Page 58 of Mayhem and Ember

“There’s one way to find out.” She lifted her hands palms up, and I stared at her with wide eyes. First the coughing when we smudged the room, and now she was willing to experiment on a coven member with magic forged in Hell?

Holy Hecate, we needed to get our butts in gear.

I pointed at Ash. “No.” Then at Mayhem. “No. Absolutely no one is messing with the shard. It’s broken. It could kill him.”

Ash blinked as if finally coming to her senses. “You’re right. I don’t know why I suggested that.”

I looked at Chaos, whose grim expression said we both knew why.

20

MAYHEM

Had fate finally dealt me a winning hand? I sat in the passenger seat of Ember’s van, stealing glances at the enchantress driving us to Boston. Her gaze remained locked on the road, her brow lowered in concentration, and I wondered what thoughts raced inside her mind.

The moment Ash had connected the dots, explaining the reason Ember reacted to my magic the way she did, all the pieces to the puzzle of my existence clicked into place. The tether, which had attempted to connect us previously, solidified, and the flitting of moth wings in my stomach stilled, my chest tightening with resolve.

Ember would be mine.

I had paid my penance. Four centuries in the dark prison in exchange for a warrior princess bride.

It was true fate led me to her. That, I felt in my bones. But the universe knew me too well and presented me with a challenge to overcome. I would tire easily of a damsel falling at my feet, so fate offered me a woman with a fiery heart and a stubborn mind.

She had laughed at the idea that she should belong to me, dismissing any notion that fate had chosen me to be her consort. Winning her heart and mastering her soul would be the greatest challenge I had ever overcome.

Instinct told me to claim what was rightfully mine. When we returned home, I could take the amulet and the woman and return to Hell, where I could spend eternity with her. But she wouldn’t come willingly.

She would fight me every step of the way, and while I would enjoy every minute of the fray, I wanted her heart along with her body. No, I would not take her forcefully. I would convince her she and I were meant to be. It was written in the stars four hundred years ago. Perhaps longer.

“We’re here.” Ember’s voice drew me from my thoughts, and she turned toward me. “This is a reconnaissance mission. You are not, under any circumstances, to use your mind magic on anyone. Got it?”

“If your life is threatened…”

“You still don’t do it. I can take care of myself.” She cocked her head, her pointed look making heat pool in my groin.

She could take care of herself. She had proven that many times since she summoned me, but she also allowed others to care for her when she was in need.

She would learn to need me.

Ember put on a jacket over her shoulder holster. She hid a dagger and three knives beneath her clothing, and she offered another to Ash, who slipped it into her bag.

“If we’re only here to gather information, why do you go in armed?” I unbuckled my seatbelt.

“It’s Veil Keeper 101. Always be prepared for a fight.” She opened her door, and the overhead light illuminated the hard set of her jaw before she exited the vehicle.

I fought the smile tugging at my lips and slid out of my seat, closing the door behind me. “You and Ash are the ruling bloodline of Salem. Will Wendy not recognize you?”

“She would for sure.” Ember flipped up her jacket collar, crossing her arms against the stinging autumn wind. “But she’ll never see us.”

The strange urge to wrap my arms around her and shield her from the cold overtook me. I wasn’t keen on having a knife jabbed into my side, so I didn’t dare. But the fact she would do it only added to her appeal.

“How will we hear their conversation if we’re out of sight?” I asked.

“With technology. Let’s grab a table, and I’ll explain.” She led us to the restaurant, and a young man wearing black pants with a stark white button-up opened the door to greet us.

We entered the restaurant’s foyer and found another young man in the same clothing standing behind a podium., his face a mask of boredom and contempt. “What name is the reservation under?”

“We don’t have one,” Ember replied. “We’ll take a table in the back.”

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