Page 55 of Claiming Chaos

“I can’t.” I held up my arm and pointed to the empty space the sigil once occupied. “I’m out of protection. Whatever she hits us with, I will feel to my bones…and where is Ember?”

The floor rumbled beneath our feet, the vibration knocking an ornate cross off the altar. A painting of the Virgin Mary fell from the wall and landed face-down on the floor.

“We don’t have time to wait for her.” He gestured to the doorway.

I recited the magic-revealing spell, sending sparkles through the entry. A few clung loosely to the remnants of the ward Chaos had set off, but the rest dissipated. “Surely that wasn’t her last line of defense.”

“She probably didn’t expect us to make it this far.” He stepped into the hallway and descended the steps.

A crypt lay beneath the church, with four ornate caskets lining the left side. To the right, six more graves had been carved into the wall and covered with granite slabs. The air grew damp the deeper in we ventured, the room narrowing into another hallway before making a sharp right turn.

Chaos stopped at the corner. “Do you need to check for magic?”

“I do, thank you.” Though every spell I cast taxed my vim more and more, I recited the incantation. Nothing clung to the walls or floor, so we continued on our way.

The modern concrete floor gave way to worn wood as we approached another staircase. We followed it down into yet another corridor, and before we turned left, Chaos took my hand. “You can use my energy to cast your spell again.”

“Actually…” I scrunched my nose as a thought formed in my mind. “I shouldn’t need to use a spell. If I can sense people and objects, why not wards and hexes? I found the brooch in the antique shop by searching for magic, so why not?”

The ground rumbled again, and dirt rained from the cracks in the ceiling. Chaos gasped. “I sense him again. Do it quickly before she recharges her cloak.”

I centered myself, breathing deeply and searching the basement for signs of magic. The low vibration of a demon other than mine registered in my psyche first. He stood in a room just around the corner. Sending out my feelers, I opened myself to dark magic, waiting for the tell-tale pull.

Everything I felt lay in the room around the corner and down the hall. “Unless her cloak is hiding a ward, I think we’re clear.”

He looked around the corner, his posture indicating he wanted to run. “Do you trust yourself, or do you want to try your spell to be sure?”

I started to consider his words, but the pull was unmistakable. “I’m sure. Mayhem is down there, and there’s nothing magical to block our way.”

“Very good.” He turned the corner, tugging me along.

We crept down this part of the hallway, even the Prince of Hell showing caution now. My palms slicked with sweat, and I wiped them on my pants. If my heart beat any harder, it might bust through my chest, so I took a deep breath to calm myself.

“What’s the plan?” I whispered.

“I will deal with Mayhem. You can handle Chrys.”

I laughed. “Can I?”

He stopped abruptly and turned to face me. “Do not doubt yourself, little witch.”

“I haven’t had time to practice my fire powers.”

“You don’t need to practice for this. Burn her alive if you have to. Take down the whole church if you must. You know how to call your fire back when you’re through, and that is all you need to know.” He pinned me with his gaze, the sincerity in his eyes giving me more confidence than I’d ever had before.

“You’re right. If there was ever a time for me to start trusting myself, it would be right now.” I nodded hard. “I’m ready.”

“As am I.” His brow slammed down over his eyes, and he flinched. “I no longer feel him. What is Chrys doing?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” I pointed at the last corner separating us from our final boss battle.

He straightened, curling his hands into fists, and strode into the hallway. The wooden floor ended abruptly, turning into dirt…because of course it did. It wouldn’t be the final boss battle if the boss didn’t have access to the source of her power.

The hall opened into a massive room with storage shelves lining the walls and a summoning circle taking up the center of the floor. Black candles, still burning, sat at each of the pentagram’s five points, and… Was that Mayhem’s skull resting in the center?

Chaos cocked his head and squinted at the skull. “What in Hell’s name?”

“It’s about damn time you got here.” Chrys stepped out of the shadows, her eyes wild, her dark hair disheveled. She stopped by the circle, narrowing her eyes to glare at me. “Who helped you escape?”

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