As rituals go, it was meant to be a fairly easy one. Third level, not too tricky, no need for any great paraphernalia. Just the sort of thing any upwardly-mobile junior apprentice might give a go in her spare time. She probably ought to have checked it out with her Senior tutor, but who can be bothered with that? Needed a lackey to get the first part done right though- odd requirement, being tied in the middle of four posts, with the knots at the far end. Something a bit in the notes waffled and skipped over, invoking the protections without and within or something.

Of course, once the ritual is begun, you can't stop it. Not even when the first phrases ring out and you discover you've magically created a rope to bind your own hands, or feel them drawn back above your head. But the final phrase calling a gag to silence you from doing any more magic was a real SHOCK. That was one very cleverly-worded and deceptive bit of magic! She thought to herself.

"WHY THANK YOU" said a deep, rumbling voice just behind her ear. "I WAS RATHER PROUD OF THAT BIT MYSELF."

She screamed as the imp of the perverse she had summoned directly into the circle with her took stock of its captive, running its hands over her silk robe... "YOU REALLY SHOULD CHECK THE AUTHOR BEFORE PERFORMING STRANGE RITUALS, YOU KNOW. I SHALL ENJOY YOUR CENTURIES OF SERVITUDE!"

Hywel's note: if you've not read them, Jonathan Stroud's "Bartimeus" books are a hoot. Ritual magic from the poor hard-done-by summoned demon's point of view. Oh, and Charles Stross' Laundry series of course, you'll never look at magic in quite the same way again.

Please welcome the awesome Millie Fenton to Restrained Elegance! We had a super fun shoot with her, full of energy and fizz. Love her expressions! Much more of Millie to come!