Page 56 of To Crave Deeply
“We’ve tried everything, brother,” Lucifer barked. “There’s nothing elsetotry.”
A growl crawled up my throat, but it dissipated when Michael placed a hand on my arm. “Take a deep breath, Rae. He’s worried and frightened.”
I took a glance at Lucifer and winced. The poor guy was dying, his world was falling apart, and his soulmate had disappeared. I knew I should cut him some slack, but I just couldn’t concentrate with his constant nagging and negativity eating away at me.
I huffed out a breath. “I know, and I’m trying to be patient, but it’s getting harder with every passing minute.”
Michael looked at me softly, a warmth in his eyes that was genuine and reassuring. “What do you need?”
“Peace and quiet,” I replied in jest, expecting him to brush my request off as ludicrous, but he nodded and walked to his brother. My jaw dropped as he whispered something in Lucifer’s ear before the Devil scowled, turned on his heel and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
“What on earth did you tell him?” I asked laughingly, already feeling some of the tension evaporating from the room, and my mind started to clear without the weight of the Devil bearing down on it.
Michael smiled and I caught a flash of a mischievous dimple at the corner of his mouth. “Now that would be telling.”
“An angel with secrets. I am intrigued.”
He grinned, and it was like the sun entered the room. I turned back to examining the runes around the room. That boy was far too distracting. I could still feel that grin even as I scowled and focused on the runes.
“Is Lucifer right? Have you tried everything?”
Good. We were back to talking about magic and that was a safe topic. Well, it didn’t make me blush at least. I trailed my hands over the walls and felt the magic pulse weakly beneath my fingertips. I could feel it struggling, like it was choking and gasping for air. I had one thing I could try, but I feared that what I needed to ask of Michael might not be a price he would be willing to pay.
“There is one thing I could try, but I’d need your help.”
“What kind of help?” He asked without hesitation. I could tell he loved his brother. The fact that he was here in Hell trying to figure this mess out was a testament to that.
“From what I can tell, these wards are a fine balance between light and dark, like Lucifer himself. He’s the Devil but he also has the light of an angel.” I turned to Michael and found him watching me intently, all the playfulness from earlier gone from his expression. “I can’t fix it, but I can strengthen it so that it won’t fade completely if the worst happens.”
“What’s the catch?” He asked, noticing my reluctance.
“These wards survive because they are bound to a life force. To save them, I would need to bind it to another one.”
“Okay,” he replied, drawing the word out. “But why do I get the sense that there’s something you’re not telling me.”
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. “I’d need another person like Lucifer, someone that combines a mix of light and dark.”
“But there’s no one like him, which means…” his words trailed off as realisation dawned. “You’d need two life forces, one light and one dark. You want to bind the two of us, don’t you?”
“Yes. I know it’s crazy and desperate and it might not even work. But I think it’s our best shot. It would at least buy us some time, and I think it might put a stop to draining Lucifer’s power.”
“I’ll do it,” he replied quickly, surprising me with how little doubt he had in my plan.
“Are you sure? I’ve no idea if this will work and I’ve never done anything like this before. What if—”
“Rae,” he said softly, cupping my shoulders with his large hands in a reassuring gesture. “I believe in you. I believe you can do this.”
I huffed out the breath I didn’t even realise I was holding. “Okay. Alright. Let’s do this.”
Oh, God. What was I doing? I was about to bind my life and the life of an archangel to the wards of Hell. A nervous bubble of laughter escaped my lips as my stomach churned. Shit. I was going to hurl. All over Michael’s designer looking shoes.
My hands were clammy as I tried to clear my mind. This spell was going to take a lot out of me, but it was the only thing I could think of doing. The only thing that made sense. I just wish I didn’t have to risk the life of an angel as well. My life was mine to risk, but asking Michael, an actual archangel, to put his life in my hands was absolutely fucking terrifying.
I took another look at the runes. They were old, like old as dirt and, while I didn’t recognise them all, I knew the most important ones. Those I could work with and build a spell to match them. I’d need to do blood magic, which I hated. It was never something I felt comfortable with, but it was my only option here.
I called my ritual knife to me, transporting it from my home topside to my aid now. It was a wicked-looking thing, made of silver and studded with blood red rubies in the hilt. I saw one of Michael’s brows raise over his sparkling green eyes, but he said nothing. I curled my fingers and beckoned him closer.
“This is probably going to sting,” I said apologetically as I pulled his hand towards me.
