I turn away, unable to give voice to my greatest fear. Again and again, I promised Willow I would protect her, and every time, I felt the truth she refused to admit—even to herself.
If she is forced to use the Blade, the pure and beautiful soul I fell in love with will be gone. Her body may still draw breath, but Willow—myWillow—will die.
Zoe, who has been on the phone since she and Sin arrived, pockets the device and joins us. Maddox and Killian follow, though the warlock looks slightly…green.
“The vampires’ trunks are safely stowed in the U-Haul. There’s an abandoned shopping mall not far from the edge of town. Kunchin will wait for us there,” Mad says and peels off his jacket.
I cannot see the point of any of this. “For all we know, those demented fucks could have Willow halfway around the world by now.”
“It’s possible,” Zoe says. “But the Lieutenant just confirmed my suspicions. The grimoire is on a ley line that runs across the continental United States.”
“And this matters…why?” This conversation is going nowhere. I am ready to take Lucifer’s axe and cut this world in two. If only such a thing were possible.
“Because that same ley line runs through McCook Nebraska, several cities in Colorado, and continues all the way to Maine. IfIwere a power-hungry bitch hell-bent on destroying the world,I’dwant that extra oomph of power.” Zoe shrugs, and I gape at her.
“You think they knew. That they will force her to use the Blade somewhere along this ley line.” A spark of hope ignites deep in my heart.
“I’d bet my formerly celestial ass on it.”
I look from Sinclair to Maddox and Killian. Suddenly I understand why the warlock is so uneasy. “Tell me you can track them.”
“Falling victim to a witch’s spell leaves a bloody awful taste in my mouth. And a rather unique magical signature. The one who cast it was powerful. Ancient, even. But the old ones often don’t know a damn thing about modern technology.” He pulls a small device from his pocket. “If there’s even a trace of the witch’s magic left, this will find it.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” I remove my jacket and reach for the buttons on my shirt.
“For fuck’s sake. Not yet,” Sinclair mutters. “Too many eyes. Zoe, you’ll stay close to Kunchin at all times?”
“I promise, demon-of-mine.” She cups the back of Sinclair’s neck and pulls him in for a swift kiss. “Go find the love of Gabriel’s celestial life.”
The wind whipsthrough my hair. Sinclair soars to my left, with Maddox—Killian held in his arms—on my right. We leave the Sierra Nevada mountains behind and follow the ley line toward San Francisco.
Maddox is half human, and though he has been in the earthen realm for two years, his wings are as powerful as ever. Sinclair’s demon parentage left him with magnificent jet-black feathers, and a lethality to his flight I had not appreciated until now.
Killian keeps his gaze pinned to the little black box in his hand. Twice now, he has insisted we double-back, but the device stubbornly refuses to beep.
The four of us touch down in the Bureau’s parking lot, where a magnificent gray and white eagle perches on a lamp post with a small bundle clutched in her talons.
“Grayson.” I nod at Sinclair’s lieutenant. “I am in your debt.”
Her screech is harsh enough, I wince.
Killian bangs the small box against his hand. “It should have shown ussomething. Maddox, we need to visit the cathedral before we waste any more time. I have never been there, so I can’t simply teleport.”
“Flying will take time we do not have,” I mutter and wrap my arm around the warlock’s waist. I carry us to the antechamber in an instant.
“Fuck! he shouts when I release him. “You could not have warned me?”
“I did.” I am baffled at his outrage. “What did you think I meant when I said, ‘Flying will take time we do not have’?”
“I justflewacross three states, Gabriel. The last time Maddox took to the air with me, I’d just been tortured half to death. Forgive me if I need a bloody minute!”
He huffs while I cast a glance around the darkened space. A few drops of Willow’s blood stain the floor. I kneel to touch the only part of her that remains in this world.
“Gabriel? Gabriel!” Killian grabs my arm and jerks me to my feet. “It’s working.”
I shake off the fear I’ll never see my love again, and meet his gaze. Then I hear it. The low, rhythmic beep coming from the device in his hand.
The black box is lit up like a Christmas tree.
