16. Ember

16

EMBER

“T he griffin has it, but she’s on the move.” I paced in front of the television while the others took seats in the living room, just like old times. Well, all but Mayhem.

“How do you know she’s on the move?” He stood between the kitchen and living room, shifting his weight from foot to foot, more restless than I’d ever seen him.

“We felt the amulet in motion when we scried,” I said. “When we pulled back, we saw her flying. She hasn’t laid her eggs yet, so we assume she’s looking for a place to nest.”

“Or for a way home,” Ash said.

I nodded. “She seems agitated. She knows she needs to nest, but something is stopping her.”

“How do you know she hasn’t laid her eggs?” Mayhem took a few steps toward me before dropping into his usual chair. “Perhaps she’s searching for food.”

“Her belly is distended, and her mannerisms say she’s about to give birth.” I stopped pacing and rested my hands on my hips. “So, the question is, how do we call to her and convince her Salem is the place she needs to be?”

“The veil is thinnest here, even with Hecate’s magic holding it together,” Ash said. “If she’s looking for an easy path to the Underworld, this is where she’ll find it.”

“But if she’s going to nest in this realm,” Miles said, “Salem isn’t the place. We have over a million tourists coming and going this time of year. Every hotel within twenty miles is completely booked. It’s loud.”

“You’re right. It’s way too noisy for nesting here.” I sank onto the arm of Mayhem’s chair and tapped a finger to my lips as an idea formed in my mind. It was a terrible, horrible, no-good idea, but it was the only one I had.

“The griffin is from the Underworld. I know she’s not a demon, but can you call to her? Will she be attracted to your power?”

“All creatures from the Underworld are attracted to our power, especially in this realm,” Mayhem said. “But she won’t blindly obey us like a demon would. She will need an incentive to come here, even if we connect with her.”

“And the noise of the city will scare her away,” Chaos said. “Griffins are docile, solitary creatures. She’ll choose quiet over whatever we have to offer.”

“Maybe not.” I stood and resumed pacing. “We’ll head to the outskirts of Salem, past the residential area and into the woods where tourists rarely go.”

“Where we fought the shedim,” Ash said. “It’s quiet there, but the guys said we need some incentive to convince her to come. What are you thinking? A mound of birdseed?”

“Griffins are carnivorous,” Mayhem said. “A mound of raw meat would entice her more than seeds, but not enough to draw her here. You have something else in mind, don’t you?”

He flashed a conspiratorial grin, making my stomach flutter. “You want to open a rift, an invitation for her to go home.”

I smiled in return. “That’s exactly what I want to do.”

“You’re both crazy.” Ash shot to her feet. “Are you sure I’m the one who’s cursed? Because that maniacal grin you’re sharing…? You look like you both need to be hit with a binding spell and a straitjacket.”

“Opening rifts is what started all this trouble,” Miles said. “I don’t think creating another one is going to solve our problems, especially this close to Halloween.”

“That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard,” Shade said.

“It’s brilliant,” Mayhem said. “She’ll head straight for the rift. We’ll intercept the amulet, usher her through, and seal it behind her.”

“It sounds easy enough,” Chaos said.

Ash parked her hands on her hips, looking from me to the demons as if we’d grown eyeballs where our ears should be. “Name one thing about this entire ordeal that has happened easily.”

I inhaled, ready to spout a string of answers, but not a single one came to mind. Nobody said a word as we looked at each other. Shade’s brow furrowed in concentration, and Miles drew his shoulders upward, lifting his hands and looking just like the I don’t know emoji on my phone.

“Exactly. But…” Ash dropped onto the couch next to Chaos. “I don’t have a better idea. Anyone else?”

“No.” Miles sank further into his seat, and Shade shook his head.

“Then we’re in agreement. Let’s—” My phone buzzed, so I dug it out of my pocket. Patrice’s name lit up the screen as I swiped it open.

“Hey, you’re on speaker.” I set the device on the coffee table. “How are things?”

She missed a beat before she replied. “Tomorrow is Halloween.”

“We’re aware,” I said. “How’s your team doing? Everyone still accounted for?”

“So far, but activity is picking up. We took out a horde of vampire ghouls last night.”

I tapped my foot on the floor. “That’s standard stuff. Has anything bigger gotten through? Any trouble with the fae?”

“Not recently, but tomorrow is Halloween,” she said again.

I rubbed my forehead, wishing people would stop stating the obvious and offer solutions instead.

Rustling sounded through the phone, followed by a cabinet opening and closing. “I ran out of wolfsbane and stopped by your house yesterday to borrow some, but I couldn’t get in. Why the super strong wards? Did you find all the amulet pieces?”

“No, but we’ll have them by the end of the day. Stay vigilant. Things will get worse before we make it all better.”

She hesitated. “So the demons are…”

“Sitting right here,” Ash said.

“Oh, okay… Who has the missing piece?” Patrice asked.

“A griffin. Long story.” I grabbed the phone. “Did you have anything else to report?”

“No, that’s it.”

“Keep us posted. We’ll do the same.” I hit End and returned it to my pocket.

“Poor Patrice,” Ash said. “She’s a healer thrust into a fighting position.”

“We’ve all had to step out of our comfort zones.” I rose and headed toward the hall to get my sword. “Gather your things. We need to summon a griffin.”

After Ash restocked her spell kit and gave us speed and strength sigils, we loaded our weapons into the van and headed for the woods where we’d encountered our first demon. Of course, now I knew the shedim wasn’t Ash’s first demon. She’d already summoned Chaos and brought him along for the ride, but that didn’t matter now. I might be dead if he hadn’t taken up residence in her mind, so who was I to complain?

I parked along the side of the road, and we filed out, gathering our knives and swords and bundles of enchanted rope before creeping deeper into the trees. Clouds blanketed the sky, casting the forest in an eerie shade of washed-out gray, and dry leaves crunched beneath my boots as we made our way to the clearing.

No remnants of the teens’ poorly cast circle remained. If I didn’t know the story, I’d have no clue a mid-level demon had feasted on a wannabe witch’s makeshift coven nearly a month ago.

To be fair, we’d had nothing to do with those kids summoning the shedim. They’d done that all on their own, but I doubt they would have accomplished it if we—my family—hadn’t already thinned the veil and started this mess into motion.

I couldn’t bring myself to count the number of bodies we’d left in our wake. The sheer amount of death and destruction, caused by the very people who were supposed to keep Salem safe, seemed infinite. I paused, letting my team walk ahead of me.

Mayhem stayed by my side. “What troubles you?”

I laughed dryly. “Take your pick.”

He rested a hand on my hip. “This is something new. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

I shrugged one shoulder and shook my head. “I don’t want to believe this is all happening because of us. My family. If our mom would have been honest with us from the start, if Cinder hadn’t taken matters into her own hands… We caused this.”

“No, Isabel caused this when she cursed your bloodline. The Holland witches are not to blame.”

“Do you know why she cursed our bloodline? Did she ever tell you?”

He lowered his gaze. “I never asked.”

Something between a sob and a laugh rolled up from my chest. “She cursed us because my great-great-times-however-many-greats grandma stole her man and founded the coven she was planning to build.”

I waited for him to respond, but he remained silent.

“So, yeah… The Holland witches are to blame.” I stepped toward the others, but he grasped my hand.

“I’m sure your ancestor had no way of knowing the ramifications, and anyway…” He cupped my chin in his hand, bringing my gaze to his. “When fate brings two people together, there is no use fighting it.”

“Don’t you dare give me the ‘everything happens for a reason’ spiel.”

“Some things do. Some don’t. We shouldn’t focus on what might have been while ignoring what is. That kind of thinking paralyzes people. Believe me, I know.” He dropped his hand to his side.

“Are you ready, brother?” Chaos called from the clearing.

Mayhem looked at me, silently arching a brow. He was right. Guilt was a paralyzing, useless emotion, and we didn’t have time for my pity party. He offered his hand, and I took it, allowing him to lead me into the clearing to join our team.

I left my sword sheathed and tugged the rope I carried from my shoulder, adjusting the lasso end until it was balanced properly for throwing. “You’re sure she won’t try to eat us?”

“Not entirely.” Mayhem moved next to Chaos.

I lowered the rope. “Not the answer I was expecting. You said they were docile.”

“I said they were docile unless provoked,” Chaos answered. “So don’t provoke her.”

“Because lassoing and hog-tying aren’t provocational at all.” I clenched my teeth, closing my eyes and reminding myself we were on the same team. “I’ll try my best. At least they’re not venomous.”

I tilted my head and batted my lashes, giving my sister’s demon the best demure face I could pull off. “Or are they?”

Mayhem chuckled. “They are not venomous, though their claws are razor-sharp and massive.”

“Note to self: Steer clear of the murder mittens. Got it.” I readjusted the rope. “She wasn’t far from here when we scried. Do your thing, and we’ll catch her.”

“Hold on! I’m here,” Patrice shouted as she scurried through the trees, her ginormous medical bag bouncing against her hip as she ran. “Sorry it took so long. I used the main road like a dummy.”

She stopped in her tracks when she reached the edge of the clearing and smoothed her hair back into her ponytail. Her gaze cut between the demons a few times before she focused on Ash. “I’ve got sutures, salves, and everything in-between.”

“Umm…?” I gave Ash a quizzical look.

“She texted and wanted to help.” Ash adjusted her rope. “We’re about to trap a magical combination of two apex predators, so I figured there might be injuries for her to heal.”

“That’s fair.” I nodded.

“Plus Inga and Luis are driving me bonkers. You’d think they were married with how much they argue.” She let out a nervous laugh and took a tiny step away from the demons.

“Also fair,” I said. “Mayhem and Chaos are about to work their demon magic to create a mental connection with the griffin. Once they do, they’ll open a rift and invite her to go home. Before she passes through, we’ll trap her and get the amulet. Then we’ll let her go and seal the rift.”

“Sounds better than getting covered in ghoul goo.” She lifted the shoulder strap over her head and carried her bag to a nearby tree. “Why rope and not a binding spell?”

“Of the animals in the Underworld, griffins are near the top of the chain,” Mayhem said. “A bind strong enough to hold a mother ready to lay eggs would deplete your vim for hours. I’m afraid we have very little time remaining to complete our quest.”

She returned the bottle she’d grabbed to her bag and pulled out a set of green crystals instead. “I’ll be ready if you need me.”

“Everyone else ready?” I asked.

My team nodded, and I gave the demons a thumbs up. They closed their eyes and breathed deeply. Miles kept his gaze glued to the sky, while Shade’s bounced between the demons and the treetops. Ash stared at Chaos intently while Patrice dug through her bag, doing her best to ignore the palpable low vibration building in the air.

At least, the vibration was palpable to me. I watched Mayhem work, a sense of peace washing over me as he and his brother called to a beastie that could murder me with a single swipe of her mitten.

Crazy, I know, but the man had that effect on me.

I focused on the sigil glowing softly on my arm, and his vibration grew stronger around me, inside me. I could feel him reaching out into the ether, searching for the griffin’s signature, and when he found her, it felt as if I had found her too.

Her vibration was unmistakable, not as low and strong as the demons, but definitely not of this world. Ash inhaled quickly, no doubt feeling the same connection herself.

Our demons raised their arms in unison, swiping their hands from left to right, tearing through the fabric of the universe and creating a rift…an opening to Hell itself.

I gasped and pressed a hand to my chest as if the gesture could keep the air in my lungs…could keep my boots rooted to the ground.

The glowing red edges of the rift drifted farther apart, creating a massive hole in reality, the earthly realm on one side, utter darkness on the other. I couldn’t ignore the pull. It drew me toward it, my feet moving of their own volition, the need to cross through it, to go home , so strong, I couldn’t have fought it if I tried.

My vision tunneled until all I could see was my soulmate standing in front of the sure path to our happily ever after. My strides quickened, breaking into a run as the overwhelming call from the other side refused to be ignored.

“Ember, no.” Mayhem caught me around the waist. “The rift is for the griffin, no one else.”

“Don’t you feel it?” I clutched his arm. “I know you feel it.”

He gripped my shoulders, turning so I faced only him, my back to the rift. “Of course I feel it. I’ve felt the pull with every rift I’ve encountered, but I fight it.”

“Why?” I grasped his shoulders too. “We can be together there. Forever, Mayhem. Isn’t that what you want?”

His eyes searched mine, the purple in his irises growing fluid, pulsing, drawing me even further into the frenzied madness. “Forever in the Underworld,” he said. “Is that what you want, Ember?”

“I…”