The Ancients: Book 3 in the Cedarstone Chronicles

by Sean Stone

  When Henry turned up at the museum the curator pulled him into his office and as soon as the door closed he began yelling at him about punctuality and not coming and going as he pleased. Henry stayed silent as the little fat man blathered on, his face growing more and more purple as he continued to rant. Henry had been rich in his previous life and had never actually worked a day in his life. He was unaccustomed to the ways of the working world and he wasn't about to start mucking in now. By the time Henry left the office the curator had stopped yelling and was quite dead. He'd be found by some unfortunate employee, with his throat slashed, but that wasn't Henry's problem.

  It turned out that whilst he had been gone the sarcophagus had turned up. He made his way straight to the warehouse where it was being stored and as soon as he laid eyes upon it, he was struck by its resplendent beauty. It was not like the ones in other museums, though. For a start, the top didn't slide off like they usually did, instead, it worked on a hinge. It wasn't made of stone either, but of wood. It was in the shape of a man, arms crossed over the chest and wearing a headdress. The difference was the colours. The entire thing was coloured in gold and black. No other colour was on the item. Even the headdress ,which in all other artefacts was striped blue and gold, was black and gold on this one. The most intriguing part of the whole thing was the face. There was none. The face had been left totally blank. He wondered who had created the thing and for what purpose. He knew now that the ancients had been prominent in Ancient Egypt so it was likely one of their inventions, but why they'd needed it was a mystery to him. Alistair would know, but he felt that he wasn't particularly welcome in the shop for the time being. Maybe in the future, he could return once the dust had settled.

  Henry placed a hand on the surface of the sarcophagus and at once he felt the power vibrating through it. There was no doubt in his mind that this item could trap even the likes of Nickolas Blackwood. But he didn't want to trap Nickolas. He wanted to sacrifice Nickolas and take his power. After visiting Alistair, hearing the way he issued his threats, seeing the look in his eyes, Henry wanted nothing more than to put him in the sarcophagus. He'd leave him in there for a very long time. Long enough to teach him some manners and to stop him from getting in the way of his plans for Nickolas. First, he'd need the power to fight Alistair, though, and he imagined it would take a lot.

  He moved the sarcophagus to a disused area of the warehouse and then cloaked it with a powerful spell. Nobody would be able to find it now unless they were strong enough to break his spell, and there were only a few people capable of such a feat. With the sarcophagus hidden he needed to do something to clear his mind. He checked that his athame was in his pocket and then left the museum to cross the sixth name from his list.

  *

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Eric's skin was burning by the time he got home. He'd spent the afternoon with Natalie but now that the sun was setting and the moon would soon be in the sky he had taken her home away from the pack. Letting his relationship become known to the pack was a huge relief. Now that he was secured as alpha nobody could stop him from being with who he wanted. His mother would try, but he would show her that he could not be pushed around. Merle would certainly have something to say as well, but he was out of town doing research, at least for now. When he returned Eric would just have to find another task to send him on.

  When Eric reached the dining room he learned that things were not quite as blissful as they seemed. Serena was sitting at the table with five of the pack's oldest members. None of them look pleased.

  "Eric, sit down Son, we need to talk," she said in her motherly voice.

  "What is this about?" he demanded at once. He went to the table but did not sit, if he sat then they would all see him obeying his mother's command, like a puppy. He knew what it was about; Natalie. Of course, his mother had put something together, a little brigade of the most respected wolves in the pack. If she thought they could sway him then she was sorely mistaken.

  "We need to talk about your choice of partner." She turned her nose up as she said "partner" and Eric clenched his fist. "Sit down," she said again, a touch more forcefully.

  "I'll stand," he said. "Whatever you want to say, say it fast. I don't have time for this nonsense."

  "Nonsense?" Holden said aghast. He was one of the oldest at the table. He was near sixty and he looked every day of it. "How can you call the concerns of your pack nonsense?"

  "Tell me your concerns and I'll tell you how I can call them nonsense," he retorted.

  "Son, you have chosen a human girl for a partner. You must see the problem that this poses?" Serena said. She wasn't angry which was a first for her. There was still time, however.

  "I don't actually, Mother. I don't see how it effects the pack in any way. Nor how it is any of your business. It's a private matter," he said indignantly.

  "You are the alpha of this pack. Nothing you do is a private matter," Holden said sternly, planting both hands on the table and pulling himself to his feet. "As for how this effects the pack, well let me explain it to you, young man. An alpha with a human only has a fifty percent chance of creating more wolves. An alpha who has humans for offspring is not an alpha who lasts. It is a mockery and an effrontery to the position you hold."

  "How do any children that I may or may not have effect my position as alpha? The position does not automatically pass to them anyway, so what does it matter what race they are?" Eric demanded, staring the older man full in the face. He could not show any signs of backing down, he had to be strong. Any signs of weakness and they'd all gang up on him — more so than they already were.

  "It is a tradition that the alpha takes a female of the pack as his wife. You are expected to uphold that tradition," Serena said, still calmly.

  "Screw tradition," Eric said and the old men all gasped.

  "How dare you!" Holden exclaimed.

  "Listen," Eric snapped, and the room fell silent. "I am alpha. I decide what happens. If I want a human girlfriend I will have a human girlfriend. If any of you want to challenge my rule you know how to go about it." The table remained silent. Nobody wanted to challenge Eric to a fight, they were all too old to oppose him. The younger the wolf, the greater the strength. "No? Then get out of my house." The men at the table all stood and left the room, muttering as they went. Holden went last and on his way he stopped and looked Eric dead in the eye.

  "You might find that matters are somewhat different tonight," he said threateningly and then left after the others. Eric understood his meaning. In their human form Eric had greater strength, but in wolf form, Holden would be stronger than he was now. Not stronger than Eric, but he would be more skilled, more able. He'd been a werewolf for over forty years. If Holden challenged him tonight then he would have a tough fight on his hands. But one that he was confident he could win.

  "Well played, Eric," Serena said. "I hope you know what you're doing. Insulting those old men was not the wisest move."

  Eric looked at her and his loathing rose to the surface. "Shut up, Mother," he said and then walked away.

  A few hours later, Eric made his way to the woods behind his house. He went to his usual clearing and began stripping away his clothes. It was still early, but he could already feel the transformation taking place. His body was growing weaker as it prepared to change forms. His transition always began early. His grandfather had told him that as he got older he would learn to prolong the change, but he had not been able to yet. Before he'd managed to even unbutton his jeans one of his ribs cracked and he doubled over in pain. Once the pain subsided, he quickly pulled off his jeans and flung them into the bushes. He didn't make it to his boxer shorts. One of the bones in his leg cracked and sent him to the floor. Panting and sweating, Eric writhed about on the grass, trying to fight back the pain.

  "There you are," a voice said from the woods. Eric looked up and saw Holden striding towards him. Fuck, Eric thought as he realised Holden's plan. It was even more diabolical than something Serena c
ould have come up with. In wolf form, Holden would have the advantage of skill and experience, but if he challenged Eric now then he would have an advantage that Eric could not overcome. Eric's body was at it's weakest possible condition, his bones were literally breaking and realigning themselves. Holden meanwhile, had not even started his transformation. And on the night of the full moon, he would be at his strongest.

  "Not now," Eric said, looking up at Holden, almost pleading. Then he saw other pack members making their way towards them. They stopped by the trees. Eric sighed with relief. At least it wasn't a mutiny from the whole pack. Just one member.

  "What's all this?" Eric rose, trying to hide the obvious pain in his voice, but it was pointless even trying.

  "I need witnesses."

  "Witnesses to see you take my place?"

  "Don't be stupid. A new alpha at my age? No, I'm challenging you for the right to choose your wife. If I win you forget about that human girl and pick someone from the pack. My daughter would be a good choice. If you win… you can do what you want and nobody will challenge you again," he said. He made it sound like Eric had a choice, but to refuse a challenge would be an abdication and he'd be forced to leave the pack.

  "No," Eric said loudly. There was no way he would even consider marrying Holden's troll of a daughter.

  "No? You understand what this means?" Holden was shocked, but not disappointed.

  "That's not what I meant. I'm not refusing the challenge." Eric winced as something broke, but he managed to mask the majority of his pain. "I'm upping the stakes. I will not be second guessed. My pack will learn to accept my decisions fully. So if you win then you'll be alpha or you'll have to choose a new one," Eric said.

  "You mean to leave the pack if you lose?" Holden was clearly pleased with the prospect. There was no way that Eric could remain alpha after being forced to follow the instructions of someone beneath him. But that was still not what he meant.

  "No, if I lose I'll be dead."

  Holden opened his mouth in surprise and there were a few shocked gasps around them. "You mean…"

  "If you want to challenge me then this is a fight to the death, old man," Eric said and smiled sadistically. The ball was in Holden's court now. Eric was hoping that his proposal would be enough to make Holden doubt himself, enough to make him retract the challenge. If not then Eric would just have to find a way to outfight him, but judging from the look on the old man's face he wouldn't need to. His confidence was shaken.

  "Agreed," Holden said, and it was Eric's turn to be shocked. Then a fist hit him in the ribs, sending a shockwave of pain through him so great that he collapsed back on the grass. As Holden went for him he rolled away, just out of his grasp. The game of cat and mouse went on for a while, but eventually, Eric was stopped by another bone breaking. Holden was on him, beating him bloody in an instant. Fist after fist collided with Eric's face and he could feel his flesh turning to mush. Using all the strength he could muster he thrust his head up, head-butting Holden right on the nose. He heard Holden's nose break and he grunted. Eric took the opportunity to push Holden off him. Holden rolled onto his back, hands clasped to his bloody nose. Eric lifted his arm and then brought his elbow down on Holden's face as hard as he could, making the old man yell out. Then Eric rolled away from him. He needed a moment to get his bearings and recuperate. The moon was healing the injuries on his face but slowly. Looking up, he surveyed the audience, searching for a supportive face, but there were none. His own mother wasn't even here. Did she even know this was happening? He saw the other four men who had come to his house this afternoon and his anger tore through him. He pulled himself to his feet, letting out a scream of unbridled fury. How dare they question him? How dare they try to force him to follow their orders. He felt another bone crack, but his adrenaline was easing his suffering. He glanced down and saw a fallen branch on the ground before him. Thick and heavy looking. He snatched it up and held it in his hands. It was heavy. Not deadwood. Perfect. He turned back to Holden who was climbing to his feet. Eric ran forward, bringing the branch up over his head. He brought it down on Holden's back and sent him straight back to the floor again. He lifted the branch and hit him in the same spot. His spine cracked, but still, the old man refused to give him more than a grunt. Using his foot, Eric rolled him onto his back, lifted the branch and proceeded to smash it into Holden's face. By the time it came down for the third time, Holden was screaming with unrestrained agony. But there was more than agony, there was fear. The old man was terrified. As Eric smashed away at his foe's face he let it all out. All the pent up anger towards his mother for what she'd made him do, all the guilt, all the regret. Everything was being channeled at Holden. By the time Eric was out of energy Holden was unrecognisable and very much dead.

  Eric tossed the branch aside and turned to face the pack who were looking on with horror. "Nobody challenges me!" he roared. "If you do this is how it will end!" With his warning issued, he fell to the floor and let his transformation continue.

  *

  James struggled to stay standing as the effects of the full moon took hold of him. He, Nick and Kristen, were in the garden. James appreciated that Nick had granted him some privacy for the ritual. It wasn't so much the ritual that James didn't want the other disciples to see, just the transformation. It was humiliating enough being an animal without letting everyone else see. Nick had said that if everything went according to plan then there would be no transformation. James would believe it when he saw it.

  "Tonight will be the most agonising night of your life, James, but once this night is over, you will never experience pain like this again," Nick said. "Not only that, but you will be free from your curse."

  "I certainly hope so," James said. His whole body ached, soon the bone breaking would begin.

  "Have a little faith, this isn't my first time," Nick said with a subtle grin. "I have made many immortals in my lifetime."

  "But how many werewolves have you cured?" asked James.

  "None." Nick smiled again.

  "You can cure me can't you?" James asked, nerves kicking in. It was the one thing that Nick had promised James, the very thing that had made James agree to join the Thirteen.

  "When I make you immortal I am going to add a little something to the ritual. I will do my very best to cure you, James. But there are no guarantees. As you said, this is the first time this has been attempted."

  Nick knelt on the grass and nodded for James to do likewise. He did so. The only thing Nick had brought with him was a dagger of solid gold, decorated ornately with jewels. James knew it to be the ambrotos dagger; the thing that made people immortal and also contained Nick's power. Nick lifted the ambrotos dagger from the ground, rolled up his sleeve, and then sliced the blade down his forearm. A gash opened wide and blood spilled out. He lifted it to James' face. "Drink," he said.

  "What?" He was no vampire.

  "It's part of the immortality ritual," Kristen said from behind him. She placed her hand on the back of his head and gave it a gentle push. He let her guide him forward and his lips met Nick's skin. He tried not think much about what he was doing, it was too bizarre and frankly seemed wrong, even a little perverted even though there was nothing sexual about what was going on. The blood was thick and had a hideous metallic taste to it. Thankfully after only one swallow Nick withdrew his arm and Kristen released James' head. James wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

  His shoulder cracked loudly forcing him forward and making him cry out. Kristen put her hand on the offending shoulder and he felt her magic easing his pain, but not removing it completely. When he looked up again Nick was once more holding the ambrotos dagger in his hand.

  "This is the worst part," Kristen whispered into his ear. Her voice was somehow seductive, despite the situation. She gripped his shoulders, holding him in place, ready for whatever was coming next.

  Nick lifted his gaze from the dagger to meet James' eyes. "This is where I will make you immortal and attempt to cure you. Y
ou will die, James, but when you are reborn we will know if you are cured." He stabbed James straight in the heart. James' jaw dropped, but no sound came out. Fire was all he felt. Fire ripping through him. Melting his insides. Scorching his whole self. When he thought he would surely explode his throat opened up and he screamed such a high shrill sound that he was sure glass must be breaking along the whole street. If he could have spoken then he would have begged to be killed just to end his suffering, but then he remembered that he was dying. Nick was right, it was the most agony he had ever felt and hit lasted a lifetime. Holding the dagger in one hand, Nick placed his other hand above it on James' chest and closed his eyes. He was trying to cure him. The garden spun around James and everything started to fade. Thank you, he thought. He would have to feel the pain no longer.

  When James opened his eyes again the pain was gone. He felt blissful. Euphoric. Nick was sitting on the grass next to him, the dagger which had been in James' heart was now in his hand.

  "How do you feel?" Kristen asked. She was sitting on his other side.

  He opened his mouth to tell her that he felt great when the fire returned and rather than words a massive shriek flew through his lips.

  "That's not supposed to happen," Nick said, moving forwards.

  The burning eased and was replaced by an odd tingling, like pins and needles but on a more epic level. He cried openly, letting tears cover his face, not feeling even the smallest inkling of shame. All he could think about was the pain. Then his arms snapped. He wasn't cured. Not only that but the transformation was accelerating now, his bones seemed to be breaking in tandem and each one forced another anguished scream from his lips.

  "Bastard!" James screamed at Nick. He'd lied to him. Misled him. And made him experience the worst pain imaginable. And now he'd made him immortal so there would be no end to his suffering.