Faran, bringing up the rear, nodded. ‘That would actually be very much in character. Platinum is extremely rare over there.’ He glanced back to be sure the portal was closing behind him and then added, ‘Dressing a slave in it would be a particularly conspicuous display of wealth and power.’
‘But I like being naked,’ Lily whined.
Ceri grinned at her. ‘I know, love. I wasn’t actually thinking of a gown. Something…’ She frowned. ‘I’m not sure, exactly, but I’ll come up with an idea you’ll like. Promise.’ She turned back to Twill. ‘What time is it? Have we time for a sit down before we have to go out?’
‘Just after four,’ the fairy replied. ‘Mei should be home reasonably soon. Gwyn has something she wants to discuss and I’m sure we’d all like to hear how your excursion went.’
‘Great. Coffee? I haven’t had a decent brew for days.’
~~~
‘A Devos, perhaps,’ Faran mused, ‘but I concur with your assessment: a demon seems unlikely.’
Gwyn had just finished telling them about the case she had been brought in on. She was expecting that it would be handed over to Ceri now that she was back.
‘Good thing you were out of the country, Dad,’ Lily commented from her place on the footstool beside Ceri’s chair.
‘It is nice to have such a solid alibi for once,’ her father agreed.
‘Not that we can explain where you were,’ Ceri said. ‘Hopefully they won’t ask.’
‘I feel they were satisfied with my analysis,’ Gwyn said. ‘You realise that your new status is unlikely to remain secret forever, of course.’
Ceri sighed. ‘Eventually people are going to figure out I’m not just an extraordinarily powerful practitioner, and this isn’t going to help keep it all secret. I guess I’ll have to deal with that problem when it finally comes up. You know, I discovered one other sorcerer, an American, but I can’t help thinking there must be others starting to surface.’
Gwyn gave a nod. ‘They will not be common, but there will be more.’
‘Is that going to be a problem?’
‘Not all the sorcerers of history were benevolent.’
‘Another issue to deal with when it arises.’
‘Indeed, now, how did your first conclave of Demon Lords go?’
Ceri looked around at Faran and Ophelia. ‘You two are better placed to pass an opinion,’ she said.
‘No one died,’ Ophelia said.
‘Indeed,’ Faran agreed, ‘I believe it was a roaring success just on that basis.’
Battersea.
Ceri raised her muzzle and sniffed. Michael was not even trying to hide, she decided, since he knew full well where she got changed and had selected a position on the windward side to wait for her. His scent carried with it the reason he was not hiding and her werewolf body responded almost instantly. A few years earlier she might have been embarrassed at her sudden and obvious arousal, but she was long past that.
Her low growl produced a rustling in the bushes around her after a couple of seconds and then he was prowling toward her, growling back. Later they would have to go to Alexandra so that Ceri could keep the old Alpha up to date on events, but for now there was a mate who had not seen her for several days and a full moon in the sky.
Ceri dipped her muzzle, coyly averting her eyes, and then turned her back on him and gave a soft whine. It was an invitation and he wasted no time in accepting it.
~~~
It was a cool evening to be naked in the open air aside from jewellery and a leather collar, but Ceri had a furry wolf-man behind her, his arms around her waist, and a fire in front of her, and she felt quite comfortable. Besides, reporting to her Alpha in fur would have been difficult.
‘So it might be an idea to tell the working girls to watch their backs,’ Ceri said. ‘I don’t think they know when, or if, this guy might strike again, but…’
‘I’ll have the word passed around,’ Alexandra said, nodding. She was regal, as always, but tonight, with the moon shining down on her silver hair, she was every bit the werewolf matriarch. She had the same kind of incandescent quality that Gwyn could project when she wished, though the source was different. Or perhaps it was similar; they were both older than they looked, and they were both used to authority.
‘It would appear that your business in the Demon Realm went well,’ Alexandra went on, ‘and things here have been quiet. No security issues with the power station.’ She gave Michael a quick look and received a growl of confirmation. ‘So, all appears well.’
Ceri looked at her and frowned. ‘But?’
Alexandra waved a hand. ‘It’s likely nothing. No dreams, no portents.’
‘It’s something, or you wouldn’t be mentioning it.’
‘I’ve had an odd sense of disconnection from Luperca today. Her presence is usually at its strongest when the moon is full, but today she feels… distant.’
Ceri grinned. ‘It doesn’t seem to be affecting this lot much.’ Michael gave one of her breasts a squeeze to confirm that he was just as moonstruck as usual.
‘As I said, it’s probably nothing. I suggest you get into fur, and take that young man of yours to find some playmates for the evening.’
‘I think we’ll do that, if I can persuade him to let me go long enough to change.’
Michael gave a soft rumble, licked her ear with a very long tongue, and then lifted her up with him, hoisting her over his shoulder before starting off into the trees around the clearing.
‘Michael? I need to change,’ Ceri insisted. ‘It’s too cold…’
Use magic, he rumbled at her as he marched toward a group of six wolves who were already enjoying the traditional pack activities on a full moon.
Holloway, March 28th.
Cheryl Tennant looked a lot like a woman with too much on her plate. Considering that she was juggling three different planned generator projects in England, advising on another pilot in America, and holding discussions about another, far more adventurous, one in Australia, and she was heavily involved in the organisation for the next big thaumatology conference, her appearance of overwork was not unfounded.
‘Running lines across the North Sea is just ridiculous,’ she said as soon as Ceri walked into her office. ‘We can’t do it. Well, not on the timescales they’re talking about.’
‘And good morning to you too,’ Ceri replied.
Cheryl gave her a tired smile. ‘Sorry. Good morning. How did your meetings go?’
‘Remarkably well. I may have a solution to the Australian lines. Also, I had a thought about the distribution here. Actually, Gwyn had a thought: irrigation canals.’
The redheaded Doctor of thaumatology frowned. ‘Last part first… Irrigation canals?’
‘Mm, yes. When they used to build irrigation canals, they would siphon water off a river or lake…’
‘Much as we’re doing with the energy from the Rift.’
‘Uh-huh. Then they’d run it out to where it was needed down canals. The Water Board does it with the canals here too. They use the existing waterways to transfer water from one place to another. If we feed a branch off our existing line into the northbound lines…’
‘We don’t need to construct as many,’ Cheryl finished for her. ‘Would that work?’
‘I need to run the numbers. Natural lines are more liable to leakage, but maybe we can shore them up a bit.’
This time Cheryl’s smile was far brighter. ‘I suppose Gwyn knows more about irrigation than we might. What about the Australian problem?’
‘Guandosh demons.’
‘Never heard of them.’
‘No, they don’t get over here much. They’re aquatic, live in very deep water. Apparently they have some problems with running artificial lines through deep water. It’s the salinity. I’m pretty sure my tunnels don’t worry about that, but I was talking to their Lord and I’m getting some of his best people up to the castle to go over their methods. If I’m right, we get to trial a tunnel thro
ugh the deep ocean and Ignash will owe me a big favour.’
Cheryl nodded thoughtfully. ‘I have a favour to ask then. I’d like to go over there for that meeting. I mean, I could be useful, and the chance to actually see the world the demons come from…’
‘Okay. We should ask Carter if he wants to come. Maybe if you two are there I can persuade Michael to go over.’
‘You didn’t have to think about that very hard.’
‘It’s safe enough. Aside from the visitors, everyone in the castle are det, common demons. They’re not that different from you. Well, aside from physically.’
Cheryl laughed. ‘No difference at all then. Now if I can just solve all the logistical problems with the conference, I’ll be a happy woman.’
‘I’m supposed to be helping…’
‘You have your hands full with the generator projects. The Americans want someone to check their proposals for their line, and you need to do this new idea for us and go over the deep water maths. I’ll manage. It’s just… Have you heard the expression “like herding cats?”’
Ceri giggled. ‘I’ve spent two days herding Demon Lords, cats are easy.’ Her expression shifted to thoughtful. ‘Though, actually, I didn’t do so much herding… Want some help?’
‘Ceri, I’d get down on my hands and knees in front of a Devos if I could make this easier.’
Ceri reached for the phone. ‘I’m glad you said that…’
~~~
Lily had decided that she wanted to hear about what was going on first hand, so she walked into Cheryl’s small office in the High Energy Thaumatology building along with her father and Gwyn. She was looking just a little bemused.
‘You’re going to put him to work?’ the half-succubus asked when she had heard Ceri’s plan.
‘Faran is an excellent organiser,’ Ceri replied, ‘especially when it’s people being organised. Gwyn used to run a whole city.’ She looked at her distant relative and added, ‘And you said you were feeling a little bored.’
Gwyn nodded. ‘Since Twill came back with Ishifa in tow, there’s very little for me to do around the house. I don’t have a job.’
‘I don’t really have a budget to pay either of you,’ Cheryl said, looking very much as though she was pushing away her best bet for a social life.
Gwyn waved away the statement. ‘Call it voluntary work. Mei brings in enough money for the both of us, and we don’t need much anyway. What I need is something to occupy me.’
‘I don’t,’ Faran stated, ‘but I’m sure we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement for my… services.’ He flashed Cheryl a fanged, predatory smile and she went beetroot red. ‘That said, both my daughter and my Overlord would skin me over a bed of hot coals if I took advantage. My needs are meagre and I’d be helping a friend.’
Cheryl managed to look both relieved and disappointed at the same time. ‘Well, thank you, both of you. With everything else that’s going on, getting time to do the basic administrative stuff is leaving me with no free time at all.’
‘Why don’t you show us what you need done?’ Gwyn suggested.
Ceri stood up and led Lily out of the office as Cheryl set to on her computer. ‘I can hear those cats purring like kittens already,’ the sorceress said, grinning.
‘Huh?’ Lily asked, looking confused.
‘Never mind, shekushka. Life just got a little easier, that’s all.’
Milbank, March 29th.
Avery Sachs sat in his heavily warded office wearing headphones so that no one else could hear the recordings he was listening to. He had arranged for the surveillance operation under the premise that the generator projects were high profile and those working on them should be watched for security purposes. There had been attempts to use the generator at Battersea for nefarious purposes, and attempts to kill both Cheryl Tennant and Ceridwyn Brent in the past. It was a matter of good stewardship to keep an eye on them now.
In truth, however, the counterintelligence officer had had other motives. He had explained the use of purely electronic bugs due to the interference they might get using scrying around the High Energy Thaumatology building, but in reality he did not want Ceri Brent to know what he was up to. He suspected that she was suspicious of him, and she was right to be. The last couple of weeks of recorded chatter had confirmed what he thought and given him some other information which was, quite frankly, beyond what he had even considered.
The problem was how to proceed. He was quite sure that one of his agents, Jennifer Mayhew, had been killed to protect Ceri’s secret. He was also quite sure that those responsible for that murder were gone. Ceri had found the body for him, with a lot of effort; she had not killed Jenny. But Sachs was still not sure that it was a secret that should be revealed.
Reaching out, he stopped the tape he was listening to and slipped off his headphones, a frown wrinkling his brow.
‘What am I going to do with you, Ceridwyn Brent?’ he mused to the empty room.
Part Two: The Fall of Angels
Soho, London, March 30th, 2013.
Ceri inched her dress down a little as she scanned her tables for signs that anyone might be in need of further inebriation. The garment was short enough without a slight tendency to shift up her body over time, especially when she was dodging groping paws. Not that she minded excessively, but there was nothing under it and there were decency laws.
The full moon was long enough past that the werewolves on three of her tables were just naturally ebullient, but they were still in a playful sort of mood. That was both checked and enhanced by the presence of Michael on a stool at the bar. Having her mate there meant that no one got very serious, but they felt they had more latitude for messing about. Werewolves could be contradictory creatures, but Ceri was used to them by now.
On the other side of the room, mostly, the fae were out in full force. The Seelie, and a reasonable number of the more modern Unseelie, had decided that the Tir inna Nok was their club: it was named after their version of paradise; one of the waitresses, Ophelia, was a Sidhe; and the theme was fae. All of that meant that the fae clientele had rocketed since the reopening. There were even fairies and sprites in, occupying one end of the bar where Carter had put small tables and chairs in just for tiny customers.
Alec, the werewolf bartender, had suggested the placement, then regretted it, and then decided it was not as bad as he had initially thought. Even the prank-prone sprites were loath to annoy the big black-fur, and the fairies were prone to flirting with him outrageously, confident that he would not actually take them up on the offer.
Alec was particularly happy tonight, and so was the immaculately dressed Carter. For the first time in several weeks, Cheryl had decided she could afford a Saturday night out. She was perched on a stool beside Michael, clad in a short tube of a dress which made the most of her figure. Her red hair was piled up into a slightly chaotic up-do which somehow suggested that she intended things to get a little wild later. Since both men shared her affections, they were both rather pleased about that.
‘Not so many undead in,’ Sasha commented as she walked back from a table run. Sasha was an attractive blonde with several vampire customers whom she liked.
‘In truth, they have been thinner on the ground since we reopened,’ Carter replied, ‘but they do seem lacking tonight. It’s not that long since the full moon though.’
Sasha nodded. While the fae had decided the place was theirs and came in constant numbers, along with humans who found the awesomely beautiful creatures exciting, the werewolf-to-vampire ratio naturally varied with the moon and always had. Vampires were more common when it was dark, werewolves when it was bright.
‘I like the new hair, Ceri,’ Sasha added, changing the subject entirely.
Ceri’s hands were drawn to pat at her new cut. She had gone back to shorter, if fuller, and her black hair now had more red around the fringe. ‘Long was starting to get annoying, but I’m pleased with it like this.’ She grinned. ‘Besides, Lil
y has enough to go around for all of us.’
On cue, the half-succubus strutted back toward the bar. Her long, auburn hair was currently thrust up into a ponytail by means of a conical, silver and ruby ornament which she had picked up in the Demon Realm as a gift from an admiring Lord. Ceri had checked it over before allowing her to wear it, but she had to admit that it was a gorgeous addition to a gorgeous woman. She suspected it was also a sneaky, indirect way of currying favour with the Overlord, and it had worked if only because she had gained some respect for that demon’s intelligence.
‘You’re looking happy, Shivika,’ Lily said, smiling at Ceri.
‘Where do you get these pet names from?’ Sasha asked. ‘What do you call Lily? Shek-something?’
‘Shekushka,’ Ceri replied. ‘It’s Devotik, demon language. It means “sweet little morsel.”’ And Ceri was not going to explain Shivika. Carter knew it meant ‘Mistress’ but he seemed sanguine about Lily using it since she did seem to be employing it more as a pet name than an honorific. ‘And I am happy, yes. Crazy as it sounds, this is relaxing. No need to think, no great responsibilities, just aching feet and happy customers.’
‘I can get behind that idea,’ Cheryl agreed. ‘Well, not the aching feet. I am taking the rest of the weekend off, now that you’ve supplied me with some able assistance.’
‘Going to Chilcomb?’ Lily asked.
‘The three of us are,’ Alec replied.
‘Alec will drive me back on Monday morning,’ Cheryl said, ‘but tomorrow it’s going to be a relaxing day with nothing to do but entertain my men.’
‘Which is an idea I can get behind,’ Carter stated, his lips shifting as he tried not to smirk excessively.
Ophelia walked back from her tables, put her tray down with several empty glasses and a pile of cash on it, and sighed. ‘I honestly never thought I’d be doing this, let alone enjoying it.’ Reaching her arms up over her head, she stretched languorously. A couple of wolf whistles sounded from various parts of the room. She grinned, but did not look around. ‘I definitely didn’t think I’d find a bunch of horny werewolves lusting after my body quite so tolerable.’
Thaumatology 12: Vengeance Page 4
