Page 27 of Mayhem and Ember

“As we will it, so mote it be.” My breath came out in a rush, and I tugged from my sister’s grasp, splaying my fingers and fisting my hands three times while the fire magic coursing through my veins cooled to a simmer. Ash was right. With Chrys’s stupid hex lifted from the house, I’d have no problem casting the spell again.

“I feel no different.” Chaos held up his hand and ignited a ball of hellfire in his palm. “My powers are intact.”

“Hmm…” Mayhem eyed his brother and shrugged.

“If you ever want to leave this house again, you need to demon up and let us do this.” I tossed two bay leaves into a copper bowl. “Or are you afraid?”

His gaze snapped to mine, the intensity in his eyes almost making me regret goading him before his lips twitched as if he were suppressing amusement.

Ash crushed the lady’s mantle, marjoram, and wolfsbane and dropped it into the bowl along with the liquid mix she’d concocted. I added the final ingredient—a single drop of cinnamon oil—and the potion sizzled and popped before turning to powder.

With the mixture complete, Mayhem inclined his chin. “Very well. I will play along with your game for now.”

I glanced at my sword hanging on the wall. “It’s your only choice, buddy.”

He chuckled, this time not bothering to hide it, but at least he didn’t argue.

Ash took my hand, and we recited the incantation again, blowing the powder into Mayhem’s face this time.

He stiffened, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Are you certain it worked?”

“It worked.” I returned the herbs to the cabinet while Ash washed the dishes. The second time we cast the spell, I did feel the tax on my vim, though it wasn’t nearly bad enough to warrant the three-hour nap I’d have liked to take.

Mayhem summoned hellfire into his palm, turning his hand over and letting the ball of burning light roll across the back of his hand before he extinguished it. Seemingly satisfied his powers remained intact, he nodded and looked at me. “Tell me about these breakfast burritos.”

“They’re divine. Let’s go.”

After walking three uneventful blocks—thank you, Hecate—we chowed down on chorizo and egg burritos, drank way too much coffee, and returned to Ash’s studio, where Shade and Miles were waiting.

She poured the salt circle and lit the candles at each point of the pentagram before taking a piece of chalk from a drawer and holding it up. “Who wants to do Discord’s sigil?”

“I will.” I grabbed the chalk from her hand before one of the guys volunteered. Not that I didn’t have faith in their artistic abilities, especially Miles’s. He was a great artist, but Ash felt like it was cheating or something for her to draw another demon’s mark. Chaos was Ash’s demon. I had to make damn sure Mayhem didn’t become mine.

“Hold on. You need to see this.” Miles gestured for us to watch a video on his phone.

Chief Higgins stood behind a podium, the Salem police emblem, four feet in diameter, hanging on the wall behind him. An American flag hung from a pole to his right, and four microphones of different shapes sat on the stand in front of him.

“The woman who was murdered this morning is believed to be the third victim.” His expression was somber, but a spark of anger tightened his eyes. “The manner of death is identical with all three, and they happened within the span of two days.”

“Shit. Turn it up.” This was bad. Very, very bad.

“If anyone has information, we encourage you to contact the police department non-emergency line as quickly as possible. Until the culprits have been captured, we will be enforcing an eight PM to sunrise curfew within the city limits. Stay vigilant, folks, and lock your doors.”

I stretched my neck. “So the disgusting flyman killed three people before we took him out.”

“Or there’s more than one,” Ash said. “We never found the rift he got through.”

Miles returned his phone to his pocket. “Or there’s a serial killer on the loose. We need to know if their livers were missing.”

“On it.” I dialed Higgins’s cell and put it on speaker.

He picked up on the second ring. “Don’t tell me…”

“Had their livers been taken?” I asked.

He missed a beat before he replied. “Yes. What kind of monster are we dealing with?”

“It’s a fae from across the veil,” Shade said. “We killed it this morning.”

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