Page 25 of Claiming Chaos
The spell complete, she dusted off her hands. “Or what?”
I called on my chaos magic, sending it toward her and trying to scramble her brain. It had no effect. She had figured out a way to block me. “I’ll kill you,” I growled.
“No, you won’t. Earth magic doesn’t die with the caster. Those roots are very much alive, and if I stop controlling them, they’ll return to the ground…taking Ash with them.”
“It’s true,” Ash said. “Just like my fire would continue to burn.”
“If you want to save your girlfriend, step into the circle.” Chrys gestured to the containment ring she’d drawn on the ground.
“Don’t do it,” Ash ground out. “She’ll vanquish you, and I’ll die anyway.”
Surprise flashed across Chrys’s face. “The sigil connects you? I assume that works both ways then?”
Ash pressed her lips together, refusing to speak.
“We can always find out.” She flicked her wrist, and a root snaked around Ash’s neck. “If you die, and he gets vanquished, I can easily summon him back now that I have the sigils. What will it be, lover boy? I’m about to snap her neck, so make up your mind.”
I looked from Ash to Chrys. “Will you release her if I comply?”
“Of course.” She waved a hand flippantly. “You have my word.”
“Chaos, no! She’s lying.”
My stomach soured as I watched the root tighten around her neck. Chrys wanted to command me, to force me to do her bidding, and Ash’s life was her currency. Stepping into her circle gave Ash her only chance at survival. “Agreed.”
“Please.” Ash struggled, her adrenaline causing her fingertips to spark, and a tiny flame danced across a root, charring the surface. It seemed our adversary hadn’t bothered to make her trap fireproof.
“Allow me to say goodbye.” I took a tentative step toward my witch. When the roots didn’t tighten, I continued, kicking dirt over the small amount of smoke rising from the burned area. Kneeling beside her, I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Everyone underestimates you, but your fire will continue to burn.”
“Don’t,” she whispered.
Chrys laughed. “Ash’s fire. That’s funny.”
Her dismissal confirmed my suspicion. I stepped into the circle. “Let your fire burn.”