The Ancients: Book 3 in the Cedarstone Chronicles

by Sean Stone

  He heard the front door open and quickly tucked his list away. A moment later Toni entered the room. She was dressed all in black having just attended a funeral for some vampire police officer. Henry couldn't believe that that was allowed now. She had asked Henry to join her, but he had declined. He had no interest in being reminded of the state he had only just returned from. Not that he had returned, not properly. He was, in essence, still dead. A spirit inhabiting a body. He still needed to make it permanent. He wanted a way to anchor himself in the body so nothing would ever be able to force him out. He would have preferred a better body, Adam Kent was rather scrawny, but he'd already begun gathering power in this body now and he'd already learned that if he left the body he'd leave the power behind.

  "How was it?" he asked, not really caring but knowing he had to keep up appearances.

  "Depressing. A few of the other sorcerers came. They wondered where you were," Toni said. She took a seat next to Henry on the sofa. A little too close for his liking. She did that a lot; it was clear that she had some feelings towards Adam, but Adam was gone. Henry hadn't heard a sniffle from him since he killed his child.

  "I couldn't face a funeral. Not another one," Henry said. He had had to show up at the funeral for the Kent family, it would have looked awfully suspicious if he hadn't. There wasn't much left of Nicole and the boy, just ashes, but they were buried all the same. As they had not been members of the coven they had not been laid to rest in the coven cemetery.

  "They understand that. But you need to hold a coven meeting. Everybody is anxious about the murders. If you don't call a meeting and sort this then someone else will and we both know who that will be.

  "Genevieve," Henry muttered with disdain. He had learned all about how Genevieve Laurent had tried to usurp Adam's position, but apparently they had settled their differences, at least temporarily. Henry did wonder if Genevieve had suggested that Adam visit Henry's home because she knew that a nasty accident would befall him. Henry had been in the habit of killing those who entered his house, Adam was one of the few who had walked out again. In a manner of speaking.

  "Exactly. You need to show everyone that you're still their leader, even after what's happened. We can't let anyone else die."

  "Very well. Call a meeting. I shall reassure them," Henry said. But more people would die. Many, many more.

  Henry stood before the coven in the museum hall and contemplated how to begin. He had no idea how Adam Kent usually behaved. After deliberating over the matter for several minutes he decided to say whatever came to mind. Any weirdness could be blamed on his grief. He wondered how long he could get away with using that excuse.

  "Good evening everybody," he said like a headmaster addressing an assembly. A few people returned his greeting, but mainly he was met with silence. In his day people had better manners. Oh well, he was just going to have to get accustomed to the vulgarities of modern life. "As of late we have been met with something of a problem," he said.

  "Nickolas Blackwood is hunting us down," a rather angry woman said from the front row.

  "Well now, we don't know for sure that it is Nickolas Blackwood," Henry said. He knew for sure that it was not.

  "Oh, who else would it be?" the woman said.

  "What is your name?" Henry asked, narrowing his eyes at the obsequious woman. He clenched his fist at his side, holding back the urge to smite her where she sat.

  "You don't know my name?" she said in furious disbelief.

  "Adam has been going through a lot, Tina. He lost his family," Genevieve said with a hint of warning. Tina blushed and looked down. "However, it is fairly obvious that Nickolas is responsible for the recent string of murders." Genevieve stood up from her seat at the back of the hall and began marching down the aisle towards the front. "I have visited each of the crime scenes and have discovered the signs of the warlock ritual at every one of them. The magic was drained from the remains of every sorcerer who died. So, unless we have another warlock capable of picking us off so easily, I think that Nickolas is our only answer." She stopped next to Henry and turned to face the congregation. "The question we must ask ourselves tonight, is what are we going to do about it?"

  "Precisely," Henry said, nodding in agreement.

  "Maybe if we understand why he's doing it we could convince him to stop," suggested an overweight man.

  "Convince him to stop?" Henry repeated. "Convince him to stop? Are you as idiotic as you are fat?"

  "Adam!" Toni gasped, her jaw open rather comically.

  "Oh, come one! Convince him to stop! He's one of the greatest warlocks to walk the bloody earth. There is only one way to stop a man like Nickolas Blackwood. Death," Henry said, not that he relished the idea of fighting Nickolas just yet. He was nowhere near ready. A few years down the line perhaps. Maybe a few months if he worked extra hard.

  "We tried fighting the Thirteen before to catastrophic results," Genevieve said.

  "Yeah, almost everyone who followed you to that fight wound up dead," the fat man said, happy for the chance to argue with Henry.

  "That was because most of you refused to fight," Toni said, launching herself from her chair and turning to face the group. "If you'd all come with us then maybe we would have won."

  The room erupted into argument. Most of the room were fighting against Toni with indignation, although a few backed her up. Henry watched with fascination as Toni stood up against her opponents, even Genevieve joined Toni's side. Maybe she wasn't as bad as Henry had been led to believe.

  "Silence!" Henry roared when he had had enough of the noise. The room hushed in an instant, everybody turning to look at him in surprise. Adam must not be the sort to shout for silence. "We did not come here to argue. Toni and Genevieve seem to be the only two sorcerers here who have an inkling of sense. Do you both agree that we must fight Nickolas Blackwood head on?" Henry said, turning to the two women.

  "Yes," Toni said through gritted teeth.

  "As much as it pains me to admit it, I do agree. Nickolas can only be stopped with death," said Genevieve.

  "We can't kill him, though, he's immortal," Tina argued.

  "Everybody can be killed," Henry said, turning to face her. "It is simply a matter of figuring out how."

  "I'm not on board with this," Tina said.

  "Nor me," the fat man seconded. A few others in the room joined their argument.

  "I care not if you are on board with this," Henry said. He faced the room and fixed the coven with a dark look meant to frighten them. "Last I looked, I was coven dynast, and you will do as I command. We are going to find a way to kill Nickolas Blackwood and then we are going to do it. Everybody in this room will assist. You will follow any order I issue you and if anybody even considers refusing I promise you that you will wish it had been Nickolas Blackwood's hands you had fallen into and not mine." As he turned away he noticed that Genevieve and Toni were both looking at him cautiously, as if they were frightened by what he had said even though it had not been directed at them. Good. A little fear could be a beautiful thing. Of course, if he was to take on Nickolas Blackwood then he would need more than just power. He needed guidance, the kind that only his former mentor could provide.

  *

  CHAPTER TWO

  Eric followed his mother and Uncle Merle into the back of the car and they headed back home. The funeral had been boring and dull, as all funerals were. Eric had never thought much of William Marshall, he'd never had much to do with him, but both his mother and uncle had insisted that he attend the funeral. It was supposed to show good leadership. Eric didn't see how attending a vampire's funeral would earn him any brownie points with the pack, but he'd gone just to shut them up. Since Connor had disappeared it had been easy for Eric to step into the leadership role. He'd been expecting a fight, however, most of the pack just accepted it, as though it was the natural order of things. The few who hadn't accepted him as alpha had been invited to a private meeting with him and Serena and by the time they left they'd ha
d a change of heart. Eric wasn't officially the alpha yet. It wouldn't be official until Connor was confirmed dead and nobody challenged Eric's ascension. Eric had sent people looking for the body, he'd even told them that Connor had been heading for the Thorndale Woods to confront Nickolas, but apparently, his body was proving to be elusive.

  "Now that that's out of the way perhaps we can get on with some real work?" Serena said. She had been insufferable since Connor had died. It was clear to Eric that she intended to rule through him and if he didn't put her in her place soon then he would be nothing more than a puppet. It had only been a few days and he already wanted rid of her. It wasn't just because of her forcefulness. Every time Eric looked at her he saw Connor kneeling before him, face red, eyes bulging, the silver chain coiled around his neck. He heard the splash his body had made when Eric had pushed him into the lake. Eric loathed Serena for what she'd made him do. She'd made him cross a line. She'd turned him into a murderer and he could not and would not ever forgive her.

  "What work?" Eric asked. He didn't look at her, he looked out the window at the streets as they drove past.

  "I think it's time to find you a suitable partner. A wife," she said. This again.

  "I have a partner," Eric snapped. He was in no mood for this today. He hadn't been able to make his relationship with Natalie public yet, he daren't do that until his position was secure.

  "Don't be silly. The alpha cannot have a human for a wife."

  "He's not alpha," Merle cut in before Eric could reply. The car fell silent. Merle did not know the truth about what had happened in the caves. He had made it clear that he would have no part in murder so they had kept him out of the plan. He had also sided with Connor anyway and walked away from them. Now that Connor was gone he'd come crawling back.

  "He's as good as," Serena said, lowering her head as she turned to her brother.

  "Not as far as I'm concerned," Merle replied.

  "Then why are you here, Uncle?" Eric asked. "You didn't know Marshall well enough to attend his funeral, and your family loyalty isn't exactly a high priority."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "You walked out on us to give your allegiance to Connor."

  "Because he is alpha."

  "And now that I've stepped in you've come back. Tail tucked between your legs," Eric said. "You just like staying close to power. Well, you needn't have bothered coming back. I have no use for you."

  Merle gave Eric a hard stare before replying. "I didn't come back because of any power you think you have. I'm back because I know that you two had something to do with Connor's disappearance. I'm here to keep an eye on you and when I figure out what you did I won't hesitate to put things right."

  Serena shot Eric a reassuring look but it was anything but. Eric knew his uncle well enough to believe that he meant his words. He would keep digging until he found something and he would use it to take them down. He might spare Serena, their sibling bond had always been strong, but he despised Eric and there would be no mercy there. Eric had to find a way to stop his uncle's interference. Murder was not an option, he would not take that route again. He doubted that Serena would suggest such a thing for her own brother anyway. He had to get rid of him somehow, though.

  The rest of the journey was silent and when they returned to the house another surprise was waiting. Dana, Connor's wife, was waiting in the dining room with one of the search teams that Eric had put together. Dana was hunched over, her face streaked with mascara tears. They'd finally found him. Eric straightened his posture and walked into the room, trying to look confident and strong, as a leader should. That all went to shit when his eyes fell on the dining table which held Connor's corpse. It was covered with a sheet thankfully, but one of the hands was protruding. The skin was rotten and dripping and the smell was so overpowering that Eric wanted to rip his own nose off. One of the perils of being a werewolf was a very acute sense of smell. On sight, Eric's knees wobbled under him and he had to grasp the door frame to stop himself from falling. Everything that had happened that night was coming back to him and none of it was pleasant. He looked away so the others wouldn't see the tears in his eyes.

  "We found him," Drew said, pointing pointlessly at the corpse.

  "So we see," Serena said, strolling calmly into the room. She wasn't disturbed at all, she looked more irritated. "That's a fifty thousand pound dining table."

  "Mother!" Eric hissed. Everyone stared at Serena with revulsion, Dana most of all. Eric quickly stepped between them before Dana rammed her fingers into Serena's eyes.

  "We found him with a silver chain wrapped around his neck and chest," Dana said, spit flying from her mouth. "He was murdered."

  Drew kicked a sack that was on the floor by the table and Eric heard the chain clink inside it. He was grateful that he couldn't see the tool he'd used to commit murder.

  "But who would do this?" Drew asked, looking at Eric for an answer.

  "We know who did this," Dana said, staring intently at Eric, and he was certain that she was going to accuse him there and then. "Nickolas Blackwood. He went to stop Blackwood from trespassing on our territory, that's what you said isn't it Eric?"

  "Yes, that's right." His throat was completely dry. He could feel all eyes on him.

  "So we have to kill him. We can't let him get away with murdering two alphas," Dana said. Eric's grandfather, Waylon, had been murdered by Nickolas a few months ago for refusing to assist him in taking down the council.

  "Agreed," Eric said thoughtfully. It was exactly what he wanted. To kill Nickolas for murdering his grandfather, but it didn't feel the way he'd thought it would.

  "Let's not go charging after the Thirteen guns blazing," Serena said, her voice was the only steady one in the room. "We don't know how to kill Blackwood. If we go after him then he will kill us. Just look at what he did to Connor." Dana sobbed again at the mention of his name.

  "We need to figure out how to kill him. Or how to put him away for eternity if we really can't end him." Eric turned and saw Merle staring at him intently. His eyes said it all. He knew Eric was behind this and he was going to try and prove it. Eric needed to get him out of the way, but he couldn't bring himself to take another life, and not his uncle's, even if he did hate him. "Uncle Merle, you have a keen mind. I want you to put it to use. Turn over every stone. Find a way to kill an immortal. Stop at nothing until you know the secret." That would keep him out of the way and if Nickolas found out what he was up to then maybe he would take Merle out of the picture. Merle looked around the room, looking to see if Eric had the support of the rest of the pack members present. He must have decided that he did because Merle gave a curt nod and then strolled from the room. It was nice to see his uncle cowed. It was a shame it wouldn't last, though, Eric was certain of that. He would need to keep Merle busy until he dropped his investigation into Eric and Serena. Or died.

  "Let's not leave him here like this," Eric said. "Drew prepare Connor for his final rites. Let's give him the send-off he deserves."

  "Of course," Drew said, nodding. He motioned for the others to follow him and they got to work moving the body at once.

  "Mother, why don't you take Dana through to the sitting room and give her what comfort you can." Serena smiled and obeyed, leading Dana from the room at once. And it seemed that just like that Eric was alpha, but it was not something that he felt at all good about.

  *

  William had no family and Richie had requested that he be given the remains to lay them to rest next to Rosie's; Richie's adopted daughter and William's only love. After the funeral, the coffin was delivered to Morgan's nightclub and from there it was carried to the crypt at the lowest level of the underground manor. Richie woke early that night and headed straight for the crypt with Victor by his side. The other elders wanted to join them but Richie forbade anybody else to enter the crypt with him.

  "He was the closest thing to a son I ever had," Richie mumbled, as he gazed sombrely down at the grey and stoney
face of William Marshall. He was dressed in his police dress uniform. It was exactly what William would have wanted. Above everything else, he was a police officer. Richie remembered the day that William had first stepped into Morgan's, He was a new vampire and had come to Richie looking for help. Not help on how to survive as a creature of the night, but help finding the vampire who had turned him and changed his life forever. From that first moment, Richie had seen something in William that he liked. He had a naive innocence about him that Richie enjoyed. He also had a stubborn determination that could not be swayed. Once his eyes had been opened to the supernatural and he'd spent decades trying to maintain order in Cedarstone that innocence was all but gone and a hard joyless man had been left. It wasn't just the job that had done it. The loss of Rosie had been a major turning point in William's life. Rosie had been the one to show William the ropes after he'd been turned. She helped him, guided him, nurtured him and loved him. They were happy together until the war. The war that had killed Rosie. The war that Richie had started and lost.

  Richie closed the coffin and laid his palm on its top. "Together again. Never to part," he said quietly, head bowed.