I set a big pot of water to boil and opened the jar of sauce. “Hello, Chaos? Are you still there?”
He waited a full thirty seconds before he said, “I was not the first Prince to be released.”
“Whoa. Wait… What?” Spaghetti sauce splashed onto the stove as I dumped it in the pot. I didn’t bother to clean it up. Yeah, it would be stuck on good from the heat of cooking, but…
“You’re telling me someone else summoned one of your brothers?”
“Discord either escaped or was released a time ago. I haven’t sensed him in this realm, but my power is limited while in your human form.”
“Can you elaborate on ‘a time ago,’ please? How long ago?” I swirled a wooden spoon in the sauce.
“Time runs differently across the veil. I don’t know.”
“And why would someone want to summon one of you?”
“To harness our power.”
“But you’re Princes of Hell. Couldn’t you just swipe your claws and poison them? You said yourself you’ve never seen anyone survive a fight with the shedim, and he was a mid-level demon. Surely no one could contain you.”
His growl tickled my chest. I hated to admit it, but I kinda like it when he did that. “Only a witch with immense power could contain a Prince. Like you, for example.”
I laughed. “Only a screwup like me could accidentally contain you.”
“You have no concept of your power.”
“Anyway…” My cheeks heated. We’d already established I didn’t take compliments well, so why did he keep dishing them out? And why was I blushing over a demon’s opinion of me? Get it together, Ash.
“We are also known to make deals. Demons of any level will do a witch’s bidding for a price.”
“Let me guess. The price is usually their soul.” I dumped the pasta into the boiling water.
“Precisely.”
“So, it’s possible there’s a rogue witch in Salem who summoned Discord, a Prince of Hell, to do their bidding, and they sold their soul to do whatever it is they want to do. And said witch also cast the summoning circle the kids used in the forest this morning.”
“The witch would not have to be rogue. Desperation makes people act out of character. Demons prey on that weakness.”
“Well, crappity crap.” It could be a coven member, or it could not. I chopped the chicken and added it into the sauce along with the mushrooms and spinach. “On the bright side, at least I’m not the cause of it this time.”
“Summoning me weakened the veil even more. I doubt that was the only rift that will need to be sealed.”
“But you said no one could summon you without your skull. Is that not the case for your brothers? I’m the only thing remotely close to an Ink Master for hundreds of miles.”
“You are an Ink Master, but yes, it is the case. If Discord was summoned, the witch used his skull. He will be searching for Mayhem and me so that we may collect our price from the witch who trapped us.”
“Uh-huh. And what happens if he finds you…trapped inside me?”
“He will kill you.”
“Holy frak.” The timer buzzed, so I drained the water and dished up the food. “And what happens if I can’t find your skull? Will you be a voice inside my head forever? I mean, if your brother doesn’t find us?”
He went silent again, and that made an emptiness form in the pit of my stomach. “Let me guess. I’m not going to like your answer.”
“How did you know?”
“You got quiet. That’s your tell. When it’s bad news, you’d rather say nothing.”
“A demon cannot coexist with his host indefinitely.”
I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. My insides twisted into a knot, the food suddenly not smelling nearly as enticing as it had a moment ago. “Chaos, what will happen to me?”
“I will take over, and you will simply be a voice in my head. Then you will cease to exist.”
The knot in my stomach rose to my throat. I swallowed hard. “How?”
“My soul will bind with your body. Your current form will erode, and mine will be born from it.”
That sounded like a goddess-damned horror movie. I imagined my flesh falling off in chunks as a monstrous face ripped from my abdomen, tearing me in half. A shiver ran up my spine.
“Why would you do that?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“I would have no choice in the matter. The process has already begun. Hence, the importance of finding my skull.”
Hellhounds and hand grenades. What the actual eff had I done? This couldn’t be happening. I was… And he… And the rifts… My hands trembled, so I set the plates on the counter. “What are we going to do?”
“What’s taking so long?” Ember shouted from the living room. “I’m so hungry I could eat a donkey’s ass.”
“First, you will take care of your physical bodies. You’ll be useless otherwise. Then you will locate my skull and return me to my corporeal form. Once I am free, you will find the witch who summoned Discord and put an end to her madness. Only then will your city find peace.”
