Inferno

by Nancey Cummings

  “No!” Crystal’s jaw dropped. “Why couldn’t you see his face?”

  Amber furrowed her brows. “Really? That’s the question you ask after I dropped all that juicy gossip?”

  “But why couldn’t you see his face?”

  Amber couldn’t tell if Crystal was sweetly innocent or teasing her. “Because I didn’t open the door like a perv. I just listened,” she said.

  “Hail, Amber,” Joi called from the far end of the corridor. “Are you ready to go to the forest?”

  Amber glanced down at her feet. The silken slippers were far from ideal, but they would have to do. “Hey, Crystal, want to go pick herbs with me and Joi in the quiet forest?” A moan followed by a masculine shout punctuated her question.

  “Sounds great,” Crystal said.

  On the way out, she paused outside Kira’s apartment. “Hey,” Amber called out, “we’re leaf hunting in the forest. Wanna come? Unless you’d rather listen to that?” She hooked a thumb toward Brandi and gentlemen.

  “Hell no. Let’s get out of here,” Kira said.

  Outside the City, Amber breathed deeply of the fresh air. She tried to get the image of Brandi wedged between those three valos out of her head, but she couldn’t. Wasn’t it hot? How did they not burn her? The heat rolled off a valo just from standing near them. How did slapping their ugly bits together work?

  Okay, obviously it worked. Brandi had been screaming but not from agony.

  Lucky girl.

  “You know what I miss? Twinkies,” Crystal said. “They’re disgusting, and I sort of hated them, but I’d kill for a Twinkie now.”

  Amber nodded. “I miss air conditioning.”

  “Amen,” Kira agreed. “And Cheetos.”

  “Are you longing for human foods?” Joi asked. “What is a Twinkie?”

  “A Twinkie is like every bad thing you shouldn’t eat and icing injected into a pound cake. It’s wonderful.” Crystal gestured with her hands to indicate how bad and how delicious Twinkies were. “I mean, rock fruit is nice, but I’d do things to a Twinkie. Nasty things.”

  “I’m sure Evan would love to hear that,” Amber said.

  “Please. I’d do a ton more stuff to a Twinkie than to Evan,” Crystal said, barely holding back a laugh. “That’s so mean. Don’t tell him I said that.”

  Two impressively large valo men accompanied them into the forest. She recognized one as Chani and the other as the new guy from yesterday, the one who caught her when she slipped. Chani kept a respectful distance, but the new guy—Pel, she reminded herself—followed her. Once under the canopy of the forest, Joi pointed out the plants they should gather. She crouched next to a small bush with bright red berries. “These berries are only good for cleansing your gut, but a powerful brew that encourages sleep can be made from the leaves.”

  Sleepy-time leaves and shit berries. Right. Amber stuffed the leaves into her bag but avoided the berries. She already had first-hand experience with them. As she collected leaves, she drifted away from the rest of the party.

  “You know, if you’re going to follow me, you could at least talk to me. It’s creepy just lurking in silence,” she said over her shoulder to the valo shadowing her.

  He moved into her field of vision.

  He was gorgeous. Maybe hormones or listening to raw sex sounds had wound her up, but he radiated sex appeal. She had never gone for the overly-muscled guys back on Earth—pale, skinny tech nerds were more her league—but Pel moved with a fluid grace that mesmerized her. Wearing nothing more than a loincloth, she saw everything. Well, nearly everything. Enough to admire his thick arms, the strength in his back, the flex of his thighs, and to want to run her tongue over every inch of him.

  He noticed her checking him out and grinned. “I am on guard for ferix,” he said. “They are near. Their stink is unmistakable.”

  Amber’s top lip curled back in disgust at the mention of the nasty fire beetles. Lucie said they could be dangerous, but Amber didn’t see how. “They’re gross but harmless. I think I can handle a little bug.”

  Pel tilted his head. If he had eyebrows, they’d be scrunched up in confusion. “Fire beetles are a nuisance, but they are the least worrisome type of ferix. Larger predators will hunt the forest, especially if they scent humans.”

  “Apparently, we’re delicious,” Amber muttered under her breath.

  Pel paused and indicated that she should remain still. His eyes swept over her from head to foot and back again. Amber knew she looked ridiculous in her second-hand, hastily resized clothes. She wore a practically transparent yet surprisingly warm shirt. Too large, she belted it at the waist with a silk scarf finer and more delicate than anything she ever touched back on Earth. Stretchy and form-fitting black leggings protected her legs, but she only had silk slippers for shoes. Beautiful, yes, but impractical.

  A grin spread across his face.

  Amber found herself leaning in toward him. No doubt he was dangerous. He was all muscle and… Her mind stuttered, searching for the right word but only coming up with lava. Muscle and lava. Amber might have only been a thief on Earth, but she knew dangerous. She knew how to keep her head down and avoid catching the attention of some beast that could gobble her up for a snack. Pel was the apex predator here, and she had his attention.

  His gaze unnerved her, but she liked it. She’d spent the last hellish years on the Concord desperately trying to avoid the attention of dangerous inmates and even more dangerous guards. This alien, clearly the baddest dude in the forest, put her at ease.

  “I cannot attest if humans are delicious, but I am more than willing to find out,” he said.

  Anticipation fluttered in her stomach, and her knees went just a little bit wobbly. “Damn, that’s bold.”

  “Is boldness not the best way to capture your attention?” He took a step forward. Heat rolled off him, but not uncomfortably so. She had the urge to curl around him and let the heat soak in and soothe the tension she carried in her back and shoulders.

  “Are you flirting with me?” She cringed at her words. Of course he flirted with her. She was so out of practice when it came to flirting… Scratch that. She never had a ton of experience with flirting. Back on Earth, Amber mostly kept to herself. She lived her life through a keyboard. When she wanted sex, she used a hookup app. It might have been impersonal, but it was efficient. After exchanging a few messages, she’d meet up with an interested guy. They completely bypassed the wondering if they were into each other and ended up in bed. Ending up in bed was the point of meeting. Naked and in bed was the end goal.

  He took another step and closed the distance between them. She could see the orange-red glow in the seams of his joints, almost like cracks in stone, but the skin appeared smooth with no raised ridges or grooves to suggest actual cracks. “I am making my move,” he said with authority.

  “You don’t even know me.”

  “You are the humans’ commander. That is obvious. You are the best.” His eyes burned with intensity.

  “What? No. I’m not their commander.” That was ridiculous.

  As if to disprove her point, Crystal trotted up. “Is it okay if we head toward the river? Joi wants some moss and some plant that’s good for burns. I dunno. We’re going that way.” She pointed to the east. At least Amber thought it was the east. The forest made her lose all sense of direction.

  “You don’t need my permission,” Amber said.

  “Uh-huh. Sure.” She then gave Amber a toothy, knowing grin. “Have fun, you two.”

  Amber rolled her eyes. They weren’t hormonal teenagers—despite how her body felt—and they weren’t going to make out because they had a bit of privacy. Other than his name, she knew nothing about the guy. Amber knew there weren’t a lot of Fire Valos anymore, but she had never seen him, or that other guy he had been with, before. So where had they been for the last two months? And who was the unconscious guy they carried?

  Why did she make excuses? Just yesterday she decided she wanted to live,
not just survive. Wasn’t that the point of learning which plants were edible and which were medicinal? Of rebuilding the village? Sonhadra was her home now. Freed from the Concord and the baggage of her past, she had a blank slate and could be anyone she wanted to be there.

  “I’m not their commander,” she said again.

  He shrugged a muscular shoulder. “They seek your guidance and approval. They look to you to make choices. It is obvious to all.”

  “Sometimes I wish they’d make their own choices,” Amber said. The constant pull for her attention wore on her. Still, they needed her. Or thought they needed her. “And I still don’t know anything about you.”

  “My triad will court you and strive to prove ourselves.” His eyes blazed brighter, as if excited at the idea.

  Amber turned away to face the forest and gather her thoughts. Her slippered feet sank into the wet loam of the forest floor. The Fire Valos could make practically anything out of raw materials but when she asked for shoes, they brought her delicately crafted works of art. Not wanting to be rude, she kept her mouth shut and tromped through the mud in her inappropriate and fancy shoes.

  The rainy season continued to hold a firm grip and a light drizzle sounded on the leaves above her. Fresh greenery peeked up from the mud, promising spring. The dark depths of the forest calmed her. Part of her—the crazy part—missed the forest. As dangerous as it was, no one would have bothered her for a hundred small decisions every day in the forest. Amber only had the big questions to worry about: finding their next meal, finding water, and keeping fire burning. Simple.

  Now that they were back in civilization, so to speak, Amber's band of survivors still looked to her for decision-making. Who got which portion of the food? When could they go back to the village? When could they start remodeling the stone huts? Who got which hut and where would they put the food stores? Endless questions that they, grown-ass adults, should have been able to answer on their own.

  At first, she needed control but now she needed peace.

  "You like the forest?" Pel stood next to her. His gentle heat warmed her.

  "I like the quiet," she said.

  "Then we will build a home for you here," he said with authority.

  An unexpected laugh tore from Amber’s lips. “Our home? You’re getting a little ahead of yourself, aren’t you?” She hadn’t even agreed to let him court her.

  “I look to the future, and it is you I see.”

  Fuck, that was beautiful. What did she say to that? She’d spent years in prison. She was ready to live.

  He tilted his head, waiting.

  “Okay. Let’s do this.” She took a shaky breath, hardly believing the words she just uttered. “How do we do this?”

  “My triad will court you, and when you are satisfied, we will mate.”

  Will mate, not be mates. She noticed that distinction. Amber didn’t consider herself uptight, but this guy was part of a set. She had zero experience with the type of relationship he wanted.

  What were her options, really? A dozen human men were not going to fall from the sky. Again. Her romantic life had to involve a valo man. Er, valo men.

  She could do this. She wanted to do this.

  “We get to know each other first,” she said.

  “Human males court the females.”

  “We call it dating, but sure.”

  “How do the human male court females? Is there a display? A dance to demonstrate prowess?” He stood rigidly, with his eyes fixed on her, a soldier ready to receive orders.

  Damn, that was adorable.

  Amber raked her fingers through her hair and smiled. “Ordinary stuff. Dinner, dancing, watch a movie, take a walk in the park. Basically, we spend time together.”

  “We are walking now,” he said.

  Amber bit her lower lip in an effort not to smile. He had no clue and she found it so darn cute. She debated telling him about going on a take, taking a walk someplace romantic and casually strolling but decided against it. They weren’t on Earth so why cling to old habits?

  “You said triad. Who else are we talking about?” Images of Brandi surrounded by three valos came to her mind.

  “Yes. Mishal and Flin have been my friends since we were young. We do everything together.”

  “Everything?”

  “Everything,” Pel said, voice heated.

  Amber’s mouth watered at the idea. What had gotten into her? Back on Earth, she had very little experience dating a single person yet here she was coolly discussing a relationship with three men. New world, new Amber, it seemed. “Tell me about Mishal and Flin,” she said.

  “Mishal, he is a Builder. He will build you a fine shelter anywhere you please on Sonhadra. Flin is a Hunter.”

  “He’s the one who’s heartstone broke?” She heard what happened.

  Pel pressed his lips together. “I must believe his heartstone will be repaired. If—no, when—he is awakened, he will hunt and bring you the finest furs, softest leather, and plenty of food.” Pel nodded, pleased at the thought. “Humans require food.”

  A smile quirked the corner of her mouth. “You’ve been doing your homework,” she said, impressed.

  “Yes. Pleasing you and providing for your comfort is important, which is why I will study how to best please a human female.” The back of his hand brushed across her lips. Warm but not scalding as she feared, his touch inspired an empty ache in the core of her being. She wanted to ask why he was merely warm when other valos had been too hot to stand near, but his bright gaze emptied her head of thought beyond his touch.

  “It has been many seasons since I shared pleasure with a female, but some things cannot be forgotten.”

  “But I’m human, not valo.”

  “I will seek the guidance of the mated males and learn the ways to please a human female. We will take care and not harm you.” Fixed with his burning gaze, her mouth parted. Using his index finger, he traced the curve of her lip. Unable to resist temptation, her tongue darted out and touched the tip of his finger.

  He jumped back in surprise, eyes wide. “It is wet.”

  “Well, yeah.” Mouths were wet.

  “And warm.” His gaze fixed on her mouth. “Do it again,” he ordered.

  Bossy.

  She stepped back, giving him a teasing smile. If just touching her tongue to his finger caused that strong of a reaction in him, a blow job would blow his mind. “I don’t normally lick fingers on the first date,” she said.

  The crystal in his chest pulsed with light and his eyes burned brighter for a moment. “What do you do on a first date?”

  Amber crooked a finger and invited him closer. “Well,” she said, setting one hand over the pulsing crystal and draping her arm over his shoulder, “it’s tradition to have a kiss at the end of your date.” With her hand on the back of his neck, she pulled him down.

  Their lips touched, igniting a hunger that burned all the way down to her feet. The soles of her feet really burned. She shifted her footing as her discomfort increased. Confused, she pulled away. The ground looked normal, if a touch less green. Warm, too warm, she fanned the front of her tunic. “Is it hot? Was that you?”

  Pel shook his head and touched his heartstone. “I am able to regulate my fires and maintain a body temperature that is not hazardous to you.”

  Her feet were hot. Too hot. Amber kept stepping back. “There’s something wrong.”

  The ground shifted underneath her. Pel lifted her in one quick motion and moved away to a safe distance. A jagged hole opened in the clearing and steam vented into the air. Green vegetation browned and wilted in the heat.

  “What’s happening?” she asked.

  “The volcano is awake.”

  Mishal

  In the plaza above the Forge, Mishal studied the Creators’ statues. Long ago, their cruel expressions inspired fear and obedience in him. No more. He should shove their ego-stroking monuments into the caldera.

  Especially Sheenika’s.

 
“Greetings, Mishal!” Maar ambled up and slapped his back in a jovial manner. The male carried a basket of food and beverages.

  Mishal had little patience for the soldier. “Do not,” he warned.

  “Why are you not with Pel courting your pretty female?”

  “What?”

  Maar shifted the basket in his arms. “You did not know? His intentions seemed obvious to me the day before.”

  Obviously. Maar had always grated on Mishal’s nerves. “Tell me whatever it is you want to tell me.”

  A grin spread across the male’s face. “I cannot talk long. My mate requires my attention. She hungers.” Then, because he could not help himself, “For my cock.”

  Mishal wanted to pound Maar in the face. Unfortunately, the Soldier stood a great deal taller than him and had more years of experience with hand-to-hand combat. Mishal would be lucky to land a blow. However, he could melt the pavement under Maar’s feet and let the male sink. “She doesn't crave your witty conversation?”

  “Everyone craves my witty conversation, that is not in question.” Maar smiled broadly, oblivious to Mishal’s foul mood.

  “You mentioned Pel?” Melting the pavement looked better and better. He would only have to expend a small amount of energy to make the pavement pliable.

  “He wants the one called Amber. He sought advice from my mate. Has it been successful?”

  Resentment that his triad brother would make a move without him flared in his chest.

  “You’re certain he courts Amber?”

  The human female lingered in Mishal’s mind long after their brief encounter. She’d slipped in the mud. He and Pel caught her at once. She felt right in his arms and impossible all at once, like holding sunshine.

  “Yes,” Maar said, dragging Mishal back from his reveries. “He followed her and a group of humans into the forest this morning—”

  The ground shook, and the volcano rumbled. The conversation with Sarsen about the rising level of the lake and increase in ferix came to the front of his mind. As if he summoned it, a ferix rose from the depths of the lake. Molten magma dripped from the creature’s feathers. Its massive wings beat slowly, fanning embers and soot. A wild call echoed off the stone walls of the mountain.