Denai Touch: Excalibar Investigations Series (25 page)

“But we’re not all together. Steve and Dad aren’t here,” Cate pointed out.

“No, but at least three of us are.”

Cate raised her hand, levitating the camera whilst Ceri put an arm around her and the other around Ian.

“Let’s say cheese,” Ian grinned.

“I always picture you dressed up as a woman, like you were at that party last year,” Cate grinned at him.

Ceri asked. “Why were you dressed as a woman, Ian?”

“It was a fancy dress party,” Ian replied and hissed to Cate. “You swore you’d never mention that again!”

Cate grinned. “The funny thing was that he looked like you, Mum.”

The three of them laughed, just as the camera flashed multiple times. Ian showed them the shot on the camera’s viewfinder.

“I want a copy of that,” Ceri smiled. “It’s just a shame Steve isn’t in it. I want all my children together.”

“And Dad,” Ian added.

Cate gave him a glare. “Don’t go stirring up old wounds,” she said. “Print some off for me too. Let’s go, Mum.”

They teleported to the outside of the Castle and were scanned by security.

“I’ll warn you now your gran is
not
in a good mood,” said Ceri.

“When is she ever? Or if she was, she wouldn’t show it,” Cate replied. “Mum, are you really back for good?”

“Of course. I’m surprised you even had to ask.”

“I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment.”

“I won’t make that mistake again, sweetheart.”

“Good. I thought Mel would have been able to get something out of Bethany,” she said changing the subject.

“Mel is known for her incredibly strong Touch. Death magic isn’t the same as compulsion.”

“Should I call Jason?”

“Why would you need to?”

“For his energy.”

“Your Gran and I will be there if you need help. Contrary to popular belief, a Denai doesn’t need a Mavis around to hold her hand,” said Ceri. “How are things between you and Talbot anyway?”

Cate shrugged. “Okay, I suppose.”

“I thought you would be happy after the other day.”

“Mum, I nearly got him killed. How could that make me happy?”

“I meant the–”

Seline emerged from the stairwell. “Good, you’re both here.”

They followed Seline to the North West tower of the castle, where high risk prisoners were held. They walked up the winding staircase and into a large interview room. This was a place Cate had rarely been. Most of the interrogations she conducted took place in the Enforcer’s Tower, unless a Denai or other important Magickind were involved. This location was far more secure, since it was manned not only by the City Guard, but by the Grand Mistress’s personal guard. Zexen were beings that could move around undetected. Weapons and magic could simply pass through them, unless they chose to take on solid form. They were perfect bodyguards, although they had always frightened Cate as a child and still made her uneasy.

Bethany sat with her arms chained to a chair. Mel stood in the corner unmoving, but looked up as they came in and silently bowed her head.

“Are you feeling more talkative, Turner?” asked Seline.

“Ooh, you brought your precious Marked Witch. Should I tremble with fear?”

“I’d be a little more afraid if I were you.” Cate smiled and put on her Denai face to show no emotion. “I’ve compelled you before – I could have you singing like a canary.”

Bethany scoffed. “The ascension is close. Your powers are too unpredictable.”

“I wasn’t too unpredictable when I burnt Raven again the other day and almost killed a Deva.”

“You’re wasting your time. I’ve been out of favour with the Covenant for years and my recent failure will only make me more so,” said the other Denai. “Raven never told me anything useful. Tasha Phelps is the one you should be interrogating. Not that you’d ever catch her.”

“Don’t bother lying, Bethany. We all know you’re a lot higher up in the Covenant than anyone realised.”

“Raven cast you out, didn’t she?” Ceri asked. “So stop protecting her, make it easier on yourself, and tell us what you did.”

“Then perhaps I will grant you a merciful death.” Seline folded her arms across her chest.

“Tell us how Raven gave you those powers,” Cate said. “You have no active ones of your own. You can compel and use the Touch, but that’s it.”

“I’ll tell you nothing,” Bethany spat.

Seline sighed. “Do it, Catherine. Compel her and go into her mind if you have to. I want the truth.”

Cate glanced at Ceri, uncertain.

“You have compelled hundreds of people, including Denais. Now is no different. I’ve trained you for this all your life,” Seline said.

I wasn’t ascending then. My powers are growing stronger every day,
Cate said to them.

Now we need that power. Raven did something to her to stop me,
replied Seline.
A Grand Mistress has power over all her kind, not just her coven – which is why she craves the Grimoire so much.

It’s alright, sweetheart. Don’t be afraid of your abilities,
said Ceri.
Accept who and what you are.

Cate moved over to Bethany, her fingers wrapping around her wrist. Skin contact, as well as eye contact would make it easier. She tried to look away, so Cate grabbed her by the throat, her eyes blazing with power as energy pulsed into the other witch. Bethany’s eyes shimmered as the magic reverberated through her. It was so easy; she hadn’t even had to command her magic. It simply locked Bethany within her control.

“What’s your name?” Cate asked as she looked dazed. It was always easier to start off with simple questions.

“For goodness sake, Catherine! Just get on with it!” Seline snapped. “We are not in the Enforcer’s Tower. Act like a true Denai.”

She glared at her gran, power flashing in her eyes.

“Bethany Norwood,” the compelled witch replied.

“Norwood? I thought your name was Turner?”

“I have had many names over the centuries.”

Seline said, “Now that I believe.”

“How long have you worked for the Covenant?”

“Many times over the last thousand years. I am loyal to them. Raven promised me power.”

“Yes, she likes to make promises she doesn’t keep,” Ceri muttered.

“Has Raven given you power before?” Cate prompted.

Bethany nodded. “Yes, she gave me Denai powers. Incredible powers, but I could only use them at her bidding.”

“How did she give them to you? Did she take them from living Denai?”

“Raven cast a spell to bestow the powers on me. I don’t know where it comes from, but she used the enchantment on me and her other Denai followers.”

“What does she do when she casts the spell?”

“This is taking too long,” Seline said. “Go into her mind.”

“You know how hard that is for me,” she snapped. “And I could damage it.”

“She’ll be dead soon and you’re the Goddess Marked. You have the ability to do whatever you will, use it,” said the Grand Mistress. “My patience is growing thin.”

“I’ve barely started to question her.”

“Just enter her mind. You’ll find all the answers we need in there.”

“Mother–” Ceri started to protest.

“You stay out of this. You’re lucky I’m tolerating your presence here.”

Cate sighed. “Gran–”

“Just get on with it, Catherine!”

“Mel, please leave us,” said Ceri.

Seline glowered at her. “Who is Grand Mistress here? You were banished with good reason!”

“Only because I dared to question your authority and tried to lead the coven out of the dark ages. I forgot, no one must ever question your faultless judgement.”

“Mel, you can go,” Cate said. “Mum, Gran, if you don’t stop arguing I’ll leave right now.”

“You have no authority over me either!”

“Doesn’t she? Or don’t I for that matter?” Ceri demanded. “My husband is the Tempus, and Cate isn’t just your granddaughter, but Niara’s. So that means we out rank you, dear Mother.”

Mel quietly left the room and Cate was starting to see first-hand why Ceri had left the coven. “All right, I’ll go into her mind, but I can’t do it if I keep feeling waves of hostility coming off you two.” She decided to give in, if only to bring about some peace.

“Before you do, I have something that can show us what you see.” A large orb, which looked similar to a crystal ball, appeared in her hand.

Seline asked. “What is that for? Are you going to call your famous mother-in-law for help?”

Ceri rolled her eyes. “It will show us whatever images Cate sees.”

Seline was about to protest, but Cate turned her attention back to Bethany, who was still in the grip of compulsion. “I’m going to enter your mind now. You will do nothing to resist me.” Turner mutely nodded. Cate’s eyes glowed silver as light pulsed from her forehead into Bethany.

Lights flashed around her as Cate travelled into the abyss of Bethany’s mind. Thoughts and images whirled around, echoing with sound. Her first instinct was to pull away; just because Bethany was a Denai didn’t mean she was easier to read.

Bethany, show me how Raven bestowed those powers on you,
Cate told her.

The blackness swallowed her up, until she found herself standing in another room, in a different place and time.

The room was lit with old-fashioned oil lamps. Cate could smell the oil and the scent of smoke as fire crackled in a nearby heath. Bethany walked into the room, where Raven and Tasha stood waiting. Tasha didn’t look happy.

“Step into the circle,” Raven ordered.

Cate could feel Bethany’s nerves and excitement. Finally, she would have real power again.

“Why are you doing this?” Tasha demanded. “She doesn’t deserve it. Cast the spell on yourself, my love.”

“The spell is to bestow power on another, not myself, and you know it wouldn’t work on me,” said Raven. “My powers can only be restored by the one who cursed me.”

“I will serve you well,” promised Bethany. “I did before.”

“Good thing the spell only lasts for 48 hours,” muttered Tasha.

Raven held a piece of parchment in her hand which was yellow with age.

Move closer, Catherine,
Seline snapped.
Get a look at the spell.

Cate sighed. Seline knew she wouldn’t be able to see the words unless Bethany had directly looked at it, but she said nothing.

Raven started chanting words of power; Cate couldn’t quite make out the incantation as the energy roared. She tried to cover her ears, despite only being in astral form. Orbs of light spiralled around the room, cascading down from the ceiling. She suddenly felt as if she were being drained of energy. Ignoring the ringing in her ears, she moved closer to Raven, feeling a stab of fear in her chest as if Tasha would suddenly grab her. It’s just a memory, she told herself, a telepathic image.

Cate passed Tasha and moved closer to Raven as the orbs shot into Bethany.

“Tasha, take her and go find that book. The Goddess Marked will not be able to resist us so easily now,” said Raven.

Cate gasped, watching Bethany leave the room.
How is this possible?
How was she seeing events after Bethany had left? It must be some kind of vision, one power she’d always had little control over.

Cate looked down at the spell, written in a flowing script, as Raven went over to a wall safe. Inside were several pieces of parchment. The safe itself was programmed to open only at Raven’s touch. To Cate’s amazement, she pulled out the pieces and laid them on the desk in front of her. Some were spells in similar writing, others contained pictures. At the top of one page was drawn a Denai star, underneath was written “To take the power of the Grand Mistress.”

Cate gasped again and felt blood begin to drip from her nose. Ceri put a protective arm around her. “It’s alright, sweetheart. Just take deep breaths.”

Cate looked over at Seline, whose face went from anger to excitement. “I knew it! I knew that bitch had pages from the Grimoire!” Seline said, grinning widely. “Grandmother said pages were missing, and Raven must have taken more the night she tried to steal the book.”

“What just happened?” Cate asked as she sank onto a chair.

“Well done, Catherine. I knew you would be able to see something.”

“But my sight has never been that strong.”

“Nonsense, girl,” her grandmother said irritably. “You just never trained enough to make your visions more controllable.”

“How could Raven have pages from the book?” she wondered.

“Someone gave them to her of course and it had to have been a McCray,” Seline’s brow wrinkled in concern.

“Mother, I know we all had our differences, but none of us would have given pages of our book to Raven,” Ceri said indignantly. “Perhaps they were just copies. You and I both have copies from the book.”

Cate frowned. “Wow, I didn’t think anyone was allowed to make copies from the book, for fear the knowledge would leak out.”

“I’m good at spell craft. Cercei let me copy some spells and so did Ide,” Ceri told her.

“They were both too lenient with you, Ceridwen. Now we must get those spells back.”

“You know we can’t do that. Raven moves around and those pages would never be far from her,” said Ceri. “We’d never be able to get to them, even if we did find them.”

“There might be one way.”

“No, absolutely not!”

“This is important, Ceridwen. If Raven manages to find the book before we do then we are all as good as dead,” Seline replied. “Not all of the knowledge contained within the Grimoire was considered ‘good’. Some of it is very dark, forbidden magic.”

Cate knew full well not all of her ancestors had been good witches, far from it. During the first Great War, one Grand Mistress had gone to extreme lengths to try to defeat Raven and had turned dark.