Thaumatology 12: Vengeance (5 page)

‘A human,’ Gwyn suggested. ‘A practitioner. Spells to enhance physical strength and provide control. The bite mark is torn making exact determination of the cause difficult, so this could have been done with a weapon, or needles. Blood is a common ingredient in several magical paradigms. The woman was killed in this way to ensure that a control spell went unnoticed. It is only a working theory, however. The evidence is circumstantial at best.’ She pursed her lips. ‘Alchemy uses a lot of blood and alchemical concoctions could explain everything.’

‘As you say, it’s a working theory,’ John said. ‘And frankly, after ancient vampires, demon lords, and dragons, I’d be kind of happy if this turned out to be a human.’

Gwyn gave him a weak smile as she stripped off her gloves. ‘Yes, I’m sure it would come as a relief,’ she said.

Kennington.

‘I’m just saying,’ Ceri said as she stepped through the portal. ‘I love this dress, but I think I need something more… uh…’

‘More Demon Overlord?’ Ophelia suggested.

‘Exactly. This is more fae witch, no offence Twill.’

The nut-brown fairy woman hovering at the bottom of the staircase in High Towers’ main hall nodded. ‘None taken. It was meant to be for a fairy wedding.’

‘Uh-huh.
And
we’re getting something for you to wear, Lily.’

Lily, resplendent in her silver finery, pouted. ‘I’m supposed to be your slave. Slaves go naked…’

‘You are supposed to be Lady Ayasha’s pet, the most beautiful and powerful succubus, Lilith,’ Ceri countered. ‘When we were trying to blend in that was fine, but now… You’re the personal slave of the Overlord of All Demons. If Lady Ayasha wants you dressed in a spun-platinum gown, then that is what her pet
should
be wearing.’

Faran, bringing up the rear, nodded. ‘That would actually be very much in character. Platinum is extremely rare over there.’ He glanced back to be sure the portal was closing behind him and then added, ‘Dressing a slave in it would be a particularly conspicuous display of wealth and power.’

‘But I
like
being naked,’ Lily whined.

Ceri grinned at her. ‘I know, love. I wasn’t actually thinking of a gown. Something…’ She frowned. ‘I’m not sure, exactly, but I’ll come up with an idea you’ll like. Promise.’ She turned back to Twill. ‘What time is it? Have we time for a sit down before we have to go out?’

‘Just after four,’ the fairy replied. ‘Mei should be home reasonably soon. Gwyn has something she wants to discuss and I’m sure we’d all like to hear how your excursion went.’

‘Great. Coffee? I haven’t had a decent brew for days.’

~~~

‘A Devos, perhaps,’ Faran mused, ‘but I concur with your assessment: a demon seems unlikely.’

Gwyn had just finished telling them about the case she had been brought in on. She was expecting that it would be handed over to Ceri now that she was back.

‘Good thing you were out of the country, Dad,’ Lily commented from her place on the footstool beside Ceri’s chair.

‘It is nice to have such a solid alibi for once,’ her father agreed.

‘Not that we can explain
where
you were,’ Ceri said. ‘Hopefully they won’t ask.’

‘I feel they were satisfied with my analysis,’ Gwyn said. ‘You realise that your new status is unlikely to remain secret forever, of course.’

Ceri sighed. ‘Eventually people are going to figure out I’m not just an extraordinarily powerful practitioner, and this isn’t going to help keep it all secret. I guess I’ll have to deal with that problem when it finally comes up. You know, I discovered one other sorcerer, an American, but I can’t help thinking there must be others starting to surface.’

Gwyn gave a nod. ‘They will not be common, but there will be more.’

‘Is that going to be a problem?’

‘Not all the sorcerers of history were benevolent.’

‘Another issue to deal with when it arises.’

‘Indeed, now, how did your first conclave of Demon Lords go?’

Ceri looked around at Faran and Ophelia. ‘You two are better placed to pass an opinion,’ she said.

‘No one died,’ Ophelia said.

‘Indeed,’ Faran agreed, ‘I believe it was a roaring success just on that basis.’

Battersea.

Ceri raised her muzzle and sniffed. Michael was not even trying to hide, she decided, since he knew full well where she got changed and had selected a position on the windward side to wait for her. His scent carried with it the reason he was not hiding and her werewolf body responded almost instantly. A few years earlier she might have been embarrassed at her sudden and obvious arousal, but she was long past that.

Her low growl produced a rustling in the bushes around her after a couple of seconds and then he was prowling toward her, growling back. Later they would have to go to Alexandra so that Ceri could keep the old Alpha up to date on events, but for now there was a mate who had not seen her for several days and a full moon in the sky.

Ceri dipped her muzzle, coyly averting her eyes, and then turned her back on him and gave a soft whine. It was an invitation and he wasted no time in accepting it.

~~~

It was a cool evening to be naked in the open air aside from jewellery and a leather collar, but Ceri had a furry wolf-man behind her, his arms around her waist, and a fire in front of her, and she felt quite comfortable. Besides, reporting to her Alpha in fur would have been difficult.

‘So it might be an idea to tell the working girls to watch their backs,’ Ceri said. ‘I don’t think they know when, or if, this guy might strike again, but…’

‘I’ll have the word passed around,’ Alexandra said, nodding. She was regal, as always, but tonight, with the moon shining down on her silver hair, she was every bit the werewolf matriarch. She had the same kind of incandescent quality that Gwyn could project when she wished, though the source was different. Or perhaps it was similar; they were both older than they looked, and they were both used to authority.

‘It would appear that your business in the Demon Realm went well,’ Alexandra went on, ‘and things here have been quiet. No security issues with the power station.’ She gave Michael a quick look and received a growl of confirmation. ‘So, all appears well.’

Ceri looked at her and frowned. ‘But?’

Alexandra waved a hand. ‘It’s likely nothing. No dreams, no portents.’

‘It’s something, or you wouldn’t be mentioning it.’

‘I’ve had an odd sense of disconnection from Luperca today. Her presence is usually at its strongest when the moon is full, but today she feels… distant.’

Ceri grinned. ‘It doesn’t seem to be affecting this lot much.’ Michael gave one of her breasts a squeeze to confirm that he was just as moonstruck as usual.

‘As I said, it’s probably nothing. I suggest you get into fur, and take that young man of yours to find some playmates for the evening.’

‘I think we’ll do that, if I can persuade him to let me go long enough to change.’

Michael gave a soft rumble, licked her ear with a very long tongue, and then lifted her up with him, hoisting her over his shoulder before starting off into the trees around the clearing.

‘Michael? I need to change,’ Ceri insisted. ‘It’s too cold…’

Use magic,
he rumbled at her as he marched toward a group of six wolves who were already enjoying the traditional pack activities on a full moon.

Holloway, March 28
^th
.

Cheryl Tennant looked a lot like a woman with too much on her plate. Considering that she was juggling three different planned generator projects in England, advising on another pilot in America, and holding discussions about another, far more adventurous, one in Australia,
and
she was heavily involved in the organisation for the next big thaumatology conference, her appearance of overwork was not unfounded.

‘Running lines across the North Sea is just ridiculous,’ she said as soon as Ceri walked into her office. ‘We can’t do it. Well, not on the timescales they’re talking about.’

‘And good morning to you too,’ Ceri replied.

Cheryl gave her a tired smile. ‘Sorry. Good morning. How did your meetings go?’

‘Remarkably well. I may have a solution to the Australian lines. Also, I had a thought about the distribution here. Actually, Gwyn had a thought: irrigation canals.’

The redheaded Doctor of thaumatology frowned. ‘Last part first… Irrigation canals?’

‘Mm, yes. When they used to build irrigation canals, they would siphon water off a river or lake…’

‘Much as we’re doing with the energy from the Rift.’

‘Uh-huh. Then they’d run it out to where it was needed down canals. The Water Board does it with the canals here too. They use the existing waterways to transfer water from one place to another. If we feed a branch off our existing line into the northbound lines…’

‘We don’t need to construct as many,’ Cheryl finished for her. ‘Would that work?’

‘I need to run the numbers. Natural lines are more liable to leakage, but maybe we can shore them up a bit.’

This time Cheryl’s smile was far brighter. ‘I suppose Gwyn knows more about irrigation than we might. What about the Australian problem?’

‘Guandosh demons.’

‘Never heard of them.’

‘No, they don’t get over here much. They’re aquatic, live in
very
deep water. Apparently they have some problems with running artificial lines through deep water. It’s the salinity. I’m pretty sure my tunnels don’t worry about that, but I was talking to their Lord and I’m getting some of his best people up to the castle to go over their methods. If I’m right, we get to trial a tunnel through the deep ocean and Ignash will owe me a
big
favour.’

Cheryl nodded thoughtfully. ‘I have a favour to ask then. I’d like to go over there for that meeting. I mean, I could be useful, and the chance to actually
see
the world the demons come from…’

‘Okay. We should ask Carter if he wants to come. Maybe if you two are there I can persuade Michael to go over.’

‘You didn’t have to think about that very hard.’

‘It’s safe enough. Aside from the visitors, everyone in the castle are det, common demons. They’re not that different from you. Well, aside from physically.’

Cheryl laughed. ‘No difference at all then. Now if I can just solve all the logistical problems with the conference, I’ll be a happy woman.’

‘I’m supposed to be helping…’

‘You have your hands full with the generator projects. The Americans want someone to check their proposals for their line, and you need to do this new idea for us and go over the deep water maths. I’ll manage. It’s just… Have you heard the expression “like herding cats?”’

Ceri giggled. ‘I’ve spent two days herding Demon Lords, cats are easy.’ Her expression shifted to thoughtful. ‘Though, actually, I didn’t do so much herding… Want some help?’

‘Ceri, I’d get down on my hands and knees in front of a Devos if I could make this easier.’

Ceri reached for the phone. ‘I’m glad you said that…’

~~~

Lily had decided that she wanted to hear about what was going on first hand, so she walked into Cheryl’s small office in the High Energy Thaumatology building along with her father and Gwyn. She was looking just a little bemused.

‘You’re going to put him to work?’ the half-succubus asked when she had heard Ceri’s plan.

‘Faran is an excellent organiser,’ Ceri replied, ‘especially when it’s people being organised. Gwyn used to run a whole
city
.’ She looked at her distant relative and added, ‘And you said you were feeling a little bored.’

Gwyn nodded. ‘Since Twill came back with Ishifa in tow, there’s very little for me to do around the house. I don’t have a job.’

‘I don’t really have a budget to pay either of you,’ Cheryl said, looking very much as though she was pushing away her best bet for a social life.

Gwyn waved away the statement. ‘Call it voluntary work. Mei brings in enough money for the both of us, and we don’t need much anyway. What I
need
is something to occupy me.’

‘I don’t,’ Faran stated, ‘but I’m sure we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement for my… services.’ He flashed Cheryl a fanged, predatory smile and she went beetroot red. ‘That said, both my daughter and my Overlord would skin me over a bed of hot coals if I took advantage. My needs are meagre and I’d be helping a friend.’

Cheryl managed to look both relieved and disappointed at the same time. ‘Well, thank you, both of you. With everything else that’s going on, getting time to do the basic administrative stuff is leaving me with no free time at all.’

‘Why don’t you show us what you need done?’ Gwyn suggested.

Ceri stood up and led Lily out of the office as Cheryl set to on her computer. ‘I can hear those cats purring like kittens already,’ the sorceress said, grinning.