will be able to face down Lucifer, while we combine our power with yours. You just need to find a spell in there to do it.” He points to the codex.
“Easy as that,” I murmur and flip the upside-down codex over and rifle through the pages. “What did me telling you all I love you have to do with anything?” I muse while I seek whatever the fuck I’m supposed to be looking for.
“It opened up your heart to accept the help we can offer you,” Drescal says quietly.
I glance up and give him a quick smile.
I suppose I don’t have to do everything myself, but I like having the burden on my shoulders. It gives me a purpose. If I contracted everything out, what use would I be? None at all, really.
Everyone goes quiet as I continue to turn the pages and then I see something.
“A spell!” I shout out, making everyone jump. “It’s a circle. We are already a circle, so this should be a piece of cake. It will require all of you, all of those that I love. Sorry, Gregory, but that includes you. You will be protected by my blood…”
“And by us,” Killian interrupts me. “No one falls, I can promise you that.”
I give him a quick nod and focus on Gregory. He doesn’t look anything except valiant. Oh, how I do love him. So accepting, so bold and brave. He is completely out of his depth and yet he does this…for me.
He bobs his head, a grim look on his face and then I get to work, ordering everyone about to bring me what I need to complete our circle and boost my power with the one thing that I seriously didn’t think would be of any use down in Hell.
Love.
Chapter 37
Shax
“Do you need me for a while?” I ask Belle. “There’s something I have to sort out.”
“Oh, with your little pet?” she asks with more than a bit of snark.
“Yes,” I state and glare at her.
“Fine, go, but there is something that I need from you. Let’s walk.” She takes me by the arm and leads me out into the hallway, closing the bedroom door behind her. We stop outside of my bedroom door. “That dagger of yours, the one that you carry everywhere, how come it hurts you but not me?”
“A long story that you don’t need to know about,” I say.
“Stop being cagey, for once, Shax. Tell me,” she demands.
“Because I don’t want to hurt you when I cut myself,” I snap at her, giving her a look that speaks volumes.
“What?” she asks quietly. “Why would you do that?”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t feel the urge anymore.”
“Shax...”
“Look, I don’t want to talk about it and I really do need to sort something out now.”
“I need it,” she says, thankfully dropping the topic of my self harm, but it’s not forgotten. Oh no, her face tells me that.
“What for?” I ask warily.
“Lucifer will still be in his Devil form without a doubt when we go back down there. I need him in human form. I think that dagger with your blood on it, piercing his heart will force him to Shift.”
“How so?” I ask, intrigued.
“It is clearly imbued with heavy dark magick, plus your blood…just call it a hunch.”
“I’ll bring it,” I say and then push open my bedroom door to see Shadow curled up on my bed fast asleep.
I shut the door quietly.
“Hey,” I say as she wakes up with a start. “Just me.”
“Shax,” she says and rubs her eyes. “About Bannister, I don’t want it. I swear to you…”
“I know,” I say with a sigh. “I believe you. It just hurts that this is coming between us. I’d hoped we were past all of the drama.”
“Same,” she says, chewing her lip. “I’ve come to a decision,” she blurts out after a beat.
I wait for her to gather her thoughts. She nervously wrings her hands and then climbs off the bed to pace. My heart is thumping in my chest. I have absolutely no clue what she is going to say or do. She is the hardest female to read, ever.
“I’m going to tell the Griffins, show the Griffins, what I am,” she says eventually. “Tell them that we are in love and that I’m going to spend most of my time in human form to be with you.”
I just stare at her in shock.
“If you’ll have me,” she says quietly, looking down. “I know I’m not the easiest female to be