Angel of Fire - Chasing Destiny - Book Three ***COMPLETE!!!***

Calculated Chaos

Chapter 30

Fire coursed through my veins at the very thought of Thomas being in danger, causing the ends of my hair to shoot high in the sky like tiny rockets. Every once in a while a supercharged flaming tendril would make contact with my cheeks and painfully singe my skin, but I didn't care. Nothing mattered to me then except saving Thomas.

I spun around to leave, feet kicking up sand in the process. Vycandor reached out and grabbed me by my arm. I stared in awe as the ends of my hair seemed to go into attack mode and burn his fingers in a purposeful attempt to get him to release me.

He didn't.

"Let me go!" I shouted, my entire body vibrating with fierceness. "I have to stop them before they find him." Yanking free, I headed South toward Kalamazoo in the same direction as the Angels of War.

"What are you going to do?" Vycandor yelled, running after me. "Do you think you can just show up, storm the castle, and save Thomas that easily?"

Without meaning to, he took the words right out of my mouth. "Yes, unless you have a better idea," I called over my shoulder without bothering to turn around.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

That got my attention and made me stop dead in my tracks. When he didn't expand on his answer, I could tell he was gathering his thoughts. Thinking before he spoke was something Vycandor did very,  very often. Unlike me.

It was annoying as hell.

Frustrated, I spun around to confront him. "Well? Cat got your tongue? Spit it out already!"

He moved to close the distance between us, his progress elegant, yet decidedly controlled, with an expression of haughty condescension plastered on his ridiculously breathtaking face. "Your lack of preparedness is not only extremely annoying, but it also does a lot more harm than good."

I sniffed with pride recalling the time Thomas had listed off each of my faults. "Ya know what? You're right. My lack of preparedness is just another one of my many charms. Annoying people is a service I offer for free."

He paused to fold sinewy muscled arms over his broad naked chest. "Be that as it may, you can't just show up at the castle and shoot an army of Tormentors with your squirt gun."

I had to force myself not to grin like an idiot and bat my puny eyelashes at him. "Why not? It worked on you."

He flinched as if I'd struck him.

Point for me.

I was still celebrating my victory when his words hit me like a ton of bricks. "Wait. What's a Tormentor?"

Vycandor lowered his head – long hair spilling forward to partially obscure his profile in a very cloak and dagger kind of way. Well, more cloak than dagger.

When he spoke, his voice was steeped in bitterness. "A Tormentor is an unclean spirit that roams the earth searching for bodies to inhabit. Their mission is to manipulate and deceive. Once a person becomes possessed, the Tormentor can then direct them to commit horrible acts that defy comprehension. The Angels of War serve as the perfect vessel to carry out these crimes against humanity because they gave up their souls in exchange for the power of darkness."

"And now they're mindlessly following orders," I added, remembering when he'd been possessed and tried to kill me.

Vycandor nodded. "Precisely. Think of Tormentors like an evil infestation and plan your attack accordingly. Only then will you be able to defeat them."

It sounded like a job for the Exterminator.

"Spiritual parasites," I mumbled, chewing on my lower lip once more.

He nodded again. "You're starting to get the picture. See what happens when you listen to me? You should try doing that more often."

My eyes bugged. "And risk becoming a cliche? Never."

"All I'm saying is that it wouldn't hurt you to be more careful with your actions," he insisted, subconsciously rubbing the area on his healed chest where I'd previously blasted him with Holy Water. 

That gave me an idea.

I couldn't help but smile. "Thanks for the warning."

"Chaos," he began, drawing out my name dramatically. "I don't like the look in your eyes. What are you planning now?"

This time fire shot from my fingertips as I cracked my knuckles. "Oh, just a little something I like to call calculated chaos."

He wrinkled his brow. "And what exactly does that mean?"

I shrugged. "It means I'm going to need a bigger squirt gun."