Reality Bites (11 page)

‘Why would you do that?’ asked Denny, from behind them, ‘you just got here.’

Tamar spun, and Denny hastily concealed the Athame in his pocket.

‘Denny!’  She flung her arms around him.  Then she drew back, frowning.  ‘How? What? How did we get back?’

Denny assumed a blank expression.  ‘
I
don’t know,’ he said. ‘I was in the other room and I heard you talking – although,’ he dropped his voice to a whisper.  ‘I didn’t hear you come in – did you teleport?’

‘No, yes, that’s not what I meant,’ she glanced at Stiles.  ‘Oh, it’s okay, he knows.’

Denny now tried to look as if he were more confused than ever, it was an expression that settled easily on his face from long practice.  ‘So, if you teleported, and he knows about it, why are you asking how you got here? What’s the game?’

Denny’s acting skills had really come on. In the last few days he had gone from Keanu Reeves to Anthony Hopkins.

‘No game – I – I …’

‘You know what?’  Denny stopped her, why don’t you have a drink or something and calm down, you’re all shaky.  And aren’t you going to introduce us?’  He indicated Stiles, who was standing behind her, looking awkward.

‘Oh, yes, Jack – this is Denny.  Denny – this is Jack Stiles.’

‘No kidding,’ said Stiles, dourly.

‘I guessed as much,’ said Denny, smiling, he held out a hand. ‘Nice to meet you.’  They shook hands.

‘Is it hot in here?’ said Tamar, pulling off layers. 

‘I’m afraid I haven’t been able to find out very much,’ said Denny.  ‘I was too busy looking for you.’  He turned to Tamar.  ‘Where have you been?’

‘You were looking for her
here
?’ said Stiles sceptically.

‘I just got back,’ said Denny easily.

If Stiles thought that Denny seemed suspiciously calm for a man whose girlfriend had been missing for a week, he did not say so.

‘It’s okay,’ said Tamar.  ‘I – we found something out.  I’d better tell you everything.’

Denny listened calmly.  ‘Well,’ he said, at the end.  ‘I guess that explains why I couldn’t contact you. It might also explain why you’d never seen a vampire until recently; I guess that’s where they’ve been living all this time.’

This was a fact, not a guess, but Denny did not explain this.  ‘I mean, that’s probably where they all went around the time the legends faded away. Well, I mean …’

‘I know what you mean,’ Tamar said, impatiently.  ‘The question is why?’

‘A more important question,’ said Stiles, ‘is how
we
got there?’

‘No,’ said Tamar.  ‘It’s obvious how.  The vampires took you there, and I just slipped in on their coat tails, as it were.  The really interesting point is – how did we get back?’  They both looked at Denny.

‘Well, what are you looking at me for?’ he said defensively.  ‘I don’t know do I?’

‘We
know
you don’t,’ said Tamar.  ‘But you might be able to find out.’

‘Shouldn’t we be concentrating on how to summon Hecaté?’ Denny countered, adroitly changing the subject.

Stiles narrowed his eyes. ‘Another one,’
he thought.  Mind you, he had a point.

‘Can you do it?’ he asked.

Denny shook his head.  ‘I can’t do the summoning, I have no magic power.’ (This was a direct lie now, but Denny barely flinched) ‘But Tamar does; she’s the closest thing we have to an actual witch – no offence,’ he nodded to her.  ‘My job is to find out what to do.  I have books on this stuff, but I think I’ll start on the ’net.’

‘Shouldn’t we be trying to find out why this Ran-Kur wants me dead?’ asked Stiles, not unreasonably.

‘Well, if we can find a way to get rid of him, it won’t matter – will it?’ said Denny.

Tamar smiled in agreement.  ‘Makes sense,’ she said.

‘Yeah,’ said Denny. ‘We ice this Ran-Kur, end of problem.’

‘But …’

‘There is one other thing,’ added Denny.  ‘Just in case it doesn’t work, you two had better hunt us up a witch or three.  You know, in case I can’t find a summoning ritual, or Tamar does it, and it doesn’t work.’

‘Okay,’ said Tamar, ‘good idea, have you got a list?’

Denny sat down at the computer.  ‘Just give me a sec.’

‘List?’ asked Stiles.

‘Possible covens,’ said Tamar

‘Yeah, we lost the last one, after Tamar terrified them,’ laughed Denny.

‘I just hope I don’t have to go campaigning for women’s rights in dungarees and an unflattering haircut.’

‘Well,
I’m
not doing it,’ said Denny.

‘Why not, you already
have
a bad haircut.’

Denny glowered but held his peace. Why did he put up with her?

‘What are you two talking about?’ asked Stiles.

‘Witches,’ said Tamar. ‘They hide out, incognito as women’s groups. All right, I’ll make a start.  Hey Denny are you still having that weird dream?’

‘No, it’s stopped.’

‘I wouldn’t say that,’ she said, pointing at the window, at the inky blackness.  ‘I’d say, He’s here – whoever He is.’

Denny glanced out of the window.  ‘Well, I’ll be damned,’ he said.

‘It’s probably this Ran-Kur.’

‘Probably.’

‘What dream?’ asked Stiles, he was beginning to feel like a quiz show host. 
And
for
the
grand
prize
of
a
trip
to
Tahiti
…

‘I’ll tell you later,’ said Tamar. (No one
ever
said that to Chris Tarrant.)

‘Stiles sighed; he’d probably never find out, not now that these two were distracting him in tandem. ‘It’s supposed to be two cops and one suspect,’ he thought.  ‘And I want to know why I’m wanted dead in ghoul town, I hate loose ends.’

In the end, he decided to go with Tamar.  For one thing, Denny made him uncomfortable, he had been prepared to dislike him, nay, even hate him.  But this was more than mere jealousy.  Denny made him nervous; he did not trust him. He told himself not to be silly, that he was biased, and it was not Denny’s fault that he had got the girl, even though he was no Johnny Depp.  Because of this, he was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt; after all, he had been suspicious of Tamar at first. Also, it had been Denny’s suggestion that he go, citing his own lack of powers.  Stiles would be safer with her, he had said.  This was indisputable, and it was unfair to suspect him of trying to get rid of them, even though Stiles was sure that he was.

As soon as they had gone, Denny switched off the computer and wandered over to the bookcase.  Without even looking, he drew out a large book entitled “Summoning Spells & Incantations”.  He flipped over the pages. ‘Summoning a Deity,’ he read. ‘Blah, blah, blah, insert name of deity, etc, etc.’ He closed the book and grinned.  He felt only the slightest pang of guilt as he snapped his fingers and created a small safe in the air, put the book in and snapped his fingers again, the safe disappeared.

~ Chapter Fifteen ~

B
y the most remarkable co-incidence, possibly ever, they found a witch almost immediately. Almost! – Five WI meetings had turned up zilch, and Tamar was disgruntled and Stiles was wishing he had not come. The WI-ers had given him some very curious looks, of course he was used to this, and his first instinct, had been to whip out his badge, until Tamar told him not to.

It was getting dark; they were in Staines; the daylight blackout evidently had not reached this area yet. The sun appeared to be setting in the usual manner.  They had decided to call it a day and were wandering along dispiritedly. 

‘Why isn’t it ever easy?’ complained Tamar, looking for a private place to teleport from.  She stopped suddenly and raised her head, almost as if she were sniffing the air.

‘What is it?’ Stiles asked.

‘Magic,’ she said, ‘there.’ She pointed to a house. ‘Witch magic.’

‘How do you know?’

She shrugged.  ‘How do you know when it’s cold?  I just feel it.’

‘So, what are we doing, are we going in?’

‘Um – no, we know where she is; let’s just leave it for now.  We may not need her at all, and if we burst in on her now, she may not be here when we come back.  Denny was right; witches tend to be afraid of me.  Let’s just take a note of the address.’  She glanced at the sign and laughed.  ‘Look at this – Mrs. C Pittencherry, Chiropractor.  Good cover, there’s even a phone number.’

‘What’s funny about that?’

‘Witches don’t need phones.’

‘They do if they want to blend in, I suppose.’

‘Good point.  Well, I suppose we should go back and see if Denny’s had any luck.’

When they got back, Denny was not there.  Tamar panicked. ‘Oh my God, we led them straight here, no wonder they let us out, they took him.’

‘Calm down, what would they want with
him
?  I thought it was
me
they were after?’

‘Who knows? Maybe it was all just misdirection, who knows what’s really going on.’

‘That’s been my point all along.’

‘What?’

‘I
said
we should try to find out what’s behind all this, and you shut me down, or rather he did, and you agreed with him.’

‘Oh God, you’re right! And now they’ve taken him, and it’s all my fault.’

‘Look, you don’t
know
that they took him, there’s no sign of a struggle, besides how did they get in? He wouldn’t invite them, would he?  He’s not stupid.’

‘Mind control – remember?  Isn’t that how they got you?  Anyway, the door’s off its hinges, look.’

‘It was like that before.’

‘It
was
? Are you sure?’

‘Positive!  Anyway, I thought you knew about vampires, the mind control doesn’t kick in until
after
you invite them in.’

‘So, where the hell is he? And how did they get into
your
home?’

‘Who said they did?’

‘Oh, I just assumed.’

‘You do that a lot don’t you?  Anyway, about Denny, can’t you find him, contact him, like telepathy? You said …’

‘Oh, oh yes, I can try.  But if he’s where
we
were, then …’

‘At least you’ll have your answer then.’

‘Answer to what?’ said Denny walking in.

Tamar rounded on him.  ‘Where the hell were you?’

‘I just went out to get a paper, what’s the matter with you?’

‘A
paper?
At a time like this? What’s the matter with
you?
’

‘I’m sorry, I was getting nowhere on the computer, and my legs had cramped up.  I wasn’t expecting you back yet; I just wanted some fresh air.’

‘I thought something had happened to you.’

‘I think I’ll just – go – in – here,’ said Stiles, backing into the kitchen.

‘I’m sorry,’ Denny was saying. ‘I didn’t mean to scare you, I didn’t think.  How come you’re back already?’

‘We found one.’

‘Already?  That’s great.  Wait – just
one
?  Isn’t that unusual?’

‘I guess, maybe not though, how do I know?  I suppose they don’t all live together, like a commune.’

‘I suppose not.  Have you forgiven me then?’

She did not answer in words; Denny smiled; oh yes
this
was why he put up with her.  But she pulled back quickly; it was just too frustrating. So close and yet so far away. Denny considered for a second, telling her the truth about the Athame, maybe now, with his own power, he could be close to her at last.  But for some reason he said nothing.

‘I have missed you,’ she whispered. 

Behind the kitchen door, the forgotten Stiles sank to his knees, stuffed kitchen towel in his ears and cringed. 

Later, around two a.m. Denny rose and padded through to the living room.  He wiped his forehead. Tamar was right; it
was
hot in here.  He checked that nobody was around (meaning Stiles) then he clicked his fingers.  The safe appeared, and he removed the book and replaced it in the bookshelf.  He was not sure what mischievous impulse had made him hide it in the first place, but he felt guilty about it now. The Athame was secreted in his bedside drawer; he had almost forgotten about it.

* * *

The next morning Denny seemed almost himself again, but he did not confess what he had done, nor did he tell Tamar about the Athame.  He did “find” the book, however, and they talked about what to do next.

‘I think we have to summon this Ran-Kur first,’ was Stiles opinion.  ‘I want to know why he wants me dead.’

‘That’s far too dangerous,’ said Denny.  ‘You just said it, yourself, he wants to kill you.’

‘If he was going to do it, himself, don’t you think he would have done it already?’ demanded Stiles. ‘I don’t reckon he can, or else he doesn’t want to get his hands dirty.’

‘No, Denny’s right,’ said Tamar (predictably, thought Stiles). ‘It’s just too risky.’

‘Okay, but I still think we should try to find out somehow.’

‘Catch another vampire maybe?’ said Denny.

‘They must know
something.
’

‘Maybe we should summon Hecaté first,’ said Tamar.  ‘Ask her if she’ll do it.’

‘Do you think we should go and collect that witch first?’ asked Denny.

‘No, I’ll give it a try first,’ said Tamar.

‘Okay, so are we all agreed, we summon Hecaté?’ asked Denny.

They nodded.

‘Okay then, there’s a potion, we’ll need a few things.’

‘Eye of newt?’ said Stiles, ‘wing of bat?’  He said this with a perfectly straight face, so they were not sure whether he was joking.

They stared at him.  ‘Anyway,’ said Denny eventually. ‘You go and get the stuff, I’ll make a list.’

‘A roc’s egg,’ said Tamar, startled. ‘Oh my God, this’ll cause some trouble.’

‘Why?’ asked Stiles.

They’re sacred birds,’ explained Denny.  ‘Especially to the Djinn.’

‘But Tamar isn’t a Djinn anymore,’ objected Stiles.

‘Actually, I’m more worried about how damned vicious they are,’ said Tamar.

Denny smiled.  ‘Do you want
me
to go?’