Thaumatology 02 - Demon's Moon Read online

  ‘No!’ Ceri yelped as her mate fell to the ground and she could see the blood on the wolf-thing’s talons. She was aiming her staff and loosing the spell before she was even aware of it, the bolt blasting through the demon’s guts. The light went out of its eyes and it collapsed even as Ceri was rushing toward Michael.

  The fallen werewolf had three large puncture wounds in his chest and Ceri could hear the air sucking through the wounds as he breathed. Well, at least he was breathing. ‘You fucking idiot!’ she screamed. ‘If you bloody die on me I’ll kill you myself!’ Werewolves healed fast, very fast compared to a human, but they could still die if you did enough damage. There was enough evidence of that lying around the clearing already.

  Catherine was there, in human form, pressing a sterile pad she had produced from somewhere over the wounds. ‘He’ll be all right,’ she said. ‘He’s a werewolf. We just have to stop him dying for a few minutes and he’ll be fine.’

  Ceri nodded, swallowing hard, and looked around. ‘Is anyone else hurt? Lil, check them for wounds. That bastard didn’t hit you, did he?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Lily said a little blandly for Ceri’s tastes. The half-demon began checking the werewolves as Ceri turned back to Michael.

  Closing her eyes, Ceri summoned her power. Placing her hand over Catherine’s and the wounds below, she funnelled energy into Michael’s body. Somewhere at the back of her mind she was aware of Catherine telling Lily about a first aid box, but she was too busy concentrating. It was the first time she had ever tried to heal someone for real, though the basic spell had been part of her PPC course. Michael let out a groan and she opened her eyes to find him looking back at her. Bending forward, she rubbed her cheek against his muzzle.

  ‘We’ve got a couple of minor wounds, mostly bites,’ Lily said from behind her and she straightened up to look around. ‘Nothing that won’t heal fast. The Serpents are cowards at heart, only thing getting them to fight was the Remus wolves.’ Opening the green first aid box she was holding, Lily pulled out a wet-wipe and handed it to Ceri. ‘You have some boyfriend blood on your cheek there, hun,’ she said with a grin.

  Ceri rolled her eyes and wiped blood from her cheek before turning back to Michael. Reaching out she gave him a light swat on the nose. ‘Don’t do that again,’ she said. ‘Aside from anything else, I don’t really want to spend another night being passed around the available males in the pack.’

  Catherine looked at her across Michael’s prone form. ‘That’s only done with new females,’ she said. ‘Is he your mate? I don’t…’

  ‘Long story,’ Ceri said.

  ‘She likes to really get into her research,’ Lily said, dead pan. ‘Occasionally she lets her research get into her, repeatedly. Rhythmically, one might say.’

  ‘Go see what’s happening with the other fight,’ Ceri growled. ‘Take David and Ellen to keep you out of trouble.’

  Lily grinned and saluted smartly. ‘Yes, Mistress.’

  Catherine was lifting the pad away from Michael’s wounds to check them. ‘Whatever you did,’ she said, ‘it worked.’ She tossed the pad to one side to reveal three marks beneath half-obscured by blood-matted fur. ‘You’ll have some battle scars to brag about, but you’ll be fine,’ the Alpha said to her charge.

  Michael pulled himself up into a sitting position, probing at his damaged side with a knuckle. He let out a small whine.

  ‘Serves you right for being a hero,’ Ceri told him. She looked around toward the fallen demon he had attacked. ‘I was ready to blast the foul…’ She stopped, frowning, and then stood up to walk over to where the body was. Where the hulking shape of a Remus demon-wolf had fallen, there was now an ordinary-looking grey-furred werewolf with most of its torso missing. Legends aside, a werewolf that died in wolf-form did not revert to human; not even lycanthropes did that. Changed by the possessing demon while in werewolf form, however, this one had gone back to its original shape when the spirit had left it.

  ‘I guess that proves what they are then,’ Catherine said from behind her.

  Ceri nodded. ‘The other one was a female,’ she said. ‘They all just become the same, sexless slaves to Remus’ will when they change.’

  ‘Same thing out on the field,’ Lily said, returning amid a horde of werewolves. ‘There was one of them there, bringing up the rear, it seems. The body changed back once it died, though there wasn’t that much left to identify it.’ She glanced around at the gore covered wolf-man beside her. Catherine’s eyes widened and she darted toward the first aid box. ‘Don’t worry,’ Lily said quickly, ‘most of that is from the demon. If you’re feeling solicitous, he’s got a gash on his back. The rest is just cuts and scrapes.’

  Werewolves were all around them now, stroking, touching, rubbing muzzles, and generally reassuring each other that they were all okay. They had fought and won, and now it was time to lick their wounds and wear their scars with pride. Ceri grinned and moved around to where Lily was standing, looping an arm around her waist.

  Lily had to stretch up slightly to whisper into Ceri’s ear. ‘If Mistress doesn’t object, she’s getting laid tonight. Big time!’ Ceri giggled.

  Catherine was in the middle of cleaning Stefan’s back wound, but she raised her voice enough to be heard over the sound of happy werewolves. ‘You’ve all made me proud to be your Alpha,’ she said. ‘The Royals can hold their heads up high tonight, and I expect you to do just that. We’ve been a second-class, urban pack for too long. It’s time we lived up to our name.’ She glanced around at Ceri and Lily, and then Michael. ‘We have strong allies. I look forward to seeing more of our friends from south of the river in the future. From tonight, the Royals will go forward as the greatest pack north of the Thames. Are you with me?’

  The sound of wolves howling in agreement was almost deafening.

  Kennington, December 13th

  Ceri fell back onto the bed, gasping for breath. She felt as though she had just run three marathons, aside from the fact that marathons did not make your skin tingle like that. She looked down at the predatory expression on Lily’s face and focussed hard on speaking. ‘N-no! Not… not again.’

  Lily pouted. ‘It’s only been three times,’ she said. ‘This morning,’ she added.

  ‘Exact… exactly. What’s… what’s brought this… on?’

  Lily crawled up the bed and settled herself down against Ceri, snuggling up and laying a hand across her lover’s stomach. ‘Last night,’ she said. ‘You were… fantastic. Powerful, compassionate but willing to make the tough decisions. That first strike…’ She shivered, a shudder of erotic recollection. ‘That came out of nowhere and the demon just… wham! God that was…’ She trailed off into a moan.

  Ceri giggled. ‘Me? Y-you were the one… carving up… demons. God… I think you… killed me.’

  Lily casually reached up and gave Ceri’s left nipple a squeeze. Ceri shrieked. ‘No,’ Lily said, ‘I’m quite sure dead people don’t make noises like that.’

  Ceri was panting again. ‘They’re sensitive,’ she whined. ‘Where did you learn to fight like that? And why do you have demon-bane daggers?’

  ‘One of my ex-boyfriends was a martial arts instructor,’ Lily said.

  Ceri waited for a second before saying, ‘And the daggers?’ She felt Lily stiffen against her. ‘It’s okay, Lil. Sorry, I shouldn’t press.’

  Lily took a deep breath and then relaxed. ‘There was an enchanter I knew when I first came to London. He was into taking pictures of underage girls and I posed for him. And then I kept my mouth shut about it in exchange him for making me the daggers and bracers. I needed them… in case Dad showed up again.’ The last came out in a rush and Ceri realised the half-succubus was trembling.

  Pulling Lily closer, Ceri said, ‘I don’t understand, Lil. I thought you got on with your father. I mean, he taught you stuff. When you talk about him it’s usually good stuff.’

  ‘It was,’ Lily said. ‘He turned up when I was… eight. Mum wasn’t pleased, b
ut he kept his business away from home and she was kind of lonely. He told me great stories and taught me about demons, and he was actually a pretty cool dad. And then I hit puberty. I can’t resist his influence, y’see? We share… some sort of metaphysical link. Because of me he, can stay here if he’s summoned and then he can kind of… I dunno. He makes my demon side worse.’

  ‘That’s why you flunked school?’ Ceri said. ‘Why you went all wild?’

  Lily nodded. ‘When Mum finally figured out what was going on, she got some friends, the people who had originally summoned him, and they banished him. Damage was done by then though. I was a lost cause, until Carter… and you.’ Ceri pulled her close and Lily hugged back. For a few seconds there was silence and then Lily said, ‘You remember I said I loved you because everyone else treated me like… like a blow-up doll?’

  ‘Yes, and you never were.’

  ‘But I was, Ceri,’ Lily said emphatically. ‘It wasn’t just that people treated me that way. That was how I acted. Dad turned me into that, and that’s why I have the daggers. Next time he turns up, if he tries to turn me back, I’ll cut out his heart.’

  Ceri was silent for a moment, holding her friend against her. She had never heard Lily so vehement about anything. She knew some of the depths Lily had fallen to before Carter had pulled her out of them, but she suspected she had been spared some of the details, perhaps even some entire episodes. The fact that it was her father who had pushed her to that life was…

  ‘You’ll have to get to him before I do,’ Ceri said.

  ~~~

  ‘This is becoming a habit,’ Ceri commented.

  ‘Well,’ Kate said, ‘the sandwiches were so good that…’

  ‘You brought your partner?’ Ceri finished, fixing her gaze on John who was tucking into a second set of sandwiches opposite her. ‘How’s your wife?’

  ‘Still dead,’ John replied flatly. ‘Thanks for keeping her that way, by the way.’

  Ceri shrugged. ‘She’s not quite as fragile as you think, and if she hadn’t been there we wouldn’t have spotted the werewolves stalking us.’

  John looked as though he were going to argue, but what he said was, ‘On to the business we aren’t here for. Rumour has it that several Serpents met a messy end last night.’

  ‘They retreated into the Kensington Gardens,’ Kate went on. ‘Intel says there were three of those larger creatures with them at the start of the night and none after.’

  ‘Intel also says one of them was involved in a fight in Regents Park,’ John said, ‘though no body was located.’

  ‘They turn back into the werewolf they were created from on death,’ Ceri said. ‘The other two led an assassination squad against Catherine.’

  ‘Ceri blew holes in them,’ Lily said, beaming. ‘It was awesome!’

  ‘Lily is still a little high on my magic use,’ Ceri said, grinning. ‘Whatever, we took out the Remus wolves, gave the Serpents a bloody nose, and cemented an alliance between the Royals and the Battersea pack. I suspect that Remus will back off a bit having failed last night, but it might be an idea to keep up the riot squads.’

  ‘Yes,’ John said. ‘Officially, we don’t know what happened. The Commissioner isn’t going to back down the threat level until we’ve had a few nights of quiet.’

  ‘The Solstice,’ Ceri said. ‘After the Solstice it’ll be over, one way or another.’

  ‘What, exactly, happens then?’ John asked.

  ‘I don’t, exactly, know,’ Ceri replied, ‘but I know who to ask.’

  Battersea

  Ceri rubbed her cheek against Michael’s muzzle, her body pressed against his. The fur along his jaw was a little bristly, but on his cheek it was soft and she smiled as he rubbed back in greeting. ‘You’re all right?’ she asked. ‘The wounds healed properly?’ He nodded, his hands straying down her back and over her behind, pulling her hips against his. She had showered, but to his sensitive nose she probably still smelled of sex. ‘I need to see Alexandra,’ she said. She could feel his need pressing against her stomach. ‘It’s kind of urgent,’ she added.

  Michael gave a small whine and let her go, very reluctantly. He dropped into a semi-crouch and looked up at her. Ceri had never imagined that a werewolf could look like a love-sick puppy, but Michael was pulling it off beautifully. ‘After,’ she said, ‘if there’s time.’ His eyes brightened and he actually gave a short bark before starting off toward the boating lake.

  Alexandra was already pouring the tea. ‘I assumed you would appreciate some refreshment,’ the Alpha said. ‘I got the report of the battle with Remus’ wolves and the Serpents. Most impressive. You did me and mine proud, Ceridwyn. I am honoured to call you a friend.’

  ‘Yes, but it’s not over is it?’ Ceri said, settling down beside the fire with Michael sitting a little closer than usual behind her, his calf resting against her hip.

  ‘No, no it’s not. Remus must still be defeated.’ She placed a mug in front of Ceri and settled down in front of her before drinking from her own mug. ‘By now Alec and the North Hills pack are tracking his movements and making plans to attack him. You have to find them to find Remus.’

  ‘If they attack him, they’ll die,’ Ceri said.

  ‘Indeed,’ Alexandra said, ‘but that won’t happen. The path to the Solstice is laid out already. Before you ask, I can’t tell you what it is.’

  ‘Can’t or won’t?’ Ceri said, a little more annoyance showing in her voice than she would have wished.

  Alexandra seemed to understand her frustration. ‘I can’t. It’s part of my… curse. There are things I can do, things I can change, things I can say, and a lot I can do nothing about. There is one who might be able to tell you more though. Calling her, however, would be… difficult.’

  Ceri sipped her tea. ‘Luperca,’ she guessed. ‘She was Remus’ foster mother, a wolf-goddess, and I think she gave you this precognitive power.’

  The old Alpha actually looked surprised. ‘You have a remarkable ability to take facts and connect them without all the information, young lady. Yes, Luperca. She’s lucid some of the time. Remus took her power into himself and defiled it, turning her from a beneficent entity into something far more capricious. If you can get her to talk, she may be able to help you.’

  ‘I wouldn’t even know how to summon her,’ Ceri replied, ‘never mind talk to her.’

  ‘She can be summoned through me,’ Alexandra said, ‘though “summoned” is, perhaps, the wrong word. A ritual of possession. She would take my body to use while manifesting. You would need to contain her. I have no doubt that Remus’ influence on her is strong during the waxing moon, especially this one.’

  ‘Dangerous?’ Ceri almost laughed the word. ‘Are you nuts? She could kill you, Alexandra. I won’t risk your life just to get some unknown amount of information some goddess might not be willing to give anyway.’

  There was a rumble of agreement from the wolves around the fire and Michael’s hand caressed Ceri’s shoulder; a gesture of thanks? Alexandra looked around and then back at Ceri. ‘You must, girl. I must. You have a summoning circle at your house, one suitable for summoning spirits.’

  Ceri opened her mouth to protest, but the look in Alexandra’s eyes brooked no argument. ‘My mother’s circle,’ she said. ‘The room’s been, uh, converted to another use, but the circle’s still intact.’ Even though the circle was tailored to spirits, not demons, Lily had liked the symbolism of placing a St Andrew’s Cross in the middle of it. Ceri had thought it distinctly kinky, but now it seemed like it would have another use.

  ‘I will need time to prepare,’ Alexandra said, ‘and you will, I think, need to look up some notes on such a summoning. Your mother’s books should give you all you need. I’ll come when it gets dark and they won’t let me come alone. You may need to put up a few wolves for the night, but I think you’ve done that before.’ The old woman’s eyes said she knew exactly what was going to happen; Ceri wondered whether she knew her death was coming, but
said nothing. ‘For now, however,’ Alexandra said, ‘please take care of your mate before he pines away entirely.’

  Michael had the decency to give an embarrassed-sounding whine.

  Kennington

  Lily was standing in the lounge. The lights were out and her naked silhouette stood out against the light from the fire as Ceri walked in. ‘It’s glowing,’ the half-succubus said.

  Ceri blinked, taken entirely off guard by the statement. ‘I know we had a lot of sex last night, but glowing seems a little extreme,’ she said. Inappropriate humour, totally the best thing when your stress levels are becoming extreme.

  Lily turned and grinned. ‘No, silly, your staff.’ She turned back and pointed up at the wooden rod hung above the fireplace. Now she mentioned it, it was true. The complex pattern of blue inlay was glowing, far more dimly than it had as she had channelled her power through it, but still it was giving off a delicate, blue light.

  Moving closer, Ceri allowed her Sight to manifest. The normal patterns of magical flow around the house’s enchantments were there, as ever, but there was nothing particularly odd about the staff until she came up level with Lily and looked closely. ‘Well damn,’ she said, staring at the patterns of energy which were twisting through the wood.

  ‘Are you going to tell me what you see?’ Lily asked. ‘Or do I have to resort to begging? I will, y’know? I give fantastic beg.’

  Ceri glanced at her, grinning. ‘I know you do, Lil.’ Her gaze returned to the staff. ‘It was odd,’ she went on, ‘I kind of felt like… like it was easier working those big spells yesterday. Like I wasn’t building up the charge I should have from using that much power. It’s the staff. If I channel through the staff, it absorbs the build-up instead of me.’ She reached out a hand and stroked the wood gently.

  ‘Wouldn’t that mean…’ Lily began, trailing off.

  ‘What, Lil?’