Page 21 of Claiming Chaos

After checking in, Chaos carried the bags and we headed upstairs to our room. A king-size bed in an antique frame sat next to the window, and a matching armoire stood against the wall across from it.

Chaos sat on the edge of the mattress and ran his hand over the duvet. “I do hope we can make use of this tonight.”

My stomach fluttered again, and heat pooled below my navel. We could make use of it right then and there if I wasn’t famished. “If you’re a good demon, maybe we can.”

The green in his eyes rippled like water disturbed by a pebble. “I’ll be very good.”

Sweet spirits, was it hot in here? I grabbed my satchel and slung it over my shoulder. “Food first. I’m starving.”

We left the hotel and made our way down Royal Street in search of a restaurant. Tourists milled about, and music and laughter from a block over filled the air. It was warm out…almost muggy…which was odd to a girl from Massachusetts. I pulled up my sleeves and tied my hair into a ponytail.

“This city is thick with magic. Not all of it is good.” Chaos rested his hand on the small of my back.

“I know. New Orleans is like a beacon for the supernatural. A lot of vampires and shapeshifters live here, along with three different classes of witches.” I found a restaurant, and we went inside. The scents of Cajun spices filled the air, making my mouth water.

We sat at a table by the window, and Chaos looked at me over his menu. “Light and dark witches. What’s the third?”

“Voodoo. It’s a lot like witchcraft, but they have their own spirits called loa. They have different rituals and beliefs, but they tap into the same energy from the universe as witches.”

“Fascinating.”

The server arrived to take our order, and I asked for the sampler platter with red beans and rice, etouffee, and jambalaya. Chaos ordered the biggest steak they had and a bottle of wine.

When the server filled our glasses and walked away, I took a sip of cabernet. It was bold and dry, and it warmed me from the inside out. Kind of like the man sitting across from me.

I set the glass down and let out a long sigh. “It feels so good to take a break. I kinda feel bad for Ember though. She’s out there fighting monsters and sealing rifts, and I’m sitting in a French Quarter restaurant, enjoying a glass of wine with the hottest man on the planet.”

“Something tells me Ember enjoys fighting.” He picked up his glass and took a sip.

I laughed. “Oh, she definitely does. Maybe not this often, but fighting is in her blood.”

“And ink is in yours. You all have something useful to contribute to your coven, and we are here, enjoying a glass of wine, because your skills require us to be here. Guilt is a useless emotion. You should let it go.”

“I would if I could.” Our food arrived, and I dug in. I’d been to New Orleans once before, but like most people in their early twenties in this city for the first time, I’d let the good times roll and drank more than I ate.

I shoveled a spoonful of etouffee into my mouth, and it was a spicy, savory flavor explosion on my tongue. Every bite of every morsel tasted almost orgasmic. Chaos nodded his appreciation with each cut of meat he ate, and we devoured our meals more quickly than a newbie in a maximum-security prison.

“That was so good.” I reluctantly pushed my plate away. “I can’t eat another bite.”

“May I?” He picked up his fork.

“Have at it.” I downed the rest of my wine and took a sip of water.

After paying the tab, we walked down Royal, looking in the shop windows and acting like a normal couple in a normal world, which was weird as weird could be. The shroud we put on his aura hadn’t faded, so no one had a clue a Prince of Hell walked among them.

“Where is the music coming from?” he asked.

“Bourbon Street, one block over. It’s wild after dark. You’d love it.” I stopped at an art gallery to admire a painting of a swamp scene.

“Then we should go.” He stood behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders.

I gazed at his reflection in the glass. “I’m not sure you could control yourself. It’s chaotic enough at night.”

He slid his arms around me, hugging me from behind, and whispered, “I already promised to be a good demon.”

His breath against my ear made me shiver. “Okay. But just for a few minutes, and then we go back to the hotel.”

“Where I can be a bad demon?” He flicked out his tongue to lick my earlobe.

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