Champagne Tears
Summary: Victor likes to monologue...
Evie's Notes: Oh wow! Two updates in one weekend?! IDK y'all this part of the story is just coming along quickly. I hope that you all enjoy. Thank you so much your support of this story, it truly means the world to me 💜! I hope that you all enjoy the this new update 🌺.
Saturday morning was bleak and gray, fitting for the fact that the student body was on its way to a funeral for one of their own. The memorial service for Jason was a closed casket event with only his housemates and the teachers being allowed to go to the actual burial site. It broke Lili's heart to hear that Jason had died before being able to patch up his strained relationship with his family. Apparently things had been so bad that none of his immediate family deigned to attend the memorial and burial. What he missed in love from his birth family, the Osiris house residents more than made up for. Poor Abigail, his girlfriend, was entirely inconsolable. Jason's old roommates Matthew and Hadrian were not taking their best friend's death well. While the funeral provided some closure for the student body, Jason's absence would continue to sting for a long time.
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
"Your attention please," called Victor to the gathered Anubis residents relaxing in the sitting room. "Vera and I will be out this evening and Trudy has agreed to watch you all. We expect you to be on your best behaviors while we are away?"
"Oh I'm sure they'll be perfect angels, I'm just happy to hang out with my lovies again" cooed Trudy.
"Victor we really must be going" interrupted Vera, placing her hand on the man's arm. "Thank you for agreeing to watch them, Trudy"
"Of course Vera! You two have fun!" hummed Trudy as she ushered the pair out the door before turning to face the students with a grin. "Who's for my famous cheesy lasagna?"
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
"Don't you think that it's a little weird Victor and Vera going out?" whispered Fabian.
"Oh come on Fabian… It's probably just a simple date night. They most likely just wanted to get away together without all of us underfoot" dismissed Nina.
"Still, they never go out!" worried Fabian.
"And last year they weren't officially together. Victor seems to have turned over a new page after Rufus died, and so has Vera. I, for one, am just happy not to have to be constantly shutting down crazy schemes for immortality".
"I guess that's fair," admitted Fabian. "Did you find anything in your latest search of Sarah's journals?"
"Oh so much! Especially this one ritual I want to try with Eddie!" cheered Nina, before going on to share her findings.
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
Thunder cracked and lightning streaked across the night sky illuminating the dark forest and recently rebuilt summer house. Inside the house a very important gathering was taking place.
"Well I am thrilled to finally be out of that stuffy cellar" remarked deputy mayor Cole Sparrow.
"I agree, Victor's decorating skills truly left so much to be desired. You should have seen the old ceremony space… so much dust!" shuddered Delia Chapman, sipping her glass of champagne. "Vera truly has classed things up remarkably".
"Howard and his team got this renovation done in record time. Given how well the main part of the mansion turned out, I can't wait to see the ceremony space".
"I'm sure it's just the interior decoration you are looking forward to" teased Lilah, joining the pair with her own drink.
"You got me Ms Knight, your reporting skills are as sharp as ever. I am very anxious to complete our first offering now that the team has procured the perfect sacrifice".
"All of which wouldn't have been possible without each of you" commented Victor, tapping his glass to get the gathered group's attention. "Good evening everyone, thank you all so much for coming. Vera and I are all so grateful for each and everyone one of you and your dedication to our cause. I want to take a moment before tonight's ceremony to thank each of you in turn. To Delia and Thomas, two of our Society's founding members. Thank you for your unfaltering dedication to our cause. Your assistance this past weekend was truly key in obtaining the ceremony's sacrifice. To Graham, you and your hand picked team have our undying gratitude in turning this decrepit structure of Robert's into something better than our wildest dreams. Cole and Liliah, we are grateful for your assistance in choosing tonight's sacrifice and the damage control your teams implemented in the removal of the subject. And finally, here we raise our glasses to our newest member, Miss Caroline Denby. Caroline has procured for us the final element we needed for tonight's ceremony. So we toast to you tonight… to Caroline…"
"To Caroline" echoed the seven other members as they drained their glasses. The chiming of the grandfather clock alerted the group to the time.
"The hour is upon us" announced Vera ominously. "Please leave your drinks here and follow me to the ceremony room".
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
"Come on Eddie, it'll be fun" cajoled Nina.
"Yeah, no thanks. I have absolutely no desire to head into the woods with you to complete some strange ritual" disagreed Eddie.
"But, Eddie! You have to do this, Sarah's journal says that it's tradition" insisted Nina.
"Fuck No! Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people. There is no way I am making a blood offering to 'commune with some random gods'."
"Really Eddie? It's supposed to be a protection ritual, Nina already borrowed the bracelet from Amber. We'll just head over to Sibuna clearing, complete the quick ritual and be back before dessert!" promised Fabian.
When it didn't look like Eddie was going to give in, Nina decided to play the "Chosen One in Danger" card.
"You would be helping me so much Eddie. I've been really on edge since everything went down at the airport. If this will keep me safe from everyone out to get me, well how could we not do the ritual?" Nina lied.
Eddie was a protector at heart, so of course he cracked. "Fine. Let me get my coat and I'll meet you outside" sighed the American boy, before jogging off to his bedroom.
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
Amber eyed the makeshift altar dubiously, "Are we sure this is looking like it's supposed to?"
"Yes?" questioned Nina. "It kinda looks like some of the altars Fabian and I saw on our journey this summer. I followed Sarah's instructions the best I could. She mentioned that her and Rufus would do this every few years as the protection wore off".
"But it does work, right? Like we aren't messing with powers we don't understand for something that won't even work?" checked Alfie.
"According to Sarah's notes it kept them safe during the war even when others died around them. It also protected them from curses put on the tombs her and Rufus cracked. So yeah… I think it's worth the risk".
"Let's just get this over with," snapped Eddie, rolling up his sleeves as he stepped into the center of the clearing.
"Thanks for coming" grinned Patricia, pressing a peck to the American boy's cheek. "This really means a lot to Nina".
"Okay we're ready to get started" grinned Fabian, having placed the last of the herbs on the stone altar. The five Sibuna Club members plus Eddie gathered around the ceremony space.
"According to Sarah's notes, you four are going to hold hands and form a circle around me and Eddie" directed Nina. "After that, Eddie and I are supposed to slice our hands and put the bleeding wounds together before squeezing so that the blood runs down onto the altar. The blood is acting as a sacrifice here to Isis and Osiris. Then we will chant the protection incantation, exchanging our service as Chosen One and Osirian for protection under these two gods. Any questions? No? Great let's begin" Nina gestured for Eddie to step closer to the altar.
"Last chance to back out" warned Alfie as he lit the candles around the circle.
"Are we sure about this?" asked Patricia nervously, holding tightly to Amber and Fabian's hands.
"No, but when has that ever stopped us" laughed Nina picking up the knife and slicing open her palm.
Placing their bleeding palms together, Nina and Eddie read the incantation Sarah had recorded in the notebook. "Oh Isis, goddess of magic and Osiris, god of the forever living… hear our plea. We, your chosen servants, exchange our blood for your protection from all that seeks us harm. Bind us in your protection".
The wind, which had begun to stir during the chant, swept up into a whirlwind of leaves and dust before suddenly cutting off with the completion of the ritual.
"Is that it?" asked Patricia, rather unimpressed after the group's previous magic experiences.
As if in response to the girl's question, the blood that had been spilt on the altar began to glow and swirl about the stone surface into a symbol the group recognized for Isis and then for Osiris before running off the altar and into the ground where it was promptly absorbed by the dirt.
"Now that's it" grinned Nina, as Fabian bandaged up her and Eddie's cuts. "This should ensure that we don't get wound up in anything dangerous this year. Alfie you can go ahead and blow out those candles now, it's over".
A sudden crack of thunder and lightning traced the sky, "And not a moment too soon" remarked Amber. "We should head back to the house. I really don't fancy getting rained on".
"Hey guys… what's that?" Asked Eddie pointing to where a stream of smoke rose up in the distance. "I thought the main campus was the only set of buildings in these woods?".
Evie's Notes 2: Thank you all so much for reading 💕! I hope you enjoyed this update, let me know your favorite part of in the comments! I hope to see you all next week 💗!
Next Update: The Mansion
I love hearing from y'all! Let me know what you think of the chapter and the story as a whole in the comments or my Tumblr House-of-Secrets! Have a great week and stay safe! - Xo Evie🌺
