The doors opened, straight into a hallway, all wooden panels and expensive artwork, a stone gargoyle leering at them. He’d never asked, but had always assumed it would attack intruders, or breath fire or explode or something. He wiped his feet on the mat, before slowly approaching the door. He could never remember the etiquette, or Courtessa kept changing it, he wasn’t sure which, but raised his hand to knock on the door, just as it opened.
A young woman stood there, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, some band he’d never heard of. Behind her was a large, open chamber, one entire wall a massive window showing the city. Every wall was covered with bookshelves, full and overflowing – fat leather grimoires, rolled-up scrolls, even clay tablets, and more modern books as well, an overflowing of books and texts. If she wasn’t otherwise so immaculate, and prone to setting things on fire, Brandon would have accused her of being a hoarder.
The woman – on closer inspection, Brandon wasn’t actually sure if she was even old enough to vote – looked at them, taking in their clothing, David still unconscious.
‘Mr Argovieso? Come on in.’ Something mewed below, a cat winding around her ankles. The girl picked it up, ignoring the offended meow. ‘You know you’re not allowed out!’ She donked the cat on the head with a finger as it wriggled in her arms. ‘Come on, before this furry lump tries to get in the lift again.’
They stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind them, the cat getting poured onto a shelf, where it started to lick its backside. Inside, the temperature was comfortable, well-maintained potted plants in pools of light near the window. There was always the uncomfortable feeling that the books, the vast stacks and collections, were about to explode, the shelves getting so full that they gave way, books spilling everywhere in a torrential avalanche.
He tried to freshen himself up as best as he could, without much success, while looking at the girl – she was either very, very new, or Courtessa was rather more laid-back than usual, without insisting she dress in whatever archaic style of clothing Courtessa thought most appropriate.
‘So, you must be Brandon? Thought you’d be taller. And, uh, missing more bits.’
He held up a hand, showing off his missing finger. ‘That was bad enough. Uh, who are you?’
‘Lisa Mayne. Do we shake hands or what? I’m not sure how any of this works.’
‘I’m pretty dirty, you probably don’t want to. Normally I’d be more polite, but it’s been a shitty day. Where did you come from and what can you do?’
‘Predictions, I think. That sounds really lame, doesn’t it? But I, like, dream and see weird stuff, that comes true. Sort of, maybe? Oh, and I can do this.’ She raised a hand, palm up, and concentrated. Nothing happened. She gave a grunt of irritation, concentrating harder. ‘Dammit, it worked last time. The slightest swirl of light appeared, a bright blue loop. The cat jumped onto a shelf and batted it with a paw, the light flicking out. ‘Fuck’s sake, Sphinx Little furry bastard.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Is he actually magical? She refuses to tell me.’
Amy scritched the cat behind the ears. ‘No idea. He’s long lived, or she keeps getting ones that look the same, but I’ve been trying to work that out for years. Keep an eye on him and see.’ The cat meowed, butting its head against Amy. ‘Let me know if you find anything out.’
She was looking at the cat dubiously now, as though expecting it to grow wings or transform. ‘Amalia of the Samaha clan, right? Courtessa’s mentioned you. Being able to travel between worlds must be really cool.’
‘I don’t think it’s technically “other worlds”, more sort of mirrors of this one. I think? And it’s pretty dangerous. There’s not really a clan anymore either. Just me.’
The girl looked chagrined. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to…’
Amy waved her off. ‘That’s fine. Just “Amy” will do as well. So, does she treat you well? She can be a bit, enthusiastic, shall we say.’
A voice, female and aristocratic, sounded from the next room. ‘There is nothing wrong with having passion about one’s craft. It has kept me young and vital all these years, after all.’
Brandon spoke. ‘It’s mostly the fire, to be honest. You have a tendency to view most things as a task to be resolved with fire.’
She entered the room – although she might have been more relaxed regarding her student’s attire, she hadn’t changed, wearing ornate robes of black silk, woven through with orange thread shaped into flame patterns. Her long, auburn hair was heaped up in an elaborate set of braids, held in place with obsidian- and gold-tipped pins, that Brandon knew were viciously sharp. Rings on her fingers were connected to bracelets by thin chains of precious metals, catching the light as her hands moved.
‘I find it the simplest strategy. If there is something that survives the fire, then the plan can be re-assessed and a new plan found. But most of the time, I find fire suffices. Although if you wish to take on a student, you could share what wisdom you possess?’ She gave him a challenging look, eyes glinting. Then she saw David. ‘Oh, but you’ve bought me a gift? How wonderful! He was quite unwilling to cooperate when last he stayed.’
‘Don’t cut him open or anything.’
She reached out towards him, one of the gemstones on her fingers glinting brightly. As her hand got close, there was a screeching, snapping noise, his body jerking into life, arm coming up. The gun appeared, his finger tense on the trigger. Courtessa froze, a ripple of heat appearing. Her head turned to look at the gun, a savage grin appearing on her face.
‘That’s where it went. Oh, you clever, clever boy. That is far less appealing, but far, far more useful. I wonder what other changes you’ve made? I’ll have a good look once I’ve pulled it out of your spirit.’
‘This is why everyone thinks you’re a bit strange, you know? He’s had a rough time, at least let him rest up before doing anything to him.’
She drew back, the gun vanishing, arm dropping. ‘I suppose it will be more educational to specifically question him about it. He does look a touch emaciated – he hasn’t been eating well, has he?’
‘He got dunked into sensory deprivation, for god-knows-how-long. I’m kind of surprised he’s as alive as he is. Anyway, can we get changed? It’s been a long, shitty day. Which is sort of your fault anyway!’
‘Amalia, would you care to summarise the events that transpired? You are rather better at such things than Brandon is. Lisa, if you could serve some tea. The good tea, I think. They have clearly had quite a trying time. Come into the parlour. Oh, and drop that one into the first guest room, I suppose.’
Brandon followed her gesture, through a doorway, into a room decorated like an 18th-century guest room, complete with too-small bed, especially for someone as lanky as David. Still, at least it was soft, and he didn’t seem likely to wake up anytime soon.
Her parlour hadn’t moved, easy to find by the scent, countless flowers spilling forth their perfume. A gemstone on the ceiling shone with clear, warm light, keeping the flowers bright no matter the time of year, around a brightly polished wooden table. She gestured, the chairs sliding out.
‘Now, I imagine this is to do with that little incident I asked you to investigate?’ She sat down, then tapped the table, a flame bursting to life in the centre of the table. It guttered and shifted, as though caught in a breeze. ‘You see, that is highly irregular. So, what have you discovered?’
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Amy related the recent events, including the trip through the thin places and the strange, ancient place they had discovered. Partway through, Lisa came in, bearing a silver tray and a pot of tea. From how Courtessa winced, Lisa’s serving was clearly not up to snuff, as she poured them each a cup. Then she poured herself one, pulling up a chair and sitting down, ignoring the look of outrage from Courtessa.
‘Those cult guys have been around for a while. Saw them hanging around outside school a few times.’
Amy and Brandon looked at each other, Brandon speaking. ‘How old are you? Do your parents know?’
‘I’m 17. Yeah, I told them I’m helping the elderly.’
Brandon snorted, tea spluttering onto his arms. The flame in the centre burnt hotter, his skin starting to prickle with sweat, Courtessa’s face far too polite. Amy lent back, just in case the fire flared into a blast, ready to duck beneath the table. The air between Lisa and Courtessa crackled, the fire burning even hotter now.
Brandon began to envy David – he might be unconscious and potentially getting dissected, but it was less painfully awkward than this.
He tried to break the détente. ‘So do you know anyone that’s been recruited?’
She looked away from Courtessa, a wave of heat pulsing out, making his eyeballs sting. When she spoke, her voice switched into a far more casual tone and accent, Courtessa’s face twitching, although she didn’t say anything. ‘Nah, no-one I know’s that stupid. A few go for the food, but bug out before the talking starts. Those places are always creepy and filled with perverts.’
Courtessa nodded. ‘Quite right. Beware strangers bearing gifts. So you say there were no signs of overt sacrifice? Although this tank you describe does sound rather unsettling – it would explain why young David is quite so unsettled and drained.’
‘Yeah, I think he was under for a while. That’ll do a number on anyone. You ever heard of this Kashura Abyad?’ Brandon asked, describing her, and the sensation of her power.
‘Interesting. Such power is rare and hard to control – none of the old lines were possessed of such. Such things were rumoured of in the olden times, but are not something I have ever experienced.’
That didn’t narrow it down much – she was at least five hundred years old, but got cagey about anything more specific.
‘So sometime between the pyramids and, what, the Black Death?’
‘The English Civil War would be a more accurate dating. But a thing of legend even then.’
Brandon watched Amy bite her lip, trying to commit the factoid to memory. She’d been trying to figure out Courtessa’s age, origin and background for years, trying to track down the occasional profanities she used that might reveal something, or tracking down the origin of some of her possessions. ‘So you’re thinking someone ancient, that’s been hiding out for all this time?’
‘From the power they possess, that seems probable. I doubt anyone new to their power would be capable of such a thing. But it seems improbable that anyone could hide for so long – the events of two years ago, and Brandon’s sacrifice, were of such sufficient scale that even ancient enemies emerged to lend their aid, lest all fall to the outer darkness. And I have dedicated no small amount of time and effort to hunting down the remnants of the opposition – in fact, I have one downstairs, if you wish to talk to them? Although they may need rousing first.’
Brandon grimaced. ‘No, I don’t think that will be necessary. This feels different – this Kashura woman doesn’t have the same scent or feel as they did. She’s more human, at least as far as I can tell, just with something else, while they were empty, hollowed out.’
Courtessa nodded. ‘Husks. Yes, I managed to find a specimen intact enough to test. The part of them that made them a person had been cut away. Which explains their ferocious devotion, and some of their other more unusual attributes. I suspect David may have utilised a similar technique to re-forge his weapon. And of course, your old relationship was bound into a similar frame, except with more physical sacrifice. I believe you mentioned you used to be able to feel her within yourself? Far less extreme, but a similar principle. I wonder how susceptible to heat this woman is?’
‘Don’t just burn her!’
‘No, no, she has a point.’ Amy tapped her fingers against the table. ‘If it works, the problem is solved. If it doesn’t, then at least we’ve learned something.’
‘You see Brandon, at least someone appreciates my strategies. But sunlight and clearness… That reminds me of something. Lisa, fetch me the thick green box from the lowest shelf in the second parlour. It has a gilt boar on the spine.’
‘Sure, back in a sec.’ Lisa scraped the chair back and walked off, earning another shake of the head from Courtessa.
‘She is better than I expected, but her manners are great greatly lacking! Still, she is at least willing to attempt to improve. And she has a prodigious memory – I suspect she may be some by-blow of the Rosenara’s, somehow, and their power has settled upon her. Her dream-self attempted to intrude into my sanctum several times. Although finding her in the waking world did require quite some detective work! A shame you were busy, Amalia, it would have been far easier for you, a shame you were otherwise engaged. And I’m sure you could do with the money.’
‘I try to avoid kids, that stuff always tends to get messy. So what do you think it might be?’
‘Something ancient, undoubtedly. And either waiting a chance to strike or sealed away. Many of the old guardians sacrificed themselves to purchase your victory – the Lions are now but two, the shield of Penilor was shattered, and the Knights are mostly dead, the remnant slumbering until healed.’
Lisa returned, holding a small wooden box. ‘Is this the one?’
‘Yes, thank you.’ Courtessa took the box, waving her fingers in front of it, a flare of heat melting a seal off. ‘This is from what is currently Iraq, I believe.’ She opened it, carefully lifting out a clay tablet. ‘Although of course the language is quite considerably before my time, I think it may be relevant.’ It was half-covered with cuneiform, the other half covered with a blobbed-together mess of impressions and marks. A chunk of the tablet was missing, what looked like bite-marks. Courtessa tapped it. ‘One of your predecessors, who was rather less skilled at controlling her.’ She looked at it dubiously. ‘But it was fully covered with text, rather than this scribble.’
Lisa slapped a fat tome down onto the table, already flipping through the catalogue. ‘Yeah, says here it was covered. And the translation is half-removed as well, cuts off mid-way through. “The Samaha elder did journey to the oldest of places, the pit and the eye, to seek meaning behind this ancient of things. Upon his return, heavily wounded, he did gift unto me the following words, that the first of all things did descend from eternity, amidst light and glory, seeking”. She trailed off, holding the book up to reveal that the text had run together into an unreadable mess on the page, a chaotic blobby swirl of ink.
Courtessa swore, the fire sparking into a momentary pillar of fire, Brandon and Amy leaning away from the burst of heat. ‘That is decidedly inconvenient. And for something to penetrate my defences, without me being aware of it, shows more power and subtlety than I thought remained amongst the living. And you know nothing more of this, Amalia?’
Amalia shook her head.
‘Well, this is concerning. To affect so much… I must ponder on this. And tend to young David also. It seems it would be advantageous for the two of you to pursue a more active investigation directly, and call upon myself should more direct intervention be needed. Although I would recommend some rest first, you are both looking decidedly battered.’
Lisa’s phone buzzed and she pulled it out. ‘Looks like some shit’s kicking off. Don’t think I’ll be able to get home today, the line I take is down.’ She flipped her phone around, to show the news – several policeman ran past, truncheons in hand as they moved down the stairs into the station. The edge of a scrum could be seen, a violent brawl raging, several people against the walls, bleeding from their wounds. One of them shouted something, although Brandon didn’t recognise the language.
‘Language, young lady! That does look like it may result in delays though – well, you are free to stay here, Sphinx does appreciate the company. Please don’t overfeed him again though, he is started to look a little portly.’
‘Hey, can you pause that a sec?’ Amy pointed at something on the screen. ‘Go back a bit.’
Lisa obeyed. It was blurry, but it looked like the train map. The text beneath half the station-dots was blurry and confused – letters a dazed mess, impossible to make sense of. She reached out and tapped the screen, making it play again, tilting her head to listen to what was being shouted.
‘I’ve no idea what language that is. Any of you recognise it?’
It sounded… odd, sliding sounds that didn’t seem to have pauses or ends, a continual flowing of sound without stops. And despite the violence of the scene and the loudness of what was being said, it didn’t sound angry. ‘No idea. You think they’re… breaking language, somehow?’
Courtessa answered. ‘Grim though it seems, it is a valid conclusion. Considering how drained you look, perhaps some rest first? And I will order some clothing for you, and attempt to divine what I can of our opponent.’
‘I really don’t think we have time.’ A dull feeling settled behind his eyes, and he took another sip of tea to try and chase it away.
‘You will be resting. At least once the drugs kick in. Did you get the dosage right, Lisa?’
He saw that the cups in front of them were both full and untouched. Amy’s head flopped forward, Lisa managing to catch it before she slammed face-first onto the table.
The darkness surged up, the room suddenly too warm. He tried to make himself fall backwards, at least, not wanting to give himself a concussion.