Page 3 of Commanding Chaos

Chaos’s expression softened, and the sigil on my arm heated. “You require rest.”

“Whatever gave you that idea?” My lids grew heavy, and I swayed on my feet.

“Come on. Let’s get you upstairs.” Ember moved to my side and wrapped her arm around my waist. We started for the steps, but Chaos came up behind me, sweeping his arm beneath my knees and scooping me into a cradle carry.

“Don’t hurt her.” Ember stomped up the stairs behind us.

“I have no desire to harm you or your sister, but even if I did…” He carried me past the kitchen and settled me onto the couch before straightening and facing Ember. “As long as Ash bears my mark, hurting her hurts me. Our lives are bound.”

She studied him, her eyes calculating. “If she died…?”

“I would immediately be drawn back to Hell. Our bond makes it so I can’t exist in this realm without her.”

“And if I vanquished you?”

I could barely keep up with their conversation, but when Chaos leaned down, running his fingers across my forehead to sweep the hair out of my face, my skin turned to gooseflesh.

“If you vanquish me, she will die.” He said it matter-of-factly, as he tended to do, but his sorrowful expression said he didn’t like the idea in the slightest. Thank the goddess he cared, because I could not keep my eyes open another minute.

“Plan of attack.” I laid my head on a throw pillow and curled onto my side. “I’m going to take a nap. Ember, go buy Chaos some real clothes so he’ll blend in with the humans. We’ll figure the rest out when I wake up.”

She gave me an are you crazy? look. “I’m not leaving you alone with a demon in the house.”

“You heard him. Hurting me hurts him. Vanquishing him kills me. We’re at an impasse, sis. Please do this for us.”

“Us? So you’re a unit now?”

“Please.” Sleep begged to drag me under. “I’m safe.”

“No harm will come to your sister.” He slipped off my shoes and covered me with a blanket.

Going… Going…

Ember huffed “Fine. But if you try anything…”

“You’ll vanquish me to the deepest depths of Hell.”

“Exactly.” She turned on her heel and headed toward the door.

Chaos settled into the accent chair. “She will learn to trust me like you do.”

“I don’t trust you…” And I was gone.

2

CHAOS

If I wasn’t immortal, I’d say this witch would be the death of me. She lay on the sofa, eyes closed, lips slightly parted, and all I could think about was how they might taste. How her body felt wrapped in my arms as I carried her up the stairs. How she commanded me as if she could actually control a Prince of Hell.

I chuckled at the thought. Bad Demon, she had called me. If she only knew…

Her sister, on the other hand, was a splinter in my side I’d gladly remove if not for her relation to Ash. Stubborn and strong-willed, she reminded me of Mayhem, always the reckless one. But I gave my word that no harm would come to her family or her coven, and as long as Ash bore my mark, I was incapable of breaking a promise to her.

I should not have been incapable of causing her turmoil. If she were any other witch, I could use my sigil to scatter her thoughts, blank her memory, and drive her to madness. But her power countered mine, turning chaos into order. As she had stood outside the circle, debating with her sister on when to release me, I had tried. I’d sent a small amount of magic through the sigil, hoping it would be enough to spark her into action.

Instead, it had done the opposite, calming her, helping her collect her thoughts rather than scattering them. I had never experienced such power from a witch. Not even Isabel.

At the thought of the insolent woman who’d banished us, a growl rumbled in my chest, and Ash stirred, a small whimper escaping her lips. Her face pinched, and she tensed, something in her dream distressing her.

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