Thaumatology 03 - Legacy

by Teasdale, Niall

  ‘What do you want?’ Sharpe growled.

  ‘I want you to leave me alone, me and my friends. I don’t want trouble from you people, but as far as I can see, all you understand is force, so I’m demonstrating it. I took on an ancient ghost for widder’s sake! If you think I can’t cause you a lot of damage, you’re stupid - and I don’t think you’re stupid. I think you want me on your side and pacted so you have me under your thumb. Well, you can’t have me. If I’m not enough of a threat, most of the werewolves in the country will come to my aid if I need them. If you want war, you can have it, but that’s not your style, is it?’

  ‘The Order prefers to work behind the scenes,’ Carter said. ‘Public awareness of them would not go well for them.’

  Sharpe glared across the barrier separating them. ‘I will have to put this to the Masters,’ he said.

  ‘Well, they had better agree,’ Ceri said, ‘or I’ll be visiting Cambridge. You threatened the life of one of the most respected werewolves this side of the Atlantic, and the person who freed their goddess from Remus. Not a great idea. So, you’re going to leave me alone, you’re going to leave Carter and the werewolves alone, and you’re going to get rid of him.’ She pointed her staff at Faran, standing there looking smug. ‘In return, I won’t destroy your little conspiracy or bring an army to your door.’

  Sharpe glared at her for a few seconds longer and then turned on his heel, marching off across the grass toward Highgate Ponds, the guard following quickly behind him.

  As Tanner started to scurry after them, Ceri said, ‘Oh, and Tanner? If I ever see your ratty features again I’m going to blow them off.’ The wizard’s eyes widened and then he was hurrying off after his fellows. Ceri relaxed her will and the wall flickered and died, but she kept her eyes on the retreating figures.

  Faran remained standing as the others left. ‘Daughter,’ he said, ‘you’re looking well. A little age has really made you blossom.’ There was still a smile on his face.

  Lily’s clenched fists were no longer acting; Ceri could feel the anger in her. ‘Get out of here, Dad,’ Lily said, ‘before I do something I might regret.’ He opened his mouth to say something, his right leg lifting to step forward toward her. Lily reached under her coat, pulling the pair of curved daggers from her hips and Faran stopped. ‘Don’t,’ she said.

  His face fell and he nodded. ‘It was a pleasure seeing you again,’ he said, and began walking off in the direction his summoner had taken.

  Ceri let out the breath she had not realised she was holding. She looked at Carter. ‘Think they’ll go for it?’

  ‘For now,’ he replied. ‘Well done, but be aware that you’ve made some bad enemies.’

  Ceri nodded in reply. ‘Let’s get back. Oh!’ Lifting her staff, she waved it above her head. A few seconds later around twenty werewolves emerged from the trees and loped over toward them.

  ‘You weren’t doing things by halves,’ Alec commented.

  ‘I didn’t know how much backup they’d bring.’

  Michael shifted back into human form as he ran up to them. ‘That’s it?’ he asked. ‘It’s over?’

  Ceri nodded and he moved quickly to where he could rub cheeks with her. She giggled. ‘We keep alert for a couple of weeks, just in case,’ she added, more for Stefan and Anita’s benefit, ‘but it looks like they’ll stay away, for now.’

  Lily turned from watching her father’s retreating back. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘let’s get home. I need a drink.’

  Carter looked around the horde of wolves with a raised eyebrow. ‘In that case,’ he said, ‘we’ll go to the Dragon. I think a round of drinks is in order.’

  They set off across the park to the accompaniment of twenty happy werewolves revelling in the open space.

  Part Five: The Father of the Bride

  Holloway, May 12th

  ‘What if we use a non-linear accelerator design?’ Ceri asked.

  Cheryl looked up from what she was working on, a component of the ambient magic collector she was building. ‘My brain is in collector design, dear, what are we talking about?’

  ‘The emergency power system. Currently we use what are basically linear accelerators, but if we used curved tracks we could wrap them around the circle itself.’

  ‘Interesting. What were you thinking? I can tell you’ve got a design in mind.’

  Grinning, Ceri picked her tablet off her lap and turned it around to show Cheryl. The image showed a circular accelerator base with five columns rising from it. It was a fairly rough drawing, but it showed the concept. ‘We can use a single thaumiton source, and then bleed off a percentage of the stream along the track. Apply the required modulation in the heads.’

  ‘And the resonance coils would be built into the accelerator system, also saving space and weight… I believe that would work. And such good timing.’ Ceri raised an eyebrow. ‘Carter and I are going to Cambridge on Sunday. We’re presenting this to Alfred Barnes at MagiTech.’

  ‘Really?’ Alfred Barnes was the father of Matthew Barnes, the man who had tried to kill both Ceri and Cheryl the year before.

  ‘The elder Barnes is, according to Carter, rather less of an insane, demon-possessed maniac than his son. MagiTech are interested in commercialising the generator system.’ Cheryl grinned. ‘Actually, Carter said the old man was having a hard time keeping his enthusiasm in check. Carter thinks they have some military project which needs a large power source and they haven’t been able to make it practically useful. But that’s a guess.’

  Ceri nodded. Well, she had trusted Carter with the knowledge that she was a sorceress and that had so far worked okay, trusting him regarding a business decision seemed like a no-brainer. ‘I’ll do some more work on this design, make a prettier picture and work out some of the maths, and send you the designs before Sunday.’

  ‘Well, I’ll be at the Jade Dragon on Friday night.’

  ‘I’ll get the data to you then. Another night at the Dragon, huh?’

  ‘Carter bought me another new dress,’ Cheryl replied. ‘It’s… I’m going to be plucking up my courage to wear it.’ She looked around at Ceri again. ‘Do you think he’s getting serious about this?’

  ‘Depends what you mean by serious. Lily and I think he’s… well, slowing down isn’t exactly right, but we think maybe he’s decided he actually enjoys having someone around he can talk to as well as…’

  ‘Screw?’

  ‘Yeah, that. Maybe he’s going to narrow down his circle of partners a little, but I doubt he’s going to go down on one knee any time soon.’

  Cheryl nodded. ‘Good. I like him, don’t get me wrong, but I enjoy my nights with Alec too.’ She turned back to her work and then said, rather casually, ‘You know that transformation spell you worked out before you got the collar?’

  ‘Uh-huh.’

  ‘Could you, um, do the same to someone else?’

  ‘It works on Lily,’ Ceri replied, ‘and I can keep it up for a night. Why?’

  ‘It’s Alec’s birthday at the end of the month…’

  Ceri giggled. ‘I’ll sort something out.’

  Soho, May 13th

  All the tables had illusory showers of four-leaf clovers falling over them and Carter had got Audrey in again, though the paintwork was rather less complex this time. If Ceri had felt underdressed at the Beltane night event, she felt positively naked with three strategically placed clover leaves painted on. Still, when your world had fae in it, you started believing in Friday the Thirteenth superstitions.

  Ceri was leaning against the bar beside Lily when Cheryl arrived at the lectern. They blinked. The dress’s neckline fell to her navel and the skirt was split up both sides. The sandals with ribbon ties up her calves matched the yellow of the dress. Lily let out a low whistle and Carter, chuckling, went to meet his date for the evening.

  ‘At least you two are wearing less than me again,’ Cheryl said as Carter helped her up onto one of the bar stools.

  Lily smirked and shook h
er chest at Cheryl. ‘We’re lucky charms to ward off the curse.’ One of the customers who happened to be walking past tripped over his own shoe and stumbled off toward the toilets trying to hide his embarrassment.

  ‘Who’d have known?’ Ceri said. ‘Lily is a tripping hazard.’ She reached into her tip pocket and pulled out a memory stick. ‘Here’s the data for your business trip.’

  Cheryl took the stick and put it into her purse, which was about big enough to hold a phone and a credit card. ‘Thank you, Doctor Brent.’

  ‘My pleasure, Doctor Tennant.’

  Alec placed a white wine down in front of Cheryl. ‘Y’know, I’d have stuck longer with school if my teachers dressed like you two.’

  ‘You told me your teacher was a crotchety old woman with boobs that hung around her knees,’ Cheryl said.

  ‘Huh, yeah,’ Alec said. ‘Mrs Nussbaum, that lady had a voice like a foghorn. She could liquefy a kid’s skeleton at forty paces, and see out the back of her head. Good times.’

  Ceri giggled and pushed off from the bar; table nine was calling.

  May 14th

  The Jade Dragon had closed its doors and Carter and Alec had reconciled the till while Ceri and Lily had cleared the tables. For whatever reason, Carter had brought a bottle of whiskey out from behind the bar and a little group had formed around one of the tables; a nightcap before leaving.

  ‘The shutterbugs outside will be disappointed,’ Cheryl commented. ‘I got snapped a lot on the way in, they’re probably waiting for me to leave with you.’

  Carter nodded. ‘They can wait. The Press may be an unfortunate requirement of the job, but I don’t have to cater to them.’

  ‘You’ll be in the Witch again,’ Lily said.

  Cheryl grimaced. ‘I saw the one last time. I looked naked.’

  ‘Not naked exactly,’ Ceri said, ‘just…’

  ‘Almost naked?’ Alec suggested.

  ‘It was a really awesome dress,’ was Lily’s opinion. ‘I have something a little like it, only a lot shorter, and the flecks are foil not crystal.’

  ‘Weren’t you wearing that the first time I met you?’ Carter asked, frowning.

  ‘Yes, yes I was.’

  ‘Five years ago. You’ve come a long way.’

  ‘Thanks to you and Ceri,’ the half-succubus said. She took a sip of her drink, savouring the flavour, and then glanced at Ceri. ‘I know, I just needed a push, I was looking to straighten myself out, but I couldn’t have done it without you two.’

  ‘Which is why,’ Carter said, raising his glass to Ceri, ‘we are the two luckiest people I know.’

  ‘You are?’ Lily asked, bemused.

  ‘Indeed. We were there at the right time to be able to help and have therefore gained the benefits.’ He smirked slightly. ‘I’ll admit that Ceri has had substantially more benefit than I have, but I’m not bitter.’

  ‘Well, she’s had to put up with more of my… peculiarities,’ Lily replied. ‘Especially recently. I think she deserves what she’s got. Besides,’ she nodded toward Cheryl, ‘I wouldn’t say you’re doing too badly.’

  ‘So where are you staying in Cambridge?’ Ceri asked.

  ‘MagiTech’s main facility is just outside the city,’ Carter said, ‘so I’ve booked us a room at a small hotel nearby. It used to be someone’s manor. There’s a spa attached.’

  ‘Roughing it then,’ Alec said.

  ‘Absolutely. It is a business trip. Tax deductible.’

  Ceri drained her glass. ‘Come on, Lil. We’ll need to take a shower before bed.’

  ‘Good point,’ Lily said, finishing her own drink. ‘That’ll take an hour at least.’

  Picking up their coats from the staff room, they headed out through the staff entrance. There were still men with cameras waiting near the front door, but they ignored the two girls; Lily was not the story any more. One figure caught Ceri’s eye, however, a tall, dark man standing on the opposite side of Dean Street, his head encircled by a mane of hair.

  ‘Something up?’ Lily asked and Ceri glanced at her. When she looked back, the man was gone.

  Kennington

  It was not the brightest of days, but it was warm enough that the occupants of High Towers had moved up to the roof where the air was fresher. Even Twill had decided to take a few hours to relax on the third lounger.

  ‘Wren’s girlfriend is in the gossip column,’ Ceri said as she poured over the latest Wednesday Witch. ‘Hannah Shields, apparently. She got fired from a modelling job for drug use, or so they think.’

  ‘Wonder if that means Wren will be dumping her,’ Lily mused. Despite the lack of sun, the half-succubus was naked and stretched out with her eyes closed.

  ‘No idea. I’m not sure I’d keep her on. “There are reports of sudden mood swings of a violent nature followed by depression and inactivity.”’

  ‘Sounds like drugs, or she’s just mentally unstable.’

  ‘Huh,’ Ceri grunted. ‘Weird thing about her is that she’s one of a couple of people I’ve seen recently with no soul. The other one was supposed to have been on drugs.’

  ‘Oblivion,’ Lily said.

  ‘Disgusting stuff,’ Twill added.

  ‘Sorry?’ Ceri put her magazine down and looked between her two housemates.

  ‘It’s a chemical derived from fae wine,’ Twill explained. ‘An alchemical distillation. It’s used as a party drug, as well as for a few other, more nefarious purposes. Makes you feel really good, destroys your inhibitions, and makes you very suggestible. It’s very addictive, and if you use it too much, your soul disassociates permanently from your body.’

  Ceri grimaced. ‘That sounds like what I’ve seen.’

  ‘It’s a favourite with some of the illegal porn producers,’ Lily said. ‘They kidnap some girl, most innocent one they can find, feed her Oblivion, film the result.’ Ceri could feel Lily’s disgust through their link. ‘It gets used as a date rape drug too. That stuff’s bad news. Why anyone takes it voluntarily is beyond me.’

  ‘I’ve never heard of it causing violent mood swings though,’ Twill commented. She looked up suddenly. ‘We have visitors. A normal and a witch.’

  Shrugging, Ceri swung her legs off the lounger and walked over to the railing. Radcliffe and Middleshaw were just about to step onto the porch and knock. ‘I’ll be right down,’ Ceri yelled and was rewarded by John’s face emerging into view. He looked serious, but not annoyed.

  They waited for Lily to put a dress on and come to the study before they started. Kate sat with a slight smile on her face while John maintained his best “serious detective” look the whole time. As Lily walked into the room, John pulled out his notebook. ‘We pulled a body out of Highgate Ponds yesterday night,’ he said.

  Lily frowned. ‘Another succubus victim?’

  ‘No,’ John replied, ‘someone pulled his heart out of his chest.’

  ‘And you came to see us?’ Ceri frowned this time.

  ‘We’re hoping you can identify the body,’ Kate said. ‘From your description, we think it’s this Tanner guy.’

  ‘Obviously,’ John added, ‘since he’s not exactly your favourite person, if it is him we’ll need to know your whereabouts for… Tuesday night. Coroner says that’s the approximate time of death.’

  ‘Tuesday,’ Lily said musingly. ‘We were with Carter and Alec that night.’

  Ceri nodded. ‘If it’s not urgent we could come over this evening before work?’

  ‘Well, he’s not going anywhere,’ Kate said wryly.

  ‘If it’s him,’ John said, ‘which we’re reasonably sure it is, that means your father is wandering around and free.’ Lily nodded, her expression dark. ‘Technically,’ John went on, ‘he’s not wanted for anything currently. Legally he’s a “weapon” and the murderer is dead, but policy says we don’t like demons wandering around free. If he comes to see you…’

  ‘He won’t,’ Lily stated flatly.

  John looked at her. ‘If he does…’

 
; ‘I’ll send him back where he came from,’ Lily said. ‘I assume there’s no issue with me slitting a demon’s throat.’

  Westminster

  Greycoat Street station was equipped with its own mortuary, two floors down and possessed of an almost unnatural chill which had Ceri wanting to be out of the place as soon as she could manage it. It also came with a coroner’s assistant who was overweight and seemed to lack even the slightest compassion for the cadavers stored in his vault.

  John and Kate led Ceri and Lily down, past a large iron door which looked like it was some sort of secure storage facility, and into a more ordinary looking room with banks of steel hatches mounted in one wall. Ceri did notice that there were steel shutters mounted over the doors and what looked like emergency close buttons beside them. Sadly, she spotted no signs which said “In case of zombie horde, break glass.”’

  Wilks, the assistant coroner, eyed the two girls with a complete lack of emotion, scanned his clipboard, and then opened one of the storage lockers. He pulled out a body covered in a sheet. ‘This one’s not pretty,’ he said, ‘and I don’t just mean his face.’ He pulled the sheet back.

  Tanner looked like he had died in shock if not in pain. Ceri could not quite bring herself to wish for the latter. ‘That’s him,’ she said. ‘The only name I have for him is Tanner, but that’s him.’

  ‘He’s the one I saw,’ Lily confirmed. ‘He claimed to have summoned my father, used him to taunt me.’

  ‘Could I see the wound?’ Ceri asked.

  Wilks glanced at John, who nodded, and then pulled the sheet further down the body. Where Tanner’s heart should have been, there was a gaping hole with ribs bent and sticking out through the wound.

  Ceri’s nose wrinkled. ‘Necromancy,’ she said. ‘I’ve read about this, but I don’t know anyone who can do it.’

  ‘The working theory is that he fucked up and his bosses decided to tie up the loose end,’ Kate said. ‘Unless Lily’s father can be persuaded to provide us with information, the Chief’s calling it a closed case. We’ve found nothing to even give us a firm identification, never mind lead us to his killer.’