Page 75 of Sacrifice

On screen Lucien pulled out two sheets of blank paper to hand to Williams who studied them carefully.

“They’re blank,” murmured the custody sergeant at Michaels side, “I could have sworn?—”

“They are,” growled Michaels, who could see Lucien’s lips forming the command spell under his breath.

The custody sergeant on screen opened the security door and escorted Lucien through.

Michaels toggled the feed to watch from another angle. Lucien and the befuddled Williams strolling down to the cells. Straight to Eve’s cell to set her free. Lucien glanced up at the camera, gave it a wink, and the picture fell into a storm of static.

Williams started to stutter. “I, I, I don’t understand. Shit.” He tapped hurriedly at the keyboard, then gaped at the screen. “Who? What?”

Michaels checked the time stamp. 7:15 AM. Over 3 hours had passed. Had he put her to use already? Michaels closed his eyes and delved into the quintessence to search for him. There was no sign of Lucien anywhere.

It couldn’t be possible. Was Lucien free?

“Shit.”

He felt further, beyond the anger and the disruption in the cosmic energy. There was something else, another sensation that had perhaps been there for hours, but overshadowed by the mayhem Michaels had endured. A celestial event had taken place. The reaver had channeled the power of the solar flare.Michaels could feel the burn in the air, viscous trails of spent energy. The transit of Venus, Lucien had used it, used the girl.

He couldn’t see Lucien, but he could see the trails. Now it was the only way to find him.

Thirty-Nine

Light trails radiatedfrom a single location, painting the skyline with a sunburst of red and gold. Michaels flew toward it; his white shimmering wings stretched wide. He’d expected to be led to the museum, but the hottest signature of all diverted him away and into a gated garden off Royal Crescent, a mile or more away.

Michaels touched down in the amber heat glow, already spying Lucien from the air. The Reaver strode back and forth with frenzied energy, eyes shadowy and wild. Dark wings were partially extended on his back, the sharp suit Michaels had seen in the CCTV footage replaced by a shifting darkness from the waist down and a naked muscular torso above. Lucien’s rippling body steamed in the freezing air. He was transformed and manic.

Michaels gaped at him. It was recognizably Lucien, but now so much more. It was Lucien multiplied by a thousand—a flashback to what he used to be but made more terrible.

“Angel,” Lucien called out, “So glad you could join me.” He extended a hand and expelled a shock of energy, which knocked Michaels back on the shoulder.

The Angel righted himself and scowled back. “What have you done, Lucien?”

Lucien grinned broadly, then licked his lips with a blackened tongue. “So delicious. You really should have a had a go.” He sighed a mock sigh. “Too late now, of course.”

Michaels narrowed his eyes and spat the same binding spell he’d used in the Museum to teach Lucien some manners.

Lucien flinched and clutched at his neck, writhed in mock agony, then straightened to drop his arms to his sides. “Oh, now would you look at that?” He ran a hand over the clear olive skin of his rune-free chest. “No burning brand. It’s almost like you’ve got no hold over me.”

Michaels swallowed hard. “What have you done, Lucien?” he repeated.

Lucien rolled his shoulders and pushed both hands out at Michaels. The shockwave took him off his feet this time. Lucien giggled like a child.

“I’m a free, Angel. No more doing the bidding of the council. No more paying for mycrime.” He flicked imaginary quote marks into the air and curled his lip.

Michaels growled and took a step forward, muttering low “Adolebit tibi peccata.”

Lucien laughed again. He was maddening. “Haven’t you got it yet? I’m unbound. I used the girl to channel the greatest power in the universe and broke the council’s curse. Even they aren’t stronger than the sun.”

“No one could withstand that.” Michaels’ mind raced, searching for a loophole. “The human body is too frail.”

“The human body, perhaps.” Lucien flexed his back and the muscles of his chest grew more defined. The power of the sun had only served to make him stronger. “Speaking as a celestial, I’d say I found it quite invigorating.” He rushed at Michaels,moving impossibly fast, to scoop him up by the neck, and lift them off the ground to take them both high into the air.

Michaels struggled, trying to free himself. Lucien was out of reach.

“I had to get her to agree, of course,” Lucien said off-handedly, “Rituals are annoyingly specific like that. She had to sacrifice herself for love. Ironic really.”

“No,” Michaels gasped. He kicked out at Lucien and caught him in the jaw—a surprise that distracted him long enough for Micheals to expand his aura to include Lucien. Bright white and blinding, Lucien flinched, and Micheals took his chance to dive inside his adversary’s mind.

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