Page 43 of Mastering Mayhem

“Thank the goddess for that.” I pushed to sitting.

“But there is something you need to know about your sister.” He sat up, his gaze searching mine. There was something in his eyes. Something…off.

“What do I need to know?”

“She’s…” He blew out a hard breath. “Cinder is dead.”

I laughed.

He didn’t.

“What?” I pressed the sheets to my chest and scooted toward the edge of the bed. “Are you serious?”

“I’m afraid so.”

15

MAYHEM

“How could she be dead?” Ember’s brows drew together, her eyes rounding. “She’s a Holland. She’s powerful enough to survive the transition across the veil. It wouldn’t shred her. It couldn’t. She sent us a letter. She…”

“No one truly survives the transition to Hell.” I reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

“And you’re just now telling me this?” Her voice held a shrill edge. “The whole plan all along was to summon both of them. To bring DiscordandCinder back to this realm and then bring back our parents. Why…?”

“To be fair, I’ve tried to have this discussion with you on several occasions. I?—”

She shot me a fiery glare that cut the words off in my throat. Perhaps now wasn’t the time for my defense.

“So, she’s dead. Stuck in Hell for all eternity?” She rose and gathered our discarded clothes, dropping them into a hamper.

Gods, she was beautiful. Sunlight filtering through the blinds illuminated her fair skin, giving her an ethereal glow. Three faint scars marred her stomach, claw marks, no doubt, but they didn’t take away from her beauty. They showed her strength.

“Hello? My eyes are up here.” She snapped her fingers, drawing me from the trance her exquisiteness had put me into. “Can we bring her back?”

“It’s possible.” I rose and straightened the bedsheets.

“Care to elaborate?” She crossed her arms.

“It’s true a witch of her caliber can retain her corporeal form when she passes through to Hell. I have no doubt your sister’s body remained intact. Your mother’s too. I don’t know your father’s lineage, so his survival is questionable.”

A pained look flashed across her face. “You really need to work on your delivery.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how else to put it.” I strode to the dresser and took out a clean set of clothing. “There is hope.”

“What will it take to bring them all back?” She gathered a stack of clothes and strode into the bathroom.

I followed, pausing in the doorway to dress. “Unless you wish to employ a necromancer—and break every law your higher power has created for your kind—their safe passage to this realm will require the most demanding act of magic you have ever cast.”

“I can deal with that.” She shoved her toothbrush into her mouth and scrubbed.

“It will also require Lucifer’s blessing.”

She spat into the sink and rinsed her mouth. “Lucky for us, we have a direct line to the King of Hell. You can call him up and ask, right? Easy-peasy.”

“If only it were.” I joined her in the bathroom to brush my teeth as she finished dressing. “We’ve been absent from our posts for four centuries because of our involvement with a witch. He is angry with us at best. Convincing him to assist us with yet another witch encounter will not be easy.”

She laughed dryly. “Witch encounter? You make us sound like aliens.”

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