Inferno

by Nancey Cummings

“Have you bonded?” Kai asked.

  “We wait until we know the fate of our triad brother, but she is mine. Ours.”

  The Northern Valos turned to Lydia, as if waiting for her to make a decision.

  She took in a deep breath, carefully choosing her words. “Since my arrival in E’Lek, I have found that, beyond their hospitality, the greatest quality of the Northern Valos is their respect for life, in all its forms. You do not waste a life and protect it in any way you can, which is one of the many reasons I am so honored to be part of your family.”

  The Northern Valos touched two fingers to their heartstones and bowed their heads, undeniable affection shining in their eyes as they looked upon Lydia.

  “Whatever personal grievances I may have had with Lucie, the Fire Valos stand free thanks to her. By saving Kira, she may indirectly be instrumental in awakening our own lost tribes. The valos have suffered enough through the cruelty of the Creators. Let’s not further those atrocities by turning away from the principles that have always guided the Northern Valos. We protect life,” Lydia said, looking at Jaankeln.

  “We protect life,” the crowd repeated.

  “You speak wisely, sister,” Jaankeln said. “Too many valos of perished, Fire and otherwise.” She looked over her shoulder at the crowd. “We are agreed?”

  “We are agreed,” they repeated in unison.

  “We will aid you,” Jaankeln said. “Ulmnek, approach.”

  A tall valo pushed his way to the front of the crowd. Tall, he had a lean build but strong shoulders and arms. If Mishal had to guess the valo’s function, he’d say a miner. “We have many rooms full of gems and limited use for them. Show me the heartstone,” he said, motioning to the fractured crystal. The valo held it the light and examined it. “I remember when the fire Creator came for these. She took thousands with her. She didn’t explain their purpose, and I wasn’t particular about the ones I gave her. There’s a slight imperfection, all but invisible unless you know what to look for. I regret that now, knowing the suffering and sorrow it caused you.”

  He gave the crystal back to Mishal. “How many do you need?”

  Pel supplied the number. “But we’d like more, as a precaution.”

  “Come with me. Bring the crystal. I’ll need to take measurements.” The valo turned to Jaankeln. The female nodded.

  “You must be tired and hungry,” Lydia said, taking Amber’s hand. “Please stay a few days and rest. We have plenty to share.”

  “Thank you, but I think the guys want to get back on the road as soon as possible.”

  “How long will it take you to prepare the heartstones?” Kai asked the Ulmnek.

  “Alone, at least an entire day.”

  Another two valos in the crowd volunteered.

  “I believe the heartstones can be prepared by dawn,” Ulmnek said.

  “Then we’ll stay the night,” Amber said, returning Lydia’s warm smile.

  Kai took Amber and Pel to their quarters. Mishal followed the miner into the lower-city, accessed by an ornate cave entrance. Impressive with its own intricately carved wall decorations, the lower-city used to be where the Northern Valos lived while their Creator masters enjoyed the fancy houses of the upper city. Ulmnek led him to the third of five floors in the lower city. Two large rooms filled to the brim with gems of all types greeted them. Beyond, other rooms filled with ore and raw materials overflowed from stacks of large containers. They walked for a time, each mound of ore calling out to Mishal to be used, to have a purpose.

  “What do you use this for?” he finally asked.

  “Nothing,” Ulmnek said. “Our protocol was to mine. Once we extracted everything there was, we set our tools down and went to sleep. Now the Crafters use a small portion for ornamentation, but we have more than we’ll ever need.”

  “Why not trade? I remember the Northern tribe being great traders.”

  “It is our wish, but until we find out how many other valos cities have awakened, it is difficult to make such plans.”

  They reached an alcove of stacked heartstone crystals. The miner sorted through and examined each before finding a suitable crystal. “Ah. Here we go. May I see the original?” Using Flin’s heartstone as a guide, Ulmnek cut the crystal until it was the same oval shape with facets at the edges. “There. A flawed gem with a perfect cut. If you want to return to your mate, I’ll be busy all night.”

  Mishal tapped his heartstone and gave a nod in gratitude. Ulmnek returned the gesture.

  Returning to the surface, Mishal was directed to a building not far from the central plaza. Inside, he found many of the same comforts as the apartments in the City in the Caldera, including a comfortable warmth.

  Amber and Lydia sat at a table littered with suklaa shells. Lydia cracked open a shell and popped the nut into her mouth, groaning with pleasure. “I never thought I’d taste chocolate again. Tell me there’s more!”

  “Hey babe,” Amber said, kissing Mishal in greeting before emptying out the remaining fruit and suklaa nuts from her pack. “We have an entire orchard if you want to trade. Well, had. I suppose we’ll have to replant.”

  “There are wild suklaa trees in the forest, but their meat is not as large,” Pel said.

  “This stuff is too popular with the girls back home to not replant the orchard,” Amber said. “We’ll make more if you’re interested in trading, don’t worry.”

  “We’re definitely interested. We have ore and gems to trade.” Lydia licked her fingers then paused. “You don’t have coffee, do you?”

  “I’m still looking. We have decent tea leaves, but it’s herbal. No caffeine. I miss caffeine. And tacos.”

  Lydia laughed. “Kira told me how much she missed Cheetos.”

  Amber joined her laughter. “That sounds like her.”

  “Are you sure you can't stay a few days?”

  Amber glanced from Pel to Mishal. He did not want to linger, but if she wanted to stay another day, he would not protest. “You should rest. The journey has been difficult,” he said.

  “I think it’s been tougher for you, honestly. I’m fine. We should go back as soon as we can, considering it’ll take another five days.”

  “Five days? Why didn’t you use a boat?” Lydia asked.

  “A boat? Is that like the ice boards?” Mishal rubbed the back of his neck, thinking how to construct such a thing from his fire.

  “I’m not fire resistant,” Amber said. “They have to be super careful to control their body temperature and not burn me. I think a boat made of fire is not possible.”

  “Then one of the Hunters will take you upriver. I’m sure they will if we ask,” Lydia said.

  The idea of traveling in a boat made of ice left him uncomfortable, but traveling quickly proved too great a temptation. “Thank you. We’ll do it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Amber

  “Is that safe?” Amber eyed the ice boat. Chilled air wafted from the frosty creation.

  “Yes. I can have you back in your territory in a matter of hours, unless you’d rather walk,” the Northern Valo male said, tone insulted. He had volunteered to help. As a Hunter, he had the skill to make the craft and navigate the river.

  Pel and Mishal frowned, looking as if they would rather walk than sit on ice. Finally, Pel said, “The blizzard stole too many days from us. There is no choice.”

  Amber clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks for being brave.” She meant to tease playfully, but awareness of how frightening the prospect of a trip upriver in an ice boat appeared to him and Mishal pricked in her mind. “Seriously, I know this is tough.” She stretched up to give him a reassuring peck on the cheek and did the same to Mishal.

  Once settled in the boat, Mishal infused a bit of heat into her blanket and settled it about her shoulders.

  “Aren’t you going to get tired?” she asked.

  “I can draw enough energy from the sun to maintain a simple warmth,” he said gruffly.

  Without the ominous clouds
looming overhead, the E’Lek valley was rather picturesque. The river flowed gently, and Amber lost herself watching fish dart in the water. She asked Toerkel, the Hunter, which were the best fish for eating and the best methods to catch them. Bright spots of greenery broke through the snowy landscape. The further up river they went, the more winter loosened its hold.

  Finally, the landscape grew familiar. The volcano appeared on the horizon, still intact but smoking.

  The Hunter pulled the boat to the shore. “This is as far as I’ll go into Fire Valos territory.”

  “Thank you so much,” Amber said, enthusiastically shaking Toerkel’s hand. He looked perplexed but returned the gesture.

  “You have saved us many days on our journey. Our tribe thanks you and owes you much,” Pel said, touching his heartstone and giving a short bow.

  The Hunter responded in kind. “The tribe spoke all night about potential trade with the Fire Valos. The fine quality of your goods from the time before is well remembered.”

  Another touch to the heartstone and Toerkel pushed off the riverbank.

  Pel shouldered one pack containing the crystals. Mishal carried the other. “We can be in the City in the Caldera by midday.”

  “Hard to believe it’s not even noon,” Amber said. The Miners had prepared the crystals by dawn. After a quick breakfast, Amber had said goodbye to Lydia and the tribe, and now she was almost home.

  Pel

  His heartstone fluttered. He frowned, rubbing the crystal embedded in his chest. That wasn’t right. It pulsed in an uneven, nervous rhythm.

  The City in the Caldera buzzed with activity that it had not seen in a millennium. A location for the new settlement across the river had been chosen and an elevator salvaged to use as a temporary bridge. Valos moved in a constant caravan up and down the mountain, carrying supplies and equipment across the river. The humans packed up the smaller items needed to make life comfortable, such as furniture, cloth, and home furnishings.

  Pel spied Crystal and her male, Evan, move boxes from their apartment to the ground level. He made a mental note to help Amber pack her belongings. Mishal already planned the house he would build but bringing over basic items such as cooking pots and pans would make the transition easier. His mate never complained during their journey, even when the weather turned brutal, and she deserved to spend the rest of her days in comfort and ease.

  Amber followed them to the now statue-free plaza. He paused at the steps that would take him down to the Forge. Beyond the balustrade, the level of the caldera lake had risen noticeably.

  A pair of Soldiers stood watch. The ferix incursions had not ceased, apparently. Pel gestured for another Soldier to stay with Amber and protect her from anything that crawled out of the lake.

  “I’m coming with you,” she said.

  “It is too warm for a human in the Forge.”

  “Is the floor made of lava?”

  “What? No. Do they have such things on Earth?”

  “Then I’m coming with you.” She dropped her pack and jacket, stripping off her tunic until she just wore a sleeveless undershirt and short pants.

  Mishal immediately snapped at the Soldiers to not look at their mate. Pel didn’t object to the flesh she displayed, but he did not want her in the Forge in case the revival had complications.

  “There is no reasoning with her when she is like this. Come along,” Mishal said, leading the way.

  Sarsen and Asche waited for them in the Forge. They accepted the crystals and unpacked them carefully. They survived the journey intact.

  “Each one is flawless and cut to enhance the strength of the heartstone,” Mishal said. “The Northern Valo I spoke with believes that many of the crystals Sheenika used were flawed.”

  “I hope he’s correct,” Sarsen said. “Tomorrow, you will give me your report, Pel. For now, we will concentrate on this.”

  Asche directed Amber to a far corner. “For your safety, please stay here. We discovered that not every revival is easy. Often they are confused and may panic if they see a Creator.”

  “But I’m not—”

  “He will not know that.”

  Amber nodded. “Okay, I’ll stay here.”

  Sarsen held up several stones to Flin’s chest, searching for something to identify it as Flin’s. At length, he handed a crystal to Pel. “This one.”

  “I just place it in the socket?”

  “Yes. Just set it in and give a gentle push until it clicks.”

  Easy. Place and push.

  He didn’t know why a sudden wave of nerves overtook him. This was the easiest part of the quest. He had already walked to the frozen north, battled a snow beast, parlayed with Northern Valos and returned home again.

  Mishal placed a hand on his shoulder but said nothing before touching his heartstone.

  Whether installing a new heartstone proved a success or failure, Pel knew he’d tried everything in his power. He and Mishal would never achieve their former balance without Flin, but they would find a new balance between the two of them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Flin

  Flin woke.

  Pulled from the comfort of the dream of the woman who fell from the stars, he found himself in the nightmarish hellscape of the Forge. He would never be free of this place.

  Light from the glowing stones in the walls cast harsh shadows on the valos surrounding him. He did not know them.

  “Flin?” the short but thickly built one asked, shifting forward on his heels.

  The tallest one crouched down and pressed his hand to Flin’s heartstone.

  Fear spurred him into motion and did not give him time to recognize that he had his heartstone or that he experienced fear. Half-remembered memories and the fog of suffocation made a jumble of his mind.

  “Peace,” the tall one said. “You have been asleep for a long time. You’re safe here.”

  “No,” he rasped, voice dry and unused for centuries. He could not be safe here, in the Creator’s Forge, the chamber of horror where his people were taken and transformed into something unnatural. There would never be safety in the cursed City in the Caldera.

  The tall one reached for him again. Flin batted his hand away and moved to his feet, crouched like an animal ready to flee. The tall one frowned. “Do you know where you are?”

  “Where is my triad? Where is my mate?” Flin demanded.

  “This sometimes happens. The mind takes a moment to catch up to the body,” a voice said. Flin turned to the speaker and bared his teeth in warning. If the Creator treated him like an animal to experiment on, he would behave as such.

  “Do you know me?” the shorter male asked.

  “No!” Flin shuffled back, staying out of reach.

  The males exchanged a sorrowful look. A new sensation replaced his fear, and Flin felt sadness that the two men were upset. He did not understand why he should be concerned about the males’ emotions.

  “You’re safe. You were asleep for a long time,” the tall one repeated.

  Flin continued to inch backwards, stopping only when his back hit a wall. Trapped, he looked for an escape route.

  “Back up, guys. You’re scaring him,” a female said.

  Flin recognized that voice. It was her, the female from his dream.

  She stood before him, a vision with hair the color of sand from the riverbanks and a face that looked like a Creator, but he did not fear. Her face was reddish and glossy, as if the Forge were too warm for her.

  She knelt before him and cautiously took his hand. The contrast between her pale skin and his dark hand fascinated him. He turned over their joined hands as she patiently waited for him to finish his examination.

  He looked up, caught off guard again by how much she resembled the Creators. Her eyes were blue, though, like the sky at midday, and compassionate. A Creator would never look at a valo with compassion, so she could not be a Creator.

  “I’m Amber,” she said.

  “I dreamed of you,” he
said.

  Amber

  Flin scooped her up like King Kong picking up Fay Wray in that old movie. Despite not being a muscular as Pel or as solid as Mishal, Flin’s lean and athletic form picked her up with ease. He cradled her to his chest like a cherished toy he refused to share. Hell, Amber was even blonde. Yeah, this was a total King Kong moment.

  “Do not,” Pel warned.

  Flin’s arms tightened around her. Unstable, his temperature could flare and roast her or he could crush her in an embrace if he wasn’t careful. Oddly, that didn’t concern her.

  “Guys, it’s fine. I’m fine. We’re fine,” she said. She wiggled and Flin relaxed his grip. She smiled up at him and patted his chest. “We’re fine,” she repeated, believing the truth of her words.

  “What is wrong with him?” Mishal demanded, turning toward Pel.

  “He is confused,” he said. “It is not an easy or pleasant thing to have a heartstone installed.”

  “He does not know us,” Pel said.

  “His memories will return slowly. You did not immediately recognize me,” Sarsen explained.

  Amber studied Flin’s face. He followed their words, eyes narrowed. His arms tensed with the threat of another freakout.

  “There’s nothing wrong with Flin,” she said. She refused to believe that, just because he didn’t jump up and do whatever it was Pel and Mishal expected, that there was something wrong with him. “How about we go home?”

  “Home,” Flin agreed. He turned to leave the Forge. Amber pointed to the upper levels where her apartment waited, but Flin headed toward the exit. He left the City in the Caldera and walked down the mountain toward the village.

  Rather than fruitlessly arguing, Mishal picked up their packs and followed. “Her name is Amber,” he explained.

  “Amber. I know this name,” Flin said.

  “She is human and delicate. Do not hold her too tightly and do not let your emotions take over or you will grow too warm and burn her.”

  “Never.”

  Pel followed as Mishal continued to lecture Flin about the proper care of a human. She suspected Flin didn’t listen. His eyes were fixed on her, yet he managed to place each step carefully in the growing dark.