The Cult of Osiris: Book 2 in the Cedarstone Chronicles

by Sean Stone

  “That’s all in the past,” Nick said loudly, waving his hand. “But that whole scenario made me realise that we will never be bale to achieve our goal whilst Kayla is still around. She will keep stopping us. So we have to stop her first, but that won’t be easy. For one thing, Kayla is an ancient.”

  “A what?” James interrupted. Nick looked over and James expected anger, but Nick didn’t look in the least bit bothered. In Jonathan’s meetings interruptions were always punished.

  “My apologies, I forgot we had a new recruit in the room,” he said, smiling. “Why don’t I give a brief history lesson.

  Jamal beckoned with his arm and chair slid out behind him. He lowered himself into the chair gracefully and folded his hands in his lap. Nick looked over at him questioningly.

  “If this meeting’s going to be a long one then I’m not standing for the whole thing,” Jamal said. Nick shrugged and then turned back to the group.

  “The oldest races on the earth are the humans, the ancients and the jinn. As well as being the oldest, the ancients and the jinn were also the most powerful, those that survive today still are. Long story short, the ancients and the jinn had a war and their races were almost completely wiped out. The war ended when one ancient, Kayla cursed the jinn. She banished them all into bottles. Whoever possesses such bottles can command the jinni inside.”

  “Why did she only punish the jinn?” Peter asked.

  “She didn’t. The ancients who remained were cursed too. Turned to stone. One other ancient survived un-cursed, his name is Set,” said Nick. “It is almost impossible to kill an ancient or a jinni and the only beings that know how to accomplish such a feat are the ancients and the jinn. I learned that when a lovely old seer told me that the jinn are the key. Before that, I was planning on getting Arthur Winters’ coven to help us, but that went awry.”

  When you threw Arthur off a balcony.

  “So, I went off to Arabia in search of a jinni. Apparently that’s where they originally came from so I thought it would be best to start searching there.”

  “So that’s where you went for three months,” Elias said.

  “Yes, but I didn’t find one in Arabia, I found one in Greece and he was not cursed. He’d managed to get free somehow. He was looking for other jinn to set free when we met. After a very long struggle, I managed to get him in here.” Nick jumped up off the desk and gave the trunk in the centre of the room a tap with his foot. Several bangs came back in response and the trunk shook violently before once again being still.

  “I thought jinn could turn to smoke?” Casper asked. He had an accent which James couldn’t quite place.

  “They can, but this trunk has been enchanted to hold a jinni,” Nick explained. James wondered who could have created an enchantment so powerful but decided not to ask. Too many interruptions might anger Nick.

  “Did he answer your question; did he say how to kill Kayla?” Peter asked eagerly.

  “Yes. I can’t kill Kayla,” Nick said and the disappointment around the circle was obvious. “I know, bummer right? You see I can’t kill her because I simply don’t have the power. But what are we famous for?”

  “Stealing power,” James murmured.

  “Correct. So I’m going to perform a ritual to steal the power I need from this jinni.”

  “But you just said you aren’t powerful enough to kill an ancient or a jinni,” Elias said.

  “Yes, but I found someone else on my travels,” Nick said, he was getting more and more excited as he revealed his plan. “I found the Cult of Osiris. They were created to protect the ancient named Osiris.”

  “Osiris was an Egyptian deity,” Elias argued.

  “So was Set. The ancients were the Egyptian deities,” Nick countered.

  “There was no deity named Kayla,” Elias said.

  “They weren’t all deities, or maybe she changed her name,” Nick said. James could see a touch of annoyance.

  “Surely you’d know if she changed her name. You spent all that time with her,” said Elias.

  Nick crossed the room in three long strides and came nose to nose with Elias. “Shut. Up. Elias,” he hissed and Elias took a step back and looked away sullenly.

  As Nick turned James quickly averted his gaze, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his wrath. When Jonathan used to get angry in council meetings whoever he made eye contact with first bore the brunt of his mood.

  “Anyway, I learned that another ancient remains and his name is Osiris. Now, the handy thing about old Osiris is that he’s already incapacitated so I just need to get him and it just so happens that the Cult of Osiris is on its way here, and they always take their Osiris pieces wherever they go.”

  “Pieces?” repeated Kristen in confusion.

  “Yes, he’s in fourteen pieces,” Nick explained. “So, I plan to get the pieces, put them together and revive him. It’s a long shot and it might not work but I think it will. Then I’ll perform the ritual and absorb the powers from the ancient and the jinni. Then I will use my new found power to deal with Kayla. And then we will have all the power we need to find the elixir and complete our ultimate goal.”

  And cure me of lycanthropy.

  “Any questions?” Nick asked. Elias seemed not have any more to ask.

  “You still didn’t explain how you are going to kill Osiris and the jinni,” Julian said in his monotonous voice.

  “I’m not. When they see each other I’m hoping their age-old rivalry will be reignited and they’ll kill each other,” Nick said and his self-pride was evident.

  “So how will you get their power?” Julian asked.

  “The ritual of course. Anyone who dies in the ritual ground will be a sacrifice and all their power will flow to me. There’s a trick I learned from Benjamin Larcen. He had all the power from this town flowing to him, I’m just going to copy what he did. Except I’ll only be taking power from those who die, and the radius will be much smaller.”

  James had to appreciate the genius of the plan. Nick was planning on pitting two ancient enemies against each other and then picking up the pieces like a vulture. Of course, a plan like that had a high probability of going wrong.

  “I thought that one piece of Osiris had been destroyed?” Jamal asked.

  “I think I can revive him without it. He’ll be a cripple sure, but he won’t be alive for long enough to get upset about it,” Nick said and Jamal chuckled.

  “And what if they don’t kill each other?” Jamal asked.

  “I only really need one of them to die, then I should be able to kill the other with the power I harness.”

  “What if neither of them dies? What if they don’t even fight each other?”

  “Well then, I guess they’ll kill all of us instead.” Nick shrugged as if it was of little consequence.

  “Brilliant,” Jamal said and looked away.

  “I plan to do all this in the next month. In the meantime, Jamal, I want you to continue your undercover work,” Nick said.

  “You should know that Clara Winters is hell bent on killing you?” Jamal said.

  “It’s a good thing she isn’t able to then.”

  “Perhaps not, but she has just managed to access her powers.”

  That was interesting. Clara Winters now a fully fledged sorcerer. It made little difference to James though, she was nothing to him now, although if she was after Nick then their paths might cross again. Maybe if he saw her all those old schoolboy feelings might come back.

  “Good. I need her to have her powers. Keep training her. Make sure she’s ready,” Nick said, smiling mysteriously.

  Jamal nodded, but James thought there was regret in his eyes. Jamal turned away before he could get a proper look, though.

  “The rest of you. I need eyes on the castle round the clock. I want to know the moment Cain Aramaya arrives with those Osiris pieces.”

  There were confirmation murmurs and then everyone made their way out of the room. James was just about to leave when
Nick called him back. Kristen stayed as well.

  “I need you strong for the ritual James. If I’m to pull this off it depends on all of you just as much as me. I’ll be doing the work in the circle but you guys will be helping to keep everyone inside the circle and it only takes one weak link and the whole thing will fall down,” Nick said.

  James hadn’t been expecting to take part in Nick’s master plan, he thought that the most he’d be doing was watching. In truth, he hadn’t thought he’d be there at all. To think that he’d be responsible for keeping the two ancient races trapped in a circle with Nick was frankly terrifying.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready for a task like that,” he said feebly. He didn’t want to take part, as flattered as he was.

  “I know you’re not ready, but I need twelve of you so you’ll be there nonetheless. Kristen will get you ready. Don’t worry, if I didn’t think you were capable of this then I would never have offered you the job.”

  “How do I get ready?” James asked nervously.

  “Go find another sorcerer and take their power and then another and another until Kristen deems you ready,” Nick said simply as if it was as simple as a shopping trip to Tesco.

  “I’d rather not,” James said.

  “I wasn’t asking. The power you have isn’t enough. You need more. So pick a strong one, then maybe you’ll only have to kill one.” Nick walked away leaving no room for argument, not that James was going to argue. So much for never being forced to do something he didn’t want to do.

  James left the room, feeling like his heart had sunk to his heel. He did not want to sacrifice another sorcerer. It was without a doubt the worst thing he’d ever had to do. Seeing them laying there, looking up at him, the fear, the confusion. Hearing them beg. He couldn’t go through that again. When he’d killed for the council nobody ever begged. They were never confused. They all knew why they were being killed. He’d killed most of them before they even knew he was there. A bullet in the back of the head was his preferred method. No time for discussion, no eye contact. Sacrificial killing was the complete opposite. If he was honest with himself, it had nothing to do with the guilt; that wasn’t why he didn’t want to perform the sacrifice again. The truth was there was a feeling of total exhilaration as the power rushed into him and filled his every pour; a feeling of being totally alive and brimming with power, and he loved it. He loved it so much that after he’d sacrificed Holly he’d wanted to do it again right away, but he’d denied that truth. He didn’t want to accept it. He couldn’t accept that he’d found something to get addicted to. He didn’t want to be addicted, he’d just kicked one addiction and he had no plans to find another. He didn’t have a choice, though. It was kill or be killed and there was no doubt in his mind that if he refused he would be killed. All he had to do was focus on the end goal. Being human. Being with his son. Being as far away from all this as possible.

  *

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  This time, when Adam called a coven meeting the coven assembled in the museum that afternoon. They might not respect Adam as their leader, but they didn’t want another death on their hands. It looked like everyone was here. Except Genevieve and Elizabeth. Adam hoped that Elizabeth hadn’t told Genevieve about his visit, he really didn’t want any harm to come to the girl. It was unlikely that Genevieve would harm her daughter physically but Adam worried just the same.

  Toni was sitting in the front row, avoiding eye contact with Adam. His rejection had clearly hurt her and he felt bad but there was nothing he could do. He wanted to comfort her but was worried she’d get mixed signals. The best thing for him to do was to keep his distance from her. Once she understood how things were maybe things could return to how they had been. That was unlikely, though.

  The afternoon had been eventful for Adam. He’d been visited by Connor Digby. Apparently Connor had decided to listen to the advice of his pack and wanted to negotiate a truce. Connor gave up the pack’s claim to Wandworth and Adam gave up the coven’s claim to Woodlands. And that was that — peace was achieved. The two leaders agreed not to enter the other's territory without getting permission first, and then they went their separate ways. Adam had no idea what had changed Connor’s mind but he sure was happy that something had. Not only did he no longer have to worry about fighting the werewolves, but he also had a point in his favour when it came to the inevitable battle between him and Genevieve. He had ended the war, not her. Now he got to inform the coven of his success. And then he could inform them of the less jovial news.

  “Okay everyone, thanks for coming,” he said and the room quietened down. “There are two things to discuss this evening.” He decided that he’d start with the good news and then bring out the grim.

  “As of this afternoon we are no longer at war with the pack,” he said and then paused as everyone started babbling away.

  “What happened, did Genevieve sort things?” Brent called out. He really was a snide little man.

  “No, she didn’t,” Adam said frostily. “I met with Connor Digby and we arranged a peace. They get Woodlands and we get Wandworth.”

  “That was what Genevieve proposed,” Brent interrupted again.

  “Shut up Brent!” Toni shouted, turning to face him. His face turned the colour of a beetroot and he slunk down into his chair. Adam gave her a brief smile to say thanks — and nothing more — before returning his attention to the coven.

  “We now have our sacred ground back and can use it freely. Under the terms of the truce, no sorcerer is permitted to enter Woodlands, Thorndale, Grenfell or Burnham. And no werewolf may cross into our territory.”

  “Well done, Adam,” Toni said, and more congratulations followed from the others. Not everyone was as happy. Adam realised exactly how many supporters Genevieve had. It was less than half of the coven. They all sat sullenly waiting for the next bit of news. He wondered if it would come as a surprise for them to hear what Genevieve had been up to and whether they would care.

  “The other bit of news is not as good. It’s not good at all actually,” he said. He never got to finish because the doors at the back of the room swung open, smashing into the walls as they did, and Genevieve strode in, her face contorted in pure rage. Adam had only ever seen the calm and collected side of her before, he’d never imagined what she might be like if she lost her temper. It wasn’t a pretty sight.

  “Where is my daughter?” she screamed at the top of her lungs, her eyes were locked onto Adam’s and her lips were curled back in a snarl. Everybody turned to look at her, nobody sure what to do. Toni was at Adam’s side in seconds and he was grateful for it, forgetting all about the awkwardness between them.

  “Now, you just calm—” one man started to say, but he promptly found himself flying into a nearby table, knocking several other people down as he went.

  “Where is she?” Genevieve shouted again, advancing on Adam.

  “I don’t know,” Adam shrugged, his voice was more scared than he wanted to sound. He needed to project authority. If this was the confrontation that they’d been building up to then the coven would pick sides now, and if he looked scared then they’d all fall behind Genevieve.

  “You were at my house. I know you were.” She smiled maliciously at him as she continued to advance. Of course, she knew, she was just the sort of person who’d cover her house in enchantments so she could tell who came and went.

  “Yes, I was. I dropped by to talk to Elizabeth, but she was fine when I left. She was upset, because of you,” Adam said. Genevieve’s face showed worry for just a fraction of a millisecond, but it was enough to give Adam’s confidence the boost it needed. “She told me what you did to her. That is illegal. And now you come here and accuse me. What are you going to do, attack me? Go ahead, we’ll add attacking your dynast to the list of crimes.”

  “You…” She was stumped. For the first time in three months, Genevieve Laurent was at a loss for words. He had her beat.

  “Calm down and let’s work toge
ther to find your daughter,” Adam suggested. He’d have to deal with her crimes later, right now a coven member needed help. “I promise you I didn’t do anything to her.”

  “Swear to me,” she demanded.

  “I swear,” he said.

  “Swear properly,” she said and held out her hand. She wanted a coven-swear.

  He placed his hand over hers. When a sorcerer coven-swore that something was true and it wasn’t they were inflicted with terrible pain and their lie was exposed. It was a good method for exposing the truth but only worked amongst members of the same coven. All sorcerers in a coven were linked to a degree.

  “I swear I did not harm your daughter. She was in your house and she was fine when I left,” Adam said clearly. Nothing happened. Genevieve pulled her hand away roughly, clearly disappointed with the outcome.

  “Then where is she?’ she asked, and then it dawned on Adam. He should have realised sooner.

  “The Thirteen have her,” he said and all noise was sucked from the room in an instant. “We have to save her. If we go now we might not be too late this time.”

  People murmured around the room, shaking their heads, coming up with excuses not to go.

  “One of your coven is in danger,” Toni called above the noise. “Are you really going to stand by and do nothing?”

  It turned out that they were. Only nine of them agreed to help and the rest left, offering various pathetic excuses. Adam would have to deal with them later, he couldn’t let it slide or they’d never follow his orders in future. For now, he had a girl to save.

  Genevieve got to work tracking Elizabeth, as the two of them were linked it was a fairly easy task. Adam called SIT and informed them what was going on. He doubted they’d be able to offer much assistance, but he’d take any help he could get. To his surprise Phil Gatling arrived with Clara Winters and Jamal Rasul within ten minutes. It wasn’t much but three people were better than none — and at least two of them were sorcerers. Fighting alongside Clara Winters might actually do Adam some good. After all, she was worshipped among the coven, she was supposed to be the dynast. Although last he’d heard she couldn’t use her powers. Hopefully, that was no longer the case.