Page 17 of Commanding Chaos

7

ASH

Ginger lived in the downstairs portion of a small duplex. With its pitched roof, pale blue paint, and white shutters, it looked like a quaint little cottage on the safest street in America. A massive juniper towered over the front sidewalk, and a white picket fence surrounded the structure, making it feel surreal. Murders weren’t allowed to happen within the confines of white picket fences. Everyone knew that.

We’d all piled into the van and remained silent on the ride over. I let Shade ride shotgun, and I sat in the back, closer to Chaos than I needed to be, but having physical contact with him helped keep me calm.

Crazy, I knew, but the moment his thigh touched mine, I felt safe and confident. It was completely bonkers, and I blamed the damn sigil on my arm. Once I removed it, I’d come back to my senses. For now, I’d let this demon make me feel safe, even though I’d gotten along fine without him for twenty-four years.

Miles sat next to Chrys in the way back seat, his spine ramrod straight, his expression blank. No doubt the poor guy was in shock.

Ember parked on the curb, and we filed out of the van to stand on the sidewalk. “Thank you for not calling the police yet.” She patted Chrys’s shoulder.

“Magic was obviously involved.” Her voice trembled as she spoke. “I figured it was better if we did our thing before the humans tromped all over the scene.”

“Good call,” I said before poking my head into the van. “Miles? Are you coming, or do you want to wait here?”

He sucked in a sharp breath. “Yeah. I’m coming.” He climbed out and closed the door.

“It’s gruesome. Prepare yourselves.” Chrys opened the gate, and we followed her up the front steps. “I knocked for a good three minutes. When she didn’t answer, I tried the door. It wasn’t locked, so I let myself in.” She grabbed the knob and gave it a twist.

“You shouldn’t have touched that.” Shade stepped into the foyer behind her. “Now your fingerprints are on it.”

“I had already touched it. Come in before the neighbors get suspicious.”

Inside the house, we all stopped in the foyer, going still, feeling, sensing. I searched for the low, bone-penetrating hum of demon magic, but I didn’t pick up anything besides the one standing next to me. I looked at him, arching a brow in question. He shook his head, confirming no demon lurked inside.

“Someone used dark magic in here,” Ember said. “And today wasn’t the first time.”

I opened my senses to witchcraft, feeling the icky, sticky energy running through the air. Someone used it very recently, and we were about to see the results. But residual dark magic also clung to the walls and ceiling. I could cast my revealing spell, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know exactly what had gone on.

“Ready?” Ember took point, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. My hands trembled as she led the way into the living room, and a collective gasp sounded from all of us…even Chaos.

“That is…brutal.” I inched closer to the scene, and Chaos flanked me.

Ginger…or what was left of her…lay on the floor in the center of a pentagram. Red candles stood extinguished at each of the five points, and the wicked energy in the room was so thick, I gagged.

Her arms and legs, stretched outward to each point, reminded me of DaVinci’s Vitruvian Man, but her face…burned beyond recognition…made my heart sink into my stomach, which then dropped into my shoes.

The rest of the space appeared neat and orderly. A white sofa sat beneath the window, the yellow throw pillows evenly spaced across the cushions. A bookshelf stood against the adjacent wall, with her titles arranged in alphabetical order by author, and a sunny landscape painting hung above it. Zero signs of a struggle. Poor Ginger didn’t even get the chance to fight back.

Miles kneeled next to her, and a single tear slid down his cheek. “Who could do something like this?” His voice was barely a whisper.

I cast my gaze upward and then examined the wood around poor Ginger. “The only thing that burned was her. The floor and ceiling show no signs of flames.”

“Magical fire.” Ember paced around the circle, taking the gruesomeness in.

Shade snapped his head toward Chaos. “There were only two fire witches left in Salem until you showed up. Ginger said you were a fire witch too.”

Chaos clasped his hands behind his back, widening his stance. “Indeed I am.”

“Hold up. Are you accusing C…Mark of murder?” I stepped toward Shade, fuming, my hands curling into fists.

“The evidence is damning,” he replied, shrugging one shoulder. “Unless you or Ember did it…”

The nerve of this guy! “Mark has been with me since the moment he arrived in Salem. Magical fire can be created with the right ingredients and a spell. Maybe you did it because she was getting in the way of your bromance with Miles.”

“All right. Stop it. Both of you.” Ember pulled out her phone and snapped pictures of the scene. “We’re all on the same team. Act like it.”

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