Nita put her hand over her eyes so that Lily’s lethal pout was hidden. ‘Lily’s right, you are powerful,’ she said. ‘You have to have amazing willpower for starters.’
~~~
The quiet was nice. Having guests was always pleasant, even when the guest was spying on you. Lying together in bed, in the dark and quiet, when the guest was gone was better.
‘I’ll get Michael back here during the week,’ Ceri said.
Lily nodded against her shoulder. ‘Last night was nice, but it wasn’t just the three of us.’
‘I have to admit, she was good. You think they give training in that sort of thing at the CIA?’
‘I don’t know. That was just natural talent, though. We kind of broke her. Half the time her brain was regressing to animal.’ Lily sighed. ‘I love it when that happens.’
Ceri giggled softly. ‘I know. I like it when it happens to me, but… it’s kind of scary too.’
‘You know, for a person who’s really naturally submissive, and has to psych herself up and dress in a corset to get her Dom on, you’re a bit of a control freak.’
‘I’m not a control freak!’
‘You’re afraid of losing control.’
Ceri frowned. ‘I… But I like being your pet sometimes.’
‘Submission to a good Master or Mistress isn’t really giving up control. You submit, but you always have an element of control. And you know I won’t harm you. Even if I could I wouldn’t and you know it.’ It was true. The demonic bond Ceri had created with Lily meant that Lily was incapable of harming Ceri. Lily could not even think of hurting her. ‘I always wondered how you broke free of me back when I first took you,’ Lily said. ‘You’ve got amazing will, like Nita said, but it had to have taken something more than that. Something extra.’
‘You think my fear of losing control gave me the extra strength?’
‘Yes. I think it helped you against Gadriel too.’
‘Not entirely a bad thing then?’
Lily chuckled softly. ‘Not entirely. But you can let yourself go with me. I can’t hurt you. You can… you can let your dragon out sometimes, like I can let my demon out. I’m not afraid of myself anymore and you don’t have to be afraid of yourself either.’
They lay in silence, listening to the wind against the window and their own breathing.
‘When did you get so wise?’ Ceri asked.
‘I’ve had twelve years of being scared of myself. If I can’t learn something from it, I should dye my hair blonde.’
Westminster, February 6th
Ceri really did not like the Home Office building. It looked like someone had constructed a building out of a collection of toasters. Actually, that was not the issue she had with it; she hated the fact that the Ministry for Supernatural Affairs next door had been built using the same architectural style. It was just wrong for an agency which managed the supernatural affairs of the nation. Sitting in an outer office waiting once again to see a minister of some sort gave Ceri time to reflect upon such things, along with the fact that politicians did not seem good at keeping time.
At least Avery Sachs was waiting with her this time. Sachs might have been MI5, and considered Ceri’s relationship with Mei Long a bad idea, but at least he was nicer to look at than the dragon behind the desk. Maybe they came as standard issue; secretaries who looked like they could out-stare a basilisk.
There was a buzz from somewhere on the desk and Sachs got to his feet. ‘You can go in now,’ the secretary said in a voice so clipped it could have been a poodle. Sachs started for the door, his pace and posture suggesting annoyance. Ceri followed, trying to avoid doing the same and suspecting she had failed.
Junior Minister Roger Halpern was in his fifties, which probably meant he was not that great at being a junior minister. He was going grey and had way too many worry lines for someone his age, and his nose had a really high, narrow bridge which made him look like he could be used as an axe. He did not say a word as Sachs walked in followed by Ceri. His gaze stayed riveted to the file in front of him.
Talbot, the FBI agent, sat in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. The other was occupied by a man in a blue suit. He worked out and was fairly good looking, but Ceri could make out tiny scars which suggested plastic surgery. She had never seen someone actually use surgery to improve their looks before; charms were so much simpler. Or perhaps she had and the necklace she was wearing was letting her see the tiny tell-tales this time.
There was only one free chair and Ceri was rather surprised when Sachs waved her into, choosing to stand against the wall beside the window. The minister did not look up, or say anything for a minute or so and Ceri began to gently fume. She was not fond of people who thought they were superior at the best of times.
‘The United States of America,’ Halpern finally said, ‘have presented a formal request to have Doctor Ceridwyn Brent extradited to their jurisdiction for trial on the attempted murder of President George Wilson.’ He looked up, his eyes falling on the blue suit. ‘Mister Denton from the US embassy is here to discuss this matter. I have been asked to hear any arguments and evidence and make a recommendation regarding progression of the request.’
Ceri looked at him and he studiously did not look at her. His Adam’s apple bobbed and his fingers trembled slightly as he turned the page he was looking at. He was not superior, he was nervous and trying to look disinterested. Rude or not, Ceri looked at him again, this time with her Sight. Black lines curled up and around his Chakral Median from its base.
‘The United States government believes it has sufficient evidence to suggest that Doctor Brent is operating under the direction of the Dragon Empire,’ Denton stated. ‘We request that Doctor Brent be extradited to the United States for trial.’
Ceri opened her mouth, but Sachs cleared his throat, and she stopped herself speaking and looked around at him. ‘Doctor Brent is not operating under anyone’s instructions or direction.’
‘Our evidence comes from sources…’ Denton began.
‘My department has reviewed the intelligence you gathered,’ Sachs interrupted. ‘You’ve rehashed information we obtained, analysed, and rejected several months ago. Your primary evidence is Doctor Brent’s relationship with Jennifer Li, Ambassador Long’s translator. We examined Miss Li very carefully in light of her friendship with both Doctor Brent and the Battersea werewolf pack.’ Ceri raised an eyebrow at that. ‘We found nothing alarming. Ambassador Long herself has no association with Chinese Intelligence…’
‘I find that rather a naive viewpoint,’ Denton commented.
Sachs did not rise to the jibe. ‘We have actually done the data gathering rather than collecting together a file of innuendo and half-formed theories and presenting them as facts. I’m quite sure that you would come to the same conclusions, given time to complete your investigation.’
‘The question,’ Halpern said, ‘is whether we grant the extradition request to allow completion of that investigation.’ He was looking at Denton again as he added, ‘We’re inclined to consider it, to further diplomatic relations.’
‘There are various groups who could have arranged something like this,’ Ceri said. Everyone looked at her, even Halpern. The comment seemed oddly out of place. ‘Groups with things to lose. The Blood Initiative, the Black Craft, the Order of Merlin.’ Ceri watched as Halpern’s face twitched; yeah, he was a member. ‘Some of them might like to see me framed for this as well,’ she added, ‘but they’d be unwise to take a hand in this and reveal themselves.’
‘We’re inclined to consider it,’ Denton said smoothly, ‘but the current legal position is that we cannot hand over a British citizen without undeniable proof where a capital crime is concerned.’
‘I’ll escort Doctor Brent out,’ Sachs said before either of the Americans could respond.
Ceri glanced at him, but got to her feet and followed him out. She could hear raised voices through the closed door of the office and allowed herself a slig
ht smile which was gone as soon as she stepped into the lift with Sachs.
‘That was an impressive list of names you gave,’ Sachs said as they went down. ‘What do you know about them?’
‘Just what I’ve read.’
‘You haven’t read anything about the Order of Merlin.’
‘No. If you know something about them, what are you doing about it?’
‘Gathering information. They don’t fall under my remit.’
‘But still you gather information.’
The lift doors opened and they walked out to the front desk where Ceri handed over her visitor’s badge before Sachs walked her to the door. Ceri turned and nodded to him. ‘Thank you, Mister Sachs,’ she said.
‘Just doing my job, Doctor.’ He paused, apparently considering something. ‘Be careful. The Americans are likely to be conducting more… covert operations to gather information on you. Something which looks entirely innocent, but is maybe a little too good to be true.’ He was warning her about Nita, in a very roundabout way.
Ceri smiled. ‘Yes, they are.’
Sachs actually smiled back. ‘I was right about you. You’re too perceptive to be used.’
‘Thank you again, Mister Sachs,’ she said.
Kennington
‘Do you think the Order is actually involved in the assassination?’ Lily asked. She was sprawled on the chaise longue, and doing nothing much aside from looking sexy and distracting Ceri from the equations she was going over.
‘No,’ Ceri replied. ‘It was opportunistic. Halpern is one of theirs, but I think they were just hoping I wouldn’t notice and they could get me extradited to the States without anyone asking too many questions. I don’t think they would really want the political mess a successful assassination would cause…’ She looked up from her tablet, her expression thoughtful. ‘I might be giving them too much credit. The idea of getting me extradited wasn’t exactly thought through.’
‘And Sachs was on your side?’
‘Sachs wasn’t on the other side,’ Ceri replied, her tone wry. She went back to her equations. ‘I think he’s doing his job, which is protecting the country from security issues. We might have got a bit pissed off when he thought we were Chinese spies, but he was still just doing his job.’
‘I didn’t get pissed off,’ Lily stated. ‘I’ve never minded having an audience. You were the one who was bothered about them watching us at it on the roof.’
‘Okay, fair enough, I got tired of spooks snooping on us from the tower blocks.’
‘And then you made a porn movie.’
Ceri looked up at her pet and growled. ‘Yes, and then I made a porn movie in the cellar. So my attitude changed a bit over time.’
‘For the better,’ Lily said, stretching. Her arms and legs stretched out, her back arched, thrusting her large breasts upward. She made a contented half-groan, half-moan before relaxing back onto the lounger.
‘I’m supposed to be working,’ Ceri pointed out.
‘Then work.’
‘How am I supposed to do that when you’re distracting me with your questions, and your stretching?’
‘Then I’ll stop,’ Lily said brightly. She closed her eyes and relaxed, lying still and saying nothing. The only sound was the wood crackling in the fire and her breathing.
Ceri managed another minute before she growled and got to her feet. ‘I can work after dinner or something…’
Giggling, Lily turned and rose smoothly to her feet, meeting Ceri half way between the desk and the chaise. ‘If you want to work, I’ll go to the lounge and watch TV or something,’ she said. She was holding herself back slightly, keeping Ceri at arm’s length; she really meant it, she would.
‘Why lie there teasing me if you don’t want to do anything about it?’ Ceri asked, her voice soft and breathy.
‘I just wanted to see if I still had that bit of power over you. It’s been ages since I’ve got you up from working to…’
‘You haven’t even been trying,’ Ceri broke in, ‘because if you try there’s no way I can ignore you.’
Lily smiled. ‘I’ll let you get back to-ah!’ She gasped as Ceri curled a finger into her and pulled her closer.
‘You’ll do no such thing,’ Ceri said.
February 8th
The thick cloud which had hung over London all day had cleared as night began to fall and now, just after midnight, the sky was icy and clear. Ribbons of blue-green light rippled through the air and the full moon hung overhead shining brightly down on the three figures on the roof of High Towers.
It was an unusual Tuesday night. For one thing, Michael was there. Then, since it seemed right to be under the moon, Ceri was in fur because it was too cold for skin. Unless you were part demon and had internal heating anyway; Lily had declined Ceri’s offer of a transformation spell because she wanted to be free to use her powers.
It had taken the two women almost two hours to wear down Michael’s moon-fuelled enthusiasm, and Ceri was quite sure there would be more lust and animal instinct before they finally went to bed. For now, though, they lay on a blanket under the moonlight and stared up into the night sky. They were contended, spent, and together. Lily lay in the middle, wrapped in a living, furry blanket. Just because it was funny, the two wolves were taking it in turns to tickle her ears with their long tongues. It was slowly winding her up to the point where she would do something about it, but very slowly.
‘It’s a lovely night,’ Lily said. ‘All the stars…’
Ceri lifted her muzzle to the north and growled softly. Fire worm.
Lily frowned before figuring it out. ‘Dragon… Draco, right?’
Ceri nodded. Michael scanned the sky and growled, Wolf not in sky. Ceri was a little surprised to learn that Michael knew the constellations, but then Lupus was the stellar emblem of the werewolves.
Pointing vaguely toward the horizon, Ceri growled out, God of War. Mars was just about visible as a red smudge between Leo and Virgo.
‘Mars?’ Lily asked, getting a nod and a lick to her ear in reply. She giggled. ‘Dad said there are no planets or stars in the sky in their world. He used to like watching the stars with me in the summer. He even bought a book so we could name them.’ Ceri’s muzzle nuzzled at her neck and there was a contented rumble followed by Lily’s contented sigh. ‘I always liked that one,’ Lily said, pointing upward. ‘Auriga, the Eagle. I like eagles. So big and powerful, regal.’ She giggled again. ‘Mind you, I’ve got a bit of a thing for Draco now. Dragons make the best mistresses.’ Ceri’s tongue flicked out again, and this time there was a moan instead of a giggle.
‘I kind of miss being a kid,’ Lily said, her voice breathy. ‘It was simpler back then, before my demon side started to come out.’ Two tongues slid out to slide over her neck, the skin left cold in their wake, but a nice, tingling sort of cold. ‘Of course, being an adult… mmmm… has its compensations.’ She lay there, relaxed, as rough-padded hands began to slide over her body. ‘Really, ah! Really nice compensations, but Dad was just Dad then, and I was… oh… a little girl.’
Want go back? Ceri growled. Her clawed fingers reached the spot just above Lily’s pubic mound where Ceri’s personal rune was tattooed. A simple act of concentration and the rune flickered into life, energy surging through the Tantric Median which lay beneath.
Lily squirmed, a long, whimpering moan escaping her lips. Ceri took that as a no.
~~~
Dominion. Power. All she could see, the green fields, the cities, the minute forms scurrying about their pointless lives; all of it was hers. Above her, huge birds wheeled in the sky.
The chain in her hand shifted and she turned to look at her pet, the animal with the steel collar on the end of the chain, and…
Ceri’s eyes flicked open and the dream evaporated as though her mind wanted it gone. All that was left was a vague feeling of unease and she reached for Brenhines’ charm only to discover that she had taken it off before turning. She growled, and Lily was awake.
‘Are you okay? Nightmare?’
Ceri touched the collar around her throat and focussed. Her skin shivered and she was human and cold. ‘I need to get inside,’ she said. ‘Get my necklace.’
‘It’s almost dawn, you’ll freeze in skin. C’mon.’ She stood, waking Michael as she did so, and held out a hand to Ceri.
Pulling herself up, Ceri shivered. There was a faint glow in the sky, presaging the coming daylight, and it was cold, but the shiver did not come from that.
Get below, Michael rumbled. Warm. Sleep.
‘I’m not sure I can sleep,’ Ceri said.
‘You will,’ Lily said. ‘I’ll sing to you.’
Ceri smiled; Lily sang the best lullabies.
February 9th
‘Ed, what did Atlantis look like?’ Ceri stood in the summoning room, a ball of thaumic energy floating between her palms while Ed Perry’s image stood at the other end of the room, watching.
‘We did not call it “Atlantis,”’ he replied, smirking slightly. He thought Ceri’s fixation on considering Brenhines’ old land the basis for the Atlantis myth amusing. ‘It did not really have a name. The name we used meant “the Land,” though I think some referred to the main citadel as the White City.’ Ceri’s concentration wavered and she almost dropped her energy globe. ‘The buildings were all made from a very white limestone, you see. We treated it, flash heated it so that it was fused and smooth. Like a brilliant, white marble.’
‘There was a tower,’ Ceri said, ‘very tall with a cupola at the top where people could look down. Below that was a wide square and Brenhines used to enjoy walking there.’
Ed frowned at her. ‘Yes, she did. How…’
‘A dream,’ Ceri said. ‘I had this weird dream. I was her, flying down from… She lived in a mansion above the city. She would fly down in dragon form, land in the square, and turn human. No one thought it odd or scary.’
‘You’re glimpsing her memories,’ Ed said. ‘It happened to some of those given their amulets. You may see other things you’d rather not. Memories from people… of more recent ancestry.’
‘You mean my parents.’
Thaumatology 07 - Eagle's Shadow Page 10