the others for help,” Darc suggested.
“But it's right here!” I held out my hand and magic crackled over my fingertips. “We've raised enough energy to power a small city.”
“We're different now, my Fire,” he said gently. “Perhaps we're not meant to be creators in these bodies.”
“But we made this together.” I tapped the onyx pendant at my throat and it shivered.
“With the help of Torin, whose magic gave us a foundation to build on,” he reminded me.
“We're bonded for a reason, little bird,” Torin said. “We can share our power. It's silly to not use every tool at our disposal.”
Before I could answer, Gage's contact charm chimed, and we all turned to look at him.
Gage pulled the charm out of his pocket and slipped it in his ear. “Yeah?” He frowned. “Where are you? We have something that could help.” He gave us a heavy look. “No, trust me, you'll like this.” He paused. “Uh-huh. Be there soon.” He pulled the charm out and said, “The Devil's on the loose.”
I looked at Torin and grimly said, “Get the M-bombs.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lucifer looked like shit. I'd never seen him so haggard. His starlight hair was pulled back into a careless ponytail with stray strands escaping, his creamy-gold skin was sallow, and there were shadows under his eyes. Even his wings looked lackluster.
“Lucifer.” I reached for him, but he drew back. I let my hand drop. “Are you all right?”
“I'm fine, my vicious,” he said in a rough voice. “You've delayed us long enough, we must go before the Devil gets up to more mischief.”
“Hold on.” I held up a hand as his wings lifted. “Don't you want to know the plan?”
“The plan is that I find him and drag him out of the human he's squatting in,” he growled.
I gaped at Lucifer. Not because of what he said, but rather, how he said it. He sounded beyond bereft. He sounded like a man who was no longer living, only existing, and that existence was purely for one reason—to trap the Devil.
“We've made some M-bombs,” Torin took over for me. “You find him and we'll do the rest.”
Lucifer blinked. “What?”
“We can end this,” I recovered enough to say. “It's going to be all right, Luke.”
“Don't call me that,” he growled. “Raphael knows where we're headed. I must go before the Devil escapes.” He lifted his wings, brought them down with a harsh flap, and vanished.
“Where?” I demanded of Raph.
“Detroit,” he said. “Lucifer narrowed it down to a building on the corner of Livernois and Regular.”
“Motown?” I asked, aghast. “Oh, hell no. The Devil can't mess with Motown.”
“At least he didn't go down to Georgia,” Slate said dryly.
I choked back a laugh. “Slate!”
“What?” He grinned at me. “I couldn't resist.”
“Yes, very funny. Would you care to make a fiddle joke next?” Raphael snapped. “Every second counts. Now, who needs a guide?” He held out his hands.
I looked around. “I think we'll all need you to lead us. I've been to Detroit before but not to that exact corner.”
“Then I'll need to borrow a stone,” Raphael said. “I can't carry all of you.”
Torin handed Raph his traveling stone, and we formed a circle. Then we followed Lucifer to Detroit.
And came out on a dark street, in front of a brick building that looked distinctly like a...
“He's in a church?” Slate asked.
“Yeah,” Raphael growled. “The Devil has a twisted sense of humor.”
A crash came from within the church, and we ran for it. An open door around the side let us in, and we rushed through the stale dark. Light led us into the... what the hell do you call the room that humans worship in? Whatever it is, the Devil and Lucifer were facing off there, right before the lectern. Someone had tossed a few pews out of the way, giving the men room to fight.
“Elaria, my beloved wife, you've come for me!” A dark-skinned man with a bright smile exclaimed.
I think he was Dominican, or maybe Cuban. I suppose it didn't matter because whoever he was, he was gone. The Devil stared out of those brown eyes.
“Lucifer!” I called to him pointedly.
“I'm busy, my vicious,” he growled and leapt for the Devil.
“Talk about a split personality,” Slate muttered.
“You're just full of jokes tonight, aren't you?” Raphael snapped as he strode past Slate and up to Torin. “Get ready, Onyx King.”
“I'm ready.” Torin lifted his hand; an M-bomb sat in his palm.
Raphael launched himself into the air and came down in a fighting stance beside