please.” Her eyes closed and the trembling stopped.
“I am not a Firstseed!” That did it, the rest started rolling about laughing.
Abel finally got himself under control. “You are until that woman is well enough for you to explain to the Leech. Come on mummy-leech, let’s get your baby tucked up.” He dissolved in laughter again. Though actually the woman slept in the garden for a while, until all the magic belts and bars had been filled from the trees. As usual filling her diamond left Jenny giggling, though not so much this time.
With the woman carried back to the church, under cover of a veil again, the rest tried to work it all out. Eventually they gave up. Even if Ferryl didn’t spawn the Leech, Firstseed seemed be the Leech word for boss. More importantly, right now Ferryl wanted to talk about Claris. She’d start waking her up tonight, but couldn’t wipe out all the memories of the Leech without complete amnesia. Claris would have memories of the memories scattered through every minute since she’d been taken. Complete amnesia would lead to doctors trying to recover something, and fragments might be left. To wipe out every last hint, Ferryl might have to leave Claris unable to walk or talk until she learned all over again.
In the end, if it came down to the choice of bad memories for Claris or screaming agony for the woman, Claris would lose out.
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The short conversation when the Leech awoke extended even Ferryl’s understanding of their society. It needed to belong to a nest. Abel and Huntian had killed the Firstseed, shattered the nest and destroyed the lair, and the survivors fled. When pressed, the Leech felt the Firstseed die, and every other Leech that had been killed. The seed it killed had already been dying, because it couldn’t stand the loss of the nest and being taken away. The Leech had offered to do the killing because if attacked a seed released toxins, but it had trusted a nest member to get near. Now this Leech considered itself part of a new nest. It had been accepted by a powerful Firstseed, Braeth Huntian, stronger than any Firstseed ever known.
It drank water and explained it would need much blood to rebuild the host to where she could live without help. When asked it explained the stomach could only accept liquids, but agreed that human food would have what was needed. The Leech confirmed what the five of them now suspected, it needed the magic more than the blood itself. Without magic it couldn’t maintain the woman or encourage her to regrow. With a draining glyph drawn on the back of its neck so it couldn’t learn it the Leech searched for magic as instructed. The reaction when Ferryl carefully lined up the glyph on a lead bar full of magic showed it could draw magic directly. After that the Leech seemed quite enthusiastic, or possibly a bit drunk.
Five relieved teenagers left the woman sleeping peacefully. The goblins were watching, not because of bribes but in hopes the Leech made a break for it. “I’ll be a lot happier buying packet soups than blood.” Jenny had a proper bounce in her step after that had been sorted out. “Zephyr should be able to find enough rabbits for what the Leech itself needs.”
“No need to feed any blood. We’ll liquidise the raw rabbit joints though I’m volunteering Ferryl for that, and for cleaning the liquidiser afterwards. It’s traditional, mummy cleaning up after the baby.” Kelis ignored the evil look from Ferryl/Claris. The Leech had agreed to call her Ferryl, but obviously still thought of her as Firstseed.
“Does she change the nappy as well?” The three girls had stripped off the catsuit and dressed the woman in a nightdress, but she would need carrying to the washroom.
“Not a chance. The goblins can carry her to the toilet when necessary, even if nobody is there.” Ferryl stomped on ahead, oblivious to the gleeful smiles behind her. “Nor am I feeding her every time and washing her.”
“She’ll be asleep most of the time.” Abel felt happiest about that. The Leech would keep her asleep so the woman had nightmares, not waking terror, and would experiment with making the dreams more pleasant. She had to wake enough for control, for feeding and the washroom, but not completely. He hoped the present eagerness to please the new Firstseed would continue. If it did Claris would get some choices, in a few days’ time when she had woken enough to decide.
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The evening news, even the national news, reported the students rampaging through Stourton as a prank that got out of hand. From the sounds of some interviews the tricking had gone on for some time after the mission accomplished signal went up. Some might even have been drunken revellers joining in, because many were in costume anyway. The fire that gutted a small block of flats only made the local news. Miraculously there had been no loss of life, though several people were having treatment for burns, falls and smoke inhalation. A shot of the crushed sports car blamed falling masonry that miraculously missed the driver.
Even while Abel helped his mum wash up after tea, he wondered if God’s medics had been at work. His phone soon told him. “We must meet to discuss your latest fia
sco. I presume you will insist on Castle House and this time it suits me as well. Two pm tomorrow.”
“Three if you want to talk to everyone.” Abel wasn’t sure when Jenny would be able to get over. She seemed keen to be part of it all and had already met Creepio, and could always look innocent whenever she wanted to. That might help.
“Three. I will bring assistance, but will respect our agreement. You will have a chance to answer my questions.”
“Try asking Pendragon why his apprentice fights alongside a Firstseed. I’d like to know.” Abel shut his mouth but too late. Creepio had got under his skin and now he’d let the gremlin out.
A long silence followed. “I will need more than that.”
“We’ll explain what we know.” Abel had no idea how he’d prove it. It would be the word of four or five teenagers against the word of an established sorcerer, Pendragon. His word and Ferryl/Claris’ actually, because the rest hadn’t been in the fight upstairs and there’d be no other witnesses from there. His phone went dead. Abel sighed in resignation and texted the others to confess.
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Jenny definitely wanted to be there. The five of them were in the garden early, so after asking Abel for permission, Ferryl gave Jenny proof she was trusted. With Jenny’s permission she drew on the teenager’s arm with her finger, something totally invisible which would allow her into Dead Wood at any time. Jenny went out the back door of the gardens into the wood and threw Abel her pebble, braced to run towards him to get it back, then relaxed. She straightened slowly, cautiously, then twirled a couple of times. “That pebble doesn’t work completely. It still leaves me a little bit uneasy, but now the place feels lovely, welcoming. You could find me here anytime.”
“That glyph Ferryl drew means you are welcome, literally. Please don’t tell anyone?” Abel looked around the woodland. “Or we’ll be putting on bus trips.”
“I’m sorry about telling everyone about the tree. I’ll be a lot more careful this time.” As she came past him and collected her pebble to go into the garden proper, Jenny kissed him on the end of the nose. “That’s thank you.” Abel almost pointed out that Ferryl drew the glyph, but Jenny already knew that. At least it kept his mind occupied as they chatted, until Zephyr announced two cars driving towards Brinsford. Both were surrounded by church magic.
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One car stopped a quarter of a mile back, while the other stopped at the magical boundary and Vicar Creepio Mysterio got out. He left at least two other people in the car. This time there wasn’t a hint of humour on the churchman’s face when he stopped opposite Abel. “I must have explanations. Firstly, what did you release?” He pointed at Castle House. Abel looked at the other four, baffled. He didn’t even have the key on him; he’d buried it in Castle House garden for now.
“Nothing.” The total truth.
“Not a Leech hunter, or some sort of magical predator?”
“He has caught a Leech, or one talked before it died. They have spoken of me.” Ferryl’s voice had some humour at the next bit. “Or Zephyr.” She held Abel’s and Kelis’ hands to communicate. To make it less obvious, Jenny held Abel’s other hand and Rob held Kelis’ with his free hand on his bat.
“You caught a Leech and it talked of a hunter on the wind.” Creepio looked startled, then suspicious so Abel carried on. “The Leeches were screaming about some legendary something, but that’s not what they saw. You wanted to see my shy passenger? Please do not try to investigate.” “Zephyr, please fly out far enough to show the tether, hover a moment or two, then come back in. He cannot harm you through the barrier.”
“The Ffod is not frightened.”
Creepio’s eyes widened, then narrowed as he watched the shimmer appear and then flow back through Abel’s sleeve. “That is not what I expected. It is not as large or strong as the one they spoke of, which would definitely not be tethered to your tattoo.” He switched subjects. “What on earth were your Taverners playing at? What part of secrecy did you misunderstand?”
“Student pranks, basically harmless. I’ll bet none of the victims suggested real magic. We needed the diversion.” Abel shook his head as Creepio opened his mouth. “Listen first, then we’ll answer questions.” He stifled his smile at the annoyance on Creepio’s face, another one who preferred to set the rules. Abel explained, including the Leech in Henry and the badger, Claris arriving, the freeing and the ultimatum by the Firstseed. The only bit he missed was possession or any mention of Ferryl Shayde.
Creepio had questions, but Claris confirmed she’d had a Leech in her and it had been tricked out, and their version of the hunter on the wind had caught it. Abel confirmed the Firstseed had died and as far as he knew, the nest had broken and scattered. Creepio even accepted that he would have probably tried to open Castle House if he had the key, but insisted he would have brought the strength needed to deal with anything inside. Ferryl’s hand didn’t agree. Kelis’ remark about ice from airliners brought a real scowl, as did real goblins loose in the town. As they finished Creepio accepted the basic story made some sort of sense, for suicidal amateurs, but wasn’t satisfied that Elrond had been there. He needed better proof before accusing a sorcerer of having a Leech-ridden apprentice.
Though at least one other thing worried him. “Who is the Earth sorcerer? You are all novices yet I found a wounded man up to his neck in dust, in a hole in the road. Totally unharmed by magic, but the hole had closed enough so he couldn’t get out. I commend your restraint with others as well. All the humans we found were alive though some were very badly injured.”
“Even the women?”
“Those were Leeches, and no longer human. Though you can apparently reverse that situation.” He gave Claris a long look. “I really would like to see a medical scan of your torso sometime. I also want to speak to the Earth sorcerer or sorceress. Now.” Again Creepio looked braced for a fight.
“Sometime you might get that scan.” “When I am no longer in here.”
“But you can meet the earthmover now. Rob, take a bow.” Rob did, with a silly smile.
Creepio definitely didn’t believe him so Rob waggled his fingers. “I hate wind, fire and water, but earth just makes sense.” A tiny glyph flew out into the road, well clear of Creepio, and a small piece of tarmac crumbled. “See? It’s easier to just undo things, make them into dust, than squish dust into rock. Though that hole really hurt me even if I picked a spot over a drain to reduce the amount of solid. It drained every drop of magic so I didn’t quite get it closed properly.”
“The part about using a drain convinces me, because only the caster would know. I’m still not sure about this breaking of the nest and Elrond being there. Pendragon is screaming about a Leech war and hundreds being seeded. Convince me.” There wasn’t an ounce of give in that.
“I will ask my friends what might work. Please ignore the messenger.” “Zephyr, ask them all about showing the woman in the church. We don’t have to give a location until he agrees not to kill her or the Leech. Then the Leech can answer the awkward questions about the nest thing.”
Creepio watched Zephyr closely as she hovered and connected spooky-phone. “I had a report of this sort of thing. It is why I wondered about an ancient fugitive.”
One at a time all four answered Abel, all with the proviso the Vicar promised not to kill the informer. Ferryl/Claris insisted he must swear on his cross. When Abel confessed to having rescued a seeded victim, alive, he thought Creepio would burst a blood vessel. Creepio simply didn’t believe the part about the host being awake throughout the Leech possession, but Claris finally persuaded him. As Ferryl had already explained, everyone thought the ex-host woke up healed and happy.
According to Creepio he had scores of interview reports to confirm that. After the explanation he accepted that a host that had been used badly for forty years needed help. Eventually Abel asked for the promise. Creepio had to know what was coming. He barely twitched when he found out Abel had a live Leech, though the tame part
made him sneer.
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It took a little while for the Vicar to agree to sending the cars back to the main road, but without that the five teenagers wouldn’t leave Castle House gardens. Once the cars left, Zephyr flew up high to watch them. On the walk through the village Abel felt sure Creepio had to stifle an urge to reach out and touch spooky-phone. Though once the Vicar realised they were heading for the church his blood pressure started to go up again. “That is blasphemy!”
“Saving a life is blasphemy? Or a soul according to you. Maybe two, do Leeches have souls?”
“No magical creatures do.” Abel didn’t argue because he’d no idea if humans had.
Instead he pointed out the church had been abandoned. The Tavern had even had to drive out Ratlins and a Kalkatrie. Learning what had been in the churchyard didn’t help Creepio’s mood one bit. He asked a lot of questions about the Kalkatrie before pointing out it was usually called a Cockatrice and should be extinct. Abel stopped him at the lychgate. “Now listen to me please. This Leech will talk to you and supply your proof, but please keep the cross and dog collar covered. You’ll terrify it.”
“It might need terrifying.”
“Already dealt with.” “Zephyr, warn the Leech there is a visitor and get the goblins out of sight.” Though the last bit didn’t really work, not from the glares Creepio gave the gargoyles. “They scrounge from the village bins, keep the rats and nasties down, and pick up litter.”
Creepio stopped and looked closely at Abel. “Pick up litter?”
“It’s the deal. That or they leave.” Creepio didn’t answer, he just shook his head and went into the church. He shook his head again at the clean interior, obviously well aware it had to be brownies and pixies. Abel opened the door. “This man wants to know why you are sure the nest was broken. The Firstseed insists you tell him.” That earned another shake of the head, but Abel had already explained the Leech always called the boss Firstseed.
