The Belial Ring (The Belial Series 3)

by R. D. Brady

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  “Can’t, or won’t?

  “Both.”

  Henry imagined himself strangling the answers out of the secretive agent. It wasn’t an unpleasant thought. “How sure are you that it’s Samyaza?”

  “Pretty sure.”

  Henry raised an eyebrow. “Pretty sure?”

  Clark shrugged. “Sometimes that’s as good as you get.”

  Clark had referred to the Fallen as “Samyaza,”—which was the name given to him in the Book of Enoch. But Samyaza had been called by many other names over time. And one of those names had, for centuries, struck fear in even the strongest of men.

  Henry’s voice came out whisper-soft. “He’s not known only as ‘Samyaza,’ is he?”

  Clark shook his head. “No. Most people call him Satan.”

  CHAPTER 29

  Baltimore, Maryland

  Jake walked up the stairs to Henry’s office, his thoughts still on Laney. It had not been an easy night for her. One horrible dream had followed the next. Jake tried not to let it show, but the dreams were worrying him. They seemed to be getting more violent.

  He shuddered as he remembered her screams during the latest dream. She’d been Joan of Arc, burning at the stake. From her screams, you would have thought Laney herself was actually being burned.

  Jake took a sip of coffee from the travel mug in his hand. He rubbed his eyes, trying to make himself more awake. He hated leaving when she was sleeping, but Henry had called and it sounded urgent. And Jake knew Henry wouldn’t call him away right now unless it was something incredibly important.

  The doors to Henry’s office were open, so Jake just walked in without knocking. Henry sat behind his desk, staring out the window at the hills beyond. Jake could see his profile, the worry on his face.

  Henry turned as Jake approached. “Hey. Sorry for pulling you away from Laney.”

  Jake started to walk over toward him, but Henry waved him toward the big leather couch in the corner. Jake changed direction and took a seat on the couch. “Figured it had to important.”

  Henry took a seat in the matching leather club chair across from him. “It is. How’s Laney?”

  Jake paused, trying to put into words how Laney was. He finally shrugged. “Shell-shocked, destroyed, recovering. All at the same time.”

  Henry nodded.

  Jake waited a beat before asking, “How are you?”

  Henry sighed. “I’m used to my mother’s secrets by now, but this one?” He shook his head. “This one took even me by surprise.”

  “You had no idea?”

  “None. And I’ve been wracking my brain to see if I missed some clue. If there was something that I should have seen, that should have let me know that I had a sister. But there’s nothing.”

  “And how do you feel about Laney?” Jake asked.

  Henry looked surprised. “I love her. I think maybe part of me always knew who she was. From the moment I met her, we had this connection. I’ve always thought of her like my little sister.”

  Jake nodded. He’d noticed the connection between the two of them, and it had never made him jealous. He’d wondered why not, but the fact was, he’d never thought of Laney and Henry as anything but friends. And he didn’t think either of them had either.

  “Should I go talk to her?” Henry asked.

  Jake pictured Laney as he’d left her, curled up in bed, exhausted from the emotional whirlwind she’d been through. He shook his head. “She’ll come to you when she’s ready.”

  Henry nodded and blew out a breath. “Well, I didn’t actually call you to talk about Laney. Not directly at least. Clark stopped by last night.”

  Jake’s eyes flew to Henry. “What? Why?”

  “He found out who was behind the attempt on Laney. The man’s name is Amar Patel. He’s a Fallen.”

  Jake took a sip of coffee, struggling to keep his voice calm. “Great. Where is he? I’d like to kill him.”

  Henry let out a short laugh. “Get in line. We don’t have an address yet, but Clark’s working on it. He does, however, know which Fallen Amar is.”

  Jake looked at Henry’s face and couldn’t help but notice the tension in Henry’s jawline. Jake didn’t really give a crap which Fallen this guy was, but dread began to settle in his stomach. He could read the fear in Henry’s face. “Who is he?”

  “Samyaza, the leader of the Fallen.”

  Jake nodded. “Okay. The leader. Great. I’ll be sure to shoot him extra then.”

  A small smile flitted across Henry’s mouth. “You never went to Sunday school, did you?”

  Jake crossed his ankles. “It shows?”

  “Just a little. Samyaza is the angel that convinced the rest to fall. He’s the first Fallen.”

  Henry looked at Jake expectantly.

  Jake looked back at him. “So?”

  “He’s Satan, Jake.”

  Jake looked at Henry, waiting for more, but Henry just sat there quietly. Jake shook his head. In his opinion, everybody put way too much stock in these ancient tales. Yes, the superhumans had extra abilities—but they could be killed. And Samyaza—Satan or whatever—could be killed just like the rest.

  “Great. So we get to cut off the head of the beast.”

  “I don’t think you realize—”

  Jake cut him off. “Oh, I get it. He’s the guy in charge. Doesn’t change anything. He can be killed just like the rest of them. And as soon as we find the bastard, I’ll make that happen.”

  Henry smiled. “Well all right then. Clark did have one other tidbit of info, too. It involves the Council.”

  Jake groaned. They’d found out about the Council during the Ecuador situation. The Council was a shadowy group of humans trying to track down Atlantis artifacts for their own benefit. “What about them?”

  “Well, apparently, they’re in cahoots with Samyaza and his friends.”

  Jake leaned forward, his chin in his hand. “Super. I’m guessing that’s where all the humans we’ve been coming across are from?”

  Henry nodded. “Clark thinks the Council is supplying them. In exchange for a piece of the pie when Amar achieves whatever the hell it is he’s trying to achieve.”

  Jake would like to have been surprised that humans were helping, but he wasn’t. He’d learned long ago that humans can and did do lots of things that were just plain crappy.

  Jake sighed. “You know, I’m still not sure I trust Clark.”

  “Me either. But right now, he’s all we’ve got.”

  “See, though, that’s part of the problem. Clark walked in here, told us all of this, and then disappeared. But why tell us? He doesn’t strike me as a particularly altruistic fellow.”

  “No. I don’t think he is either. He’s got an angle. I’m just not sure what it is yet.”

  Jake flashed on Laney, sleeping back in her bed. He didn’t know what Clark wanted, but with everything focused on Laney these days, Jake had a sinking feeling that she was a big part of Clark’s agenda, too.

  CHAPTER 30

  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

  The Queen of Sheba lay back on the red and yellow cushions of the lounge out on the terrace. The white fabric draping the pergola waved slightly in the early evening air.

  Her son, Menelik, only eighteen, stood opposite her. They shared the same coppery skin, but her son’s hair was lighter than her pitch black tresses; his eyes as well.

  His back to her, he watched the bustle of the city central three stories below. “I don’t understand. You always said my father was a wise man. A good man.”

  Makeda sighed and walked over to her son. She put her hands on his bare shoulders and leaned into his back. “He was. When I met him, he was all that and more. But time has changed him. Power has changed him.”

  Menelik faced his mother. “It will not be easy.”

  She cupped his face in her hands as she had done every day since his birth. When had he gotten so big? She kissed his cheeks.

&
nbsp; “No. It will not. You will meet your father. Spend time with him. Get to know him. Let him suspect nothing. But when you leave, you must take the Ark and the relic with you. They are no longer safe with him.”

  “And they will both stay here? They will be safe here?”

  “The Ark will be. I have already begun preparations for its final resting place. But this will only be the first stop for the other relic. It has a long way to travel before it is home.”

  “Will you take it there?”

  “Yes. It is my duty.”

  He took her hands. “Why then can’t you go with me? Why can’t you complete this task?”

  She shook her head. “He would suspect me. And the fact is, I have aged. I will not hold his attention like I used to. You, however, are his son. You are strong, handsome, fast, and brave. He will be enamored of you. He will see himself in you.”

  Makeda stared at her son, and knew the truth in her words. Menelik had his father’s blue eyes and strong cheekbones. Menelik’s shoulders were as broad as his father’s had once been, his stomach as flat.

  Unlike his father, though, Menelik’s eyes stared with understanding and confidence, not arrogance. But Menelik’s intelligence—that he had received from both of them.

  Makeda held her son’s hand to her cheek. Yes, she thought, Solomon will be very pleased with his son.

  CHAPTER 31

  Baltimore, Maryland

  Laney’s eyes flew open. The dream started to fade. The son of Solomon? Now I’m dreaming of the son of Solomon?

  The image of the stolen folio flashed through her mind. That must be why she was dreaming it. Of course, after the events of yesterday, she wasn’t sure why Solomon would take the forefront in her subconscious.

  And who the heck were Makeda and Menelik? Were they real, like with Helen, or just a product of her imagination?

  Laney lay back heavily on the pillow. Was this all related to her destiny?

  She pictured the seal of Solomon on the book the Fallen had stolen. Two intertwined triangles. Everything in her life seemed to be becoming intertwined. Is that why she’d had the dream?

  Laney struggled to sit up, still exhausted despite the sleep. The Makeda dream had been relatively innocuous compared to some of the others she’d experienced earlier in the night. In each one, she felt everything the star of her dream felt.

  Laney ran her hands over her arms, still picturing the flames dancing along her blackening skin.

  She shoved the image from her mind, but reality wasn’t any easier to face right now. After Patrick left, she’d dragged herself to her bedroom hoping that when she woke, all these truths would be easier to accept.

  They weren’t.

  The door cracked open. Kati peered in. “You awake?”

  Laney glanced at the clock. She’d been asleep, on and off, for over fourteen hours. “Barely.”

  “Want some company?”

  Laney patted the bed, taking in Kati’s pale face. Guilt washed over her. Laney had put Max and Kati in danger. Unintentionally, but nonetheless. “Are you okay?”

  Kati sat down next to her, piling some pillows behind her back. “Yeah. A little shook up, though, if I’m being honest. I keep thinking that today was just a small taste of what you’ve been going through for the last year. I don’t know how you do it.”

  Henry, Jen, Jake, Yoni and everybody that had helped her floated through Laney’s mind. “Well, I haven’t had to do it alone.”

  Kati plucked at the blanket, letting silence fall between them. She glanced up. “Laney, how did Henry do all of that? He moves like the Flash, and can be shot like Superman.”

  “Not like Superman. Bullets hurt him. He just heals real fast.”

  “But how? How is he like that?” Kati paused. “The men you fought in our house and out in Montana . . . they were like that too, weren’t they?”

  Laney nodded slowly. “Yeah, they were.”

  Kati let out a breath. “How many are out there like them?”

  Laney shrugged. “I’m not sure. At least two hundred, not including their children.”

  “Children? Their children have powers?”

  “Some do. Henry does.”

  Kati nodded, and Laney noticed Kati’s hand shaking. “Kati?”

  Kati glanced over at her, giving her a small smile. “It’s a little scary. What chance do us normal people have against people with those kinds of powers?”

  Laney didn’t know what to say. She sighed. “I know it’s scary. But they can be defeated, you know.”

  Kati shook her head. “I think for right now, I’m going to leave you guys to figure that stuff out. I’m going to pretend I don’t know.”

  Laney took her hand. “I understand. If that were an option for me, I’d do exactly the same thing. Do you know where Jake is?”

  “He said he had something to take care of but he didn’t want you to be alone, so he called me.”

  “Did he tell you what’s going on?”

  “No, but from the expression on his face, I could tell it was something big.” Kati paused. “I saw Patrick flying off in the chopper yesterday.”

  “Has he come back?”

  “No. Jake said he called last night, but Patrick didn’t want Jake to wake you.”

  Laney nodded, her eyes straying to the French doors. How could everything have gotten so turned upside down? How was anything ever going to be normal again?

  Kati reached out and touched Laney’s shoulder. “Is everything okay?”

  Laney swallowed down the hurt. Patrick was gone. She leaned her head back, tears clouding her vision. How sad was it that thinking about the threat of the Fallen was easier than focusing on her family drama?

  Laney shook off the feelings and Kati’s question. “How’s Max?”

  “He’s okay. He didn’t really understand what was happening in Hershey. He’s with Danny and Jen. Danny’s teaching him to play Skylanders.”

  Laney tried to give Kati a smile, but knew she wasn’t convincing. “That’s good.”

  Kati gave Laney a long look before taking her hand. “Laney, honey, tell me what’s going on. I know this isn’t just about the attack. Something else happened, didn’t it?”

  Laney looked over at her. “Oh Kati, it’s all such a mess.” And the story poured out of her. Rocky, everything Victoria had said, everything Laney had said to Patrick. The whole sordid mess.

  “So, Henry’s your brother?” Kati asked, her eyebrows raised.

  Laney let out a breath, picturing Henry’s face at the cabin. He’d been as shocked as she was. “Yeah. I guess that’s the one good thing to come out of this mess. But how could Victoria do that? How could she just give me away? How could she do that to my parents?”

  Kati stayed silent, picking at the blanket.

  Laney looked over at her. “What?”

  “It’s just—” Kati stopped. “Do you think Victoria was telling you the truth about sending you away to protect you?”

  Laney let her head fall back against the headboard. “Yes. I think she thought she was doing it to protect me. But was that a reasonable thing to even suspect? I mean, why would she think I was in danger?”

  Kati let out a strangled laugh. “You’re kidding, right? In the last twelve months, you’ve nearly lost your life how many times? You’ve been kidnapped once and were nearly grabbed again down in Hershey. Lately, you are an absolute magnet for danger.”

  “Okay. That’s all true. But it’s also recent. Until now, my life has been pretty safe.”

  “Maybe. But maybe that’s also because you didn’t grow up with Victoria. I mean, look at Henry. His life hasn’t exactly been normal.”

  “You’re defending her?”

  Kati put up her hands. “No. I’m just trying to help you determine if there are any good reasons why she did what she did.”

  “There aren’t. You don’t use people like pawn pieces.”

  “No, you don’t. But she gave you two loving parents, who otherwise
probably wouldn’t have had a child. And she gave you your Uncle Patrick. Meanwhile, she had to live her life without you. And after Henry turned eighteen, largely without him too.”

  Resentment began to build in Laney. “You’re taking her side. I can’t believe it.”

  “No. I’m trying to understand her side. And as a mom, I don’t know.” Kati’s voice drifted off.

  “Don’t know? Don’t know what?”

  Kati chewed her bottom lip. “Okay, don’t get mad at me.”

  Laney glared at her.

  “Or at least, don’t get any madder. Just listen for a minute.”

  Laney nodded stiffly, leaning back against the pillows.

  “I want you to think about Max. Picture him when we first brought him home from the hospital. Those first few months, and all the years that you’ve watched him grow up.”

  Laney did, a constant flow of memories. Laney had met Kati on the day of Max’s birth. In fact, she had saved Kati’s and Max’s lives that day. And from that moment on, they had become a family.

  “Okay,” Laney said.

  “Now, imagine someone was going to hurt Max. What would you do?”

  Laney looked at Kati without blinking. “I’d kill them.”

  Kati let out a little laugh. She took Laney’s hand and kissed it. “I know. And I am thankful every day that he has you in his life. But the fact is, we can’t be there every moment of every day. What if you knew there were people who were after him? Or would be one day? What if you knew the only way to protect him was to give him up?”

  Laney let Kati’s words sink in, but she still wasn’t ready to be on Victoria’s side. “She couldn’t have known that.”

  “She sent Rocky to look out for you five years ago. And look at everything that’s happened to you. The fact is, she did know. Somehow she knew.”

  Laney wasn’t ready to let Victoria off the hook. “But why not wait until danger appeared? Why send me away before it appeared?”

  “You know, if she had done that, I wouldn’t think too highly of her. She would have been putting her happiness before yours. If she had kept you for any amount of time, it would have been harder on you, harder on Henry, when you finally had to leave—but easier on her. She would have had the memories of those times to keep her going. Instead, she gave you away. She put your happiness before hers. To me, that sounds like a mom.”