Kids. It made it all the scarier, that Emberly had gone there unattended at age thirteen.
“Is that what Lincoln’s doing there?” It sounded like something he would do.
Noah nodded. “He’s sneaking kids back out of the city, back to their families.”
I never thought I could love that man more, but my heart expanded in that moment, making more room to love him.
“But the demons who run the trafficking make billions doing this. So if you’re caught getting kids out of the city, they’ll hang you up in town and make an example out of you,” Noah added.
Oh, Lincoln. What have you gotten yourself into?
It was a noble cause. Stupid. But noble.
Noah sighed. “Let’s start working on our story. We’ll need disguises too. Shea, can you magically change hair color?”
She scoffed. “Since my first year here.”
He nodded, dismissing her attitude. “All right. I’ve got a plan.”
Chapter Twenty
The next morning, when we walked into Raphael’s office, he and Michael were sharing a pot of coffee and looking at a map. When we entered, they both stared gob-smacked at our group. Gone were Shea’s wild brown curls, long silky black hair in their place. Noah also had dark hair, and mine had been turned candy red. For good measure, she gave me a light smattering of freckles across my nose.
“Well done on the disguises, Shea,” Raphael complimented.
She smirked. “Thanks. It was easy.”
We also showed them our forearms, where Shea had covered our Celestial tattoos, and replaced them with a Dark Mage death mark.
Now it was Michael’s turn to look impressed. “Your talent is not being used to the fullest in the Fallen Army,” he declared.
Raphael waved him off dismissively. “Save that for when they get back.”
When, not if. Bless him.
“Now listen.” Raphael stood before Shea. “I know you’re good with portals to Hell, and they might make you conjure one to prove your gifts, but I have something for you.” He pulled out a small metal keychain with a skull on it. “I had this made from a hunk of metal off the school gate. If you create a twin portal to it, it should lead you here, right to the campus.”
Something clicked then. “My ring,” I gasped.
Shea turned to me and nodded. “I tried to create a portal from your wedding ring, which Lincoln had bought as a set to the promise ring you wore to see if you were alive. They came from the same metal so it’s possible.”
Tears filled my eyes. “It was working but… it was taken from me.” I didn’t want them to hate Raksha.
The room was silent for a moment, until finally Michael cleared his throat. “So where did you get this map of the tunnels?”
I blanched. I’d given Raph the map that Emberly made me to look over, but I didn’t think Michael would come.
“From a friend,” I added coyly.
He smirked. “Your friend’s handwriting looks familiar.”
Shit.
“So, I heard there’s human trafficking in the city?” I quickly changed the subject, keeping my mind clear so as not to give anything away.
Michael let it go and nodded. “San Francisco was the first city to fall. Lincoln and the other brave soldiers there are doing good work. One day I’d like to take it back, free the slaves there.”
Slaves. He said slaves.
I wasn’t quite sure that I was mentally prepared for San Francisco.
“Which is the best way in, do you think?” I gestured to the map.
He sighed and rested his hand on his clean-shaven chin before pointing to a spot. “Here, just outside of San Jose. That’s where they start their checkpoints. If you’re recognized or they’re suspicious of you, they’ll kill you on the spot. If you take this tunnel,” he ran his finger along the map, “it’s about a forty, to fifty-mile walk into the city. That should take you two days if you walk all day. Then once you pop up in the city, it’s too hectic to be checking everyone’s ID, so you’re less likely to be found.”
Solid plan.
“Wow, you know a lot about San Francisco.”
He nodded with a glimmer in his eye. “I had to follow my daughter there once, in the middle of the night, when she was thirteen.”
I blanched while Shea choked on her spit beside me.
“You know about that?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Of course. I’m an archangel. She can’t sneak out of my house.”
Whoa. Scary dad vibes. God help the man who tried to date her.
“You never called her out on it?” I was totally shocked at Michael’s parenting technique.
He shook his head. “Nope. It would just make her want to go again, and I think she learned her lesson.”
Truth bomb. Damn, he was good.
Raphael put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “She’s been through a lot. You’ve done well with her.”
Michael nodded solemnly.
Shea and I shared a look. When we got back, we totally needed to know this girl’s story. Like stat.
Noah broke the silence. “So Raph, you’ll be doing our protections?”
Raphael seemed to snap out of it. “Yes. Right.”
We needed to get on the road if we had a seven-hour drive ahead of us, as well as two days of walking. Every day Lincoln stayed in that dangerous city, brought the chance of him dying closer and closer.
Raphael walked around his desk and retrieved something from his drawer. It looked like three tiny stopper bottles, containing a glowing white light.
“I had Mr. Claymore help me.” He handed us each one. “Just drink it and you’ll be invisible to any prying eyes until the protections are broken. Which can only be done in person by a powerful magic user.”
Shea was spinning hers around in her hand. “Whoa. Nice work, Raph.”
The archangel beamed. “Thank you. Also, I’m going to extend protections to the military dorms, and bases across the city right after this.”
I sagged in relief. “Including my mom’s apartment?”
He nodded. “Yes. Don’t worry.”
The Dark Prince was no doubt livid that I’d broken free, and would be hunting for me. If my family were exposed, he’d use them to hurt me.
“Bottoms up,” Noah cheered and tipped the white light back, taking it by the mouthful.
You could see the glowing fluid make its way down his throat and then spread throughout his chest. “Cool,” he said. “It tickles.”
Shea and I clinked bottles, and then I poured the fluid into my mouth, letting it slide down my throat. Drinking the light magic was what I imagined eating a cloud would be. It was light and fluffy all the way down, and when it reached my chest, it did indeed tickle.
Michael clapped Noah on the back. “All right then. Let’s get you guys off to your destination. You can have no affiliation with the school or the army, so we’ve borrowed a civilian car. I’ll fly above you as far as Fresno, but then you’re on your own.”
Noah nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
Michael beamed. “Return with Captain Grey, and that’s thanks enough for me.”
Captain Grey. My heart pinched, eyes welling with tears once again.
As we were making our way out, Raphael stopped me, and let the others go ahead. Pulling another bottle of the glowing light from his pocket, he handed it to me. “For Lincoln, when you find him.”
I smiled, taking the bottle from him and stashing it in my backpack. That he’d made it in the first place touched my heart, but the fact that he was so positive we would find Lincoln touched me the most.
“I can’t imagine what I’d do without you,” I confessed. “Being down there was so hard, but knowing you were all here waiting for me… it got me through.”
He pulled me into a tight hug, one that reached deep down into my soul.
“Remember, Brielle, like me, when Lucifer fell from Heaven, he was given an earthly body. He may be powerful, but he can be killed,” he whispered.
My heart beat wildly in my chest at his words. It was a question I’d been asking myself a long time—could Lucifer be killed? I’d seen Archangel Michael injured and bleeding, and I’d just seen my own guardian angel shed his form, so I knew their bodies were susceptible to damage. But…
“How? How do I kill him?” I asked.
Raphael beamed at me, cupping my face. “There is no one like you in all the universe, and you alone have the tools. You’ll figure it out.”
Cryptic Yoda stuff? Really? “No, seriously, I need you to tell me how,” I pressed.
Raphael smirked. “I think you already know how. What makes you different from me, or Michael or Lincoln or Noah?”
I frowned. “I have dark magic, black wings.”
Raphael shook his head. “So does Lucifer. What about you is unique from everyone else?”
A lightbulb went off in my head, then shattered. “Both. I have both light magic and dark magic!”
He nodded, touching my nose like I was his five year-old-grandchild who’d just figured out a riddle.
“When the time comes, I have complete faith that you can dispel Lucifer’s body, and send his soul where it belongs.” His voice was ominous, and while I admired that complete faith he had in me, it also scared me shitless.
“Come on!” Shea popped her head inside, calling out to me.
I turned back to Raph. “I’ll be back with Lincoln,” I assured positively.
Raphael nodded. “You know, Brielle, there wasn’t one night that passed while you were away, that I didn’t pray for your safe return. The same is with Lincoln. I’ve grown attached to all of you earthly children.”
His eyes grew misty, and we gave each other one more quick hug.
“Thanks, Raph.”
He nodded and saw me out the door.
After leaving his office, I came out to find Noah and Shea pressed in a lip lock.
“Get a room,” I joked.
Noah pulled away, grinning. “She said yes!”
“What!” I screeched.
Shea burst out laughing. “The only reason I hadn’t answered him, was because I couldn’t imagine getting married without you there. Now you’re back, so… will you be my maid of honor?”
Oh dammit, here come the tears.
I nodded and flung myself at Shea for a hug. The moment was almost perfect.
The only thing missing was Lincoln.
“You guys, I need to toughen up if I’m about to go into the worst Demon City on the planet. Stop making me cry!” I told them.
Shea laughed, hooking her arm with mine. “Did you say goodbye to your mom?” she asked, as we made our way out of the quad toward the parking lot.
I nodded. “She’s terrified I won’t come back, but she understands why I need to go.”
When we descended the steps to the parking lot, I saw Chloe and Luke leaning against our maroon civilian car, both wearing backpacks and looking ready for travel.