Eagle’s Shadow

The seventh novel in the Thaumatology series

By Niall Teasdale

Copyright 2012 Niall Teasdale

Amazon Kindle Edition

Dedication: For Ellen, without whom this book would be called “Title.”

Contents

Part One: The Dragon Dance

Part Two: Intelligence

Part Three: The Pit

Part Four: Black Crows

Part Five: Taking on the World

Part Six: The Politics of Cataclysm

Part Seven: Peace

About the Author

Part One: The Dragon Dance

Marylebone, London, January 23rd, 2012

A black Rolls Royce drew up outside the Chinese Embassy, one of a long line of cars waiting to disgorge their passengers. The door opened and two women climbed out followed by a man, the women in exquisite evening gowns, the man in an immaculate tuxedo. He took his place between his companions and together they walked the gauntlet of TV and press cameras on the way into the building.

Their car pulled away and another took its place, depositing an American film star and her current boyfriend. She was nice to the press and stopped for a few words which meant she was passed by the industrialist and his wife from the car behind. The great, the good, but most of all the rich and the influential were streaming in for a night of carousal with their own kind.

Which made the occupants of one of the later cars all the more out of place. Carter had supplied a Rolls for them so that Ceri and Lily would not feel too out of place, but Lily rarely, if ever, felt out of place, and Ceri felt strangely at home. It helped some that there were possibly more flashes of light as the two women stepped out of the car than there had been for the actress.

Arm in arm they walked down the red carpet until they heard their names being called. ‘Ceri! Lily! It’s Karen. Could we get an interview?’

Ceri turned her head and spotted the pretty brunette standing beside a cameraman at the edge of the walkway. They walked over. ‘Karen,’ Ceri said, ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you back on the job so soon.’ Ceri, Lily, and the Battersea pack had cremated her boyfriend just after the New Year, after he had been killed in an attack which had almost killed her.

‘To be honest,’ Karen said, ‘it’s easier to stay busy. Otherwise I just sit around at home and mope.’

‘I know the feeling,’ Ceri replied. ‘You really want an interview with us?’

Karen grinned. ‘Are you kidding? I know you, you give good interviews, and those dresses…’

Ceri grinned and nodded, and Karen made a “roll it” gesture to the cameraman. She waited for a thumbs-up, the camera pointed at the girls, before speaking. ‘Ceridwyn Brent and Lily Carpenter, what brings you to the Chinese Embassy tonight?’

‘Ambassador Long invited us,’ Ceri replied. ‘An old school friend of mine works as her personal translator, and the ambassador consulted me on some academic matters last year. Right after you last interviewed me at Stonehenge, actually.’

‘You’re really moving in high-powered circles for a simple researcher,’ Karen said.

‘Oh, but she’s not a simple researcher,’ Lily replied. ‘She’s an amazing researcher.’

Karen laughed, as did Ceri. ‘I think they really wanted some eye candy for the New Year Ball,’ Ceri said, ‘and Lily is really great eye candy.’

‘You both look great,’ Karen said. ‘Those are really quite amazing dresses.’

They were amazing dresses. Catherine of the Royal pack ran a small boutique off Oxford Street and she had supplied their gowns. She had been very keen to, in fact. ‘I’ve got just the thing,’ she had said, ‘and you can have them at cost as long as you get them on TV and mention me.’ The dresses were made from a magically reactive fabric. Ceri’s was a strapless gown, Lily’s was halter-necked, both hugged their figures tightly to the ankle because skin contact was needed for the fabric to work. Naturally, with nothing to react too, the garments were plain white. Currently Lily’s dress was black, but showing animated flames up her legs, around her hips, and dancing up to her expansive chest. Ceri’s was still white, but black shadows of dragons were curling around her, swirling up and down her body from her ankles to her waist. Neither of them had picked the patterns, the fabric reacted to the magic within them, somewhat to Ceri’s surprise.

‘A friend of ours arranged for us to get these,’ Ceri said. ‘Thaumically reactive fabric. As a thaumatologist, I couldn’t resist. Catherine, Alpha of the Royal pack. These are part of a new line she’s just got into her boutique on Poland Street. The dress picks up magical resonance from the wearer and displays it. Lily’s part demon and all hot stuff, so she’s got flames.’ She looked down at her own dress and a dragon curled up her stomach to look back. ‘I… well, we are guests of the Dragon Empire tonight.’

‘Indeed. I hope you have a good evening. Thank you,’ Karen said.

‘Thank you, Karen,’ Ceri said, and they turned and headed for the door.

‘Catherine’ll be happy,’ Lily said under her breath.

‘I can hear her squealing from here.’

Lily giggled as they walked into the lobby and showed their gold-embossed invitation card to a smiling Chinese official. Then they joined the line of people waiting to enter the grand ballroom off to the left of the large entrance hall.

‘This is a bit crazy,’ Lily said as they edged forward between a man Ceri thought she recognised as a minor minister and his wife, and some business figure who was accompanied by a woman at least twenty years his junior. ‘You’re an academic, I’m an ex-hooker, and we’re standing in a line waiting to meet the Chinese Ambassador. How’d that happen?’ The minister’s wife turned slowly and looked down her nose at Lily. Lily looked back. ‘I said ex-hooker, hun. I haven’t hired out in years so there’s no point in asking.’

Ceri suppressed a giggle as the affronted woman turned away again. ‘We’ve done stuff,’ Ceri said. ‘I’ve got the power generation project coming up in the spring. I bet the Chinese are interested in that technology if it works. And we have both… done stuff we’re not allowed to talk about. Pretty sure that’s appreciated.’ She looked down the line; at the far end of it she could make out the area where Mei Long, the ambassador, was greeting people, though the Chinese woman was not tall enough to be seen above the crowd. One of her companions was, however; a tall man Ceri had seen arriving at City Airport on the TV news to considerable fanfare. ‘I also suspect Mei wanted me to meet another one of her guests,’ Ceri said.

Lily followed her gaze down the line. ‘Could be. You think Jenny is there with them?’

‘Possibly. Kind of hard to tell seeing as she’s no taller than Mei.’ Jenny Li was Mei’s translator, a local girl who had always had a talent for languages. She had been really pleased that Ceri and Lily were going to be there because the last embassy ball she had attended had been so boring it was untrue. At least this time she would have someone her own age there.

They shuffled forward a few feet and the woman behind them, who was currently being ignored by her husband in favour of the couple behind, spoke up. ‘Excuse me, I couldn’t help overhearing… You know Ambassador Long?’

Ceri turned and smiled at her. She had the trophy wife look; tall, attractive, blonde, above average cup size. ‘We’ve met a couple of times,’ Ceri said. ‘She’s a nice woman.’

‘Beautiful,’ the woman said, ‘so elegant. It’s almost like she isn’t human.’

Of course, neither Mei Long nor her tall companion at the end of the queue were actually human. Pretty much everyone knew about him, but Mei was another matter and showed no sign of wanting her real nature revealed. ‘Training and practice,’ Ceri said. ‘I’ve got a lot more poised since I started waitressing.’

‘You’re a waitress?’ the woman asked, her eyes widening. Ceri nodded. ‘And you were saying you’re an ex-hooker?’ the woman said to Lily.

‘Uh-huh. Now I’m a waitress.’

‘So… how did you two end up here?’

Ceri opened her mouth, but Lily drew her attention back toward the front of the queue. They stepped forward and handed their invitation card over to a tall, clearly British, man in an elaborate liveried suit. He examined the card, nodded, checked that the minister and his wife were about to be clear of the hosts, and lifted his chin.

‘Doctor Ceridwyn Brent and Miss Lily Carpenter,’ the Master of Ceremonies intoned. Ceri almost flinched; it was only the second time she had heard her full title used in any official circumstance. She felt the pride swelling in Lily through the link they shared and lead off toward the small group of hosts awaiting them.

The sense of dragon was almost overwhelming. There had to be more than just the two here. Smiling and already raising her hand to shake Ceri’s, Mei Long, Chinese Ambassador and dragon, was a picture of oriental perfection. Petite, slim, beautiful, her hair fell in a long, black wave down her back to her behind rather than being pulled up into a bun or some similar cnstraint. Her dress was a western-style evening gown rather than the more oriental garments Ceri had seen her in previously. Beside her, on her left, was the tall man. Very slim, very handsome in a slightly artificial way, like he had been carved out of very lifelike stone, or moulded ready for insertion into a movie as the hero. And on Mei’s other side was Jenny Li, the one person who looked out of place. Small, half-Chinese, fairly ordinary if pretty enough, and looking really pleased to see Ceri and Lily. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun which made her look a little older than usual.

Taking Ceri’s hand, Mei said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, Ceridwyn, and in such an… appropriate dress.’

Ceri smiled back. ‘We had to make an effort, the Prime Minister is over there.’

Mei shook Lily’s hand. ‘Would that it were easier to just have quiet meetings, over a glass or two of that rather fine whiskey.’

‘I’m sure Jenny would be happy to escort you again,’ Lily said, smiling her perfect smile. ‘I’m sure Carter would be happy to entertain you.’

Mei gave a quick glance to her translator, who was going red around the cheeks. ‘I’m sure he would,’ Mei said, her lips twitching into a smirk. ‘However, let me introduce you to Huanglong.’

Ceri turned to the tall Chinese gentleman standing beside Mei and he bowed, deeply, from the waist. ‘It is my great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ceridwyn Brent.’ He had a moderately thick Chinese accent, but his English was impeccable. Ceri took in his slightly angular features. He had a long face, almost as though he was an average height man who had been stretched, but you could not deny his beauty, or his charm. ‘And surely no man alive could deny the beauty of your companion.’

‘One or two dead ones have been quite complimentary,’ Ceri said.

Lily was physically incapable of blushing, her half-demon physiology did not allow it, but she did lower her eyes and smile in the submissive way she used to demonstrate her acceptance of a compliment. When you got a compliment from the Chinese Imperial dragon, it was good to take it with a hint of humility.

‘I should let you get to your table,’ Huanglong said, ‘but I should like the opportunity to talk with you later this evening.’

‘Of course,’ Ceri replied. She had been expecting that ever since she had heard that he would be at this function

‘Why don’t you take Ceri and Lily to their table, Jenny?’ Mei said. ‘I don’t think there’s anyone else I’ll need you for.’

Jenny gave a little bow to her boss. ‘Thank you, Ambassador,’ she said and waved for Ceri and Lily to follow her as the couple behind were announced to the hall. ‘We’re up here,’ Jenny said, indicating a table off on the right side of the huge ballroom. ‘Lee’s already there with Alexandra and Anita. Mei and Huanglong are on the table just beside ours along with the PM and the American president.’

‘We’re sitting right beside the bigwigs?!’ Ceri squeaked.

‘Well, Mei wanted me close in case I’m needed,’ Jenny said, which sounded reasonable, ‘but I happen to know she and Huanglong shuffled the seating to put us next to them. The Minister for Supernatural Affairs and his daughter are on the same table, and, uh, I’m not sure who the last one is. I’m guessing a man because we’re pretty girl-heavy.’

‘Malcolm and Petra are okay,’ Lily said.

‘You know them?’ Jenny looked a little surprised.

‘We’ve had dinner. Petra also likes dropping by the Dragon whenever her dad’s pissed her off.’

Jenny frowned. ‘And that annoys her father?’

‘No,’ Ceri said, ‘but then she goes home with Carter and gets in the gossip columns. The first time I actually met Petra she was dressed in bra and knickers and lying on Carter’s sofa watching TV.’

There were three people already seated at the table, but they rose from their seats to greet the newcomers and Ceri’s jaw dropped. Lee was looking uncomfortable in a tuxedo, which was to be expected really. Ceri had not fussed over Michael not having an invitation because she knew he would hate it; besides, someone had to sub for Anita as Guard Captain. Alexandra and Anita were the reason for the shock.

Alexandra looked every bit the regal pack Alpha in a shimmering, white gown. It was long sleeved and went up to her throat, which nicely hid the imperfections that age tended to bring to one’s skin. It was also quite form-fitting, which she pulled off beautifully, despite being over a century old, and the colour set off her long, silver hair perfectly.

Beside her, Anita in heels towered over everyone. Her trim, muscled, Amazon-like body suited simple, but beautiful, clothes and the gown she was wearing was pale blue with spaghetti straps and made of a stretch fabric which clung to her body. Alpha and Captain looked stunning.

Lily looked at them and immediately said, ‘Catherine?’

Alexandra smiled. ‘Yes. She was very good about dressing us for the occasion. I haven’t worn a gown like this since the twenties.’

‘Well you both look incredible,’ Ceri said.

‘As do you, dear,’ Alexandra replied, ‘even without an animated dress. With one…’

Ceri blushed and checked the name cards to see where she was sitting.

Jenny found her seat at the table and slipped into it with a little difficulty; Lee settling down beside her with Anita and then Alexandra beside him. Jenny’s sparkly, white dress was very tight around the legs, making manoeuvring difficult. It was also fairly low cut over the chest, but Jenny was not endowed with an extravagant décolletage. Ceri and then Lily were on her right.

Lily leaned over to check the setting beside hers. ‘Edward Hoffman?’

‘Don’t know the name,’ Ceri said.

‘Me neither,’ Jenny said. ‘He may be one of the Americans. How did you two sit down so easily? I’m practically in bondage here.’

Lily giggled. ‘Now you’re talking my language.’ Jenny went a delightful shade of pink.

‘Stretchy fabric,’ Ceri said, smirking. ‘Well, slightly morphic fabric actually. Really amazing stuff, but it’s only really much use if you’re some sort of supernatural.’

‘Indeed,’ a male voice said from behind her. She looked around and favoured Malcolm Charles with a smile. ‘It was developed for the military, but it has such restricted utility that the manufacturer has started selling it for more general purposes.’ He smiled. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet under more pleasant circumstances again, ladies.’ Malcolm was dressed in probably the best fitting suit Ceri had ever seen him in. It stretched a little around his expanding waistline, but it was properly fitted. His ruddy-cheeked face was looking rather pleased.

Coming up behind him was his daughter, Petra, who was dressed in a black sheath dress with thin straps. The bodice was opaque, but below her bust it became semi-transparent and revealed the shadow of a black thong beneath. Petra was a pretty blonde with a reputation for wild behaviour and the dress matched her personality perfectly. She was, however, looking shocked, and red around the cheeks. Ceri suspected that might be the reason for Malcolm’s good humour.

‘You’re looking very pleased with yourself, Malcolm,’ Lily said.

Malcolm’s smirk grew deeper as he held out a chair for his daughter and she sat down looking mortified. ‘Petra bought three dresses for the ball,’ he explained, ‘and then picked the most risqué one at the last moment because I annoyed her over something or other. Then one of the Americans thought I’d remarried a younger wife.’ Petra’s face was turning scarlet. Malcolm sat down between Petra and Ceri, beaming happily.

‘Well, you don’t look a lot alike,’ Ceri said, ‘and there are quite a few trophy wives around.’

‘Oh,’ Malcolm said, ‘Petra was lucky enough to get all her looks from her mother.’ He patted his daughter’s hand. ‘Don’t worry, dear, I’m sure not too many people will make that mistake. I, for one, don’t believe I could get so lucky as to catch a woman as beautiful as Clarice again.’ His face fell a little and it was Petra’s turn to reach out to cover her father’s hand. He looked up and directly at Ceri. ‘Since I’ve brought the mood down a little, I’ll get this out of the way before we lighten it again. How are you recovering after the Witch Hunter business?’

Ceri smiled bleakly. ‘Better than I did after Stonehenge. Some nightmares, but I’ve had friends around me a lot.’ Her smile got a little brighter. ‘I’m not entirely sure it’s a good thing that I’m getting used to being tortured.’

‘You could try not being captured by the bad guys,’ Lily commented.

‘I believe we could all agree on that,’ Alexandra agreed.

‘I’ll give it a go, but I’m not promising anything.’ Ceri looked up as the last member of their small group arrived, raising an eyebrow; he did not look particularly like an Edward.

Tall and ruggedly attractive, Hoffman had a not quite military haircut and a dark blue suit which fitted very tightly over solid muscle. He was in his mid-thirties, Ceri guessed. His black hair had no grey in it and there were just a few worry lines on his brow. His nose had been broken and then reset well, but there was a slight twist in it. He was trying to look casual, but Ceri saw his blue-green eyes taking in everyone at the table as he pulled out the last chair. ‘Evening,’ he said, ‘I’m Ed Hoffman.’ He had a soft American accent, Ceri was just not good enough on accents from across the Atlantic to identify it more specifically.

‘I’ll handle the introductions then,’ Malcolm said. ‘I’m Malcolm Charles, Minister for Supernatural Affairs, and this is my daughter, Petra. Then we have Alexandra and Anita, Lee, Miss Jenny Li, who is Ambassador Long’s translator and Lee’s partner, Doctor Ceridwyn Brent, and the lovely young lady beside you is Lily Carpenter, Miss Brent’s partner.’

Hoffman’s smile was slightly lopsided, but genuine. ‘Thank you, sir. I’m here as part of President Wilson’s protection detail.’

‘That explains it then,’ Lily said.

‘I’m sorry?’ Hoffman looked bemusedly at her.

‘You’re a practitioner, yes?’

His eyes narrowed slightly as he sank into his seat with the kind of grace you expected in a man trained in unarmed combat. ‘How did you know?’

Lily smiled wide enough to show her fangs. ‘Half-demon,’ she said. ‘I can sense the magic on you.’

‘Half-demon?’ Hoffman’s surprise was not quite overcome by the hint of suspicion. ‘Seriously?’

Malcolm’s voice cut across the table, carrying a hint of authority. ‘Miss Carpenter and Doctor Brent work with the Metropolitan Police on supernatural cases. Their respective talents have cracked cases our detectives could not have solved on their own. And they both have security clearances higher than most of my staff.’

Ceri turned and looked at him. ‘We do?’

The minister nodded smoothly. ‘Avery sends his regards.’ Avery Sachs was an MI5 officer they had come across twice now. Apparently he had done a more thorough job of investigating them than Ceri had imagined.

Hoffman relaxed almost imperceptibly. ‘I don’t believe I’ve ever met a half-demon before. You’ll have to pardon my reaction.’

‘Most people haven’t,’ Lily replied. ‘There used to be more about, but they usually end up going bad somehow and have to be put down.’

‘Lily’s the only one we know of, in London at least,’ Ceri added.

‘She’s the only one known in the country,’ Malcolm said. ‘The last one to go rogue was taken down in ninety-four and none have been born since, to our knowledge.’

The discussion came to a sudden stop as the hosts and guests of honour suddenly arrived at their table. Along with Mei and Huanglong there were two couples. Ceri recognised the Prime Minister, and even his wife. Geoffrey Haldane had been PM for about six years. Early middle aged, his wife Audrey was a little older and supposedly exerted quite a stabilising influence on her husband. They were both attractive, charming people, a characteristic which had proved very useful in Haldane’s rise to power. They were every bit the confident, political couple as they sauntered across the dance floor which the dinner tables circled. The American President and his wife were a different matter. What Ceri knew about them she had learned from the TV over the past week or so. He was George Wilson and his wife was named Eleanor; fairly conservative names for a fairly conservative President. She had been a model and actress, and her popularity had helped her older, rather less attractive husband win over the public. It was not that he was ugly, but he was relatively ordinary, a little over average height with sandy coloured hair and hazel eyes. He did have a very good smile and he was using it as he walked to their table. Compared to him, however, his wife was a goddess; long legs, wide hips, narrow waist, full breasts, the kind of face cameras loved, and lovely, bobbed, platinum-blonde hair. Ceri would have almost suspected something supernatural about her, but she doubted a conservative American would have married someone like that.

Five of the six sat down at their table while Mei remained standing. She turned and accepted a microphone from the Master of Ceremonies. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen,’ Mei’s voice rang out from speakers around the room. ‘Good evening and welcome to our little event. Tonight we celebrate the beginning of a new year in the Chinese calendar. As some of you will be aware, this is the year of the Dragon and so it is especially auspicious that we have with us Huanglong, the Yellow Dragon, who long ago taught writing to Fu Xi.’

‘If you believe that sort of thing,’ the tall man shouted out from his seat and the room rumbled with laughter. Ceri looked across at him and found him looking back, as though he expected his remark to draw her attention. He was probably over thirty thousand years old; most of the dragons she knew dated back to that time. Perhaps he really had taught some ancient ancestor of the Chinese to write.

Mei was smiling. ‘As you can tell, he does have a sense of humour, so don’t be afraid to talk to him later. For those who want to entertain us with their dancing, there will be music, assuming any of you can move after the food. We have a full banquet for you to get through, and a full evening to consume it in. Please enjoy yourselves, that’s what we’re all here for.’

Someone was using a lot of magic. Ceri’s scalp tightened as huge trays of food glided out from one of the side doors and began to arrange themselves on the tables. It certainly was a banquet, but Ceri was going to have to wait until everything had settled before she tried anything because the skin at the back of her neck was trying to crawl over to sit on her forehead. Lily and Jenny were digging in before everything was on the table.

‘Try the Dim Sum,’ Jenny said enthusiastically. ‘Seriously, it’s to die for.’

As the spell finally died away Ceri rubbed the back of her head and picked up some chopsticks. ‘I knew I should’ve worn a looser dress.’

~~~

‘I’m not as old as you believe me to be,’ Huanglong said as he swept Ceri around the dance floor. He was, clearly, a skilled dancer and somehow, in his arms, Ceri felt far more capable than she usually did.

Ceri raised an eyebrow. The statement had come out of nowhere, as though he knew what she had been thinking during Mei’s speech. For all she knew, he did. ‘The dragons I’ve met so far were all around during the Toba Flare,’ she said.

He nodded. ‘I was born around a thousand years before I came to Earth. I am about six thousand years old, by your counting.’

‘Almost a youth,’ Ceri said, smiling.

‘Compared to Mei Long or Athro I suppose I am. Compared to your ancestors I am a mere babe in arms.’ He watched her face, his lips twitching. ‘You did not know. Your Brenin had over eighty thousand years when he died. Brenhines is over a hundred thousand now. You come from long-lived, powerful stock.’ He smiled. ‘Your human line is a strong one. My condolences.’ He was obviously referring to her parents.

Ceri dipped her head in acknowledgement. ‘I still miss them, but it’s been long enough and I have enough friends around me that I’m over it, mostly.’

He was silent for a few seconds, sweeping her around in swirling arcs. She became aware that a space had opened up around them as people moved aside to watch. ‘You feel responsible for their death,’ he said.

‘Not exactly,’ Ceri replied.

‘You feel that they might still be alive if you had been with them then. I have been trying to work out why you put yourself in danger so readily. You have done things to help others which were far outside your tolerance zone.’

‘Overactive sense of guilt,’ Ceri said. ‘Dragons do things which don’t appear to benefit them. You taught a bunch of uncivilised tribesmen to read and write.’

He shrugged slightly. ‘We are dragons,’ he said as though that explained everything.

Ceri laughed. ‘Well, I’m me. Why the interest in my motivations?’

‘Human motivations interest me. Admittedly, Mei Long is the better observer, but one has to have a hobby.’ The music ended and he swirled her into what should have been a back-breaking dip; Ceri felt lighter than air.

Upright and being escorted to her seat while the couple were applauded, much to Ceri’s embarrassment, she observed that, ‘I’m not that good a dancer.’

‘I may have… lent you some of my skill,’ he said.

‘Interesting, and thank you. I’ll have to get Athro to teach me that one.’

He stopped , catching her hand to turn her around. ‘It has been my pleasure to accompany you, Ceridwyn Brent,’ he said, bowing again and raised her hand to his lips. ‘We will meet again, I have no doubt.’

Ceri dropped a courtesy. ‘The pleasure was mine, sir.’

He smiled and backed away a few steps before turning to leave. Ceri grinned and went back to her seat where Lily and Jenny were watching her, wide-eyed. Lee was there, but not looking quite so shocked. ‘What?’ she asked.

‘Where did you learn to dance like that?’ Lily asked. ‘Have you been taking sneaky lessons?’

‘When you dance with a dragon…’ Ceri replied, grinning. ‘He used magic, bumped my skill up with his own.’

‘Neat, can you do that?’

Ceri’s grin turned into a smirk. ‘Not yet.’

‘What did you think of him?’ Jenny asked.

Ceri looked across to the other table where Huanglong was chatting to Eleanor Wilson. ‘Charming, amusing, interested in people… a good dancer.’

‘I don’t think he likes me much,’ Jenny said. ‘It’s being a half-breed, I think. Being a woman doesn’t help.’

‘Dragons tend to be kind of…’ Ceri began, and stopped, trying to think of the right words. ‘They’ve got a personality and they stick with it. He’s the Imperial Dragon, he’s all about China.’

‘Mei likes me,’ Jenny countered. Ceri raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh come on,’ Jenny said, rolling her eyes. ‘It doesn’t take a genius. She’s gorgeous, she’s almost as elegant as Lily, she’s super-confident, amazingly patient, and have you seen how he acts around her? Like you said, he’s the Imperial Dragon, he’s the patriarch of the Dragon Empire, and he acts like she’s his equal, even his superior.’ Jenny nodded emphatically. ‘She’s a dragon too.’ Then Jenny’s expression became curious. ‘Now I just need to figure out why he’s so deferential to you.’

‘Ladies, enjoying the party?’ It was Hoffman, returning to his seat beside Lily.

Ceri smiled at him, happy to have the distraction. ‘Yes, thank you. Are you?’

He grinned. ‘It’s partially work for me, but yeah, I am.’

‘Work?’ Lily asked. ‘You need to be guarding your president here?’

‘Maybe not, but that’s the job.’

‘This place is probably safer than your… what’s it called? White House?’ Ceri said.

‘You think?’

‘You can’t feel it? The wards on this place are strong.’ Ceri glanced at Jenny.

‘They’re backed off a little in here,’ Jenny said. ‘Normally they key off our ID tags, but tonight they’re working from intent. If someone came in intending harm, or suddenly decided to do something while here, the wards would trigger. And they aren’t nice. Mei can trigger them if required as well, just in case the spell doesn’t catch a threat.’

‘That’s a very attractive woman,’ Hoffman said. ‘The Chinese Ambassador to the United States is a sixty year old man with a face like a boot. Half deaf too.’

‘It does sound like we got the better deal,’ Lily agreed.

‘Sure did.’ Hoffman picked up his wine glass and took a drink. He had been nursing the same glass the whole time, alternating with water. ‘So, Doctor Brent, I’m told you’re quite the genius at thaumatology.’

‘I’m not sure I’d say genius…’ Ceri replied.

‘That’s because she’s naturally self-effacing,’ Lily put in. ‘She’s a genius.’

‘I have a very talented boss,’ Ceri said, mock-scowling at Lily, ‘and something of a natural talent for the subject. Both my parents were enchanters, two of the best in the business, and there’s a lot of theory in enchanting.’

‘She’s crazy smart,’ Jenny said. ‘She was the smartest kid in school by miles when she was six and I’m pretty sure she’s just got cleverer.’

‘I’m just a practical magician,’ Hoffman said. ‘Wizardry, mostly. Elemental spells and defence. I don’t know much about the theory behind it all. We leave that to the boffins in Cambridge. Uh, that’s Cambridge, Massachusetts. I think you’re more likely to have heard of the Cambridge over here.’

‘I’ve read a load of papers out of MIT,’ Ceri said. ‘I’ve even swapped a few emails with some of your theoreticians. They’ve done far more work on Infinite Field Theory than we have. It’s considered very impractical here. Fanciful.’

‘Then why look into it? If you don’t mind me asking?’

‘We discovered circumstances where an infinite magical field could exist, unconstrained, in the real world. I needed to prove to my government that it was a really, incredibly, bad idea to actually construct the device which would cause it.’

‘How bad?’ Hoffman asked.

‘It’d make your Trinity site look like a firecracker.’ Ceri was rather pleased with the grimace she got from the American. ‘Take all of the German bombs that kicked off the Shattering, set them off in one place…’ He was wincing now. ‘…and you still wouldn’t get the sort of bang we’re talking about with this.’

‘So, uh, not a good idea then?’

Ceri laughed. ‘No, not a good idea. I had all the data to back it up, a complete analysis of what would happen. They scrapped the project. Partially thanks to the guys in your Cambridge.’

‘I’m glad we could be of assistance,’ Hoffman said, smiling.

‘What’s America like?’ Lily asked. ‘We see a few news reports and such, but I’ve never really met someone from there.’

‘Uh…’ He leaned back on his chair, raised his eyebrows, and breathed in heavily through his nose. ‘Wow… what’s it like? Well, not that different to here, I guess. Bigger. We have a lot of open space outside the cities. I spend most of my time in DC, of course. That’s a nice city. It looks younger than London, but it does have a fair amount of green space in it. I was surprised to see all the parks here.’

‘We live right beside one,’ Lily said. ‘Kennington Park, south of the Thames.’

‘I guess you could say I live across the river too,’ Hoffman said. ‘A town called Alexandria. It’s across the Potomac and down a bit, outside the main metropolitan districts on the north side. Going up from the river it’s fairly heavily built up all the way to Boston. People moved up into the north east in the forties and fifties, as far as they could get from the really bad areas. There was a lot of building and rebuilding. A lot of the population still lives up in that area.’

‘You miss where you grew up,’ Lily said, her voice holding a hint of sadness. ‘Rolling hills, miles of grassland.’ Hoffman looked at her, frowning. ‘Sorry,’ Lily said, ‘it’s a succubus thing. I can see your desires. I’m usually more discrete about it. Sorry.’

‘It’s… That’s quite a talent. I can see why the police must think you’re great. You’re right, I was born in what used to be South Dakota.’

‘Used to be?’ Ceri said. ‘So that’s in the tribal territories?’

Hoffman nodded. ‘I ran away from home when I was seventeen, headed for the big city, ended up training with the Secret Service. I’ve never been back. It was far too quiet, but I do miss the hills. Walking up there was one of my favourite pastimes.’

Lily smiled. ‘I left home at fifteen, and I’ve never been back either. Of course, I ended up making a living on my back for five years, so I think you did better.’

‘Ed, this is where you got to.’ Everyone at the table looked up at the sound of the voice. Its owner was George Wilson and Hoffman was on his feet in an instant. ‘And you’re keeping such lovely young ladies to yourself.’ Beside the President, his wife rolled her eyes, but looked happy enough and favoured Lee with a smile.

Hoffman smiled, if a bit stiffly. ‘Mr President, I’d like to introduce Ceridwyn Brent, Jenny Li, and Lily Carpenter, and that young man is Lee, Miss Li’s partner. Ladies, gentleman, this is President George Wilson and his wife Eleanor.’

‘Please don’t get up.’ Eleanor said quickly. ‘We’re just doing the rounds.’

‘Thank you,’ Jenny said. ‘You have no idea how hard it is to move in this dress.’

Eleanor laughed and her husband chuckled. ‘Honey, I know just how you feel,’ Eleanor replied. Her gaze turned to Ceri. 'I'm glad Huanglong didn’t ask me to dance. This gown doesn’t stretch like yours.’ Her slim, black evening gown had a short split to the knee at the back, but it looked like moving her thighs was an interesting exercise in applied physics. ‘Though I notice he’s danced with the Ambassador and you. He’s a selective sort of man.’

Ceri was surprised, though she tried not to show it. ‘He’s a dragon, ma’am, they’re kind of… different. He was interested in my research and he knows Mei from their home. I suspect he doesn’t spend much time in human form.’

‘You seem to know a lot about dragons,’ the President said.

‘It’s a hobby,’ Ceri lied. ‘We know they had an influence on Chinese culture. I believe they had a much greater, beneficial, influence on Western culture than we currently acknowledge.’

‘They aren’t something that turns up in American myth,’ Wilson said. ‘The natives had other kinds of monster and bogeyman, and our own heritage comes from a time when dragons were not a staple of folklore.’

‘I’m originally Welsh,’ Ceri said. ‘We like our dragons in Wales.’

Eleanor’s expression of professional interest suddenly turned brighter. ‘Well that’s something. My father’s family came over from Wales in the nineteenth century. My maiden name is Hughes.’

‘Ah!’ Lily exclaimed. ‘Eleanor Hughes. That’s where I know the face. I’ve seen a couple of your movies. Child of Light was pretty good.’

The First Lady smiled. ‘It was not exactly high art. With your looks you could be an actress yourself.’

‘I’ve… done a few films,’ Lily said. ‘You probably haven’t seen any of them and your husband doesn’t seem the type.’

Hoffman coughed. ‘That’s a compliment, sir.’

To Ceri’s amazement, Wilson actually blushed slightly. ‘I take your meaning, Miss Carpenter.’

‘Lily’s quite a good actress though,’ Ceri said. ‘She could probably have made it in movies if things had gone that way.’

‘I’m happy being a waitress and sometime detective,’ Lily said. ‘I don’t think I want to be famous.’

‘Good attitude,’ Eleanor said, nodding perhaps a little too emphatically. ‘Believe me, fame is not all it’s made out to be.’ She nudged her husband. ‘We should go talk to that Minister for Trade you wanted to talk to, hun. I haven’t yet seem him without a glass in his hand, and if you don’t corner him soon, he won’t remember the conversation.’

Wilson tried very hard not to show his displeasure at the idea, and almost managed it. ‘We should,’ he said. ‘You have a good evening, and make sure Ed enjoys himself. He takes his job way too seriously.’ He started to turn and then paused, lowering his voice to a stage whisper. ‘Oh and give Ed the name of a couple of your films, Miss Carpenter, but don’t let my wife know.’

Eleanor rolled her eyes again and dragged her husband off across the floor while Ceri, Lily, and Jenny giggled. Hoffman looked mildly mortified. ‘I can give you a list,’ Lily said, ‘though the best one is due out next month, I believe.’

‘I think he was joking,’ Hoffman replied. ‘I hope he was joking.’ He took a larger slug of wine than usual.

‘I like them,’ Lily told him. ‘They seem really genuine for a politician and his wife.’

‘They are,’ Hoffman replied. ‘I doubt you’d like the VP so much.’

‘VP?’ Lily asked.

‘Vice President, love,’ Ceri replied. ‘A bit like the Deputy PM.’

Hoffman nodded. ‘It’s a purely political partnership. The President needed a running mate who could hold onto the religious conservatives. Levy is more right wing, and much more of a political animal. That’s him over there, talking to your Prime Minister.’

They looked. The Vice President was a relatively short man with strong features. Not at all bad looking in a late middle aged way, but thin, almost withered. Age had not been particularly kind to him. His hair was fully grey and despite reasonable looks he seemed older than he probably was.

‘Who’s the woman with him?’ Ceri asked. She did not seem like someone who should be arm in arm with a man of Levy’s age. She was tall, maybe five-ten, slim, and very attractive in a cold way. Long, black hair fell down her back in a carefully woven pony-tail with a gold thread wrapping it. She looked to be easily twenty years his junior.

‘Angelica Levy,’ Hoffman said, ‘his wife.’ Ceri glanced at him; there was a cold edge to his voice. Hoffman did not like the woman. ‘He met her at an evangelical rally in Atlanta. He was the senator for Georgia before he became VP.’

Lily appeared to come to a decision, picked up one of the wine bottles on the table, and refilled Hoffman’s glass. He raised an eyebrow. ‘We were told to make sure you enjoy yourself,’ Lily said. Hoffman continued to look at her with his eyebrow raised. ‘It was a presidential order,’ Lily told him. ‘Are you going to disobey an order from your President?’

Hoffman laughed and picked up his glass, raising it to Lily. ‘No, ma’am,’ he said.

~~~

Anita dropped into her seat with a very heartfelt sigh and then reached down to take off her shoes. ‘I think my feet are bleeding,’ she moaned. ‘Oh Goddess, that feels good.’

‘Alexandra been dragging you around on her tour of politicians,’ Jenny asked.

‘Oh no. She ditched me by persuading some guy in a monkey suit to take me dancing.’ The Captain’s expression was half annoyance, half embarrassment. ‘And then there was another, and another…’

‘You don’t like dancing, Miss?’ Hoffman asked.

‘Not used to it. We don’t do a lot of ballroom at pack meetings.’

Hoffman blinked at her. ‘I’m sorry, “pack”?’

‘I thought you knew,’ Ceri said. ‘This is the odd people’s table. Alexandra, Anita, and Lee are werewolves.’

‘Battersea pack,’ Anita said. ‘Alexandra is our Alpha. Technically, Ceri’s a werewolf too, and Jenny and Lily are honorary ones.’

‘I am?’ Lily asked.

‘Yes, you are.’ Lily beamed at Anita’s statement.

Hoffman was not looking horrified, which meant he knew the difference between werewolves and lycanthropes. ‘How can you be “technically” a werewolf?’

Anita gave a half-smile. ‘Well, she’s a member of the pack Guard, and we wouldn’t let a human be a Guard. She can become a werewolf when she wants, by the blessing of the Goddess, so she’s “technically” a werewolf.’

Lily giggled and everyone looked at her. She pointed to Ceri’s dress where wolves had replaced the dragons charging around the fabric. One of them stopped over Ceri’s right breast to howl soundlessly before rushing onward. ‘I think I preferred the dragons,’ Ceri said. ‘You have some fairly large packs in America, don’t you?’

Hoffman nodded. ‘Mostly in the tribal lands, but there’s a big one in the north. What used to be Canada. They don’t interact much with… well, civilisation, for want of a better term, but they do keep an eye on the Snow Line for us.’

‘The snow line?’

‘Ah, um, what was the western side of Canada is full of… stuff you don’t want to meet. The border with our territories and the tribal lands is called the Snow Line.’ He grinned. ‘I think that’s mostly because it’s where the snow starts going north from the tribal territories.’

‘That’d be a good reason,’ Ceri said, grinning back. ‘We’re trying to get far more open interaction between the packs and government here. Though that’s not why Alexandra is here.’

‘My fault,’ Jenny said. ‘I started working with the Battersea pack and Mei thought it would be good to meet Alexandra personally.’

‘And I’m here because Jenny’s my… uh, girlfriend,’ Lee said.

Hoffman did look surprised at that. ‘You definitely don’t see that in the States. Relationships between humans and supernaturals… don’t happen much.’

‘They aren’t common here,’ Ceri said, ‘but they’re on the rise.’

Hoffman’s gaze swept the room, coming to a stop. ‘It’s actually illegal in some states,’ he said. Ceri followed his gaze and spotted the Levys chatting to someone she did not recognise.

‘I think I can guess one of them,’ she said.

‘Louisiana allows it, oddly enough,’ Hoffman said, ‘but they’ve always had a big supernatural contingent in New Orleans.’

‘They’re big on Voodoo aren’t they?’ Jenny asked.

‘Yeah, pretty big,’ Hoffman replied.

Ceri looked at her friend. ‘How’d you know that?’

‘Tanya told me about it at school once,’ Jenny said. ‘I think she was trying to scare me, actually.’ She added a grimace. ‘It worked too. I had nightmares about zombies for weeks.’

‘Class three,’ Ceri said.

‘Huh?’

‘Voodoo practitioners don’t usually raise the dead,’ Ceri explained, ‘they turn living people into zombies. Class three zombies.’

Jenny wrinkled her nose. ‘Thanks. I can see me having nightmares again.’

Ceri shrugged. ‘I get enough. Just spreading the joy.’

~~~

The toilets, hidden away down a small, side-corridor off the ballroom, were the only ones Ceri had ever seen which were more sumptuous than the ones at the Jade Dragon. It actually had magic hand driers! Blinking at the sheer extravagance of using enchantment to dry your hands, Ceri slipped out of the room and almost ran into Mei.

The willowy dragon-woman smiled. She had been waiting for Ceri, not going into the restrooms. ‘What do you think of Huanglong?’ she asked, offering her arm to escort Ceri out into the ballroom.

Ceri considered her answer for a second. ‘Charming when he wants to be. Possibly a little chauvinistic.’

‘A reasonable assessment, but forget the possibly.’ It was an alarmingly honest statement. ‘It’s in his nature, unfortunately.’

‘That’s more or less what I said,’ Ceri replied. ‘You know, Jenny’s figured out you’re a dragon. Or at least she heavily suspects. I doubt she’d say anything.’

‘Jenny is a very perceptive girl,’ Mei said. She was silent for a second and then, ‘It might be best if she were to keep her suspicions quiet.’

‘I know how to keep her quiet,’ Ceri said.

‘You do?’

‘Yes.’ It had worked with Cheryl. It seemed like a better idea to head off her speculations with the truth than to let her figure it out herself.

Mei nodded. ‘I’ll leave it in your capable hands then.’

Ceri nodded back and then frowned. ‘Mei, are you… I don’t know, warning me about Huanglong?’

‘Why should I need to do that, child?’

‘I don’t know. You waited until I was alone to ask me about him.’

They had almost reached Ceri’s table and Mei just smiled. ‘You are also a very perceptive woman, Ceridwyn. If you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to your Prime Minister.’ Slipping her arm free, she walked off across the dance floor, her hips swaying as she went.

Ceri watched her go, frowning, and Lily looked up at her, feeling the confusion over the emotion link they shared, Mistress to bound demon. ‘You okay, Ceri?’

Giving a small smile, Ceri walked the last few steps and slipped into her seat. ‘I got favoured with an enigmatic comment.’

Lily patted her hand. ‘You’ll get over it.’

Ceri gave her a poke in the ribs. ‘Are you asking to be spanked?’

Lily’s lips twitched and she lowered her eyes. ‘You know I’d never ask…’

Kennington, January 24th

Ceri opened her eyes and smiled. It had been a good night. Considering everything that had happened the previous year, at least this one was starting out well. Waking up in Lily’s arms always helped her mood anyway. They had made love before sleeping, taking it easy and slow since they were both a little tired after the ball. It had been a perfect end to a perfect day, and since it was still January they had still gone to sleep when the sky was dark.

‘You awake?’ Lily’s voice was sleepy and quiet.

‘Mmhmm.’

‘What time is it?’

‘No idea, and I’d have to move to find out. It’s light.’

The half-succubus pulled her lover a little closer, snuggling against her back. ‘I don’t mind just lying here.’

Ceri almost purred. Lily’s body temperature was higher than a normal human, a result of the thaumic reactions within her which powered her succubus abilities. It was like lying against an animated, sensuously smooth, very sexy hot water bottle. The warmth and closeness felt wonderful. She heard a soft creak on the landing outside and then the shower starting up. Probably Anita taking advantage of the facilities. A shower would be nice later, but right now she was warm and comfortable and… drifting…

High up. High in the sky. Flying. Sweeping over towns, cities, stretches of open country. Everything looked so small and insignificant below her. So…

‘Want to take a shower? I think Anita’s finished.’

Ceri blinked. ‘You figured it was her too?’

There was another creak on the landing and the sound of voices. ‘Too late,’ Lily said. ‘Alexandra’s next.’

‘I don’t mind. I’m warm and you’re comfy.’

Lily gave a little giggle, but Ceri was already sliding back into a doze again…

She was sitting on a hard surface. Stone. High up, on a hill? A mountain? Below her the land stretched away into the distance and she could see birds wheeling in the sky. She felt… She felt calm, serene, in control… powerful.

There was something in her hand. She looked down and found that it was a length of chain. She was holding a chain and at the other end was…

‘We can go.’

Lily’s voice broke into the dream leaving a vague sense of unease. ‘What?’ Ceri said, blinking away sleep.

‘The shower’s free,’ Lily said. ‘We can go take a shower.’

‘Right.’ Suddenly Ceri did not want to sleep any more. ‘Yes, let’s do that.’

~~~

Jenny had a habit of thinking the worst whenever anyone wanted to talk to her seriously about something, so she was fidgeting as she sat in the guest wing-back chair in the lounge faced by Ceri and Lily. Alexandra and Anita had gone back to Battersea, but Lee had stayed with his mate since she had a day off. Lee, however, already knew what Ceri was going to tell her and that, more than anything, was why Ceri was going to do it.

‘Did I, um, do something wrong?’ Jenny asked.

‘Yes,’ Ceri told her, ‘you were too clever.’ She grinned, and Jenny grinned back nervously. ‘You’re getting close to figuring something out,’ Ceri went on, ‘so I need to tell you and then you need to keep your mouth shut about it.’

Jenny’s grin brightened. ‘A secret? Cool!’

‘Yes,’ Ceri said, grinning, ‘but I’m serious. You don’t tell anyone about this. Not your parents, not your grandmother, no one.’

The half-Chinese girl schooled her face into seriousness. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘That’s like a real secret.’

‘Yes, my life might depend on it.’

Now Jenny’s face lost any hint of humour. ‘Oh.’

‘Yeah,’ Ceri said. ‘Okay, you obviously know about the dragons. You’ve met Huanglong and you think Mei is one. She is, by the way and I’d recommend that you keep that to yourself too. If she brings it up it’s probably safe to say something, otherwise just don’t mention it, even to her. She knows you worked it out. I think she was rather pleased with you. Just be happy you have. What else do you know about dragons?’

‘Well… what most people do, I guess,’ Jenny said.

‘I bet I don’t,’ Lee put in from the floor beside his mate’s legs.

Jenny giggled and ran her hand through his hair. ‘Okay, I know the Chinese dragons have been around for a long time. Huanglong is supposed to have turned up a bit after three thousand BC. Western dragons have been turning up in legend for a long time too, so I figure they must have been around the same amount of time. It seems like they went into hiding or something until the Shattering. They’re big, magical, able to assume human form. Uh… that’s about it.’

‘Not bad,’ Ceri said, ‘but they’re a lot older. They can’t survive in low magic conditions so, yes, they sort of go into hiding when the Earth’s magic field drops. They were around during the Toba Flare, which ended thirty thousand years ago. Huanglong first appears in a flare which started around three thousand BC and ended around nine-hundred BC. They are inherently magical creatures and their magic works differently from that of, say, a wizard or a witch, or a demon for that matter. Demon magic is closer to human, but still different.’

‘It’s more intuitive,’ Lily said. ‘It has more to do with our nature, well, our biology really.’

‘Okay,’ Jenny said. She was not hearing a secret and Ceri could tell from her expression that she was waiting for one.

‘You also know about my tattoos,’ Ceri said. ‘My parents always said they were protective, and they sort of where, but what they actually did was contain my magical ability and use that to protect me.’

‘So when you lost your tattoos, your magic started working?’

‘Exactly. Now, why would my parents try to stop me exhibiting magic? Why would they keep it secret, even from me?’

‘It… was dangerous?’

‘Yeah. Dangerous for me. I’m a sorceress, Jen.’

Jenny’s eyes narrowed. ‘Sorceress? Like… Merlin or Morgana? I thought that was legend? Didn’t they say in History that sorcerers were probably pacted magicians?’

‘They were wrong. Sorcerers were real. I’m the only one at the moment. That we know of anyway. I’m the first to be born since the Shattering, again, as far as we know.’

‘And you want to keep it secret?’ Jenny’s eyebrows went up.

‘I know of at least one organisation who would do their level best to kill me if they found out,’ Ceri replied. ‘And imagine what the government would do. I’m dangerous. I’m massively powerful, or I could be. They would stick me in a lab and try to work out how to make more like me.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah, especially because they can’t. Sorcery is dragon magic. I’m a sorceress because some dragon bumped hips with a human thousands of years ago.’

Jenny’s eyes widened. ‘Seriously? You’re like, part dragon?’

Lily giggled. ‘Awesome, isn’t it? Genetically she’s as human as I am.’

Ceri grimaced slightly. ‘It’s true. Actually, Lily’s more human than I am on a genetic level, but the effects are less physical. Might be because my ancestors are thousands of years ago and Lily’s dad is actually an incubus.’

‘Western dragons or Eastern?’ Jenny asked eagerly.

Ceri grinned. ‘Western. Sorry, I’m not part Chinese.’

There was a giggled reply. ‘I’ll try not to be disappointed. So, that’s why Huanglong was so interested in you?’

‘Pretty much. I couldn’t say anything much at the ball. He probably is a bit of an insular so and so, but it wasn’t you being half-Chinese, or a girl. He was only really being nice to his “relatives.”’

‘I still don’t think I like him.’

‘Might be a good idea to keep that under your hat too.’

‘No kidding,’ Jenny replied. ‘I like my job!’

Holloway, January 25th

Ceri liked her job too. Well, technically being Doctor Cheryl Tennant’s research assistant was one of her jobs; she was also a waitress at the Jade Dragon two nights a week, and a part time policewoman. But thaumatology had been her life since she was a child. Her parents had encouraged her to learn as much as she could; perhaps because they knew how useful it would be when her power was released, but she liked to think it was simply because they were just helping her do something she was good at.

Cheryl was in her thirties and looking good on it. Rather like Ceri, she was a pale-skinned woman with more than a few freckles, but she had the red hair to go with the complexion. Shoulder length, she usually wore her hair up in a tight bun, especially when working. Slim and long-legged, and possessed of a substantial chest, she was the subject of more than a few student fantasies, but her heart belonged to two men who were a fair bit older than her. Where Ceri had Lily and Michael, a half-succubus and a werewolf, Cheryl had Carter and Alec, a millionaire wizard and a werewolf.

‘How was the ball?’ Cheryl asked as Ceri walked into her office. ‘I saw you on TV. Catherine’s going to be really pleased with the coverage of her dresses.’

Ceri blushed. ‘It was good, and the dress was amazing. I got to meet another of my distant relatives. I danced with a dragon.’ Her grin was infectious.

‘I wish I’d been there. However…’ She pointed to the side of the room where a cardboard box was standing against the wall. Maybe six inches in cross-section and six feet long, it had no labels on it. ‘That’s the first of the staves for the ley line trial. The Ministry wants you to go over the inscriptions, check them before they make the other ones.’

Nodding, Ceri walked over and picked up the box. ‘Oof! Heavy. I’m going to have to carry one of these a few miles on foot.’

‘You’ll have Lily to help. You specified the thing. What did you expect when you asked for a carved, granite rod?’

‘Yeah, true. What are you up to?’

‘Well,’ Cheryl said, ‘we haven’t had external confirmation of the thaumino data yet, but I’m going through the Super-magic field equations based on the mass we got. I want to see how it all works out. It could be our figure won’t work properly, or it predicts something that isn’t right, or even something new…’

‘The last paper I read suggested a figure in our range, but it’ll be interesting to see what you come up with.’ The thaumino was a currently theoretical heavy particle suggested by super-symmetry theory. It was the governing force particle for what was known as the Super-magic Field; the field which controlled how strong magic was in any given place. Cheryl had found data suggesting a proof of its existence, but it was yet to be confirmed.

Cheryl nodded. ‘We won’t know until we plug everything in and see what comes out.’

Ceri lifted the heavy box onto her shoulder and walked out, across the lab floor, and into her own office at the back. It was actually bigger than Cheryl’s, having been intended for two people. It was always possible that they would eventually get another research assistant in, so Ceri was still there. Besides, Cheryl had her office just the way she liked it and did not want more space.

Leaning the box against her desk, Ceri slit the tape holding it together with a scissor blade and lifted the top off. The packing fell from the top and Ceri was left looking at one surface of the hexagonally shaped rod. She pulled out the remainder of the paper packing and then lifted out the carved stone. It was almost six feet in height, hexagonal at the top, but about two-thirds of the way down that narrowed into a spike with a circular cross-section to allow it to be driven into the ground. Down the six faces of the upper section were a series of runes carefully cut into the stone. These were the carvings she needed to check.

But for a few seconds she just stood and held the dark grey rock staff in front of her, turning it slowly and looking at the intricate crystal structure. It was really quite beautiful. Flecks of white and pink where mixed into the near-black and the abrasion marks of the runes turned the black into true grey.

Ceri drew in a breath and started work. Each rune needed to be perfect before she could pass the stave and let the Ministry for Supernatural Affairs go ahead with production of the remaining three. Laying the staff down, she got her tablet from its bag, found the original specifications, and started work.

Battersea

There was no sign of Michael near the tree where Ceri hid her clothes. That meant, she thought as she started to strip, that there was a far better than average chance that he was waiting to pounce her. Technically she was still in training and this gave him the opportunity to ambush her in an effort to improve her responses to attack. Of course there was the fact that her “punishment” for getting it wrong generally involved her mate asserting his masculine rights. It was not exactly an incentive for her to improve her close combat skills.

Grinning, she stuffed her clothes into her satchel and pushed it into the hole in the tree roots before reaching up to her throat where the silver-studded Collar of Luperca was fixed. A small exertion of her power, a tingling shiver in her skin, and suddenly the world was different. Her nose filled with scent as she breathed in; far away to the north was the river and the scents of water and oil, closer where the more complex aromas of trees and grass and wolves. Someone was walking a couple of Dobermans up near the bandstand. Her vision was both far more clear and less acute. It was a dark night, but she could now see far more. However a werewolf’s eyes lacked some of the receptors a human had so the colours were different, more muted. None of her senses were telling her where Michael was, so she started through the trees to the paths on the other side.

She both heard and felt something coming up behind her, but did not have time to respond before an arm came over her shoulder, wrapping around her throat. The arm had grey fur on it, but she could not be sure it was Michael, and anyway giving up easily was simply not an option. Before the arm could fully lock, she kicked out with her leg, pushing off the tree beside her. The surprise move unbalanced her attacker and sent them both tumbling back into the little clearing. He came out on top, but her knees were braced under her and she grabbed the offending arm before he could reapply his hold. Yanking hard on the arm and pushing up with one hip, she tipped the body off her onto the grass, hearing a gratifying grunt as he hit the ground.

Moving quickly, Ceri planted her elbow over the wolf’s windpipe… and let out a surprised gasp. It was not Michael. She was about to say something when another body hit her from the side, carrying her off her current victim and rolling her across the grass and into the bole of a tree. She grunted as her ribs were squashed against the bark, not quite hard enough to wind her. Arms slid under hers and then locked behind her neck, and she was yanked to her feet and spun around as her new attacker braced himself against the tree. This was actually starting to get serious.

The first wolf jumped to his feet and started toward her, licking his lips. She waited until he was closer before acting; the wolf at her back had far too firm a grip and made a great platform. Lifting her legs she planted both feet in the first wolf's chest and pushed. His eyes widened as he flew across the clearing, vanishing into the bushes on the other side. Swinging back down, she used her shifting weight to get some extra play and slammed the back of her head up into the second wolf’s muzzle. He let out a yelp which meant something extremely rude in werewolf, and her arms were loose. Ceri turned, her right arm swinging down, and then up, and then the wolf’s eyes bulged out on stalks as she got a really firm grip on his balls…

The sound of someone laughing made her turn her head and look around. The wolf she had kicked into the bushes was staggering back out, pulling twigs out of his fur, but the laughter was coming from the naked, human, shape of her mate, Michael, leaning on a tree trunk. She eyed him balefully and ignored the mewling noises coming from the wolf she was still torturing.

‘You win, love,’ Michael said. ‘Sorry guys, if I let this keep going Ingram’s going to be singing falsetto.’

Ingram, who was presumably Ceri’s current plaything, nodded hurriedly in agreement, adding a pitiful mewl in supplication. Ceri growled at him and squeezed a little bit harder before letting him go. He sagged in relief and limped over to his friend before they both headed off through the bushes. Two at once? Ceri’s growl held a hint of annoyance.

‘I told them they could both have you if they could catch you,’ Michael said. The way her eyes narrowed did not reduce his humour at all. ‘What? I knew you could beat them.’ She moved. In human form he was really no match for her in wolf shape and he let out a gasp as her hand wrapped around his testicles. The grip was just firm enough to not be painful, but if he changed shape it was going to become distinctly uncomfortable. ‘Uh, Ceri… what are you doing?’

Ceri let out a snickering noise and ran her long tongue over his throat. She was going to have some fun, that was what she was doing. Her tongue snaked out again, across his chest this time, and she got the response she was expecting as his balls tightened in her hand. The amazingly nervous look on his face as she got down onto her knees was exactly what she was hoping for.

Kennington, January 26th

‘Seriously?’ Lily said, trying to stop herself giggling. ‘You really gave him head in wolf form?’

Ceri bit her lips to silence her own giggles. ‘Well… well it was more like “giving tongue” really.’

Lily wriggled against her, pulling her closer and giggling again. ‘That’s so hot. I’m surprised he could keep it up though.’

‘He was kind of nervous at first, but he got into it.’ Boy had he got into it. ‘He’s pretty sure bitches don’t usually do that, if ever.’

‘I swear you’re going to breed a whole new generation of kinky werewolves. Considering they think missionary is weird, they’re pretty vanilla. I mean I’ve had some funny looks just for suggesting I sit on top.’

Ceri giggled. ‘Anita was really amazed when Ray went down on her, but she loves it.’

Lily gave an exasperated groan. ‘I was going to just go to sleep tonight and now you’ve got me all wound up.’

Ceri’s giggle became throaty. ‘You just lie back then. I’ll make you sleepy again.’

It was an offer that Lily was simply unwilling to decline.

~~~

She stood looking down upon the land below. Rolling hills dotted with towns and villages. In the blue, blue sky above, huge birds circled, dived, and wheeled about, dancing in the sun. She felt good, very good. The air smelled sweet, she had power, untold power, and her pet was at her feet. She yanked on the chain in her hand and heard the gasp…

Ceri opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. She must have moved because Lily made grumbling noises in her sleep and resettled herself against her.

The dream was sliding away. Ceri could remember almost none of it now. There had been blue sky and birds. She had been high up. The dream had left her feeling uneasy somehow, but she could not understand why.

Slipping out of Lily’s arms, Ceri headed for the bathroom and started the shower. The water streaming over her face felt good and began to wash away the lingering feeling of dread. She heard the door open and close, then the cubicle door open, and she glanced at it with one eye. Lily was there, stepping into the shower, all perfect body and willing smile… except it was not Lily.

‘You can come in if you want, Faran, but all you’re getting is to scrub my back.’

The figure in the doorway actually sagged a bit as it shifted. Suddenly “Lily” had grown several inches, lost almost a foot of hair, added some muscle, and changed sex. ‘You’re usually more playful about it,’ Faran said, sounding a little disappointed.

‘Weird dream. If you’d let me finish the shower I might’ve been more receptive.’

He frowned; concern? ‘Pass me the shower gel,’ he said. Feeling a little odd, she did and he popped it open, poured a little of the orange fluid, and began to wash her back. There was not even a hint of sensuality about it. ‘Dreaming about that… Witch Hunter character?’

Ceri braced her arms against the wall, and allowed him to continue. ‘I don’t think so. It faded quickly. I don’t remember pain or fear, but it left me feeling… weird.’ He was crouched down, washing her legs now. ‘Another thing that feels weird is you doing that without an ulterior motive.’

‘If it makes you feel better, I could be doing this to lull you into a false sense of security.’

‘Thanks, now I can add paranoia to my list.’

Faran laughed and lifted to his feet, handing her the gel bottle. ‘I’ll go and wake my daughter before you start on your front and I become tempted.’

Ceri watched him dry himself off and then leave the room before she continued washing. Faran was a more complex person than he liked to let on. He was a demon, and they were selfish, power-obsessed, untrustworthy; yet he loved his daughter and showed concern for Ceri’s wellbeing. A contradiction, even for an incubus. Shrugging, she squeezed out a handful of gel and finished what he had started.

Holloway

There was no sign of Cheryl in the lab, so Ceri went straight to her office to finish off going over the runes on the stave. Lifting it out of its box, she laid it on the floor, retrieved her tablet, and began going over the final line of runes. Concentrating fairly hard, she did not hear people entering the lab and remained unaware of them until she heard slightly nervous laughter and Cheryl’s voice.

‘And this is my research associate, Ceridwyn Brent, though not, perhaps from the best angle.’

Straightening up and looking over her shoulder, Ceri saw Cheryl along with a man she did not recognise. The Dean was behind them… And Ceri had been displaying her backside to them as they walked in. At least she was in jeans and a T-shirt. ‘Uh, sorry,’ she said, ‘I get deaf when I’m concentrating.’

‘It’s quite all right Doctor Brent,’ the unknown man said. ‘My visit was unannounced. I’m Barclay Macbay, the President’s scientific advisor.’ He was tall, well-built, handsome in the same way Carter was; aging well, exercised regularly, a little grey in his black hair to add a touch of distinction. Ceri was not so keen on the accent which sounded like something from a gangster movie.

Stepping forward, Ceri took his offered hand and shook it. ‘Pleased to meet you, sir. I met President Wilson and his wife on Tuesday. I liked them.’ Behind the Dean she could see the university’s Physics head and two men in dark suits who she suspected were Macbay’s escort.

‘They are very personable people,’ Macbay said.

Ceri frowned slightly. ‘Macbay? Didn’t you write one of the early papers on Infinite Field Theory?’

The American raised an eyebrow. ‘You’ve read that? That was a long time ago. My doctoral thesis. The basics were published in the Journal of Thaumatology. I broadened my horizons, however.’

‘It was an insightful paper back when IFT was really thought of as a joke.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Doctor Macbay is on a visit to see what we’re doing down here,’ Cheryl said. ‘Us and Physics anyway. Can you give him a rundown on that?’ She nodded to the staff on the floor. ‘It’s cleared with the Ministry.’

Ceri nodded and stepped back to allow them into the room where they formed a circle around the granite rod. ‘Okay,’ Ceri said. ‘This is going to be one of four staves which we plan to use to create a sub-dimensional tunnel between Hamburg and Groningen in the Dutch Territories.’

‘An artificial ley line,’ Macbay said, his voice suggesting a hint of awe. ‘How did you come up with that?’

‘A lot of hard work and some insight,’ Ceri said.

‘My research assistant is smarter than I am,’ Cheryl said, smiling proudly.

‘Well,’ Ceri said, ‘sitting waiting for the line when it arrives in Holland will be an extremely efficient energy converter designed by my boss. Assuming it all works, we should be pumping out megawatts. Maybe enough to run the city over there.’

‘And then we scale up from there,’ Cheryl said.

Macbay looked up at the Dean. ‘You have a really excellent thaumatology team here.’

‘We’re very proud of them,’ the Dean replied.

‘Except when we threaten to blow up half the city,’ Cheryl said.

The Dean rumbled with what was probably laughter. ‘Except, perhaps, then. Though that did produce the final data you needed for that Null Thaumiton paper.’

‘This power generation system could work with any large thaumic energy source?’ Macbay asked.

‘That’s the theory,’ Cheryl said, ‘assuming it works.’

Macbay looked thoughtful for a second. ‘The President is holding a… function before he leaves next week. Monday night. Would you two be willing to come and explain some of this to President Wilson? By all means bring a couple of guests along.’

The Dean was nodding. Ceri smiled. ‘I’m happy to if Cheryl is. My partner would probably hurt me if I said no, for one thing.’

‘Do you think Carter can be trusted with the President of America?’ Cheryl asked Ceri.

‘Oh yes,’ Ceri replied. She was not so sure about the First Lady, but even Carter had his limits.

‘In that case, certainly,’ Cheryl said.

‘I’ll see to getting invitations to you,’ Macbay said.

‘Looks like we’ll be getting some more use out of those dresses,’ Ceri said, grinning.

Soho, January 27th

Four nights after the New Moon the werewolves were still a little too down to be out partying so the clientele of the Jade Dragon was primarily human and undead. Ceri did have a threesome of stunningly attractive women on one of her tables who were probably Fae. Power floated around them like a warm, comfortable blanket. She was pretty sure they were Seelie Court; supposedly the good guys. In practice the larger Fae tended to be arrogant, unsympathetic, selfish, and possessed of an unpleasantly large superiority complex. At least they were easier on the eye than the vampires.

Cheryl was perched on a stool at the bar, dressed in a deep red mini-dress with a low neckline. She was smiling a lot. Then again she was getting a lot of attention from the suave, successful, rich Carter Fleming on one side of the bar, the good looking, rugged Alec behind the bar, and most of the random men who happened to be walking past. It was the kind of thing to make a woman in her early middle age smile.

‘A diplomatic function,’ Carter was saying as Ceri walked back from a drinks run. ‘It sounds… most entertaining.’

‘Well, I could take Alec instead,’ Cheryl suggested. ‘I’m sure he looks very good in a tux.’

‘I don’t,’ the werewolf said, ‘you’re taking Carter.’

‘I happen to know,’ Carter said, ‘that Alec scrubs up very well, and is an excellent dancer.’

‘She’s still taking you. You’re the playboy millionaire, I’m just an old werewolf who tends a bar.’

Carter heaved an overly heavy sigh. ‘I suppose I’ll just have to spend an evening chatting to politicians’ trophy wives in clinging dresses.’

‘I pity you,’ Alec growled.

‘I’ll have to get Cheryl something suitable as well,’ Carter mused.

‘Definitely,’ Lily said, strutting over from her tables. ‘Something subtle, elegant, and far too tight to wear underwear with.’

Cheryl’s blush went all the way down to her chest and Carter hid his smirk badly. ‘I believe I’ve seen something very suitable,’ he said.

‘Oh dear,’ was Cheryl’s reply. Ceri was also wondering what he could get Cheryl into which would be both decorous enough for a diplomatic affair and satisfy his apparently insatiable urge to dress her in indecent clothing.

The thought was stopped as a shiver ran up her spine. She turned to the door of the club and the lectern people waited at to be seated. The woman standing there was tall with long, black hair and a stunning figure. Ceri recognised her immediately; Brenhines, her distant, but direct, draconic ancestor. She did not normally leave Anglesey and it was always a surprise to see her in the flesh. As usual she was wearing a white dress, floor length and hugging her figure from her throat down to her knees where it flared out. She looked, as always, regal.

Spotting Ceri she walked over, long legs carrying her with grace which only Lily could match. ‘I hope you don’t mind me breaking the normal protocol,’ she said as she approached.

Carter turned at the voice and smiled. ‘I believe we can forgive you. Welcome, once again, to the Jade Dragon…’

‘Gwyn. Call me Gwyn.’ Her gaze turned to Ceri and she smiled her knowing smile. ‘I thought I would visit to see how my… youngest relative was doing and thank you all for helping her.’

‘We were glad you helped,’ Cheryl said.

‘Indeed,’ Carter agreed. ‘We would have been unable to do what we did without your instruction.’

Gwyn waved a dismissive hand. ‘I merely provided the tools. Without Doctor Tennant to interpret my theory, and yourself, Mister Fleming, and Alexandra to make it work, and indeed Lily to provide the focus, nothing I did would have helped.’ She paused. ‘If I might borrow Ceridwyn for a moment?’

Ceri glanced at Carter and then moved. ‘We can go in the back,’ she said.

‘Use my office,’ Carter said as they walked past.

Carter’s office was sumptuous, but functional. Aside from a large, oak desk which Carter did work behind occasionally, there were two very large sofas in dark leather flanking a low table. These were used for business meetings as well as for certain other, more intimate meetings on occasion.

Brenhines settled down on one, resting her arms along the back and crossing her legs. Now she looked more like a dragon queen, resplendent on her throne. ‘Comfortable,’ she commented as Ceri took the seat opposite her. ‘I’d imagine Mister Fleming has consummated a few conquests on these.’

‘One or two,’ Ceri replied. She was feeling a little uncomfortable. Something about thrones and sitting perched on one…

‘You’ve been having dreams you can’t quite remember.’ It was a statement, but it seemed to demand an answer.

‘Yes. Since the ball, I think.’

‘And what did you think of the Grand Imperial Dragon?’

Ceri frowned; people kept asking her that in ways which suggested her opinion should change. ‘Charming, but far from perfect. Mei Long… suggested that I should be wary of him. Sort of.’

‘She walks a narrow line,’ Brenhines said, ‘always the observer. She does not choose sides in any conflict.’

‘Conflict?’

‘The wrong word, perhaps. Debate?’

‘Huh,’ Ceri grunted. She was probably not going to get a straight answer. ‘He told me you were over a hundred thousand years old.’

Brenhines looked thoughtful for a second. ‘I suppose I am, by your measure of time. I recall the births of Mei Long and Athro. Her mother died not long after and I took her under my wing, so to speak, for a time. That was… fifty thousand years ago, approximately.’

‘You were born before the Toba Flare began.’

Brenhines nodded. ‘I was one of those who first discovered we could reach this world. The pendent I gave you, you still have it?’

The sudden change of subject surprised Ceri. ‘Uh, yes, of course.’

‘Wear it, especially at night. You’ll find the dreams don’t bother you.’

‘What does it do? There’s some sort of enchantment on it, but…’

‘Not quite an enchantment, but something similar. It provides… oh, insight is probably the right word.’ Ceri grinned. ‘You are amused?’ Brenhines asked.

‘I’m surrounded by people who love enigmatic statements,’ Ceri replied.

Brenhines’ smile was broad. ‘Dragons practically invented enigmas, my dear.’ She grew serious again. ‘Some things you should learn for yourself. Giving hints will cause no harm, but just telling you… Well, experience is a great educator. Knowledge you come to of your own work is better than anything which can be taught or told.’

‘You sound like Ed, Athro.’

‘Who do you think he learned from?’

Ceri frowned. ‘Do you think I can trust Huanglong?’

‘No.’ It was a very direct answer and Ceri’s eyebrows went up in surprise. ‘However, you don’t entirely trust me, so can you trust my opinion of him?’ Ceri opened her mouth to protest, but Brenhines stopped her. ‘Trust is earned, child. I’d no more expect you to readily trust me than I would expect you to trust any other person you barely know.’

‘I owe you a debt of gratitude,’ Ceri said. ‘You helped save me from Falk and Gadriel. You exposed yourself to do it.’

Brenhines smiled again. ‘I’ll accept your gratitude, but there is no debt. I was protecting a child. We had no children of our own so you are the closest I’ll ever get.’ She paused, looking thoughtful again. ‘I hope that isn’t too presumptuous of me?’

Ceri returned the thoughtful look. ‘You can’t replace my parents, but I’ve just the one living relative and she’s senile. I can accept you as one. Besides… I wouldn’t deny you that if it helps.’

The dragon queen leant forward, suddenly seeming smaller, more vulnerable. When she spoke, her voice was low and carried more emotion than Ceri had ever heard in it. ‘Thank you, Ceridwyn. It does.’

Kennington, January 28th

‘You’re quite sure I’m not imposing?’ Brenhines said as they walked in through the doors of High Towers. ‘I can find somewhere to stay without any trouble.’

Ceri smiled. ‘Twill? Do you mind having a guest for the night?’

The tiny brown woman appeared out of nowhere, flitting across to hover in front of Brenhines, her wings flicking rapidly. ‘Good evening, Brenhines. Of course you’re not imposing.’ Her eyes narrowed slightly. ‘Unless you need a bed of gold coins to sleep on. We don’t have one handy and it would be terribly difficult to get one at this time of night.’

Brenhines laughed; she had a beautiful, melodic laugh. ‘Dragons sleeping on beds of gold is a myth, as I think you well know.’ She paused. ‘Well, there was one in Europe in the Dark Ages, but he was frankly off his head. Had a thing for kidnapping virgin women.’

‘Seriously?’ Ceri asked.

‘Oh yes,’ Brenhines replied, walking slowly into the hall and looking around slowly. ‘He was eventually killed by a sorcerer from one of the Germanic tribes after he stole their könig’s daughter. Now this place really is more what I would expect of a sorceress. The little room downstairs is well stocked, but this is much grander. I approve.’

‘My parents had it built,’ Ceri said.

‘You should see the dungeon,’ Lily added, grinning. Ceri felt her cheeks heating; for some reason the thought of Brenhines knowing about the dungeon…

‘You have a dungeon?’ The dragon queen sounded far too interested.

‘Next door to the summoning room,’ Lily said. Her grin said she knew it was embarrassing Ceri and was thoroughly enjoying it.

‘It was Lily’s idea,’ Ceri said. ‘Somewhere she could lock herself if her demon was starting to dominate, and, uh…’

‘Does it have chains?’ Brenhines asked.

‘And whips,’ Lily replied. ‘And various toys, and we got this really cool electrical gadget that…’

‘I so don’t want to be hearing this,’ Ceri said, starting for the stairs. ‘You’re practically my mother. Grandmother at least. It’s a well-known fact that children’s parents are celibate!’

Brenhines actually looked confused, while Lily giggled. ‘My dear girl, where do you think you came from?’ Brenhines asked.

‘I was delivered by a stork,’ Ceri replied as she marched up the stairs.

Brenhines waited just exactly the right amount of time before calling out, ‘So I’ll be sleeping in the guest room then?’

Ceri fled.

~~~

‘Why aren’t you both the shape and size of pregnant dragons?’ Brenhines asked as she tucked into a plate of scrambled eggs. ‘This is wonderful, Twill.’ Somehow the fairy managed to bob a curtsey in the air.

‘Lily burns calories like a furnace,’ Ceri said, ‘and I… well, I try not to eat too much.’

‘Your willpower is amazing,’ the dragon said around a mouthful of eggs. She was dressed in one of Ceri’s shirts and her longs legs stuck out from under the table. She was also apparently completely oblivious to Lily’s casual nudity as the half-succubus leant against the kitchen counter and drank coffee.

‘It is,’ Lily said. ‘You’re nothing like what I expected.’

Brenhines looked up at her, smiling slightly. ‘What were you expecting?’

‘Someone… stiffer, more regal. Don’t get me wrong, you look the part. Even sitting there stuffing your face you’ve got poise. I can almost smell the aristocracy from here. You’re just more down to earth than I expected.’

‘You were more formal the first time we met,’ Ceri commented.

Brenhines savoured her last mouthful of eggs, leaning back on her chair. Her chest filled out Ceri’s shirt far better than Ceri could manage; the buttons were actually straining a little. ‘I suppose I was. I’ve been spending more time around people. Re-socialising myself, so to speak.’

‘How long has it been?’ Lily asked, her voice soft.

‘Millennia.’ Brenhines smiled. ‘I’ve had no reason to bother with society, of any sort, for a long time.’

‘What changed? Ceri?’

‘Yes.’ The dragon rose to her feet smoothly. ‘You look after my great-granddaughter. And you,’ she looked at Ceri, ‘keep that necklace on. You slept better last night?’

Ceri raised her hand to the metal charm under her own shirt. ‘No dreams,’ she said.

Nodding, Brenhines started for the door. ‘I’ll collect my dress and be on my way. I’ve taken enough of your time and I have things to do. Don’t say goodbye, I’ll be with you.’ With that she left the room leaving Ceri frowning.

‘I like her,’ Lily said.

‘Yeah, so do I.’ Trusting her, though… Ceri was not yet sure she trusted her draconic mother yet.

Soho

The tall, slim figure standing in the entrance of the Jade Dragon was not immediately recognisable, but Ceri knew he was a dragon. There was the same tightening sensation somewhere in her mind that dragons always invoked. He waited at the lectern like any other customer, but there was something about the way he held himself that Ceri recognised; a sort of suppressed arrogance.

‘I’ll take this one, Boss,’ Ceri said and, getting a nod from Carter, she started across to the lectern, already settling her professional smile into place. The man watched her approaching as though he was used to being waited on, except faster. ‘Good evening,’ Ceri said, ‘I’m Ceri and I’ll be your waitress for the evening.’

‘This is no job for the daughter of dragons,’ the man replied. The voice was far too familiar.

‘Funny, Brenhines said the same the first time she came here, Huanglong. I enjoy the work, the money is useful, and it gets me out of the house.’

‘Your parents were royalty,’ he said, ‘but you play at being a servant?’

‘My parents were enchanters and went to university with the owner of this place,’ Ceri replied.

The dragon’s eyes moved over her shoulder toward the bar area where Carter was standing. ‘Yes, he was.’ His eyes lowered again. ‘But your biology is nothing to do with who you are. You are the daughter of…’

‘Two enchanters, who loved me a great deal, and protected me through a lot of years before there were any dragons around to do it. Now the only living dragon I’m actually related to was able to handle me working in a club, so I can take you to a table and get you a drink, or you can go about your business.’

His back straightened and his eyes widened a little; he was surprised. Ceri wondered when a human, or a mostly-human anyway, had last stood up to him. She was guessing at never, and pretty sure it was “never this century.” He seemed to hesitate a second before saying, ‘I’ll return another time,’ and turned on his heel.

‘I’ll see you another night then,’ Ceri said. She got no answer as he walked out onto the street, turning left and heading down Dean Street. Ceri turned around herself and headed back to the bar.

‘Not interested?’ Carter asked.

‘I’m not sure I know what he was interested in,’ Ceri replied. ‘That was Huanglong, though if he’s at this thing on Monday he’ll probably look different.’

‘I rather prefer Gwyn,’ Carter said.

‘Of course you do,’ Alec said from behind the bar, ‘she’s female, attractive, and she’s got a bust you could ski down.’

Carter nodded. ‘There is that, but I think it’s mostly that she doesn’t give me the creeps.’

Ceri chuckled and started off across the floor toward table twelve.

January 29th

It was a dark night, overcast and cold with a hint of rain in the air. Ceri and Lily hurried toward the tube station at Leicester Square with Ceri holding her coat tightly around her. Lily, with her demonic central heating, was not as cold, but she stretched her legs to keep pace with Ceri anyway.

‘I wish I had your legs,’ Lily said as they turned down Charring Cross Road.

‘Huh?’

‘Your legs, they’re longer than mine. Your legs, my body, I’d be lethal.’

‘You are lethal, love.’

‘More lethal then, and I wouldn’t have to push to keep up when you’re hurrying.’

Ceri giggled. The thought that Lily envied any part of her body was an ego boost, though Ceri thought Lily was just perfect. In thirty or so minutes they would be home and Ceri would be enjoying that perfect body along with Michael. Just the thought of it warmed her up and…

Ceri stopped, looking around. ‘What’s wrong?’ Lily asked, coming to a halt a step further on.

‘There’s a dragon nearby.’

Lily looked around. ‘You can’t tell where?’

Ceri shook her head. ‘It’s not that specific.’ She looked around one last time, but there were plenty of places someone could watch from without being seen. ‘Let’s go. Maybe they’re just keeping an eye one me.’

Lily fell into step once more. ‘But why? Why now? They haven’t been bothered before.’

‘I don’t know. They think there’s some sort of danger?’

‘Why not just warn you?’

Ceri grunted a half-laugh. ‘Since when has anyone around us who knows anything just told us what they know?’

‘Huh, yeah, you’ve got a point.’ They turned down the steps into the station oblivious to the dark shape which rose into the sky across the street.

Kennington

‘Any sign of that dragon?’ Lily asked as they entered the park.

‘No,’ Ceri replied. ‘Either he didn’t follow or he’s bright enough to stay out of range.’

‘I don’t like it,’ Lily said. ‘Maybe it’s the demon in me. Like Dad said, they’re a demon’s natural competition.’

‘I don’t think it works like that. And you’re not bothered by me and I’m probably more dragon than you are demon.’

‘You’re my mistress,’ Lily said. ‘And you’re gorgeous. And sexy.’

‘Brenhines is sexy.’

‘Yes, she is,’ Lily said brightly, ‘but not as sexy as you are. However, you’re right, she doesn’t bother me. It’s a shame you went all “she’s my grandmother” last night. I bet she’s had plenty of practice in bed and she seemed keen on the dungeon.’

Ceri cringed. ‘I am not going to bed with her. It’d feel like… like…’

‘Bedding your granny?’

‘Yuck! Yes.’

Lily giggled. ‘I wonder whether she really would have, or whether she was just teasing.’

‘Teasing,’ Ceri said. ‘I think she was teasing. I hope she was teasing. I know a lot about werewolf and demon society now, but nothing much about dragons. It’s not like I’m really related to her. She had sex with someone who’s such a distant relation you’d need an archaeologist to work out the relationship. Maybe she would.’

‘Would it be so bad?’

‘It would probably be wonderful… until I woke up the next morning.’

‘Regrets,’ Lily said, ‘I don’t see the point in them. Certainly not over something like that. She’s not really your relative. Not in any meaningful sense.’

‘Can we quit this line of thought before we put me off having sex entirely?’

‘Can’t have that,’ Lily said. Sitting beside the side door as they walked in through the arbour, Michael growled his agreement.

He waited until they were inside and the door was closed before he said, Strange scent on wind.

‘Strange?’ Ceri asked.

Like magic, you magic, and fire.

Lily looked at Ceri, her eyes narrowing. ‘The dragon you sensed earlier?’

‘But in its real form? In the city?’

Lily shrugged and started for the hallway, taking off her coat as she walked. ‘They won’t harm you and I want to be in bed with my two favourite people. C’mon.’

~~~

Reaching across Michael to the nightstand, Ceri picked up the silver chain lying there and slipped it over her head before lying back between her two lovers. Lily’s arm slipped around her waist and then lifted slightly, and Ceri let out a soft moan as Lily’s fingers stroked over her nipple. But it was more tender than sensual and the fingers moved to pick up the amulet attached to the chain.

‘Do you feel different with it on?’ Lily asked.

‘No,’ Ceri replied. ‘Yes, maybe. I’m not sure.’

No dreams, Michael rumbled. He sounded tired. After what they had been doing the last ninety minutes or so, he probably was.

‘There’s that,’ Ceri said. ‘It’s a little weird. It’s like I don’t have the dreams because I’m aware of them. When I put the chain on… I feel like I’m on the edge of understanding.’

‘Understanding what?’

Ceri gave a soft chuckle; she was tired too. ‘I don’t know, when I understand I’ll let you know.’

‘I thought you hated enigmatic?’

‘That wasn’t enigmatic, I really haven’t got a clue.’

Lily’s arm curled around Ceri’s waist and she snuggled up tight, settling her head on the pillow. ‘You will.’

~~~

She was somewhere high again, but this time it felt different. This time when she looked down she saw a city of white marble gleaming in the sun. She felt content. She felt protective, and proud.

She spread her wings and leapt out into the free air, swooping down toward the buildings below, looping once around a high tower before coming to land in a square. The transformation was a matter of an instant and she was walking on two legs. The people passing her nodded politely; deferentially, yes, but more from love than knowledge of her status. These were her people. Scholars, sorcerers, practitioners… seekers of knowledge. These were the citizens of the White City, and she was…

Ceri opened her eyes. There was light in the room, enough to suggest the sun had risen, but that the sky outside was cloudy. How long had she been asleep? Less than four hours, at a guess, but Lily and Michael were still asleep and she did not want to disturb them by moving. It was warm and comfortable between their bodies and she had no desire to rise yet. She closed her eyes.

The dream was still clear in her mind, but it had not really felt like a dream, and nothing like the ones she had been having. It had felt like a memory, but she had not been herself in it. Clearly it had been a dream so… She had dreamed of being Brenhines? She had dreamed of the land Brenhines had founded with Brenin; a place of learning which had existed long before mankind had had any form of civilisation. Ceri liked to refer to it as “Atlantis,” so where had this “White City” come from? Well, it had been white in the dream…

Relaxing herself and settling to return to sleep, she ignored the incongruity. It had been a nice dream for once. She got few enough of those. Maybe if she went back to sleep she could have another.

~~~

‘It was weird,’ Ceri said as they relaxed after one of Twill’s Sunday lunches. ‘It was really real.’ She grimaced. ‘I can usually manage to be more eloquent than that. I mean, it felt like I was there, I was Brenhines flying down into the city.’

‘Dreams are often quite real while they’re happening,’ Twill said. ‘Afterward we notice the inconsistencies and the lack of reality.’

‘It still seems like it was real now though.’

The fairy nodded and took a drink from her thimble. ‘You have no real situation to compare it against. Ask Ed what the place was really like.’

‘I’m not sure I want to,’ Ceri said, frowning.

‘Afraid it’ll turn out the same as your dream?’ Lily asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Alexandra remembers things from her ancestors,’ Michael said. ‘Something like a race memory passed down through pure-bloods.’

Ceri nodded. ‘But I’m not a dragon, I just have a few chromosomes…’

‘Dealing with perception,’ Lily interrupted. ‘When we were talking to Ted about my meta-genetics, you said that the trisomy thing we have was to do with perception and stuff like that.’

‘True,’ Ceri said.

‘So perhaps you’re just tapping into some aspect of that. I’m developing my demon side and you have been developing your dragon side. Nothing to worry about.’ Lily smiled and sipped her wine, and Ceri relaxed even though she had not realised she was tense.

‘Or it could be just a dream,’ Twill pointed out.

‘Or that,’ Lily said, ‘and then it would still be nothing to worry about. What did you dream about when you went back to sleep?’

‘Sex,’ Ceri replied.

Lily giggled. ‘That sounds far more interesting. Tell us about that dream.’

Mayfair, January 30th

Grosvenor Square was a pretty little piece of one of the many parks in London. Hoffman had probably seen it pretty early on since the American Embassy had been on one corner of it since 1938. There had been plans to move to larger premises on the other side of the park, but so far they had not come to fruition. However, that time had allowed the consular staff to put in some of the most impressive non-ward security measures Ceri had ever seen. In other words, getting into the embassy was slow and annoying.

Everyone entering the building was checked by a small group of officials with dour expressions and surgically removed senses of humour. The one who accepted Ceri’s invitation looked at her and Lily as though he was examining a couple of slabs of rock and then let them pass without comment. But Ceri watched him and saw… the flickers of both lust and disgust flash across his features, the slight tensing of his body as he supressed the desire to act on either of those emotions, the small fish-shaped emblem on his lapel, a Christian symbol. She blinked as she walked on to the next stage, wondering where this sudden burst of perception was coming from.

The next stage was a metal arch which you walked through, and then it went “beep,” and then an official took you to one side and talked to you while waving a wand of some sort over you. Ceri got the impression that you could walk through it without it doing the beep thing, but it was detecting metal and magic, and just about everyone attending had some small enchantment on their person. Ceri’s dragon amulet set the thing off. Lily triggered it just for being Lily. At least the officials on this side seemed to be human.

‘Your amulet is enchanted?’ the woman dealing with Ceri asked. ‘I don’t recognise the type.’

‘More of an artefact,’ Ceri replied. ‘It’s very old, a gift from a relative. She said it would give me insight.’

The Secret Service agent frowned, but it was a curious frown. ‘Insight into what?’

Ceri smiled. ‘You may be used to people actually telling you things directly, but they usually give me enigmatic statements and comments about experience being the best education.’

‘Well,’ the agent lifted her wand, ‘this thing isn’t flagging it as anything dangerous and if you can hide a gun under that dress I’m impressed. Go on in.’

‘Thank you,’ Ceri said and turned to see Ed Hoffman talking to the agent who was dealing with Lily. There was tension, insecurity; the agent was not sure about letting Lily in, but Hoffman was handling it. As Ceri watched, the agent nodded and waved Lily onward. Ceri joined her in a couple of strides, nodding gratefully to Hoffman as she passed him.

‘Her wand thing was giving her weird readings,’ Lily said, ‘and then she got a little funny when I explained why. Looks like Ed was expecting a problem though.’

‘I walked straight through,’ Cheryl said from behind them. ‘They did look kind of surprised. Those dresses really are amazing.’

Ceri’s gown was back to displaying dragons, though they now looked more like the one on her pendant and her tattoo, angular, sort of tribal, and they seemed to have more detail. Lily’s was still displaying animated flames. ‘Looking good yourself,’ Lily replied, licking her lips. She was really good at making Cheryl squirm; only Carter was better.

The gown Carter had got for his sort-of-girlfriend met all the criteria defined for it. It was in a sheer, white fabric and very tight from the waist down. The back was low and the cowl-necked front did a fantastic job of both hiding and showing off her generous bosom. And no, there was no way she could be wearing anything under it. ‘It’s a gorgeous dress, isn’t it?’ Cheryl said.

‘It’s a nice dress,’ Ceri said, ‘but it’s the woman underneath that makes it.’

Cheryl flushed all the way to the top of her chest. Okay, so Ceri was not bad at it either. ‘You two are evil,’ Cheryl said.

‘I think they look angelic,’ Carter said. His arm slipped around his date’s waist as he stepped up beside her.

‘From recent experience,’ Ceri said, ‘I can attest that evil and angelic are not mutually exclusive.’

‘Point,’ Carter replied. ‘Shall we proceed? I’m in the mood for a glass of wine and some form of nibble.’

‘We all know what you want to nibble,’ Lily said, ‘and you’ll have to wait until you get her home.’

‘Do you think they have those sticks with pineapple and cheese on?’ Ceri asked while Cheryl went crimson.

‘Almost a certainty,’ Carter said. ‘They are obligatory at such gatherings.’

‘Pineapple makes my teeth itch,’ Lily said.

‘Luckily,’ Ceri said as she spotted a groaning buffet table, ‘I think they have stuff without pineapple in.’

‘Yeah, but I don’t recognise half of it.’

‘Allow me, my dear girl,’ Carter said. ‘It seems we have a selection of American specialities. Try the “buffalo wings,” but be careful, they’re usually quite spicy.’

‘Buffalo don’t have wings,’ Ceri said. ‘You’ll be telling me next that there’s a rabbit with antlers.’

Carter chuckled. ‘Now that would be ridiculous.’

~~~

‘It’s a fascinating idea,’ President Wilson said, ‘though if we were trying to implement it there would be a few political issues to sort out, Barclay.’

Macbay nodded. ‘I realise that, sir, but wouldn’t it be better to view this as an opportunity? Tighten trade links with the Nations.’

Ceri watched them talk; her part was over unless they needed additional information. Cheryl was better at speaking politician so Ceri had just added details when required. Now Ceri let her suddenly acquired ability to observe fleeting details take in the flow of enthusiasm and doubt.

‘I can see your point,’ Wilson replied, ‘but you know it won’t be easy.’ His eyes shifted to some point over Ceri’s shoulder, which irritated her because it would have been rude to look.

‘I bring you the science, sir,’ Macbay said, ‘it’s up to the administrative staff to make it happen.’ Both men were enthusiastic about the idea of getting power out of the still very active Trinity site, especially into the southern states. Wilson was also concerned, almost scared. Ceri thought it was something to do with the political aspect of setting up the line.

‘You’re doing the trial this spring, Doctor Tennant?’ Wilson asked.

‘The current plan is to go over to Amsterdam on the thirteenth of May. If all goes to plan we’ll have power generation by the nineteenth,’ Cheryl told him.

Wilson nodded. ‘If I get in for another term we may be able to do something.’ He smiled at Cheryl and Ceri. ‘Thank you for the information, ladies. It was a great pleasure seeing you again, Doctor Brent, and making your acquaintance, Doctor Tennant.’ He bowed his head in farewell.

‘A pleasure to meet you, sir,’ Cheryl replied.

‘Nice seeing you again,’ Ceri added before turning to locate Lily and Carter. Her eyes fell on Vice President Levy and his wife chatting to someone on the other side of the room. It might not have been him Wilson had been looking at, but Ceri suspected it had been.

‘They’re over by the buffet table,’ Cheryl said. ‘Again. Has Carter addicted Lily to those chicken wings?’

‘I know they are,’ Ceri said. She realised she did. Her gaze had swept over them and she had taken it in past a dozen people she did not know, but could have pulled out of a line-up. Covering her disquiet with a grin she added, ‘Those things are kind of moreish.’ They started off toward the table.

‘Not if you’re wearing a white dress.’

‘I am wearing a white dress.’

‘A white dress that doesn’t clean itself.’

‘Okay, you got me.’

‘She does?’ Lily said. ‘Cool, can we do a foursome?’

‘Why are you constantly trying to get me in bed with Carter?’ Ceri asked her.

‘Because he’s cute when he blushes and it’s the only way I know of getting him to do it.’ Lily smiled sweetly; Cheryl looked as though she was enjoying Carter’s discomfort a little too much.

‘Haven’t you ever been tempted?’ Cheryl asked. ‘She’s a very attractive young woman.’

‘I’m constantly tempted,’ Carter said, ‘but I have some limits.’ His brow creased. ‘Is something wrong, Ceri?’

Ceri shook her head as if clearing it. ‘I’m… seeing things… differently, not like “seeing things.” Tiny expressions, little details, stuff I don’t remember noticing before now. It’s a little disconcerting.’

‘Insight,’ Lily said, nodding toward Ceri’s chest.

Ceri looked down and then lifted the amulet hung around her neck. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Yeah, of course. This started when I started wearing this thing.’

‘You could take it off,’ Cheryl suggested.

‘Yes, I could.’ Ceri’s gaze swept the room. There was something… ‘I think it’d be better if I didn’t. For now.’

‘You’re seeing something here?’ Carter asked, his eyes scanning the room.

‘I don’t know. Something seems off and I can’t put my finger on what it is.’ She looked thoughtful for a second and then came to a decision. ‘Lily, pass me some of those chicken wings.’

~~~

‘That is an interesting necklace,’ Huanglong said.

Ceri turned and blinked at him. ‘A present,’ she said, ‘from a mutual acquaintance.’

‘I heard she was in town.’

‘She gave me this a while ago, the first time we met.’

‘But you were not wearing it at the ball, or that club.’

‘I was having some uncomfortable dreams, she suggested this would help.’ She watched him. He was actually easier to read than most humans; probably because he was not used to hiding his emotions. Annoyance, maybe even real anger. And disgust, though what it was aimed at was harder to figure out. ‘It did,’ she added.

He seemed about to say something when his eyes flicked over Ceri’s shoulder and, a second later, Lily’s arm slipped around her waist. ‘I must be going,’ he said. ‘I’m leaving early in the morning.’

‘Have a good flight back,’ Ceri said, but he was already walking away.

‘He’s got distinctly less charming,’ Lily commented.

‘I’m not sure whether he was annoyed at me wearing the amulet, or at Gwyn for giving me it, or…’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. He’s possibly arrogant enough to think I shouldn’t be wearing it.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘They’ve gone. Him and Mei. They’ve left the room.’

‘Going early.’

‘He said he was going home early tomorrow…’ Ceri shrugged again.

‘Good evening, ladies.’ Ceri thought she had heard the accent on some old film, maybe Gone with the Wind. She turned and saw Levy and his wife standing behind them. He was all smiles and bright eyes while she had the more professional look of a political animal. ‘I didn’t get the chance to talk to you at the ball and when I heard the good Doctor had invited you tonight I just had to say hello.’

Ceri smiled back, trying to make sure it reached her eyes. ‘Good evening, Vice President.’

‘Ah, so you know me.’

‘You were pointed out to us at the ball, sir.’

There was a flicker in his smile; wondering what had been said about him and who had said it. ‘No need for introductions then, Doctor Brent. I understand you’ve been briefing the President on some form of power generation system.’

‘That’s right. We’re running a trial of it this spring on the continent. Generating electricity from the German Rift via an artificial ley line.’

‘My,’ Angelica said, ‘the Good Lord surely did smile down on you. So attractive and so intelligent.’

‘Thank you,’ Ceri replied, ‘but I tend to believe it was genetics rather than any form of deity.’

‘Well, child,’ Angelica replied, ‘you may not believe in Him, but he surely believes in you.’

‘I didn’t say I didn’t believe,’ Ceri replied.

‘We have plenty of evidence to suggest the existence of your god,’ Lily supplied.

‘I read something about angels defending the land before Christmas,’ Levy said. ‘I should have thought that was a great source of faith…’

‘Not really,’ Ceri broke in. ‘They were defending us from other angels.’

‘Fallen ones, no doubt,’ Levy said. ‘The Devil has his angels as well.’

‘The one I spoke to said he had always followed the will of his Lord.’

Angelica looked surprised. ‘You spoke to an angel.’

‘Two,’ Lily said. ‘The local one was nicer.’

‘Gadriel was more emotional,’ Ceri said. ‘He had more of a personality. He even feigned compassion. You’re right, he may have been Fallen. There’s some debate on the matter in theological circles.’

‘Feigned compassion?’ Levy said. For some reason, Ceri did not buy the puzzled look on his face.

‘From what I understand,’ Ceri said, ‘it was not Satan who tempted Eve. Gadriel did it, and then went on to teach men the arts of war and women the arts of beauty. He… demonstrated that he still likes tempting women.’

‘You met a Fallen who said he had tempted Eve,’ Angelica said, ‘and yet you still don’t believe God created Man?’

Ceri smiled. ‘I’ve also talked to a dragon who was teaching humans thousands of years before the biblical Adam and Eve would have existed. I, personally, can’t deny the possibility that the universe was created by some deity. It’s not my field of expertise. I know a couple of competing theories which suggest there was no need for a Creator. I‘ve been told there are old, Christian faiths which suggest that the Creator and the Christian god are not the same deity… Did you want a science and theology debate at a function like this?’ Ceri smiled, hoping that would end it.

‘Surely most cultures have some Creation myth,’ Angelica responded. ‘If it’s so widespread, why not believe there is truth in one?’

‘But then, why the Christian one?’ Lily asked. ‘My father told me the one the demons have. All the dimensions were created when Lord Hol fought a great battle with a vast beast, the Gredolin. As he slashed it, it’s blood flew out in droplets, and each drop became a universe. When the Gredolin was dead, its carcase cast into the Void, Hol chose the best of the universes to be his home and made the demons from the ground up teeth of the beast. Their version says that a demon lord made all the worlds. It’s more complete, so perhaps it’s more correct.’

There it was! The flicker of disgust that Levy could not quite manage to keep off his face. Ceri had been expecting something to show up and was almost impressed it had taken so long. ‘Perhaps you’re right, Doctor Brent,’ Levy said, ‘a diplomatic function is not the best place to discuss matters of faith.’ Ceri smiled at him and nodded. ‘Good luck with your project.’

‘Thank you, sir,’ Ceri said, amazed that she was managing to keep a straight face.

The couple walked away and Ceri watched, her brow creasing slightly. Angelica moved with an amazing amount of grace for a human. What she said was, ‘That was fun? I liked that myth. I wonder if there’s a dragon one.’

‘Ask one of your dragons,’ Lily suggested.

‘I will.’ She turned, looking around for Cheryl and Carter. ‘Do you think it would be enormously impolite to leave early? I’ve had about enough…’ She trailed off.

‘Something up?’

Ceri frowned. Something was up. Something was wrong, something which she could not quite put her finger on, but knew it was trouble. ‘I’m not sure. Do you see anything?’ Her gaze swept the room. Levy and his wife had moved off to stand with another couple, though she seemed to be looking at the room rather than paying attention to the conversation. The President was talking to the Prime Minister, and there was Carter and Cheryl chatting to the First Lady. The central floor area was largely empty aside from one man who was moving across the clear area in the middle.

‘I don’t see anything particularly odd,’ Lily said.

The lone man… Something about him. The way he moved; a determined stride, but not quite a natural one. He was moving toward Wilson and Haldane, the PM. He seemed… wrong. Ceri moved, Lily following her, closing rapidly on the strange man. The more Ceri looked, the more it seemed like there was something unnatural about him. He was reaching into his jacket…

Ceri felt the alarm from Lily and moved. The dress was an impediment to most of her combat moves, so she went with a shoulder barge. They both went down, him sprawling onto the floor as cries of alarm went up from the guests, but he was still grabbing for something in his jacket and Ceri pushed forward, landing on his chest. He was stronger than he looked and managed to push upward, rolling them over, but Ceri was more skilled. She pulled him, continuing the roll, and a second later she was on top with her knee pulled up onto his chest and the thing he had been reaching for in her hand. She looked at it. It was a gun.

A second later there were six Secret Service agents surrounding her with automatic pistols pointed at her head.

Part Two: Intelligence

Westminster, London, January 31st, 2012

The cell was neither large, nor comfortable, and it had heavy, silver-iron screening to prevent magic getting in or out. The bed was an iron frame with a soggy mattress; not very comfortable, but then Ceri had not really felt much like sleeping. The American security agents had been remarkably reluctant to hand her over to the British authorities and it had taken Malcolm Charles and the Prime Minister talking to President Wilson to get her released into the custody of the Diplomatic Protection Group, who had then taken her to New Scotland Yard. Now she was locked up there, underground, in a cell. To make matters worse, she was not entirely sure what had happened to Lily.

Exactly what time it was was also a guess. She had been in the cell for several hours, but with no way to measure the time and nothing to distract her, it probably felt a lot longer than it was.

The heavy clank of the lock being turned came almost as a relief. The door opened and a uniformed policeman with sergeant’s insignia on his shoulders stepped into the cell. ‘We’re taking you up to interrogation,’ he said. He was middle-aged, likely a career policeman, and experienced, but probably not that used to dealing with supernaturals. Stepping into the cell would have been a bad idea if Ceri had actually been a criminal.

Ceri got to her feet without a word and the cop backed out of the room to allow her out. There were two men in tactical gear outside, each with a submachine gun at rest in his arms. Now that was not a good sign. The sergeant led the way to a lift with the armed officers flanking Ceri as she went. Up five floors and she was taken down an empty corridor to a room with a heavy, screened door and a mirror taking up one entire wall. The armed officers took up position in the corners opposite the mirror and the sergeant indicated that Ceri should sit down. The last time she had been in a room like this, she had been the one doing the interrogation.

They kept her waiting for another ten minutes. At least this room had a clock. The tactic was transparent and irritating, and Ceri was already irritated. That was probably what they wanted though, so she pushed down on her annoyance and waited.

She recognised one of the men who walked in, a slim, greying man with an arrogant air and a Roman nose. Harold Nugent, a Chief Inspector with Special Branch who did not really like Ceri. That was a great start. The other man was younger, smarter, and a lot better looking, but the expression on his narrow face suggested a man who thought he was in on a career-making case.

The younger cop pressed the record button on the tape machine, waited for it to start up, and then said, ‘Interview with Ceridwyn Brent beginning at ten-oh-six. DI Martin Lowell and DCI Harold Nugent attending.’

‘You’ve been cautioned, Miss Brent?’ Nugent asked.

‘Doctor,’ Ceri said.

‘I’m sorry?’

‘It’s Doctor Brent. Yes, I’ve been cautioned.’

‘You’ve been arrested on suspicion of attempting to assassinate the US President,’ Nugent went on. Ceri said nothing. ‘Nothing to say?’

‘I was waiting for you to ask me a question. What evidence do you have to suggest I did what you’re accusing me of?’

Lowell opened a file and looked at the contents, though she guessed he knew it by heart. ‘You were seen to approach the President, bump into a man, tussle with him, and produce a gun.’

‘Where did I get the gun?’

‘An eye witness states that it “came out of nowhere,”’ Lowell said.

‘So where did I get the gun?’ Ceri repeated.

‘You brought it in…’

‘Through a metal detector, while wearing this dress,’ Ceri interrupted.

‘You used magic…’ Lowell tried, but Ceri stopped him again.

‘Translocation? Which people have been trying to achieve for decades without success?’ Ceri was quite sure she could have summoned a gun by translocation, if she had actually owned one, but the only people who knew she could were Lily and Athro. Anyone these two asked would tell them it was impossible.

‘Why don’t you tell us your story, Doctor?’ Nugent said. He could tell his subordinate was digging a hole for himself and needed to stop it.

‘I saw the man I “bumped into” crossing the floor,’ Ceri said. ‘There was something unnatural about the way he was moving and he was heading for the PM and the President. As I got closer he was reaching into his jacket. I took him down, tussled with him, and took what he was reaching for from his jacket. That’s where the gun came from. Who was he?’

‘So you’re saying this man was attempting the assassination and you stopped him?’ Nugent asked.

‘If you need it spelling out for you,’ Ceri replied, ‘and you didn’t answer my question.’

‘I’m not required to answer your questions,’ Nugent stated flatly.

‘And I’m not required to answer yours without a lawyer present. I’m doing so, thus far, to be reasonable. If you aren’t going to be…’

‘He is a consular official. The Americans have him in custody.’ Lowell did not seem particularly pleased with Nugent’s admission. Ceri was surprised Nugent seemed more on her side.

‘So it’s rather more likely that he could have got in there with a gun than that I could?’ Ceri said.

‘The only fingerprints on the gun were yours,’ Lowell said.

‘It was in some sort of shoulder holster,’ Ceri said. ‘Are you saying he wasn’t wearing one?’

Lowell frowned and flipped through his file. ‘Nothing’s mentioned.’

‘I felt it,’ Ceri stated. ‘It was there.’ If they were right about the fingerprints that was odd. This official had been carrying a gun, but had not touched it?

‘We’ll look into it,’ Nugent said. Pushing his chair back he got to his feet. ‘You’ll be taken back down to your cell. When we have all the information from the American side of the investigation we’ll call for you again.’

Ceri nodded and watched them leave. Lowell looked far too keen to pin this on her for her liking and he was probably right about one thing; someone had used magic to pull this off. That was just going to make matters worse.

February 1st

‘The custody officer says he had to check on you a couple of hours ago,’ Lowell said. ‘You were screaming?’ Nugent was not in the interview room yet; Lowell was fishing.

‘I get nightmares,’ Ceri said. She had a cornucopia of nightmare material to work with now. This one had been Brother Falk applying an array of torture implements he had never actually had access to when he had tortured her.

‘Your conscience eating at you?’

‘Stop digging, Detective, or we’ll need to throw you a rope.’

‘If I’d tried to kill…’

‘Don’t know when to quit, do you? You remember the Witch Hunter case before Christmas?’

‘Yes,’ Lowell said, nodding.

‘I was kidnapped by him. He had his rules before he burned you alive. You had to confess and he used the time honoured method of gaining an accurate confession. So he used a car battery first, isolation, a cigarette… When I was finally rescued he was busy trying to pull my arms out of their sockets. So, yes, I have nightmares. If you ever get to be chained to a wall while someone uses your nipples for ashtrays, you’ll have nightmares too.’

Lowell had gone pale, but he was saved by the interview room door opening. Nugent walked in, followed by a bulky looking man with cropped black hair and a blue suit. There was a small American flag on his lapel. Lowell did not appear to know who he was since he raised an eyebrow at Nugent.

‘DCI Nugent entering the interrogation room,’ Nugent said, ‘with FBI agent Fred Talbot. Time is ten twenty-nine. Agent Talbot will be observing.’ Talbot took his observation role seriously, not saying a word as he walked over to a corner of the room, propping himself against the mirror.

Nugent sat down. ‘The man the Americans have in custody was not wearing a shoulder holster when he was interrogated.’

‘Okay,’ Ceri said.

‘That’s all you have to say?’ Lowell asked.

‘I say he did, you say he didn’t. What would you like me to say?’

‘Some other story about where you got the gun from,’ Lowell said. ‘This one’s a bust.’ Ceri stared at him; he broke first.

‘I say I did not try to kill President Wilson,’ Ceri said. ‘I actually liked the man. You say I did. So charge me, or let me go.’

Then she felt it; magic was being worked in the room. Her Sight caught the tail end of the spell as it licked around her head and then floated back toward the FBI agent in the corner. An information spell, divination, probably lie detection. Ceri smiled and pushed her chair back. Rising to her feet she said, ‘And we’re done here. I’d like to go home and have a shower now.’

‘What?’ Lowell said.

‘Miss Brent, please sit…’ Nugent began.

‘Doctor Brent,’ Ceri said, ‘and the moron in the corner just violated interrogation protocol. That detector in the ceiling will have recorded the magic use.’ She looked at Talbot. ‘Do you want to tell them what the lie detection spell said?’ Nugent sagged. ‘I’m a Special Advisor with the Met,’ Ceri went on, ‘so I’ve been trained in the use of magic during interrogations. You need a warrant to use divination during an interrogation, and you need to inform the suspect when using truth verification.’

‘Lowell,’ Nugent said, ‘process Doctor Brent’s release. I want to talk to Agent Talbot.’

‘But…’ Lowell said.

‘Do it!’ Nugent snapped.

Lowell got to his feet. ‘Interview terminated at ten thirty-eight.’ He snapped the recorder off. ‘Come with me, Doctor Brent.’

Kennington

‘Lily… air…’ There was no let-up in the half-succubus’ grip. ‘Seriously… dying…’ the last word came out as a squeak and Lily’s death-grip relaxed enough that Ceri could get oxygen. She did not, however, let go.

‘Next time, let them shoot the guy,’ Lily said.

‘You don’t mean that.’

‘Yes I do. He’s only a politician, there are loads more. There’s only one you and I don’t like sleeping without you.’

‘Sleeping wasn’t a bowl of cherries for me either, love. And the food!’ Ceri looked over Lily’s shoulder to where Twill was hovering. ‘It’s a good job I wasn’t hungry.’

‘I’ll make something light,’ Twill said. ‘And fresh coffee.’ Twisting in the air, the fairy’s form blurred into a sphere of blue-white light as she vanished off toward the kitchen.

‘You’re beautiful, Twill,’ Ceri called after her. ‘I’m going to take a quick shower and change out of this dress.’

‘I’ll come with you,’ Lily said.

‘Lil, I’m a bit tired and…’

‘I just want to be there. I won’t even come in the cubicle.’

Ceri smiled in a “yeah, sure” way, but did not stop Lily from following her. And Lily kept her word, though it was a little weird watching her stand outside the same way her father did so often, and with the same look of denied temptation on her face. She did not even ask any questions; she just stood there, leaning against the wall, and watched as Ceri washed two nights in a cell off herself. It was so endearing that Ceri put on one of her prettier teddies instead of a shirt; a little extra hint of sexy to reward her pet.

‘I don’t think they’ve stopped trying to pin this on me,’ Ceri said as she started on the bowl of thick stew Twill had warmed from the freezer. It was hardly light, but it was tasty and quick ‘I got out on a technicality.’

‘You did?’ Lily said.

‘Some FBI agent was there, supposedly observing. He cast a lie detection charm in the interview room.’

‘Ah,’ Lily said, grinning, ‘illegal search.’

‘You did pay attention on your training course,’ Twill said with just enough surprise to sell it.

Lily scowled at her. ‘I so did.’

‘Does Michael know?’ Ceri asked.

Lily nodded. ‘I went over to Battersea this morning. He’s coming here later to get an update. I think he was considering storming the place and breaking you out.’

‘I hope you persuaded him not to.’

‘Fuck no,’ Lily replied. ‘I told him if he went he should come get me first. Alexandra was persuading him not to.’

‘Crazy, the pair of you. Gorgeous, but insane. Do you want to save the rampant sex portion of the getting out celebration until Michael gets here?’

‘Never put off now what you can save for an hour or two,’ Lily said. ‘If you do it right now and like it, you can do it again, and again, and…’

Ceri giggled and Twill’s wind-chime laugh echoed through the kitchen. ‘I get the picture, Lil.’

~~~

‘No, I wasn’t really thinking straight,’ Michael admitted. ‘I… may have considered several points of attack and the tactical use of Lily.’

‘I don’t want to be used tactically,’ Lily mumbled, her face buried in a pillow, ‘I want to be used sexually.’

‘We’ve been doing that for a couple of hours, love,’ Ceri replied.

‘I’m making up for lost time.’ Ceri, lying between them, started making patterns with a finger down Lily’s back and the mumbling turned into whimpering.

Michael chuckled. ‘Anyway, Alexandra persuaded me you would probably hurt me if I got myself locked up trying to rescue you.’

‘Too right I would,’ Ceri told him. ‘We could use a new rug in front of the fire in the lounge.’

‘I’m just glad you’re out,’ Michael said.

‘I think that makes three of us,’ Ceri replied, getting a moan of agreement from Lily.

‘Apparently,’ Michael said. ‘You know if you keep stroking her back like that, you’re going to have to do something about it, right?’

‘Uh-huh. We will.’

‘I thought I’d just watch.’

‘Kinky. Turn over, Lil, Michael’s developed a taste for porn.’

Lily rolled onto her back, her face more or less obscured by lush, chestnut coloured hair. ‘I knew he would. He’s a man.’

February 2nd

‘Two men are coming up the path,’ Twill said. ‘They’re both practitioners.’

Ceri looked up from her tablet and frowned. ‘I wasn’t expecting anyone…’ She sagged slightly. ‘They’re bound to be cops of some sort.’

They were, of a sort. Ceri raised an eyebrow when she found Ed Hoffman and Agent Talbot outside the front door. They seemed surprised to find her opening the door in an over-sized man’s shirt, especially since only the front was opaque.

Talbot blinked and held up his FBI identification. ‘Uh, I’m…’

‘I know who you are,’ Ceri interrupted, ‘and that badge doesn’t mean a damn thing in this country. However, since I should be thanking you for getting me out of gaol, what do you want?’

‘We have a few questions about what happened at the embassy,’ Hoffman said. ‘You’re right, we have no official right to ask anything, but it would be very helpful if we could hear your side of things directly.’

Ceri sucked on one of her canines for a second; it was a habit she had picked up from Lily. ‘You’d better come in.’ She stepped aside to allow them through, closed the doors, and then led the way up to the study. Her lips twitched as she saw Lily, sprawled on the chaise longe with a copy of The Wednesday Witch. She was dressed in a little blouse top knotted under her breasts and a tiny, pleated skirt. Well, at least she was dressed.

Ceri pulled a couple of chairs out from the wall and caught a glimpse of Talbot out of the corner of her eye. He was trying not to look at Lily. Hoffman was considerably less restrained.

‘Morning, Miss Carpenter. I hope we haven’t disturbed you?’ Hoffman said. There was a hint of amusement in his voice; Ceri suspected he had seen Talbot too.

‘I thought we got past “Miss Carpenter” at the ball,’ Lily said.

‘I’m on business,’ he explained.

Lily gave him her best pout. ‘Shame.’ Even Hoffman swallowed at that. Ceri decided to rescue them.

‘Gentlemen, have a seat. Let’s get this done.’ She sat down on her desk chair, crossing her legs. ‘You’ve read the Special Branch report?’

‘Yes,’ Talbot said. ‘You said the man you tangled with looked “unnatural.” What did you mean?’

‘His movements were wrong,’ Ceri replied. ‘He was too deliberate and a little stiff. Almost as if he was determined to get where he was going, but trying to fight it. And his expression, what I could see of it, was… blank.’

‘I think he was being controlled,’ Lily said.

Ceri and the two men looked at her. ‘What makes you say that, love?’ Ceri asked.

‘He had one, really clear, desire in his head. Most people aren’t like that. Even if someone is pretty focused they have little wisps of wants and needs that are always there. Food, sex, children, winning the lottery… This guy wanted one thing.’

‘How do you know what he wanted?’ Talbot asked, frowning.

‘Miss Carpenter is half succubus,’ Hoffman said. ‘She reads people’s desires. Real succubi use it to make themselves match their victims’ perfect partner.’ He gave Lily a small smile. ‘I did a bit of reading after we met.’

Lily smiled back. ‘Very studious of you. I can’t shape shift like a real succubus, but it’s a very useful ability in the waitress business.’

‘What did he want?’ Hoffman asked.

‘I thought that was obvious,’ Lily replied. ‘He wanted to kill President Wilson.’

‘He says he didn’t,’ Talbot said flatly.

‘Really?’ Lily replied. ‘My, if I’d tried to shoot someone and there was another person who could potentially take the blame, I know I’d admit to it instantly.’ Ceri almost winced at the sarcasm.

‘Who is he?’ Ceri asked.

‘Mark Charleston,’ Hoffman replied. ‘He’s a visa clerk.’

‘He’s been at the embassy here for eight months,’ Talbot added. ‘Before that he spent two years in Beijing, three years in Rio de Janeiro. No record of any kind of problem, no strong political affiliations. He’s a career diplomat and his background checks showed up nothing.’

‘And I’m a foreign national, from your viewpoint, and therefore the preferred suspect.’ Ceri watched them; a flicker of annoyance passed over Hoffman’s face, but Talbot’s lips twitched slightly.

‘Except that I saw the shoulder holster you say he was wearing,’ Hoffman said. So he was annoyed that she should jump to the conclusion that he was on Charleston’s side. ‘So did one of the other agents.’

‘He wasn’t wearing one when I interrogated him,’ Talbot said.

‘How long between him being arrested and your interview?’ Ceri asked.

Talbot frowned; no, he scowled. ‘Around thirty minutes.’

‘So a man who appears to have been controlled by someone has a holster on him when he’s arrested, but not thirty minutes later,’ Ceri said. ‘I think you should be looking at your own people. I did some reading too. You’ve had a few presidential assassinations, none of them by foreigners. I don’t see why someone outside the US would want to. Wilson is strong on growing America’s external links. That’s not an entirely popular idea, is it? He said as much himself when Cheryl and I were briefing him on our power experiment.’

‘You have connections with the Chinese government,’ Talbot almost blurted out.

‘I have a personal acquaintance with the Chinese Ambassador’s translator, and I’m on speaking terms with Mei Long.’ Ceri looked straight at him. ‘Why would the Chinese want to kill President Wilson? Pro-diplomatic links, remember? You’re clutching at straws, agent.’

‘Special Agent,’ Hoffman said. ‘If you want to be precise.’

‘I’ll try to remember that,’ Ceri replied. ‘He’s still building his logic on shaky foundations.’

‘Oh, I agree,’ Hoffman said, a smile starting to form. It stalled. ‘I think you should know. The reason I’m here is to handle this investigation from the Secret Service’s end, but my government is putting through an extradition request for you. I’m supposed to escort you back if that succeeds.’ Once again Talkbot looked annoyed; he had not wanted Ceri to know about that either.

‘Good luck with that,’ Ceri told him. ‘You want the government to grant an extradition order for an emotionally charged crime carrying the death penalty with highly dubious evidence. Britain has no ratified extradition treaty with the US precisely because you hang on to the death penalty.’

‘There’s precedent,’ Talbot said.

‘Yeah,’ Ceri agreed, though her expression suggested sarcasm. ‘We’ve shipped a couple of murderers across the Pond because we didn’t want them either. We’ve never extradited a British citizen to the US, to my knowledge, only an American national living over here.’

‘It’s unlikely they’ll even try before I file my report,’ Hoffman said, ‘and I’m not ready to do that. Not even close.’

Ceri smiled at him, her eyes taking in Talbot. The extradition request had already been put through, at Talbot’s request. The FBI man was smug about it. ‘I think you’ll find,’ Ceri said, ‘that someone has jumped the gun. That’ll work against your chances.’ Both men’s faces fell. ‘Is there anything else I can help you with?’

Hoffman glanced at Talbot. ‘I believe we’ve wasted enough of your time,’ he said, ‘and probably ours.’ He stood, Talbot following his lead without saying a thing.

‘I’ll show you out then,’ Ceri said.

‘Don’t be too long, Mistress,’ Lily said, in a submissive, wheedling tone, ‘I’m getting… restless.’

Ceri hid her smirk by heading for the door while Talbot went bright crimson. It probably was not the best idea to tease the FBI agent, but Ceri had to admit it was enormously tempting.

Soho, February 3rd

With the full moon due on Tuesday, the Dragon had far more werewolves in it and they were getting far more boisterous. Not too bad yet, but it was still wise to have your hips on auto-evade. Ceri side-slipped her way past a table of Serpent pack males out on the prowl, heading for the bar with a tray of empty glasses. That was when she spotted Kate sitting on a stool chatting across the counter to Alec.

‘Evening, Detective,’ Ceri said as she put her tray down for Alec to clear. ‘Three red wines, Alec, table fourteen.’

The redheaded detective sergeant smiled. She was out clubbing, it seemed, dressed in a short skirt and a spaghetti-strapped tank top. ‘Evening, Ceri. How’s things?’

‘Y’know? Suspected of trying to assassinate the US’s head of state.’

‘I heard. I don’t see how they can even suspect you.’

‘Thanks.’

‘I mean,’ Kate went on, ‘if you were trying to kill him, he’d be a pile of ash by now.’

‘Thanks, I think.’

Kate giggled and then leaned toward Ceri, her face straightening and her voice dropping. ‘You remember my friend in Special Branch?’

‘The necromancer?’

Kate nodded. ‘She told me they’re keeping an eye on you. The Americans have started extradition proceedings.’

‘Yeah, I figured they had. I got a visit from the Secret Service and the FBI. They dropped some hints. And the pack spotted someone trying to watch me last night.’

‘Trying?’

‘Humans don’t keep up with werewolves too well. We weren’t trying to lose them, but it was our turn to do the boundary run.’

Kate grimaced. ‘They’ll assume you were trying to get rid of them. They probably know squat about werewolf pack behaviour. Hell, half of what I know came from talking to you.’

‘Hey, Kate,’ Lily said, strutting up and leaning against the bar. She favoured the detective with a smile that produced a slight flush and then moved her eyes on to the room, looking for customers needing a waitress.

‘Lily,’ Kate said. She had a sexual preference for supernaturals and Lily pushed all her buttons.

‘What’s up?’ Lily asked.

‘Special Branch are watching me,’ Ceri said quietly.

‘Oh, yeah,’ Lily said, ‘the couple on table thirty.’

‘You can tell,’ Kate asked, ‘just like that?’

‘Well, I didn’t know they were Special Branch, but they’re not a normal couple.’ Ceri looked their way and saw a fairly ordinary pairing. She was a practitioner, they seemed to be fairly into each other. ‘They look like they’re on a date,’ Lily went on, ‘but neither of them wants the other. They aren’t drinking either. Sasha took them those drinks when they arrived and they’ve barely touched them.’

The detective grinned. ‘Gorgeous, sexy, observant, intelligent. Why aren’t you ruling the world, Lil?’

‘God, who’d want that? I mean, stress, responsibility, constantly having to tell people what to do.’ Lily gave a little shudder. ‘Not for me.’

‘But you could have hordes of willing slaves,’ Kate suggested.

‘If she wants that she could have it anyway,’ Ceri said.

‘I’m picky about my slaves,’ Lily said, adding a little extra purr to her voice. Kate, who had been to bed with both of them, flushed again.

‘Well,’ Ceri said, ‘at least Special Branch seem a bit more circumspect about it than MI5. And we aren’t sunbathing on the roof this time of year.’ She grinned. ‘How’re things with John and Lorna?’

‘Good,’ Kate replied. ‘I’m over there tomorrow to feed Lorna. John and I are both off duty so… well, we’ll probably have a drink or two and one thing’ll lead to another.’

‘John still needs a drink to get involved?’ Ceri asked.

‘Not really, but he’s more fun that way. And we don’t always go there anyway. Mostly I just pop over to their place and give Lorna a snack.’

‘I’m glad it worked out for you,’ Lily said. ‘Lorna deserves to have good stuff in her life. She’s almost had it worse than Ceri.’ Her gaze flicked to the other end of the room. ‘Table sixteen, love.’

Ceri started off across the floor. Lorna had been turned into a vampire against her will and left to eat her husband; she almost had. Lily thought Ceri had had it worse? Well, she had been kidnapped, tortured twice, hospitalised multiple times… She stopped at the table and smiled. ‘Can I get you anything else?’ she asked. Yeah, maybe Ceri had had it worse than Lorna. Crap.

Northern Line Tube, February 4th

‘You know,’ Ceri said, ‘I hate being under police observation.’

‘Yeah,’ Lily said, ‘you don’t let me start anything before we get home.’

‘I don’t feel comfortable being watched,’ Ceri replied. Both Lily and a slightly tipsy Kate looked at her. ‘Well, by cops.’

‘MI5 agents is okay?’ Lily said, raising an eyebrow.

‘I couldn’t see them.’ She looked down the carriage to the two men who had followed them from the club. ‘Those two I can see.’ The policemen studiously looked at anything but the three women. ‘Do you think it’s discouraging to them? Us spotting them so easily.’

‘I don’t really think they’re trying to stay hidden,’ Kate said. ‘They could be in another car. It’s not like they don’t know where you’re going.’

‘Good point.’ Ceri turned her gaze back to Kate. ‘Are you sure you want to go back to your place tonight? It’s way late and ours is closer.’

‘You could sleep in the spare room… if you want,’ Lily suggested.

‘I should really go home…’ Kate said, and then hiccupped. ‘Okay, maybe not.’

Lily smiled one of her predatory smiles. No way was Kate sleeping in the spare room.

Kennington

Their Special Branch tail trailed them out of the Oval tube station and across the road to the corner of Kennington Park. Ceri and Lily were on either side of Kate, half-supporting her as they walked through the trees. Overhead, scudding clouds more or less obscured the light from the Northern Lights. The cloud cover was thick enough to be providing a little insulation and Ceri actually had her coat flapping open rather than buttoned up tightly against the cold.

‘It’s starting to feel a bit like spring,’ Ceri said.

‘I think February is a bit early to call it,’ Kate replied, though she had just put on a light jacket over her top and did not seem too uncomfortable.

‘We could give the Specials heart attacks,’ Lily suggested. ‘Snogging Kate up against the tree up ahead…’

‘I think that tree’s occupied,’ Ceri said. Her eyes narrowed as she summoned up a night vision spell and the vague impression of something out of place crystallised into the shape of a man lying along one of the branches like a leopard basking on the Serengeti. Well, leopards were not noted for wearing black jumpsuits and carrying night vision binoculars, but it was good imagery and she was sticking with it. ‘He doesn’t really look like Special Branch and I doubt MI5 is involved in this.’

‘Perhaps we should ask him,’ Lily said. They were getting closer and the man in the tree obviously heard them. His head turned to look at them and Ceri saw his shoulders sag a little.

‘Nah,’ Ceri said. ‘If he wants to spend the night up a tree looking at illusory windows, let him. It’s not like he can see into the house.’ The man in the tree sagged a bit more. ‘Probably should’ve done more research,’ Ceri added as they walked under the tree. ‘Obviously not local since local intelligence would know about the illusion on the house. I guess he’s American.’

‘Another FBI guy, you think?’ Lily asked.

‘FBI has one man at the embassy for police liaison,’ Kate replied. ‘He’s more likely CIA, so he’d better not get caught doing that or he’ll probably get sent home for spying.’

Ceri glanced back as they parted to walk through the arbour. The Special Branch officers were standing under the tree, looking upward. Well there was not much point in them following Ceri anymore. She wondered whether it was really a good thing to be annoying American agents right now, but if they were going to be that sloppy…

‘Come on, love,’ Lily said from the doorway to the second kitchen. ‘I want to get Kate chained to the cross in the dungeon before she sobers up too much.’

There was a squeak from inside the house and Ceri giggled, heading inside.

Soho

‘Good evening, I’m Ceri and I’ll be your waitress for this evening.’ Ceri smiled at the woman at the lectern. ‘Table for one?’

The woman smiled back. She was tall, slim, very attractive in a willowy way, with long, black hair in a ponytail down her back. There was something a little exotic about her features though Ceri did not recognise the type. Her dusky skin suggested  a non-Caucasian component to her heritage. ‘Yeah,’ she said in a voice with barely any hint of accent, ‘I’m alone.’

‘Please follow me,’ Ceri said and led the way through the club to table fourteen, one of the booths at the back.

The woman slipped off her coat and dropped it in ahead of her. She was dressed in a light camisole top in white which contrasted nicely with her skin, and a very short, black, leather skirt. Some of her height came from her four-inch heels, the ankle straps closed with small, silver padlocks. The smile was there as she sat down, her eyes sliding up Ceri’s body without the slightest attempt to hide it; well, eye candy was what the waitresses were there for.

‘Can I get you a drink?’ Ceri asked.

‘White wine?’ she replied. ‘I’m Nita, by the way.’

Ceri smiled. ‘I’ll be right back with your drink.’ Turning on her heel she headed back toward the bar, stopping beside Lily. ‘White wine, Alec, table fourteen.’

‘She’s hot,’ Lily commented. ‘I don’t recognise her, and I think I’d remember someone like that.’

‘She says her name is Nita,’ Ceri replied.

‘Told you her name? Right off the bat?’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘She was checking out your arse on the way to the table. She’s trying to get into the knickers you aren’t wearing.’

Ceri picked up her tray. ‘I’d got the impression she liked the view, yes, but we’ll be meeting Michael at the house and I don’t really pick up stray women.’

‘I know,’ Lily replied. ‘Shame though, she looks kinky.’

Giving her pet a smirk, Ceri headed back to Nita’s table. She placed the glass down in front of the dusky woman with a smile, and Nita reached for it, her fingers brushing Ceri’s. There was no apology or embarrassment; a deliberate action aimed at skin contact. Ceri smiled at her. ‘Enjoy your drink.’

‘A lot of werewolves in tonight,’ Nita said.

Ceri had intended to head back to the bar, but she could not be rude to a customer. ‘It’s full moon on Tuesday, we get more wolves at this time of the month. Don’t be offended if some of them try to chat you up. You’re attractive and they’re getting more excited.’

‘Thank you,’ Nita said, ‘and I won’t. You must have a lot of trouble with them though.’

Yeah, the slightly predatory smile reminded Ceri of Lily on the prowl. ‘Thank you,’ Ceri replied. ‘I don’t though.’

‘I can’t imagine why not.’

‘Oh, they’ll chat me up and paw at me, but they’re no trouble.’ Aside from anything else, the werewolves all knew she was mated and would not try anything without Michael’s permission.

Nita looked around at the boisterous werewolf groups at the tables around the room. ‘I’m sure they think themselves lucky to get that much.’

Smiling, Ceri said, ‘Maybe. If you’ll excuse me…’ She moved off, clearing glasses from a nearby table before heading back to the bar and Lily. ‘Yeah, she’s definitely chatting me up.’

‘Maybe you should let her,’ Lily said.

‘Huh?’

‘She’s way better than the Specials on twenty-two, and she does actually fancy you, but she reads wrong.’

‘And that’s a reason to take her home?’

‘If she actually means harm the wards will warn us, and I think we’ll get more from her than she will from us.’

Ceri considered it. Lily was probably right; knowing she was probably up to something they could likely find out more between them than Nita was likely to get from her visit. Perhaps the woman would go back to her masters and report that Ceri was a total sexual deviant, but unlikely to be an assassin. That would be a best possible case, but perhaps it was worth a try. ‘We’ll see what happens,’ she said. ‘She might get a little put off if she finds out she’s going to be part of a foursome.’

‘No,’ Lily said. ‘That wouldn’t stop her.’

February 5th

Ceri watched Nita as she headed to the back of the club where she would find the most sumptuous public toilets available this side of the Chinese embassy. She had her strut on and the quick glance she gave Ceri as she walked between the tables just put more sway in her hips. Ceri appreciated the gesture, but she was not really watching Nita’s figure.

Nita was a practitioner; there were the tell-tale signs of development in her Chakral Median which came from using it to fuel and develop spells. However, there was something else, and that was a little more worrying. A thin spider’s web of filaments stretched down from Nita’s Chakral Ajna node at the back of her skull; a form of spiritual corruption. Demonic taint tended to be black and it spread upward from Muladhara. Ceri had seen other forms of taint, but demonic was the most common. It might be interesting to find out what kind of pact Nita had.

‘Practitioner,’ Lily commented.

‘Pacted,’ Ceri replied. ‘Not demonic though.’

‘That’s what you’re curious about?’

‘Uh-huh, well, one of the things.’

‘I’m wondering whether she’s as flexible as she looks.’

Ceri giggled. ‘That was another thing I was curious about. It’ll almost be a shame if she doesn’t try something.’

‘Be careful you two,’ Alec said from behind them. ‘If she’s CIA she’s likely better trained than you, and she looks like she’s got some Indian in her. If she’s a practitioner than it’s possibly shamanic magic.’

‘Evocation,’ Ceri said. ‘You think she’s tribal?’

‘I met a couple of them with the American Army after my pack was wiped out,’ Alec said, nodding. ‘The features look right, but I think she’s half-white.’

‘I’ve never met an evoker before,’ Ceri said, a half-smile developing.

‘You’ve just made her more curious now,’ Lily pointed out.

‘Spirit pacts might explain the different taint,’ Ceri mused.

Alec chuckled. ‘Just be careful. Check her for bugs. And she’s coming back.’

The tall, lithe woman appeared from the back and started toward her table. She paused, appearing to consider her next move, and then turned to walk over to Ceri and Lily. Ceri felt Alec slip away behind them.

‘Hi,’ Nita said, a little hesitantly.

‘Hi Nita,’ Ceri said. ‘This is Lily.’

Nita’s eyes traced over Lily’s body; it was an awesome body and well worth looking over. ‘Hi,’ Nita said. ‘You’re gorgeous.’

Lily smiled. ‘Thank you, it comes with the genetics. Excuse me though, I need to see to some customers.’

Nita did not watch as Lily walked away. It could have been that she preferred a body type closer to her own, not everyone went for a more voluptuous figure like Lily’s, but Ceri suspected it was just a matter of focussing on her target. ‘I was, uh, wondering when you got off work?’

‘Four am, when the club closes, or just after.’

‘Oh,’ she looked a little downcast, ‘that late? I was hoping, well…’ Ceri held her smile and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. ‘Well, I was hoping we could go for a drink, or… something.’

‘The only places open after this place closes are the vampire bars and the Dubh Linn. You don’t want to go to any of those.’

‘The Dubh Linn?’ Either she was a good actress or she really did not know the name.

‘It’s a pub for… You just don’t want to go there. Besides, I’ll be heading home with Lily.’

‘Oh.’ Now she looked really crestfallen.

‘So I can’t go for a drink,’ Ceri went on, ‘but we can go for something else if you’re okay with sharing.’

Nita’s eyes widened and she glanced back down the room to where Lily was chatting to a group of werewolves on table six. She turned back. ‘Both of you?’

‘Yes, but we’d be meeting up with Michael at the house, he’s a werewolf.’ Ceri kept her tone matter-of-fact, as though it were perfectly normal to pick up A Random Female and take her home for a foursome.

Nita’s eyes widened a little. ‘A, uh… a werewolf too?’ She licked her lips.

‘If you’re only into girls…’

‘Uh, no…’ Nita’s lips twitched into a grin. ‘I didn’t think I’d get that lucky tonight.’

Ceri smiled. Hook, line, and sinker.

Kennington

Nita’s lithe body strained on the bed, her back arched and her hands making fists in the sheets. She had been hanging on the very edge of the same orgasm for fifteen minutes and she was starting to look frantic. Lily’s mouth was, undoubtedly, doing wonderful things between Nita’s legs, but it was Lily’s feeding that was driving the woman mad.

Lily was doing it slowly. She fed by bringing her partner to orgasm and then drawing energy from their Tantric Median. When she stopped, they came, but until then they were left hanging, in ecstasy, until Lily chose to let them climax. If she kept feeding for long enough, chose to take too much energy, Lily could kill someone that way, but she was careful and very good at what she did. Nita was not going to die, though she might think she was.

Ceri and Michael watched the show from a corner of the bed. Neither moved, but Michael seemed to be enjoying what Ceri’s inner muscles were doing to him. He had been surprised when she had established a mental link with him. She had never needed to use the telepathy spell on him before and he was as delighted with it as Lily had been. As Ceri’s thoughts had mingled with his own he had instantly understood what would be happening and so he had been quite ready to act as though his lovers often brought home another plaything. In turn, Nita had shown no sign of discomfort when Ceri had suggested Michael should fuck their guest first, even though he was still fury.

Ceri watched Nita’s small, firm breasts rise and fall with her laboured breathing. Watched sweat run down between them to pool in the hollow of her throat. Lily let out a soft hum of pleasure and suddenly Nita’s body was thrashing as all that pent up energy washed through her. Ceri, and Michael, knew how that felt; the most incredible orgasm ever was exploding through her. It was like someone had plugged you right into the mains and turned your whole body into elemental starlight. It was incredibly intense; pleasure without limit. It was addictive and amazing, and when it finally ended you just wished it could start all over again. You knew if it did you would never live through it, but you did not care…

‘Am… am I dead,’ Nita stammered.

‘No, hun,’ Lily told her, ‘it just feels like dying.’

‘That’s… that’s what… succubus… feels like,’ Nita panted.

Ceri smiled, not that Nita could see it; they had not told her what Lily was, but a high like that could lead to carelessness. ‘Incredible, isn’t she?’ Ceri said. Michael was starting to make little mewling noises in her ear which was quite gratifying since Lily had only taught her the technique the week before.

‘Amaze… amazing.’

‘She had me on the point of death once,’ Ceri said softly. ‘It was the most incredible high I’ve ever felt.’

Nita moaned. ‘I’d love that.’

‘You wouldn’t,’ Lily said, ‘believe me.’ She glanced at Ceri. ‘Is Michael ready?’

‘On the edge.’

Lily gave a dirty, evil giggle and slapped Nita’s leg. ‘Turn over. We’re going to teach you what “fucked” really means.’

‘I don’t think I can…’ Nita began.

Ceri slipped off Michael with a sigh and a fluttering of eyelids. ‘Turn over!’ she snapped, putting a lot of authority and a hint of suggestion behind the order. Nita was on her stomach, her butt stuck in the air, before she could think and did not seem to have noticed the magic which had pushed her to it. Smiling, Ceri crawled down the bed to where she could pull Nita’s head into her lap while Michael moved in behind her. Nita’s gorgeous, black hair, now un-braided, fell across Ceri’s thighs, a black pool in the candle light. Nita gasped as Michael entered her, the gasp converting quickly into a moan, which would soon become panting as Lily fed on Michael, and Michael kept on driving into Nita until Lily let him come.

As Nita’s mind slipped away into its most primitive, animal mode, Ceri’s mind slipped in, unobserved, and began hunting through the agent’s memories.

~~~

‘She’s CIA,’ Ceri said quietly. She lay with Lily’s head on her shoulder. It was long after dawn and Michael was keeping Nita busy in the shower. He did not seem to mind being the distraction, but then Nita had shown something of a liking for the kind of rough sex that werewolves found irresistible. ‘Her job is to gather information, not do anything nasty.’

‘Knowledge is power,’ Lily replied.

‘Isn’t that the kind of thing I’m supposed to say?’

‘Maybe I’m learning.’

Ceri grinned. ‘Her brief was that I was probably deviant enough to pick her up, so I guess we confirmed that, but she’s open-minded enough that she’ll report on what she sees and hears, not on her preconceived ideas.’

‘So?’

‘So I’m going to ask her to stay for lunch. If she wants to know about us, she can find out the whole deal.’

‘Does Twill know…?’

‘I called her from the club,’ Ceri said. Somehow the idea of using the same telepathy spell on Twill as she had on Michael was just not something Ceri wanted to do. Twill had secrets and Ceri did not really want to know what they were, even accidentally. ‘She knows what we’re up to.’

Lily giggled. ‘Nita’s going to be in for a shock though.’

A scream of pleasure came in from the bathroom. ‘I think she’ll cope,’ Ceri replied.

~~~

‘Do you, uh, always walk around the house naked?’ Nita asked. She was sat curled up in the guest chair in the lounge and she seemed quite comfortable without clothes on herself.

‘I do,’ Lily said from her place on the footstool beside Ceri’s chair, ‘and Michael’s a werewolf. Ceri’s a Sunday nudist.’

Ceri reached out to stroke Lily’s hair. ‘She does get dressed for guests, though it’d be a little superfluous after what we got up to last night.’

Nita’s cheeks coloured a little. ‘I guess, yeah. I… I wasn’t expecting to… That was quite a night.’

‘We don’t usually have someone to entertain,’ Ceri told her. ‘It does spice things up, and we pulled out the stops.’

Nita’s wide mouth curled into a bright smile and she chuckled softly. ‘No kidding, I’m surprised I can walk.’ She looked down at Michael sat beside Ceri’s legs. ‘You’re younger than I thought, but I… really enjoyed the advantages of that.’

‘I get that a lot,’ Michael commented. ‘I enjoyed it too. You’d make a good bitch.’

‘Thank you,’ Nita replied.

‘You’ve been with werewolves before,’ Ceri said.

‘A couple. Enough to know that was a compliment.’ Nita shook her head slightly, grinning still. ‘You’re a strange little group. I mean, I’m glad I decided to try picking you up, but you’re a weird collection of people.’

‘We get that a lot too,’ Lily said.

‘Lily was looking for a place to live,’ Ceri said, ‘and I was looking for a lodger after my parents died.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Nita said.

Ceri shrugged slightly. ‘It was a few years ago now, I’m kind of used to it. I met Michael while I was researching werewolf pack behaviour. I’m a thaumatologist, but I have a few hobbies.’

‘You met and…’

‘Love at first scent,’ Michael said. ‘Then I actually saw her and I had to have her.’ He shrugged slightly. ‘My Alpha says it’s because she smells of power.’

‘You’re a practitioner too?’ Nita asked.

Ceri nodded. ‘I know a few spells.’

Lily snorted out a laugh. ‘She’s really powerful. She’s killed demons, defeated spirits, saved the world a couple of times.’

‘Wow,’ Nita said, her arched eyebrows rising.

‘What about you?’ Ceri asked.

‘Not a lot to tell,’ Nita replied, shrugging a little. ‘I was born in America, orphaned early. I came over here a couple of years ago to work. I’m in antiquities. I specialise in dating old stuff, basically. Authentication, dating, historical research, valuation.’

‘Really?’ Ceri said. ‘Come and have a look at something.’ She rose out of her chair and started for the door. Nita frowned, but got to her feet with the smooth grace of a dancer, or maybe someone with a lot of martial arts training, and followed Ceri across the landing to the study on the other side of the house.

Ceri walked over to the fire, reached up, and lifted down the staff which was hung over the mantle. She turned, resting the heel of the five-foot length of wood on the carpet. It was ornately carved, thicker at the top than the bottom, and the upper third was inlaid with blue, glassy material. Set into its head was a crystal sphere, dull at first, but seeming to react to Ceri’s touch by glowing a soft blue deep in its core. ‘It was a present,’ Ceri said. ‘The man who gave it to me didn’t know much about it.’

Nita’s eyes watched the shaft of wood. ‘I’ve never seen anything…’ She held out a hand. ‘May I?’ Ceri handed the staff over and the light died in the globe as it left her fingers. Nita lifted it, tracing her fingers over the enamel. ‘It’s heavy.’ Ceri smiled and nodded. Nita swallowed. ‘I’ve never seen anything quite like this,’ she admitted. ‘Could I take some pictures? I’d really like to research it. See if I can find anything.’

‘Sure,’ Ceri said, reaching out to take the staff back. ‘After lunch. You will stay for lunch, won’t you? Twill says there’s plenty. Roast beef.’ She grinned. ‘Michael loves a roast on a Sunday.’

‘Uh, sure, I’d love to. Do you always treat your random pick-ups to Sunday roast?’

Ceri turned from hanging the staff back over the fireplace, gave Nita a smile, and started for the door. ‘I wouldn’t know. You’re the first person I’ve ever randomly picked up.’

‘I got the impression it was something you were used to.’ She followed after Ceri, looking a little bemused.

‘I spend a lot of time with wolves,’ Ceri replied. ‘Werewolves are a lot more casual about sex, especially within the pack. If someone offers and they find them attractive, they don’t see a lot of point in turning them down. If there’s a mate involved then they have to agree of course.’

‘Not the case here though.’

‘Michael’s my mate,’ Ceri said. ‘There’s no… ceremony or anything like that. I’m a member of the Battersea pack, he’s my mate.’

‘Oh.’ They started into the lounge. ‘Where does Lily fit in?’

‘She’s my pet demon,’ Ceri replied. ‘Aren’t you, love?’

‘That’s me,’ Lily said brightly. ‘Don’t look all surprised. I’m a half-succubus and my demon side needs keeping in check. Ceri can help by making sure it knows who’s boss. Plus, I love it.’ She grinned widely enough to show her fangs.

‘The main problem is that she’s really difficult to punish,’ Ceri said, slipping back into her seat between Lily and Michael. ‘I have to be really stern and she’s too cute to be angry with for long.’

Lily lowered her head and then raised her face toward Nita, lifting her eyes submissively and forming her lips into a slight pout. Nita watched, fascinated, her lips parting. Lily’s bottom lip began to tremble and her eyes widened…

‘Oh God, please stop!’ Nita wailed. ‘How could you possibly be mean to that?!’

‘I had about five years of practice in standing up to it before we finally went to bed with each other,’ Ceri replied, giggling.

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 die 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 slight 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 longe, 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.’

He nodded. ‘Most likely from before you were born. I’m not entirely sure how the mechanism works. There is magic to it, but also an element of racial memory.’

‘And it stands to reason that that kind of memory would have to come from prior to conception.’ Ceri looked at him. ‘If that’s right, my bloodline stems from the time of Atlantis, not before.’

‘I’m quite sure it does, yes. It was not uncommon for them both to take human lovers in those times. Even I indulged on occasion.’

Ceri raised an eyebrow. ‘So there might be a few little Athros running about?’

His cheeks coloured, which always amused her, but she kept the grin off her face. ‘It’s not impossible that sorcerers of my line might emerge eventually,’ he conceded.

Nodding, Ceri turned her attention back to the ball of energy. She turned her right hand slightly and it reformed into the shape of a dragon almost instantly.

‘Your control is exceeding my expectations,’ Ed commented. ‘How long do you think you can hold it there?’

‘No idea. Quite a while, I think.’

‘Let’s find out, shall we?’

~~~

It was mid-afternoon when Ceri opened the door to find Nita standing on the step looking restless and a little excited. ‘I hope I’m not disturbing you,’ she said as Ceri favoured her with a smile. She had come dressed in “office chic.” Her black skirt was past the knee, but split over the right leg almost to the hip. Her blouse was sheer enough to be almost indecent, but she had a jacket over it.

‘Not really. I was just reading. Academic papers, nothing exciting. Want to come in?’

‘Please. I’ve got some news for you, about your staff, and… um…’

Ceri stepped back to let her in and said, ‘What?’ as she walked past.

‘I can’t get Saturday night out of my head,’ Nita added sheepishly.

‘Lily can have that effect.’ Ceri closed the doors and started across the hall.

‘Yeah, I bet, but… well, it wasn’t just her.’ She paused. ‘My grandmother used to tell me that some people, their power, is an aphrodisiac. I never believed her until… I, um, met you.’

‘Lily says the same thing. Power is hot. Supernaturals can tell. You’re an evoker, right?’

Nita paused in the doorway of the study. ‘How did you know?’

Ceri waved across to where Lily was lounging on the chaise. ‘Demons can sense magic, I have a very precise form of the Sight. You keep tight control on the taint you get from working spirits, but it’s there.’

‘That’s a… remarkable ability.’

Smiling, Ceri continued on to the fireplace to get her staff down. ‘It’s useful,’ she said. ‘I’ve never met an evoker before.’

‘I don’t practice much these days,’ Nita said, crossing the room. Lily smiled at her and shifted her legs off the lounger, patting the seat beside her. ‘Hi, Lily.’

‘Welcome back, Nita. Business or pleasure.’

Nita reached up and took the staff as Ceri offered it to her. ‘A little of both. This thing is…’ Her fingers traced over the enamel again. ‘It’s called Makelo’s Staff. If the legends are to be believed, it dates back to, oh, the Bronze Age. In Greece. Makelo was a Telchine. They were like this amazing group or race of sorcerers, or scientists, or something, who were eventually wiped out by the gods.’

Ceri sat down in the desk chair, crossing her legs, and nodded. ‘I’ve heard of them.’

‘Well, the known history of the staff goes back a fair way,’ Nita said, ‘though it gets fuzzy in places. It first appears in some auction notes from eighteen-twenty. It was being sold by an explorer who claimed to have found it on a dig in Algeria. There were some old documents with it suggesting it had been around since ancient times, but they were considered fictitious. Probably some mythical account.’

‘Did this explorer give an indication of exactly where it was found?’ Ceri asked.

Nita shook her head. ‘They could be really tight-lipped. If they thought there was more to be found they would keep it secret. We’re basically talking about treasure hunters and tomb robbers here.’ Ceri nodded. ‘Anyway, the staff passed through the hands of a couple of collectors. Antiquarians mostly. It started getting a bit of a reputation. One of the owners died mysteriously, another fell into huge financial difficulty which went away after he sold the staff, another had all his sons killed in the First World War, all five of them. The staff was sold off to a French collector and it stayed there until nineteen-thirty-seven.’

Ceri got a sudden sinking feeling and Nita’s next statement did not make it go away. ‘Then it got stolen. Rumour has it that the Thule Society got their hands on it, but no one definitely knows. The next time it’s heard of is after the Shattering when it comes up for auction at Sotheby’s. According to the records a Nazi general had smuggled it out of Hitler’s collection along with various looted paintings. The general had tried to buy his way into Britain with it, possibly had. Either way, there was no way of tracing where it had come from, but it was identified from the older records. It was picked up by several wizards who thought it might be an artefact of some sort. The last of those was… Carter Fleming.’

‘That’s who gave it to me,’ Ceri said.

‘Helluva present,’ Nita said. ‘He paid half a million for it ten years ago.’

Ceri blinked at her. ‘He didn’t mention that.’

‘It’s not exactly the kind of thing you do with a present,’ Lily pointed out. ‘Like leaving the price label on.’

‘True,’ Ceri conceded. ‘I don’t suppose there’s any record of mystic powers, or why the Thules might have wanted it?’

Nita shook her head. ‘Nothing real. The original documents it was found with were almost gone. There are no copies left, just a few notes from people who examined them. Those suggested the name and there’s some reference to a “key to power.” That’s why wizards have been so keen to own it. You haven’t noticed anything?’

Ceri shrugged. She was not going to tell Nita what it actually did. ‘It glows sometimes,’ she said.

‘That’s new,’ Nita replied. ‘I haven’t found anyone claiming it was ever active in any way before now.’ She held out the staff and Ceri stood up to take it from her. ‘What are you guys doing tonight?’

‘Working,’ Lily said. ‘Ceri’s at the Dragon Friday and Saturday, I do Wednesday and Thursday too.’

Nita smiled. ‘Maybe I’ll come down tonight then.’

Lily glanced at Ceri and then reached out to slip Nita’s jacket from her shoulders. ‘Why wait? I could do with a snack.’

Soho, February 11th

Nita’s giggle was infectious. She had had several glasses of wine and was a little pink around the cheeks and throat, and very giggly. ‘No big, hard werewolf tonight?’ she asked as they made their way toward the tube station.

‘Not tonight,’ Ceri said. ‘We save that for when we can get up really late.’ Nita pouted.

‘I’m quite sure we can make up for it,’ Lily said. ‘The dungeon’s well stocked.’

‘You’ve got a… dungeon?’

‘You’ll look gorgeous stretched out on the cross,’ Lily said.

‘I’ve never…’ She giggled, nervously this time. ‘It sounds wild.’

‘First time for everything,’ Ceri said.

They rushed a little to catch a train which was arriving at the platform as they walked down the stairs and fell, giggling, onto a bank of four seats. The cabin was empty apart from the three women and Lily moved as soon as the train pulled away. Turning in her seat, she pulled Nita into a kiss, her tongue probing between the other woman’s lips while her hands slid under the loose tank top Nita was wearing. Ceri crossed her legs and watched as her lover worked the CIA agent into more and more of an aroused state.

Lily broke the kiss as the train pulled into Charing Cross. ‘Someone could see us,’ Nita breathed, her voice excited. Lily glanced at Ceri who had been watching the platform; there was no one there and Ceri gave a slight shake of the head. Lily’s hands slid under Nita’s top, pulling it upward and she wrapped her lips around the dark areola of one nipple. Nita let out a low groan.

‘Anyone could,’ Ceri said. ‘That’s the point of it. I’ve had her eat me down here before. Shall we get her to do that to you?’

‘Oh God!’ Nita moaned, looking like she would come from having her nipple sucked.

‘I think that’s a yes, love.’ Ceri glanced up as they started into Embankment. ‘But not right now.’ Two men were standing on the platform.

Lily lifted her head, but did not pull Nita’s top back down. The sound of the doors opening and male voices speaking brought Nita upright with a gasp. She struggled to pull her top down, her cheeks glowing red. Ceri grinned at her as the two men walked down the carriage past them. Maybe they would get off at Waterloo and then Lily could continue. After that there was the long stretch under the Thames and Lily could…

The soft thud was barely audible, but the stinging pain Ceri felt in her thigh was far more noticeable. She looked down and saw a dart sticking out of her leg. Lily and Nita let out yelps and Ceri looked up. There was a dart in Lily’s leg, and one in Nita’s stomach. Except that they were blurry and… Drug… The men… Ceri turned, trying to gather enough energy to fight back. She felt herself falling as she lost balance and fell off her seat.

‘Ceri!’ Lily’s voiced sounded weak and very far away. And then there was nothing.

Part Three: The Pit

The world felt different. Lying there with her eyes closed because she was not sure she wanted to know what she would see when she opened them, Ceri could not figure out what the difference was, but she knew it was there. The last time she had woken up after some form of violence she had been naked and hogtied in manacles which stopped her working magic. Well, she was not naked, she could feel some form of garment, and she was not tied up at all, but it felt somehow like the manacles had felt. Not quite the same though. She opened her eyes.

The room was grey. The walls and ceiling were seamless concrete, marred only by two lights in solid looking metal baskets mounted overhead. She lifted her head and immediately saw the bright, orange jumpsuit she was dressed in, followed by the window in the far wall. It looked like wired glass, the kind used to block thaumic energy, though behind it was a metal shutter. There was a table with four chairs, which looked like it was made of pressed steel and bolted to the floor. There were cameras in metal cages mounted in the corners of the room as well.

Sitting up, she swung her legs off the bed and found herself looking at the other two occupants of the room. Lily was not going to appreciate the orange jumpsuit any more than Ceri did, but the surprising thing was that Nita was lying on the third bed, against the opposite wall.

Lily opened her eyes as soon as Ceri touched her shoulder. ‘What happened? Where are we?’

‘I’m sure you’re guess is as good as mine, but we aren’t alone.’ Ceri nodded toward Nita. ‘I’d imagine someone’s on the other end of those cameras too.’

‘This place feels weird.’

‘I’d noticed that…’

Lily’s eyes widened. ‘Turn your Sight on.’

At first Ceri could not figure out why Lily had asked her to do it. She looked around seeing Lily’s medians and the energy core settled between them. There was also the vaporous field Lily emitted allowing her to sense desires. Nita was alive, her medians still glowed and the faint corruption web was still there. The rest of the room was… ‘Holy shit!’ Ceri snapped. Even when no one was working magic in a room, and there were no enchantments about, there was always some sort of magical field evident. Ceri barely noticed it usually, it was a background swirl, a shimmer of thaumitons arcing through free space. When it was not there, though, it was noticeable.

‘No magic,’ Lily said. ‘I can sense you and Nita, but nothing else. Nothing at all.’

‘A null magic zone,’ Ceri said. ‘I’ve heard they can exist, but I don’t think there’s one anywhere in Britain.’

‘Kind of makes sense. They couldn’t extradite you one way…’

Saying it just made the sinking feeling in Ceri’s stomach worse. ‘But why you, and why her?’

As if on cue Nita let out a groan and rolled onto her side. Her dark eyes opened and she frowned. ‘Why are you wearing prison jumpsuits?’

Lily plucked at the rough cotton garment. ‘That’s what this is?’ She pulled the zip down to below the level of her breasts, but still looked unimpressed.

‘You look gorgeous, love,’ Ceri said, smirking despite the situation.

‘Well, you keep telling me I’d look great in a potato sack. This is pretty close.’

‘Seriously,’ Nita said, ‘where are we?’

‘No idea,’ Ceri replied. ‘It’s a cell of some sort, and a null magic zone.’

‘A what?’

Ceri sat down on Lily’s bed. ‘I’ve only ever read about them in theory papers. The latest theory is that it’s an area of space-time where the Super-magic field has… well, had a hole blown in it. There’s no natural decay of Null Thaumitons, so no natural magic field, at all. Since there’s no thaumic energy around, practitioners can’t work magic. Shape shifters, werewolves and the like, would be unable to change for the same reason. They’d be stuck in whatever shape they entered the area in. The larger fae and dragons will sicken and die here.’

‘Demons?’ Nita asked, looking at Lily.

‘Demons, undead, they catalyse T-Null decay within their bodies. Besides,’ Ceri patted Lily’s shoulder, ‘she’s only half-demon. Half-fae could survive here too, though they probably wouldn’t feel too good. Fae concentrate thaumitons in the environment rather than creating them and they can’t exist outside a natural magic field.’

‘So I can’t work spells,’ Nita said.

Ceri nodded. ‘Enchantments usually stop working. It’s possible to cast spells, theoretically, but you can’t generate the power.’ She lifted her right leg and pulled up her trouser cuff. ‘Nice of them to leave us the chains,’ she said as the silver ankle chain was revealed. Reaching down, she undid the clasp and got a gasp from Lily. She closed it again.

‘What does that mean?’ Nita asked.

‘They’re fae magic,’ Lily said. ‘We both have one and we shouldn’t be able to take them off while we’re still in love.’

‘Probably why they left them,’ Ceri said. ‘The enchantments would detect as benign, they would be difficult to remove outside of here and not worth doing after we got here.’

‘Huh,’ Nita said. ‘Great. Have you tried the doors yet?’

There were two of them in the side walls near the window. Ceri looked between them. The one on the left looked like it was solid silver-iron; massive overkill in a null zone, but she had not built the place. The other door looked like any old office door, cheap and painted black. ‘No,’ she said as she stood and headed for the wooden door, ‘we just woke up.’

The door opened easily revealing another room, small and concrete with a single light on the ceiling. One corner was an open shower, a large rose mounted in the ceiling, two taps in the wall, and a drain in the floor. There was also a toilet made of stainless steel, and a similar sink. ‘Bathroom,’ Ceri said, ‘and we don’t even get to take a crap without being watched. There are cameras in here too.’

‘I guess sex is out then.’ Nita commented, trying to sound humorous and failing.

‘Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve done it in front of cameras,’ Lily replied. ‘Professionally in my case.’

Ceri closed the door and grunted a laugh. ‘I’m only semi-professional. There’s no way out of here and no way to work out why we’re here, or even where we are until that shield opens up and they talk to us.’

‘You’ve got no idea?’ Nita asked, sounding incredulous.

‘Ideas, yes,’ Ceri said. ‘Your fellow Americans wanted to extradite me on some rather dubious suggestion that I tried to assassinate your president. That doesn’t explain why you and Lily are here.’

‘It’s a pretty substantial building,’ Lily said. ‘Someone went to a lot of trouble and resource to build it. It looks governmental. I’m betting it’s the Americans.’

‘Well you and Lily are close. What am I doing here?’

Ceri shrugged. ‘You were there when we were grabbed?’

‘Great,’ Nita said.

Ceri glanced at Lily. It did not take much to guess why Nita was there; she was the “girl on the inside.” Ceri’s gaze turned back to the window. They were not going to find out what was really going on until that shield opened. Letting them sit and stew seemed like excellent tactics at this point; it was going to be a long wait.

~~~

It was not the shield which opened. With the resounding clang of large, lever bolts being drawn back, the iron door opened and two men in full combat gear bolted in. They were holding sub-machine guns and these were immediately aimed at the three women. Their uniforms had no insignia on them and they said nothing.

Behind them, a third man wheeled a trolley in through the door and began putting out plates of food and bottles of water on the table. He, likewise, was wearing unmarked clothes and said nothing, but Nita was apparently feeling remonstrative.

‘What the Hell is going on?!’ She bolted to her feet and was immediately covered by one of the guards. ‘Who are you people? Let me out…’

Lily grabbed her arm and yanked her back onto the bed. ‘Do you want to get shot?’

‘They wouldn’t…’

‘You think? Cos I think they’re looking for an excuse.’

Ceri waited for the men to back out, and the door to slam shut and lock, before she got up and headed for the table. The food seemed American; some form of shortbread-like biscuits and a fairly thick stew. She picked up one of the bottles and unscrewed the cap. ‘It’s probably better to get it while it’s hot,’ she suggested.

‘Do you think we should?’ Nita asked nervously. ‘What if it’s drugged or poisoned?’

‘If they wanted to poison us, they’d just shoot us,’ Ceri said. ‘I think they’d just get several of those guards to hold us down while they stuck needles in us for drugs. Given that I’ve tried starving in a dungeon before, I’m going to risk it.’

Lily was too. Grabbing a spoon, she began tucking into the stew; there were neither knives nor forks. ‘It’s actually not bad,’ she said. ‘Not exactly up to Twill’s standards, but I might mention these biscuits to her. Interesting change.’

Ceri sat down after a couple of gulps of water and started eating. ‘Could you read them?’ she asked. Lily nodded. ‘So that explains the screening. Magical senses work okay and they don’t want us detecting anything outside the room.’

Lily nodded. ‘It did seem like overkill.’

Reluctantly, Nita joined them at the table. Her first mouthful of food seemed to remind her of how hungry she was. Ceri watched her bolt her food for a second. ‘Well, if it is drugged, we’ll be able to tell when Nita falls over.’

Stopping mid-chew, Nita looked at her with a pained expression, and then continued shovelling food into her mouth.

~~~

Exactly how long it was before the shield finally rose up behind the meshed window was difficult to determine. The lights were always on and the only breaks from the tedium were the random meals brought in by the guards. They always got stew and biscuits, so that was no indication of the time of day, but they were given three more meals before the shield went up.

Behind the glass were two men in non-descript grey suits, both wearing sunglasses; Ceri almost laughed. One was a bit older than the other. Both looked fit. FBI or CIA, maybe Secret Service. Ceri doubted they were going to identify themselves.

‘Oh!’ Lily said in mock surprise. ‘Visitors. Isn’t that nice?’

The men ignored her, but the older one leaned forward and pressed a button. ‘Doctor Ceridwyn Brent, you have been indicted for Treason. Specifically that you attempted to murder the current President, George Wilson on January thirtieth. Do you have anything to say?’ The sound came from speakers hidden somewhere near the ceiling.

Ceri sighed. ‘You have perfectly good evidence to say I didn’t, so how about you tell me why you’ve been so enthusiastic in trying to get me onto American soil?’

The man leaned forward and pressed the button again before turning to his colleague. Ceri was surprised they actually needed to consult on the matter. The speakers were turned on again. ‘Who are you working for, Doctor Brent?’

‘I work for the University College of London’s thaumatology department, and I have a second job as a waitress at the Jade Dragon in London. The second one pays better.’

‘We know you’re working for Chinese Intelligence…’

Ceri laughed. ‘No you don’t. First, I’m not. Second, you have no evidence to that effect which stands up to investigation or my own government would have locked me up by now. And third, don’t ask questions you know the answers to, it makes you look stupid.’

‘Do you really think you should annoy them?’ Nita said in a low voice.

‘Do you really think anything we do is going to make matters worse?’ Lily replied.

‘We have been given wide leeway in the methods of persuasion we use in obtaining the information we want,’ Older Guy said.

‘Well since I didn’t attempt to assassinate Wilson,’ Ceri said, ‘and I’m not working for the Chinese, and you know that, you also know that you’re going to have to move on to the electrodes and thumbscrews fairly soon. I suspect you’re going to enjoy it because only someone who’s a perverted freak tortures someone to get them to say something they know is false.’

Ceri watched the older man’s face tighten. His colleague showed no sign of emotion at all. The speaker was cut off as the shield began to settle back into place.

‘Well, that went well?’ Ceri said.

‘They’re going to torture us?!’ Nita squeaked. She really was quite a good actress.

‘Probably just me,’ Ceri said. ‘Again.’

‘Again?!’ Nita’s voice was getting higher.

‘She gets tortured a lot,’ Lily said. ‘She’s practically an expert. I just get people altering my memories.’

Nita looked between them frantically. ‘Who are you people? What have you got me into? How the Hell am I going to get home? What are you g-nnnnnnggggg…’ Her hysterics faded as Lily cranked up her defensive aura to full power and she dissolved into a puddle on the bed.

Ceri looked at Lily. ‘What?’ Lily said. ‘She was annoying me.’

‘Actually I was thinking that your aura still works.’

‘Good point... You’re fascinated by this place aren’t you?’ Lily’s voice was half accusation and half amused.

‘I’ve never even seen a null-magic zone, Lil. The research I could do here…’

Lily giggled. ‘Research in the face of torture. That’s my Mistress.’

~~~

They came perhaps two hours later, it was still hard to tell. Two guards entered the room, covering Lily and Nita, followed by two more, one armed, the other pushing a high-tech, stainless steel wheelchair.

‘Doctor Brent, please sit here?’ the man pushing the chair said.

‘I’m quite capable of walking,’ Ceri replied, standing up.

‘Sit down,’ the man repeated. Shrugging, Ceri complied. It was not actually uncomfortable until they tightened the waist strap and cuffed her wrists and ankles down.

Ceri looked at Lily, trying not to let the terror which was building show. It was not going to do any good, their bond was still working. Ceri could feel Lily’s anxiety… ‘I’ll be right back, love,’ Ceri said.

‘I’ll be waiting,’ Lily replied as the chair was rolled out of the room.

The corridors were as plain and unmarked as the rooms. Ceri was wheeled down one to a door, pushed into the room beyond and steered into a position where she was left facing a metal screen which looked like it actually divided the room in two rather than being a real wall. The brakes were set and the men left her alone. She was expecting someone to come in and begin the stuff with the matches under her fingernails, but nothing happened for what seemed like hours.

The door opened and the younger of the two men who had been behind the window walked in. He took something about the size of a mobile phone out of his jacket and showed it to her. Ceri looked at the gadget, which had a dial and a single button on it, and then at him, raising an eyebrow.

‘This,’ Young Guy said, ‘is a device someone at MIT invented. Well, actually someone at Langley developed this based on MIT research into neural induction. They were trying to create a computer interface which would talk directly to your brain.’

‘Interesting, but electronics and computer interfaces are not exactly my speciality.’

‘Let me demonstrate.’ He placed the head of the device against Ceri’s left arm and pressed the button. Ceri screamed. It felt as though someone were playing a blowtorch over her skin, but it stopped as suddenly as it had started, leaving her panting. ‘Are you ready to tell me who you’re working for?’ Young Guy asked.

‘You know who I work for. I’m not going to start lying so you’ll go away this early in the game.’

‘We did some research on you, Doctor,’ he said. ‘That’s why we have Miss Carpenter here. Your friends used her to trace you last time. We read the reports on your experience with this “Witch Hunter,” you’ve been through torture before and withstood it. I’m quite sure we can break you, but I believe there’s an easier way.’ He turned toward the steel wall and it started to retract into the ceiling. Beyond it was Nita, strapped into another wheelchair, but she had a large, red, ball gag strapped tightly into her mouth. She looked terrified. ‘I believe,’ Young Guy said, ‘that you will find it far more difficult to resist watching someone else receiving the treatment instead of you.’

‘Look… whatever your name is,’ Ceri said, ‘tell me what you actually want? We both know you don’t want to know who I work for, because you know who I work for, and it’s not Chinese Intelligence.’

Young Guy walked over to Nita, pressing his device to her arm. She was screaming, the sound turned into a muffled groan by the gag. Her body bucked against the straps. It looked like he had turned the power up. He looked back at Ceri. ‘Who do you work for, Doctor Brent?’

‘Are you fucking nuts?!’

Reaching out, he yanked the zip down on Nita’s jumpsuit and placed the device against one of her breasts. ‘Who do you work for?’

Ceri sagged. ‘Sorry, Nita. I really don’t know what they want.’

The dusky-skinned woman looked imploringly across the room at Ceri; it was almost as if she was really being tortured. Then the dark eyes rolled back in her head and she was screaming into the gag again.

~~~

‘I’m not sure about this,’ Ceri whispered. She was lying on her bunk, curled up beside Lily. Nita was on the other side of the room, sobbing into her pillow. Lily had tried to comfort her but had been rejected. If the CIA agent was acting, she was going for an award. ‘I’m not sure she’s faking.’

‘I don’t know,’ Lily said softly. ‘Her desires are confused. She’s still got it in the back of her mind to get in with us. She wants us, y’know, in bed. She wants to never go through that again.’

‘You think they really tortured her?’

‘Yes, but it doesn’t necessarily mean anything.’

‘Huh?’ Ceri frowned. She had just watched a woman being driven to the point of insanity for… well, a long time. Her brain was not functioning that well and her ability to determine motives was right out the window.

‘They came and took her after you, and left me here to think. I suppose they could have wanted to isolate me and make me worry, but, well, if they wanted you to break watching someone being tortured, wouldn’t it have been better to take me?’

‘Yeah, I guess.’

‘So they take her, hurt her in front of you, and you sympathise with her.’

‘Crap,’ Ceri growled. ‘So that gets us nowhere.’

‘Not really. I don’t know why they want you to say you’re a Chinese spy, but they’re going to keep doing this until they get what they want. They probably will take me next.’

‘And I’ll feel most of what you do. Besides, I couldn’t stand watching that happen…’

‘Then we need to tell them what they want. Maybe then they’ll tell us what they really want.’ She paused. ‘I was also thinking… you don’t generate your power the way a normal practitioner does, right?’

‘No,’ Ceri said, grateful for the chance to think of something other than their situation, but not clear on the point. ‘I catalyse T-Null decay directly, more like a demon than a normal… Oh!’

‘We’re still in a screened room, but maybe it’ll be useful.’

‘First we have to see what they’re up to. I guess it’s time to start telling lies.’

Almost as if they had been heard, the door opened, but it was just the guards with their next meal. Ceri looked up at them. ‘Tell your spook friends that I want to talk to them,’ she said.

~~~

They were finished with their food, the plates had been cleared, and they had been sat waiting for what seemed like ages before the shield lifted to reveal the same two men. The younger one had a smirk decorating his face.

‘You wanted to tell us something, Doctor Brent?’ Older Guy asked.

‘Yeah,’ Ceri replied. ‘All right, under the direction of Chinese Intelligence I attempted to assassinate President Wilson.’ She looked around at Nita. ‘I can’t let you go through that again.’

‘Thank you, Doctor Brent,’ Older Guy said. ‘That’s what we needed. Someone else will be along to continue the process shortly.’ He reached forward and pressed a button, and the shield fell back into place.

Ceri raised an eyebrow. ‘That was it?’

‘For now,’ Lily replied.

‘I guess I should thank you,’ Nita mumbled from across the room.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t do something earlier,’ Ceri told her.

Nita looked at her, her brow furrowed. ‘You lied, didn’t you? You told them what they wanted to stop them doing more.’

‘Yes.’

‘They’ll shoot you, or something.’

Ceri settled back against Lily and looked up at the ceiling. ‘Somehow, I kind of doubt it,’ she said.

~~~

By the time the shield rose once more Ceri was beginning to think they had been left to rot. The person they saw on the other side of the window was something of a surprise, however.

Joshua Levy was smiling as he leaned forward to turn on the microphone. Ceri glanced over at Nita; she was looking too surprised to be faking it. ‘Hello, Doctor Brent, I’d imagine you’re as surprised as Miss Grey is to see me.’ Nita Grey, huh? She never had mentioned her surname.

‘That depends on what you’re going to say next,’ Ceri replied.

‘I wanted to be the one to tell you what’s going to happen to you,’ he said. Ceri glanced at the cameras in the corner of the room; the lights indicating they were functioning were out. ‘Your stunt in London blocked our original, and simplest, plan,’ Levy went on. ‘However, the confusion allowed us to form a new one. When your government wouldn’t play ball we had to invoke extraordinary rendition protocols to get you here, but everything is in order again.’

‘Extraordinary rendition,’ Ceri said. ‘That’s what you call kidnapping three people?’

‘Your confession, along with the evidence we’ve manufactured, will be presented to Wilson tomorrow. He will have to retaliate against the Chinese, but he can’t do it alone. I will give him his way out, an alliance with the Brazilian government.’

‘And now I’m not surprised to see you,’ Ceri said.

‘I’m a religious man, Doctor. A vast empire taking up most of the Far East and ruled over by demons? It’s an abomination. You are an abomination.’ Ceri raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Oh, Angelica told me what you are. A thing. A creature no more human than your pet demon there. If I had my way, we would burn you both alive, but the Church wants you as part of the deal. You’re not officially here, of course, so we can’t publically execute you for treason. Someone will be along to see to your shipping soon. Goodbye, Doctor Brent.’ He reached forward and stabbed at the button to lower the shield.

‘See you again, arsehole,’ Ceri said.

‘What did he mean?’ Nita asked. ‘About you not being human.’

‘The less you know about that,’ Ceri told her, ‘the less likely someone will decide you need to be dead.’

‘That isn’t comforting.’

‘Wasn’t meant to be.’ Ceri turned to look at Lily. ‘They’ll come soon.’

Lily just nodded in reply.

~~~

The door opened to admit two guards. Ceri kept the smile off her face; they were considering them no more a threat now than before. She waited for the three wheelchairs to be wheeled in and then stood up.

‘All of you,’ the first wheelchair pusher said, ‘sit down.’

‘I don’t think so,’ Ceri replied. A pair of rifles moved, aimed at Ceri and Lily. Nita, apparently, was not a threat. ‘I think you boys look tired,’ Ceri went on. ‘You should rest.’

Five men simultaneously slumped to the floor, Lily and Nita grabbing the sub-machine guns from the guards. ‘If you’re escaping, I’m coming too,’ Nita said. ‘Hey! I thought you said magic doesn’t work here?’

‘I said most practitioners can’t generate power here,’ Ceri replied, taking an identity card from one of the wheelchair men. ‘If you’re coming, come.’ She headed off into the corridors outside the room, walking past the torture room at a swift pace. There was only one way to go and Ceri followed it, around a corner and to a lift which the ID card opened.

There were five buttons on the panel, none of them labelled with a ‘G’. ‘Which one’s ground?’ Ceri said, frowning at the buttons.

Nita reached out and stabbed ‘1’. ‘We label them from one on the ground level.’

‘Right… Weird country.’

‘Hey, it took me a while to get used to the off British stuff, y’know? Biscuits instead of cookies, driving on the wrong side of the road and not being able to drive through red on a right turn… except it’d be a left turn…’

Lily giggled. ‘We’re escaping some high security government facility and you two are going on about cultural differences?’

‘I talk too much when I’m nervous,’ Nita explained. They seemed to be going up a fair way. ‘And I’m really kind of nervous.’

‘We’re here,’ Ceri said just before the doors opened.

There was a man behind a desk in the room outside the lift, but he fell asleep before he could even think of raising an alarm. ‘The null zone is up here too,’ Ceri said as they let themselves out and into what looked effectively like an office building. There was no one about in the corridors and no room lights were on. ‘I think it’s night. That’s good, I hope.’

‘Do you know what you’ll do once you we do get out?’ Nita asked.

‘One step at a time,’ Ceri replied. ‘We’ll have to find out where we are. Figure out how to get out of the country.’

‘That isn’t going to be easy. They’ll have an APB out on you as soon as they discover we’ve gone.’

Ceri considered it for a second. ‘I might have a way, but I wouldn’t be able to take you.’

‘I’ll be okay,’ Nita said, shrugging. ‘If I had to I could head into the tribal territories…’ She stopped, looking at a “You are Here” sign on the wall. ‘It’s Black Fields. We’re in Black Fields.’

‘Sorry?’

‘Black Fields Army Base, it’s an ultra-high security facility near Chesapeake, or what’s left of Chesapeake. During the Shattering they detonated some kind of bomb here. It was supposed to destroy some monster which had taken up residence. It didn’t, but the entire area was flattened and left for dead.’

‘Now you know why,’ Lily said.

‘They made a null magic zone,’ Ceri added, nodding.

‘Well,’ Nita said, ‘the way out is up here. There’s going to be a guard on reception.’

‘I’ll take care of that,’ Ceri said.

There was, indeed, a single man at the reception desk with his back to them. Ceri reached out to his mind as they approached, feeding what she wanted him to see into his perceptions and letting his own brain do the work. ‘Just keep walking,’ she said under her breath. Then, louder, ‘Goodnight, Sergeant.’

The soldier turned and nodded to them. ‘Goodnight, Major.’ Turning back to his desk, he started reading a newspaper again, and they walked out through the doors without him batting an eyelid.

Black Fields was not a typical army base, it seemed. At the end of the car park there was a single, unpaved road leading off into the distance over a long stretch of lawn. The only buildings they could see where the ones they had just walked out of; two storeys of offices. No one was in sight and they started walking down the road past a sign which stated that the grass was mined. A mile down the road was a guard post and gate, but the guards suddenly developed a nasty case of sleeping on the job before they spotted the three women in orange jumpsuits. Outside a huge, chain-link fence the land had been returned to nature, it seemed, with thick trees on all sides. A road, little more than a track, led through the trees into the distance.

‘Through the forest?’ Lily suggested.

Ceri nodded. ‘It’ll offer more cover.’ She looked up at the sky, but there was cloud and no way to judge direction. ‘We’ll stay close to the road until we find some sort of civilisation.’

It was even darker under the trees, but the trunks were far enough apart and there was not too much brush. They walked in silence, keeping the slightly brighter area which was the road on their left and just visible. They had gone a few hundred yards when Nita stopped suddenly, turning on the spot with her gun raised.

‘We’re not alone,’ she said, her voice low. There was a blur of movement and suddenly Nita’s gun was pointed upward. There was a click as the safety was engaged. And Nita was struggling in the arms of grey werewolf, his hand clamped over her mouth, while a second wolf slowly, but forcefully, removed the weapon.

Eight more wolves stepped out of the darkness, encircling them. Ceri’s eyes turned to just one, a black-fur. He would be the leader. As she watched he shifted, his human and wolf bodies occupying the same space for a fraction of a second before he was a tall, handsome, muscular man with long, black hair, and the skin and features of a Native American. ‘If your friend would like to calm down, we’re here to help,’ he said.

Ceri stepped forward a pace, looking him in the eye. ‘I’m Ceridwyn Brent, Guard of the Battersea pack in London.’

The man nodded. ‘I know who you are. I’m Kangee, Black Crow pack’s Guard Captain. I was sent to take you to Katarina, if you got out of there. Now, we don’t have much time. Take your clothes off and follow me.’

‘We’ve only just met,’ Ceri said, but she started unzipping her jumpsuit.

‘Are you crazy?’ Nita hissed. ‘It’s not much above freezing.’

‘It’s not far to the van,’ Kangee said. ‘They put tracking devices in the clothes. If you keep them on they’ll be all over us.’ Looking reluctant, Nita began to undress.

‘Who is Katarina?’ Ceri asked as she pulled off her shoes and wished she had her collar.

Kangee raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m surprised you haven’t heard of her. She’s Alexandra, your Alpha’s sister. Come on, we need to get moving.’

Her eyes wide, Ceri followed the man deeper into the trees.

Part Four: Black Crows

Black Crow Camp nr Sioux Falls, Tribal Territories, February 17th

It had taken almost twenty four hours to drive from Black Fields across what seemed like half of America. After two hours in the back of a van with no windows, Ceri had finally given up and asked if Nita knew how to cast sleep spells.

Gentle shaking pulled Ceri out of a dream where she was being chased across a wide, open plain by old, nineteen-thirties pick-up trucks with gnashing teeth for front grills. ‘We’re here, love,’ Lily’s voice said and Ceri opened her eyes to find a tired looking half-succubus looking down at her. ‘Blanket,’ Lily added, holding one up. ‘It’s not even vaguely warm.’

Pulling the blanket around her shoulders, Ceri shuffled to the open van doors and climbed out. ‘Where are we?’ They did seem to have come to a stop in the middle of nowhere, but instead of grassy plains they were surrounded by snow-covered grassland. Turning around slowly she spotted lights from what looked like a city to the north, and then the camp. ‘Oh wow,’ she said. ‘Real tepees. I mean… wow.’

‘This is Katarina’s camp,’ Kangee said as he rounded the van. He waved toward the lights in the north. ‘That’s Sioux Falls, but I don’t suppose that means much to you.’

Ceri smiled slightly. ‘Not a lot. American geography isn’t a major topic in British schools.’

‘We’re about ten miles over the border with US territory. How about that?’

There had been a world map at school with the boundary line on it. It ran almost due south from Lake Winnipeg to the southern edge of what had been South Dakota, then it bulged out a little to follow the old state boundaries. Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana still belonged to the States, everything to the west was tribal land. ‘It helps a little.’

‘Come on,’ Kangee said, ‘Katarina wants to see you. We’ve put your friend in a tepee for now. You can join her later.’ He turned without waiting for an answer and started through the conical, hide tents toward the middle of the camp where a large fire was blazing. There were various people gathered around it, some in wolf form, others human. Ceri was almost disappointed to see that they were all wearing modern clothing, where they were wearing anything. They did not stop there, however; walking to one of the nearby tents, Kangee pulled the flap aside and waved Ceri and Lily in.

Katarina could have been Alexandra’s twin. She had the same long, silver hair and the same features; youthful beauty holding its own against advancing age, but with the added hint of dignity that aging well brought. Alexandra, however, was usually seen in a long dress, and seeing Katarina in patched, blue jeans and a heavy, plaid shirt was a little incongruous. She had the same knowing smile though. ‘Welcome, Ceridwyn Brent and Lily Carpenter. I’ve been expecting you. Come, sit down.’

The centre of the floor was a fire pit, the smoke rising to vent through the top of the tepee. Ceri and Lily settled onto blankets placed around the edge of it. The warmth felt good as it began to seep into Ceri’s body. ‘Thank you,’ Ceri said. ‘Does Luperca whisper things in your ear too?’

Katarina nodded to Kangee as he settled down a little way back from the fire. ‘Some people tell me I can be a little annoying at times. When you went missing from your home and it was suspected by some that you had been brought here Alexandra asked the Goddess to request my help. There was only one place they could have been holding you so I dispatched Kangee and some of his Guards to watch for you. Luperca seemed to think you would find some way to get out.’

‘There was no way we could get into that place,’ Kangee said. ‘It’s too well defended and we had no way of knowing exactly where you were.’

Ceri nodded. ‘We’re grateful for the help. Can you get word to Alexandra that we’re safe?’

‘I’ll see to that shortly and we’ll arrange some clothes for the three of you in the morning.’ Katarina frowned slightly. ‘Who’s your friend? I was told there would be two.’

‘Nita,’ Ceri said. ‘We need to keep an eye on her. She’s CIA.’ Out of the corner of her eye, Ceri saw Kangee stiffen. ‘She was originally sent to try to get in with me and Lily, gather information. However… I think she’s been hung out to dry and I think she knows it. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to deal with her. We’ll see where her loyalties are now and go from there.’

Katarina nodded. ‘You must be tired. Kangee will take you to your tepee and we’ll talk in the morning. There’s a lot to discuss.’

Ceri was not tired, and that statement was not at all ominous, but Lily was looking paler than usual. ‘That would be good,’ she said, rising to her feet.

Lily leaned toward her as they walked to one of the tents on the outskirts of the camp. ‘I need to feed,’ she said, keeping her voice low.

‘I figured you might. I’ve just slept for a day, you can feed all you like.’ She giggled. ‘Besides, I’m getting kind of twitchy myself now the pressure’s off.’

‘Maybe we should gag you,’ Lily said thoughtfully. ‘There are probably people sleeping.’

‘I don’t…’ Then again, it felt like a week since she had last had sex, never mind what Lily was going to do to her. She was so going to scream. ‘Yeah, maybe you’re right.’

February 18th

‘It’s ironic,’ Katarina said, ‘that I left Europe to come here so that I could lead a more… traditional life and here I’ve become a major advocate for change in the tribal societies.’

‘Alexandra always seems to have been keen on relaxing traditions,’ Ceri said.

‘She has. It was our main bone of contention.’ The old woman smiled. ‘That was almost a century ago. The tribes are becoming… insular, their thinking holds to tradition like a crutch. The packs are no better. We are losing too many of our younger people to the “bright lights” across the border.’ Her grey eyes fell upon Nita who was sat a little further from the fire than Ceri and Lily. Kangee was sitting behind her, at her left shoulder. She looked nervous.

‘I’m half-breed,’ Nita said. ‘It didn’t help. That I inherited my grandmother’s ability with spirits didn’t help either. My family name is Greycloud, I changed it when I left.’

‘That’s the kind of prejudice I can do little about,’ Katrina said. ‘Most werewolves don’t worry too much about your parentage.’

‘You don’t have many browns?’ Ceri asked.

‘The packs over here kept extensively to the wilder areas before the Shattering. We’ve been a little inbred rather than mixing in more human blood. Once again, tradition has kept us from changing that.’ She smiled slightly. ‘On the bright side, there are fifty wolves in this camp and fifteen of them are black-furs.’

‘The Brecon pack has about half that,’ Lily said, ‘and they’ve the most I’ve ever seen.’

Katarina nodded. ‘It works both ways, of course. Hereditary diseases are beginning to have an effect on the population. The tribes are not much better, and they’ve become complacent. They’ve ignored the technology and magical developments in the east, believing they have superiority in magic and protection through their ancestral spirits. They believe their control of the Texas oil fields and other resources makes them invulnerable, rather than a target.’

‘So you believe Levy will start by attacking the tribal lands?’ Nita asked.

‘They’ll try to take the oil fields,’ Katarina replied. ‘You can’t run a war when you’re dependent on another nation for your fuel. We’ve heard they have weapons capable of taking on even ancient spirits. I believe that if they attack now, they’ll win. Even with the warnings we’ve been sending the tribes will be slow to move. It would take a major congregation of the tribes to do anything about it. Even an emergency one takes two weeks to get organised and the next scheduled one is in April.’

‘You’re asking for our help,’ Ceri said. ‘You need us to… discredit Levy, stop his plot.’

‘I realise it’s a lot to ask, but you come highly recommended.’ Katarina smiled broadly. ‘By a goddess, no less.’

Ceri sighed. ‘Oh great, no pressure… again.’

~~~

‘It’s… crazy, insane,’ Nita said. ‘Levy could never pull something like that off…’ She trailed off. She had not sounded very sure of herself when she had started.

Ceri looked at her from across their tent. ‘If it was just Levy I might agree, but he’s got… significant help.’

‘He’s always been very popular with the religious right,’ Nita said, frowning. ‘That’s why Wilson ran with him. He’s got a strong political base in the south, but the higher population density in the north, and the technology base there, means he has a big hurdle to get over to push an aggressive policy through.’

‘He’s dealing with Brazil,’ Ceri said, ‘and what he said about me being an abomination? He said his wife, Angelica, had told him. What he was referring to… there aren’t many people who know about it, and one of them is an angel named Gadriel who calls Brazil his home base at the moment.’

‘An angel? You’ve met… an angel.’

‘Several,’ Lily replied. ‘Most of them weren’t psychopaths and rapists.’

‘Gadriel was the angel who persuaded Eve that sin was the preferable option,’ Ceri said. ‘Some say he fell, fathered a bunch of monstrous children, taught Men the arts of war. He says he’s following God’s will. Either way, he helped a murderer kill witches just before Christmas. We were involved in bringing his accomplice to book, but he probably got away. He can take a lot of punishment.’

‘And Angelica Levy knows this Gadriel?’ Nita asked.

‘I thought there was something odd about her,’ Ceri said. ‘She’s solid too much to be an angel, but…’ She shook her head. ‘I’m not sure what she is, but I’m willing to bet she’s not human.’

‘And you think you can go up against that?’

‘We’ve done things just as stupid before,’ Lily said, ‘and we’re still here to do something stupid again.’

Nita looked down, her eyes flicking from side to side. She looked up again. ‘How can I help?’

Ceri sighed. ‘Much as I’d love to have a field-trained CIA operative on the team…’

‘CIA? What are you…’ Nita stopped, watching Ceri’s flat expression. She frowned. ‘How long’ve you known?’

‘For sure? Since we got you home.’ Ceri glanced at Lily. ‘We thought something was wrong when you came on to me at the Dragon.’

‘I can’t believe you don’t get propositioned enough to think it’s common,’ Nita said. ‘My briefing was that… well, it was a pretty sure thing I’d end up in exactly the situation I did.’

‘That’s because your intelligence sucks,’ Lily stated.

‘It was probably based a lot on what Levy and his allies got from Gadriel,’ Ceri said, ‘likely with some liberally applied lies. I don’t usually pick up strangers and invite them to the Saturday night threesome. I don’t usually pick up strangers. Hell, even Lily doesn’t do that anymore and she’s half succubus.’

‘So, basically, you’re saying you took me home to get information from me when I was supposed to be getting information about you.’ Ceri nodded. ‘Shit, I need to go back to the academy.’

‘You’re not equipped to go up against people who can read your desires and your thoughts,’ Ceri replied.

‘Well, I want to help. This isn’t what I signed up to. They conned me, told me they wanted to bring you in on the assassination charge. They thought you didn’t know about me and I could still get the information they wanted. I thought it was going wrong when that guy actually used that thing on me. They said it’d get your sympathy…’

‘It did,’ Ceri told her. ‘On the other hand I wasn’t sure you were really being tortured. I figured they wouldn’t be sick enough to do that to one of their own.’

‘Yeah, well I’m not one of their own, am I? After your confession they didn’t need to keep up the pretence. I heard Levy’s plan. He turned the cameras off so it wouldn’t be recorded. There’d have to be no witnesses.’ Her eyes dropped again.

Ceri looked at Lily, who gave her a short nod. ‘All right, let’s say I believe you. What’s the next move, Miss Intelligence Agent?’

‘Intelligence,’ Nita replied. ‘We need more of it. We need to know what the media is saying about the assassination. If Katarina has sources in the States then we need to know what they know.’

‘Research,’ Lily said. ‘That should get your vote, love.’

Ceri nodded. ‘Research it is.’

Sioux Falls

Somehow, the first city they went into in tribal territory was a little disappointing. There seemed to be very few Native Americans on Native American land. Most of the population looked white with a sprinkling of darker skins.

‘Most of the tribes live outside the cities,’ Kangee explained, ‘and there are plenty of non-tribesmen around to fill in the gaps.’ He turned the battered Ford sedan they had driven into town in into a parking lot and pulled up. ‘On the plus side, since most tribesmen and wolves don’t have Internet access, there’s a market for Internet cafés.’

The café was comfortable looking and the coffee smelled good. Ceri paused in the doorway and drew in a long breath through her nostrils. She turned to Kangee, smiling her sweetest smile. ‘Could I get a coffee?’

The big man chuckled, reached into his pocket, and handed her several bills. ‘Get what you like, but don’t forget to buy some time on one of the computers. I have to go make some phone calls.’ Turning, he headed back the way he had come leaving the girls to deal with their end of the research.

The computers which lined the walls were not exactly state of the art, but they functioned well enough for the job. Ceri left the keyboard to Nita; she was the local and knew what she was looking for. But after forty minutes of hunting through newspaper and TV sites, and even conspiracy sites, they had found absolutely nothing.

‘I can’t believe there isn’t anything,’ Nita said.

‘Maybe they’re waiting,’ Lily said. ‘If they gave their “evidence” to the President yesterday or the day before, they could still be planning how to handle it.’

Nita shook her head. ‘Wilson’s a decision maker. He wants all the facts he can get, but once he’s convinced he makes a choice and holds to it.’

‘So if he’s not convinced…’ Ceri mused.

‘It’s possible he thinks there’s something fishy about what they presented him with,’ Nita agreed. ‘If they clipped your confession out as a recording it sounds too trite. I think he’s bright enough to ask how they got it. He’s not the sort of man who’s into torture.’

‘That buys us some time then,’ Lily said.

‘Some,’ Ceri replied. ‘If they can’t persuade him they’ll likely revert to plan A.’

‘Kill Wilson and have Levy take over,’ Nita said, nodding her agreement.

‘Oh,’ Lily said. ‘They’d need to be smarter about it, though. Two attempts on his life in quick succession?’

Nita shrugged. ‘They have the cover idea, the Chinese trying to kill him. They will need another patsy, and that kind of thing takes time to organise.’

‘Not really. The guy in London was controlled, or possessed.’ Ceri frowned. ‘We’ve got the time it takes them to decide Wilson isn’t going to budge.’

‘Maybe a week,’ Nita said.

‘Is there anyone in the CIA you can trust?’ Ceri asked.

‘There are people I thought I could trust. Now… I just don’t know.’

‘Okay then, can you look up a number for me? It’s Edward Hoffman. He lives in Alexandria south of Washington. Is that Virginia?’

Nita grinned at Ceri. ‘Starting to remember those geography lessons?’ She turned back to the screen and started typing.

‘History actually. The American Civil War.’

‘Ironic,’ Nita replied, ‘considering we’ll be doing it all over again if we can’t pull this off.’

Black Crow Camp

‘The word is that the Secret Service have been stepped up to high alert,’ Kangee said. ‘There’s a suggestion that there could be more attempts on Wilson’s life.’ Ceri, Lily, and Nita looked at each other. They were sat on one side of the fire and Kangee on the other. That more than anything suggested he trusted Nita more than he had. ‘I need to check in again in a day or so to see if they can get any information on what Wilson’s thinking,’ Kangee went on. ‘The FBI have also been put on alert. They’re looking for the three of you.’

‘That’ll make life more difficult,’ Nita commented.

‘You’d be amazed how little three hot babes in a car get noticed,’ Lily said. She blinked. ‘I can’t believe I just said “hot babes.” Anyway, we’d need to get some new clothes. It’s just not going to work in baggy jeans and men’s shirts, but between that and Ceri’s magic we could walk out of a high security prison facility without being noticed.’ Nita nodded; she had to admit that they had walked out of Black Fields without even firing a shot.

‘Can you get me a gun?’ Nita asked. ‘Sorry to break the train of thought, but if we’re going back over the border, I want a firearm.’

Kangee looked at Katrina, receiving a nod. ‘Do you have a preference?’

‘Browning HP Practical,’ Nita said without a second’s thought. ‘Chambered for nine millimetre rounds.’

Kangee nodded. ‘I’ll arrange it. Who is this Hoffman you mentioned?’

‘Ed Hoffman,’ Ceri replied. ‘He’s a Secret Service agent. He was on the presidential guard detail in London and they put him on our table at the embassy ball. After the assassination attempt he got left in Britain to follow up the investigation.’

‘He doesn’t think Ceri did it,’ Lily said. ‘He was born somewhere around here. “What used to be South Dakota,” he said.’

Katarina nodded. ‘It wasn’t a huge state, but big enough that “around here” might be pushing it a little. The right part of the country anyway.’

‘Several of the presidential detail were swapped out when they raised the alert level,’ Kangee said. ‘My informant believes it was done on Levy’s orders.’

‘Taking out people he thinks he can’t trust,’ Ceri said. ‘I’m betting the new ones attend church regularly.’ She came to a decision and looked up at Kangee. ‘Can you run me into the city tonight? I think calling him as soon as possible would be a good idea.’

The werewolf nodded. ‘We’ll use a payphone. One of the ones at the university.’

‘Sounds perfect,’ Ceri replied. She liked universities.

Sioux Falls

‘Do you have a mate, Kangee?’ Ceri asked as they drove through the city streets. She was alone in the car with him since it seemed overkill for all of them to go, and this was something to say.

‘No, never met the right bitch. Almost a couple of times, but I never wanted one of them more than someone else did. You?’

In a way it was an odd thing to ask a human woman, but he knew she was a member of a pack. ‘Yes. His name is Michael. He’s a grey, another of Alexandra’s Guard. His father was the Alpha of the Brecon pack.’

‘I got the impression that you and Lily were, uh, kind of intimate.’

Ceri laughed. ‘We’re a bit more than kind of. Lily moved into my house as a lodger about six years ago. At the time we had to be just friends. It’s a long story, but I was immune to her auras. She wanted me because, well, she’s half succubus, but it was good for her to have a friend without benefits at the time. Then I came into my power and we became lovers. I’d never had much success with boys before that…’

‘There’s your problem,’ Kangee said. ‘You should’ve tried dating men. Werewolves preferably.’

‘As it turned out, yeah,’ Ceri said with a giggle. ‘I met Michael a few months later while researching pack behaviour. He wanted me for his mate the first time he saw me, but he had to understand that I was not going to give up Lily. We were friends for a long time before we were lovers, and a long time before I met Michael.’

‘So, what? You split your time between them?’

‘Sort of. I’m with the pack Wednesday and Thursday nights, so that’s Michael time. Saturday night he comes over to the house and we all get together. It’s important that we have time for the three of us to be together. It helps that werewolves tend not to get jealous, and Lily doesn’t either.’

‘So if anyone’s going to, it’s you.’

‘Huh, yeah, but I’m not that much of a hypocrite.’

‘Hypocrisy is intellectual, jealousy is emotional.’ He grinned at her. ‘I took a psychology course.’

‘You’ve a point, though. Yes. Maybe I just don’t get jealous.’ She frowned. ‘I’m not sure I’ve ever had the opportunity to find out. We’ve all been with other people since we hooked up, but it’s mostly been pack things or parties. We’ve all been at it, nothing to be jealous of.’

‘Something to watch out for,’ he said, his voice matter-of-fact. He was pulling into a parking lot as he spoke. Driving to the end of it, he parked up right beside a public phone and fished a handful of quarters from his pocket. ‘Good luck.’

The call connected on the third ring. ‘Hoffman.’ His voice sounded tired.

‘Ed? I don’t know if you remember me. We met at a couple of parties recently.’ She could not think of a reason why his phone would be tapped, but better safe than sorry. ‘I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I’d look you up.’

There was a pause before he answered. ‘The voice sounds familiar. What did you want?’ That didn’t sound good. He was not using her name either.

‘Well, you may have heard some bad things about me recently. I wanted to know if you believed them.’

‘I stand by what I said the last time we met.’ No hesitation at all, that was good. ‘Look, we can’t talk long.’ No, if they knew it was her they would be tracing the call. To a payphone, but it would give them an area to look in.

‘No,’ she said. ‘I’ll be in touch.’ She hung up the phone and went back to the car.

‘Any luck?’ Kangee asked as he pulled the car away.

‘He’ll help, but he thinks they’re monitoring his calls.’

‘Wow, these guys really want you.’

Ceri sighed. ‘You don’t know the half of it.’

Black Crow Camp, February 19th

Ceri walked through the camp slowly, fairly obviously just watching people, and no one seemed to be bothered about it so she just kept on going. It was the first day she had had where she could just wander about, observe the pack, be herself for a while.

The camp formed a roughly circular arrangement. The tent Ceri was sharing with Lily and Nita was not on the outer edge, but it was not far from it. Ceri made her way to the outer edge and began to walk the perimeter, looking for anything interesting and different. The wolves kept the entrances of their tepees aimed toward the centre and there was not much to see outside the big circle. However, Ceri had managed to attract a following of about ten children by the time she was halfway around.

Werewolves did not have the ability to shift at birth and, contrary to popular opinion, they did not develop it at puberty either. Shifting, like the ability to work magic, was a function of the brain, and it was not until certain brain developments took place that wolves developed the capacity to shift. Even then they had to learn to do it and it looked like none of these kids had figured it out yet. Ceri was not exactly sure how she knew, but she knew. Something about the way they moved? Her supernatural senses? Whatever, they could not shift.

The oldest looked to be in his early teens, perhaps fourteen, the youngest was maybe six. None of them were terribly shy, but it was the oldest one who was most interested and leading the pack. The interest from most of the younger ones was pure inquisitiveness; Ceri got the feeling they did not see many humans in camp, or maybe it had got around that this was the woman Luperca had asked Katarina to help. The teenager, though, was finding his place in the pack and at least part of that was to do with his sexuality. Ceri was an attractive woman he did not know and it was always easier to have a few naughty thoughts about a stranger…

The kids followed her as she made her way into the tent village. Typically for werewolves confident in their nature, the people here were mixed forms. There were wolves sitting around, lazing in the winter sun, and there were man-form wolves conducting various activities, or just chatting. She passed a woman mending a pair of jeans who nodded to her, smiling. Everyone appeared to know who she was, so the kids probably did too.

There was a group of women sitting around the fire in the middle of the camp and Ceri settled down in an empty space on a log without saying anything. No one commented and the woman beside her, pretty, white, and engaged in sewing buttons on a shirt, smiled at her. The children sat behind her, about six feet back, and started whispering amongst themselves. All except for the teenager anyway, who was too busy watching Ceri.

‘Hi,’ the girl beside Ceri said, ‘I’m Joan.

Ceri gave her a smile. ‘Ceri,’ she said.

‘Oh I know,’ Joan said. ‘We all know who you are, even Chayton back there.’

‘That’s his name?’ Ceri glanced over her shoulder. The young man’s cheeks were colouring a little and he looked away when she caught his eye. ‘Seems like a nice young man. A little shy maybe.’

Joan’s voice lowered. ‘We’re a little worried about him. Fifteen and he still hasn’t changed.’ He looked a little young for fifteen, but okay.

‘You know, I’ve never asked how you actually do it. I studied the process and I can repeat it on myself or someone else, but I don’t know how a werewolf thinks of it.’

Joan frowned slightly. ‘I just… do it. One day I just wanted to change and the next thing I knew I was tingling and… wolf.’

‘I always theorised,’ Ceri said, nodding, ‘that it was essentially an enchantment woven into your genes. You have to power it, like a magician, like Luperca’s collar…’ She turned around and looked at her young follower. ‘Hey, Chayton, come over here, would you?’ The teenager looked around as though she must be talking to someone else. ‘Yes, you,’ Ceri said, smiling. Getting up he started across the brown grass, not assisted by some giggles from the younger children.

‘Uh… what?’ Chayton said. He was slumping, embarrassed, nervous.

‘Manners,’ one of the older woman called out.

Chayton cringed. ‘Sorry, ma’am.’

‘Ceri,’ Ceri told him. ‘I don’t need you calling me “ma’am” to make me feel old.’ There was laughter from around the fire. ‘I just want to have a look at you. Stand still, and straight, and don’t be embarrassed.’

‘Uh… okay.’

Ceri blinked on her Sight and cast her gaze over the young werewolf as he pulled himself up a little straighter. His medians were strong enough, the Chakral showing slight development, but perhaps less than she would have expected in a werewolf. That could be age; she was used to looking at werewolves who transformed regularly. Her eyes scanned slowly down from the base of his skull, not really noticing his cheeks colouring. She did notice the flickers of energy along his Tantric median and, when she got a little lower, the bulge developing in his jeans. Pushing back her own embarrassment, she concentrated on examining Chayton’s metaphysical structure.

She frowned. ‘Were you in an accident or something?’

Chayton looked at her. ‘No. I think I’d remember…’

‘No, you wouldn’t,’ Joan said. ‘You were about three. I was barely in my teens. It wasn’t an accident though.’

‘Elf-shot,’ one of the older women said, nodding.

‘Sort of,’ Joan said. ‘He was actually hit with a fae arrow. Lodged in his spine, if I remember right. Katarina got it out and healed the wound. There was a bit of worry about him walking, but it seemed like he recovered fine.’

‘There’s a swelling…’ Ceri began.

‘Oh, you’d noticed that too?’ Joan said and all the women burst into a fit of giggles.

Chayton looked like he was going to bolt. Ceri reached out and grabbed the boy’s hips. ‘Turn around, Chayton,’ she said. ‘I need to look at your back.’ He turned around; it had the advantage of hiding his scarlet cheeks. ‘Sorry about this,’ Ceri said, and yanked his shirt out of his jeans.

The scar was just above the waistband, a fairly small, thin, white line in his dark skin. Ceri nodded. ‘There’s a swelling in your Chakral median right under the scar,’ she said. ‘You can tuck your shirt in now.’

He did so, turning back toward her with a curious frown on his face. ‘That why I can’t change, m… um, Ceri?’

‘Try for me. Just, want to be a wolf.’

‘I know,’ he said. ‘Dad’s tried to help me enough times.’ He closed his eyes and concentrated. Ceri watched the power build at the base of the median, the base of his spine. It flared up the line of his spine, hit the swelling, and then blossomed into the kind of energy sphere Ceri expected, except that it should have been running up to the crown of his head. He gave a grimace and let out a grunt of frustration.

‘Not comfortable?’ Ceri asked. ‘Maybe even hurts?’ He nodded uncomfortably. ‘All right, we know what the problem is. I’ll talk to Katarina tonight and see if we can’t come up with a way of fixing it.’

Chayton’s face brightened. ‘You think you can?’

Ceri looked at him. ‘I don’t believe in lying to people, no matter what their age, so I’ll tell you I don’t know. I’ll try, that’s all I can promise.’

She knew he was hearing “yes, you’ll be fixed in no time” from his expression, but he looked as though he was trying to be reasonable. ‘Thanks, Ceri. Of course… if you can help… that’d… well, be great.’ He scurried off with his back straight, looking rather more enthusiastic than he had when he was following Ceri around.

‘You really think you can help him?’ Joan asked.

Ceri turned back to look at her. ‘I really hope so,’ she said.

February 20th

‘Good shopping trip?’ Katarina asked as the three women and Kangee filed into her tepee.

‘Please don’t go there,’ Kangee replied producing three fits of giggles.

Katarina smirked. ‘I thought you’d been gone a while.’

‘We got what we needed,’ Ceri said. ‘I can’t thank you enough for this.’

‘It’s to our benefit too, dear. Any news?’

They settled around the small fire and Kangee gave his news first. ‘The tension is building in Washington. The president has been moved to a secure bunker at Black Fields. Someone leaked news of “intelligence” suggesting there would be further attempts on his life. No one knows for sure where the leak came from, but my source says it came out of Levy’s office.’

‘It made it onto a couple of the more right wing newspaper sites,’ Nita said. ‘Big, scary headlines. The more moderate agencies are being calmer, but they’re still reporting “unconfirmed warnings” of another attempt.’

‘There were some reports from the southern states of troops being recalled from leave,’ Ceri said.

‘The conspiracy sites were all over that,’ Nita added. ‘Someone out there is spreading a rumour that the whole assassination business is cover for a military move into Texas.’

‘It would be interesting to find out who started that,’ Katarina said. ‘They’re almost certainly right for one thing.’

‘I’ll see if anyone can get anything on the source,’ Kangee said.

‘This is getting really bad,’ Lily said. ‘We can’t wait much longer.’

‘It’s New Moon tomorrow night,’ Ceri said. ‘We’ll go then. It should give us a better chance of getting over the border without trouble.’

‘And once you’ve got there?’ Katarina asked.

‘I don’t think we have much choice,’ Ceri replied, ‘I’m going to contact Ed Hoffman.’

~~~

Chayton had his share of teenage hang-ups, but none of them concerned his body. When told to strip and lie down in front of Katarina’s fire on a bedroll which had been brought in for the purpose, he was climbing out of his clothes practically before Ceri was finished speaking. He had looked a little awed to have Lily in the tent, especially since Lily had swapped out her big, thick shirt for a tank top, but the spell Ceri was going to use required fairly large amounts of power, and far more residue in Ceri’s structure than she could shift in a day. Pulling the power through Lily meant the residual energy could be shared between them and dissipated faster. So Chayton had to put up with the full effect of Lily’s chest and moved to lie down as quickly as possible when he had undressed.

Ceri looked across at Katarina. ‘His parents are happy enough with this?’ she asked. ‘You did explain it might not work? Something could even go wrong? It’s not something I’ve tried before and I know this one…’ She gave Chayton a light slap on the back. ‘…would let me do invasive surgery with a rusty spoon if he thought it would let him change, but…’

Katarina smiled. ‘His parents said the same thing. He’s miserable and it’s unlikely that you can make him worse.’

‘All right,’ Ceri said, a little nervously, ‘let’s do this.’ She reached out for Lily’s hand and the half-succubus gripped it firmly. ‘Chayton, just try to relax. This may be a little uncomfortable, or even hurt a little… or it could feel really good, I don’t know. Just try not to move.’

‘Okay, Ceri.’ The reply was a little muffled by his arms and the blanket his head was sunk into.

Ceri placed her hand over the line of white skin on his lower back and looked at Lily. ‘Ready, love? This is going to be a fairly big pull.’

‘I’m ready,’ Lily said. ‘I’m looking forward to it, actually.’

Ceri rolled her eyes, closed them, and began to concentrate. Drawing the power was easy enough; Ceri felt it streaming through from Lily and heard the little whimpering moan from the half-demon as she felt the power coursing through her. Lily’s own capacity to draw energy from the environment was limited and the feeling of having such large amounts of raw thaumic power run through her left her demon side wanting more, and her panting. Ceri ignored the arousal she could feel through their link and focussed her magic on Chayton.

The human, or werewolf, body was a magnificent, wonderful thing with the ability to heal terrible injuries. Sometimes it needed a little help, but it knew how to do it, given a little prompting. Ceri wrapped the distortion in Chayton’s Chakral median in a compression bandage of magical energy, her fingers glowing as she worked. The boy let out a muffled groan, his body stiffening, and then he began relaxing, only a slight twitch showing that anything was happening.

Ceri opened her eyes and looked down. Sparks of thaumic energy were still dancing around her fingers, but the “bandage” was tightening, as intended, and the energy flow through Chayton’s median was becoming stronger. With a lurch, the bandage closed with a snap and then vanished, and Ceri took her hand away, the tension releasing from her body as the power of the spell dissipated.

‘Is that it?’ Chayton asked. ‘I feel kind of… stronger.’

Ceri’s Sight showed her the now straight line of his Chakral median, a firmly glowing line of energy from the crown of his head to the base of his spine. ‘It looks like it’s worked,’ she said and he moved, bringing his arms level with his shoulders and pushing up. Muscle rippled over his back and shoulders and Ceri swallowed. She could feel the raw need coming from Lily and it was affecting her perceptions. A fifteen year old kid was not someone she should be considering jumping!

As he lifted his chest off the bedroll she saw the power rising up his spine and blooming out around him. The progression looked perfect, and when it collapsed and she found herself looking at a well-built young werewolf with black fur she found herself thinking that he was just three years younger than Michael… She shook her head. Michael was damn well young enough. Did she want a reputation for fancying younger men? Hell no, what she really wanted was the half-succubus whose dark eyes were fixed on her with the sort of lust she saw only after conspicuous displays of magic.

‘You did it,’ Katarina said, pleasure and relief in her voice. ‘You wanted a way to thank us for our hospitality…’ Letting out a happy bark, Chayton wrapped his arms around Ceri and hugged her, and his hands dipped a little low as he did so. ‘Though I think this young man has some other ideas.’

‘Uh, yeah,’ Ceri said. She clenched her fists. ‘Chayton, you’re gorgeous, but I’m human and I’ve got some hang-ups about age… uh, why don’t you go find a bitch more your age and show her your lovely black fur?’

His growl was inarticulate, it would take time to learn to use his new vocal equipment, but it suggested he was not pleased at having to let go. He did back off, however, sitting back on the bedroll with his tongue running over his lips.

‘Go find Aponi,’ Katarina suggested. ‘She’s been a little taken with you for months.’

The newly turned werewolf looked around at Katarina, surprised, and then gave an apologetic yip to Ceri and headed for the tent flap. Waiting for him to be out, Ceri heaved a sigh of relief. ‘Michael’s already way younger than me and I used to feel bad about that.’

‘Werewolves have a slightly different view of such matters,’ Katarina commented.

‘I know,’ Ceri replied, ‘but I’ve got my limits.’

Katarina smiled. ‘Besides, I believe your pet needs some attention.’

‘Yes, she does. I’d better take her back to our tent before she jumps me in front of you.’

The werewolf’s laugh was as melodic as her sister’s. ‘Oh, don’t mind me, dear.’

Ashley Avenue at the Big Sioux River, February 21st

The bridge looked distinctly forgotten. It was old, badly maintained, the girders starting to rust and the road surface full of potholes. The old Ford pick-up the pack had obtained for the three women fitted right in, but Kangee assured them that it would hold up to as much punishment as they could put it through.

‘Once you’re over the river,’ Kangee said, ‘you’re in US territory and you need to start watching your back.’ He shuffled a little; he was uncomfortable leaving them to handle this alone, and bright enough to know he would be of limited help. Saying goodbye was going to be tough.

Ceri looked around with eyes she had enspelled to see better in the dark. ‘We’ll check in at least every other day,’ she said. ‘Anything we find out, we’ll let you know.’

He nodded. ‘When you get to the other side, take the track south. If you head back onto the main road they’ll probably spot you.’

‘We know,’ Nita said, smiling. ‘This isn’t my first dance and Ceri can keep me in night vision spells until dawn if necessary.’

Kangee looked at her as she studied a map on the hood of the pick-up. ‘Just so you know,’ he said, ‘I trust you because Ceri and Lily do. If it turns out they were wrong I’ll hunt you down and tear out your heart.’

Nita looked up at him, her face serious, and nodded. ‘Fair enough.’

Kangee nodded back. ‘Good luck, all of you,’ he said and then turned to walk to the van waiting for him a few yards away.

Lily looked at the old pick-up. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to be put out for this?’

‘I need to be awake in case we run into trouble,’ Ceri replied. ‘I’ll manage.’ Climbing into the cab to sit in the middle seat, she was already wishing she had asked Nita to put her to sleep.

Part Five: Taking on the World

Richmond, Virginia, February 23rd, 2012

No one took much notice of the three women in the battered pick-up until they got out of the car. At that point the attention they got was based entirely around the short skirts, low necklines, and high heels. The little mall on the outskirts of Richmond seemed to attract mostly teenagers at this time of the evening; groups of boys and girls, mostly segregated by gender. The squad of boys near the payphones gave big, wolfish grins, but were not willing to risk rejection with others their age watching.

Ceri picked up a phone, dropped a quarter, and dialled. She got voicemail on the second ring. ‘We’ve made it to Richmond. No trouble so far. Making contact tonight.’ She hung the phone up again and got a second quarter ready. ‘Well, here goes.’

‘You’re sure you can trust this guy?’ Nita asked.

‘No, I’m not sure, but he’s what we’ve got,’ Ceri told her.

‘I trust him,’ Lily said. ‘He wants your president safe and he didn’t believe Ceri was involved in the attack.’

‘Good enough for me,’ Ceri said. She dialled the number.

‘Hoffman.’ He answered on the first ring, like he had been waiting beside the phone.

‘Hi, Ed.’

‘Where are you? No, never mind that. I need to talk to you.’

Ceri nodded, even if he could not see it. ‘Falmouth, St Clair Brooks Park, two hours. We’ll find you.’ She hung up the phone before anyone listening could trace the call.

‘We’d better drive if we’re going to get there first,’ Nita said.

‘This park is a good place to meet?’ Lily asked as she waited for Ceri to climb into the truck.

Nita started the engine. ‘We’ll need to check the trees. There’s a large, clear area he’ll likely arrive in. I suggest moving under cover to talk. I’ll keep watch.’

Ceri nodded and Nita pulled the truck away again, much to the disappointment of the gang of boys. ‘I’ll sort you out with night vision again,’ Ceri said.

‘You know, you can put out more power over a longer period than any practitioner I’ve ever met,’ Nita said.

‘Yeah, I can.’

‘And you’re not going to tell me why, are you?’

Ceri grinned. ‘Lil, why am I so powerful?

‘Because you’re absolutely awesome,’ Lily replied.

Nita laughed, shaking her head. ‘Right,’ she said, ‘that explains everything.’

Falmouth

They let Hoffman stand in the park for twenty minutes. Lily, her hair pulled up under a cap, went out to get him. She circled past him and came up behind him, leading him across the park to where Ceri was waiting at the edge of the trees.

‘Ed,’ Ceri said in greeting as he walked over.

‘You’ve got someone watching in the trees?’ he asked. Lily took up position to one side of them, scanning the grassy area in the middle of the park.

‘Yes, we have,’ Ceri said. ‘Should we be expecting someone?’

‘The CIA girl,’ Hoffman said, not answering her question. ‘Can you trust her?’

‘Right now,’ Ceri said, ‘you’re the long shot.’

He nodded. ‘Yes, I guess I am. I’m not sure if I was followed. I didn’t see anyone and I’m trained to spot them, but they’re trained to avoid being seen and they have a lot of resources.’

‘But you think you’re being watched?’

He sagged slightly. ‘I don’t know. I’ve been a little paranoid since they kicked me off the President’s protection detail. What do you know?’

‘Levy’s trying to take control of the country. He’s planning to take the oil fields in Texas and then roll out a war on China, probably after he’s taken control of most of the tribal lands.’

‘We don’t have that kind of force…’ Hoffman began.

‘He’s working with, or maybe for, the Brazilian Church,’ Ceri said. ‘I’m guessing, but I think his wife is… something other than human. I’m not sure what yet, but I’m betting she’s some sort of incarnated angel. Could have picked a better name. Levy has already tried to convince Wilson that I tried to kill him and it was a Chinese plot. It looks like he didn’t buy it. We think he’ll go back to the original plan.’

‘The original plan?’

‘Yes, Wilson dies, Levy becomes president.’

Hoffman frowned thoughtfully, digesting the information. ‘No, it’s not enough. They have President Wilson and his wife holed up at Black Fields, it’s a…’

‘We’re intimately familiar with that place,’ Lily commented.

Hoffman raised an eyebrow. ‘They were holding you there? And you got out?’

‘They were,’ Ceri said. ‘We did.’

‘Wow. I actually believe we might have a chance of pulling this off.’ Ceri reciprocated his smirk; though she was not feeling quite so confident. ‘No one can get to him with magic there, but they’ll need something big, public, to let Levy start a war over it.’

Ceri nodded, frowning. ‘We need somewhere to stay, Ed. Any suggestions?’

‘If we could prove I’m not being watched, you could stay at my place. Big house I didn’t really need, but I bought anyway.’ It was an odd sort of statement to make, but right now Ceri was more concerned about sleeping in a bed again.

‘Between Nita and me we should be able to check for anyone watching. We’ll follow you back and check before we come in.’

‘Okay, I’ll wait for you in my car.’

Ceri grinned. ‘Just start driving. I can follow you. To Alaska if I had to.’

‘Right. Why doesn’t that make me feel comfortable?’ He turned and started back the way he had come.

‘Because we could hunt him down and kill him?’ Lily suggested after a few seconds.

‘He did say he was feeling paranoid,’ Ceri replied.

‘Nothing wrong with healthy paranoia when people are out to kill you.’

Alexandria, February 24th

It was gone midnight when Hoffman ushered the three women into his house. He was being rather urgent about it, but given the rather nice neighbourhood lined with red brick houses featuring window boxes and window frames which looked like they were whitewashed every year, maybe the Secret Service agent was just worried what his neighbours would think about him inviting three younger women home.

‘There’s no sign of surveillance,’ Ceri said as she hung her coat up in the hallway.

‘Mrs Maclusky must be getting a drink then,’ Hoffman replied.

Ceri grinned. ‘So you were worried about your reputation?’

His cheeks coloured a little. ‘I figured if you found a threat you wouldn’t come to the door,’ he said, ‘but Mrs Maclusky’s not a threat, aside from the fact that everyone in town will think I’ve hired three hookers before sun up if she saw you.’

Alexandria had seemed to be somewhere between a town and a city when they had driven through it an hour or so before. There were signs that it had been bigger once, just like Richmond, and most of the other cities they had seen so far. The outer regions of the town, especially to the south, had a number of disused buildings, houses as well as industrial areas, which looked like they had been falling down for decades. That likely left a smaller, more closely knit community with a tendency to gossip. That might even work to their advantage if they could use it right.

‘At least you’ve got three good looking hookers,’ Lily said. ‘It might even raise your rep in some corners.’

Hoffman cringed. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘I’m your cousin or something from England,’ Ceri said, ‘here to do some sightseeing with a couple of friends.’

He nodded at that. ‘Could work,’ he said. ‘Come into the lounge, tell me what you think we need to do.’

It was not a huge room, but there was a fire burning in the grate, and two large armchairs and a couch arranged around it. At a table beside one of the armchairs was a laptop, open and whirring gently, but displaying a screen saver. There were not enough bookcases for Ceri’s taste, but what there were were full of books, mostly paperbacks by authors Ceri did not recognise. Hoffman sat down beside his laptop, Nita took the second chair, leaving Ceri and Lily to settle together on the couch.

‘We need to pressure Levy into giving his hand away,’ Ceri said. ‘We need him worried.’

‘But not too worried that he offs Wilson and tries something drastic,’ Lily added.

‘He’s scheduled to attend an award dinner of some sort on Sunday night in New York,’ Hoffman said. ‘Security will be tight, but he’ll be easier to get to there than in DC.’

‘That’s not long to prepare,’ Nita said.

‘We’re on a tight timescale,’ Ceri said. ‘We’re going to have to wing things a lot. You should be used to that.’

‘Huh, the best way to look like you’re great at improvisation is to have everything brilliantly planned.’ Nita raised an eyebrow at the couple on the couch. ‘Are you telling me you just dive into things like that demon business at Stonehenge without a plan?’

‘We had a plan,’ Lily said brightly. ‘Don’t die and grab the first opportunity we could to kill Remus.’

Both Nita and Hoffman grimaced. Ceri shrugged. ‘It worked, what’s the problem?’

February 25th

There were two bedrooms up on the top floor of the house, the main bedroom and the bathroom on the middle floor, and the lounge and kitchen at the bottom. Even though Ceri lived in a larger three storey house, it felt like it was a long way down from the top to where the smell of cooking eggs was coming from at the bottom. Dressed in a spaghetti-strapped top and a slim pencil skit, she walked in to where Hoffman was cooking.

‘Morning, Ed. That smells good.’

‘Sit down,’ he replied without turning. ‘You can have the first plate. Should I be making more?’

Ceri’s heels clicked on the linoleum as she crossed to the table and sat down. ‘Lily won’t be up for at least half an hour, Nita I don’t know about. She slept in the other room.’

‘I thought you three were a little more intimate than that, considering how she got to know you.’

‘We think she feels guilty about it. Lily thinks she wants to earn the right to be a friend before she gets the additional benefits.’

Ed ladled something like an omelette onto a plate. ‘Fair enough.’ He turned around to take the plate over to the table and almost dropped it. Ceri giggled. ‘Is that a wig or something?’ Hoffman asked.

Ceri reached up and ran a hand through her shoulder length, blonde hair. There were a few strands of purple down the front edge at the right. ‘No, it’s my hair. I grew it last night. Took about ten minutes. The colour should last a few days and I can redo it easily enough. I figure it’ll make me less recognisable.’

He stepped forward the last pace and put the plate down for her. ‘They say blondes have more fun too.’

‘Well Lily certainly likes it. I might even keep the length, though short is practical.’

‘You used a spell? I don’t know that one.’

‘You’re into wizardry,’ Ceri replied. ‘I’ve studied spells from all sorts of specialities.’ She forked some egg into her mouth, barely needing to chew it before she swallowed. ‘My parents were enchanters, but their library covers all sorts of traditions and paradigms, and I’ve learned spells from witches and wizards.’

‘Most generalists aren’t nearly as powerful as you.’ He was back at his frying pan, cracking eggs into it. Ceri said nothing, concentrating on her food. ‘When I was investigating you I ran into a stone wall with your security services. One guy did say that your Ministry for Supernatural Affairs was pushing things in the background. They were very determined not to let you be extradited, even if the Home Office wanted to.’

‘I’m pretty integral to the power generation experiment we’ve got planned,’ Ceri said, though his comment worried her. How much did the Ministry know about her? And who knew it?

‘Huh, well, that’s an explanation. What are you planning to do today?’

Grateful for the change of subject, Ceri said, ‘Nita’s going to head up to New York to check over the hotel where this award thing is happening. We’ll join her tonight. Lily and I are going to do a little groundwork with your neighbours.’

‘My neighbours?’ He turned and brought his own plate over, sitting down across the table from her.

‘Uh-huh. If Mrs Maclusky is so keen on keeping an eye on things, we’re going to get her to keep an eye on things for us.’

‘Maclusky’s a gossip,’ Hoffman said. ‘If you want to know who’s having an affair with the gardener, she’s your woman. I’m not sure about getting her to pay more attention to us.’

Ceri smiled at him. ‘You’d be amazed what being friendly can get you,’ she said.

~~~

Mrs Maclusky was about sixty, dumpy with an enormous bosom, and a face like a kindly old granny crossed with a Rottweiler. She scurried into the little store at the end of the street trying really hard to make it look like she was just wandering in for groceries and not following Ceri and Lily. She was following them; they had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure she saw them leaving Hoffman’s house so they were certainly hoping she was.

They were playing the “foreigners in a strange land” card fairly heavily. ‘Cookies are like biscuits, right?’ Lily said as they wandered down an isle of them. ‘We could get some biscuits to go with tea.’

‘They don’t have tea here,’ Ceri said. ‘Just those bag-on-a-string things.’

‘That’s sort of tea.’

‘Sort of.’

‘Oh! You’re British?’ Mrs Maclusky said from behind them. ‘My grandfather came over from Scotland before the Shattering, you know?’ Her accent was moderately thick, but not so harsh as to be indecipherable.

‘I didn’t, but hello,’ Ceri said. ‘I’m Keris, this is Shelley. We’re on holiday.’

‘On holiday and you came here?!’ She sounded distinctly surprised. ‘Wouldn’t you be better off in New York or Washington?’

‘Oh yes, but Ed Hoffman’s my cousin and we just had to stop off and see him.’

‘I wish I could visit my family, but it costs so much for transatlantic travel.’

Ceri nodded. ‘It does, but I just love travelling.’ Lying was getting easier; Ceri wondered whether she should worry about that.

‘Besides, the boat over was really great,’ Lily enthused. Her hair was now black and pulled back into as severe a ponytail as they could manage; she had absolutely refused to be blonde. As with Ceri, the altered hair did strange things to the shape of her face; she looked less cute and more severe. Ceri had had to stop herself worshipping her in the bedroom.

‘Well I hope your cousin is taking good care of you,’ Mrs Maclusky said. ‘I know he’s in the Secret Service and they’re busy people.’

‘He’s taking us on a little sightseeing trip,’ Lily said.

‘We’re leaving tonight,’ Ceri added. ‘Going up to New York for a day or two before he has to be back at work.’

‘Well I’ll be sure to keep an eye on his house while he’s away.’ She was terribly solicitous about it; not that she would not have been doing it anyway. ‘There’s bad people about these days. Why I saw a bunch of hoodlums maybe three days ago. Cruising down the street in a big, black Town Car like they owned the place. And I just bet they had guns in there with them. I know the type. Gangsters! Mister Hoffman wasn’t home then and they were paying a lot of attention to his house.’

Ceri and Lily glanced at each other. ‘Gangsters,’ Ceri said. ‘That sounds terrible. Ed is an agent. Maybe they were after him. It’d be really great if you could keep an eye out…’

‘Phyllis, dear, Phyllis Maclusky. I’ll be sure to do that. You try the chocolate chip cookies now. They’re the best.’ She turned and scurried off. She had new gossip to spread.

Lily picked up a pack of chocolate chip cookies and dropped them into her basket. ‘Gangsters?’ she said.

‘Gangsters with badges,’ Ceri replied. ‘We’d better tell Ed.’

Baltimore Washington Parkway near Maryland City

‘Yes,’ Hoffman said, ‘we’ve got a tail.’

Ceri glanced back through the rear window of Hoffman’s black Chrysler. ‘The red sports car?’

‘That’s the one. It’s been with us since we got out of the Beltway ring.’

‘Where’s the next junction? And are we turning off or staying on?’

Hoffman consulted his navigation console. ‘About five miles ahead. We can go either way… turning off might be better.’

‘Okay,’ Ceri said, ‘head out into the middle lane, move back in just before the off ramp and do it as smoothly as possible.’ She turned again, concentrating on the minds in the car keeping a respectful distance from them to the rear. Her eyes closed…

‘Off-ramp’s coming up,’ Hoffman said and Ceri nodded absently, not really paying attention. She felt the car sliding right, a slightly disconcerting sensation since she did not like cars at the best of times and this one was moving all wrong. Stupid foreigners with their stupid driving on the wrong side of the road… ‘Well damn!’ Hoffman exclaimed. ‘They’re not following.’

‘They’re following what they think is us,’ Ceri said. ‘By the time they realise they’re hallucinating we should be well out of the way, I hope.’ She settled back down in the back of the car, trying to avoid watching the world flying past the car windows.

‘You don’t have to hide down there like that,’ Hoffman said. ‘I doubt anyone’ll recognise you.’

‘It’s not that,’ Ceri mumbled.

‘She doesn’t like being in a car,’ Lily said. She turned in her seat, looking back at Ceri. ‘You’re not as green as usual, and you don’t seem as anxious.’

‘Nita didn’t crash,’ Ceri replied, shrugging. ‘I guess I’m doing the whole cure through exposure thing. There’s not much I can do about it so I’m going to have to learn to put up with it. I still prefer trains… well, sort of.’

‘You really don’t like travelling,’ Hoffman commented.

‘My parents were killed in a car accident,’ Ceri said. ‘At least… I’ve always thought it was an accident. Anyway, after that I was a virtual recluse and I’d get anxiety attacks whenever I had to travel any distance. Lily got me over the recluse part…’

‘I helped,’ Lily said.

‘Lily got me over the recluse part,’ Ceri repeated with a little extra firmness, ‘and I guess I have been acclimatising myself more and more to travel. Half a continent in a battered pick-up driven by a CIA agent is kind of a drastic way of overcoming a phobia.’

‘So have you?’ Hoffman asked. ‘Overcome the phobia, that is.’

‘Not entirely.’

‘Well, we’re dropping the car off outside the city and taking the last part by train. That might help.’

‘Maybe,’ Ceri replied. Not sounding convinced.

Queens, New York, February 26th

When the main airport in New York was moved from Newark to La Guardia in the late eighties, the city had put in a gleaming new monorail train system from Manhattan, through Queens, to the airfield. From the raised platform of the 82nd Street station you could actually see the glow of lights shining on the skin of one of the big trans-oceanic sky-ships. And it had been way more comfortable than the car, or even the tubes back in London.

On the other hand, Queens did not look like a great place to spend your time. Manhattan had seen large amounts of rebuilding since the Shattering. It was an ultra-modern city the way London was not. Apparently a lot of destruction was occasionally a good thing, though Ceri suspected the occupants of the region had not thought that way at the time. Here in the outskirts, however, the housing was basic and looked pre-War. There were signs of construction going on; “gentrification” was the term people used. Ceri thought it likely that the poor families in this area would be looking for somewhere new to live within the decade.

It was, however, a great place to not be noticed. The hotel Nita had booked them into was not large, and it was very basic, but no one seemed to be keen on acknowledging that the new guests even existed, never mind who they were. The rooms were adjacent, with a connecting door, and a slightly embarrassed Ed Hoffman.

‘Three rooms would’ve looked weird,’ Nita explained, ‘and there wasn’t one with three beds. I know I’m hot, but surely you can manage a night in a bed with me without too much trouble?’

‘You might be used to sleeping with strange men, or women,’ Hoffman replied, ‘but I’m not. I’ll sleep on the couch.’

‘Don’t be an idiot,’ Nita said. ‘We’ve got a long, hard day tomorrow. You need a good night’s sleep and I don’t snore.’ She looked through the connecting door into Ceri and Lily’s room and grinned. ‘Lily’s already undressing so we’ll save the briefing until tomorrow.’

Hoffman looked up without thinking and got a good view of Lily, naked from the waist up, walking past the door. He looked away quickly. Unfortunately, the logic of the situation won out. ‘Okay,’ he said, ‘but wear something.’

Nita grinned. ‘You must be the first man I’ve ever slept with who’s said that.’

~~~

‘The ceremony is taking place in the Kennedy Rooms at the Grand View Hotel,’ Nita said. She was standing in front of a map she had fixed to the wall, and she indicated a spot near the middle of the island Manhattan was on. ‘It’s opposite the Museum of Natural History, right on the edge of Central Park. Fifteen floors above ground, two below including an underground car park. The Kennedy Rooms are on the ground floor with multiple points of egress making it easy to rush Levy out in a hurry if they have to.’

Hoffman was busy examining a sketch map Nita had made of the hotel’s ground floor. ‘They’ll have a primary route through the rear fire door,’ he said. ‘That gives them fast access to the stairs down to the car park. The alternate will be through this door here, down the staff corridor, and through the kitchens.’

Nita nodded. ‘Kind of what I figured, but I’m glad the expert agrees. Given that, we have about three points we can hit him at with reasonable probability of getting away. We just have to decide what we’re going to hit him with.’

‘I want information,’ Ceri said, ‘and him feeling unsafe anywhere he can be got at by magic.’

‘He’ll hole up at Black Fields,’ Hoffman said.

‘Uh-huh, and if he’s there with Wilson, he’s unlikely to try anything,’ Ceri explained. ‘The protection detail, what are we dealing with?’

‘Ten men in the immediate area, another fifteen on perimeter watch,’ Hoffman said. ‘Two counter-magic specialists, two defensive magic specialists, three offensive. The rest may have some talent, but they’re there as agents not as practitioners. They’ll also have local police handling external security and SWAT teams on standby.’

Ceri nodded, her eyes on the sketch map. ‘All right,’ she said, ‘how does this sound?’

Manhattan

Three women walking in through the staff entrance chatting about the club they had been to the night before drew no more attention than any of the other several dozen staff filing in through the same door. They were stopped by two agents who went over them with magic detection wands and found nothing, because Ceri was masking the enchantment on the ankle chains she and Lily were wearing, as well as Lily’s aura.

Once through to the staff changing room they took off their coats and hung them on some spare pegs. Each was dressed in a knee-length black dress which Nita had identified as the outfit the female staff would be wearing to the award ceremony.

‘This is way too easy,’ Lily said under her breath as they headed through into the Kennedy Rooms.

‘I wasn’t expecting problems if Ceri could get us through the door,’ Nita replied. ‘It’ll get far more interesting once the VP arrives. Just look like you know what you’re doing and no one will bother you.’

‘We are both waitresses,’ Ceri pointed out.

‘Well try to remember, Lily,’ Nita said, smirking, ‘you’re not working for tips so no aura.’

‘But… all the rich people,’ Lily said, mock-plaintively.

Ceri giggled. ‘Try to restrain yourself.’

‘Temptation,’ Lily said sadly, ‘my one weakness.’

‘And there I thought that was me,’ Ceri replied. ‘All right, spread out.’ They each went their separate ways and soon they were just waitresses, busy around the tables.

~~~

Levy’s entourage arrived through one of the side doors at exactly eight pm. Four men and a woman appeared, spreading out immediately to ensure the path was clear to the VP’s table near the stage. There were twenty-eight tables in all, but Levy’s was smaller than the others; when everyone was sat down, the VP applauded to his place by the assembled high and mighty, it was apparent that Levy and his wife were sitting among the richest and highest ranking in the room. On the other hand, no one at the table was anywhere near as attractive as Angelica.

Ceri’s Sight would set off no detection spells the agents might be using so she blinked it on and turned her gaze on Angelica. It did not really tell her much. There was no sign of corruption along a highly developed Chakral median. A practitioner then, and a strong one. There was something a little strange about her structure, but Ceri could not figure out what it was. There seemed to be… too much energy about her, but what that meant was anyone’s guess.

Food was served, the three women making sure they were not sent to the VP’s table at any point, and the room filled with the chatter of people enjoying good food and wine. Ceri watched the agents. There were two at each of the primary and secondary evacuation doors, none of them practitioners, which would make life easier. The remaining six were magicians, and they situated themselves near the table, but not too near. One was pacted; the spider web of filaments around his Chakral median spreading out from his Anahata node, where his soul bridged the medians. Ceri was beginning to suspect that that meant an angelic pact.

The dinner over, the staff arranged themselves around the edge of the room in case anyone needed anything, and a middle-aged man in a very expensive looking tuxedo got up from the VP’s table to climb onto the stage. There was a lectern with a microphone, and speakers around the room hummed as he turned it on.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he said, his voice enveloping the room. The audience fell silent, turning toward the stage with smiles and what appeared to be general good humour. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, good evening and welcome to the seventh annual Pitman-Kelley Thaumatology Scholarship Awards.’ Ceri almost giggled; she could not get away from academic thaumatology. ‘In a short while our guest of honour, Vice President Joshua Levy, will be presenting this year’s award of a full scholarship to MIT’s thaumatology department, but first we’re going to have a speech from Walter Kelley, CEO of Pitman-Kelly Thaumic Technologies.’

Kelley was a rotund man in his fifties. Balding with a hawk-like face. Ceri had heard of Pitman-Kelley; they were the American equivalent of MagiTech in Britain, but with a far narrower base. Pitman-Kelley were basically military contractors, the primary magic-technology supplier to the US government. Kelley had been sat right beside Angelica.

‘Good evening,’ Kelley said in a rumbling voice. ‘We’ve had an interesting year both commercially and academically, as I’m sure most of you already know, and I think the year to come is going to be just as exciting.’ He did not sound particularly excited, but that seemed to be the way his personality came out. ‘Just over a year ago we had the first proof of the existence of the Null Thaumiton and the repercussions of that continue to keep the academic community hopping. It’s also keeping businessmen like me interested. Pitman-Kelley has licensed the high-output generator technology developed by MagiTech in Great Britain from the work done by the British team who made the discovery.’ That was something Ceri did not know. ‘The potential uses of this technology are considerable. The prototype of our first device is helping to keep the President safe right now, and production models will be going into service with the Army in the next few weeks.’ He cracked a half smile. ‘Of course, I can’t tell you what they will be powering, but suffice it to say that everyone can feel much safer in their beds because of them.’

There was a rumble of laughter from the audience and Kelley waited for it to die away before going on. ‘This year the Massive Thaumic Collider came online at MIT, partially funded by Pitman-Kelley. That brings us the possibility that we may see evidence of the thaumino this coming year. Most of you won’t be familiar with this particle, but it’s the key to discovering the nature of the Super-magic field.’ Ceri let herself smile a little; Kelley did not know that Cheryl had already discovered the thing. ‘Some think that Super-magic governs the magic field strength of the world. Further research in this area may give us the evidence we need to finally determine why the Shattering happened, and what actually happened when it did.’

He shuffled his notes and glanced over at Levy. ‘That kind of research requires great minds, and that’s why Pitman-Kelley awards a scholarship each year to one promising young thaumatologist who would otherwise not be able to follow their calling. This year it goes to a young man who shows amazing promise in theoretical thaumatology. He’s from Salem, Massachusetts, historically not a good place to profess an interest in magic, but he has certainly done his home town proud by winning over our judges with his considerable, largely self-taught, knowledge of thaumatology theory. With that said, I’d like to ask Vice President Levy to come up here and present this young man with his award.’

Levy climbed to his feet to a round of slightly random applause from the audience. Ceri glanced across to where Lily was standing near one of the doors to the kitchens. Lily turned and slipped quietly out of the room. Nita had taken up position near the large main entrance door and, even from across the room, Ceri could see power starting to move in her Chakral median. It was almost time. By now, Hoffman would be in control of the audio-visual room running the sound system…

‘Thaumatology,’ Levy said. ‘It’s not a word you hear on my lips often and there was a time when I thought that “magical science” was just about the most ungodly phrase anyone could utter.’ He was smiling and everyone laughed, if a little mutedly. ‘But I tell you this, the science of magic is one of the things that keeps our great country safe, and it’s what’s going to make it even greater. After the Shattering, we were left weakened, but our strength is growing. Our alliances and our technology make us strong. And young men like Martin William Whitaker are going to make us stronger still.’

Ceri looked around while trying not to look like she was. One table near the back had become a little more animated. There was a young man there who looked a little out of place; uncomfortable in his tux, too young for the crowd. The woman sitting beside him and looking very proud was in her early thirties and wearing a dress which did not come near matching the cost of those around her. Martin and his mother, Ceri guessed.

‘Martin is academically brilliant. The judges for this award were amazed to discover his insight into the theory of magic. They say he has knowledge surpassing his years. Beyond that, he graduated high school a year early with remarkable test scores. His mother wasn’t surprised. She says he’s always had a talent for numbers and he could see through magical tricks when he was nine.’ There was a rumble of laughter from the audience, but Ceri frowned. ‘So, let’s stop embarrassing him and give him his just reward. Martin Whitaker, let’s give this brilliant young man a round of applause.’

Martin got up from his table, red-faced, and headed for the stage as the audience rose to their feet and clapped. His path took him closer to Ceri and that was when she felt it. Somewhere in the back of her head, something shivered. It was not the same as when there was a dragon nearby, but it was there. Martin was a sorcerer. Ceri wanted to rush up to him and say something. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to scream for joy that she was not the only one. And she definitely wanted to warn him. Not that she could do any of that, so she watched as he continued on his way, apparently oblivious to her. Her own ability to sense dragons had taken time to develop, perhaps he could feel nothing from her, or he was ignoring a sensation he did not understand, or maybe it was just that he was so overwhelmed that he had not noticed.

Up on stage, Levy handed over a scroll of some sort to Martin. The student was too embarrassed to say anything; his thanks were a mumble over the speakers before he bowed to Levy and then the audience and hurried to get back to his seat. Levy turned back to the microphone, smiling. He opened his mouth to speak…

‘There are six things that the Lord hates…’ The voice was resonant, deep, and sounded artificial somehow. It was certainly not Levy’s voice, though it came through the speakers around the room. ‘…seven that are an abomination to him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.’

There was absolute silence. No one spoke. It sounded as though no one was breathing. Just for that brief period before people were going to start shouting, you could have heard a pin drop. Just at the point where the yelling was going to start, the fire alarm sounded and the yelling was suddenly screaming.

Ceri felt the ripple of magic from Nita and suddenly it appeared that smoke was billowing out from under the main doors. Actually it was billowing out of nowhere, but any chance that anyone would spot that was destroyed as Nita screamed, ‘Fire!’ and the room dissolved into chaos.

The Secret Service moved into action like a well-oiled machine. At the fire door, the agents drew their weapons and stood guard, suggesting forcefully that guests use a different door. The main guard detail surrounded Levy, taking Angelica with them, and started for the exit, pushing aside men in tuxedos and women in dresses which cost more than Ceri’s salary. Ceri gave a last glance toward the main doors to be sure Nita was making her escape in the crowd before heading for the fire door and Levy.

As Hoffman had said they would, the two agents at the door had stayed back to protect the rear. One of them saw Ceri coming and raised his gun. ‘You’ll have to use another exit, ma’am,’ he said, but Ceri was having none of that. The two guards keeled over where they were standing as her sleep spell hit them, and then she was bursting through the door into the corridor beyond.

Twenty yards to the left and into the stairwell leading to the car park. She heard the sudden cries from the floor below, and the sounds of pistols hitting concrete followed by bodies. She smiled and hurried down the stairs. Lily had been waiting down there and her aura could stop a bus never mind a crowd of agents.

The sight which met Ceri’s eyes as she reached the first landing, however, was more of a shock. Angelica was still standing. The woman had to have a lot of willpower. Worse, her hand was full of fire and she was getting ready to throw it at Lily. Ceri’s mind lashed out as the fireball flew. It travelled a couple of inches and then flew back, hitting Angelica in the chest and ringing a shriek from her lips before she fell, hitting the floor with a solid thud and rolling down half way to the next level.

Lily gave Ceri a relieved smile, but they still had work to do. Ceri stepped over and around groaning bodies to find Levy. Putting her hand on his head, she closed her eyes and concentrated. His mind resisted, but he clearly did not have his wife’s strength of will. Drenched in euphoria, it was hard picking out thoughts which were not about the pleasure he was feeling. She picked out an image of signing off on an order to mobilise forces for an exercise in Virginia. There was something about an Operation Black Top which Ceri did not understand, but it seemed important to Levy. Then there was a meeting Levy had had a few days earlier. Ceri’s blood ran cold when she saw the man Levy had met with; dressed in a suit rather than a robe or chainmail, it was still very recognisable as Gadriel, the Angel of War.

‘We don’t have time for me to go deeper,’ Ceri said, breaking the link. Above them the door crashed open in the stairwell. ‘Time to go.’ Reaching out, she focussed her will once more and Lily vanished. ‘I can always get to you, you old bastard,’ she told Levy, and then she vanished into thin air as well.

~~~

‘If you can work teleports,’ Lily said as they lay on the bed waiting for Nita and Hoffman to get back, ‘why didn’t you just teleport us out of Black Fields?’

‘Because the equations had no consideration for teleporting out of a null zone,’ Ceri replied. ‘In fact there’s no consideration of the Super-magic field at all. It might have worked, or it might have scattered our atoms over six dimensions.’

‘Maybe not such a good risk.’

Ceri grinned. ‘I’d have had to send you first. About the only consolation I’d have had was I wouldn’t know you were dead until I joined you. I was planning to jump us back home when we got clear, but then we ran into Kangee…’ They had called his voicemail from a payphone on the way back, asking him to look into Operation Black Top.

‘Yeah,’ Lily said, ‘and then we ended up on another crusade.’

‘I don’t think we crusade. Well, not exactly.’ Sometimes it felt like it. Ceri decided to change the subject. ‘That kid, Martin, who won the award, he’s a sorcerer.’ Lily blinked at her. ‘I felt it as he walked past me. I’m not the only one anymore.’

‘If there’s another one here, maybe there are more in Britain.’

‘It’s possible, but I’ve never met one. I’d know. Now I’ve seen one walk past, I know I’d know.’

The door to the other room opened forestalling further discussion. A second later Nita walked in, followed by Hoffman. Both of them looked fairly pleased with themselves, but eager to hear what Ceri and Lily had found out.

‘You had no trouble getting out?’ Ceri asked as the agents took seats.

‘Evacuated out before anyone knew it wasn’t a real fire,’ Nita said.

‘Fire alarms tend to make people a bit less observant,’ Hoffman said. ‘I walked right past two agents I knew and neither of them noticed me.’

‘Our end went down pretty well,’ Ceri said.

‘Aside from Angelica,’ Lily said. ‘She’s a practitioner and she stood up to my aura. Ceri stopped her though.’

‘Interesting,’ Hoffman said. ‘There’s no record of her being able to work magic.’

‘She’s pretty strong,’ Ceri said, ‘and she casts a fair bit from the look of her median. Have you any idea what Operation Black Top is?’

Hoffman looked at Nita, who shook her head. ‘I’ve not been read into anything of that name.’

‘It’s something important to Levy,’ Ceri said. ‘I’ve asked our pack contacts to see if they can come up with anything. He also met with someone recently. Someone I’d hoped was dead.’

Lily frowned at her. ‘Gadriel?’

Ceri nodded. ‘I don’t think Levy knows who or what he is.’

‘And that is?’ Hoffman asked.

‘An angel,’ Ceri replied. ‘Maybe fallen, but definitely not a nice guy.’

‘And you think he’s involved with this?’ Hoffman asked.

‘He taught mankind the arts of war,’ Ceri said. ‘He’s supposed to be the angel who governs war between nations. I’d say he’s probably encouraging it if not actually behind it.’

‘That’s what he was doing in Britain,’ Lily said. ‘If it had got out that Brazil was sending agents in to kill British citizens, and then there was the angelic invasion. He was trying to start a war.’

Ceri nodded. ‘The thought had occurred to me.’

‘War with China,’ Nita said, ‘even with the Brazilians on our side, they’d walk all over us. He won’t get much of a war.’

Hoffman shook his head. ‘It’ll go on for years. Not with the Chinese, that’ll be the excuse. They’ll start by taking the Tribal Territories. When they’ve grabbed enough of the southern states the Brazilians will ask for help destroying their “monsters” and we’ll march south through Mexico.’

‘It’s insane,’ Nita said. ‘Why would anyone want that?’

‘Yahweh was a war god,’ Lily said. ‘Whatever else he may seem to be, war and dominion is what he’s good at. Maybe Gadriel really is doing as his god commands.’

‘That’s very… Old Testament,’ Hoffman commented.

‘So is the Brazilian Church,’ Ceri replied. ‘We’re heading back in the morning?’

Hoffman nodded. ‘First thing, so I suggest we relax and get some sleep.’

‘Oh yeah,’ Nita replied, ‘a shower and some sleep sounds good.’

Ceri felt the hint of amusement coming through her link with Lily and wondered what that was about, but all the half-succubus said was, ‘Relaxation does sound like a good idea.’

I-95, north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 27th

The absent whistling finally got to Ceri. ‘Ed seems rather cheerful this morning,’ she said to Lily. ‘He’s been making noises like an out-of-tune steam train since we left the hotel.’

Lily, sat in the back with Ceri, smirked. ‘Nita’s looking very pleased with herself too. I think she had an early breakfast.’

‘I thought Ed was all “wear something in bed,”’ Ceri replied, trying to keep the grin out of her voice.

‘Maybe she kept her clothes on,’ Lily suggested.

‘You know I can hear you, right?’ Hoffman said from the front.

The girls, all three of them, giggled. ‘All right,’ Ceri said, ‘change of subject. What do you know about Angelica Levy?’

‘Uh… Twenty-eight years old. Born out of wedlock in Atlanta. No one knows who the father is and her mother died in childbirth. Raised in an orphanage which burned down when she was seventeen. She was the only survivor.’ He paused. ‘If I remember right, they found her in the wreckage. She should have been cinders, but she wasn’t hurt. Some minister in the local evangelical church proclaimed it a miracle and took her under his wing. That’s where she met Levy.’

‘Miraculous, huh?’ Ceri said.

‘Wasn’t there some nut locked up for claiming she was a monster?’ Nita said.

‘Bruce, or Bryce, yeah,’ Hoffman agreed. ‘He was taken down by Secret Service agents when he tried to attack her with a hatchet during the last election. At the time it was thought he was attacking Levy himself, but he was interviewed afterward and said it was Angelica he was after. Said she was an “abomination before God.”’

‘Nephilim,’ Ceri said. ‘She’s a Nephilim.’

‘I bet I know who the father is too,’ Lily added. ‘Do you think that was what he was trying to do to you?’

‘Uh… what?!’ Nita asked, bewildered.

‘Gadriel,’ Ceri said. ‘He’s into seducing human women.’

‘You had sex with an angel?’

‘It felt like sex, but it was actually more like a possession. He took over my body and mind, made me feel what he wanted me to feel. He didn’t quite get my soul. Maybe if he had I’d be pregnant with one of his kids, I don’t know. At the time it seemed more like an exercise in control.’

‘It would explain this Gadriel’s interest in Levy,’ Hoffman commented. ‘What does he look like?’

‘Anything he likes,’ Ceri replied, ‘but he seems to like a tall, slim, male body. Muscles, no hair, and sharp, angular features. Very resonant voice.’

‘Grant Dorian,’ Hoffman said. ‘He’s a special advisor to the Whitehouse on South American affairs. He’s not actually on any payroll, but they call him when they want advice.’

‘The CIA was a bit pissed off about it,’ Nita said. ‘Levy in particular takes Dorian’s word over the intelligence assessments the Company produces.’

‘We don’t see him in DC much,’ Hoffman added. ‘He spends most of his time around Rio, supposedly anyway.’

‘He probably does,’ Ceri said. ‘I doubt he’s in physical form much of the time though.’

‘So, in all probability,’ Hoffman mused, ‘Levy is a pawn. A pawn with power, but a pawn.’

‘Probably,’ Ceri agreed.

‘In that case, how do we fight an angel and a half-angel?’

‘I’m not sure yet,’ Ceri said, ‘but if I get another shot at Gadriel I’m going to blast him to so much ectoplasmic dust.’

Alexandria

‘Operation Black Top is being run out of a technology unit of the CIA,’ Kangee’s voice said on the voicemail recording. ‘It’s hidden behind so many layers of security that we’re having trouble getting anything else on it. It does seem like it was instigated by the Vice President’s office. If we get more we’ll let you know.’

Ceri listened for the beep and then said. ‘We’re back in Alexandria. No sign of trouble. Gadriel is definitely involved.’ Then she hung up.

‘Anything?’ Lily asked, her eyes absently scanning the street.

‘This operation is some sort of technology thing,’ Ceri replied. ‘Very high security.’ They started walking back toward the house.

‘A technology project? I don’t get it. What’s Levy want with a technology project now? And why give it a name like that?’

‘No idea, love. Hopefully they’ll be able to find something more out.’

‘Town gossip at twelve o’clock,’ Lily said, grinning and then turning it into a smile. ‘Hello, Phyllis.’

‘Afternoon, dears. I just had to see the two of you.’ Lily glanced at Ceri, but Mrs Maclusky was into her stride and did not need prompting. ‘I’ve seen those gangsters again. While you were away, and then just now. Driving past like they’ve bought the road, and paying a lot of attention to Mister Hoffman’s house.’

‘Okay,’ Ceri said. ‘Thanks, Phyllis. We’ll make sure Ed checks all the doors and windows before we go to bed.’

‘You do that, dear,’ Maclusky said, nodding. ‘Casing the joint. That’s what they were doing.’

They kept walking, watching the cars that passed as they went. Nothing seemed out of place as they walked up the short flight of steps to the door and pressed the bell. Nita let them in and they moved quickly into the lounge were Hoffman was busy on his laptop.

‘Mrs Maclusky says her gangsters have been back,’ Lily said.

‘Twice, while we were away,’ Ceri added.

‘Likely because of the tail we dumped,’ Hoffman replied. ‘Anything on Black Top?’

‘It’s being run out of a CIA technology unit,’ Ceri told him. ‘Very top secret. They’re continuing to gather information, if they can.’

‘Technology? Something to do with these new weapons Kelley mentioned in his speech?’

Ceri frowned. ‘It’s possible. Hopefully we’ll know more soon. It may be related to his overall plan rather than anything specific to the President. Do you have scrying wards on this place?’

‘Of course,’ Hoffman said, looking up. ‘The Secret Service puts them in when we move into a house. Can’t have anyone spying on our agents.’

Nodding, Ceri started for the hall. ‘I’ve got some stuff I need to think about. I’ll be in our room if anyone needs me.’

‘Stuff?’ Nita asked.

‘It’s something Kelley said. I need to work out some maths.’

‘Do we have time to be doing math?’ the CIA agent said, grinning.

Ceri grinned back. ‘Oh, there’s always time for science.’

~~~

The air was filled with silver trails. Nita’s jaw dropped as she followed Lily into the bedroom. Lily had seen it before; she thought it was amazing when Ceri used empty space as a blackboard, but the sight had lost its shock value.

‘What the Hell is all this?’ Nita asked.

‘Thaumatology,’ Lily said, lying on the bed under a large group of field dynamics equations.

‘They’ve got a generator in the presidential bunker based on the design Cheryl and I came up with,’ Ceri said. ‘The equations we used were based on a fairly static thaumic field value and that’s based on a static flow rate of null thaumitons.’

‘Sure,’ Nita said, looking blank.

Ceri chuckled. ‘Imagine that there’s a river of energy flowing through and between all the dimensions. That’s the null thaumiton field.’

‘Okay,’ Nita said.

‘Like a river, there are places where it flows fast and easily, and others where it slows down. As far as the magic field is concerned, the flow is… well, controlled by something called the Super-magic field. That’s the theory anyway. Cheryl found evidence of the thaumino, the force particle for the field, fairly recently, so it’s some confirmation that it’s right.’

‘Didn’t you say something about that at Black Fields?’

Ceri nodded. ‘A very weak Super-magic field, like at Black Fields, allows the null thaumitons to travel through that area of reality very quickly. There’s no resistance, no decay, no magic field.’

‘So… that means the generator thing won’t work?’ Nita suggested.

Ceri turned and pointed a finger at a block of equations near her head. ‘According to this, exactly the opposite. The generator creates a catalysis field, a localised area where null thaumitons are broken down into positive and negative thaumitons. If you stick a turbine in a faster flowing river…’

‘It’ll generate more power,’ Lily finished for her. ‘That thing almost blew up half of London.’

‘Yeah,’ Ceri said. ‘The normal activation time for the generator is about thirty seconds. That’ll give about four hours of three megawatts of power. If you’ve got a strong mage holding up the containment circle you can charge it for longer, but that’s not the safest thing to do.’

‘Why?’ Nita asked.

‘If the power drain beam malfunctions it takes a lot longer for the energies in the circle to get to safe levels, and if you drop the circle before then…’

‘Half of London goes missing,’ Lily said. ‘So if they charge the generator at Black Fields for thirty seconds, what are they going to get?’

‘If my figures are right, about thirty hours, and an explosion that’ll put a hole in the planet.’

‘Do you think Levy knows about this?’ Nita asked.

‘I doubt it. I didn’t even think of it until today. I don’t think anyone has considered plugging Super-magic theory into equations like this. But that’s not the point. Well, it’s a related point, but…’

‘Come to the point, love,’ Lily said, grinning.

‘Sorry.’ Ceri grinned back. ‘Say they actually use the generator in Black Fields due to some emergency. Say it “malfunctions.”’

‘Black Fields gets wiped out,’ Nita said.

‘A gaping hole gets blown in the eastern seaboard and the Atlantic floods in actually,’ Ceri said, ‘but they don’t know that. Levy mobilised some troops in Virginia. I thought that was up to the President?’ Nita nodded. ‘So some troops loyal to Levy attack Black Fields, cut the power and the generator gets started up… And then it’s pretty much Armageddon.’

‘Oh,’ Nita said. ‘Crap.’

‘I couldn’t have put it better myself.’

Part Six: The Politics of Cataclysm

Richmond, Virginia, February 29th, 2012

‘It’s not exactly good news,’ Ceri said. ‘Kangee basically confirmed my theory. Operation Black Top is a plan to send a small, military attack force in against Black Fields. They’ve arranged to have evidence left suggesting the attack was made by Native American forces with orders from the Chinese.’

‘And people are going to buy that?’ Lily asked.

‘If that’s the only information they’re getting,’ Hoffman said, ‘then yes, they will.’

Ceri nodded. ‘They’ll enact emergency provisions to take control of the media as soon as Wilson’s dead.’ She sat on the corner of the bed. They had taken a couple of rooms in a small motel on the outskirts of Richmond. Again there was an adjoining door, and Nita and Hoffman stood just inside it. ‘Kangee also thinks the attack detachment has moved into the Black Fields area already. His people tracked down the source of those rumours about troops movements in the south. Turned out it was a gremlin who likes hacking government computers. He got the information on Black Top and he’s sure it’s going down soon. Whatever we do, we’re going to have to move fairly quickly.’

‘Well, we watched the evening news while you were out,’ Nita said. ‘There’s still no sign of any major alarm from Levy. The business at the award ceremony has fallen out of the news like they’re playing it down.’

‘Yeah, well if he’s planning to have the place blown up he won’t want to be there,’ Ceri said.

‘He’s sticking to Washington,’ Hoffman said. ‘There was a mention of increased levels of alert in the security details. Black Fields is going to be on full alert as well. They said that the President was “unavailable for comment.”’

‘You don’t think he’s already dead?’ Lily asked.

‘I think,’ Hoffman said, ‘that Levy would have made his move if that were the case. However, he has his people surrounding Wilson. The President’s obviously being held incommunicado, probably “for security reasons.” It’s going to be hard to get to him, but I see it as about the only option.’

Ceri nodded, frowning at her hands in her lap. ‘All right, but you don’t get to go.’

‘What?!’ The chorus came from three sides.

‘You need to contact the Secret Service,’ Ceri explained. ‘You need to find some people you can trust and bring a force in to Black Fields. Army as well. We need them to intercept the assault team.’

‘You need me going in there,’ Hoffman said. ‘It’s a null magic zone, you can’t…’

‘I can,’ Ceri said. ‘I can work magic there.’

‘It’s true,’ Nita said. ‘I saw her do it.’

‘You’re right, Ed,’ Ceri went on, ‘we do need you in there, but we need you more out here. Four of us can’t keep Wilson safe, even if we can save him from the immediate threat. The three of us can get in and try to do that, but you have to be the one to bring in the forces we need to hold things after that.’

Hoffman drew in a long breath. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘I’ll go in the morning.’

‘Thank you, Ed,’ Ceri said.

March 1st

The scent of smoke filled her nostrils coming from the burned out wreck at the bottom of the cliff. Ceri turned around and there, where they always were, were her parents; ghostly, semi-transparent forms, but her parents nonetheless. ‘You two haven’t been in my dreams for a while,’ she said.

‘How do you know it’s a dream?’ her father asked, though it sounded like one of his academic questions. “Explain your reasoning.”

‘You’re here for one,’ Ceri replied, ‘and I went to sleep in a bed in Virginia, with Lily.’

‘She’s a sweet girl,’ her mother said, ‘though I never saw you ending up with another woman.’

‘Or with a werewolf,’ her father added.

‘Did you turn up to discuss my sex life, or is there some other reason for the visit?’ Ceri asked, grinning.

‘Yes, down to business,’ her father said. ‘You need to wake up, Ceridwyn. They’ve found you.’

‘What?’

‘Wake up, Ceri,’ her mother said. ‘Now. Wake up!’

Ceri opened her eyes. She could hear cars on the road at the front of the motel and the sound of rain on the window. They’ve found you. The words echoed in her head and she slipped out of bed, moving to the door and peering out through the spy hole. She could make out two cars parked in the middle of the lot the U-shaped building was built around. There were men there too, and it looked like they were loading guns.

Opening the connecting door woke both Nita and Hoffman, curled against each other in the bed. ‘We’ve got trouble,’ Ceri said. Hoffman was across the room and at the door in two seconds flat.

‘Not sure,’ he said. ‘FBI or CIA.’

Nita was at the window, peering around the edge of the badly fitting curtain. ‘CIA,’ she said. ‘Hit squad.’ She was already holding her pistol.

‘Oh,’ Ceri said. ‘Well if they’re a hit squad, I have no trouble hitting back.’ Lily was behind her already and Ceri took her hand, drawing power through her. ‘Tell me when they move.’ A ball of orange light, flickering and dancing, began to grow in her hand.

‘They’re getting ready,’ Hoffman said.

Ceri turned to Lily. ‘When I say, open the door, but stay clear of it.’ Lily nodded her reply.

‘Two squads,’ Nita said, ‘moving toward the two doors now.’ Hoffman backed away from the door, grabbing his pistol off the nightstand and aiming at the spot he had just left.

‘Now,’ Ceri hissed.

Lily moved, breaking contact with Ceri, grabbing the door handle and swinging it open as she rolled to the other side. Bullets streamed through the open doorway leaving a ringing sound in Ceri’s ears. She ignored it, waited for the burst to stop, and then swung out into the open. The ball of light flew from her hand and she dived for cover.

Outside, the orange ball landed on the ground just behind the men approaching the building. Then it exploded. There was relatively little sound, just the roar of contained fire being released, like a door being opened into a burning room. The light was incredible, however; a flare of brilliant orange and red which seemed to turn night into day for a second. Then there was the sound of men screaming, the door to the other room being thrown open, pistols being fired.

Ceri and Lily pulled themselves to their feet as Hoffman darted back in through their door. ‘Get dressed,’ he said. ‘We need to leave here right now!’

Great Dismal Swamp

It was not the most glorious place to spend the night, but it was out of the way and not too far from Black Fields. The Great Dismal Swamp was a fairly huge expanse of swamp and forest with, according to Nita, a big lake in the middle of it. They had dumped the car Nita had stolen for them on a back road at the edge of the trees and then walked in from there to set up a desultory camp for what was left of the night.

‘Do you think Ed can actually do it?’ Nita asked as they huddled together, wrapped in their coats. Lily was in the middle, a demonic space heater for the two more human women. They could not risk a fire since they did not know who might be looking for them.

‘I honestly don’t know,’ Ceri replied. ‘I know we don’t have much chance. Me and Lily would be arrested faster than photon in a vacuum, and I suspect you’re contacts aren’t trustworthy.’

‘I think,’ Lily said, ‘that we should get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be tough.’

‘Says the girl with the internal heating,’ Ceri grumbled. ‘I’m cold.’

‘Snuggle closer,’ Lily suggested. ‘Like I’m going to complain.’

Ceri snuggled closer, and felt Nita doing the same, and heard Lily give a little giggle. Lily was nice and warm and they had not had much sleep… And there was a hint of light in the sky and it was even colder in the little clearing. Dew was beginning to form on the coats they were using as blankets. Ceri was cold again, as well as feeling a little damp.

There was something else. There was the feeling that… Ceri lifted her head and looked around the clearing. In the middle of it, sitting in the leaf litter, was a man in a thick, leather coat and a wide brimmed hat. From what Ceri could see of his face he looked old, maybe sixty. His face showed wrinkles a plenty, his lips where thin, but he had bright, green eyes and they were watching the three women intently.

‘I was wondering when you’d notice me, girl,’ the man said. Nita’s pistol was aimed at him before he had got to the end of the sentence. ‘Cool your heels, kid. If I was going to hurt you you’d be dead already.’

‘Lower the gun, Nita,’ Ceri said. ‘He’s right, if he wanted us dead we’d be dead.’ She waited until Nita’s weapon had been dropped into her lap and then said, ‘I’m Ceridwyn Brent.’

‘Simurgh,’ he replied. ‘People call me Sim, the ones who know to call me anything anyway. Felt you coming in. No one comes into my swamp without me knowing, but you I had to come see.’ He had no accent Ceri could trace, but given that he was a dragon he quite possibly predated the local language drifts. ‘I didn’t know there was any of your kind around, and sleeping with a half-demon tucked up like bugs in a rug?’

‘What’s he talking about?’ Nita asked. ‘How does he even know what Lily is?’

‘Oh, I’m special,’ Sim said. ‘I’m real old for one thing. Older than I look. I’ve learned a lot of things in my time.’

‘Is there a reason for the visit?’ Ceri asked. ‘Aside from curiosity, that is.’

Sim lifted his head and breathed in deeply through his nose. ‘There’s a group of men about a mile off to the south-east. Been there a couple of days. Military. Special Ops.’ The three women looked at each other. ‘I see you kind of knew they’d be about,’ Sim said, his thin lips curling into a slight smile. ‘Well late last night they got a call and they got all busy. I heard them talking about three women and a man. Don’t know where the man is, but I think they know you’re about too.’

‘He’s got another job to do,’ Ceri said. That was good; Levy’s people would not be expecting Hoffman to be doing what he was doing. ‘Those men are planning to attack Black Fields Army Base. They’re going to set something in motion which will kill President Wilson.’

‘And another human will take his place,’ Sim replied, ‘and the world will go on. I only give a damn about the black ops team because they’re bothering my swamp.’

Ceri looked at him, considering the psychology. She was fairly sure he was a loner; he had not heard her name before and she got the feeling most of the “mainstream” dragons knew who she was. He probably really did just want to keep his home turf safe. ‘They’re going to initiate a device inside Black Fields,’ she said. ‘When it goes off it’ll create a detonation that will make an atom bomb look like a firecracker. Your swamp might well become part of the Atlantic. It’ll certainly flatten half the forest.’

Sim looked at her, still wearing a slight grin. ‘You wouldn’t be telling me this to get me to help you, would you?’

‘I’m a thaumatologist,’ Ceri said, ‘I did the maths.’

‘She did,’ Lily said, ‘in the air, in the bedroom.’

‘Huh,’ the old man grunted. ‘You’re one of… what’s he calling himself now? Athro? One of his students?’ Ceri nodded. ‘He loved that trick. Not his blood though… you smell highborn.’

‘Brenin and Brenhines,’ Ceri told him. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Nita staring at her.

‘I prefer to stay out of politics. All kinds of politics.’ He looked vaguely disgusted, his gaze shifting away from the women to the ground on his right. ‘When politics threatens my swamp though… I’ll take care of the men. Deal with this device of yours and save your president.’

‘He’s not my president,’ Ceri replied.

‘Then why are you trying to save him?’

Ceri frowned. ‘His death will start a war. I really don’t like the people plotting his murder. And he’s a nice guy.’

Sim nodded and rose to his feet with a smooth grace belying his apparent age. ‘Good enough,’ he said before turning and walking off into the trees.

Ceri climbed to her feet and began checking their bags for something to eat. What she really wanted was coffee, and for Nita to stop staring at her.

‘An old guy who seems like his little red wagon ran off the rails a while back is going to take on a squad of black ops specialists?’ Nita said after a few seconds.

Ceri looked up at her. Nita would keep digging at it until she got something. Ceri had told Cheryl what she was exactly because Cheryl would have done the same, but Ceri had known Cheryl a lot better then… ‘What I’m going to tell you doesn’t leave this clearing,’ Ceri said.

‘Okay,’ Nita replied.

‘If it does, I’m screwed,’ Ceri added. ‘I think if it does, some people would be enormously displeased, and they aren’t people you want to piss off.’

‘I’m a spook, Ceri,’ Nita said. ‘I keep secrets professionally. Is he one of the people you’re talking about?’

‘I doubt he’d come looking for you with menaces, but others like him might.’ Ceri pulled in a deep breath. ‘And the reason he can take on a squad of elite soldiers is that he’s a dragon.’

Nita blinked. ‘A dragon?’

‘I realise he doesn’t look much, but that was a dragon. They can shape shift.’

‘Actually,’ Nita said, ‘it kind of makes a weird sense. The legend is that Drummond Lake in the middle of the swamp was formed when a great “Firebird” made a nest there. Later the hollow filled with rain. Old Sim seemed really attached to the area and dragons live a long time, right?’

‘They’re probably immortal,’ Ceri said, nodding. She was waiting for the next question.

‘All right, so he’s a dragon, but he seemed really interested in you, and you knew he was a dragon. He said something about blood…’

‘There’s dragon in my bloodline,’ Ceri said. ‘Not recent, it goes back over thirty thousand years, but it’s there and they can sense it. And I can sense them, because I’m a sorceress.’

‘Sorcerers don’t exist,’ Nita said. ‘They’re a legend.’

‘You just keep telling everyone that,’ Lily said.

‘You actually buy into this?’ Nita asked.

‘I’ve seen the evidence,’ Lily replied. ‘It’s not like she’s the only one who says she is. My father calls her a sorceress, the dragons do, even Gadriel, right love?’

Ceri nodded. ‘That’s why the Church wants me. I suggest we get some food in us and get going. I want to get a look at Black Fields in daylight before we go in.’

Nita nodded and started setting up a small portable stove. She was looking confused, as though her view of reality had been challenged. Maybe it had.

Black Fields Army Base

In daylight the camp looked weirder than it had at night. A vast expanse of grass surrounded two buildings set several hundred yards apart. The high, chain-link fence around the perimeter seemed terribly inadequate for stopping people entering, until you spotted the notices attached every hundred yards or so. “Danger: Electric Fence.” “Minefield!” “Trespassers will be Shot.”

‘Comforting,’ Ceri commented as they watched the grounds from the trees.

‘The null zone doesn’t come out this far, does it?’ Nita said. ‘I feel like I can still cast.’

Ceri’s Sight showed her the magic field flowing through the area. ‘The edge of it is about fifty yards inside the fence,’ she said. ‘It’s fascinating.’

Lily stifled a giggle. ‘It would be.’

The field Ceri was looking at did not simply flow around the sphere of emptiness in the middle. There was a flare of energy at the boundary, a shell of increased activity that not even the most sensitive mystic would notice while passing through. ‘It’s got a really sharp boundary,’ she said. ‘I expected it to slowly diminish, but it’s like a wall. The sudden change in the Super-magic field density reacts with the faster moving T-Nulls within the sphere as they exit it. It’s kind of beautiful the way the force lines deflect around the edge.’

‘Nice,’ Nita said, ‘but not really useful aside from my being able to cast.’ She settled down against a tree and closed her eyes, relaxing.

‘What are you going to do?’ Lily asked.

‘I’m a spy,’ Nita replied. ‘I’m pretty good a scrying.’

‘Scrying spells won’t work through the null magic field,’ Ceri said.

‘There’s more than one way to scry,’ Nita replied, smiling.

~~~

‘The bunker entrance has twenty guards on station at all times,’ Nita said. ‘They’re on a four hour rotation, swapping out five men at a time every hour so they’re kept fresh.’ She had been sitting there looking like she was asleep for over two hours. Lily had started to look worried about her.

‘Weapons?’ Ceri asked.

‘Assault rifles with under-slung grenade launchers, four six-barrel mini-guns covering the four quarters. The building has an ground-to-air missile system on the roof, but I doubt we’ll need to worry about that.’

‘Any magicians?’

‘I assume they’re working on the theory that no one attacking them will have magic, so they don’t need it,’ Nita replied. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask, this generator needs a practitioner to power up the circle, right?’ Ceri nodded. ‘So… how?’

‘They must have a stored magic source,’ Ceri replied. ‘Charge it up outside the zone, take it in, draw on it when they want to power the spell.’

‘Charged iron rod,’ Nita suggested. ‘Those need renewing periodically right?’

‘Generally. I suspect they’d need to do it fairly often here. The natural leakage is probably higher.’

Nita nodded. ‘Hopefully they have at least three men bringing it in then.’

‘Huh?’ Ceri said.

Lily looked down at her chest. ‘You better find me a barrel-chested squady, Nita.’

Ceri blinked. ‘We’re going to go in like that? On the supply truck?’

‘You can think of a better way?’

‘Not right now.’ Ceri shrugged. ‘I guess you’re the one who’s been trained in infiltration. How are we going to do this?’

~~~

It was dusk when the little truck bounced down the track from Norfolk. The two men in the front chatted about the meal they would get when they arrived at the base and the hooker one of them had had the night before. Perhaps he thought he had got lucky again as the brakes slammed on and the truck ground to a halt; there was a woman lying in the middle of the road, stark naked and apparently unconscious.

There were three men and a woman in the truck and they all climbed out, the woman coming last with a medical kit.

‘What the Hell’s she doing out here with no clothes on?’ one of the men said.

‘Maybe she’s one o’ them naturists?’

‘Someone attacked her, I reckon.’

‘Get out of the way, you horny idiots,’ the woman said. Pushing between them, she knelt down beside the woman with the mass of black hair, reaching into the curls to find a pulse. ‘She’s alive. Help me turn her over.’

That they could do, two of them knelt to help and the woman was turned onto her back with some delicacy. The delicacy lasted for a second before the men caught sight of the large breasts. ‘What a rack!’ one of the men said, and the woman smacked her fist into his shin.

‘I’m glad you like them,’ Lily said, opening her eyes. Her pupils shone brilliant red. ‘And I’m really glad you’re my build,’ she added to the woman who was sagging over her making whimpering noises. Lily sat up, cradling the woman in her arms and stroking her face. ‘There there, hun. I’m sorry about this, but I’m going to have to steal your clothes. It’s nothing personal.’ She was unbuttoning the woman’s blouse as Ceri and Nita walked out of the trees.

Nita pulled her pistol and Ceri looked at her, frowning. Nita sighed. ‘I guess I could put them to sleep,’ she said.

‘I’d appreciate it if you would,’ Lily said. ‘It takes power to keep this aura up at this level.’

With the soldiers asleep, stripped, and tied up in the trees, the three women, now dressed in uniforms which more or less fit, got into the truck, Nita at the wheel. Once again the truck began bouncing down the track. Ceri gripped the dashboard, her knuckles white. ‘I’m starting to hate cars again,’ she said.

‘Just be calm when we get to the gate,’ Nita told her. ‘That’s outside the zone right?’

‘As far as I remember. It was at the fence line.’

‘Good. It’ll probably need a little suggestion to get us in and I’d rather you saved your energy.’

‘It doesn’t work the same way for me. I draw power directly from the flow of null thaumitons. It leaves a residual charge of thaumic energy in me. That’s the limiting factor. I can do way more than you could, but the more I do, the more dangerous it gets. And it takes me longer to recover.’

‘I thought that fireball you tossed at the motel looked kind of big.’

Ceri grinned. ‘You should see me when I get mad.’

‘Huh. Quiet now. The gate’s coming up.’

Nita pulled the truck up at the gate and one of the guards walked out, glanced at them, and waved to his colleague in the hut. ‘Take it to the rear supply door at the bunker,’ the guard said. ‘Make sure you stay on the road. Regular guy sick?’

‘Food poisoning,’ Nita said. ‘I heard he ate a dog in the canteen.’

The guard smirked. ‘Should’ve known better.’

The barrier rose and Nita pulled the truck through, giving the guards a wave as she passed. A hundred yards down the road she said, ‘Fucking useless security. They deserve to get breached.’ The road split and she took the right-hand fork, heading for a low, heavily built structure surrounded by lights which were being turned on in the gathering gloom. ‘Leave the talking to me,’ she said as they approached the building.

‘I planned to,’ Ceri told her.

No one stopped them as they drove past the squads of armed men in full battle gear to the rear of the building where two loading docks were built into the side of the more or less dome-shaped structure. Nita reversed up to one of them and cut off the engine. They were watched fairly closely as they got out of the truck to go to the back where the door was rolling up. It looked heavy, probably armoured, and there was a bull-necked man with hair so closely cropped he might as well have been bald waiting behind it with a clipboard.

‘You’re late,’ he said.

‘Had to change a tyre out, Sergeant,’ Nita said, her accent developing a southern drawl.

‘Nothing comes or goes at night,’ the soldier said. ‘You’ll have to stay here until morning. There’s room in the barracks so aren’t you the lucky ones.’

Thinking that it would be the grunts in the barracks that would have it lucky, Ceri let Nita deal with the sergeant while she climbed into the back of the truck to help Lily carry the large, oblong box which was the only cargo. She could feel the leakage of thaumic energy even without using her Sight.

‘Get that thing down to the generator room,’ the sergeant was telling Nita as they emerged. ‘I’ll get your truck parked out of the way. You can take the dead one out at first light. You want level seven. Get moving.’

There was a service elevator at the back of bay marked with buttons down to level ten. Nita stood aside while Ceri and Lily carried the case in and then pressed the button with “7” on it.

‘We’re in,’ Nita said. ‘What’s next?’

‘A small bit of engineering,’ Ceri said, ‘and then we need to try to get to Wilson.’

‘Before Ed gets here with the support?’ Nita asked, frowning. ‘The President must have a fairly large group of people around him loyal to Levy. If we make our play too soon they’ll move. Down here they could kill him and no one would know for days.’

Ceri grunted acknowledgement of the problem. ‘Find out where he is at least. If we need to make a move then we’ll need to know where we’re moving too.’

The lift doors opened and they were faced with two guards carrying rifles. One of them looked at the case and nodded to his left. The corridor was concrete and long. They walked over a hundred yards before reaching a thick, iron door which Nita opened with a heavy wheel to reveal the chamber beyond. It was more industrial than the lab Ceri and Cheryl had created the original generator in, but all the parts where there in all the same places. Ceri’s eyes fixed on the control unit for the resonator coils; that would be perfect.

From the back of the room where a silver-iron mesh cage held the control systems a man with lieutenant’s insignia walked out, looked at them and said, ‘Lock that into the spare bracket and take the other one out.’

Nita nodded, waving Ceri and Lily toward a large, vertical, metal bar clipped into brackets on the wall. By Ceri’s estimate the bar they were replacing was over half depleted. Lily was opening the case and Ceri turned, helping her lift the new energy source out.

‘We can’t take the depleted bar out tonight,’ Nita said to the lieutenant. ‘Lockdown’s in effect. Is it okay if we pick it up in the morning?’

The man shrugged. ‘Knock yourself out.’

With the new bar in place, Ceri put her hand on the old one and casually sucked the power out of it as they carried it to the case. Lily closed the lid and Ceri focussed her collected energy on the resonance generator. There were half a dozen key components in it which were quite sensitive to electrical discharge; four of them fried, apparently from a short circuit in the main power converter. Not that it made a sound, or came to the notice of the lieutenant who was busy watching Lily’s behind as she bent over the case.

‘We were told to report to the barracks,’ Nita said as Lily straightened up and the lieutenant regained his focus. ‘Where’s that?’

‘On two.’

‘Thanks,’ Nita told him and the three women started for the door.

~~~

The barracks room they were directed to had twelve double bunks and the sergeant who put them there told them, in no uncertain terms, to stick to the far end of the room away from the men. After a meal in the mess, about all they wanted to do was lie down, so that was okay.

‘We need to find a way to search the place, find the layout,’ Nita said under her breath as they headed for their bunks.

‘You already showed me how to do that,’ Ceri replied. ‘I watched your trick in the woods outside. Let me get horizontal before my stomach rebels and I’ll go looking.’

‘You figured out what I was doing just by watching?’ Nita asked, sounding incredulous.

‘I told you she was awesome,’ Lily replied.

Ceri laid down on the bottom of a pair of bunks. ‘Just make sure I’m not disturbed,’ she said and closed her eyes. Summoning power was no more difficult or easy than usual, but replicating the effect Nita had used took more concentration than she had expected. The lack of a normal magic field to work through seemed to make it harder to work complex spells and she had to admit the awareness shift spell was relatively complex. There was a feeling like her mind was stretching and suddenly she was standing over her bed looking down at her own body. The hair really did not look that bad. Shame she was a bit stuffed with stodgy food.

Turning, she headed through the rows of beds, past the small group of men who were mostly watching what the three girls were doing, and then out through the door. Passing through solid wood was surprisingly discomforting; Ceri shuddered when she was through it. And it was not going to be the last. This floor was entirely set up as barracks and other accommodation for the troops and security personnel; they had managed to discover that without resorting to any trickery. She headed for the lifts, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to sink through the floor to the next level down.

The bunker was certainly set up to keep its occupants safe for a long time. Ceri went through four levels of storage before she got to the occupied levels. Two levels of food in giant freezers and a third level of dry goods was followed by an armoury which could have supplied a small army. Level seven had both the high-output thaumic generator and a more traditional diesel one, as well as other machinery which recycled water and air. The whole base could operate as a self-contained unit if necessary.

Dropping into level eight she found herself in what looked like a TV studio. There was the emblem of the United States at the back of a desk with a pair of cameras pointed at it. Ceri looked at the big, moulded eagle. A studio for addressing the people in the event of an emergency complete with appropriate symbology. The rest of the floor was given over to communications suites to back up the studio and, apparently, talk to the armed services wherever they were. Right now, according to the huge, digital maps which took up one entire wall, they were heavily concentrated in the southern states. Ceri wondered whether Wilson had seen any of these maps; she kind of doubted it.

Level nine seemed like a different world. There was a gymnasium, a swimming pool, not exactly Olympic sized, but still… There were a couple of suites there, unoccupied, but apparently meant for VIPs. You could hold an orgy in the beds and the en-suite bathrooms were all luxury. If there was a war, someone was going to be living in style. There was also a flight of stairs between this level and ten. Ceri figured Wilson and his wife had to be on the floor below and that the two floors were essentially the “Presidential Suite.” Rather than sliding down through the concrete, she went down the stairs and immediately found people.

They were agents, probably Secret Service and almost certainly there because Levy owned them. None of them seemed to be aware of Ceri, or whatever part of her was walking past them as she searched deeper into the bottom level.

There was a large meeting room, a smaller dining room, a couple of bedrooms, and a lounge. The latter was where she finally found the President and his wife. Neither of them looked happy. He was pacing the floor in front of a fireplace which looked like it ran on gas rather than solid fuel; fake logs sat in a fake grate and there were no flames. She sat on one of three large sofas, half curled up with her head in her hands.

As Ceri watched a woman in a grey skirt suit walked in and Wilson stopped, looking at her. ‘Any word on the communications situation?’

The woman shook her head. ‘We’re still in total blackout, sir.’ Well, that was a lie. The soldiers in the upper levels were able to communicate with outlying bases and the operations room was fully functional. ‘General Wallace is supervising attempts to break through the jamming, but so far nothing has worked. We don’t know how they cut the hard lines, but all telephone and network connections are still out. The technical crews sent out to resolve the issue haven’t returned.’ The woman paused. ‘Sir, forward observation spotted several large explosions on the borders of the swamp.’ That might actually be true. Ceri had no idea what Simurgh had done to stop the black ops team, but she suspected it had been fairly terminal.

‘Thank you, Mel,’ Wilson said. ‘Please keep me informed.’

All right, they had Wilson isolated on level ten and were feeding him a steady stream of disinformation. Meanwhile the troops at the top had no way of knowing that the man they were there to protect was actually their prisoner. There were eight levels and a lot of security to get through in order to present their case to him, and no way of know whether he would listen, or whether it would do any good if he did. How tight a hold did the military leaders here have on things?

Ceri allowed her consciousness to snap back to her body and opened her eyes. Lily was sitting on the edge of the bed reading a magazine she had found somewhere. From the picture Ceri could see on the folded over page it was some sort of military life periodical; that had to be absolutely fascinating. At least it felt as though the high-carb-and-protein dinner had settled some.

‘Where’s Nita?’ Ceri asked.

‘Doing some scouting of her own,’ Lily replied. ‘The base went onto a higher level of alert about ten minutes ago.’

‘I think Sim did something drastic and they’ve put it out there that it’s a threat.’

‘Nice improvised cover-up.’

‘I’d be impressed if I wasn’t annoyed.’ Ceri sat up and looked down the room to where the soldiers had finally decided that a couple of attractive women were not that big a deal. She felt sure they would change their mind around the time the lights went out. ‘Wilson’s down at the bottom level. They’ve told him communications are out. They’ve also got a war room down there monitoring troop movements down south, but I’m pretty sure neither Wilson nor the troops up here know a thing about it.’

‘They don’t,’ Nita growled as she walked up from the far end of the room. ‘They’re on alert because of “unknown hostiles,” but they’ve got no idea what’s going on. There seems to be a General Wallace in charge.’

Ceri nodded. ‘That’s pretty much what I’d worked out. I haven’t seen him, that I know of, but I’m willing to bet he’s one of Levy’s people.’

‘I’d say that’s a given,’ Nita replied, settling down beside Ceri. ‘You got a plan?’

‘Uh-huh,’ Ceri said, settling back onto the bed, ‘we wait for Ed to turn up and hope they can’t get the geny working before then.’

March 2nd

There was a light shining in Ceri’s eyes. Blinking, she tried to make out the shadow behind it and the light was flicked away. ‘You’re a technician?’ The voice was male with a slight southern accent. ‘You’re qualified to work on that generator downstairs? Your corporal says you are.’

‘The General needs someone to fix some power converter, Private.’ That was Nita’s voice.

Ceri grunted and tried to get the light flare to subside in her eyes. ‘Uh, yes, sir. What’s wrong with it?’

‘If we knew that, Private, we wouldn’t need a technician. On your feet, soldier!’ Ceri guessed this was Wallace, though why a general was rousting her out of bed to fix the generator she broke she was really not sure.

‘Yes, sir,’ Ceri said.

‘All of you,’ Wallace said. ‘Get down there and get that generator working. Your president’s life could depend on it!’

Sure it did. Ceri pulled her bare legs out from under the sheets and reached for her uniform. Wallace had the sense, at least, to turn the torch light away while the three women got dressed. As they trooped out of the barracks room twelve men tried very hard to look like they had not been watching.

There were two men in the generator room, a different lieutenant who looked confused and distinctly worried, and a captain who had an emblem on his jacket which Nita had told them marked him as a practitioner. Official military magical specialists, rather like medics, were given rank above normal for various reasons; this man had almost certainly not come up through the ranks, but he had all the self-confidence of a practitioner given power he would normally have had to earn.

The reason he was there was obvious to Ceri as soon as she walked in the door. He had been called down to raise the circle, and he had done just that. A column of thaumic energy occupied the middle of the room. Ceri could see it with her Sight, but it was entirely invisible to normal vision. Turning, she looked back at Wallace and saw what she had half expected to see; a lattice of off-white corruption stains around his Chakral median.

‘Get on with it, Private,’ Wallace growled.

Ceri pretended to rub sleep out of her eyes and turned to the lieutenant. ‘What happened?’

‘We got the order to power up,’ he replied, ‘and Captain Ash raised the circle. Instruments say it’s there…’

‘Of course it’s there,’ Ash said. ‘Any fool can raise a circle.’

Ceri’s eyes flicked over the symbology of the containment circle as the lieutenant went on. ‘I followed the manual,’ he said. The glyphs and circles seemed to have been carved by an expert; there was no way anything was escaping that circle once it was up. ‘First stage is to initiate the resonance coils. I activated the system, but nothing happened. I’m getting no indications of any power in the system at all!’ Wallace was blaming the lieutenant and he was worried it actually was his fault. Ceri almost felt sorry for him.

‘Did you run the diagnostics?’ Ceri asked.

‘Sure,’ he replied, ‘but I couldn’t get anything at all from the resonance generator.’

Ceri sucked at her teeth thoughtfully. Wallace, it seemed, preferred that she acted instead of thinking. ‘Well? Do you know what’s wrong with it, Private?’ he snapped.

‘It sounds like the power converter’s shorted, sir,’ she replied. ‘I’ll have to strip it down to check.’

Wallace gave a disgruntled grunt. ‘Get it done.’ He turned on his heel and marched out.

‘Let me know when I’m needed again,’ Ash said and he too headed for the door.

Ceri was a lot happier with them out of the room. She turned to the lieutenant. ‘I’ll need some tools,’ she said.

~~~

Ceri grunted at the diagnostic readouts being displayed on the screen in front of her. ‘I was right about the power converter,’ she said. Well duh! She had destroyed it.

The lieutenant, who had given his name as Kent, grunted. ‘It’s still not operational. No sign of power flow to the resonance circuits.’

‘The short must have damaged some other components,’ Ceri said.

‘Is this coil supposed to be black and have a break in the wire?’ Lily asked from the room outside the cage.

Shutting down the power to the resonance system Ceri called out, ‘That’ll be the problem, yeah.’ She turned and went back into the main room, bending over metal box with its open top and looking inside. ‘Uh-huh, the primary induction coils have both burned out.’

Kent groaned. Ceri was not entirely sure whether that was his first or last name; he was a nervous sort of man and might have given either under the stress of the situation. ‘There should be replacements in storage. I’ll go get them. You start taking the old ones out.’

Ceri nodded and he headed for the door. She waited for him to close the heavy bolts behind him before walking over to the energy bar mounted on the wall. Placing her hand on it, she started sucking the power out of it, forming a ball of thaumic energy in her other hand.

‘What are you doing?’ Nita asked.

‘Giving them another headache,’ Ceri replied. ‘The coils are soldered in, I need to unsolder them and this is the easy way. It also means they’ll need to get another rod in before they can raise the circle again.’

‘They won’t suspect?’ Lily asked.

‘After the amount of time it’ll take to repair that thing? They’ll probably think it wasn’t properly charged when we brought it in.’

Lily nodded, but looked a little nervous. ‘I hope Ed manages to bring help soon,’ she said.

~~~

‘One of the main power regulation circuits has burned out, sir.’ Kent was explaining the problem to Wallace who was standing in the generator room like a thunder cloud waiting to blast lightning at anything which might have been a conductor. ‘There’s nothing on base we can use to replace it. We’ll need to get the part sent in from Pitman-Kelley’s manufacturing plant.’

It was after ten in the morning, Ceri was not sure of the exact time, but she was glad that she was used to less sleep than most people. Nita was looking distinctly tired around the eyes.

‘There’s absolutely nothing you can do to fix this without a replacement?’ Wallace asked. Kent shook his head and Wallace turned his gaze on Ceri. ‘Have you any ideas, Private?’

‘It’s a very precisely calibrated electronic component, sir,’ Ceri replied, ‘and it’s fried. The power surge melted the encapsulation on the ASIC. We need the right component or we risk the whole unit blowing up. The other damaged components are relatively standard, but this one was designed specifically for the job.’ It had been; Cheryl had spent months designing it long before Ceri was involved with the project.

Wallace grunted. ‘Get some rest. I’ll have one flown in. I’ll need you ready to fit it as soon as it arrives.’

There was one advantage to being sent to rest in the middle of the morning, the barracks was empty aside from the girls. Ceri lay in the dark and closed her eyes, but her awareness went wandering. This time she headed straight for the war room, getting there just in time to see Wallace getting off the phone to Pitman-Kelley. He looked satisfied as he got up and walked over to the men operating the communications suite.

‘What’s the situation in Arkansas?’ he asked.

‘Second and Third Infantry Divisions are in place, General,’ a man with captain’s insignia stated. ‘The Fourth Marine Division is moving up to join them from Louisiana. The First Armoured will arrive tomorrow afternoon and we’ll have the required forces in place at that time.’

‘The mobile command company?’

‘In place and setting up. We have an airship on station in Portsmouth ready to take us there as soon as we’re ready.’ He paused and then added, ‘The team who went out to check on the insurgency unit haven’t come back. They reported finding the site and then they went dark. We’ve had nothing from them since.’

Simurgh was clearly taking his job seriously. Nothing military was coming out of his swamp in one piece. Wallace seemed to have come to the same conclusion on very limited evidence. ‘I want an armoured unit sent into that area. We’ve still got no information on the whereabouts of the British woman Levy is looking for.’

‘You think she could be responsible?’ the captain said. ‘One woman…’

‘Intel said she contacted one of the werewolf tribes. Make sure the men have silver ammunition.’

Ceri smiled. Silver bullets were not going to do anything worth a damn to a dragon. She was about to let herself snap back to her body when the captain spoke up.

‘There was one other thing, sir. We got a report from one of our CIA contacts. He believes someone has managed to get information to the Pentagon about what we’re doing.’

Wallace frowned. ‘Any reports of troops movements toward this area?’

‘No, sir.’

‘Keep me informed and make sure Levy knows about this.’

Ceri did not wait for any reply. Sinking back into her body she let herself fall asleep. Hoffman was doing his job. If news of what he was doing had got to Wallace it seemed likely that he was being successful. Now they just had to hope he was successful quickly.

~~~

‘Diagnostics are all in the green,’ Kent said. ‘We can initiate at any time, sir.’

Wallace turned to Ash. ‘Get this thing up, immediately.’

The urgency in his voice seemed odd and Ceri glanced at Nita. An almost imperceptible shrug was the only reply she got. They had been down in the generator room for the last three hours fitting the new component and there was a noticeable increase in tension in the room with the general standing in the corner for the last hour, his foot tapping in irritation.

‘Do you need us anymore, General?’ Nita asked. Ash was walking to the energy rod on the wall; technically the “technicians” were no longer required.

‘We have an emergency situation, Corporal,’ Wallace replied. ‘The upper levels of the base have been compromised.’

‘By who, sir?’ Nita said. She sounded alarmed and her posture straightened instantly as though ready for action.

‘I don’t have that inf-‘

‘General,’ Ash broke in, ‘I can’t do it.’

‘What do you mean you can’t?!’ Wallace roared.

‘The power rod is depleted,’ Ash replied, remaining outwardly calm though his brow twitched in irritation. ‘We waited too long.’ Wallace was going red in the face. ‘Your orders, sir?’ Ash said.

Ceri ignored them. She was sure enough of the dissociated awareness spell now to do it standing up, even if she was leaning against a wall. The only thing she was bothered about was rising up through the concrete and stone to the barracks level. It was a little like drowning, even though she was essentially immaterial and did not need to breathe. She made it, rising into something a little like total chaos.

There were wounded men in the corridors, but they were being treated and the place seemed to belong to heavily armed assault troops in black combat gear. They seemed to be being directed by men and women in suits with body armour strapped over the top. Secret Service, possibly FBI as well; that was Ceri’s guess anyway. They seemed to have full control of that level, but the lift system was no longer operating and the emergency stairwell was sealed off with blast doors which they currently had no way of getting through.

She located Hoffman in one of the barracks rooms which seemed to be being used as the command post. He did not appear to be in charge, but he was talking to a small, commanding woman who looked like she was.

‘We’ve got no communications with the levels below, Directory,’ Hoffman was saying. ‘I’ve been through all the rooms on this level. If Brent and her friends are still alive, they’re down below and they might be the only hope we have.’

‘You’ll forgive me if I prefer to believe in cutting our way down to the control room and the President.’

Ceri snapped back to her body and did a double-take. Wallace was aiming his pistol at Ash and screaming, ‘Get that circle up, soldier!’ He had lost it; assuming he had ever had it in the first place.

‘It’s over, General,’ Ceri said calmly. Wallace wheeled around, his gun levelling at Ceri’s face. ‘The Secret Service has taken over upstairs,’ Ceri went on. ‘Your plans are royally fucked. Put the gun down and give yourself up.’ Out of the corners of her eyes, Ceri could see Nita and Lily tensing to act, but Wallace was on a hair trigger, even if his gun might not be. Talking him down would be better, if he could be.

‘No,’ Wallace said, ‘she said we had to do this… for the glory… You! You’re the Brent girl. I can do one thing right.’ Ceri saw his finger starting to squeeze the trigger and reacted on instinct. Wallace froze, his finger relaxing and his eyes going unfocussed. Ceri stepped forward and removed the gun from his unresisting hand, giving it to Nita. She pointed it at Wallace.

Ceri turned to the other two men in the room. ‘You gentlemen want to be charged with treason?’ she asked. Ash and Kent looked at each other and then back at Ceri. ‘Good. I suggest you get anyone here still loyal to President Wilson and take the control room on level eight. Get the blast doors on level two open and give yourselves up to the troops up there. And you can’t trust the men in the control room.’

‘Are you nuts?!’ Ash asked. His eyes darted to the still dazed general. ‘What the Hell are you?’

‘Ceridwyn Brent,’ Ceri said. ‘I’m a thaumatologist and currently the last person you want to fuck with. Take the control room, Captain.’

‘What do we do?’ Lily asked.

‘Tie this pacted piece of shit up, and then we’re going to get the President,’ Ceri replied. ‘Wallace wasn’t alone, or in charge. I think Wilson’s still in danger.’

Kent, apparently, was better under pressure than Ash was. ‘Take his ID badge,’ he said. ‘You’ll need it to access level nine and ten. We can lock him in the cage. I’ve got the key, he won’t be getting out.’ Lily turned and gave the lieutenant a smile which actually made him blush.

‘All right,’ Ceri said, ‘let’s get this moving.’

The guards at the lift looked at the three women marching toward them a little strangely, but said nothing. ‘You two,’ Nita said, ‘go help Captain Ash in the generator room.’

‘Our orders…’ one of them began.

‘Your orders just changed, Private!’ Nita snapped. ‘Move!’ Ceri got the feeling that Nita was used to giving orders when she had to and the rank insignia she was wearing gave her the authority. The guards bolted past the women toward the generator room.

Ceri hit the lift call button and the doors opened immediately. ‘Hit six,’ Nita said. ‘We’re going to need some supplies.’

‘Six is the armouries,’ Ceri said.

‘Yeah. You want to go up against armed Secret Service agents with one pistol?’

Lily beamed. ‘Can I have a sub-machine gun?’

She got a submachine gun, a bandolier of smoke grenades, and a half-dozen spare magazines. Nita seemed a little surprised that Lily seemed to know how to use them. Ceri had seen her with a grenade launcher; she was less surprised. However, Ceri had no clue how to use a gun, aside from the obvious. Nita gave her the pistol, just in case, and took a supply of magazines and an assault rifle. Then she handed out gas masks.

A swipe of Wallace’s ID card lit up the lower level buttons and Ceri hit nine. ‘Level nine was empty,’ she said as the car went down. ‘There’s a staircase linking the two floors which, I think, will be rather more tactically advantageous than this thing.’ Nita nodded, but she flicked her rifle’s safety off before the doors opened.

The caution was unnecessary. No one stopped them leaving the lift, no one was waiting in the corridors as they marched purposefully through toward the stairs. That changed as they got closer.

Ceri spotted the first of the agents as he aimed his automatic at her. She raised his hand as if to fend off the bullet, which was an appropriate gesture since there was a thud as it impacted the wall beside her. The agent did not have the advantage of magic and Nita’s return fire hit him in the chest, throwing him backward down the stairs.

‘Now we’ve got trouble,’ Nita said.

‘My turn,’ Lily stated. First one, then a second smoke grenade was tossed at the staircase. They were still rolling down the steps as smoke began to billow out of them, accompanied by a shower of sparks. Ceri hurried to pull her mask on, prompted by Nita.

‘Spray fire as we go through the smoke, Lil,’ Nita said, her voice muffled by the heavy rubber of the mask. ‘Which way to the lounge? Wilson’s probably still there.’

‘We have most of the floor to cross,’ Ceri said. ‘Head straight through when we get down the stairs.’

The rattle of Lily’s sub-gun battered at Ceri’s ears as she showered the area ahead of them and started into the smoke. Lily held the weapon at her hip, not worrying about aiming, and launched bursts of suppressive fire as they walked down. There was a sharp cry as she fired at the bottom of the stairs and she shifted hard right in time to avoid the bullets which came back from another agent. Both Nita and Lily raised their guns and fired at the origin of the gunfire.

As they emerged from the smoke cloud Ceri spotted the knot of agents waiting about mid-way down the corridor, saw them raising their guns, and reacted. Something like a trail of twisting distortion in the air flew from her hand. It hit the ground in the middle of the group and exploded. Ceri had never tried the spell before and was quite impressed herself. The sound was massive, as though someone had literally set a bomb off in the corridor. Men were slammed against the walls, others were left stumbling about with their ears ringing. Lily and Nita moved in, their gun-butts making short work of anyone still upright.

Lily’s gun opened up on full-auto, spraying the end of the corridor and driving back the squad of agents moving toward them and Ceri followed it up with another concussion bomb. There were maybe two or three guards left and they found them in the lounge with President and Mrs Wilson.

It was the one pointing his Smith & Wesson .45 at the President who spoke. ‘Move any further and they die.’

‘If he dies at your hand it hardly fits your needs,’ Ceri said. ‘He needs to die in a way you can blame on…’ She stopped as the lights flickered.

‘What was that?’ Nita asked

‘The generator cutting over,’ Ceri said. ‘How the Hell… Where’s your assistant, Mister President? Mel, where is she?’

‘I have no…’ Wilson began.

‘Shut up!’ the agent snapped. ‘Drop your guns.’

‘I don’t have time for this,’ Ceri said. ‘Put your guns down, now!’ Three pistols fell to the floor and the politician and his wife looked as though they wanted weapons to get rid of. The talkative agent looked briefly confused and then started toward Ceri, roaring in anger. He stopped as Nita put a bullet between his eyes.

Nita turned her rifle on the other two men. She looked very competent. ‘Cuff yourselves,’ she said. ‘Do it now or we leave you down here to die.’

‘I don’t understand what’s going on here,’ Wilson said. ‘What does Mel have to do with this?’

‘I’m not sure, Mister President,’ Ceri said, ‘but someone just started up the thaumic generator and that should have been impossible. It’s going to explode, probably within the next hour. It’ll take out miles of countryside. We have to leave, and we have to leave right now.’

‘She’s destroyed the lift,’ one of the agents, who now had his hands cuffed together, said. ‘There’s no way we can get out of here in time.’

‘Better hope you’re wrong, pal,’ Lily said.

‘Emergency stairs,’ Ceri said. ‘Move! We need to get the men out of the control room on the way up.’

The emergency stairwell was all grey concrete and reddish, emergency lighting. No one seemed to have bothered painting the steel balustrade and the steps were not exactly perfectly finished. They started at a half-run, but slowed fairly quickly; the stairs were steep.

‘What’s been happening?’ Eleanor Wilson asked. ‘We’ve been hearing a lot of things which probably aren’t true…’

‘No, they probably aren’t,’ Ceri said. ‘Basically your vice president has been staging a coup. We really don’t have time for this now. Save your breath for climbing.’

At level eight Ceri turned to Lily. ‘Control room is two doors down on the left. Get everyone out and then keep going up.’

Lily looked at her, a worried frown on her face. ‘What are you going to do?’

‘I need to see the generator room, Lil.’

Lily nodded, leaned forward, and kissed Ceri briefly on the lips. ‘If you don’t get out of here alive I’ll kill you,’ she said, and then turned to head into the base and find the control room.

‘What are you expecting to find in the generator room?’ Nita asked as they climbed.

‘Mel,’ Ceri replied, ‘or whoever is behind this.’

‘I thought Levy was behind this?’ Wilson said.

‘No…’ Ceri said, her tone musing. ‘No he’s as much a pawn as these two monkeys. Someone else is running this. Pulling strings. Someone no one would notice.’

‘Mel?’ Wilson sounded incredulous. ‘She’s been with me for five years, since before I got into office.’

‘Oh, I think someone’s pulling her strings too.’ They had reached the level seven landing and Ceri reached for the door handle. ‘You’ve got a long way to go, but if Captain Ash did his job you should get help before you get to level two. Get out of here and keep going.’

‘What about you?’ Eleanor said.

‘I think I have business with someone who very much wants to meet me,’ Ceri said. ‘Don’t wait.’

The door to the generator room stood wide open and Ceri could see the swirling light of the energised containment circle through it. Whoever, or whatever, Mel was she had to have had a reservoir of thaumic energy to raise the circle. Unless she was a sorceress or a suicidal dragon, but that seemed very unlikely.

As she got closer she could see Kent’s body lying on the floor just inside the door. Where his chest should have been there was a charred hole. The poor bastard must have stayed behind to guard the generator. Not bothering to draw her pistol, Ceri summoned energy into her palm and slid through the door, not sure what to expect. Wallace was lying on the floor just outside the cage, or what was left of him. Ceri’s nose wrinkled at the stink of burned flesh in the room. “Mel” seemed to have been rather annoyed with his failure.

‘He had one, simple, job to do,’ a female voice said from inside the cage, ‘and he could not even manage to do that.’

‘Mel, I assume,’ Ceri replied.

The woman Ceri had seen before emerged from the cage; small, attractive in a girl-next-door sort of way, with short, dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a new, grey skirt-suit though the jacket had been tossed aside to lie on the floor near Wallace’s body. Mel smiled. ‘I think we both know that Mel is not at home right now. You can see more than most, Ceridwyn Brent. What do you see here?’

Ceri blinked her Sight on. The colours of the circle changed as she began to see the field as magic rather than visible light. It was leaking far more than she would have expected. Either “Mel” was really bad at raising containment circles or the null magic field was having an effect. She turned her gaze on the other woman in the room. A wild mass of white filaments were wound around both of her medians. The bridge between her Anahata nodes, her soul, was especially densely bound. Mel had been possessed; that seemed the only explanation for it. Ceri felt sure she knew who by.

‘Is this what would have happened to me?’ Ceri asked. ‘If I’d given in entirely. Is that what she did?’

‘Yes,’ “Mel” replied. ‘Mel has been most accommodating. It took little effort to seduce her. Far less than it did you. And she gave herself up completely to the pleasure while you held part of yourself back. No one has ever done that before. Your will must be… extraordinary.’

‘It wasn’t my will, Gadriel. I had faith in my friends finding me, especially Lily. She’s an extraordinary woman and no matter what you could offer me you’re no match for what she gives me just by saying my name.’ Ceri grimaced. ‘That was kind of sappy. Sorry, but you are supposed to believe in love, right?’

‘I’m a great believer in love,’ Gadriel said through Mel’s lips. ‘I’m also the Angel of War and that is my primary concern at the moment.’

‘You aren’t going to get your war. When this thing goes off it’ll be like nothing anyone’s ever seen before. It’ll blow a hole in the East Coast. Tons of rock will be blown into the atmosphere like a huge volcano. The sky will go dark, the climate will be wrecked. The United States will be too busy dealing with the resulting chaos to fight anyone.’

‘They will be ripe for conquest then,’ Gadriel replied.

Ceri sighed. There was no point in arguing anyway. ‘Gadriel, I’ve no idea whether you’re Fallen or just plain bat-shit insane. Tell Mel I’m sorry.’ She fired the bolt of energy she was still carrying straight at Mel’s chest and bolted for the door. Behind her there was a scream which turned into a roar as Gadriel evacuated from the dying body. It was cut off as she slammed the door closed and sealed the bolts. Summoning her power, she planted her hand on the metal door. Light flared across the surface as she sealed the room. It would not keep the angel caged for long, but she needed a head start.

Turning, Ceri started running for the stairs.

~~~

The upper floors were empty when Ceri finally made it to the top. They had to have started evacuating as soon as they realised the generator had come online. There were no closed doors, nothing to stop her as she headed for the nearest exit, but her muscles felt like red hot lead and her breath was coming in ragged gasps.

Reaching the outside she pulled in a deep lungful of fresh air and then started half-running, half-hobbling toward the road. She had an idea which might save them, but she had to get to the edge of the null zone before Gadriel stopped her. She had no doubt he was out of the generator room by now and coming after her, but he could move no faster than she could. Unfortunately, he could move through solid objects and she could not.

As she ran for the boundary she could feel him behind her. It was no kind of supernatural sense. She felt like a rabbit being run down by a wolf. She could feel the hot breath on her neck. And that was crazy since the creep did not even breathe. Her lungs were burning, her vision was narrowing, but she pushed onward. Another hundred yards. She could see the edge of the zone ahead of her, a shimmering field of thaumic discharge as high speed null thaumitons met a suddenly increased Super-magic field. Not far… Keep running…

Something that felt like a gale force wind slammed into her back and she went down, rolling across the badly maintained surface like a rag doll. She struggled to her feet, trying to focus, and saw Gadriel materialising a few yards away. He was doing the full-on angel thing; chainmail robes, a nimbus of light, wings of roaring flame which spread out wide from his shoulders. Ceri pulled herself upright and backed away from him.

‘Why do you fight me, Ceridwyn? Why do you waste your energy in this fruitless running?’ He got no answer, Ceri just continued backing up. ‘I can give you so much. I can save you from this explosion. I can bring you power you would never believe.’ He followed her, pace for pace, but still got no answer. ‘Stop walking, Ceridwyn,’ he said, a hint of irritation entering his tone. ‘Stop walking and speak to me.’

Ceri stopped. She could still see the angel, but he was obscured behind an iridescent wall of energy. ‘There’s nothing you can offer me,’ she said. She saw his mouth opening and got in first. ‘I have more power than you would ever believe. But I’ll show you. The world would be a better place without you, angel, and I’ll prove that, even if it kills me.’

She raised her hands, resting them against the non-existent surface of the null zone. Power burned through her, more than she had ever drawn in one go before. It was not quite like raising a circle, not exactly, but the surface of the zone flared white and, to her eyes, seemed to harden. Gadriel slammed into that surface, an indistinct shape inside the white wall, and Ceri staggered back a step before falling. She heard the sound of Gadriel beating his fists against the wall, and her name being screamed. Lily? Then the pain finally overcame all of it. The sensation of her insides melting under the pressure of all the thaumic residue in her body. The certain knowledge that she was going to die.

Part Seven: Peace

Washington, DC, March 7th, 2012

Heaven looked a lot like a hospital room. The only reason she was sure it was heaven was that Lily was at the side of her bed, holding her hand. Ceri coughed and rasped out, ‘I feel like I’ve been here before.’ The sense of relief flooding over their link was so intense that Ceri almost buckled under it. Lily said nothing back initially, she just stood and bent over Ceri, and kissed her hard. Ceri felt tears on her cheeks and was not sure whether they were hers or Lily’s.

When the kiss was finally broken and Lily sat back down, Ceri asked, ‘Why am I still alive?’

Lily helped her take a drink of water before she answered. It did feel good going down her parched throat. ‘The circle failed about five minutes after you put that bubble up, so the first reason you’re alive is that that worked. The explosion was contained. There’s a half-mile deep pit where that base used to be. A perfect sphere. It disintegrated everything inside the wall.’

‘Gadriel?’

‘I don’t believe even he could have survived that. It took thirty minutes for the sound to die down after the detonation.’

Ceri sighed. ‘And then?’

‘Sim,’ Lily replied. ‘He was with you for three days, keeping your internal organs from failing. The only people who could go near you were him and me. That was weird. Wild magic. There’s now a flock of rabbits with antlers running around Virginia. Nita’s skin turned blue when she got too close. Luckily that wore off.’ Ceri giggled. ‘Sim said you’d done more to save his swamp than he could have done himself, so he would do everything he could to see that you survived it. When you had got down to safe levels and your body wasn’t falling apart anymore, they brought you here.’

‘And here is?’

‘Bethesda Naval Hospital, Washington, DC. I’m supposed to go get a doctor when you wake up, and they’re supposed to tell Wilson. We’re practically next door to the Whitehouse.’

‘Please don’t. I feel fine and I’d rather be with you.’ Lily smiled. ‘Lil… I thought I was dead.’

Lily leaned forward again and kissed Ceri gently on the lips. ‘Don’t be silly, love. You can’t die. Not without me. I won’t allow it.’

~~~

The other two people Ceri really wanted to see turned up in the afternoon by which time various tubes had been removed and she was feeling even better than she had.

‘Seriously,’ Ceri said, ‘catheters are really not fun.’

‘I think that’s too much information,’ Hoffman said, smirking.

Nita was standing beside him, rather closely in fact, and they both looked rather relaxed about the proximity. ‘Three months bed-ridden after a riding accident when I was twelve,’ Nita said. ‘I know all about it. Aside from that, how are you feeling?’

‘Eager for news,’ Ceri replied. ‘Levy?’

‘They have him under arrest in the Navy Yard,’ Hoffman said. ‘The army divisions in Arkansas have been pulled back. We’ve been able to get most of the people he had in the FBI and Secret Service. The CIA is proving a little more difficult.’

‘From what we have so far,’ Nita said, ‘the infiltration into most of the organisations was various key people, not rank and file.’

‘I’m afraid there’s going to be a bit of a witch hunt,’ Hoffman said sourly; Ceri cringed at the term. ‘The people he recruited were devout Christians, mostly Catholic. Anyone who’s been open about their beliefs is likely to come under suspicion.’

Ceri grimaced. It was human nature to categorise and then persecute on that basis, but it did not make her feel good, especially when she had been part of making it happen. ‘Wait, you said you had Levy in custody. What about Angelica?’

‘She’s in a sort of custody too,’ Nita replied.

‘She’s in the morgue downstairs,’ Hoffman clarified. ‘When they came to arrest them she went nuts. Put three men in the hospital, one in the morgue. She finally went down when someone put a bullet in her head. I guess you were right about her not being human.’

Ceri nodded. ‘If she was a Nephilim… well, they were supposed to be “great,” beings of power. Some say God sent the Flood to get rid of them.’

‘Sounds like not taking her alive was a lucky break,’ Nita said. ‘When do you get out of here?’

‘Assuming nothing comes up, tomorrow,’ Ceri replied. ‘Then I’ll have to face talking to presidents and crap like that. I’m not looking forward to it. Lily’s staying at some hotel in the city. I’ll be going there.’ She paused, a slight smirk developing. ‘And where have you been staying, Nita?’

Hoffman’s cheeks coloured. ‘Ed’s place,’ Nita replied without a hint of embarrassment. ‘His bed’s really comfortable. Haven’t slept much.’ Hoffman went scarlet.

February 8th

There was a nurse standing over Ceri’s bed, barely visible in the light from the rune mounted over the door. Blinking away sleep, Ceri squinted. Something felt wrong. For one thing, the woman was just standing there.

‘Nurse?’ Ceri said.

The woman moved suddenly, clamping her hand over Ceri’s mouth. There was a flare of magic and Ceri’s body stopped responding to requests. The hand moved away from her mouth and the woman spoke. ‘Can’t have you raising the alarm, can we?’ Angelica Levy? Wasn’t she supposed to be dead? ‘I’d imagine they told you I was dead,’ Angelica said as though reading her mind. ‘It’s very hard to kill the child of an angel. In fact, you’d need to be God to do it, and God is on my side.’

It had taken the Great Flood of biblical legend to kill the Nephilim the first time around. Ceri was pretty sure Angelica had been dead when they brought her in, which meant she could come back, unless…

‘You destroyed our plans,’ Angelica went on; she did seem to like the sound of her own voice. ‘It took a lot of manipulation to get Joshua into the Whitehouse and now he’s useless. I’ll probably have to kill him before he gives too much away.’ Her voice went colder. ‘And you killed my father. I don’t know how, but I feel him gone. The Church wants you alive, but you’re too dangerous. I’m going to kill you now.’

She reached out again, this time with a hand which glowed a feint green. Ceri did not like the look of it, but she was ready now. The water which had been forming out of nothing in the corner of the room and flowing toward Angelica reached the Nephilim’s leg, and began to flow upward. Angelica gasped, pulling back and looking down.

‘Water? You’re attacking me with water? Are you mad?’ Her hand reached out once more and then the rising column of liquid wrapped around her head. Angelica staggered backward, the glow vanishing from her fingers as she clutched at her watery mask, but more and more of the liquid collected over her face. She staggered backward, slammed into a wall, and began to slide down it. Ceri lost sight of her; perhaps there was an imploring look on her face, perhaps anger. Ceri kept holding the water in place until the paralysis spell finally wore off and she could sit up.

Angelica was sitting against the wall, her arms slumped at her sides, twitching. Ceri watched her until the twitching stopped and then reached for the call button.

~~~

‘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.’

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.’

‘Not that they could do much until we got out of the hole in the ground they stuck us in,’ Lily said. She glanced at Ceri, a faint grin forming on her face; she was not going to spoil Ceri’s surprise for Cheryl.

‘It was a null magic zone, Cheryl,’ Ceri said, beaming.

Cheryl’s jaw dropped. Carter actually spoke. ‘A real one? A genuine area of zero natural magic?’

Ceri nodded. ‘Our ankle chains didn’t work. Nita’s an evoker and she couldn’t work magic. I could and Lily could still use her powers. So could Gadriel. If you took a store of thaumic energy in with you you could use that to cast, but normal practitioners were powerless.’

‘Gadriel again?’ Alec growled.

‘He’s toast,’ Lily said. ‘Destroyed, atomised, reduced to nothing.’

‘Maybe I should start at the top and work down,’ Ceri said.

The explanation started out brief and got longer as people asked questions. Cheryl was fascinated by the Black Fields zone, but agreed to wait until they could get together properly and go over what Ceri had observed. Alec and Michael were more interested in the Black Crow pack, especially Katarina. Neither of them had known Alexandra even had a sister until she had said Luperca would be contacting her. Carter listened carefully to everything, asking for clarification occasionally, but remaining silent most of the time. The only thing Ceri left out was the discovery of another sorcerer; she figured that that was something private, Martin Whittaker’s secret, not hers.

‘You’ve had an eventful few weeks,’ Carter said when she had finished. ‘You’re quite sure you’re both okay?’

‘Fine,’ Lily said. ‘I got given a submachine gun to shoot. We all got out alive. I don’t think I can ask for better than that.’

Ceri was silent for a second while Lily answered. ‘I feel… good,’ she said. ‘Really quite good. Maybe it’s the last couple of days. After I woke up in the hospital I felt… alive.’

‘You have a habit of that after near-death experiences,’ Twill commented.

‘It sounds like rather a natural reaction,’ Carter said.

‘Yes,’ Twill replied, ‘but then it turned out her enchantment had been destroyed and she was a functioning sorceress.’

Ceri giggled. ‘I don’t think I can have got any stranger after this one.’

Twill floated up in front of Ceri’s face and tapped her on the nose. ‘You’re not strange, dear, you’re just unique. But then, so are we all. You’re just unique in a unique way.’

Ceri’s eyes crossed as she looked at the tiny woman. ‘You’ve really missed being cryptic at me haven’t you, Twill.’

~~~

Lily had called Michael’s behaviour practically perfectly. He had stayed man-form at the start, gentle and warm, and all passion held back by concern for their recent ordeals. Then he had started to realise how much his two women wanted him and the softness had turned into something more like animal passion. With Ceri’s hips propped up on three pillows and her legs spread as wide as she could get them, and Lily feeding off Michael, in wolf-form, as he pounded into Ceri for what felt like an eternity, Ceri whimpered and moaned and gripped the sheets, and came for the fifth time, and wondered whether Lily would ever let him stop… and hoped she would not…

Michael’s hands gripped Ceri’s shoulders, the tip of one claw breaking her skin. The slight pain and the feeling of him finally gushing into her tipped her over the edge again. She blinked and became aware of his weight on her back and Lily’s hands gently stroking her face.

‘God… I’ve… missed that,’ Ceri said, breath still coming with some difficulty. Lily smiled at her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Michael moved, lifting himself up and moving around to Ceri’s side. She turned her head and saw his human face lying beside her. He licked his finger and wiped away the blood from her collar bone. ‘Sorry,’ he said.

‘Little wounds are kind of… oh, wow… an occupational hazard when you’re having sex with a werewolf,’ Ceri replied. ‘The benefits outweigh the tiny disadvantages.’

Michael smiled and then frowned. ‘What happened to your freckles?’

‘Huh?’

‘He’s right,’ Lily said, ‘you used to have a lot more freckles on your shoulders. There’s like, the odd tiny spot now.’

‘Your skin is a little paler too,’ Michael said.

Ceri frowned at her arm as though it had done something wrong. They were right; her skin seemed lighter, almost translucent in the pale light coming in through the window, and the brown smudges which had been there were gone. ‘It looks more like Brenhines’ skin,’ Ceri said, her voice soft.

‘And mine,’ Lily added.

‘Maybe I can get stranger.’

‘Not strange,’ Michael countered, ‘unique.’

‘And gorgeous,’ Lily said. Ceri felt the bed shift as the half-succubus moved. ‘And incredible sexy.’ Lily’s tongue parted Ceri’s labia, seeking out the cherry hidden beneath and Ceri moaned. In the position she was in, Ceri was ill-equipped to object. Not that she would have objected if she could.

Michael leaned forward and kissed her. ‘She’s right,’ he said, ‘you are.’

###

About the Author

I was born in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall so perhaps a bit of history rubbed off. Ancient history obviously, and border history, right on the edge of the Empire. I always preferred the Dark Ages anyway; there’s so much more room for imagination when people aren’t writing down every last detail. So my idea of a good fantasy novel involved dirt and leather, not shining plate armour and Hollywood-medieval manners. The same applies to my sci-fi, really; I prefer gritty over shiny.

Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.

I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.

Writing, sadly, is not my main source of income. By day, I’m a computer programmer. I work for a telecommunications company in Manchester, England. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.

For More Information

The Thaumatology Blog: http://thaumatology.wordpress.com

Other Books by the Same Author

Thaumatology 101 – ASIN: B006IYIESW

Demon’s Moon – ASIN: B006JPN7A0

Legacy – ASIN: B006OKR8PK

Dragon’s Blood – ASIN: B0072S1DOU

Disturbia – ASIN: B007GNICZO

Hammer of Witches – ASIN: B007YG2I44

Tales from High Towers’ Study – ASIN: B006ZAJ7TY

Tales from the Dubh Linn – ASIN: B0080XPD88

Table of Contents

Part One: The Dragon Dance

Part Two: Intelligence

Part Three: The Pit

Part Four: Black Crows

Part Five: Taking on the World

Part Six: The Politics of Cataclysm

Part Seven: Peace