Page 62 of Claimed by the Fallen
“My master knows a lot about you, Veronica,” he replies. “Which is why he’s so eager to meet you face toface.”
“And why would I want to do that?” I stand and walk to my door, deciding this is a situation I definitely shouldn’t try to handle on myown.
I’m reaching for the doorknob when the caller says, “I think we both knowwhy.”
There is movement on the other end of the call, followed by muffled voices. Then, I hear my mom’s voice. “Veronica?”
“Mom?” My knees shake, and I press my hand against the door to remain standing. “Is that really you?” My voice echoes back to me. I realize I’m onspeaker.
“It’s me,honey.”
“Where’sDad?”
“Right here, sweetheart,” he answers, sounding farther away from thephone.
“Where are you guys?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest. “Tell me where youare.”
“We aren’t sure,” Momsays.
At the same time, I hear Dad shout, “Do not come here, Ronnie. No matter wh—” A loud thump followed by my mom’s cry fills thereceiver.
“Mom!” I shout. “Dad?”
No one answers. The phone is being shuffled again, then the original caller’s voice returns, “If you want to see your parents again, you will come meet mymaster.”
My blood turns cold. “W-why does he want to meetme?”
“Because you’re special.And he likes specialthings.”
I’m in over my head—way over myhead.
“Alright,” I tell the caller as I open my bedroom door and walk towards the stairs. I need the angels help to save my parent’s. I can’t do it alone. “I’ll meet yourmaster.”
“Excellent,” I imagine the caller’s eerily pleased grin. “There’s one more thing, you must come alone. If you don’t, your parents willdie.”
My steps halt. I’m a quarter of the way down the stairs. I can hear the television in the living room. I pray whoever is in there hasn’t heardme.
Turning around, I softly walk back up thestairs.
Misunderstanding the reason for my silence, the caller asks, “Do you understand the terms of the meeting? You must come alone. Once my master is finished speaking with you, you and your parents will walkfree.”
I wait until I’m back in my room, with the door closed, before I reply, “Your master will just kill me if I come alone.” The yancor demons have been perfectly clear on what they want to do when they get their hands onme.
“I am authorized to guarantee your safety during this meeting,” he says, “but only if you comealone.”
My head spins. I don’t know what to do. My gut says to tell the angels about the conversation, but I know they will insist on coming to any arranged meeting. And if what the caller says is true, doing so will mean endangering my parents’lives.
I can’t riskit.
“How can I trust you or your master?” I’m out of options. The only thing I can do is try to get some reassurance. “You kidnapped my parents to blackmail me into a meeting. How do I know your master will keep his word and let usleave?”
“Frankly, Veronica,” The caller’s voice drops low and adopts an unfeeling tone. I realize, belatedly, he’s been aiming to sound appealing during our conversation, “you don’t really have a choice. Meet my master this evening, or your parentsdie.”
Twenty-Two
Its nearly seveno’clock by the time I venture out of my room. I’ve spent enough time praying for my parents to call and tell me the whole situation has been handled—that I don’t need to sneak out of the house and go to the location texted to me by my mom’s phone—but my prayers gounanswered.
I’d looked up the address online, and the empty warehouse is located on the outskirts of Valley Lake, close to the abandoned quarry. Finally accepting I have no choice but to go along with the kidnapper’s demands, the next step is to figure out how to sneak out of my house without my four angelic bodyguardsnoticing.
