by R. D. Brady
“How can an identity be a burden?” Jake asked.
Victoria gave a mirthless laugh. “Oh, you’d be surprised. How did you find Max and me, by the way?”
Laney knew Victoria was stalling, but honestly, Laney needed a moment to prepare herself for what she was going to hear. “The last archangel who guarded the tree told us.”
Victoria’s eyebrows rose. “You went to see Drake?”
“You know Drake?” Laney asked. It was hard for her to envision her mother spending time with the over-the-top Drake.
“Ralph and I have seen his show a few times.”
Laney’s jaw dropped open. Her mother? In Vegas? Sightseeing? She glanced at Ralph, who was busy scanning both ahead of them and behind for any threat.
“I guess what happens in Vegas really does stay in Vegas,” Jake muttered.
Laney shoved the unwanted image of her mother playing roulette at a casino with Drake and Ralph cheering her on out of her mind.
“Mom,” Henry said, “we need to know.”
Victoria’s eyes roamed from Henry to Jake to Ralph, who looked back and gave her a subtle nod. Then, taking a breath, she turned to Laney. “I’ve imagined telling you, all of you, for so long... and now that the moment is here, I’m not sure how to begin.”
“Well, how about we start with something easy,” Henry said. “Like your name.”
Victoria smiled. “You’d think that would be easy. But I’ve had more names than I can remember.”
“And more lifetimes?” Laney asked quickly.
Victoria hesitated a moment. “Yes.”
Laney could feel her hands grow damp and her heart rate quicken. “Okay, well how about we start with the first name you can remember.”
Victoria looked out the window. “This is a beautiful country. I’ve always loved the flowers here—the nilofar, the water lilies. Did you know the water lilies here come in an array of colors?”
No one answered Victoria’s question, and Laney knew she hadn’t expected one. As much as Henry, Laney, and Jake had to prepare themselves for this conversation, Laney knew that Victoria did as well. It was as if everyone in the car was collectively holding their breath.
Victoria’s voice was soft. “No matter where I was born, or in what country, I have always found a way to have a garden.”
Laney swallowed, staying silent.
Finally, Victoria turned back to them. She took a shuddering breath. “I am the first woman. Two of us were created—a man and a woman.”
Jake’s eyes flicked to Ralph, his tone hardening. “You said she wasn’t Eve.”
Victoria gave a small smile. “I’m not Eve.”
Laney watched her for a moment, her disbelief growing. Her mother, who seemed to know everything about the past. Her mother, who knew even before Laney was born that she would face an important destiny. Her mother, whom Cleo had called the mother of all.
Laney felt lightheaded when the truth crashed down on her. Why didn’t I see it sooner?
Victoria’s striking purple eyes held Laney’s gaze, and she gave her a nod. “Yes,” she said softly.
Henry looked between the two of them. “Who is she?” he asked.
Wonder filled Laney’s voice—and just a trace of fear. “She’s Lilith.”
CHAPTER 74
Laney watched Victoria’s face—no, Lilith’s—and saw nothing. No fear, no smugness. Just Victoria. But Lilith was supposed to be this evil being who lurks at the edges of tales about mankind’s beginning. How could that woman be Victoria’s true identity?
“Lilith? The Lilith? Adam and Eve’s Lilith?” Henry asked.
Victoria nodded.
Lilith. She’s Lilith. Laney’s mind couldn’t seem to move beyond those few words.
“Who the hell is Lilith?” Jake demanded.
Laney tore her gaze from her mother. She took in Henry’s dazed expression before turning to Jake. “She was the first wife of Adam.”
“Um, I know I’m not the religious scholar like the rest of you,” Jake said, “but I’m pretty sure the first two humans, according to the Bible, were Adam and Eve.”
“Not exactly,” Laney said, her eyes retuning to Victoria. “Eve was the second wife of Adam.”
Laney’s mind raced through everything she could recall about the wives of Adam. According to the Midrashic literature, Eve was the second wife of Adam. The first wife was named Lilith, and she was put aside because she demanded to be equal to Adam, not subservient.
“But the Bible doesn’t mention anything about that,” Jake said.
“Actually, it kind of does,” Laney replied, keeping her gaze on Victoria. “In Genesis, there are two creation stories. It’s the second story that most people are familiar with. God creates the world, then plants, animals, and finally man. And woman is created out of man’s rib.
“But in the first tale of Creation, male and female were created together—as equals. It’s only in the later tale that woman is created from man, and hence subservient to him.” Laney looked at Victoria. “The story everyone knows—that was Eve’s tale. The first story was yours.”
Victoria nodded. “Yes.”
Laney sat back, feeling overwhelmed. Her mother was the first woman ever created.
Henry looked back at his mom, his eyebrows drawn. “But how are you related to all the rest of this? Why are you so important? How come you live over and over again?”
“Does Adam?” Laney asked.
“No. He died a very long time ago,” Victoria said.
The confusion was clear on Henry’s face. “Then why are you still here? Why do you have an archangel protecting you?”
“I suppose you’ve heard what the tales say about Lilith,” Victoria said.
Laney struggled for a diplomatic choice of words. “Yes, she was said to be… independent.”
Victoria tilted her head to the side, and a small smile crossed her face. “I believe the early writings had a bit more to say about her than that.”
Laney nodded. “Yes.” But she didn’t say any more.
Victoria did. “According to tradition, I am one of the first monsters. Even my name translates unkindly: night monster, night hag. Not to mention the idea that I am a hairy beast who lives in caves, preying on the weak and defenseless.”
Laney was familiar with the references and was surprised that she hadn’t thought of Lilith when trying to figure out who Victoria was. But Lilith had always been portrayed as evil—and as much as Laney sometimes doubted Victoria, she’d never thought of her as evil.
“I am the monster that parents once used to scare their children into behaving,” Victoria said.
“That’s in the Bible?” Jake asked.
“Not exactly,” Laney said. “Most of the references to Lilith come from Judaism, not Christianity. The Judaic writings were an attempt to explain the contradictions found in the Bible.”
“Such as the two creation stories,” Henry added.
Laney nodded. “Yes. In fact, the only mention of Lilith by name in the Bible is as part of a list of unclean animals.”
“The Bible as it is known has many passages and books that have been lost to time. My true story was one of those left out,” Victoria said.
“So in the Judaic tradition, you’re the boogey monster?” Jake asked.
“Yes. As well as the beast that takes the lives of innocent babies. They put amulets up to keep me at bay.”
“But that’s not true,” Henry said.
Victoria was quiet for a moment. Laney’s breath caught. No, she couldn’t—
“Actually,” Victoria said, “there is some truth there.”
CHAPTER 75
“You killed babies?” Laney asked, horrified.
Victoria shook her head. “Not exactly. But I created a way for them to die.”
Laney was both shocked and confused. “I don’t understand. Why would you do that?”
Victoria sighed. “Do you remember when we spoke about the immortality of
man?”
Laney remembered the conversation on the cliff at Victoria’s home in Maine. “You said that humans lived for thousands of years.”
“Yes. That was true. The ancient texts that tell of people living for long periods of time are not wrong. Originally, when mankind was created, we were practically immortal.”
“Practically?” Henry asked.
“People lived for incredible lengths of time—thousands of years. They could die from an accident, but it was rare.”
Laney felt the same jolt of disbelief that she’d felt when Victoria had first told her this. “So why aren’t we ‘practically immortal’ anymore?”
Victoria took a deep breath before speaking. “I made a deal with God that allowed humanity to become mortal.”
Laney stared at her mother in horror. Victoria had created a way for humans to die.
Henry’s eyes were large. “Why would you do that?”
Laney wondered the same thing. “Immortality is a gift. Imagine all we could learn and create.”
Victoria nodded. “Yes, originally it was a gift. And the advances we made were incredible. But like all good things that go on for too long, humanity became corrupted. There was no accountability, no responsibility for actions. People became lazy, complacent, and cruel. At first, it was only a few. But when the Fallen arrived, they exploited this weakness in humanity, and it began to spread like a virus. After all, why be good when you live every day in paradise? People would put things off because there was always a tomorrow. People became selfish, only concerned with themselves.”
“Surely there was another way to change people without killing them,” Jake said.
Victoria sighed, and Laney could feel her weariness. “No. I struggled for centuries to find another way. I begged God for help. But none came. The strange irony is that, without death, no one truly lives either. The true test of life is to live each moment with fulfillment. It can’t be done without death, without an end. Mortality is the gift—not immortality. Knowing that your life has an end… it forces you to make each day count.”
“How did you do it?” Henry asked. “How did you make us mortal?”
Victoria was quiet for a moment. When she spoke, the sadness in her voice was undeniable. “It was a trade. Humanity’s mortality… for my chance at heaven.”
Her chance at heaven. Laney was stunned. She remembered the tale.
Lilith ran from Adam. Three angels were sent to retrieve her. She refused to return. She was warned that one hundred of her children would die every day if she did not. Still she refused to return. And her refusal that day was the moment death entered the world.
Drake’s face flashed through her mind, along with his words: Oh, they brought death into the world, did they?
Drake had known it was Victoria who had chosen this fate for humanity.
Laney glanced at Ralph. He knew as well.
And yet the archangels were tasked with protecting Victoria. Did that make her choice the right one? But why would they still be protecting her? She’d made the choice long ago.
A chill crept over Laney. Unless there’s still a way for her to choose differently.
“Why does that matter? The chance at heaven?” Jake asked.
“Each human is born with a soul,” Victoria explained. “That soul is struggling in each lifetime to become its truest self. That is why souls became human to begin with. And when they reach that point, they return to the Father. Those that don’t are reborn—with another chance.”
“Why not just let us enter heaven?” Henry asked.
“Souls are delicate entities,” Victoria said. “They need to be nurtured, cared for. If a person were to enter heaven without first nurturing their soul, they would spend their eternity in torment. All the doubts, insecurities, and negativities of their life would hound them forever. There would be no peace for them. It is only by being reborn that they can hope to find that peace.”
Silence settled over the car before Henry spoke, his words full of pain. “But what about you? Will you never get peace?”
Victoria smiled. “One day. When humanity understands the importance of the soul, I will be released from my deal.”
Laney thought of all the headlines she had seen recently: kidnappings, murders, terrorism spreading across the globe. Every day seemed to bring a new and unreal horror to the world stage. “I have a feeling that might not be for a while.”
Victoria grasped Laney’s hand. “Probably. But there is great kindness and courage in the world. It gets greater by the day. And now that the fifth root race has appeared, well, let’s just say there is a great deal of hope.”
“So it’s true,” Henry said quietly. “Max and Danny are part of the root race.”
Victoria nodded. “People are regaining some old abilities that humanity has forgotten we ever had.”
Laney went silent, not really ready to go down that path. “If we’ve all had these past lives, how come we don’t remember them?” she asked.
Victoria patted Laney’s hand. “It’s a blessing to not remember them, although some fears slip through. Sometimes people are born with a fear they can’t explain; those fears come from their past lives. And when people are young, they often remember a little of their former lives. But soon, those memories disappear.”
“So we live and die, unaware of what we’ve done before,” Jake said.
“It’s true—everyone lives and dies, even me,” Victoria said. “But I remember each life. I remember each person I have loved and lost. I remember each person I couldn’t save. That is the cost for my choice: the memories.”
Shock flashed through Laney. “That seems cruel.”
Victoria shook her head. “No, not cruel. And I don’t remember until I turn thirteen. I always have a childhood before duty calls.”
Laney tried to imagine Victoria as a carefree child. One who would one day wake up and her whole life would be different. She squeezed Victoria’s hand. “I’m so sorry.”
Victoria gave her a gentle smile and covered Laney’s hand with her own. “Don’t be sorry. It is difficult, but each lifetime I have love. And that is more than many people can say.” She glanced at Ralph. “And I have friends.”
Laney felt tears threaten at the back of her eyes. What a hard road Victoria had. Each life, duty came before anything else. She looked at her mother with new eyes. This was a woman who put the world in front of her own desires. Laney felt guilt for ever having doubted her, but at the same time, she didn’t understand why Victoria hadn’t told them sooner.
Victoria cut into her thoughts. “There is much that needs to be done. The danger is not over. We need to get to the tree before they do.”
Laney started. The tree. With everything that Victoria had just told them, she had forgotten that the Fallen were making a play for the tree of life. “How do you fit into all of this, Victoria? Jake, Henry, and I are part of one triad. And I’m guessing Cain and Elisabeta are part of the other.”
“As well as Gerard.”
Laney’s eyes widened. “He’s the other member?”
Victoria nodded. “He is now.”
Laney didn’t understand that remark, but it could wait for another day. There were more pressing concerns right now.
“So if you’re not a member of either triangle,” Jake asked, “where do you fit in?”
Victoria looked at them each in turn. “I am the place where the triangles intersect.”
CHAPTER 76
The place where the triangles intersect?
“What does that even mean?” Laney asked.
“I took everyone’s immortality away, including the Fallen’s,” Victoria said. “I can also give it back. Or make it impossible for them to become immortal.”
“How?” Henry asked.
“When I reach the tree of life, I have the ability to destroy it,” Victoria said.
Laney watched her mother, her eyes narrowing. Something was off. “How do you destroy it?”
Henry nodded. “We’ll get to it. We’ll make sure it gets destroyed.”
“I need each of you to promise that you will do whatever is necessary to make sure the Fallen do not get the tree. The stakes for humanity have never been higher.”
Laney studied her mother as Henry and Jake gave her their promises. Something was definitely off.
“Laney?” Victoria turned to her.
Laney noticed that Victoria’s hands were clutched together in her lap. What am I missing?
“I promise I will protect mankind,” Laney said slowly.
Victoria raised an eyebrow.
Laney shook her head. “That’s the best you’ll get out of me right now. Where is the tree?”
Victoria looked surprised. “I have no idea.”
CHAPTER 77
Laney put down her cell phone. They would be at the safe house in ten minutes. Jen and the rest of their crew would be arriving in about an hour, and then they’d beat a hasty retreat out of India.
Ralph had called Drake but had been unable to reach him. He would keep trying; right now, the flamboyant archangel was their only hope of finding the tree. Hopefully he would be willing to help. If not, Laney had no idea how they were going to track the tree down.
Laney watched the landscape fly by outside. Henry was talking quietly on the phone and Jake was focused on driving. She glanced over at Victoria, whose head was leaning on Henry’s shoulder, her hand clasped in his.
They were so close, those two. Even with all Victoria’s secrets and her big revelation, the bond between the two of them was unbreakable. Laney couldn’t help feel a little jealous. She had just gotten to know her mother. She wanted that kind of bond with her.
Victoria opened her eyes and reached for Laney’s hand. “Are you all right?”