The Belial Origins (26 page)

CHAPTER 81

L
aney sat in the back of the van with Jake laid out on the stretcher next to her. Luckily the SIA had had a full mobile surgical unit at standby at the safe house; they had rushed over when Mustafa called. Laney was more than grateful for the SIA’s foresight.

Henry was in a separate van, accompanied by Ralph and Victoria, although his wounds, thankfully, weren’t life-threatening.

Laney reached out a shaky hand and ran it along Jake’s face. “Hold on, Jake. Just a little longer.”

Ahead of them, the gates to a walled village were pulled open and the vans were waved through. Although as Laney looked around, she thought that “village” might be a little too strong a term. There were only about a dozen buildings here.

There were also very few people. And the ones she saw did not look Indian.

Laney leaned forward to Mustafa. “Where are we?”

“This village was abandoned about ten years ago. We’ve borrowed it for the time being. We’ll be leaving here as soon as the reinforcements arrive, assuming Mr. Rogan and Mr. Chandler can travel.”

“Shouldn’t we take Jake to a hospital?” Laney asked.

Mustafa shook his head. “In this part of the country, you do not want to visit the hospital. Trust me, what we have here is much better for Mr. Rogan.”

Laney looked into the kind Egyptian’s eyes and nodded. She’d have to trust Mustafa’s judgment.

They pulled up in front of what was the largest house in the community by far. It was two stories; white columns held up the second story and more columns lined the balcony on the second floor. The rest of the buildings in the village were simple, with stucco walls and thatched roofs.

The door to the van opened before they had completely stopped. SIA agents in surgical gear slid the stretcher out and were carrying Jake into the building before Laney was even out of the van.

She stepped out slowly, then watched another group grab Henry’s stretcher from the other van, followed by Ralph and Maddox. Mustafa made his way quickly over and escorted Victoria inside.

Laney watched them all go, feeling numb.

“Laney?”

She turned to find her uncle’s knowing eyes and opened arms.

In two quick steps, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. He held her while she let the tears fall, but she cut them off quickly. There were things to be done.

She wiped at her eyes and started to step away. “I need to go see—”

Patrick gently took her arm and held her in place. “Laney, the first thing you need to do is go speak with Kati.”

Laney turned back to him. Fear for Max crowded in next to her fears for Henry and Jake. “Kati? Is Max okay?”

Patrick patted her arm. “He’s fine.”

Laney let out a breath. “Then it will have to wait. I need to check on—”

“They’re leaving.”

Laney nodded. “That’s good. The sooner they get back to the States—”

“No, Laney.” Patrick took both her arms in his hands, forcing her to give him her undivided attention. “They’re not going back to the States. They’re leaving us.”

CHAPTER 82

L
aney stared at her uncle. “What? Why?”

But even as she said the words, she knew why. Max had been in mortal danger for the last year. They had barely let him out of their sight the entire time. And even so, he had been grabbed, not once but twice.

She closed her eyes. Exhaustion, terror, fear, and sadness crashed down on her. It was too much. She forced her eyes open. She was going to have to face it regardless. “Where is she?”

Patrick tilted his chin toward the building just as Kati stepped out. “Right there. I’ll go stay with Jake.” Patrick walked toward the building, stopping to give Kati a hug and a whisper in her ear before disappearing through the door.

Kati came over to Laney and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry about Henry and Jake.”

Laney wrapped her arms around Kati and, for a moment, let herself grieve. She pulled back after just a few seconds though, because she knew if she gave into the emotions running through her, she’d be no good to anyone.

Laney studied Kati’s face, but Kati was keeping all her emotions in check. “Is Max okay?” she asked.

Kati nodded, and her eyes searched Laney’s face just as Laney had searched hers a moment ago. “He’s fine. He’s with Maddox. Are
you
all right?”

Laney opened her mouth to say yes—then shut it. She didn’t have the energy to lie. She shrugged instead. “I don’t know.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.

Laney looked at Kati, this woman with whom she had lived for five years. They were sisters in every real sense of the word. Their house had always been full of laughter and conversation. But right now she couldn’t seem to think of anything to say.

With a jolt, she realized she hadn’t actually lived in their house in two years. And Kati and Max hadn’t lived there for the last six months. Time was marching on, things were changing, and Laney hadn’t even been seeing it.

Her uncle’s words replayed through her mind.
They’re not going back to the States. They’re leaving us.
Jake and Henry were hurt, and now she was losing Max and Kati, too.

Laney’s heart began to pound.

Kati looked away. “Let’s sit around back. There’s a deck.”

Laney nodded mutely then followed behind Kati as she led the way. Kati skirted the house and stepped onto an old dock with a tree springing out from its center. She walked to the edge and sat in the shade created by the house, her feet dangling over the side.

Laney sat next to her. “What’s going on, Kati?”

Kati let out a shaky breath and grasped Laney’s hand. “Laney, you have been my best friend for the last five years. More than that, you’ve been my
family
. Max’s, too. We wouldn’t even be alive without you.” Kati looked over at Laney, tears in her eyes. “But now, Max and I need to leave.”

Emotion welled up in Laney, choking off her words. Kati couldn’t be saying this right now. This wasn’t happening. Laney’s words burst out of her. “We’ll get you on the first plane back to the States. I’ll arrange for twenty-four-hour protection.”

Kati smiled sadly. “No. We need to leave all of this. We need to leave you.”

Laney felt like she’d been slapped. “Kati, I never meant…”

Kati took both of Laney’s hands in her own. When she spoke, Laney could feel her pain, and her love, in every word. “I know. I know you would do anything to protect us. You’ve proved that time and again. But I don’t want you to have to anymore.”

A tear rolled down Laney’s cheek.

Kati wiped it away for her. “None of this is your fault. All of our fates were assigned long before we met, long before we were even born. And I thank God every day that you were brought into our lives. But I want Max to have as normal a life as possible.” Her words drifted off and she bit her lip.

Laney knew what Kati meant. “I want that too.”

“I know you do.” Tears glistened in Kati’s eyes. “Maddox and I are taking Max away. Maddox will look out for us. We’re going to start a new life with new identities. And the only way for us to stay safe…” Kati looked away as a tear finally tracked down her own cheek.

Laney felt hollow. “Is to cut off all ties with us.”

Kati nodded.

Laney stared out at the water. It was green and polluted; a few dead fish floated on top. But here and there she saw air bubbles. Something survived in that filth. She closed her eyes, picturing Max growing up constantly under guard, without any chance at a real life. She didn’t want that for him.

“You’ll need money. IDs.”

“Maddox has already taken care of it.”

“You’ve been thinking about this for a while.”

Kati nodded.

“When are you leaving?”

“Now.”

Laney gasped and stared, but then nodded her head. “That’s probably best.” A little of the tidal wave of emotion she was holding back slipped through. “I’m going to miss you two so much.”

Kati hugged Laney, her shoulders shaking. “You are my sister. And you always will be.”

Laney nodded into her shoulder.

They stayed clasped together like that for a few minutes. When Kati finally extricated herself, she all but fled inside. Laney watched her go, tears streaming down her face.

Maddox, Kati, and Max were leaving. Henry was out of commission. Jake was on the edge of death—again. Everything was falling apart. And there was nothing Laney could do about any of it.

Except watch it fall.

CHAPTER 83

L
aney stayed at the edge of the dock for a while longer, composing herself. She needed to speak with Victoria. She needed to say goodbye to Max. She needed to check on Jake and Henry
. Need, need, need. My life is all about need.

But she couldn’t seem to make herself move. She heard footsteps behind her and turned, expecting to see her uncle. She was wrong.

“Hi, Laney,” Max said.

“Hey, Max.” Laney opened up her arms and Max flew across the short distance into them.

Laney hugged him tight. “Are you all right?”

He nodded against her chest. Laney closed her eyes, trying to savor the moment. She rocked with him in her lap.
He’ll be too big to be held like this soon.

With a start, she realized that the next time she saw him—if she saw him again—he might not even want her to hug him. He might not feel the bond the way she did; he might not even remember her. The thought made her hold him even tighter.

They stayed locked together like that for a few moments, and Laney let herself focus only on the moment, knowing it would end too soon.

Finally, Max scooted off her lap and sat next to her. His little legs swung back and forth under the dock.

Laney wrapped one arm around him. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

His expression made him look much older than he should. “I’m not safe—not yet.”

Laney studied him. His blue eyes looked so serious, so mature. He should be a little boy, not someone who literally had to worry about the fate of the world. “Once you leave, will you be safe?” Laney asked.

Max nodded. “Yes.”

Laney’s heart pained to see him go, but she was overjoyed to know that he would, finally, have a chance at a normal life. She just wished she could be a part of it.

She hugged him tight. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

Max curled into her chest. “Not as much as I’m going to miss you.”

Laney took in a shuddering breath. She hated that it had come to this—that she had to let two people she loved so much go away in order to keep them safe.

And right then she hated the Fallen. She hated her damn destiny. And she hated Victoria and all her secrets.

Max wrapped his hand in Laney’s. “She protected me.”

Laney looked down at him. “Who?”

“Victoria. Samyaza would have hurt me if Victoria hadn’t stayed. That’s why she walked away from you. To protect me.”

Laney looked toward the house, trying to tamp down her anger at Victoria, knowing it wasn’t fair. Victoria had no more choice in all this than Laney did.

“She is good, isn’t she?” Laney asked softly.

Max looked up at Laney, and waited until she looked back at him. “She’s the best. She loves you. She loves all of us. You need to trust her, Laney. And you need to find the tree.”

Laney had to ask Max one more question. But she was afraid to hear the answer.

“Can I stop all of this?” she asked quietly.

“Yes. But it’s going to cost you.”

As Laney looked into Max’s bright blue eyes, she didn’t see the little boy she had helped raise. She saw the old soul who inhabited him.

Tears sprang to her eyes. “It already has.”

CHAPTER 84

L
aney walked back to the front of the building with Max’s hand clasped in hers. Tears threatened to overwhelm her, but she held them back. There’d be time for tears later. Right now, they each had jobs to do, and those jobs came before anything.

Maddox and Kati stood waiting by an old white Suzuki, a little rusted at the tire wells and bumper, and with more than a few dents. It was no different than dozens of cars Laney had seen on their drive here. It would blend right in.

Patrick stood waiting with his arm around Kati. He gave Laney a small smile, but she could see the moisture gathering in his eyes. He was putting on a brave face. Laney tried to keep her face blank, which was as close to brave as she could manage right now. Her emotions were too raw for anything else.

A few feet from the car, Laney knelt down. She turned Max to face her and held his arms. “Remember, wherever you are, I am somewhere thinking about you and loving you. And if you ever need me, I will come running.”

“I know.” He put his hand on her cheek. “Be careful, Laney.”

“You too.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. Then she took a steadying breath and let him go, fearing that if she didn’t do it right this second, she’d never be able to.

Patrick scooped him away and into his own hug while Laney stood and turned to Maddox. “Take care of them.”

“With my very life.”

Laney blinked back her tears. “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” She looked at her uncle hugging Kati before she looked back at Maddox. “Just help them be happy, okay?”

“I will.”

Laney wrapped her arms around him. “And let yourself be happy, too.”

“I owe you my life, Laney.”

Laney stepped back. “No. You don’t owe me a thing. Have a good life, Maddox. And if you need us—”

“I’ll call.”

She nodded. “Take care of them.” Maddox hugged her quickly one more time. Then he turned, got into the driver’s seat of the car, and started it up.

Laney walked slowly around the car. This all felt so unreal. She was saying goodbye to Kati and Max. How was it possible that it had come to this?

Kati waited by the open passenger door.

“You ready?” Laney asked.

Kati nodded, her chin trembling. “I think so.”

Laney looked away. “Don’t you dare cry. Because if you cry, I’ll cry, and then you’ll never get out of here.”

“Okay,” Kati said, but there was still a tremor in her voice.

Laney pulled her into a hug. “We’ll see each other again. I promise.”

Kati nodded into her shoulder.

Laney pulled away.

“Tell Jen—” Kati shook her head and gave Laney a watery smile. “I don’t know. Make up something good and tell her I said it.”

Laney choked out a laugh. “You got it.”

Kati climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door. Laney stepped back. Max waved at her from the back seat and Kati from the front. Laney gave them both a smile and blew Max a kiss.

Maddox pulled away, and a car of SIA agents pulled out after them. The agents would escort them to an airfield where Maddox had arranged for a friend to meet them.

And that would be it. From there, no one but Maddox would know where they were going.

Laney watched the car until it was out of sight.

Patrick came and stood next to her. “You all right?”

She leaned in to him. “Not by a long shot.”

He went to wrap his arms around her, but Laney stepped away. “No. If you do that, then I’ll start to cry, and there’s no time for that now.” She took a deep breath. “How are Jake and Henry?”

“The doctor was still sewing up Jake when I last checked. But she’s very optimistic. Henry’s all right. Well, all right in the sense that he has seven broken bones and another seven fractures scattered throughout his body.”

Laney winced. “He’s healing though?”

“Yes, but not fast. Victoria said Henry’s abilities are immune to injuries from Cain. He’ll heal, but only at the rate of a normal human.”

Laney closed her eyes. Henry, hurt. It wasn’t something she was used to.

“Okay,” she said. “Let’s go check on Jake.”