Page 20 of Mayhem and Ember

When the door closed, I turned a livid gaze to Chaos. “I should stab you through the heart and ask Lucifer to smother you in the tarpits for what you’ve done.”

He shook his head, his expression one of pity. “I would vanquish you before you lifted a talon. Brother, you need to understand…”

“I understand enough. You’ve fallen victim to yet another witch’s wiles, and when she’s done with you, she’ll send you back to the dark prison without a second thought.”

He exhaled hard, closing his eyes much longer than a blink. “Who’s the one talking in circles now?”

I opened my mouth to argue, but my words would be useless. The conviction in his voice said he believed in this fantasy with every fiber of his being. For the first time since my fury flared over his involvement, I felt something else.

Pity. The great and powerful Chaos had been enticed…tricked…once again. Perhaps he wasn’t as intelligent as he claimed to be.

He spread his hands to his sides. “You know as well as I do what would happen if the veil collapsed. It’s our duty as Princes of the Underworld to maintain the balance between realms.”

“You speak of duty, yet you play house with a witch.”

“This development surprised me as much as it enrages you, but who am I to question fate?” He leaned against the table, crossing his arms. “You’ll be happy to hear that the only way we can mend the veil is by returning to Hell. With Discord’s help, we’ll repair it on our side while the Holland sisters take care of theirs. We’ll be home soon, and you’ll never see these witches again.”

His eyes tightened as if the mere thought of leaving this world pained him, and I shifted my gaze to the sigil so carefully drawn on the floor. “Tell me more about the fae invading this realm.”

“Swarms of lesser fae have been breaking through for weeks. This morning, we encountered and killed a scout, which makes me believe the greater fae are planning to invade. They will decimate the human population if we allow it to happen. Do you want the fae to control two realms?”

“Perhaps we should slaughter the humans first and claim this realm for demonkind.”

“Lucifer would never allow it. You know he relies on the souls of the damned to fuel Hell. Our only choice is to help this coven protect their world…and to end Isabel’s curse.”

My lip curled at the mention of the wicked woman’s name.

“Think of what she did to us,” Chaos said. “Do you want to allow the curse to come to fruition when she never paid the price?”

I waved a hand, dismissing his question. “We will find her descendants and make them pay. Once Discord joins us, they’ll be easy to identify.”

“On that we can agree. The price will be paid for her betrayal, but our contract with her is null. I have no intention of letting her win. Do you?”

“You make a good point, brother. I will help you end the curse, but know that it is out of spite, not for your little witch.”

And once the curse was broken, then I would get my revenge.

9

EMBER

“It’s too quiet in there.” I leaned toward the closed door, straining to hear the demons. “I think they left through the storefront.”

“No, they didn’t.” Ash grabbed my wrist before I could turn the knob. “Chaos wouldn’t let Mayhem roam free, trust me.”

“He better not.” Fighting the urge to bust in and check, I strode to her desk and sat on the edge. “What is it with him, anyway? It’s like he’s singled me out to be the one he hates when I didn’t do a damn thing to him. In fact, I’m the one who drew his sigil. He should be thanking me, not pissing me off.”

Ash pressed her lips together. “You haven’t exactly been nice to him either.”

“Why would I? He’s…” I started to say a demon but thought better of it. See? I could learn. “He’s insufferable. Infuriating.”

“He’s been in prison for four hundred years,” Miles said. “Maybe cut him some slack.”

“Maybe I’ll cut off his balls.”

Ash laid a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Let’s put Mayhem’s castration on the back burner for now and focus on our next steps. We can’t do this without him.”

“Ash is right,” Shade said. “I don’t trust the guy, but we have to at least pretend to get along if we’re going to save Salem.”

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