My disgust quickly morphs into a rougher emotion. Bands of anger tighten up my torso. Sure, Desmond wasn’t a Boy Scout. He didn’t deserve to die that way, though.
I turn to Lincoln. “Killing Desmond pisses me off. Seriously.”
“Personally, I’m holding my rage for when they go after the book.”
My attention snaps back to the Rixa Codex. Desmond’s death aside, losing that thing will cause us a world of trouble. Like honeymoon-in-prison trouble.
“Can you get us in there?” I ask.
Lincoln sets his hand in his pocket. “I have a charm for that, but once we’re inside” —he frowns— “we’ll need some kind of force field, or we’ll end up as dead as Desmond.”
We share a long look, and I know we’re both thinking the same thing. When we next speak, it’s the same word: “Igni.”
“It’s perfect,” I add. “Igni create a power field to move souls to Heaven and Hell. It should protect us.”
“But they don’t normally do this kind of thing, am I right?”
“Technically, no. But they’re pretty adventuresome. I’m sure they’ll give it a try.” In fact, my igni attempt all sorts of things. Most don’t work. For example, last month I said the Beelzebub Bus Terminal was going to Hell. They took that as an order and tried moving it there, pronto. It took three days to put the fire out. At least, the old terminal was another deserted ruin, so no one got hurt.
“What if it doesn’t work?” asks Lincoln.
“You mean, what if we get frozen like statues?”
“Precisely.”
I bob my head, thinking. “In that case, the igni could zap us to Heaven.”
“You won’t be able to speak to them.”
“I mostly chat with them in my mind.”
“Right.” Lincoln lets out a slow breath. “Even so, we shouldn’t do this. A better time will come. At this point, it’s way too risky.”
My internal wrath demon roars to life. Risky? What about the codex, Aldred the asshole, and the headless Desmond?
“No way. My igni can definitely do this.” Maybe.
“They’ve never attempted anything like this before, have they?”
“True.” I raise my pointer finger. “But when have we ever let certain death stop us before?”
Lincoln shakes his head and smiles. “Plus, there is that bet between us.”
“Now, you’re thinking.” I love that I am such a bad influence on Lincoln. Two months ago, he never would have agreed to this. “I will win that bet.”
“I’m convinced,” says Lincoln. “Let’s give it a try.”
“On it.” Closing my eyes, I call out to my igni with my mind.
Come to me, my little ones.
First, laughter echoes inside my head. The voices are childlike, reminding me of little bells. These are the light igni—the power that moves souls to Heaven. A moment later, deep rasping tones fill my brain. These are the dark igni, the power that shifts spirits to Hell.
And they’re coming to help.
Suddenly, tiny white bolts of power appear around my palms, each one no more than in inch in length. They swirl and dive around my hands like a school of fish.
Only, you know, ones that are made of white lightning.
Did I mention that my life is weird?
Normally, I would address the igni in my mind, but for Lincoln’s benefit, I decide to talk out loud. “Welcome, my little ones. I need your help. Lincoln and I are about to fight a pair of dyad demons. We need you to form a shield of power around our bodies. Keep that male dyad from freezing us.”
The voices grow louder as more igni appear. Hundreds materialize and start flowing around Lincoln and me. The sight is lovely—it’s like being surrounded by fireflies. Still, something about the whole thing feels off. I frown. “This isn’t right.”
Lincoln scans the power shields that surround us both. “We need more. Our energies should be linked together, just like the dyads. Can your igni to form a cord between us?”
“Good thinking.”
“That’s why I wear the crown.”
I roll my eyes. Maybe Lincoln’s been hanging out with me too much. The man is getting downright snarky. “Did you hear that, my little ones? We need you to make a rope that connects Lincoln and me.”
In response, the igni giggle while winding themselves into a cord of power that winds between me and Lincoln. I search through my soul, wondering if our energies are joined. A fresh pulse thrums through the center of my being. My eyes widen with a realization.
It’s Lincoln’s heartbeat.
“They did it.” I can’t help but smile. “I do feel you.”
“And I you.”
Our gazes lock. We’re linked, body and soul. I want to live forever in this moment. However, that’s not to be. Lincoln and I have to kick some ass. “You said you had a charm to could get us inside?”