Page 22 of Balor

“It’s time to talk,” I said. “So gather ‘round.”

The tension in the room was palpable, faces a mix of determination and concern.

“An anonymous source has informed me that Thaddeus Kline knows about Belladonna’s pregnancy. And her betrayal.” A murmur spread through the room, quickly silenced by a raised hand. “Thaddeus is a powerful warlock. He’s also Belladonna’s father. And he’s coming for her. For our child. He’s a threat to Darkwood, and to each of you. He’ll set his sights on anyone he thinks is a weak link or people he believes will be good leverage. He’s ruthless.”

They shared a look before focusing on me again. I hadn’t even dropped the biggest bomb on them yet. And I knew I needed to. But first, I needed to make sure they understood exactly what we were up against.

“We have to confront Thaddeus and his coven. We need to neutralize him and the threat he poses to Darkwood. If we don’t, the entire town could be lost -- every man, woman, and child.”

I pointed to Clay. “I need you to scout the area. Your heightened senses will be able to find anything we can use to our advantage. Weaknesses, weapons, anything.”

He gave a sharp nod. “Consider it done.”

I assigned tasks to the others, using their unique abilities. Each one of them had a purpose. A role to play. I’d gathered the Saints together because I could see the potential in them. They’d all been misfits at one point in time, but with me they’d found a home. Not just as part of Balor’s Saints, but also here in Darkwood. It was a place where all were welcome, as long as they played by the rules. Not everyone had come to town at the same time or joined close together. I’d started with Clay since I’d known him the longest. It had taken me twenty years from getting the idea of the club to reach this point.

“Make no mistake. Thaddeus isn’t going to be easy to defeat. He’s a powerful warlock, and I’ve heard he’s capable of great destruction. I don’t know how far he’ll go to get Belladonna and the baby back. I won’t let her be used as a pawn.” I felt my jaw tighten. “I’ll take out anyone who tries to hurt my family. And I’ll do it with a smile.”

“We’ve got your back,” Jackson said. “Darkwood is our home, and we’d die to keep everyone here safe.”

I nodded, knowing he meant every word. But would things change after they learned the truth? It was time to find out.

“There’s one more thing.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’ve been lying to all of you from the beginning.”

Ben’s eyes narrowed. “About what?”

“My identity.” I cleared my throat. “My name isn’t really Luke, and I didn’t find you or Darkwood by accident.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Collin asked.

“It means I founded Darkwood, built it from the ground up.” I let them digest that for a moment. “Like I said, my name isn’t Luke. It’s Balor Hades.”

Ben let out a low whistle. “Well, fuck me.”

“Wait, so you own that big mansion on the hill?” Collin asked. “Then why the hell did you make up a new identity and start this club? And why not show your face, your real one, around town? Even in comics the superhero shows his alter ego.”

“That’s a somewhat long story. Let’s just say I wanted a way to keep an eye on things, to help the town, without people fearing me or feeling as if they had to be submissive toward me. Since you’re human you may have never heard of me before moving here,” I said.

Collin shrugged. “So what?”

“Balor Hades was the darkest, and most powerful mage this world had seen in centuries,” Ben said. “It’s believed if he hadn’t stopped fighting in the midst of the great war, all the good in the world would have been destroyed. But I’ve never seen you use that much power, Balor.”

“I’ve been holding back,” I admitted. “I worried if I tapped into those forces again, it might consume me. I built this town as a way to make amends for all the bad things I’ve done in my lifetime. But I can’t do that anymore. Not if we want to win against the Coven of Eternal Night.”

“One more thing you should know,” Jackson said. “I believe they won’t be coming alone. I think Night’s Bane Coven will be sending people with them.”

“So, we’ll be up against two dark covens?” Clay asked. “Just fucking great.”

“It’s time to let people know to take shelter if they can’t or won’t fight. I’ll leave it in your hands. I still need to tell Belladonna what’s going on.” I held the gaze of each man. “If any of you want to walk away after this, I’ll understand.”

Jackson shook his head. “You’re stuck with us, whether your name is Balor or Luke. Regardless, you’re our leader. Just turns out that’s true in more than one way.”

“Thanks. I’ll try not to let you down.”

Without another word, I turned and walked out, needing to get back home. I zipped through the streets and didn’t slow until I reached the mansion. After I parked, I went inside and searched for Belladonna.

I found her in the library with a book in her lap. She looked up when I entered, smiling at me warmly. I hated that I was about to turn her world upside down.

“Your father is on his way here,” I said.

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