by N. A. Carson
“Leave me alone!” I swung at them and a wall of fire came from my hand.
A large portion of the sirens were thrown into the trees by the blast, while the others retreated. I hoped the little parasites burned to death. The giggling returned. I spun around to see the lights reappearing in the trees. It had done nothing!
I ran.
The sirens came at me full force. Every inch of exposed skin was being attacked. I staggered and fell to the ground from the pain. I could feel the blood dripping down my face. The sirens didn’t let up. I was surrounded, engulfed by their laughter as they tortured me. Curling into a ball, I tried to protect my face.
The fire inside me was building. That intense flame that always came to save me was resurfacing, and this time, I didn’t hold it back. The explosion sent the swarm flying off in all directions, and they did not return.
Opening my eyes, I saw the ground covered with little burnt corpses. “Oh my god.” Covering my mouth, I clambered away from them and climbed to my feet.
Remains were littered around the area. The ones closest to me had been disintegrated into puffs of ash. What had I done? The fire from before hadn’t hurt them. I would have tried to stop it if I had known this would happen.
The tree leaves were singed. The bark was black, and the plants along the ground were charred twigs and ash.
“I’m so sorry.” I spun around in a circle. “I didn’t mean to.”
The forest was still.
“What have I done?” I pulled at my hair. I had to get out of here.
Racing through the garden, I stumbled through the dense section of the forest until I came to a clearing. I slowly turned in a circle, trying to figure out where to go, worried the sirens were going to attack again. All was still.
I sat down on a large rock and leaned over my knees, breathing deeply. The cuts were all gone, and the pain had faded, but I felt horrible. My eyes were burning. I couldn’t believe I had killed so many. Taking a shaky breath, I felt the tears start to fall. I was the monster, not them.
I gasped when my head was ripped back, and Zoran stood there holding a handful of my hair. He pressed a vial to my cheek and let the tears drip into it. I jerked away from him once he was finished and wiped my face.
Zoran put a cork in the top. “Very rare, firebird tears. They’re not known to ever cry.”
“I killed them,” I muttered. “Those things, I blew them up.” I motioned in the direction of where I had just come.
Zoran tucked the container away. “I knew. I saw it, and Rhoda informed me she didn’t appreciate me letting you wander about the garden.”
“I didn’t mean to. They attacked me,” I said softly. “It just happened.”
He shrugged. “Then they deserved their fate. They’ve been around long enough to know not to torment a firebird.” He smiled. “A fresh supply of sirens should be coming in, then. I need to go over my list.” Zoran walked into the forest. He stopped and turned to me.
“Let’s go, Fin. You can run away later. The sirens are already plotting against you.”
I quickly stood and went to him. The last thing I wanted was for those things to come back, and they’d be mad this time, too.
I followed close behind him as we walked back to the castle. We went through a stone archway carved into the base of the mountains. Inside was a grand hallway and a wide staircase. The god kept his arm around my shoulders as we climbed up them and returned to Zoran’s room. The stairs would have been a much easier route than jumping off the balcony.
A strange man was standing outside as a woman looked through Zoran’s things.
Chapter 23: The Second God of Fire
The god beside me boiled with black flames and sent a ball of fire toward her to close the chest she was about to open.
She squealed and jumped back. Spotting us, she started to laugh and went to the man. “He’s back.”
“Get out,” ordered Zoran.
“He’s always so cranky when we come to visit,” giggled the woman, brushing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “We missed you, Zoran.”
“Leave.” Zoran marched over to one of his desks and started shuffling through papers.
“We came to see your new little bird,” said the man.
My chest tightened as they turned their attention to me. The woman smiled. Flames surrounded her, and she flew over to where I stood.
She cupped my cheek. “A boy.” She glanced at Zoran. “All these years, and you end up with a boy. No wonder we’ve heard nothing about him. Only that another had made it adulthood.”
“He’s far better than the harlots my brothers are forced to sleep with,” snapped Zoran.
“So cruel,” she whined, walking behind me and draping her arms over my shoulders. “You are just adorable.” She patted my cheek.
The man walked over to us and looked me over.
“Hi,” I said softly. “I’m Fin.” I held out my hand.
He simply looked at it before pacing around me.
“Masou, can we keep him?” said the woman. She picked up a piece of my hair. “He’d be fun to play with in Brite. Amber and Ashleen will love him. I love him.” She hugged me so tightly that it forced the air from my lungs.
“Get your hands off him, Iri.” Zoran appeared in a cloud of smoke and shoved the woman back.
She turned sharply and sent a wave of flames at us. I covered my eyes until the heat died down. Zoran was staring the woman down. His expression made it clear that he hated her.
The man stood there watching with his arms folded. “Are you finished?”
“Leave, Masou. I don’t want you or that vixen from hell here. Get out.”
“We will.” He moved closer to me. “Once I decided if I want to take the boy off your hands.”
“You will not—”
Masou sent Zoran flying into the wall with a blast of fire. My mouth dropped open. I didn’t think anyone could do that. I wished I could do that.
“I’m Masou,” said the man calmly. “The second god of fire, ruler of the final dimension, and keeper of the beasts that torment those who are sent to hell.”
He did look a lot like Zoran. His black hair was shorter, though, and his eyes were solid black but had the same red outer ring, like Zoran’s, whose eyes were a warmer brown. Masou was also a little taller, and his presence made me a lot more uneasy.
I nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
Masou ran his finger along my jaw. “Has my little brother been treating you properly?” He glanced down at my clothes. “You’re barely dressed,” he scoffed, looked at the man gasping in the corner. “You finally have one, and you treat him so poorly.” Putting his arm around my shoulders, he pulled me to his side. “If you like, I can take you with Iri and me.”
He wanted me to go to hell with him. Tempting, but these two were freaking me out. I shook my head. “I’m fine here.”
Iri hurried over with excitement filling her eyes. “I can teach you to fly, and some of the other tricks we can do.” She smiled. “It would be so fun to have a boy around. We’ve never had one before.”
I forced a smile and continued to shake my head. “I’m okay here.”
“You heard him,” coughed Zoran, dusting himself off. “So leave.”
Iri scowled at the god. “It’s been nearly a century, Zoran. It’s time you stopped being so bitter.”
The third god of fire’s eyes glowed red. “Leave.”
“Little brother,” laughed Masou, “we haven’t seen each other in years, and all you want us to do is leave.”
“I don’t care if I see either of you ever again. You came to try and take Fin,” stated Zoran. “You’re not here to visit me. The boy said no, so get out.”
Masou turned to me. “Maybe I’ll take him anyways. It should only be fair that I have two before you get one.”
“I raised him!” snapped Zoran, pressing his hand to his chest. “That boy is mine. I made sure he didn’t get himself killed. I am the only
one that has a claim on him.”
“Ashleen was taken from me,” said the tall man softly. “Why shouldn’t I do the same to you?”
“This is nowhere near the same situation. You were waiting for Iri.”
I backed away from Masou. Zoran may have been a horrid man, but his brother was something completely different, not to mention his firebird was a little over the top.
“Thank you, but I want to stay here,” I replied.
“When has a pet ever had a choice?” Masou stated.
I was starting to panic. This man could actually kidnap me, and it had already became clear that Zoran wouldn’t be able to stop him. I backed away nearly tripping over a pile of books, before darting over to Zoran’s side. I slipped behind him.
Masou folded his arm. “The little bird has already grown attached. With time, he should adjust. It might be a bother, though, to train him properly.” His head fell to the side, and he smirked at his brother.
Zoran gritted his teeth. “What do you want?”
“Make me an offer, and we’ll see if it adds up.”
Reaching into his coat, Zoran took out a vial.
“What do you have there, baby brother?” Masou walked over.
“Firebird tears.” He pulled it away before his brother could grab it. “Leave now, and stop tormenting my pet, and they’re yours.”
Masou smiled. “Deal.”
Zoran tossed the bottle at the other god, who waved his hand, making it disappear.
“Nice to meet you, Fin.” Masou nodded at me and turned to his brother. “To be honest, I would never want a male. It’s only fitting you get stuck with him.” He turned sharply, whipping his coat around. “Come Iri. We have things to do.”
“Bye, Fin.” She waved, giving me an over exaggerated smile. “You just stay your cute adorable little self, alright?”
“Iri.”
“Coming!”
The pair walked out to the balcony, and in a swirl of red and black fire, they rocketed off into the sky.
I shuffled over to the bed and sat down. “That was your brother,” I breathed. “ And I thought you were bad.”
Zoran wandered off down one of his hallways. “Just be glad it wasn’t Aedus. He would’ve tried to have a taste to see if he liked you first.”
My head snapped around, but he had already disappeared.
Zoran was starting to make sense. It was hard to turn out normal when your family was insane.
Chapter 24: Demon Fish
I wandered toward the back of the room, searching for Zoran. This place was such a maze, yet he was always saying everything had a purpose. I finally spotted him standing by a long bookcase filled with containers of all sizes. He was running his finger along the labels before grabbing one with an orange liquid inside.
Peering down at the vial in my hand, I cleared my throat.
“What is it, Fin?” he breathed, not turning around.
I held out the bottle. “Here.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “What is this?”
“To replace the one your brother took.”
With a crooked smile, he placed his things on a nearby worktable and took the vial from me. “Where did you get this?” He took off the top and smelled it.
I sucked in my lips. “It took me all afternoon to get them.”
He laughed softly and place the bottle on the shelf amongst the others. “Don’t collect any more. You’ll lower the price.”
I rolled my eyes. “A thank you would have been fine.”
Zoran didn’t reply. He sat down on an elevated chair near a desk, which had a long list rolled out on it. I tugged on the coat I was wearing.
“I’m busy, Fin.”
“I was just wondering if could have some more clothes?”
He waved his hand, and a pile appeared on the table. “You know, Fin, every time you ask I give them to you.” He propped his head up and gave me a smirk. “Maybe you should try asking more often. Unless you like wearing mine.”
Clenching my jaw, I snatched the stack. “You’re so infuriating sometimes. Normal human beings aren’t like this.”
“Says the boy addicted to fire.” He turned in his chair. “I’m a god. There’s nothing normal about me.”
I growled in frustration and marched off. I stopped near a tall stack of books and glanced back at him.
“Yes?”
“I—I... is there...”
“Spit it out.”
“Is there somewhere I can take a bath?” My stench was starting to get to me. Patches of my skin were also still stained black with ash from the morning’s events.
Zoran chuckled to himself. “I’ve just been waiting for you to ask.” He pointed with his pen, and things started shuffling out of the way. A door appeared with an arched top. “If you had asked, I would have shown you sooner.”
My temper was reaching its limit. This man was so frustrating!
“I’m starting to think going with your deranged brother would have been the better option!” I exclaimed, stomping off.
I pushed open the door and looked inside. Steam was rising from a large bath. Water ran down a wall with smooth stones embedded in it. I put my clothes on the ground and threw off the coat. A case with different bottles sat by the wall. I opened it and started smelling the contents.
They were the strangest-smelling soaps. All had a spicy scent about them. I grabbed one with a lime-green coloring and set it by the pool ledge. I dipped my foot in, and my head rolled back. Heavenly. The water was so hot it was almost boiling.
I jumped in and dunked my head under the water. “Finally,” I breathed.
I’d needed a bath weeks ago. I floated around for awhile before returning to the side to get the soap. At least, I hoped it was soap. Turning the bottle around, I didn’t see any labeling. I shook the container, and it started to create a foam near the top. Taking that as a good sign, I decided to test it first in the water before putting it on my skin.
Climbing out of the bath, I knelt at the edge and poured a little of the liquid into the pool. It started to bubble and quickly spread.
“Wow.” I dumped a little more into the water.
The bubbles grew higher. I smiled to myself. This was really cool. I dumped a little more and slipped back into the pool. I gathered up a big armful of suds. They smelled amazing. No more waxy soap and bathing in frigid creeks like back home.
I sat down on the underwater seats next to a row of stained glass windows. I could see the lava river and the sirens starting their nightly routines. Besides the company and devil fairies, this place was really beautiful.
A splashed sounded on the other side of the room. I sat up, but couldn’t see over the mountains of bubbles, some of which had spread onto the floor. I sunk back down and placed my head on my knees. A wave bumped up against me.
I climbed onto the seat and started parting the bubbles. “Hello?” I sidestepped over to the waterfall but still couldn’t see anyone. “If someone there?”
Something brushed up against my leg.
“What the hell?” I jumped back and dug through the foam.
A large green tail disappeared into the cover of the bubbles. “Oh my god!” I nearly dunked myself in the process of trying to get to the nearest ledge. I quickly pulled myself out and backed into the corner. A head appeared barely above the edge of the bath. It swam back and forth until it rose up enough to show its eyes. Besides the green skin, it looked human.
It started to make a sound like cackling. The creature’s webbed hands gripped the edge, and it swayed.
“Zoran!” I called. “Zoran, there’s something in your bathroom.”
The creature lifted itself out of the water. It stared at me with its head still wavering like a snake.
“Zoran!” I said, louder. I scooted against the wall.
The creature laughed. At least, I thought it was a laugh.
“Hi,” I whispered. “You can go back in the water now.” I stood and inched al
ong the wall. “I’m done. You can have it.” I shuffled towards the door.
Its eyes followed me. Its cackling started again, and I froze. I swallowed hard. The fish-human smirked at me with its head still constantly swaying.
I smiled back.
Its smile widened, revealing a mouth of pointed teeth.
My eyes bulged. “Curse the gods and this whole damn garden!” I ran for the door. “Zoran!”
I slipped and skidded across the tile straight into the water. I opened my eyes to see the mutant swimming right for me. Self-defense kicked in automatically. Curling into a ball, I felt the explosion happen.
Water flew everywhere as the blast was expelled from my chest. I had a second to take a breath before what was left of the water all came rushing back into the pool. I was slammed up against the far wall.
I struggled to get my feet under me for a moment, before I shot to the surface, gasping. I climbed onto the small ledge between the waterfall and windows. The room was filled with steam. I couldn’t see anything.
A black form appeared, and the cackle returned. I pulled my knees to my chest and took deep breaths. The form turned and swam at me.
“Zoran!”
With a loud bang, the windows shattered. I covered my head, but no glass fell. The steam quickly escaped, and Zoran appeared on the other side. The green fish creature ran for a tunnel on the side of the bath. Zoran waved his hand and a black rope wrapped around its tail. He yanked the creature out of the water. It struggled to get free as it was brought over to the god.
The god grabbed the mutant’s neck. “I’ve told you to stay out of here.”
It hissed at Zoran.
He glanced down at the now empty bottle on the ground. “The boy belongs to me. Go find something else to eat.” With a flick of his wrist, Zoran sent the creature flying into the water.
It re-emerged with the waterline just below its eyes.
“You’re lucky to be alive. Attack him again and see what happens.”
The fish glanced at me, and the laughing started. It slipped beneath the water and disappeared into the hole.
I didn’t move. My heart was still pounding. I couldn’t even take a bath anymore without worrying about demon human-fish trying to eat me. Everything in this garden was possessed.