Page 31 of Chaos
“Because all of that is just so stupid. Everyone is so hung up on their ancestors, like someone a thousand years ago somehow makes you a better person or a shitty person. What matters is whoyouare and whatyoudo. Many people in our community have all this respect they didn’t earn because one of their family members did something great in the middle ages. It’s stupid. We give them a pass for shitty attitudes and shitty things, and they don’t deserve it.”
I just let out a bitter laugh. I hoped it reached all the way to the moon. Orion sighed and tightened around my neck. He was asleep, but always watching. How did I manage to find this witch? She was damned near perfect.
“Not everyone feels that way.”
“This is pretty fucking major, Gabriel. Silvaria made a deal with a demon and the spirits here to sneak someone into the library. She abused her power. There were a ton of people outside my library who were demon touched. If we can stop this before it goes full apocalypse, it’s going to rock the entire magical community.”
I sat back and sipped my beer. I agreed with her. People were going to go down when this got out. I didn’t want to talk about that. Who was this witch? I finally had her alone without the god lurking around. Orion was curled around my neck. I could tell he had gone to sleep when she showed up to give us some privacy.
I was here because we drew the same tarot spread, but Orion was always hissing in my head to get to know her better. I kept ignoring him because I thought it was pointless. I would be out of here once this was over. Most people didn’t want the taint of my name around them.
I was starting to think Ripley was different. Everyone here was, even the god. I hoped I had at least made a few friends when this was over. I wanted to know more about this witchy librarian.
“Can we talk about something else?” I asked.
“That’s why I came out here. It means something that you’re here. I’m not sure what but I wanted some alone time with you. Felix is keeping Reyson occupied by showing him theStar Warsmovies. Reyson is a little high maintenance but is easily distracted with television and werewolf porn.”
I started laughing, and it felt like ages since the last time I found anything remotely funny. It was just so fucked up. Reyson looked every inch the god, and I watched him command those spirits quite easily. Except sometimes the shit that came out of his mouth was just so bizarre. I had to remember all of this was new to him, and he hadn’t been on Earth in a very long time.
“Have you tried showing him actual porn videos?”
Ripley started choking on her beer.
“Lilith, no! I don’t want to give him any ideas. The dude has already decided I’m going to be his wife. Watching porn together is technically fifth date material. I’ll stick to Doctor Who and movies for now.”
“Most women would jump at the chance to marry a god. He’s good looking.”
“He’s sex on a stick, but don’t tell him I said that. I want more than a seven-foot-tall Adonis and cosmic powers. When I get married it’s going to be because I’m in love. I will admit though, that he’s growing on me. He’s just so precious with his Oreos, Frappuccino’s, and reactions to everything related to current events. And he is trying.”
“I never thought I’d get married. I didn’t think anyone would want to.”
“Why? You’re totally sex on a stick too. Someone would totally hit that if you gave people a chance.”
I tipped my beer bottle at her.
“People totally do, but they don’t want to put a ring on it.”
She clinked her beer bottle with mine.
“Don’t I know it. I have horrible luck with people in general. It’s only fitting the one guy who wants to stick around is Chaos personified.”
“Sounds like you just met some shitty men because you’re pretty amazing.”
She stopped to regard me for a minute. Ripley chewed her bottom lip like she wanted to say something, but she wasn’t sure she should. She finally shrugged and broke into a huge grin.
“The same with you and women because you’re pretty cool. Tell me something about you that no one else knows.”
There was just something about this witch. I felt like I could talk to her. She could be pretty snappy when it came to the library, but now that I had her alone, she was just so down to earth.
“This cannot leave this room.”
“Do you want to make a blood oath?”
I just laughed. My secrets weren’tthatdark. My family might be descended from Lucifer, and someone had that demon problem. I might do some things for the magical community that wasn’t exactly lily white, but my secrets didn’t need a blood oath, and I had no problem telling her any of it. I just didn’t want it getting around.
“Nothing quite like that. When I was in high school, I had this dream of going to the Academy of the Profane. My family couldn’t afford it if I got picked, but I thought I might get a scholarship.
“I was this pasty little nerd who never left their bedroom because I was studying all the time. People weren’t just kicking my ass because of my family name. I had this whole geek thing going on.
