“Promoting you, Wet Dream.” I lifted my hand again, and tried to lower my voice. I was going for excited, but I overshot and hit WWE announcer. “Let’s give it up for the baddest of all birches, the beloved of Sunny the Light of Truth, and my right-hand commander, Hope, the Wet—theWakingDream, and your newest High Angelus! Follow her instructions if you want to live!” And then I smashed my power-covered hands on both sides of her cheeks and gave her a big, sloppy, energy-laced smooch. “Sunny sent that,” I whispered into her dazed face. Her eyes had tiny stars buzzing around in them. Maybe cuckoo clock birds, too. “I’m a pretty good kisser, right? I’ve been practicing on my Heigel Jellies as often as possible.”
Power flooded through her. For a moment, she sagged, and I held her up the best I could, considering she was six feet tall and Amazonian in structure. But after only a second, the energy stabilized. I felt Sanctuary giving a tiny cheer under my feet.
“You’re going to feel dizzy for a bit,” I told her. “And not just from my excellent smooching skills. Sanctuary takes a little getting used to.” She nodded, dazed, and backed up a few steps.
Quickly, I sent a thought to both Hope and Percy. They went pale, but both of them nodded. “Right,” I announced, turning back to the excited crowd. “We have to evacuate Sanctuary. Our options are limited on where to go. If you would like to go to Earth, follow Percy to the Flight Hall. He has a soul knife.” I tried to remember what Gavriel had told me they could do.Oh, right.“He’ll cut off your wings, and you will have the chance to go to Earth, live a blameless life, and then, if you manage that, you’ll ascend to the Celestial Realm immediately upon your mortal death.”
“W-what if we don’t live a completely blameless life?” someone called.
“Uh, buddy, I think you already know the answer. You’d join the souls in the Abyss, at least for a while.” I pointed to Percy. “Who’s going with him?” No one moved.
“What are the other choices?” Truth asked.
“Well, they can follow me and Arabella to the Great Gate. I’m going to use my powers of persuasion to ask Revel—the gate—to open for us.” Hope shot me an evil look when Truth started vomiting off the side of the stage.
Arabella narrowed her eyes.You know Gavriel and Seraphiel may not make it there in time.
I know.I fought to keep my face from betraying my emotions.I can’t be separated from Gavriel, anyway. But I can get everyone else out and work on what’s next, once I know my friends are safe.
The corners of her lips turned up.I am so proud of you, little sister.
I smiled back, then returned my attention to the crowd. “Anyway, I think I can get you all out. You’ll need to travel through the void to the Limen, the lobby of the Celestial Realm. It’s a nice place. Lots of clouds, benches. Even though most of you haven’t technically ascended, I figure if you knock hard enough on the gate, they’ll get annoyed and might let you in.”
“Those are both terrible choices,” snarled a Guide who still hadn’t lost the attitude. “What else can we do?”
I shrugged. “Well, you can stay here, I suppose.”
The Guide was about to answer when, as if on cue, the Abyss attacked the basement full force. The whole room swayed back and forth, like an earthquake had struck. But it wasn’t anything natural. It was the shadow Shai-Hulud.
And I felt it begin to break through.
Gavriel!I called out, feeling a surge of pain in my chest. Somehow, he was pulling power from Sanctuary, and since I was connected to it, it siphoned some from me as well. He sent a hurried thought that he needed it to protect Rafe, who had fallen.Rumple!There was no answer, but Gavriel pulled harder.
I asked Sanctuary to send them more energy, begging it to go to their aid, though it sapped my own strength to almost nothing. The pools of blue light in my mating marks were almost dry now. Even the reservoir of power that Imriel had used to cushion the Celestial key seemed thinner. That worried me.
Arabella caught me as I fell, and I noticed Hope staggering on her feet. I hoped Percy wasn’t flying; he would have fallen from that for sure.
“Let’s get these bassholes to the gate,” I muttered to Arabella as she led me through the crowd. “I have to get to the basementnow.”
My heart was racing, and I was driven to move as fast as possible so I could help Rumple and Gavriel, but she laid a hand on my arm, stopping me. “Calm. You’re the leader. Set the tone. Gavriel and Seraphiel are strong and competent. You are giving them the power of the realm. Keep your heart light, or the shadows will overwhelm us all.”
Crapsicles. She was right. Negative emotions were dangerous right now.
“I should never have given Revel my dildo,” I murmured, trying not to wheeze as I marched out the door. “I need some good vibrations right now. And maybe a couple of rechargeable batteries.”
Arabella shot me a worried look. “I would gladly share my power with you, little sister, but my hold on it is slipping. I might overdo it.”
“Nah, I got this,” I panted. “I could ask Sanctuary for a bit more.” I didn’t say,if I didn’t know the realm needed it to help Rumple.But Arabella’s knowing gaze made me shrug. “I starved to death like four times on Earth. Maybe more. This isn’t half that painful.”
I wasn’t lying. It wastwiceas painful.
The crowd was already streaming out of The Merge—a little soft on the concept of following the leader—but when they saw shadows at the end of the hallway outside, they jumped behind me. “So brave,” I snarked, pulling on two small strips of energy. “Truth! I need your naked octet!”
In seconds they were there, singing. I frowned. “You’re not naked. You sound better naked.” I wasn’t making it up; their music really was more powerful.
“The shadows might cut us,” Truth reasoned.
“I suppose. But you know you all have to be naked to go through the gate anyway.” With tight smiles and more than oneblush, Truth and his friends handed their robes off. I whistled. “You’ve been working out.”
