Thaumatology 03 - Legacy

by Teasdale, Niall

  Ceri looked at the letter she was still holding. Walking up to the cage, she held it out to Lily. ‘This came in the post this morning. Look at it.’

  A tentative hand stretched out and took the letter. There were a few seconds of silence. ‘That’s my Dad’s mark.’

  ‘That… makes sense.’

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘John said they detected him leaving the Archmage Club and then he went to a house in Islington. So, he gets some notepaper and an envelope from the club, writes the note, and then posts it on the way. He wouldn’t actually be disobeying Tanner’s orders doing that.’

  ‘And he’s telling us this because? No, actually, what is he telling us?’

  ‘It was addressed to me,’ Ceri said, her voice calm despite the growing feeling of panic starting to develop in her stomach. ‘He’s asking me to perform a demonic binding spell on you.’

  Lily’s head shot up, her eyes bright. ‘Right! And that would stop him from…’ She stopped, her face falling.

  ‘There’s no way I’m doing it, Lil.’

  ‘No, no you’re right, I can’t ask you to do that. If anyone found out they’d entomb you in granite for eternity. I was there for the ethics bit of your practitioner’s course.’

  Ceri laughed and Lily blinked at her, confused. ‘That isn’t why I won’t do it, love. You’d be my slave, tied to me until we died. I can’t do that to you.’

  Lily looked at her for a long second. ‘You’d do it, even though it could mean entombment?’

  ‘No, you’re not listening…’

  ‘Yes I am. I wouldn’t be your slave. I’d have to do what you ordered me to do, but I do that anyway. And I’m already tied to you until one of us kicks the bucket. The thing you didn’t mention is that I wouldn’t be able to harm you, which is exactly what I want. You would be risking a lot more than I’d be losing.’

  ‘I’m not sure you’re thinking straight, Lil,’ Ceri said. ‘I’d be taking away your freedom.’

  ‘You’d be giving me my freedom.’

  ‘That’s not how I see it…’

  ‘All right,’ Lily held her hands up. ‘A transaction, I may lose some degree of freedom I don’t wish to have, you could be sealed in rock forever.’ She frowned as though this finished the argument, but there was something else. ‘Why has he told us about this? Is it a trap?’

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Bindings are difficult to spot, hard to prove. It’s unlikely Tanner could use it to get to me, and besides, it totally defeats his use of you against me. So, your father is giving us the information.’

  ‘Again, why?’

  ‘Well, let’s assume it’s not out of the goodness of his heart. What usually happens to half-demons?’

  Lily grimaced. ‘We get worse and worse until, eventually, we do something bad enough that we get turned into sushi by a Special Tactics Squad.’

  ‘And the demon loses his anchor to Earth,’ Ceri stated triumphantly.

  ‘A perfectly good, selfish reason,’ Lily noted, nodding thoughtfully. ‘We’re arguing ourselves into doing something insane, aren’t we?’

  The panic which had been winding itself up inside Ceri was threatening to break out. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I knew we would as soon as I realised what the letter meant.’

  ‘You look like you’re about to scream.’

  Ceri nodded. ‘I’m going to go over in the corner there and rock back and forward for a minute or two, then I’ll get the stuff we need.’

  ‘We’re going to do it now?’

  ‘Sooner the better,’ Ceri said. ‘Besides, it’s Beltane, it’s a good day for it.’

  Lily frowned as Ceri walked to the altar at the end of the room to calm down. Why was Beltane a good day?

  ~~~

  Ceri came down the steps to the dungeon dressed in her best dominatrix outfit; black leather corset and thong, and a pair of thigh boots with four-inch heels which Lily had bought her because “you’ll look totally awesome in them.” Ignoring Lily entirely, especially the adoring expression on her face, she made her way down to the end of the room and prepared everything. Then she walked back to the cage.

  ‘Ready?’ she asked.

  ‘If you are.’

  ‘Okay, try not to be offended.’ Ceri closed her eyes and summoned her power, pushing it into the simple, silver chain in her hand. ‘Demon, I am your Mistress,’ she said. ‘I charge this symbol of my power and of your eternal bondage. I empower it to bind you. I endow it with my will. Your spirit is no match for mine, your soul a mere shadow. You cannot resist my power for you are my pitiful, insignificant slave.’

  Opening her eyes, she looked down at Lily. ‘Take the end of the chain,’ she said. ‘Don’t let go.’ Almost timidly, Lily reached out and wrapped her hand around the end of the chain. Her eyes widened and she began to tremble as Ceri’s energy began to flow into her. ‘My will controls you. My will overwhelms you. You can do nothing to resist me. You are mine.’ She let go of the chain, but Lily just sat there, her mouth slightly open, her breath coming in pants. ‘Put the chain around your neck and close the catch, demon,’ Ceri said, putting every ounce of authority into her voice she could manage.

  Her hand trembling, Lily pulled the chain into the cage with her. There was a small spark as it passed the bars and Lily whimpered. She put the chain around her throat as though it were a snake about to bite. There was a click as she locked it in place.

  Ceri took a key from her bodice and unlocked the padlock on the cage. ‘Come out, demon. Know your place. You are mine.’

  Lily stood and stepped out of the cage, her eyes on the floor. Still, Ceri felt her scalp tighten as Lily’s aura swept over her. There would be red in Lily’s eyes; she was excited, aroused by the power. Ceri had to bite her lip to avoid ordering Lily to go down on her right there and then. Instead she turned and walked toward the end of the room, Lily following after her.

  Ceri pointed at the circle her mother had had cut into the stone of the floor. Now it had the St Andrew’s Cross mounted over it; Lily had liked the symbology. Now she moved to stand in front of the cross; she probably knew what was coming next, and she did not resist as Ceri stretched her left arm up to close a silver-iron shackle around her wrist. She lifted her right arm ready for the next shackle, and spread her legs for the ankle chains to be locked in place. Ceri turned and walked back toward the altar.

  When she turned back, a large church candle in each hand, Lily was looking up, her pupils shining red. Ceri pushed the desire she was feeling out of her mind and stepped forward, placing a candle on the northern point of the pentagram within the circle. A candle went at each point, working clockwise. Lily said nothing the whole time, but her body was moving, almost writhing, in the restraints.

  The candles set, Ceri returned to the altar. She picked up her father’s ceremonial dagger with its ebony handle and slid it into the top of her boot, and then picked up her staff from where it was leaning against the altar. Binding Lily was going to take a lot of power. She walked into the circle and looked Lily in the eyes. Lily licked her lips hungrily; her father’s influence was starting to have an effect as she became aroused.

  Ceri raised her staff and brought it down on the stone. The five candles burst into flame and Lily let out a gasp. Once more the staff rose and fell, the sound of metal striking stone resonated through the room, and the circle’s carvings flared with brilliant, white light. Reaching out her hand, Ceri placed her index finger on the chain around Lily’s throat. The staff rose and fell again. Light blazed from the crystal at its head and Lily’s head flew back, her mouth opening to scream, but no sound coming out. The half-demon’s body was rigid and shaking as power roared into her through the chain around her neck.

  ‘Feel my power, worm,’ Ceri said. ‘Feel my strength. You are mine. Your body is mine. Your spirit is mine. Your soul is mine.’ Ceri could see the energy flowing through the medians in Lily’s body. They shone like beacons in her Si
ght. ‘I bind you, demon. I bind your spirit.’ Silver threads began to form, wrapping themselves around the misty triangle of Lily’s spirit. ‘I bind your soul,’ she said, and the threads began to twist around Lily’s soul-ribbon. ‘I bind your body,’ she said, and watched as the bridge at the base of the two medians began to vanish under the silver threads. ‘I bind you unto me, mine until the end of time.’

  As the threads finally enclosed the three bridge points entirely, Ceri pulled the knife from her boot. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes, and cut a gash in her palm, wincing at the sudden pain. Lily was still straining against the energy throbbing through her body. Ceri reach up and clenched her fist over Lily’s mouth. ‘By my blood I bind thee,’ she said, letting her blood trickle into Lily’s mouth. Lily swallowed convulsively and her body shook.

  Taking the knife, Ceri cut a short gash at the top of one of Lily’s perfect breasts. ‘By your blood,’ she said, ‘I join us.’ Leaning forward, she licked blood from the cut. It felt like someone had run a battery over her tongue. Her head swam and she struggled to keep herself standing. She raised her staff. ‘By my power,’ she said, ‘we are one!’ The metal heel of the staff struck the stone. A wind sprang out of nowhere, swirling around the circle and extinguishing the candles. Lily gave one last convulsive shudder and then sagged forward against her shackles.

  Ceri held herself up with her staff. The inlayed markings on the upper part of the rod were glowing a brilliant blue; an indication that she had taxed its power to the limit. She lifted her cut hand and looked down at it. Light flickered over the wound and it closed, leaving no mark. She reached out and drew a finger over the cut on Lily’s breast, closing that wound as well. As she did so she felt Lily awakening.

  The half-succubus lifted her head and looked into Ceri’s eyes. A weak, happy smile broke out over her face and Ceri smiled back. ‘I can feel you,’ Lily said softly.

  ‘I know,’ Ceri replied. She could feel the pain in Lily’s arms from her body weight pulling at her shoulder joints. She could feel the sense of intense contentment. Most of all she could feel the joy.

  ‘I can’t feel him,’ Lily said. ‘I’ve never felt so free!’

  Ceri could not help but laugh at the irony. ‘Now, when you really are my bound demon, my pet. Now you feel free?’

  ‘Well,’ Lily said, ‘I’d feel freer if you let me out of these cuffs.’

  Giggling, Ceri got the key from the altar and unlocked the little padlocks which secured Lily’s shackles. Lily almost fell and Ceri held her up, half-carrying her to the altar and helping her lift herself onto it.

  ‘Why was today a good day to do this?’ Lily asked.

  ‘It’s traditionally a good day for marriages,’ Ceri replied. ‘May I kiss the bride?’

  Lily giggled and leaned forward. Their lips met and parted just as quickly. ‘Did you feel that?’ Lily asked.

  ‘I felt… you.’ Ceri leaned forward again and this time their tongues met before their lips. After a few seconds they parted, gasping. ‘Oh wow,’ Ceri managed to get out.

  Lily was looking at her wide-eyed. ‘The sex is going to be…’

  ‘Absolutely incredible,’ Ceri finished.

  Part Four: Merlin’s Disciples

  Kennington, London, May 3rd, 2011

  It was a blazing hot day and, naturally, Lily was up on the roof soaking in the heat from the sun. Ceri lay on the lounger next to her, wondering how she had ever wondered why Lily spent so much time in the sun. The novelty factor of the new connection between them had not worn off yet and she was revelling in the feeling of warmth and contentment coming from her demon.

  There was also the amusement factor. The two of them were lying, stark naked, on the roof while almost a dozen reporters blockaded the house on the street below. It would likely have been annoying, being unable to easily leave the house, if the two of them had not been rather engrossed in discovering how much pleasure Ceri could take without exploding. They had so far concluded it was quite a lot, but further experimentation was called for.

  Twill appeared through the roof hatch, disturbing their quiet contemplation of the inside of their eyelids. Behind her, the phone from the study floated along in mid-air. ‘Ceri,’ the fairy said, ‘phone for you.’ The handset floated toward Ceri and she sat up to pluck it out of the air.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Miss Brent, it’s Sergeant Middleshaw.’ Clearly Kate was in the office and being formal. Her boss was possibly standing nearby.

  ‘Hi, what can I do for you?’

  ‘Can you and Miss Carpenter get to Greycoat Street? Preferably without the gentleman outside knowing about it?’

  ‘I think we can do that, yes. See you in… thirty minutes?’

  ‘See you then.’ The phone cut off.

  Ceri looked around at Lily. ‘Time to get dressed, love.’

  The half-succubus opened one eye and looked at Ceri. ‘They better have a good reason for disturbing my first sun day of the year.’

  Westminster

  Barry looked a little disapproving about Lily’s short dress and Ceri’s tight T-shirt, but it was warm out and he had requested they come in to the station. His office was not exactly huge, but it could seat six people; Kate and John, Ceri and Lily, Barry, and another man who came dressed in fatigues. Barry was sat behind a cheap desk, but he did have a fairly large desk chair.

  ‘Miss Brent, Miss Carpenter, this is Chief Inspector Xavier,’ Barry introduced the man. ‘He’s heading up the Special Tactics group for this operation.’

  ‘Operation?’ Ceri asked.

  ‘We’ve had the house in Islington under surveillance,’ Barry said. ‘We’ve seen no evidence of Miss Carpenter’s father leaving it since he went in, but we have seen some other traffic.’ He slid some photographs over his desk. ‘Recognise any of these?’

  Ceri picked up the pictures and began going through them, handing each one off to Lily as she failed to identify them. She paused on the third one. ‘Was this the one who knocked you out?’ she asked, handing the photo over.

  Lily frowned at it. ‘I think so.’

  ‘Think so?’ John asked.

  ‘It was dark, he hit me pretty quickly, but I’m fairly sure.’

  ‘And this,’ Ceri said, holding up another of the pictures, ‘is Tanner. I doubt I’ll ever forget that face.’

  ‘You’re sure?’ Barry asked.

  Ceri nodded. ‘I saw him in full daylight, and I had plenty of time to look at him. Besides, he’s not exactly unmemorable.’

  ‘Good,’ Barry said. ‘We’re going in tonight. Xavier’s team will head it up and make sure there’s no problems. Radcliffe and Middleshaw will follow with the uniformed officers. I want this by the book.’

  Ceri looked at Lily, she nodded back. ‘We’d like to be there,’ Ceri said. She could see Barry opening his mouth to say “no.” ‘Lily has training in fighting demons, and I have specialist skills in dealing with wizards and magical traps. We’ll be useful.’

  Barry sucked his teeth and looked at Xavier. In his late thirties, the Special Tactics op still looked like had had seen a fair amount of action. His blond hair was greying prematurely and there was a long scar running from his right temple to his cheek, just missing the eye. ‘You’ll stay back while we make entry,’ he said. ‘You’ll follow orders at all times. Is that clear?’

  ‘I’m not a tactician, Chief Inspector,’ Ceri replied, ‘I learned last winter to employee the talents of those with more skill than me. You’re in charge, just so you realise we’re not pushovers and we’re available.’

  Xavier nodded. ‘I’ve read the files on both of you, otherwise I’d be telling you to stay home. Two dead demonic werewolves last winter which we don’t officially know you were responsible for, the business at Stonehenge, not to mention the destruction of a Dakag and a pacted wizard. I’ll take the assistance.’

  Islington

  The house was a three storey terrace. There were no lights in any of the windows. It loo
ked like it was empty from what Ceri could see, but Kate had told them that the windows had all been boarded over from the inside.

  She was in an unmarked police car with Lily, and John and Kate. They had pulled up barely two minutes earlier to check the front before the assault. As Ceri let her Sight roam over the front of the building she heard voices over the radio.

  ‘Squad C, in position. Rear yard clear.’

  ‘Squad B, ready.’

  ‘Squad A ready. Squad C, remain on station. Intercept anyone leaving the building.’

  The last was Xavier. He was waiting for the go-ahead from John. ‘There are boundary enchantments on the door and the windows,’ Ceri said. ‘You’ll need to take them down before entry, but they were not done to stop, just delay.’

  John picked up the radio handset and pressed the key. ‘Squad A from Watchtower, battering ram required, you’re clear for entry.’

  Ceri felt herself tensing even before the two black vans came down the road from opposite ends and screeched to a halt. The back doors opened and two squads of eight men armed with sub-machine guns stormed out of the back doors. Behind each group another man emerged, each carrying a four-foot rod. As soon as the gunmen had formed a perimeter the rod-wielders braced themselves, levelled the rods at the door, and two beams of bright, white energy smashed into the wood. Ceri flinched and covered her eyes. When she looked up again, the door was a smoking ruin, the barrier wards were down, and the police were moving in.

  ‘Squad A moving in,’ the radio said. ‘No immediate resistance. Squad B, stay on station.’

  ‘Do we move?’ Lily asked.

  ‘No,’ John said. ‘We wait for Xavier to clear the…’

  He was cut off by the sound of gunfire. The radio broke into life. ‘It’s a Dakag!’

  ‘Bullets aren’t…’

  ‘Move back by twos, concentrate your fire!’