The Ancients: Book 3 in the Cedarstone Chronicles Read online

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  The Ancients

  The Cedarstone Chronicles Books 1-3

  Arcane Inc.

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  THE ANCIENTS

  Book 3 in the Cedarstone Chronicles

  SEAN STONE

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  CHAPTER ONE

  Clara stood in formation with the rest of the team, on the road outside the police station. Ahead of them was William Marshall's coffin, his remains laying peacefully within. Around the coffin four uniformed police officers stood to attention, waiting for the command to lift the coffin and begin following the undertaker to the church.

  Behind the coffin stood Phil Gatling, just out of hospital. The doctor hadn't wanted to discharge him so soon but Phil wasn't up for negotiating. He was as healed as he was going to be. The right side of his face was heavily scarred from fire and he limped rather heavily on his right side; injuries sustained in the midst of a sorcerers battle. Standing behind Phil were Jamal and Cassie and behind them were Clara and Bianca, all of them in dress uniform. Bianca was no longer a police officer, having tendered her resignation three days ago and having it take immediate effect but she was there out of respect for William. The only member of the team not present was Zander and that was because being a vampire, he could not go out in the sun. Other uniformed police officers lined the sides of the road, ready to guard the procession as it made its way to the church. The public, of course, did not know the truth about William's death. They could hardly announce that he'd been murdered by a warlock. Instead, the newspapers had reported that DCI Marshall had been killed attempting to apprehend an armed robber. He'd died a hero's death.

  The command rang out through the still air, the pallbearers lifted the coffin onto their shoulders and the march began. Clara followed her team members in silence as they walked slowly through the streets of Cedarstone. The roads on their route had been closed off so no traffic would interrupt them. Clara only hoped that the supernatural elements in town remained peaceful throughout the funeral whilst there was nobody free to deal with them. She soon saw that she needn't of worried as many of the faces in the crowds were familiar to her. There were some sorcerers from the coven there to pay their respects — those that were still alive. Several sorcerers had been murdered over the last few days. It had started with Adam Kent's wife and son, luckily he had been out and had been spared the same fate. Though some would argue that it wasn't luck which had left him behind to live with the pain. Three other coven families had been murdered as well. All murders indicated the work of a warlock and Clara would put money on Nick Blackwood being the culprit, or one of his disciples at least.

  Farther along they passed some of the werewolves of the pack, including Eric the interim alpha. Connor Digby was the actual alpha of the pack, but he'd been missing for the last few days and Eric had stepped in. Incidentally, Connor had disappeared the same night that the Kent family had been murdered and Clara believed that she could attribute that to Nick and his disciples as well. He'd had a busy night. He'd even tried to kill her at one point. He'd been conducting a ritual in the woods which she had stupidly tried to stop. If Jamal hadn't gotten there in time to save her she'd be dead. She hadn't witnessed the rescue but Jamal had told her all about it. And on top of all that Nick had awoken an ancient named Osiris who was now somewhere loose in the world doing who knew what. Jamal was sure that Osiris would have left town, but Clara had a feeling that he was still about somewhere. All in all, Nick had a lot to answer for.

  Clara was surprised to see so many of the supernatural factions present at William's funeral, but it made sense when she thought about it; they may not have liked William very much, but they all respected what he did for the town. Or rather, what he tried to do. He tried to keep things together, he tried to keep peace in town, but he had failed. Despite all his efforts, things were worse than ever and they'd attracted the attention of forces in London. MI5 to be specific. Four nights ago the mayor, Bradley Carter, had informed them that MI5 were on their way to Cedarstone. They hadn't arrived yet and nobody knew what to expect. Would they be sending a small team or a whole army? What were their plans? They'd only said they were coming to get a handle on the situation. As far as Clara was concerned that could mean anything. She also wondered what they would be able to do. They were coming to take on vampires, sorcerers, werewolves and the Thirteen; how could MI5 possibly fight them?

  The procession arrived at the church and stopped. Police officers were stood on ceremony all around them now. At the gates of the church stood the vicar, Mayor Bradley Carter and Chief Constable Brian Hillock. Eight officers stepped forward, rifles raised. The command was shouted and the shouts rang out, the procedure was repeated three times as everybody stood in silence. Then the coffin was taken into the church for the main service.

  There was no burial after the service as the coffin was being delivered to Richie Morgan's nightclub. Richie was the closest thing to family that William had and had asked for his remains. What he was going to do with them was not known by any member of the force and no questions seemed to have been asked.

  As the team was leaving the church, heading back to their secret headquarters under Winters Research, Chief Constable Hillock came over to them. "Sergeant Gatling, a word," he said. He was a small round man who clearly drank too much in his evenings.

  "Go ahead," Phil said.

  "In private," Hillock said, nodding towards a less populated area.

  "No," Phil said and Hillock's eyes widened in shock. He was not accustomed to hearing the word no. "Whatever you have to say you can say it in front of my team."

  "Gatling, this level of insubordination is completely intolerable," Hillock said heatedly. His cheeks were burning red.

  "William used to tell me the stories about how difficult you made things for him. From day one you were there undermining him, trying to get rid of him. The mayor has informed me that SIT no longer operates under your control, we're outside of the police force and we don't have to put up with your meddling. Frankly, it's an insult to have you here today, so say your piece and then sod off," Phil said bluntly. He had William's no-nonsense approach to things.

  Hillock's face flushed red and he looked about, checking that none of his officers had witnessed his embarrassment. "Alright. The mayor told me that due to your bunch of clowns, the situation is out of control and MI5 are coming to clean things up for you. I want to know how this is going to effect my police force?"

  "I have no idea," Phil said. And that was the sad truth of it. They kne
w nothing and would know nothing until MI5 turned up. Phil pushed past Chief Constable Hillock and they all made their way back to HQ.

  Clara was itching to get back to work. She wanted nothing more than to resume her hunt for a way to kill Nick but she knew it would not be received well by the others if she suggested diving straight back into business. It was the day of William's funeral and they had to honour him. They would sit around drinking and swapping tales of their fallen commander and each minute that passed was another in which Nick was out there causing more trouble. Clara had only known William a few months and didn't have many tales to share but she could still listen to the stories everybody else offered.

  As they came out of the tunnel and stepped into what was once a secret laboratory and now served as their headquarters, it was apparent that they would not be doing any such thing. Several people were moving about the room examining everything within and scribbling down notes.

  "What the hell is going on?" Phil growled. One of the workers looked up but then he went right back to working. The others didn't even look up. Jamal and Cassie tensed up ready for a fight, just waiting for Phil's word. Clara remained near her frozen friend, ready to shield her from any violence.

  "Ah, good afternoon," a man said as he stood up from one of the desks. He was a thin man and looked rather like a stick-insect. He had dark hair parted neatly to one side and wore a simple black suit with white shirt and tie, and a pair of big plastic glasses that seemed to cover the top portion of his face. "I thought you might be arriving around about now." He spoke with perfect received pronunciation.

  "Who are you and what do you think you're doing?" Phil said in a low voice.

  "My name is Supervisory Agent Sidney White, and I represent Military Intelligence Five, S-branch," he said politely, completely ignoring Phil's anger. "I was under the impression you were aware that I was coming."

  "How did you find this place?" Clara asked in awe. It was a secret area that nobody had been able to find for decades.

  "We're MI5, Constable, nothing can be hidden from us. My team are cataloguing all of the intriguing items you have at your disposal here. We have much to do in order to restore order to this quaint little town. So, why don't you begin by telling me which of you has taken charge since William Marshall passed?" He said passed as if William hadn't been brutally murdered in the very room which they now stood.

  "I'm Sergeant Phil Gatling," Phil said, still somewhat bitterly. "I was second in command under William."

  "Very good. However, you are a sergeant no longer. Your team is no longer a part of the police force, but rather, you are now an extension of MI5. Therefore new ranks will be assigned to you. You no longer answer to the chief of police or the mayor. From this moment on you answer to me. Your authority supersedes all others within Cedarstone. I believe that the first order of business is to determine whether or not you are fit to lead the team, Mr Gatling," Sidney said plainly.

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Phil said roughly.

  "I mean no offence, but you are crippled and seem unsuited to tackle matters of the esoteric, being that you are human."

  "I've survived this long."

  Sidney stared at him intently, seeming to assess him silently. "Very well, I see no harm in trialling you in the position. The role is largely administrative anyway. You shall serve as the commander of this unit. You are now Director Phil Gatling. Whom do you appoint as your deputy?"

  Phil looked around at the remaining team members who were standing around him. The choice was obvious as far as Clara could tell. Jamal had stepped in when Phil had been in the hospital, he was the most suited for the role. "Jamal," Phil said, giving him a brief nod.

  "Jamal Rasul? An interesting choice considering that he was in charge on the night that the entire town descended into anarchy. I shall allow it for a trial period, however. Your new rank is Deputy Director Rasul. The rest of you are now agents instead of constables. Who else is present?"

  "This is Cassandra Bingwell," he gestured to Cassie, "Clara Winters, and Bianca Petram, although Bianca is no longer with us."

  "How so?" Sidney enquired. He rubbed his index finger against his thumb in an odd gesture. Clara assumed it was some kind of comfort thing.

  "She has resigned. Today is her last day."

  "I see," Sidney stepped before Bianca and set his ponderous eyes on her. "Has the stress of the job taken its toll on you?"

  "Pretty much," Bianca said, shifting uncomfortably and taking a step back.

  Sidney sighed loudly. "Yes, it isn't for everyone. Very well, if you no longer wish to be a part of the unit then leave now."

  Bianca looked about and Phil nodded to her. She looked at Clara who gave her reassuring smile and then Bianca left without a word. Clara would see her at home later and make sure she was okay.

  "I should warn you that resignation from the security services is not usually so simple. This is not a job that one can simply walk away from," Sidney explained. He was a polite man, but there was no warmth or friendliness in his demeanour. He was strictly business. "I appreciate that none of you applied for a position within the service, however, and so I would like to give you all the opportunity to leave now. Free of any repercussions. If you choose to remain, then this option will be unlikely to present itself again."

  "So, you're taking over the team now and we have no say in the matter?" Jamal asked.

  "I have given you the option to leave," Sidney replied, eyebrows raised. Nobody moved. "Very well, then let's get to work." Sidney turned and headed back towards the desks.

  "Right now?" Phil asked, following. Clara and the others followed slowly behind Phil.

  "Absolutely. There is much to do. Our priority is making this unit larger. As it is we will never be able to achieve anything."

  "Listen, I know you've got a job to do, but all this interference isn't going to work," Phil started, but Sidney held up his finger, cutting him off.

  "Director Gatling, let me be clear. My superiors have sent me here because you have lost control of matters in such a way that you caught the attention of many in London whom you do not wish to be the focus of. I am here to regain control and establish order. Order that will last. If I am unsuccessful then my superiors will enact a secondary protocol."

  "What's that?" Clara asked, dreading the answer.

  "They will send a unit to terminate every supernatural being in the town. Including yourself, Agent Winters, and you Agent Bingwell, and you Deputy Director Rasul." He looked at each of them in turn. "So, make no mistake that despite my easy-going nature, I will tolerate no insubordination. Now, be seated, and let us discuss how we can increase the numbers of this unit."

  Phil reached for a chair and the others followed suit. It was clear in the expressions around the room that they desired nothing more than to extinguish Sidney, but the consequences of such an action had been made perfectly clear. Clara couldn't help but see the bright side, however; Sidney was here to restore order and the first thing he'd need to do was remove the Thirteen from town before they caused any further nuisance. Nick was hardly likely to leave willingly which meant Sidney would be left with no alternative but to find a way to kill him, and that was something that Clara could very much get on board with.

  *

  Henry sat in the undersized living room watching the news on the television set with keen interest. He marvelled at how quickly events were reported in the modern age. It seemed that mere moments after something had occurred a reporter was on the scene getting the details and the next moment it was all over the television for all to see. And it wasn't just television. There were computers, tablets and mobile telephones which received constant news updates. Henry had taken to technology quickly enough, he was enthralled by the progress achieved in just one short century. Even his own crimes had made the news in record time. In his day each murder had taken at least a few days to be discovered, sometimes more. It was making it difficult to go about his business undetected. Initially,
he had planned on going about his revenge openly, but the body he had taken control of provided too good a cover. Whilst he wore the skin of the coven dynast he could gain entry to their homes without a fight, he could move among them without suspicion. Even tell them what to do. Pretending to be Adam Kent was fairly easy as well, none of the coven members knew Adam particularly well, they'd only been acquainted for a few months and even then their encounters had been brief. Toni was very familiar with Adam, but luckily any oddities in his behaviour were attributed to the grief of losing his family. Henry had found that a very convenient excuse for a number of things. He had used it to avoid doing anything he didn't want to, which was most things. He stayed in Toni's house most of the time — she had graciously taken him in after he had burned Adam's house to the ground — and only left when he decided to exterminate another of the names on his list.

  So far he had killed four families of the coven. Nine remained. He was working fast, killing them quickly before they found a way to trace the murders back to him. A simple spell could lead them all to him, but they hadn't bothered with a full investigation, they had a suspect in mind. For the time being everybody believed that Nickolas Blackwood was responsible for the killings. Having another warlock in town was incredibly convenient in that regard. Henry was jealous that Nickolas was getting all the credit for his work, but it was necessary to allow it, for now. Once his revenge was complete and he had enough power to defend himself, he could claim responsibility. That would not be long now. He had increased his power by more than tenfold already, but the power he had acquired from Adam's family had not been very strong which meant he still had a way to go before he returned to the level he had been at a century ago. He needed to be stronger than that, he would not be defeated again.

  He took the list from his inside pocket and examined the remaining five names on it. He had already decided on the order in which he would kill them. The two most powerful were being saved until last when he was strong enough to defeat them with ease. Those were Laurent and Winters. There were two Laurent sorcerers; Genevieve and Elizabeth, and from what Henry could tell they were powerful. Genevieve was a wizard, and he suspected her daughter was too. Genevieve kept Elizabeth closely guarded and Henry had a hard time getting near her to gauge how powerful she really was. There was only one Winters sorcerer; Clara Winters, the rest of her family had perished already. He knew nothing about Clara so far, but if she was anything like her ancestors then she would be a wizard of phenomenal abilities. Henry relished in the idea of taking that power for himself. He was saving her until last. After all, it had been her ancestor who had led the coven against him in the first place. He wondered why it was that Clara was not leading the coven in modern times, but he would find out soon enough. He would ask her before he killed her.