Page 37 of Mayhem and Ember

He recited the same words. Ash said them after him, but still I felt nothing.

“Your turn.” I squeezed Mayhem’s hand.

“If she ignored the three of you, I doubt she’ll heed my call.”

“Try,” Ash and I said in unison.

He cleared his throat. “Hecate, please cast all animosity aside and hear the witches’ plea.”

Animosity? What history did he have with the goddess of witchcraft? I made a mental note to ask him later.

“Make your request,” Chaos said. “She could be listening but prefers to keep her presence shrouded.”

“It’s worth a shot.” I straightened my spine. “Goddess, as you must know, these demons cursed our bloodline centuries ago. They have agreed to help us break it and to restore the veil to its rightful state, but we need your help.”

“You forged an amulet with Hades,” Ash said. “One that Discord won in a bet. It’s here, in our realm, and we need to find it. Please guide us on our quest. As we will it, so mote it be.”

I stilled, focusing on nothing but the ether, seeing nothing but the flame, hearing nothing but my pulse in my ears. My body swayed, going deeper and deeper into the trance. I stayed there, waiting, feeling, listening.

Nothing. No answers. Not even a tiny clue.

With a deep inhale, I brought my senses back to the present and tugged from Ash’s and Mayhem’s grasps. “Well, that was a waste of time.”

Ash’s brow furrowed. “She’s never ignored us before. Could it be because the guys are with us?”

Chaos stood. “We’ll wait downstairs while you try it again.”

Mayhem rose to his feet, and I gave him a pointed look. “Do not leave the building.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Amusement danced in his eyes as he lied.

When the demons left the room, I dumped the offering and refilled the bowl with fresh herbs before smudging the living room again. Ash sneezed four times before closing the window.

“I think I’m developing an allergy,” she said.

“Maybe so.” Or maybe her connection to Chaos was making her react to the herbs. Or worse…the curse was trying to take hold. Ash…the third-born Holland witch…would wipe out the entire coven if it came to fruition. Something inside her would have to fundamentally change for her to purposely hurt people. She was the kindest person I knew, but her reaction to the sage didn’t bode well.

I lit the herbs as she sat across from me, and we made the offering again, pleading with the goddess to hear us, to help us.

“Anything?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Ash replied.

“Damn.” Fatigue washed over me, but it wasn’t my body that was tired. It was my soul. If our goddess had abandoned us, how could we ever complete our quest and set things right?

I stood and returned the crystals and figurines to the shelf. “We could scry for it.”

Ash took the bowl and candles to the kitchen. “We could, but I don’t think I have enough vim left.”

I rolled my neck. “I don’t either, honestly. Not after how much we’ve used today.”

She rinsed the bowl and dried it with a dishcloth. “We could also think rationally and look for it in the one place it most likely is.”

“Good idea. And we can grab some lunch while we’re out. I’m starving.”

14

EMBER

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