Page 56 of Claiming Chaos
My fire magic rose to simmer just below the surface, and I forced a neutral expression. “Does it matter?”
“I suppose not. Shame on me for acting like a Bond villain and running away without watching you die. I won’t make that mistake twice.”
Chaos couldn’t tear his gaze away from his brother’s skull. “What are you doing with Mayhem? Have you not summoned him?”
She strolled closer to us. “Oh, I’ve summoned him.”
I took two steps back. “Did you vanquish him again?”
“Shut up. I know who he is.” She clutched her head. “Yes, I know what he’s capable of.”
I glanced at Chaos, and his eyes widened in realization at the same time as mine. Did Chrys just do what I thought she did? Surely she was smarter than that.
“I said shut up! I don’t care what you are!” She flung her arms to her sides and raised them, causing the ground to rumble and crack.
I grabbed Chaos’s arm and tugged him toward the door, but the earth split between us, a fissure widening, separating us until I couldn’t reach him. Chrys might not have been smart enough to summon a demon correctly, but she was still as powerful as all get out.
The building creaked above us, straining against the shift in the foundation. If we didn’t stop her now, she’d bury us all beneath its weight.
Chaos threw hellfire at her. She waved her hand, and a thick root spiraled up, absorbing the flames. She stepped around it, patting the uncharred surface. “Do you know how much vim it takes to fireproof these? The sooner I get rid of you the better.”
She pointed, and another root shot from the ground to snake toward Chaos. He stomped it before it could ensnare his leg and reached down to grab it, yanking it so hard, it snapped and shriveled away.
Jerking her head toward me, she sent out another root. Before it could grip my ankle, I darted right, yanked a dagger from my thigh holster, and stabbed the sucker, pinning it to the dirt. Yay for speed sigils.
Chrys clutched her head again, reminding me of the pounding headache Chaos had given me when he’d roared inside my mind. I’d learn my lesson about saying spells loud enough for her to hear them, so I called on what little vim I had left and whispered the binding spell.
“Standing tall or on your knees, by the—”
“Aarrgh!” Ember charged in with her sword ablaze, screaming like a banshee. She swung it like a baseball bat, hitting Chrys with the flat side, right in her stomach. My sister spun, this time aiming for her back, but with speed faster than any sigil could provide, Chrys turned and grabbed the flaming blade with both hands before yanking it out of her grasp.
Ember’s sword was razor-sharp. It should have sliced right through Chrys’s palms, but when she tossed it aside, her hands appeared unscathed.
Chaos hurled another fireball. This one hit her in the chest. Her fireproof shirt deflected it, and she rolled her neck before flashing a sinister smile. “Brother.”
My demon’s nostrils flared on his exhale. “Mayhem.”
“Holy Hades.” I cut my gaze between them. “It took you days to break through and take over my body, and he did it in a few minutes.”
“That’s because I was holding back.” Chaos made a face at me, letting me know I wasn’t helping, before scaling Chrys’s fissure to stand in front of me.
“Why are you helping these witches?” Her eyes widened and narrowed like Chrys was fighting to take control away from Mayhem. “Kill them.”
Chaos crossed his arms. “No. I must reason with you, brother.”
Ember charged toward her, daggers drawn, but with Mayhem in control, she…they…dodged the attack, stepping aside and using my sister’s momentum to throw her into a shelving unit. Books, bowls, and artifacts tumbled down with the impact, and a cast-iron pot smacked her on the head. Ember grunted and keeled over, her lids barely fluttering.
“Em!” I started toward her.
Chrys/Mayhem spun toward me, and a garbled yell ripped from her throat. “Not that one! I need her alive.” She’d clawed her way back to the surface.
“Standing tall—”
“No, Ash.” She flicked her wrist, and dozens upon dozens of roots rose from the ground.
My speed sigil hadn’t run out of juice, so I shot across the room as fast as The Flash. Sadly, the roots were faster. A thin one struck like a viper, slashing through my fireproof pants before encircling my ankle. I tumbled, smacking my shoulder on the dirt and grunting as a mess of the sorry suckers ensnared me, rolling me to my back and strapping me to the ground. Again.
I started to whisper the freezing spell, but she sent another root across my face, gagging me like she’d done before. I bit down, determined to chew through it, bitterness flooding my tongue.