Thaumatology 06 - Hammer of Witches Page 11

  ‘I think he may enjoy just looking,’ Michael commented. ‘So does Alec. And I think, from the scent, she enjoys being looked at.’

  ‘Who wouldn’t?’ Lily asked.

  ‘Not everyone’s quite as exhibitionist as you, love,’ Ceri pointed out.

  ‘Maybe,’ Lily replied, ‘but everyone likes attention when it’s genuine.’

  ‘I wouldn’t say no to giving her some genuine attention,’ Kort said, receiving a slap on the arm for his trouble. He just grinned at his mate. ‘You think she might, y’know? Join in a bit more tomorrow night.’

  ‘I think,’ Ceri said, ‘that she’ll save herself for Carter and Alec, but I’m not sure. I think she’s reverting to her student days.’

  ‘Especially when she gets some alcohol in her,’ Lily commented. ‘She’s up to foursomes when she’s in the mood.’

  ‘Well, I can hope,’ Kort said.

  ‘Seriously,’ Tabby said, ‘show him an attractive woman without underwear and he’s in there.’

  ‘We’re basically naked,’ Lily pointed out.

  ‘I know,’ Tabby whined.

  ‘Ah yeah,’ Kort said, ‘but they’ll be entertaining Michael tonight, and you’re not wearing knickers either, love.’

  Tabby smirked. ‘I’m aware of this,’ she said. Her hips swung a little more, bumping his as she walked.

  Kort was quiet for a second or two, then he growled slightly. ‘I bet you think I won’t try getting you out of that dress before we get back to the house too.’

  Everyone laughed, except for Tabby who just gave a little growl in reply.

  Battersea

  The moon was far from full, but somehow that made things nicer. There was sex going on around the clearing; a lot of wolves in close proximity and in a party mood usually gave rise to, well, partying. However, they were not quite as hyper as they had been at the full moon, but sufficiently over the depression of the Black Moon to be properly social.

  Somewhere around midnight Ceri was sat beside the fire with Alexandra. The old Alpha was wrapped in a blanket, since she had assumed human form to chat. Ceri had a furry Lily in her lap and Michael cuddled up to her back so a blanket seemed overkill.

  ‘It’s almost your birthday, dear,’ Alexandra said.

  Ceri grinned. ‘I was born after dark so I usually call Samhain night my birthday. Under the circumstances I’ll extend it, however.’ She frowned slightly. ‘You really think it’s going to be a bad one?’

  ‘Yes,’ Alexandra said. ‘That’s why I’m not… indulging quite so much.’ She gave a small grin. ‘I’ll need my strength.’ She raised a hand to forestall Ceri’s next comment. ‘Don’t worry, with the pack around me we’ll all be quite safe. We could hold back an army of dragons together.’

  ‘Not something you’ll have to do, I’d hope.’

  ‘Well there have never been that many of them around, so I doubt it. And…’ She looked up at the sky and then nodded. ‘…happy birthday, Ceridwyn.’

  Ceri smiled as a howl rang up from the assembled werewolves. ‘Thank you,’ she said. Then she burst into giggles as Lily lifted her head and licked her on the face. Not to be outdone, Michael leaned around and did the same. ‘Great start to a birthday, a face covered in wolf spit.’

  ‘Don’t worry, dear,’ Alexandra said, a smirk forming, ‘I’m quite sure plenty of other areas will be covered in wolf spit before you go to bed.’

  Kennington, October 31st

  Lily went out around midday saying that she had something she needed to get sorted out. She had looked far too furtive for Ceri’s liking. Kort and Tabby were taking extensive advantage of having a bed, and Twill was busy in both kitchens organising food for the party. So when Ceri felt a dragon nearby she was almost glad of the company.

  She slipped into the summoning room in the cellar expecting to see Ed’s ghostly form standing there. Instead there was the tall figure of a woman with raven-black hair and a perfect figure accentuated by a white corset-dress.

  ‘Happy birthday, Ceridwyn,’ the woman said, a broad smile on her full lips.

  ‘Thanks, Brenhines.’ Ceri was never entirely sure how to react to her maternal dragon. Of course she was never going to meet her paternal one; he had died thousands of years ago.

  ‘Call me Gwyn,’ the dragon replied. ‘This is hardly a formal visit.’

  ‘Thank you, Gwyn, then,’ Ceri said, grinning a little. ‘It’s nice of you to visit today.’

  ‘I thought it might be nice to show my face on my most distant relative’s day of birth.’

  ‘Actually,’ Ceri said, ‘I did want to ask you about this… tattoo I seem to have developed.’ Brenhines looked blankly at her. ‘Okay… Pardon the familiarity, but this tattoo.’ Ceri turned and pulled her shirt up to show the woman the curled, tribal-looking dragon tattoo at the back of her right hip.

  ‘Oh!’ There was a pause. ‘Well, that’s…’

  ‘The same as the one on the necklace you gave me,’ Ceri pointed out.

  ‘Yes, yes it is.’

  ‘So why did you…’

  ‘It’s not my doing, dear,’ Brenhines said. There was just enough urgency in her voice to suggest she was telling the truth, and she wanted Ceri to believe it.

  Dropping her shirt, Ceri turned back to find the image of the woman standing just behind her. One hand was outstretched as though she had tried to touch the dragon mark. ‘Then how did it happen?’

  ‘I don’t know…’ Brenhines’ brow knitted. ‘It was our sigil, Brenin’s and mine. You carry genetic material from both of us. That’s relatively rare, you know? Two dragon bloodlines meeting, and two strong sources at that. It doesn’t happen often. Perhaps that’s it. You’ve developed an outward expression of the two lines meeting again.’

  ‘That would mean I did it,’ Ceri said. ‘Before I’d even seen the sigil, I formed the mark where I couldn’t even see it?’

  ‘Dragons are inherently magical, dear. So are you. Magic is inherently… mysterious.’

  ‘I spend my time demystifying it, Gwyn.’

  Brenhines smiled. ‘But not entirely. Am I right? There are still things about it you don’t know. There are always things yet to learn?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Ceri replied, nodding. ‘Yeah, there’re always things left to learn. We’ve got a clue to the Super-magic field now, but I don’t believe that’s the end of it.’

  There was a twitch of an eyebrow. ‘You’ve confirmed that?’

  ‘It needs to be ratified, but we think we’ve found the force particle.’

  ‘Our people believed it a myth.’

  ‘Ed said something similar.’

  ‘He always believed it existed, but his research on it was shut down. Not politically correct, one might say. Back in “Atlantis,”’ she rolled her eyes slightly as Ceri beamed at the name, ‘we were never able to find the proof he needed. He must be very proud of your discovery.’

  ‘It was Cheryl who spotted it in the data,’ Ceri said. She was rather proud of her boss; no magic, just brainpower, and she had still seen what Ceri had not.

  ‘Really? I should meet your supervisor. She seems a very intelligent woman. She isn’t a magician, is she?’ Ceri shook her head. ‘Impressive.’ Brenhines smiled again. ‘Have a good birthday, Ceridwyn, and make sure your wards are strong. Tonight will be wild.’

  ‘I will…’ Ceri began, but the dragon-woman was already vanishing.

  ~~~

  Lily was still looking furtive when she returned from her trip. She was also grinning a lot which did not help with Ceri’s suspicions. However, Dane and the rest of the pack had arrived in the meantime so whatever Lily was planning had to wait until everyone had been hugged.

  Dane and Aleena, the Alphas, were looking happy. Considering that Aleena had been thought dead, and had actually spent several years as one of Remus’ demon-wolves. She was looking well for it. In fact, the couple had some news.

  ‘I’m, uh, pregnant,’ Aleena said, looking a little bashful. She was s
uddenly wrapped in Lily again which resulted in a lot of giggling. Aleena was a statuesque, Amazonian sort of woman and hearing her giggle like a schoolgirl was disconcerting.

  ‘How far along are you?’ Ceri asked.

  ‘About eight weeks. Should be a May or June birth.’

  ‘Congratulations,’ Ceri said. She hugged Dane since Lily was still attached to his mate.

  ‘First pup in the pack for a while,’ Dane said, ‘but I don’t think it’ll be the last.’

  ‘Do we get to do a baby shower?’ Lily asked.

  Aleena cringed visibly. ‘I hadn’t thought of things like that.’

  Lily giggled happily. ‘We have to! But hold that thought, I need to steal Ceri away for something.’ She turned, picking up two carrier bags she had brought in and grabbing Ceri’s hand to pull her toward the stairs.

  ‘You guys get comfortable,’ Ceri called over her shoulder. ‘I’m not sure what she’s up to so, uh… get comfortable.’

  In the bedroom Lily put one of the bags down and pushed Ceri down to sit on the bed. ‘I’ll be right back,’ she said. ‘Just wait there and no peeking in the bag. It’s one of your presents.’

  ‘But it’s already my birthday,’ Ceri said plaintively.

  ‘It’s for later,’ Lily said. ‘No peeking.’ Ceri pouted, but she was just not as good at it as Lily was, and all she got was a giggle and a view of Lily’s retreating back. The door closed behind Lily and Ceri sat, trying to be patient, wondering more about what her pet demon was up to than about the present in the designer carrier.

  Despite that, Ceri was getting close to peeking in the bag when the door opened and Lily stepped through. Ceri let out a gasp. The was a heavy leather waist cincher strapped in place around her ribs, leather straps holding it up so that it pushed her breasts up and out a little. There was a tiny G-string and a pair of five-inch platform pumps, and there was a thick collar around her throat with three D-rings mounted on it as well as leather cuffs with rings around her wrists. None of that was what drew Ceri’s attention, however. A silver chain was strung between twin silver nipple rings, and just above the black thong there was a tattoo. The tattoo was Ceri’s personal rune, inked into Lily’s skin for all time.

  Lily stood silently for several seconds, her hands by her sides, while Ceri stared at her. Then she began to fidget slightly and her hands drifted closer to clasp over the rune tattoo. ‘You don’t like it?’ she asked tentatively.

  ‘I… no, I do… I…’

  Lily’s hands slid back to her sides and she took a couple of steps forward. ‘I know a really good tattooist,’ she said, her voice still a little hesitant. ‘He uses magic to heal the skin and he knows about active tats. I had my nipples re-done at the same time…’

  ‘Re-done?’

  ‘I had them pierced years ago, but I let them heal over when I gave up… when I moved in here.’

  ‘So this is why you wanted to know if I had a rune?’

  Lily nodded. ‘If you’re okay with it, there’s just one thing left to do.’

  ‘There is?’

  ‘It’s your rune, you have to empower it.’

  ‘Empower?’ Ceri said warily. ‘What does it do?’

  ‘Nothing we haven’t already done,’ Lily said, her voice soft. ‘It’s old-school demonology practice, taken from demon culture. When a demon takes patronage from a lord, or from a human, it used to be customary for their skin to be marked with their patron’s rune. I’d like… I feel we should… I want to be yours, forever, and I want to show it. This is my birthday present to you… me.’

  Ceri lifted slowly to her feet. ‘Oh my God, I’m trembling,’ she said, laughing nervously. ‘I’m not dressed right.’

  ‘Then open the other bag,’ Lily suggested.

  The bag held a new corset in red and black which, once Lily had tightened the laces up, did wonders to Ceri’s rather less ample chest. There was also a red thong which matched the corset and a pair of totally kick-ass thigh boots in black with a red flame pattern up the back and the front composed of laces.

  Ceri giggled. ‘You’re wearing that to the party?’

  ‘And you’re wearing that,’ Lily replied.

  Ceri shrugged slightly. ‘It’se technically more than I wore last year.’ She pulled herself up straight and reached out, hooking a finger into the chain between Lily’s nipples. She pulled, fairly gently, but Lily still let out a little whimpering moan as she stepped closer. ‘They’re sensitive,’ Ceri commented.

  ‘Very,’ Lily replied. Ceri twisted her finger into the chain and Lily whimpered again. ‘Oh God…’

  Ceri’s eyes closed and she reached out her other hand, resting the tips of her fingers over the tattoo on Lily’s belly. Her mind focussed on the rune, letting the shape of it fill her mind. With the image fixed, she fed power into it. Her eyes flew open. Lily’s eyes were hooded, her lips parted, and an expression of ecstatic pleasure on her face. The room was full of light; light which curled around them, caressing their skin and leaving electric tingles in its wake. Ceri thought she could see shapes in the overall glow; serpentine dragons curling around their bodies and in the air.

  Then it subsided, evaporating into nothing, and Ceri took a step back. For another second or two Lily stood there in rapture, the rune on her belly shining a bright white before finally dying away to black.

  ‘Oh… wow…’ Lily moaned. ‘What a rush…’

  ‘I, uh, I think it’s… well, empowered,’ Ceri said. Her skin was still tingling. ‘What the Hell was that?’

  ‘Don’t care,’ Lily murmured. ‘Test it. Concentrate on me.’

  Ceri closed her eyes and focussed on Lily. The half-demon’s moan made her look again. The rune was glowing, more softly but still glowing, and Lily was looking wobbly on her legs. Ceri giggled. ‘Cool, a new toy.’

  ‘Maybe… maybe I should’ve… had it put somewhere else,’ Lily stammered.

  Ceri’s finger was still wrapped in the nipple chain and she pulled Lily closer. ‘Too late now, love,’ she said, her voice barely above a whisper. ‘It’s the most wonderful present I’ve ever had.’ And then their lips met and neither of them were really thinking any more.

  ~~~

  The wolves knew the two of them were up to something. Lily only wore clothes around the house when she had a reason and Ceri did not generally where a coat indoors. No one said anything as the pair marched around in the leather coats they usually wore when walking to and from the Jade Dragon, but they all suspected there was something going on underneath.

  As the other guests started to arrive there were some odd looks, but again no one said anything other than birthday wishes. Ceri was positively bubbling over when everyone was finally there. Ceri locked the door behind Kate, once again the last one in, though this time well before dark. Then Ceri went up the stairs to where Lily was standing on the first small landing.

  ‘Ready?’ she asked.

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Lily replied.

  ‘Okay,’ Ceri said. She turned and nodded to Twill, hovering nearby. ‘Lights,’ she said quietly. The room fell into darkness and everyone gasped.

  From down on the floor of the hall a voice said, ‘Oh wow.’ Of course Lorna could see better with the lights out than with them on. Then the room was bright again and everyone seemed to let out a simultaneous gasp as they saw Ceri and Lily, resplendent in their party outfits, at the top of the stairs.

  ‘Hello everyone,’ Ceri said when the murmuring had died away, ‘and welcome to High Towers for the, now annual, “Ceri’s survived another year,” Samhain party.’ There was laughter, though Ceri was aware that Michael was not joining in; he was too busy standing near the bottom of the stairs with his mouth hanging open. ‘It’s my twenty-fifth this year. I am now officially old.’ Carter and Alec both barked out sarcastic laughs in reply. ‘It’s apparently going to be a pretty tough night out there tonight, but we’ve got plenty of booze and food, and lots of warm bodies, so let’s get down to business. If I don’t see e
veryone enjoying themselves in five minutes, I’ll be upset. And yes, I do have a bullwhip on hand, just in case.’

  There was no danger of her needing the whip; the party was in full swing before the two girls made it to the bottom step. Michael slipped in between them immediately, looping an arm around each of his women’s waists in a rather possessive manner.

  ‘Enjoying the view, love?’ Ceri asked, grinning at him.

  ‘I, uh, well… I thought you looked great on Saturday night,’ he said. ‘And the chain… Doesn’t that hurt?’

  ‘No,’ Lily replied, ‘as long as you’re not too rough anyway. Quite the opposite, in fact.’

  Around them a pack of werewolves were mixing with a squad of were-fox strippers and one were-panther, along with various other random individuals. Most had not seen each other for a year and were catching up. Carter and Alec, with Cheryl between them, came out of the scrum. Both men were in black silk shirts and dark slacks, which went with the near-transparent, silky mini-dress Cheryl was wearing. The garment was strapless, very short, and looked as though it had been woven out of black spider webs. Ceri had never seen anything like it.

  ‘What are you wearing, Lily?’ Carter asked, though he seemed to be enjoying it.

  ‘I was wearing hoof-boots and some paint on Saturday,’ Lily replied.

  ‘And no tattoo,’ Carter commented. He could likely sense the magic from it; Ceri could. His comment drew everyone’s attention to Lily’s belly.

  ‘It’s Ceri’s personal rune,’ Lily said happily. ‘I’m her pet demon, she’s my mistress, this is to show it.’

  Carter’s lips quirked. ‘Generally wizards used to do that to their demons,’ he said, ‘not have it done by the demon for them.’

  ‘Those demons had no free will,’ the half-succubus pointed out. ‘I do and I gave myself to Ceri.’

  ‘What about Michael?’ Cheryl asked. ‘Isn’t there some official ritual you can do with him?’

  Alec shook his head. ‘Wolves don’t have what you’d call a marriage ritual. You ask permission of your Alphas if you’re mating outside the pack…’

  ‘Which I did,’ Michael said.