Page 35 of Commanding Chaos

“Garden shears. I think they were trying for my neck.”

“We’ve got four cornered,” Shade shouted, and we followed his voice to find him at one end of an aisle, Chaos at the other.

The slimy little gremlins faced their master, rocking back and forth and baring their teeth. I hit them with a binding spell so Chaos could release whatever hold he had on them before Shade got suspicious.

Screech! An imp dropped from the ceiling onto Chrys’s head. It chomped on her scalp, snapping a tooth on her skull. Chaos plucked the creature off Chrys and held it toward her so she could jab a dagger into its heart. Poof. Another one turned to smoke.

“What are you? A demon tamer?” Shade knocked one of the frozen imps over and shoved a nail through its chest.

“Something like that.” Chaos picked up another loose nail and vanquished a second one. Ember took out the other two.

Above us, thumping and scurrying sounded from the ceiling tiles. The last four had taken to the crawlspace.

I followed the sound toward the front of the store. “We can’t let them escape.”

Shade scoffed. “Obviously, genius.”

“Watch your tone.” Chaos puffed out his chest and loomed over Shade. “Ash is a powerful witch who deserves respect.”

He clicked his tongue. “Says the guy who just happened to show up when everything went to shit. What are you hiding?”

Chaos’s hand clenched into a fist, and he took another step toward Shade.

“Boys!” I shouted. “Same team, remember? We don’t have time for you to compare dicks.” Though I had no doubt Chaos would win the contest.

His fist relaxed, and as he brushed past Shade, he said, “Disrespect her again, and you will regret the day you met me.”

“I can hear them up here.” I pointed to the ceiling. “Can you give me a boost? I’ll freeze them and toss them down to you.”

Chaos laced his fingers together, and I stepped into his hands. He lifted me with ease. Too much ease, in fact, but I couldn’t worry about that now. If Shade noticed, it would be one more weapon in his arsenal of mistrust. We’d burn that bridge when we got to it.

My spell at the ready, I pushed aside a ceiling tile and peered into the crawlspace. Two imps sat on their haunches, gnawing on electrical cables. One bit through the casing, and an electric jolt zapped them both. They laughed and did it again.

Goddess, help me. I was trapped in the movie Gremlins.

I said the incantation and threw the powder at them, and they dropped the cord. “A little higher?” I asked Chaos, and he lifted me far enough that I could crawl inside. Balancing on a beam, I inched toward the frozen imps and grabbed one by the slimy arm. I tossed it down and reached for the other one.

Thud, thud, thud. Screeeech! Imp number three barreled toward me, latching onto my shoulder. Its razor teeth pierced skin and hit bone. “Argh!” I took it in both hands and yanked, prying its teeth out of my flesh and losing a big chunk of skin in the process.

“Got a live one.” I hurled it through the open ceiling tile. They could deal with that bugger. I shoved the last frozen imp through the hole next. That left one, the feistiest of the bunch.

It jumped from rafter to rafter, chittering and squealing, running around like it had chugged six energy drinks and a pot of coffee. I uncorked the last freezing spell and threw the powder at the imp. It dodged the granules, heading higher into the ceiling.

“Crap. Come here, you slimy bastard.” I rose to my knees, then my feet, balancing on the beam. The imp hung from a rafter, just out of reach. On my tippy toes, I swiped my arm, knocking my hand against its butt and covering my fingers in slime.

At least, I hoped it was just slime. Gross.

“Here, impy, impy. It’s time for you to go home.” I reached again but missed.

The beastie peeled its lips back over its pointy teeth and hissed. Then it let go and landed on my face. I lost my balance and careened backward, falling through the ceiling. I tensed, bracing myself to smack the hard floor, but a pair of strong arms broke my fall.

Someone ripped the imp from my face, and I looked up, into Chaos’s jewel-green eyes. I would go with the impact of his hard body taking my breath away, and not the cheesy emotional reason of being saved by the bad boy.

Ember stabbed the last imp, neutralizing the threat, but Chaos didn’t move to put me down. He stared at me like he either wanted to kiss me or eat me, and neither option was appropriate at that moment.

“Thanks.” I wiggled, trying to break free, but he didn’t release his hold. “You can put me down now.”

He inhaled sharply and blinked before letting me go.

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