Thaumatology 06 - Hammer of Witches

by Teasdale, Niall

  Michael turned back to the screen in time to see the three slaves kneeling on the rough, stone floor as the “Mistress” stalked into shot in a black corset, thigh-high boots, and a mask. His jaw dropped open.

  ‘I think you’ve melted his brain,’ Twill commented.

  ‘It’s not like he hasn’t seen me in a corset before,’ Ceri said.

  ‘You don’t normally have three hot women at your beck and call,’ Lily suggested. ‘Maybe that’s it.’

  ‘I think,’ Twill said, ‘that he wasn’t expecting to see you prancing around on a screen.’

  ‘You’re right,’ Ceri said, ‘it’s probably that.’

  Michael’s eyes were fixed to the TV and he was starting to make little whimpering noises.

  ‘Are you sure he’s not just disappointed we didn’t ask him to be in it?’ Lily said.

  All three women looked at the werewolf. He licked his lips.

  ‘I’ll, um, put my corset on after the movie’s finished,’ Ceri said.

  Lily giggled. ‘Are you sure you should wait that long?’

  ‘Hell yeah!’ Ceri replied, leaning back on the couch. ‘There’s no way I’m wearing a corset this soon after Twill’s Christmas dinner.’

  ###

  Housemates

  Kennington, London, November 2005

  It was a simple matter of economics. Lily was quite determined to take the chance Carter had given her. Her job at the Jade Dragon was an opportunity to get out of the sex industry, to get off her back and, more importantly, out of the pit of more and more dangerous activities she had been falling into. Unfortunately, being a waitress did not pay anything like as much as indie and illegal porn movies. Lily needed to cut her expenses and that meant moving out of the centre of the city.

  She walked out of the Oval tube station and looked around. Across the road was a church, blocky and pale with a high cupola over it. If she remembered right, the long, straight road to her right was Clapham Road, and the long, straight road on the left was Kennington Park Road. Straight ahead was Camberwell New Road. This place had a lot of long, straight roads.

  There was also a park, which made sense really since it was on the other side of Kennington Park Road. She had heard that there were squats on the road across the park, Saint Agnes Place. They would be a real downgrade from her current flat, but they had the huge advantages of being free and well out of sight, off the grid, so to speak. Checking the traffic, she cut across the road and headed through the gate.

  The trees were bare, of course, but it looked like a nice place. Not one of London’s larger parks, to be sure, but with a couple of big, open lawns and some sort of sporting facilities. A little run down maybe… Well, the little tea house looked as though someone was keeping it running and maintained. From the gate it looked newly painted. Still, check out the squats first so that meant cutting off the path and through the trees to the other side, so that was the way she went. At least there was no mud; her heeled pumps were not exactly built for cross-country trekking.

  Coming out of the trees she saw the house. It looked entirely out of place at the edge of the park, on a street full of fairly normal terrace houses. Then again, the only place it would have looked normal was on the set of a Hammer horror movie. Three storeys and a fairly large attic space, high windows which looked like they had seen better days. There were cobwebs and broken panes. The railings around the flat roof had bats built into them. Lily grinned. It looked kind of disused. The fence around it looked like it could use some work. Maybe that was one of the squats.

  Lily was about to go knock on the door when a tall woman with short, black hair appeared from the front of it, walking around the little gravel path and out through the arbour at the side. She was dressed in a neat, blue jacket and jeans which could have fit better, but were clean and unpatched. Lily took in the long legs, trim body, fairly small chest, slightly masculine features; yes, the jawline was strong, that was what did it, but actually she would be kind of pretty if she did not look like she was scared of her own shadow. The girl stopped on the path, looking around as though she expected to be mugged at any moment. Really hesitant, that was what she was. Apparently coming to a decision, the girl turned and walked off toward Saint Agnes Place, vanishing out of sight behind some buildings.

  Now those buildings looked more like squats; scruffy in the badly maintained sense. Unfortunately, they also had big metal plates bolted over the windows and, when Lily followed the dark-haired girl around onto the street, the doors were similarly sealed. The nearest one looked like it was a Rastafari temple, or had been before someone had locked it up tighter than a drum. None of the other nearby buildings were open; it looked like the squats had been shut down. Damn! Well, there were still flats around here she could probably rent for far less than her current one.

  What she needed was some inside information. Turning back into the park, Lily headed for the tearooms. She was willing to bet someone there would know where the good places to stay were.

  ~~~

  There were a few shops on Camberwell New Road, right around the corner from the house and one of them was a newsagent-come-off licence which would put cards in the window for a couple of pounds. That was where Ceri took her own little six-by-four index card with the carefully written advertisement on it.

  It was a simple matter of economics. She was a student. The house had no mortgage, but it was starting to need maintenance. There were the usual bills, and she was on a grant from the local council, not a real salary. She needed extra money, and maybe she did not really want a lodger, but it was the only thing she could think of to get the extra cash.

  Standing outside the shop, she looked at the card. Wanted: Housemate. Rent £300 pm plus share of bills. Female preferred. Apply High Towers, St Agnes Pl. Well, it was to the point. She had entertained ideas about some hunky guy coming to stay, falling madly in love with him, and ending up with a new boyfriend. The entertainment had lasted for about five seconds before she remembered the last guy she had dated, and how well that had gone. Then she had added the “female preferred” bit.

  Now, should she put the second card on the board at the tearooms? People visiting the area often went there and that would be a good place to put a card. She headed back to the park, considering it as she went. Her parents had been involved with fundraising for the park’s upkeep and the people at the tearooms knew her. They might be willing to post her advert, even if the board was technically for announcements. She could ask…

  She stopped outside the low building and looked in through the window. There was only one customer in the place and she was facing away from the window. All Ceri could see was a trim figure and a mass of lush, auburn hair. Unfortunately she could also see Mrs Pubert behind the cash register. Pubert had never liked her and Ceri had never really understood why, though she thought it had something to do with her parents being enchanters. Some people just did not like practitioners, or magic in general. No, the one card in the newsagents would have to do.

  Turning, Ceri headed back to the house. Being outside was starting to make her feel edgy anyway.

  ~~~

  The waitress was a jobbing arts student; Lily could tell she was not exactly a professional. She did not live nearby either which made her pretty worthless as a source of information. The old bat behind the till had given Lily the kind of look one normally reserved for dog shit on the bottom of your shoe. She was no use. The student had said that the local newsagent had cards in the window; that could be useful. Lily finished her overly bitter coffee and headed for the main road.

  Sure enough there were cards in the window. Two flats, one room in a student house, and… High Towers on Saint Agnes Place. High Towers? There had been a big, tower-like construction at the front of the “haunted” house. But that was just one tower. Three hundred was cheap, even with extra bills… There was the girl. The cute, slightly repressed girl. Was she the resident, or another lodger? She seemed young to be living in a place like
that. She really had been kind of cute though.

  Almost out of curiosity as much as anything, Lily walked back around the curve in the narrow road again, and this time she opened the iron gate at the bottom of the garden. It was not exactly much of a garden; a gravel path, some scruffy grass, and some trees, one of them looking like it had died. There was a portico with double doors and that looked kind of grand, even if you suspected they would be opened by a tall, thin butler who looked like he had been dead for a century. She knocked and waited.

  ~~~

  The knock on the door came as something of a surprise; no one came to High Towers, generally anyway. Someone wanting to read the meters? It could not be someone answering the advert; not this quickly. Ceri opened the door and immediately decided that this was not a meter reader.

  For one thing, meter readers generally did not wear little, spaghetti-strapped tank tops or mini-skirts, or four-inch heels with open toes. Then again, Ceri was not sure how the girl was not freezing to death. The lush, auburn hair suggested that this was the customer from the tearooms. She did, indeed, have a trim figure, though her hips were wider than Ceri would have guessed and the chest was… How did she keep her balance?! Long legs too. Her face was angular, exotic, beautiful. Perfectly arched eyebrows over eyes so dark they were black, and her skin was porcelain perfection. She favoured Ceri with a slight smile; her teeth were perfect too.

  ‘Hi,’ the girl said, her voice bright, ‘I’m Lily. I saw your card in the newsagent’s window…’

  ‘Oh… I put it in there, like, fifteen minutes ago. I wasn’t expecting… You’d better come in.’ She backed up, allowing Lily to walk through into the hall.

  ‘Oh… wow… this place is really awesome. How many live here?’

  Ceri closed the inner doors, following the buxom girl inside. ‘It’s just me. It used to be me and my parents, but… uh… well, they died.’

  Lily turned on the spot, looking around at Ceri with what looked like an honest expression of compassion. ‘I’m sorry.’

  Ceri’s eyes dropped away and she shrugged. ‘It’s been over a year now. I’m used to it.’ She looked back up and knew that Lily did not believe a word of that; neither did Ceri. ‘Uh, I’m Ceri. Should’ve said that. Ceridwyn Brent, but… Ceri, everyone calls me Ceri. Would you like the tour?’

  ‘Oh yes.’ Lily nodded enthusiastically and grinned. This time the grin showed elongated canines. Werewolf maybe? A vampire would have needed sunglasses in the bright sunlight outside. Werewolves were more tolerant of low temperatures…

  ‘The kitchen’s through here,’ Ceri said, heading to the right of the big staircase and through a door. A short corridor went further back into the house, but she took the first door on the right and walked into a good-sized kitchen, fully fitted, with a big, wooden table. There was a door at the back leading outside. ‘There’s another kitchen on the other side of the house, but I don’t use it. My mother had it for brewing potions. And there’s the utility room down the corridor. Washer, drier, space to hang stuff.’

  ‘Your mother was a witch?’

  ‘My parents were enchanters, but Dad did some wizardry and Mum some witchcraft.’

  ‘Do you practice?’

  ‘No talent for it.’ Ceri’s face pinched as she said it. ‘You?’

  ‘No.’

  Ceri was already walking out and Lily followed, her heels clicking on the slate. They went up the stairs to the first landing where Ceri stopped. No, she hesitated. ‘There’s the lounge and the study on this floor. I don’t really use them. The kitchen’s kind of… comfortable.’ She started up the next flight of stairs and Lily followed, making no comment. ‘Two bedrooms up here,’ Ceri said when they reached the top. ‘That’s my room there, and this is the bathroom…’

  Lily gave a little squeak of delight as she walked into the big bathroom. There was a large shower cubicle as well as a big bath, plus toilet and sink, of course. ‘This is gorgeous. You could have parties in here! You should see the place I’m in now. You can barely turn ‘round in it and it’s just got a showerhead over the bath.’

  Ceri smiled; Lily’s enthusiasm was sort of infectious. ‘There’s storage space in the attic if you need it. And you can get up onto the roof from there. I’m not sure why you’d want to, but you can.’

  ‘It’s not overlooked, right? I love sunbathing in the summer. I don’t tan, but the heat feels good.’

  Ceri frowned slightly, but saved the question for later. ‘You’d be in my parents’ old room,’ she said, backing out and walking down the hall to the door at the end. Her hand faltered, but she pushed on the handle. Her little bit of courage faltered there; she could not bring herself to walk into the room.

  Lily did walk in and looked around with a smile on her face. It was a big room with a big bed. It would do nicely, but… ‘Are you really sure you want someone else here?’ she asked. Ceri blinked at her. ‘Don’t get me wrong. It’s perfect. I’ll take it if you’ll have me, but you seem… conflicted.’ Lily knew she was conflicted; she could see it there in the interplay of desires and needs in Ceri’s mind.

  ‘Come down to the kitchen,’ Ceri said. ‘There’s fresh coffee. We can talk.’

  The coffee would have been worth staying for, even if the house had not been just what she needed. Lily sat across the table from Ceri, sipping the smooth, dark brown liquid and waiting for her potential housemate to speak.

  ‘You’re right,’ Ceri said eventually, ‘I’m used to living on my own. But I need someone to share the costs, and a bit of extra money. I’m a student and this place needs some work I can’t afford and… I think I’d like some company. I’m not really great company, but I spend so much time alone…’ She looked up. ‘Are you a werewolf? Not that that’s a problem.’

  Lily shook her head. This was the bit she had been dreading. ‘Half-succubus. My Dad was an incubus.’

  The reaction was not what she had expected. ‘Really?! Oh wow. I mean… really? That’s amazing!’

  Lily raised an eyebrow. ‘Most people don’t react like that to half-demons.’

  ‘I study thaumatology,’ Ceri said.

  Lily’s brow furrowed slightly. ‘Actually, you don’t react to me like most people do at all. You’re not interested, are you?’

  Ceri blinked, uncertain. ‘I’m fascinated! A real half-demon? Do you know how rare those are these days?’

  ‘Not really. I’ve never met another one. Most end up doing something stupid and dying. That’s not what I mean. Most humans who find out what I am, well, most humans who look at me, want to find out what I’m like in bed. You’re not interested.’

  Ceri’s cheeks went scarlet. ‘Well, no, I like guys. I…’ Her face straightened suddenly. ‘Oh maybe this wouldn’t work,’ she said.

  ‘What? Why?’

  Ceri lifted her arm and Lily found herself looking at an intricate, runic tattoo which covered the inside of Ceri’s forearm from her wrists almost to her elbow. ‘They’re enchantments. Protection against spells and supernaturals. A vampire attacked me once. All that was left was a pile of ash. Auras don’t affect me, aside from making my wrists hurt. If you and I were to, um… Well, I don’t know what it’d do to you.’

  Lily looked at her, her gaze intent. ‘I’d really like to try. Living here, I mean, not sleeping with you’

  ‘But…’

  ‘Okay, look. I… I’ve been going through a bad patch. I sank pretty low and someone gave me a second chance. I’m trying to clean up my act, if you like. I’m sick of being the girl everyone wants to sleep with. Don’t get me wrong, I’m half succubus, I like sex, but I don’t want that to be all I am. If I can’t sleep with you that’s great. Really great. I could really use a friend, and when you look at me you don’t just see tits, legs, pussy.’ She paused; the next bit was delicate. ‘And I think you could use a friend too.’

  Ceri looked back across the table. She could see the tension, and the eagerness. She could see someone who wanted to be her friend and
most people did not seem to notice she was even there. ‘All right. When can you move in?’

  Lily beamed. It was really amazing. An incredibly sexy woman, a half-succubus, had suddenly turned into a twelve year old who had been told she could have that pony she wanted. ‘This weekend? I can’t wait. Can I start bringing stuff over earlier? This’ll be great! Do you drink? I’ll bring a bottle of wine for housewarming.’

  Ceri giggled. ‘I don’t drink much, but a glass or so would be nice. Not too much. I don’t want to turn you into a cinder on the first night.’

  Lily smiled back. ‘You won’t. I’ll be careful. Though…’

  ‘Though?’

  ‘Well, you are going to be a temptation. You’re really kind of cute.’

  Ceri’s cheeks felt as though they might be about to ignite. This was such a bad idea. On the other hand, somehow she felt like Lily would be good for her. It was almost as though this was meant to happen, like they were being pushed together by someone… Except that Ceri did not believe in pre-destination. Luck, coincidence, that was all it was, but it really felt like good luck and Ceri had the feeling that they both needed a little good luck right now.

  ###

  About the Author

  I was born in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall so perhaps a bit of history rubbed off. Ancient history obviously, and border history, right on the edge of the Empire. I always preferred the Dark Ages anyway; there’s so much more room for imagination when people aren’t writing down every last detail. So my idea of a good fantasy novel involved dirt and leather, not shining plate armour and Hollywood-medieval manners. The same applies to my sci-fi, really; I prefer gritty over shiny.

  Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.