A Web of Crimson

by Alexander G R Gideon

“You misspelled magic,” she smirked.

  I rolled my eyes. “Hardly. That spelling differentiates our art from the sleight of hand performed by stage entertainers. Read it. Start with the section on warding.”

  “Thank you.” She tucked the book under her arm. “But didn’t you refuse to train me?”

  “Your inexperience left you vulnerable last night. That can’t happen again.” I pulled the dagger from my desk and handed it to her. “You can stay in my guestroom for the time being. I’d rather not give our foe the chance to catch you alone and unwarded.”

  “Thank you,” she said as she took it.

  “Don’t thank me yet. We only have a few days before we decide the fate of our country, and the world. If we’re to prepare you, they aren’t going to be pleasant.”

  Elaine grunted as she hit the parlor floor.

  “Your technique is still sloppy,” I said, gathering will again. “Again.”

  “Give me a damn minute,” she shot back, flipping her hair out of her eyes and glaring at me.

  “The rogue isn’t going to give you a breather and neither will I,” I said, settling into a ready position. “On your feet.”

  “I still barely understand what I’m doing!” she panted as she stood. She sagged onto the couch and covered her eyes with her arm. “If this is your teaching style, I wouldn’t want you as a master.”

  If she thought our session concluded, then she thought wrong. I gathered will. Something rattled in my mind and some force struck me. I stumbled, catching myself on one of the tables.

  Elaine looked up and scowled.

  I waved her off.

  What the bloody hell was that? I growled at Vex.

  A chastisement very obviously in order, Vex growled back. You will not attack her unawares, Aleister.

  We have two days to prepare, I snapped. As it stands, she will only prove a liability.

  I understand the stakes very well. But she will learn nothing if you continue to hammer away at her, hoping she will miraculously understand. I know you are afraid, but you will fail if you do not teach her.

  I wanted to argue. Good God, I did. But he spoke true, and that vexed me most of all. I was afraid. And I had no real reason for it. Teaching her didn’t mean I had to take her as an apprentice, or that I would become my father if I taught her how to ward herself.

  I glanced at Elaine.

  The shirt she pilfered from my wardrobe hung free of her breeches, and her waistcoat hung open. While my shirt seemed overlarge on her, her arms filled the sleeves in a way that left me embarrassed by my own physique. More than a few strands of hair had escaped her bun during our skirmish, completing her charmingly unkempt appearance.

  Perhaps feeling my eyes on her, Elaine lowered her arm and met my gaze. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. We’d spent the night training, and the noon bells chimed ages ago. She didn’t possess the skill to bolster herself with her magic as I did, and exhaustion showed in her face. She deserved a proper lesson, and she deserved to be in a proper condition to receive it.

  “Wait for me here,” I said, heading into the hall.

  “Take your time,” Elaine called after me.

  Huffing a laugh, I headed from the parlor and down the hall to my office. I opened the box of vials on my alchemical worktable. I took two and returned to Elaine.

  She looked less than happy when I reappeared and tossed her one of the vials. “What’s this?”

  “Something to keep us both going.” Popping the cork of my own vial released a scent reminiscent of a goblin’s ass. I downed the contents. It tasted worse than it smelled, and my tongue recoiled at the vile concoction. Fighting the urge to gag, I said, “It tastes awful, but it works.”

  “What’s in it?” she asked, holding the vial up to the light streaming through the windows. The sunlight brightened its lovely piss yellow hue to an almost cheerful color.

  “You don’t want to know, but it’ll keep you awake and alert for what we need to do. Then, tonight, you’ll sleep better than ever before.”

  She seemed less than convinced.

  “Here,” I walked to the table near the window and poured two glasses of brandy, handing one to Elaine. “Chase it with this. It helps.” I tossed my own glass back, draining it in one go. The alcohol burned away the taste of the potion, and I sighed in relief.

  Elaine gave her vial one last suspicious look, squared her shoulders, popped the cork, and drained it. Her entire face puckered at the taste, and she sloshed quite a bit of brandy onto herself in her haste to chase it. “Bloody hell,” she sputtered when she could breathe again.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “The best medicines always taste the worst. You’ll thank me when it kicks in.” Taking the glass from her, I handed her a towel and set our glasses back on the table. While Elaine dabbed at her shirt, I peered out the window. The clouds had broken, and the sun shone in earnest on the snow, making London seem bright and new.

  “My apologies for pushing you so hard,” I said without turning.

  “Well, bless my soul. Did I just see a heart?” Elaine teased.

  “It takes a while to find it sometimes.” I smiled, watching a woman trudge through the snow outside, her skirts hiked up to keep them dry.

  “Can I ask a question?” Elaine asked, her tone serious.

  “Of course.”

  “Why do you fear The Book of Thoth so much?”

  “You can’t imagine the danger it poses.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  I had anticipated this, but hadn’t decided what to do, though I’d agonized over it all morning.

  You should, Vex said. She deserves to know.

  I sighed and picked up the decanter, pouring us both another brandy before settling on the couch next to her.

  “I saw it myself, once.” Keeping the memories at bay took every ounce of my will. Still, I tasted the dust and smelled the stale air. “It felt as if it had a life of its own. You can feel its power on your skin and taste it in the air. Never again have I experienced such raw power.”

  “Why didn’t you take it?” Elaine’s voice seemed to come from a thousand miles away, but it served as a lifeline to keep myself rooted in the present

  “I didn’t want something so evil.” I needed to move, so I went to kneel in front of the fire. I tossed a few small logs from the pile on the hearth onto the coals and shifted them around until they finally caught. “It’s powerful, yes. But it’s a terrible power. I watched it drive a man mad. One doesn’t use the Book of Thoth. It uses you. And God only knows what it wants.”

  Elaine remained quiet, though I imagined I could feel her thinking. Eventually, she asked, “What will happen if Thompson brings the Book here?”

  Putting the poker back in its place, I said, “I don’t know for certain. We’ve no idea why he wants it, and what use he plans to put it to, but there exists too much potential for calamity. Even if I believed Dover wished to use it for good, I would prevent him from gaining possession. It is insidious, and nothing good can come if its use.”

  “Then we’ll stop him before that happens,” she said gently. I looked up and her expression had softened. She smiled at me, her eyes twinkling. The dark circles under her eyes had disappeared. “We can do this. Just stop being an ass and show me how to cast a bloody ward properly.”

  I laughed, and she laughed with me. With the fate of the world wrapped around our necks like the hangman’s noose, it felt good to see a little joy in the world.

  15

  The Solstice Rite

  Elaine and I spent two days and nights preparing for our battle. Once I committed to proper instruction, she mastered warding astonishingly fast. By the night before the solstice, I had to hit her with damn near everything I had to break through. Though I hated to admit it, I enjoyed instructing her. And I found her company most pleasant. She was witty, intelligent, and a fascinating conversationalist. Though we prepared for what could only be a battle, I enjoyed those two days more than any other
I’d spent in London.

  The day of the solstice dawned, and with it, all levity died. We rose early and broke our fast in silence. The rite loomed over us like some fell beast, and neither of us felt much like conversation. Elaine wished to practice warding, but I insisted she rest. I knew she merely wished to have something to do, but we needed to conserve our strength. This night would test us in ways we couldn’t anticipate.

  We spent much of the time in my study searching for information regarding the Crimson Thread of Fate spell. Unfortunately, disuse relegated details on the spell to obscurity. I sent a missive to Jones, asking him to join us. I never received a reply, and something told me the two of us were on our own. The sun seemed to take years to set as we searched, and I thanked the divine when the sky finally turned to purple.

  We dressed comfortably, seeking function over fashion. Elaine carried enough blades to cut every throat in London without using the same knife twice. I admit, it left me feeling empty-handed, but I only needed my arsenal of spells.

  The last vestiges of light had faded when the stairs of the Masonic lodge closed behind us. Torches in the sconces were already lit. Mathers’s doing, I hoped. We followed the long corridor to the spiral stairs, only the sound of our shoes upon the stone breaking the silence.

  Take care, Aleister, Vex whispered for the first time in over a day, making me jump.

  Bloody hell, you nearly stopped my heart, I thought back. Where have you been?

  Away, Vex said, more serious than I expected

  Away to where?

  Confirming suspicions.

  And?

  I cannot tell you more now.

  I didn’t like that.

  He continued. I put contingencies in place, but I do not know their effectiveness. The Book cannot come to the Isles, Aleister. We cannot fail tonight. You cannot fail.

  I glanced at Elaine beside me, her face set, and eyes keen. It shocked me to realize that I trusted her. Perhaps more than anyone, save Julian, who I’d been unable to contact for assistance. That she could earn that in such a short amount of time was astonishing, but I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather have with me to face this.

  We won’t, I said. And I truly believed it.

  The doors of the temple sat open when we reached the bottom of the stairs. A man stood at the altar in full ceremonial robes, his hands upon the stone. He turned as Elaine and I passed through the temple doors and the knot of anxiety in my chest loosened when I recognized Mathers’s face.

  “You arrived later than I wished,” he said, his voice tight. A sheen of sweat covered his face. When he saw me looking, he wiped his forehead with his sleeve, and I hoped the man’s nerve held through the evening. “But there’s no changing that now. Ready?”

  “Very. What about you, Mr. Mathers?” Elaine said

  “Please, call me Samuel. We seek to thwart a coup together. Two actually. That warrants the use of first names, I think.” A glimpse of the man I saw at the initiation returned in his smile.

  “Samuel, then.” I failed miserably at returning the expression. Instead, I glanced at the altar. Everything seemed in place. “Well?”

  “Ready as ever, I suppose,” he said with a sigh.

  “Walk us through the ceremony,” Elaine said, gesturing toward the altar. “It will make it easier to find Thompson.”

  “An excellent idea,” Mathers said, leading us closer to the altar. A large, black, leather-bound book sat in the center and Mathers dragged it toward him. The pages crackled as he opened it and laid out the ceremony for us. Three distinct events made up the rite, starting with casting the circle and consecrating the participants.

  “Next,” he explained, “the gathered beseech the gods for guidance and knowledge.”

  “Which gods?” Elaine asked.

  Mathers shrugged. “Each supplicant chooses their deity or deities for themselves.”

  I glanced at the statue of Isis above us, wondering how the mother goddess would feel about that.

  “Lastly, the rite ends with a communal celebration where practitioners socialize before closing of the temple. Altogether, it’ll take an hour, maybe an hour and a half if everyone attends.” Mathers shut the book and slid it back into place. “We’ll offer wine and libations during the opening of the temple, making it the best time to look for him. One of the gathered will pass the goblet to everyone in the circle, affording them the perfect opportunity to peer under everyone’s hoods.”

  “I’ll take that honor tonight, if you don’t mind,” I said.

  Mathers nodded and placed one hand on my shoulder and reached into his robes with the other. “You’ll need to know what Dover Thompson looks like.” He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to me. “That’s a sketch of the man. Rough, perhaps, but enough to identify him.”

  I unfolded the paper and studied the drawing. The sketch depicted Dover Thompson as a thin man with high cheekbones and thin lips. His hair fell to his chin, and stubble shadowed his jaw. Beside the image, Mathers had written additional description; Brown hair, dark eyes, pale skin. I passed the drawing to Elaine. “This will work.”

  “Since Aleister will present libations, you should cense, my dear. Take this.” Mathers handed the censer to Elaine and took the sketch back, folding and tucking the paper into his robes. “When I call for consecration by smoke, light it and bring it to each person in the circle, anointing them with smoke. If Aleister can’t identify Thompson during his pass, you will provide a second chance.”

  “Hopefully we’ll need no more than that,” she said. “Did you prepare robes for us?”

  Mathers nodded and produced two black robes from beneath the altar. Elaine and I changed quickly, only just managing to squirrel away our things before hearing footsteps on the stairs.

  I placed a hand on Elaine and Mathers’s shoulders. “He’ll make his move tonight, I guarantee it. If he completes his spell, the British Empire will fall.” They nodded, shoulders squared, eyes hard and determined without a trace of their earlier nerves. Good. I needed them steady. “We get one chance. We must make it count.”

  To each and every one of you, welcome.” Mathers stood upon the dais, arms thrown wide to the mass of robed figures circling us. Elaine and I stood on either side of him, our heads bowed and hoods hiding our faces.

  I opened my Sight as I studied the hooded figures around us but found nothing. Yet.

  Mathers turned toward the altar and raised the giant goblet over his head, presenting it to the crowd. “We gather on this, the longest night of the year. Let us drink to all that has occurred, and that yet to come.” He drank and handed the goblet to me.

  With ritual solemnity, I drank, breathing a sigh of relief when I tasted nothing untoward. I’d instructed Mathers not to lace the wine and appreciated that he’d heeded my words.

  I crossed the dais to Elaine and held the goblet for her to drink.

  She looked up, and I caught a glimpse of her face beneath her cowl. Determination blazed in her eyes. She took little more than a sip before I swept off the dais toward the closest member of the Order. They reached for the goblet and their hood pulled back just a bit.

  Magic burned along my skin and a grayish hue drifted through the room like pipe smoke.

  I fought my impulse to jump, to keep my expression neutral. It was a weak spell, though expertly cast, and it seemed to come from directly over me, giving me no real indication of its caster location.

  Did you feel that? I thought to Vex and felt him nod. Could you tell who cast it?

  I could not, Vex said, frustrated.

  At least we know he came. Now, to find him.

  Stay vigilant, Aleister.

  The robed practitioner in front of me drank, and though their hood pulled back, I saw nothing but darkness where their face should be. No shadow should stop my Sight this close, but no matter how hard I focused, I couldn’t see past the inky black.

  I continued to the second member and though this one’s hoo
d fell back as they drank as well, shadow obscured their face as well. Frustration burned along my skin, and I gritted my teeth to keep from cursing. Thompson knew we searched for him, and a few whispered words kept us at bay. Damn him to hell!

  Following the ritual, I walked around the circle, one by one, shadows clinging to each face in the same way. The goblet empty, I ascended the dais once more. Mathers met my gaze. I shook my head ever so slightly. His face twitched, but he showed no other reaction.

  Elaine took up the censer and lit the incense with one of the candles as I resumed my place at Mathers’s left. She consecrated herself, Mathers, and finally me. The same inky blackness coated the inside of her cowl as well, hiding her face from me. She coated me in smoke, then walked to the first of the circled Order.

  Perhaps she can find him, Vex said.

  What makes you think she can find him when I couldn’t?

  Thompson saw you during the initiation and recognized you as the one who countered his magic. His spell may target you specifically, Vex said

  A possibility I hadn’t considered. Meaning only I can’t see under their hoods.

  Precisely. If he did not consider her in his plans, she might see through his spelling, Vex said.

  I hoped he was right.

  All our attention centered on Elaine now.

  She continued her consecrations. Eventually, she passed behind the altar and out of sight. I remained still, though I strained my ears, listening for anything that indicated she’d found our quarry. I didn’t dare gather will for fear of Thompson’s retaliation. Mistakes would allow him to escape once more.

  From behind me, Elaine exclaimed, “Found you.”

  16

  The Spider

  I spun, gathering will and kindling it to counter the spell of darkness. Shadows swept aside, and suddenly, I stared at the very man I hoped to see.

  Dover Thompson.

  The censer clattered across the floor as Elaine dropped it. A long-bladed knife appeared in her hand, and she drove it toward Thompson’s belly.