“No, you won’t.” As much as Bianca didn’t want to scare Emma even more, Lucifer had been right about children deserving not to be lied to. “But it also means the people who want your magic won’t be able to find you.”
“The people who took Mom?” Emma’s gaze was disconcertingly direct.
Bianca kept with the truth. “Yes.”
“Lucifer said he would find my mom.” Emma glanced around the kitchen. “He said you would both find her.”
Bianca put Leona’s crystal on the table. “We are using this to track her. We had to find the grimoire to see if it had a stronger tracking spell.”
“Does it?” Emma touched her finger to the crystal.
“It does.” Bianca had asked Rafael to lend his power to the spell, but it should work. They would get to Leona before that crystal went dark.
Emma nodded and frowned. “Where is Lucifer?”
“I don’t know.” Bianca hadn’t seen him since their conversation in the corridor. It had felt like a fight, but the politest one she’d ever had.
“Lucifer is back in hell,” Raphael said.
That was news to her, and Bianca gaped at him. “He is?”
“Yep.” Raphael’s look was loaded before he turned back to Emma. “Binding your powers is the best way to keep you safe.”
Emma scowled. “Lucifer promised me he would find my mother.”
“If he promised to find her, then he’ll find her,” Raphael said. “But I know he’d want you to be safe while he did.”
The blatant attempt at manipulation made Bianca want to smack him. She wanted Emma to agree without being maneuvered into it. “The decision is still yours,” she said to Emma. Then tossed Raphael a quick stink eye.
“Will it hurt?” Emma swallowed.
“No.” Bianca took her hand, so small and vulnerable in hers. “But it will feel weird.” She tapped her chest. “In here where you can feel your magic.”
Emma touched her own chest. “And those things won’t come and try to take me and Ethan?”
“It will be a lot harder to find you,” Raphael said. “But you will still have Bianca, Shade, Eddie, Daniel, and Dee here with you to protect you. Lucifer, Wrath, me, and Ramiel can be here in a heartbeat.”
“Lucifer?” His name was the only one that registered with Emma.
“Yes.” Raphael smiled his lovely smile.
Lucifer made a big impression on human females of all ages. It he’d gone to hell, did that mean he wouldn’t be back?
Emma took a deep breath. “Okay then.”
“Okay?” Bianca squeezed her little hand. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.” Emma’s eyes were wide and frightened, but she raised her small chin. “Then you and Lucifer can get back to finding my mother.”
“I promise.” Bianca crossed her heart.
Lucifer had no business going back to hell when they still had a job to do. He’d made promises to both her and Emma. He didn’t get to walk out on those promises.
“Why did Lucifer leave?” Emma asked the question Bianca would love to hear the answer to.
“He had some…er…things to take care of.” Raphael kept his gaze trained on the grimoire.
Wuss.
Bianca kept her tone with Emma upbeat. “Ready?”
Emma nodded.
Taking Emma’s hands, Bianca reached for her magic.
Raphael glowed like the archangel he was as he provided the jet fuel.
Bianca started the incantation.
Pearly light bands shot from Bianca’s hands to Emma’s.
“Oh!” Emma giggled. “That tickles.”
Doing magic with an archangel assist was so much easier.
Light bands swirled up Emma’s arms and encircled her chest. Churning, they grew thicker and brighter until they sank into Emma’s torso.
The drop in Emma’s magical signature was immediate.
