Second, and perhaps just as important, it meant the other team—and by other team, he meant Stolas, Prince of Hell, and all his countless minions—would be hunting this Halfling to the ends of the Earth and back again. Their intent, as Gideon and his comrades had learned via a very reliable source, was to breed this Halfling with a powerful demon to create the Chosen One, the fourth relic.
So far the score was one and one. Gideon and his brothers in arms had the Arc Stone. Stolas and his team possessed the Sword. The Chosen One and the Scrolls were still up for grabs.
Heaving a defeated sigh, seeing all too clearly where this was headed, Gideon scooped up the cartons of Chinese and settled at the table, conjuring his cup full of caramel macchiato once more. He was going to need a stiff shot of caffeine if he was going to have to deal with this crap. That, or something a hell of a lot stronger.
Sebastian braced his forearms on the table. “Her name is Maggie Michaels. We need—”
“Michaels?” Gideon interrupted, his eyebrows shooting up in shock as his head angled forward. Since angels didn’t technically have last names, Halflings were rumored to use their sire’s first name as their surname. Rumored, because Halflings were about as easy to find as the proverbial needle in the haystack of humanity. “Michael…as in…”
“We believe so, yes.”
“Holy hell,” Gideon whispered, leaning back in his chair. You could have knocked him over with a feather. Michael. At one time, one of Gideon’s best friends, now his fiercest enemy.
That lying, righteous, rat bastard hypocrite.
“Michael’s one of the most powerful Archangels ever created. If Michael is her father, then her bloodline has to be…holy hell!” Gideon breathed again, shaking his head, his breakfast of sorts turning to a rock in the pit of his sour stomach.
He shook his head again, barely able to wrap his mind around the very idea. The raw power pulsing in that Halfling’s veins had to be off the charts. And he would know if he ever got near her. That had been his little gift, once upon a time, from Lucifer. The ability to sense power. Power was to Gideon as lies were to Xander. There was no way to conceal power from him, no way to disguise it. If it was there, he’d know.
“If Stolas gets his hands on her, we’re screwed.” Gideon ran a hand through his hair.
Dear Lord, the consequences would be catastrophic.
“Exactly.” Sebastian nodded. “Which is why you need to get to her first.”
“Easier said than done. I mean, once I find her, how do you expect me to bring her back? Hell, take her anywhere? Especially if she doesn’t want to go willingly? It isn’t exactly like I can just shimmer her here.” He held his hands up and wiggled his fingers, a wordless reminder of his no-touch clause.
“For now, we just have to get somebody there, somebody who can protect her in case Stolas’s minions have found out about her too. But…these might help. Maybe.” Sebastian dug in his pocket and held up a pair of identical, hammered silver cuffs, one slightly smaller than the other. They looked average, certainly nothing special. Matching, ancient engravings covered both surfaces. A spell. Dark magicks. The cuffs hummed with power.
Sebastian held them out to Gideon. “Got these from Asher. Put one on your wrist. He’s pretty sure, if you can get the other one locked on her wrist, they will, for all intents and purposes, bind her to you…so long as you’re both wearing the cuffs, that is. They’re supposed to be like a homing beacon. You’ll be able to locate her anytime, anywhere; just focus on the link between the cuffs. If you shimmer, she’ll shimmer with you whether she wants to or not, no touching required. But there’s a catch.”
With Asher, there was always a catch, always strings attached. The guy was a regular Geppetto.
Sebastian went on. “She has to willingly accept the cuff and put it on herself. She can’t be forced to put it on, but once it’s on, her will is bound to yours.”
“Till the first time we shimmer, and she decides she’s had enough of playing tagalong and takes it off.”
“No can do. See this little slot?” Sebastian turned one of the cuffs on its side. The hole, located on the slim edge, was damned near invisible. “Once they go on, they don’t come off…ever…not unless you have the key.” Sebastian produced a small flat, oddly shaped piece of silver. It looked nothing like a key.
He dropped the key into the palm of Gideon’s extended hand. Lifting the key to the light, Gideon examined it meticulously. Just to be sure, he tested the lock. The key fit perfectly, the cuff sprang open. He put one cuff on his own wrist and, without using the key, attempted to remove the cuff. It didn’t budge, no matter how hard he tried.
His curiosity was kindled. Why would the Demon of Vengeance have a pair of cuffs like these? But then Gideon changed his mind. He didn’t want to know why Sebastian might feel the need to chain somebody to him. He figured this fell firmly into that don’t ask, don’t tell category.