by R. D. Brady
Victoria pushed Max’s hair back, remembering when Henry was his size. It seemed like it was forever ago and yesterday at the same time. “I promise I’ll protect you, Max. I hope you know you can trust me.”
Max looked up at her with surprise on his face. “Of course I can trust you. I know who you are.”
“You do?”
“You’re the mother. The mother of all.” Max closed his eyes and snuggled closer to her.
Victoria lay a hand on his back. She smiled. The mother of all. It had been a long time since someone had acknowledged her as such.
She rested her other hand on his head and murmured, “Yes, I am.”
CHAPTER 38
Ralph handed the flash drive to Henry. “Victoria gave this to me when we were in Egypt.” He looked over at Laney. “She knew you were the ring bearer. She knew things might move fast. And if the worst happened, she wanted you to understand.”
Laney felt lightheaded. “The worst? She’s dead?”
Ralph paused before shaking his head. “Her death would not be the worst. The worst would be if she fell into the hands of the Fallen.”
Laney stared at him. “What?”
Jake stepped into the room and looked around. “What did I miss?”
Laney tore her eyes away from Ralph and quickly brought Jake up to speed. Jake turned to Ralph. “You’re a soldier?”
Ralph nodded.
“What exactly is the difference between an archangel and a regular old angel?” Jake asked.
“Archangels are the first amongst angels—the highest order,” Ralph explained. “God’s most trusted.”
“Like an elite guard,” Jake said.
“Essentially.”
“What are your mission parameters?” Jake asked.
“I protect Victoria from all threats to her mission.”
Laney jolted. Her mission?
Laney opened her mouth to ask Ralph what he’d meant by that, but Henry spoke first. “Here we go,” he said.
Jake took the seat next to Laney as the screen above the conference table came to life. Laney recognized the background—it was the home they had stayed in in Egypt. That incredible house.
The camera shifted, and Victoria came into view. She looked tired, but she smiled at the camera. “I am making this recording,” she said, “with hopes that you never have to see it. But Laney has found the ring—and that means the world is coming to a difficult point.”
Victoria took a breath. “Right now, Jake Rogan is resting comfortably in one of the guest rooms. He is alive. And it is that fact which leads me to the need for this tape. I brought Jake back to life with my blood. It mingled with his while we kept his heart pumping. That is how I was able to heal his wounds.”
Laney’s eyes flew to the small indent on Jake’s forehead, the only indication that he had been shot.
“That act will undeniably become known to the Fallen,” Victoria continued, “and when it does, they will come for me—as will another. If I fall into their hands, you must do everything in your power to get me away from them. Even if that means killing me.”
Laney gasped. Henry’s jaw dropped.
“She can’t be serious,” Jake said.
“Just listen,” Ralph said quietly.
Victoria took a shaky breath. “My blood has the power to heal—you know that. But it also can do more. My blood can make someone immortal.”
That’s not possible, Laney thought. She felt Jake stir beside her. Her gaze flew to him. His eyes locked on hers and she knew they were thinking the same thing.
On screen, Victoria gave a small smile. “Jake, if you’re listening, you’re not immortal.”
Beside her, Laney felt Jake let out a breath. And she felt the same relief.
“It takes much more blood than what you received from me. In fact, it takes all of it. If the Fallen learn this, I have no doubt they will take my blood and use it to make one of them immortal. And you can imagine what that would be like.”
Jake sucked in a breath. Laney felt like her world was spinning. An immortal Fallen.
Fallen were already incredibly difficult to kill. And killing them was almost always the only way to stop them. They healed too quickly for other methods to be effective for long.
“There are actually two ways for the humans to be become immortal,” Victoria said. “My blood is one. It is also the way to destroy the other means.” She took a trembling breath. “Henry, I have kept things from you. Not because I didn’t trust you, but because I hoped you would never have to know. I didn’t want this burden on your shoulders. And even when Laney returned to us, I still hoped you and she could be spared this.”
Henry clenched his fists, the knuckles going white, but the expression on his face wasn’t anger; it was grief. Laney knew he wished that Victoria hadn’t felt like she’d had to shoulder this burden alone.
Laney’s eyes shifted to Ralph, who stared at Victoria’s image on the screen. His jaw was tight, but his eyes held fear. But she wasn’t entirely alone, was she?
Victoria looked into the camera. Laney felt like she was looking right into Victoria’s eyes.
“Laney, I have no doubt your mind is scrambling, trying to figure out how what I’ve said is possible.” Victoria smiled. “The short answer is, I am a different kind of human. I am one of the first humans, and the only of my kind left. I die, but unlike everyone else, I remember my past lives. I am the keeper of humanity.
“My job is to help keep the balance from tipping in favor of the Sons of Belial. And occasionally in my lives, that has required my death. That tipping point is here now, once again.”
Victoria took another deep breath and stared into the camera. Her shoulders were level, her gaze straight, and her voice strong. “I will do what I can to keep the Fallen from learning the truth. Failing that, I will do what I can to keep them from getting my blood—by whatever means necessary. You must also do the same. My life doesn’t matter. Humanity will never survive an immortal Fallen. I’ve seen it before; it is a world beyond cruel. And it is a world we must not allow to come again.”
The screen went black.
CHAPTER 39
Laney sat back in her chair feeling stunned. Victoria’s blood could make someone immortal. She pictured Azazyel and all the damage he had done. The only way they had been able to push him back was by injuring him. He had been afraid of being killed.
My God, what if he had been immortal? A chill ran through her. He would have been unstoppable.
“What did she mean that she’s seen it before?” Jake asked.
Laney thought back to her conversation with Victoria about that very topic. “Victoria once told me that humans used to be immortal. That it was the Fallen who brought in death and destruction.”
Ralph’s head snapped up. He looked like he was about to say something but changed his mind.
“Why did she never tell me?” Henry asked quietly.
Laney’s gaze flew to her brother. He looked devastated.
“She didn’t want you to be concerned about something that might never come to pass,” Ralph said. “And she also knew that you would lay down your life to protect hers. She couldn’t let that happen.”
“This has happened before?” Jake gestured to the screen. “Victoria having to sacrifice herself for the greater good?”
Ralph nodded, pain in his eyes. “Many times.”
Laney looked away. The burden Victoria carried was unimaginable. Remembering humanity’s history, having to stay apart from those she loved to keep them safe, and then having to sacrifice herself to save a humanity she had to keep at arm’s length away.
“You should know,” Ralph said, “that Victoria has helped where she could. She has managed to use her blood on rare occasions to bring about someone’s recovery. But she always has to be very careful to make sure that everyone thinks it’s a miraculous event and not due to her interference.”
“Why, though?” Laney asked. “Why not just help?”<
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Ralph gave her a sad smile. “Because if people learned what her blood could do, they would clamor for it, and she only has so much. How would she decide who received it and who didn’t? That’s one reason. But worse, it would let the Fallen know. It wouldn’t take them long to figure out that if a little blood could cure someone, a lot could make them immortal.”
“And how come they don’t know already?” Laney asked. “In the books, Victoria always looks the same. Wouldn’t they simply recognize her?”
Ralph shook his head. “She’s the only one with a perfect memory of her past lives. They only catch snippets of their own previous lives—and sometimes not even that. They have no memory of her. Or at least, they didn’t.”
“Now they do?” Henry asked.
“Yes. I think it was when Victoria saved Jake. A lot of people knew he was dead. And then he wasn’t. And he’s a member of the triad. That would be very interesting to the Fallen.”
“Why did she save me?” Jake squeezed Laney’s hand. “I appreciate it, but if it put her at risk…”
Ralph smiled, his gaze meeting Laney’s. “Because she couldn’t bear the thought of Laney going through that pain. It was a mother’s instinct. Her daughter was in pain, and she had the key to alleviating it. There was no chance she wasn’t going to help. Her children…” Ralph trailed off.
Henry finished the thought. “… are her greatest weakness.”
“And her greatest strength,” Ralph added gently. “Her children remind her why she has to do what needs to be done. There have been times when she didn’t want this burden. When she wanted to push it aside and let humanity fend for themselves. But it was her children, and the memories of their love, that kept her going.”
“Have there been others?” Laney asked. “Other children?”
“She’s had five souls as children,” Ralph said. “You and Henry are her two physical children this time. But the other three are around as well.”
“Who are they?” Laney asked.
Ralph shook his head. “I can’t tell you that. But they are in your life. They always are.”
“Max,” Henry said, looking up. “He’s one. And Danny too.”
Ralph looked surprised. “Yes. And there’s one other.”
Faces flew through Laney’s mind. Jen, Lou, Rally, Kati, Maddox—an endless array of faces. When she’d met each of them, she’d felt a connection—immediate and familiar. It could be any of them. She had heard that that immediate connection was a sign that your soul recognized another soul. It was comforting to think that she’d known all these people lifetime after lifetime.
Ralph raised his hands. “I know you have more questions, but right now what we need is to focus on finding Victoria.”
Laney looked at Henry; his eyes reflected her own fears. They both knew finding Victoria was the priority. But with what they had just learned, what did finding Victoria mean?
Laney swallowed. When we find her, will it be to save her…
… Or kill her?
CHAPTER 40
Laney headed down to the kitchen in the main house with her iPad. She wasn’t hungry, but she needed to speak with her uncle. He had returned from the Chandler School a few minutes ago, and she knew he’d stop in for a cup of tea.
She stepped into the kitchen. Sleek white cabinets, dark granite countertops, stainless steel appliances—it was a culinary chef’s dream. In fact, Henry had a chef on staff for when he had guests.
Patrick was standing by the stove, pulling the kettle off the burner. He looked up and caught Laney’s gaze. “I hear you’ve had a visitor.”
Laney sank into one of the tall chairs at the island. “Yes. But first, how are the kids doing?”
Patrick sighed. “Not well. Max is kind of everybody’s little brother. They all want to help.”
Laney nodded. She hated that the kids at the school were getting yet another reminder of how dangerous the world they were now a part of was.
Patrick pulled a cup and saucer out of the cabinet, then placed a tea bag inside. “So, what does Ralph have to say?”
“Nothing much. He’s been looking for Victoria—not having any luck. Oh, and he’s an archangel.”
Patrick paused for only a moment before continuing to pour water into his cup. “I see.”
Laney placed her head on her hands and watched him. “Why do I feel like these revelations are never as shocking to you as they are to the rest of us?”
Patrick gave her a small smile. He added some milk and sugar to his tea, then picked up a plate of Irish soda bread and took a seat next to Laney. He pushed the plate toward her.
“It’s not that I’m not shocked. It’s more that I understand that we’re not at the end of the revelations. I figure they’re going to keep coming. So which archangel is he?”
“Uriel.”
“Ah—the light of God.”
“Light of God?”
“He’s not mentioned in the Bible. But he is in the Book of Enoch. Enoch even suggests that Uriel outranks Michael.”
“What was his job?”
“That’s a matter of debate. But the most common belief was that he was responsible for keeping the meaning of existence secret.”
Laney let out a laugh. “Well that fits.” She placed her iPad on the counter. “And I’m glad you’re expecting the unexpected, because I need you to watch something.”
Patrick glanced at the screen. “What’s this?”
“Victoria made us a recording.”
Patrick raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He just took a sip of his tea and focused on the screen.
Laney queued up the recording and hit play. She nibbled on soda bread as she listened to Victoria, but this time she paid more attention to how Victoria looked. Her eyes were tired, her face drawn. Laney could see the cost of the burden on her.
When at last the tape ended, Patrick stared at the black screen for a moment, then leaned back in his chair, his hand on his chin.
While Laney waited for him to say something, she thought about the possibilities. Victoria had said she was one of the first humans. And Laney knew that humanity’s family tree was complicated. There were at least twenty different hominids that could be classified as human, and probably more that were still literally hidden in the sands of time. But Victoria didn’t look like a throwback to an ancient human. She was too refined. Was she suggesting she was the first homo sapiens? Or was she suggesting she was something else altogether?
Patrick still sat in the same position, hand on his chin, staring off into space. And despite his declaration earlier, Laney had the distinct feeling that this particular revelation had thrown him.
She gently tapped his arm. “So? Thoughts? Ideas? What do you think she means by ‘the first humans’?”
Patrick gave her a small smile. “Well, I think I’ve learned enough to know that I don’t know enough.”
Laney gave a little laugh. So much for thinking her uncle was going to have some great insight. And she also had to acknowledge the absolute truth of his statement. “So you really think she’s… what? An original human?”
“Weren’t we just the other day suggesting she was Eve? Is this really all that different? And tell me, honestly, do you really doubt that she’s telling the truth?”
Laney let out a breath and gazed out through the French doors to the rolling hills that backed the main house. She remembered when she first had seen this place. Azazyel was after her then, because of Drew’s paper. She had thought that that was the most difficult thing she could imagine. Now it paled in comparison to some of her other adventures.
She looked back at her uncle. “She’s not, by the way.”
“Not what?”
“Eve. Ralph told us that much, although he won’t say exactly who she is. And no, I don’t doubt what she says. I just wish I did. It would be nice if I could write off her words as the ramblings of a crazy person. Because then…” Laney trailed off, not wanting to say the words.
Patrick grasped her hand. “Because then none of this would be as dire as it feels.”
Laney nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Her relationship with Victoria was complicated. But Laney wanted the time to un-complicate their relationship. She knew how much Victoria loved her and Henry. But right now she felt like there was a ticking clock counting down while she was just standing still.
“Doesn’t The Army of the Belial book mention something about a sacrifice?” Patrick asked.
Laney nodded. “‘When the triads intersect, the time of judgment is at hand. The choice of sacrifice or death will be made.’” She paused, her voice quiet. “I’m worried it might be her. I always thought it referred to me. That I was the one who was going to be sacrificed.”
“But you are being asked to sacrifice,” Patrick said quietly. “You will have to be willing to let her go.”
Laney shook her head. “I just now found her. It doesn’t seem fair that I have to let her go before I have a chance to even get to know her. And it doesn’t seem fair that she has to keep doing this over and over again.”
Patrick took her hand and kissed her forehead. “No. It’s not fair. But life rarely is.”
CHAPTER 41
Henry sat at his desk. He’d been sitting there ever since Ralph had shown them the video. Jake had gone off to get updates on Ralph’s list. Ralph had gone to take a shower and get a change of clothes. And Laney had left to find Patrick.
But Henry had just sat there as the sun moved across the sky and time marched on. He couldn’t seem to get beyond the idea of Ralph being an archangel. How had he not known? Ralph had been the father figure in his life. The one man he could always count on. How could his mother or Ralph not have told him?
An unending slide show of Ralph filled Henry’s mind. Ralph teaching him to ride a two-wheeler when he was six. Ralph comforting him the day he came home crying because the kids at school had teased him about his height. Ralph sitting down with him and listening to every concern he had, every worry. And then telling him how proud he was of him—and how much he loved him.