Inferno

  A hooded coat appeared in his hand. He helped me put it on and pulled the hood over my head.

  “I’m going to let the mortals see for themselves the consequences of banishing the god who controls the fire of the mortal realm.” His hand brushed against my cheek. “I want you back before nightfall. Gail is still housing soldiers. Keep your head down and no one will notice you. Hobbs is expecting you, so don’t wander off course and worry the old man.” He went back into the palace.

  I walked down the balcony and made my way to the stairs. Emerging out into the garden, I glanced around at the withered plants. Without the sirens, they didn’t stand much chance against the night air. I wandered through them. It was sad that such beautiful creations had been destroyed. Even though Zoran and I fought at times, this place had become my home, and Aedus had ruined it.

  Approaching the gateway, I saw more of the carnage. Dragons and sirens were scattered around the area. Humans laid among them, but I felt no remorse for the mortals. They had attacked us. Death was a worthy punishment.

  I wished more of them had died.

  I stepped into the tunnel. It was too dark to see much. Extending my hand, I created a small flame in my palm. Shadows of large masses reflected on the walls. Covering my mouth, I turned in a circle and realized the extent of what had happened.

  “Oh my god,” I breathed.

  Dead. The dragons were really all dead.

  I stopped at a small beast with black scales. It reminded me of Yuki. I knelt down and ran my fingers across its neck. The mortals were barbaric monsters. The dragons had done nothing to them. To annihilate entire species because a jealous god ordered it was insanity. If anyone did recognize me, I wouldn’t hesitate to blow up if they tried anything. I thought the gods were heartless monsters, but mortals were the same. They just didn’t have the power to act out their true desires.

  I exited the tunnel and felt heavy. Even after sleeping for three months, I was emotionally drained. I started up the path to Gail and fought to keep the images of the dragons from cycling through my mind. I should have told Zoran to go himself.

  The god had kept me in a necklace for three months and then sent me off like I was no longer in danger of his deranged brother finding me. Was it even safe for me to be by myself?

  Stopping mid-stride, I looked back. Did he want me to see what the soldiers had done? I shook the idea from my head and hurried on. I’d find Hobbs and go home so I could focus on getting Yuki out of the basement.

  Chapter 55: Do it

  My footsteps became rhythmic and I kept my eyes pointed at the trail in front of me. I reached the village sometime late in the afternoon. Men were still hauling coal from the mines. Women and children wandered about doing their regular daily chores. The only difference was the addition of heavily armed soldiers. They wore thick leather armor and carried metal weapons. They disgusted me. They were nothing more than hired hands of a vindictive god.

  Keeping my head low, I weaved through the people. They were too cheerful. It was annoying to hear their happy voices and laughter. The mortals had no remorse. It was making the fire boil inside me. The dragons were dead, and it was their fault!

  My eyes flashed up at the sight of a dragon’s hide stretched out in town square. My chest tightened. How could they? I weaved through the crowded street to the hide. Stretching out my hand, I ran my fingers over the smooth scales. They no longer shone in the sunlight. They were as dull and lifeless as the bodies in the tunnel. People began to press up against me toward the platform in the middle of the area.

  “Welcome, people of Gail,” announced Lockhart, lifting his arms into the air.

  I glared at the man. I was just in time to hear what this bastard had to say. I hoped they’d caught a shapeshifter. I’d love to switch the roles and show these people what being burned alive felt like.

  The gathering cheered and clapped for him. I felt like my own eyes were flashing red like Zoran’s did when he was upset.

  “With our final raid, we have rid ourselves of the dragon infestation.”

  Cheers sounded from the crowd. Some threw their fists in the air.

  Reese stood behind the governor holding something. It was a blue with speckles of white. I maneuvered through the people toward the platform.

  “The tunnels have been cleared,” said Lockhart, “the shapeshifter’s garden destroyed, and any remaining fire creatures have fled.”

  More cheering.

  “Reese,” called the governor, “bring it here.” The governor drew his sword as my foster brother stepped forward.

  He placed a large egg on a metal box. My eyes grew wide. No. I would not allow them to kill something as helpless as a baby.

  “With this,” said Lockhart, “we will never have to worry about dragons attacking our village again. The fire shapeshifter will leave our people alone and have to find some other town to torment.”

  “God,” I stated, loud enough for everyone, including the governor, to hear.

  “What did you say?” asked Lockhart.

  “Zoran is a god,” I stated.

  People stepped away from me as the governor moved closer.

  “Lies, boy. You shouldn’t believe such stories. The gods are holy beings that would never allow a mortal to look down on them. That man who lives among those monsters is nothing more than a shapeshifter posing as a god.”

  I smiled to myself. “Wrong. Gods are heartless, soulless, power-hungry monsters.” I climbed onto the platform and shoved Reese out of the way. “They’re jealous creatures that kill with no remorse. There is nothing holy about a god.”

  Lockhart tightened the hold on to his sword. “I know that voice.”

  Zoran could lecture me later, because I wasn’t going to hide in the shadows and let them do this. I removed my hood.

  “You killed the dragons,” I stated.

  The governor stared at me with fear in his eyes. The gathering shuffled back away from the stand.

  “You murdered them.” I took a step forward.

  Lockhart kept a firm grip on his sword and backed away.

  I stopped in front of the egg. “You will regret it. Zoran will kill you all for doing this.”

  An uneasy tension was thick among the crowd. It made me smile. They deserved to be afraid.

  I picked up the egg and cradled it close to my chest. “It’ll be taking this back to Zoran, and maybe he’ll spare one or two of you.”

  Lockhart lifted his sword. “No, Fin. The dragon race ends here. That thing will be destroyed. We will not be slaves to that man any longer.”

  The fire was boiling in my chest. I met his gaze as a smile played on my lips. “Go on, then. Do it.”

  Lockhart didn’t move and neither did I.

  “Go on.”

  He fixed his grip on the sword handle.

  “No? Then I’ll be going.” I gave him a nod and turned to leave.

  I stepped down from the platform. The crowd quickly parted and spoke in hushed voices as I passed. I stopped at the dragon hides. It was too beautiful for them to keep. I placed my hand into the center and let the fire escape my fingertips. It was hotter than usual, and even though the scales could resist high temperatures, they started to sizzle.

  The crowd stood quietly and watched the flames eat away at the hide.

  “Abomination!” yelled someone from behind me. “I’ll send you to hell.”

  I threw up my arm to protect myself. Fire erupted from it and incinerated the spear that was being thrust toward me. The flames died down.

  A building and cart had caught on fire. Multiple people were screaming from burns and being dragged off. The crowd had backed away from the body of the one who had attacked me. Lockhart wasn’t moving and his face had been blackened along with half his body.

  My chest tightened at the sight and I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. Just stay back. I can’t control it.” I hurried off down the road.

  Fire was still boiling around my hands, even though, I tol
d it to stop. I needed to get to the junctions now. My anger toward the mortals wouldn’t go away and the flames were feeding off of it. I dodged a wagon barreling through the street and fell into a bread stand. The fire jumped from my hand and spread up the wall of the bakery. I peered down the street to find the wagon driver trying to get his horses unharnessed as the flames washed over the crates in the back.

  “Shit,” I said under my breath. Something was wrong with me. I clambered to my feet and ran.

  I hugged the egg to my chest and fought to keep the fire contained. It was doing the opposite. Everywhere I stepped, the ground would catch on fire. I was going to bring the whole town down if I didn’t get it under control.

  A soldier walked out of a building and hurried out into the middle of the street. I skidded to a stop right before running into him.

  “A filthy shifter.” He raised his sword overhead. “Back to hell with you!”

  Closing my eyes, I lifted my hand to block the blow. Fire shot out of my fingers and engulfed the man. His screams of agony startled me. Curse the god, I had killed him.

  More screams filled the area. The buildings around me were all on fire. People were racing around to put them out, but the flames kept spreading. I hated the mortals, I did, but I wasn’t a murderer. I wouldn’t be like the gods or the humans. I wouldn’t hurt people just because I could. A group of people ran toward me.

  “Stay back!” I screamed, holding out my hand.

  The soldiers stopped and just stared at the flames that encased me. I didn’t know what to do, so I ran. I ran as fast I could to the junction and told myself not to stop. If I did, it would only make it worse. I reached the ravine and saw the miners racing down the northern trail.

  Standing at the head of the southern trail, I peered back over my shoulder. Gail was ablaze. Gritting my teeth, I turned away and clutched the egg to my chest.

  “Stop it!” I looked at my hand. “Stop!” I yelled. “Stop it! I didn’t want this!”

  Bowing my head, I let out a deep breath. I gazed down the trail in front of me. What was done was done. I couldn’t stop the fire. If I tried to help, it would only cause more damage. Letting out a shaky breath, I stood tall and started for home.

  The fire had seemed to have a mind of its own. Maybe this was the fire’s revenge for killing the dragons, and I was merely the one to carry it to Gail.

  Chapter 56: Preservation

  I dragged myself into the room and tossed my coat on the floor. I felt exhausted. The flames didn’t go out until halfway down the trail.

  Zoran was sitting at the table, flipping through papers. “How’d it go?”

  I held out the egg to him. “Lockhart was going to smash it.”

  The god took it from me and pulled out his necklace. “I saw the smoke.”

  “I lost control. Nothing I did would stop it.” I rubbed my face and went to sit on the bed. “It was like the fire had a mind of its own.” I peered at my hands.

  “Do you regret it?”

  I glanced over at him to see the egg disappear into smoke. “Killing people?” I stated. “Yes, I never meant to do that. I’m not like you.” My head snapped forward. “But not as much as I should,” I whispered. “Lockhart deserved it.” I wrung my hands together. “The others didn’t.”

  “You killed Edgar?” Zoran smiled.

  “It was an accident. I was defending myself.”

  “And the town?”

  “I tried to stop it,” I stated. “But the dragons”—I motioned to the balcony—“that was all I could think about. The fire kept growing.”

  “It was the expected reaction,” replied Zoran, plainly.

  Sitting up, I gave the god a confused look. “Did you knew this was going to happen?”

  “Check the list in your pocket.”

  I retrieved my coat and took out the paper. Breaking the seal, I read the one thing written on it: one dragon’s egg. Taking a deep breath, I crumpled up the paper and threw it on the ground.

  “Why didn’t you go get it yourself?” I snapped. “You shouldn’t have sent me up there when you knew this was going to happen.”

  “I didn’t know what exactly was going to happen. But it did turn out better than I planned.” He scribbled down something on a scroll.

  “Making me a murderer is what you hoped for?” I looked at him in disgust. “You’re sick.”

  Zoran remained calm. “What did you learn, Fin?”

  “That gods are no better than mortals,” I muttered, collapsing on the bed. “You kill for no reason and without remorse.”

  “You saw the tunnel. They did that, so I think I had a good reason. You should at least understand now why I hate them.”

  I rolled onto my stomach and took a deep breath. “Yes,” I replied. “I understand, but you should have warned me.”

  The bed sank behind me as Zoran sat down. “Out of all the creatures, mortals and gods are the most alike. Are we heartless? Yes, but we can also be caring. It’s when fear and greed take over that we attack.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Free will is a plague on this earth, with guilt being the only thing to keep it in balance.” Zoran laid down beside me.

  “You never feel remorse,” I whispered. “You don’t care if you kill an innocent person.”

  “Not anymore,” he replied. “I’ve lived for too long. I’ve grown numb to guilt. All gods are the same. It’s why mortals revere us.” He leaned in close. “When one generation of mortals dies, another takes its place. I care more for the creatures who don’t have that luxury.”

  “Like the dragons?”

  He nodded. “I’ve seen species go extinct, and some come back from the brink of it, but never humans. Even when they fight and kill each other year after year, never once have they come close.”

  I took in a shaky breath. “Zoran?” I peered into his eyes.

  “Hmmm...” He brushed back my hair.

  “I don’t want to feel like this anymore.” I sucked in my lips. “I want to forget what I did. I don’t want to be like you, but I can’t deal with this anger.”

  “My poor little bird,” he whispered. “One day you’ll be free from all emotions.”

  I closed my eyes as he leaned in to kiss me.

  “When that day comes, you will be strong, Fin,” he whispered. “With time, you’ll overcome the weaknesses of a mortal’s mind. I’ll be there to help you.”

  The way he looked at me was so different. He seemed in pain, or maybe unsure. I clasped his cheek and guided his lips to mine. Zoran rolled on top of me and removed his coat while we kissed. I started to unbutton his shirt as he pulled mine up. We parted for a moment to discard our shirts.

  I settled into the bed as he undid my pants. “What are we going to do? Everything is falling apart.”

  He pulled the rest of my clothing off and kissed my cheek. “I will handle it. I am still a god, Fin. No matter what extent my brother goes to, I will always remain a god.”

  Nodding, I ran my hand down his arm. Zoran wrapped it around me and sent fire racing through my skin.

  I gasped and quivered in his arms. “Zoran.”

  “Forget about the mortals,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re not one of them. You’ll never be one again.”

  My breath caught as he hit me again with another wave of heat. I was shaking in his embrace as the temperature increased. I loved it. I loved feeling this man’s inferno.

  THE BED SHIFTED BESIDE me.

  I slowly opened my eyes. “Zoran?”

  A sharp pain ripped through my back. I gagged and arched away from the object sticking into my neck. Ice surged through my veins. What was this?!

  “Zoran?” I breathed.

  Removing the needle, the god turned my chin slowly to him. “Shhh...” Zoran wiped my face. “I know it hurts. You’ll be okay, though.”

  “Why?” I gripped his hand tightly. My skin was losing its color. I felt frozen. My arms and legs would barely respond. “I’m so cold. What did I do wr
ong? I did what you told me. What did I do?”

  “It’s to protect you,” he whispered, leaning down and kissing my cheek. “Don’t fight it, Fin. Just let it happen.” He gathered me in his arms with a thin sheet draped over my lower half. Carrying me from the room, he took me to the staircase.

  “Zoran,” I pled as we descended to the frost dungeon. “Please, not there.”

  “It’ll be okay.” He squeezed me to his chest and kissed my head. “You’ll be safe down here. Aedus will never find you.”

  My body was shaking, and I could see my breath.

  “Stop, please. I’m sorry. Whatever I did wrong, I’m sorry.” I wept into his shirt. It hurt. The ice was working its way to my core. I wanted to die just so I could find relief from the ache in my chest.

  Zoran didn’t respond to my pleas and walked at a steady pace down the steps. We reached the bottom, and Yuki bounded out of the shadows.

  Zoran laid me down on the floor and went to open the door.

  “Help me,” I whispered, reaching for the dragon. “Help me, Yuki. Please.”

  Yuki laid on the ground and gave me a sad look. He inched forward and nudged my cheek with his nose.

  Zoran knelt behind me and patted the dragon’s head. “Keep him safe. Don’t let anyone near the door, not even me.”

  Yuki nodded and sank back. Zoran gathered me in his arms and carried me into the room.

  The frozen air hit my skin, and I started to convulse. I struggled to breathe as the pain overtook me. It hurt, it hurt worse than before.

  Zoran took me to narrow platform. He laid me down on a soft cushion and positioned my head on a pillow.

  After fixing the silk sheet over my legs, he brushed my hair to the side and kissed my forehead. “Patience. You’ll find your freedom again, my little bird.” He smiled slightly.

  I wanted to yell at him, to beg him to let me go and forgive me for whatever I had done wrong, but my voice was lost. My limbs had grown still as the frost took the last of the heat from my body.

  Zoran ran his finger over my face before softly guiding my eyes to close. “Sleep, Fin. Remember what you have learned.”