Page 5 of Claiming Chaos

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ASH

“Chaos!” I shouted as we positioned Patrice in a chair. “Ember, Shade, we need you.”

Miles grabbed two knives from his shoulder harness and stormed back into the room. Patrice’s head lolled to the side, so I pushed it upright, balancing it on the back of the chair. “Hang tight. We’ll come back for you.” I started for the unfinished room as my sister and my demon clomped down the stairs.

“What happened?” Chaos raced to my side. “Are you hurt?”

“Surprisingly, no. I’ve made it this far into our current adventure without a scratch.” I stopped outside the entrance. “But there’s a rift. Something nasty wants to come through.”

“It’s already through,” Miles yelled before he grunted and his knife thudded on the ground.

“Get binding and sealing spells ready.” Ember marched past me and followed Chaos into the room.

“What’s happening?” Shade stumbled down the stairs.

“A rift. Wait with Patrice.” I grabbed both potion bottles and stepped inside.

Chaos stood face to face with the fiend. It had a wide, pug nose, spiraling horns, and charcoal-colored skin, making its species unmistakable.

“Not this guy again.” Ember stood two feet behind Chaos, clutching her sword in both hands. Miles rocked from foot to foot, gripping his knives so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Tell me that’s not the same shedim we already vanquished.” I stood back, giving them room to fight, but I was ready to mend the rift the moment they sent the bastard back through.

“It’s not the same.” Chaos stepped toward it. The fiend moved back.

“Holy mother of magic.” Shade stood in the doorway, slumping against the jamb. “What is that?”

“It’s a shedim.” Chaos took another step forward. It moved back again.

“Bind it.” Ember moved next to him. “I’ll vanquish it.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Chaos grabbed the shedim by the neck and lifted it from the ground. It hung limp in his grasp, not even trying to fight back as he shoved it through the invisible rift. “You can seal it now.”

“Wha…” My mouth hung open. Ember scratched her head, and Miles gaped at Chaos.

“That’s it?” She sheathed her sword. “All this time, you’ve been able to just shove them back through?”

“When I don’t have to hide my true identity, demons will not be an issue.” The shedim’s talons protruded through the invisible rift. “No,” Chaos said before winking at me. “Bad demon.”

I laughed. “I’ll have to cast a perimeter location spell first to make sure I get it all. I can’t see the rift.” I grabbed the premade potion from my satchel.

“Let me.” Miles held out his hand. “I’ll locate; you seal. We should share the tax on our vim.”

“Let the demon do it.” Shade slid down the wall to sit on the floor. “He doesn’t need to recharge like we do.”

“Can you seal it?” Ember asked.

Chaos shook his head. “Not from this side, no. But I can share my magic with Ash to help her.”

I wasn’t sure I could handle another burst of adrenaline like that, so I handed the location spell to Miles. He uncorked it, releasing the smoke into the air and reciting the incantation. It billowed and gathered around a four-foot tear in the veil. After popping the top on the mending potion, I poured it over the tear and said the spell. The fibers of reality wove back together, and the energy in the room lightened. We all exhaled as if the weight pressing down on our chests finally lifted.

“What’s going…?” Patrice said from the other room before a thud sounded, like a body smacking concrete. “Oof.”

Shade’s legs stretched across the doorway, so I stepped over him and ran to her side. “Oh, honey. Here.” I held her shoulders and helped her sit upright.

She clutched her head, her eyes pinching like she had one helluva headache. “Chrys.”

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