Page 20 of Commanding Chaos

“Will the rifts stop opening now that the demon got Ginger?” Chrys asked.

Ember looked from me to Chaos in the rearview mirror, but I didn’t know how to answer that question any more than she did. A demon didn’t get Ginger, and the rifts wouldn’t stop until we completed our quest. But we couldn’t tell them that. Her death had bought us some time, but we weren’t any closer to solving the problem than we were yesterday.

“I think that answers your question.” Shade pointed out the window where the weirdest looking beastie I had ever seen crouched by a merry-go-round in the park, its gaze locked on a group of people across the street who were oblivious to its presence.

“I could use a good fight right about now.” Ember rolled to a stop half a block away. “Get ready to cloak us, Shade.”

8

ASH

I opened the hatch beneath my feet and distributed the weapons: Ember’s sword, Miles’s and Shade’s daggers, and Chrys’s garden tools. I hung my spell kit over my shoulder while Shade closed his eyes, gathering his magic to hide us and the monster from the rest of the world’s view.

“What the hell is that?” Chrys asked.

“That is a basilisk.” Chaos set his jaw. “If a creature of that magnitude can pass through a rift, our situation is more dire than we thought.”

“I’m ready.” Shade slid out of the van, and the rest of us followed. A fog rolled over us and the beastie, casting everything outside our magic bubble in a grayish tinge.

Inside, we could see in full color, and dear goddess, this creature was weird. It stood as tall as a Clydesdale, with a green, scaley backside like a giant sea serpent. It had chicken legs and feathered wings with claws on the ends like a bat, and the screech coming from its rooster head nearly split my skull in two.

If Godzilla and Foghorn Leghorn had a baby, this would be it.

“What’s the plan?” Miles clutched his daggers like he was ready to fight, but the distant look in his eyes gave away his sadness. The poor guy needed a hug and a good cry, but there wasn’t time for either.

Ember swung her sword, and fire erupted down the blade. “Ash, you freeze it. I’ll chop off its head.”

“Will that vanquish it?” I asked.

“Indeed,” Chaos said.

The basilisk let out a screechy roar and charged us before I got the chance to open my satchel. Ember swiped at its chicken leg, barely nicking its leathery skin, and it plowed past her, grabbing Shade in its beak and shaking him like a dog with a chew toy.

Chaos chuckled, and I elbowed him before grabbing the binding potion. “That’s not nice.”

“I wasn’t trying to be.”

Chrys kneeled, digging her claw rake into the ground. “This earth is too packed.”

Shade hung limp in the creature’s mouth as Ember and Miles rushed it, screaming like Scandinavian warriors. Their thrusts and stabs did nothing more than annoy the basilisk, and it tossed Shade aside to screech at them.

“I can’t cast this spell with you that close to the monster. You’ll all be frozen.” I paced toward it with Chaos on my heels.

Foghornzilla screeched again and snapped its beak at Miles. Ember threw a fireball, smacking it in the face, knocking its head aside in time for him to duck and cover.

“Incoming!” Chrys shouted, and the ground rumbled before exploding beneath the creature.

The basilisk careened backward, landing on the merry-go-round with a thwack and spinning in circles on its back. Boy, did that ever piss it off. It rolled to its feet and lunged at Ember, but I hit it with the freezing spell before it reached her. The beastie tipped over, thudding to the ground.

“Nighty night chicken snake.” My sister lifted her sword above her head, ready to send the basilisk back across the veil where it belonged.

It jerked, and as her weapon came down, its massive serpent tail swung around, knocking into Ember and sending her flying across the park. She grunted as her back smacked earth, and she sat up, clutching her head, before crawling toward Shade, who lay motionless on the ground.

The beast rose, locking its gaze on Miles, who backed away like his life depended on it—which it did—and stumbled into Chrys. They both fell to the ground. The basilisk lowered its head in a predatory stance, tensing its muscles, preparing for attack.

I threw another spell at it, and it froze for a whopping three seconds.

Chaos sighed like he was bored. “Enough.” He marched toward the basilisk and hurled a massive fireball at the beast. Hellfire exploded across its chest, lighting its feathers ablaze. The basilisk screeched. It flapped its wings, fanning the flames until they consumed every feathered part of its body. It looked like Kentucky fried Foghornzilla would be on the menu tonight…if witches were into eating creatures from Hell.

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