With a wave, the image in my head disappeared and my full conscience returned to the church. Lucifer, Gabriel, and Michael stared at me with all three of their faces terrified.
Blinking, I looked from one to the other and chuckled. "Abel says hi."
Their scared trance broke, and all three tried to hug me at once. The hand not still holding the Scythe out was squished against my body. "Okay, okay." I laughed and pressed my arms tighter wherever I could reach. "I'm fine."
When they pulled away, the hand that had been trapped between us clutched a long piece of emerald green grass. It was the wrong color green; unlike anything I'd ever seen growing naturally.
"The Scythe will only work once. In all its existence, it has never been used," I explained. "I can will it to do what I want, and this blade of grass will grow hotter and hotter until we find Ariel. Then it will burst into flame and the power of the Scythe will be no more."
Shock covered their faces. "Finite?" Michael asked. "How, in all this time, has nobody used it?"
Gabe stared at the ugly, unimpressive tool. "Raph must've gotten to it before any other angels or witches."
I cleared my throat. "Ready to do this?"
They squared their shoulders and stared at the tool. "Do it," Lucifer said.
"Okay. Let go of the rope." He looked at me in surprise but did as I asked.
Grabbing my small thread of power, I focused it into the Scythe. "Please show me where my daughter is," I whispered. "Show me the blood of my blood and heart of my heart."
Lowering the Scythe, I moved the rope so the tool would swing over the map. Then I tried my best to keep my hand still and let it move where it wanted rather than where I influenced it.
It only took a fraction of a second. The Scythe stopped swinging, lifted as if an invisible person put their hand on it, and rested the very tip of the tool on the map.
Michael lunged forward. "It's in the northeastern United States."
He turned to the closest pew and ruffled through the maps. "Here," he shouted and set a map of the eastern half of the US beside the Scythe. We waited to see if it would move. "Please," I whispered. "Show me where to find the blood of my blood."
Again, as if picked up by an invisible hand, it lifted, then moved immediately down on the new map.
"New York City," Michael said. "I don't have a map that detailed with me."
Abel had said the magic would last until we found Ariel, but I didn't want to risk it. "Let's go, before the magic runs out."
Chapter Four
"Let me have your hands," Gabe said. "I'll heal them."
Lucifer and I held out our palms, still oozing blood. I was so excited and enthralled in the magic I hadn't even noticed. Now that I looked at them, the pain set in. Gabe grabbed Lucifer's and held his palm over the cut. Michael did the same for me. Their hands glowed, and the pain lessened over the course of the next minute or so until it disappeared entirely.
Michael grabbed my hand once it was healed and after tucking the piece of grass carefully between my lips, I grabbed Lucifer's. He took Gabriel's, and Gabriel took Michael's other hand. When we were all linked, Michael sucked in a deep breath. "Okay. Let's do this."
The next second, we were in a back alley in New York. The grass in my mouth warmed considerably, so I snatched it out from between my lips. "Glamour our backpacks," I whispered. "Especially that duffel full of guns." Gabriel focused for a second and the bags on our backs disappeared.
"How are we going to do this?" I asked.
"Let's find a map." Michael walked to the end of the alley, and we followed. "There's a drug store over here." He hurried onto the busy sidewalk. We tried to follow, but it was too crowded, even this late. By the time we made it into the drug store, me first with Lucifer directly behind, one hand on my back and Gabe right behind him. Michael was already at the register, map in hand, holding out a ten-dollar bill. "Keep the change," he said as he rushed toward us.
We exited and made our way back to the alley we'd arrived in. It seemed the least crowded at the moment.
"Hurry," I whispered. "Before it stops working or someone comes."
Michael unfolded the map of the city and its surrounding boroughs. I pulled the Scythe out from under my arm, where I'd protected and hidden it as we made our way to the drug store.
"Please show me where to find my daughter," I whispered. My hand trembled with nerves and excitement as I held the Scythe over the map and let it dangle by the rope.
It fell with a purpose but felt less guided this time. "I think the magic is weakening." We peered down at the map in the faint light coming from the streetlights. I couldn't make out the details, but Michael and Gabriel's eyesight was superior to mine.
