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“We’re not going to bless the safehouse,” Espy continued. “We’re going to invoke the Presence.”

The Presence. Just the way my people talked about it, you could hear the capital P. It was more than just a blessing, more than sanctifying a place, more than holy ground. Supposedly, the Presence wasn’t made from our human spark of Spirit, but real, holy glory.

The other three of us shared a look, but it was Evan who said, “Doesn’t that require Patriarchs?”

“Traditionally,” Espy said. “But that’s only because of the greater degree of Spirit accessible to Patriarchs. As the Magda, I hold a similar position.”

“Sure, but what about the rest of us?” I asked.

“Beni is a twin,” said Espy. “Twins have twice the Spirit of a regular person by default. You are the scion, with all the extra privileges that entails. And Evan--”

“Is suddenly feeling inadequate.” He tried to make it a joke, but there was a hint of shadow in his eyes. I squeezed his hand.

“You and Seth are also sworn companions,” she said. “Your energy now mingles more than it did before your ceremony.”

“Will that be enough?”

“On its own, I’m not sure,” she admitted. “However, I’ve also had an idea after going through Seth’s book. The Simons practiced a “harmony of Spirit” in their specific traditions. I’ve heard of it, but never realized it was a literal harmony, all voices blending as one.”

“...We’re going to sing the Presence to life?” Evan said, obviously skeptical.

“Of course.” Espy’s eyes were practically twinkling. “Did not the Spirit twinkle like a bell before Samson? Did not Ezekiel hear a loud rushing sound? Do not the Angels group themselves in choirs? Song, prayer, there’s a reason these things are used by every spirituality.”

“When I used the Song of Songs,” I said slowly, “I didn’t actually sing. I couldn’t, hacking up blood, and all. I used the sound of my sword to complete the ritual.”

“And it worked,” Espy pointed out. “The vibration of the sound as it travels through the physical emanation matters more than any specific word. That’s the theory, anyway. I’m also hoping that by throwing in Simon techniques, we will be safe from the Damned and Song.”

Evan still didn’t look quite convinced, but Beni just shrugged. “This is all above my paygrade, just tell me where to swing the sword.”

“Wait, what about Ira?” I remembered. “Will it work if he’s still here?”

“I guess we’ll let Spirit decide.” Espy leaned over to the coffee table, where her notebook was resting, and tapped a new diagram she had made. “We’ll each take up positions around the house…”

***

The shadows were already lengthening, so there wasn’t time for dress rehearsal. Espy explained our positioning, we did a quick run-through in the living room for timing, and then we shuffled outside. Espy and Beni went out the back door, and we went through the front.

Before we separated to take up our positions, I pulled him close. “This is gonna work.”

He laid a hand against my cheek. “I hope so.”

“Know so,” I said. “A pretty smart guy told me recently that knowledge is the best thing to have.”

“Sounds like a prick,” he deadpanned, and I laughed.

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“Been a little jerkish,” I teased. “But I think he’s coming around.”

Evan leaned down to kiss me, my face tilting up automatically. I hoped I never got used to the thrill that this was real, that I could have this.

“Okay, positions,” he said when we broke apart.

I wanted to make a joke about all the positions I had in mind, but wasn’t sure we were there yet. He might think I was serious. I was a virgin, but I knew he wasn’t. Better not open a can I couldn’t close.

I jogged around the house so I was standing at the end of it. That left Beni at the opposite end, and Espy and Evan on either side. I could just barely see both of them from where I was standing. Leave it to my father’s safehouse to be perfectly aligned along the cardinal directions.

“Let’s do it!” Espy called.

I drew my Baby slowly, giving myself enough time to match pitch on the sound of her sliding free.

“Hmmmmm…”

She was a little higher pitched than other blades I’d used, but it was a perfect register for me. Of course she was. Though it was pretty much impossible, I wouldn’t be surprised if Unky had done that on purpose somehow.

Once exactly thirty seconds had passed, I fell into my spark. My inner Spirit was flickering more than usual, evidence of the abuse I’d put myself through, but light kindled along Baby’s edge pure and true.

“Sing, all ye Seraphim,” I chanted in tune, drawing the Name through the air. “Of the voice of Sariel, sing of grace, truth, and formmmmmm...”

Ending like I began, I swiped the final cut through the air. The seal of the Seraphim glowed brightly in my true sight, not fading away like the contrails usually do. My neck prickled, the little hairs rising. I couldn’t hear the others enough to make out what they were saying, but I could feel their vibrations through the air. Each of us had a verse, one for each choir of the Archons.

Once I was done, Evan would go, then Beni, then Espy. We would all have to sing the closing verse together. Our timing would have to be perfect.

Still humming, I ran through the words in my mind to keep count.

Sing, all ye Cherubim / Of the voice of Chamael, sing of thought, perception, and memory.

Sing, all ye Ophanim / Of the voice of Orphiel, sing of understanding, forethought, and love.

Sing, all ye Erelim / Of the voice of Eleleth, sing of peace, perfection, and wisdom.

With each verse in my head, the light in Baby grew stronger and stronger, until it felt like she was vibrating in my hand. It was time for the last verse. I tried to swing Baby around, but it was like moving underwater.

She was vibrating in my hand!

“S-sing, all ye choirs--” I tried to continue, but had to grip down hard on the hilt.

Baby was channeling more than just my Spirit, somehow she was reflecting the light of the whole team. I had been chosen to represent the Seraphim, the pinnacle from which all archontic light flowed, but the power was flowing to me, to Baby, it was too much!

“Ah!” She tore from my grasp, rising into the air.

My seal still hovered before me, and Baby started spinning before it like the hand of a clock. A beam of light shot into the air from Espy, then Beni, then Evan. Then one from Baby as she finished her rotation, blade pointing straight up.

I threw my hands before my face in reflex, but the glow of Spirit couldn’t be blinded by physical matter.

A sound drowned out our chanting, a great surging wind. Or, perhaps, like the beating of wings.

The beams met at the top of the house, a pyramid of light almost solid and corporeal in its intensity. This wasn’t the sphere of protection I’d seen before. This was something more...glorious.

“Amen,” I whispered, and knew the others were right on time with me. I felt it, like the click of a puzzle piece snapping home.

The flow of Spirit retreated back into eternity, and Baby’s vibration finally ceased.

I hurried forward before she could hit the ground, and just barely caught her. She was once again a simple, unassuming blade in my hand. I’d known her vanadium content was high, or it wouldn’t have been so hard to invoke Ithuriel. But I’d never heard of a blade forged that could project Spirit it wasn’t touching.

Or fly through the air, for that matter.

“Seth!” Evan called, rounding the house toward me.

“I’m here,” I answered.

“Guess I owe Espy an apology.” He grinned. “That was amazing.”

I kissed him hard, holding Baby carefully to the side.

“Wow,” he said when I pulled away. “What was that for?”

“Just in case,” I said. “I’m the bait, remember?”

His hands found my waist and pulled me against him. “How could I forget?”

The long line of his body felt so good pressed against me. My heart was suddenly beating for a reason that had nothing to do with what I’d just witnessed.

I pulled away, taking him with me as I walked backwards until my back hit a tree.

“Evan,” I whispered. “Kiss me.”

There was a question in his eyes, but no hesitation as he went for my lips. I opened for him, and his tongue slipped inside my mouth. There was a low grunt of surprise, and then his hands slid up my side.

I went up on tiptoe, needing to be as close to him as possible. I’d never kissed someone like this, like we needed to be inside each other. Just thinking that made me blush, and I ducked away to suck in a few harsh breaths.

“Okay?” Despite the rough breathing, his voice was so gentle.

I gathered the hem of his shirt in my hand. “Can I?”

His answer was to wrap my hand in his own and push it up under his shirt. My breath evaporated as I touched his skin for the first time. Smooth, yet strong. I traced every bump of hidden bone, every dip of scar tissue until my hands were splayed against his back.

Groaning, he let his head thunk against the tree trunk. “You gotta stop, Babe.” (My chest tightened when he called me that for the first time.)

I said, “What if I don’t want to...stop?”

He didn’t breathe for a beat, then he pulled back to meet my eyes. Despite my flaming cheeks, I didn’t let myself look away.

Slowly, he said, “Does that mean…”

“If...if you want to.” I swallowed hard. “With a boy. With me.”

“Babe, I,” he looked pained. “I’ve never--I don’t know how.”

“I do.” (In theory, anyway.) “There are some...preparations, but it only takes a minute.”

“Are--are you sure about this?”

“There’s still time before dark,” I said. “I want to spend it being yours.”

“Mine,” he agreed, and then he was pulling me toward the house.