Inferno Read online

  “It really is a relief that you didn’t turn out ugly,” he stated plainly. “Don’t know what I would have done. You were such an uninteresting child.”

  It sounded like he was pacing around me.

  He moved closer, and I felt the warmth. “Glad you didn’t develop too large of a frame.” He grabbed my biceps. “Good thing I didn’t let them work you in the mines. Spending all day swinging a pickaxe would have unwanted effects. You didn’t overindulge yourself, either.” His hand pressed into my stomach. “Very nice.”

  “What do you mean?” I didn’t fight as he pulled me to his chest. The warmth was even greater.

  “A bird should be light,” he whispered. “And feminine in nature.”

  I shoved him back and went for the blindfold. He snatched my wrists and released the energy into my body. My knees crumbled, but the man yanked me back into his embrace.

  He chuckled in my ear. “Stupid little sparrow, getting so worked up over a single word. All I meant to say...”—the man ran his hands down my back to my hips and pulled them to his—“ was I like that your muscles are long and retain an agile look.”

  My breath caught as the heat increased. It felt too good. I was losing the battle with my body. I needed to escape this man, but I couldn’t resist leaning in closer to him.

  “Release me,” I breathed. “Please, stop.”

  “But you like it so much.”

  I shook my head. “Please stop.”

  “Show a little more fight to escape me and then I’ll believe you.”

  A gasp came from me when a fire erupted in my chest. My mind went hazy, and I lost all resistance.

  “A few more days”—he kissed my cheek—“my little sparrow, and then I’ll take you home with me.”

  “No,” I said, my words barely audible. “I can’t do this...” I shook my head. “Stop.”

  “You’ll give in to the desires.” His hand brushed through my hair. “I’ve waited so long to find a shapeshifter of your sort. Such a rare little creature.” His lips brushed against mine. “Try not to get yourself killed before you become an adult. Understood?”

  I don’t know why, but I nodded.

  “Good boy.”

  The coldness came back, and I sank to the ground. Taking off the blindfold, I looked around, but the cave was empty except for a pile of clothes folded in front of me. I ran my hands up and down my arms, trying to bring back some of the warmth. Nothing worked. I laid over my knees and felt the sharp, aching pain return. My body had felt the heat again and would forever be searching for the hooded figure. The man who started my addiction as a child.

  Zoran.

  Chapter 8: Just Shapeshifters

  I laid on the ground listening to the screams coming from outside. The dragon was not happy about the governor trying to kill it. It was probably burning the town to the ground. I didn’t care if it did. All I wanted was to feel that warmth. This endless cold was going to ruin my sanity.

  I sat up and touched the place where the man had warmed me with his touch. Pulling my knees to my chest, I took deep breaths to stop myself from crying. What was going on? My body was betraying me. That man had cursed me. He had to be a demon. No normal person could have that kind of control over a dragon, or another person.

  The cold was something I was used to enduring, but my body was suffering from something else. During my school years, the other boys had talked about it, but I had never experienced it until that man filled me with such heat. I had felt such pleasure, and my body had reacted to it. As the cold set in, things returned to normal.

  Wiping my face, I tried to think about what I was going to do. I couldn’t tell the governor I had been enjoying being engulfed in fire when a demon came by and assaulted me. But I could blame my failure on that man. I wrapped my arms around my knees. He shouldn’t have touched me like that. That wasn’t how a man should touch another man.

  Slowly climbing to my feet, I walked over to the pile of clothes. I really hoped no one noticed they weren’t what I’d initially had on, but walking home naked after everything that had happened seemed like a worse alternative. I quickly pulled on the pants and tugged the shirt over my head. I was surprised the boots were my size, but then again, the man had known my name.

  And I knew his.

  I sat down on a rock just inside the cave. “Zoran,” I whispered. I had only heard it once in school. It was a name of a god of fire from stories no one really believed in, but when I’d met a man holding black fire as a child, I knew it had to be him. I started down the path towards town. The junction came into view. The tower was scorched, but the stone still held. I just hoped the dragon hadn’t flown into Gail.

  By the time I reached the end of the mountain pass, men were starting to come out of hiding. They all stared. Most were covered in dirt and ash, but there wasn’t a mark on me.

  “Fin!” Reese pushed his way through the gathering. “You’re alright.” He quickly hugged me.

  I nodded.

  “What happened up there?”

  I shook my head. “A demon,” I breathed.

  The governor made his way through the crowd. “A demon? Like the one you were supposed to blow up?!” He pointed to the burnt tower. “That creature could have destroyed the whole town. One shapeshifter, Fin. I thought you could handle it.”

  “It wasn’t a shapeshifter,” I muttered, bowing my head. “It was a dragon.”

  A whisper spread among those standing nearby.

  “The boy is delusional,” announced the governor. “Dragons do not come this far north, we all know that. It’s too cold here. They wouldn’t survive.”

  “The shifter was one of fire,” I stated. “The dragon belongs to him.” I motioned to the opposing path. “He was able to control it.”

  “What are you talking about?” The governor shook his head, “Who is this shifter?”

  “The man,” I stated. “The dragon belongs to him. He was a shifter of fire.”

  “Lies,” Mr. Lockhart said, grabbing my arm. “Don’t listen. He’s fatigued, and the shapeshifter must have—”

  “Why?” I interrupted, prying at his hand. “Why couldn’t he be one of fire?”

  Lockhart swung me around. “Because fire is the weakness of all shapeshifters,” he stated. “So keep your mouth shut, boy.” He peered out over the crowd. “Do not worry. We will track down this beast and dispose of it along with any other shifter. To ensure our safety, we will send additional tribute, so our gods will bless us and help us get rid of the shapeshifters.” He looked at my adopted brother. “Reese, start the preparations. Give these people something else to think about.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Holding tight to my arm, the governor led me through the gathering to the town.

  “Sir?” I tried to pull my arm free. “Sir, you’re hurting me. Please let go.”

  Stopping in the middle of the town square, he yanked me forward. “You and I are going to have a talk, and I’d advise you to say exactly what I want to hear if you don’t want to end up tied to that post.” He tilted his head toward the stake.

  I nodded, feeling my chest tighten.

  He pulled me along behind him into the government building and took me to his office in the back. Pushing me inside, Lockhart slammed the door. “Sit. Now.” He paced around the back of the room.

  I took the chair adjacent to his desk and faced forward.

  “What happened, Fin?”

  “I-I did what you asked.” I bit my lip. “It was a dragon and another shifter.”

  Lockhart slammed his fist on the desk. “Listen here, boy. Mythical creatures don’t come this far north. First off, they’d have to survive the ravine, which has plenty of beasts that aren’t in your textbooks.”

  “Dragon can fly,” I whispered.

  He shoved a pile of books onto the floor before gripping his hair and walking around to his chair. He sank down into his seat and leaned forward. “You listen to me. After we’re done, you’re to go
home. Talk to no one. Come tomorrow, you are going to say it was shapeshifters.”

  “But it wasn’t. It was a dragon, and who knows—maybe the other was the god.”

  “Because that’s what I said, Fin.” He pointed his finger at me. “I don’t care what happened, but all this was caused by a shapeshifter. Not a dragon or whatever the hell else you thought you saw.” He shook his head at me. “A god,” he scoffed, “Coming to see a pathetic boy like you. If it were a god, you’d be dead.” The governor stood tall and looked down his nose at me. “Talking so lowly of a god will get this whole village cursed. You’re already the topic of rumors. I wouldn’t want any more to form. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” I said softly. “Shapeshifters, that’s all I saw.”

  “You didn’t see a dragon or a demon. Just a shapeshifter that fouled your mind. You’re just an innocent boy that was tricked by a monster. Isn’t that right, Fin?”

  I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. Because if you weren’t an innocent boy that was just unlucky to be the one chosen to go up there, I’m going to have to take action, Fin.”

  My breath caught, and I quickly nodded. “No, sir. I was just there by chance. It was a shapeshifter now that I think about it. Two shapeshifters. I’d be dead if it was anything else.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Mr. Lockhart leaned back in his chair. “You may go, Fin.”

  “Yes, sir.” I stood. “Thank you, sir.” I hurried to the door.

  “Oh, Fin.”

  “Yes?” I glanced back over my shoulder.

  “It wouldn’t be wise to cause any more problems. You have enough stories circulating about you, and you don’t need another.”

  “What kind?” I sucked in my lips.

  “One perhaps is what actually happened to your parents. A baby surviving a fire of that magnitude is a rare thing, and I’m really hoping it was just luck that you lived. For your sake, at least.”

  I nodded. “I will, sir. No more problems.” Opening the door, I stepped outside and shut it. I felt sick.

  I raced out of the building and headed toward the woods. I made it just into the nearest alleyway before I dropped to my knees and threw up. The tears started to fall. Resting my head on the bricks, I tried to get my breathing under control. They were going to kill me. Lockhart wanted me dead. I could feel it. Wrapping my arms around my stomach, I took deep breaths to calm down. My body didn’t feel like mine, and with the governor knowing something wasn’t right with me, I couldn’t even trust myself. Sooner or later, they’d find out, and I doubted they try to kill me with fire.

  Chapter 9: Heated Anger

  I stared into the flames in front of me but felt no urge to feel their heat. Nothing was good enough. Nothing was hot enough, and my routine of disappearing into the forest had turned into a bitter experience. The small fire I could create only made my desire for Zoran’s heat worsen. I tossed a couple more twigs onto the pile and watched them ignite.

  Wiping my face on my jacket, I debated just going back to Hobbs. Sitting here staring at the fire was only torturing me. Hobbs had barely given me anything to do, but after what had happened three days ago, everyone was a little hesitant to go near the cliffs. I guess he didn’t want me crawling around them either. The list of herbs he gave me was a chore meant for a child to complete. It had only taken me an hour or so, and I had spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the woods, upset that I couldn’t burn the whole forest down.

  A twig snapped, and I glanced over my shoulder to see Reese walking toward me.

  He gave me an over-exaggerated smile. “Hey.” Walking to my side, he sat down and crossed his legs. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

  “I’ve been avoiding everyone,” I muttered, wrapping my arms around my legs. This damn cold was getting to me.

  “Yeah, the Haywoods asked me to check on you.” He tossed some dried up grass into the fire.

  I watched them burst into flame, and for a moment, the heat warming my skin increased. It wasn’t enough. No man-made fire would be enough to satisfy me. “Why? Two more days and I’m gone. They don’t need to worry about me.” My head fell to the side.

  “It’s okay, Fin. The whole town was shaken up by the last shapeshifter. Stop punishing yourself for it. No one was killed. I was proud of you for going in there,” he chuckled. “That was a pretty brave for a brat like you.”

  “Hmmm...”

  “Look, the governor isn’t mad. That shapeshifter...” He shook his head. “No one could match a power like that. I don’t even know how’d we kill it if we caught it. I mean, the thing threw fire at us.”

  “Why not leave it alone, then?” I muttered, standing and dusting off my pants. “Has anyone ever thought about just leaving them alone? Since, technically, it was just defending itself.” I marched off into the trees with my hands jammed into my pockets.

  “Hey.” Reese jumped to his feet and stamped out the small fire with his boot before chasing me down. “What has gotten into you? You will not talk like that.” Grabbing my shoulder, he swung me around to face him. “They’re shapeshifters, Fin. Because of creatures like them, our parents are dead.” He jabbed his finger into my chest. “We’re lucky to be alive. I had to watch mine be torn apart by one of those demons. I will not feel sorry for them. They’re not human.”

  Sucking in my lips, I nodded. “Yeah. Whatever, sorry.”

  “It could have been a shapeshifter like that one who killed your parents. Did you ever think of that?”

  My mouth dropped open, and I looked at him. “Who told you about that?” No one old enough to remember talked about the fire.

  “I overheard the governor talking to some council members. Fin, your entire village was burned to the ground by one of those things. It deserves to die. All shapeshifters do.”

  “I don’t want to hear this.” I moved passed him toward town. If it had been a fire shifter, how was I any different?

  Reese jogged after me and caught up in an alleyway close to the main square. “What is with you?” He snatched my arm and yanked me back. “Why are you acting like this? People are starting to talk. You can’t just ignore everyone.”

  “I know.” Clenching my fist, I stared at the ground. “I just don’t want to talk about it.”

  Reese gave me a stern look. “To be honest, the governor told me to keep an eye on you. He’s starting to think something happened up there that you’re not telling him.”

  “Nothing happened. I already told you that.”

  “It doesn’t matter if I believe you. The one you have to convince is the governor, and you’re doing a horrible job of that by running off by yourself every day.”

  “I know,” I said sharply. “I just want to be alone. What’s wrong with that?”

  “No one blames you for the fire shifter. We’ll find it, and kill it.”

  “Just shut up.” I jerked my arm free. “I’m tired of hearing it. Everyone saying it’s not my fault. I know it’s not my damn fault! But that doesn’t mean I want to talk to you, or anyone else.” I pushed him back.

  “Fin?” He staggered back. “What wrong with your eyes?”

  “Nothing is wrong, Reese. I’m sick of constantly repeating myself to you. When are you going to figure out I just want to be left alone!” I threw my hands down and felt an immense heat rush to my fingertips.

  Reese’s eyes grew wide as I brought my hand up to my face. A fire was dancing around my palm.

  “Curse the gods.” What was happening? I looked into the terrified face of my foster brother. “Reese?”

  “Shapeshifter,” he breathed. “Shapeshifter!” He ran into the center of the courtyard. “Shapeshifter!”

  “Reese, no. Reese, wait!”

  Screams joined my foster-brother’s voice.

  “Shit.” I backed away as my chest tightened. It was over now. Turning on my heels, I ran for the forest. I burst out of the alleyway and slammed into a woman. We both toppled to the ground.


  “Fin!” snapped Mrs. Haywood. “Look what you’ve done.” She shook her head at me.

  Bread and apples scattered the ground. My foster sisters dropped to their knees to gather it up.

  “I’m sorry.” I grabbed my caretaker’s arm and helped her to her feet.

  “You are too old to be running around like a heathen. I taught you better.” She dusted herself off.

  The voices of men sounded behind me. I turned around to see Reese standing at the front with the governor at his side.

  “There!” yelled my foster brother. “Fin– he’s a shapeshifter. I saw him control fire. The boy is cursed.”

  A smile played across the governor’s lips. “Kill him.”

  Chapter 10: Cornered

  I slowly back away. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Fear was spreading as my hands started to shake. “I swear.”

  Mrs. Haywood clutched her chest and stared at me. “Fin?”

  “I didn’t,” I pled. I saw the doubt in her eyes.

  She pushed my foster sisters behind her.

  “I didn’t hurt anyone. I didn’t do anything!” I exclaimed.

  “What has he done?” Mrs. Haywood turned to the governor.

  “Fin created fire.” Reese pointed at me. “It came out of his hands. The beast in the mountain cursed him.”

  She backed away from me, covering her mouth. “It can’t be.” She shook her head. “I raised this boy. Edgar?”

  The governor showed no emotion. He seemed pleased with the discovery. “Shapeshifters are not to be trusted.”

  “But if he was cursed,” said my foster mother, “I’m sure there is a cure. We can fix him. I can get Hobbs.”

  “No,” stated Mr. Lockhart. “We can’t afford to let him live. What if the fire shapeshifter comes back looking for him? The whole town could be burned to the ground.” His eyes fell on me. “Kind of reminds me of the pile of ash a young baby was pulled from some eighteen years ago. Well, almost eighteen,” he chuckled. He started toward me.

  I mimicked his action in the opposite direction.