Page 113 of Unleashing Chaos

I’ll never again twirl her soft curls around my fingers or kiss her lips. My home won’t be filled with her laughter and I’ll never get unreasonably frustrated with the easy way she can do the most menial of tasks. My nights of staring into her dark room while she sleeps and holding her in my arms are over. The sweet lust-filled moans, the tight heat of her body, and her desire to please me in return will become faded memories. She won’t wake beside me as I marvel at what a spectacular being she is.

I close my eyes and attempt to sear those memories deep into my mind. Her dayglow-green eyes, fiery hair, freckled skin—each part of her is perfect. Even the crescent moon marking her as a demon was flawless. I pause and picture the translucent symbol, slightly lighter than the rest of her skin. Since I’ve learned about the identifying marks of angels and demons, it’s become second nature. And today, when I saw the same discoloration on Cannon’s chest, it didn’t register. Until now.

I stand as the sharp edges of his mark form in my mind. But those harsh lines didn’t lead to a crescent moon like Desi’s.

No, Cannon bears a full circle—a sun.

The mark of an angel.

Desi said an angel stepping into Infernis would set everything off kilter. Everyone—the energies, demons, Desi—is in danger.

I look at Dr. Holloman with wide eyes. “Fuck. I’ve got to stop him.”

He stands and examines me like I might be on the verge of a panic attack. “Stop who?”

“Cannon. I have to stop Cannon before he hurts Desi.”

Why would Cannon do this? He was so sincere yesterday evening trying to talk some sense into me, acting like he wouldn’t go to Infernis if I chose to go instead. The three of us were friends, but he’s putting all of us in danger. Not only will him being in Infernis be disastrous for everyone in the demon realm, but it will harm the woman I’ve fallen desperately in love with.

I race across town to the abandoned bus station and park my car haphazardly at the back of the lot before sprinting through the lobby. When the hallway to the storage room comes into view, I swear I take my first breath since piecing this all together. I open the steel door and come face to face with the gum-smacking medium. They stop filing their nails and slowly look up at me.

“Access denied. You already spent two days in another realm,” they say matter-of-factly.

I lean over and place my palms on my knees to catch my breath and then look back up at them. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. I have to get to Infernis, and I have to go now. It’s vital that I speak with Desideria.”

They raise a dark brow and tap a long nail on the desktop. “If I let you go, you’ll never be able to come back to this realm. As in, like, ever.”

“I understand, but you have to let me through. You let an angel go to Infernis.”

“I know. He was given clearance.”

I throw my hands in the air and shout, “Why would you do that? You know what happens if he stays there.”

The medium doesn’t so much as flinch at my outburst. “Who do we look like? Dex? Angel and demon affairs aren’t our business. We don’t make judgments. We watch the portals to protect humans. So as long as you’re safe from physical harm, we’ve done our job. In fact, if I let you go, I’m putting you in danger. You’ve already spent your time in Infernis; if you go there again, your body will very likely give out. There are no guarantees that your energy won’t leave you, and if that happens . . . well, humans and demons might make great sexual partners, but demons and energies with no bodies do not.”

Pure panic and frustration boil within me. They’ve given me the speech, and I understand the risks. If I don’t intervene, my everything, my reason to truly live again dies. I could let Desi go knowing she was safe within her own realm, but I can’t stomach the thought of living in a universe where she no longer exists.

Through gritted teeth, I say, “Please, let me pass. I’ve made my choice, and I choose chaos. I choose the princess of Sloth.”

“Wait!” The medium jumps up and slaps their palm over my mouth, stopping me from saying anything else. “Is this a declaration of love?”

I pull their hand away. “Yes! Yes, it is!”

For the first time since I entered their dingy space, they smile. With sure strides, they move to the broom cabinet and open the door. “Why didn’t you say so? We have a soft spot for acts of love.”

I can’t even bring myself to shoot them a dirty look; I’m too worried about Desi. I step into the cabinet and as soon as the medium closes the doors and wishes me safe travels, that whooshing sensation fills my ears. My knees go weak and I reach out to brace myself against the walls, but they’ve vanished. I drop and drop and drop. Nothing meets my fall. The world tilts—all sense of direction is completely gone.

I hold my breath, remembering that it only takes seconds for the door to open to Infernis. But the fall doesn’t stop, the door doesn’t open. A heaviness like I’ve never known crushes me. My bones ache under the weight and a white, hot flash of pain courses through me, then . . . nothing.

Thirty-five

DESI

I’m sitting in front of my mother’s vanity wearing an elegant, formfitting black lace dress. It’s floor length with a train that extends nearly a foot and a half behind me. It may appear morbid to humans, but black is the traditional color of choice for bonding ceremonies in Infernis. In this realm, it represents unity and endless possibilities.

My mother stands behind me, braiding my curls into a giant French braid that she drapes over one shoulder, showcasing the back of my dress—the deep V going all the way down to the small of my back. On the vanity in front of me sits the crown that will symbolize my rule for eternity—rose gold with black diamonds, intricately twisted into a design that somehow looks both dark and dainty.

“You’re breathtaking, Desideria,” my mother says, bending down to check my makeup and ultimately deciding I look perfect. “A true queen.”

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