Enchantress Awakening: Part One of the Book of Water (The Elemental Cycle 1) (22 page)

“That’s definitely the best look for you, Caleigh.” Rosamund agreed. Caleigh smacked Ellie on her exposed behind then planted a fleeting kiss on the outside of her mouth causing them both to giggle. Rosamund smiled weakly and, noting this, Caleigh moved over to her and embraced her by the hips whereupon she kissed her lips lightly too.

“What can we do about these?” Caleigh remarked eyeing the two wands and Ellie’s dagger. “I don’t want to leave them here where someone might happen upon them.”

“Worry not.” Assured Rosamund picking up her wand then making a motion with it in the air. A ghostly outline formed around all three items gradually becoming solid until they appeared to be looking at three strigils.

“What?” Said Ellie moving to pick up what had been her dagger.

“Be careful. That is still a dagger; it merely looks like a strigil.” Ellie handled it with care turning it this way and that.

“If I look hard I think I can still see it. Will others not notice?”

“You know it is an illusion; that makes a very big difference.”

Evidently Vaughn had had the same idea as he and Penric both came out bearing strigils, when only Penric of the group had purchased one. Notably, he had purchased the sturdiest metal version that could pass as a makeshift weapon in dire need. Neither Penric nor Vaughn thought much about what they were carrying when they greeted the girls. The sight of Caleigh uncovered drove all sensible thought from their heads. “If you stare like that at every naked body here you’re going to make a sight of yourselves.” Caleigh rebuked.

“In fairness, I doubt we will see many other bodies as fine as yours.”

“Have I disappeared, Penric?” Ellie quipped.

“No, no but you’re covered and...”

“Say nothing more, Penric. Words are not your friends this moment.” Caleigh cautioned.

“Anyway, this is a large complex, we should divide our efforts. There are several pools this side and on the east side as well as the great bath.”

“I will look at the women’s pools on the eastern side.” Rosamund volunteered.

“I will take the great bath.” Caleigh stated.

“Are you sure that is wise?” Vaughn asked. None but the two of them knew what he meant by this.

“Yes, I feel in control. Ellie can come with me.”

“So be it. Penric, could you look at the men’s pools on the east side and stay within earshot of Rosamund.”

“Of course but...what are we looking to find here?”

“Anything that is amiss. I came here looking for someone who needs the protection of Elevered but now we’re here I think there is more going on.” Caleigh surmised.

“But if you see any serving girls who look harried try to gain their confidence.” Vaugn peeled off at the western baths while Rosamund and Penric hurried off down the long corridor to the baths on the eastern side leaving Caleigh and Ellie to make their way to the great bath alone.

Passing through the arches along the way they noticed men in white tunics with batons attached to their wastes, then immediately outside the great bath there was a large bulky man stripped down to the waist. Apart from a thick ginger moustache his face and head were hairless. He stood, arms folded, watching all the ways into the vicinity with an air of inflated authority.

“That was strange.” Ellie remarked when they had passed out of earshot. “He didn’t look at either of us.”

“Yes, he felt nothing either.” Caleigh looked ahead coming to the entrance to the great bath. “Oh my...” She exhaled. The room was indeed larger than the great hall of Crowbridge. There were more than fifty people either in the water or on the benches about its edges. All were unclothed, some had their towels draped over themselves many did not. Save those yet to reach adulthood, all ages were represented and a roughly equal number of men and women. They chose to sit in an unoccupied alcove about halfway along the length of the pool.

Their progress did not go unnoticed and several men and a few women turned their heads to get a better view of the beauties who had come into their presence. Caleigh started to breathe heavily feeling the attention upon her and tried to remember the post-coital peace she had experienced with Vaughn, clinging onto that emotion to steady herself.

Happily for her, she was able to exert a measure of control and not allow herself to become overwhelmed. This she found curious, not for its success but for the ease in which the success came. “Ellie, I am going to exercise my powers now. I am placing my trust in you to keep me from the clutches of any men that might approach. I may not be able to resist by myself.”

“I understand.” Ellie said and adjusted Caleigh’s towel to a more modest pose. Holding her friend’s hand Caleigh let herself drift into a trance. Her charisma charm billowed up about her and grew in intensity. At the pools edge closest to her she could feel the male bathers turning their eyes upon her and growing erect beneath the water. Where it touched them, the female bathers became suddenly flustered and embarrassed trying to pull their stares from the bodies of those in their eye-line. Noticeably, where the bathers were in contact with the water their discomfort quickly passed and they returned to the state of happy relaxation they had been in prior. Drawing her attention this way Caleigh began to discern the effect, visible to her as a glimmering pale blue sheen just below the water’s surface.

Caleigh relaxed her concentration and turned to Ellie. “There is most certainly some magic at play here.”

“Shall we tell the others about it?”

“It can wait. Since we’re here we should enjoy the bath while we can.”

“I’m glad you said that.” Together they descended down the four steps lining the pool into the warm water till it was up to their neckline and they had to paddle slightly to stay atop. All worries seemed to vanish almost at once. Being eyed by the whole room did not seem to matter and, likewise, there was not urgency to the attention. Unlike in Crowbridge, here people seemed content merely to look. Having seen what she had seen, Caleigh was not fooled for a moment that this was due to their better nature.

The party reconvened in the winery in time for a lunch that was more Senatian, with its olive oil, dried tomatoes and crisply baked bread, than it was Sommerwoldian, where hog and roots were traditionally more favoured. “What do we think then?” Caleigh asked.

“Before we speak, Rosamund would you...” Rosamund stood up, simultaneously Vaughn pointed his wand at the fire in the centre of the room causing it roar loudly and spit sparks. All eyes in the room turned hither giving Rosamund the chance to openly twirl her wand in a circle around the group. The hubbub of conversation outside the circle became muffled as if it were taking place far away or the other side of a wall. “No-one should overhear us now. And in answer to your question, Caleigh, I think a number of things about this place. There’s no doubt that there is magic afoot, I want to know what you think first then I’ll tell you what I’ve found out.”

“Very well, for a start, whatever they may say, some of the priestesses are surely using magic. The one who calls herself the Oracle is no doubt a wizard.”

“Agreed.”

“The draught they give is I think a mixture of the bedazzling charm and something else. I suspect most people see a vision of their heart’s desires coming to pass.”

“That is my suspicion too.”

“What I don’t understand is, if people are shown good visions, and then they do not come to pass, will they not feel misled?”

“I think I may know the answer to that.” Rosamund suggested. “I spoke to woman who envisioned finding a husband and each time she complained it had not come to pass the priestesses told her she had to show more devotion to the Gods for her wish to come true.”

“I would guess devotion is shown through offerings, is it not?” posed Vaughn.

“Yes, she told me that after a number of visits and a number of offerings she did find a husband. For which, of course, she thanks the Gods and their kindness.”

“The draught is not the only potion at work here.” Caleigh added. “The great bath is filled with charms.”

“Interesting, how did it feel to bathe there?”

“Oh, it was wonderful.” Ellie interjected.

“Ellie is right, I felt calm and joyful at once. It even diminished the effect of my charms.”

“Really, did you try to overcome it?”

“No, I was relieved for it. I did not try to fight. What did you find?”

“Around the west pools there are some hot rooms where people sit and sweat then cool themselves off in the plunge pool in the centre of the area. I found that some of the hot rooms and baths were kept closed and the guards would stop people entering or a certain times remove people to clear the room. You might think that they were doing work or the like but at these times when the rooms were meant to be empty the guards would admit others in pairs or threes, evidently according to a prior arrangement.” Ellie looked at Caleigh with a smirk, which Vaughn noticed. “You might guess at that but there’s more to it.”

“What do you think is happening?”

“You remember seeing some attendants being taken to one side and being given coin. My guess would be that this is when the arrangement happens. Given all else that goes on here, I would also guess that they pay for some kind of charm to be in the room where they have their meeting.”

“Why would they do this?” Penric asked.

“Many reasons, maybe a merchant wants to charge more for his products, so he meets somewhere where his partners feel happy. Maybe a man wants to seduce a woman so he takes her somewhere she feels more wanton.”

“If I agree to share a bath alone with a man, I likely feel that way already.” Ellie pointed out.

“I’ll grant that.”

“But perhaps a woman tired from her daily chores might want to be made to feel more wanton afore going home to her husband.” Rosamund offered.

“Can this be done with potions and magic?” Penric asked.

“Without a doubt.” Caleigh answered confidently.

“Anyway, these are guesses. To find out for sure what happens here I think we need to come back after nightfall.” Vaughn surmised.

“I agree. Did anyone catch sight of a serving girl?”

“I did.” Penric affirmed. “I saw a young woman being chased around by a priestess with red boils on her left cheek.

“That sounds like Agnes. Did you follow them?”

“No, I was bathing at the time. I could not swiftly pursue.”

“May I ask something?” Tamric spoke for the first time. The others nodded at his request.”

“What is our end here? It seems clear that the sisters of this place are involved in some wrongdoings. Do we intend to expose them? And what has this to do with the girl? Do we think the girl is behind the magic here or is it the priestesses?” None could provide an immediate response to any of these queries. “Furthermore, how may we return hither after nightfall?”

“The Oracle, gave me this.” Caleigh said producing her token of free passage. “If we can return close to the end of the day then that is a start.”

“We need to plan this in full, let’s return to our lodgings for now.”

22. Rhiannon

Hours later Caleigh stood staring at the huge fountain at the far end of the great bath room. She had seen some people wash in it earlier and it didn’t seem strange then. Now the prospect of doing the same before a room full of people was quite daunting. “I really hope this is a good idea.” She said. Ellie was her only companion this side of the changing rooms and it was her support she’d be relying upon.

“Worry not, I will be with you.” Caleigh and Ellie put their towels to one side and climbed into the fountain basin. Ellie perched down on the wall waiting with a soapstone and strigil while Caleigh went to the middle and stood amid the falling streams. Eyes were on her in an instant drinking in the splash of water on her huge breasts, watching it trickle down between her great tits and sopping over her firm stomach and dripping down into her sex or else bouncing free in fizzing droplets from her sleek thighs and rounded rump. Her charm spread like wildfire stoked and strengthened with each lustful stare alighting upon her naked flesh. Cocks became rigid and soon every man in the room had to fight to keep his hand off his organ. The women too became affected, seeing the lustful abandon they felt wetness grow below. Beneath the water the blue shimmer of magic crackled and sparked trying to restore calm.

At this moment Ellie took her cue and came in behind Caleigh to apply the soapstone to her back as Caleigh took the strigil and worked it over her arms and thighs. Some of the nearby men stood up and started to walk over to her with clear intend. Fighting the urge to succumb, Caleigh held onto the memory of her prior calmness and asserted control. Niftily, she waved the strigil here and there sending linking streams of energy between the men and the women in the room. Where the spell landed on existing couples little prompting was needed and kisses and touches ensued without hesitation. Next affected were those whose attraction was strong but unspoken. The magic in the pool shimmered with high frequency then burst outwards leaving only clear water left. According to Vaughn’s plan the spell caster should notice this unbinding at once. “Make haste.” Caleigh muttered under her breath. Her charm had begun to weave between strangers with a passing attraction. If it carried on much longer Caleigh feared it would start to affect people with no attraction to each other.

One of the white tunic wearing guards strolled into the room and his eyes went wide with shock, seeing half the bathers embraced in each other’s arms, and in the case of couples, stroking members and squeezing breasts. “Hey, this is not an orgy!” The guard shouted. Caleigh closed her eyes and broke the chain of thought maintaining the spell. By the time Agnes and a handful of other guards had run in to break up the love fest both she and Ellie had removed themselves to an unprovocative position in one of the alcoves. A bell rang out from the temple courtyard echoing loudly through the marble corridors. “Baths are closing, please return to the changing rooms.” The guards called out. The bathers looked up dumbstruck seemingly unaware of what had been happening a short time before. Caleigh and Ellie mixed in with the shuffling crowd using them as cover to follow Sister Agnes away to the eastern baths. Stepping between the lengthening shadows gathering around the pillars and walls they caught her berating a young and pretty serving girl, perhaps the same age as them, with long wavy dark hair. To their shock Sister Agnes slapped the poor girl about the face with some force before dragging her away towards the spring room.

“What do we do now?” Ellie asked. Both of them looked round in horror seeing another priestess approaching. She stepped into the light and they breathed a sigh of relief at the face that was revealed.  “You had me fooled there.”

“After all that time you spent getting my hair like this, I’d have thought you would be the last person to be fooled.” Rosamund retorted. Caleigh appraised Rosamund’s Hera-like hairstyle and the green robes trying to see through the latter illusion.

“You’re still too pretty to be one of the sisters here.” She concluded.

“Thanks.” Rosamund said smiling. “I have to be careful I’m not seen too much. Someone might notice I am not familiar.”

“Where’s Vaughn?”

“He’s searching the archives. Ellie, you can join the others in the winery now. That stays open for hours after the baths close.”

“Are you sure you will be safe without me, Caleigh?”

“Yes, Rosamund is with me and I cannot keep you with me for next part in any case. Besides, I need someone to take this away.” Caleigh said handing over her towel.

“Very well. I will see you later.” Ellie returned to the changing area in the west of the complex while Caleigh and Rosamund turned into the eastern part where the largest plunge pool was situated. It was circular in shape and deep enough to submerge an average man to his eye-line when standing straight. It was also very cold and was used for a short sharp shock to bring a bather back to awareness after a long session of warm stupor. Most importantly, it was the room with the least lighting and at this time of day was already in darkness and therefore out of use.

“Are you sure about this? You haven’t learned to control this magic yet.”

“I shall gain much practice then.” Caleigh said with a smile then took Rosamund by the shoulders and gave her a more serious expression. “I will not risk harm needlessly, I promise.”

“Forgive me, ‘tis hard to take earnestness from someone with no clothes on.” Rosamund said breaking into a laugh. “I will be close by. Do not be afraid to call out.” Caleigh nodded and watched her go. Alone at last she turned on the plunge pool and stepped to the edge. Her foot and lower leg sank into the water; the shock of cold forced her to exhale through her teeth. Bit by bit she struggled to hold in the whimpers as she drew herself deeper into the pool. The urge to get out was almost impossible to resist but somehow Caleigh found it within herself to turn her mind to other thoughts. She fixed on the memory of a short while ago when the whole of the great bath room had their eyes planted on her and the rush of desires that had floated her way. She remembered seeing Penric and Ellie’s congress forcing itself into her sight and the terrifying compulsion to abandon herself to the throes of lust.

At first she was not sure whether there was a change or whether it was the mere distraction that made the oppressive cold seem to lessen. Soon the sensation was inescapable; her skin was alive with heat offsetting the coolness of the water. It was different this time, however, there was a balance between the water and the fire, a measure of control and balance and this was precisely what she needed.

A guard’s footsteps thumped on the stonework nearby; Caleigh ducked her head beneath the water listening to the sound grow louder and louder then, with an agonising lack of alacrity, recede into the distance. The test had been passed and sure enough, the room was too dark and the pool just about large and deep enough to keep her from view.

The fire skin spell wore off after a time yet in that time in had burned hot enough to keep the water around Caleigh’s skin nicely above tepid. Darkness had spread beyond the room into the whole complex, save perhaps for the great bath room, whose windows were so large that moon and starlight could still spare it from night’s deeper hues. Thus she emerged into the quiet lightly spreading her wet footprints in her exit. The strigil she had entered the plunge pool with had returned to its natural wand shape and was soon joined by another when she moved towards the east baths.

Rosamund nodded fell into step without a word and with no verbal exchange both changed course from the great bath upon hearing noises from the spring room. They paused by the doorway from the east baths that looked directly across the ways into the courtyard they had followed when being guided by Hera. Waist deep in the spring waters was the large guard Caleigh had seen earlier, stripped completely this time. He was holding a short pole working it about the bottom of the pool while all the while being careful not to step close to the centre from where the spring waters emerged. One by one he fished out trinkets left there over the course of the day by visitors wishing to gain the favour of the gods.

Caleigh and Rosamund were just about to leave him to it when Sister Agnes appeared from the temple courtyard. “Cease that, Rolf, it can wait. Go to the winery and see if you can find anyone who was in the great bath when the strangeness began. Bring them to the temple and we will question them there.” Rolf nodded, got out of the pool and marched right past the women without blinking an eye. They had little time to get over their near miss, back in the spring room there was new activity. A woman covered all over by hood shawl and robe staggered into sight from behind Sister Agnes.

“I will be gone for a time.” Spoke a creaky voice Caleigh recognised at once as belonging to the Oracle. “Say that I am resting and cannot be seen.”

“What if the pretty liar returns?”

“Keep her here and summon me in the usual way.”

“Can we rework the spells without you?”

“The girl can do it. Work her through the night if needs be. I know how your sisters here value the coin my magic brings. They will not ask questions.” The Oracle stepped up to the waters’ edge and walked right into the heart of the spring until she was completely submerged. Sister Agnes retreated to the temple courtyard and with a look to each other Caleigh and Rosamund crept out to examine the spring. Neither was surprised to see that there was no trace of the Oracle to be found.

“Rosamund, you need to find Vaughn and stop Agnes and Rolf somehow. That is the best chance I have of getting to the girl alone and our best chance of helping our friends. Ellie was there when I cast the spell. I don’t want Rolf to hear of that.”

“What will you say to the girl?”

“I know not yet it seems clear she is ill-treated here.” Rosamund sped off and Caleigh turned back in the direction of the east baths. Out of the water and walking on the cold floor gave her goose bumps. After this is over, she thought, I am going to cover myself with blankets night and day. While public nudity could be a thrill, wearing clothes certainly had its virtues.

In the darkness a lamplight shone out ahead of her. In reaction, Caleigh entered the nearest bathing pool as quietly as she could and prepared to duck under. The lamplight moved her way and showed the delicate face of the very serving girl she was searching for, emerging from a trapdoor in the floor. She came out bearing a laden basket as well as the lamp and laid both of these on the floor in locking the trapdoor behind her.

“Oh!” The serving girl exclaimed with a start seeing Caleigh relaxing against the edge of the pool. “I thought all the bathers had left. Unless...are you a new Sister here?”

“Forgive me, I must have fallen asleep unnoticed and now I find myself alone in the darkness.” The serving girl moved closer and crouched down at the pool side.

“I...I could show you back to the changing room but...Sister Agnes said...”

“You seem to be alone too, there’s no need to worry about what anyone else has said. Besides, you have brought light.” The serving girl smiled nervously. Caleigh subtly directed her charm at her and slowly she relaxed and settled onto her hip. “Since we are alone, come and join me in here so we can talk more easily.”

“I am not permitted.”

“By whom?”

“By anyone.”

“Not true, I permit it. Indeed, I insist upon it.” Caleigh’s smile added to her spell made for an irresistible combination, especially for one so unused to kindness. The girl stripped off shyly, awkwardly revealing a slender and undernourished frame. She looked over at Caleigh and noticing her full, voluptuous body, withdrew slightly. Caleigh took her hand before she could retreat. “It is much warmer in here.” The girl relented and shuffled off her dress to drop into the water.

“If Sister Agnes sees me...”

“Then she will see me too and I will take the trouble for us both.” Caleigh soothed. “What is your name?”

“Rhiannon.”

“My name is Caleigh. How do you come to be here, Rhiannon?”

“The oracle noticed me when I visited the temple four years ago. She said I had talent and the Sisters took care of me from then.” Caleigh brushed Rhiannon’s bruised cheek.

“Care, such as this?”

“I...I serve them...”

“Can I tell you a secret, Rhiannon?”

“Yes.”

“I know you have talent. I came here to find you because of your talent. You see, I have talent too and I have come with companions who have talent also. We all come from a place where talented people are welcomed and protected: not beaten and abused. You can come there with me. We can leave tonight, if you want.”

“I...but if Sister Agnes...or the Oracle. The Oracle is talented, far more so than I am. My talent is only for potions. She has power far beyond me, she can kill! I would not dare go against her.”

“Then I dare for you. Today the oracle tried to bend my thoughts and I did not let her. I resisted and I am scarcely a novice. The friends I came with have more power than I and in Elevered we have friends your oracle would not dare to face. Come with me and we will all stand between you and her.”

“I...I like the sound of what you describe but...they will not let me leave just like that. They need me. The oracle cannot prepare everything alone. Without me they would not be able...”

“To charm people unwitting? To bewitch people for their coin? Is this how you want to use your talent?”