Magic Unleashed

by T J Green

  The door opened onto a small landing in a dim stairwell lined with exposed brick walls, lit with shaded sidelights. They went downstairs to the bar and as soon as they stepped inside, Briar said, “Wow. This is cool!”

  And it was. The ceilings were low and lined with beams, the walls were of exposed brick, with the occasional smoothly plastered section painted in dark greys or purples. The lights were low, the bar was long and covered in gleaming polished steel, and the seating was funky. It was a great mix of old and new. And it was hot and crowded inside, the murmur of voices a steady undercurrent to the music, which wasn’t too loud—yet. Avery could just make out the dance floor on the far side of the room, empty at present.

  El headed to the bar, striding confidently through the crowd, and taller than most. “Come on, girls. This round is on me. I think this is the place.”

  Avery knew exactly what El meant. It did have a feeling of promise in the air. But maybe that was just the mix of alcohol, sweat, perfume, and hormones.

  El handed her a glass of red wine, which she sipped with pleasure. None of them had drunk anything except lime and soda water in the second pub, wanting to remain mentally alert and ready for anything.

  Briar slipped her shoes off, and pretended to rub aching feet. “Oh yes. I can feel them. I may not be on bare earth, but I can sense a change.”

  “I guess we are in the Earth, in this basement,” Avery said. She felt goose bumps run across her skin. They were here.

  “So, do we split up again?” Briar asked, scanning the crowd.

  El shook her head. “No. I think we stick together. There are no easy exits out of here, and I don’t want anyone, especially us, feeling cornered, if they work out they’ve been spotted.”

  Avery agreed. “Let’s start by the entrance and work our way in.”

  After a half an hour of targeting the bigger groups, and ignoring several terrible chat-up lines, they had still drawn a blank, and they were all feeling frustrated.

  “Maybe my potion sucks,” Avery said, flopping against the wall and closing her eyes.

  “No. They have to be here,” El said, remaining determined. “Look at all these side-booths that we haven’t tried yet.”

  She was right. All of the seating was along two sides of the room, and the seats were long, padded benches situated around a table, all partially sectioned off from its neighbouring table to allow for discrete conversations, which left the central area free for standing.

  “It’s not going to be so easy to spray them though, is it?” Briar observed.

  El grinned and pointed to the air conditioner on the wall. “Let’s get creative.”

  She reached up and quickly sprayed the potion several times in front of the vents, and said the spell as the potion was carried across the room. Nobody noticed. They were all too intent on their conversations. “And another couple just to make sure,” she said, spraying again. “Now, every couple of minutes I’ll keep spraying, and you two will have to go and look.”

  Avery nodded. “I’ll use a little breeze to help.”

  Halfway down, Avery saw something that made her catch her breath, and she felt Briar stiffen besides her. They both glanced away to avoid staring.

  “Do you see them, too?” Avery asked quietly, her heart hammering in her chest.

  “Yes. Oh, wow,” Briar swallowed, desperately trying to hide her shocked expression. “That’s probably what I should have expected them to look like, but still…”

  There were four Mermaids seated together in a booth, each next to a man who was gazing deeply into their eyes. With their glamour, they looked like average, attractive women in their late twenties, two with long hair, two with shoulder-length, all with slim builds and nice clothes, but nothing too flashy. With the aid of the potion, they were revealed to be sharp-faced, and their skin was green with a slightly metallic sheen to it. Their hair was long, curling down their backs and coiling on the seats around them, and coloured all shades of blue, green, and purple. But it was their eyes that made them look Other—they had a flat, shiny surface, like metal, that reflected the light in an odd way, gleaming with a feral intelligence, and they were completely round—fish eyes. They were flirting with their companions, and every now and again, the Mermaids laughed, revealing tiny sharp teeth, and on the side of their necks were gills, lying flat and unused for now.

  Briar and Avery stepped back, trying to watch them discretely through the crowd, and then as Avery turned to look for El, she nearly dropped her drink. At least half of the booths were filled with Mermaids, and she saw another couple at the bar.

  She turned her back immediately, trying the hide the panic on her face. “Shit. Briar. We’re surrounded.”

  Briar glanced around and went pale. “What now?”

  “Beat a hasty retreat? This was about finding them. And we have.”

  El joined them, keeping her expression admirably blank. “First, well done. Your potion worked. Now what?”

  Avery glanced nervously between them. “I think we need to get out of here, before they realise they’ve been identified. There are way more of them than I thought there’d be. And then we decide on a plan.”

  El led the way to the door. They were a long way from the entrance, and trying to get through the press of bodies was slow going. They were doing well, until a Mermaid turned from the bar to get back to her booth, coming face to face with them. Avery couldn’t help it. She blinked and averted her gaze, and she knew immediately she’d made a mistake. The Mermaid frowned and turned to look after her, and Avery knew she knew.

  Within seconds, like ripples in water, head after head turned to watch them, the humans remaining oblivious. Avery felt the atmosphere change, becoming predatory, and the smell of brine bloomed around them. What was happening?

  They arrived at the door leading to the stairs and freedom, and stepped into the dark entryway, ready to run, when they came to a sudden stop.

  A Mermaid stood on the stairs, waiting for them, and one stepped into the narrow stairwell behind them.

  The Mermaid on the stairs smiled maliciously, the dim light shimmering on her iridescent scales and glinting off her sharp, white teeth. Her eyes observed them dispassionately. “What are you that you can see us?” she asked in a silky smooth voice.

  El didn’t even bother bluffing. Her hands balled with fire as she said, “We’re witches, powerful witches, and we’re investigating you. What are you doing in White Haven?”

  The Mermaid didn’t answer El’s question. Instead, she narrowed her strange round eyes, stepped forward, and sniffed deeply. “Ah, yes. I see it now. You carry your magic well. It drapes around you like a cloak.” Her eyes fell to their bags where they carried the potion bottles, and she smirked. “A clever spell. With all the magic in this pretty place, it was well disguised. And I was a little distracted with all of your lovely men.”

  “I asked you a question,” El said.

  “You know what we seek, human,” she continued in her lilting voice that carried the soft shush of waves. “Searching for mates. And this place is rich with them.”

  “They are not yours to take!” Avery said, rage flashing through her. “They have families and loved ones here. They do not belong beneath the waves.”

  The Mermaid smiled seductively and played with her hair, and then turned to catch the light, and Avery realised that she was trying to seduce her. “Oh, but they do. Their life will be long and pleasurable with us. They shall want for nothing. It is surprising how quickly they forget their human life.”

  Despite Avery’s immunity from the Mermaid’s charms, her manner was unnerving, and she had to resist the urge to step back.

  “But why White Haven?” Briar asked. Avery noticed her shoes were in her hands, her bare feet planted solidly on the floor.

  The Mermaid laughed again. “The magic—your magic—falls through the sky.” She held out her hands as if to catch something. “It falls even now, like rain, into my hands and into the sea. The cu
rrents brought it to us, out in the deep, deep ocean. It called us. It feeds us. It falls on your men, even though they don’t know it. And now we want them. It is rare to find magic in such rich supply.” She looked at them speculatively. “And I think there is nothing you can do about that.”

  “You need to leave,” Avery said, adrenalin making her bold. “You will not take anyone.”

  “You dare to threaten us?” The Mermaid laughed, and the one behind them joined in. “We are the Daughters of Llyr. We will leave only when we are ready.”

  The magical energy in the small stairway was strong now, emanating in waves from all of them, and Avery realised with a horrible clarity that the Mermaids had a powerful magic of their own.

  El was well aware of it too and she said, “You have your own magic. I can feel it. Why do you need ours?”

  “All magic is useful, witch, surely you know that.”

  The Mermaid stepped closer to El, and then in a lightning strike, pushed El against the wall, her hand against her throat, and Avery noticed her webbed fingers and long nails like talons. Water started to trickle from El’s mouth as she struggled to breathe and started to turn blue in front of them, the ball of fire in her hands disappearing.

  Avery reacted instinctively, the wind already teasing her hair, and she slammed the Mermaid behind her against the wall as well, lifting her several feet off the ground. “Stop. We can both play that game.”

  The first Mermaid ignored her, focussing only on El, her face inches away as she watched El struggle. Briar stamped her foot, causing a strong root to snake out of the wooden stairs. It caught the Mermaid around the ankle and pulled her away from El, breaking her concentration. El fell forward onto her knees, spewing up water, and dragging in ragged breaths, but Avery kept the second Mermaid firmly pinned against the wall. She could feel her prodding at her magic, trying to release herself, and hissing with annoyance.

  The first Mermaid bent forward and reached for the root, grasping it firmly. Within seconds the wood turned soft and rotten and fell away, and she looked up at them triumphantly.

  Avery couldn’t believe Briar’s spell had been disarmed so easily, but she tried not to show her surprise or any sign of weakness. She stared the first Mermaid down. “This is not a debate. You need to leave White Haven now.”

  Fortunately the stairwell had remained empty, but any minute now, someone could arrive, and Avery wanted to end this quickly. This was not the place for a fight. And she had the feeling they were horribly outgunned.

  The Mermaid appraised her with cold eyes. “We are many, little witch, and you are few. We leave when we’re ready, and if you continue to threaten us, we will take all of your men with us. Now, release my friend.”

  For a few seconds they locked eyes, and then the door slammed above and voices carried towards them.

  Avery dropped the Mermaid to the floor and in seconds, the Mermaids returned to the bar, leaving Avery, El, and Briar to make their way out.

  They ran out to the street and down the road, their hearts pounding, and leaned against the wall of the closest chip shop, taking refuge in the handful of people milling around.

  “That didn’t go so well,” El said, her breathing still ragged and uneven as she gingerly felt her neck. Her skin had a horrible pallor to it. “Ugh, I can still feel her webbed hands on me.”

  “Did she hurt you?” Briar asked, moving El’s fingers to examine the area.

  “No, I’m fine, honestly. My chest aches a little, and I’ll just be a bit bruised.” She looked annoyed and shocked. “As is my ego. She was faster and stronger than I expected.”

  Avery nodded, reflecting on their encounter. “She was quick—and she tried to drown you, on dry land! I mean, I knew they had magic, but I guess I really didn’t appreciate how much.”

  Briar rested her hands for a few more moments on El’s neck, and Avery felt a pulse of healing magic. “That should help,” she said, finally moving away. “Let me know if you need a poultice.”

  El smiled ruefully. “Thanks, Briar.”

  Avery glanced at her watch. “If we hurry we can get to The Wayward Son before last call—I’d like to tell Alex what happened.”

  “I have a feeling Reuben is there, too,” El said. “The football’s on.”

  They almost ran to the pub, and got to the bar just as the bell for final orders was ringing. The bar staff were busy serving customers getting their last rounds in, and the hum of noise and familiar surroundings were comforting. Alex was pulling pints with the rest of his staff and he glanced up, noticing Avery’s arrival. He shouted, “Be with you in a minute!”

  Reuben and Newton were sitting on stools at the end of the bar, watching a repeat of the weekend’s Manchester United versus Chelsea match on the television mounted on the wall in the corner, both with a fresh pint in front of them. As the girls joined them, El placed a kiss on Reuben’s cheek.

  “Ladies,” Newton acknowledged, turning around. He looked them up and down and frowned. “What have you three been up to?”

  “Investigating,” Avery answered nervously. She knew he would not be happy.

  “Investigating what?” Newton asked suspiciously.

  They were surrounded by people in the pub, and although there was a steady buzz of conversation, it wasn’t private. “We’ve been looking into our latest problem.”

  “Which one?” Reuben asked.

  “The sea-related one,” Briar answered enigmatically.

  “Oh, so that’s why you were so vague earlier,” Reuben said to El. “That was very sneaky of you.”

  El bristled slightly. “For a very good reason!”

  “Why is your neck red?” Reuben asked accusingly.

  “Er, things got a little ugly.”

  “What!” he said, eyes wide with worry.

  “Please calm down,” she said, reaching forward to reassure him. “I’m okay. We’re okay.”

  “I think,” Briar said decisively, “that we should check out in here—just in case. Glass of wine, please, Avery. El—care to help?”

  “My pleasure. Get me a pint of Doom, please,” El said, following Briar deeper into the pub.

  “No problem,” Avery replied, fishing inside her bag for her purse.

  Alex finished serving his customer and moved closer until all four of them were leaning together around the bar.

  “What have you done?” Newton asked, looking increasingly annoyed. “And what are they doing?” He gestured toward El and Briar, now lost in the crowd.

  “I identified a way of finding our visitors. And it worked.” Avery looked at their astonished faces, trying not to look too pleased with herself. “We have located a healthy number of visitors in The Badger’s Set. In fact, unhealthy would be a better word. They are already choosing their prey. El and Briar are just making sure there are none here.”

  “Are you kidding?” Alex said, visibly annoyed. “That was incredibly dangerous. You should have involved us.”

  Avery looked incredulous. “Really? After you were so quickly seduced the other day? I don’t think so.”

  “It was minor and you know it,” he argued.

  Reuben looked slightly sheepish. “It wasn’t that minor really, Alex. We were enthralled.”

  Alex grimaced at him. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”

  “Yeah, shut up, Reuben,” Newton added. He adopted his interrogation face and looked at Avery again. “Was the bar in thrall to them? And how many are we talking?”

  “I’d estimate at least a dozen, maybe more. And no, the bar wasn’t ‘in thrall.’ Well, not the entire bar. They were getting cosy in the booths.” They were all glaring at her, and she turned to Alex. “Look, can you at least get me some wine before this interrogation continues?”

  He sighed and rubbed his face. “Bloody Hell, Avery. You’re exasperating. All right. And then I want to hear every detail!”

  By the time El and Briar returned, the bar had quieted down and Avery had informed them about th
eir encounter on the stairs.

  Alex asked, “Anything I need to worry about here?”

  “Clean bill of health,” El said, visibly relieved. “But I think we should do regular checks every night.”

  “I agree,” Briar said, pulling up a stool and sitting down before taking a sip of wine. “There’s some potion left.”

  “And I can make some more,” Avery added. “But identifying them is now the least of our worries. They are strong. Or at least the main one we spoke to was. I’m worried our magic is no match for theirs.”

  “It will be,” Alex assured her. “We just need to find their weakness.”

  “I’ll let Genevieve know,” Avery said. “I feel we need to keep the Council informed about everything. And perhaps they can help. Someone must know some way to fight them.”

  Reuben grinned. “I bet Ulysses does.”

  21

  Halfway through the morning the next day, on a break between customers, Avery phoned Oswald. His voice was warm. “Avery, how can I help you?”

  “It seems we have a Mermaid infestation, and I was hoping to speak to Ulysses.”

  Oswald was silent for a moment. “May I ask why?”

  Avery faltered for a second, and then thought she should just be honest. “I was told that Ulysses had Mermaid lineage, and thought he might have valuable insight, but if I’m wrong, or we shouldn’t know…” she trailed off apologetically.

  There were a few more seconds of silence and Avery wondered if she’d just made a horrible mistake, when Oswald finally said, “Let me speak to him and I’ll call you back.”

  Avery then spent an uncomfortable few hours trying to distract herself. She reorganised bookshelves, changed stock, decided to increase the defences on her shop and flat, and drove Dan mad.