Thaumatology 08 - Ancient

by Teasdale, Niall

  ‘I agree with Ceridwyn, Anita,’ Alexandra said. ‘This one is dangerous. Take the precautions.’ Anita bowed her head in response.

  ‘I still think he felt demonic,’ Lily said. ‘There was a definite hint of demon about both the thing we saw in Bremen and the magic hanging about that boat.’

  ‘Some sort of hybrid?’ John suggested. ‘Like that guy Matthew Barnes possessed with a demon after turning him into a zombie.’

  Ceri raised an eyebrow and looked first at John than at Lily. ‘I hadn’t considered that.’

  ‘I hadn’t either,’ Lily admitted. ‘I’d forgotten all about Shane.’

  ‘Raynor’s not quite like that though,’ Ceri went on. ‘If he’s been about for that long it’s something else. More like a symbiosis. Or some sort of binding enchantment.’ She looked around as Twill floated in through the door with a tray of mugs following her. ‘Twill? Some sort of spell binding together the patterns of demons and humans?’

  Twill came to a stop in the middle of the small circle and looked thoughtful while mugs began to disperse themselves between people. ‘It isn’t really my area of expertise, but no. Obviously there’s the more normal demonic binding, and there are possession spells, but not a true symbiosis or hybridisation. I would imagine it would require an enchantment.’

  ‘Binding an immaterial demon into a physical body?’ Ceri mused.

  ‘Indeed. I’ve heard of nothing like that.’

  ‘And as far as I know,’ Lily added, ‘demons can’t rise as undead. Certainly not on Earth.’

  Ceri shook her head. ‘They usually discorporate rapidly here. I doubt trying to raise them as undead would work, even assuming the magic would function on the different morphogenic structure.’

  ‘You’re using long words, love,’ Lily commented. ‘I’m still feeling a little weak.’

  ‘Sorry. It’s sunny out. We’ll take you up on the roof in a bit. Some sunshine is bound to make you feel better.’

  Lily’s lips curled into a smile. ‘Sunshine?’ She sighed. ‘It seems like the sunny weather is starting really late this year. It’ll be nice to feel the heat.’

  ~~~

  Stretched out naked on one of the three loungers on High Towers’ roof, Lily did look more relaxed and happy than she had in the lounge. Her porcelain skin refused to tan, no matter how much she sunbathed, but the sunlight warming her body always made her contented.

  Ceri lay on her lounger basking in the contentment Lily was feeling. It was one of the nicer aspects of sunny days and she really enjoyed it. She was moderately sure that Michael, stretched out on the third lounger, would get restless after a while and decide to do something, but for now he was happy lying in the sun. He might actually tan.

  The thought drew Ceri’s attention to her own skin and she sat up, running fingers over a forearm. There was no sign of burning even though she had forgotten about sunscreen. Her skin had changed when she had almost killed herself using too much power in America. She had gone paler and her freckles were now gone. She did not quite have the perfect, unmarked flesh Lily was currently exposing, but it was closer to that than it had been and, apparently, had the same resilience to infrared light.

  ‘Are you in need of some oil, Ceri?’ She looked around to see Faran emerging from the roof hatch. He looked far too young to have fathered a twenty-six year old woman. In fact he looked barely older than Lily and had the same auburn hair, cut a little shorter than his daughter’s. He appeared to be dressed in dark jeans and a T-shirt, though that, like his appearance, could be nothing more than an assumed shape.

  ‘Apparently not,’ Ceri replied. She noticed Michael open his eyes to watch the newcomer approaching. The werewolf remained lying on the lounger which was an improvement; Michael generally preferred not to be around Faran.

  ‘Ah well,’ Faran said, faking disappointment, ‘I really came for Lily anyway. I heard she was attacked.’ He walked over to Lily’s lounger, standing over her and looking down. ‘Not that she appears badly damaged.’

  ‘I’m not,’ Lily replied, ‘and you’re standing in my light.’

  Faran chuckled and settled down beside his daughter. ‘I heard it was vampires.’

  ‘Four of them. They hit me before I knew what was happening. I lost a lot of blood, but my mistress is hideously powerful.’

  ‘Then thank you for saving my daughter’s life, Ceri.’

  ‘My pleasure. Michael’s too, actually. A little recuperative sex before we came up here.’ Faran chuckled at the comment. ‘Faran, what do you know about demons and vampires?’

  The incubus frowned. ‘They don’t exactly mix. Demons can’t be turned. There is a form of vampiric demon, Holodvoi, but they can’t exist here. Even in our world, they’re immaterial. They take the form of a… living cloud of darkness. Bright light destroys them almost instantly, they don’t even like lamps. They wrap themselves around their victims and, well, once one of them has you you’re more or less done for. Everything bleeds, even your skin. A Holodva can suck a human-sized creature dry in a few seconds.’

  ‘But they’re stuck on the other side?’

  Faran nodded. ‘Well… They can’t be summoned, even by name, and they can’t cross over on their own. There are ways that such a det, uh, a common demon, can get here. Usually it requires something of considerable power, a Lord or a powerful angelus. They couldn’t survive here for long even then.’

  ‘The description kind of matches some of what we’ve seen Raynor do,’ Lily said. She sounded a little drowsy; the sun was really getting to her.

  ‘Raynor?’ Faran said.

  ‘He’s some sort of ancient vampire,’ Ceri supplied. ‘Been around since the Dark Ages. Doesn’t rot. He probably turned the vamps who attacked Lily. We think he followed us back from Hamburg.’

  ‘Ah, the Rift. They still tell tales of armies passing through from our world to this one through that. The largest force ever amassed being able to rampage across…’ He stopped. ‘That possibly wasn’t very tactful.’

  ‘Were you amongst them?’ Lily asked.

  ‘I’m not quite that old, child.’

  ‘Then there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.’

  He shrugged. ‘They mostly took fighters anyway. The… less military demons stayed behind. We knew the bridge would close up.’

  ‘You knew it was going to happen?’ Ceri asked. It made sense; when the bombs had gone off there had been little delay before the demons climbed out of the Rift.

  ‘As I understand it, diviners and the like were foretelling a great joining of the two worlds for almost a year before it happened.’

  ‘Alexandra knew it was coming,’ Michael pointed out.

  ‘True,’ Ceri agreed. ‘She told me once that it was inevitable after a certain point.’ She frowned. ‘Could a Fallen bring one of those Holodvoi over?’

  ‘A fallen angelus? It isn’t impossible, I suppose. They travel to our world more readily than their “better” brothers. Why?’

  Ceri’s voice was musing. ‘Angels don’t like vampires. There’s some evidence to suggest some people, probably thaumaturges and evokers, could use that to fight vamps. I assume they’d set a couple of angels on a vampire. But angels aren’t really bothered by demons, or even werewolves, so why should they dislike vamps?’

  ‘Because vampires were made by a Fallen?’ Lily suggested. She was sounding less sleepy, more interested. ‘Raynor is some sort of human-demon fusion. Maybe he’s not even really undead.’

  Ceri nodded. ‘I think he is, undead that is. He smells of it, supposedly. He probably died in the ritual and was brought back with a Holodva embedded in his pattern. No one really knows were vampires came from. They’re unlike other forms of undead and no one has ever explained them. Mind you, no one knows how ghouls are created either.’

  ‘Most people don’t stick around to find out with ghouls,’ Lily pointed out. ‘So… Raynor is either a lot older than you think, or there are others like him. I mean, vampires have b
een around since before the Dark Ages, right?’

  ‘No idea, but I know someone who might.’

  ~~~

  Professor Edward Perry was the kind of thaumatology lecturer who really looked the part. Studious, tall, but stooped, with dishevelled salt and pepper hair. He constantly dressed in tweed jackets with leather elbow patches, his shirts and trousers were rarely ironed, and if they were it was badly. He did have piercing, green eyes which had probably skewered more than a few wayward students in their time.

  Neither his eyes nor his knowledge of thaumatology were the reason he was currently standing in the summoning room in High Towers’ cellar, however. Ed was also the dragon Athro, a name which meant “teacher.” He had been around long before the Dark Ages and if anyone knew where vampires came from it would be him.

  ‘Actually, no,’ he said. ‘I don’t know where they came from exactly.’

  ‘You realise your status as my fount of all historical knowledge is at stake here, Ed,’ Ceri told him, though she was grinning. ‘I may have to go talk to my great-grand-dragon instead.’

  He grinned back. ‘She won’t be able to tell you any more than I. There were no vampires around during the Toba Flare period. We were away for quite a significant period of time between then and around five thousand years ago, and when we came back we started hearing stories about walking corpses who drank the blood of the living. They were created sometime in the zero magic period between the flares.’

  Ceri frowned. ‘Well, that confirms that they were around before the Dark Ages at least.’

  ‘Oh yes, long before. I would estimate at least four thousand years. Why?’

  ‘There’s a vampire named Raynor. He followed us from Hamburg and now he seems to be intent on turning half of London. Since just about anyone he drains turns, he might succeed.’

  Ed’s image frowned and he stroked his chin thoughtfully. ‘I recall stories of a blood cult of some sort in northern Europe. Those started during the Dark Ages. I spent most of my time in Wales and Cornwall back then, but we heard tales from traders. They claimed that the leader had been cursed by God for the drinking of blood, but he had made a deal with the Devil. Very Stoker-like, though rather before his time.’

  ‘Does the Devil do that kind of thing?’

  The dragon blinked at her. ‘I have no idea, Ceridwyn. I’ve never met him. I’m not even sure he exists as a specific entity. If the story has any basis in fact, the “Devil” figure was likely any random Fallen.’

  Ceri frowned, equally thoughtfully. ‘Not a random Fallen, I don’t think. This one has some specialist knowledge. He’s moved a demon over from their world which can’t survive here and then welded it into a dying human to create some sort of super-vamp. I think he’s been doing it for, what? Six or seven thousand years?’

  ‘A reasonable estimate, but you can’t be sure it’s the same Fallen.’

  ‘No,’ Ceri replied, ‘but somehow it feels like I’m right.’

  Soho, June 1st

  Carter was frowning as he emerged from the back rooms. He glanced out toward the street before leaning on the bar and apparently coming to a decision. ‘Alec, could you make sure Sasha and Tess get home safely?’

  The werewolf raised an eyebrow. ‘Of course. You expecting trouble?’

  ‘I just had a call from the Greycoats. There have been a number of apparently random and particularly vicious vampire attacks this evening. The sun won’t be fully up when we close.’

  ‘Are you going to be okay?’

  ‘I have a car, and I’m heading over to Cheryl’s house to check on her. She isn’t as close to Ceri as Lily is…’

  Ceri suppressed a wince. ‘Good idea, Boss. This has to be something to do with Raynor.’

  ‘A distraction,’ Alec said, his tone matter of fact. ‘He’s got his newly turned minions spreading the fear, and it makes it harder for the cops to spot a pattern in who he’s attacking personally.’

  ‘You make it sound like a guerrilla war,’ Lily commented.

  ‘A terrorist campaign,’ Alec replied. ‘Dogmatic messages in blood. Vampire rampages. He’s spreading fear.’

  ‘But to what end?’ Carter mused.

  ‘If he’s made demands,’ Ceri said, ‘I haven’t heard about them.’

  ‘He’ll be making demands soon enough,’ Alec said. ‘He’ll want to be sure of his forces first. Remember, he’s basically starting from scratch. He’ll talk to the press when he’s ready.’ The werewolf paused. ‘Unless he’s going to do something drastic first.’

  ‘More drastic than lots of random vampire attacks?’ Lily asked, frowning.

  It was Ceri’s turn to sound musing. ‘He’d be a bit limited by being unable to work in daylight… Large scale attack on a club, perhaps? The Underground! That would get around the daylight problem.’

  ‘You’re far too good at this, kid,’ Alec stated flatly. ‘It might be an idea to talk to your Greycoat colleagues about it.’

  Ceri nodded. ‘But if I put that kind of scenario in front of them, Special Branch will want in.’

  ‘Special Branch are not equipped to deal with this situation.’ The voice came from behind them and Ceri felt Lily tensing as she turned to look. ‘Then again, I doubt the Greycoats will be too much use either,’ the woman added. She was tall, very slim, and stunningly attractive. Her pale skin might have marked her as a vampire, but Ceri was quite sure she was Sidhe, high fae, like Sean; she could feel the power and there was no sign of the glamour older vamps used to hide their degradation. The carefully sculpted features, narrow face, dark eyes, and long, black hair were all hers.

  ‘Ophelia,’ Lily said, ‘what are you doing here?’

  The woman smiled; she had a perfect smile though somehow there seemed to be more teeth in it than normal. ‘Don’t worry, Lily, I’m not planning to stay. I’m just a messenger.’

  Lily’s eyebrows went up. ‘You? Playing messenger girl?’

  The smile faltered. ‘Some people you don’t say no to.’ Her eyes turned to Ceri. ‘Someone wishes to meet with you, Ceridwyn Brent. Hildegard Braun.’

  Ceri felt Lily getting more anxious, but the name meant nothing to her. ‘And that is?’

  ‘Probably the oldest vampire in Europe,’ Carter said, trying to keep his voice flat. ‘Certainly the oldest in Britain.’

  ‘Oh,’ Ceri said. ‘Why?’

  Ophelia shrugged. ‘Like I said, I’m just the messenger. You’re to meet her at dawn. Lily knows where she lives and she’s expecting both of you. The Lady guarantees your safety. That’s why I’m passing the message on.’

  Ceri frowned. One of her tables needed attention. ‘All right. I’ll meet her. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.’ She started off across the floor, but Ophelia’s voice could still be heard as she walked away.

  ‘Considering who she is, she’s not what I expected.’

  ‘No,’ Lily replied, ‘she’s better.’

  Waterloo Underground Station, Lambeth

  They got off the tube train one station before normal, at Waterloo. Above them the mainline trains were still, the first to run would be at six am. The tube trains were on a reduced schedule at that hour. They could have gone home and changed before going to the meeting, but they had stayed behind at the club to make sure Carter had got to his car safely and Lily had said Hildegard Braun was not someone who cared excessively about what you wore.

  Lily lead the way from the southbound platform and through a door in one of the tiled walls which bore an “Authorised Personnel Only” sign. Michael was left there, keeping an eye on the doorway, even though he was not happy about it. The door opened onto a narrow corridor which seemed to see little use and took up a space between one main tunnel and another. Ceri wondered who was actually authorised to enter. She felt unusually nervous and covered it with hushed conversation.

  ‘So who’s Ophelia?’

  ‘She’s one of the highest ranking members of the Unseelie Court in London. Sort of an ambassador.’
>
  ‘You met her in the Dubh Linn?’

  ‘Uh-huh. She’s there a lot. To be fair to her, she mostly tries to keep the other fae in line. On the other hand, she’s a murderous bitch.’

  ‘Huh.’ Ceri grinned; Lily was really good at saying the right thing to keep her happy. ‘What about this vamp? How do you know her?’

  ‘I don’t, exactly.’ The corridor was too narrow for them to walk side-by-side and Lily looked over her shoulder briefly. ‘Lots of people know where she lives. Even the Underground workers. They have to know where she is so they can stay out of her way.’ She turned back. The lighting was terrible, coming from a few scattered light runes, and the floor was covered in rubbish. ‘I met her once though. She came to the Dubh Linn after one of hers. Everyone watched while she tore the other vamp’s head off.’

  ‘What did they do to deserve that?’

  ‘Don’t know. No one was going to ask. She sat down at the bar afterward like nothing had happened. Right beside me. She said I was pretty.’

  ‘What did she look like?’

  ‘To me? About thirty, attractive, but stern. Shoulder length, blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a German accent. I’m glad I couldn’t see what she really looked like.’ Ceri grimaced; whatever image Braun might use to hide herself, Ceri would see right through it.

  ‘How old is she?’

  ‘Old. No one’s really sure. That’s another thing no one’s prepared to ask her.’ She stopped as they reached another door. ‘This is it. Time to be Ceridwyn the Sorceress.’

  Ceri nodded, sucked in a deep breath, and pulled herself up straight. ‘All right, let’s do this.’

  Lily reached out and knocked on the door twice. It was opened by a male vampire. He was projecting the image of a twenty-something man with carefully groomed hair in a dark suit, but Ceri could see the desiccated corpse underneath, the lips drawn back to reveal his pronounced canines. She guessed he was pre-Shattering, maybe eighty to a hundred years old.

  ‘We were told Miss Braun wished to meet Ceridwyn Brent,’ Lily said, keeping her voice neutral, but firm.

  The vampire nodded and stepped back to allow them in. ‘You’re expected. The sorceress goes in alone. You’re to wait with me, Lily.’ The room was bare, concrete walls and little in the way of furniture. There was a table and a couple of chairs, a cot in the corner which the vampire presumably used. There was one other door.