Cronin's Key (12 page)

Jacques nodded, but couldn’t help but smile proudly, as if it was a great privilege. “As you wish.” Then Jacques looked directly at Alec. “If I may, it is an honor to finally meet you.”

Alec smiled at him. “Thank you.” Alec heard Eiji chuckle, and when Cronin turned his head a little, Alec could see he was pleased.

“Eleanor,” Cronin addressed the woman. “You will tell us all you know, all you have seen.” Then he spoke louder, addressing the whole congregation. “And that goes for anyone here. There is a great movement of covens leaving the Middle East and we’ve heard whispers of the ancient Egyptian and Illyrians rising once more, though we have nothing to substantiate such rumors. We believe the two Seekers were Illyrian. They were searching for or trying to steal the key, which we now know is Alec. We also believe whatever they’re planning will not happen directly on these shores, though that does not mean we are unaffected. If anyone here knows anything—if you’ve heard anything, whether you believe it fact or fiction—please come forward.”

Then, in front of everyone, Cronin turned to Eiji. “I apologize for my earlier accusations. With little evidence I should have not let my emotions rule fair judgment. I hope you can forgive me, brother.”

Eiji gave him a slow smile. “Your apology is accepted, although not necessary. If I had believed someone threatened my Jodis, I’d take off his head first and ask questions later. At least you asked questions first.” Eiji put his hand on Cronin’s shoulder. “It is a sentiment between fated ones, Cronin. You will defend Alec always, as you should.”

“I’ve never doubted you before,” Cronin said to him. Then he turned to Jodis. “And if I offended you, I am sorry.”

Jodis smiled at Alec first, then Cronin. “No offense taken, my friend.”

It was then Alec noticed one vampire in particular standing at the side, closer to the table of leaders but still separate. From his position in the warehouse, Alec deduced he was ranked a little higher than the majority of the coven. He also assumed, from the way this vampire stared at him with a look of shock and distaste when Eiji had called Alec Cronin’s fated one, that this strange vampire didn’t like the idea.

It was as though he was jealous. So Alec slid in closer to Cronin, keeping a hand on him at all times. It wasn’t like him to be possessive like that, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted there to be no mistake, human or not, Cronin was spoken for.

Distracting Alec from the unhappy vampire just a few feet away, Jodis put her hand on Cronin’s arm, her eyes blue and searching. “Alec is the key? What does this mean?”

“I don’t know,” Cronin said softly. He turned back to Eleanor. “Eleanor, what have you seen?”

“I’ve seen Ailig running in dark corridors with walls of stone. There is sand on the floor, and the air is hard to breathe. I’ve seen—”

Cronin cut her off. “He’s in Egypt?”

“Apart from flashes of hieroglyphics, there are no points of reference, but I believe it to be so, yes,” she answered.

Cronin turned to look at Alec then, and Alec had never seen such fire in his eyes. Dark and raging, he put his arm around Alec’s waist as if needing him to be closer.

“I’ve seen him fighting,” Eleanor continued. “There are many. It is a war indeed, Cronin. The kind that changes everything we know.”

Cronin hissed out a breath. “He’s
fighting
? Am I with him?”

Her response was short and immediate. “Always.”

Alec could feel the relief pour off Cronin. His shoulders even sagged a little, but then he took a deep breath. “Is he…” Cronin’s eyes flickered to Alec, then back to Eleanor. “Is he human? When he’s fighting. Is he human or vampire?”

“Human,” she replied. “I cannot see why, but he needs to be human, Cronin.” She shook her head a little. “I don’t see the whys or hows, only what is. The key is human.”

Eiji spoke next. “And what is the purpose of the key? What is Alec to do?” Eiji looked at Alec, his face concerned. “What becomes of him?”

“That I cannot see,” Eleanor said. She moved her head from side to side again, as if trying to urge images to form in her mind. “I see power unlike anything we’ve seen since the Ancient Egyptians last ruled our kind. It is brewing, it is coming.” She shook her head again and her face looked pained. “I can see nothing else. Only that the Key needs heart. Bravery and strength of will to face what comes, I assume.”

There was a rush of unsettled murmurs through the back of the warehouse, then a voice called out, “I must see your elders.” The man’s English was good, though his Arabic accent was very strong.

The crowd of vampires parted to create a path for the man to walk down. Eiji and Jodis both moved to put themselves in front of Alec. It was a nice gesture and all, but it meant Alec had to dodge heads and shoulders just to get a glimpse of the man who came forward.

He was medium height, medium build, a Middle Eastern–looking man. Completely normal, for a vampire, but he was heaving, as if out of breath. And that wasn’t normal, was it?

“My name is Bes. I am from the Egyptian Fatimid coven,” he said, bowing his head. Vampire or not, he looked scared. “We know nothing of your territory or hierarchy, so please forgive. But I come with news you seek.”

“You’re from Egypt?” Cronin asked.

The man never lifted his head. “Yes. We’ve traveled far and fast to be here.”

“You said
we
. How many are you?” Cronin pressed.

“There are six of my family, Elder. We sought refuge here, and I risk much by coming here to speak to you.”

“Only six?” Jodis asked. “How many answer to your coven?”

“A thousand,” Bes answered. He looked up then, for just a moment before his eyes went back to the floor. “But no more. Many left, many were taken, many died. There is much unrest in the lands of my home. The Mamluks, the other Cairo coven—once our enemy—have also fled. Those who left, left together, a banded coven as one.”

“You joined covens?” Jodis asked. “From enemies to allies?” From the reaction of those around him, Alec could tell this was not common behavior in vampires.

Bes nodded. “Yes. There is much fear. Not from the Mamluks, but from what lies beneath.”

“What is going on?” Cronin asked, clearly out of patience. “You came here with news, so speak it.”

The vampire stranger nodded quickly. “There is a new coven, whose name I do not know. It is also a forged alliance, of Egyptian and Illyrian. They’re working together.”

“Two covens who have feuded for millennia are in alliance?” Jodis asked, her blue eyes wide with disbelief. “Why would the Illyrians join the Egyptians? They were responsible for almost wiping them out!” She looked at Eiji and Cronin. “This is absurd.”

“To ensure they are not eradicated this time,” Bes answered. “They’ll be stronger together. Unstoppable. Maybe they were forced into it, I don’t know. Word is, the new Egyptian coven is close, Elders, so maybe the Illyrians believe they’ll be spared if they help them. Whether this is foolishness to think such a thing—”

“The new Egyptian coven is close to what?” Eiji asked.

“Close to success. They have acquired a vampire with a particular skill.” Bes swallowed hard. “She can resurrect the dead.”

A rush of whispers swept through the warehouse, murmurs of disbelief and fear. Cronin raised his hand and silence fell. He stared at Bes, who shifted his weight under Cronin’s stare. “Resurrect the dead?”

Bes nodded. “I have seen it. Or rather, I have seen one that was returned.” He had the attention of every vampire in the room. “Fully formed, a returned servant. His body… filled out somehow, though still discolored as mummies are, but his hair and nails were not returned, still dirty and black. And the smell”—Bes’s mouth formed a watery line—“was exceedingly unpleasant.” Bes shook his head, as if to shake off the memory.

“How does she do it?” Cronin asked.

“I know not of the process,” Bes answered. “Only the outcome.”

“There are thousands of interred dead throughout Egypt,” Eiji said. “Still in the sands, in pyramids… Is she making an army?”

Bes shook his head again. “Not just any dead. Egypt’s royalty.”

“The Ancients?” Eiji whispered, his eyes wide.

Bes swallowed hard. “The rumor is, Elders, that she wants to bring back the worst of them all.”

Cronin, Eiji, and Jodis all hissed, and for the first time since this whole thing began, Alec felt fear. Not fear from learning of the existence of vampires, not fear from being in a warehouse with a legion of them, not fear for his life, but fear because if Cronin was afraid, Alec was pretty damn sure whatever was going on wasn’t good.

“What does that mean?” Alec asked, his voice quiet.

Eiji looked pale, his usual smile gone. “Osiris,” he answered. “She’s going to try and resurrect Osiris.”

Alec felt the blood drain from his face. “The Egyptian God Osiris?”

Jodis nodded. “The god of the dead.”

Bes’s voice shook. “She wants to unleash the depths of hell and rule the world in fear.”

Oh Jesus.
Alec shook his head and asked a question he was pretty sure he already knew the answer to. “How does one bring back a god? One that’s been dead for thousands of years?”

Cronin tightened his arm protectively around Alec. “She needs the key, Alec. She needs you.”

The warehouse stood empty, save for Cronin, Eiji, Jodis, Bes, Eleanor, and, of course, Alec.

“You are the Key?” Bes asked, his eyes wide. He stared at Alec.

“We believe so,” Alec answered.

“What does that mean?” Bes asked. He looked worried, scared even.

“We don’t know,” Jodis said.

“There is much we don’t know,” Cronin said. “We first heard news of covens escaping Egypt last month, with warning that war was coming. We had word from London and Moscow, wondering if the rumors of war were true. So many stories, but little proof.”

“I swear to you what I have seen is true,” Bes said. His body language screamed of honesty and desperation. It was hard to believe he was lying. “I have seen a returned one. I have smelled it…” He shook his head. “It is rotten flesh and myrrh, cassia, and camphor.”

Eiji stepped forward and put his hand on Bes’s shoulder. At first Alec thought it was just a reassuring gesture, but then he realized Eiji was using his skill of reading DNA. “We believe you,” he said, and Bes was clearly relieved. Eiji gave a small, imperceptible nod to Cronin. Bes didn’t see it, but Alec did.

“Tell us what you know of her,” Jodis asked. “This woman vampire.”

“They called her Keket,” Bes whispered. “Queen Keket.”

“Queen?” Cronin said.

“She demanded royal status,” he said. “No one would dare defy her.”

Eleanor swayed. “I see an Egyptian Queen, but there is only darkness around her,” the older woman said. “Such anger and rage. But she is well guarded. Not just physically, but mentally as well. I cannot see past her.”

“She is young,” Bes said. “Only five years young of our kind.”

“She’s been vampire for just five years?” Eiji asked.

“There is little known of her human life. Some believe she was a doctor, but I cannot prove this,” Bes said. “This is all I know. Please, I beg of you. We must stop this.” Bes stared at Alec. “I know not what it means for you. I fear…” His eyes darted to Cronin and he didn’t finish his line of thought. He looked back to Alec and bowed his head. “I will offer my help, my knowledge, and protection of your life with my own. It is the least I can do so that one day I might return home.”

Alec took a step back. Jesus Christ. This man, this vampire, had just offered his life for him. What the hell was he supposed to say to that?

“You honor your coven,” Cronin said quietly. “It shall not be forgotten. I hope you may return to your home as well, and if it is within my power, I shall see it done.” Then he turned to Eleanor. “Eleanor, take Bes and his family, provide them with the shelter they seek, and acquaint them with territories and laws, so they may feed in peace.”

The Egyptian bowed his head again, reverently. “Gratitude.”

Cronin nodded just as reverently. “We will talk again soon.”

“If visions come to pass,” Eleanor said, tilting her head just so, “I will send word.”

“Please make sure you do,” Eiji said. “No matter how insignificant it may seem. You know where to find us.”

“Of course,” she said. The older woman put her hand out to Bes, and they took three steps backward before turning and leaving.

Without so much as a word, Cronin put one arm around Alec and touched Eiji with just his hand, who in turn touched Jodis. And the four of them were gone.

* * * *

Alec found himself in Cronin’s living room. He immediately took a step back from Cronin so he could shake off the aftershocks of leaping. The pain was no longer there, but the memory of being pulled apart in one location and reappearing in another seemed to linger in his joints and muscles. “Argh,” he said, shaking himself. At least he didn’t scream.

It was 4:00 a.m. Alec was tired, though not from the lack of sleep, he realized, but from the weight of what he now knew. He ran his hands through his hair. “Well, today was interesting.”

Eiji laughed. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

Cronin put his hands to Alec’s face. His dark eyes were endless night and swimming with worry. “Are you well?”

Alec nodded. “I need coffee,” he said. “And food.” Then he shook his head. “Pizza. And scrap the coffee. I want beer.” Hell, he’d take shots of bourbon at this rate. “No, not beer. I want liquor. Bourbon, whiskey, I don’t care.”

“Done,” Eiji said, and he walked out of the room with his phone already to his ear.

Cronin frowned, his hands still cupped Alec’s face. “You’re the key!”

Alec shrugged. “I guess that’s kinda important, huh?”

“We have much to discuss,” Jodis said, her voice soft but serious.

Cronin nodded and slowly dropped his hands from Alec’s face. “Now we know what the Egyptians are planning.”

Alec hated that Cronin was clearly upset. It made his chest ache. He put his hand over Cronin’s heart, for nothing more than to offer him comfort, even if for just a moment. But he had questions. “I thought you said mummified vampires couldn’t be brought back to life?”