Page 27 of Commanding Chaos

He relaxed his fists, resting his palms on his knees again. “You are the light to my darkness. You make me consider things I would have never thought twice about, and I believe we are bound for a reason. You summoning me was no mistake, Ash. I am here to right the wrong I caused your family line. You have freed me from my prison, and I am meant to free you from your curse.”

Well, crap. Whatever pissiness and clarity I had left flew right out the window. Was all this meant to be? Had the universe set this up…our parents summoning the wrong demon, Cinder making a deal with Discord and leading me to find the sigils and free Chaos, who could, in turn, free me?

“If that’s true, why this elaborate scheme? Why didn’t the universe just have me find your sigil on my own? Why did my parents and Cinder have to be lost? Why…?”

“Because it couldn’t have happened any other way.”

My mouth had gone as dry as the Mohave, so I swallowed hard. I knew I shouldn’t trust him, but somewhere, deep inside my being, his words felt true. His theory felt…right. “Be straight with me. Do you really believe that, or are you saying it so I’ll forgive you?”

“The seeds of this began sprouting while I was trapped inside you.” He huffed like he wasn’t pleased with his answer, but he held my gaze. “I fought it. I wanted it to be a coincidence, but seeing you angry, knowing it was I who wronged you, however unintentionally… I can’t deny it anymore. These emotions…the way I feel about you runs deeper than our magical connection. You intrigue me in a way no one ever has.”

“You’ve been imprisoned for centuries, and I’m the first woman you saw. Of course I intrigue you. You want to bang me.”

“It’s so much more than that.” The sincerity in his eyes said he meant every word.

I pressed my lips together. This relationship was giving me a serious case of whiplash. The fact his words could turn my insides to mush when his actions had just ticked me off to no end was a huge red flag, yet there I was getting the warm fuzzies for a demon. Again. “It’s kinda funny that the person who freed you is the one who’s about to fall victim to your curse.”

“It isn’t funny at all. You were meant to free me, so you won’t fall victim.” He took my hand in his. “I truly am sorry. For everything.”

“I know.” My chest tightened, a new kind of heat spreading through my body. Yes, he was hotter than hellfire, and I had grown fond of him. I could admit that much, but this fate business…the universe wanting us to meet like this… “We can never be together, you know? When this is over, you have to go back to Hell, and I have to stay here.”

“I know.” His eyes smoldered, the jewel green undulating around his pupils, making my pulse kick into a sprint as his gaze dipped to my lips and returned to my eyes.

Warmth pooled below my navel, and I drifted closer to him. “As long as we’re clear on that.”

He cupped the back of my neck, tugging me toward him and crushing his mouth to mine. His internal temperature must’ve run twenty degrees hotter than mine because when he wrapped his arms around me, it was like being engulfed in an electric blanket. This was wrong. I knew it was, but I couldn’t help myself. His skin was soft, his muscles firm, and he tasted just as I imagined…warm and spicy, like cloves and cinnamon.

A moan resonated from his throat, and he coaxed my lips apart with his tongue before sweeping it into my mouth to brush against mine. He slid one hand up my back to tangle in my hair while the other pulled me closer to his muscular frame, and I gave in, letting myself get lost in his embrace, reveling in the feel of his mouth exploring mine.

Knock, knock, knock. “Did you fall asleep in there?” Ember shouted.

I gasped and jerked away, touching my fingers to my lips. Good goddess, she would kill me if she knew what we’d just done. “Coming!” I shouted at the door.

Chaos chuckled. “You aren’t, but I can help you with that.”

My cheeks heated, and I smiled against my will. “Bad demon.”

“You just wait and see.”

Goddess dammit, I giggled. This was bad. Very bad. “Not a word of this fate stuff to my sister, okay?”

He drew an X over his chest.

“And this…” I touched my lips and pointed at his. “Can never happen again.”

He arched a brow. “We’ll see.”

I shook my head and marched out of the room, leaving him grinning on my bed. What the hell had I just done?

Ember sat in a living room chair and motioned to the sofa, my usual spot. “Sit. Tell me about Boston.”

Chaos walked in behind me, so I plopped into the chair. No way would I chance him sitting next to me on the couch. Distance. I needed distance and an ice-cold shower. He took the center seat on the sofa, spreading his arms across the back and resting his ankle on his knee like the cocky son of the devil he was.

“Two BMS witches followed us through the supermarket and watched us leave.” I crossed my legs, trying to appear as casual as him. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we saw them in Salem right before Ginger was murdered and a basilisk was summoned.”

Ember rested her elbows on the arms of the chair. “I thought you said a demon killed Ginger.”

“I lied.” He lifted his hands in an oh well gesture. “Demons don’t rely on ritual or spells to wreak their havoc. If she summoned one of my kind, it likely would kill her, but not in that manner. Witchcraft killed your friend, not a demon.”

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