Inferno Read online

  Inferno

  Elemental, Volume 1

  N.A. Carson

  Published by N.A. Carson, 2019.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  INFERNO

  First edition. February 14, 2019.

  Copyright © 2019 N.A. Carson.

  ISBN: 978-1386050254

  Written by N.A. Carson.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1: Fire

  Chapter 2: The Haywood Home

  Chapter 3: Playing with Fire

  Chapter 4: Tribute

  Chapter 5: A Proper Job

  Chapter 6: Follow the Smoke

  Chapter 7: My Little Sparrow

  Chapter 8: Just Shapeshifters

  Chapter 9: Heated Anger

  Chapter 10: Cornered

  Chapter 11: Firebird

  Chapter 12: Flying

  Chapter 13: Devil’s Playground

  Chapter 14: Beetle Bait

  Chapter 15: Zoran’s Garden

  Chapter 16: My Purpose

  Chapter 17: Fire Sirens

  Chapter 18: Ash Showers

  Chapter 19: An Errand

  Chapter 20: The Frost

  Chapter 21: Fill Me with Fire

  Chapter 22: Firebird Tears

  Chapter 23: The Second God of Fire

  Chapter 24: Demon Fish

  Chapter 25: Tolerance

  Chapter 26: Controlled

  Chapter 27: Every Flame Needs to be Refueled

  Chapter 28: Stubbornness

  Chapter 29: Cold Soup

  Chapter 30: Invitation

  Chapter 31: Berries

  Chapter 32: Mandatory

  Chapter 33: Aedus

  Chapter 34: Welcome Back, Brother

  Chapter 35: Not the First or the Second

  Chapter 36: A Proper Feast

  Chapter 37: Golden Boy

  Chapter 38: Festival of Brite

  Chapter 39: Don’t Make Excuses

  Chapter 40: An Assembly of Gods

  Chapter 41: A Sparrow’s First Wings

  Chapter 42: A Trade

  Chapter 43: Just a Pet

  Chapter 44: The Gods’ World

  Chapter 45: The Source

  Chapter 46: Helpless Addict

  Chapter 47: Pillow Talk

  Chapter 48: Dragon’s Nest

  Chapter 49: Hatchery

  Chapter 50: Yuki

  Chapter 51: Condemn the Rest

  Chapter 52: The End of Brite

  Chapter 53: Jealousy

  Chapter 54: Three Months

  Chapter 55: Do it

  Chapter 56: Preservation

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  Chapter 1: Fire

  I slipped through the crowd circled around the wooden platform in the middle of the town square. Reaching the front, I peered up at the leader of our mountain village as he unrolled a piece of parchment. A woman was tied to a pole behind him with kindling piled around her feet.

  “Fin.”

  I was yanked back by my caretaker.

  She smacked the top of my head. “I told you to stay beside me.”

  Rubbing the spot, I gave her a sideways glance.

  “Run off like that again and you’ll go back to the house.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I sighed, letting my head roll to the side. I couldn’t see from all the way back there, and I wanted to know what was going on. It was rare that so many people would gather together.

  “What did she do?” I asked, standing on my tiptoes.

  “A monster,” stated Mrs. Haywood. “The world will be a better place without a creature like that running loose among us.” She folded her arms, shaking her head.

  I snuck a peek of the black haired lady who stood with her head bowed. “She doesn’t look like a monster.”

  “It’s all a disguise, Fin.” She nodded toward the woman. “The guardians found her ripping apart a deer like a deranged dog.”

  Taking a step to the side, I had a clear view of the woman. “She still looks pretty normal to me.”

  “Fin.” Mrs. Haywood looked down her nose at me. “Appearances are deceiving. You can’t trust strangers. Not in a world like this. The gods put these creatures among us to test us. It’s best to send them to hell where they belong.”

  “I guess,” I breathed.

  “There is no guessing,” she said firmly. “That it how it must be in order to protect ourselves. Remember that, Fin. Nothing good can come from a shapeshifter. They’re mistakes and should be dealt with accordingly.”

  Whether Mrs. Haywood was right or not, I still thought she looked ordinary.

  “For crimes against the people of Gail,” announced Mr. Lockhart, “we sentence this creature to death by fire, so her curse can no longer harm anyone else.”

  A whisper spread through the crowd. I looked to Mrs. Haywood, but she kept her eyes on the woman. The lady next to her with a baby leaned over, and the two whispered amongst themselves.

  Peeking at the two women, I inched to the side. Mrs. Haywood didn’t seem to notice, so I took my chance. I slipped through a hole in the crowd to the front line. I had never seen anyone being burned alive before. As cruel as it seemed, there was something about it that excited me.

  Mr. Lockhart grabbed a torch from the man standing with him on the platform. “I send you back to hell.” He jabbed the flames into the kindling. “May the gods accept your tortured soul.”

  My eyes grew wide as the fire began to grow and spread. Mr. Lockhart and the other men left the platform. The heat rose, causing the crowd to move back. I didn’t, though. The way the flames flickered and flowed across the wood had me in a trance. It was beautiful.

  The woman’s head rolled back and forth. The fire was getting closer to her now. Smoke was billowing up around her as the flame wrapped around the pole. She could probably feel the warmth on her skin. I stepped a little closer. I wanted to feel it, too. I wanted to know what it felt like to have such immense heat lick at my flesh and burn to my very core. I wanted to be in that woman’s place.

  A scream brought me from my thoughts, and I realized the blaze had nearly consumed the shapeshifter.

  “Dear god, Fin!”

  A strong hand grabbed my arm and yanked me back. I looked up at Mr. Lockhart.

  “Children your age shouldn’t be here. A sight like this isn’t meant for someone so young.” He shoved me toward Mrs. Haywood.

  “Oh, thank you, Edgar.” She pulled me to her side and slapped the side of my head. “You stupid boy. I told you to stay by my side. Do you want to end up burnt yourself?”

  I didn’t reply. I was too confused by the sudden coldness I was feeling. It made my skin crawl with a weird, unsettled sensation. Looking at the flame that had engulfed the woman, I wanted to go back, to feel its warmth again.

  “The boy should be home, Mary.”

  “I needed him to help me carry some things, or I would have left him.” She pulled me in front of her. “Fin is getting older. I figured he’d manage well enough.”

  Mr. Lockhart looked me over quickly. “I suppose. Just keep him out of trouble.” He left with the guardians.

  Mrs. Haywood smacked me again. “Embarrassing me like that in front of the Governor, Fin— you know better.”

  I didn’t respond. The momentary strike of pain was nothing to the coldness I was feeling, a coldness that could only be quenched by fire.

  Chapter 2: The Haywood Home

  I placed the basket of baked goods on the table and sat down as Mrs. Haywood removed her headscarf and hung it with her shawl on the hook sticking out of the wall. She smoothed out her dark blonde h
air and straightened her apron.

  “Fin.”

  Propping my head up, I let out a sigh. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Don’t sound so enthralled, boy.” She turned sharply and started getting out different pots and pans. “Go get the girls and send them down to help me, then go do your chores. The woodpile is getting low.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I breathed, sliding off my chair.

  Entering the living room, I found Mr. Haywood asleep in his chair near the fireplace. My eyes lingered longer than necessary on the black ash piled in the bottom before I hurried up the stairs. Seeing that woman burn had done something to me. The constant itch to be back in the warmth of the flames hadn’t left.

  Kicking open the door to the girls’ room, I was met with a chorus of screams. “Mrs. Haywood wants you downstairs now!”

  “Get out!” the four girls yelled in unison.

  The door was shut in my face. I didn’t really care if they went or not. They’d be the ones in trouble, not me. Shaking my head, I pulled down the stairs leading to the attic and climbed up. Reese was asleep in the corner.

  Hunching over so I wouldn’t hit my head on the roof, I walked to where he was lying and kicked his foot. “Hey, we need to go get firewood.”

  With a groan, he rolled onto his back. “That’s your job, squirt. Get out of here.” He pushed me away and curled under the covers.

  “You’re supposed to help,” I snapped.

  “Some of us have to work,” he stated. “So go do your stupid chores and be quiet about it, or someone will be sleeping in the chicken coop tonight.”

  “Reese!”

  He sat up grabbed my lowered head and shoved me back. I hit the ground hard and felt a sharp pain from my elbow. I rubbed it and checked to see if I was bleeding. Reese simply pulled the covers over his head and completely ignored what he had just done.

  “Boys!” yelled Mrs. Haywood. “You better not be roughhousing up there. I have a wooden spoon right here and I’ll beat you both if you break anything.”

  “We’re not doing anything,” replied Reese. “Fin just fell.”

  “Fin! You better get working on the woodpile right now.”

  Glaring at him, I exhaled sharply out of my nose and stood. Just because Mr. Haywood made Reese get a job in the mines didn’t mean he could be lazy. One more year and they’d kick him out anyways. I climbed out of the attic and marched down the stairs.

  Mrs. Haywood was waiting. “Did you tell the girls?”

  I nodded.

  She leaned down slightly. “Woodpile, now.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I muttered as I walked out the front door.

  Wandering into the trees, I started gathering fallen twigs and breaking off branches from the trees. It wasn’t fair. All the girls had to do was help cook, while I had to do all the hard stuff. It stunk being the only boy around. I kind of wanted the governor to bring another one, so I had someone to help me. Reese was worthless and never did anything.

  It was starting to get dark by the time I had nearly filled the wood box. On my last load, I spotted the smoke through the trees coming from the fireplace. The image of the woman surrounded by flames entered my head. It made the excitement from early in the day return. Throwing the wood into the bin, I hurried inside. The girls were all sitting around in the living room.

  “Fin,” said Mrs. Haywood, “your plate is on the table.”

  Despite how hungry I was, I felt disappointed. I kept sneaking peeks at the small fire as I dragged myself into the kitchen. Reese and Mr. Haywood were sitting at the table. Grabbing my bowl, I took the chair on the far side. Reese didn’t acknowledge me, while my caretaker stared at me with a confused expression on his face.

  “Fin, how old are you now, boy?”

  “I turned thirteen a few weeks ago.” I dipped my bread into the stew.

  The old man, whose hair was starting to grey, sat up straight. “It’s about time, we get you a job.”

  My shoulders dropped. “What kind of job, sir?”

  “From what I’ve heard, you’re pretty agile.”

  I scratched my chin, more concerned with my food than anything he had to say.

  “You know old Mr. Hobbs, right?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, the man who sells all the herbs.”

  “He says you’re good at climbing trees and rock sides.”

  Letting out a deep breath, I sunk into my chair. “I guess.”

  “Well, he needs someone to gather supplies. He asked me today if you could come work for him.”

  “Do I have to?”

  “Yes,” Mr. Haywood said firmly. “You’re old enough now to be contributing to this family.”

  I rolled my eyes at the thought. This family would only have me until I was eighteen.

  “You don’t make the girls get jobs,” I muttered. Two of them were even older than me.

  “They’re girls, Fin,” he pointed his spoon with chewed up potato caked on the side at me. “No woman wants to crawl around in a mine. You, on the other hand, need to learn a skill. One day you’ll have to provide for a family. Right, Reese?” He slapped the seventeen-year-old on the back.

  The brown-haired boy muttered a “yes, sir,” before going back to finishing off his stew.

  “I guess.” I stirred my soup around, trying to find the rare piece of meat hidden among the mushy carrots.

  Mr. Haywood nodded. “Good, because tomorrow morning you’re going to his shop. You’ll be gathering the same things that you do for Mary when someone’s sick. It’s nothing too hard, Fin. I could always get you a job in the iron mines.”

  I tensed up. Being buried under the ground all day sounded horrible. “No, thank you, sir.”

  “Good to hear.” He flashed me a half-smile.

  It looked painful for him to do, but the man rarely smiled.

  After I finished my stew, I piled my bowl on top of the others in the sink. Going into the living room, I saw the girls gathered around doing each other’s hair before bed. I sat down on the rug in front of the fire and watched it flicker across the wood. The urge to stick my hand into the blue flames at the very bottom grew the longer I sat there.

  “Fin,” said Mrs. Haywood. “Fin, scoot back. You’re too close.”

  My head fell back. “But I’m cold.”

  Gwen threw a blanket at me. “There.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “You don’t have to be so mean about it.” I moved so I could lean up against the couch.

  “Maybe you should try knocking.” She pursed her lips at me.

  I rolled my eyes and faced the fireplace. It wasn’t like any of them had anything I wanted to see. Girls were just weird and blew things up way bigger than they needed to.

  Jewels sat behind me and started running her fingers through my blond waves. “You have such pretty hair.”

  “Wasted on a boy,” sighed Mrs. Haywood as she tied off Bridgette’s black braid.

  The young girl pulled the long braid over her shoulder and moved so her birth sister Hannah could sit down to have hers done.

  Jewels started to twist my hair back into some weird thing.

  I slapped her hands away. “Don’t.”

  “Come on, Fin.” She hugged me from behind and pulled a strand of shoulder length hair out of my eyes. “Just let me play with it.”

  I turned around and locked eyes with her. “No.”

  “Mrs. Haywood,” she whined, “I’m not going to hurt him.”

  “Fin, just amuse her for a bit,” breathed our caretaker.

  Folding my arms, I slumped back against the couch as Jewels started pulling on my hair. I hated that Mrs. Haywood was always on their side. It was bad enough the four of them ganged up on me all the time. Now I had to have my head ripped around to amuse one of them. It wasn’t right.

  Mr. Haywood and Reese entered the room. Gwen quickly moved out of the way and went to sit with the younger girls on the smaller couch. Reese sat down in the corner and gave me a smirk. I lurched forward onl
y to have Jewels yanked me back.

  “Mrs. Haywood, tell him to stay still.”

  “Fin,” she said firmly.

  Jewels tied off the end of a braid. I ran my hand down the side of my head to find it tightly woven back. I went to move, but she stopped me again.

  “Let me do the other side.”

  “That’s enough.” I knocked her hands away.

  “Fin.” Mrs. Haywood eyed me. “Don’t make me tell you again, boy.”

  I turned and scowled at the wall. Reese gave me a big grin.

  “Shut up,” I hissed at him.

  “Is this really necessary?” asked Mr. Haywood.

  “It’s not hurting anything, Paul.”

  “Still,” he leaned back in his rocking chair, “let the boy retain his dignity.”

  “I’m not making him go to town with his hair all done up,” shot back Mrs. Haywood. “Besides, it’s good practice for the girls, and it keeps them busy.”

  He groaned. “Girls.”

  “Watch it,” she replied, throwing a comb at him. “Or you’ll be cooking your own meals from now on.”

  I grimaced as Jewels pulled the braid way too tight. My eyes were going to start watering if you kept this up. “It hurts. You’re doing it too hard.”

  “Stop it.” She batted my hands away.”

  Mrs. Haywood shook her head. “We really do need to cut it. It’s starting to get out of hand.”

  I looked out of the corner of my eye at my caretaker. I didn’t really care what she did. If she cut it all off, it just meant these girls couldn’t torture me anymore. The fire flickered making me smile to myself. I turned toward the fireplace. I’ll never understand how I’d never noticed its beauty before. If there was a job that meant I could play with fire all day, that would be one that I wanted.

  Chapter 3: Playing with Fire

  I followed Reese up the stairs to the attic and flopped down on my bed, which was rolled out on the floor.

  “So pretty, Finny.” He brushed his hand over one of the braids.

  “Shut up!” I jumped at him, but Reese was a lot bigger and slammed me onto my back.

  “Boys!” yelled Mr. Haywood from downstairs. “That’s enough.”