Inferno Read online

  Closing my eyes, I was struggling for air. I clung to the fire god. This was amazing. The cold was gone and the furthest thought from my mind for once. Zoran slipped a finger inside me. A blast of heat ripped straight through me to my core. The fire emanating from my own skin hit the bed canopy.

  Zoran smiled. “Males are far more honest.” Another finger worked its way inside.

  If this continued, I’d burn the room down.

  “Let it out, Fin,” he whispered. “You can’t hurt anything here.”

  The encouragement was enough for me to stop trying to hold back. The fire grew and spread. Our bodies sat entangled in a ball of flames.

  “That’s it, my sparrow.” His fingers pulled away and something bigger was pressed against my entrance.

  I wanted it. I wanted it so bad.

  “You’re shaking,” chuckled Zoran.

  Not replying, I pulled him into a kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck. He deepened it and twirled his tongue around mine. I jerked back as my breath caught when he entered me. He went to suck on my neck as his cock stretched my walls and sent fire racing through my body.

  The flames coming from me turned blue as well.

  “You’re feeling it better this time,” whispered Zoran. “You’ll love the ending.”

  He started to move his hips. Each thrust made the flames grow higher.

  “More,” I gasped. “More, Zoran.”

  Zoran chuckled and continued to nibble on my neck. I spread my legs wider. He slammed into me harder. Grabbing my erection, he started to stroke it.

  My body was going to explode. “Zor—Zoran.”

  Breathing heavily, Zoran grabbed my hips and increased the pace. He threw his body at me and erupted. Fire blasted through the room, causing the windows to shatter. I came hard and added to the wave of heat that shook the walls.

  As we came down from our high, the blaze diminished to a simmer. My head was still filled with the warmth. I was warm, so warm.

  “Curse the gods,” breathed Zoran, collapsing at my side. He clasped my cheek and ran his thumb along my cheekbone.

  I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. He pulled me to him and kissed my forehead as he placed a blanket over us. I settled in and felt my mind slip away. He was right: I had loved the ending.

  “WHY DO YOU ALWAYS SAY curse the gods?” I asked. “Isn’t that a little self-defeating, since you are a god?”

  “I curse the others, and one day I hope it happens.”

  I curled up against Zoran. His arm was wrapped around my shoulders. It was strange to not see him poring over scrolls and scribbling down notes for once.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “For what?” he muttered.

  “Saying those things to you. I was just upset. I’ll try harder to get better at my powers so I can be like the others.”

  “Hmmm... I never wanted you to be like the others.” He cleared his throat. “You’re doing well.”

  A lightness filled my chest. A compliment. Zoran had given me a compliment. Finally, he’d acknowledged all my hard work. I hid my smile in his side.

  “For being so young, you’re doing okay.”

  He could try to cover it up all he wanted, but he’d complimented me.

  “Why are you so happy about such a menial thing?” muttered Zoran, gazing off across the room.

  I shrugged. “Just because.” Shifting in the bed, I laid my head on his chest. “What’s going to happen tomorrow?”

  Resting his head against his fist, Zoran rolled his eyes. “A festival of sorts for the humans. It’s a day they can celebrate their gods. It’s an egotistical celebration, really. Pointless in every aspect.”

  “Maybe because no one celebrates you,” I teased.

  Zoran didn’t reply.

  “Is that why you left?”

  He quickly pulled away and went to locate his clothes.

  I laid there, thinking over what I’d said. That was probably not the best thing to say to a god. “Sorry.”

  Zoran groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Stop apologizing. I’m tired of hearing it.”

  Sucking in my lips, I rolled over and stared out the window. That was the first time I’d heard that. The bed shifted behind me.

  His arm landed on my waist, and he pulled me to him. “Tomorrow you will see for yourself what the Festival of Brite is like.”

  Chapter 36: A Proper Feast

  “You broke my windows,” muttered Aedus, glaring at his brother.

  Zoran shrugged and pulled on his coat. He did up the front three buttons. “Fin has a habit of blowing up, but of course you already knew that.” He gave the god a smirk and walked toward the door. “Fin, now.”

  I finished putting on my shoes and jogged after him.

  Aedus snatched my arm and yanked me back. “Behave yourself, little bird. Don’t be exploding in the middle of the festivities.” He shoved me toward the door.

  Nodding, I backed away. “I won’t, sir. Bye—” Dipping into the hallway, I spotted Zoran and ran to catch up with him.

  He seemed to know his way around the place since he led the way straight to the banquet hall. Opening the door, he waved me through. My mouth started to water when I saw the tables piled with food. More tables had been scattered about the room with an assortment of seating from regular chairs to large cushions. Zoran took one of the more traditional place settings. He motioned toward a seat across from him for me to sit.

  I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the long table by the wall overflowing with food. “Zoran, could I maybe—”

  “Go on,” he muttered, shooing me away with his hand.

  Jumping to my feet, I hurried over. I grabbed a plate and started examining all the different options. After being given barely anything to eat the day before, I was going to enjoy Aedus’ hospitality. Not to mention, I recognized most of it. There weren’t any lava serpents or other oozing green meats in the display. Instead, it was all just normal food. I filled my plate with sausages and thick slices of ham. Everything in front of me looked like the expensive cuts the Haywoods could never afford. I took a big spoonful of potatoes with cheese melted over the top. I added a few more things that looked interesting and finished off my pile with a couple rolls. I carefully walked across the room and returned to my seat.

  “You can have seconds, Fin.” Zoran was holding his head in his hands and massaging his forehead.

  “Sorry,” I muttered, through a half-chewed up roll. “I figured I’d get it all at once. They might run out. You never know.” I shrugged, wiping my face on my sleeve.

  “Shapeshifters,” he sighed, closing his eyes.

  I glanced around the room, shoving food into any empty space in my mouth I could find. A man with pointy white hair was freezing water to the delight of the woman next to him who had scales running down her neck and back. Another woman had a cup floating nearby. She occasionally drank from it as she read her book. A man was lying at her feet with an assortment of chains wrapped around his body. They weren’t being used to bind him but seemed to be weird accessories. The man didn’t seem bothered by them, but it was a little unnerving to me. The majority of these people were making me uneasy, though. Zoran was one of the most normal-looking among them.

  The door blew open and a whirlwind swirled through the room. My plate flipped over and I groaned as it all went flying onto the floor. I hadn’t finished yet.

  “Notus!” Zoran slammed his fist on the table. He turned sharply and sent a wave of fire toward the door.

  The man split in half as the door slammed shut behind him. My mouth fell open. How did he do that?

  “The rest of us understand the concept of opening a door,” stated Zoran. “Figure it out for yourself.”

  A breeze fell over us, and the man appeared at the end of the table. “So temperamental today.” He body seemed to wave. His long, white-blond hair was continually floating about his shoulders.

  I leaned a little closer. I could make out the faint shap
es of the objects behind him. A hand snatched my chin. I lurched back at the sudden cold, but a wind swirled around me, pulling me forward.

  “So this is him?”

  “Hmmm...” said Zoran, rubbing his forehead. “Notus, this is my firebird.”

  “What do they call you?” asked the man.

  “Fin,” I replied. A cold chill spread onto my skin from his hand.

  The man looked me over. “The last thing we need is another fire demon.” A gust hit my face as he withdrew his arm.

  “Firebird,” corrected Zoran. “A baby one at that. You won’t need to worry about Fin starting any fires for many years to come.”

  “We’ll see,” said Notus under his breath.

  “How?” I wanted to touch the man for myself. He didn’t even seem like he was real.

  Zoran cleared his throat. I quickly faced forward and clasped my hands in my lap.

  “This is the southern wind god.”

  “Oh.” I glanced at Notus. “Are all wind gods like... well, like you?” I laughed hesitantly.

  Notus smiled. “More or less. I am a wind god, but more precisely a breeze.”

  “A breeze?”

  His expression remained the same. “Mind yourself, Fin. We’re not all as fond of firebirds as Zoran and his brothers.” Notus disappeared into a blur of faint color that flew toward the corner where another group was sitting. The god reappeared as a gentle breeze that floated around the room and ruffled my hair.

  “Woah.” I swallowed hard. I hadn’t realized that the wind gods were literally made of wind.

  “Stay away from people like him,” said Zoran.

  I glanced at Zoran. “Why?”

  “His kind slip through this world with only a soul and nothing to shield it.” He watched Notus, who took flight and disappeared through the crack between a window and its frame. “Why do you think the wind is so unpredictable? There’s no force to contain it, protect it. A defenseless soul without a body, vulnerable to react to any and all catalysts.”

  Nodding, I took a deep breath. “Zoran, can I...?”

  “Go.” He waved me off.”

  “Thank you.” I jumped off and raced back over to the food.

  After filling another plate, I returned to the table and proceeded to stuff myself to the point that I felt nauseated. I laid my head on the table and willed the food to digest a little faster.

  “I don’t feel bad for you,” stated Zoran as he picked at a plate with a few grapes on it.

  “I didn’t ask you to,” I muttered. I held my stomach and took deep breaths.

  A bell’s chime filled the area. The chatter in the room stopped and everyone listened to it.

  Zoran sighed and stood. “Time to end this so we can go home. Stay put.” He left the table and walked out of the room with what looked to be the other gods.

  My mouth opened, and I raised my hand. He’d left me. Zoran hadn’t even said a word about what I was supposed to do and just walked off. I slumped down against the table and glared at the remaining grapes on Zoran’s plate. I guess I’d just stay here like he said and he would come back and get me.

  I heard movement and lifted my head. The remaining occupants of the room were starting to leave through the opposite door. None of the other firebirds were with them, though. Sinking into my chair, I watched them leave until I was sitting all alone. Zoran knew where I was and would send someone if he wanted me. I’d just have to wait.

  Rising to my feet, I wandered over to a pile of cushions and fell into them. Laying down was helping my stomach settle. Someone had left an empty gold cup on the floor. Picking it up, I twirled it around and examined the design. Gods lived in a world all their own. I don’t think the governor had anything even close to this nice.

  I held it in my palm and tried to make fire. The bottom started to heat up and glow red. I forced that heated angry feeling to grow. A little fire spread along the outside of the cup.

  “I did it!” I smiled to myself. That was far bigger than a candle’s flame!

  The door was thrown open, startling me and causing a blast of fire to shoot from my hand. The cup rocketed into the air and came crashing to the floor at Amber’s feet.

  Chapter 37: Golden Boy

  “Fin.” She marched over wearing a red silk gown.

  “Hey.” I waved. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to almost hit—”

  “Come on, let’s go.” She snatched my wrist and dragged me toward the door.

  I staggered along until I got my feet under me. “Where to?”

  “The festival’s about to start, and you’re not even ready.”

  “I didn’t know where to go.” I jogged to keep up as she pulled me through different corridors.

  “Stupid boy, didn’t you see everyone leave?”

  “No one told me to go with them,” I muttered. “How was I supposed to know?”

  She threw open a door and shoved me inside. Men in red took a hold of me and pulled me into the center of a room that had mirrors covering all the surrounding walls. Amber stood by the door as the group yanked me in multiple directions. My clothes were removed with no help from me and water was dumped over my head.

  My breath caught. That was far too cold for a firebird.

  They forced me onto a stool and rubbed a powder into my skin. It gave my skin a golden shimmer. I examined my hand. It was quite strange. I glanced at Amber to see the same thing had been done to her. Gold makeup had also been applied to her eyes. She did look rather stunning with the front of her red hair braided back to her ear and the long ends draped over her shoulders. She was really stunning, actually. One of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.

  The men lifted me to my feet. I stepped into some tight white shorts that had slits up the side that were held together by a gold string which weaved back and forth. They placed a thin belt around my waist that had two flaps attached to it with the fire god symbol embroidered on both in gold. The men positioned them on the front and back. The flags hung a couple inches lower than my shorts, but I was still feeling rather exposed with the sides of my legs completely showing. I was given sandals that had straps, which they wrapped up my legs and tied for me.

  I looked around for the shirt, but there wasn’t one. I turned to Amber, but before I could ask her, I was shoved onto my knees.

  “You might want to hold still for this part,” she said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “They’ll have to start all over if you mess it up.”

  I glanced at her arm to see a faint silver design. It was barely noticeable unless the light caught its reflection. A man started muttering foreign words and lifted a golden cone above me. The covering on the outside started to glow. Another man forced my head down while the last two grabbed my arms. My heart rate increased. I closed my eyes as the metal top touched my skin. This wasn’t going to end well, I just knew it.

  I heard a click, and it felt like snakes slithered out and started to spread across my skin. I lurched forward at the weird sensation, but the men didn’t let me move far. Looking out of the corner of my eye, I saw black ink weave its way toward my fingers in the mirrors. It created symbols, or maybe even words. I didn’t understand any of it, nor had I seen anything like it before.

  The vessel was removed and the men backed away. I gripped my knees and tried to regain my composure after that whirlwind ten minutes. The men filed out a side door, leaving me alone with Amber.

  She circled around, examining my back. “They’ve been waiting centuries to try out that little box.”

  I rubbed my arm but the ink stayed put. It was far more prominent than her silver markings. “How do you get it off?”

  “It can only be taken off by a fire god, so I’m sure Zoran will remove it for you at some point. That was a spell meant for a male firebird.” She ran her fingers across my spine, making me shiver. “It did turn out nicely, but it was one of Zoran’s inventions, so I didn’t expect anything else.”

  “Zoran?” I rolled my shoulders forw
ard to try and get a look at my back.

  “He is quite a smart man,” she said, lifting me to my feet. “His brothers have the same intelligence, but they lack the ambition to do anything with it. Though neither of them will admit it, I think the youngest will soon surpass his elders.”

  She held me out in front of her and turned my head to the side. I looked over my shoulder into the mirrors. The fire god symbol spread from one side of my back to the other. Faint highlights of red emphasized the black markings. Other designs ran down my arms and past my waist. They all had the essence of fire about them.

  “What does it mean?” I asked.

  Amber rested her head on my shoulder and traced a few with her finger. “No one is certain. The gods have their secrets, and they prefer to keep them a secret.” Taking a deep breath, she stood up straight and clasped my hand. “Well, little bird, it’s time.”

  “What’s the festival like?”

  She gave me a smile. “You’ll just have to wait and see, but I’m sure this day will be one you’ll never forget.”

  Chapter 38: Festival of Brite

  The noise from outside vibrated the wall. It was all around us, a deep rumbling that shook the room. My nerves were starting to build. I stood behind the other firebirds with two tall doors that loomed over our heads. I didn’t know where the other shapeshifters had been taken.

  Iri draped her an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, Finny,” she said with a smirk. “If anything happens, you’ll just blow up. Nothing to worry about, right?”

  “There will be no blowing up,” snapped a woman with strawberry blond hair. “Aedus will freeze us all if something goes wrong.” She eyed me. “So nothing had better go wrong.”

  Iri let out a huff. “Ashleen, you’re destroying the mood. It’s Fin’s first festival.”

  “If that boy can’t control himself,” Ashleen replied, “we’ll be punished for his stupidity.”