Thaumatology 05 - Disturbia

by Teasdale, Niall

  ‘Hmm?’ Lily asked as she paid the driver and followed Ceri out.

  ‘Back there, that just wasn’t me.’

  ‘No?’ Lily checked the traffic and then headed across the road, Ceri following after her. On the opposite side a flight of stone steps led down to a small wharf with a jetty extending into the river.

  ‘I wouldn’t… let someone do that to me. The music…’

  ‘It’s just a bit of encouragement,’ Lily said. ‘There’s no psychotropic effect, just a physical one tuned to resonate the clitoral tissue.’ She gave Ceri a little grin. ‘Tends to make you horny, like I said. That’s all.’

  ‘So you’re saying I’m turning into a whore?’

  ‘What makes you say that?’ Lily sounded concerned, slipping an arm around Ceri’s waist as they walked carefully down the steps and onto the decking.

  ‘I just let some stranger finger me for profit.’ Her voice dropped to a mumble. ‘I enjoyed it too.’

  ‘I know,’ Lily said, ‘I felt it. It was hot. God it was hot.’

  ‘Lily,’ Ceri whined, uncomfortably aware of the arousal still twisting inside her, ‘it’s not me. That’s not… what I am.’

  ‘Why?’ Lily asked. She stopped at the end of the jetty, apparently waiting for something though there was nothing visible on the river nearby. ‘What’s wrong with enjoying sex? Even kinky sex? I like sex. Does that mean there’s something wrong with me?’

  ‘No! But I’m not…’ She stopped. There was no way she could explain to Lily why it was different. She was a scientist; if there was no way she could explain it then she needed to re-analyse the data or come up with a different theory to explain the evidence.

  ‘It’s not like you’re standing on a street corner collecting cash from random men,’ Lily said. ‘You don’t have urges to do that, do you?’

  ‘No!’

  ‘So a little harmless exhibitionism turns you on. So what? You’re not hurting anyone, even yourself.’

  ‘Well… no…’

  ‘You’re sexy, confident enough to let yourself go, even let yourself be used. Do you feel less for what happened?’ Lily’s question was demanding, defiant.

  ‘Well, no, I…’

  ‘There are women who would quite literally give up their soul to have that man do that to them,’ Lily said. ‘They’d crawl over hot coals and beg on their knees to be fucked by him, and he wanted you.’ A slight tension in the half-demon’s spine Ceri had not noticed was there relaxed as a pattern of lights on the river began moving in their direction. ‘Do you understand the power that represents? You don’t do you? One of the most powerful Fae in the city, maybe the country, wants you. He was hoping to tease you into coming to him willingly.’

  ‘I’d never go to him,’ Ceri mumbled, not entirely believing herself.

  ‘That’s not the point,’ Lily snapped, almost angrily. ‘The point is that he thinks you might.’

  ‘Oh,’ Ceri said. ‘But you’re the half-succubus. You’re the sexy seductress…’

  ‘Yeah, so I have to work at it,’ Lily replied. The boat was taking shape now, a dark shape with scattered lights marking it out, but it was at least visible as some form of river boat. ‘Power is sexy, Ceri. For those who can sense it, and that means a lot of supernaturals, you’re so hot they’ll burn themselves.’ She took a small step forward, readying herself as the boat grew closer. ‘I wish you’d understand how… how bright you shine, my Mistress.’ She looked around, her face serious, loving, adoring… ‘We’re going to need that card he gave you, love.’

  The dark boat pulled up at the edge of the jetty. It was big, a large forward cabin which seemed to have no windows, a square bow which suggested a catamaran hull design, and a bridge mounted high up where people moved, lit only by instrument lights. Ceri saw men shifting across the rear deck, moving to put down a gangplank. ‘So what is Bethany’s?’ she whispered.

  ‘Oh,’ Lily said, stepping onto the plank, ‘it’s a brothel.’

  Bethany’s, on the Thames, near Putney Bridge

  If Bethany’s was a brothel, it was the highest class brothel Ceri had ever heard of. The place stank of money and sex, especially the former. Men in suits which probably cost more than Ceri’s monthly salary lounged around the cabin. The women entertaining them were a little more mixed; some in revealing dresses which likely cost more than the suits, some in lingerie. Ceri recognised some of the designs on that lingerie though, she could barely afford to buy a pair of knickers from the shop.

  ‘Not everyone here is a hooker,’ Ceri said, her voice low, as they stood at the small bar.

  ‘Women come for the thrill,’ Lily said. ‘Go out, get laid by three of four guys who pay for the privilege, go home to boring hubby. Bethany takes a bigger cut from the amateurs, everyone gets something out of it.’

  ‘So, the guys around here think we…’

  ‘Came here to get laid, yes.’

  Oh fuck it. ‘After Belvedere I think I could use some.’

  ‘Don’t you dare,’ Lily said, a smile playing over her lips, ‘I want all that pent up frustration for me.’

  ‘There’s plenty of pent up frustration to go around. I could do three or four guys and have some to spare.’

  ‘Oh really?’ Lily’s smile was absolutely predatory.

  ‘Really,’ Ceri breathed. Stepping forward she pressed her body into Lily’s, feeling the mesh of the half-succubus’ dress pressed into her chest by those perfect breasts. Ceri’s mouth covered Lily’s, her tongue probing between hot lips. Pushing her thigh between Lily’s legs, she pressed it upward, grinding against Lily’s sex while she pressing her own against her lover’s hip. When she finally broke the kiss Lily was panting.

  ‘Okay,’ Lily said, ‘you… you’re really frustrated.’

  ‘Quite a show, ladies.’ Ceri turned her head slightly to see a man standing behind Lily. Average height, average looks, but his suit was Saville Row custom made and he had more gold jewellery than a pawn shop. ‘Walton Pith, can I persuade one of you to join me downstairs?’

  ‘We come as a pair,’ Ceri said. The guy they were looking for had just walked up and introduced himself. Out of all the men in the room, he had been the one to pick them.

  ‘No extra cost,’ Lily added, turning to favour their victim with a smile.

  ‘My lucky night,’ Pith said; Ceri was thinking it was theirs, except she did not really believe in luck. He held up a plastic card, the kind of coded key you got in hotels. ‘Already got a room.’

  ‘Lead on,’ Lily said, linking her arm into Ceri’s.

  Pith smiled, showing slightly yellowing teeth, and turned, heading toward a flight of stairs in the bow. They followed him, down, around, and back toward the aft along a corridor. He stopped at the end, turning to grin meaningfully at the girls before swiping the card over a sensor beside the door. There was a click as the lock disengaged.

  Lily gave a mock gasp. ‘The Platinum Suite?’

  ‘Only the best when you’re with me, sweets,’ Pith replied. He pushed open the door and led them in. It was certainly sumptuous; the bed was huge and strewn with plump pillows, there was a loveseat against one wall which looked to be antique. Ceri spotted steel rings at various locations in the ceiling, which probably went with the array of bondage gear and sex toys in a glass fronted cabinet.

  The door clicked shut behind them, the lock engaging with a solid thunk. ‘It’s perfect,’ Ceri said, ‘I love bondage games.’

  Pith turned, licking his lips. ‘Better and better. Who wants to be tied up first?’

  Lily smiled and ramped her aura up to full power. ‘I pick you,’ she purred as he slumped to his knees, eyes rolling back in ecstasy.

  When he regained his senses, Pith was hanging naked from suspension cuffs chained to the ceiling, his legs held apart by a spreader bar and cuffs. His toes barely touched the floor and there had to be a fair amount of strain on his arms. ‘What the fuck did you do to me?! Get me down from here, I don’t do this!’r />
  ‘You can shout all you like, Walton,’ Lily said. ‘I’ve been here before. Bethany’s rooms have the best soundproofing.’

  ‘What do you want?’ Straight to the point; that was admirable at least.

  Ceri stood up from examining the contents of the toy cupboard. She was holding a thick, black handle with a purple probe sticking out of it. ‘Terry Newton,’ she said.

  ‘Who?’

  ‘We know you know where he is,’ Lily told him. ‘We want him. I’ve heard of you, Wally.’ He grimaced at the diminutive. ‘You have a reputation. Illegal porn, prostitution with a side-line in catering to addicting your whores and catering to violent clients.’ She glanced around at Ceri. ‘He likes young girls too. The cops almost nailed him for raping a thirteen year-old. Then the charges were dropped when the girl and her parents mysteriously vanished.’

  ‘Really,’ Ceri said, her expression turning dark. ‘Where’s Terry Newton?’

  ‘You can’t threaten me, bitch. I’m gonna enjoy what my boys and me’ll do to you before slittin’ your throats and dumping you in the river.’

  Ceri placed the purple rod near Lily’s thigh and thumbed a control. There was a crackle and Lily’s leg jerked. ‘Oh wow,’ the half-succubus gasped.

  ‘That was setting one,’ Ceri said. She walked over to Pith and placed the wand against his bicep. There was another crackle, far more intense, and Pith jerked in his chains, screaming. ‘That was three,’ Ceri said, ‘and you scream like a girl.’

  ‘Bitch!’ Pith shrieked. ‘I’m gonna cut your heart out and eat it with…’ He cut off as the wand jabbed into his balls.

  ‘Would you like to try five?’ Ceri asked.

  ‘No!’

  ‘I really don’t like rapists,’ Ceri told him. ‘I really don’t like them. I’m liable to get over-enthusiastic if I start. Where’s Newton?’

  ‘I don’t know who…’ His voice cut off into a scream so loud that Lily covered her ears. It kept going even after Ceri had removed the wand, finally dying away as Pith hung in the cuffs, sweating and panting.

  Ceri touched the tip of the purple rod against the tip of his penis. ‘Terry Newton, Master Black, where is he?’

  ‘L-leather Palace,’ Pith panted. ‘He… he uses it… for filming… Basement dungeon.’

  Ceri fought the urge to fire the device one more time. Her grip tightened on it and Pith’s eyes widened in horror. Instead she tossed the wand onto the bed and reached out to grip Pith’s head in both hands. Power flared, filling the room with light, and Pith’s face went slack. He sagged completely in the cuffs, hanging from the chains like a puppet.

  ‘What did you do to him?’ Lily asked as the light died, her voice soft with awe.

  ‘The same as the Order did to you, wiped his memory. He won’t remember a thing.’

  ‘Nice,’ Lily said, grinning. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

  Nodding, Ceri made for the door. ‘We go to this Leather Palace place next?’

  ‘Yes,’ Lily said following Ceri. ‘Can we get one of those wands?’ she added as the door closed behind them.

  Chiswick

  It was not until they were off the boat and walking toward the river bank along Chiswick Pier that Ceri’s knees buckled and Lily had to catch her to stop her from falling.

  ‘God, Lily, what did I just do?’ Ceri’s voice was shaking as she struggled to control her nerves.

  ‘You got us the information we needed from a hardened criminal,’ Lily replied flatly.

  ‘I tortured that man. I tortured him. And then I wiped his memory to stop him coming after us.’

  ‘Yes. You did what you had to.’

  Pulling herself more or less to her feet, Ceri looked into Lily’s eyes. ‘I’m not sure we should go after Newton,’ she said. ‘We know where he is, maybe we should call in the real cops.’

  ‘We don’t know he’s definitely there,’ Lily said, ‘and we certainly don’t know he’ll still be there by the time John and Kate can get a warrant.’

  Ceri swallowed and looked uncertainly down at her hands. ‘You have to promise me. If I’m going too far, you have to stop me.’

  ‘I don’t think you…’

  ‘That’s an order,’ Ceri said, her voice carrying a hint of authority. ‘I don’t give you many, but this is one. Don’t let me go too far. You can do anything you need to to stop me.’

  Lily’s eyes were wide. She said, ‘Yes, Mistress,’ in a hushed tone which stung. Then the look of worry on Ceri’s face made her add, ‘I promise, Ceri. As your friend, I’ll hold you back if needed, but I still don’t believe you’ll need it.’

  Ceri gave a weak smile. ‘Thank you, love.’ Leaning forward, she gave Lily a soft kiss on the lips which lingered a little longer than intended because Ceri simply did not want it to end. ‘You’re the best pet any Mistress could ever have.’ Hesitantly, she straightened up. ‘So where’s this Leather Palace place?’

  Lily grinned brightly, the tension of a few seconds earlier gone in an instant of lip contact and words. ‘We’ll need to grab another taxi,’ she said.

  Shepherd’s Bush

  The taxi pulled up in front of an old, apparently disused, church just north of Uxbridge Road. Lily handed cash over to the driver who seemed almost reluctant to let the two half-naked girls out of his cab.

  ‘Do you think John and Lorna know this place is less than a mile north of their house?’ Ceri asked as she looked up at the dark building.

  ‘Lorna strikes me as someone who would have dragged John over here if she knew.’

  ‘Maybe we shouldn’t mention it then.’

  ‘I’m going to agree there,’ Lily said, starting down the side of the stone building toward where, Ceri guessed, the entrance to the vestry had once been. Pausing beside the door, Lily knocked a couple of times and waited. Ceri’s eye caught a camera mounted high up on the wall, looking down at them. There were a couple of others arranged along the edge of the roof, looking out at the surrounding area; the place had fairly high security.

  The door opened and a woman in an expensive, embroidered silk corset beckoned them inside. As soon as the door was closed the internal lights brightened and the woman gave them an appraising look. ‘Fifty per head door fee,’ she said, ‘and thirty per cent of any tips you make.’

  Lily nodded, handing over a wad of notes. ‘I’ve been here before, a while back.’

  ‘Enjoy your stay,’ the woman said, indicating a door to their left. Lily opened it and they walked through into what had been the main floor of the church.

  Ceri guessed it had been taller at one time, but the ceiling was still high. Heavy, dark wood beams supported a cream painted ceiling and the room still had original stone pillars at various points. Three of the six pillars had someone chained to them, two women and one man. Two of them were being flogged; an electrical device like the one Ceri had used on Pith was being employed to considerable effect on the last woman. Other people were tied across spanking benches, or chained to crosses. It was the dungeon in High Towers taken to the n-th degree.

  ‘This is the public floor,’ Lily said, her voice low. ‘Doms and subs meet up here and either act something out in public or head to one of the private rooms. There are four rooms upstairs decked out with bondage gear, and a white room.’

  ‘White room?’

  Lily nodded. ‘For medical fetishes, forced enemas, that kind of thing.’ Ceri swallowed; she was not sure she really wanted to know. ‘We want the crypts though,’ Lily added, heading across the hall to a door on the other side.

  At the bottom of the narrow, spiral staircase beyond the door, Ceri realised that the church was part iceberg. The crypts stretched out beyond the foundations of the visible building, and from the looks of it went deeper still as well. The place was a maze of similar, stone walled, dimly lit corridors.

  ‘Where do we look?’ Ceri asked. There was a hint of tightness in the back of her skull; somewhere nearby, someone was using magic.

  ‘Dow
n,’ Lily said, looking around and then setting off down a corridor. She could feel the magic too. ‘We go down and we be careful, he’s doing something.’

  They found another set of stairs, and more corridors. The tension in Ceri’s scalp was growing as they went, not because they were getting closer, she suspected, but because the magical field was growing in strength. Her Sight showed her arcs of thaumitons dancing across the walls. Her fists clenched as she began to suspect what Newton was up to.

  They passed a couple heading back the way they had come. She was in a leather corset and thigh boots, he was naked aside from the dog collar and chain she was leading him by. With him behind her, she was letting her expression go; where Ceri expected haughty disdain, the woman looked scared. Ceri wondered whether she was a sensitive, or just more sensitive than her slave.

  ‘You see the way she was looking?’ Lily asked when they were past.

  ‘Uh-huh. I think he’s summoning his demon.’

  ‘Crap,’ Lily growled. ‘That thing was big. Maybe we do need the Special Tactics people.’

  ‘No time. If he’s summoning the demon then he probably…’

  ‘Has another victim.’ Lily’s pace increased and she turned right. Ahead of them was a heavy, iron door. She tried the handle. ‘Locked,’ she hissed. ‘Fuck!’

  Ceri placed her hand over the keyhole. ‘Agor!’ There was a clunk from within the metal. ‘Now it’s not.’

  Behind the door, another spiral staircase went down and they hurried into it, going down, and down. After several turns they walked out into a large, crypt-like room which looked very familiar. ‘The room in the movie,’ Lily whispered. They could hear sobbing and a sound like chanting almost drowned out by it.

  Ceri’s eyes scanned the room, coming to a stop at the figure on a raised, stone platform which had likely been a tomb base at some point. ‘The man in the movie,’ she said. Her eyes narrowed. ‘This time he’s inside the circle.’

  They moved slightly further in and the source of the crying appeared. She was pretty and blonde with big breasts. Unlike Julia, she had not been conditioned so she was chained to the floor via a metal collar. The chain was fairly long and she had backed away from Newton as far as it would allow her. It was not going to make any difference. ‘The loony’s going to summon it into the room,’ Ceri hissed.