Inferno Read online

  “What? It’s insulting. You’d rather have sex with a man than me.” She put her hands on her hips. “Why even keep me here if you’re going to sink to that level?”

  He growled and released me. “Come here.” Aedus stood, and Amber hurried to his side. “Such a disobedient girl.” He twirled a piece of her hair around his finger.

  She batted her green eyes at him. “I’m lonely, Aedus.”

  “Don’t lie to me,” he said with a smirk. “This is simply something you can have over Zoran. You saved his little pet, and you’re hoping for something in return. But I’ll remind you,” he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, “there won’t be any favors in my house.”

  Amber smiled and grabbed the man’s hand. “He’s quite dull.” Her eyes ran over me.

  I stared at the two, still confused as to what was happening.

  Aedus looked me up and down. “Fitting,” he scoffed. “Zoran has waited years for a firebird and gets a male.”

  “Zoran’s to the point he doesn’t care,” said Amber plainly. “Simply not waking up to a pile of ash would be worth lying with a man.”

  Sitting up, I rubbed my throat. It still hurt.

  Aedus made eye contact with me. “I’ll be back later, boy.” He pointed at me. “Don’t leave this room. I won’t treat you as well as Amber for disobedience.”

  The woman draped herself over him and smiled at me over his shoulder. The god took her hand and led her from the room. The door closed and the tension left with them.

  “Curse the god,” I breathed, covering my mouth.

  I should have apologized to Zoran.

  I STAYED IN THE CORNER, half-buried under pillows. It was starting to get dark outside. That man might return soon, and I was still unsure of what to do. I ran my fingers over my lips. He had done that to me and had tried to do more.

  This god was worse than Zoran. He’d used force.

  The door opened and I prepared to fight. I wasn’t a creature who existed just to be used for sex. I wouldn’t let him do it.

  Amber’s red hair glowed as she held a light in the palm of her hand. I settled down and pulled a pillow onto my lap. Her light blue silk gown fluttered around her legs as she walked over to where I was hiding.

  She knelt in front of me and set a bag on the ground. “Don’t worry. Aedus is sleeping. I managed to calm him down so you wouldn’t have to worry about him coming back tonight.”

  I nodded. “Thank you for earlier.”

  She smiled. “Well, we are one and the same.”

  “I’m Fin.”

  “Amber.” She held out her hand.

  I shook it and sunk back into the wall.

  “You must be scared.”

  Clenching my jaw, I stared across the room. “I’m not.”

  She laughed. “Aedus can be harsh at times.” She handed me the bag. “I brought you some things.”

  I opened it to find clothes. “Thanks.” I took out the long-sleeved shirt and put it on.

  She watched me do up the buttons. I was getting the feeling she wasn’t going to give me any privacy to do the rest. I somehow maneuvered my pants on and did them up without exposing too much.

  “If he asks, tell him you found them in here. Aedus is already fighting his temper when it comes to you.”

  I nodded. “Okay, I will.”

  Amber touched my hand and frowned. “You’re so cold.”

  “Iri did something,” I muttered, hugging my arms around my chest. That horrible girl. I knew something was off about her.

  “Do you want me to help you?” She leaned forward.

  I lurched back. “No, no, I’m okay.”

  “I’m just teasing you, Fin.” Amber brushed her fingers along my jaw. “Such a skittish bird.”

  I turned away. “You’re the first, then? The first firebird?”

  Sitting back on her heels, she nodded. “If we worked our way back through the centuries, we’d see that you were born of my lineage. I guess you could say we’re family,” she said with a smile. “Very distant, but still family.”

  “Why did Iri bring me here?”

  Sucking in her lips, Amber fluttered her eyes. “To lure Zoran out. Aedus and Masou haven’t been able to see their little brother in so long.” She stood in one fluid motion and brushed her hair off her shoulders. “His punishment is over. It’s time Zoran stops playing with the mortals and becomes a god again.” She walked toward the door. “It’s embarrassing his brothers the way he hides from the world.” Amber glanced over her shoulder, slipping into the hall. “Goodnight, Fin. Don’t worry, Zoran should be here shortly to protect you from Aedus.” Her eyes flashed red as she closed the door.

  “Curse the gods.” I pushed back my hair and shook my head.

  I really should have just apologized.

  Chapter 34: Welcome Back, Brother

  Light filled the room as the sun rose above the horizon. I peeked out of my pillow fort to see if anyone had snuck in while I was sleeping. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like anyone had. Crawling out, I walked over to the bed and sat down. My toes ached from the cold. I wrapped a blanket around myself and rubbed my feet. Everything was still so frozen. I’d never let Iri near me again. That woman was psychotic.

  Someone knocked on the door. Jumping to my feet, I spun around as Amber entered the room. She smiled and closed the door behind her.

  “Good morning.”

  “Hi.”

  The smile never left her face as she walked to the bed and set a stack of clothes down. She sat beside them and watched me. It made me feel uneasy.

  “Aedus told me to give these to you.” She motioned to the clothes.

  “Oh... thanks.” I shuffled over and picked up the bundle. Facing the window, I maneuvered the blanket over my shoulders and held onto the ends with my teeth. I changed into the white pants with red embroidered down the seams. Letting go of the blanket, I unbuttoned my shirt.

  “Let me help.” Amber grabbed my arm and led me over to a mirror.

  I knew how to dress myself, but rather than fight her, I gave in and went with it. False kindness was common among these people, and she didn’t seem like a woman I should cross.

  Pushing off my old shirt, Amber tossed it on the bed. She then took the red tunic from me and pulled it over my head. “It looks nice on you.”

  I put my arms through the sleeves and pulled it down.

  She did up the button on the front that made the collar stand up straight. A pattern embroidered in white ran around the collar and down the front. It looked like flames circling around a sun.

  “The fire god symbol.” She ran her fingers over it. “It’s truly an honor to wear it.” Turning around, she pulled her hair to the side to reveal the same design on the back of her gown, only more elegantly done with jewels and different beads. Facing me, she clasped my hands. “Now, I’m taking you to Aedus. You are to apologize immediately. If he asks anything of you, do it. I won’t be able to save you, nor will anyone else even try too.”

  I nodded.

  She smiled. “Such a good boy. Zoran is very lucky.” Looping arms with me, she escorted me out of the room.

  The woman who had called me “dull” just the day before was now complimenting me. I glared at the ground as she continued to talk about uninteresting facts about the palace. Amber had even mocked Zoran for having to “lay” with a man. It wasn’t the ideal situation for Zoran or me, but she didn’t have to say it to my face. I glanced at her and received a smile in return. She seemed kind, but something wasn’t right about her.

  Amber took me to a large room with pillows thrown about on different levels of seating. Women and men lay strewn about the room as servers with trays of food and pitchers filled with a red liquid meandered among them. Aedus sat on a throne carved into the stone steps. Masou lounged next to him on a higher ledge. I walked with Amber down the middle of the room. She placed me on an image of the sun painted on the floor.

  “Remember what I said,”
she whispered before going to sit next to a woman with strawberry blonde hair.

  I was finding out that it was better to just apologize straight away when it came to gods. Zoran had yelled at me for being overly sensitive. His brother had attacked me, and I was the one who had to apologize. Keeping my head down, I just stood there in front of Aedus and the rest of the room.

  The god simply looked down his nose at me.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry for my actions.” I peeked up at the man. “I didn’t know who you were.” Sucking in my lips, I glanced around the room.

  They were all watching the interaction. My attention returned to the god. Aedus hadn’t moved.

  I took a deep breath. “It won’t happen again, sir.”

  Aedus rolled his eyes and dismissed me with a flick of his wrist. The room filled with noise once again. I stood there for a moment, not exactly sure what I was supposed to do next. Were all these people gods or were they shapeshifters like me? Maybe a mixture of both.

  “Fin,” called Iri, waving at me, “you can come sit by me.”

  I shook my head. I’d sit by anyone but her. Not after what she had done to me. Masou’s eyes landed on me, and my chest tightened when they started to glow. I wove through the lounging people to where she was sitting. I settled into a back corner, putting a pretty good amount of space between Iri and me.

  She scooted closer. “I heard what you did,” she laughed. “You’re lucky not to be a giant ice cube.”

  “Yeah,” I breathed.

  My stomach started to growl. I’d ask for food but bringing any more attention to myself might set Aedua off, and he was not someone I wanted to bother.

  “So...” Iri leaned closer to me. “Did you and Aedus...” She gave me a smirk. “You know?”

  “No!” I jerked upright.

  The room fell still, and everyone turned in my direction. I pressed back into the corner. The people whispered amongst themselves.

  “Sorry,” I said, forcing a smile. “I—I didn’t mean...”

  “Fin,” stated Aedus. He peered over his shoulder at me.

  I swallowed hard.

  “Come here.”

  Nodding, I climbed to my feet and went to him. “Yes, sir?” I stood in front of him and stared at my feet.

  Amber hurried over and placed an arm across the god’s shoulders while sitting on the armrest. She whispered something in his ear. Aedus waved her off. The woman looked away with pursed her lips.

  “Come closer.”

  I inched forward but kept a good distance between us. His eyes flared red, so I shuffled a little closer. Aedus snatched my arm when I came within reach and yanked me toward him. I gasped and braced myself as I landed between his legs. He clasped my cheek.

  I closed my eyes. “Please, I... I’m not—”

  “Quiet.”

  Pressing my lips together, I peered up at him. Fire emanated from his hands. It warmed my skin, but it didn’t feel good like when Zoran did it.

  “You’re hurting me,” I breathed, pulling back.

  Aedus wrapped his hand behind the back of my neck to keep me from moving. “Zoran has already tainted you.” The fire grew.

  The pain spiked, bringing tears to my eyes. He was burning me.

  “Stop it!” I screamed.

  The room exploded. I was thrown into Aedus’ chest and felt the heat of the blast lick my skin. My breath caught when a pure warmth—Zoran’s warmth—washed over me.

  “You,” stated Zoran, pointing at Iri. “You filthy parasite.” He threw a fireball at her.

  Masou blocked it, but it left a black stain on the wall behind him.

  “Fin is mine! I raised him!” Fire billowed from Zoran’s body. His eyes were red embers.

  This was not good. I tried to crawl off Aedus, but the god held onto my arm.

  “Little brother,” said Aedus cheerfully. “You’ve finally made it. What has it been seven years that you’ve been ignoring my invitations?” He tightened his hold on me, gritting his teeth.

  I cringed and pried at his hand.

  “Eight,” replied Zoran sharply, marching across the room. He slammed his hand above Aedus’ head, nearly tipping the chair over. “I’m taking Fin and I won’t be returning.” He ripped me away from his brother and shoved me behind him.

  “Temper, Zoran,” said Aedus, amused. “We simply borrowed him.” He glanced at me. “And I might have sampled him slightly.”

  Zoran’s eyes shot to me and glowed red.

  I opened my mouth, but the air was stuck in my lungs. “I—I... no, it’s not... We didn’t do that.”

  “He is such a sweet little bird.” Aedus brushed a finger across his lips and smiled.

  Zoran slammed his fist into his brother’s jaw. Sparks from the blow showered the crowd. They quickly covered their heads. A group of people with pale bluish skin tones scattered. My mouth fell open as Aedus tenderly touched his cheek. What was happening?

  Turning sharply, Zoran whipped his coat around him and grabbed my wrist. We marched toward the exit. Vines encased in fire fell from the ceiling and wove together in front of the doorway. I jumped back, but some of the flames fell onto my foot. I used my other to put it out as I hopped to the side. It didn’t leave a mark, but there was something strange about it. Fire had never hurt me before.

  Zoran was boiling, literally boiling with fire. I stood quietly at his side with my head bowed.

  “This reunion isn’t over, Zoran,” stated Aedus. “The festivities start tomorrow, and you will be attending.” He shifted in his seat. “Welcome back, little brother. Let’s make this year one to remember.”

  Chapter 35: Not the First or the Second

  I sat on the bed and watched Zoran pace the room. The windows and doors were all barred by Aedus’ strings of tar.

  “Can’t you just break through them?” I asked.

  “No,” snapped Zoran.

  “You could do the smoke thing.”

  “No.”

  “What about a fireball?”

  “No!”

  My shoulders dropped, and I sighed. “I thought you were a god. It shouldn’t be that hard to escape.”

  Zoran appeared in front of my face and slammed me back on the bed. “Third,” he stated. “I’m the third god of fire. Third! Not the first or the second, the third.”

  I held my breath and nodded.

  “If I could beat my brother, they’d be dead!”

  “I’m sorry!” I exclaimed. “I didn’t know. I just thought all gods were the same.”

  “We’re not.” He jolted me against the bed and moved to the side. “Curse the gods, you’re so dense.” He ran his hands down his face.

  I turned onto my side. We sat there quietly for awhile. I could feel the heat radiating from his skin. It felt nice.

  “It was just a kiss,” I whispered.

  “What?” He glanced down at me.

  “Your brother. He pushed me down and kissed me.” I traced the pattern on the bedspread. “He tried to do more, but... I blew up.”

  Zoran started to laugh, and it slowly grew louder until it was uncontrollable.

  “It’s not that funny.” I sat up. I expected him to be a bit more upset that I had been assaulted.

  His laughter died down and he wiped his eye. “You really blew up in Aedus’ face?”

  I nodded. “He was really mad.”

  “I bet he was. That man has never had anyone defy him in his life.”

  “You defy him,” I muttered.

  “I’m a god. You’re a shapeshifter.”

  I let out a deep breath. “Yeah, Aedus said he wished he could kill me. Good thing I’m a firebird.” I touched my neck. “His fire hurts.”

  “It would also hurt if Masou shot a fireball at you.”

  “You don’t, though?” I inched closer to him.

  His hand landed on my head. Heat pulsed from it. Closing my eyes, I soaked it in.

  “You’re not the only one who thinks so.” Sitting me up
right, he pulled me against his chest. “You’re colder than usual.”

  I buried my face in his chest. “Iri is a horrible person.”

  Zoran shook his head. “I warned you.” He lifted up my shirt.

  I yanked it back down and peered into the god’s eyes. Zoran just sat there, waiting. I knew what he wanted. The cold was coming back, making my body start to shake. I wanted it, too. To be warm again, to feel Zoran’s inferno—I wanted it all.

  “So, Fin,” he raised an eyebrow, “what have you decided?”

  “Okay.” I let out a deep breath. “But just this once.” Leaning forward, I pressed my lips to his.

  Zoran grabbed the back of my head and deepened the kiss. It was so hot. Heat was pulsing from his lips. I wanted more. I crawled into his lap and straddled him as we continued to kiss.

  “You waited too long for that refueling,” he chuckled as he kissed my neck.

  I gasped and bit my lower lip. I needed more of him, to touch his skin and run my hands up and down his body. Zoran unbuttoned his shirt. He lifted up the bottom of my shirt, and I helped him take it off. I tossed it on the floor and pushed off the god’s coat. It fell to the ground, soon followed by Zoran’s shirt.

  “Yes.” I pressed up against him. It was so good to be skin against skin. It was pure pleasure. “More.” Every kiss I placed on his skin burned through my body.

  Zoran laid me down. My breath caught when he pulled away. The cold was coming back. He yanked off my pants. I squirmed and reached for him. It was so cold.

  “Patience,” he whispered, running his hands down my thighs. “Such a needy sparrow.” Tossing my pants to the side, he leaned over me.

  I arched into him and felt the flames rise up from my skin.

  Zoran smiled. “No control, as always.”

  I was gasping for air. The pleasure was flooding my head. “More, more,” I breathed.

  The fire flickering across Zoran’s skin changed to blue. His eyes turned the same color. It was pure bliss. I was shaking. My senses were being overrun.

  “Do you want more?”

  My mouth was open, but no words came out. I had to nod to convey the message.

  “What a lustful bird,” he laughed. He grabbed my legs and hiked them up around his waist. Kissing my neck, he sucked hard on my collarbone.