Thaumatology 08 - Ancient

by Teasdale, Niall

  ‘I know, but I was hoping you could help me do it to the right people.’ He paused, turning to look at her as she closed the door. ‘But that said, I feel like we betrayed your trust as well and I’d like to apologise for that.’

  Ceri felt the flare of anger rising and bit back on it. He was being genuine and, if Alexandra was right, it was not really his fault… ‘I don’t think it’s you who needs to apologise though, is it?’

  She saw the anger in his face and knew it was not directed at her. ‘No. I suppose not. The Home Office has basically handed this over to the military. There will be an announcement sometime this morning regarding a night-time curfew until further notice. Anyone on the streets from nine pm to eight am is liable to be shot. They’re even pulling the police out between those hours. It’s going to be little short of military rule.’

  ‘What about Malcolm Charles?’ Lily said from the staircase. ‘What does he have to say about this?’

  ‘He isn’t getting to say anything,’ Barry replied. ‘The Home Office is enacting some plan they’ve had filed away in secret. Some sort of emergency policy for supernatural uprising. The Ministry for Supernatural Affairs, it seems, was not consulted.’

  Ceri closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. ‘What was the personal business, John?’ She was fairly sure she knew already.

  ‘We were hoping Lorna could stay here for the time being.’

  Yeah, that was what she had expected. ‘The three of you are welcome,’ she said.

  ‘We were actually thinking of asking if you wanted to come here,’ Lily added. ‘We weren’t sure you would say yes.’

  ‘It’s getting crazy out there,’ Kate put in. ‘People know Lorna’s a vampire.’

  Ceri nodded. ‘There’s the spare room, or we can make up some beds in the dungeon.’ She waved them on. ‘Go up to the lounge. We can work out sleeping arrangements later.’

  Lorna took off her sunglasses and gave Ceri, and then Lily, a weak smile. She looked relieved, but also tired; there were shadows around her eyes which were not there because she was technically dead. When they got to the lounge, Barry practically ordered Lorna to sit in the guest wing-back while he took a smaller chair.

  ‘You look like you’re about to fall over,’ Barry said to her. ‘Are you getting enough… to eat?’

  Lorna nodded. ‘Yes, sir. I’ve just been sleeping badly. I need less sleep than a human, but I’ve been getting an hour or two a night for the last few days.’

  ‘You sleep at night?’

  ‘I usually keep more or less the same sleep pattern as John.’ She gave her husband a small smile. ‘I’m not really interested in the vampire lifestyle.’

  ‘What can you tell us about what’s going on?’ Ceri asked once everyone was seated.

  ‘I’m not entirely sure what’s going on,’ Barry admitted. ‘Special Branch started becoming heavily involved with the investigation into Raynor early yesterday. Last night I got a call from the Chief Super saying that Special Branch was taking over entirely and that the Army would be moving in to handle security on the streets. I’ve made several enquiries, but I’m getting blocked at every turn. It’s like someone has decided that anything supernatural isn’t to be trusted.’

  ‘The investigation into Raynor was going nowhere,’ John said, ‘and now it’s probably going backwards. There have been rumours of Special Branch pulling various supernaturals in for questioning, and other rumours saying they aren’t being released.’

  ‘Someone apparently went to the Dubh Linn,’ Kate said. ‘My friend said that they walked out again really quickly, but she’s had people muttering about sending troops in there.’

  Lily gave a laugh, mirthless. ‘The Black Lady won’t like that.’

  Twill, perched on the back of Ceri’s chair, sounded a lot more serious. ‘If they do that they’ll have a real supernatural war on their hands. The Lady was exiled from Court, but they won’t allow humans to threaten her.’

  Barry grunted. ‘I’ll see if I can pull in their horns a little, but this whole business feels wrong. People are getting too worked up too quickly.’

  ‘You’re thinking some sort of magic?’ Ceri said.

  ‘Some sort of influence. Magic, psychic… supernatural anyway. Raynor has essentially turned normals against those they need to fight him, and those most likely to be a threat to him.’

  ‘So we need to counter that,’ Ceri agreed. ‘Trina’s funeral is in about an hour. I think we should all go. From the sounds of it, you guys have been classified as supernaturals whether you are one or not. We all have to stand together, and the real supernaturals need to know they have friends among the humans.’

  ‘Including me?’ Lorna squeaked.

  ‘Especially you. You’re the vampire rep at the funeral.’

  The vampire representative for the funeral looked worried.

  Battersea

  It was not nearly as hard as they had all expected. The wolves were, to Ceri’s mind, unnaturally calm, and did not react at all badly to the humans or the vampire as they landed their rowing boat on the edge of the island. Catherine of the Royals was there, standing beside Alexandra while her sister, Anita, chatted to Catherine’s Captain and lover, Stefan, and her own boyfriend, Ray. Much more surprisingly, Dolf and Freya of the Dog Boys were there, standing a little to one side. Dolf, a thuggish, scarred man with an enormous superiority complex, looked uncomfortable to be among the more “civilised” packs, and he glared balefully at Ceri’s small party as they entered the clearing. Freya, who was also Anita and Catherine’s sister, muttered something in her mate’s ear and he bit his lip.

  Ceri had brought her staff and was wearing her collar. She figured that between all that she would come over as a bridge between the two cultures, but as she walked across the clearing toward Alexandra she was beginning to think the grand gestures were going to be a waste of time. Anita and Stefan moved closer as Ceri did, though Anita’s relaxed baring indicated that she simply wished to speak. The fact that the Captain perceived no threat allowed Ceri to relax as well.

  Alexandra smiled as they approached, though there was a bleakness to her normally pleasant smile. ‘Detectives, and Mrs Radcliffe, I assume. Thank you for coming. As you can see, we’ve had a few people drop by to pay their respects.’

  Ceri nodded as Barry took Alexandra’s offered hand. ‘Luperca’s been up to something, hasn’t she?’

  ‘There have been some… influential dreams going around,’ Alexandra replied.

  Lily flicked a glance at the leaders of the Dog Boys. ‘Even Dolf?!’

  Alexandra’s smile became a little more like its usual, mischievous self. ‘Even Dolf, though I think Bea is having to prod him back in line occasionally.’ Beatrice was Freya’s real name, just as Dolf was actually “Earnest.” The difference was that Freya became “Bea” when she was away from her pack and could get away with it while her mate actually thought “Dolf” made him sound more macho. Well, it probably was more macho than “Earnest,” but still…

  ‘I don’t believe you’ve formally met Lorna,’ Ceri said, because sticking to the topic of Dolf being nice was hurting her brain. ‘Alexandra, Alpha of the Battersea pack, this is Lorna Radcliffe, John’s wife. She’s here because not all vampires have turned into idiots in the last few days.’

  ‘You’re all welcome. The ceremony will begin shortly. We were hoping Luperca’s Chosen might say a few words…’

  ‘I’d be happy to,’ Ceri replied. Her involvement in werewolf funerals was becoming a habit. She was hoping she could avoid it becoming a frequent one.

  ‘I need her for a few minutes first, if you don’t mind, Alpha,’ Anita said. ‘And Lily, if you would.’

  ‘Ah yes,’ Alexandra said softly. ‘There’s a young wolf who needs talking to.’

  Ceri’s brow knitted. ‘Michael?’

  Anita waved for them to follow her, leading the way toward the band of trees which divided Alexandra’s clearing on the southern side of the island wi
th a slightly larger, more open one on the north. ‘He’s taking Trina’s death pretty hard, blaming himself, thinking I should be blaming him. I don’t. I think that’s making it worse.’ Ahead of them, Ceri could see the wolf-man sitting with his back to a tree. ‘Do you want me with you?’

  Ceri bit her lip, thinking. ‘Yes.’ Then she walked over and squatted down beside the grey-furred werewolf, Lily taking the opposite side. Michael did not shift, did not move, like maybe if he kept still they would leave him to mope in peace. There was silence for maybe a minute before Ceri decided what she was going to say. ‘You know, if you won’t let me hunt down the prick who shot her, I’m not letting you blame yourself for her death.’ She felt the slight warmth from the thaumic field he generated as he shifted.

  ‘If I’d been there…’ he said once he could speak.

  ‘I might be burying you, and then no one would be stopping me from blowing every armoured car in London to shrapnel.’

  ‘Lily would…’

  ‘Be helping,’ Lily interrupted.

  ‘When my parents died,’ Ceri said, ‘I would lie awake at night and imagine all the ways I might have saved them if I had been with them. Chances are I’d have been a charred corpse on a beach too, but it didn’t stop me blaming myself for their deaths.’

  ‘Trina was mated, right?’ Lily asked.

  ‘Gareth,’ Ceri replied. ‘You met him at that gathering for the full moon. Well, you were fucked by him.’

  ‘Right. Is he blaming you, Michael?’

  ‘Well, no,’ he replied, and went on quickly before they could interrupt again. ‘Look, I realise I shouldn’t be feeling this way, but I do. I’ve never lost someone I was in charge of before. It’s going to take me a bit of time to get over it.’

  ‘It’s full moon tonight,’ Ceri said. ‘I doubt you’ve got time to get over it. Too many hyperactive werewolves. Too much chance of trouble. Anita’s going to need all the help she can get keeping a lid on things.’

  Michael looked up to see his Amazonian captain nodding resignedly. ‘At least give me until the funeral’s over?’ he said.

  ‘That I can do,’ Anita said, walking over. ‘We should go through and get ready. Gareth said he would be most honoured if you would light the pyre, Ceri. Alexandra said to say a few words after her and then set the fire.’

  Ceri reached out and took Michael’s hand, squeezing it. ‘Yeah, I’ve been to a werewolf funeral before.’

  They had built the pyre in the open clearing on the island. When they had burned Michael’s father, Alpha of the Brecon pack, they had formed the thing from wood they had brought in especially, though they had gathered tinder and small branches from the nearby woods. For Trina the pack had scoured the park, and a few had gone wider afield; the pile of wood on which her body lay was made of broken branches, scrap wood, even bits of old pallet found in some of the factory grounds between Vauxhall and the power station. Not exactly the most glorious send-off the girl could get, but somehow appropriate, and anyway it was not the quality of the wood, but the quality of the gathering that counted. The Alphas of three packs had come together to see Trina into the afterlife; that had to be worth something.

  With the whole pack gathered around the pyre, Alexandra stepped forward. ‘We gather to send our sister, Trina, on her way to the Goddess. She was taken from us before her time, but she died fulfilling her duty as a Guard. Rightly, there are those among us who would see her death avenged, but Trina died ensuring the safety of our territory and our pack. She would not want us to jeopardise that safety with rash action. We have learned to put trust in people outside our pack, and some of those people are here to show that that trust is not without foundation.’ The tall, beautiful, and above all strong old woman looked around the wolves slowly. ‘And just remember that revenge is better when there is time taken to savour it.’ She looked at Ceri, giving her a short nod.

  Stepping forward, Ceri planted her staff in the earth and the crystal sphere mounted in its head shone with a bright, white light which she had carefully chosen to mimic moonlight. Her collar, Luperca’s Collar, felt warm around her throat and she knew that the goddess was with them as she spoke. ‘Luperca, Mother of Wolves, harken unto your children in this sad time.’ The entire pack, and the wolves who had come to pay their respects, seemed to grow unnaturally still at her words, and Lily let out a tiny gasp. Even Kate, not a wolf, but a witch, felt something around them. The goddess really was listening. Swallowing, Ceri continued. ‘Our sister lies dead before her time. Find it in your heart to take her spirit, for she was a loyal and dutiful wolf, and a good friend.’ Ceri’s eyes fell upon Gareth, standing nearby in grey fur. His amber eyes were red at the edges, and wet from held back tears, but he held his muzzle up proudly. ‘And a mate who will be much missed,’ she added. Gareth turned his head slightly and nodded.

  Ceri summoned her power, not much of it really, but the wood was fairly green and there was little in the way of kindling to help. Reaching out a hand, fist clenched, she focussed on the pyre and opened her hand. Flames burst up from the sticks, quickly catching through the whole of the pile. As the flames rose they began to take on an odd, bluish tint, and a few seconds later everyone was taking a step back as searingly hot, blue-white flames consumed the body.

  Barry looked a little whiter than usual when Ceri finally turned away from the fire. ‘You okay, Chief?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes,’ he said, but his eyes dipped downward. ‘I’m not a religious man, but…’ He trailed off and pulled in a lungful of air before looking up at Gareth. ‘I can’t promise that we’ll bring the people responsible for this to justice, young man, but I can promise that we’ll do our utmost to.’

  Gareth regarded him for a moment and then gave a short bark. ‘He says “thank you,” Chief Inspector,’ Alexandra translated.

  Barry nodded. ‘In which case we’ll get started on seeing whether we can sort this situation out. Alexandra, it’s been a pleasure to meet you again, even under these circumstances.’ Alexandra smiled and bowed her head; with the funeral done she was looking happier. Wolves were like that. Barry turned and headed back through the trees.

  Ceri gave her Alpha a nod. ‘I’ll keep you informed of what’s going on.’

  ‘End Raynor, Ceridwyn,’ Alexandra said. ‘The soldier who did this is one thing, but that vampire was ultimately responsible. Find him, and end him. Anything we can do to help, we will.’

  ‘We’ll get him,’ Lily said. She sounded pretty determined about it.

  They were rowing back the short distance across the lake when John spoke. ‘That was… kind of strange. I’ve never felt anything like that before.’

  ‘You felt it too?’ Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Lorna let out a sigh. ‘I haven’t felt that calm since I was turned.’

  Ceri and Lily looked at each other and then at Barry. ‘You see how advantageous it is to be friends with Luperca’s favourites?’ Ceri said. ‘Even if you’re a vampire she treats you well if she likes you.’

  Kennington, July 5th

  ‘There’s no point in you coming back into town,’ Ceri said to Cheryl’s image on her tablet. ‘I got a call this morning from the Dean. And that freaked me out some, but he said he knew you were out of London and he wanted to be sure I knew. They’ve closed our building. There are armed, military guards outside it.’

  ‘What?!’ Some of the outrage was lost in the compression used over the video link, but Cheryl still sounded almost apoplectic.

  ‘And Carter and Alec might as well stay there too. There’s a curfew in effect. No clubs or bars are to be opened after dark. The Home Office has instructed the Army to basically close the city down. The only people who can move about freely are Raynor’s vamps. They seem to be using the sewers and the Underground, and no one’s going down there.’

  Carter’s face appeared behind Cheryl. ‘One would almost think the government is working for Raynor.’

  ‘The thought had crossed my mind. It seem
s too much, though. He’s been awake too short a time to have pulled something like that off. Manipulating them into freaking out though? I can see that working for him.’

  ‘It’s more than just that,’ Carter replied. ‘I spoke to Petra. Her father is being very closely watched, for “security reasons,” but she told me that he’s frustrated. His ministry should be handling this, but he’s being frozen out. Even though they have no supernaturals at all on their staff he’s being told that they are too close to the supernaturals. The Home Office is acting in an abnormally paranoid manner.’

  Ceri nodded unhappily. ‘It does sound like some sort of influence. If we can’t trust the people who are supposed to be dealing with this, how do we find Raynor to stop him?’

  ‘I had a thought about that,’ Cheryl said. ‘You mentioned big gatherings of his vampires?’

  ‘Yes. He’s supposedly holding rallies somewhere.’

  ‘Well, that’s a big concentration of negative thaumiton emitters.’

  Ceri blinked. ‘Holy fucking crap, Boss, you’re a genius.’

  Cheryl grinned brightly. ‘No, I’m clever, you’re the genius. And it’s going to take one to work out how to use that to actually find one of their meetings.’

  ‘Huh, yeah, you have a point.’ Ceri frowned at the air just above the monitor screen. ‘Then I’ll need a way of capitalising on it.’ She shook her head and returned her focus to the screen. ‘It’s still a plan. I’ll see what I can come up with. You guys stay safe.’

  ‘Don’t worry about us, Ceridwyn,’ Carter said. ‘You watch your back. Raynor seems to have far too much interest in you.’

  ‘Oh, we will,’ Ceri replied before closing down the connection.

  Lily looked up at her from the stool beside her chair. ‘You think you can do it?’

  ‘It ought to be possible. It’s the area I’d need to cover that’s the problem…’

  ‘A lot of power to cast a net that wide. There’s isn’t a dragon here to keep you alive if you start irradiating the place again.’

  ‘Aside from that, I’d need power available to take him on when I find him.’ Ceri’s brow knitted. ‘There has to be a way…’