The Sons of Destiny (The Reluctant Hero Trilogy Book 3) by Summer Lee Page B

understand every word you’re saying, Jezebel ,” Daniel answered, matter-of-factly in Hebrew, with a snarl on his face. “After all, I am Ahab , the great king.”
    Dante turned to his son in surprise. “What? Where did you learn to speak ancient Hebrew?”
    “I guess it must have been in that virtual world you sent me to, Dad,” Daniel answered with disdain.
    “Hmm,” Yasmeen returned with a pleased look on her face. “I know not what this word means. Vur-choo-ahl?” She inhaled. “But I like it.”
    Dante looked at her with a sinister smile. “Perhaps I shall teach you the words of this time and many other things as well while you take over the world?” He raised his eyebrows up and down. “You just have to reign as Queen of the World.”
    “What is that?” She lost her smile, as she pointed to a small trace of blood on the corner of his lips. “You are diseased! You must keep away from me.”
    “What? No! I bit my lip.” Dante responded in fear mixed with embarrassment. He stepped closer to her. “It’s not like that! I am not contagious…!”
    Before he could finish his verbal disclaimer, she opened up her palms and reached out to push him away. As soon as her hands made contact with his body, flames emitted from them, catching his clothing on fire. Smoke engulfed him. His very life essence began to fade. It faded faster and faster until he stiffened into a corpse.
    Yasmeen gasped and looked surprised.
    “Dad!” Daniel yelled as he ran toward his father, tears streaming down his face. “No, Dad, don’t go until we settle our differences!”
    “Don’t touch him,” said Cranston, stepping toward Daniel.
    Daniel stopped in his tracks. Still reaching toward Dante, he lowered his head. “Dad, don’t go. I’m sorry.”
    “No, Daniel! I said not to touch him.” Alan Cranston huffed while trying to secure the younger DiBenedetto by grabbing his arms. “We have no idea what’s going on here! It looks like misfiring electrical currents.” He held onto Daniel. “Look what happened to your father. It could happen to you, too!”
    “Like you care about anything but our money, Alan!” Daniel screamed as he squirmed his way out of Cranston’s grasp.
    “That’s not true, Daniel, and you know it.”
    Alan Cranston raised his rifle toward the Hive of Baal. “Get out of here.”
    A few of Dante’s henchmen stood with him. He said, “Brothers! We are here for a reason! With new knowledge of this timeline, we should have no trouble conquering the Hive members! Raise your guns and be prepared to sacrifice yourselves if need be, to clear a path to our new glory!”
    Daniel had to let it go. He realized that anything he did after that was futile anyhow. His father was gone. So he plopped down onto the ground, his face buried in his hands. “I loved you, Dad, when I was young.”
    His father had departed his body; long past being able to hear anyone or respond to anything. He was dead. In a matter of seconds, where once stood an egotistical, power-mad, industrialist billionaire, he now lay a smoldering creature of charred ash, not unlike the char that covered Yasmeen when she was manifested in the real world a little earlier.
    Daniel and his father never got along, maybe even hated each other, but he still wouldn’t have wished to happen to anyone what happened to Dante, especially someone in his family.
    Without emotion, several of Dante’s men huddled together to discuss what their next options were. The Hive of Baal must have seen them, because most of them took off running lickety-split. Suddenly, the army of henchmen opened fire on the Hive, who were running hard and fast into the hills, trying to get away.
    A handful stayed back to protect Yasmeen, as she stood and glared at Daniel. “I know… everything.” She looked at the remains of Dante DiBenedetto. “I know everything he knew.” Daniel ignored her.
    Only a few of the Hive of Baal were left. They looked confused. Almost as if the