Page 48 of Mayhem and Ember

“Mayhem happened.” My voice sounded more like a growl. “Can you cloak this area in case any more farmhands decide to check on the sheep?”

“How big…?” He scanned the field, taking in the carnage of the lambs. “Whoa. Mayhem did all that?”

“I did not decimate the livestock.” Mayhem straightened his spine, dropping his arms to his sides but keeping his muscles flexed. “I located the rift where the fae are getting through, and I believe some thanks are in order.”

“You—” I clamped my mouth shut. There was no use arguing with a sociopath. His twisted perception of reality kept him from thinking like a normal person…and by normal, I meant people without murderous tendencies.

Gray fog rolled around us as Shade did his thing, and I moved the towel to a different part of the wound so Ash could pick out more shrapnel. Coveralls hauled himself off the ground and stumbled toward his discarded shotgun.

“Miles, can you take over?” I motioned for him and lifted my hands so he could apply pressure. Jumping to my feet, I darted around them just as Coveralls picked up his weapon.

“Who shot Jonah?” Bleary-eyed and snotty-nosed, he swung the barrel toward me, but this time my brain actually worked.

I grabbed the gun and wrenched it from his hands before twisting his arm behind his back the same way Mayhem had held me before my thoughts went haywire. “Shade, grab a binding spell so I can neutralize this guy. He’s caused enough trouble.”

“On it.” He dug through Ash’s bag and tossed me the bottled spell.

“Standing tall or on your knees, in the name of the goddess, I force your ass to freeze.” I dumped the powder onto Coveralls’ head. His muscles seized, and a squeak emitted from his throat before he fell face first into the dirt.

I rolled him over so he wouldn’t suffocate and dusted off my pants before whirling toward the demons. “Would either of you care to tell me what the hell just happened?”

17

MAYHEM

The healer approached with another witch and stopped to peer at her phone. “The map shows they’re right in front of us, but this is an empty field. Shade, is that your doing?”

The shadow witch took a deep breath and lifted a hand toward the women. His fog rolled outward, grass that once appeared gray turning green as the cloak extended and engulfed the witches.

“Oh… Oh!” Patrice ran toward the injured man and opened her healer bag. “How much blood has he lost?”

Ash and Miles stood, giving her room to perform her duties. “Not much,” she said. “Thankfully, the gunman isn’t a good shot.” She sanitized her hands with another chemical possessing an offensive stench and offered the bottle to Miles, who did the same.

“Whoa. That’s…” The other witch stared at the field of mutilated animals before blinking up at me. “Who are you?”

“My name is?—”

“That’s just Dave.” Ember walked toward me, her tone dismissive. “He’s Mark’s brother. You met Mark, right? Ash’s boyfriend.”

“Yes. Hi, I’m Inga.” She offered a timid wave.

“Dave?” I furrowed my brow.

“Just go with it,” Chaos said under his breath.

Ember cleared her throat. “He prefers David, but whatever. At least we don’t call him Dick. That would be more appropriate.”

I was about to respond that I in no way resembled a phallic appendage when Inga asked, “Where are you from?”

“The deepest depths of Hell.”

A maniacal laugh escaped Ember’s throat. “Texas. He means Texas. Have you ever been? It gets so hot, you feel like you’re in Hell. Humid too.”

Chaos moved closer and said, “She can’t know who we are. I’ll explain later.”

I regarded him before cutting my gaze to Ember. She mouthed the word please, and I suppressed a smile. I could go along with their ruse…since she begged.

“I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, Inga, but under the circumstances…” I gestured to the man and then the field.

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