Present day

Sariel

“You are a fucking bastard. Do you know that?” Galen hasn’t looked my way during the drive back to his home. This is the first time he’s spoken since the witches vanished.

“You’re fine. Stop whining.”

“You tried to whore me out to them.”

I can’t contain my laughter. How quickly he forgets who I am. “Galen, you saw how she reacted. Helena couldn’t take you because of Reese. Do you think I would have willingly thrown you to her if I’d thought she would be able to actually capture you in her siren’s song?”

“Yes.”

I run my hand through my hair and sigh. “Her song won’t work on someone with a soul mate. I’ve been inside your head, remember? I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Reese is meant for you. I lived it right along with you. So get over yourself and move on. We have work to do if we’re going to stop Lucifer and save Devin.”

“What about Selah?”

My gut clenches at the thought of her. “If she’s with my brothers, she’ll be safe until we trap Lucifer.”

“Are you sure?”

Now that I know the baby is mine, I can only hope they’ll allow it to live. A Nephilim is still a problem, but there’s a definite difference when that child isn’t Lucifer’s.

“As I can be,” I grumble.

As he pulls the car into the garage, he heaves a sigh. “I can tell you need more from me. Out with it, then.”

“The spell. It uses some…distinct ingredients.”

“Which are?”

“Blood.”

“And that’s a problem?”

I nod, knowing he’ll lose his mind when I tell him what I need. “I think between all of us, we’ve got it covered, but I need the blood of the mother of a Nephilim.”

As I suspected, he tenses.

“Galen—” I start.

“No, Reese has been through enough. That witch said a blood sacrifice. That’s more than a drop.”

“She’s the only one.”

“I said no. That’s final. You can’t take her.”

“Galen, you can’t stop me. You know that. But I can’t take her either. I’ll have to find another way.”

He rakes a hand through his dark hair and gets out of the car, slamming the door as he leaves. I follow, letting my angelic side take over. I’m calm, detached, ready to do what I have to in order to end this.

“Reese! A ghra, get your stuff. We’re leaving.” His voice is panicked as he tears through the house.

I don’t have to see them to know what is happening. She’ll be frowning, one hand on her hip as she argues.

“What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere. I just got Ella down for her nap.”

“Would you stop fighting me and do what you’re told for one goddamned second?”

“Galen,” she protests, but her words stop in her throat as she sees me standing in the doorway.

“Reese, I’m sorry,” I say.

Galen’s hand rests protectively on her shoulder, and the closer I get, the more tightly he pulls her against him.

“What do you need, Sariel?” Her tone is filled with determined resolve. She’s so damn strong.

“You. Your blood.”

Grabbing a knife, she holds it to her palm, and Galen sucks in a harsh breath.

“A ghra, stop.”

“If he needs it, I’ll give it.”

I move closer and take the blade from her. “It has to be fresh, and I don’t know how much. Reese, I’m not going to ask you to do this. There has to be another way. If you come with me, I don’t know if you’ll return.”

Her face pales. “What? I can’t…I can’t leave my children. And what about Galen? Sariel, you can’t be serious.”

“Exactly. I can’t let you. I have spent my existence selfishly taking what I wanted without worrying about the cost to others. I have Michael’s sword. I’m strong again. I’ll fight Lucifer on my own.”

Her eyes fill with tears as she takes in my determined stance. She blinks once, freeing a single teardrop before she speaks. “No, you said it already, without me, we can’t stop Lucifer. This isn’t just for you. My children won’t have a future if Lucifer gets his way.”

“It’s a risk.”

She tenses, a dark resignation taking hold in her lovely eyes. “When do we leave?” she asks.

Galen’s jaw is clenched so tight, I can hear the grinding of his teeth.

“Now would be good.” I know by the firm line of her mouth, she won’t be swayed.

“No, I told you, she’ll not be going.”

Reese takes Galen’s hand and squeezes, her gaze never leaving mine. “Give me a day. I need to…take care of some things.”

Her husband’s dark eyes widen, and he lets go of her, stepping back with a stormy expression on his face. “So, that’s how this is going to be? I have no say in the matter? I fucking guarantee I’m not going to be sitting idly by and let you leave me.”

Reese opens her mouth as if to protest, but he stops her with both hands on her shoulders. “Reese, this isn’t open for discussion. Call the nanny and get her here to look after the children.”

* * *

Sariel

My power hums through my body as we materialize in the driveway of Galen’s former home—my home. Galen hasn’t spoken to me or Reese since she told him she’d be helping. But they’re here, and that makes us one step closer to ending this and reuniting me with my family. My throat constricts at the word. She’d said we were getting another chance, but I won’t believe it until I hold her in my arms and stare into the face of our child.

Willow is standing on the porch. The sky isn’t even completely dark yet, and I know she must be in pain. Her expression is tortured as she takes us in. “Where is Selah?”

My heart gives an aching squeeze at her name. “She’s with my brothers.”

“Did you find the witches? Devin?”

I nod, but I can’t bring myself to give her any more details, not with Galen and Reese so close. “Come inside. We need to make a plan.”

As soon as we step through the door, Willow is on me. Her small hands have me up against the wall, and one knee is pressed between my legs.

“It’s been two nights. Two, Sariel. Devin could be dead. Who knows what Lucifer has been doing to him?”

With a flare of power, I push her away. “Don’t test me, vampire. I’m a millimeter away from having the grace of an archangel. I could smite you where you stand without batting an eye. You would know if Devin were dead. You’d feel it.”

Her little fists tighten as she fights the need to hit me.

“If you plan to waste your energy by hitting me, go ahead, but the longer it takes you to pull yourself together, the longer it will take us to get to Devin.”

All the anger melts from her as I watch. “Fine. Get to it, then.”

We settle around the dining room table, each one of us wearing our stress on our faces. “First, I need you to know this isn’t going to be easy…for anyone.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” Willow grumbles.

“The spell doesn’t require much more than blood, willingly given, but we have to get close enough to trap him in a circle drawn with the blood of us.”

“Which means he could easily stop us in our tracks by taking out one or more of us.” Her lips turn down in a frown as she processes the information.

“And, we need the blood of specific beings. A fallen returned to grace.” I gesture at myself. “Obviously, I’ve got that covered. We’ll also need blood from a vampire with a soul, and from the mother of a Nephilim.”

Galen huffs and takes Reese’s hand, threading their fingers together.

“So that’s why Reese is here? Sariel, the humans aren’t strong enough to be put in danger like this.”

“I know.” I don’t have any other response. What could I say at this point? The fact is, we need Reese.

“You’ll just have to be damn careful. I know there’s no changing her mind, but she’s…” Galen’s voice breaks, and he rakes a hand through his hair. “I have no words to describe what she is to me, Sariel. I can’t lose her.”

“I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe.”

My ears pop and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as the air around us shifts. My brothers are here. Hope rises in my chest at the thought of who they could have with them. My family.

All eyes instantly focus on the two archangels standing in the kitchen. Gabriel, always at ease, always fucking arrogant, looks worried. A splinter of fear pierces my heart as he locks gazes with me.

“Where is she?” I force the question through a sandpaper throat.

“What are you talking about?” Gabriel’s answer sends a chill through me.

“Selah. You took her. I don’t know how, but you did.”

Closing my eyes, I try to sense her. We’re connected by more than just our souls now. Selah and I are bound by blood. I should be able to find her wherever she is unless she’s no longer on this earthly plane.

Gabriel disappears and manifests a few moments later. He murmurs something to Michael and casts a sorrowful glance at me.

“Lucifer?” I ask. I don’t want it to be true. If he has her …

Michael shakes his head, and Gabriel steps forward, handing me a deep crimson scrap of lace. “This was left outside Galen’s home. It smells of witchcraft.”

My gut clenches as I slide the delicate fabric through my fingers. Isolt’s calling card. “I hate witches.”