by R. D. Brady
She pictured what awaited the two children she had found. She would search the book and find a way to determine which was Victoria.
She smiled. And then the fun begins.
CHAPTER 65
GALETON, PENNSYLVANIA
Patrick put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on. He was leaning down to put the detergent back beneath the sink when he heard a creak. He stood up with a frown. “Did you hear that?”
Cain looked up. “What?”
“It sounded like someone on the porch.”
But Patrick knew that shouldn’t be. There were four men who were constantly patrolling the area around the cabin, but they were never supposed to come near it. Henry didn’t want anyone knowing about Cain. And if the men saw any problems they were to handle it, then call the cabin and notify them. Only in an extreme emergency were they allowed to enter the cabin.
Patrick quickly walked to the side table in the kitchen, opened the drawer, and pulled out the Glock 20. There were handguns stashed throughout the cabin in case they were needed.
Cain’s eyes went wide. “What are you doing?”
“You need to get in the back bedroom.”
“No. If someone’s there, they’re here for me. I will check it out.”
“You’re not healed yet, and besides there’s no—”
There was a soft knock on the cabin door.
“Bad guys don’t normally knock, do they?” Cain asked.
“Not normally, no.” Patrick moved toward the door.
Cain was right behind him.
Patrick waved Cain behind him before he grabbed the handle. “Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
Patrick’s heart jumped at the sound of that voice.
“It can’t be,” Cain said.
But Patrick scrambled to open the door. He flung it wide.
A man and woman slipped inside and shut the door behind them. The man scanned the space, looking for any threat, but Patrick’s eyes stayed on the woman.
“Laney?”
She smiled, her green eyes filling with tears. “Hi, Uncle Patrick.”
CHAPTER 66
Laney sank into the warmth and familiarity of her uncle’s hug. She would have been content to stay there for hours. Tears slipped down her cheeks, and her uncle’s shoulders shook as he held her close.
Finally her uncle stepped back, wiping his eyes. “I don’t know if I should yell at you for leaving or just get down on my knees and thank God you’re back.”
“I’d prefer we skip the yelling,” Laney said, her eyes going to the man behind her uncle.
Cain nodded at her, a smile on his face. “Laney.”
She stepped beyond her uncle and pulled the immortal into a hug. “I’ve missed you too, Cain.”
Cain went still before his arms wrapped around her. A tremor ran through him, and Laney realized with a shock that this might be his first hug in years—if not centuries. She leaned back and looked at him, searching his face for any sign of pain from his injuries. “How are you feeling?”
Cain cleared his throat, his eyes suspiciously shiny. “Good. Better. Your uncle has taken good care of me.”
Drake cleared his throat as well, and Laney looked back at him. “Oh, right.” She stepped back. “Uncle Patrick, Cain, this is Drake. My, uh, friend.”
Drake extended his hand to Patrick. “Father.”
Patrick shook it. “Thank you for saving my niece’s life in Colorado. Now maybe you could explain to me why you then kidnapped her and left me scared to death for the last six months?”
Laney groaned. “Uncle Patrick.”
“Don’t ‘Uncle Patrick’ me. Do you have any idea how scared I’ve been? How scared we’ve all been?”
Drake nodded toward the hall. “I’m just going to take a look around and make sure our arrival hasn’t raised any attention.”
“Fine,” Patrick said, his teeth clenched.
Cain put his hand on Patrick’s shoulder. “Perhaps we could give Laney a chance to explain.”
Patrick took a breath. “Okay. Right. I’ll make some tea.” He headed to the kitchen.
Laney watched him go, her heart sinking. “He’s so mad.”
“No,” Cain said. “He’s been terrified for you. Sometimes terrified comes out mad. He just needs a minute to get ahold of his emotions.”
Laney looked up at the immortal. “You two seem to have become good friends.”
“He’s a good man, and yes, we’re friends.”
“You seem surprised,” Laney said.
“I am.” Cain shifted his gaze to where Drake had disappeared. “And I might be the only one who wasn’t worried when I learned Drake was the one who had taken you from Colorado.”
“You weren’t?”
Cain shook his head, searching Laney’s face. He spoke quietly. “You know who he’s been to you.”
Laney was, unsure what to say. Finally, she sighed. “Yes. I just don’t know who he is to me now.”
CHAPTER 67
Her uncle seemed to have gotten control of his anger, though Laney couldn’t blame him for being mad. She knew if the positions were reversed she would have been just as worried. Ever since she’d woken up, she’d been reading about what everyone close to her had been going through: the government investigations, the media circus, the church’s veiled responses, the moving of the SIA facility inmates, Cain’s torture, and now the search for Victoria.
She’d been awake for less than forty-eight hours, and it had been nerve-wracking. She had wanted to sprint right back to everyone, but Drake had convinced her that they needed to come at this a little more carefully. That they could not just rush in. After all, the world was still after her.
But all of that paled in comparison to the idea that Samyaza somehow had her hands on Victoria. That she had somehow found her. The idea of that drove a knife through Laney’s heart. Victoria was a child, a toddler. Targeting her at this age should be completely off-limits. But as Drake had reminded her, there was no off-limits when it came to Samyaza.
And then there was Drake. Since she had woken up, he had been by her side. But they still had not talked about their relationship when she was Helen and he was Achilles, beyond those first few minutes. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to, and at the same time, she desperately wanted to. But how did you ask someone who had declared he would love you in every lifetime if he still felt that way? And what would she do with that answer once she had it? Until she knew the answer to the latter question, she did not want his answer to the former.
Now she sat with her uncle and Cain, and as much as she wanted to delve into what had happened between her and Drake, there were much more important questions to address first. She turned to Drake, whose gaze seemed always to be on her. That was something she actually found comfort in. He’d been watching her ever since she’d woken up.
He nodded to her now, those incredibly familiar eyes staring into hers.
Strengthened, she took a breath and turned to her uncle and Cain. “So, there’s a lot to tell. I’m not even sure where to start.”
Patrick crossed his arms over his chest. “The beginning is always a good place.” He turned to Drake. “Like how come you saved her life?”
Laney tensed, wanting to hear what he said.
“I think perhaps Laney should explain that.”
Laney gave him a disgruntled look. “Gee, thanks.”
He laughed, leaned back in his chair, and draped his arm across the back of hers. “Any time, ring bearer.”
She shook her head, then saw that the two men across from her were watching this exchange avidly. She felt her cheeks burn, and she wasn’t really sure why. She took a breath. “Well, it all goes back the Trojan War…”
CHAPTER 68
“And so with Max’s warning in mind, I knew I needed to find Victoria,” Laney finished.
She had been talking for almost an hour. She had provided a very tame recounting of her relationshi
p with Achilles—probably for her uncle’s benefit—and had told the tale as if it had occurred to someone else. But Cain could feel the emotion underneath. She had been through the wringer, and her emotions were still a little raw. She hadn’t just remembered her life as Helen of Troy; she had lived it. For everyone else, months had passed—but for her, years has passed. An entire lifetime.
Cain noted how pale Patrick looked. “Perhaps Drake and I should give you two some privacy to speak alone,” Cain said.
Laney took her uncle’s hand. “We’ll go sit outside. With the rain, it’s dark enough on the porch that no one should see us.”
Drake’s lips tightened, but he nodded, and Cain had the distinct impression he didn’t like the idea of Laney being out of his sight.
When the two had left, Cain studied Drake. He had been quiet during her speech, but his gaze had never left her. Cain knew what they had meant to one another. But the way Laney had spoken, it was as though she was describing a relationship between two strangers, not between herself and the man sitting next to her.
Drake, on the other hand…Cain had seen how he looked at her. That relationship was not in the past for him. Not by a long shot.
Cain watched Drake pace. “How did you get past the guards?” he asked. “Some of them have abilities.”
“They can’t sense me. It was easy enough to get past them.” Drake moved toward the window. Laney and Patrick were right outside it.
“She won’t appreciate it if you eavesdrop.”
Drake smirked. “Perhaps I don’t care what she appreciates.”
Cain crossed his arms over his chest. “Perhaps you should try that line with someone who doesn’t know what she truly means to you.”
Drake’s mask slipped for a just a moment, and Cain saw surprise there before Drake’s arrogance returned. “And what do you know about it, old man?”
Cain laughed. He knew he barely looked older than Drake, but he liked being called an old man. “Quite a bit.” He moved toward the living room, and after a momentary hesitation, Drake followed him.
Cain sat down on the couch. Drake took one of the club chairs.
“So,” Drake said. “I don’t recall us meeting.”
Cain studied him. “Do you remember everything of your time as Achilles?”
Drake paused before nodding.
“I see. Well, no. We did not meet then, nor since, on any of your—I believe you call them ‘sabbaticals.’ But I do make a point of learning everything I can about the important players on the board. And you and Helen, well… there were no more important players at that point.”
Drake kept his face impassive, but Cain noted a tensing of his shoulders. “It was a long time ago.”
“Indeed it was. But the fact that you two are here together now suggests that there are certain forces in this universe that want you two together.”
“I’m just helping out a friend.”
“A friend? I consider her a friend as well, but I don’t think we view her the same way.”
“She’s the ring bearer. She’s about to be tested, more so than she has for thousands of years. She needs every weapon she can get. I’m one of them.” He paused. “So are you.”
“True. And I am at her disposal, whatever she needs.”
“Good.” Drake stood. “She doesn’t need any ancient tales to clutter up her present.”
“Maybe not. But she does need you.”
The mask slipped again. “And she has me. However she needs me.” He disappeared down the hall.
Drake was an interesting man. He was not the first archangel Cain had met, but he was by far the most interesting. Of course, he’s not just any old archangel, Cain thought. I wonder if he knows who he truly is?
Patrick’s and Laney’s mumbled voices drifted through the walls, and Cain frowned. If Drake didn’t know, Laney certainly didn’t. And it would change nothing about Drake’s current mission.
Cain just hoped it didn’t break Laney’s heart down the road.
CHAPTER 69
Alone, Noriko made her way toward Dom’s shelter. Danny was finishing up some work, and Cleo was off running through the trees—for which Noriko was grateful. She needed a few minutes alone.
She didn’t mind staying with Dom. She actually really liked him. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that her last dream was important. Yet it had been so short, and now she wasn’t even sure if the blue eyes in her mind were from the dream, or from the image of Gerard on Danny’s monitor.
Her phone rang, and she picked it up. “Hello?”
“Noriko, thank goodness. I was getting worried.”
Aaliyah’s voice came through strong and clear, eliciting a pang of homesickness. It hit her that she was supposed to have called yesterday. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I forgot to call. How is everything?”
“Good, although we’re still getting adjusted to our new reality.”
After the priestess’s true plan had come to light, it had been difficult for many members of Honu Keiki to move forward. Some wanted to leave the group behind entirely, while others argued for even greater isolation from the outside world and its influences. Still others suggested it was their isolation which had led to the problem to begin with. But the one thing they’d all agreed on was who would take charge in the priestess’s absence: Aaliyah. With Kai by her side, she was steering Honu Keiki through this difficult transition.
Aaliyah explained what had been happening most recently, but Noriko was only half listening.
“And then, we made a cow the final member of the high priest council.”
“That’s nice,” Noriko said. “Wait, what did you just say?”
Aaliyah laughed. “I knew you weren’t listening. So tell me, what has you so distracted?”
Noriko sighed, thinking of everything that had happened. She hadn’t wanted to burden Aaliyah with it. She had so much going on in her own life. But she realized this was what family did: they shared their burdens. So she told Aaliyah everything—about the missing children, her visions, and her last dream.
Aaliyah was quiet the whole time. Only when Noriko finished did she speak. “It seems you, too, have quite a lot going on.”
“I didn’t want to burden you with—”
“Stop right there. You are my family. What troubles you, troubles me. I’ve known something was wrong, but I was waiting for you to share it. I could feel the stress in you.”
Noriko realized how foolish she had been. She and Aaliyah shared a bond, one that did not always require words. She had thought with the distance, perhaps she could spare Aaliyah the angst she was experiencing. She should have known better. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. But because I knew something was wrong, I’ve been looking into your gifts. Particularly the one of prophesy.”
“Have you found anything?”
“I may have. Your visions, they come on you without any warning, without any attempt on your part to create them, yes?”
“Yes. I’m blindsided by them. I have no control over them.”
“That may not be entirely true. In our history there have been people who could focus their visions, even summon them to a subject they wished to see.”
Noriko was stunned. She’d never even considered the possibility. She’d never heard of anyone who had been able to do that. “Truly?”
“Yes. But it doesn’t come without disadvantages.”
“Like what?”
“When you tap further into your gift, you must tap into more energy. And that can be dangerous.”
“How?”
“Your visions so far, you have always been able to pull yourself from them. But as your visions deepen, you may not be able to do so. You may need someone else to pull you out.”
“Okay. That’s not a problem.”
“There’s more. You may also pull someone else into your vision. And you may not be able to control who that is. And whoever it is… they will also be able to control what you see.”<
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“How?”
“It’s not clear.”
“But the visions, or the person in them, they can’t affect the viewer.”
Aaliyah hesitated before she spoke. “I’m not so sure that’s true.”
Noriko didn’t like the sound of that. “Someone else could control my vision? That’s possible?”
“Potentially. The history—it’s so old. And in hundreds of years, we’ve never needed to force ourselves to see.”
The silence felt deep between them. “There’s something else, isn’t there?” Noriko said.
“There was one tale about a great seer. Her name was Ferniall. I’m not even sure when she lived, the tale is so old. And most likely, it was exaggerated. I shouldn’t have even mentioned it.”
“Aaliyah, what happened to Ferniall?”
“She forced a vision about some people coming to hurt members of Lemuria. And she fell into a deep, deep sleep.”
“What happened to her?”
Aaliyah was silent for so long that Noriko thought she wasn’t going to answer. And once she did, Noriko wished she hadn’t.
“She never woke up.”
CHAPTER 70
It had started to rain when they were inside, and now it was coming down in sheets. Patrick and Laney sat in the shadows on the old swing on the cabin’s porch. It creaked as they swung back and forth. For a few minutes, they just sat together and listened to the squeaking and the rain. It was strangely comforting.
Finally, Patrick took Laney’s hand. “You scared me.”
Laney sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. But I knew the world’s law enforcement wings were moving in, and the rest of you would be caught in the same net coming down on me.”
“We never would have—”
She squeezed his hand. “You never would have let them take me. Which meant you all would have been arrested as well. I needed to go so we all had some breathing room, some time to figure things out.”
Patrick wanted to deny her words, to say that it never would have come to that. But they both knew she was right. Just as they both knew it was unfair.
