The offer appeased it, and a small chunk of my power broke away to do as I asked. It was temporary, and I could've called it back at any time.
"Luc," I said. "Someone has to stay here. You've got enough power to call me or one of the guys if something happens. And you can't go find Ezekiel alone."
His face turned into a thundercloud. "A word."
Yikes. I waved my hand and the magic holding Genevra up plugged her ears and covered her eyes. "She can't hear or see us now."
"You can't go alone," he growled. "It's too dangerous."
I didn't tell him that something about Ezekiel wasn't right. I felt like I had a fight on my hands, but he didn't need to know that. "Luc, I'm at full power."
He crossed his arms and wouldn't budge.
"Lucifer, my love, you've never been this protective of me." As sweet as it was for him to care, it wasn't warranted.
With a sigh, he stepped forward. "You're not in your angelic body. You don't know for sure your powers won't do something wonky or even hurt this body. In this situation, nobody should go anywhere alone, and after losing Ariel, maybe I'm feeling more vulnerable than I ever have."
I pulled him into my arms. "I love you so much," I whispered. "And vulnerable Lucifer only shows how much he loves me."
He gave me one of the most tender kisses he ever had, with his hands on my neck and his thumbs caressing my jaw. When he pulled his lips from mine, he kept his nose pressed to mine and his eyes closed. "You are the most important thing in all of Creation to me. Ariel is as well, now. If I lost you, I'd burn the world to the ground, I hope you know that."
"It's nice to know I'm the only thing holding you back from wanton destruction," I said.
Lucifer burst out laughing. "No pressure."
He pulled me closer and buried his face in my neck. "Be careful," he whispered. "Come back safe and soon."
"I will. Keep her from escaping, okay?"
He squeezed me, and I disappeared from his arms, putting myself close to the house I'd sensed Ezekiel in. Time for round two.
Chapter Eleven
As I studied the property, probing it as surreptitiously as I could with my magic, I worried about Gabe and Michael. If they returned with Uriel, Luc would send one of them to help me. The more time went by without their return, the more I worried Uriel had bested or hurt them.
My mind focused more and more on the property and less on anything else, as I couldn't get near it.
What did Ezekiel have to keep him this protected? He didn't have nearly enough power for a ward like this. I wasn't sure Raph himself did.
Not another Relic. Raphael and his Relics were going to be the death of me. Possibly literally.
Abandoning pretense, I slam my power into the ward and try to break it by battering it. Then, as I walked around the property, I tried using my magic like a mighty sword, stabbing and hacking at it.
I tried lifting it.
I tried pushing it.
I tried pulling it.
I tried coming from the top.
Underground.
Fire.
Water.
Teleporting through it—that one hurt.
