Order of the Black Sun Box Set 9

by Preston William Child

  It could change everything. He never expected to see that much money in his life. And now ... it could potentially be his. A quick deposit to the bank might alter the course of his life forever. He could expand the store, buy a new home, or maybe just travel the world. He could do whatever he wanted with that kind of money.

  “This check ... is good?” Jean stammered, the paper trembling between his fingers.

  Purdue smirked. “The check's great.”

  “W-why? I don't understand why you would pay this much without knowing if I have anything of value to exchange. Even if I did know something, it would not be worth ten million.”

  “In my line of work, just about everything has value. And with the amount of money I have, might as well use it. It’s one of ... maybe my only good quality.”

  Jean nodded in understanding. He came around the counter and strolled over to the shop's front door. He flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED and locked the door. When he turned back to Purdue, the check was still shaking in his hand. He strode back through the shop with newfound enthusiasm and excitement.

  “Follow me.”

  Jean led Purdue to his back office. It was a small space with not much more than a desk, covered in receipts and other books. Jean crouched down to a small safe underneath the desk and turned the dial a few different directions until it unlocked and the little door swung open. He pulled a crowbar from the vault and Purdue's confusion was apparent.

  He knew better than to hide his most valuable possession someplace obvious like a little safe. Instead, he hit the crowbar into the wood floor and pried part of the floor out of place. He reached into the hole he had made and pulled out a framed piece of paper and placed it on the desk in front of them. The page was covered in messy writing that hardly looked like words at all.

  In fact, none of the writing formed any sort of words at all. It was a mess of scribbles and scratches that didn't form anything coherent except for one sentence in the middle of the cloud of nonsense that read: MAGIC IS SACRIFICE.

  “You were correct, my friend. Mona Greer's book of shadows was not destroyed like it should have been when she died. Her coven fought over it. Pages from it were separated. This ... this is one of those pages.”

  Purdue looked very pleased. Maybe he was happy to see that his money hadn't been wasted. Or maybe he was proud that he'd called Jean out on his bluff and been right about Jean knowing more than he was letting on. Either way, he looked over the page with a child-like fervor.

  “You're actually able to read this? Looks like doodles to me.”

  “I cannot,” Jean said. “Except for the obvious part about sacrifice, nothing else is words or symbols from any language I have ever seen. The story I have always heard is that the writing was hidden by magic, mixed around the page and made impossible to read.”

  That was frustrating but Purdue had come across worse obstacles. “And the rest of the book? The pages? What happened to them?”

  “They were spread all about. The ones that were found went for a lot of money. I was only able to acquire this one because someone didn't know just how valuable it was. They would have never given it up if they did. They say if you collect all of the pages and repair the book, the writing inside will become legible ... and you learn the secrets that the book contains.”

  The page was completely useless without the rest of the book. It hardly seemed worth the money Purdue threw at Jean to look at it, but it did open up the possibility of finding the other pages.

  “So, you're not going to give it up, then?”

  “I agreed to show you what information I had. I am showing you. This is a lot of money. But there is no price that can be put on a page from Mona Greer's book of shadows. I would not sell this away for all of the money that exists in this world.”

  “Fair enough,” Purdue said but looked noticeably irritated.

  “But I do know more,” Jean said, feeling obligated by the incredible amount of money he held in his hand. “I hear rumors from time to time about the pages from Mona Greer's book. There is a witch up in Salem, Massachusetts. A woman named Felicity Perry. She has been looking to collect the pages, and from what I heard, she has found most of them. Her goal is to restore the book and reveal the writing within and she has been trying to for years now. She even came to me once not long ago, much like yourself, hoping I would give her my page.”

  “And you told her no. Just like you're telling me.”

  “Yes,” Jean said with a grin. “She didn't have ten million dollars to give me to even consider it. Felicia offered dozens of other valuable grimoires and journals to exchange for it. Things I would be able to sell in the shop, but when it comes to this page, I will never change my mind. Not only is it valuable ... but I'm one that believes that Mona Greer's book of shadows shouldn't ever be put back together. It was torn apart for a reason.”

  “Why not destroy the page then? Make sure that never happens?”

  “I have very good reasons, I can promise you that,” Jean said. “If I can ask, what is your interest in the book?”

  “I'm something of a collector of antiquities and it's become a bit of an obsession of mine. I've traveled all over the world searching for things that were supposed to be impossible to find, or weren't even supposed to exist at all.”

  “So, Mona Greer's book of shadows is just the next trophy for you to put on your shelf?”

  “Some people might see it that way. For me, it's making sure that these parts of history are preserved. I have the resources to make sure that happens.”

  “Clearly.” Jean waved the check in his hand and then picked up the page in the glass frame, bringing it back down to the floor. “And you understand that even if you collect more of the pages, you can never have the entire book, or it will be quite the challenge to do so?”

  “Aye,” Purdue said. “But at least I know it's in safe hands with you. Though you may want to find someplace better than under the floorboards. My highly secure vault, perhaps?”

  “Haven't given up then?”

  “Not at all.” Purdue smirked. “I'll even give you visiting privileges. It would still be yours ... just kept someplace safer.”

  David Purdue had a certain persuasiveness about him. A charm that laced every word he said, and it made it sound like the most reasonable decision in the world. Jean had been adamant that the page would be staying with him, but Purdue made that seem far more foolish than it was smart.

  “I'm fine paying ten million to see it for five minutes, but it would be more well spent if it meant that the page was secure, where we both could look at it as much as we wanted and know that no one could just pry open the floor and snatch it, eh?”

  “I cannot deny ... you have a point.”

  “I know I do,” Purdue said, giving Jean a hard pat on the back. “Things like this page need to be safeguarded. You and I ... we can go to the woman you mentioned, convince her to help us, and we can complete the book.”

  “As I said, I do not want the book to be completed. It wasn't divided by accident.”

  “But don't you want to know why? Don't you at least want to see that one page of yours able to be read? To actually see what it is you own?”

  Jean scratched his dark head. He had been so unyielding in his protection of his page, but Purdue's words seemed to have slowly found their way past his defenses. He was really considering the possibility. Surprisingly, Jean slowly nodded. “It would be interesting.”

  “It would, wouldn't it?” Purdue said with a smile. “Let's find the answers together. Good or bad, at least we'll know. Help me find the rest of the pages. Let's put our heads together and repair that damn spell book.”

  “We're going to Salem, then? To Felicity Perry?”

  “That seems like the logical course,” Purdue said. “You said she has most of the other pages of the book of shadows?”

  “That is what I have heard,” Jean said, looking uneasy when he spoke about her. “She is very passionate about findin
g them. Almost scary. From what I remember, she is not the most giving person. Got very angry when I denied her my page.”

  “Jean, my friend, between the two of us ... I'm sure we could get her to see our reasoning. If she wants to find the rest of the pages and complete the book as much as you say, she won't be able to say no to our offer.”

  3

  THOSE WHO WERE KILLED

  The return of Julian Corvus, and the speech that followed, clearly let an impression with the rest of the Black Sun. They all looked like they'd been slapped in the face, but strangely enough, they looked more happy than upset about it. It was like they had been stirred awake, had their eyes opened to things that they had never noticed before.

  As the group of spectators cleared the room, many members shook Julian's hand as they got ready to leave. Some congratulated him on his victory over Purdue and his acquisition of the Spear of Destiny. Others asked him with excited interest about his supposed resurrection.

  “It wasn't pleasant,” Julian said with a fake, stilted smile. Sasha secretly doubted that Julian was even capable of forming a real one. “Hurt almost as much coming back to life as it did dying, if I'm being honest.”

  Sasha was surprised to see Julian having such a warm reception. It was the most support and respect the Black Sun had ever given him. Usually Julian was despised, feared, or looked at with an uneasy mixture of both feelings. Now, he was being treated like a hero home from war. Funny how perceptions changed the moment you have something that those detractors wanted.

  Julian exchanged the necessary pleasantries and expressed his gratitude before moving past those vulturous colleagues and approaching Sasha and Galen.

  “You don't look pleased to see me.”

  “Of course I am,” Sasha said. “Just surprised. Hard to take seeing someone alive after you saw them die.”

  “You didn't, actually,” Julian said, shrugging his shoulders. “I was still alive when I took my little tumble. Even with the spear in me. I remember the whole fall in the dark. It was the landing that did me in.” He suddenly clapped his hands together, making both Sasha and Galen flinch at the outburst. “Splat.”

  His hands slid away from each other and he stared at his audience of two closely, like he was making they were still paying attention.

  Julian patted Galen on the shoulder, much to the Irishman's chagrin. “I'm surprised to see you among us, Mr. Fitzgerald. I hadn't heard of the order's intention to recruit you into our ranks.”

  “It was my decision,” Sasha said, and hurried to an explanation after Julian raised a brow. “You were dead. We had just lost the spear. We needed to replenish our ranks. We needed new blood.”

  “No need to explain yourself,” Julian said, still examining Galen. “It was a wise decision. You'll be a fine addition.”

  “Aye,” Galen said, staring at the hand on his shoulder until it was removed. He was probably expecting an apology or at least acknowledgment of how poorly he had treated him before, but no such thing came out of Julian's mouth.

  Julian turned his attention back to Sasha. “As far as needing new blood ... I couldn't agree more. The Order of the Black Sun could do with a clean slate. Something to build upon. Instead of running in these same tired circles. This...” Julian held up the wrapped spear. “This is a start.”

  Sasha was admittedly scared of Julian. She had been as long as she'd known him. Beneath that demeanor of aristocratic politeness was an erratic, vicious monster. He was the kind of man who was more frightening when he was calm, because you knew that something dangerous was simmering just under the surface of his skin.

  This new Julian who was returning with grand proclamations of change, whose every sentence sounded like some campaign speech, made her feel unsettled. It was only a matter of time before his more violent tendencies came to the surface and his darker side reared its ugly head.

  If she was being honest, Julian being gone was a relief. His death had brought a clean slate—much like the one he wanted now—to do things differently than ever before. It was an opportunity for her to step up and find a more concrete place in the Black Sun rather than just be the enforcer of a psychopath who led out of fear, not loyalty.

  During the all too brief time of Julian's absence, it seemed like Sasha wouldn't be a pariah anymore; like the Eclipsed sect of the order would be brought back into the fold and no longer be seen as the problem children of the society. They could finally scrape off the image that they were nothing more than animals that reveled in brutality.

  Now ... with Julian back ... who knew what would happen for her next? It seemed like all of those possibilities had dissipated the moment he stepped back from the grave. Her future had now all returned to his shoulders; a man that she watched be killed. And now, here he was, like hell spat him back out because they didn't want someone as volatile as Julian Corvus down there.

  “So, what now then?” Galen asked. “They give you a medal to pin on your chest? A trophy? Pat on the back?”

  “We'll see,” Julian said, suddenly looking very serious. “The inner circle plans to speak with me shortly. I'm sure I'll receive a fair share of praise for my efforts but they couldn't have been fond of my presentation. I painted them in an honest way, of course, but it wasn't exactly favorable. Still, it's right that everyone knows how ineffective the council has been in leading the order. They need to be called out when they were leading us down a path that will bring us nowhere. Either way, whether they appreciated it or not, I hope to convince them of my perspective. Make them understand that we need to steer the order back in the proper direction.”

  Julian held out his arms to Sasha, as if expecting a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. It was unlike any hug she'd ever received in her life. There was nothing behind it, just a hollow weight throwing itself upon her.

  “If all goes well, we'll be working together once again. Traveling all over the world just like we did before. The Eclipsed reunited again. A welcome return to the familiar, don't you agree?”

  Sasha nodded—but that tilt of her head was a lie.

  Purdue followed Jean-Luc Gerard through the streets of the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was a loud, colorful place. Musicians filled the sidewalks with trumpets and saxophones. Tourists drank, danced, and partied on balconies and in storefronts. The smell of delicious food seeped through the air all around them and the colorful buildings that towered over them.

  Purdue couldn't imagine these streets during Mardi Gras. A famous celebration like that probably packed the whole area to capacity. He'd heard all about the parades they would throw for the funerals in town. People marching, dancing, and performing with a coffin behind them. He hoped his funeral someday would be half as fun as the ones he'd heard about in this town.

  The city of New Orleans was dripping with witchcraft. Legends of ghosts, voodoo, and hexes permeated every street corner of the city. It was impossible not to feel it in the very air around you when you were walking the sidewalks.

  Since leaving Jean's bookshop, they'd spent the walk through the city discussing what was ahead of them. Jean packed up the things he would need for their trip up north to Salem. It wasn't supposed to be a long trip, but Purdue warned him that expeditions like this sometimes had a way of dragging out much longer than intended. Some things were much harder to find than they seemed.

  “I have never been to Salem,” Jean said. “But it is practically legendary after the witch trials centuries ago. There is an entire shelf in my store about the trials. Did you know most of the accused witches did not practice magic at all? Wrongfully executed.”

  “It's a scary world out there,” Purdue said. “Hysteria makes people do horrible things.”

  “It is not just Salem. People have been killing others because of witchcraft for over a millennium ... very few of them were actually witches. Most witches never let their magic be discovered. They always knew what would happen if they let it be seen. Bad things. Very bad things. Like with Mon
a Greer.”

  Purdue didn't give any real reaction. In truth, he knew very little about the author of the book of shadows they were going to be trying to complete. Jean stared at him as they walked, and Purdue knew that he had been found out.

  Jean could see the ignorance on Purdue's face. “Do you even know how Mona Greer was killed?”

  Purdue felt a tinge of embarrassment but didn't let it show. Instead, he veiled his ignorance on the subject with his usual confidence.

  “Burned at the stake? Stoned? Drowned?” He shrugged, like it was all the same to him.

  Jean shook his head and let out a sigh. “What is it you actually know about her?”

  “She was an infamous witch. Her journal had all sorts of things inside that made some people want it and some people want to destroy it. Clearly, we have no way of knowing for sure right now, given the state of the pages.”

  “That's it?” Jean said, rubbing his head in annoyance. “You're after her book of shadows and that's all you know about her?”

  “Listen, witchcraft ... all of this occult nonsense...” Purdue stopped when he saw Jean's face contort into disapproval. “Apologies. The occult has always been low on my list of interests. It's just a matter of personal taste. I've always been more partial to ancient civilizations and holy relics. Anything concerning magic, the paranormal ... it's just never captured my imagination the same way.”

  “Then why even pursue the book at all? If you really have as little interest as you say? You spoke of your collection but why even include something that does nothing for you?”

  “Because I have an itch to preserve history. All history. Even things that don't necessarily excite me much. But that's why you're here. You can fill me in and help me understand the importance of all of this.”

  “Fine.” Jean sat down on a bench and Purdue joined him. “Then we will start your lesson now. If we're going to go after the book of shadows, you need to hear why it's important to so many people.”