by R. D. Brady
Jake pulled Laney forward, wrapping his arms around her, but Laney stayed rigid. “That’s Victoria. And you know she probably has a good reason for doing what—”
Laney pulled back, stepping out of Jake’s embrace. “You know, I’m getting really sick of hearing that—even if I know it’s true. If her reasons are so good, why can’t she share them every once in a while?”
Jake looked like he was about to answer her question, but then seemed to change his mind. “Well, she’ll be back tomorrow—if she keeps to her word. So what should we do in the meantime?”
Laney shook her head. “Having stuff to do is never a problem.” Which, sadly, was true: with the Chandler School to run and Fallen to track down, idle time was never really a concern.
And ever since they’d gotten back from rescuing the kids from Grayston in the Grand Canyon six weeks ago, they’d been even busier than usual, trying to figure out the best living situation for each child. Laney knew that all of the kids who were grabbed would eventually develop some abilities. Most were Fallen; some were nephilim. So how and where they were raised became a critical question.
Luckily, most went home; but some of the home situations were—in a word—problematic. So those kids were placed in foster homes—foster homes that Laney and Henry had personally vouched for and that were within driving distance of the school. When the kids were a little older, they would come here and go to school.
In fact, Laney had plans to offer all of the children places at the school when they were old enough. It just seemed like a good idea that when the kids came into their powers, they would be around other people who understood, and who could help them.
But the kids hadn’t been Laney’s only focus. She, along with Jake and the others, had also been trying to track down Samyaza. A week ago, Victoria had said that Samyaza was a female—that was right before she pulled her disappearing trick. Since then, Henry had managed to narrow the possibilities down to two: a German politician and an Italian heiress.
Laney’s money was on the latter. She couldn’t say why. There was just something about the woman’s picture. And not just the entirety of the woman. To be honest, Laney was basing her assessment on a single attribute: the woman’s eyes. There was not a trace of warmth in them.
But they couldn’t get conformation that this woman was Samyaza, because Victoria had disappeared. And Laney couldn’t understand it. Whenever Victoria had stepped away in the past, it had always been to track down something. But this time was different. This time they had no idea what she was off doing.
Laney looked at Jake. “I just don’t understand. What could be more important than the fate of the world?”
CHAPTER 3
Springfield, Illinois
Victoria stood with Ralph underneath the large maple a short distance from the rest of the mourners. There were at least three dozen men, women, and children braving the rain to pay their respects to Vicki.
A tremor ran through Victoria as she watched her niece place a rose on the coffin. Vicki had named the girl Emma. She had Vicki’s hair and blue eyes. Her brother, Shawn, helped her back to her seat. Shawn looked more like Vicki’s husband, but from reports, Victoria knew the boy had his mother’s sense of humor.
The reverend stepped up next to coffin. “Vicki Shelton lived a life filled with love. She had a heart that many benefited from, and she seemed to have an incredible amount of luck. Perhaps now she’ll be a guardian angel for someone, in the same way that her guardian angel looked out for her.” A few mourners nodded.
Victoria gave a small smile at the words. She had been that guardian angel. She had watched Vicki and her family grow up from afar, providing money and security for them when she could.
Two months ago, Vicki had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was a lucky fluke that they even discovered it. Vicki had fallen down a flight of stairs, and the doctor worried she might have fractured a rib. The x-ray revealed no fracture—but it did reveal the tumor.
When Victoria found out about it, she immediately wanted to rush to Vicki’s side and heal her. But reality superseded sentiment—Vicki’s cancer was advanced. A recovery at that late stage would have drawn media attention—which in turn would have drawn the Fallen. Vicki’s whole family would have been placed in danger.
And Victoria knew in her heart that Vicki would not want that.
Vicki held on as long as she could, but Victoria’s informant at the hospital told Victoria a week ago that the patient would not last much longer.
Victoria dropped everything.
And for the past week, Victoria had slipped into Vicki’s hospital room late each night—just to hold her hand. Vicki never regained consciousness, but for Victoria those moments brought her unfathomable joy. She was with her sister again.
Under the maple tree, tears rolled down Victoria’s cheeks. Ralph handed her a tissue without a word, and she nodded her thanks.
They stayed under the trees for the next thirty minutes as Vicki’s family and friends paid their respects. Vicki had had a lot of people in her life. The line for the viewings at the funeral home had been out the door.
Ralph leaned down. “She was well loved, your sister.”
Victoria nodded, but emotion wouldn’t let her speak.
Finally, the last of the mourners departed. Victoria watched the final few cars pull away and drive out through the gates of the cemetery. She turned back to the grave as the cemetery workers, who had been waiting, moved forward to begin Vicki’s final descent.
Ralph took Victoria’s arm. “Come.”
He led her over to the grave. He handed her the umbrella as she paused next to the coffin.
Ralph walked over to the workers. “Could you give us a minute?”
The two men glanced at Victoria and nodded. They walked back to their truck.
Ralph turned to Victoria. “Take your time.”
Ralph walked off through the tombstones, giving Victoria a private moment with her sister. But she knew he wasn’t far away. He never was.
Victoria looked at the dark mahogany coffin covered in red roses; this wooden box that held her sister’s body. The memories of their time together swam through her mind—swimming at the lake, talking under the blankets with flashlights long after they should have been asleep, popcorn fights in the kitchen. She smiled even as the tears flowed.
Vicki, and the memories of their time together, had been a balm for Victoria through the cold lonely years. Even just knowing Vicki was somewhere out there made Victoria feel less alone. But now Vicki was gone, and the world was a colder place.
She stepped forward with a trembling breath. “I love you, Vicki.”
“Hello?” a voice called from behind her.
Victoria wiped at her tears and turned as her niece Emma walked slowly up the aisle between the assembled folding chairs. Emma stopped to pick up a purse that Victoria hadn’t noticed in the front row.
Victoria’s heart pounded heavily. The girl looked so much like Vicki.
Emma stepped up to her, searching her face. “It’s you, isn’t it?”
Victoria stepped back from the grave. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to pay my respects to your mother.”
Emma stepped in front of her, blocking her way. Victoria’s breath caught as she stared into eyes that looked so much like Vicki’s.
There was a tremor in Emma’s voice when she spoke. “All my life my mom has said that her sister, Emma, was her guardian angel. That she was the one looking out for her—and for us.”
“That’s a nice sentiment,” Victoria said, trying to school her features.
“I grew up hearing all about her sister—all the crazy things they did.”
Victoria looked away. “Yes. They loved each other a great deal.”
Emma caught Victoria’s gaze and would not let her look away. “My mom never believed her sister died—even when my grandparents did. She knew she was out there. She said she would feel it if she were gone. She also said the
re must have been a good reason why Emma left; she believed that one day, she would see her again.”
Victoria put a hand to her mouth. Tears sprang to her eyes.
Emma continued. “When I got older, I began to look into all those ‘guardian angel events,’ as we called them—Shawn’s and my acceptance to Harvard with full scholarships, the medical bills that magically went away, all that help that always seemed to arrive just when we needed it. Someone was looking out for us. It was you, wasn’t it? Aunt Emma?”
Victoria couldn’t say anything; shock held her in place.
Emma gently grasped Victoria’s arms. “She never forgot you. Never stopped loving you. And I know you never stopped loving her.” Emma wrapped her arms around Victoria. “Thank you for all you did for her. For us.”
Victoria went stiff at first; then gradually she returned the hug, feeling grief wash over her again. Emma held her while she cried.
Finally, Victoria pulled back.
Emma reached up and wiped away her own tears. “Would you mind getting some coffee with me? I’d like to tell you about my mother.”
Victoria grasped her niece’s hand. “I would like that very much.”
CHAPTER 4
Baltimore, Maryland
Laney stood with her arms crossed as Danny Wartowski helped Max Simmons get the kite airborne. Danny was running across the field, and Max ran alongside, giggling.
Laney smiled. “Run, Danny, run!”
At last the kite caught the wind and took off. Danny unwound the string, letting the kite go higher and higher. Then he knelt down and handed the kite to Max.
Max’s smile was huge as he waved his arms back and forth, making the kite dance.
Cleo, the giant Javan leopard Laney had saved from Amar Patel’s estate, rubbed her head against Laney’s chest. Laney ran her hand through the cat’s coat. “I’m good, sweetheart. Go ahead.”
Cleo glanced at Laney as if assessing her mood, then disappeared into the trees. Laney shook her head. The more time she spent with Cleo, the more apparent it was that the cat was so much more than just a leopard.
They were in the field behind the main house of the Chandler estate. The five-hundred-acre estate, dating back to the late nineteenth century, included the main house, Henry’s own home which sat a few hundred yards behind the main house, and Sharecropper Lane—a mix of homes and offices for the employees.
The estate also came with a full-time security force—all former military. And even though Laney couldn’t see them, she knew there were at least six members of that security force surrounding them.
Laney had shooed away Maddox Datson and Max’s mom, Kati Simmons, about an hour ago. They hadn’t left the estate in weeks. And Laney knew it would be a good thing for them to have a little time away. But she had promised Kati she would not let Max out of her sight.
Max let out a yell, and Laney glanced over as the kite crashed to the ground. Danny made his way over and picked it up again. Laney couldn’t help but think of the last time she’d watched the boys fly a kite. At that time, they had known the Fallen were after one of the boys, but they weren’t sure which one. It had turned out to be Max.
Max ran across the field behind Danny, his little legs struggling to keep up. The Fallen had succeeded in kidnapping Max. Laney and the others had gotten him back, but he was a little more serious now—not the innocent free spirit he once was.
And Laney still wasn’t sure why they had grabbed him. The rest of the children who had been grabbed were potential nephilim or Fallen—every last one of them. But not Max. Laney rubbed the ring on her finger. She could feel when a child would evolve into a nephilim or Fallen. And there was no sign of that with Max.
But Max did have an ability that made him stand out from the other kids: he could speak with the dead. Laney shook her head, still having difficulty believing that. Which was saying something, with all the supernatural events swirling around these days.
Laney’s phone rang. She glanced down at the screen before answering it. “Hey, Henry.”
Henry’s voice was tense. “Mom called.”
Laney went still. “And?”
“She wants to see us.”
“When?”
“First thing in the morning.”
CHAPTER 5
Rockland, Maine
As Victoria sat next to Ralph in the Mercedes, she tried to think about the conversation ahead with Laney, Henry, and Jake. But her conversation with her niece kept intruding. Her sister Vicki had lived a happy life. And Emma—she was so much like her. Laney and Henry would love her.
But Victoria shooed the thought away with a sigh. She could never introduce them to each other. Laney and Henry had been pulled into this life—there had been no way to avoid that. But she couldn’t expose Emma to it as well.
Up ahead, the gates to her property came into view. The tall wrought iron gates opened, then closed behind them as they passed through.
“I still think we should go to one of the safe houses and meet them there,” Ralph said.
Victoria nodded, knowing that that was the smart call. But she needed the familiar around her right now. She felt raw from Vicki’s death. And although the conversation with Emma had helped heal some of her hurt, it had also opened a door to a whole new level of hurt. Vicki had had a life full of love. And Victoria couldn’t help but wish that she had been able to be a part of it.
Victoria didn’t give in to self-pity very often. It wasn’t practical—not in her life. Duty always came first. But she had decided that today she was going to let herself have her moment. And then she’d shove her feelings aside and do what she needed to do.
She reached over and took Ralph’s hand. “I know. But I want to be home.”
She looked up. The physical structure ahead of them dated to 1834. It was a large two-story white colonial with black shutters; fall flowers bloomed along the front. A tree swing lay still under a towering willow twenty feet from the house.
She had bought this property over two hundred years ago, but she had lived here on this land for even longer. Throughout all the change and turmoil in her life, this place had been her one constant.
And right now she needed that constant.
Ralph pulled to a stop and looked at her.
She could see the uncertainty on his face. She squeezed his hand. “We’ll leave right after we speak with them. The world will keep for one more night.”
CHAPTER 6
The sun was barely up when Laney, Henry, and Jake began the trip to Maine. Like always, they flew to a field where a car was waiting for them. They clambered inside and settled in for the hour-long journey to Rockland.
Laney stared out the window at the now-familiar scenery. Neither Jake nor Henry spoke. Laney didn’t want to talk either.
You need to know what you’re up against. And every weapon and enemy you’re up against—especially me.
Victoria’s words drifted through Laney’s mind yet again as she watched the scenery fly by. Those words had been on an unending loop ever since Henry had told her she’d called. Those were the words Victoria had said to Laney before she disappeared for a week.
Jake sat behind the wheel. His brown eyes were focused on the road, but Laney knew he was worried too. Victoria telling them everything was wrong was the equivalent of the beginning of Armageddon. Which usually would be hyperbole, but in this case…
Henry glanced back at her. They’d only learned they were siblings within the last year, but Laney knew she would do anything to keep him safe, and vice versa. “You okay?”
Laney looked into his violet eyes and nodded. “Yeah. Just a little nervous about what she’s going to say.”
Laney and Henry didn’t look anything alike. Henry had dark hair like their father—the angel Metatron, also known as Enoch; Laney had their mother’s once-red hair. But they had switched when it came to eye color. Laney had her father’s—a deep green—and Henry had his mother’s violet eyes.
An
d while Laney barely topped out at five foot four, Henry was an astounding seven foot two. His stature came from nephilim nature. It also provided him with incredible speed, strength, and healing ability.
Laney’s nephilim nature came with a different skill set—she was the only one in the world who could wield the powers of the ring of Solomon. The ring’s name wasn’t entirely accurate—the ring actually pre-dated Solomon by thousands of years—but Solomon was the figure it had become most associated with.
With the ring, Laney could control the weather, animals, and angels. She hadn’t, however, received any of the skills Henry had. She wasn’t sure who had gotten the better deal. After all the gunshot wounds and other injuries she’d received over the last two years, she couldn’t but think that Henry’s gift of fast healing would have been a nice little bonus.
Laney glanced out the window. They were heading to Victoria’s estate in Rockland, Maine. Laney had learned about her nature here, learned that the parents who had raised her until the age of eight had not been her biological parents. Months ago, when she had learned that Victoria was her biological mother, Laney had been wracked with questions. Why had her own mother given her up? Who was Victoria, really?
And how had she brought Jake back to life?
But Victoria had sidestepped every question. And now that Victoria was ready to talk, Laney couldn’t help but worry about what she would find out.
Three black SUVs sped past them as they turned onto the short lane just before Victoria’s road.
“What the hell?” Henry said.
A feeling of foreboding crawled over Laney. She twisted the ring on her finger, but she got no inclination that any of the individuals in the SUVs were Fallen. “Henry.”
“I’m on it.” Henry picked up his phone as they turned onto Victoria’s Lane.
Victoria’s home was located at the end of the block. There were only two other homes on the road, so it was possible the SUVs were from one of those.