The Belial Origins (3 page)

CHAPTER 4

Baltimore, Maryland

L
aney 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

A
s 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

T
he 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.

And 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.

Henry’s eyes shifted to Laney and then back to his phone. “She’s not answering. I’ll try Ralph.”

Laney pictured the massive garden Victoria had created in her back yard. She loved it out there.
She’s probably just out in the garden and didn’t hear the phone.

Henry held the phone to his ear for a few beats before pulling it away with a frown.

A sinking sensation began to develop in Laney’s stomach. “What’s wrong?”

Henry slowly lowered the phone. “He’s not answering either.”

Jake pushed the gas pedal farther to the floor. Laney’s anxiety grew worse, but she tried to shake it off.
It’s nothing. They’re both just away from their phones.

Jake rounded the curve in the road, and Victoria’s gate came into view.

It hung from its hinges, gaping open.

CHAPTER 7

D
isbelief flooded Laney as she stared at the destroyed gate. Victoria was beyond security-conscious. There was no chance this was an oversight.

Jake slammed the car to a stop. “You sense anything, Laney?”

Laney shook her head. “No. No Fallen, no nephilim besides Henry.”

“The SUVs or the house?” Jake asked.

Henry opened his door. “I’ll take the house. You head back after the SUVs.”

Henry sprinted away before Laney could reply. Laney watched him go with concern. She hated the idea of Henry going in alone. But splitting up made more sense.

Jake threw the car into a U-turn.

The motion jarred Laney into action. She grabbed the duffel bag from the back and retrieved her P90 and an extra drum. Her knife was already in the sheath at her waist. She pulled on a holster and placed a Beretta in it. Then she grabbed Jake’s weapons and placed them on the console in between, along with Henry’s weapons, which had been specially modified to fit his larger hands.

Jake was on the phone. “Jordan, I need any and all of the video feeds from around Victoria’s and the airport. Call me back.”

Laney nodded understanding; the airport was only a few miles away and it was the most likely destination if someone was trying to get away quickly.

Her gut clenched.
We’re not going to make it
, she thought. Unless there was some miracle delay, the bad guys would be up in the air before she and Jake could do anything about it—or even find out who they were.
And that’s if they’re even headed there.

“I need you to send a medical unit to Maine. One of ours.” Jake rattled off Victoria’s address into his phone. “And I need you there yesterday. Contact Clark at SIA and have him send agents as well.”

Laney glanced over at Jake shock. Victoria’s home was a well-guarded secret. She wouldn’t like—

Laney stopped short. They couldn’t reach Victoria, and she’d warned them that danger was coming. The time for secrets was over.

A tingle ran through her and she glanced behind her as a blur raced for the car.
Henry?

Henry leaped onto the roof. Laney opened the sunroof over the back seat, and Henry quickly climbed down, with more than a little difficulty. He sat down heavily on the seat next to her.

“What happened?” Laney asked.

Henry’s face was tight. “She’s not there.”

Laney glanced down at Henry’s hands. Blood was splashed across one of them. “Whose blood is this?”

Henry looked back at her, pain in his eyes. “Ralph’s.”

Laney gasped. Henry’s tone told her all she needed to know. She closed her eyes and said a little prayer for his passing. And she worried even more for Victoria.

She wanted to ask more questions, but something in Henry’s face held her back. So instead she reached over and grabbed the wipes she kept in her bag and silently cleaned the blood off his hand.

When she was done, he clutched her hand tightly. “Thank you.”

She nodded. She reached down and handed Henry his weapons. He took them with a nod but wouldn’t look at her.

Jake’s cell rang and he snatched it up. “Jordan?”

Laney leaned forward to hear as Jordan’s voice came over the car’s speakers. “There’s a plane waiting on the tarmac of the airfield. It’s registered to Glacier Fields.”

“Glacier Fields?” Laney asked, surprised.

Jordan’s voice was grim. “Yeah. It looks like Jorgen Fuld has finally decided to stick his head out.”