~~~
‘You drowned her?’ Lily asked as they headed for the huge, black Town Car which had been laid on to take them to the hotel.
‘I figured the legend of the Flood might have some value to it,’ Ceri replied. Lily had managed to get her hands on an MIT T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans which fitted Ceri like a glove. They felt a lot more comfortable than an army uniform or the hospital gown she had woken up in. The T-shirt was racer-backed and fairly tight, and Lily had looked enormously pleased with her purchase. ‘MIT, Lil? Really?’
‘I thought it was appropriate. Don’t you like it?’
Ceri grinned. ‘Well, it’s a souvenir of our “trip,” I guess. And it’s warm enough for a shirt like this.’
‘I looked on a map, we’re quite a bit south of London and it’s almost spring.’ Lily smiled at the man in the stiff, black suit who was holding the door and slipped into the car, scooting over to allow Ceri in. ‘You’ll love the hotel room. Well, suite. We’re in the Royal Suite at the Four Seasons. It’s got this great bath and a shower, and the bed! You could sleep six in the bed. And it’s got a dining room and a lounge and wait until you see the terrace!’
Ceri giggled as the car pulled away. ‘I guess saving a country’s head of state has some perks,’ she said.
March 9th
The terrace was, indeed, gorgeous. The view of Pennsylvania Avenue was not exactly what you would describe as picturesque, but it was interesting. Eating a rather sumptuous breakfast in the open air on a reasonably warm March morning was just perfect. Unfortunately the terrace was overlooked so they were having to wear clothes. More specifically, they were sat across from each other at the light oak dining table wrapped in the enormous, fluffy robes the hotel supplied when Ed Hoffman arrived.
‘Ed!’ Ceri exclaimed happily. ‘Want some coffee? Jamaican Blue Mountain. I have to get some of this to take back with me.’
‘No, thank you,’ he replied. ‘If you ask nicely I’m sure the concierge can get you a few pounds to take with you. However, it’s not a social call. I’m here to take you down the road to meet the neighbours. Well, we’re at twenty-eight hundred and they’re at sixteen hundred, but they are anxious to meet you. Last time it was a little… rushed.’
‘How dressed up do we have to be?’ Lily asked. ‘We haven’t got anything very formal to wear.’
‘It’s an unofficial official visit,’ Hoffman replied. ‘Just dress how you like. Officially, Levy has not been arrested and charged with treason. We’re keeping what happened as quiet as possible, so you two aren’t visiting the Whitehouse to be thanked for saving the President’s life. No press. I don’t think you’ll be unhappy about that.’
‘Not really,’ Ceri replied. ‘Okay then, we’ll get dressed and go visiting.’
~~~
George Wilson shook their hands warmly as they were shown into the oval-shaped office. Someone had said something about it being called the Oval Office, which seemed a bit obvious, but Ceri was not going to pass judgement and the decoration was tasteful. Eleanor was rather more effusive, hugging both women like long-lost friends before showing them to one of the two couches which faced each other across the middle of the room.
The President went to the large, oak desk which sat with its back to the window, removing two cases from a drawer. ‘Interesting story,’ he said. ‘This is known as the Resolute Desk. The Resolute was a British frigate that Americans freed from the Arctic ice. After it was decommissioned, your Queen Victoria had two desks made from the wood. This is one, the other is in Buckingham Palace. Britain and America used to be closer. I’d like to see that again and you two stopped a plot to isolate us even more.’
Walking over, he handed one of the cases to each of them. ‘We generally have a huge ceremony to hand these things out,’ he said, ‘but since we aren’t admitting what happened to the public we’ll just have to keep this between ourselves.’
Ceri opened her case and found herself looking at a medal of some sort. On a blue ribbon with white edges there was a silver eagle and hung from it was a rose-like design formed of gold eagles surrounding a white star. An American flag sat in the middle of the star. ‘Uh… thank you,’ she said.’
Wilson smiled, sitting down on the opposite couch beside his wife. ‘It’s the Presidential Medal of Freedom,’ he said.
‘Awarded,’ Eleanor added, ‘for “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavours.” George thought, and I agree, that saving our lives and stopping a disastrous war counted.’
Ceri nodded, but looked a little unsure. ‘We didn’t exactly do it alone…’
‘Agents Hoffman and Grey are being given suitable acknowledgement, I assure you,’ the President said.
‘And we didn’t exactly do it for you,’ Ceri went on. ‘Katarina of the Black Crow tribe asked us to take this on. You’ve met her sister, Alexandra.’
‘I still think you deserve the medals,’ Wilson replied. ‘You’re civilians. You could have hidden, run. There’s a consulate in Cheyenne which could have arranged your passage back to Britain. I’m sure Katarina did not order you to stop Levy.’
Ceri smiled and closed the case. ‘How is your former Vice President?’
‘He’s being shipped to a prison facility in the north.’ Wilson dropped his eyes away from Ceri’s. ‘Officially he will be committing suicide tomorrow after the discovery of a number of financial improprieties. If the truth got out there would likely be public pressure to retaliate against Brazil. If that happens… your Gadriel will have won.’
‘He really wasn’t my Gadriel,’ Ceri said. ‘He’s dead. Angelica said he was and I believe her.’
‘Good riddance,’ Lily said. ‘So, what are you going to do now?’
Wilson blinked at her. ‘About what?’
‘You have an opportunity to solidify links with the tribes,’ Lily replied. ‘Katarina will back you and she has influence.’
‘She’s right,’ Ceri said. ‘You need to start working on this. The Brazilians may try something again and you need a solid front in the north. Once you have that sorted, I’d suggest working toward connecting with the tribes in the Amazon Basin.’
‘You don’t want much from me,’ Wilson said, raising an eyebrow. ‘I may not even be here by the end of the year.’
‘Get those trade links going with the tribes,’ Lily suggested. ‘Their kids want modern technology, you want oil. Plus I’m pretty sure you could learn from their tribal magicians. Give people more trade, greater prosperity, and you’ll get another term. The tribes will move quickly if you’re forward about it. They have no way of knowing whether the next guy will be as enthusiastic.’
‘Why aren’t you two in politics?’ Eleanor asked.
‘Too much like hard work,’ Ceri replied.
Two-thousand feet over the Atlantic, March 10th
‘That’s a long way down,’ Ceri said.
‘We’re on Airship One, or whatever they call it,’ Lily replied. ‘There’s no way you can be freaking aboard this thing. It’s safer than walking!’
Ceri giggled. ‘I think it has to have the actual president aboard to be called that. And I’m not freaking. It’s just… a long way down.’
Through a wide bay window at the rear of the gondola, they could just about see the East Coast of America in the distance. Below them was the Atlantic Ocean, looking serene at the moment. This was the view from the bedroom of the Presidential Suite; Wilson had said that getting them home in style was the least he could do considering that they had been brought over, unconscious, in a shipping container. They would be landing in London the following evening.
‘Good,’ Lily said. She reached out and lifted Ceri’s T-shirt hem. Ceri did not resist as the garment was pulled over her head and then tossed aside. ‘I’ve never made love two thousand feet in the air and I’m not going to miss out on the chance.’
&n
bsp; Ceri was still looking out on the ocean below as Lily’s hands slid up over her stomach to caress her breasts. She let out a soft sigh which turned into a moan as her nipples were gently stroked and teased into erection. ‘There’s a great big bed behind us,’ she said softly.
Lily’s hands stroked and circled; Ceri’s legs started to weaken. ‘I kind of like the idea of doing it in front of the window. You worried someone will see us?’
There was a ship of some sort two-thousand feet below them and maybe a mile back. Someone on the deck with a really powerful telescope might have been able to see them, but as Lily’s hand slipped under the waistband of her jeans she really didn’t care.
~~~
‘I love making love to you,’ Lily said. The carpet, thick, luxurious, and a nice off-white, was comfortable and they had never gravitated to the bed. Lily was lying with her head on Ceri’s shoulder though.
Ceri giggled. ‘That’s kind of poetic. I love you making love to me.’ Lily returned the giggling. ‘I never thought I’d say that about a woman,’ Ceri added.
‘Do you ever regret it?’
A frown creased Ceri’s brow. ‘What? You? No, never.’
‘Not, just me exactly. The whole thing. The magic, the problems it’s caused.’
‘It would’ve been really cool if getting the power hadn’t come with a bunch of bad stuff,’ Ceri conceded. ‘You’re… Well, if we add in Michael, you’re well worth what it’s cost me.’
Lily let out a distinctly naughty giggle. ‘Michael’s going to be kind of desperate by the time we get back.’ There was a breathy anticipation in her voice which made Ceri giggle in turn.
‘He might have got over it. He’s had a while. He’s probably found some nice bitch to fuck while we’re away.’
Lily smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Ceri’s throat. ‘He won’t have slept with anyone. He might have got over his addiction to my feeding, but there’s no way he’s got over you, or what the three of us do on a Saturday night. He’ll want us both really badly, but he’ll hold himself back until we take him to bed and show him we want him too. You’ll have to be first because you’re his mate, and then I think he won’t be able to hold back. Don’t expect to get much sleep tomorrow night.’
Ceri grinned and trailed her finger nails down Lily’s exposed side. The half-succubus let out a gasp which quickly turned into a moan. ‘I don’t expect to get much sleep tonight either,’ Ceri purred.
London, England, March 11th
‘That’s our house!’ Lily exclaimed gleefully. The sight of a woman with fairly large breasts in a low-cut top and short skirt bouncing on her toes made the crew fairly gleeful too.
The two girls had been allowed up on the flight deck for the final approach into City Airport and to see the view out over the city. The flight path brought them in roughly along the line of the Thames and they would turn just past Kennington to bring them over the Isle of Dogs, then the Royal Victoria Dock and down to the airfield. Ahead of them, Ceri could see Kennington Park and she suddenly felt rather homesick; right there on the edge was a dark block which almost certainly was High Towers.
‘You couldn’t just drop us off here, could you Captain?’ Ceri said wistfully.
The Captain, a grey haired man with craggy features who looked like he should be running a battleship, smiled. ‘Afraid not, ma’am. There’s a lot of people waiting for you at London City.’
‘I know,’ Ceri replied. ‘That’s why I’d rather leave now.’
The man chuckled. ‘No one told us why the President felt you ladies warranted travel back to Britain on his personal airship, but I figure you must’ve done something pretty special. But seeing as I don’t know what happened, I don’t think you’re going to be getting a lot of Press and noise.’
Ceri smiled at him, but did not get to answer as the speaker clicked at that moment and a voice said, ‘US Air One-Alpha, turn right, heading eight-three. Proceed to tower two left.’
The Captain picked up a microphone near where he was standing and thumbed the key. ‘US Air One-Alpha, turning to heading eight-three.’ He nodded to the pilot sitting at the flight console and the man turned the stem in front of him. The big ship leaned over slightly as it turned to the new heading and, ahead of them, the airport came into view behind the tall spire of the Canary Wharf tower. ‘Five minutes and we’ll be docking,’ the Captain said.
It was fascinating watching as the huge craft glided smoothly toward the three tall towers arranged along the length of the airport. They were headed for the middle one; a fifty foot tall column of steel and concrete with a large, circular module at the top. As they closed on it, the vibration from the two main turbofan engines dropped to almost nothing and the airship was guided gently into position beside the tower using the smaller manoeuvring engines. A bridge extended out from the tower, connecting to the side of the gondola while cables dropped to the ground below to anchor the ship to the earth.
The Captain turned to his passengers and smiled. ‘Welcome to London, ladies.’
Ceri held out a hand to the man. ‘Thank you, Captain. It’s been a pleasure.’ Both of them shook hands with every crew member they passed on the way to the main passenger door. Partially it was because everyone had been very nice and it had been a good flight, and partially it was delaying finding out what was waiting in the reception room in the tower.
The bridge was a kind of flimsy looking structure, but they had been assured it could carry a full-sized car if you could have fitted it through. It still felt to Ceri like she was walking the plank.
‘You could’ve just teleported us down as we passed over the house,’ Lily commented under her breath.
‘Someone would’ve told us off,’ Ceri replied, and then they were walking out into the reception area.
There were only five people waiting for them. The first of them Ceri saw were Malcolm Charles and Avery Sachs, and her stomach fell. Then Carter and Cheryl emerged from behind them and she spotted Alec hanging at the back. She smiled, and even Sachs smiled back.
Malcolm stepped forward a little. ‘Good evening, ladies. Avery is very keen to talk to you about what’s been going on,’ the minister said, ‘but we’ve persuaded him that that can wait until tomorrow.’
‘I’m not that much of an ogre,’ Sachs commented. ‘Tomorrow afternoon. I saw the look on your boyfriend’s face earlier. Officially I’m here to ensure that you’re actually you and haven’t been harmed.’
‘We’re fine,’ Ceri said.
‘We’ve just had a gorgeous holiday in the best hotels and the President’s airship,’ Lily said, grinning.
‘Before that wasn’t so much fun,’ Ceri said, ‘but we really are fine.’
‘I’m not so sure,’ Carter commented, stepping forward. ‘You’re looking alarmingly calm, young lady. Why aren’t you a nervous wreck after that trip?’
‘We’ve done a lot of traveling the last few weeks,’ Lily said, ‘and she didn’t have much choice about putting up with it.’
‘And I’m not saying I won’t be a whole lot happier when we’re on solid ground,’ Ceri added, grinning.
Carter’s lips twitched into a grin. ‘Let’s see whether you can put up with Alec’s driving then.’
‘I’m a damn good driver,’ Alec growled. ‘They smell like the real thing. I’m convinced.’
Cheryl, who had been staying silent, walked forward and wrapped Ceri in a hug. ‘We’ll take them back to High Towers,’ she said, not letting go. ‘If Michael doesn’t jump them as soon as they walk in it isn’t them.’
Kennington
Michael did not jump them as soon as they walked in, but he did grab both women around the waist, lifting them off their feet and hugging them while Twill buzzed around all three like a demented firefly, her voice an auditory blur. Neither Ceri nor Lily seemed to mind, they just held onto Michael and started to cry softly.
Cheryl looked like she was going to do something, but Carter put a gentle hand on her shoulder. ‘
It’s relief,’ he said. ‘They’re fine.’
‘We’ll have to stop them before his back gives out though,’ Alec commented.
Carter shrugged slightly. ‘He’s young. It’ll take some time.’
Michael was not stupid enough to let it get close. He lowered them gently to the floor after a couple of minutes, turned them around and headed up the stairs toward the lounge. Lily started discarding her clothes on the landing and was soon on the footstool beside Ceri’s chair while Ceri herself got to perch on Michael’s lap on the big wing-back. Not to be outdone, Carter was soon sitting in the other wing-back with Cheryl in his lap and Alec sat beside them. Smirking, the werewolf began undoing the straps on Cheryl’s sandals so that he could play with her toes.
Twill swept around her newly returned housemates and then settled herself on the arm of Ceri’s chair. ‘I won’t be bugging you for the details now obviously,’ the fairy said, ‘but a short summary would be nice.’
‘What do you know?’ Ceri asked. Michael’s arm was around her waist, his hand sliding under her shirt, though it felt like a werewolf’s need for skin contact rather than anything overtly sexual.
‘When you hadn’t come home by dawn,’ Twill said, ‘I called Carter.’
‘And I called Alec,’ Carter continued, ‘who went to Alexandra and Michael, and they searched around Kennington…’
‘And Soho,’ Alec said, ‘and then checked the stations between since we couldn’t pick up a recent enough scent this side of the river. We picked something up at Waterloo, but lost it again outside the station, and that was when we called in the cops.’
‘Scrying proved useless, however,’ Carter said. ‘Malcolm told us that MI5 thought you might have been kidnapped by American agents. He told us the woman you had been with was CIA…’
‘Nita,’ Ceri said. ‘She is, but that turned out to be a good thing. Go on.’
‘Alexandra turned to Luperca,’ Michael said. ‘She said she knew someone in America who could possibly help you, so long as the Goddess was willing to pass the message. I take it she did.’
Thaumatology 07 - Eagle's Shadow Page 22