‘Uh… Your daughter? I’m guessing a little, but I believe that her child was a dragon called Brenin. I carry genes from him and his wife, Brenhines.’ She paused, not sure what else to say. ‘I’m human, aside from the dragon blood.’
‘Humans… the one who used me before used them as power.’
‘Molech. He’s trying to use me to do the same thing again. Uh, isn’t there some trial I have to go through? I’d kind of like to get it over with…’
She stopped as laughter echoed through the space she was in. ‘That test is passed, child. It was passed long before you were born.’
Ceri found herself back in the throne room. At some point she had sat down on the throne. Her legs were crossed at the ankle, her back was straighter than she ever usually managed, and her hands rested on the arms of her throne. Around her, the only demon still on his feet was Molech and he was struggling; his body trembled as he tried to deny its desire to abase himself as the others were doing.
Ceri smiled. She knew the power of the crown. The entire magical field of the world ran through her giving a heady feeling of power. She could do anything! She knew the real name of every demon she looked at, all of them. She could feel the others in the rest of the castle and in the world beyond. In Dorilla, she could sense Faran; her mind touched his and he gasped, looking around for the source of the sudden presence. Brebbam had had a good day at school. Ooda was proud of herself for finally figuring out basic algebra. Hiffy was working the tables in the Devim’s Horns and wondering about sleeping with the cute det who was sitting at the bar. Ceri let out a giggle of joy, and then turned her attention to Molech.
‘Eshabamolechalal,’ she said under her breath and the huge demon fell to his knees with a cry of pain. Ceri rose to her feet, pointing down at him and raising her voice. ‘For what you have done to humans and demons alike, I should scatter your atoms through space.’ He cringed, which Ceri found very amusing. ‘However, death is too easy a punishment for one such as you. I strip you of your power…’ Her hand curled into a fist and Molech let out a shriek. He actually physically shrank in size until he was no taller than the Devos who had guarded him, and when the wail of agony finally died away, he slumped forward, no longer able to hold himself up. ‘You will spend the rest of your days as the lowest of your kind…’ Her hand unfurled again, power burning in her upraised palm. Molech screamed, his body contorting, writhing, shrinking, until all that was left was the pathetic form of a Devim. ‘You will live whatever is left of your worthless life in the wastes you were banished to, always remembering what you were, never able to regain that station. Be gone!’ There was a flare of light and the Devim who had been Lord Molech vanished.
Smiling with the warm sensation of just revenge, Ceri sat down and looked around at her subjects… and her eyes fell upon Lily. The half-succubus was lying on her front, face against the stone, just to the right of the throne. And she was trembling.
Ceri swallowed. This was not what she wanted. ‘Lil?’
Lily raised her head, still not looking at Ceri. ‘Yes, Mistress?’ It was the way she said it, the hint of… awe in her voice. This was not Lily being the dutiful slave for Mistress Ceridwyn, or being playful. For the first time Ceri could remember, Lily Carpenter was afraid of her.
‘Stand up. Get your pack. We’re leaving.’ As Lily struggled to comply as quickly as she could, an act which brought a tear to the corner of Ceri’s eye, the new Overlord of All Demons turned to her subjects. ‘Hear me, all of you. Leave this place and go to Dorilla. Seek out a Lorril named Faran. He will be expecting your arrival. Take him with you when you return to Quatilan. He is my representative, his words are my words. Do exactly as he says until he has appointed a new Lord for your lands. I will be watching. You all have an hour to get out of my castle.’
Standing up, Ceri walked around to the rear of the throne and through the door behind it. Lily fell into step just behind her left shoulder. ‘You don’t have to be afraid of me, Lily,’ Ceri said as they walked. ‘It’s just me, Ceri.’
‘I can’t help it, Mistress. I can’t call you…’ Lily’s voice became strained as she tried and failed to say Ceri’s name. ‘I can’t call you by your name. The thought of it terrifies me. You feel like Molech does… did, only a million times more. I bet they can feel your presence in Shilfaris.’
Ceri grimaced. ‘Yes, they can.’
The guards in the portal chamber were already lying on their stomachs when Ceri and Lily walked in. None of them moved a muscle, aside from the two Dakags who were trembling. Ceri marched up to the circle of sigils carved into the smooth rock wall at the back of the room. She raised her staff, the crystal globe it its head glowing brightly as she summoned power through it. The runes on the wall began to respond, light flickering across them at first, then a glow starting. Ceri raised her other hand, focussing power and will on the gateway in front of her. She had all the power of the world to bring to the gate, all she had to do was focus on where she wanted it to go. Still, it seemed to take forever before the swirling sparks of light began.
‘Ewch â ni adref!’ Ceri called out to the stones. Light flared in the centre of the circle and the swirling sparks turned more rapidly, filling the space.
Ceri looked at Lily. ‘Ready to go home?’
‘Yes, Mistress, I am.’
Ceri reached out and took Lily’s hand, feeling the shiver that ran through her as she did. At least she hoped it was a shiver and not fear making her tremble. They took a deep breath at the same time, and stepped forward.
Part Seven: Home Again, Home Again
Kennington, London, January 29th, 2013
Gwyn set the coffee machine going and went to the fridge to consider what they had in for breakfast. It was a menial, human sort of act, something she enjoyed more and more every day. Even the fact that she was going to have to go down to the Co-op on New Camberwell Road for bacon today filled her with just a little hint of pleasure. It was what humans did, go out to the supermarket to buy food.
Mei was in the shower at the moment. She liked showers, it seemed, claiming that they felt like waterfalls, or standing in warm rain. She tended to make them longer than she needed to, but Gwyn indulged her her small pleasures. Currently, Mei was the breadwinner in the house; the British government was paying her to consult on the probable outcome of the upheavals in the Dragon Empire. She was proving her worth, apparently, and the information she was getting so that she could make accurate assessments was very useful to both Mei and Gwyn.
So, Gwyn let Mei take showers which were a little too long, and made her breakfast before she went out to work. And she tried her best to keep the house in a state Twill would be happy with when she returned. If she returned. At least when Ceri came home she would have a clean house and clean sheets. Gwyn suspected that the clean sheets would not last long after Michael found out they were back, but it was the thought that counted.
She glanced at the clock; almost eight am. Mei was going to be late if she did not get a move on. She reached for the knob on the cooker to turn on one of the burners, and stopped, her head rising. Something was wrong and it took her a second to realise that there was something magical happening in the house. It was another few seconds before she localised it enough to figure out where it was, and then she hurried out of the kitchen toward the hall.
Mei was running down the staircase, dripping wet and still naked. ‘You feel it too?’ the Chinese woman asked.
‘Yes. Do you know what it is?’
Mei reached the bottom and shook her head; water flicked off her long hair onto the floor. ‘No, it is…’ She frowned, concentrating. ‘…there.’ She pointed toward the doorway at the front of the house and as she did so there was a flicker of light about four feet off the ground which began to grow.
Gwyn’s eyes narrowed. ‘A gate. An inter-dimensional portal.’ She raised her right hand, her palm cupped, and blue-white energy began to collect there. Raw thaumic energy, there were better things to t
hrow at a target if you knew what you were dealing with, but when you needed something which would hurt almost anything it was your weapon of choice.
‘Would not the house wards block such a spell?’ Mei asked. She was also forming a bolt of magic in her palm. Nothing much coming from another dimension could be good.
‘They should, but Ceri didn’t renew them this year. A weakness could have developed. Or…’
The light had grown into a bright swirl of sparks, spinning faster and faster, and now about eight feet from top to bottom. There was a flare of light which burst from the centre and rippled out as though someone had dropped a rock into a pool of light. For several seconds nothing happened, and then the surface of the gate rippled and Ceri and Lily stepped through.
Gwyn closed her hand around the ball of energy she had been ready to throw and let out a most un-draconic sobbing cry before rushing forward and enveloping Ceri in her arms. Ceri dropped her staff and let out a laugh as she hugged back.
‘It’s nice to see you too,’ Ceri said.
‘You found her then?’ Mei said, smiling warmly at Lily. ‘Though you seem to be a slave, Lily.’
‘And you’re naked. I…’ She stopped and turned to look at Ceri. ‘The crown! It’s not working!’
Ceri disentangled herself from Gwyn enough to reach up and lift the iron circlet from her head. ‘It draws its power from the magic in that world. Here it’s just a lump of metal with a bit of an enchantment about it.’
Gwyn looked down at the crown and frowned. ‘Is that…?’
‘Gorefguhadget’s Iron Crown,’ Ceri said. ‘Did you know Brenin was his grandson?’
‘Yes, though I admit the thought has not crossed my mind in a long time. His mother was Gorefguhadget’s daughter. Huanglong came from the male line, through his son. I think there are about six generations between.’
‘That explains a lot,’ Lily said.
Gwyn opened her mouth to speak, but Ceri held up a hand. ‘I know you have a lot of questions, and we have a story to tell, but if we do it now we’ll have to do it again later, and I need a shower and at least six hours sleep.’
Both ex-dragons looked as though they could not wait, but Gwyn said, ‘Very well. Mei should be getting to work anyway. We will postpone the inquisition until later. Mei, would you go to Battersea on the way to work and let Michael know they’re back. Tell Alexandra we’re having a get together tonight to hear the story. I’ll contact Cheryl, Carter and Alec.’
Mei nodded. ‘Not that you will get much sleep if Michael knows you are here. Excuse me while I get dry and let you have the bathroom.’
Gwyn pulled Lily into a hug as well, which surprised them both; Gwyn had never seemed like a hugging sort of person. ‘I’m very happy to see you both back in one piece.’
Ceri smiled. ‘Well, I’m glad we made it back in one piece too, and I’m glad you were here to greet us.’
‘We’ve been waiting a long time, dear. Everyone has.’
‘I know it’s after Christmas,’ Ceri said. ‘What’s the date?’
‘January twenty-ninth. You’ve been gone for two months.’
‘Mei’s right,’ Lily said. ‘When Michael finds out we’re back we won’t get any sleep.’
~~~
It was still light when Ceri opened her eyes, but that light was dimming. She realised quickly that Lily and Mei had been wrong. She had gone to sleep spooning against Lily’s back and now there was warm human skin against hers. She lay still, not wanting to disturb either of them, revelling in the warmth.
‘I’d have slipped between the two of you if I could,’ Michael said after a minute or two. ‘As it was, I had to pick and there was more space behind your back.’
‘I didn’t know you were awake.’
‘I haven’t done more than doze while I’ve been here. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.’
‘Well, I’m awake.’
His hand slid over her hip, her stomach. ‘I know.’
‘I’m awake too,’ Lily commented.
Michael chuckled. ‘Good, then I can say I’m glad to have you both back.’ His hand slid over Ceri’s breast. It seemed such a long time since that had happened. She gave a small, shuddering sigh.
‘Now you can demonstrate how glad you are,’ Lily said, ‘but there are some new rules.’
‘Rules?’
‘Uh-huh.’ The half-succubus turned over so that she was facing them.’ My appetite is a little more… voracious than it was. Ceri has to be watching when I feed off you.’
‘She usually is.’
‘Yes, but she needs to be more attentive about it. I don’t always know when to stop.’
Michael lifted himself up onto his elbow and moved his hand across to slide over Lily’s breast. She let out a tiny moan and when her eyes opened there was a spark of red in her pupils. ‘I trust you, Lily,’ he said. ‘If I have to bet my life to prove it, I will.’
Ceri shifted on the bed, moving up a little, lifting her leg and reaching down, and then sinking back with a sigh. Michael groaned. Then she reached down between Lily’s legs, eliciting a squeak. ‘I have first dibs on him though, he’s my mate.’
‘If you k-keep doing that with your fingers, I won’t argue,’ Lily replied.
~~~
It almost felt like a normal evening in the lounge, or at least a normal evening with a lot of guests. Ceri was sat in her chair with Lily beside her on the footstool and Michael sprawled at her feet. Alexandra was in the other wing-backed chair, and Anita had stood just behind it for the start of the story, but had eventually settled in front of the roaring fire instead. They had carried the chaise longe from the study through, and turned the TV couch around and moved it closer to the chairs. Gwyn and Mei were perched on the chaise while the couch was holding Carter and Alec, with Cheryl lying across their laps. The only thing missing was Twill; she should have been perched on the arm of Ceri’s chair, or sat on someone’s shoulder.
It was all very relaxed. Ceri and Lily were safely back on Earth and telling the epic tale of their travels through the demon realm. Cheryl was back from slavery and looking happier now that she had since her return. Even the bad parts were softened by the knowledge that the two women had survived them without much harm. Michael did not even grumble about Ceri playing a prostitute to get into Grey Castle. Since Lily was wearing her full slave gear with collar and cuffs, Alec had suggested they get pictures of her sprawled at Anita’s feet, preferably with a really big sword involved; they could make a fortune doing fantasy book covers. Anita had given him one of her looks.
Carter and Alec had given a quick rundown on their trip to the Dragon Empire. They provided few details, but Cheryl had seemed quite sanguine about it anyway. It was something which had happened to someone else. That had brought up the subject of the Empire however.
‘So far,’ Mei said, since this was clearly her area of expertise, ‘the Empire is holding itself together, but the cracks are showing. There are reports of significant military activity in Mongolia. It is an area which has often given trouble and without the dragons to keep them in check there will be forces rising. The army will grow thin in other outlying regions, Thailand, India. India in particular has balked against Chinese rule and they will try to push the Empire’s forces out again.’ She looked down. ‘I didn’t tell you this, you don’t know it… Despite Britain’s history with India, lines of communication have been opened to provide assistance to a freedom movement in the sub-continent. I believe they aim to gain influence over the new state rather than re-establishing the British Empire. That is something at least.’
Ceri nodded at the end of the speech. Instability in that part of the world could not be a good thing, but there was nothing she could do about it. She looked up at Carter. ‘What’s happening with the Jade Dragon?’
‘Still closed,’ he replied. ‘I’ve had the signage taken down. Present company excepted, dragons are not exactly a great selling point currently. However, Cheryl has managed
to persuade me that shutting it down before burning the interior and having the bricks ground into dust would be a waste. So, I am currently planning renovation and a relaunch.’
‘New dresses?’ Lily asked.
Carter chuckled. ‘New theme, new outfits for the waitresses. Both of you will have jobs there as before, assuming you still want them.’
‘Of course!’
‘Well, I thought you might have decided to become a full-time slave girl. The lip chain is most interesting.’
‘One of the standard chains used to indicate a slave’s status,’ Ceri said before Lily could answer. ‘Barnes had it put in. The rings are welded in place and we haven’t had time to cut them off.’
‘I want a more temporary one to replace it,’ Lily said, beaming. ‘I kind of like it. And some rings for my other piercings too. With some little padlocks.’
‘Other piercings?’ Carter asked.
Ceri put her hand over Lily’s mouth. ‘You don’t want to know.’
January 30th
Ceri was a little surprised that Gwyn still set off her “dragon alarm.” She opened her eyes to see the woman standing in the bedroom door. Of course, other sorcerers gave her the same feeling too, just weaker. Perhaps, since Gwyn was probably as powerful a sorceress as she was, the feeling was just as strong as it had been. Mei’s signal was weaker.
‘Gwyn?’ Ceri asked when the blur had shifted from her eyes.
‘You have visitors. They need to see all three of you, apparently.’ Ceri raised an eyebrow. ‘I think it’s best you see for yourself,’ Gwyn added.
They were not exactly dressed for greeting visitors, but at least they were dressed. Lily even grabbed a jersey dress to put on and Michael had some tracksuit bottoms to wear in “emergencies.” When Ceri got to the bottom of the stairs in the hall, she wished she had put on more than an over-sized shirt.
There were five fae in the hall. One was Sidhe, tall and very handsome, and dressed in a white suit with gold livery. The tight britches and short jacket suggested something more like a servant than a high fae. Hovering in the air around him were four fairies, three women and a man, and all of them were naked which was what Ceri expected from a fairy.
Thaumatology 10 - The Other Side of Hell Page 20
