by N. A. Carson
Zoran ripped it open. Taking out the paper inside, he quickly read it.
“What does it say?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
The paper ignited, and he turned sharply.
“Zoran?”
“It’s none of your concern!” he snapped. “Now go. If you wish to impress me, you’ll need to create more than a candle's flame. You’re a firebird, for god sake.”
Gritting my teeth, I let out a heated breath and marched back to the front of the room. He was such a cruel, bitter man. After I figured out my power, I was going to show Zoran by blowing him up.
Chapter 31: Berries
Look at him, sitting there, reading his stupid recipes that are probably for killing some foot fungus or something, I muttered in my head. I hated him. He was a horrible man whose only purpose was to belittle me. I’d created fire. I had worked so hard to finally be able to do it. Yes, it had only been the size of a candle flame, but I had done it. I’d show Zoran what I could do. I’d master this firebird thing and burn all of his scrolls. Then he’d actually have a reason to be so cross with me.
“Eat, Fin,” said Zoran, pointing with his fork.
“No, thank you.” Folding my arms, I stared at some sort of purplish steak that was on my plate.
He lowered the paper he was holding and looked over at me. “What?”
“I’m not hungry.” I pushed the plate forward.
“I didn’t ask if you were.”
Scooting my chair back, I stood. “Well, let’s be honest, you don’t really ask me anything.” I marched off toward the balcony.
“Fin, come back to the table now.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see the man running his finger down a list of ingredients. “No.”
Zoran sighed. “So childish. You’re eighteen. It’s time you started acting your age.”
“And you’re a couple centuries old, yet you still act like an ass.”
His head snapped around. With a smirk, I went outside.
“Fin!”
This time I ignored him. It was about time he knew what it felt like.
I’d created fire! So what if Zoran was a fire god who could burn this world to the ground with a wave of his hand and my little spark of fire wasn’t very impressive. It wasn’t like just anyone was capable of making fire. I gripped the railing. Why did Zoran have to be so vindictive? A little praise for all my hard work was all I wanted. That was it. Even a god should be able to handle that much.
“Fin,” snapped Zoran, “you’d better learn this now. You do not oppose me. I gave you an order and you will follow it.”
“I will do no such thing,” I retorted.
Zoran appeared at my side in a cloud of smoke and spun me around. He grabbed the front of my shirt. “Watch your words, boy. The wrong one will get you a night with the frost.”
“Better a night with it than you.”
Zoran’s eyes turned red. “We’ll see about that.” He shoved me back.
I tried to grab the railing but wasn’t able to get a good hold on it in time. I somersaulted over the barrier, knocking into the wall on the way down. I combusted halfway and reformed after I hit the ground. Gasping for air, I rose to my hands and knees. Pieces of my clothes fluttered through the air and fell onto my head. They were somewhat fireproof, so the fall hadn’t completely destroyed them. My shirt was a mess, but my pants had held together fairly well.
“Spend the night in the garden,” called Zoran from above. “You’re not allowed back in my house until I receive an apology.”
Clenching my jaw, I stood and dusted myself off. “Fine. I needed some fresh air anyways.”
I marched off with the god looking on. Banishing me until he received an apology—it was the stupidest thing Zoran could have done. I was out of here. I was going back to the mortal realm. Zoran could live alone in forced celibacy, because that was what he deserved.
SWALLOWING HARD, I glanced below me. I was a good twenty feet in the air. “Curse the gods,” I breathed as I searched for another handhold.
I had a couple hundred more feet to go and things weren’t looking good. I reached for a small ledge sticking out of the cliff and felt my foot slip. Losing my balance, I dangled from one arm as I scraped my feet along the mountain trying to find a foothold. My hand slipped and I fell to the ground, landing on my back. The impact knocked the air out of me.
“Curse the gods,” I gasped. That really hurt.
Groaning, I rolled over. At least I hadn’t blown up. My clothes couldn’t take another explosion. I staggered to my feet and peered above my head at the vertical wall of rock. This was hopeless.
Falling forward, I banged my head on the doorway to the underground tunnel. “Just open, damn it.” I hit my fist against the rock before sliding to the ground in a giant heap. I just wanted to get out here and nothing was cooperating with me. My stomach growled. I screamed in frustration. What next?
Giggling came from the trees.
I glared at the siren. “I will kill you if you come anywhere near me.”
She giggled some more and fluttered a little closer. “It’s impossible to climb and the door will never open. The beasts only obey Lord Zoran.”
I scoffed at the title. “That worthless god. I’ll never get out here if it’s left up to him.”
The siren sat down on a twig. “It’s best to go back to the palace and apologize.”
Turning sharply, I glared at her. “What? How do you know about that?”
“All the sirens know. Lady Rhoda told us. She said to be careful because the little bird was banished to the garden until he apologizes properly to Lord Zoran.”
“Well, you tell Rhoda that if she’d open this door for me, I’d happily leave her garden.” I pointed to the mountainside.
The little girl laughed. “She can’t open it, either. Only Zoran and the dragon.”
“I know, I know,” I muttered, sitting up. “I’ve heard this all before.” Scratching my arm, I scanned the trees. “Is there anything to eat around here?”
Her eyes grew large, and she zipped off into the trees.
“I didn’t mean you!” I yelled after her. “I don’t eat things that talk back.” I stood and brushed myself off. Eating a siren would feel too much like cannibalism. They probably tasted as rotten as their personalities, too.
Wandering through the trees, I tried to find something that looked edible. If Rhoda couldn’t open the gate, she had to get the food from within the garden. So I’d just have to figure out where.
I wove my way around a good portion of the garden until I stumbled into an area with just bushes. Berries covered the branches. Some of which I had seen before as sides for dinner.
“Finally,” I breathed, picking handfuls and quickly down them.
They weren’t as sweet as I remembered, but still pretty good. I moved to a bush with bright red berries and picked a couple. I couldn’t remember whether or not I’d had these before. Tossing the berries in my mouth, I bit down and immediately expelled fire when it hit the back of my throat.
I pressed my hands to my lips. “Woah.”
Grabbing some more, I did it again. This must have been what it felt like to be a dragon. I blew rings of fire in the area and tried to see how long I could get the string of flames to grow. Those berries were awesome, and I was starting to wonder what the others did.
I ran around the berry patch trying all the different kinds. None of the others did anything, but they all tasted a little different. Some I recognized and others I didn’t. I spotted a bush with black berries. Rhoda had served us some kind of black sauce once that had actually tasted good. Picking a handful, I tossed them into my mouth. They were good—really good. I grabbed some more.
Sirens gathered in the nearby trees.
“Little bird,” one called. “Little bird, don’t eat those. Those are for the dragons.”
I shrugged and finished off what I had picked. “And I’m a firebird. What’s the differ�
�” My hand shot to my mouth as my stomach started to turn.
Sitting very still, I let it settle. The nauseous feeling went away. It seemed I had overdone it with the berries.
“See, I’m fine.” I stood and a wave of nausea overtook me.
I threw up black tar. It ran out of my mouth and formed a puddle on the ground. I fell to my knees as another wave hit me and I vomited all over a bush. The taste of tar had coated the inside of my mouth. It was all over the front of me as well. I tried to wipe some of it off only to throw up again.
The sirens had gathered on the branches above my head and just watched.
“Curse the gods,” I gasped as I stood and wiped my face on my arm.
I staggered off into the trees, where I erupted again, spewing tar all over the ground. I had been told my entire life to never eat anything I found in the woods without knowing what it was first. I was learning that lesson the hard way now.
Puking again, I struggled to regain my breath. I could’ve sworn that everything in that damn garden was hell-bent on killing me, one way or another.
Chapter 32: Mandatory
My stomach growled. I tried to ignore it. For three days I had lived off nuts and berries that I had seen other creatures eat first before I tried them. Consequently, I hadn’t been able to find much, but after spending an entire day throwing up tar, I wasn’t going to test my luck by eating just anything. I’d rather be hungry then let Zoran win, though. I would never apologize to him.
I wandered back through the garden to the lake. The west wall was a lost cause. After multiple falls trying to climb out, including one that nearly blew the rest of my shirt up, I was done. I sat down on a log and sighed. None of my escape plans were working.
The main river curved around the mountainside in front of me and disappeared down the canyon. I hadn’t tried that. I had no idea what laid to the east, but I’d find a way to survive no matter the place. Climbing to my feet, I jogged to where the mountain and the river touched.
Glancing across the thirty-foot opening, I tried to figure out how I was going to do this. Swimming might involve a lava serpent or worse creatures trying to eat me. But the cliffs ran straight up along the banks. The only patch of land in the canyon that I could see was a small speck in the distance.
I picked up a couple sticks and tossed them in. They didn’t immediately burst into flames, but with time they burned just like normal wood. I went back to the garden to gather more vegetation. Something had to be fire or lava resistant enough to get me downstream.
Tossing my load into the lava, I watched as everything turned to ash.
“Damn it,” I breathed, rubbing my forehead. Swimming seemed to be my only option.
I stepped into the lava. It rose up just below my knee. I took another step and felt the ground falling away fast. My pants caught on fire. Cursing to myself, I patted out the flames. Giggling sounded from the trees. Stupid sirens. My head snapped around and was startled to find Iri leaning against a tree.
“What are you doing, little bird?”
I shrugged and climbed out of the river. “Nothing. I was just cold.”
“Oh, you poor thing.” She walked over and ran her hand through my hair. “I bet Zoran would warm you up if you asked.”
I jerked away from her. “No. I don’t want anything from him.”
“Oh, Finny.” She tapped my nose. “Do you get in a fight?”
Wiping my face with the back of my hand, I glared at her. “I don’t need your sympathy. Zoran is a horrid man.” I stepped back into the lava. “I’m leaving. He can’t keep me here. I’ll find a way to survive by myself.”
Iri laughed, and her fire wings emerged from her back. She hovered over the river. “Why not fly, little bird?”
“I don’t know how!” I clenched my fists. “You’d have to be stupid to think I would swim through an infested river when I could fly. Curse the gods, what is wrong with everyone? You’ve lived for centuries and forgot that we’re not all granted magical power automatically.”
Iri had a hand on her hip and an eyebrow raised. “It must’ve been a bad fight.”
I sat down on the bank. “He kicked me out,” I sighed. “I can’t go back inside unless I apologize.”
“Best to just do it, then.”
My mouth fell open. “How can you be on his side? Last time you were here, he threw a fireball at you.”
Iri shrugged. “He’s a god, Fin. You’re forgetting that. If you’re not careful, he’ll freeze you for a decade or two to teach you a lesson.”
“Freeze me?” I whispered.
She nodded. “Happened to Amber. She was very complaint after that. Anyways,” she sat down beside me, “we never received a reply. Masou wasn’t very happy to be ignored after I came all this way to invite you and Zoran.”
“It’s Zoran’s fault,” I muttered. “He burned the invitation. He wouldn’t even tell me what it said.”
“Oh, you poor baby.” She grabbed my hand. “Zoran had been cruel to you lately.” Iri flashed a smile. “It was an invite to the annual gathering. Aedus holds it every year, and he wants you to come. Isn’t it exciting? You’ll be able to meet Ashleen and Amber along with the other gods. Maybe you’ll find one you like better than Zoran.” She gave me an oversized smile.
Leaning back, I shook my head. “Zoran won’t let me go, and he’s definitely not going to let me choose another god. He’s made that clear. I’m his property. That’s all I will ever be to that man: property.” I clenched my jaw.
“That won’t do.” Iri leaned in close to me. “Masou said it was mandatory for you to attend.”
“I just said I can’t!” I snapped. “Zoran will not allow it.”
“I’m not going to ask him.” She pulled something out of her pocket and stabbed it into my neck.
Ice traveled through my body. “Iri?” I whispered. My hands turned a pale blue. “What did you do?”
She wrapped an arm around my waist and laid me down in the grass. “Don’t worry, Fin. When you wake up, you’ll get to see Brite and meet a true god of fire.”
Chapter 33: Aedus
I rolled over and felt the bed compress. It felt nice. Warm. Though, as I started to wake up, I became aware of the coldness in my limbs. Curling into a ball, I pulled a blanket under my chin.
“Good morning, little bird,” said a deep voice.
My eyes shot open. What was going on? I was naked in a strange bed with a man resting nearby.
He smiled and reached over to brush back my hair. I avoided his hand.
“Not a very polite creature.” He snatched my arm and yanked me to him.
My breath caught as he forced me beneath him. I just stared at the stranger wide-eyed. What was happening?
He ran his hand down my face. “Hmmm... So you’re Zoran’s little pet. Maybe I should have a taste?”
His lips hit mine. I panicked and pushed against his chest. The man held my head still and pressed his fingers into my jaw to pry my mouth open. His tongue forced its way inside and fire vines twisted around my wrists. My arms were forced above my head as the man deepened the kiss.
I turned my head sharply. “No! Stop it! Get off of me!”
He just laughed. “Typical Zoran. Didn’t even train you properly.” His hands started to wander lower.
I panicked, and my self-defense mechanism kicked in. Within seconds, we were engulfed in flames. The vines were incinerated. The man lurched back and blocked his face from the blast. I was able to free my legs. I kicked him hard in the chest and clambered off the bed. I fell onto the floor and crawled away. The man had flames billowing from his shoulder and hands. I scooted into a corner and hid behind a thick curtain gathered at the side of a window.
“How dare you go against me? A filthy creature created only to satisfy lust.” His eyes met mine. They were on fire, but the black core still shone through.
I held up my hands to protect myself.
“Come here,” he ordered.
I climbed to my feet and held the curtain in front of me.
“Now!”
My mind was spinning. If I went to the man, he’d touch me again. My eyes landed on the door. I had to escape. I ran for it. The man burst into flames. The wave of heat slammed into my back, and I slid across the stone tiles. Gasping for air, I dragged myself toward the exit when I was grabbed from behind. Spinning me around, the man lifted me up by my throat and slammed me into a stack of pillows. I sank clear to the floor.
“No one disobeys me.”
Fire came from his hand as he squeezed my neck. It didn’t feel good. It hurt. It was nothing like Zoran. I didn’t like it. There was nothing about this man’s flame that eased the cold.
“I should freeze you and lock you away, so not even Zoran can set you free. Maybe after a couple centuries in an ice block, you’ll be more willing to obey me.”
I gagged and squirmed to get free.
“I wish I could kill you,” he growled, leaning in close. “Ungrateful parasite.”
“Aedus?” said a soft female voice. “Leave him be. The poor thing is probably confused. Iri did steal the little bird.”
“I did not say you could speak,” he snapped at the woman with fiery red hair who had been sitting quietly in the far corner of the room.
“Aedus,” she said sweetly. She swayed across the room and touched his back.
“Go back to the room,” he ordered her as his eyes remained fixed on me.
“Why don’t you come with me?” she whispered, kissing his cheek. She draped her arms over his shoulders. “Let the boy calm down. I’m sure if given a chance he’ll apologize to you.” She ran a hand through the man’s black hair. “Aedus,” she said softly. “You never have time anymore. Why waste it on him?”
“To show Zoran what it’s like.” He met the woman’s gaze. “Go back to the room and stay there.”
She moved away, clearly unimpressed. “Fine, I’ll find someone else.”
Aedus narrowed his eyes. “Amber,” he said firmly. “Don’t threaten me.”