He made quick work of cutting his hand. Of course, he was able to do it himself. The show-off.
When we both had a fair bit of blood in our palms, we carefully touched our hands to each other's, mixing the blood and coating our hands with it as Michael quickly tied the piece of rope to the Scythe. "Now, coat the Scythe," I suggested. We were running blind, but it seemed like a safe bet that coating the Artifact with our blood would help.
While Michael held it out with the string, Lucifer and I ran our palms all over the Scythe. The blood dripped to the ground, but it also coated the blade, which soaked it up.
"Didn't expect that," I whispered and watched the blood disappear. When we'd wiped as much as we could off of our hands and onto the blade, I grabbed the rope. "Luc, hold it below mine with your bloody hand."
He did as instructed, then we moved the Scythe over the map of the Earth realm. There was no spell book to tell me what to say. "Funnel your power into it, that which you can access," I whispered. Doing the same, I focused on the Scythe.
My eyes rolled back in my head, and I became simultaneously aware of two realities. One, in the church in Anywhere, Appalachia. The other, in a rich, green field of tall grass. A man walked toward me with his arms out. A man I recognized. "Abel?" I asked, shocked to my core.
Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel gasped. When I spoke to Abel, I spoke to them, too. "Don't worry," I said. "I'm seeing something amazing, just be patient."
Five hands touched me, on my back and shoulders. "It's okay," I whispered, feeling them but seeing Abel.
"How are you here?" I asked.
Michael tried to say something to me. "You three, shush and wait," I reprimanded them. Abel smiled with amusement, possibly knowing why I was saying strange things to him.
"Sorry," I said. "We are in the Earth realm and they can hear me speak but don't know you're here."
He held out his hands to indicate the world around him. "Tell them what you see."
"I'm standing in the most lush, vivid green field of grass I've ever seen," I whispered. "It's beautiful. And Abel is here."
"I'm in Elysium," he corrected. "But I guard this place. This is the fount of magic that supplies the Scythe. Magic and Power, as you know, depends on the wielder. It can be light or dark, but at its core, unfettered, it's simply beautiful, as is this field. This grass could be nutritious or poisonous, depending on how it's prepared. You may use this Scythe as you see fit. It is in your hands now. You do not need spells or sacrifices. The magic will do your bidding.
"But?" There was always a catch.
"It is not infinite. You must choose wisely. It has never been used by one such as yourself. Raphael came close, many, many years ago, but managed to refrain. If you are in dire need, you may use the magic, but when it is done, this place, this beauty, will dissipate into the realm in which it is used and will be no more."
"I have to use it," I whispered. "I have to find my daughter."
He inclined his head. "The magic whispers to me. It knows more than it can say, and it agrees with you."
"I thought it was neutral?" I asked with a suspicious smile.
Abel chuckled and shrugged. "It is. But it knows so much, who are we to say what is proper for magic to do? It wants you to use it to find your..." He cocked his head as if listening. "Is it saying Aria?"
"Ariel," I murmured. "Her name is Ariel."
Abel nodded. "Yes, of course. It wants you to use it to find her, but as I said, it will do your bidding. If you want to tell it to blow up a building, it will. Or plant the entire Earth realm with seeds of growth and food, it will. It will do whatever you say."
"I wish I could do something like that to help the Earth realm," I said. "But I will be selfish. I must find my daughter."
"It is not selfish. If you planted the world in seeds, it would feed many, of course, but it would cause chaos and panic. And people are easily panicked."
That was true. "Thank you for your guidance," I said.
"One last thing." He picked a blade of grass and handed it to me. "If you use the Scythe to find your Ariel, this will grow heated as you get closer to her. When she is imminent, it will burst into flame and you will know the magic is no more."
"How do you know?"
He shrugged. "It speaks to me. Sometimes it's very specific."
I couldn't explain the surge of joy at seeing Abel. He was nothing more than a man in Elysium, one I'd not spent much time thinking about... ever. Yet the thought of leaving him saddened me.
"Don't be morose," he whispered. "All is not lost."
