Stolen Fire

by S. Dalambakis

  “No, you don’t.” He sighs. “I’ll show you around tomorrow, but for tonight let’s get a room so you can eat and rest.”

  “That’s the best idea I’ve heard.” I look behind us and see Obsidian and Verkor following. “I think I’m able to walk now. You can put me down, Stolas.” He growls low.

  “I can’t. I can’t let you go yet.” I nod, not understanding this new possessiveness from him. It could be because I almost got jumped, but he’s acting worse than Obsidian.

  “I’ll go ahead and secure us a room for the night,” Verkor says, before taking off. Obsidian moves and starts walking right next to us. His hand reaches out, clasping around my ankle. I watch as Verkor enters the nearest hotel. I turn my attention back to Stolas and Obsidian.

  “Are you guys alright?” They both look at me.

  “We’re fine, doll,” Obsidian says, squeezing my ankle gently.

  “It’s you we’re worried about,” Stolas interjects.

  I search his face and see that he’s scared. I didn’t notice it before, but now that I look at them, I can see it. They both are. Stolas’ eyes are a little too wild. Darting around rapidly before settling back on my face. His breathing is a little faster than normal. Obsidian keeps clenching and unclenching the hand he has on my ankle. Almost like he needs to reassure himself that I’m okay. Other than that, he shows no other outward signs that something is bothering him. He has a scowl on his face, but that’s normal. I take a moment to take stock of my own body. I have a few aches and pains, and I know I’ll have some bruises, but that’s to be expected when you fight. I don’t feel any different. Maybe just a little more tired than usual. My mind feels like my own, and I don’t feel any lingering effects from almost being jumped. But then again, I’ve never been almost jumped by a soul, so who knows how I’m supposed to feel.

  “I don’t know. I feel fine. I’m tired and hungry, and I know I’ll have some bruises from fighting, but otherwise I feel fine.” I move my hand down, placing it over Stolas’ heart. I feel the erratic beat beneath my palm. “Really, I’m fine.”

  Stolas searches my eyes, and I guess he finds what he needs, because he takes a deep breath and nods. I feel his heartbeat slowing back down to normal. Almost as soon as Stolas starts to relax, Obsidian does. It’s like he needed to know from Stolas that it was okay, that I was okay, before he could relax as well. Verkor comes back a few moments later with a key. Stolas wastes no time walking to the hotel and into the lift to take us to our room. I catch a glimpse of the lobby and it’s beautiful. Very gothic romance.

  There is a lot of black and red, but it’s done tastefully. A sleek, black counter is off to the right. The walls are deep crimson, like the color of blood. A singular computer sits on the counter with a gold bell. There is a black door behind the counter with ‘Employees Only’ written on gold script on the frosted glass. In the center of the lobby hangs a gold chandelier, illuminating the black marble flooring and decadent black leather, semicircular couch that’s positioned off to the left.

  The best thing is the demon standing behind the counter. At well over six feet he has two horns protruding upwards from the sides of his forehead, highlighting the shock of green hair atop his head. But not even the horns and hair can distract from the fact that from his nose up his flesh is pale ivory flesh, which is a contrast to the desiccated mummy look from his top lip down. I can’t see how far down the mummy appearance goes because of the white shirt he wears but his forearms down to his hands are the same pale flesh as the top half of his head, that is except for his fingertips...all ten look like they’ve been dipped in black tar.

  I gasp at the sight of him. He seems to hear me as he glances up in my direction. When my solid gray eyes meet his solid red ones, he grins, the flesh of his mouth seeming to stretch and tear with the movement. I shiver in Stolas’ arms.

  “Are you cold, love?” he asks. I shake my head.

  “Um, just out of curiosity, what kind of demon was that?”

  “A desiccation demon.”

  “What do they do?” I inquire, not really knowing if I want an answer to my question.

  “They use their sharp teeth to latch onto their victims and suck them dry. When they’re finished, the victim looks like a mummy.”

  “Interesting,” I murmur. Stolas jostles me slightly.

  “Hey, don’t worry about him. You’re not going to be his prey.” I nod aimlessly, not quite believing him. I will be sticking close by them until we leave this place.

  The lift doors open, revealing a long hallway. The walls are red and the carpet is black. You know, I’m starting to think that the reason everything is dark is to hide the blood. These are demons after all. Verkor moves ahead of us, walking down the hall, stopping at the last door on the right, room three hundred thirty-three. Verkor unlocks the door and swings it open. Obsidian goes through the door first, but the rest of us don’t move. I almost ask why, but Obsidian comes back.

  “It’s clear.” Stolas turns sideways and carries me over the threshold.

  I survey the room and no surprise it’s decorated in black and red. There’s one bed covered in a black comforter with massive red pillows. A red curtain hangs on the wall behind the headboard. Black nightstands adorn the sides of the bed, and there is one plush, red chair on the right side of the room in the corner. The left side has a black door with a gold handle. I’m assuming that’s the bathroom, hopefully. I could use a bath. Stolas walks over to the side of the bed and places me in the center, then sits next to me. Obsidian and Verkor place our bags by the chair before turning their attention back to me.

  “What’s with all the red and black? Isn’t it a little cliché?” I ask.

  “Red is the color of power, lust, passion, desire. Black is the color of death, and what is hell if not death itself.” He pushes a piece of my hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. “We are in the lust level. It wants to inspire what the level is.” I swallow slowly. The sound of his voice and the look in his eyes almost undo me. “Now, how about we get you something to eat?” I nod. Stolas gets up, moving toward the door.

  “Wait,” I call out. Stolas stops and looks back at me. “Is there edible food here? You know, for the human.” I point to myself. Stolas laughs.

  “Yes, love,” he says once he gets ahold of himself. “Some levels of hell have become quite the tourist attraction. This level being one of them. I promise, there is edible food here.” I nod and relax back into the pillows. Stolas leaves with Obsidian on his heels. Verkor walks over and takes the seat that Stolas vacated.

  “Are you sure you’re alright, baby?” He reaches over and takes my hand. His thumb starts rubbing circles on the back of my hand.

  “I’m fine. I want to eat, shower, and sleep. You guys got to me before anything truly happened. Why are you guys freaking out so much about it? What would have happened to me?” I ask quietly.

  Verkor sighs. “Stolas would be the best to answer your question. But, from what I understand, if you were jumped, the soul would have destroyed you from the inside out. Bodies aren’t meant to be inhabited by more than one soul. The souls that are here are defiled. That’s why they are in hell in the first place. They will corrupt the body until there is nothing left. Your organs will fail, and eventually you’ll die.”

  “Is there anything you can do once someone is jumped?”

  “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Stolas.” I nod. “Do you want to bathe while we wait?”

  “Yes. I have one more question though.” He nods. “Why is Stolas acting weird?” His brows furrow.

  “What do you mean?” I sigh.

  “He’s acting more possessive than Obsidian, and that’s saying something. He’s been a little more serious than his fun-loving self. Does it have anything to do with what just happened? Does he not want to be here? I don’t want to force him, you, or Obsidian into doing something that you don’t want to do.”

  “I didn’t realize he was acting out of sorts. It ma
y be because of limbo. He might feel guilty for leaving you unprotected. I can ask and see what he says. As far as coming here, I don’t think he minds it. He just doesn’t do it that often.”

  “I hope so. But I would appreciate if you would ask him.”

  “Of course, baby.”

  Verkor stands and goes to the door on the left side. Turns out, I was right. It’s the bathroom. A few seconds later, I hear the sound of running water. I scoot over to the side of the bed and stand. I don’t feel dizzy or weak. I take that as a good sign. Since I feel fine, I make my way over to the bathroom door. I lean against the doorway watching Verkor test the water falling from the spout. He adjusts the knobs and tests the water once more, satisfied this time. Turning and seeing me, he immediately comes over, puts his hands on my waist, and sits me down on the counter.

  “Why are you up? I was going to come and get you once your bath was ready.” He runs his hands up and down my arms. “Stolas and Obsidian would kill me for not letting you rest.”

  I scoff. “No, they wouldn’t. I wouldn’t let them. Besides, I was going to have to get up eventually, why not now? As you can see, I’m fine.” He takes a deep breath and releases it. He looks over to the tub, leans over, and turns off the spout.

  “Your bath is ready.” I laugh.

  “How about you take my clothes off and help me in?” I wink at him. He smiles and shakes his head. But he does it anyway. I hear him suck in a breath as he lifts my shirt over my head. I look down once he tosses the shirt to the floor. I have a massive bruise on my right side. His fingers ghost over the area.

  “Does it hurt?”

  “Not really. I didn’t know it was there.”

  I’m sure it will once my muscles are relaxed, but I’m not going to say that to him. He reaches around me, unhooking my bra. I watch as he slides the straps down my arms and tosses it to the floor. He gently grabs my waist, placing my feet back on the ground. Once I’m steady, Verkor goes to his knees. He unbuttons my pants. The sound of the zipper sliding down is deafening in the silent room. Slowly, Verkor pulls my pants over my hips and down my legs, helping me step out of them. I watch as he leans forward brushing my hips with his lips. His fingers hook in my panties, pulling them down. I want more than just his mouth and hands on me. I want him to take me.

  “Verkor,” I whisper. Verkor gets to his feet, closing the space between us.

  “I would love to have you, baby, but you know I won’t. Not tonight anyways. You need to rest.” He takes a step back. “Let’s get you in the tub.” I’m disappointed and horny now, but I don’t push him. Verkor helps me in. Once I’m seated, I lean back, letting the hot water seep in. I groan. “Feel good?” he asks.

  I look over, seeing him kneeling next to the tub, his arms are along the top with his head resting on them. I can’t resist. I run my fingers through his blonde hair. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” The door to the hotel room opens.

  “We have food,” Stolas calls out. In the next second, he appears in the doorway. “Hurry up, love. You need to eat.” His gaze goes down to Verkor and he nods like he approves of him waiting there. Stolas leaves.

  “Alright, baby. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  Verkor

  I help Finley with her bath and then go back to the bedroom. Stolas is waiting with food. We all watch Finley get dressed then situated on the bed. Stolas hands over her food, and she groans when she opens the lid. There is a heaping pile of fries, drenched in salt and vinegar. She opens the next container and moans at the sight of the burger.

  “This better taste as good as it smells,” she says before digging in. Watching Fin eat is always a sight to see, but this is something else. The rest of us are only halfway through our dinners when Finley finishes. “Okay, that was the best burger I’ve had in a long time.”

  “I’m surprised you even tasted it with how fast you ate it,” Stolas jokes.

  “Oh, trust me. I tasted it, and it was amazing.”

  “You still hungry?” Stolas asks.

  “Nope.” Finley pats her belly as she relaxes further into the pillows.

  “Baby, will you let me brush your hair? You look like you’re about to fall asleep, but I know how you’ll be in the morning if it’s a tangled mess,” I say. She sighs, knowing that I’m right.

  “Fine,” she acquiesces. I go to our bags, which we placed on the right side of the room, digging through hers to find her brush, but I can’t find it.

  “Hey, Fin?” she doesn’t answer. “Fin?” It’s silent.

  I turn back and see that she’s already asleep. I stand up and watch Stolas change into his hellhound form and jump on the bed. He whines, but crawls over her body. He sniffs her and seems satisfied before settling down. His head on her belly and his body covering her legs. My gaze flits over to Obsidian. He shrugs his shoulders.

  “I tried to ask him what’s wrong, but he wouldn’t answer me. He said we’ll know soon enough.”

  “Do you think we should be worried?”

  “Stolas doesn’t seem to be. He’ll let us know if that changes.” I nod. My gaze goes back to Stolas and Finley on the bed. I know Obsidian said that we shouldn’t be worried, but I can't help it. Why would Stolas keep something from us? What could it be?

  “Maybe her almost getting jumped, here in his home, rattled him?” I ask.

  “There’s no way it couldn’t. I’m sure having her in your home rattled you as well. There is an uncertainty where she is concerned. She’s strong willed, independent, mouthy, and sassy all wrapped up in a beautiful package. She doesn’t listen and throws herself headfirst into the action even when we tell her not to.”

  “Exactly,” I say. “Shouldn’t we know what’s going on with her so we can protect her? So, we can help him.” I’m so focused on Obsidian that I don’t realize Stolas has shifted back until he is standing before us.

  “You know I can hear you, right?” Stolas says.

  “It’s not like we were trying to hide the fact that we were talking about you. We’re just trying to understand what’s going on with you. Even Finley is concerned,” I reply.

  “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry. I’ll talk with Finley in the morning, letting her know that everything is okay, that I’m okay. But for right now, you guys need to be quiet or leave the room, because you are not going to wake her up. She’s going to need as much rest as we can give her.”

  “Why? What do you know?” I question. “Did something more happen to her in limbo?” He runs his fingers through his hair before looking back at Finley sleeping.

  “If I tell you this, it stays between us. She can’t know until this mission is over. Once we’re back home, I’ll tell her...we’ll tell her.” Both Obsidian and I straighten. Stolas chuckles. “I’m surprised that you haven’t figured it out yet, Obsidian. You’re a shifter and have a better sense of smell than I do.” Obsidian stiffens next to me. He walks over to the bed looking at Finley.

  “I don’t understand. She looks like herself,” he whispers.

  “Get closer. Sniff her,” Stolas states. Obsidian’s brows furrow, but he leans closer, inhaling deeply. He leans even closer, inhaling deeply again. I watch as his eyes widen. He whips his gaze in our direction.

  “Holy shit,” Obsidian exclaims. Stolas starts nodding furiously. Now, I feel left out because I’m the only one who doesn’t know.

  “Will someone just tell me,” I whisper yell. Stolas and Obsidian turn and look at me.

  “She’s pregnant.” I stare wide-eyed at Stolas.

  “Are you sure?” Stolas nods.

  “Obsidian just confirmed it. I knew there was something different about her that morning when she asked when we were coming here. As the days went on, her scent started to change subtly, and I didn’t know why. When I was laying on her belly in my other form, I heard it. A heartbeat.” Obsidian sits on the bed, I sink into the chair, and Stolas stays where he is.

  “Holy shit,” I whisper. “Who’s the father? What are we going to d
o? Are we really going to keep this from her?” I rapid fire my questions.

  “We have to. It’s not going to change her mind regardless. We just have to stay close and protect her better. I could tell you who the father is. Her scent is changing slightly because of the baby,” Stolas says. Obsidian turns slightly and inhales again. He knows.

  “It’s yours. The baby is yours, Stolas.” He nods his head, but then a smug smile crosses his lips. He practically puffs out his chest. Proud of himself.

  “That’s why you’ve been so protective,” I state. He nods again.

  “Only I didn’t know why. It took everything I had to leave earlier and get her food, but my hound was riding me to provide for her. To show her we are worthy. I didn’t understand. It was the same earlier after she almost got jumped. I had this insane need to touch her, to protect her. I mean, I normally have that feeling, but it was worse. The instinct to protect my mate and pup are strong.” This time I nod. My attention goes to my sleeping mate. She makes a noise and we all quiet. She shuffles, rolling over to her side, before settling back down.

  “Shit, how the hell are we going to do this?” I ask.

  “We’re going to be here for her. We are all going to help raise my pup,” Stolas states.

  “Do you think...do you think she would be willing to have a baby with each of us?” I ask. I can’t help the direction my mind is going. Yes, we’ll all help raise the baby, but I want one of my own with her. I hope she’ll be willing too. I want that more than anything.

  “We’ll have to ask, but I don’t see her saying no,” Stolas responds.

  “She’s going to be angry when she finds out. And we’re going to be insufferable, which she’ll hate. And you know damn well that she’s not going to stop this crusade for the treasure,” Obsidian huffs.

  “Can you imagine us toting a baby around with us trying to do this?” I inquire.

  “Then we’ll need to speed this up. How fast can we get through the levels?” Obsidian asks.

  Stolas shakes his head. “I don’t know. That depends on if we can get through the rest of the levels without incident. Finley’s going to want to explore and see everything, but the closer we get to the depths of hell where the devil is, the harsher the levels get. There are some levels I don’t want her to see, and I planned on rushing through those. We probably have at least another three to four days to travel through the levels. Who knows how long before she can get her date with the devil. I hope my brother can help with that. I figure we have at least a week, maybe two, here in hell.”