Stolen Fire

by S. Dalambakis

  “So, how do I work this?” Finley’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. She pulls the tablet closer to her. I scoot my chair closer, so I can help navigate the machine.

  “The screen is already set up for the pony races. That’s the only thing that you can do on here. This main screen shows you all the upcoming races. There’s one starting in fifteen minutes. You click on that race,” which she does. “Now, over here in the right corner is where you’ll place your bet. You’ll pick your pony and place a credit amount.” She clicks the bet button. “I would suggest anything between five to twenty credits for your first couple of races.” Finley taps the button for pony six and types in five credits, and a confirmation screen appears. She clicks confirm, and the payment option screen pops up. “I’m treating you to your first race.” I place my left hand on the top of the tablet, and it automatically reads the chip in my titanium ring, deducting the appropriate amount of credits. Finley turns her head to look at me.

  “Wait, if you’re fronting the money for this race, what happens if I win? The money will go into your account.” I nod.

  “Yes, but the screen will show how much you won. You can either cash out after this race or use the money to bet on more races. Once you cash out, it’ll tell you how much you won. That money will be deposited into my account, but I can transfer the winnings into yours later.”

  “You better.” Finley scowls, but it’s ineffective because her eyes are smiling. Thank the Lord for that. I hate seeing her upset.

  “We have about ten minutes before the race starts. The screen on the tablet will broadcast the race. I feel like I should warn you. The ponies used in these races aren’t like anything you’ve seen before.” Her eyebrows furrow.

  “What do you mean?”

  I smirk. “I think I’ll wait and let you see for yourself.” Her reaction is going to be worth it.

  “Would you like anything to eat or drink while we wait?” Verkor ask.

  “For once I’m not hungry, but I could use a drink,” she replies. Verkor nods taking the tablet. There’s a button on there where you can order food. Verkor is on the tablet longer than necessary.

  “You bet on the race?” I ask.

  “Of course.” He passes the tablet to Obsidian. “Are you betting too?” He nods.

  “How often do you guys come here?” Finley asks.

  “Not as often as you may think. Most of our jobs come from the Magic and Earth Realms. There are some here and there from Hell and Heaven Realms. I should come home more to see my sister and brother. With my parents traveling across the realms, it’s hard to pin when they’ll be home. When they are here, it’s only for a few days at a time. Though I suspect that once they learn they have a grandchild on the way, we’ll see more of them.” Finley looks down at her hands that she has clasped in her lap. “Fin, love?” I lean down trying to see her gray eyes. “What is it?”

  “I’m nervous about meeting your parents. I know it’s not happening right now or today, but the thought of it makes me nervous. I was the same way earlier when I meet your sister, and I know it’ll be the same when I meet your brother.” I move one of my hands to her back and start rubbing circles. I place my other hand on top of hers.

  “You have nothing to be worried about. Chances are Cassie already told them about you. They’ll love you just like the rest of us. Trust me, they’ll probably spoil you because you’re going to be giving them their first grandpup. But we’ll worry about that when the time comes, just like everything else.” Finley doesn’t get a chance to respond because a teal blue demon delivers our drinks.

  “The race is starting,” Verkor states, turning the tablet back to face Finley. I let go of her hands, reaching over to turn the volume up.

  “The ponies and their jockeys are lined up and ready to go. You have thirty seconds left to place your bet. Today’s favorite is pony eight, Viper. He’s been a mean machine, gaining speed and distance right out of the gate. Viper has won two of his three last races,” the demon announcing states. “All betting is now closed for this race.” A shot rings out and the gates the ponies and their riders are behind fling open. “And they’re off.”

  “Holy hell,” Finley says as she stares wide-eyed at the screen. “Are-are those dead horses? Are those zombie horses racing?” Obsidian, Verkor, and I all laugh.

  “I guess technically you could say that. Those horses are dead and are animated by the necromancers that ride them.” Finley whips her gaze to me.

  “What the hell do they do with the horses when they’re not riding them?”

  “There are stalls where they keep the horses. The horses don’t last long. The more you reanimate them the faster the body decays.” I look at the screen, pointing to Viper, the number eight horse. “See, Viper is probably on his last race.” No sooner after I say the words, a piece of the horse’s flank falls off.

  “Oh God.” Finley covers her mouth with her hand. I glance up at Obsidian and Verkor and see concern etched on their faces. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea and we should have kept to the slot machines or tables inside. I turn my gaze back on Finley who is still looking at the screen in shock. I reach over, palming the side of her face, turning her head in my direction.

  “If this is too much, we can go inside, and you can play the slot machines or gamble at one of the tables. I’m sorry. I should have warned you. I didn’t think this through.”

  I hang my head, letting my hand fall into my lap. What the hell was I thinking? Of course, she wouldn’t find this entertaining. She didn’t grow up here. She’s never visited here. Why would I think she would like this? Did I just screw all this up? I was trying to let her have some fun before we ventured into the worst of the levels, but I go and do this. I don’t even want to know what she thinks.

  “Stolas.” Finley’s voice is soft. “Will you look at me?” I almost shake my head no, but I can’t deny her anything. So, I do as she asks. Her gray eyes are soft, and there is a small smile on her face. “I’m fine.” She waves her hand at tablet before continuing. “That just caught me by surprise. I didn’t come to hell thinking it was going to be sunshine and rainbows. I’ve heard stories, and hell has a reputation. I didn’t think it got it by accident. I knew not to believe everything I heard, but I know there had to be a little bit of truth in most of those stories.” The smile on her face gets bigger. “Besides, my horse won.” My eyes get wide, and I turn my attention to the screen, pulling the tablet closer.

  “Holy hell, you did win.” I can hear the shock in my voice. My eyes only get bigger when I see the amount she won. “You won seven thousand credits.” I look back over to Finley, who is bouncing in her seat.

  “I know,” she squeals, then launches herself at me. She wraps her arms around my neck and starts peppering my face with kisses. “I don’t care that it was weird and slightly gross to watch.” She pulls back, sitting in her seat once more. I’m stunned. I have no clue what to say. Luckily, Obsidian does.

  “Do you want to bet on another race?” Finley taps her finger against her chin, contemplating the question.

  “I don’t know. What are the chances that I would hit big again? I think it’s better if I just cash out. I’ll be leaving with more money that I came here with. Isn’t that the overall goal?”

  “Yes, but most people don’t know when to stop. They hit big one or two times and then think they’re invincible. In the end they lose all the money they earned and then some,” Obsidian replies.

  “Well, I like money too much. I’m going to cash out.” Finley turns her attention to me. “We can transfer the money later when we stop for the night.” I nod in agreement, not knowing what to say.

  “Do you want to try slot machines or a game at one of the tables?” Verkor asks.

  “No, I think I’m going to quit while I’m ahead. Besides, it was probably just beginners’ luck. I only picked the horse because of the name.”

  I move the tablet to face me. I click on the cash out button and watch as seven th
ousand dollars is deposited into my account. When I pull up the names for the horses in the race, I start to laugh. “You bet on a dead horse named Tater Trot.” I laugh so hard my sides hurt and my eyes start to water.

  “What?” Finley scoffs. “It was either Tater Trot or NightMare, but the latter seemed a little too clichéd. Plus, I kind of want some tater tots with cheese, sour cream, bacon, hot peppers…” she trails off, lost in her starchy dreams. Obsidian reaches across the table taking the tablet from me. I meet Verkor and Obsidian’s eyes. I shake my head and smile. Man, do I love this woman.

  Obsidian

  I grab the tablet from Stolas and pull up the food menu. As quickly as I can, I find tater tots and add everything that Finley mentions and order the biggest size available. I also order a round of drinks for myself, Verkor and Stolas, and choose the refill option for Finley. Like Stolas, I wear a titanium ring with the credit chip inside. I place my hand over the top of the tablet and watch as it deducts the credits from my account. It’ll be a good ten to fifteen minutes before the food gets here.

  I’ve been quiet most of the day, and that’s how I prefer it. I’m more than happy to sit back and watch my surroundings, especially if that includes Finley. I feel myself watching her even more. I love the happy, carefree air she has about her right now. I watch as she laughs with Stolas over the dead horse names. I can’t believe that my mate is sitting in front of me, and she’s pregnant. This is something I only dreamed would happen. I find myself holding onto her a little longer in the mornings, making sure she’s real. If this is a dream, some figment of my imagination, then I want to be trapped here for eternity.

  “Obsidian,” Finley calls outs. I settle my amber eyes on her beautiful face. “You’ve been quiet all day. Are you okay?” Her head tilts to the side.

  “I’m fine.” She doesn’t need to know that I’m worried about us going through the next levels. I always have a problem in the violence level, and I don’t want her to see that. Who knows how she will react to the levels. But I know I have to give her more than an I’m fine. “I’m just thinking ahead about the journey. Trying to think of anything we may need.”

  “Are we really not safe going forward?” she questions.

  “We aren’t safe anywhere. Never let your guard down. There will always be someone, somewhere, who wants to see you fail. You just always have to strive to be better.” Those are words that I live by. You always have to be one step ahead of anyone who wants to tear you down. Finley nods, as she takes in my words.

  “I understand. If I wanted the best jobs that paid out the most, I had to be better than all the thieves. I can see where that philosophy would need to be applied to everything.”

  The subject is dropped, because the blue skinned demon waitress brings out our order. It was well worth it seeing Finley’s eyes light up as a tray of tater tots is placed on the table. The waitress hands out drinks and utensils, swiftly making an exit. Finley picks up a fork and dives right in. She closes her eyes, moaning around the fork. The sound goes right to my dick. Her dancing and bouncing around in her seat fuels my imagination. Not that I need help with that. I still have our time in the BDSM club, Demon’s Sins, playing on repeat in my head. I shift in my seat. Finley continues to devour the tater tots, making sounds someone should make only in the bedroom. It’s not helping me any.

  All I want to do is throw her over my shoulder and find the nearest room or closet and fuck her senseless. I would spank her ass just as punishment for making my dick hard and teasing me. If we don’t get out of here soon, that is exactly what’s going to happen. I glance around the table seeing the lust and desire swirling in Stolas’ and Verkor’s eyes. I’m not the only one affected by her. But luckily, Finley puts us out of our misery and stops. She places the fork down on the half-eaten plate, leans back in her chair, and pats her belly.

  “Oh man, that hit the spot.” She sighs, not paying any of us attention. She has no idea the effect she has on all of us. She opens her stormy gray eyes, meeting all of ours. “What?” All of us shake our heads.

  “Nothing,” Verkor says with a smile.

  “Are you done, because after all the sounds you were making while eating, I need to try those damn tater tots,” Stolas says as he shifts in his seat. Finley winces.

  “Sorry.” She pushes the plate closer to him. “I guess I was rude and should have offered to share, but you have no idea how good those smelled to me. I couldn’t help myself.”

  “It’s fine. Trust me, there was no way any of us were going to be stopping you,” Stolas responds with a wink. She laughs, which I’m sure is the desired effect that Stolas wanted.

  “So, what are we doing after here?” she asks.

  “If there is nothing else you wanted to look at or do, I suggest we move on to the next level,” I reply.

  “I wanted to go the Ferris wheel, but now I’m just tired. Stolas, how much longer until we get to your place?” Her gaze moves to him.

  “It’s in level six. That is where I wanted to stop for tonight. So, we really do need to get moving. The next levels affect everyone differently. If we move quickly through them, I’m hoping that no one will be affected,” he shrugs his shoulders. I don’t miss the side eye he gives me. He knows that I struggle in the violence level.

  “Well, after what I was told earlier, I have no problem moving fast. The less I have to see of the worst levels, the better,” she states. I couldn’t agree more. Stolas shovels the rest of the food in his mouth, and we polish off our drinks.

  “Everyone ready?” I ask. There’s a round of yeses. I stand and grab my bag as well as Finley’s. Stolas and Verkor grab their bags. Verkor moves to lead us through the casino. Stolas reaches back and grabs Finley’s hand, pulling her behind him. I follow behind all of them. We make quick work weaving between the demons and the slot machines and are standing outside the Sinner’s Paradise.

  “Is there anything else you want to do while you’re here?” Stolas questions.

  “Is there anything else besides the casinos, restaurants, and the like?”

  “Not really. If you’ve been inside one casino, we’ve been inside all of them. The only other thing is if you’re lucky you might get to see someone famous. If you want that then I suggest a stop at SixSixSix. They do live performances with dead stars. Not all the stars belong in hell, but they do get a free pass if they visited and performed before they died.”

  “That sounds fun, but maybe we can save that for next visit. As much as I would like to explore more, I want to get on with our mission,” she states.

  “We may have to wait awhile after, but we’ll come back. I’m sure my parents are going to want us to visit as much as possible. Otherwise, they’ll bug us at our home, and trust me you don’t want that,” Stolas shivers. I’ve met his parents and he’s not kidding. “Well, then, let’s go, the gate isn’t too far from here.”

  Stolas starts to tug Finley down the street. I growl at a few passing demons when they stare at Finley too long. Humans that are alive are a rarity down here. Usually the humans that are here are dead. Living, breathing humans are a novelty. There are some demons who would like to keep them as pets, and that’s not a life I would wish on anyone. Well, maybe my enemies, but not on anyone that matters to me. The more looks Finley gets, the closer I walk to her, and the deeper the scowl on my face. I can feel myself getting angry, but I know this is not the time or the place. There are too many demons around, and Finley wouldn’t be protected. I’m strong, but even I know my limits. Instead, I settle for looking as menacing as I can. It seems to work. Demons are giving us a wide berth. Which works in our favor, because we make it to the gate faster.

  There is a stone wall with huge black iron doors. Standing guard is a hellhound shifter. As we walk closer, Stolas breaks away from our pack and approaches the guard. I move closer to Finley, pressing my front to her back. Everything goes well, and Stolas is shaking the other hellhound’s hand. We watch as the gates are opened to the next le
vel of hell. We walk through, and the door closes immediately behind us. Stolas focuses on Finley.

  “Welcome to the fifth level of hell, anger.”

  Chapter 8

  Finley

  I was not prepared for the drastic change in appearance. The last few levels were upbeat and fun. This level is the opposite. We are surrounded by black stone, and flowing lava. There are huge demons and dead humans fighting in various styles of rings. There are octagon rings where the occupants are wearing gloves over their hands or claws. There are wrestling rings, where those demons and humans are doing exactly what the ring is called, wrestling. In one corner there’s a free for all happening. Inside, I start to feel anxious.

  “There are two types of anger here,” Stolas says as he leads us around some rings. “There is the wrathful anger, which you see displayed in the rings. These demons and humans fight almost non-stop. The second kind of anger is called sullen. These beings are angry but instead of acting on the anger they bottle it up inside. These beings,” he points to demons and humans walking the perimeter of the rings, “tend to keep to themselves. When they are approached, they back down. Most of them don’t understand why they are at this level in hell. It all has to do with how they lived their lives. Most likely, they were the same while they were alive, and that thinking followed them here.”

  I turn my head to the right where loud grunts can be heard. I wince at the sound of flesh hitting and cringe at the sound of bones breaking. The ring we’re walking by has a demon pitted against a human. The human had to be some sort of body builder because he’s huge and more evenly matched than I thought. They aren’t holding anything back. The demon lands a particularly nasty blow to the human’s face and blood flies from his mouth. Involuntarily, I take a step back and look away. A hand touches my shoulder and I whirl, dropping down into a fighting stance. My body relaxes when I see that it is Verkor.

  “Are you alright?” he asks. I nod, but I know I’m not. I know how to fight, but I don’t like to. I don’t like people sneaking up on me from behind. I was so focused on the match that I lost where my guys were. A little bit ago when Obsidian placed his body on mine, to protect me, I didn’t flinch. I knew he was behind me, and I knew what he was doing.