Page 2 of Mayhem and Ember

“We both know it’s not.” She ran her fingers through my locks, shaking them out. “There you go. I think the length suits you.”

I turned my head from side to side, examining her work. Slightly longer than chin length, my hair felt lighter and looked thicker and healthier. “Not bad, sis. Is there anything you aren’t good at?”

She laughed and said, “Be right back,” before slipping out of the bathroom and returning with a broom and dustpan.

As we cleaned up the hair and dropped it into the trash can, I eyed the demonic sigil on my sister’s arm. The thing that linked her to Chaos. She swore she was in love with the demon, but I had to wonder if the magical tattoo she’d given herself wasn’t responsible for fabricating the emotions.

“Aren’t you going to remove that?” I followed her out of the room and into the kitchen.

“Chaos says it’s safer if I keep it. Mayhem is royally pissed, and as long as I bear Chaos’s mark, he won’t hurt me.” She filled the coffee machine with grounds.

“Is that what he says?” I crossed my arms, unconvinced. Demons were liars, or so I’d been taught. I’d actually never had a conversation with one until Chaos came into our lives, but I had a feeling his brother was as pissed at him as he was at us. A tattoo wouldn’t keep anyone safe, no matter how much vim she’d put into it.

Ash sighed and turned to face me. “I know it’s hard to comprehend, but I promise you… Whether I have this tattoo or not, I am in love with Chaos and he loves me. I’m not asking you to understand it, but I do need you to accept it.”

It made no sense, a light witch and a demon from the Underworld fitting so well together, but they did. While I hated to admit it, they seemed almost perfect for each other…in an opposites-attract, forbidden-love kind of way.

Oh, for Hecate’s sake. I didn’t even read romance novels, but Ash had talked so much about them and her favorite tropes, I felt like I’d read dozens. “You’re right. What do I know about love?”

As if on cue, the demon emerged from the hallway and strode across the room to sweep Ash into his arms. “Good morning, little witch.”

He planted a kiss on her lips, and her energy shifted, exuding calmness. Pulling away, he winked at her before turning to me. “Ember,” he said with a nod.

I didn’t have to understand, only accept. “Where’s Mayhem’s skull?”

“In a drawer in Ash’s room, where it will stay until we’re ready to summon him.” He opened the pantry and pulled out three boxes of cereal.

“I put a ward on it.” Ash took six mugs from the cabinet. “Just in case.”

“Good.” I set a gallon of milk on the counter next to the bowls Ash had lined up.

“When you summon my brother, I suggest you combine the power of all five witches to create the containment circle.” Chaos poured a bowl of the sugariest cereal we had, cramming a handful into his mouth before adding the milk. “He’s a force when he isn’t angry. I’m afraid he’ll be a hurricane after what we’ve done.”

I shook my head. “You’re talking a step ahead. We have to focus on one thing at a time.”

“And first on the to-do list is returning to the church to get her sword.” Ash poured three cups of coffee and handed them to us before sinking onto a stool at the counter.

“Can’t you get a new sword?” Shade strode into the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of Raisin Bran. “I replace my knives all the time.”

My teeth clicked. How I despised redundant conversations.

“It was a gift from our mother,” Ash answered for me. “And there’s a six-month waiting list for forging enchanted silver.”

“Is it safe to go down there?” Patrice emerged from the hallway, followed by Miles. “The building shook and groaned against the crevices. It might not even be standing this morning.”

“All the more reason to get this done now. Eat up.” I popped a protein bar into my mouth, put on my boots, and headed downstairs to the storage room, grimacing as I passed Chrys’s body. We had cleaned her up and laid her on a table before casting a preservation spell and covering her with a sheet. That had been difficult enough. Calling her mother with the news, well… Ash had volunteered for that job, and I’d been happy to hand over the reins.

I let my gaze wander over her outline beneath the sheet, my chest tightening with emotions I couldn’t name. I still couldn’t comprehend the betrayal. Her last words were I had no choice. But there was always a choice, and hers was obvious. Why she chose the dark side, I had no idea. Nothing about what happened with her made sense.

But I couldn’t think about that now. I had a coven to run, a world to save, and no clue how to do either.

Thirty feet of enchanted nylon rope hung on the wall next to a shelving unit filled with supplies for our shop. We hadn’t been open to the public in weeks. We relied on the income to pay the taxes and utilities for the building, but at the rate we were going, we’d be sitting in the dark before long. I hadn’t been to work in weeks either. Honestly, I was surprised they hadn’t fired me yet.

I grabbed the magically strengthened rope, slung it over my shoulder, and did my best to ignore the body in the basement as I made my way upstairs.

Chaos and Ash stood at the sink, washing dishes, which was weird as all get-out. My little sister had domesticated a demon. Go figure.

My phone chimed as I lay the rope on the counter, and I fished it out of my pocket to find a message from Chief Higgins. “Well, shit.”

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